Does God want you to be rich?

[Brice]

(Time.com

) -- In three of the Gospels, Jesus warns that each of his disciples may have to "deny himself" and even "take up his Cross."
In support of this prediction, he contrasts the fleeting pleasures of today with the promise of eternity: "For what profit is it to a man," he asks, "if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?"
Generations of churchgoers have understood that being Christian means being ready to sacrifice. But for a growing number of Christians, the question is better restated, "Why not gain the whole world plus my soul?"
For several decades, a philosophy has been percolating in the 10 million-strong Pentecostal wing of Christianity that seems to turn the Gospels' passage on its head. Certainly, it allows, Christians should keep one eye on heaven. But the new good news is that God doesn't want us to wait.
Known (or vilified) under a variety of names -- Word of Faith, Health and Wealth, Name It and Claim It, Prosperity Theology -- its emphasis is on God's promised generosity in this life. In a nutshell, it suggests that a God who loves you does not want you to be broke.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/09/10/time.cover.tm/index.html

 

[J. Jump]

The simple answer to your question in relation to the Word of Faith movement is no. That is a false teaching, and extremely hurtful to the body!

 

[Pete]

From page linked in original post:

Its signature verse could be John 10:10: "I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." In a Time poll, 17 percent of Christians surveyed said they considered themselves part of such a movement, while a full 61 percent believed that God wants people to be prosperous.

By Benny Hinn (of course )

"What's the big deal, for goodness sake? What am I supposed to do, drive a Honda? ...That's not in the Bible. ... I'm sick and tired about hearing about streets of gold [in heaven]. I don't need gold in heaven. I got to have it now."

61%.... Shows how far the "Name It, Claim It, and Frame It/Health and Wealth/Prosperity" cancer has spread through the Church Just more poison teachings spreading out from the *costal crowd

To take Peter slightly out of context and rephrase him a bit "May their money perish with them!"

 

[Brice]

61%.... Shows how far the "Name It, Claim It, and Frame It/Health and Wealth/Prosperity" cancer has spread through the Church Just more poison teachings spreading out from the *costal crowd

To take Peter slightly out of context and rephrase him a bit "May their money perish with them!"

Scary isn't it?

 

[Helen]

A very good book came out in 1983. I don't know if it is still available, but if it is, it is worth the read. It is Florence Bulle's God Wants You Rich and Other Enticing Doctrines.

Five of my children are special case adoptions. They are all grown now, but about fifteen years ago we were visiting churches in a place we had just moved to. The only time I got up and walked out of a church in the middle of a sermon -- taking the kids with me -- was when the pastor started doing the health and wealth bit. I thought about our finances at the time, which were almost nil, and I ooked at my kids: a son whose mom had put him on drugs and was brain damaged, a daughter with amnionic band syndrome, another daughter who was hard of hearing, a retarded son....

What were they thinking? That God must not love them?

Well, Jesus was poor and Paul was not healthy. I figured that if they wouldn't feel comfortable in that church, I couldn't either. Not even for one sermon. So we got up and walked out.

 

[FriendofSpurgeon]

Helen, good for you!! That took a lot of guts to do that. That Prosperity Gospel stuff is dangerous.

 

[annsni]

That's just sad. I can't believe people can read the Bible and buy into that. OK - maybe they don't read the Bible and that's the problem.

Ann

 

[Darron Steele]

God does not always want us to be rich.

The best experience of my life was substitute teaching at an elementary school. I was departing from "teaching" high school full-time and was on my way to a likely career teaching in the community colleges. In the meantime, I got two jobs, and one of those was going to be substitute teaching/babysitting high school, junior high, and middle school -- or so I thought. I wanted nothing to do with children.

However, I became so poor that I had to take elementary school dates. It became the very best experience of my life, and now that my main job is an over half-time load at a community college, I still go back to substitute teach elementary school. I have also been a Vacation Bible School teacher for two years and have done other work with children in ministry settings.

I believe that sometimes God intends poverty. Certainly in this case, poverty was a good thing.

 

[Brother Bob]

What if it comes by good ole hard work?
Don't tell me to give it all away then I couldn't help anyone.
Not rich, but probably will survive till death.
Church certainly didn't give it to me and neither did anyone just give it to me. Worked my butt off for it.

 

[annsni]

What if it comes by good ole hard work?
Don't tell me to give it all away then I couldn't help anyone.
Not rich, but probably will survive till death.
Church certainly didn't give it to me and neither did anyone just give it to me. Worked my butt off for it.

But God doesn't promise that you'll be rich. I know believers who ARE rich because they've worked hard. For a time, we were rich - my DH had started a business and it was very successful and, man! did he work hard!! But I think the concern is thinking that God WANTS us to be rich and that if we're not rich, then something is wrong in our walk with Him. That's just not Biblical.

 

[Bro. Curtis]

It's quite clear that God wants some to be rich, and some not.

Job was rich.

 

[rbell]

It's quite clear that God wants some to be rich, and some not.

Job was rich.

and broke.

and rich again.

 

[James_Newman]

I think God wants us to be rich in the world to come.

Matthew 6:19-20
19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:

God may allow some to be wealthy in this life, but it should be used to bless others, and not to be consumed upon our lusts.

1 Timothy 6:17-19
17 Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded; nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy;
18 That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate;
19 Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.

I think we could take a cue from Proverbs:
Proverbs 30:8-9
8 Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me:
9 Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the LORD? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.

 

[J. Jump]

I think God wants us to be rich in the world to come.

Preach on my friend!

 

[menageriekeeper]

Whoa, Brother James, I think you just knocked a big hole in the "name it and claim it" junk.

:applause: :thumbs: