September 14, 2006
-
Bible Study by Pastor Don 9/13/06
PROSPERITY
Pastor Don mentioned the Time Magazine article that is currently in the news about the new Prosperity message in the Church.
He pointed out that we can judge the validity of what God is doing by what the world attacks. If God is doing something that threatens satan’s reign, the world will attack.
What has been happening today is that the prosperity message is being spread outside of the faith churches. satan wants to stop this message from reaching many people. To do this he has to attack the heart of the message, and get the church into division. There are those who feel that prosperity message is heresy, and others who hold to the doctrine.
Pastor Don pointed out that there are times when our talent takes us to places that our character can’t sustain. There are those who misuse the prosperity message. The reality is that God can use all of us, mistakes and all to advance his message.
The Christian life is a good thing.
The Christian life with the power of the Holy Ghost is a better thing.We can’t expect the world to give us a fair accounting in the news reports.
In the Christian faith there are two aspects of prosperity – there is financial prosperity and spiritual prosperity. God wants us to prosper both ways.
Many people put a premium on their suffering for Christ, claiming that sickness and challenges are life are suffering for Christ. Not so. The only way that we can suffer for Christ is like He did, for the sake of the Gospel. Jesus did not suffer poverty, sickness, spiritual defeat, or other examples of a broken down Gospel.
Money is a tool in the hand of the believer. Jesus worked in his father’s carpenter shop as a child. There is no record in the Bible that Jesus was ever a beggar. He had enough finances for His mission. His garment was a seamless garment, so valuable that the Roman Soldiers cast lots to win the garment instead of tearing it into even pieces.
Wherever Jesus went he drafted disciples. He did not have only the twelve disciples, but hundreds of disciples followed Him. We can prove this because in the beginning of Acts they picked a disciple to replace Judas, and the criterion was that the person had to have been with Jesus from the beginning of his ministry.
Jesus’ disciples were also not poor – they owned fishing fleets, they were tax collectors. He did not recruit beggars. It cost money to travel the way they traveled, to do what they did.
There is a tendency in some churches to keep the Pastor poor – feeling that the pastor should not have too many worldly possessions. While some in the Catholic church like St. Francis chose to give their money to the church, the truth is that the Church takes care of their own and it should take care of its own.
If you look at the Old Testament you see that the priesthood of the Jews – the Levites – were taken care of by the people. There were sacrifices and offerings that belonged to the Levites, and even though they did not own property, they had all the things they needed. They were cared for from the offerings of the Temple/Church. And in the modern church there is often a rectory to provide housing for the Pastor, so that the pastor can concentrate on the needs of the church.
God’s promises are for us – whether good or bad promises. They are not just for the Jews, but for those who are the sons of Abraham (spiritual sons). We can only claim the promises if we have the faith of Abraham. Abraham believed God and God accounted it for righteousness. The Jews did not think it out of context to believe that the promises were for them, that the promises can be claimed by them. As they can be claimed by us, who are the sons and daughters of the faith of Abraham. This unfortunately also applies for the curses if we step outside of God’s will.
Jeremiah 29:8-9 For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Do not let your prophets and your diviners who are in your midst deceive you, nor listen to your dreams which you cause to be dreamed. For they prophesy falsely to you in My name; I have not sent them, says the LORD.
Everything that you dream is not of God. Some dreams are from the input into the flesh, and are not truth. They portray fleshly fears and desires. Other times the dreams are true prophesy. Pastor Don pointed out that one time a family brought their little son to him thinking that the nightmares the child was having were from demonic forces. Upon questioning the child, he realized that the nightmares came from what was being input in him. Turns out that his older brothers were watching scary movies like Jurassic Park, and the boy was too young to handle the scary images and they came out as nightmares.
God sends prophetic dreams in the form of visions, but they are not the same as a dream. A dream fades pretty quickly, but a vision will last longer – some visions a person never forgets. We usually know what the message is that God is trying to portray, as he gives a word of knowledge, a word of wisdom. You are usually left in awe of God. Visions change you life.
Jeremiah 29:10-11 For thus says the LORD: After seventy years are completed at Babylon, I will visit you and perform My good word toward you, and cause you to return to this place. For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.
Most people stop with the promise of verse 11, not realizing that there is a condition. The context of this verse was the upcoming exile of Israel to Babylon – and God wants to give the people not evil, but something good, a future (not early death but long life) a hope for something in the future that is better than what you have now. He promises us that what we are going through is for good, not evil.
But people forget the conditional part of this promise:
Verse 12-13 Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.
We need to call upon God, pray to God, be searching for God with ALL OUR HEART. Most of us do not do that.
Verse 14 I will be found by you, says the LORD, and I will bring you back from your captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you, says the LORD, and I will bring you in the place from which I cause you to be carried away captive.
We have been captive to things in our lives. Captive of doubt and unbelief, captive of perversion, captive of drugs and alcohol, captive of strife, captive of sickness and disease, captive of distress. When we are captive we are focused on who we perceive we are, not focused on God.
This regathering of the tribes happened back in the days of Nebuchadnezzar, but it is also happening today (in Israel).
How does God give correction? If you commit an iniquity God will, through the rod of men or circumstances, come to us to give correction. It could happen through a difficult and adversarial relationship and it’s purpose is to cause us to change. God will not strike us with a disease to correct us, but he may remove His hand of protection from over us and leave us open to sickness from satan. God will correct us the way a loving father corrects his child. Sometimes we have to go into captivity, much the same as Israel went into captivity, to get our attention. Not only will God use others to correct us, but if they get carried away in their correction of us like Nebuchadnezzar did, God will correct them.
Sometimes the way a passage in the Bible reads, it seems as if God is causing the problem, but that is because we don’t realize that in Hebrew there is no Permissive verbs. So a passage may read “I will put you” instead of “I will permit you to experience this”. God did not put the plagues on people, he did allow them to affect people.
When we receive correction from the rod of man the immature Christian will respond negatively to the correction and maybe turn aggressive. The Mature Christian will say “Oh, this hurts so good.” They will realize that the correction is done in love to help them grow spiritually.
God will keep teaching you the lesson until you get it.
Correction can come through positive and negative messages. Pastor Don explained that just because someone makes a comment to you it doesn’t mean that what they are saying is accurate. It is up to you to take the comment to God and find out if it is an accurate critique. He used me as an example. I love long denim skirts, and he said that if a brother in Christ came up to me and said that my skirt was too short, that it was provocative. I could listen to the critique and realize that it is in error – for my skirt touches my ankles and unless a person had a foot fetish, my skirt was not too short.
God can use a false report of error as a correction for us too. He may be wanting to see how we react to that false report. Do we jump down the person’s throat, do we worry even when the report isn’t true, or do we listen and then respectfully point out to the person that they are in error. God may be wanting to change our response to the false report. So even a false criticism can be a learning rod in God’s hand.
God will use whatever it takes to get you from point A to point B. And if you don’t get it the first time, he will keep sending it. It is up to us to check out the reports, against the Word and against what the Holy Spirit is telling us.
Pastor Don gave the example of David, when he danced before the ark in a very unroyal way, to praise and worship God. His wife mocks him, and her womb is closed. David had a choice how to handle her mocking. He could have agreed with her and been shamed – something that would have affected his kingship from that time forward, he could have tried to backpedal and make up for the shameful behavior. Instead he realized she was in error, that what he did was pure worship for God. The shutting up of her womb need not have been from God – it could have happened naturally. David could have avoided her or she could have avoided sleeping with a king that was an embarrassment to her.
God does not always have a direct hand in our correction – natural man often is His rod of correction, or natural disasters such as earthquakes, plague, or famine. God, when He created the earth knew the end from the beginning. Much of what happens here was already set in motion when God spoke creation. John, in Revelation, talks about major disasters like earthquakes worse than ever before. God has those scheduled, and He does not have to take His hand and shake the earth. He spoke of these things from the beginning.
Pride in and of itself is not a bad thing. We need to be proud of what God has done in us, proud of what we are doing for God’s glory. Pride becomes bad when it is mixed with conceit, for then it becomes negative arrogance.
THE BLESSINGS OF GOD
They bring us peace, joy, future hope.
Jeremiah 29:12-13 (see above) the people needed to have the response of calling on God with ALL THEIR HEART.
We also see this principle in the New Testament when Jesus talks to his disciples about the birds of the air and the lilies of the field, and then instructs them to seek ye first the kingdom of God and all things will be added unto you.
Jeremiah 29:16-19 Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts: Behold, I will send on them the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, and will make them like rotten figs that cannot be eaten, they are so bad. And I will pursue them with the sword, with famine, and with pestilence; and I will deliver them to a trouble among all the kingdoms of the earth–to be a curse, an astonishment, a hissing, and a reproach among all the nations where I have driven them, because they have not heeded My words, says the LORD, which I sent to them by My servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them; neither would you heed, says the LORD.
This passage is also written without the Permissive verbs – so this was I will allow them to be sent, etc.
When people speak of prosperity today they quote Jeremiah 29:11, but they will not have those blessings without Jeremiah 29:12-13 – to call out to God with their whole heart. (Heather’s note: I can relate to that, for so often I hold back parts of myself to God – when I first got saved I remember talking with Pastor Don about how God can come here and here in me, but not there. Pastor Don told me that God will patiently wait until I give Him permission, he won’t storm my fortress, he isn’t an abusive father. I now seek God with more of my heart than ever before, but there are still areas that I need to let Him in.)
What was prophesied here in Jeremiah is again about to happen. Israel has returned to their land, but many of the Jews are secular – God will keep allowing circumstances in the surrounding countries to drive more and more to seek God with their whole heart. Also, we as the Church, are also dealing with this prophesy – for we are spiritual sons and daughters of Abraham, and as such can claim this promise. Are we seeking God with our whole heart?
Verse 10 of Jeremiah 29 points out that God was going to have them brought to Babylon for 70 years. Daniel will be there at the time – and even though he was captive of Nebuchadnezzar, he and his three companions did not give in and worship an idol, they did not follow the luxurious ways of the court – they kept pure and worshipped God. After the 70 years was up, Daniel reminded God that now was the time for them to return to their land. An angel answered his prayer, and the people were allowed to return to Israel with possessions and riches. They were blessed by God, but not all of them chose to go back.
Jeremiah 29:20-23 Therefore hear the word of the LORD, all you of the captivity, whom I have sent from Jerusalem to Babylon. Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, concerning Ahab the son of Kolaiah, and Zedekiah the son of Maaseiah, who prophesy a lie to you in My name: Behold, I will deliver them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he shall slay them before your eyes. And because of them a curse shall be taken up by all the captivity of Judah who are in Babylon, saying, “The LORD make you like Zedekiah and Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire”: because they have done disgraceful things in Israel, have committed adultery with their neighbors’ wives, and have spoken lying words in My name, which I have not commanded them. Indeed I know, and am a witness, says the LORD.
The blessings are only effective if the people qualify for them – seeking God with their whole heart. Here we see that Israel did not do this, they chose to believe lies, and committed adultery (sought other idols).
Jeremiah 30:1-3 The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, “Thus speaks the LORD God of Israel, saying: “Write in a book for yourself all the words that I have spoken to you. For behold, the days are coming,” says the LORD, “That I will bring back from captivity My people Israel and Judah,” says the LORD. “And I will cause them to return to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall possess it.”
This is the blessing of God – and it is true today. But God will also punish those who oppressed Israel, Jeremiah 30:17-21 “For I will restore health to you and heal you of your wounds,” says the LORD, “Because they called you an outcast saying: “This is Zion: No one seeks her.”‘ “Thus says the LORD: ‘Behold, I will bring back the captivity of Jacob’s tents, and have mercy on his dwelling places; the city shall be built upon its own mound, and the palace shall remain according to its own plan. Then out of them shall proceed thanksgiving and the voice of those who make merry; I will multiply them, and they shall not diminish; I will also glorify them, and they shall not be small. Their children shall be as before, and their congregation shall be established before me; and I will punish all who oppress them. Their nobles shall be from among them, and their governor shall come from their midst; Then I will cause him to draw near. And he shall approach me; For who is this who pledged his heart to approach me?” says the LORD. You shall be My people and I will be your God.’” (Heather’s note – what I love is that even in captivity God gave them words of hope and promise, and he did not back off from being their God.)
God has placed His Word above Himself. He has to keep His promise. We need to be careful not to let satan try to talk us out of what God says he has planned for us. Don’t let satan tell us lies. We have to fight satan’s lies.
We need to obey God. If we are in the wrong place at the wrong time, God will not bless us. If we are seeking prosperity for greed and self gain it is the wrong use of money. Prosperity will not happen. God will not prosper someone who will be a poor witness.
Whether or not we like President Bush, he has done some good things for God. Because of his presidency, there is an opening for the church to get its message out. A window of opportunity before the new world order shuts that down. Because of the US involvement worldwide the gospel is reaching places it hasn’t reached before.
Don’t be afraid of prosperity teachings, don’t buy into the anti-propserity lies. Remember that prosperity is not just financial but also spiritual prosperity. We can be in better health, better mental condition, physical condition, and financial condition. As Paul says, he has been both rich and poor and rejoices in both. There are times when God puts us on the mountain top, other times we are in the valley. We are to praise God wherever we are at the moment.
I am hoping that God prospers you today, and that you are blessed beyond your wildest dreams.
Heather
Comments (22)
Wondering04 posted :
Hmm, I think it depends on the circumstances how bright my light is – church is important, but I have found that it doesn’t really have much to do with how bright a light is shown – some attend church and when they are home it is utter darkness.
Heather
Posted 9/13/2006 at 10:49 AM by wondering04 – delete – block user
<TABLE class=blogbody cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=1 width=”100%” border=0>
<TBODY>
<TR>
<TD width=”5%”>
<TD vAlign=top>
Thanks for the review,and comment.Iguess 04 you might describe that light as a flash light, a narrow beam of light pointed in one direction which is only benificial to the person who is holding the light. I think christians should shine in a 3 A mold that being: 1)Absolute,2)Anywhere,3)Anytime !
Good balance on the prosperity message. We can’t throw the baby out with the water for sure! God wants us to prosper…..but not for selfish gain….we need to be about His business with His resources.
I read that article in Time magazine as well. I’ve been reading up and listening to the “prosperity gospel” myself recently. I think the real issue is whether the “prosperity gospel” is really gospel or not. I think that’s the real theological issue that irks many concerned Christians who so adamantly disagree with the prosperity gospel – and i don’t think the disagreements arise b/c satan instigates this. the real issue is about truth. is the true gospel being preached or not – is it theologically and biblically sound?
Perversion of the Gospel
I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed!
As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!
For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ. For I would have you know, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.
– galatians 1: 6 – 12 (NASB)
many of the preachers who preach this prosperity “gospel” – if you can really call it that- don’t really seem to know what the gospel is really about. some just cater to the desires of man and reduce God’s message to catch phrases like “God has a wonderful plan for your life” and omit crucial foundational truths like the fallen nature of man b/c of sin, his helpless condition, his need for salvation, God’s grace, Christ’s atonement, justification, etc.
It really seems as if what they preach is a man-centered gospel instead of a God-centered gospel. A lot of it is based on pop-psychology and much of it is influenced by American culture that idolizes wealth and status. And many times, it seems as if God is nothing more than a big errand-boy who caters to the whims of our wanting- what we “loose” or “bind” by our will to use their own terminology. I think it’s just a trend or a phase in today’s evangelical subculture.
There’s a real danger that those who follow this prosperity gospel will follow a God or Jesus that is a creation of their own desires and wants and not follow the Jesus of the Scriptures – the REAL Jesus. They will follow an idol of Jesus who has no power, no reality of his own. The real Jesus challenges us, contradicts us, changes us.
the real issue is whether the true gospel is being preached or not. if you listen to the sermons these preachers preach (i was seduced to believing them) you find out how much bad theology they carry. does it have good things to offer? Yes it does – it stresses much upon God’s goodness, provision, blessings, etc. But i think it overemphasizes those aspects as to create harmful and even destructive pathologies in the church. And those pastors and teachers will have to give an account for that on when they stand before the Lord on the last day.
I believe the reasons being also why satan is attacking is like God showed me in a few of my teachings I shared and dreams and vision. GOD is BUILDING his church. They way it was suppose to be because we also half to understand that what season are we in. What is God coming back for. His church his ppl .. Amen . and satan doesnt want us to prosper. And when Gods church is built the reason satan is so mad. Is because we will no longer rely on the WORLDS SYSTEM but GODS SYSTEM the way it should be so we are not in BONDAGE any more But set free from the yokes and the oppresser if ppl would read the word and understand it more they would see and understand who GOD realy is ITS A BIGGY. I LOVE IT.. Praise GOD.. Thanks for your posting..
I would have to say to this (by American culture that idolizes wealth and status)
Wealth is not always MONEY PPL.. you half to have a clear understanding OF THE WHOLE GOSPEL.
Fear Oh fear calleth the name upon those who do not take heed to my words. For my word do not lie. My words to speak the truth . Doesnt not my word say to show thy self approved of God. SEEK ye first the kingdom of God and ALL THESE things shall be added unto you. What did I promise? What is my promise look to me and see that I have a plan to prosper you and not to harm you not to forsake you sayeth the lord .. But seek me in all matters and in truth. Trust in the lord with ALL YOUR HEART and LEAN NOT On your OWN understanding In ALL YOUR WAYS acknowledge him and HE Will direct your paths. I have not changed. Man has changed for I am the same today yesturday and tomorrow. For your hearts have grown waxen cold and you wonder why you are not healed .. You wonder why you do not prosper you doubting tom didnt you read and understand that I have given you life .. Freedom wholeness healing wealth and prosperity.. But you claim you knew me, but I say unto you depart from me you workers of iniquity I new you not. Stop holding my children in bondage for my ppl shall be set free from iniquity as they seek me and my ways. I will direct their Path you who has a spirit hear what the spirit says to the church bend and bow repent and turn for the day and the hour is coming and is unknow. Prepare me the way says the lord for I will build my house for if the builder build in vain it is not of me says the lord.. For I come back for a church who is a pure spotless bride… Get read I say get ready and prepare me the way. says the lord.
Sorry about that .. Just came out and to the commentor about his doubt on prosperity the bible is balance yes we follow Jesus but Jesus also gave us keys to the kingdom of God you take the bible as whole not in part ..
Job 36:11 If they obey and serve [him], they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures.
Key word OBEY and SERVE (Who) HIM.
Psalms 30:6 And in my prosperity I said, I shall never be moved.
When God Prosperess you we are not to forgot who gave it..!!!
Psalms 35:27 Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let the LORD be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant.
I realy think its sad when some one cant receive all God has for their life cause they have fear and A poverty spirit mentality.
God bless and thanks again for the word Heather.. Be blessed
Amen .. Why to your question.. Out of the abundance of a mans heart is the issues of life.. Poverty, greedy dont want to give, Selfishness, Pride, fear. So much more LOL. but its to their loss.. Sad to say.. God bless .. Jenna
Danny, I agree, the problem is whether or not the real gospel is being preached. Yes, to be children of the promise we have to come to Christ, we do realize that we are sinners in need of a savior. And I think if you read the above article you would see that prosperity is not just financial prosperity, but also spiritual – mind, body, soul prosperity, a prosperity of joy and peace and relationship with God. What testimony is it of God if we are walking around without joy? The problem is not having financial wealth, the problem is if that wealth is an idol or being used for selfish purposes, it is not of God. But if we are using what God gives us for His kingdom, if we are testifying about the Goodness of God, and reaching out to others, then it edifies God’s kingdom. If we are focusing solely on wealth, giving expecting to get, etc. that is not what God is stating. If we focus on God, and obey God, the rest follows. People can make as much an idol of poverty as they can of wealth. They can make an idol of their sickness or their health. They can make an idol of their studies and knowledge or their ignorance. The way idols are made is when we take the focus off of God and God’s will for us. We need to trust God’s sovereignty, obey His word. And frankly, if God has made a promise to believers, I want to claim every promise possible – not for selfish purposes but so I can be more effective in doing God’s will.
Whenever a truth is taught, there will also be those who will pervert the truth. That is why we have to be discerning. Some of the prosperity preachers are not preaching Biblical truth, but because some are not, does not mean that all are not. Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater. Find the truth, seek His Word, and obey His commands.
Heather
There is no record in the Bible that Jesus was ever a beggar. He had enough finances for His mission. His garment was a seamless garment, so valuable that the Roman Soldiers cast lots to win the garment instead of tearing it into even pieces.
“Wherever Jesus went he drafted disciples. He did not have only the twelve disciples, but hundreds of disciples followed Him. We can prove this because in the beginning of Acts they picked a disciple to replace Judas, and the criterion was that the person had to have been with Jesus from the beginning of his ministry.
Jesus’ disciples were also not poor – they owned fishing fleets, they were tax collectors. He did not recruit beggars. It cost money to travel the way they traveled, to do what they did.”
~Quote by Hudson Taylor: “God’s work done God’s way will never lack God’s supplies.”
Also, I completely agree with you on the vision/dream statement. Visions do last longer and I just went through this experience a couple of months ago.
I am at work so I am not able to finish this, but I will try to later. Thanks for sharing this awesome post!!
Have a Great Day!…..In Christ’s Love….Monic
Glad to hear you are enjoying the “1st Peter Series”. I think our Pastor is doing an excellant job of breaking it down for us.
Thanks for the comment!
In Christ,
Eric
RYC-thanks!!!!!
I see a great debate here, and it is good though. What matters most is our heart. As I serve the people who are struggling under the bondage of poverty, I see no merits in it. If I had the power, I wish to change their condition so that they would be able to walk with their heads high. Poverty is such a force that destroys not only the body, but the very soul of man. I am convinced that God does not take pleasure in poverty for the sake of poverty. But should it come our way for believing in Him, then we must take it with all our hearts knowing and believing that God will deliver us from it. BR
There’s a lot of interesting things here for me to ponder… but mostly I’m working over and over in my mind the possibility of the Christian life without the power of the Holy Spirit. I need a lot of time with this… my exercise in missing the point.
Grace & peace be with you,
Steve
Heather,
I am sure I do not walk in the prosperity that God wants. But I think prosperity is different in the OT than the NT. In the OT riches were a sign of blessing, but in the NT there are soooo many warnings. It is impossible for a rich man to enter the kingdom. We shouldn’t dismiss His warning so lightly. Also, I wonder if this is just an American-Christian phenomenon. Since we are more addicted to mammon than any other country. The starving, faithful and obedient brothers and sisters in Africa do no teach or believe this prosperity message.
Rick
Rick & BR: RYC, Rich Mullins once said that if you went around the world and looked at what passages were underlined in the Bible, we would see that different people in different countries underlined different things – and probably the whole Bible would be underlined.
I think regarding that parable that the young man in question was a slave to mammon – and in his case that is true that the rich man could not enter the kingdom, but Jesus read his heart and knew that the man was not willing to give all to God, his loyalty was divided between his inheritance and following Jesus. Not everyone is like that rich young man. You are right not to dismiss his warning – but at the same time, His warnings are individual, some people are not caught up in worshipping money – some use money as a tool to help the kingdom.
Regarding the brothers and sisters in Africa – who knows how God will move in their lives.
What amazes me is that every comment against prosperity mentions money as if all we can think of with prosperity is money: PROSPERITY IS ABOUT MORE THAN MONEY!!!! It is also about family, spiritual growth, intellectual growth, friendship, ability to serve. Perhaps those that only focus on the money angle are the ones that money would be a detriment to. For me, I have never given expecting abundant money in return, but rather abundant relationship with God. I firmly believe that if I keep my focus on God, let God know my needs and desires (and often I ask Him to give me the correct desires), the rest takes care of itself. If I need money to meet needs, I also ask Him about that, but I don’t see giving as a financial transaction – I give you this and you give me that with interest.
The other thing people are not reading in the above is OBEDIENCE to God is the most important qualifier. If we are obedient to God, if we put God first, if we love others as God loves us, would money be the problem for us – I really don’t think so, for then we would be using money the same way we use a screwdriver to repair something, or a wash cloth to clean something – it becomes a tool to be used in service of God, not an idol.
That being said, sometimes it takes poverty or distress, or problems to make us realize that our lives aren’t working and we need a savior. God will use what is necessary to draw us into relationship with him. It isn’t God that gives poverty, but God will use poverty in much the same way as he uses those things in our past that have hurt us – He will turn them into something good.
Heather
RYC: Well said Heather! Agreed.
Heather,
I accpet the rebuke. To focus on money and ignore other prosperity that is promised is a sign that I have trouble seeing past what “toubles” me. But I have seen so much abuse in this area that I over-react. I can tell from this and your other postings that you want Him more than His blessings. I apologize.
But just because we have blessings, doesn’t mean that the spirit of mammon is not more subtle and powerful than we would like to belive. We always want more.
I guess all truths, blessings, and gifts ultimately finds their life or death at the cross. We can use them to bless and heal or use them to further our agenga. We all have have agendas/kingdoms we want to protect. I want to be “right”. Hopefully I will bow to the cross that the part if me that “needs that” dies. It is not important that I am “right” but that I am a disciple of the one who “is right”.
The Lord Bless and keep you and make his face shine on you.
rick
Rick, I wasn’t trying to rebuke. I think that a good teaching does sometimes get our hackles up. There are topics that Pastor Don teaches that send me up a wall, resonate with me like chalk on a blackboard – and sometimes I know that those are the very ones that I need to work on in my life. And you are right, any idol can worm its way into our lives. And it doesn’t announce itself loudly, it creeps in. Humility can be a source of pride. Scholarship can be a source of pride – satan will use anything. The only place we are safe is by focusing on Jesus.
Heather
I am one who will not Preach the Prosperity gospel because it is a message you can’t Preach every where especially in poor section of towns. Do I believe God propers people, yes I do. Why would He want us to prosper, to help others and get the Gospel out. Satan is not the one who is attacking this message but well grounded men of God.
Some of the men who Preach this message don’t even Preach a message that would lead to eternal life. I appreciate the things that you have posted and most of them I agree on. We can disagree and still be friends but I have listened to this Prosperity gospel and see that it is no gospel at all but so many teach it. The only people who seem to prosper is the ones who Preach it.
This is not a rebuke but it is a deep conviction and hope that you want be mad at me for this post.
GOOD MORNING, HEATHER!
LOVED THE POST; VERY INFORMATIVE…….
IN CHRIST’S LOVE,
SHARON
RYC, I think it is important to teach the whole Bible, and perhaps those on the poorer side of town might be blessed by hearing about tithing, etc. And again, as with most nay sayers, I think you are thinking that prosperity relates only to financial – but there is spiritual prosperity, prosperity of joy, prosperity of spiritual gifts, etc.
Heather
I got a thunk on the head by the LOrd about prosperity once,thinking that it was all about finances,and realizing (after the thunk) and more importantly,that He wants me to prosper spiritually.I have been blessed both ways,not emphasizing the $ butpraising the Lord for opening my eyes for spiritual growth,and the blessings that brings.I have found a desire to use my financial blessings to help out those who are less fortunate. I am reminded of these words of Jesus from Matthew 25:
35For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
37″Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?