The Gloves Are Off Now.

Alright, I usually don't stand up against a teaching that I hear so often, but I have had just about enough of one teaching that is being shoved down my throat. I hear it so much in my schools teaching, and through many big name pastors who I happen not to agree with. The soft "happy go lucky", "you can have what ever you want, "think positive and you will prosper" gospels. This post may be very controversial if more than one person actually reads this. I do not agree with this teaching at all. I don't recall anywhere in the Bible where it says "You can have anything you want."
Yes, the Bible does speak of blessings, but I do not think getting a blessing means getting anything you want. These days I hear so much of this teaching and frankly, I don't like it. I recently read an article by Dave Daubenmire talking about this same thing. Here's some of the questions he asked:
-Does the Gospel of the Kingdom apply to all people in all places?

-Should the gospel preached from any pulpit, regardless of where you live, be applicable to any other Christian regardless of where he/she lives?

- Does God have one gospel for America and another gospel for the underground church in China?

He goes on to talk about how North Americans seem to have one version of the gospel, that may not "apply" in other countries.

"The Gospel of the Kingdom is a life-changing, world-altering, gospel. Today it has become nothing more than a marketing technique designed to give you all the things those in the world desire, only sanctified as “blessings” of one’s Christianity."

I find this little paragraph to be so true. So much of the teaching I hear is summed up by this. It is a gospel that says I will be given all the things I want through blessings. It is a "get rich quick" form of the gospel. A "motivational book" that promises success and all the desires we want.

"Turn on Christian radio and listen to the “gospel.” Settle in front of your TV with a bowl of popcorn and embark on a Trinity Broadcasting Network marathon and watch the Humanistic gospel that is reflected off of the satellite. No longer is a sin-hating, turn from your wicked ways, Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God gospel being trumpeted, but a worldly, pop-psychology, Jesus is an ATM in the Sky, life-enhancement, seeker-friendly, do not judge or offend gospel is being dished out. It hasn’t always been this way."

This is yet another statement I find to be true in the teaching I am hearing today. The teaching that seems to be popular is more of a motivational speech, rather than a gospel that gives the cold hard truths.

This is where it gets intense for me. Daubermire talks of a lunch he had with a South African missionary who was visiting Ohio. What the Missionary said to him blows my mind.
"Please do not send anymore missionaries to my country. The American gospel is making our job harder. When financial blessings and prosperity fail to come to our people it is hard to open their hearts back up to receive the life-changing Gospel of the Kingdom. Please keep your version of the gospel in America."

That statement blows my mind. That someone would ask for missionaries not to be sent to a place in need because of what they preach. I don't really know what my reaction would be if, lets say, I was an orphan, and I had to find my own food, and was poor, and someone is telling me I can have what ever I want, that I will prosper.
To me I don't think just because we are Christians we will all be prosper, and be successful. Some people may live a devoted life to Christ and suffer all their life. I can't imagine what goes through the head of a persecuted Christian when they might hear these teachings.
"The American gospel is a humanistic, man centered, “meet my needs” gospel, designed to enhance one’s earthly life, not transform it."

I find this to be a good point. We have a "man centered gospel." A gospel that preaches our personal gain. Sure we can preach about meeting the needs of the poor, which is important, but we seem to have twisted giving to the poor as simply another way for us to meet some more of our "needs". We hear ways to make our lives seem a little better. We rarely hear a life changing, foundation shaking teaching.

"Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world." I John 2:15-16.
"Is it possible that the American gospel is creating enemies of God by catering to the flesh?"
Is it really possible? Are we just preaching a gospel that is pleasing to our flesh? The answer could very well be yes. Our flesh seems to long for this personal gain. It longs for the riches that the world can offer, and I hear so much teaching on gaining these riches. I hear so much about how we can prosper and gain in the WORLD. Is this teaching from GOD, or is it a distorted teaching of the world?

I want to end with one thing that stuck with me from this article:
"The gospel has not changed, only the presentation of it has. Look at this list of top selling Christian books. I wonder how many persecuted Christians in Iran are buying them. The American-gospel is no gospel at all."-Dave Daubenmire.



Any thoughts?