The message she was getting from the church was that if she came to God, He would bless with riches and only good things can be experienced (I shall expound on this more later). I had to literally stop myself from groaning but mentally I was slapping my forehead with frustration.
Sorry, but I'm not a fan of the prosperity message that seems to be fashionable in the Christian scenes in the last few years. I just don't like it that it seems as if Jesus suddenly became the Christian version of Tsai Shen Yeh.
After all, when John the Baptist questioned Jesus whether He was the Messiah sent by God, Jesus replied him by saying, "The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor." Matthew 11:5. Note: Jesus did not say the poor became rich.
When Jesus came, He never spoke to anyone boasting of the riches He can give them if they believed in Him. He spoke of love, of sin and repentance, of God and His goodness.
I cannot despise churches who preach the prosperity message, as I do not deny that God can and has used them to reach out to masses of people. But I hope that as in the Parable of the Sower, the churches can build good soil for them to grow on.
Nonetheless, even as I (rather adamantly) explained to my cousin that it should never be about riches or blessings in any religion one seeks, I have to admit that since being a Christian, I've experienced abundant good blessings, both in material and non-material ways. And without a doubt, only good things can come from God. But sometimes, good things that come from God does not necessarily mean only happy and nice things.
Can only rape, murder, injustice, pain, grievances or hardships come only on non-Christians? I shan't launch into an essay of how an all-powerful, good and loving God can allow such evil to exist, or maybe I should, then I can kill two birds with a stone. To preach a long blog sermon and finish my assignment together. :P (Bro O, stop snickering)
Cut long story short, God can and does use the evil in the world for the purpose of good to happen.
As for my own personal testimony, God has blessed me abundantly in material blessings. More than I deserve. That I do not deny. But that is not the reason why I love Him and why I am a Christian. It is the healing, peace and mending of broken hearts. And if I were to wish any to come to know Jesus as I do, it would not be for how much God can bless, but for how much God's forgiveness can do in one's life.