How many poor could have been fed and clothed with the money wasted here?
Jesus was a humble carpenter who turned itinerant preacher who had nowhere to lay His head.
Posted on 08/10/2016 3:44:20 PM PDT by metmom
“‘Do not lay up for yourselves treasures upon earth’” (Matthew 6:19).
Wealth comes from God, and we are to manage it wisely for Him.
John Wesley was a godly man who devoted his life to serving the Lord. What is not as well known perhaps is that he was rich, gaining most of his wealth from his published hymns and other works. At one point in his life he gave away 40,000 pounds sterling—a fortune in those days. When he died, his estate was worth only twenty-eight pounds, for he had given nearly everything to the Lord’s work.
It is not wrong for Wesley, or any other believer, to own possessions or be wealthy. Both the Old and New Testaments recognize the right to material possessions, including money, land, animals, houses, clothing, and every other thing that is honestly acquired. Deuteronomy 8:18 says, “It is [God] who is giving you power to make wealth.” God gives us the abilities and resources to obtain wealth. Job, known mostly for his suffering, was a wealthy man. Theologian Gleason Archer wrote, “Job was reputed to be the richest man of his time in all the region. . . . He was the largest stockholder on Wall Street, so to speak. Thus it could be said that this godly man had proved to be a good businessman, a fine citizen, and a father of a large family. As such he enjoyed the highest standing of any man in his community.” In 1 Corinthians 4:7 the apostle Paul asks, “What do you have that you did not receive?” The implication is that we receive everything, including our material possessions, from God.
You are right to provide for your family, make reasonable plans for the future, make sound investments, have money to carry on a business, give to the poor, and support the Lord’s work. But you are wrong if you are dishonest, greedy, covetous, stingy, and miserly about possessions. To honestly earn, save, and give is wise; to hoard and spend only on yourself is unwise and sinful.
Suggestions for Prayer
Thank the Lord for providing for your temporal needs.
For Further Study
Read 1 Timothy 6:17.
What are the rich instructed not to do? What does God richly supply you with? Why?
The Kingdom of Heaven is marked by sharing. A Christian should be generous when God makes it possible, and should be willing to benefit through the voluntary generosity of others when God makes it necessary. Being proud is a worldly virtue, but it isn’t a Christian one, understanding the manner in which God works.
Studying God’s Word ping
It is wise not to forget this in one's own estimate of his theology and practices.
how is donating your fortune to an erroneous cause considered a good thing.....drawing people away from Christ’s established church cannot be very rewarding.
How many poor could have been fed and clothed with the money wasted here?
Jesus was a humble carpenter who turned itinerant preacher who had nowhere to lay His head.
Your rotten demeanor on this is not appreciated. Keep it to yourself and your confessional.
When one cannot defend his/her position, they tend to attack the challenger.....nice try.
Those fantastic attempts by mankind to honor God are owned, physically, by mankind. God may or may not be impressed by them, but they were feeble attempts to show God that we adored Him......People have done so since the beginning of belief in a supreme being.
I can easily defend my position. You manners here were rotten. I don’t need logic or scripture to back that up. And your inability to admit it only adds ignorance to offense. John Wesley in one generation of unselfishness changed English society, and through it Western Christian civilization, more than the Romanists have done in 1700 centuries. That’s my opinion, and it’s not going to change.
In heaven the streets are paved with gold. Gold is pavement. For the very best we can do, we might as well just build a sand castle. Because compared to heaven, they're both on the same level.
God is more pleased with our hearts than elaborate buildings erected to religion. He's more interested in how we treat each other than what what is erected to Him. Don't forget, He allowed the Temple in Jerusalem to be destroyed and if there was anything built in His honor, it was that.
Acts 17:24-25 The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything.
The best way to show God how much you love Him is to live for Him. Not to build edifices to religion claiming it's honoring Him.
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