Glam-Gospel

I love this Study I am doing in “The Quest” Bible study!! This morning taught in something so important in regards to the dangers of “glamour gospel” or “prosperity preaching” 

I have too many times seen new Christians being taught that if you follow and obey God and believe that what you ask for you will receive, only be left feeling dissolutions. God does promise joy and peace for those who obey, love and follow Him but He also promises we will go through all kinds of hardships. Through Him you can endure those hardships with hope and a deep peace and joy that goes beyond your temporary circumstances. Here’s a chunk of today’s lesson: “Equipping ourselves to embrace life as a quest calls for the brave, biblical acknowledgement that the road is hazardous, the weather precarious, obstacles await, and evils lurk. Perilous traveling conditions are not automatic indications we’ve taken a detour. Sometimes they are highways signs saying we’re on the right track. A glamorous gospel is not just deceptive. It’s tragic. It turns grace into sensuality, and then offers no remedy for sin’s bankruptcy. A glam-gospel is the crow-pleaser of the short run, but in the long run when sufferings inevitably come, it abandons is as orphaned children, leaving us believing God broke His promises...Sometimes God Himself sets up obstacle courses to develop and test the runner’s discipline, stamina, and agility. With His eye around every blind curve in our road ahead, He seeks to “supply what is lacking in (our) faith” (1 Thessalonians 3:10) so we can run triumphantly. Satan also attends to our marathon with unanticipated patience, biding his time, studying our patterns and weaknesses. He temps runners nearby to go rogue and trip us. He’ll invite spectators to mock us. He’ll harass us with regrets and torment us with self condemnation until we feel like quitting.” Beth Moore But the victory is ours when we remember that God is right there to help us back up and back on track, every single time!! And He does it with loving, open arms as He helps us dust ourselves off and get back up...stronger and wiser than we were before! Pay close attention to the all caps portion of the scripture that is misquoted and misinterpreted too often: “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything ACCORDING TO HIS WILL, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.” 1 John 5:14-15 So if you feel God let you down because someone told you He will give you what you ask, remember that He not a Genie in a bottle and if it doesn’t fit into His perfect plan His answer may be”No” quite often. “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28 Don’t get me wrong, God delights in giving us good gifts but He doesn’t always give us what we ask for just as we don’t always give our children what they want. “If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” Matthew 7:11 “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is —his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:2b