1Timothy 4:1-5  Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.

A certain Christian group would have many fewer lawsuits if they allowed certain of their leaders to marry. Where did this forbidding of church leaders to marry come from? Doctrines or teachings of devils.

Some groups forbid the eating of certain types of meat, and some secular groups forbid the eating of meat altogether. Where did this teaching come from? Doctrines of devils. Teachings from misguided souls that listened to the wrong source.

I read a short book the other day written by a preacher much older than I that said he grew up in a denomination that said, “God, you keep him (talking about the preacher) humble, and we will keep him poor.”

Where did this teaching that having money was wrong come from? Same as the others. Doctrines or teachings of devils. Since the first and second century, the church has taught that to have money at all was evil. That the pious have renounced all worldly goods. That if you desire more than the needs for the week, you are greedy. God must have changed because God did not present poverty as a virtue in the Old Testament. For instance:

Genesis 24:35 And the LORD hath blessed my master (Abraham) greatly; and he is become great: and he (God) hath given him flocks, and herds, and silver, and gold, and menservants, and maidservants, and camels, and asses.

Job 42:10 And the LORD turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before.

2Chronicles 32:29 Moreover he (Hezekiah) provided him cities, and possessions of flocks and herds in abundance: for God had given him substance very much.

If you think that God only prospered certain people that He especially loved and you are not good enough or lovable enough, consider this:

 Romans 2:11 For there is no respect of persons with God.

In the book of Proverbs, God would be addressing all His family, and there He states:

Proverbs 8:21 That I may cause those that love me to inherit substance; and I will fill their treasures (storehouses).

In the last book of the Old Testament, God reminds us:

 Malachi 3:6 For I am the LORD, I change not; ….

Toward the end of the New Testament, God again reminds us of another great truth:

3John 1:2 Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.

Health and prosperity are the two great areas where the devil attacks God’s children. But no matter how much you have been attacked by the devil in these two areas, you have the right to reach out and claim your God-given heritage.

The idea of having a lot of money being sinful started as early as 100 AD and came into its own around 300 AD. Here are several quotes from the early church fathers:

You are not making a gift of your possession to the poor person. You are handing over to him what is his.  Ambrose of Milan, 340-397 AD

Not to enable the poor to share in our goods is to steal from them and deprive them of life. The goods we possess are not ours but theirs.      John Chrysostom, 347-407 AD

Instead of the tithes which the law commanded, the Lord said to divide everything we have with the poor. And he said to love not only our neighbors but also our enemies, and to be givers and sharers not only with the good but also to be liberal givers toward those who take away our possessions.  Irenaeus, 130-200 AD

The rich are in possession of the goods of the poor, even if they have acquired them honestly or inherited them legally. John Chrysostom, 347-407 AD

Now you can see better where this poverty teaching in the church comes from. It came from twisting the scriptures to a devilish end. Our Father is the same today as He was in the days of Abraham, Job and Hezekiah. He is the Lord God, and He does not change. He desires above all things that we prosper and be in health as we keep Him first and love Him in our lives.

2 Peter 3:16-18 As also in all his epistles, speaking in them concerning these things. (In them some things are hard to be understood, which the unlearned and unstable twist around, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures unto their own destruction.) You, therefore, beloved, since you have foreknown these things, watch so that you are not led astray by the delusion of the lawless ones and fall from your own steadfastness. Instead, grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and unto the day of the age. Amen. (WTJ)

The more you look at what God actually said in His Word, you can see His desire for you is to prosper and He wants to fill your storehouses with good things.

So, if you have begun to tithe/give and save as God teaches in His Word, you might find some good books on how to save, invest and become a good steward of the wealth your Father has in store for you.

Learning to look at God’s Word for yourself for your doctrine is all part of The Prosperous Life.