by Joseph Opare

Created on: May 13, 2007

After being beaten and left for dead, shipwrecked, shackled and thrown in jail for preaching the gospel, I often wonder if the Apostle Paul would approve of what we call preaching the gospel or want to be on the front pages of our Christian magazines, or be a featured guest on one of our major Christian TV networks?

I once heard an outstanding preacher say that the saints of old wouldn't be anointed for this present day's trouble. This maybe true, but I still wonder if have we subtly strayed, preaching gain as godliness whilst the scriptures teach godliness with contentment is great gain?'

Is the teaching of prosperity wrong?

Of course not, God cares and has made provision for everything we will ever need to do his will, but our old nature has the tendency to swing us towards selfishness.

And when you ask, you do not receive it, because your
motives are bad; you ask for things to use for your own
pleasures.
(Jam 4:3 GNB)

Sadly some believers have hurt themselves in the pursuit of riches instead of Christ and his Kingdom. The damage has manifested itself in various forms from greed, pride and even the misappropriation of funds.

The love of money causes all kinds of trouble. Some
people want money so much that they have given up
their faith and caused themselves a lot of pain.
(1Ti 6:10 CEV)

Do we have that fiery cry in our prayers that the early church fathers like John Wesley did? Wesley was known to cry out to God give us soul's or we perish,' or are we crying out with another gospel give us money and material wealth?'

Thank God for money! It has its place in achieving God's purposes for our lives. But are we tampering with the appetites of God's people by distracting them from Christ's chief concern, which is the salvation of humanity and the advancement of the Kingdom he paid so dearly for on the cross.

In our shepherding roles as preachers and the Christian media are we responsible for the identity crisis and interference within Christ's body? Many define themselves as less successful or spiritual for not having certain material possessions or speaking to mass crowds.

If we continue like this we will aid in extinguishing expressions of ministry like that of Mother Teresa and Dr David Livingstone whose calling were marked with noble expressions of sufferings for Christ. Have you not read in the scriptures that Christ told the Apostle Paul that he would suffer many things for his name?

Prosperity must be redefined by the Christian media, who should not only show wonderful

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