FJRB
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Registered: 11-2006
Location: USA
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Perfect health and prosperity: My divine right??
There is a lot of confusion about this topic. Anyone can hope and pray for perfect health and material prosperity. And some do manage to come closer than others to having perfect health. The Lord does occasionally bless one of His children with material wealth (occasionally through inheritance, but usually) through hard work and the wisdom of how to invest properly. There is nothing wrong with having abundant material wealth as long as the wealth does not own the person who thinks s/he owns the wealth. Abraham and Job are both ideal examples of godly people who had great wealth and worshipped YHVH and not what He gave them. But, today, it seems that most people who have great material wealth worship their wealth and the power that they think comes with it. It's bad enough when the unsaved do this; and it's even worse when those who claim to have a close relationship with Jesus do this.
You have probably heard of the likes of Benny Hinn, Morris Cerullo, John Hagee, Kenneth Copeland, John Bevere, Markus Bishop, Juanita Bynum, Kim Clement, Paul Crouch, Creflo Dollar, Jesse Duplantis, Kenneth Hagin, Marilyn Hickey, Rodney Howard-Browne, T. D. Jakes, Bishop Eddie L. Long, Joyce Meyer, Miles Monroe, Steve Munsey, Mike Murdock, Joel Osteen, Rod Parsley, Peter Popoff, Fred Price, Oral Roberts, R. D. Shambach, Robert Schuller, Karl Strader, Robert Tilton, and Paula White.
I'm sure that each of these people have said some correct things. Some have even said more than a few right things. I'm not concerned about whether all of them have spoken right all of the time or wrong all of the time or whatever. We all need to know the Word of God well enough to be able to discern when someone says something in perfect line with His Word or out of line with His Word. Each of the people listed above has, at least some times, been used of God in some way. However, there is a great need for discernment here. Each of the above people has become popular and advocates divine healing and prosperity. I am not against divine healing. I believe that nothing is impossible with God; but I don't think it's right to say that a person who is miraculously healed has more faith than someone who is not miraculously healed. Nor do I believe that a materially wealthy person has more faith than a materially impoverished person. Popular people in the Word-Faith movement tend to be materially wealthier than others since they have a popular message, a means for broadcasting it to the masses, and a way of misleading hurting people to sow "seeds" of faith (financial sacrifices) into the bank accounts of the people who don't need that money. People like my maternal grandmother (who had only a low income from Social Security and had to use food stamps and who is now deceased) are often lonely and unable to go to church. My grandmother was born-again; but she was naive. And in her loneliness (especially after my grandfather died), she was willing to listen to anyone who taught the Bible, especially someone who had a Pentecostal/Charismatic background. She probably would have lived longer if she had been willing to work with her doctors more than with faith healers.
Back to my point, these leaders in the Word-Faith movement have growing mailing lists; and the people on these growing lists naively give sacrificially financially (many of them in great debt and unable to pay their bills, as a result).
Without exception, leaders in the Word-Faith movement say that there is a great need for revival. They're right. There IS a great need for revival. But we should be sure that it is a Biblical revival, where there is genuine repentance of all sin. We shouldn't have revival in hopes of becoming physically healthier and materially wealthier. God promised to meet all of our needs, spiritually, psychologically, physically, and financially--if we put Him first (Matt. 6:33). He did not, however, promise to increase our material wealth to the point that we forget about Him. Nor did He promise perfect health when He may be more glorified as we praise Him in the midst of less-than-perfect circumstances.
I've had insulin-dependent diabetes for almost 26 years, as a result of auto-immunity. For most of that time, I have been either hoping for God to miraculously heal me or to just take me to Heaven. However, in the last year or two, I have finally listened to Him as He shows me how my being diabetic can glorify Him more than my not being diabetic. Life might be easier without diabetes; but I might not see my dependence on Him as much if I didn't have diabetes. And I might not be able to see His provision so clearly. And I might not be reminded so well that He is watching out for me--if I didn't have diabetes. I think He is also trying to teach me about better health--about eating more healthy food more often and about exercising more regularly and also about working more cooperatively with those He has provided to help me. If He decides to heal me miraculously, I certainly won't complain. But I know He wants me to be able to praise Him even if He doesn't miraculously heal me. His strength is made perfect in my weakness; and, in that, He is glorified. By accepting the diabetes as part of His perfect will for my life, I have been a happier person; and I have learned that He can use me just as much as He can use anyone else. Someday, when Jesus comes again, I won't have any problems; and I think I'll be more grateful for perfection in everything after knowing such imperfection.
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Solely in the service of Yeshua Ha'Mashiach,
Renee
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