The Transformation of Mr. Jabez ©2003
By Dwight A. Moody, Dean of the Chapel
Georgetown College, KY
Evangelist and author Kenneth Hagin died on September 19th at the age of 83. What did not die with him is the gospel of prosperity he advocated in broadcasts that circled the globe and books that sold 65 million copies.
"Name it, claim it" is the phrase used to describe this doctrine of health and wealth in the name of Jesus. It swept like a brush fire through the underclasses of America then leaped the Atlantic to settle with equal success among the indigenous poor of Africa.
Perhaps this explains why millionaire Bruce Wilkinson abandoned his lucrative ministry in America and embarked on an imaginative endeavor on that other continent.
Wilkinson`s money came from the sale of his little devotional book, The Prayer of Jabez. The volume highlights an obscure prayer in the Bible that can be summarized: "Bless me, prosper me, protect me, keep me."
Two years in succession (2001, 2002) it was the top selling religious book in the country.
In keeping with American marketing habits, the success of the book birthed a family of Jabez-theme merchandise: posters, calendars, jewelry, even clothing, and, of course, additional books now being promoted at www.thebreakthroughseries.com .
But there is a down side to this "me-centered" prayer and the success syndrome it asserts. At the least, it confirms the worst stereotypes of evangelical Christians: intellectually shallow, ethically narrow, and spiritually self-centered.
At the most, it raises a critical question: what has any of this to do with following Jesus?
The egocentric spirituality stands in sharp contrast to the "we-centered"version of praying and living outlined by the prayer of Jesus: "Give us, forgive us, lead us, deliver us."
But now Wilkinson and his jabez-funded ministry have taken a turn toward redemption with impressive strategies for healing the sick, feeding the hungry and gathering the dispossessed of Africa.
First, Wilkinson put his resources into the fight against HIV/AIDS, now the world`s premiere health epidemic: "It is the worst catastrophe to befall the human race since the biblical flood," he said.
He launched "Turn the Tide for Children," an initiative motivating Christians to sponsor an AIDS orphan (now said to number more than 20 million) for $20 per month.
Second, Wilkinson moved to Johannesburg. It is a racially-charged environment, having suffered decades of church-sanctioned apartheid and now enduring the aftermath of economic and social oppression.
Mr. Jabez, as he is known, has taken up the cause of racial reconciliation, not just for South Africa, but for all of the continent.
The project is called Transformation Africa and Wilkinson is focused on Namibia. In May of this year, witnesses said more than five million Africans gathered in 138 venues "to sing, dance, blow shofars, beat drums, and pray for revival and social healing."
Finally, there is food.
Wilkinson responded to the ubiquity of hunger by embracing a locally-grown ministry which encourages people to turn even the smallest patch of dirt into a food-producing plot.
He calls them "Never Ending Gardens." This fall more than 600 such growing efforts are under way. It is a small beginning but has great promise.
It is hard to imagine three efforts that flow more naturally from the prayer Jesus (and not Jabez!), who taught us to pray: "Give us today something to eat. Forgive us our sins of racism even as they forgive us for treating them that way. Deliver us from evil, especially the epidemic of AIDS now sweeping our continent."
The feeding, reconciling, and delivering that arise in response to these prayers are God`s answer to the lead petition of the same prayer: "Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven."
Yes, these works of mercy are made possible in part by the enormous wealth generated by the Jabez book and its gospel of prosperity.
But more importantly they are tied to the transformation of him who once brought Jabez to the world but now brings hope and healing to the least among us, our brothers and sisters.
Therein lies redemption.
© 2003 Dwight A. Moody
