How would you deal with this new neighbor?

[Daniel Marsh]

He has been going around to neighbors with messages from God that they are to do something for him or give him their house or whatever. He has the young lady across the street doing his yard work for free. I told her if God was commanding you to do something for someone, He would tell you directly and that it is a false prophet who plays that guys games.

The only passage I could think of was in the Didache, "If he asks for money, he is a false prophet. And every prophet who speaks in the Spirit you shall neither try nor judge; for every sin shall be forgiven, but this sin shall not be forgiven. But not every one who speaks in the Spirit is a prophet; but only if he holds the ways of the Lord. Therefore from their ways shall the false prophet and the prophet be known. And every prophet who orders a meal in the Spirit does not eat it, unless he is indeed a false prophet. And every prophet who teaches the truth, but does not do what he teaches, is a false prophet. And every prophet, proved true, working unto the mystery of the Church in the world, yet not teaching others to do what he himself does, shall not be judged among you, for with God he has his judgment; for so did also the ancient prophets. But whoever says in the Spirit, Give me money, or something else, you shall not listen to him. But if he tells you to give for others' sake who are in need, let no one judge him."

What Bible passages along this line can you think of?

 

[Ken Rank]

He has been going around to neighbors with messages from God that they are to do something for him or give him their house or whatever. He has the young lady across the street doing his yard work for free. I told her if God was commanding you to do something for someone, He would tell you directly and that it is a false prophet who plays that guys games.

The only passage I could think of was in the Didache, "If he asks for money, he is a false prophet. And every prophet who speaks in the Spirit you shall neither try nor judge; for every sin shall be forgiven, but this sin shall not be forgiven. But not every one who speaks in the Spirit is a prophet; but only if he holds the ways of the Lord. Therefore from their ways shall the false prophet and the prophet be known. And every prophet who orders a meal in the Spirit does not eat it, unless he is indeed a false prophet. And every prophet who teaches the truth, but does not do what he teaches, is a false prophet. And every prophet, proved true, working unto the mystery of the Church in the world, yet not teaching others to do what he himself does, shall not be judged among you, for with God he has his judgment; for so did also the ancient prophets. But whoever says in the Spirit, Give me money, or something else, you shall not listen to him. But if he tells you to give for others' sake who are in need, let no one judge him."

What Bible passages along this line can you think of?

I would simply ask the guy what he has done for anyone else? If all he does is take... and does not equal or surpass what he has taken with giving of his own, then he is revealed as what he is. When the Scripture says, "you will know them by their fruit" he wasn't talking about your works per se, he was talking about these fruits, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control." If we are a people of God then our words and deeds should reflect His character attributes to the world around us. Is this man doing this?

 

[JackRT]

I would simply ask the guy what he has done for anyone else? If all he does is take... and does not equal or surpass what he has taken with giving of his own, then he is revealed as what he is. When the Scripture says, "you will know them by their fruit" he wasn't talking about your works per se, he was talking about these fruits, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control." If we are a people of God then our words and deeds should reflect His character attributes to the world around us. If this man doing this?

Very well said! Be a good neighbour always. If you see that he needs help that he cannot handle himself, then by all means help, but do not be intimidated by demands.

 

[Petros2015]

2 Thessalonians 3:10-12

For even while we were with you, we gave you this command: “If anyone is unwilling to work, he shall not eat.” Yet we hear that some of you are leading undisciplined lives and accomplishing nothing but being busybodies. We command and urge such people by our Lord Jesus Christ to begin working quietly to earn their own living

Other than that, if you are trying to help the neighbors deal with the neighbor, "Love thy neighbor" springs to mind...

Not always easy, believe me I know. But as Christians, if someone asks us to walk a mile, we go with them two, if someone asks for our tunic, we give them our cloak.

Matthew 5:39-41

So how do you deal with the neighbor? You don't do things for him because he says he is giving you God's word, you do things for him because God's word was already given to you.

 

[Ken Rank]

Very well said! Be a good neighbour always. If you see that he needs help that he cannot handle himself, then by all means help, but do not be intimidated by demands.

Amen.... help those who can't help themselves but don't become an enabler. If the OP is accurate (and @Daniel Marsh I am not saying you are lying here ) then this man appears to be taking advantage of others and helping him is emboldening and enabling him. IMHO

 

[JackRT]

Not always easy, believe me I know. But as Christians, if someone asks us to walk a mile, we go with them two, if someone asks for our tunic, we give them our cloak.

Without knowing the context of Bible verses it is easy to misinterpret.

Matthew 5:40 ---“If someone sues you for your coat, give up your shirt as well.” --- In Jewish law if you fail to repay a debt you may be taken to court and if you are still unable to repay, the lender is entitled to take your coat. The lender holds the coat during the day but he is obliged to return it at night because the coat or cloak doubled as a blanket at night. In a two-garment society this would be highly embarrassing to the debtor. However it would be even more embarrassing to the court and the lender if the debtor were to turn over both garments and stand there naked. Remember this was a society with a strong taboo against public nakedness. Using this somewhat risque humour Jesus is once again counseling covert defiance and taking the part of the poor against the rich. I'll bet his audience laughed out loud. Humour is a great aid to the memory.


Matthew 5:41 --- “If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.” --- In Roman law a soldier had every right to have a civilian carry his pack for one [Roman] mile but no further. For the civilian to carry the pack a further distance would be to embarrass the soldier and possibly to get him in trouble with a superior officer. Once again Jesus takes the part of the small against the powerful by suggesting covert defiance. I suspect that Jesus’ listeners ‘got the message’ especially since it was couched in such sarcastic humour.

 

[AlexDTX]

He has been going around to neighbors with messages from God that they are to do something for him or give him their house or whatever. He has the young lady across the street doing his yard work for free. I told her if God was commanding you to do something for someone, He would tell you directly and that it is a false prophet who plays that guys games.

The only passage I could think of was in the Didache, "If he asks for money, he is a false prophet. And every prophet who speaks in the Spirit you shall neither try nor judge; for every sin shall be forgiven, but this sin shall not be forgiven. But not every one who speaks in the Spirit is a prophet; but only if he holds the ways of the Lord. Therefore from their ways shall the false prophet and the prophet be known. And every prophet who orders a meal in the Spirit does not eat it, unless he is indeed a false prophet. And every prophet who teaches the truth, but does not do what he teaches, is a false prophet. And every prophet, proved true, working unto the mystery of the Church in the world, yet not teaching others to do what he himself does, shall not be judged among you, for with God he has his judgment; for so did also the ancient prophets. But whoever says in the Spirit, Give me money, or something else, you shall not listen to him. But if he tells you to give for others' sake who are in need, let no one judge him."

What Bible passages along this line can you think of?

2Th_3:8 Neither did we eat any man's bread for nought; but wrought with labour and travail night and day, that we might not be chargeable to any of you:
2Th_3:10 For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.
2Th_3:12 Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread.

 

[Albion]

I think I'd politely tell this neighbor that religion is very personal, that you have your own, but you respect that his is meaningful to him--and then steer clear of him as much as possible thereafter. You have no idea what else is going on in his mind or in his planning. While there's an understandable inclination on the part of the other neighbors and perhaps you yourself to be helpful and welcoming, his actions as described in the OP go far beyond normal evangelizing or requests for help.

 

[AlexDTX]

Also,
2Ti_3:6 For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,

Php_3:19 Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)

 

[AlexDTX]

one more
1Ti_5:8 But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.

 

[quietbloke]

Hope situation is improving