I believe in God’s provision. I believe he is committed to looking after his all his people financially.
I also believe we have a supernatural enemy who wants to rob us of truth, and that one of the most effective ways of accomplishing that is by distorting truth. So if the enemy wants to rob us of the Biblical promise of God’s provision, he will produce a twisted version of it which will lead the weak astray and turn the rest of us off. And this leads us into another form of error. Reaction against distortion turns into a different kind of distortion.
The word “heresy” is derived from a Greek word meaning “part.” By definition, heresy involves partial truth. That is what makes it so dangerous. An outright falsehood would set off our alarm bells, but something presented with a veneer of truth can look quite appealing.
The problem of the prosperity message is where it starts. And that is with the assumption that the kingdom of God and his purposes are all about us, rather than about him. A true Biblical theology teaches us that everything starts and ends in God, and everything is about God.
But if we think everything is about us, then naturally we will assume God’s purposes are focussed on providing what we think we need or what we would like to have. The measure of whether a person is blessed by God quickly becomes a matter of how much God has provided for them financially.
And where things become even more damaging is how this is usually linked with faith. If God has not blessed you, it’s because your faith is deficient. So now, if you’re struggling financially, it becomes a proof not only that God has somehow passed you by, but that it’s your own fault because of your lack of faith.
We know this is wrong and we rightly reject it. The problem is that in the process we often walk away not only from the distortion of the truth but from the truth itself. God does want to provide. He identifies himself as the Lord our Provider, and his identity is tied up in his name. To be our Provider is one aspect of who God is.
Recently we have had the privilege of praying for Christians involved in some very challenging business situations. We have seen some amazing answers, which gives us encouragement to press on for more. A financial miracle handled in the right way gives glory to the God who made it happen.
One thing is for sure. If any of us are going to do what God wants, we need his financial provision to do it.
Don’t throw the provision baby out with the prosperity bathwater.
CONSIDER PARTNERING WITH DAVID & ELAINE CAMPBELL IN HELPING TO SUSTAIN THEIR ACTIVE MINISTRY.
AWAKENING MINISTRIES // FOUNDATION of FAITH Project
Foundation of Faith Project is strengthening generations in faith and bringing beautiful changes to the communities around them. Through teaching, mentoring and coaching, many are finding out who they are and who they are destined to be. They are bringing more to their world. David Campbell is the key leader in this initiative and you can support him financially directly through Awakening Ministries.
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