What is Prosperity?

Good day. Today we are posting the newsletter What is Prosperity? written in 1995 by our dear brother, fellow steward and ambassador of the mystery of Christ, Larry Gazelka, Our prayer is that you will be blessed and encouraged by this newsletter. Have a very blessed and prosperous day in Christ Jesus our Lord. ***You can download a copy of the writing for personal use only by clicking on the Built Anew Ministries Archive page link above and scroll down to the year 1995.


What is Prosperity?     V17n17

Prosper--(from Hebrew), to push forward, break out, come mightily; intelligent, instruct.

Webster's dictionary--to achieve financial success.

What is success to you? What is success to God? Is there a difference in your definition and God's? “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” Matt 16:26. Read Luke12:16-21, also.

Our idea of being prosperous, and God's idea of being prosperous, are usually two different ideas. We have come to the point where we tell God the way we expect things to be.

Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. III John 2, KJV

Have we, the church, forgotten what true prosperity really is? Was it the wealth of the world that Jesus Christ went to the cross and the grave for? If it was, He failed! Why did Noah leave everything behind for a boat ride? Did Lot have time to call the moving company? Why did Lot's wife, turn into a pillar of salt? Was Paul being prosperous, by ending his ministry in a prison cell?

For all of these questions, are there any answers? John wanted our souls to prosper. The only way, (Biblical), that our souls can prosper, is by being constantly renewed by the Word of God. We are to do this each and every day of our life. We need to be spending as much time each day, feeding our spirit man as we do feeding and pampering our physical body, (and the lusts that it craves). When was the last time your spirit man had equal to or greater time of feeding then your physical man? Is there any good excuse?

We are to seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, who is Jesus Christ! Only then, will we be content with what Father provides. Only then, will our list of wants diminish, and what we think we need.

Almost everyone would be content with a forty thousand dollar Lexus. Almost every pastor would be content with a three million-dollar building. Most of us would be content with a five hundred thousand-dollar cabin on Flathead Lake. However, could we be as Paul the Apostle, and hear and obey God in a prison cell? Could we be content enough in that cell, to hear God clearly; thus enabling us to be of aid to many generations to find a closer walk with God? Could you be content with a thirty thousand-dollar house, and an eight hundred-dollar Chevette?

When is enough of what the world has to offer enough? When does man become satisfied with his earthly acquisitions? What, right now, gives you the peace of God that passes all understanding? Is it your house? Is it your car? Is it your job? Is it a cabin in the mountains? Would you be willing to give it all up to see and help one person gain entrance into the kingdom of God? Jesus Christ did. Paul the Apostle did. Can you? Will you?

Read I Cor. 9:7-18.

We, the church, at times forget what the commission is that we are to do. True, we do not all have the calling to be an Apostle. Neither, do all of us have the calling to be a prophet. Yet, some do have the calling to be evangelists. Some have the patience and long-suffering to be pastors. Others have the gift to be teachers, expounding the Word of God.  God gave the church the five-fold ministry gifts, to perfect, edify and to bring unity in the faith by sharing the knowledge of the Son of God, Jesus Christ. This, and only this, will keep us from being tossed to and fro from all of the contrary doctrines that are out there today. This is what will allow us to spot those who try to bring divisions and deception.

The fullness of Christ will enable us to speak the truth in love, because we will not want to see anyone lost. This is why Paul (I Cor.9:18) was compelled to make the gospel known without charge. Paul was called to be a preacher, not a beggar.

In nineteen years in the ministry, we have never taken an offering. God is our source. We will put a box in the rear of the service area, and if God tells someone to give, so be it. However, it is between them and God. This is the way that it should be.

This is why Paul preached the gospel without charge, not abusing his position. At the same time, they were not able to manipulate him. Paul knew who his source was. That is why Paul was able to bring forth the Word of God, totally unbiased, and without the influence of men!

Even when all things appeared to be lost at sea, Paul's concern was for those who were on the ship with him. He wanted to know how to minister to them further. He wanted to remove the bondage that they were held in, even though he was the one held by physical chains. Paul made the Gospel known without charge. He was not in it for the money. He was not in it to get rich. He was not in it for the prestige. He had become a servant, a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ.

John, banished to the isle of Patmos, wanted us to prosper by the renewing of our minds, even though he was close to death. His concern was that we might live with victory, just as he was able to.

Our main concern is to find a way that we can receive healing or be made well when most of us grow close to death. We do not think of others, just ourselves. What if John and Paul had been that way? How much of the New Testament would we have to read today?

How much of the Bible would have been written, if all the writers had been in it for profit only? How much of the Bible would have been written if they were only trying to build up a denomination or ministry? Alas, the Gospel was made known without charge! Are we as faithful with what blessings we have received?

Is the final outcome (salvation), going to be decided by whoever has the most toys wins? Will all of your earthly possessions raise or increase your standing with God?

Do we think of ourselves more highly than we ought? Do we give more credit to our pastors and teachers than we do to God? Have we truly forgotten who our source is?

As His Word renews your mind, you will enter into the peace of God that passes all understanding. This is what will give your heart and mind true prosperity. It will give you the proper motivation, that you may know Him, and the power of His resurrection (Christ).

What is your motivation for serving God? Is it riches? Is it our "ivory" towers? Is it our fancy cars, or is it eternal salvation? The choice is yours! Yours alone!

It is easy and alarming to see the similarities between a movie and the church today, such as I did when watching one titled, "Quiz Show."

The movie illustrated how the game shows manipulated the big winners. How their popularity rated with the TV audience, made this determination.  They, the game shows, started with a proper motivation. However, when certain people won, they observed how the ratings would rise or fall. Thus, they saw the opportunity to increase the sales of their sponsor's products by manipulating the winners. Thus, increasing the dollar flow into their own pockets. Gee, everybody appeared to be a winner!

One of the winners finally wanted out of the deception that he had become a part of.  The hardest thing for him to do was to figure out how to go to his father with the truth. Is this not also the hardest thing for the Christian to do?

What was the motivation behind this man? He had money. He was very intelligent. Yet, the producers of the show convinced him that he would be a good role model for the youth of the day. They were able to get him to compromise his ethical standards.

This is the same ploy that is making its way through the Church today, the motivation of prosperity of material things. Give to God, and get a hundred-fold return on your investment. Where are we to be laying up our treasures? Have we forgotten what Matthew 6:19-20 says? We cannot serve two masters! Matthew 6:24.
"And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my names sake, shall receive an hundred fold, and shall inherit everlasting life." Matthew 19:29 KJV

It does not say a thing about money. It does mention to forsake.

Forsake--to desert, abandon, to break-off from, give up.

We have left our first love because of our motivation for the wrong type of prosperity. This happens when we give ear to some improper interpretations of God's Word. We have not taken the time to study the Word of God for ourselves. We no longer know how to hear God for ourselves. We hear what someone else says, and that is what we take to the bank. We do not take the time to go to the Bible and see what Father has to say. We do not take the time to be sure that it lines up with what Father has said.

What we hear sounds good. What is being preached sells a lot of books for the authors. We have these preachers speak at our churches. We assume that what they preach, comes straight from the throne of God. We act upon it. We follow the rest of the crowd. What happens if they go to hell? Will you still follow?

A while back, they had a special on TV on how to market your church. They give seminars to pastors, on how they can best market their churches; giving the people what they want, rather then what they need. To get their churches to appear prosperous, they utilize worldly marketing schemes.  Why be satisfied with twenty people, when we can market it right, and have one thousand people.

Have we forgotten all that is written in the Bible? I thought it was, and still is, God, who adds to the church daily? Are we only looking for numbers? David did, and do you remember what happened?

What happened to being instant in season and out of season with the Word of God? To reprove, rebuke, and exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine?

Are we telling God, that having a big building, with a lot of people in it, is the determining factor on whether or not we are successful? Is salary a determining factor on when and where I will serve God? If so, we are in trouble.

What did Jesus Christ have left when they put Him on the cross, a robe? They buried Him in a borrowed grave. Paul left an empty cell. If we continue to always look at the physical, what will we have left? Does it matter?

It is a narrow and straight path into the Kingdom of God. There are few that are traveling on that path. You have to work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. No one else can do it for you. You alone can do it. You have to do it out of love, the love of God.

Will you too, be removed from the simplicity that is in Christ?


That you may know Him
In the service of Jesus Christ,
Larry Gazelka