No, true Christianity is a call to be imitators of Christ, not seekers of worldly goods. After all, what did Christ do? Did he go around town riding in style? No. Did he have tons of money? No. What did He do? He gave his own life to Save ours. Yet so many Christians walk around not helping others, not acknowledging others hardships or pain. All they do is show off their possessions and status in society while telling you, "I'll pray for you". The teachings of Christ call us to a life of action, not self-interest and Christian passivity.
I am by no means attempting to say that Christians should be poor and destitute. God says that He will bless those whom He chooses to bless, and history is full of good Christians who were well off. However, if a Christian's goal in life is that of luxury and ease, then I question that Christians true faith. Our goal in life as a Christian should be to do as Christ told us to do. Should any Christian wonder what it is Christ tells us to do, I suggest reading the "Sermon on the Mount". I have always taught that the Sermon on the Mount is the constitution of Christianity, given by Jesus Himself. If you learn nothing else from the New Testament, I suggest you study and learn what it was Jesus said on that hill. One thing you will not find in the sermon is how to search for worldly wealth and prosperity.
I oftentimes find myself praying more for those whom the Lord has blessed with abundance than I do for those that have not been so blessed. The Lord said that it is easier for a camel to go through an eye of a needle than it is for a rich man to get into heaven. Jesus did not make that statement because He thought that rich people were evil. He said it because those who have abundance will find it difficult to keep their focus on Him. Money may be the root cause of many evils, it is not however evil in and of itself. When we strive for wealth, we are focusing on the world and not on His teachings; we are not, imitating Him.
"Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord." Matthew 25:23My suggestion to these false teachers offering a "You Name it, You Can Claim it" gospel, to read what Paul told the Galatians about those who would trouble them by wanting to pervert the gospel of Christ. He said that they were anathema, a votive offering if you will. Galatians 1:8-9 A votive offering is a prayer candle, typically white or beeswax yellow. It was originally intended to be burnt as an offering in religious ceremonies, and in the days when Paul was spreading the gospel throughout the empire, he converted many who formerly worshiped pagan gods. In their ceremonies they would burn candles to their gods. Paul is telling those like the wealth and prosperity preachers that they will be burned up like those candles in the final fire when Christ returns and condemns them with the rest of the world.
For my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, I ask that you be a good Barean and do as John instructs you to do in his first epistle, 1 John 4:1-4 where he writes,
I pray that those who have ears to hear will hear His voice and call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Amen
It seems my computer has contracted a virus. I have done all I could to remove it, so now I must scrub my HD and re-install my OS and all my software programs to bring it back to normal life.
It made me think about us Christians, who realized that one day we were on the wrong path in our lives. We heard about Christ and what He offered us. We accepted Him into our lives, and he has since been scrubbing out hard drive clean of all the viruses we have picked up along the way.
It is a long progress and we need to be patient, remembering what Paul told the Philippians about the work of Christ in our lives,
"Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:" Philippians 1:6You are all in my prayers continually, may the good Lord bless and keep you and yours.
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