It troubles me that many "Christians" in the church are Biblically and theologically illiterate. There was a time when I thought that the "prosperity gospel preachers" targeted a poorly educated and financially impoverished segment of our society, but I no longer believe this to be true. Earlier today I was perusing an on line listing of books in a local evangelical church's library. The church is located in an upscale community and boasts several thousand books in its collection. That there was a paucity of Biblical and theological books was not a great surprise. They had a section on "Christian Living," Christian Fiction," and "Other" (where you'd find almost nothing substantive on theology and Biblical studies). I was surprised to find numerous books by Joyce Meyer (I counted 46 volumes and 30 cassette tapes - interestingly there was only one book by John Piper though like Meyer he is a prolific author). To be sure Meyer is not the voice of an extreme prosperity gospel, but perhaps, that makes her along with others like Joel Osteen's message even more dangerous.
Rick Henderson a blogging pastor makes the following perceptive observations about Joyce Meyer's TV ministry.
"I challenge you to watch a typical message by Joyce Meyer. Here are a few of things you will notice: She pauses about every five minutes for applause. And if people don't applaud she is likely to say something like, "I'm preaching better than you're acting. "She talks about herself constantly. She is the main character in every story she tells. Even when she talks about herself in a self-deprecating way, some how it comes across in a way that causes people to admire her more. God talks to her and reveals new information to her... a lot! Her ministry lacks real accountability. Her family and her close friends are the governing board. This is an organization that receives almost $100 million dollars annually, and with no substantive accountability."
On the few occasions that she uses Scripture as a springboard for her doctrine the end result is horrific and her hermeneutics is abominable.
Follow this link to John Piper's definition of the prosperity gospel and its insidious impact on the church is an excellent starting point for understanding this aberrant gospel.
Rick Henderson a blogging pastor makes the following perceptive observations about Joyce Meyer's TV ministry.
"I challenge you to watch a typical message by Joyce Meyer. Here are a few of things you will notice: She pauses about every five minutes for applause. And if people don't applaud she is likely to say something like, "I'm preaching better than you're acting. "She talks about herself constantly. She is the main character in every story she tells. Even when she talks about herself in a self-deprecating way, some how it comes across in a way that causes people to admire her more. God talks to her and reveals new information to her... a lot! Her ministry lacks real accountability. Her family and her close friends are the governing board. This is an organization that receives almost $100 million dollars annually, and with no substantive accountability."
On the few occasions that she uses Scripture as a springboard for her doctrine the end result is horrific and her hermeneutics is abominable.
Follow this link to John Piper's definition of the prosperity gospel and its insidious impact on the church is an excellent starting point for understanding this aberrant gospel.
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