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Financial Prosperity: A Curse Or A Blessing by ngosayogie(m): 2:32pm On Nov 20, 2012 |
Source: www.mightofapen./2012/11/18/financial-prosperity-a-curse-or-a-blessing/ Needless to say, one thing is for sure and that’s the fact that God wants us to prosper (Deuteronomy 8:18, Jeremiah 29:11, Genesis 15:1). He makes us know that his thought for us is that of good and not for evil. God wants us to be comfortable on earth. He does not want us to lack and he wants us to have everything. “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!” (Mathew 7:11) In the bible, we are told of many people God blessed. We have Abraham. He had so much that even nations envied him. David was no different. Lot had so much and even after the troubles in his life, he had far more than he had in the beginning. From all perspectives, this people were wealthy even beyond words could imagine. Again, Jesus says that: Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” (Mathew 19:24). We are told of Solomon who had so much, and after a time, he slowly began to shift away from God. He tasted all that life could offer and at the end of his life, he concluded that all was vanity. Again, we have the story of Lazarus and the Rich man. The Rich man had it all. Lazarus was a mere bagger at his gate and after their deaths, Lazarus made heaven while the once wealthy man begged to get a drop of water on his quenching tongue (Luke 16:19). The foolish rich man again, was a man who exalted himself, even above God and took solace in his material possessions. He never acknowledged God and at the end, it became the death of him (Luke 12:16-21). Now away from our bible. We have Christians who are exceeding prosperous in all their earthly ventures and we have Christians who can barely make it through three square meals a day. Today, we have preachers who are criticized for being wealthy. Their lifestyle is a spectacle for the media. Their complain: Why would preachers live in affluence while their members squander in penury? Does a labourer not deserve his wages? Even one in the household of God. Again, we are made known about the lives of the early apostles of Christ. They were noted for many things. They separated themselves from the ways of this world. They were citizens of a different nation, though they dwelled among men. They didn’t seek after material gains, but instead they sought for a greater gain. “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.20But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.22″The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light.23But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!24″No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.” (Mathew 6:19-24). There was a time when a man came to Jesus seeking eternal life. He boasted of how he obeyed all the laws and how he lived the right life. Jesus gave him one final test: “Sell all you have and follow me”. Seeing that he had so much, he could not part away from his might possession and so he left Jesus disappointed. (Mathew 10:21). Can you part with all you have to follow Jesus? In this case of this man, he had so much and yet was afraid to lose what he had. But, he was not the first Jesus had called. Before him were the twelve. They answered his calls with hesitation. Even Matthew the tax collector (Back then, tax collectors were seen as evil and corrupt people who oppressed the poor to get high gains.). The case is different from the twelve for they did not have much to call their own in contrast to this wealthy man. Didn’t you observe how easy is was for them to discard all they had a follow Jesus, unlike the wealthy man? Another scenario was a wealthy centurion, Cornelius the Centurion who Jesus sent Peter to meet (Acts 10) . The centurion obeyed God and prayed much to him and he was a God fearing man, but he didn’t know Jesus. (I am the way the truth and the light, no one comes to the father except by me. John 14:16). So he needed to get saved by knowing and admitting Jesus as the Lord and Saviour (Romans 10:9). Although he was rich and he also obeyed God, there was one thing peculiar about him: “Your prayer and your alms have come as a memorial before God.” (Acts 10:14.). He gave. Was it just about giving? Surely if it was, then all wealthy men would have been saved. Look at the scenario between a rich man and a poor widow. The rich man flaunted his offering and gave much because he was rich. The disciples (Being MEN) saw that this rich man gave more than any other person, but Jesus opposed saying that the poor widow gave more. Why? Because she gave from her heart not just because she wanted the praise of man or because she had so much that she needed to give some away. Back to the very beginning of this post. Is it God’s will for us to be wealthy and prosper how is it his will that he have little or nothing. It is quite apparent that he wants the best for us. If it quite apparent that God wants us to prosper, but there is a problem: The misuse of wealth or prosperity by man. There is a story of a man when he was poor, could sweep the entire church and would never miss a church service. He prayed to be rich and after God finally answered his prayers, he swayed away from God. He missed service and he definitely saw himself too big to lay hands on a broom on even arrange the chairs in church. Unknown to him, wealth had become a curse rather than a blessing. James 4:3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. 4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. 16 But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil. I have just open question: You want to be rich, but have you examined yourself and know why you really want so much money? The bible tells us that contentment with God is great gain. Or is it that God knows that like that man, you’ll turn away from him once he grants you your heart desire? It’s quite unfortunate and very true that many preachers have abused the seat of leadership of the church as an avenue to make money. Many preachers are seen in flamboyant cars and in large entourage. Building mansions all over the place. But I have just one question: If one egg is bad, does that make all the eggs bad? Remember that counterfeits can all exists because there are originals. If there were no originals, then the word ‘counterfeit’ would not come into play. In my opening sentences, we saw people who were rich and stayed faithful to God and we saw others who were rich and never stayed faithful to God, or like Solomon were attracted by the things of this world. |
Re: Financial Prosperity: A Curse Or A Blessing by Dejiro(m): 3:51pm On Nov 20, 2012 |
Re: Financial Prosperity: A Curse Or A Blessing by olamideayodeji1: 4:35pm On Nov 20, 2012 |
I quite agree with most of d things u said but am confused bout smtn why are the prophets in the bible not rich men like pastors of nowadays. Both in d old and new testament. Abraham, david, solomon etc were not prophets they were just good men who believed in God. Elijah, elisha, john the baptist, paul, peter and d rest were Prophets, preacher of the word and there was no record of any of dem having numerous sheep, cattles or camels even Jesus christ was not a rich man. Why didn't they amass wealth unlike pastors of now dat cruise about in private jets. Jesus christ preached smewhere and fed 6000 men with bread n fish, hw many pastors have single handedly provide for the less priviledge in their church they rather preach dat u sow b4 u can reap. I believe this is not right smetn is wrong somewhere. |
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