Lenora56
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- May 25, 2005
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novcncy said:Nope, you're not crazy. God has definitely promised to meet our NEEDS. Phillipians 4:19 Actually, Phillippians 4 talks about how the Phillippians, although needy, through giving to God and taking care of Paul, would have their need met.
There is a big difference between a need and a want. Tithing does not mean that God will give you Mercedes. He may provide a Ford Focus instead, but it will meet your needs to get from point A to B. Trusting God to put food on the table, like George Mueller, is different from expecting God to provide the Brut and Caviar.
The prosperity gospel teaches that unless you give, you will have financial difficulty, and if you give, you will have inexplicable bounty. The motivation in giving to God, is to get great gain from God.
But God does not care for His children based on their giving. He will provide for their needs, and as a further challenge, He tells us to tithe. Malachi 3:10, 1 Corinthians 16:2 When things are tight, it takes faith to obey and to tithe. But if we do, God promises us a blessing. Not riches, a blessing. And as you've personally experienced, as you're seeing in this thread, those with the biggest blessings often are the least expensive. It may not seem like a lot of money to some folks to get a 25 dollar rebate check, but when that's exactly how much you need, exactly when you need it, it might as well be the jackpot lotto ticket. I think that those who are trusting God to provide for their needs are more blessed than those who have enough money to buy whatever they want. God loves a cheerful giver, but that giver is happy to give, not because he expects a huge payback, but rather, because God has given him so much, and he is happy to obey his Lord.
Do you see how the motivation, and the results, of the prosperity gospel differ with God's pattern of giving?
That's a great way to put it. Actually, I am already incredibly rich, and I think I tend to forget that. I enjoy air conditioning during these Louisiana summers. I get plenty of good, tasty food. The bills are paid right now. My 1999 Taurus still runs great. My husband's little Hyundai Accent is saving us tons of gasoline money. On and on. Thanks to the Lord for all these comforts.
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