It's time to call out the wolves in sheep's clothing, the prosperity gospel preachers, and their Pentecostal churches. These so-called churches are nothing but cults designed to prey on vulnerable Christians to make themselves rich. They are not biblical, and they are not Christian.
These churches mostly come from Australia, but they have spread like a virus across the world. They are nothing more than a business, making their leaders millions every year. And what is worse, they often don't even have to pay taxes on their ill-gotten gains! It is no wonder that they will do anything to keep this scam going.
The prosperity gospel is a twisted and distorted version of the gospel that emphasizes wealth and material possessions. It teaches that God wants you to be rich, and if you have enough faith, you will be. This is not only false, but it is also dangerous. The Bible warns us about the love of money. In 1 Timothy 6:10, it says, "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs."
Pentecostal churches create cults instead of churches. They have a hierarchy with fake prophets, apostles, healers, and leaders to create a rat race to the top. Everyone wants to be like one of the charismatic, loud, confident, and ego-driven leaders on stage. These leaders claim to have a direct line to God and use that authority to manipulate their congregants.
The tactics used by these leaders are manipulative and deceitful. They use loud music, lights, and other techniques to put people in a trance-like state while delivering a service. Once they have their audience in a vulnerable state, they use guilt and shame to persuade them to give money or make donations. In Matthew 6:24, it says, "No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money."
The prosperity gospel contradicts biblical teachings on wealth and poverty. The Bible teaches us to care for the poor and to be content with what we have. In Proverbs 30:8-9, it says, "Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, 'Who is the Lord?' Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God."
These churches prey on those who are struggling in life, promising them a way out of their troubles if only they will give more money to the church. But in reality, it is all a con, and many people are left feeling let down and betrayed.
As the NIV bible says in Proverbs 22:16, "One who oppresses the poor to increase his wealth and one who gives gifts to the rich—both come to poverty." These prosperity churches are doing just that, oppressing the poor and giving gifts to the rich, all in the name of God. It is a disgrace and a perversion of the true Gospel.
And if someone does have the courage to leave one of these churches, they are often shunned by the friends they thought they had made. As the NIV bible says in Proverbs 17:17, "A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity." These so-called friends were never true friends at all, and they certainly were not acting as brothers and sisters in Christ.
The prosperity gospel is nothing more than a scam, and those who promote it are nothing more than charlatans. As conservative Christians, we must stand up against this false gospel and speak out against those who promote it. We must turn to the true Gospel, which is about love, grace, and forgiveness, not money and prosperity. As the NIV bible says in 1 Timothy 6:10, "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs." Let us not be among those who wander from the faith, but instead let us hold fast to the true Gospel and the true love of Christ.