Health, Wealth, Happiness, and Prosperity Teaching

In this new season of the Church, a new teaching has developed in America and spread to the rest of the world.  It is a teaching about spiritual positive thinking and speaking.  It has become popular in America and developing parts of the world.  But what exactly is this teaching saying and how does it impact the hearts of those who listen to it?

You will notice a lot of catch words in these teachings and used by those who follow these new teachings.  Words like, victory, favor, claim, declare, destiny, and portions.  When used these words are positive in their context.  Sounds good right?  They go a step further and teach that by YOUR words that YOU create YOUR own Health, Wealth, Happiness, Prosperity, and ultimately your Destiny.  Sounds even better right?



This is why the teaching is growing and is so popular.  It sounds like the best way to see the world and live spiritually.

By YOUR mind and positive words, YOU speak gods favor in your life.  YOU create YOUR own destiny.  YOU claim what ever your heart desires and if YOU believe hard enough, god has to give it to you and YOU will have victory because YOU declare it.  Then as icing on the cake, you throw in "in the name of Jesus" like it will have even more power by adding that phrase.

The problem with this teaching is that it will always eventually fail.

Why not just speak the existence evil out of existence?  Why not declare God's healing in the hospitals?  Why not claim the blood of Jesus over America and stop mass murders?  Why not claim with your own words what you feel God is not doing well enough?

The list can go on and on

At the end of the day; these teachings raise YOU to GOD and attempts to place God at YOUR feet.  Which is why the questions above will always be problematic for these type of teachings.

While these teachers tell you to claim things for your self.  Jesus teachings us to claim something else.  While these teachers tell you to declare something for your self in your life, Jesus teaches to declare GOD to the world.  While these teachers tell you to only speak positive things; Jesus teaches to speak truth and truth is love.  Negativity is not sin.  Jesus spoke MOST about sin.  The Holy Spirit came to CONVICT the world of sin.  Those are negative things issues.  While these teachers tell you to focus on things of this world like your health, wealth, finances, happiness, and prosperity; Jesus teaches to focus on greater things.  And it always starts with recognizing the negative, that you are a sinner and you can not save your self. 

You can NOT claim and declare salvation for your self or another.  You can not declare a destiny of eternal life and spiritual healing.  This is what GOD ALONE DOES.  Notice that these health, wealth, and happiness teachers make YOU sound like you are the one in control of your destiny and in control of the things of this world.  At the core, these teachings are all about you.

John 5:39

You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me;

Jesus even states, it is NOT about you.  It is about HIM.

Matthew 7: 22-23

Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’

Notice Jesus even address these teachings type of teachings.  Claiming YOUR desires and YOUR wants in the name of Jesus doesn't mean its for Jesus just because you attach the phrase to your want.  For what ever reason the "we" are those who do all these things for themselves, and just claim it "in Jesus' name". 

The Word of Faith teachers and the Prosperity Gospel lead those who listen down a road that feeds their natural sinful desire to be like God.  The Gospel that saves lives eternally, is about the person and work of Jesus Christ; not you.  It WILL offend, and negativity is part of it.  The reality of sin and that we are DEAD in sin, is a message that is negative; but necessary to truly know the Holiness, righteousness and GRACE of God.  With out teaching and understanding the true heart of mankind, you will never truly know and appreciate the Holiness and Grace of God.

Gen 3:4

"...you will be like God..." - Satan

Response to the Word of Faith and Prosperity teachers:

Either you are deceived yourself or you know you are misleading millions.  You may want to be healthy in this world, want wealth in this world, and want happiness in this world but the true is; you will be a slave to it in this world. 

Your teachings are nothing more than what Satan tempted Jesus with. 

Matthew 4:2

"after He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry. ³ And the tempter came and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”

Satan told Jesus to satisfy himself [happiness]

Matthew 4:5

"Then the devil *took Him into the holy city and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, 6 and *said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written,

‘He will command His angels concerning You’;

and

‘On their hands they will bear You up,
So that You will not strike Your foot against a stone.’”

Satan quotes God's Word, but changes the context for personal gain. [health]

Matthew 4:8

the devil *took Him to a very high mountain and *showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory; 9 and he said to Him, “All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me.”

Satan then offers wealth, status, and power. 

The sad truth is these are all the exact things the word of faith and prosperity teachers promise.  Name it and claim it and attach "in the name of Jesus" to it.  In all these things Satan offered and told Jesus, notice, it was all about and for himself (Jesus). 

But Jesus made it all about GOD and REJECTED Health, Wealth, and Happiness for God's Will to be done.

Faithful Christians living in 3rd world countries under horrendous poverty while being persecuted are PROOF these teachings are false.  To God, these faithful Christians are rich and will be rewarded greatly in heaven!  Church history of the faithful disproves these poor teachings. 

When people get sucked into the culture of this teaching and are gaining and naming and claiming material superficial things; its because God handed them over to the desires of their sinful self-seeking materialistic heart (Romans 1) and Satan is giving them what he offered Jesus to keep them blinded and enslaved in their desire for things of this world instead of things of the heaven.