What Would 'Prosperity' Preachers Say If This Happened To Them?

Jesus said:

Matthew 5:10-12 (KJV)

Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for their's is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

Such sayings of Jesus about how believers should react to being persecuted for His name and righteousness sake, appears to have inspired the unusual attitude of His apostles when they faced persecution and were beaten and arrested for preaching the Gospel.

Peter and John rejoiced when they suffered persecution for preaching the Gospel of Christ.

Acts 5:40-41 (KJV)

And to him they agreed: and when they had called the apostles, and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.
And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name.

It wasn't much different when Paul and Silas suffered similar fate.

Acts 16:23-26 (KJV)

And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely:
Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks.
And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.
And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed.

Now this wasn't speaking of floor members of the early church, but the apostles of Christ who were the leaders at the time. Yet when they suffered such humiliation and persecution from men because of preaching the Gospel of Christ, instead of feeling sad and ashamed because of their own reputation and position, they rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer such shame for Christ's sake.

So tell me, if today's church had such selfless men as leaders, whether they would still need to preach much to be able to convince them to do likewise and also deny themselves for Christ's name sake or Gospel sake even as Christ taught us?

Isn't that the same way Christ taught them (His apostles) humility and self denial using Himself, the Shepherd, as an example for His sheep?

But today we have most church leaders who feel too big to suffer, be persecuted or killed for Christ's name sake. They think they're better and more anointed than the apostles of Christ who suffered great persecutions and even deaths for Christ's name sake.

Instead of preaching what Christ taught us, as what to do when we suffered persecution because of Him, they will be preaching that "we're not born again to suffer", among other antichrist' teachings of the 'prosperity' doctrine.

So if they were beaten and cast into prison for Christ's name sake as Paul and Silas, what will they say?

God bless

One of the areas the church has clearly lost its spiritual quality is in that of leadership.

Imagine if the early church had the kind of self-centred leaders that dominate the church today, instead of the selfless and christlike apostles who denied themselves and suffered greatly for the sake of the Gospel of the Kingdom of God, it's better imagined than lived, because the church would have been history by now, as the Gospel of Christ would have never survived the great persecution of those days and consequently reached this generation.

That's why Christ had to inculcate such selfless attitude into His apostles and leaders of His church, so that suffering persecution and deaths which the devil will bring up against them for His name sake would not be able to stop or discourage them, but instead become a motivating factor for them to continue to advance.

May God give us selfless and humble leaders as Christ and His Apostles who wouldn't be ashamed to suffer shame and persecution even unto death because of Christ and His Gospel's sake. In Jesus name!

God bless.

Interesting

The truth remains that today's Christianity is a modification to suit the flesh. Forgive me for putting it that way.
But it is the truth.

The focus of Christianity isn't on earthly blessings and financial gratifications. It is so much far from it. However that is what the flesh wants to hear, so that is what the church has evolved into. Laying focus on "substance" and rewards instead of the main goal and purpose.

I truly wonder if today's Christian's bother to read the teachings of Christ. Or they just simply pick the ones that suit them and follow those. Cus if they do, things will be a whole lot different.

Christ clearly stated that "In this world you will face many tribulations, but be of good cheer, for you have overcome the world.

However, the average christian mindset is that when you face tribulations or problems you are against Christ or you are not following God's plan, or you must have sinned, etc.
Christians stigmatize themselves instead of rendering support and love to one another in trouble times. This is what is being preached on the pulpits

I keep saying it; "Judgement day will be a day of mny surprises".
May God help us and count us worthy.

May God help us all to endure to the end

Porksupplyib:
The truth remains that today's Christianity is a modification to suit the flesh. Forgive me for putting it that way.
But it is the truth.

The focus of Christianity isn't on earthly blessings and financial gratifications. It is so much far from it. However that is what the flesh wants to hear, so that is what the church has evolved into. Laying focus on "substance" and rewards instead of the main goal and purpose.

I truly wonder if today's Christian's bother to read the teachings of Christ. Or they just simply pick the ones that suit them and follow those. Cus if they do, things will be a whole lot different.

Christ clearly stated that "In this world you will face many tribulations, but be of good cheer, for you have overcome the world.

However, the average christian mindset is that when you face tribulations or problems you are against Christ or you are not following God's plan, or you must have sinned, etc.
Christians stigmatize themselves instead of rendering support and love to one another in trouble times. This is what is being preached on the pulpits

I keep saying it; "Judgement day will be a day of mny surprises".
May God help us and count us worthy.

Well said!

May God help us all.

Thank you Jesus.

IS CHRISTIANITY ABOUT CHRISTIANS BEING PERSECUTED AND BEING DENYING THEMSELVES OF GOOD THINGS OF LIFE?

THE ANSWER IS NO!

RATHER, CHRISTIANITY IS ABOUT SALVATION.

IF YOU WANT PERSECUTION OR SELF DENIAL AS A CHRISTIAN WHY NOT JUST SIMPLY RELOCATE TO PALESTINE OR NORTHERN KADUNA AND STOP SAYING WHAT YOU DON'T KNOW?