Never Trust a "Prophet" in an Armani Suit

Does God Guarantee Unlimited Health and Wealth?

Michael Blunk

“I’m a very wealthy man.”—Televangelist Kenneth Copeland

“Well, you need to hear about money, because you ain't gonna have no love and joy and peace until you get some money.”—Creflo A. Dollar

For all my faults, and they are many, I love our Lord Jesus, I love the scriptures, and I love my brothers and sisters in the Christian faith.  I do not like the fakes, phonies, and frauds with private jets and designer wardrobes who have grown fat and sassy from the sacrificial giving of our more gullible saints.  Anyone can claim to be one of “God’s anointed,” but God does not grant His divine authority to charlatans who deal in bad theology and spurious prophecies.  Anyone who promises God’s people unlimited health and wealth is a liar.

When our Lord Jesus called a fiery little Pharisee named Saul to the ministry, He said, “…for I will show him how much he must suffer in behalf of My name (Acts 9:16 NASB).”  Saul, later known as the Apostle Paul, penned much of the New Testament, fearlessly traveled across the Roman Empire establishing churches, and performed a lengthy list of verifiable miracles in the Name of Jesus Christ.  Lest anyone doubt the impressiveness of the Apostle Paul’s devotion to the Lord Jesus, here is a summary of his unequalled endurance record:

“Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? So am I. Are they ministers of Christ?—I speak as a fool—I am more: in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often.  From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one.  Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness—besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches (II Corinthians 11:22-28 NKJV, emphasis mine).”

Beatings?  Shipwrecks?  Ongoing imprisonment?  Betrayals? Countless dangers?  Starvation?   The manifold burdens of ministering to others? I simply cannot imagine the Apostle Paul, sitting in Rome’s notorious Mamertine Prison, reading Joel Osteen’s Your Best Life Now.  Do not misunderstand my sincerest intentions. I like my creature comforts.  I like my home.  I enjoy driving a reliable automobile.  I eat rather well—too well, in fact. And my bills are covered.  I have no debt. Furthermore, I am neither a fan of hardships nor suffering; I did not wake up this morning thinking, “Golly, wouldn’t it be wonderful to be beaten within an inch of my life for the sake of the Gospel?  Please, Lord, send an angry mob armed with knives and guns my way.”  No, I do not like trouble and I bruise quite easily; even so, the so-called prosperity gospel that paints God as a wish-granting genie is a damnable lie that reeks of smoke and brimstone.  As a believer, you may be called to suffer—and changing a deflated tire on your new Rolls Royce is not suffering.

Based upon the Bible’s teachings and ancient church tradition, of the Lord’s first-century apostolic leaders, all but John died a martyr’s death.  As for John, he was exiled to a craggy desert island where he eventually died.  As for Paul, he was beheaded by order of Caesar Nero.  Prior to his execution, he huddled in a dark and dank dungeon with full knowledge that he was about to die.  Indeed, Paul suffered according to our Lord Jesus.  There was no Gulfstream Jet.  There were no Armani suits.  Rather than a mansion, the Apostle Paul had a prison cell complete with stocks and rats.  On the other hand, Kenneth Copeland has lived sumptuously by peddling empty promises to gullible-minded people in desperate situations.

Before ordering Joel Osteen’s latest book or sending Mr. Copeland money to buy a premium sound system for his luxury jet, consider what the Apostle Peter wrote:

Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.  But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.  If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler.  However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name (I Peter 4:12-16 NKJV).

Friend, if I had a choice between riding on a private jet or sitting in a prison cell, I would choose the jet, but when televangelists tout unlimited health and wealth while consigning suffering to those with weak faith, the righteous are required to call out the fakes, frauds, and phonies who “tickle the itching ears” of undiscerning listeners (II Timothy 4:3). 

Based on Joel Osteen’s blasphemous teachings, he may very well be living his best life now.