Posted on 11/06/2010 8:57:26 AM PDT by wmfights
“Theology is important,” wrote scholar Millard J. Erickson, “because correct doctrinal beliefs are essential to the relationship between the believer and God.”6 A corollary to this statement is that an incorrect theology will lead to incorrect beliefs about God, His Word, and His dealings with men. The thesis of this paper is that the prosperity gospel is constructed upon a faulty theology. Consequently, many of its doctrines, including the teachings concerning wealth, are erroneous. While it is beyond the scope of this study to examine in detail all of the specific doctrines of prosperity theology, there are four crucial areas of error relating to their teachings on wealth that may be isolated and examined. These areas are the Abrahamic covenant, the Atonement, giving, and faith.
(Excerpt) Read more at bible.org ...
Do you REALLY believe that?
If you do, then you totally mis-understand Jesus’ words. When He said we would always have the poor with us, He was contrasting the fact that He wouldn’t always be here with us on Earth. He was not telling us not to help the poor.
Christians should always be willing help the poor, but only as the Lord leads you. If you don’t help the poor simply because “that’s their lot in life”, then I dare say there’s a problem somewhere.
I think that is an unfair and untrue assessment—true Christians have the distinguishment of being very generous in their tipping, gifts, charitable giving. In general, as soon as they learn what God’s word says on the subject of giving, among other Christian works, they do it, in His power. God has His ways of bringing His own to action in accordance to His will.
Not really big on prosperity theology, but I don’t have a problem with a Christian becoming wealthy as long as the wealth is accumulated honestly. But I don’t really see the need to attack those who do believe in prosperity theology it only leads to division. And division plays into the hands of our opponents.
The 4th century historian Ammianus was writing about the emperor Julian and his efforts to set Christians against one another by encouraging doctrinal argument and forbidding them recourse because “He found from experience that no wild beast are as hostile to men as Christians are to each other.”
Worrying about the points of one an-others beliefs only makes us weak in the eyes of the faithless.
One waiter I worked with said he'd probably be more willing to read a tract if the person left a decent tip.
Too many christians actually think that them giving a tract IS part of the tip.
I was out the day before Christmas Eve one day, at Olive Garden. I had a delightful black girl for a waitress. This was about 5 years ago, and though I only had this waitress once, I still remember her. Since it was Christmas, I doubled my tip. We said our goodbyes and Christmas wishes, and left. She soon came running out, when she saw her tip, and profusely thanked me. I simply wished her a Merry Christmas.
Now I didn't leave a tract, but if I did, do you think she would have been more receptive of it?
The Bible tells us to be blessings to others. I think something as simple as a smile can be a blessing to someone.
I'd like to think that that tip was a blessing to that girl, if doing nothing more than bringing joy into her day and the season.
No sir, it’s not true according to God’s Word.
Whats not true???
Your statement.
Because the Word of God teaches that all true believers in Jesus Christ will GIVE EVIDENCE that they are His. As soon as a person puts His trust in Christ He is born again—the old man (the old self, all that we were in Adam) dies—he is identified with Christ and His death, burial, and resurrection; he is a “new creation,” and the old man has been crucified with Him, that our body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin Romans 6, and he has been raised up with Him to walk (live) in newness of life.
The N.T. is full of many Scriptures that clearly say that the new man has a new life in Christ, with a different walk (walk = way of living). The walk is EVIDENCE of the believer’s relationship with the Father through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.
So, how to explain your “experiences” as a waiter, etc.?
You “see” and immediately judge that these people you see (my, my, why are you looking, it’s supposed to be between them and God) are Christians who somehow “cheat” the people who wait on them, but you yourself are so great, you double tip them.
Well, #1, they may or may not be Christians. You are, afer all, just looking at an incident per person, not a lifestyle (walk) of a person. #2, you don’t know if they are a true Christian or not. In fact, you don’t know anything about the person being waited upon, or the server.
You forget Job's suffering. His suffering doesn't fit the prosperity gospel. Sometimes, suffering of the righteous lasts a lifetime, with heavenly rewards. Consider the poor beggar who died in misery, and the rich man Lazarus. Colossians tells us to seek those things which are above.
>>You forget Job’s suffering.<<
Who said I forgot the suffering? And who said anything about everybody gets everything? I simply said that many times when God blessed someone they were given great wealth.
If you somehow want to feel sanctimonious about being poor and downtrodden I say go for it.
To use the verb in its original sense, or the verb that best, today, conveys what the original verb meant, “The exception TESTS the rule.” Most of the time, usually, and as a rule, given condition X, outcome Y can be expected.
However, since God is sovereign, and we’re not, sometimes condition X gives way to outcome Z.
News, like persecution, makes headlines because it is a deviation from the routine detail of everyday life. Some saints are called to suffer. Some are called to celibacy, such as those with homoerotic temptations. Some are called to poverty.
Most of the time, usually, and as a rule, God’s default setting for our optimum blessedness and fruitfulness includes robust good health, marriage, and sufficient sufficiency so we can tithe and give and still abound.
Yes, I was actually *quite* sarcastic (although I actually heard a few guys talking this way not so long ago.) The whole concept of “Prosperity Christianity” keeps cropping up in cycles throughout American History - and the only people who ever get rich are the false prophets who preach this. My father used to listen to Reverend Ike for the man’s amazing patter - but I just distrusted the man.
I believe quite firmly that we must work to comfort the afflicted, feed the poor, shelter the homeless, console the orphan, support the widow. Nor should it be only to the extent that we feel comfortable with - it shouldn’t be about OUR comfort, but theirs. That is Christ’s lesson!
Most of us are NEVER going to be “wealthy,” no matter how diligently we work or how frugal we are or how much we try to save. It is not wealth that gives us peace, but the knowledge of our union with God.
I will aver, however, that having enough money to pay everyday bills also brings some peace.
Worst-Case Scenario,
Truly, there is only one thing that brings real peace and that is a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. It comes by believing that He came to die for the forgiveness of our sins, that we might have eternal life in Him.
Romans 3:21-5 shows the Way of Salvation.
All who believe in Him are justified (declared righteous) by faith and by His blood.
Romans 5:1 says that as a result of having been justified by faith, we have PEACE with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Romans 5:6-11: For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God keeps on demonstrating His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.
This reconciliation is our PEACE with God. This is not the peace that comes from knowing that you have enough money in the bank, or enough food on the table, or the absence of war, etc. This is the peace of God that surpasses all understanding.
Before Jesus was crucified He told His disciples that He was leaving His peace with them...John 14:27, “My peace I give to you; not as the world gives, do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.”
He told them this just after He had promised that the Father would send the Holy Spirit in His name, Who would teach them all things, and bring to their remembrance all that Jesus had said to them.
All of His present-day disciples have that peace within them, generated by the indwelling Holy Spirit, along with love, joy, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).
This is a forever peace, and may it be your peace by His grace.
Though at times I can tell a difference in a short meeting with someone, sometimes I might not know for a while. I don't "feel" christians like force users in Star Wars.
My statements had to do with Christians in restaurants being CHEAP, and waiters and waitresses not respecting "christians" because of their cheapness.
Its terrible when restaurant staff dislike "christians" because of the way they act in restaurants. Workers are there to make money, not to be preached to. And when non-christians are more generous than christians in tips, thats pathetic. At the VERY LEAST there should be no perceived difference. In actuality Christians should stand out as more gracious and generous.
I for one want to touch those around me in the slightest ways, from a smile or simple gesture. Its those that register with people, EVEN IF they don't realize it at the time. In the short term, it might be a small simple blessing to them. In the longer term, it gives me more credibility to them when I tell them of the love of Christ. To another christian, hopefully it strengthens them, knowing another brother.
At Christmas, I find the holiday season WON-DER-FUL. I try to embrace it like a child. I WANT Christmas to be special, not just to me, but to others. As adults, people get too overwhelmed with the hustle and bustle. What should be happy and gracious, becomes drudgery and anger. Wait staff end up on the receiving end of this. I CHOOSE to be the opposite. I want to be joyful and gracious (like my Lord), to be a light during a dark time.
I never know if or when I might be used, or even how. Am I to be a seed planter, or a waterer, or maybe even a harvester? Thats not my call. All I can do is be available.
Whether Jesus was born in December or June or Mearch, makes no difference. The WORLD celebrates Christmas on the 24 and 25 of December. And I want people to associate my Lords birth for the graciousness it was.
And maybe, just maybe, I'll have the chance to share with them the REAL story of Gods grace. And maybe my actions will make it more palatable and believable to them.
At the very least, when the world was beating up on that person, ONE person stood out from the crowd, and LIVED "Merry Christmas", and brought some warmth to them.
Who knows, maybe someday in heaven, someone will come up and tell me they knew I was a christian BY WHAT I DID, and that what I did watered the seed that someone else planted.
Sounds to me like a pretty good blessing for tomorrow, for just a few bucks today.
Makes me think of the movie Schindlers List, where near the end of the movie Oscar Schindler wept and grieved over the things that HE HAD, that they could have "bought" the lives of more people. $4 can buy a Bible, $30 can buy 3 months of food in a third world country, my $100 plus the $100's from others can support a missionary, who can show others, who would not otherwise know of Gods love.
When reading the Bible one cannot but notice the words used to describe the blessings for obedience. Job, Abraham, David and many others were rewarded with great wealth and prosperity for being faithful.
Might I suggest covenant theology would provide useful insights for analyzing this. Blessing and curse in the scriptures tend to be covenant sanctions.
Thank you for explaining. Sarcasm is sometimes....okay, MOST of the time, lost on me.
Thanks, but no thanks.
I'm convinced God is not done with Israel.
Bringing them back now and setting the stage for the last seven years which are going to be a doozy!
Amen
Thankfully we won't be here to see it.
Thank you. I agree and have found my peace with Him.
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