The Prosperity Gospel and The Truth About Following Jesus

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I wonder how many of the thousands of people Jesus fed with the five loaves of bread and two fish realized they had been part of a miracle.

Do you think they knew where the food came from or were they simply satisfied that their bellies had been filled?

Were they following Jesus or the prosperity gospel they believed He could give them?

I try to imagine those historic 24 hours … Jesus fed the crowd and walked on stormy seas, and the next morning those crowds anxiously followed…

They found [Jesus] on the other side of the lake and asked, “Rabbi, when did you get here?”

Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, you want to be with me because I fed you, not because you understood the miraculous signs. But don’t be so concerned about perishable things like food. Spend your energy seeking the eternal life that the Son of Man can give you. For God the Father has given me the seal of His approval.”

John 6:25–27

Following Jesus for full pockets and a full belly is the definition of the prosperity gospel—a.k.a. the health and wealth gospel, or, as Wiktionary defines it, the religious belief that wealth is a divine reward for a person’s faith in God.

Most of us want our wants fulfilled quickly. We don’t like to wait or go without. We’re often like the whiney and unpleasant Wilderness Wanderers than we’d like to admit. They cried out to God wanting Him to deliver them from slavery but when He didn’t also quickly provide a perfect life in the Promised Land, they ignored His grace and started grumbling about their circumstances.

And we can be just like them!

We like what the prosperity gospel teaches because we want an easy journey to the “Promised Land.” But our time here in the wilderness is a time of faith and growth. It’s a time to keep our eyes on the destination as we trust and follow Jesus, the Bread of Life.

“I tell you the truth, anyone who believes has eternal life. Yes, I am the bread of life! Your ancestors ate manna in the wilderness, but they all died. Anyone who eats the bread from heaven, however, will never die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven.

John 6:47–51

I used to be critical of the wanderers before I realized I am often just like them. When the journey gets hard, grumbling comes naturally.

But I want to remember that just as God provided manna to give life in the wilderness He has given us Jesus, the Bread of Life to give us full life now and forever.

Here are some comparisons between manna and Jesus, the Bread of Life…

• Manna satisfied their bodily needs for a time (Exodus 16), but Jesus satisfies our spiritual needs eternally.
• God sent the bread of manna from heaven and He sent Jesus, the Bread of Life from heaven.
• Manna brought people temporary physical life; Jesus brings people eternal life.

I don’t want to settle for faith in temporary prosperity. I want to KNOW, LOVE, and TRUST Jesus, the Bread of Life, who loves us so much that He gave everything to give us what we need most today, tomorrow, and always.

Let’s pray…

A Prayer to Look Past the Prosperity Gospel of Manna
to the Eternal Truth of Following Jesus

Heavenly Father, You so graciously provide for us and we foolishly take You and all You do for granted. Please forgive us. Please forgive me. The world tempts me to want prosperity more than I want You. Some preachers want us to believe that we will have full pockets, full bellies, and healthy bodies when we follow You.

But You promise so much more than temporary comforts and pleasures. You want us to experience a relationship with You that lasts forever. You want us to have strength for this day and hope for tomorrow. You want us to enjoy a greater peace than we can understand and the love that satisfies us like nothing else.

You want us to experience the blessing of knowing and living the eternal truth through Jesus, our Savior. He is the Bread of Life that fills our hearts, souls, minds, and strength. He is the essential source of Life who never fails and never ends.

Please give me the wisdom and strength I need to reject foolish worldly lies and cling to Your truth and promises. Help me follow and trust Jesus to guide me with Your Truth along the Way of Life. Amen.

And a few quotes about Jesus, the Bread of Life that blessed me…

“We won’t say no to more craziness until we can say yes to more Jesus. We will keep choosing dinner rolls over the bread of life. We will choose the fanfare of the world over the feet of Jesus. We will choose busyness over blessing.” — Kevin DeYoung

“Jesus said “Give us THIS DAY our daily bread”, knowing that you cannot fight today’s battles with yesterday’s bread. Knowing that you cannot fight today’s battles with the hope of tomorrow’s bread. Knowing that today you will be nourished by this daily bread, and it’s what you have to fight today’s battle.” — Steve Maraboli

“Jesus is hungry but feeds others; He grows weary but offers others rest; He is the King Messiah but pays tribute; He is called the devil but casts out demons; He dies the death of a sinner but comes to save His people from their sins; He is sold for thirty pieces of silver but gives His life as a ransom for many; He will not turn stones to bread for Himself but gives His own body as bread for people.” — D. A. Carson

Today, as you grab that slice of bread to satisfy your hunger, praise God for Jesus … the Bread of Life who satisfies us today, tomorrow, and always.

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