I recently received another health and wealth gospel tract/word of faith solicitation in the mail. This one comes as part of a mass mailing campaign aimed at Christians who don't know any better. Being a Christian myself, I'm completely disgusted with this stuff.
What is the health and wealth/word of faith movement? Nothing more than a concatenation of charlatans selling a cheap Christ. On one hand, they teach that in God's economy you should be both healthy and wealthy. If you're not, then there's something wrong with your relationship with Christ. Similarly, they teach that faith is a force and words are the container of that force. In the new age tradition, the word of faith movement teaches that every Christian has the power within them to speak blessing (health, wealth, or whatever melts your butter) into their own lives.
As part of the deal, of course, you may send them what they call a "seed gift" of dinero "to God's work." The contents of these mailings comprises, typically, three to four pages and in full color, complete with testimonials outlining how this method really works. Business must be good because I get these damned things in the mail every couple of months.
This particular one had an enclosed "prayer handkerchief," (pictured above) which was really nothing more than a piece of paper with an embroidered pattern on the border. Recipients of this "handkerchief" were instructed to print their name and their most pressing problem in the center of the "handkerchief" along with the name of someone else "they really love that needs God's help." Next, they are instructed to (get this) "lay their bible faith handkerchief" on top of selected verses of the Bible, after which they must leave it under the bed and sleep over it for one night. (I'm not kidding). The mind reels that there could be more, but finally recipients are instructed to mail the "handkerchief" back to this "ministry" in the morning, so the "Spiritual Leader" driving this train may "write something, in the spirit, to you that's good and is coming to your door."
The situation would be laughable, except that there are many Christians who fall for this routine. But what happens when life happens and the bottom falls out of their world? Because of this blasphemous and fatally flawed theology they are left thinking that they haven't been good enough, that they haven't enough faith, that God is angry with them, no longer loves them, or some other such nonsense.
The other half of the equation involves those who aren't believers. This plastic Jesus gospel is so pervasive in our culture that many nonbelievers think it's an accurate representation of Christianity. TBN and the word of faith televangelists they pimp haven't helped matters any. Secular media has picked up on this fractured paradigm of the gospel as well, and so, have helped to set the stereotype of Christians in stone.
If these apostate antichrists were the only exposure you had to the Christian worldview, would you want any part of it? Probably not; most sentient beings I know run as fast as they can in the other direction and I don't blame them. Subsequently, their minds are sufficiently closed to the authentic Christ who desires to know them and accepts them unconditionally, as they are, worts and all.
Chad Phillips
It’s no different than those people who respond to;
Dear Friend,
My name is Kwame Hornswagller and work for the International Bank of Criminals here in Ghana. One of my associates informed me that you are a trustworthy and reliable person. In lieu of this information I’ve decided to share with you the opportunity of a lifetime……….blah blah blah…..blah…
All I need are your social security number, your bank account number, your address, cell phone number, first born’s name, a DNA sample, keys to your car, the times when you are going to be out of your home, and a couple pictures of your wife/girlfriend naked.
Thanks
Kwame