ya know... I think JG Wenthworth's slogan could also be applied to the root of the prosperity movement... " It's MY money and I want it NOW" ... the root of the movement is fleshly selfishness. Who are we to DEMAND God to do, or give us anything?! We are wretched vile creatures who deserve nothing but destruction yet He has given us the greatest give of wealth that is the grace and mercy of salvation... not of all our wordly sinful desires.
Ephesians 4:28: "Work so that you:rolleyes: may have something to share with those in need!"
James 4:3: �When you ask you do not receive, because you ask with the wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures:devil:!"
In the old covenant God's commandments were only preached to Jews but in the New Covenant Jesus commands us to preach to every nation in the world teaching them to obey *EVERYTHING* He commanded and everything would also include all of the approximately 400 NT commandments also taught in Acts to Revelation {See 2 Timothy 3-16 to 4:2.}
Jesus also eliminated the earthly rewards for faithful service and commanded us to sell our possessions and give to the poor and get *TREASURES IN HEAVEN* and **THEN** come follow Him.
Luke 12:33,34: Jesus says, �Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted....For where your treasure is there your heart will be also.�:angel:
Matthew 20:20-24: �All these {Commandments} I have kept, the young man said. �What do I still lack?� Jesus answered, �If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. **THEN** come, follow Me.� When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth. Then Jesus says, �It is hard for a rich man to enter the *KINGDOM OF HEAVEN*. It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than it is for a rich man to enter the *KINGDOM OF GOD*.�
Luke 6:20: Jesus says �Blessed are you who are *POOR*, for *YOURS* is the *KINGDOM OF GOD*.�:applause:
2 Corinthians 6:4-10: As servants of God:rolleyes: we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance, in troubles, hardships and distresses, in beatings, imprisonments; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love, in truthful speech and in the power of God; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; dying, and yet we live on; beaten and yet not killed; *POOR*, yet making many rich; *HAVING NOTHING*; and yet possessing everything.�:angel:
I Timothy 6:5-10: There are men of corrupt mind:devil:, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain. But godliness with contentment is great gain....If we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.�
Unfortunately there are many who teach the Satanic Prosperity Gospel:devil: such as Joel Osteen, Benny Hinn and Kenneth Copeland who teach the exact opposite of what Jesus commanded in His New Covenant.
John 12:48: Jesus says, "There is a Judge for the one who does not accept My Words; that very Word which I spoke will condemn him at the Last Day."
I John 2:3-5: " We know that we have come to know Him {Jesus} *IF* we obey His commands. The man who says, "I know Him," but does not do what He commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But if anyone obeys His Word, God's love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in Him!!":applause::angel::peace:
The early saints followed the commands of Jesus and the NT Covenant:
Acts 2:44,45: "*ALL* the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need." Acts 4:32: "*ALL* the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had.":angel:
You're right, but if you or anyone can only see asking for God's blessings as seeking to be wealthy then you have problems with spiritually understanding God's word of truth.
You must then understand what BLESSINGS are that He gives to us in your daily life to live, keeping us from living in the dust heaps of life. Prosperity is not about being wealthy, as you and others might think. Otherwise, why does God bless some to prosper and other do not?
You are again, spekaing about a prosperity movement of so-called spiritual leader who have taken the word of God as many do out of context of what God has said, and taken God's promises to prosper(bless) us to mean wealth, and this IS NOT WHAT OD IS SPEAKING ABOUT>
If you already know the Lord, and you are already walking in His word, and you can't make your bills each month and you are struggling to buyt food, Jesus says not to worry becasue He will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory. But He also exhorts us to ASK, SEEK, AND KNOCK, and tells us if a worldly father who does not know the Lord can give good things to his children when they ask , how much more will God give to His children good things when we ask, seek, and knock.
You cannot deny God's promises in His word to His children, you cannot deny what He tells us about making our prayer requests know to Him, you cannot deny Jesus telling us that WHATSOEVER we ask if we believe without doubting it will be done... so if you deny such passages and all the others, then you also must be able to explain what it is meant by WHATSOEVER YOU ASK, and if two are gather and shall ask ANYTHING IN MY NAME, you should also be ready to explain what Jesus means by ASKING ANYTHING IN MY NAME WITHOUT DOUBTING IT SHALL BE DONE... SURELY, THOSE WHO DENOUNCE PROSPERITY OR BEING PROSPEROUS ARE ABLE TO EXPLAIN THESE PASSAGES, and what it means to BEL BLESSED OF GOD AS WE ARE TOLD IN ALL THINGS... remember, we are also told that God rains on the saints and the sinners. So surely you can explain this passage as well... so this would seem to mean that siants are those wo already know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, and are prosperous not only in spiritual things of God, and have treasures laid up in heaven, but in other things materially, if the passage says in ALL THING. and God rains... Is this to mean He only rains spiritually or in ALLTHINGS in the believrs life who ask, seek, and knock?...
You should also be ready to explain what Jesus means by IF YOU OBEY MY COMMANDS AND ABIDE IN ME, WHOSOEVER YOU ASK I WILL ASK OF THE FATHER AND HE WILL DO IT FOR YOU... so just what does Jesu mean in this saying?
If you cannot explain what these passages mean then you are not able to righteously judge or condemn those who are asking and are living in God's word, and are sharing their blessings of prosperity with the poor and giving to churches, which is more than many of you who denounce being prosperous (God's blessings) are doing... many of you who denounce prosperity also denounce giving to the churches, now what?
Selfishness is being poor and needy youself (generic-yourself)and asking God for help its also pride, and not giving of your time to help othesr without murmuring and complaining about the others having more than you...
OR is SELFISHNESS being blessed (prosoerous in all things), and always finding time to give of yourself physically, spiritually, and financially to help others and for the works of ministry... which one do you see as being selish and ungodly?
I bet I know which one God see and being selfish and ungodly...
