The Three Supreme Testings - Prosperity And Applause

If you passed the test of poverty and obscurity ask yourself this question...... Would I pass the test of prosperity and applause?

According to Dr. C.I. Scofield, many become corrupted or enfeebled by prosperity and applause.
Many are changed to an unsound condition and made weak. In other words they sell their soul to have riches and fame. They give up there values, compromise there morals and break the commandments because the end justifies the means.

It may not be an outward deliberate act in which one day its decided. Instead it is usually slow erosion that takes place over time. We become prosperity driven and "self" motivated.

But isn't it the American way to pursue the almighty dollar? Reach for the stars.... be a self starter... be self motivated..... Self motivated, who came up with that term any way? What an oxymoron. Only Satan could come up with a term like this and then call it good. We are not to be self motivated; we are to be God motivated. There so many clichés that are thrown at us to show us that the way to success it through fame and fortune. If you can just get there you'll be on easy street. Right?

Wrong. What happens when you get there? You can't take all that with you. Have you meet a rich or famous person that didn't know Christ that was truly joyful? I mean deep down in there heart, filled with joy. I bet not because the stuff inside you when you are poor is still the stuff inside you when you are rich. We are broken internally from birth. Prone to selfishness and greed. The problem with this behavior is it isolates us and we were not made for isolation. We were made to love and be loved in community. Therefore, you get to the top of the heap and guess what.... You find out the hype you bought into was a lie. They didn't tell you the truth. They didn't tell you that you can't get true happiness from money or fame.

Proverbs 13:7 says - There is one who makes himself rich, yet has nothing; And one who makes himself poor, yet has great riches.

Today we even have preachers telling us that God wants us to be rich. We can have anything we want if we only have enough faith. This is a huge distortion of scripture. God does not tell us that we all get to be rich. Yes, He loves us and wants to give us the best, but sometimes the best thing for us is not riches or fame for it will corrupt us. It is not for us to decide who can handle riches, that is for God to decide.

I Samuel 2:7-8 - The Lord makes poor and makes rich: He brings low and lifts up. He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the beggar from the ash heap, to set them among princes and make them inherit the throne of glory.

Because of our sin nature, we are easily corrupted by the want of power. Power easily comes from riches and fame. People want to follow you and bow down to you. You then are exalted and raised up high. You begin to think how great you are and fall prey to the notion that you can be your own God. No need to bow down to the almighty, I am too great for that.

Matthew 19:23-24 says - Then Jesus said to His disciples, "Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."

Luke 6:24 Jesus pronounces -”But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation."

In Luke 18:18-23 - Jesus is speaking to the rich young ruler who asks how to inherit eternal life. Jesus tells the man in verse 22 to sell all that he has and distribute to the poor and follow Him. In verse 23 when the ruler heard this, he became very sorrowful, for he was very rich.

Not all fall to the testing of prosperity and applause but many do. Which makes it impossible for them to bow a knee to Christ.

If only they really knew what they were giving up. If only they knew what they were choosing was separation from God. If only they would realize they were trading an eternity in heaven for a short lived round of applause. If only they knew....

I pray they do....