I have listened to every teaching series that Michael Pink has put out. I have done this because God has called me to the ministry - in business. I bring Kingdom principles through my business affecting the lives of people in a redemptive fashion. God pays for what he orders. If your calling in life requires billions of dollars and your calling is building His Kingdom, then God will supply. If you are hoping to use God as a heavenly slot machine then you are deceived. That is NOT what Michael Pink is doing, saying or writing.

With regards to most of Michael’s post, my wife and I have been attending the History Makers Bible School put on by Ukranian missionaries to the United States. We have spent 100+ hours face to face with Pastor Sunday and dozens of people from the church in Kiev. Their testimony of what God has done is undeniable. Pastor Sunday’s clear message is “Christ in us..” Jesus told us to pray “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven”. When we KNOW Jesus and understand that we are to seek first His Kingdom and rightousness, then He will live through us to establish His Kingdom principles which will disciple the nations. Read Pastor Sunday’s book, Churchshift, and you will see this isn’t about “the prosperity message” or church growth. It is about sending forth the SONS OF THE KINGDOM into the world to be used by Him to redeem those that would be saved. Read Mathew 13:23-43 paying particular attention to verse 38.

I am greatly concerned that the church today has confused “happiness with holiness”. As you so aptly stated “I’m not saying that all prosperity is necessarily wrong. I’m just making the point that the prosperity of a Christian says absolutely zero about Christ to the world”…..I know we need to be so careful to preach holiness, if God brings prosperity, we need to pray even harder for God to conform us to the image of Christ.

God is most glorified in me when I am most satisfied in Him………

This is to say nothing of the fact that one of your posts advises other readers to “Run as fast as you can away.” This is hardly polite. I’m not even going to comment on the fact that you typed (mistyped?) that post while attempting to drive.

The bigger issue to me, however, is that you fundamentally misunderstand. Your religious brainwashing has trapped you in a mental darkness that, for whatever reason, no light seems to be able to penetrate. This is not intended as a personal affront to you. It is merely an observation.

As I read Michael’s post for today, he says nothing of a prosperity gospel at all. Michael is merely pointing out that the Body of Christ is raising up well-equipped persons who have tools at their disposal which are precisely the sort of tools necessary to function in the earth. In other words, when I need a carpenter, I want one who not only has a hammer, but also a table saw and any other specialized equipment that will cause him to be effective in his task. To fulfill the Great Commission in Matthew 28, which can be summarized by saying we are here to disciple nations, we need not just people who are — as you pointed out — sold out to Christ, but who also possess the tools necessary to be effective.

Personal evangelism and one-on-one ministry is good. But the Body of Christ has focused on the “good” and sacrificed the “critical.” Discipling nations will not occur when we have taken the hard-won authority that Jesus purchased for the Church and neglected it so badly that people of evil intent now pull the levers of society.

The early Church was referred to as, “those who have turned the world upside down.” People who developed the “leave the Earth to whoever wants it” / “poverty = piety” belief that you espouse have turned the Church upside down instead of the world.

Another perception you seem to hold is that Michael is promoting the idea that we should be wealthy to “impress the world.” I didn’t read that at all. My understanding of what he is saying is that we must have significant resources and make wise use of them in order to regain lost ground and recapture the levers that influence culture.

I would add that the “American trend” of moving up financially (one which, by the way, I would argue hardly exists at all in today’s economy, given the extent of consumer debt, the negative savings rate, and the overwhelming national debt) is American only in the sense that moving up financially is the automatic result of diligence, hard work, creating value, Biblical ethics, and God-given insight — the very traits that characterized the formative years of this nation. Why did America rise to prominence in the world? Godliness. Why have we lost it? The Church abdicated nearly all positions of influence and power, leaving the nation to rot and decay — not just morally but economically as well. This, I would argue, is exactly the sort of Godliness that Jesus was referring to when he said, “It would be more profitable for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were hurled into the sea than that he should cause to sin or be a snare to one of these little ones [lowly in rank or influence].” (Luke 17:2)

Following your line of reasoning will, unfortunately, continue that very trend. Sickening. May God deliver us from unscriptural religious indoctrination!

Carl Emerson

Kern

Your post moved me. I understand what you are saying. I feel your heart. Let me encourage you with this: His light shines best in the darkness. It’s okay that you don’t have it all together… In Genesis, when God looked at what He had created He said it was “good”. He wasn’t done creating the world and all the animals or even the people… He had just gotten started and it wasn’t done, but still it was GOOD to Him. He has only just begun His work in you. He sees you and He says you are good! It’s okay. Don’t give up. Don’t doubt your faith. Doubt your doubts! God has a way of turning a mess into something beautiful that affects MANY people… he will turn your mess into a “message” of hope for other people. Just don’t give up. Let Him carry you through this. He can handle your situation.

Take care,
Rebecca

The context of Jesus’ saying shows us what the salt and light are. They are the joyful willingness to suffering for Christ. Here is what Jesus said, “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. You are the salt of the earth. . . . You are the light of the world” (Matthew 5:11-14).

What will make the world taste (the salt) and see (the light) of Christ in us is not that we love wealth the same way they do. Rather, it will be the willingness and the ability of Christians to love others through suffering, all the while rejoicing because their reward is in heaven with Jesus. This is inexplicable on human terms. This is supernatural. But to attract people with promises of prosperity is simply natural. It is not the message of Jesus. It is not what he died to achieve.

Kenny

Kern

I come on here every day and read your blog. I do like what you have to say… but I have to admit I am perplexed with the “prosperity” message the church has adopted. I don’t know what to do with myself…….