Don’t Throw the Baby out with the Bath Water!

One of the biggest signs of flesh and immaturity among so-called "Christian leaders" is when they reject a teaching from the Word of God just because they see someone else twisting and misusing that teaching.

Sometime ago I had the privilege of speaking a major conference. One of the speakers was a very famous, nationally-known pastor of a mega-church. He went on and on attacking what he called "prosperity teaching." After the service the speakers had a meal, and I sat at the same table as him. There he began to tell us how he had believed God for $6 millions for a property for his church. He had sown a seed of faith, and the Lord had met that need (now if THAT isn't "prosperity teaching," what is?)

I must, however, say that I can understand where he was coming from. He was attacking the whole concept of "prosperity teaching" just because he had seen a few people twist and misuse it. This man had even dissed the entire Pensacola revival because he had seen one lady twitching and shaking after she had been there.

This seasoned and famous pastor and author had done something amazingly immature. He had "thrown the baby out with the bathwater." Somebody should have told him that the Assemblies of God (that I belong to) spends hundreds of millions of dollars in missions and humanitarian aid every year, and that we could not do so if we believed in or taught a "doctrine of poverty?”

Now I know that there are so-called "prosperity preachers" who preach a message of material prosperity that revolves around their penchant for Rolexes and ostentatious lifestyles. Dad Hagin tried to correct these men before he passed away, but they chose not to listen to him. But then such things are between them and God, and it should in no way influence or affect what I believe. They shall answer to God for what they do with what He puts into their hands, and it should not affect what I preach and how I live and serve my Lord.

My point is that just because there are people out there who misuse the teaching on Biblical prosperity, I am not going to throw the baby out with the bathwater.

Teaching on financial blessings is found in the Bible and I need this teaching. Every year I spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on my Gospel Crusades and on humanitarian efforts. I must take care of my team and their families every month. I constantly need funds for new crusade equipment and vehicles. I could not do it unless there were prosperous and financially blessed brothers and sisters who stand with us and support us.

I am not so stupid that I would stand up and preach AGAINST prosperity. On the contrary, we pray that the Lord prosper and bless our friends and the churches that support us both spiritually and materially. We also sow financial seeds out of our ministry. Yes, we believe in Biblical prosperity for the purpose of taking the Gospel to the lost and for helping the poor. We also believe that God wants to bless His servants so that we have more than enough for ourselves and our families, so that our needs are met and so that we can also give to those in need.

We do not believe in materialism and greed, but we believe that God desires to bless and to prosper His people so that His Church can preach the Gospel and help the poor. And you know what? In addition to faith and the anointing of the Holy Ghost, it costs money to effectively get the Gospel and material help to those who need it the most.

So, what do we do with wrong teaching and error? Well, firstly remember that error attaches itself to EVERY single doctrine in the Bible. No matter what it is, there is always someone out there twisting the truth about what the Bible says, be it about prosperity, the healing of the sick or any other subject.

So, what do we do? Reject the good along with the bad? No! I say, "Eat the meat and spit out the bones" or "Eat the hay and spit out the sticks!”

Throwing the baby out with the bathwater and ranting against "prosperity" just because someone out there is misusing it is a very stupid thing to do. But we are not stupid, rather "we have the mind of Christ." 1 Cor 2:16.

The best thing to do is to throw away our religious prejudices and see what the Bible really says, and to press forward with faith in God's Word!

"But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.” Deuteronomy 8:18

Originally posted on Facebook by Pastor Christopher Alam