Last Hour Message - The Great Deception of our time

"Lift up your hands and close your eyes. I am going to pronounce a blessing upon your life. Today I banish all sickness and disease from everyone present in the name of Jesus. I curse the demon of poverty stalking your family. I declare success and blessings upon your life.

Does that sound familiar? How about this popular phenomenon on social networks, "God wants to bless someone with one of the following: a job, a house, a car, a healing or a marriage".

Just type the thing you want and you will see what God will do for you before the month ends" Does that sound familiar too?

Well, read on, "Before I came to church we used to fight a lot with my husband. We never had enough for food or rent. We were always miserable. There was a death nearly every six months in our family. One day, a friend invited me to her church and I gave my life to Christ. Since then things have changed. I am now a proud owner of two houses and a car. I have not been sick for the last two years and my husband is now a pastor in the church. We also now own a grocery shop." Yes this sounds all too familiar.

These are leading and popular punch lines within today's churches inviting or more appropriately luring people to come to Christ so that Christ can end their poverty and suffering. These statements are common features in different publications and even to date are used to lure people unto Christ. These remarks characterize the modern church philosophy of prosperity and consequently thousands if not millions have wondered en masse after such messages in a bid to experience the luxurious life that allegedly follows the Christian life. You will find such messages on popular social networks.
 
The premise of such messages is that Jesus Christ came to die so that we may become rich here on earth. They further say that a poor Christian is good for nothing hence God wants to give you something material and make you rich if you come to worship him. These promises have led  the masses particularly the poor falling over each other to get 'blessed' or to have a 'blessing' pronounced upon their life by 'investing' in their pastors or prophets. The church ministers teach that God will banish all suffering from the lives of those who come to him and give them riches. Could this be true?

Could this all-popular message be true; that God wants to make you rich and famous? Many scriptures have been used to support this teaching; "For I know the plans that I have for you√¢‚Ǩ¬¶plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future)" (Jeremiah 29:11) and  "√¢‚Ǩ¬¶though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor√¢‚Ǩ¬¶" (2 Corinthians 8; 9) Could these passages be referring to the modern riches gospel as we hear it today?  Could it be true that because of the death of Christ we should all become rich as is widely preached today? Well, no one can dispute that God can materially bless anyone he chooses to. A number of Biblical figures were blessed materially. Talk of Abraham, Isaac, Lot or Job. But the question remains: is it true (as they preach today) that coming to Christ marks the end of poverty and suffering? We are bombarded with this popular message on our screens, social networks, radios, newspapers and crusades?

Dear brothers and sisters may the humble truth be known: the popular belief that turning to Christ is the floodgate to earthly riches is definitely not from God- at least not the God who inspired the Holy Bible. God never promised man that once man comes to him his life becomes a bed of roses. In fact, for Apostle Paul, the decision to follow Christ marked the beginning of untold suffering and persecution for him. Honestly, if the message that Christ died for you to obtain earthly riches were true then the very lives of the disciples he left would serve as living testimony of the truth of the riches gospel. Surely, the Bible would have documented how disciples Peter, James, John, and others became rich magnets of their time soon after Jesus' death. These were close friends of Jesus and if anyone ought to have benefited (materially) from Christ's death surely it had to be these men. These were men who ate, walked and lived with Jesus Christ the Person. Does the Bible record an increase in their wealth and livestock? Does it say, "Now after the death of the Lord Jesus Christ the disciples increased a hundred fold in gold, silver and cattle," Does it?

On the contrary, the Bible tells us that the disciples left by Christ endured serious persecution after the death of Jesus. This position is well supported by history and theology. The disciple Andrew was mercilessly killed for preaching the risen Christ in Greece. Before coming to Christ, Apostle Paul had enjoyed fame and belonged to the elite group which officially killed Christians. The very moment he converted to Christianity he was dogged by countless tragedies. Reading through his horrible experiences in his letters, you will learn that he was flogged a countless times, endured awful jail conditions and is believed to have died in prison in Italy all because of coming to Christ. History and tradition records that Apostle Peter was crucified upside-down upon a Roman Cross. Bartholomew (also called Nathaniel) was skinned alive for holding on to his faith in Christ. He was later beheaded in Baku. John the Baptist's entire life was dedicated to serving God yet he was beheaded at a time when Christ walked this earth (Matt 4:12).  Both Jude (also called Thaddeus) and Matthew the tax collector were murdered in Persia for preaching Christ. Mattheus who replaced Judas Iscariot and James Alpheus died in Africa for their faith. Phillip, as well, died for the Gospel in Turkey. It is also on record that James (brother of John) died by the sword under King Herod's command (Acts 12:2). Simon the Zealot is believed to have been dragged by horses until he died.

Disciple Thomas met a cruel death being pierced by poisonous arrows in India. QUESTION: If this is what the men who lived with the Person of Jesus Christ had to endure because of their decision to follow Christ, what exactly has changed today justifying that the Gospel be used as a tool for acquiring earthly riches? Where does the Bible justify the use of the Gospel to acquire worldly wealth? Did Jesus not always speak against earthly riches? (Matt 6: 19) Dear brothers and sisters, do not be deceived, our fight is not against flesh and blood but against principalities that deceive. The Gospel of Christ has never been and will never be about perishable earthly cars and mansions. The spirit that inspired deception in Heaven is the same spirit inspiring deception on earth today. We are witnessing a great deception by those who are trivializing the Gospel of the Cross by trading it with earthly riches. Jesus never died so that we could acquire earthly possessions which moth and rust can destroy He did not endure the torture on Calvary so that we may own mansions. Christ's dying was not a gateway to wearing designer labels. Christ never died to give us immunity to suffering. The reason for his death is clearly spelt out in scripture: Jesus Christ died so, "…that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life."(John 3:16) My brother, Jesus wants you to leave sin more than he wants you to drive a posh car. Sin means death for you thus he came to condemn sin in the flesh. My sister, he wants you to quit dating married men more than he wants you to own a business'. Jesus wants you to leave sin more than anything else they are teaching you about getting rich. Jesus is surely returning and wants you to be a good candidate for Heaven. He made this point very clear, "What shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world (plush cars, mansions, silver and gold) and yet lose his own soul (salvation)."(Mark 8:36)

Apostle Paul wrote the best statement against the great deception of earthly riches, "…we do not look for things which are seen but at the things which are not seen, for the things which are seen are temporary but the things which are not seen are eternal" (2 Cor 4:16-18). Most disciples left their fortune and families to follow Christ yet they did not 'harvest' in the hear-and-now as per this popular deception

Christ told his followers that, "In this world you will have tribulation..." (John 16:33).This truth is reiterated in Philippians,' "…it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe Him, but also to suffer for His sake. (Phil 1; 29).God's ideology is not for Christians to focus in the hear-and-now but for them to come to Him in earnest with or without wealth. Doesn't the Bible say we have no abiding city in this world?

Prosperity preachers are abusing scripture by over-emphasizing material prosperity and taking scriptures out of context. When the Bible says of Jesus, "…though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor…" (2 Corinthians 8; 9), it is not referring to earthly riches which Jesus always spoke against. It is a reference to the eternality and pre-existence of Christ. Christ is as rich as God in that He owns everything, and possesses all power and authority. The Bible is speaking of the undeserved death that befell Him in order that man should not perish (Isa 9:6; Col 1:15-18). Jesus Himself became poor in that He took our form and died on the cross and through the process restored us to everlasting life. He took our place. Christianity is under siege. A great deception of riches is before us.

Dear brothers and sisters, this is the last hour. Take heed that no one deceives you.

You can e-mail Lenny Zuze at lastawa77@gmail.com