You’re sitting in your favorite easy chair flipping through the channels.
Somehow, you stop on a Christian television network that is doing a fundraiser.
The televangelist looks in the camera.
With all the conviction he can muster he states, “With your gift of $1,000, you’re activating the power of God. With that $1,000, claim your miracle. Plant your seed of faith and claim a bountiful harvest. Claim your one million dollars. Claim your health. Claim you wealth. Claim your children. Claim that house you’ve always wanted. Claim victory over your problems.”
You listen long enough and you sheepishly dial the number.
To your own shock, you make a $1,000 gift.
You tell a friend what you did.
You just don’t tell them that you gave a $1,000 but why you did it.
That $1,000 gift will lead to you losing weight, your bank account will receive a million dollars and you’ll get rid of the acne you’ve struggled with for years.
The friend looks at you and says, “You believe in the prosperity gospel?? You’re convinced that by giving some televangelist a thousand dollars that your life will improve??? That you’re going to change your life, without any effort on your part, other than giving someone your credit card???”
You get angry.
You begin to raise your voice at your friend.
“I can’t believe that you don’t believe this!!!!! You’re trying to tell me I’m wrong! But I believe!!!”
Not only do you get angry…not only do you yell…
But you break off all communication with that friend.
You just can’t believe the reaction you’re getting.
You justify your actions by stating, “It’s better to please God than it is a person.”
So, you walk away from the friendship.
And you double down by listening to various evangelists who teach this prosperity message.
You ignore any other viewpoint.
Six months later, your life looks different.
The circle of people you run with has totally changed.
You’re justifying the fact that you never got a return on the $1,000 seed faith gift you placed.
You blame the Devil, a lack of faith, the economy or some other thing that is certainly less powerful than God.
With that little story, I just offended a few people.
Buckle up buttercup, because I’m about to offend a lot more of you.
This is all of us.
EVERY. SINGLE. ONE. OF. US.
Instantly you’ll say, “I don’t believe in the prosperity gospel! I don’t believe God works like that. I’d never give a $1,000 in hopes of a better life or trying to make some deal with God.”
True.
But it does seem we’ve all succumbed to the political prosperity gospel.
Instead of a gift of $1,000 in hopes of a better life, we pledge to vote for our “politician” of choice who promises almost the same things as a televangelist.
We don’t just pledge to vote, we get passionate.
Just like a televangelist tells his audience that life will get better when you give that $1,000 gift, that flashy politician promises a better life when you vote for him or her.
That vote is something sacred, much like that $1,000 faith gift.
You’re believing for lower taxes, better gas prices, more social security, better defense, a stronger Supreme Court or even a return to a stronger moral foundation.
We buy the lie.
We buy the lie deeply.
And then we begin talking to friends and we discover that not everyone believes like we do.
We get angry at the other side.
Not only do we get angry, but we raise our voices and call people stupid and idiots.
We blitz Facebook with post after post proclaiming our so-called truth.
We walk away from friendships because people disagree with us.
Our world becomes small.
Just like people binge on certain televangelists to reinforce their belief, we feast on certain news networks and talking heads to justify our viewpoints.
Two years later when all the changes that were promised haven’t happened, we blame the other party, the economy, some foreign country, big business or some other entity instead of accepting personal responsibility or actually holding people accountable to their word.
We reject the theology of the prosperity gospel.
But embrace the prosperity gospel of politics.
The issue?
Allow me to illustrate the point by using some Christian personalities…
We’re infatuated with the showmanship of Benny Hinn when we need to hear the sermons of Ray Ortlund.
We love the hype and self-help principles given by T.D Jakes when we need the truth from Thabiti Anyabwile.
We grow weary of the non-fiery preaching of the late R.C. Sproul when we long for the feeling that the antics of Rod Parsley can create.
May we listen to Beth Moore and turn away from Joyce Meyer.
In other words, we need more common sense and less circus acts.
Go back and read those names again. You supply the names of politicians and commentators that should be in there. You get the point.
I’m not going to tell you who to vote for.
But I will caution you to lower your passion level for politics.
Untie yourself from a candidate, president or a party. It doesn’t do our hearts any good.
Don’t believe the promises of politicians. They’re nothing more than televangelists peddling a false gospel.
Stop buying the political prosperity gospel.
And for the record, the political prosperity gospel is a problem for both republicans and democrats.
I’m not offering you a better life or a million dollars in your bank account.
I’m asking you to abandon political passions, conspiracy theories and the constant intake of agenda driven talking heads.
I’m inviting you back to common sense.
One more thing, maybe you need to ask for a refund on that $1,000 gift?
Brian
1/13/22
Life with B & K 