Prosperity Garbage

[Deanna Christine Skiles]

I don't care whose toes I step on with this, but men like the one discussed in this quick clip just absolutely stir up more rage in me than I thought I was capable of, which I confess to you now.  I think Driscoll leaves several points unsaid when discussing the faults in the "prosperity gospel" however this is worth thinking on... how on earth can we be the light to the world when we are chasing the same things the world chases "in the name of Jeeee-zus" and how can we ignore so much of Scripture that points out that we live in the already-not-yet time - That YES and AMEN, Christ has purchased victory but we still live in a broken world that aches to be reconciled...  And also how can we profess to know who God is when we don't comprehend that he can be so loving and merciful to us as to give us a wound or difficulty that will push us desperately closer to Him?

 

Another example (among many others) besides Christ, as Driscoll discussed:

 

P.S.: I edited this a bit to handle my anal-retentive attitude towards grammar.  I didn't change the content.

[Deanna Christine Skiles]

I agree with you, James.  Every speaker has areas that can be criticized, but where they are avoiding preaching the full counsel of scripture and the gospel I think that it does absolutely no good to not confront them about it, you know? This man is not doing his listeners a service by preaching a warm fuzzy message, and I don't believe it would be sinful to call him out on it, or a disservice to him to show him the scriptures that put weight on his style of teaching and let the text press on his heart... we all have blind spots, and gospel community helps us handle each others areas of doubt or misunderstanding or immaturity.
I do not believe that it is wrong to lovingly and aggressively go after these kinds of half-truths that do more harm than good.  (I'm still working on my personal bitterness towards American evangelicalism so that I can grow in the loving aspect!)  I do believe that it IS wrong to keep letting people wander about in irreverent myths for the sake of numerical growth for a church - embracing Biblical Christianity is not a simple, pain-free process, and neither is spiritual maturity.

[James Nored]

Deanna, I agree that often Olsteen teaches a toned down form of the health and wealth gospel. I have often said that it is crossless Christianity. There is no call to sacrifice or suffering--God wants you to be comfortable in everything. Olsteen encourages a lot of people. When you are really down--and a lot of people are--he is very appealing. But it is at best an incomplete gospel, at worst, a distorted gospel. I'm sure Olsteen is just trying to be encouraging. I don't doubt his heart, and he does a lot of good. But it is incomplete.