HOW MUCH IS TOO MUCH?
Friday – January 27, 2017
Greetings from Eastern Gate Ministries International and The Three Minute Word publication. It is Friday and the day I remind us all to pray for the body of anointing the Church of the living God and we do indeed need to do that so that we move out of the traditions of man into the reality of God. Today I am going to be addressing an idea that is an abomination in the body of Christ. The idea to be discussed today has to do with prosperity and ministers of the gospel. Where did the idea come from that ministers of the gospel should be poor or at best lower middle class, and being prosperous, especially being a millionaire removes all credibility of their authenticity?
I found this picture with Pastor Joel Osteen on Facebook. I have seen this and similar pictures posted by saints and sinner alike with the underlying idea being that the preacher in question is somehow crooked. This article is not an endorsement or a criticism of Joel Osteen. How would we know when a preacher has too little money or too much money? Is there a teaching in Scripture that would indicate that a Christian especially a preacher should not be rich? What if the picture above said he had made $10 million, would that still be too much? What about $1 million? What if the ministry has an expensive jet? What if the minister is reported to have stayed in a five-star hotel when on the road or on vacation? What if it is reported and you see their home and it is great and said to be valued at $3 million? Does our Father require us to be poor here in the earth so we can be rich there in Heaven? Are we part of a poor, limited Kingdom?
How did this perverse abominable line of thought ever take root and become a common thread in the Church? I do not presume to know the history of this particular doctrine of devils but the Scripture does not teach this in any of the sixty-six books. Although the portion of Scripture called the gospels (the whole Bible is the gospel, the good news) are very important that is not where the Bible starts. Let me ask, were Adam and Eve poor, was there a lack of resources in the Garden of Eden? Were God’s original commands given Adam in the Garden linked with the admonition not to have too much?
Genesis 1:26-28 (KJV)
26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
God delegated His own authority over all the earth to this man and assigned His very own power (The Blessing) to enforce and carry out the authority (now) of man according to the will of God. In the preceding Scripture did God put an outer limit on how much fruit was to be produced, was there an outer limit on the duty of multiplication, replenish the earth or subdue the earth? Later in Genesis 2:15 was there a limit on the amount of resources Adam could exercise stewardship over or guard? What were the upper limits that God imposed? Did I miss the Scripture where is advises Adam not to have “too much”? I realize I have asked a long series of questions which I did to highlight the absurdity and the wickedness of this line of thought in the Church. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob made it to the faith Hall of Fame (Hebrews chapter eleven) and they were very rich, the richest men of their time.
Genesis 13:1-2 (KJV)
1 And Abram went up out of Egypt, he, and his wife, and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the south.
2 And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold.
Genesis 26:12-14 (KJV)
12 Then Isaac sowed in that land, and received in the same year an hundredfold: and the LORD blessed him.
13 And the man waxed great, and went forward, and grew until he became very great:
14 For he had possession of flocks, and possession of herds, and great store of servants: and the Philistines envied him.
These men of the Old Covenant were servants, but we are sons so what should be our proper status? Does the world envy you or me?
Galatians 4:7 (KJV)
7 Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.
We are to be sons of God doing supernatural things just like Jesus in a natural world. And no Jesus was not poor! We need to just get that foolishness out of our heads. I don’t know if Joel Osteen has $40 million dollars or not but in the eyes of God and compared to many Old Testament saints he is a pauper. Why are not the billionaires of the earth Christians? Can one do more for the Kingdom of God with more money? What would be the upper limit where it would not be useful? The Scripture tells us that the root of all evil is the love (obedience to) of money.
1 Timothy 6:10 (KJV)
10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
Could it be that those who criticize Joel Osteen and other ministers are the real lovers of money? When you listen they may say that the money is wasted on a plane or a wonderful hotel and just think what could have been done to spread the gospel with that money. That is like God could not get more money, that there is a finite amount, and that this in and of itself is not a witness of the goodness of God to the world. Even in the picture above we see the accusation that Joel is a con-man. This is judging and the implication is that he has done something illegal and should be punished like a con-man who stole from the little old lady down the street. Should I have a fortune, should you have a fortune, should those in the five-fold ministry have a fortune or should we be poor? I believe I have made my point as the Lord led in this teaching which went a little different direction than I expected with the same conclusion. Each of us in our obedience to Him should be fabulously rich. Consider King David (1 Chronicles 29) who gave from his personal funds some $4,455,616,000.00 for the building of the Temple and the leaders gave far beyond that in the aggregate. Was that too much? Think on the following Scriptures.
Ecclesiastes 7:12 (KJV)
12 For wisdom is a defence, and money is a defence: but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom giveth life to them that have it.
Ecclesiastes 10:19 (KJV)
19 A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh merry: but money answereth all things.
Mark 10:29-30 (KJV)
29 And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel’s,
30 But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.
Perhaps the picture above criticizing Joel Osteen is the persecution (harassment) Jesus was talking about that comes with Christian success. Let us as brothers and sisters in the Kingdom of God not join with the world (devils) to harass our more prosperous members.
By: Dr. David Wood, Author, Bible Teacher, and Prophetic Voice
