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The Gospel Of American Prosperity

Bob Neumann, February 25, 2006

For years we have heard through radio and TV the main speakers for what is called “THE PROSPERITY GOSPEL”. On the surface you can find hundreds of people who oppose it and written their positions easily found on the internet. The problem is that it is but an extensive study of what created and pushed this deception that is needed.

In America 100 years ago the prevelant “gospel” was based on everyone reading their bible and following the classic teachings of Calvin and Knox. A man worked and established his farm, his trade, and his business. Honesty and integrity were major virtues that they taught their children. People prayed for their daily bread and “enough”. 100 years ago AMERICA was not perfect. It’s government and it’s leaders were as corrupt then as they are now.

But pre-WW1 America the institution of THE CHURCH was what built hospitals and orphanages. They took care of the elderly and feeble. Communities would come together to build. Hospitals and orphanages carried names like MOUNT SINAI were built by Jewish Communities. Many hospitals were simply “Baptist”, “Methodist”, and “Presbyterian”.

Roman Catholics built thousands and staffed them. Some hospitals like “CEDARS OF LEBANON” were built by Lebanese christians who had emigrated to the LAND OF OPPORTUNITY.

So the question is WHAT HAPPENED? The only answer I have found is POWER AND PROSPERITY. At the end of WWII most americans had survived 2 world wars and THE GREAT DEPRESSION. The UNITED STATES was the world power of FREEDOM. At that point of time the US was an industrial and agricultural juggernaut. Research and Development was strong points in corporations and universities. But we were the VICTORS and the only place on the planet not devastated by war. No need to rebuild. So instead of rebuilding we became the AMERICA of THE “50’s”…. IKE, TV, and THE GOOD LIFE.

In the 1950’s America saw a change in “CHRISTIAN THINKING”. In 1952 Norman Vincent Peale wrote the book “The Power of Positive Thinking” based on his work in freudian psychology in the late ’30’s. He “created” the deceptions of positive thinking and positive confession philosophy. And out of nowhere a “new false gospel” was created, the “SELF-ESTEEM” gospel and the CHURCH became a source of “SELF-HELP” books, seminars and programs.

Dr Peale coined for us the CHRISTIAN PSYCHOLOGY still popular today. He openly taught spiritual visualization and positive imaging. Dr Peale was a Mason and a mainstay in what we now call THE NEW AGE. He saw the effectiveness of NAZI PROPOGANDA and developed strong RADIO and TELEVISION adjuncts to his newsletter.

Those who openly followed him like Robert Schuller continued to use TV, RADIO, and publications to continue to spread their visibility in the market place. Today those who follow and preach the doctrines of positive confession, spiritual visualization are taking forth the GOSPEL OF PROSPERITY to the world.

Only the PROSPERITY GOSPEL can only appear to work in AMERICA. Please look at the term “appear”. The AMERICA of today is so different from 100 years ago one would struggle to see how much change can come in as few as 3 generations. No longer is AMERICA the industrial and agricultural giant we were only 60 years ago. And the gulf between those who have and those who have not increases yearly. This gulf is seen in our communities, our churches and our politics.

For the last 20 years the political parties have ridden “the church” to victory and the WHITE HOUSE. The political LEFT consolidated the LIBERAL AMERICAN CHURCH composed of churches who preach a Liberal, Humanistic Gospel. Few of these churches teach a “properity gospel” because of their desire to allow government to “bless them”.

On the other hand RIGHT WING CONSERVATIVES went out to look for FUDAMENTALISTIC OLD-FASHIONED RELIGION. What they got was a lot of old-mainliners and a bunch of new PROSPERITY PREACHERS.

While each of these people have their own twist and turn to the PROPERITY MESSAGE, they all come down to 3 cardinal points. No two people exactly the same.

1) GOD wants us “all” to prosper. Being poor is a SIN. Our lives should be of ABUNDANCE which shows that we are blessed.

2) We reap as we sow. Put you money into the “fallow ground” and GOD MUST open “THE WINDOWS OF HEAVEN”.

3) If you fail to be blessed, to prosper, to live in abundance it is your own fault. You have “hidden sin” or, even worse, a “LACK OF FAITH”.

Now this “LACK OF FAITH” situation is what “HEALING MINISTRIES” use when people fail to be healed who attend their “meetings”.

Now the PROSPERITY PEOPLE have an answer to anyone who “LACKS FAITH”….give more…give till it hurts… GIVE SACRAFICIALLY. So the only one who is sure of getting ahead is the ministry.

Now anyone could preach a GOSPEL OF PROSPERITY. But if you try to preach it from your “prison ministry”, it will fail. Likewise in the soup kitchen and the shelters. You will not hear it from most inner cities or rural congregations. PROSPERITY, it seems, has it’s strength in the urban areas near large metropolitan areas. People who have enough and want more.

Outside the church, the AMERICAN MIDDLE CLASS is in severe debt. Mortgages, Education and Car loans, and CREDIT CARDS allow people to live above their means. These same people want to hear a message that supports lifestyle and habits. That tells them it is okay to ask for MORE and MORE and ignore those with less around them.

PROSPERITY is an AMERICAN GOSPEL because in other parts of the world too many people live day by day, farming, hearding, or working in factories owned by global corporations. I wonder how our persecuted brothers and sisters think about AMERICKANS who can “NAME IT AND CLAIM IT”, who read “the prayer of JABEZ” expecting windfalls to occur.

I have always wondered where they think this “MONEY” will come from. I have listened to so called “prophets” tell people that GOD would make them millionaires. That GOD would give them skill in business and inventiveness. I once heard a “prophet” tell a woman that she would “win the lottery”. Of course that woman walked away with assurance and happy that GOD WOULD DO WHAT she heard. Of course the same prophet in his message spoke of “lack of FAITH” stealing your blessing. I wonder if the woman had listened or cared about the prophet’s “fine print”.

There is a great difference between GOD being our SOURCE AND SUPPLY who blesses our hands as we work, and GOD just DUMPING WEALTH UPON YOU to prove HIS LOVE. My father and my grandfathers taught me that what I earn for myself I will appreciate far more than I would being given something. THE PROSPERITY GOSPEL often never speaks of working, budgeting, and saving. If GOD IS BLESSING YOU… why WORK? Why get an education? Why learn skills and advance yourself?

There are over 6 billion people in this world. Probably 5 billion live in poverty, without technology, or under totalitarian government. How can they accept the GOSPEL OF PROSPERITY? This point alone places it as the greatest DECEPTION we have today.

But there are others….

Selah

Bob Neumann

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