Prosperity from the Lord verses the Prosperity Gospel

Let me first say that there is a HUGH difference between the prosperity from the Lord verses the Prosperity Gospel. The prosperity gospel is a total appeal to fleshly desires. It is defined as  – If you plant the seed (meaning that you give the false teacher your money) that GOD is obligated to bless you. This of course is a false gospel based on feelings – healing – and Cash flow – rather than loving Christ and making wise decisions with your money.

I was recently reading Proverbs. 8:21 where it says,

“That I may cause those who love me to inherit wealth that I may fill their treasuries”

I had read this in a list of scriptures that were under “Loving God.”

Upon just reading the Scripture – It kinda would lead you to conclude that if I just Love God better that He would cause me to become wealthy. I mean – It says it right there in the verse. BUT- the primary context is loving wisdom – which is what the 8th chapter of Proverbs is about.

Then – as I was praying this morning – the Lord lead me to spend time considering what riches (Prosperity) can actually do. I got the following list from a book Called “Keeping the Heart” by John Flavel 1630- 1691

His list says these things:

In a time a prosperity, when providence smiles upon us and dangles us upon it knee…

1. Consider the dangerous –  ensnaring temptation –  attending a pleasant and prosperous conditions.  Few of those who live in the pleasure land of prosperity of this world escape everlasting perdition.
2. It may keep us yet more humble and watchful in prosperity if we consider that, amount Christians, many have been much the worse for it.
3. Keep down your vain heart by the consideration that God values no man a jot the more for these things. (These things meaning riches)
4. Consider how bitterly many persons have bewailed there folly, when they came to die, that ever they set their hearts upon these things, and heartily wised that they had never know them.
5. Consider of what a blogging nature earthly things are to a should heartily engaged in the way to heaven.

As I consider these things that have been written, these are my thoughts.

Regarding:

1. I have noticed that when I am on vacation – that my priority of spending time with the Lord – sometimes is forgotten – due to the pleasant tasks that are in front of me that day. Do I get up early and pray – and study – and beseech the Lords mercy on me and my family – or do I just float down stream enjoying the day? I believe that it is our human nature to float  – when we can  –  and we always float into complacency. What does Jesus think about Lukewarmness? Read Revelation 3 for that answer.
2. When we are wealthy – many are after you because of your wealth. They are with you and pursuing you BECAUSE of the POTENTIAL that you have to BENEFIT them. We are all selfish by nature and we tend to pursue those who would provide us our path to comfort and security.
3. Does God think more highly of me because I am rich? No He doesn’t – because it all belongs to Him anyway. My possessions mean nothing before God in terms of my value to Him.
4. To pursue – apart from the wisdom from the Lord – Riches – is folly indeed. Proverbs 14:24 says  “The crown of the wise is their riches, but the folly of fools is their foolishness, Wealth is the crown of the wise, but the effort of fools only yields more foolishness.” Even if wealth is gained from a fool, they will wonder from the wisdom that they may have applied temporaily and pierced themselves with pain.  1 Tim. 6:10 “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.” If the pleasure that is derived from riches is the aim, then that person is doomed for disappointment. Ec. 5:10 “He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity.”
5. Clogging nature – What is Clogged? Pursing the heart of God is what is clogged! God does not want you to become complacent due to the byproduct of wealth. Deut. 6:10-15 “Then it shall come about when the Lord your God brings you into the land which He swore to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you, great and splendid cities which you did not build, ¹¹ and houses full of all good things which you did not fill, and hewn cisterns which you did not dig, vineyards and olive trees which you did not plant, and you eat and are satisfied, ¹² then watch yourself, that you do not forget the Lord who brought you from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. ¹³ You shall fear only the Lord your God; and you shall worship Him and swear by His name. ¹⁴ You shall not follow other gods, any of the gods of the peoples who surround you, ¹⁵ for the Lord your God in the midst of you is a jealous God; otherwise the anger of the Lord your God will be kindled against you, and He will wipe you off the face of the earth.” WOW – God is serious about this. He does not want us to become complacent about HIM and the blessing of HIS hands. 

What is the real issue? The real issue is that God wants us to remember Him and the wisdom that He gives. Wisdom that provides true wealth is from Him. But that wealth is not to replace the real treasure – which is CHRIST!