Those Familiar Wolves At The Harlot's Table

Pope Francis' recent visit to the US was by no means just another state visit of a head of state from another country. It was regarded as a milestone event being the pontiff's official first visit to the US. Many pundits from both the secular media and religious groups have been abuzz with their synonymous take that the pope's visit would usher the fulfillment of biblical prophecies.

As to which biblical prophecies have been fulfilled that remains debatable, but one thing is clear and beyond argument, and after all dust has settled, God has revealed those who consistently prostitute his truth in the name of false love, false peace, and false unity. And there you have it, people won't be reeling from shock as everyone's usual suspects spontaneously come out united in revealing who they really are: wolves in sheep's clothing.

If there was anything "true and sincere" (albeit a great abomination to God) that the world has witnessed, it was the multitude's show of devotion and adoration to the pope that had the sovereign God of heavens seemingly shoved off His throne. 

Don't get me wrong, as Christians we should love the pope as someone whom Jesus died for and whose soul needs salvation. He needs to repent of his sins and acknowledge the saving grace of the Lord Jesus Christ through the redemptive power of His blood. We also need to pray for every Catholic who puts their faith in the Catholic church for their salvation. But we cannot be one with them  and approving of and thereby sharing their sins.

Wait a minute, we almost feel this topic about the pope as being recurringly redundant. And along comes the burning question, why can't some Christians seemingly don't get it when all the pope desires, is for all the world to come together in unity amid all the troubles of this world? Why the fierce criticism when all T.D. Jakes, Rick Warren, and Joel Osteen yearn for is to giggle at the presence of the pope and express their admiration for him for his being so cool and humble?

Here it goes: The Scripture in itself is the word of God, its nature infallible and immutable, it is the final authority and the moral compass which all humankind is called to live by. The Scripture reveals to man God's grand design of redemption from sin through His son Jesus Christ who took the form of a man, was sinless, and gave His life as a ransom for all our sins.The Scripture also speaks of Jesus as being the only Way, the Truth, and the Life, so that no one comes to the Father but by Him. So in essence, Jesus has the sole authority to forgive sinners if they repent and turn their backs from sin and follow Him. All other religious figures in history such as Mohammed, Buddha, and many others have all died and will never return again while Jesus has spoken of his return to judge the living and the dead. Basic kindergarten lesson we have here.

So what has the pope anything to do with this? As a matter of tradition, the pope so believes that Jesus died on the cross, unlike the Muslims who believe in their Quran that says Jesus did not die but that their god Allah deceived the Jews into believing such lie. Quran 3:54 even corroborates that their god Allah is the greatest deceiver of all. There you have it! In principle, the contradiction in belief is poles apart, yet the pope allows Quranic prayer be recited in the Vatican and he himself even offered prayer inside a mosque in Turkey.

Here are some of the obvious reasons why true born-again believers should not associate themselves with almost about anything the pope promotes:

The Catholic church endorses Marian worship and countless other idols

The Catholic church for centuries has been unequivocal in affirming the deity of Mary in its doctrines and bestowed her a litany of titles such as "the queen of heavens", "mother of God",  "the mediatrix", etc. Obviously, nowhere in Scripture has Mary been crowned as queen of heavens as though there existed a vacant throne that needed occupancy. Catholic dogma even claims that Mary was taken up to heaven both her soul and body on the third day after her death.

In fairness to Mary, when she was called blessed among women she exclaimed, "my spirit rejoiced in God my Saviour" (Luke 1:47). She herself acknowledged that she needed a saviour because she was no god. Well, Catholics have the propensity to analogize that if Jesus is God so are his mother and Father. And no chance on earth they'd lose this argument. I vividly recall my sister-in-law who strongly brushed off biblical truth saying, "I was born a Catholic and I will die a Catholic".

The Bible explicitly says that the God of the universe is a jealous God (Deuteronomy 6:14,15) who is not willing to give His glory to anyone and His praises to graven images (Isaiah 42:8). In essence, God hates the worship of idols that cannot see, speak, hear or feel and cannot even defend themselves. His disdain for idol worshippers is such that He calls them fools and shameless (Isaiah 44:9-20). And who would dare challenge a holy and righteous God? You share this truth lovingly and compassionately to a hardened Catholic if not you're shown the door in rage or get blocked on facebook.

As for Mary's mediatrix title, it doesn't get more blasphemous than that to claim Mary possesses a greater level of intercessory powers than any other saint because Jesus can in no way turn His back on the woman who gave Him life. You pray to Mary being the mother of God and narrate your petitions, the moment she brings your cause to her son no matter how unlikely your petitions will be granted by Jesus, His heart can only melt away at the sight of His mother in tears, and voila your petition is granted. This is why Catholics have a special fondness for their idol, the "Mother of Perpetual Help".

But what the Scripture has to say with respect to such belief is beyond confounding to those who refuse to open their eyes and refuse to read and be guided by the truth of Scripture. Does God really listen to the prayers of unrepentant and idolatrous people? And who is the true mediator who brings our petitions to God?

"If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me." ~ Psalm 66:18

"Now we know that God hears not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and does His will, him he hears." ~ John 9:31

"For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus." ~ 1 Timothy 2:5

"Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not a high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin." ~ Hebrews 4: 14,15

The Pope believes Allah the god of Islam and Yahweh the God of the Bible are one

We've been hearing it a gazillion of times over, people would conveniently blurt out: "oh yeah, of course, I believe there is only one God and our only disagreement stems from how we address him by name."

Don't be deceived, the god of the Quran doesn't have a son, as opposed to Yahweh the Father who has a begotten Son named Jesus who took a human form, ministered to the sick and needy, offered His life, was buried and raised from the dead, and He will return to judge both the living and the dead. While the Quran explicitly narrates that Allah hid his prophet Issa from the Jews, deceived them into believing that he died (but never crucified), and Allah took him up to heaven.

Let us check the following verses:

"In fact. the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of the blood there is no forgiveness." ~ Hebrews 9:22

"For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins." ~ Matthew 26:28

"In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins." ~ Colossians 1:14

Clearly, it is only the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ that can wash away mankind's sin and forgiveness can only be obtained through His blood, that's why Jesus died by crucifixion, was buried and was raised from the dead. But the Quran belies these facts by claiming that not one of these had ever happened. To them, the Bible is a lie and corrupt and the Quran is the real deal. Perhaps Pope Francis is so enamored with the Quran that he invited an Imam to recite a quranic prayer inside the Vatican. He even offered prayer (facing Makkah) alongside a mufti at a mosque in Turkey.

The Pope believes atheists can get to heaven

Previously, Pope Francis made a bold declaration that atheists can get to heaven if they do good, effectively invalidating the power of the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins. Such brazen rebellion against the truth of God won him over adoring fans worldwide and media accolades despite his obvious disdain for the truth of God's word. Ephesians 2:8,9 says, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast."  We could only assume that in all his years as a Catholic let alone his being a pontiff, he has not come across this verse yet. But we all know that is not the case.

This pope certainly has a way to draw controversies, and they are by no means negligible. His words and actions impact billions of souls and his influence limitless, after all he is the "vicar" of Christ on earth, and when he speaks it is as if God speaks through him. Yet it can't get as blasphemous as this saying, "Jesus failed on the cross". Scripture says before Jesus breathed His last on the cross, he uttered, "it is finished".  He had won the victory on the cross! Yet, wonder of wonders the pope believes otherwise! In his homily on his recent trip to America, Pope Francis said, "Jesus failed on the cross"!

The cross was a fundamental part of Jesus' life. It's why he was born and was a fulfillment of why he came. To call it a failure is about as high a blasphemy as could be spoken by a false prophet, striking at the very foundation of Christianity.

Since Pope Francis assumed the papacy there has never been a dearth in controversies appended to him. His initiatives to bring all religions together in the name of peace and  unity is about as good a fulfillment in the book of Revelation that speaks of a harlot who committed adultery with the inhabitants of the earth. But what mortal can resist his charm? Notwithstanding, God warns us to come out of her and be not partakers of her sin (Revelation 18:4).

Wolves in sheep's clothing share table with the harlot

It is no secret Joel Osteen is one of the biggest fans of the pope. When he profusely heaps praises on him, his face glows like all the hopes of this world is pinned on that one man. That if he can only convince skeptics to pay attention to the message of this man, then the world will be a better place. This same Joel Osteen who seldom mentions the name Jesus, if none at all in his sermons and in his books. He is the same Joel Osteen who fondly describes the pope as "very cool and humble" yet steers clear of mentioning Jesus as the perfect example of humility, being born in a manger, and "had no place to lay his head" during His earthly ministry. If anything, these pictures are perfect contradiction to "your best life now" that Joel Osteen endorses: a life filled with financial and material blessings, health and wealth bonanza, and even going to places you've never been.

Proof that Pope Francis has no shortage of fans even in the evangelical community is the no-nonsense endorsement of his agenda by well-known mega pastors such as Kenneth Copeland, T.D. Jakes, and Rick Warren, among others. Jakes and Warren were even among the VIPs and dignitaries who had a front-row seat at the White House papal reception. It is no surprise seeing Rick Warren joining in spiritual oneness with the pope whose agenda is in sync with the former's Chrislam advocacy. And what about T.D. Jakes? Well, he's got no problem with homosexuality in the church just as the pope wants  homosexuals and lesbians to fill the pews but refuses to rebuke them of their lifestyles. After all, "who am I to judge?"

The Kim Davis Fiasco

She would have been doing well, at least after she emerged from prison. She was touted by fellow Christians around the world as a champion of faith circa pre-tribulation. She stood her ground even to the point of going to prison, still she refused to issue same-sex marriage licenses as it violates her conscience and religious belief. Imagine a deluge of articles and Christians blogs dedicated to her exploits and heroism; multitudes of Christians got fired up to fight for their faith. Even some Republican presidentiables had their rating shot up for siding with her. In the end, good triumphed over evil.

Not until, the man of the hour Pope Francis set foot on American soil that a certain Kim Davis, a renowned champion of faith had her bout with starstruck syndrome induced by the presence of the man from Vatican. It was reported she had a private audience with the pope in Washington, she even asked an aide to the pope "if I could hug the holy father". Her request was granted and he hugged her back. He asked her to pray for him and she reciprocated the request. He thanked her for her courage and told her to "stay strong".  At the culmination of that private audience, the pope gave her and her husband rosaries which in turn she would later give to her parents. And here's the mother of ironies: prior to her meeting with the pope, the day before, two homosexuals who are partners for 19 years had a real audience with the pope; turns out one of them is a long- time friend of the pope back home in Argentina.

Kim Davis was in awe of the pope: in her own words she could not believe a man of great stature would want to see her. He thanked her for her courage, presumably the courage of standing her ground. Then we can only assume that the day before, he lovingly admonished his homosexual friend and his partner that their lifestyle is something God does not approve of, but as reports would have it, everyone came out from that rendezvous wearing a big smile.

And as for the rosaries as gift of the pope to her and her husband, it is not expected of her to win her parents back to Catholicism if her intentions were anything to go by. She should be evangelizing them for the Lord and not to encourage them to pray the rosary.

Deception as the preeminent sign of Jesus' return

In Matthew 24, when Jesus went out and departed from the temple, his disciples marveled at the buildings of the temple, but Jesus said there shall be no stone left upon another that shall not be thrown down. And His disciples asked what shall be the signs of His coming and the end of the world. And Jesus answered, "take heed that no man deceive you". The Gospel chapters of Matthew 24, Luke 21 and Mark 13 otherwise known as the Olivet Discourse where Jesus spoke of the signs of His return and the end of days contain repeated warnings of deception that shall abound. Jesus has put emphasis on many that shall be deceived, even the elect if possible.

Truth be told, today's Christians suffer from spiritual famine: the lack of discernment, lack of knowledge and indifference towards biblical truth in favor of the  doctrines of demons that constitute a surefire way to damnation. Christians are called to put on the full armour of God, with the belt of truth buckled around the waist and the breastplate of righteousness in place. But once your belt of truth is compromised and it falls, so is your righteousness.

The Laodicean Warning

The state of Christianity today can be likened to that of the church in Laodicea but God is faithful, those He loves He chastens, and calls them to repent so that they won't be caught off-guard when He comes like a thief.

"I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot: I would you were cold or hot. So then because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew you out of my mouth. Because you say, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and know not that you are wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel youn to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that you may be rich; and white raiment, that ou may be clothed, and that the shame of your nakedness do not appear; and anoint you eyes with eye salve, that you may see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and I will sup with him, and he with me. To him that overcomes will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit said to the churches." ~ Revelation 3: 15-22

Persecution And Prosperity: A 'Christian' Dilemma

From random stories of unimaginable atrocities committed against Christians in the Middle East - to the advent of ISIS where Christians become automatic target for beheading because of their faith- all these seem to amount to nothing - if the sound of preaching in many Christian churches today is anything to go by. Even before ISIS came into the scene, there was Boko Haram that randomly torched Christian churches in Nigeria - along with their congregants - and sometimes spraying bullets on them while they worship God inside their churches. Pastors and their families have been soft targets for these evil Islamists and the repercussions for being Christian in the wake of persecutions are beyond despicable. Of late, those over 200 Christian girls abducted by this group - were known to have been made sex slaves or murdered - and some were forced to become human bombs targeting public places so as to maximize casualties.

In Egypt, Christians have their own share of indescribable persecutions from Islamists that you do not see often reported in media. Churches pelted with rocks and vandalized by Muslim mobs are a daily occurrence mainstream media think so trivial enough to be given little of their attention. Rape of Christian girls by their Muslim neighbors commonly do not get reported for fear of repercussion from the Muslim majority that has the stranglehold of virtually every government office - from police, military to the judiciary. And not even the highly-publicized beachfront beheading of 21 Egyptian Christians by the ISIS can deter Muslim mobs from inflicting more persecution upon the relatives of those beheaded - when they surrounded the homes of those in mourning and threw stones at them - upon hearing that a monument will be built in honor of those 21.

Nowadays, cases of Christian persecutions worldwide are rising exponentially in a level unprecedented in history. Christians in the Middle East and some parts of Africa certainly have plenty to say - and some have vouched through photos of their severed heads on top of their chests - why it is never easy to be a Christian. These Christian beheadings that have of late become a mundane scenario with its gruesomeness easily accessible in the internet - surprisingly do not surprise the world anymore.

Nowadays, Christian persecutions come in varying forms and degrees but fueled by the same evil force that hates the truth. It's only a matter of geography that gives new definition to it. While Christians in the US and most part of the West are not imminently subjected to threats of beheadings, persecution nonetheless can come in myriad other forms, such as losing your livelihood because you refused to bake wedding cake for same-sex couples as a matter of faith principle, or getting terminated from your teaching job because you gave your student a Bible when she asked for it, and getting bullied or taunted because you prayed and gave glory to God when you scored a touchdown at a football game - and the list goes on and on.

Deception in the last days

When the disciples asked Jesus what will be the signs of His coming and of the end of the age, He said to them "watch out that no one deceives you" (Matthew 24:4). In verse 9 to 13, He continues to say, "Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of many will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved."

Jesus spoke very clearly of what is to come and what should befall those who would follow Him. The apostle Paul in his letter to Timothy concurred when he said "In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted." (2 Timothy 3:12). The apostle Peter on the other hand reminds us believers to rejoice amid all our sufferings and trials because it is to purposely test the genuineness of our faith (1 Peter 1:6,7), and if we pass the test, the end result of it is the salvation of our souls (1 Peter 1:9)

I have been to a lot of evangelical churches before and seldom this topic is mentioned in their pulpit. You speak of trials and sufferings in your exhortation and you get perplexed audience in quiet discomfort staring back at you - and the usual 'amens' heard in unison suddenly get obsoleted. If anything, this sort of reaction is understandable given the monotone feel-good messages that you usually hear behind pulpit and compounded by the prolific positive quotes from Joel Osteen or Joyce Meyer that proved popular on social media.

So, what does this say of the spiritual condition of the present day church? When you have the most popular mainstream preachers such as Joel Osteen (who never preaches sin, hell and repentance let alone judgment day and second coming), Joyce Meyer (whose entire family sits at the board of his multi-million dollar ministry and lives off at it grandiosely), and the formidable duo Benny and Kenny (Hinn and Copeland) of the little-gods doctrine; plus the ultra-rich jetsetting Creflo Dollar - who as a bunch has hijacked the true gospel of Jesus Christ into their own brand of gospel - what else do we expect to see around so many churches that do not pray for discernment but only have their sights on earthly blessings?

The teaching that God wants His children to prosper in all aspects of their lives has been the single most indispensable subject everyone loves to talk about. And the increasingly strong desire by congregants to obtain these blessings propels them to even faithfully give their tithes because the usual sermon they habitually hear - either promises of a tremendous blessings - or otherwise a threat of a litany of curses - and that's the last thing the congregants want to hear.

Paul Washer in one of his sermons spoke with full conviction that "False teachers are God's judgment on people who don't want God, but in the name of religion plan on getting everything their carnal heart desires. That's why a Joel Osteen is raised up. Those people who sit under him are not victims of him, he is the judgment of God upon them because they want exactly what he wants, and it is not God."

Even during Jesus' earthly ministry, He already taught substantially on His return that reflected on the numerous parables admonishing believers to be ready (Matthew 25). The apostle Paul in his epistles constantly reminded believers to be patient and to keep themselves worthy as the Day of the Lord is drawing near (1 Thessalonians 4, Hebrews 10). Even at the earliest church age, the believers had hoped that they were going to witness the return of Jesus. Such earnest longing for Jesus' return inspired early believers to preach the gospel of salvation to every place they could reach - calling all people to repent from their sins. That very same message reverberated across the earth after so many generations till today that predisposes ungodly people to mock Christians for Jesus' impending return that never took place. The apostle Peter had in fact long predicted that and had this to say to believers:

Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, "where is this coming he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation." (2 Peter 3:3,4)

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare. ~ (2 Peter 3:9,10)

The high-jacking of the true Gospel by wolves in sheep's clothing

When I was a kid growing up in a rural area in the central Philippines, the only medium by which we get to know what the world is up to is by transistor radio because there was no electricity available. I would always hear pastors warning people of the imminent coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. At that time,  even people living in the mountains had been reached by the gospel and somehow had heard of the signs leading to Jesus' return. Recently, as I was listening to a podcast from Stand Up For The Truth, the hosts and their guests have echoed similar observation that during their early years they used to hear preachings left and right about the return of the Lord Jesus Christ but now the usual talk-about from mainstream preachers is how a Christian can live a life of favor, abundance and happiness. And who can resist such message when in fact it was the Lord Jesus Christ himself who promised that "He came so that we may have life and have it to the full?" In one of his sermons, Paul Washer had famously quoted: "...twist not Scripture lest you be like Satan!"

Few would argue that the advent of the so-called prosperity gospel, its lure, its comforting message, has paved the way for the true gospel to cunningly evolve into the gospel of demons - where believers are made to believe that they can have all they want in this life for being co-heirs to the wealth of the Great Provider. Today, the world at-large has grown numb to hearing scandal-after-scandal involving so-called mega pastors who make no apologies for living the high-life, whose sprawling estates, fleets of private jets and palatial mansions in tight security fit for royals - are a picture of total contrast to the life of humility of the Man they preach about - who did not even have a proper place to lay his head (Luke 9:58).

Of course, a gullible Christian would never think deceptions could come from within the church. For as long as he comes and sits at his favorite spot on Sundays, does his assigned ministry , and gives his tithes, then there is every chance that he is on the right track and his place in heaven secured. He doesn't see any wrong in his pastor using Rick Warren's unbiblical teaching materials, (in fact that is what they have been implementing in church recently); the words 'tribulation' and 'rapture' are strange to him - he has been to this church for two years but hasn't heard of them. He has been an ardent fan of Joel Osteen and Joyce Meyer, in fact he loves to share their quotes on facebook and draws inspiration from them. "These are great men and women of God and I have been tremendously blessed by their teachings!", he would argue. When you post encouraging verses on facebook, he is one of the first to hit like, and you get tons of it thereafter; but when you post verses pertaining to hell, holiness and judgment, you would get convinced spontaneous boycott from facebook friends does really happen - and that solely depends on what you post.

The sidestepping of the gospel for prosperity's sake

It is the belief that when you act on your faith God will bless your every endeavor. Such is the driving force behind Christians who have been heavily involved in online networking that have plagued local churches that I know. The proliferation of online investment schemes that attract recruits to invest for an incredibly huge profits have now crept up in these churches that you will see worship leaders, elders and deacons, and even an ordained prophetess and some pastors in a race to find recruits to invest in the schemes. Those Bible verses that you usually see in their facebook walls have been dislodged in favor of video materials and testimonies from successful investors. And no one, not even one has dared rebuke them and stood up to them. They even have the temerity to use Jeremiah 29:11(NIV) in their slogan to validate their claims that God desires to "prosper them, give them hope and a better future".

Lack of knowledge and discernment is what thrusts Christians into a dilemma of the supposed incompatibility of scriptures when embracing one doctrine without forsaking another. They reluctantly admit that trials and sufferings are fixtures in the lives of Christians but their hearts vacillate when confronted with biblical promises of wealth, health and success - which their mentors have twisted and taken out of context to suit their needs - because it is what they primarily want to hear.

It is a Christian's reluctance to grow in the knowledge of the Word that puts him in a situation where the scriptures albeit plain and simple seem conflicting to him. The state of many churches today is such that deception is hardly noticed because leaders are deceived and in turn deceiving the flocks. The lure of prosperity, endless favor and good life advocated and being practiced by the so-called megapastors -  has in turn influenced local church leaders to pass on the teachings to their flocks who are now attributing their success and new-found financial breakthrough to God's favor. When you have "prophets and pastors" in church whose mentors they list as Rick Warren, Joel Osteen, Joyce Meyer, T.D. Jakes, Benny Hinn and Creflo Dollar, that says it all of the spiritual condition of the church.

"For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry." ~ (2 Timothy 4:3-5)

The true prosperity 

As for those Christians who are being systematically slaughtered, raped and torched, starved to death, falsely accused and imprisoned without trial, losing their jobs and businesses - all because of their faith - surely God did not fail them and did not forget His promises to them of a hope and a better future. A Christian who truly desires to obey the Lord Jesus Christ and is willing to take up his own cross daily and follow Him understands and finds the true meaning of prosperity: the joy, godly contentment and peace that emanates from our hope of redemption when Christ is revealed to us in His glory.

A lot of Christians around the world have been experiencing untold sufferings and tribulations because of their faith, and they willingly embrace their fate - to them they share with the sufferings of Christ - to them the glory that will be revealed on the last day and the crown of righteousness and the crown of life that await them - is the true prosperity. The apostle Paul had this to say: "For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near. I have fought the good fight of faith, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day - and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing." ~ (2 timothy 4:6-8)

Prosperity 101: What Every Christian Should Know

There was this Bible study in a church where I used to attend - and the discussion slightly got on the subject of sufferings and persecution for being a Christian. A relatively new member kind of reacted like, "wait, I come to church so that I may be blessed and find favor from God, now you're telling me I will at some point experience all these dreadful stuff because I became a Christian?" A good pastor or teacher has got to be prepared in answering every question while keeping his composure amid an ensuing air of activism from an unsatisfied audience. If anything, the argument this member raises is quite valid, isn't it?

People are drawn to church because they hear church people are friendly and welcoming. Others are convinced Jesus is the answer to all their troubles in life, and they heard of a certain promise that they could live their best life now. While the first two arguments are generally true, the third argument is somewhat shady. Why today's Christians do not like the idea of suffering and persecution being a part of a Christian life? We should be reminded that our generation and those before us are no different from the people who were with Jesus 2000 years ago. The people who walked with Jesus were considered blessed yet they suffered from all forms of persecution and suffering because of their testimonies.

Mary's suffering yet she is blessed

Mary the mother of Jesus was called 'blessed among women' by the angel Gabriel. Of course we know that nine months later she gave birth to the Savior of the world. So, if Mary was a blessed woman, why did she have to be subjected to so many uncomfortable circumstances in her lifetime? Certainly, giving birth to the baby Jesus in a manger because they were refused shelter in a crowded inn can be attributed to them being poor and lack of humanity from people around them. If it were in today's setting, I'm sure a lot of good-hearted individuals and few altruists would not hesitate to usher them in even to some creepy basement if only to shelter the heavily pregnant woman and her husband from a cold night. Imagine Mary in deep pain struggling to keep a supine position in a cold pavement while first-time father Joseph frantically catches baby Jesus' head with bare hands. And I bet the oppressive all-conquering stench and occasional chorus of bleats and neighs from curious onlookers did not help much either to alleviate their predicament.

Just imagine the terror a young mother would have felt when at the middle of the night she and her baby had to be whisked away to a far country to escape from a king's plot to murder her baby. Imagine the exhaustion she must have suffered from a long journey and the indifference people might have shown them for being foreigners in another country. Imagine the pains of watching your beloved son struggling to stand on his toes with a heavy cross lodged on his shoulders and getting whipped every time he topples - and the sound of a piercing spike hammered into her son's hands and feet. The agonies she had to be subjected to certainly do not equate to a blessing - in fact they are a complete opposite - if today's Christian's concept of a word 'blessing' is anything to go by.

Early Christian persecution

By all accounts, the apostle Paul was arguably the most persecuted born-again believer in all of New Testament. The persecution he had suffered as detailed in the book of Acts is anything but impossible to duplicate. From getting whipped and dragged into prison even without charges, to getting stoned and left for dead by a mob - such were among the cruel and terrible things that he experienced, not to mention the countless murder plots and attempts that he had to survive - and God knows what kind of cruel death he had to be subjected to, if only to obtain that true spiritual prosperity that he aimed to achieve.

Herod the chief persecutor of early Christians in Jerusalem got James the brother of John killed by the sword so as to please the Jews and to continually terrify the believers. Peter got lashed and bound with chains, not only once but several times for preaching the gospel - and history says he was crucified upside down as a matter of personal pleading for he thought unworthy to be crucified in a manner similar to that of Jesus'. So many other early believers also died a horrible death - either by stoning, their heads chopped off , some were fed to lions - and take this: sawed in two (imagine the act of manual sawing sans electricity); shall we go even further? Amid all these indescribable forms of persecution and methods of death early Christians had to face daily, was there ever a biblical account saying they had suffered a crisis of faith or that they had stopped midway in their race for realizing Jesus' promise of abundant life in John 10:10 was a 'hoax'?

Influence of megachurches

Given the advent of mega churches in our time, it's not very surprising that today's brand of Christianity has morphed into something else compared to that of the early believers. Even in our local churches, very few pastors put emphasis on  spiritual prosperity which we should desire rather than any form of material and financial prosperity which is a hit to the congregants. If you happen to visit any local church in your area, take notice of the familiar and long exhortation on tithes and offering that sounds more like a sales pitch that guarantees overflowing return of investment rather than an encouragement to be obedient to what God decrees. It is very common to hear them say, "if you want to be blessed then you should give" - a really typical forceful admonition that doesn't even spare the new attendee who in the first place is utterly clueless of what is happening around him and the 'trouble' he just got into.

The typical thought pattern most Christians maintain today is that the God of the universe is their ultra-rich abounding source of all material blessings because they contend what belongs to Him also belongs to us and He is overly-joyed if you are happy and being yourself. Wow! Thanks to Joel Osteen, Joyce Meyer et al for making us all feel good with such hypnotic brand of gospel - the most popular antidote ever invented for a weary soul since vanilla ice cream. If only to grasp the state of today's Christian concept of prosperity, look no further as Facebook is awash with quotes from these prosperity gospel preachers, being shared by so many 'Christians' as if their shout of  having a big God "willing to send them to places they've never been and grant all their wishes", is not deafening. Such distorted view of the true meaning of prosperity can only get scarier because time and again, we prefer to hear words that are lullabies to our ears, words that do not even tell us that we are to be held accountable for our sins; and as Paul Washer puts it, these prosperity preachers that we so love to hear is God's judgment on this generation that forsakes knowledge and wisdom for earthly gains.

But what kind of true prosperity does the Bible really advocate for Christians to pursue?  And how come the biblical concept of true prosperity is oftentimes being misunderstood and misapplied? Let's see how the Bible is being explicitly clear and coherent as to the real concept of prosperity: 

"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." ~ Matthew 6: 19-21

"For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." ~ Romans 8:18

"Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings, so that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy." ~ 1 Peter 4: 12,13

True prosperity

Jesus, Peter, and the apostle Paul are one in their concept of true prosperity - the heavenly riches, the glory that will be revealed in us, our partaking of Christ's sufferings  so that we may share in His glory - all refers to eternal reward that awaits us in heaven. It speaks in complete contrast to what we've been made to believe by our favorite preachers: that we should live our lives on earth like we are "the most blessed ones, the highly-favored, the apple of God's eye - that God itches to prosper every aspect of our life, so that when we are happy God is also happy - that He serves up answers to all our entreaties, on a silver platter - so that we feel entitled to all His riches because He considers us His own, that if we lack few good things in life or fail to succeed in our plans, it is as if we failed to unlock the keys or secret to enjoying our best life now that is already ours for the taking. Of course Jesus said in John 10:10 that "He would give us abundant life and have it to the full". But they ask "is this not the same Jesus who said 'heaven and earth shall pass away but My word shall not pass away'? So there you have it brother, don't tell me your different theology".  Views such as these serve as a rude awakening why modern Christians prefer to flock to mega churches, get inspired and swoon over the success stories of their mega-rich pastors who dwell in multi-million dollar palatial houses and travel in their luxurious jets.

God calls for His children to lead a life of humility, contentment and thankfulness just as what Jesus exemplified when he walked the face of the earth. These preachers constantly invoke the life of Jesus as the perfect example of all the virtues mentioned yet the glaring contradiction in the way they conduct their lifestyles is beyond astonishing. This is the reason why today's Christians gravitate toward their feel-good message of a loving, generous and cheerful God who is too obsessed to drown us with good things but are oblivious to the fact that God disciplines and subjects His children to trials and sufferings to prove the genuineness of our faith that may result in praise, honor and glory when Jesus is revealed.

Admonition

If you claim to be a Christian and have an appetite to twisting the words of Jesus pertaining to His promise of abundant life in John 10:10, I advise that you stop twisting His word, lest you be like Satan. Stop following your favorite prosperity preachers like Joel and Victoria Osteen, Benny Hinn, Joyce Meyer, Paula White, Creflo Dollar, T.D Jakes, and Kenneth Copeland (because they are the obvious among the multitudes) - and if you're a Filipino Christian, stop swooning over Bo Sanchez with his encouragement that you could all be millionaires - because you are parading your ignorance every time you share his quotes on your Facebook - instead study your Bible and ask wisdom from God so that you may understand the biblical concept of true prosperity. 

And before you argue and defend your theology that was passed on to you by your favorite preacher, just a quick reminder, that it is not God's will that you live in palatial houses when few meters away, the homeless struggle to keep their heads and limbs covered - neither it's His will that you shop till you drop from Prada or CK stores when a lot of other believers around you struggle to keep dry - neither it is God's will that you keep posting on Facebook your expensive breakfast, lunch and dinner alternately from different high-end restaurants, when so many missionary brothers in indigenous areas struggle to live off yam and tapioca so that the gospel of Jesus is introduced to some natives.  Whereas you cannot even share John 3:16 on your Facebook wall so that all of those whom you are courting to join your group in AIM Global, Emgoldex, Royale and SWA business, will also be able to hear the profound love of God that He gave us His Son Jesus so that if we believe in Him we will receive eternal life, as opposed to the promise of gold bars in Emgoldex  - and a greeting of "welcome good and faithful servant, share your master's joy", as opposed to the greeting of "wealthcome to AIM GLobal".

Pursue righteousness

Of course I do not advocate that Christians should live a life of poverty because that would be tantamount to twisting and disrespecting scriptures - and that is what we call hypocrisy. In Psalms 30:8, Agur the son of Jakeh tells God that he wants neither riches nor poverty but only his daily bread. King David asserts in Psalms 37:25 that he has never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread. In Matthew 6:33 Jesus tells us to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you. In Hebrews 13:5, we are being admonished to keep our lives free from the love of money, and be content with what we have, for God has said "I will never leave you nor forsake you." In Philippians 4:19, Paul tells them that God will supply all their needs according to His riches and glory by Christ Jesus. Shall I go on and on? The scriptures speak in plain language - its clarity and simplicity beyond question - it requires no hidden formula for us to discover - as opposed to the purported secrets your prosperity gospel preachers would want you to discover by buying their books.

In His earthly ministry, Jesus being the symbol of incomparable humility, was found in appearance as a man, humbled himself by becoming obedient to death - even the death of the cross (Philippians 2:8). That means He was a majestic God dwelling in His glory, stripped himself of His majesty and glory, born in a manger, in a stable (where few of us would dare to get close to and be able to hold breath) - had worn probably a cheaper set of clothing and an old one (tell me of a carpenter's son and a firstborn for that matter, who frequents Starbucks in his daintiest signature outfits). Jesus had experienced to go hungry (Matthew 21:18-19), got tired from a day's long journey (John 4:6), had no roof on his head (Luke 9:58), wept over the death of a friend (John 11:35), was persecuted, rejected by His own people, cursed and slapped at, and died the most humiliating and painful death so that all of those who would believe and put their trust in Him will be with Him to share in His glory in heaven. Jesus willingly embraced all of these sufferings and persecution not for His benefits, but for you and me, so that we may be overjoyed when we partake of his suffering, because the glory that will be revealed in us is beyond compare. While awaiting for that Blessed Hope to appear, Christians should lead a life of love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, and if I may add, the word contentment - to me that is true prosperity. So, how is that to you?