Image123:


Nanny, when you say no one, recall that the OP says otherwise. i quote " Simply put, this egocentric gospel teaches that God wants believers to be materially wealthy." The OP describes encouraging prayer to God for material provisions as faulty theology. Well, except the OP is "no one". That [size=20pt]Windowsx[/size] of a fellow also said " The error of the Prosperity Gospel is "God wants believers to be materially wealthy". What bible taught you that?" You yourself earlier said there is no direct promise of God providing wealth in the NT. You've being so so skeptical, yet you yourself are a product and testimony of God's material blessings. You wan solo the thing abi? No chance.
It is the right of every child of God to be holy, godly, healthy and wealthy. The price was paid and the promise severally made. Of course, it is God that determines whether an individual is saved, holy, godly, healthy or wealthy or whatever, in a sense.
For instance, this promise below is very new covenant and talks of material blessing.

Ezekiel 36:24 For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land. 36:25 Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. 36:26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. 36:27 And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them. 36:28 And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God. 36:29 I will also save you from all your uncleannesses: and I will call for the corn, and will increase it, and lay no famine upon you. 36:30 And I will multiply the fruit of the tree, and the increase of the field, that ye shall receive no more reproach of famine among the heathen.

*falls of chair laughing

Nice piece bro

Image123:
@candor
you said you were not interested in talking about tithes. i said you said so, don't let it increase your b.p .

Thanks for the laugh, I needed it o...my cell meeting today is gonna be a unique one. I'm going there to scold some folks, setting them straight. Thanks for making me loosen up!

Bidam:
The truth of the matter is we should all provide emphasis on important Christian truths. I agree that there are preachers that go to the extreme on the message of prosperity but when "groups" rise to correct this overemphasis on prosperity it is unfortunate that in their attempts to correct they often veer of in the opposite extreme- they say because too much of this idea is offensive, let's get rid of it altogether. So on their part it is also wrong. Any christian theology that enhances poverty of saints without the teaching of biblical prosperity is actually demonic.Some folks even on this thread exhibited a shallow warped mentality by saying preachers are rich because they milk their members...well there might be some element of truth in that but to categorically make a blanket statement that all preachers are rich because of tithes and offerings collected from church coffers is a blatant lie from the pit of hell. Since the fellow is a pastor why is he not rich yet.

The truth of the matter is that some preachers are blessed more than other not because they depend on their members but because of the giving lifestyle they practised by following what the word of God says.

I noticed that majority of the folks attacking prosperity here are actually the same folks that are 'mouthing' we do not need healing. It has been done away with and the day of miracle is past in other threads.

They are the ones also attacking ministry gifts saying we don't need pastors and ministers any longer. God is going to use everyone equally.

Even when showed this truth in the bible they bring there own 'eisegesis' inferring what scripture never said. This is as a result of a christianity of convenience.They are not willing to pay the price to study like the berean with a noble attitude. They find it difficult to believe in glaring scriptural truths that God desires his people to prosper materially, maybe as a result of their incosistent walk with God or the "experiences" they had with the former churches they attended.

Paul said we can do nothing against the truth but for the truth. Truth does not change..it is that constant. Truth is no respecter of personsm nations,tribe or tongue..Jesus is truth, God is truth.

And this truth is God's prosperity plan is available for ALL. The prosperity package is available to everyone child of God but the sad part is it is not accessible to everybody.

Having your needs met is not prosperity, it is called welfare. Prosperity is not having money to feed yourself and children. It is not buying lands and building houses all over the place neither is it riding the latest jeep in town. This is the warped thinking of so many including those attacking prosperity.

Prosperity is being blessed in EVERY AREA OF LIFE so YOU CAN BE A BLESSING TO OTHERS.

Abraham is the biblical portrait of God's idea of a blessed man.

Two people the bible says we should look unto is 1.Jesus 2.Abraham.

We are to look unto Jesus who is the author and the perfecter of our faith and we are to look unto Abrham the father of Faith.

Nice piece baba na! Allah ya sa wadanan mutane su waye da wuri, su san maganan Allah ba na kwakwalwa ba, amman na zuciya.

Image123:
demisquare, the fellow who's eternally confused on who the bible is talking to.

Hahhahhaahaahhaahahaha
Jesu mi o! Erin yoo ko pa mi oni

Erin yoo ko pa mi oni. Egbon mi, oti to.

The bible is talking to you in case you still dunno. Well, you hardly addressed my post or point, failed to answer any of my questionS but demand that i answer yours, typical.
Your friend thinks Philippians 4:19 is just some man's random prayer, thankfully you think it is a guaranteed promise. Good for you and of you. i quoted Philippians and didn't say anything about wants, i wonder why you bring that up. i find it pathetic that you referred to Job's trial as his best time, weird fellow you. Prayer isn't an act of unbelief by the way. Prayer is asking, seeking and knocking. Read Jeremiah 29. i think around verses 10-15. Jesus said God will give to those that ASK Him(referring to the Holy Spirit). The Holy Spirit was also promised i think.

I see you have a very detailed and rich knowledge of the man shedemidemi

nannymcphee:
A little definition will be helpful

1. What does it mean to be materially wealthy?

2. The "physical riches" that Christ gave to us as Christians, who determines the level or amount of these riches, a Christian will have

Is it God or the individual based on his knowledge & understanding of this provision

3. If all Christians acquire this knowledge/understanding of the "physical riches" in Christ(by this I mean if they give equally, pray equally etc) will they all command the same amount of wealth

4.can you please state how one can strike a balance in the quest for material prosperity


Gombs, mbaemeka, Image123, bidam your input will be appreciated

most Christians who have believed this prosperity message, have this view that they must be mega rich, enjoy the best things of life

so answers to the above questions will help put things in the right perspective

Write to your Pastor if you seek knowledge, or write Pastochrislive. I'd not be an instrument to you application of logic to God’s Word. Else, ask them WindowsX or shedemidemi to put things in the right perspective for you

Gombs:


Write to your Pastor if you seek knowledge, or write Pastochrislive. I'd not be an instrument to you application of logic to God’s Word. Else, ask them WindowsX or shedemidemi to put things in the right perspective for you

do you know the amount of people who will benefit from this thread, threads like this, causes you to ask questions & check your convictions

I don't see this as war but you do, as for the things I have done ministry wise, you have no idea & u probably think I'm lying about them

I don't need to "write" to my pastor, I have direct access to him & I already know his answer, it's still the very thing this threads seeks to correct

so long boy, I look forward to the day the scale will fall off your eyes

I wrote this on the WOF thread but I want to modify it here


Just to add, there is a systematic programming in place now, it has to do with the following

firstly, you're taught that the minister cannot err in what he teaches(similar to the papal infallibility)

the above is the reason when a minister is accused of a crime, the congregation cannot believe that the minister can do such because a picture of perfection has been sold to them already


It also explains why people cannot imagine or think that a minister will teach a false doctrine since they have been taught that he is above mistakes

If pastor A teaches a wrong thing & Pastor A has already taught that he can't be wrong & has shared several revelations, invariably he can't be wrong in this matter also

Should you speak up, u'll begin to hear "who are you?, what have u accomplished ministry wise? Do u know more than pastor A? how can you say pastor A is wrong? how dare you?"

Judge not, touch not my prophet
& do my prophet no harm

when damning evidence is produced, they can't act because of the above too, fear has been instilled in them that disaster will come to them should they speak about the matter in other words leave it for God

still in the subject of prosperity, I'll recommend a book by Kenneth Hagin the Midas touch:A balanced approach to biblical prosperity


I'll look for the link for the ecopy & post some excerpts from the book later on

[quote author=nannymcphee post=27246887]

do you know the amount of people who will benefit from this thread, threads like this, causes you to ask questions & check your convictions

I've answered this, I repeat, I will not be an instrument in you application of logic to the Word of God. Simple, if others want to answer you, fine.

I don't see this as war but you do, as for the things I have done ministry wise, you have no idea & u probably think I'm lying about them

Anyone or anything fighting my conviction of the Word, a Word I studied for myself and believed, and saw results (notice the plural), is surely making war with me. I don't think you are lying, I think you are grossly exaggerating.

I don't need to "write" to my pastor, I have direct access to him & I already know his answer, it's still the very thing this threads seeks to correct

If your Pastor's answer is not enough for you, seek those of another, and another... that's why you should listen to the WindowsX et al. One Pastor Pastor's your Pastor and my pastor, and Mbaemeka's. Our answers would be likely same. So, maybe you should ask JW or Catholics or redeem (redeem and winners might have likely answer to your Pastor's, who you now think you are wiser than-Absalom also thought he was now wiser than David, go study how he ended). For you'd not accept any opinion except those you've made your mind on. As for the viewers, trust me, they'll make a sound judgement. Facts has already been laid side by side, what you are doing now is PR damage control.

so long boy, I look forward to the day the scale will fall off your eyes

You're gonna wait a long long time granny! You so are!

Say me hi to those on the scales-fallen-off side. I wish you all well

My outreach meeting is by 3pm...let me go and pray. See you later in the day!

@nannymcphee,
You probably don't understand how much good you have done for yourself.
@Gombs is still a young kid so he's all fired up now but reality will meet him in no distant future .

Lobeez:
@nannymcphee,
You probably don't understand how much good you have done for yourself.
@Gombs is still a young kid so he's all fired up now but reality will meet him in no distant future .

Very well said.

Image123:
demisquare, the fellow who's eternally confused on who the bible is talking to. The bible is talking to you in case you still dunno. Well, you hardly addressed my post or point, failed to answer any of my questionS but demand that i answer yours, typical.
Your friend thinks Philippians 4:19 is just some man's random prayer, thankfully you think it is a guaranteed promise. Good for you and of you. i quoted Philippians and didn't say anything about wants, i wonder why you bring that up. i find it pathetic that you referred to Job's trial as his best time, weird fellow you. Prayer isn't an act of unbelief by the way. Prayer is asking, seeking and knocking. Read Jeremiah 29. i think around verses 10-15. Jesus said God will give to those that ASK Him(referring to the Holy Spirit). The Holy Spirit was also promised i think.

I have no interest in your petty talks and baseless jabs. If you have anything with substance to say, say it for the edification of those reading you.

Bidam:
The truth of the matter is we should all provide emphasis on important Christian truths. I agree that there are preachers that go to the extreme on the message of prosperity

Thank God you know that, some don't or may be they choose to block their mind off scriptural truths.

Bidam:

but when "groups" rise to correct this overemphasis on prosperity it is unfortunate that in their attempts to correct they often veer of in the opposite extreme- they say because too much of this idea is offensive, let's get rid of it altogether. So on their part it is also wrong.

I am yet to see one person who says being a christian means one should live in abject poverty. All I say like most on this forum and also in line with scripture is that godliness is never a means to acquire material gain. Unfortunately, gain is seemingly the major doctrine of most christian gatherings. The bible admonish us to flee from such people who see the gospel as a means of acquiring wealth.

1 Tim 6
5 Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself.

Bidam:

Any christian theology that enhances poverty of saints without the teaching of biblical prosperity is actually demonic.

Like I said earlier, I don't think anyone is teaching people '10 ways to be poor', I stand to be corrected on this but I am yet to see one post like that. I believe if one work hard and smart enough, they will be rich regardless of their faith. We have a torrent of such people in Nigeria and every where around the world. In fact, I don't think any prosperity teacher is in the top 20 of the most wealthiest people in the world.

I completely disagree with you that if one don't teach prosperity they are demonic. Jesus never taught it, Paul never taught it, were they demonic?

Bidam:

Some folks even on this thread exhibited a shallow warped mentality by saying preachers are rich because they milk their members...well there might be some element of truth in that but to categorically make a blanket statement that all preachers are rich because of tithes and offerings collected from church coffers is a blatant lie from the pit of hell. Since the fellow is a pastor why is he not rich yet.

The truth of the matter is that some preachers are blessed more than other not because they depend on their members but because of the giving lifestyle they practised by following what the word of God says.

If a pastor does not work, manna will definitely not drop from heaven. That is why I sometimes support pastors who write and sell their books to have some sort of income. I am also not against salaries from church coffers, if properly and transparently arranged.

Lobeez:
@nannymcphee,
You probably don't understand how much good you have done for yourself.
@Gombs is still a young kid so he's all fired up now but reality will meet him in no distant future .

false hope. I wonder why you guys make such assumptions. interesting gesture.

I like when you folks call me a kid,i so love it. Makes me want to envy teens ministry.

thanks again!

Bidam:

I noticed that majority of the folks attacking prosperity here are actually the same folks that are 'mouthing' we do not need healing..

People are not against prosperity, but the evil dotrine known as 'the prosperity gospel' is what we are against. A gospel that teaches different formulas to invoke God into dropping money- '20 ways to become debt free' et al. I wonder if Jesus or Paul will sit down in a place where such teachings are been taught. No matter how we like to spin it, prosperity teachings has no place in the church. I have no problem with it outside the church, don't bring it to church, don't mix spiritual food with the mundane.

Gombs:



false hope. I wonder why you guys make such assumptions. interesting gesture.

I like when you folks call me a kid,i so love it. Makes me want to envy teens ministry.

thanks again!

I've read through a lot of your posts so its very easy to profile you. I was just like you a decade ago

My Mum used to tell me that what an adult sees sitting, a child may not see it standing.

Enjoy the moment, cos you have just a few years to snap back to reality

Gombs:



false hope. I wonder why you guys make such assumptions. interesting gesture.

I like when you folks call me a kid, i so love it. Makes me want to envy teens ministry.

thanks again!

You are called a kid because you reason like one.

If an eighty year old write the things you write on this forum, he should be called a kid.

This is a faceless forum. If an individual is really mature, regardless of his true age, it will show. Nl is like smoke. Sooner or later the real individual behind the monicker will show.

These are the things WoF thrive on:

Simple minds

Anti intellectualism

Emotions

Immaturity

Mysticism

A quest for the supernatural

Greed

Lack of contentment

... qualities that abound in kids.

You ppl get time to waste with Gombs' ok, make una continue! , a very blessed evening to u all!!

WinsomeX:


You are called a kid because you reason like one.

If an eighty year old write the things you write on this forum, he should be called a kid.

This is a faceless forum. If an individual is really mature, regardless of his true age, it will show. Nl is like smoke. Sooner or later the real individual behind the monicker will show.

These are the things WoF thrive on:

Simple minds

Anti intellectualism

Emotions

Immaturity

Mysticism

A quest for the supernatural

Greed

Lack of contentment

... qualities that abound in kids.

this is truth. God bless u bro.

Lobeez:


I've read through a lot of your posts so its very easy to profile you. I was just like you a decade ago

My Mum used to tell me that what an adult sees sitting, a child may not see it standing.

Enjoy the moment, cos you have just a few years to snap back to reality

False hope again!

WinsomeX:


You are called a kid because you reason like one.

If an eighty year old write the things you write on this forum, he should be called a kid.

Coming from an experience as a failed Blogger or what?

This is a faceless forum. If an individual is really mature, regardless of his true age, it will show. Nl is like smoke. Sooner or later the real individual behind the monicker will show.

You are mature? And it shows? Meeeehn, I thought I've seen it all on NL?
Dear Lord!

These are the things WoF thrive on:

Simple minds

Anti intellectualism

Emotions

Immaturity

Mysticism

A quest for the supernatural

Greed

Lack of contentment

... qualities that abound in kids.

Again with the WOF thing! Hahhahhaahaahhaahahaha

I gree o! If you think you're getting on my nerve, better have a rethink.

Boy! This shows how much pain I cause some fellas here. Buddy! No get HBP...see them wanting to attack me with 'age' line. Mtcheeeeèeeeeeeeeew. Makes me remember how 'kid' Jesus schooled em Elder Pharisees.

See the so called 'elders' attacking a 'kid'. #Shameless

Now shey it's to attack the messenger? Typical hypocrites, But Gombs, you sure got them pained.

What has age got to do with the knowledge of the Word? Are you folks saying the older you get the better the knowledge? Timothy was about 34 when he pastored the whole Ephesus, google how old was Appolos and The rest.

Oya, call me kid...bunch of misfits trying to get personal whenever there cornered by their lie. I can now understand why the Pharisees hated the young man Jesus, for they thought how can this 32 year old kid be forming senior?

Gombs, fire on jare

...and they played the age card! Smh! He must have got you guys bad! Christians though!

I guess Seun should make religion section for elders!

LambanoPeace:
See the so called 'elders' attacking a 'kid'. #Shameless

Now shey it's to attack the messenger? Typical hypocrites, But Gombs, you sure got them pained.

What has age got to do with the knowledge of the Word? Are you folks saying the older you get the better the knowledge? Timothy was about 34 when he pastored the whole Ephesus, google how old was Appolos and The rest.

Oya, call me kid...bunch of misfits trying to get personal whenever there cornered by their lie. I can now understand why the Pharisees hated the young man Jesus, for they thought how can this 32 year old kid be forming senior?

Gombs, fire on jare

Calm down ma'am, I've known these blokes for 5years online... I know them very very well. You should see them in tithes thread, if you think this is personal, visit any old tithe thread and see. Some went as far as searching for gombs online, some went to my twitter handle etc etc...

If not for rules on NL and sanctity, I'd have put up most of their info...I don't get personal online,especially NL.... elders here do, make me wonder whether elders here are morally bankrupt

AlfaSelltzer:
...and they played the age card! Smyh! He must have got you guys bad! Christians though!

I guess Seun should make religion section for elders!

It's not anyone playing any card at all. It's urging our friend to mature in thoughts.

There are many people who one disagrees with on this forum. Many who are obviously young but their presentations here do not show it. Why would a faceless forum so easily reveal an individual's age if not that he is very immature.

So it's no card playing at all; it's the truth. There is no point playing any card at all in the first place seeing that his discussion here had been so thoroughly rebutted that he ran away to again return in his usual childish undecided ways.

WinsomeX:


It's not anyone playing any card at all. It's urging our friend to mature in thoughts.

There are many people who one disagrees with on this forum. Many who are obviously young but their presentations here do not show it. Why would a faceless forum so easily reveal an individual's age if not that he is very immature.

So it's no card playing at all; it's the truth. There is no point playing any card at all in the first place seeing that his discussion here had been so thoroughly rebutted that he ran away to again return in his usual childish undecided ways.

Bull crap!

Save your write up for clowns! I'm surely gonna cause you more brain damage, being childish or not! I'm gonna through faith subdue kingdoms (even nairaland), wrought righteousness, obtained promise, stop the mouths of lions (especially elders and true gospel preachers on NL) .. you better start getting used to it.

You aint seen nothing yet, I'd make you leave this your moniker for another like you left Drummaboy. Say me hi to ibadan folks.

Gombs:


Bull crap!

Save your write up for clowns! I'm surely gonna cause you more brain damage, being childish or not! I'm gonna through faith subdue kingdoms (even nairaland), wrought righteousness, obtained promise, stop the mouths of lions (especially elders and true gospel preachers on NL) .. you better start getting used to it.

Be my guest...

[size=13pt]CHAPTER 6:AVOIDING ABUSES AND FALSE PRACTICES

Culled from The Midas Touch: A balanced approach to Biblical Prosperity by Kenneth hagin[/size]

There are a number of teachings and practices in the Church today, particularly among Charismatic groups, that can lead to misunderstandings and hurtful problems. Many times, these errors are the result of people taking a Bible verse, or part of averse, out of context or by carrying an application too far. Sometimes there has been an overzealous attempt to make a New Testament application of some Old Testament phrase or technicality that absolutely does not apply. Taken to the extreme, these teachings can become abuses and false practices.

Let's examine several specific examples that are being taught in various places across this country and in some other nations as well. While there may not be any malicious intent on the part of those who have promoted these teachings, I believe these teachings have the potential to injure and victimize innocent people.

[size=14pt]
Is Financial Prosperity a Sign of Spirituality?[/size]

One teaching supposes that financial prosperity is a sure sign of spirituality. [/b]This teaching suggests that throughout the Bible, God has rewarded faith and holiness with material blessings. [b]The implication is that if a person is not experiencing financial abundance, there must be a spiritual deficit in his life—probably caused by not giving enough.

For example, the teacher might quote Matthew 6:33 and say, "If you're not having 'all these things' added to your life, you must not be seeking first the Kingdom of God." This is the same kind of abuse as telling a person who has not received healing for a sickness or disease that evidently he just doesn't have enough faith.

The truth is that receiving a financial windfall is not a sure and absolute indicator of the blessings of God. It could also be an indicator that the person robbed a bank or "got lucky" gambling in Las Vegas! If wealth alone were a sign of spirituality, then drug traffickers and crime bosses would be spiritual giants. The Bible says that those who suppose that gain is godliness ate "men of corrupt minds," filled with perverse disputing and destitute of the truth (see First Timothy 6:5).

While several scriptures do link material prosperity with the blessings of God, numerous other verses make a sharp distinction and differentiation between material wealth and spiritual blessings.

Proverbs 10:22 says, "The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich,and he addeth no sorrow with it."

But the Apostle James writes, "Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted: But the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away . . . Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?" (James 1:9,10; 2:5).

[size=14pt]Giving To Get[/size]

A popular teaching in recent years has been that giving should be mechanically linked to getting. If you need something, give something. Sow a car to get a car. Sow a suit to receive a suit. This is another example of taking a basic truth and carrying it to the extreme. Like any other biblical truth, there is a ditch of error on both sides of the road.

There are some people who do not seem to realize that God wants to bless them. They have no understanding at all of the practical application of the law of sowing and reaping in their personal lives. As a result, giving for them is strictly a matter of duty. They may give, but they have no faith or expectation whatsoever about receiving anything from God. This is unfortunate because they undoubtedly miss out on some of the blessings that God has for them.

On the other side of the road are the greedy folks who are attempting to use their giving to manipulate God. They try to make the offering plate some kind of heavenly vending machine—put in your offering, pull the handle, and get your blessing back! This is certainly the wrong motive for giving. Some people go so far with this kind of thinking that they get into foolishness, giving away their car in the hope of getting another, presumably better, car. These people sometimes end up walking for a long time!

I am quite sure that there could be an occasion when God would deal with an individual about giving his car to some person or ministry. If that person then gave away his car out of obedience and love, as unto the Lord, I believe God would bless him in return, perhaps with another vehicle. But God's specific, personal direction for one individual does not become an across-the-board doctrine for the whole Church. There is no spiritual formula to sow a Ford and reap a Mercedes.

[size=14pt]Naming Your Seed[/size]

Some ministers have put a great deal of emphasis on the practice of "naming your seed." They have told people, "When you get your offering out, give it a name. If a farmer wants to harvest corn, he plants corn. If he wants to harvest cotton, he plants cotton. So name your offering as seed for what you want to receive."

I'm not sure that "naming your seed" is necessarily scriptural. I can't find any verses that specifically support the practice. Perhaps for some people it is a way of being specific about what they are believing God for. It is good to be specific with our faith, but I also believe it's important not to try to restrict the benefits of a particular offering to a specific result.

I personally don't "name my seed," saying that I'm giving my offering in order to reap such-and-such. I just believe God to supply all my needs. I believe that the Lord is my Shepherd and that I shall not want. So I give because I love the Lord.

Because "naming your seed" is not a Bible-based practice, I would urge preachers to be careful not to use this as a gimmick to persuade people to give.

A fellow minister once said, "Being focused on what we receive as a result of our giving corrupts the very attitude of our giving nature. Our focus must not be on what we receive as the result. Rather, our focus needs to be on giving as an expression of our love for our Lord and Savior and the fact that it pleases Him."

WinsomeX:


Be my guest...

I hope I get no mentions on this thread.

#Peace

[size=14pt]The Hundredfold Return[/size]

The idea that God will reward our giving by paying a one-hundred-to-one return on what we give to His work has become a very popular concept. It is almost commonplace to hear ministers refer to it at offering time, urging people to "give generously and believe God for a hundredfold blessing."

Then Peter began to say unto him, Lo, we have left all, and have followed thee. And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel's, but he shall receive an HUNDREDFOLD now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.
—Mark 10:28-30

Notice that there is nothing said in this passage about tithes or offerings. The context refers to people who have made an absolute commitment to follow the call of God upon their lives, leaving their former possessions, families, and lifestyles behind(see also Matthew 19:27-29 and Luke 18:28-30).

What did Jesus mean? Was He literally promising each disciple a hundred pieces of real estate for each one they had forsaken, and a hundred brothers or sisters for each sibling left at home, and a hundred fathers and mothers or wives and children? In studying the lives of the disciples, we find no record of any of them ever acquiring such possessions—except for persecutions.

What did Jesus mean when He said they would receive a hundredfold of houses and family? Wiser men than me who have spent lifetimes studying the Scriptures and the life and times of Jesus have given their interpretation. To these itinerant evangelists who would become missionaries to the world, traveling alone with little more than the clothes on their backs, He promised that houses in strange lands would open their doors to them—a hundred, if need be. He promised that as they preached the Gospel of the Kingdom and won souls to Christ, they would enjoy fellowship with countless brothers, sisters, mothers, and fathers—a multiplied family of faith.

Is the hundredfold return available for us today? Yes, of course, it's available for all who have left everything to commit their all for the sake of Christ and the Gospel!

Does the hundredfold return mean that when we give an offering, we should get out a calculator and compute the monetary payback we expect to receive at the rate of one hundred to one? In other words, if we give a dollar to God's work, are we promised that He will give us a hundred dollars back?

Let's consider a hypothetical example of what would happen if an individual actually had this happen just seven times in his life. Since the purpose of prosperity is to provide believers with the resources to do God's work, we'll assume that once this individual began his giving with a dollar and received his multiplied return, he "reinvested" the total amount back into the Kingdom of God by giving again.

Here's how that scenario would play out with the hundredfold return working a mere seven times:
$1 x hundredfold return = $100
$100 x hundredfold return = $10,000
$10,000 x hundredfold return = $1,000,000
(Note: If the hundredfold return worked just three times from an initial dollar offering, the donor would be a millionaire!)
$1,000,000 x hundredfold return = $100,000,000
(That's a hundred million dollars!)
$100,000,000 x hundredfold return = $10,000,000,000 (ten billion dollars)
$10,000,000,000 x hundredfold return = $1,000,000,000,000(one trillion dollars)
$1,000,000,000,000 x hundredfold return =
$100,000,000,000,000 (one hundred trillion dollars!)

At the time of this writing, the man with the most financial wealth in the world is considered to be Bill Gates of Microsoft; his net worth is estimated to be as much as $85 billion. So a person for whom the hundredfold return worked as described above would have 1,176 times more money than Bill Gates!

If the hundredfold return worked literally and mathematically for everyone who gave money in an offering, we would have Christians walking around with not billions or trillions of dollars, but quadrillions of dollars!

[size=14pt]A 'Debt-Breaking' or' Money multiplying' Anointing[/size]

From time to time, people ask me about some preacher who either claims—or is said by others—to be especially anointed to "break the power of debt" over people's lives or to be able to "multiply people's money back to them." In most cases, this special anointing or ability can only be activated by giving an offering to this minister or the organization he represents.

There is not one bit of Scripture I know about that validates such a practice. I'm afraid that it is simply a scheme to raise money for the preacher, and ultimately it can turn out to be dangerous and destructive for all involved. We need to be extremely careful about elevating certain ministers to higher-than-human status. Our focus should be on God rather than man. Certainly, money can be more productive for the Kingdom of God when it is sown into a productive ministry. And there are gifted ministers skilled at building confidence and motivating people. But Christians should be giving to help get the Gospel out and to do God's work, not to get some "highly anointed minister" to multiply their money back to them.

Some people may be tempted to give, not just to bless God's work, but out of greed for the material gain they hope to get for their own selfish purposes. A person who feels that he is in bondage to debt may give a minister most or all of the money he has out of desperation. He hopes against hope that the minister will help him get such a miraculous return from his offering that he can pay off his debts and get a fresh start.


I've heard of people with large credit-card debts or medical bills who had been told to expect "supernatural debt cancellation." Then, through a computer mistake or human error, they received a statement showing that they no longer owed anything or owed a substantially smaller amount. In some cases, a bank deposit was posted incorrectly, giving them credit for a larger amount that was enough to pay off an indebtedness.

There is nothing "supernatural" about these kinds of events. Trying to take advantage of them will only lead to more trouble. If some kind of mistake is made in which a Christian is credited with money that he knows doesn't belong to him, he has amoral, ethical, and biblical obligation to rectify the matter.

For most people, getting out of debt is not an or overnight process. They don't experience a single miraculous "breakthrough" in which God dumps a big lump sum in their lap. Usually it involves many months—maybe years—of hard work, diligence, good money management, wisdom, living within one's means, and the blessings of God that come through faith.

The minister who claims to have a "debt-breaking" or "money-multiplying" anointing is in danger of being led deeper into error. Instead of presenting a balanced message of the full Gospel and fulfilling the call of God on his life, he may become a narrowly-focused "specialist," dealing only with money and financial gain. He may even develop into such a skilled fundraiser that he becomes a "hired gun," brought in by other ministry organizations to raise money for them (for a "cut" of the "take".