Prosperity not Poverty is Destroying America!

[Michael Shanlian Ph.D.]

15 I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16 So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. 17 You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. 18 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. 19 Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. (Revelation 3:15-19).

These words were penned by an old man in exile almost two thousand years ago. I believe John the apostle is describing the modern day church before the Lord returns. In my humble opinion, the problem for the decline in America is not the lack of prosperity, but the abundance of it! I know this makes prosperity preachers cringe along with the majority of Evangelical Christians. We love our stuff and all the perks that go along with it. John reminds us, prosperity not poverty will ignite a spiritual apathy throughout the end-time church.

The nation of Israel in the Old Testament turned their hearts away from God during years of prosperity. God would then use repressive governments to remind them to trust in Him not riches. It may be God is doing the same thing in America. Over the past fifty years American’s have prospered like no other nation in history. Christians started to participate in political activism making sure anti-Christian legislation was defeated. It would be logical to expect that prosperity and Christian influence would have sparked the greatest revival in the history of America. Unfortunately, the exact opposite happened.

The church did prosper in some respects. Mega churches popped up all over the country with elaborate buildings and impressive programs. But inside the four walls, complacency was setting in. The average Christian put the pursuit of the American Dream above their walk with God. Just like Jezebel and Ahab in the Old Testament who worshiped the false God Baal, today’s Christians worship at the altar of making money, sports, entertainment and respectability.

When will the church wake up and realize our hope is not in conservatism or capitalism but in Christ. The message the church should be sending to America is, “We trust in God, not Washington D.C.” It matters not who occupies the White House, as long as the Lord Jesus Christ occupies the Church House. This is not a time for Christians to whine and complain about our government; it is time to search the Scriptures and discover how God wants us to live in the last days. Prosperity will never replace the peace and power God can give. Until Christians give up their idols, God’s hand of Judgment will remain!

[Dr. Henry, President of the AOCI]

Dr. Shanlain, ultimately our own sin when left unchecked will be our demise. If Keith Green could be alive today he would probably have had a heart attack with what's going on with the church. Yet even Keith Green (one of the most annointed christian singer and musician of his day) could not balance prosperity against the poor gospel. Nowadays, the church has gone overboard in emphasizing financial prosperity and we all know that is counter biblical. I believe our LORD would want us not to teach and preach these deceptive doctrines of prosperity and that this dishonesty is an abomination to him (Prov. 11:1). Yet there remains a true biblical prosperity that the Bible speaks about and that having riches and being wealthy is in of itself not sin or wrong, but that having these things must be placed in its proper order and that nothing should be above our love and service to our God.

God bless you and keep the wonderful blogs coming. You are truly a blessing to the AOCI!