The Prosperity Gospel According to Jesus.

     Listen to these words of Jesus found in the Sermon on the mount,

     Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
     But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
     For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
                                                   Matthew 6:19-21 KJV

     Jesus teaches us the uncertainty of riches. They are only temporal things, here today and gone tomorrow. The markets may crash, thieves may steal, a valuable object may rust or be destroyed in some other manner. Yet we as human beings place such a high emphasis on the material things of this world. We live as if we must accumulate as much as possible. We stockpile things, we work hard to make more money just so we can buy more. We put away money and just sit on it, because it is ours and we might need it for a "rainy day." 
     Jesus knows the heart of man, that it is deceitful and wicked (Jeremiah 17:9). It is so easily drawn away by things. Our stockpiles of material things are the proof of our allegiance to these things. Jesus said, "Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
     Jesus has a financial plan for us so to speak. He calls us to lay up treasure in heaven. He shows us how this is accomplished.

     Fear not, little flock; for it is the Fathers good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
     Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags that wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth.
     For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
                                                        Luke 12:32-34 KJV

     Instead of accumulation, Jesus says to give it away! He tells us to sell our possessions and give to the poor. This is how we are to store up the true riches in heaven! This does not sound like the prosperity gospel that so many follow today. You see, we can't take it with us. We are entrusted with money and possessions in this lifetime to be used for the glory of God and the advancement of His kingdom. There is a saying, "Only one life will soon be past. Only what's done for Christ will last." This is what Jesus is talking about. We are blessed in this life to be a blessing to others. The scriptures abundantly teach us that we are to love our neighbor as ourselves. This involves the giving of ourselves, our time, our money and possessions, to live this out in our day to day lives.
     Jesus is teaching us that to cling to our material possessions will bankrupt us in the end. It is a law of the kingdom of God that we lose ourselves for Christ's sake if we would find life. This includes our possessions. Christ commands us to renounce all that we have if we would be His disciples (Luke 14:33). 
     True sowing and reaping is not about sowing a financial seed into a ministry so that we can get more money back; it is about making the kingdom of God our priority, evidenced by our giving of what we have to others for the sake of Christ. After all, isn't it the Fathers good pleasure to give us the kingdom?