Jesus said something to me this morning and it hit me between the eyes! He blindsided me with something I have heard him say before, but it convicted me personally. He said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.”
The context provided the first level of conviction, because Jesus was talking about how difficult it is for a rich man to get into the kingdom of God. I am rich. Jesus was talking about me . . . And if you are reading this on a computer, then you are likely in the same boat as me. How tough is it for a rich man to be saved? Impossible aside from the dramatic, immense, miraculous power of God! So what makes it so hard . . . We love money and stuff and it tends to get in the way of the things that matter most. Simply put . . . wealth makes God look less necessary. Ouch.
Can anybody out there give me some insight on how whole churches base their doctrine on the notion that God wants you to be rich in light of Jesus’ words here?
The second conviction for me is the reality if the claim that Jesus makes. God can do anything. Nothing is impossible for Him. I have been guilty of many times doubting God. Maybe that is because I often, in my limited mental capacity, view God as a superhuman. Sure, He’s super-sweet, but can he . . . .
Maybe you can fill in the blank with something there. All of us have come up against something in life for which we cannot imagine a solution. It could be a habit or sin that we feel is owning us . . . It might be a broken relationship we cannot imagine ever being reconciled . . . It could be a medical issue that is chronic and/or devastating. Whatever it might be the words of Jesus seem apropos . . . “All things are possible with God!”
Okay, did a search on my ‘smartphone Bible’, using the word ‘prosperity’….Deuternomy 8:18….You shall remember the Lord you God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his convenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day. Maybe that’s where the ‘Prosperity Gospel’ got its start? There were a lot of verses with that word, but that one stuck out because of the others I checked (there were lots, but I only had time to check a few), the flip side of the ‘coin’ (punny, isn’t it) was always stated.
I am going to use this the next time I encounter a Prosperity Gospel peddler. There are so many “health and wealth” preachers out there today it’s impossible to list them all but I find it somewhat ironic that the verse used in this piece is the one verse you never hear them preach about!