Do you believe that God wants you to be wealthy?

Xeno.of.athens said:

There are a good number of Televised church services hosted by pastors who teach that God wants Christians to be wealthy in earthly goods. Do you believe that God wants you to be wealthy in earthly goods?

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Whenever I see that I'm reminded of the letters of Ignatius. He wrote seven letters to different Churches as he was being transported to Rome to be executed for his faith. Nowhere in any of them did he once say, "don't worry about me friends. God wants me to be wealthy in this life and that's what's going to happen".

Funny he didn't mention anything about being raptured away to escape tribulation either.

I don't think God cares if we are wealthy or poor. As long as one recognizes that they are dependent on God's grace.

Xeno.of.athens said:

There are a good number of Televised church services hosted by pastors who teach that God wants Christians to be wealthy in earthly goods. Do you believe that God wants you to be wealthy in earthly goods?

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“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Luke 12:34)

Lets hope our treasure is Jesus Christ of Nazareth.
Blessings

How would we judge someone who had sought the kingdom of God first, and then had "all these things" added to them?

Matthew 6:33 KJV
33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Psalms 84:11 KJV
11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.

3 John 1:2 KJV
2 Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.

I don't think we should seek to become obscenely wealthy. But if God blesses someone with wealth, who are you to judge the act of God?
Personally having too much of anything would be a burden to me. I don't want to be entangled in it. I would not own it, it would own me.
And if someone sought first the kingdom and was blessed by the Lord for it, then we would be fighting the will of God.
Not good.

no

Xeno.of.athens said:

There are a good number of Televised church services hosted by pastors who teach that God wants Christians to be wealthy in earthly goods. Do you believe that God wants you to be wealthy in earthly goods?

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God doesn't want you to be wealthy. He also doesn't want you to be poor. He wants you to be satisfied with whatever you have and strive for spiritual goals instead.

From a purely analytical perspective, the prophets and patriarchs had a mix of wealthy and poor. When they did have wealth they used what they had to further God's purpose.

Abel : The concept of wealth didn't exist yet, and he died before it was significant.
Noah : The ark would be a hugely expensive undertaking from a resource standpoint. Noah was probably wealthy, but he used it to save humanity and the animals he took on board.
Abraham : Left behind his life in Chaldea; however, he was still wealthy by any standard of the day. (He had 318 servants he was able to draw upon when he set off to rescue Lot from captivity.)
Isaac : Inherited Abraham's wealth
Jacob : Self-made wealth after working for his uncle. Used some of his wealth to pacify Esau after ripping off his blessing. (From Esau's point of view anyway.)
Joseph : Went from slavery to be second to the king of Egypt.
Moses : Raised as a prince, went into exile as a shepherd, before being called back.

But there were also prophets who lived more like what you'd think of as a traveling monk, like Elijah, Elisha, and Jeremiah. (While Daniel and Ezekiel are living rather privileged lives as servants to Nebuchadnezzar in Babylon.)

The apostles were generally instructed not to worry about their provisions and trust God to ensure they were provided for on the way. Of course, this meant that those Christians that were well off would help support those actively spreading the ministry abroad or helping the poor among them.

If you think God wants you to be wealthy I think you run the risk of striving for all the wrong things. I think what these pastors are promoting is themselves, and their example is dangerous to their followers' spiritual well-being.

There are a good number of Televised church services hosted by pastors who teach that God wants Christians to be wealthy in earthly goods. Do you believe that God wants you to be wealthy in earthly goods?

Compared to Bill Gates, I am dirt poor. Compared to an African farmer, I am filthy rich. If we seek God's kingdom first, God will ensure that our needs are met. I had next to nothing 50 years ago. Now I own my car, my home and I have a few dollars to pay off my credit card. I learned the hard way that giving is part of kingdom living. When God released me from fear of poverty so I was free to give, my finances improved. However, I also know that money can be a real trap. I don't chase the dollar and I'm content with God has provided. It's the love of money that is the root of evil. Money itself is a tool for kingdom work. Get that right and God will bless you. However, greed as a motivation for giving will bring Christians undone. I fell for the false prosperity message decades ago. All I got was broke. I'm glad, because I needed to learn the right motivation and have the right attitude. Prosperity preaching sure works - for the preacher. They will answer to God, sooner or later.

Xeno.of.athens said:

There are a good number of Televised church services hosted by pastors who teach that God wants Christians to be wealthy in earthly goods. Do you believe that God wants you to be wealthy in earthly goods?

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They are claiming the promises in the OT, to specific individuals, as well as to the nation of Israel, and applying them to themselves.

That is how they justify that doctrine scripturally.

Pity they don't use Jesus's command in Luke 12:33 to the little flock, as well as passages in Acts, such as Acts 4:32 for that

9 But those who want to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains. 1 Timothy 6:9-10

Xeno.of.athens said:

There are a good number of Televised church services hosted by pastors who teach that God wants Christians to be wealthy in earthly goods. Do you believe that God wants you to be wealthy in earthly goods?

Click to expand...

We can't take our wealth with us so what good is it? Naked we came into the world ... naked we go out. He will help us meet our needs ... not our wants.

Xeno.of.athens said:

Do you believe that God wants you to be wealthy in earthly goods?

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No. God wants me to obey His commandments. He might choose to give me earthly wealth in order to serve Him, but all earthly things will parish.