Confused Conclusions

Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. (Psalm 1: 1, 2)

I want us to look briefly at the implications of the so called prosperity gospel though it really should be called a heresy. It is such because it leads its adherents to a lifestyle so removed from reality that it can be called alternate reality. And it is because it takes the Bible and wants it to say what they want to believe.

What is a blessing? What is the evidence of the blessed? How do the blessed behave?

This comes from some conversations you will normally hear from believers with some very interesting conclusions about blessing.

The other day a secular ‘gospel’ artist was asked to explain some of his scandals and his argument was that God couldn’t have blessed him as much if what he was doing was wrong. And his reference was his shows to his earnings to his media exposure.

In the doctrine, a blessing is directly proportional to earthly success. Thus a person driving is more blessed than the one walking, irrespective of their walk with God. It implies that a conman in the name of pastor who drives the latest edition SUV is more blessed than the missionary out in the doldrums preaching to an unresponsive unreached nation making do with the barest of necessities.

The plain teaching of the Bible is that a blessing is more of what we are in God than what we have. Blessing is more of what we do than what we have.

Look at the Beatitudes. Is there any scent of what we call blessing.

For example, ‘Blessed are those who are persecuted to righteousness sake …’, where do we fit it in our rotten doctrine?

Someone is blessed when they are rightly aligned to God and His purposes. They are blessed when they are in a right relationship with God. They are blessed when they are living according to God’s standards. And they are blessed when they are walking with God.

Job was as blessed when undergoing the trials as he was before and after. He was as blessed when he had nothing as he was when he was full.

And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD. (Job 1:21)

Whoever deceived us that a car, a degree, a visa, a house, etc. consists a blessing?

And if things define a blessing, what will we say about the wealthy wicked.

There is something else I want to refute.

Many of these superstars (and sadly some are pastors) use an argument when they are challenged about their doctrine or lifestyle.

They use an African saying that only a tree with fruit has stones thrown at it.

The implication is that they are being criticized for the ‘blessing’ they are.

If doing nothing is no big deal, why did Jesus curse the fig tree? It was doing absolutely nothing.

Sewage does nothing but nobody wants to be near it. A dumpsite also does absolutely nothing but everybody is complaining about it.

Could it be that you are a spiritual sewage and that is why everybody is complaining about the stench your songs, sermons, lifestyle is giving?

If you get your prophecy from news items instead of God’s word, you are emitting effluent. If your word of knowledge is got from social media trending topics instead of God’s word, yours is really sewage. If the TV defines your prayer life, you are also emitting effluent.

Do you defend divorce? Do you floss over sexual immorality? Do you have no problems with marital breakages? Are you fine when a wife is not submissive? Is it no issue when a husband is not spiritually responsible?  And do you really know what the Bible says about those things?

God’s word should define your life. It should define your convictions. It should guide you thoughts.

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. (Colossians 3:16)

Is that where we get our songs? Is that where we get our sermons? Is that where we get our convictions?

Are you emitting the stench of death or the aroma of life?

To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them. (Isaiah 8:20)

If that is not the source of your blessing, stop deceiving yourself that you are blessed, because you aren’t.