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Some sharing 
Ridiculous but God is good .... (Eternally Saved)
Warped concept of God (John Doe 666)
Actually there is more (Eternally Saved)
Being poor is NOT bad. (John Doe 666)
It's not a sin to be poor. But poverty is definitely NOT good. (Keith)
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I don't think that it is a sin to be sick or poor. But I think that it shows a lack of faith if we believe that believers have to remain sick or poor. ++I disagree. Poverty in the Bible is never a reflection nor an indicator of ones's spiritual condition. Jesus said that one's life does not consist in the abundance of riches. I'm not advocating that we should think of our Father's blessings narrowly in terms of material wealth and physical health ONLY. But I do encourage Christians to get rid of the self-defeating thought that poverty and sicknesses are inevitable and must be accepted. ++Poverty and sicknesses must be seen in the backdrop of a fallen world. That requires that poverty and sicknesses be accepted as a consequence of sin in this world, until God brings in the consummation. Nevertheless, God has instructed His people to alleviate (not eradicate) poverty and sicknesses where compassion directs them to do so, doing good to all, ESPECIALLY to those in the household of faith. Where this can be done, it is a foretaste of perfection to come and something believers can look forward to. I strongly believe that my Father wants me to be prosperous (defined as having the ability and willingness to bless others generously) and healthy, even as I'm spiritually blessed with increasing knowledge of Christ and His grace. ++I'm not so confident of your thinking in this area. I see your tendency to equate spiritual blessings with material blessings or to see a direct relationship between the two. Such relationship is not supported in the Bible. No doubt God did materially reward some who were obedient to Him (most examples would be the OT, but not the NT), but it would be incorrect to build a theology of material blessings based on these examples. I crave after Jesus, not after prosperity and health. But I also believe that prosperity and health will not evade me when I possess (or more accurately, when I'm possessed by) the Provider and the Healer. I believe ES shares the same sentiments too. ++Not necessarily so. The correct NT theology would be that when we seek God's Kingdom first, God will provide for our needs and basic necessities. I don't see ES pointing us to material blessings. I see him pointing us to the One who blesses. And my heart is filled with gladness, knowing that my Father is able and willing to bless His children financially even (and especially) in times like these. ++The NT offers us instances whereby it is the Body of Christ who shares with those in the body, the one who has supplying to those who lack. This IS the way a family lives. Yes, God may grant someone a job or a pay rise to meet a need. Yet we must not overlook the NT examples of how the church met the economic problems they encountered. The Body of Christ sprung to action. No mention is made of an outpouring of wealth by God or anything like that, at least not the way I read the NT. But perhaps you can enlighten me where I have read the Bible incorrectly. We should must bear in mind that by just because ES shares about material and physical blessings from God, that doesn't mean that he thinks of God's blessings ONLY in terms of material and physical blessings. ++But that slant surely come across strongly, doesn't it? Our Father's heart is in blessing all of us because of Jesus Christ. I pray that He blesses us with overflowing abundance in all areas in our lives, so much so that the world may come to know of His power and goodness. ++Again I don't think that's the right prayer to make, seeing that it has no NT basis. God's goodness and power is seen in man's realisation of his wretched state and spiritual deadness in transgressions. And as believers, Paul tells us that we have been blessed (past tense) with all spiritual blessings in the heavenly places. |
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