Define prosperity?
And, will you give scripture to support that God wants some to be wealthy. My intention is not to lead you into a further debate with me. I will not respond. I would really like to read the input of others on scripture that supports wealth.
Well I expect a lot want an educated dictionary meaning, so here it is
Prosperity - a successful, flourishing, or thriving condition, especially in financial respects; good fortune.
But there's also prosperity in the supernatural, you may be poor in the physical but rich in your relationship with Christ, you may be rich in building up your rewards in heaven, you may be rich in spiritual gifts here on earth, so that's the other kind of prosperity and obviously the spiritual prosperity is better and more rewarding.
The other kind - earthly prosperity, prosperity in the physical, is it God's will for everyone? Well I can't speak for everyone, it depends on the calling, if you are called into business by God, you are obviously in there for a reason. For one who is called to be a missionary, I would say it's more of trusting God to provide for your needs, you trust God you give and you will receive. You look at the life of God's saints, preachers, missionaries and whatever, not a great deal of them were rich in the physical, but they were rich in the spiritual, and when they need something, God provided for them, and he still does. You may look at the mega preachers and judge them, but.... truth is, we don't know how much they give, you would assume they give a large sum of money to the poor and to help out others though, like the rich chucking in large sums into the offering in Mark 12:41, it doesn't matter whatever percentage it is, God still honors that, it's more about giving out of the heart, than the amount of money.
Looking at Joel Osteen and you can check this out for yourself too, they are financially helping out orphans in Guatemala, providing them food, medical supplies, helping with construction projects & training missionaries to most importantly share the gospel to others and help out with other things, that is not their only mission though, that is only one of their missions, there other missions are Honduras, El Salvador, Botswana, Belize, a high school in Haiti, 1 in San Francisco, Columbia, India.
So you want some verses backing up the prosperity teaching aiy? LOL. Whether they are in context on not, we gotta understand that God can show a verse to an individual person for a time and a season.
Proverbs 11:24-25
There is one who scatters, and yet increases all the more, and there is one who withholds what is justly due, and yet it results only in want. The generous man will be prosperous, and he who waters will himself be watered.
Proverbs 22:9
He who is generous will be blessed, for he gives some of his food to the poor.
Matthew 6:3-4
But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.
2 Corinthians 9:6-8
Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed.
Genesis 26:12
Then Isaac sowed in that land, and reaped in the same year a hundredfold; and the Lord blessed him
Genesis 39:3
Now his master saw that the Lord was with him and how the Lord caused all that he did to prosper in his hand.
Psalm 35:27
Let them shout for joy and rejoice, who favor my vindication; and let them say continually, “The Lord be magnified, who delights in the prosperity of His servant.”
3 John 1:2
Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.
;)
