Prosperity Teachings

[charityagape]

Actually, I know many Quakers and Amish as well as Mennonite are very wealthy. They are wealthy regardless their simple lifestyle which is simple living and debt free. Oh yes... they are not materialistic people. There are many of them here in Ohio. They are content and happy. That's the key.

Isn't that what I said?

Also, they're wealthy but don't own possesions, well acutally they don't own modern possesions, so having cash as long as you don't buy luxuries is okay, that means you're content and non materialistic?


Amish and Quakers are farmers right, do you know how much a prize bull can cost? Or a nice stallion? You can live simply and still be materialistic, you just have to adjust your materials.

 

[JimfromOhio]

Isn't that what I said?

Also, they're wealthy but don't own possesions, well acutally they don't own modern possesions, so having cash as long as you don't buy luxuries is okay, that means you're content and non materialistic?


Amish and Quakers are farmers right, do you know how much a prize bull can cost? Or a nice stallion? You can live simply and still be materialistic, you just have to adjust your materials.

They are not just farmers, they have other skills as well. Oh yes... Its interesting how they share their wealth. Did I say that they are typically debt-free? They have the right attitude about prosperity and never preach the gospel of prosperity. Their lifestyle is an example that all of us to follow rather than those Prosperity Preachers teaching us how to get rich.

 

[JimfromOhio]

Oh yes... Quakers and Mennonites have computers and etc. Amish do not have computers.

 

[charityagape]

They are not just farmers, they have other skills as well. Oh yes... Its interesting how they share their wealth. Did I say that they are typically debt-free? They have the right attitude about prosperity and never preach the gospel of prosperity. Their lifestyle is an example that all of us to follow rather than those Prosperity Preachers teaching us how to get rich.

ABsolutely, and any prosperity teacher worth listening too should emphasize debt freeness way before using that credit card to by a plasma tv. In fact, using credit to buy luxouries is NOT prosperity. It's debt. It's moving into a lifestyle of lack by owing.

Now as far as following their lifestyle, I like electricity and buttons and I'm not crazy about cows.

 

[charityagape]

Oh yes... Quakers and Mennonites have computers and etc. Amish do not have computers.

Cool, I didn't know that about quakers and mennonites, I thought they were like the amish. So how does a computer fit in with living a simple lifestyle?

 

[Entertaining_Angels]

They are not just farmers, they have other skills as well. Oh yes... Its interesting how they share their wealth. Did I say that they are typically debt-free? They have the right attitude about prosperity and never preach the gospel of prosperity. Their lifestyle is an example that all of us to follow rather than those Prosperity Preachers teaching us how to get rich.

Having lived in a tent in an underdeveloped nation for a half year with the facilities consisting of a port-o-potty or hole in the ground, the amish seem quite rich to me

We have a larger mennonite community here and I am enjoy knowing people from that community. They're quite a bit different than the amish.

 

[catlover]

Isn't that what I said?

Also, they're wealthy but don't own possesions, well acutally they don't own modern possesions, so having cash as long as you don't buy luxuries is okay, that means you're content and non materialistic?


Amish and Quakers are farmers right, do you know how much a prize bull can cost? Or a nice stallion? You can live simply and still be materialistic, you just have to adjust your materials.

The difference is they need a horse to get around, and a bull for meat on the table. If the animal has a pedigree it helps the future of their stock.

There are Mennonites around here, the women wear head coverings and wear home made dresses. They certianly don't look materialistic to me.

 

[JimfromOhio]

Cool, I didn't know that about quakers and mennonites, I thought they were like the amish. So how does a computer fit in with living a simple lifestyle?

Amish are usually not allow to use modern technology. Mennonites are from the Amish culture but more modern. This believe in the same Amish culture however they use modern technology. I have attended an Anabaptist and Mennonite Churches and learned a great deal about their beliefs and lifestyle.
Quakers are like Mennonites but in a different way.

By the way, Amish and Mennonites are famous for their wood working furnitures and log cabins. I have bought some of their furnitures, boy do that last. They build furnitures to LAST compare to OUR culture that built furnitures that don't last to satisfy our superficial desires.

By the way Amish and Mennoites follow the Book of Proverbs heavily when they are dealing with their personal prosperity and business practices. Solomon was one the wisest rich man in the world. One of richest man in the world knew what he was talking about. I think Solomon was probably the richest man ever lived on the earth.

 

[JimfromOhio]

Having lived in a tent in an underdeveloped nation for a half year with the facilities consisting of a port-o-potty or hole in the ground, the amish seem quite rich to me

We have a larger mennonite community here and I am enjoy knowing people from that community. They're quite a bit different than the amish.

I have many mennonite friends and they are a pleasure to be around. They remind me that living simply is just good enough.

 

[catlover]

They remind me that living simply is just good enough.

 

[charityagape]

The difference is they need a horse to get around, and a bull for meat on the table. If the animal has a pedigree it helps the future of their stock.

There are Mennonites around here, the women wear head coverings and wear home made dresses. They certianly don't look materialistic to me.

I need a car to get around. Do the amish own broken down nags? They need a bull for their cows to produce calves for the herd to sell and have meat on the table. And I bet the eat a lot more prime steak than I do. And yes a pedigreed (and expensive) animal helps the future of their stock, stock they can sell. A pedigreed (and expensive) company that I buy stock from can help my stock (haha pun).

So if I made my own dresses and wore a scarf on my head I wouldn't be materialistic even if I was a millionare and owned acres of expensive land and barns full of pedigreed stock. Are you saying a mennonite CANNOT be materialistic because they wear homemade clothing? I think you could, you'd just have to adjust your materials for a more acceptable matieralism.

 

[charityagape]

Amish are usually not allow to use modern technology. Mennonites are from the Amish culture but more modern. This believe in the same Amish culture however they use modern technology. I have attended an Anabaptist and Mennonite Churches and learned a great deal about their beliefs and lifestyle.
Quakers are like Mennonites but in a different way.

By the way, Amish and Mennonites are famous for their wood working furnitures and log cabins. I have bought some of their furnitures, boy do that last. They build furnitures to LAST compare to OUR culture that built furnitures that don't last to satisfy our superficial desires.

By the way Amish and Mennoites follow the Book of Proverbs heavily when they are dealing with their personal prosperity and business practices. Solomon was one the wisest rich man in the world. One of richest man in the world knew what he was talking about. I think Solomon was probably the richest man ever lived on the earth.

So tell me, Jim, which is more expensive, an Amish made armoire or a cabinet bought from Target or Sears?

 

[charityagape]

I have many mennonite friends and they are a pleasure to be around. They remind me that living simply is just good enough.

So it's not money, its lifestyle you object too.

 

[JimfromOhio]

So it's not money, its lifestyle you object too.

Yes.. lifestyle. There are those preachers who preaches the lifestyle of prosperity based on faith.

 

[charityagape]

Yes.. lifestyle. There are those preachers who preaches the lifestyle of prosperity based on faith.

So the objection you have to prosperity people is not the amount of money they have but the lifestyle they purchase with it?

Please a list of what we are righteously allowed to buy. I must have one so I don't misuse the money God has given me.

I need a second car. What price can I not exceed? Now if someone gives me a car and its really really nice should I give it back?

We're going to buy a home soon, are their specifications on how nice it can be? Size, materials, etc?

I hate shopping for clothes at walmart, what stores are too pricey so I know not to go there.

Now all that's said with sarcasm, but do you see how ridiculous that could be. How legalistic?

 

[JimfromOhio]

So the objection you have to prosperity people is not the amount of money they have but the lifestyle they purchase with it?

Please a list of what we are righteously allowed to buy. I must have one so I don't misuse the money God has given me.

I need a second car. What price can I not exceed? Now if someone gives me a car and its really really nice should I give it back?

We're going to buy a home soon, are their specifications on how nice it can be? Size, materials, etc?

I hate shopping for clothes at walmart, what stores are too pricey so I know not to go there.

Now all that's said with sarcasm, but do you see how ridiculous that could be. How legalistic?

Should I buy $6,000 hearing aids or should I buy $3,000 hearing aids or should I buy $1,000 hearing aids? It all comes down to common sense and we should be focusing on Financial Stewardship rather than Doctrine of Prosperity. The word steward means: manager, custodian, caretaker, administrator, or trustee of God's properties. The steward is the person that effectively and efficiently uses the money and resources that God has given to as Christian duty. I have posted in other threads that the KEY is: How do you manage the money that you receive from our paycheck or earn an income from personal business. God's main goal is for us to earn enough to live by. Money is used to meet our daily needs such as food, utility bills and other expenses. God would meet all of our needs (Matthew 6), however God will not meet our selfish desires. There is nothing wrong with having a desire for something as long as our motives are correct. It is important that we look from God's perspective in our stewardship so that we are not pursuing desires against God's will and purpose. Because if we are pursuiing our selfish desires rather than God's will and purpose, then our motives are wrong. Christians' view of money and material possessions is an effective barometer of our spirituality.

 

[charityagape]

Well, see there Jim. We agree. My church, you'd probably consider one of the "prosperity churches" but our main teaching on money is stewardship stewardship stewardship. Why would God entrust a large sum of money to a poor steward.
By the way, I think you should buy the hearing aid that works best for you, even if it costs 10 thousand.

 

[JimfromOhio]

By the way, I think you should buy the hearing aid that works best for you, even if it costs 10 thousand.

It depends on my family's needs. Gotta use common sense, logic and stewardship.

 

[charityagape]

Should I buy $6,000 hearing aids or should I buy $3,000 hearing aids or should I buy $1,000 hearing aids? It all comes down to common sense and we should be focusing on Financial Stewardship rather than Doctrine of Prosperity. The word steward means: manager, custodian, caretaker, administrator, or trustee of God's properties. The steward is the person that effectively and efficiently uses the money and resources that God has given to as Christian duty. I have posted in other threads that the KEY is: How do you manage the money that you receive from our paycheck or earn an income from personal business. God's main goal is for us to earn enough to live by. Money is used to meet our daily needs such as food, utility bills and other expenses. God would meet all of our needs (Matthew 6), however God will not meet our selfish desires. There is nothing wrong with having a desire for something as long as our motives are correct. It is important that we look from God's perspective in our stewardship so that we are not pursuing desires against God's will and purpose. Because if we are pursuiing our selfish desires rather than God's will and purpose, then our motives are wrong. Christians' view of money and material possessions is an effective barometer of our spirituality.

Yes our view of money and possessions. The simple lifestyle of the Amish don't make them better stewards, its their view of money and possesions. Having a nice house and a nice car, or an expensive horse, or decked out buggy, don't mean you have a screwed up view of money. It's when you don't realize God gave you those things to enjoy, along with the great responsibility of managing HIS money.

A teacher at the bible school I attended, someone once gave him a rolex. It was awesome and he enjoyed it and showed it off all the time, how God had given him this rolex, he really really enjoyed it, and one day he just gave it away to a man who needed a watch. He could have bought the man a cheap watch, or even a nice watch that wasn't his rolex, but the point was it wasn't his rolex and he had no problem at all giving it away. This man preached Godly prosperity and knew what it meant.

 

[JimfromOhio]

Yes our view of money and possessions. The simple lifestyle of the Amish don't make them better stewards, its their view of money and possesions. Having a nice house and a nice car, or an expensive horse, or decked out buggy, don't mean you have a screwed up view of money. It's when you don't realize God gave you those things to enjoy, along with the great responsibility of managing HIS money.

A teacher at the bible school I attended, someone once gave him a rolex. It was awesome and he enjoyed it and showed it off all the time, how God had given him this rolex, he really really enjoyed it, and one day he just gave it away to a man who needed a watch. He could have bought the man a cheap watch, or even a nice watch that wasn't his rolex, but the point was it wasn't his rolex and he had no problem at all giving it away. This man preached Godly prosperity and knew what it meant.

In case you didn't know, I grew up in a wealthy family and learned Christian stewardship from my parents. What I am hearing from Prosperity Preachers is not what I have learned from my parents in God's view of financial stewardship.