The Real Word Of Faith!
I thought that I would do a message about the word of faith. Partly because I am sick of all the people of social media who rubbish, lay into the so-called word of faith movement. It has been labelled the word of faith movement because that is the name of the monthly magazine produced by Kenneth Hagin Ministries. Through this they call Kennth H. the father of the word of faith movement.
Now let me clear something up. The word of faith got mixed up and intertwined with the so-called prosperity gospel movement. What I mean is that some sinister preachers saw a way to use the true word of faith to make themselves rich. This has nothing to do with the living in faith for God’s provision that Kenneth Hagin promoted.
I admit that there are some unscrupulous persons within the word of faith believers that have taken things too far and created a false doctrine of the word of faith. Just as there are false doctrines in many other Christian groups. Such infant baptism; the Catholic sacrament of communion; cessationism; adherence to the Jewish law or part of it; that God’s only means to talk to us is through the Bible, double predestination of the Calvinists. These are all perversions of the Gospel in some way.
The doctrine that it is God’s will to prosper us Spiritually, physically and financially is all part of the Gospel of Jesus. Jesus healed all who came to Him, except some because of the lack of people’s faith. (Lack of Faith)! Jesus and His disciples never had a lack of finances. They gave to the poor! It was God’s will for His people to prosper in all areas of life, under the Old Covenant. Would our Father take away that will for His people under the New Covenant. A better Covenant with better promises.
Peter said, “Behold, we have left our own homes and followed You.” And He said to them, “Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who will not receive many times as much at this time and in the age to come, eternal life.” Luke 18:28-30
Jesus said, “Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or farms, for My sake and for the gospel’s sake, but that he will receive a hundred times as much now in the present age, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and farms, along with persecutions; and in the age to come, eternal life. Mark 10:29-30
These scriptures clearly show that the blessing of God upon those who choose not to trust/have faith in their own possessions, count them as nothing compared to following Christ, will see increase in prosperity in friends and family as well as possessions. Notice that it makes a differential between this life and the life to come. God’s will is for us to prosper in this life, age! There is also the notice in marks Gospel, that those riches will have persecutions accompanying.
The psalms are a great place to see what God’s will and grace towards His children is. In fact, God’s will to prosper His people/children can be found all through the whole of the Bible. Some can be attributed as specifically to the children of Israel, in the promised land. The truth about God is that He only desires what is good for His children.
O taste and see that the Lord is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him! O fear the Lord, you, His saints; For to those who fear Him there is no want. The young lions do lack and suffer hunger; But they who seek the Lord shall not be in want of any good thing. Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord. Who is the man who desires life and loves length of days that he may see good? Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit. Depart from evil and do good; Seek peace and pursue it. The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous And His ears are open to their cry. Psalms 34:8-15
Trust in the Lord and do good; Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness. Delight yourself in the Lord; And He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He will do it. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light and your judgment as the noonday. Psalms 37:3-6
These Psalms clearly show the heart of God to prosper His children in their lives, in this life. It is a question of faith in the Lord. Cultivate faithfulness and He will give you the desires of your heart. Taste and see that the Lord is good. They who seek the Lord will not be in lack of any good thing!
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget none of His benefits; Who pardons all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases; Who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion; Who satisfies your years with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle. Psalms 103:1-5
The benefits of trusting and worshipping the Lord are forgiveness of all our sins, all of our sins. The healing of all our diseases. Crowning us with His loving-kindness and His compassion. He will satisfy our years with good things, so that our youth shall be renewed as the eagle. This sounds much like a Gospel of prosperity! It includes forgiveness, healing and prosperity!
The preaching, teaching that God’s will is to prosper us is not unbiblical in any way. Again, I agree that a few people have taken this to extreme in a very wrong way; for their own personal gain. Just because some preachers have gone wrong, does not make the prosperity message as a whole, as being unbiblical. God’s desire is to bless His children with good things. That includes monetary wealth and healing. To take these things out of the Gospel is to not preach the whole Gospel.
When some people say such things as, prosperity preachers are going to hell for leading people astray, they are in danger of ending up in hell themselves. This kind of judgement that they make as to condemning people to hell is solely God’s to make.
The word of faith message is straight out of the Word of God!
Be Blessed
Charlie
FREEDOM IN CHRIST 