Well, as I’m going through Wilkerson’s book, “The Vision”, my jaw keeps hitting the floor. Mind you, this book was first published in 1974 and his vision took place in 1973. The moral landslide haven’t yet happened and the world economic troubles (a recent worldly development) haven’t yet occurred. And yet, so much of it is described in this book. I’ve decided to relay an excerpt I thought was relevant to these times and to evangelical Christians in particular:
And the Lord said unto Satan, Where have you come from? Satan answered, From going to and fro in the earth and observing the last Christian. And the Lord said unto Satan, Have you considered these last-day Christians– how dedicated, how upright, how God-fearing, and Christ-loving they are? How they try to run from your evil plots? Then Satan answered the Lord, Yes, but just take away the hedge You’ve built around them. Job wouldn’t forsake You in his poverty– but just increase and bless all the last Christians far beyond anything Job ever had and then see what happens. Make all these last Christians affluent like Job. Build them fancy new homes– give them fine automobiles– all the money and gadgets they need. Swamp them with campers, boats, world travel, fine clothes, exotic foods, land holdings, and saving accounts. See what happens to your last Christians when they become full, rich, increased with goods, and are in need of nothing. They will forsake God and become self-centered.
I see Satan coming again to accuse the last Christian:
Look at the last-day Christian, the television addict! Look at him–hours and hours for soap operas, comedies, sports– but no time to get alone with God. He turns God off with a dial. He hunts, fishes, travels; plays golf, tennis, and basketball. He goes to movies and parties, and has become a gadabout, but he has no time to read his Bible or pray. Is this the last-day Christian who is supposed to walk by faith? Is this the one whose faith will overcome the world? Is this the one who is to prepare for a coming day of persecution and world chaos? Are these the playboy Christians upon whom the ends of the world will fall?
This underlines to me how widespread the “Prosperity Doctrine” is through the church. The “Prosperity Doctrine” in all its multifarious forms all derive from a man named Napoleon Hill, who freely admitted he received his directions from conducting occult rituals and listening to his “spirit guides”.
Wilkerson’s vision warned Christians before this so-called “doctrine” spread throughout the evangelical churches. It’s been over thirty years since his vision and I can’t think of a popular megachurch that didn’t have the “name it and claim it!” Prosperity Doctrine at the core of its message.
One would think that many of its adherents, after their first and second divorces, after their adulteries, after losing their jobs, after all the misfortunes that come from living in Satan’s world, that they would begin to question their “Prosperity Doctrine”. Believe me, I am not judging people who believe these “doctrines”. (Given the sins I’ve been guilty of, who I am to judge?) This world is a terrible place to live in and it presents us with seemingly insurmountable temptations, and perhaps this doctrine is their way to make sense of it all.
But it is still a false doctrine. I believe the answer is not to “name and claim” something, but to surrender without condition to the Crucified Jesus and take direction from Him.
When was the last time we did what He wanted us to do? Have we even gone to His Cross and asked Him what He wanted?
