Catholic Bible 101

So many churches these days have stylish good looking great speaking preachers who preach another gospel than the one Jesus Christ preached. They preach the prosperity gospel, and it goes something like this - "God loves you, and wants you to be rich and successful in this life." Now if we stop right there, you will find that Jesus never promised anyone prosperity in this life; rather, he promised eternal life and happiness in the next life to all who pick up their cross and follow him in this life.  

St. Paul talks about preachers who tickle the ears of people, and how we should avoid them in 2 Timothy 4:3.  When the rich young man came up to Jesus and asked Him what he must do to be saved, Jesus told him to sell all of his possessions, give the money to the poor, and then come and follow Him.  The preachers of today who preach the health and wealth gospel say something like - "Give your money to me, and God will reward you tenfold in this life."  But that is more of an Old Testament preaching instead of a New Testament preaching. In the Old Testament, riches were seen as a sign that God favored you; but in the New Testament, riches are seen as something that can bog you down in the affairs of this world, where the devil is the god (2 Corinthians 4:4) while keeping you from the eternal reward of heaven in the next world:

James 5:1-5: Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten.   Your gold and silver have rusted, and their rust will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire.You have laid up treasure for the last days. Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out; and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. You have lived on the earth in luxury and in pleasure; you have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter.

So if you do come into a lot of money, be very wary of what it can do to you. And don't be taken in by the health and wealth hucksters on TV that will con you into a donation.  They are NOT preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ, but a tradition of man cleverly disguised as the gospel.