Your Thoughts.
I found this video today here and am intrigued to know what your thoughts on it are.
I have so many I don’t know where to begin.
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Ramblings, Writings, & Other Stuff By Milan Ford
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Such a compelling video. I believe the Lord wants His people to prosper financially just as much as we are to be prosperous in all other areas of our life, however, I was reading in Matthew this morning, and what comes to mind when watching this is Matthew 23:15-.
I pray always that I am yielded to the Holy Spirit, as I see more and more corruption in the pulpits. Money isn’t evil. It’s a necessary tool in today’s world, just as much as it was in Jesus day, and Moses before that. It’s when we pervert the gospel, prostitute the anointing and step over the poor for personal gain when the love of money has it’s hooks in us. And then there are leaders who train others to do the same. In fact, we are often told that we are in sin and doubt if we don’t “respond” by giving…(hence the laying on of burdens mentioned.) Then also told that we can’t buy a miracle. The forked tongue leaves many desolate, desperate and dying. In every way. I can’t think of anything worse than believing that your faith isn’t big enough, when Jesus said it only takes a mustard seed to move the mountain. Waiting on God and feeling like He must not love me as much as those I am giving to. Or that I have somehow missed it, and am without redemption.It has to be me. It can’t be God, because He doesn’t lie right? I have stopped giving as much to churches that just keep building bigger buildings, driving prettier cars, walking in “their prosperity” when my own church continually turned it’s back on the poor in my city. They are a very lucrative “business” in my city…holding much in Real Estate. I would know. I’m a Realtor. And when I see what they have, and how much they only “help their own”… I was devastated. “Members Only” rules, and even then… tightly held fists didn’t release nearly what was given. It sickens me. I found that giving more to the agencies in my community to help the poor seemed more productive. I took clothes and food to the homeless I would see on the street. We are not to say “Go away brother, I will pray for you” when someone asks for something. we are to help them. FEED them. CLOTHE them. I hate that I even have to type those words. My pastor spent so much time talking about how wealthy I am supposed to be, and yet, I literally saw him walk past someone who needed 5 dollars. How is that okay? How can I not help that person? It’s not up to me to judge how they became poor…maybe his story is like my friends who nearly lost their home this year… they have given THOUSANDS to the ministry, but when they called for help…what do you think they heard. “We’ll pray for you”
I paid their mortgage once because it was all that I could do at the time, but I know that God knows their heart and He will intervene for them.
To be honest, this video just reminds me of how often I have said ” I want a refund”
Thanks for the wake-up call and for allowing me the time to write this.
Let’s all serve one-another.
Love To you all in Christ,
Madeline
In the words of Billy Graham
“Ask God to guide you in your giving. Remember: Everything you have comes from Him – including your money. Make sure of your commitment to Christ, and then trust God to “meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19).”
The word “prosper” means “to have a favorable outcome”. We can prosper in our relationships, in our health, in our projects, in our travels etc. It means more than just making or getting money. We have been taught to think that God wants us to be poor (lacking financial resources) a concept that I can’t find in the scriptures. God said he would supply ALL of our needs. When you go to the grocerie store they do not want your faith they want $1.97 for a loaf of bread. Faith is the medium of exchange in the kingdom of God. Use your faith to get the money (and other resources) you need to operate in the earth.
Simply stated: “Oh What An Evil Web We Weave”! For quite some time now I have been fed up with the prosperity gospel message for the simple reason brought out in the end of this video…what about the poor and disinfranchised? When I visit any Mega-Church I rarely see a multitude of people who seem to be in dire need; but to the contrary most of whom I see seem to be those who have probably been in church most of their lives…maybe at some point along the way they stumbled but for the most part they have had the knowledge of from whom their “Salvation” came! Somehow these congregation have become more of places for social networking than “To God Be The Glory”! Somewhere along the way they seem to have forgotten who Yahoshua the Christ is and his redemptive story! Let us all take an assessment of who we are in God’s Kingdom and seek to be more like Yahoshua the Christ…compassionate for all mankind!
James M. Sherrod
aka “The Messenger”
lifethroughgodseyes.ning.com
….so the members who had no money to give did not receive a blessing.
Wow!!! So much I want to say, I am speechless…Very interesting…
What if you’re wrong about the so called “prosperity gospel,” what will be your excuse for persecuting it. They once persecuted the message of “the gospel” and one of its biggest critics became one of its biggest supporters and ended up writing a good chunk of the new testament.
All messages taken to the extreme and out of context can be used to demonstrate the simplicity of the mind of man and the desire of another to be led instead of lead. By man’s very nature he is said to be born into sin and in need of a rebirth or a born again to transform him into his true being. So for any man to say he “knows” with out demonstration that he possesses the ability to do “greater things than these” has no place to sit on the seat of judgement.
Personally I think it was a great video showing a little of both sides of the pendulum of what the message lacks when faced with the true opposition of poverty. But for me to say in absolute that either side is right or wrong – that sounds a little less like discernment and more along the lines of judgment.
My heart aches for the people who hear these messages and believe ! My heart fears for those that lead them astray and confused.
It was Jesus who said “it is easier for a camel to get through the eye of a needle than a rich man to get into heaven”.
Having been given the challenge of being placed in this world that the only freedom from poverty was placing my dependence on God. In this “place” I’ve found a peace… of contentment. Trusting in the truth of His Words that nothing passes through His hands without His knowledge.
While many are homeless and cries ARE heard from the Father of their hunger. He is faithful, He is already working ahead of the expressed needs before the cries were sounded. He places the knowledge of need inside many people, in us. To do all that we can. God supplies all our needs, in this world there is more than enough resources to feed and house us all. What keeps these needs from being met for some…Its greed and gluttony, distraction and deception, selfishness and…satan. NOT the Father. He gave us all that we need IN this world. When there is suffering its what “we” as His creation have failed to do our part in. Being wasteful of so much that can serve others. Even Jesus had the disciples gather up the “left over” fish and bread when they fed the thousands their fill. They took up the broken fragments! The very pieces that many of us throw away on a day to day basis.
There were once times that I went to the garbage bins behind a grocery store to help feed my children. God DID provide! The food fed us!
My health was never thought to become chronic that I’d become permanently disabled, the thorn in my side brought me to His feet!
I wasn’t feeling prepared that their dad would up and leave us and never to surface again. He’s been found now, 14 years later to have multiple criminal felony charges and my children are safe and have no desire to steal or cause someone harm. God’s grace IS sufficient.
We lost our home, our vehicle, we had to relocate, we had no relatives offering for us to reside with them. God brought people and circumstances that came to pass that 7 years later, He brought us favor! We now have a beautiful home that we are able to call “ours”!
My testimony has endless pages…from enduring the life of sexual abuse as a child, overcoming addictions, recovering from deaths bed from disease, having been paralyzed to walking, home bound to freedom! It IS the truth that sets us free!!! Thank You Jesus!
We can read:
“The blind that received their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor…HAVE THE GOSPEL PREACHED TO THEM” Matthew 11:5.
I don’t hear mention from our Saviors lips of prosperity in material possessions that were given? Nor have I read where the poor are encouraged to seek out in abundance. We aren’t to conform to things of this world. So why are we struggling over the truth of what is written?
Jesus asks…
v.8 “But what went ye out for to see?” [Who were you looking for...? What were you expecting...?] “A man clothed in soft raiment? behold they that wear soft clothing are in kings houses.
v.9 But what went ye out for to see?…”
v.10 “For this is HE of whom it is written, BEHOLD, I SEND MY MESSENGER BEFORE THY FACE, WHICH SHALL PREPARE THY WAY BEFORE THEE”
Jesus IS our example. He did not parade himself in excessive life style living.
He did not tell the poor to “reach out…get rich! Jesus didn’t say, “I have came that you may have more things of this world!”
This affliction is only for a little while…our treasures are waiting for us in heaven!
The Father KNOWS who’s heart is deceptive, who could help and who chose not to. It is our confidence in Him and in the promises of the rewards when we finish “the race” here, in THIS life time. No matter what our situation is and the circumstances that are involved, God’s watching, waiting, AND weeping with us.
Our trust in Him, despite our seen circumstance and the lack of pleasureful things of this world surrounding us in our lives, that IS the evidence of things hoped for.
We are all given trials and tribulations that will form us to who HE created us to be…IF we seek HIM in the midst of our trials for HIS direction He’ll guide us. IF we seek to understand He’ll comfort us… we ALL serve His purpose. Every experience we endure we can overcome, IF we keep to HIS Will for us. Learning to hear His “voice”, act obediently to His stirring us inside.
What’s going on with “our” world..? These are the beginning of sorrows. The Tribulation as written in Matthew 24:4-31
I pray that some will have bared with my lengthy “comment” to the end …I’m confident that God has used me in SOMEONES life through this… In Jesus’ Name ~ Amen
“Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass till all these things be fulfilled”
Matthew 24:34
REJOICE HE’S COMING!
The method of giving alone in this video shows the ignorance of some people, because scripture says Matthew 6:1-4 but particularly verse 2 which clarifies them as hypocrites in the synagogues (do not announce your alms before men).
Yeah according to the (B part of verse 2) Matthew 6 verse 2 my Bible tells me Jesus says verily I say unto you. THEY HAVE THEIR REWARD. But when thou doest alms let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth….Can I get a witness
AMEN!!
This is sad! The message in its original intent was not used to pimp, prostitute or destitute God or His people. The “belief system” of slavery used the church to keep people in their place, but it is feeding age old entities of “pride, shame, greed, rejection, obligation, fantasy, division and strife”. These are entities that tie themselves to man’s untransformed mind. Whatever hurt has not been healed, whatever wound is still festering from impoverishment, abuse, anger in the messenger this is what gives fuel to this perverted prosperity message. I pray we get back to the verse that says if we seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness all these other things will be added to us.