A Letter to the 'Prosperous' Church |
My greetings to you all, my beloved brethren in Christ! How pleasant is it to see how your churches (and even its branches) are growing big and vast. I heard how hundreds and thousands of people are being welcomed under your roofs. I admit how I got great salutations for you (though I am an unheard soul who you would never know) back then. I had no doubt about everything you do as to how you run the church, the way of your worship to the Lord, and your customs in every service. I acknowledge what you believe in. You believe in the right God, you believe in the right Book, and you believe in the right ethics of the church. I have nothing against that. Yet there is one but crucial thing I started being concerned about you. It is about your doctrine. What is a ‘Prosperity Gospel?’ Where have you gotten that? Do you just have to say you should deserve best in this world because you are a child of God? Or do you wish to be a part of God’s family and ministry just so you could have all the health, wealth and pleasure you ever wanted? Do you think you could be kings and Princes at once you turn to serve the Lord? Or is it that you only want to satisfy the desires of your flesh and that is why you fervently and stubbornly pray with all your might up to heaven above? What is it you desire? What is it you pray for day and night? Is it for the glory of the Lord, or for yours? Does it have to do with your spirit, or your worldly flesh? I know you are already going against me for asking these things I should not usually be asking you. Perhaps it is happiness that you had been wanting and wishing for in your life. Perhaps you ought to have a worth much glittering in this world, is it? Of course, happiness is what our Lord also wants with us, as all who believes in Him shall soon ascend with Him in heaven with eternal life. Is not that a better happiness? But do we focus our eyes and aim more in happiness rather than the One who grants us the real happiness? Or do we seek the happiness we want to have in this world instead of the eternal joy awaiting for true believers up to our Father in heaven? As for what I believe in, we, men and women who are of the dusts of the earth, never deserves anything after all. We don’t even deserve to be called children of God. We were natural sinners who used to be destined to the fires of hell. In fact, whether we like it or not, hate it or not, we couldn’t do anything else to save ourselves from this condemnation because we cannot be as perfect as the Son of Man our God had sent to deliver us from such forever damnation. And God, our father sent His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. God, who we now call our ‘Abba’ father had done this to us not because we are worth something else, but that because of His pure grace and unconditional love demonstrated so that we boast of nothing about ourselves but of His own mercy. I just do hope and pray you would at least consider this and if I am wrong about which, please tell me about it by sending back a reply that I can also read. And also, I do hope and pray this letter reaches out to the rest of the world. |