We call them Prosperity Preachers. Jesus called them False Prophets. We call them Health and Wealth Teachers. Jesus called them Ravenous Wolves. They are not False Prophets because they made a prediction that didn’t come to pass, but because they live false lives – lives that demonstrate they are not followers of Jesus, but followers of their own selfish desires. Jesus called them Ravenous Wolves because they have a insatiable appetite for the things of the world and will violently take what they want from those they can deceive and manipulate. They are false in that they lie about God and they are ravenous in that they are not satisfied by the things of God. Their eyes are red with greedy desire and their fangs drip lies.
How can you spot a False Prophet and a Ravenous Wolf. The True Prophet Jeremiah gives us a heads up in 9:23-24 – Thus says the Lord, “Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things,” declares the Lord.
How can you spot the False Prophet? They think that Jeremiah’s counsel is foolish and they boast of how many houses they own, the planes the Lord has given them, the designer clothes they wear, the lifestyle they live, the cars they drive, the people they hobnob with, their overall net worth. Etc.
How can you spot the Ravenous Wolf? The Ravenous Wolf goes on TV and puts on farmer’s overalls, flashes his fangs, and manipulates people with false promises about ‘sowing a seed’ to them and their ministry. He then puts on a mathematician’s spectacles and talks about multiplication tables. If you send him $100, God will bless you with $1,000. If you sow a financial seed of $1,000 into her ministry, God will bless you with $10,000. They then take off their mathematician’s spectacles and masquerade as farmers again and talk about harvests and crop sizes. By this point their fangs are dripping with the anticipation of tearing into your bank account and ripping out your money.
False Prophets and Ravenous Wolves have an over-developed theology of blessing and favor and an under-developed theology of sin and repentance. How can you spot someone’s theology? Listen to their vocabulary. A vocabulary bristling with ‘abundance’ and ‘favor’ and ‘blessing’ and ‘prosperity’ and ‘success’ is the vocabulary of the False Prophet and the Ravenous Wolf. Likewise, a vocabulary missing ‘sin’ and ‘repentance’ and ‘discipline’ and rebuke for disobedience is the telltale sign of a False Prophet and a Ravenous Wolf. The only thing they will rebuke and chide you for is your failure to send them money.
When I was younger in the ministry, I hung out for a while with a few pastors who were Prosperity Preachers. At one breakfast, they were talking about someone known to them all and one man said, “He opened his wallet and he only had $5 in it. And,” said scornfully, “He calls himself a ‘man of God.’” I knew then I was with the wrong crowd. To measure someone’s godliness by how much money they have in their wallet is the epitome of folly and bigotry. I’m just glad they couldn’t see how much money I had in my wallet!
Jesus said not to worry about food and clothing. Seek first the kingdom of God and all these things will be added unto you. False Prophets and Ravenous Wolves flip this narrative around and seek first all these things and believe that the kingdom of God consists of all these things. . Prosperity Preachers are one of the biggest black eyes of the Body of Christ. So – don’t be one and don’t be taken in by one. Prosperity Preachers prey upon the naïve and the greedy. Seeking first God’s kingdom will tame your greed and cancel your naivete. False Prophets and Ravenous Wolves hate those who seek the kingdom of God – it reduces their hunting ground.
Tim Brown has been in some sort of ministry since February of 1973 – as a youth pastor, an assistant pastor, and a senior pastor. Tim planted Calvary Chapel Fremont in January of 1997 and continues to pastor there. Tim has been married since August of 1976 to Fran. They have three children and nine grandchildren.
