Evangelical pastor tears the prosperity gospel 'pipe dream' to shreds: God is not a 'divine slot machine'

An evangelical pastor is taking aim at the so-called "prosperity gospel" that teaches Christians that God will make them rich if they worship him -- and he thinks it's one of the biggest "lies" that Christians are taught.

In an interview with the Christian Post, Texas-based Pastor Andrew Farley promotes his new book -- titled "Twisted Scripture: Untangling 45 Lies Christians Have Been Told" -- by discussing the cynical way grifters have preyed on human desires to lie about what the Bible says about material prosperity.

"It’s plain and simple that health and wealth have been pursued by humanity at large for thousands of years and if you simply put a Jesus stamp on those aspirations and tell people that if they come to Jesus they can have guaranteed health and guaranteed wealth, well you're always going to have a line out the door as people are looking at God as a divine slot machine where you pour in your quarters and pull down the handle of faith and out comes the blessings," he says in explaining his opposition to prosperity gospel.

Farley then cited Scripture to explain why any notion that God rewards his followers with material blessings is a "pipe dream."

"The Apostle Paul had something called a 'thorn in the flesh' that he asked God to take from him three times and God said His grace is sufficient for Paul," he explains. "Timothy had frequent stomach ailments and Paul recommended some red wine for that. He didn't tell Timothy to have more faith, he told him to take some red wine. So clearly, Christians are not guaranteed healing every single time just because they're in Christ and likewise, Paul said that for those who look at the Gospel as a means to financial gain are of a depraved mind and that's pretty strong language."