I have no idea who John Piper is, but this is the most powerful video about the prosperity gospel I have ever seen.
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I called on ye olde Google, and it informed me John Piper is a minister from Minneapolis. (desiringgod(dot)org is his ministry’s website. I’m having a bit of a looksee.)
John Piper is one of the most well-known pastors in America, particularly in Reformed and Baptist circles. He has written many great books and his sermons are regularly read and/or listened to by many here. His ministry is entitled “Desiring God,” and his blog can be found at http://www.desiringgod.org/Blog/
powerful. he tells it like it is. exposes it.
prosperity teaching can be decieving because it’s not always cut and dry. But it has a stench that can be detected. However, to many it’s a sweet smell.
Thanks, Shelly and Dan. Not being American I don’t know a lot of the pastors except for the ones who get on TV here in Australia.
Ruth, I know – there are so many verses in the Bible that when taken out of context seem to support the prosperity mindset that it’s sometimes hard to tell what the truth is. But I guess if I tried hard enough I could justify murder, hatred or racism. Many have tried that in the past and succeeded too.
Interesting . . . it seems both are at the extremes – exalting suffering – exalting materalism. God desires us to know Him, to be completely abandoned to Him and His will whatever that is. Sometimes the best thing for us is going through a hardship because it draws us closer to Him and to seek His truth. However, God is also someone who desires to give us good things – but it isn’t about those things it is about Him.
In this world of materialism and quick fixes this all gets distorted. In a world, where most including many churches don’t truly trust the spirit’s work in people’s lives to guide them in the right direction, they disregard the good things God desires to give us because of how people have distorted. So, they make is all about suffering. But neglecting God’s goodness isn’t the answer either. Jesus came to heal sin and diease. God physically blessed many of His people. Jesus tells us if our earthly fathers desire to give us good things how much more our heavenly father – but the focus always has to be on God.
Like all things in life – there is a balance of suffering and blessing (physically and spiritually because they are connected)- which I really didn’t get in this message.
Bottom line is who do we trust and who we worship and that should be God alone and all that He is. We can’t neglect a part of Him because people have distorted it and we are fearful and non-trusting of the spirit’s work in people’s lives.
Rachel
Hi Rachel. Thanks so much for your thoughts!
I guess this video may come across as exalting suffering. I certainly wouldn’t agree that suffering is better – only that when suffering does come in this life (which is unavoidable to most of us) that through it we cling to Jesus. I’m not a self-flaggelating type who foregoes all pleasure in a bid to share in suffering, and I’m sure John Piper isn’t either. He probably has a reasonable house, a car, plenty of clothes and food – all that stuff. As do I.
However, I do think our actual blessings are often overlooked among all our Western wealth, and blessings are usually interpreted as something more than the norm – something special and warm and fuzzy and possibly shiny. We tend to forget that all the stuff we already have are more than blessing enough, and it’s easy to overlook them. In comparison to 90% of the world’s population just having a house to live in and food to eat is more blessing than they could ever hope for.
I think this is where the video highlights the insidious nature of the prosperity gospel – the western world is trying to ship it to people who don’t have these things we call blessings – they are not blessed with even the necessities. We are promising the world and delivering nothing. We would be better to simply deliver a box of food and leave in silence than to peddle a gospel that is no gospel at all. God can provide, yes – but what happens when he doesn’t? Do we (and they) then doubt his faithfulness? Teaching people who need a miracle just to survive that if they follow God they will have all that they physically need is not just a little misinformation – it’s positively evil. Teaching them that God loves and cherishes them through any circumstance, and that if they just lean on him he will sustain them spiritually is much better. Accompanying that with the ‘cup of water in his name’ completes the gospel message.
Heather – I agree with you – - the prosperity gospel is evil – it makes stuff the god. It is a total representation of truth. It is selling the gospel for a profit and taking advantage of vulnerable souls which is incredibly sad. I just often hear a swing too much in the other direction as well which is also a misrepresentation of truth and who God is and steals life from vulnerable souls. Suffering can become a self-righteous thing, like a badge of honor people where. When a lot of times it can be the result of sin and living in a fallen world – and it if is honored then people don’t seek the truth behind their suffering and continue to live in sin and therefore really aren’t honoring God.
We have to trust God and His spirit in our lives as to where he wants each one of and how he wants to use each one of us. I believe we aren’t to put any limitations on what God desires for us by following some rules about what He will or won’t provide. ( you see the wide spread of how He works in others lives in the Bible from Abraham to Paul – who are we to put limits on God) Because you never know how He is going to use it. We have to leave it up to Him to decide what and how much He desires for us. I often see Christians talking about what is appropriate and what isn’t for Christians to have – I don’t think it is for us to judge – what is to judge is when things become our god. And it isn’t just the ones that have that make them a god, but the ones that don’t and want them.
Anyway. I really appreciate your comments back to me. There are SO MANY ways God’s truth is misunderstood and misused. The devil is working overtime twisting in all kinds of ways. May we all hunger and have a burning passion for God’s Word and His truth in our lives.
Rachel
Absolutely, Rachel. I think we’re definitely on the same page there
The only thing I want to suggest is that perhaps if a Christian finds that they are materially blessed to a point where they have more than they need it may be more Christ-like to give it away to those who are in need rather than to keep it for themselves?
Piper is my hero. Put his book, Don’t Waste Your Life, on your list of good books to read.
I feel just so broken apart after watching this. I couldn’t stop crying. I linked it on my site.
[...] H/T to Heather. [...]
John Piper is a pastor in the largest church in Mnneapolis. It has a baptist affiliation, and is REDICULOUSLY conservative. His leanings are towards calvinism and predestination of all things. That Gos is completely sovreign in every detail of our lives. I was conversing through a blog with one of the members of his church. A more screwed up individual you could not find anywhere. Being totally persecuted by her church for her “failings”, and continually balming herself for not being able to live up to the standard. It was horrible to watch, so I had to stop. He is an establishment preacher. But, he is terribly devoted to God, so he can’t be all bad.
I will have a look at it, s g. Thanks.
Tyler, I cried when I first saw it too.
Nate, like I said I had no idea who John Piper is. I certainly am not going to say that I agree with all (or even any) of his beliefs since I don’t even know what they are – but this video in and of itself I found very compelling.
I hope that if he is doing those things you have described that God would deal with him and work in him, and also to protect and heal those who are broken.
Well regardless of what he believes, that message was straight from God. I have been struggling with food addiction for years now and God used that message unbelieveably. Right after I heard it, I was going to the fridge for something terrible and heard, “God is enough.” I said it to myself and my uncontrollable craving subsided. I have lost 2 1/2 lbs since sunday and I feel so much better inside and out. When I think about Mark’s unemployment and get upset (been almost 8 months now), I just say “God is enough” and peace flows through me. That simple message is changing my life.
GOD IS ENOUGH!!!!!
John Piper is great. I agree – check out don’t waste your life. Or try and track down his sermon called that as well. Very, very good. He’s hardcore calvinist, as in, wouldn’t let an arminian cut his grass kinda thing, so if you can look past that – enjoy!
John Piper has been integral in shaping my Christian life. He is a sage up there with C.S. Lewis in my opinion. Check out “Desiring God”… stellar!
Love it. Posted the clip on my blog too. Can’t get the message out often enough. Thanks.