Posted on 07/05/2013 5:23:54 PM PDT by Gamecock
“And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;
I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.
As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.
He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.”
Revelation 3:14-22 KJV
I can’t disagree. But isn’t it interesting you didn’t get MORE what you found was that you were content with what you had.
I find that it isn’t necessarily about money (though that does factor in). I give my time as well because it is in the doing that I remain teachable
Well, if the Holy Spirit genuinely is the teacher, the accuracy of the student should be better, or at least improve with time. Doing a good job as a Christian isn’t gotten just by reading the bible, any more than driving a car well is gotten just by reading manuals. Practice is required.
The real problem is when a church has preachers living the high life, but only offer their poor members little more than kind words, and there are way too many of these kinds of “churches”.
I can remember, maybe 30 years ago, watching Pat Robertson on the 700 Club talking about the "principle of reciprocity," the more money that you donated (to Robertson), the more God would bless you with.
yup....just another version of the prosperity doctrine
My short stint illustrated God as a Flashlight ,turn it on for prosperity!!!
I snapped at that point.
Worldly prosperity as an aim is an idol which will always dissatisfy.
It has to dissatisfy.
I encountered an interesting article last year while preparing a presentation for men's group. Human beings seem to have an interesting little built in Catch-22. We get a bigger neurological payback from seeking things, than from actually getting what we're chasing after.
So where will these preachers stand when/where Christians are persecuted? Would they tell Christians in a house church in Pakistan or China that the reason the police kicked in the door is because they don’t have enough faith?
If one the these preachers winds up facing some gubmint lawyers about performing a “gay marriage”, where will they stand?
Crunch time is coming, and these preachers are spreading destruction.
No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.
- Matthew 6:24
The Bible says that Christians will suffer for their faith.
So the more you give, the more you will suffer.
I want to see somebody preach that.
Wow! Thanks for the heads up Warning. Prosperity as God. Terrible.
they seem to worship God the lottery guy
Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand.
I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.
He is ever merciful, and lendeth; and his seed is blessed. (Psalm 37:24-26)
I was in Bible college, putting myself through, working minimum wage ($1.50 hr.) at as many as three jobs at a time and sometimes wondering if I would have enough money to eat or catch the bus to work between paychecks. I learned the truth about this precious promise from our Lord firsthand. There were so many examples I could tell you of how it was proven true during those times and afterward, but it would need an entire new thread. What I learned most of all is that God uses those times of want and need far more perfectly to teach us to depend upon Him for ALL our needs. There's a song that says, "If I never had a problem, I'd never know God could solve them." and "If we had sunshine all our life, we'd be a desert.".
Paul learned, as I did and as we all must, that we should be content in every state we are in because God will not forsake us. He said:
I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength. (Philippians 4:10-13) and verse 19, "And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus."
I think the so-called Prosperity Gospel preachers are short changing God's people and promising them things that are not in their power to promise nor to grant. It short changes them because it makes people expect God to provide in material ways and, when that doesn't happen, people lose faith in God instead of the false teacher who told them unscriptural things. Our home is NOT of this world.
The Globalists will be hitting these folks up for mega bucks in the future.
Your opinion.
no kidding
Don't you find it funny that the only people who think this are those who don't believe in what the Bible actually says?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.