“Are BMW and Audi angels? One pastor asked another. “Maybe. I wonder how they could surround our churches.” Another said: “As Elisha had angels in the chariots of fire, they will be with us.” (II Kings 6:17) This was a confused conversation between poor pastors who serve in remote villages, after attending a Pastors’ Seminar in a city. The city-bred preacher gave ‘prosperity vision’ to the pastors. He said that their congregation will be full of rich people and they will come in BMW and Audis and their children will own private jets. Sadly, the pastors have not ever heard these names for cars and mistook that as names of angels. These pastors ride bicycles to do their ministry. Hardly one or two have motor bikes. For their congregation, two meals in a day is a challenge, sending children to government schools was difficult and they had many belongings including clothes.
1) Irrelevant or inspiring: Prosperity gospel is irrelevant to the social and economic context of the majority in India as well as the world. Providing false hope is not gospel preaching. Instead of focusing on the Truth, people are encouraged to set their eyes on the perishing world and its riches.
2) Confusing not comforting: The poor Christians have never heard about a BMW, which is not in their vocabulary or interest. Sadly, they confused cars with angels and consoled themselves, it could be similar to chariots of fire mentioned in the Bible.
3) Led astray not guided: They needed words of promise with purpose, teachings that were relevant to their life of faith and guidance to walk in the path of righteousness. However, they were directed towards vanities.
False hope is building castles in the air according to a proverb. Lord Jesus taught; such stupid human inspired teachings are not foundational rock but sand on which many build their homes that would perish. (Matthew 7:24-27) The Prosperity Faith that stands on BMWs, jets, homes, gadgets, hype and imagination will perish.
Do I have Word as my foundation of life?