The Real Prosperity Gospel

Taken from our pastor's notes:

"All of us have heard about the prosperity gospel. It is a false teaching that says if you claim wealth in faith, you will become wealthy. Interestingly enough, this message is based upon a half truth. What is true, is that there are in fact economic ramifications to the gospel of Jesus Christ. As a general rule, (there are significant exceptions to this) obedient Christians tend to do better financially than those who do not fear God. This is due to two factors. The first is the blessing of God. The second is that a redeemed personality is more likely to treat money differently."

He went on to explain that it is a notable phenomenon that when people give their lives to Christ, they give their money too, and their time. They have a different mind set, and don't spend money on themselves. Money begins to accumulate and instead of spending it on alcohol, gambling, parties, etc. they have more than when they lived a wasted life. In tribal countries where men used to beat their wives, and let them do all the work, after they found Christ they began to work with their wives, and so earned more to bring into the home. It's an amazing concept. Once our lives are cleaned up and surrendered to God, the blessings come upon us.

Deuteronomy 28: 1 & 2 "And if you faithfully obey the voice of the Lord...all of these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you."

Points from the Pastor's message:

The godly life often has economic advantages.
The godly life heightens our EQ. (emotional intelligence)
The godly life combines worship and work in one unified whole.
The godly life seeks the way of peace.
The godly life sees compounding benefits.

Prosperity and generosity are related.

Navigating Crises

The sermon on Sunday Sept 16 (I'm a tad behind here on this blog) was about how people respond to crisis moments. The main point our pastor brought out was that even though we might think that a crisis is an unwelcome event, if we let God train us in it, we'll find that it can be a rewarding moment of learning.

His points were:

God often creates the crisis.
Goodness has drawn us to him.
Revelation has convinced us of him.
Obedience has tested our faith in him.

Crisis often defines our character. God is determined to show us what is in our heart.
The test of courage; the test of integrity (to break our schemes of earthly joy); the test of humility.

But God never abandons his children.
He always remains determined to bless.

A lamp to my feet

The message in church today was about the Bible. The minister spoke about Psalm 119, and how it's a celebration of God's word. Usually our Bibles sit neglected on a shelf, used only in emergency. He had really good, clear points. He also reminded us of the fact that we memorize a lot of scripture when we're young, and say we can't do it when we're adults because our memory isn't any good. That isn't true, as we know a lot of useless facts! It's all in how we memorize.

He said if we spend a lot of time reading God's word, it will become easier to memorize it. We need to listen to more of what God is saying through His word, and depend less on what other people say about it. Psalm 119 shows us what to expect from the Bible:

Verse 103: Food to make you strong.

Verse 5-6: A mirror to keep you honest.

Verse 14: Gold to make you rich.

Verse 105: A light to guide your path.

Verse 130: "The unfolding of your words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple."

To get the most out of the Bible:

Verse 12: Pray for insight.

Verse 15: Think about it regularly.

Verse 172: Declare it to others.

It was an interesting sermon. I need to heed it!

Sunday thoughts gone AWOL

Ahem...I wasn't at home on Sunday. I skipped out of the city and took a ferry ride to a delightful place called Gibsons on the Sunshine Coast, and yes it was actually sunny there! Linda, if you're reading this, that's where you can find some summer! It's one of my favourite spots in the whole world.

Here's a Sunday thought on Tuesday, to make up for this past Sunday...

"That through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; and deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage." (Hebrews 2: 14 & 15)

That was in my Daily Light reading this morning and the words leapt off the page, as I've been thinking of death a lot recently, and discussing it with my Mom. One of her sisters has congestive heart failure. She is quite weak and wants to go Home. But being human, we are all a little afraid of dying, aren't we? Life seems so strange at times. It's fine and wonderful if you are young, and have your health, and all your years stretching ahead of you; so much to look forward to.

But when you are 87 and have a weak heart, what then? You know your days are really numbered. I know a few people who have cancer, and their days are limited too. Of course, none of us knows if we will live until tomorrow, but disease and old age really put a lid on things! So it feels like all my life I've been subject to the fear of death, but I don't need to keep that fear, because Christ has delivered me, by destroying him that has the power of death, by dying Himself. What a marvelous thought, and not just for Sunday! It really encouraged me.

Sunday ramblings.

Sundays have always been a special day in our home. I've been thinking lately how Sunday now seems like any other day of the week to most people in the current culture. I'd wanted to begin this new blog last Sunday, but couldn't figure out if I could make another account under my first blog, "houseofhouben", or had to begin a brand new blog. I figured it out tonight, so this is my first post.

We attend a large church near our home. We've been going there for one year now, and it's so huge I still haven't made any new friends. We love the pastor's sermons, though, and lately they've really been a help to me, so I thought I'd post a few of his main thoughts each week so I don't forget them. I doubt if anyone will ever read these pages, but just in case you've rambled by, I hope the thoughts help you in your spiritual walk as much as they've helped me.