thank you for posting all of this. it's a very stimulating topic, and one that desperately needs to be addressed more widely in our churches. i've seen a lot of what Piper would call the "soft" version of the prosperity gospel in the various churches i've attended and visited throughout my life... that kind of "Jesus wants you to be happy, God is a good Father who loves to give gifts to his children" sort of teaching which, of course, is BASED on truths found in Scripture. the problem is not that the prosperity gospel is all lies, but that it is an exaggerated and incomplete presentation of truth (which, i would venture to say, is even more dangerous).

i've also experienced firsthand, in my own family, the destructive aftermath of that "soft" prosperity gospel; one of the reasons my mother left Christianity is because she had always clung to the promise that God would never call her to go through more than she was able to bear, and when she found herself at her own personal breaking point, she felt betrayed by God. it's DEVASTATING what this kind of half-truth does to people. my mom would have been much better served had she been taught "in this world you will have trouble," but "do not fear, for I am with you." God NEVER promises that life is going to be easy; in fact, he promises that it will be hard. but what he also promises is his presence. and the reality is that, in some of our most abject moments, that is ALL we have.

i think, also, that Piper was right to voice caution about riches, about the search for (and accumulation of) wealth. however, i would take issue with the part where he says that riches are usually a curse, and that it's not true that God rewards people with wealth. in the Old Testament, we do see examples of kings and holy men being blessed by God with good crops, and abundant flocks, and lots of land. God using wealth as reward IS a truth found in the Bible; however, it is just that... A truth, not THE truth (singular). again, the problem with the prosperity gospel is that it takes one truth and makes it the overarching metanarrative of spiritual life.

i think, perhaps, a good balance between the two perspectives can be found in the book of Job. Job was a holy man, a follower of God, who was called to suffer beyond what most people will suffer in their lifetimes. he suffered the loss of his family, his riches, his health... EVERYTHING. and, at one stage in his life, that was what it meant to be a follower of Christ. in order to stay true to his God, Job had to suffer. (this would be a good example of the whole "theology of suffering" that Piper discusses.) however, later on in that book, God not only restores to Job everything that he had lost in his service to God... God MULTIPLIES it. God blesses him with more abundant wealth, so that he's better off than he was originally. this is an example of God blessing his servants with wealth and prosperity (which is the principle that the prosperity gospel is based off of).

so to some extent, i think that whether we suffer or whether we attain great wealth is irrelevant and circumstantial on our path to follow Christ. i think perhaps the best and most balanced view on this topic can be found in verses like the following:

Phil. 4:11-13
"... for i have learned, in whatever situation i am, to be content. i know how to be brought low, and i know how to abound. in any and every circumstance, i have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. i can do all things through him who strengthens me."

Job 2:10
"... shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?"

Job 1:21
"... the Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord."