Here’s an excellent article on the issue of WORD OF FAITH, the many abuses we’ve seen FINANCIALLY from the movement, and what the WORD OF GOD has to say. This article is from “Ministry Watch”, which is a Christian Organization designed to prevent various Christian ministries from falling into BAD FINANCIAL STEWARDSHIP:
A MUST READ for ANYONE DESIRING A BIBLICAL UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS ON THE ISSUE OF WEALTH in light of GRASSLEY’S INVESTIGATIONs and the reasons behind why there was an opportunity to do so: A WRONG UNDERSTANDING/PRACTICE OF GOD’S WORD!!!!!!
“Questions surrounding the biblical perspective on wealth and poverty are important to Christians for two reasons. First, a biblical view of wealth is necessary if we are to live godly lives, avoiding asceticism on the one extreme and materialism on the other. Second, a biblical view of poverty is essential if we are to fulfill our responsibilities to the poor.
A Biblical View of Wealth
Our materialistic culture is seducing Christians into an economic lifestyle that does not glorify God. The popularity of television programs such as “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous” and the veneration of social groups such as the glamorous “yuppies” testify to our society’s materialistic values, values that many Christians have adopted.
Even within the Christian community, believers are bombarded with unbiblical views of wealth. At one extreme are those who preach a prosperity gospel of “health and wealth” for all believers. At the other extreme are radical Christians who condemn all wealth and imply that richChristian is a contradiction in terms.
What, then, is the truly biblical view of wealth? At first glance, the Bible seems to teach that wealth is wrong for Christians. It appears even to condemn the wealthy. After all, both Jesus and the Old Testament prophets preached against materialism and seemed to say at times that true believers cannot possess wealth. If this is so, then all of us in Western society are in trouble, because we are all wealthy by New Testament standards.
But a comprehensive look at the relevant biblical passages quickly reveals that a biblical view of wealth is more complex. In fact, Scripture teaches three basic principles about wealth.
Before procedding, I’d like to suggest some websites on the issue of adressing what a Biblical look on PROSPERITY looks like. One is a series of sermons my church did way back in the day & that have really helped me regarding developing into a GODLY BIBLICAL STEWARD of MY FINANCES. Though some may not agree on EVERYTHING INHERENT (specifically, on the issue of TITHING, which I PRACTICE/ENTHUSIASTICALLY agree with though for differing reasons than most……for I’m all about PROPORTIONATE GIVING & giving SACRIFICALLY—WHICH LEVELS OUT THE PLAYING FIELD FOR EVERYONE ON BOTH SIDES OF THE ISSUE—-& is also something the NT teaches….and for that matter, the NT STANDARDS ARE HIGHER rather than LOWER for Christians today so whether one gives 10% or not isn’t really as big of an issue to me as whether or not one’s giving ACCORDING TO THEIR ABILITY/WITH RIGHT MOTIVES & in a way that they’re mirroring what a GODLY STEWARD LOOKS LIKE…., ), there is plenty of worthwile things that may bless those who choose to listen ( http://www.libertychurch.org/scripture_studies/money_scriptures.pdf )
Specifically, this link( http://www.libertychurch.org/streaming/audio/topical_series.php#top ) will take you to a audio sermon library….and the title to look for will be called “TITHING: OT Laws in the NT”, which is a topical study on the issue of money & deals with the following topics below:
http://www.generousgiving.org/page.asp?sec=28&page= (Basically,in their own words, The Generous Giving Research Library is the Web’s largest known Christian stewardship library. Arranged into six sections, it contains hundreds of articles, reports and papers that examine trends and motives in 21st-century giving.
In regards to Creflos’ statement that God desires all individuals to be rich or even other statements said by him in the past that God needs all Christians to be millionaires or to have/pursue much in material wealth to glorify Him, what then are Christians to make of situations where Jesus seemed to teach on how both having and pursuing great wealth can often be a hindrance to following Him?
What to make of the various things He stated that seem to indicate that wealth is not necessarily an indicator of approval from God or a right realtionship with the Lord or even a reason to feel secure in one’s slavation? What to make of the many teachings He gave on the dangers of materialism (again, not talking about wealth/money in and of itself but rather of seeking it solely/moreso than the Lord and, for that matter, trying to make the pursuit of it equal with Him)?
For example, consider Luke 12:13-21:The Parable of the Rich Fool
13Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”
14Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?” 15Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” 16And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. 17He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ 18″Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.” ‘ 20″But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ 21″This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God.”
It’s worth noting, by the way, that prior to this passage Jesus was discussing the issue of how costly but worth it was to follow/acknowledge Him above all and He showed the importance of avoiding the attitudes of the Pharisees (Luke 12:1-12…specifically hypocrisy–seeking respectabiliy/image/status but never dealing with sin…blatantly condoning things contrary to what God has said and trying to serve Him or appear good while having hearts far from God and blatantly ignoring the fact that sin, seeing that the Pharisees who were power-hungry and loved money like Luke 16:14 says, left undealt with rises up like yeast and will deal with you later!).
In case others have not been keeping up with the current news, there’s has been quite a stir in the Christian arena. Specifically, it is with the MEGA-MINISTRIES & their being investigated by government concerning how money in their ministries is being spent.
Here’s an article on the issue:
‘Prosperity’ Televangelists Probed for Possible Financial Misconduct
Now, there are a MYRIAD OF ANGLES one can take with this. One would be to focus on the individuals who may be mishandling funds & simply take them out. Another would be to simply ignore the issue altogether. Another would be to say that in case there’s been financial abuse, people should simply move on & believe that riches and prosperity are wrong.
However, all of those approaches are flawed IMHO……& more importantely, how often has one ever tried to address the issue of what your WORLDVIEW IS ON THE SUBJECT?? I ask because unless one’s worldview is a biblical one on the subject, you’ll only be addressing a problem & yet never solving it, similar to how one attempts to address all the flawed branches of a tree yet never addresses the ROOT of the problem…..or trying to damage parts of a web a Spider makes, though he can repair it, while never attacking the outer pillars SUPPORTING IT.
The fact of the matter is that there’s simply has not been enough study on the issue of what a Biblical perspective on RICHES/WEALTH looks like. This, therefore, is my humble attempt to address the issue & show you what a BIBLICAL WORLDVIEW ON WEALTH/PROSPERITY LOOKS LIKE.
To start things off, please consider this article:
http://www.church.org.uk/resources/sermondetail.asp?serId=883…”According to The Economist magazine we’re living at a time when many people in this country and therefore probably many of us here this morning have never had it so good financially. Yet at the same time 1 billion people around the world are destitute. Some of the world’s wealthiest people are turning to philanthropy as they try and do something to alleviate extreme poverty and disease. The world’s richest man, Bill Gates, has set up his own charitable foundation to give away $33bn of his personal fortune to help fight diseases such as malaria and AIDS. The world’s second richest man Warren Buffett is joining forces with Bill and plans to give away 85% of his $44bn fortune, starting this month.That is all very commendable. However even by my poor mathematical reckoning that still leaves them with a few billion for themselves. In Mark 12 Jesus watched many rich people put large amounts into the temple treasury and then a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny. Who gave the most? Jesus said that the poor widow put more into the treasury than all the others. Why? Because they all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything – all she had to live on. You see Jesus measures giving, not by what we give, but by what we keep for ourselves. And using that measure the poor widow’s giving outdistanced all the others put together. The rich gave out of their abundance and therefore had much left over. Theirs was but a contribution, whereas the poor widow gave all she had to live on, which is all very challenging for us, living as we do in a society gripped by materialism and consumerism.
