The Four Kinds of People in the Church

There are many definitions for Church and this can always be identified by its context. The Church is the place of worship where believers meet to fellowship with each other. It can also be defined as the whole body of Christ (1 Corinthians 15:9) or individual bodies of believers (1 Corinthians 3:16). In the Church there are all manner of people. There are some who are saved and others who are not. There are some who are there for good reasons and others for reasons best known to them. Today's article, "The four kinds of people in the Church" may not be all inclusive, but can be seen in most churches if not all. Now without wasting much time let's go straight into discussing the four kinds of people in the Church:

The first kind of people we have in our Churches are the "Passersby". They are those who come to church just to see what is happening. They come to see if the Pastor is powerful enough or whether there would be some kind of miracle. Their hearts are often times not in the service and never remember what the Minister preached on. They come with their own agenda rather than to sit and
listen.

The next group of people we have in our Churches are the "members". They are people who love to associate themselves with a particular denomination. They are only happy to say that "I belong to Christ Embassy" or "I belong to Benny Hinn Ministries". They love the title "Christian" just because they go to church but never live as they are supposed to.

The third group of people are called the "Learners". They are those who are ever learning but not practising what they learn. They are quick to quote the various quotations a preacher is making reference to but they never walk in them. They are very critical of Men of God but they themselves fall short of many things.

The last category of people is my favourite. I call them the followers. They are those that learn to do. Thus they are eager to try the things they read in their Bibles and hear on the pulpit. It is said that 5% of people make things happen, 25% watch things happen and the 70% don't even know that something has happened. The followers make the 5%. They walk in the supernatural because they exercise their faith in whatever situation they find themselves.

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Is There a Future for the Church?

There is a core tension shared by many who work in the church - maintenance of the institution vs. a vital church experience that centers on relationships, authentic experiences of God, and the natural flow of justice and compassion. Those who work in churches sometimes struggle with their feelings about church work. The larger issue is the struggle, shared by churches in Kansas City and across the United States, to find a genuine experience of church within organized religion in the twenty-first century

There is a problem in the Christian Church! It's a problem that raises a serious question: "What is the future of the Church?" Two young men, David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons, work in the field of market research. They are both committed and evangelical Christians, and have published a book with the dubious title UNCHRISTIAN. It offers a perspective on Christianity as viewed by 16-29 year olds who are not currently active in a church. Many of these outsiders actually grew up in the church, but they are now outside the church.

According to their extensive research, there has been a sharp increase in the amount and the depth of animosity toward the Church over the last decade. The perception by most of those surveyed is that Christians are anti-homosexual, too involved in politics, judgmental and intolerant of other faiths, and out of touch with people today. Now, you may agree with those surveyed or you may not agree. The truth that is hard to deny is that the perception of anywhere from half to almost 90% of young people outside the church today see Christianity in an unfavorable light.

This information is not a surprise to those who have watched people leaving mainline denominations in droves. This needs to be, however, a wake up call to Christians today. The very people we need to reach most desperately with the message of God's love are feeling more and more disconnected from church. This is happening at the very time the world seems to be desperately in need of the peace, justice, and hope that were basic to Jesus' message. The perceptions of the young people surveyed might be erroneous, but if this is what they are perceiving, then it is less likely they will be open to hear the message of Jesus.

The task of each new generation of Christians is to renew the faith, to own it for ourselves, and to find that place where the life of faith intersects the language of the current culture. The challenge to Christians in the 21st century is to rediscover the core identity of what it means to be followers of Jesus. We are living in a time of tremendous change in society and culture. Post-modernism is the name given to this period of transition from the values of modernism - of the Enlightenment - to whatever will come next.

The church reflects this general societal and cultural change. Add to that, recent developments in biblical scholarship, archaeology and other sciences, and the widespread information that is so readily available on the internet. There is a lot of new thinking and new feeling going on! One church leader, Bishop John Shelby Spong, compared the current situation to the Protestant Reformation except, he said, the current reformation makes that one look like a tea party!

We are not living in a world that has forgotten Jesus, but we are living in a time in which the role of the Christian Church is changing significantly. Doctrines and perspectives that were just assumed for centuries are now being questioned not only from outside the church, but also from within it.
Does the church have a role to play in today's flattening world? Absolutely!

The need today for God's love - for peace, justice, and good news of liberty for the oppressed (Jesus' own mission statement) is tremendous. The church is still called to live, represent, and interpret God's new creation in today's world to people with diverse backgrounds, faith traditions, beliefs, and non-beliefs.

The theme of journey is powerful for the life of faith. Churches can be places where people explore and seek an understanding of their faith in an atmosphere of trust and safety. People need the shared journey that churches can offer -- where people ask hard questions in love, share their developing understandings, and seek to integrate their actions and their beliefs. The very process of asking honest questions really matters. Asking them right out loud even in church is an energizing process. People care because the questions are honest and because the questions are theirs.

Jesus is still the way, the alternative way to conventional wisdom in a consumer society. This way lies at the intersection of the church and the marketplace. It is as much there as here. This is what is compelling about church today. Jesus is not our possession to sell to the world. He is the way we know about God, the way we see God more clearly. He is the eternal God with a human face. Our calling is to let others see Jesus in our faces. Princeton sociologist Robert Wuthnow has suggested that the role of church in the twenty-first century is less telling people to "come in here" for the answers. What the church can do is identify where God is at work in the world now, lifting that work up, and naming the Spirit's presence.

The more clearly we frame the deepest questions of our lives and invite people to ask their most meaningful questions, the more powerfully we all will be able to find living answers. This is the hope we have to offer the world. Despite what we may think about these questions, they need to be asked. They also need us to live into our answers as honestly as we possibly can in Jesus' name.

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The Jerusalem Phase of the Early Church

OVERVIEW
The first 30 years of the church can be divided into four phases.
The first phase commenced with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2 and ended a few years later when the church was scattered from Jerusalem through persecution, as described in Acts 8. This article is based on those chapters of Acts.
During this phase God's Holy Spirit worked mightily, performing many great miracles, which gave courage to the apostles and power to their sermons. In a few years the church grew from the initial group of 120 to many thousands. However, the church was confined to Jerusalem, consisted of Jews only and functioned as part of Judaism. This is indicated by the following:
In Jerusalem - The church received the power of the Holy Spirit in Jerusalem. In Acts 5 the Jewish Council declared that the apostles have filled Jerusalem with their teaching. The word of God kept on spreading; and the number of the disciples continued to increase greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were becoming obedient to the faith.

Pentecost - God selected Pentecost to pour out His Holy Spirit. On that annual festival devout Jews from all nations, who spoke the language of the nation where they were born, were gathered in Jerusalem. God also gave His disciples the ability to speak their languages.

Call to repentance - Peter, the primary spokesperson during this phase, did not hesitate to blame the Jews for the death of Jesus, but he also called the Jews to repentance, teaching:

• That God exalted Jesus to His right hand as a Prince and a Savior to grant repentance to Israel;
• That, for Israel first, God raised up His Servant Jesus and sent Him to bless Israel by turning them from their wicked ways and;
• That the promise of the Holy Spirit is for Israel.

It is therefore clear that God did not reject Israel for killing Jesus. God continued to give preference to Israel after Christ's death.
Jewish Sermons - The sermons in that period were entirely Jewish, indicating that it was intended for Israel alone. For instance, Peter addressed his audience as Men of Israel and quoted liberally from the prophets. Stephen's defense before the High Priest and the council was also thoroughly Jewish, summarizing Israel's history.

In the Temple - The church worshiped every day in the temple, where only Jews were allowed. God gave them explicit instruction to preach in the temple. God gave a most significant miracle at the temple, attracting the attention of all the Jews who were worshiping in the temple, and giving Peter the opportunity to witness powerfully to them.

DETAILED DISCUSSION

For a period of forty days after His resurrection, Jesus appeared to His chosen apostles, proving to them than He is alive. At the end of the forty days He was taken up into heaven.
Just before He was taken up, He gave orders to His apostles not to leave in Jerusalem, but to wait in Jerusalem to be baptized with the Holy Spirit. Ten day later, on the day of Pentecost, the remaining 120 followers of Christ were all together in one place. Suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind that filled the whole house. There appeared what looked like tongues of fire that came to rest on each one of them. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different languages.

On that day and the subsequent years God's Holy Spirit worked mightily. Many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles. A man that was more than 40 years old, and who was lame from birth, was healed at the temple. The apostles were securely locked up in prison, but an angel released them. The people of Jerusalem even carried the sick out into the streets and laid them on cots and pallets, so that when Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on any one of them. People from the cities brought their sick people to Jerusalem and they were all healed.

The Holy Spirit gave courage to the apostles and power to their sermons. The church grew from the initial group of 120 to many thousands in a few years. On the day of Pentecost alone the followers of Jesus increased from 120 to more than 3000. The Lord was adding to their number day by day. After the healing of the lame man at the temple there were more than 10000 believers.

Thereafter all the more believers in the Lord, multitudes of men and women, were constantly added to their number. This is amazing, considering that the Leader of the group has been killed, but instead of His followers hiding away, the number of followers increased exponentially on the basis of the teaching of these uneducated and untrained men. This shows the power of the Holy Spirit.

However, the church was limited to Jerusalem, consisted of Jews only and functioned as part of Judaism. Indications of the Jewish nature of this first phase are:

IN JERUSALEM

Jesus explicitly told the apostles to wait in Jerusalem for the power of the Holy Spirit. The Jewish Council in Acts 5 later declared that the disciples have filled Jerusalem with their teaching. This first phase of the early church closed with the following comment: The word of God kept on spreading; and the number of the disciples continued to increase greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were becoming obedient to the faith.

PENTECOST

The church received the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, when devout Jews and proselytes from all nations were gathered in Jerusalem. These Jews and proselytes included, amongst others, Parthians, Medes, Egyptians, Libyans, Romans and Arabs. They spoke the language of the nation where they were born. They also heard the sound from heaven and came together to see what it is. The Holy Spirit gave the believers the ability to speak the various languages of these people. These foreigners were amazed to hear the 120, whom they knew were Galileans, speaking in their own languages of the mighty deeds of God.

The fact that God chose Jerusalem and the day of Pentecost to pour out His Holy Spirit, and that He gave His followers the ability to speak the languages of these foreigners, indicate God's intention to reach Jews all over the world with the good news of Jesus Christ. On that day 3000 Jews were added to the church.

JEWS CALLED TO REPENTANCE

Peter, the primary spokesperson during this phase, did not hesitate to blame the Jews for the death of the Holy and Righteous One::
On Pentecost Peter said to the Jews:

• Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know-this Man you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death
• Let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ-this Jesus whom you crucified.

In his speech in the temple, after the healing of the lame man, Peter said the following to the Jews gathered in the temple:

• His servant Jesus, the one whom you delivered and disowned in the presence of Pilate you disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, but put to death the Prince of life

The next day, after they were jailed for teaching in the temple, Peter said to the rulers and elders and scribes gathered together in Jerusalem:

• By the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead-by this name this man stands here before you in good health. He is the stone which was rejected by you, the builders, but which became the chief corner stone.

The Jewish Council later complained that the disciples intend to bring this man's blood upon them, but Peter reiterated that the God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom they had put to death by hanging Him on a cross.But God did not reject Israel for killing Jesus. Christ's prayer on the cross was:

• Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.

This was an expression of God's heart. Israel still had the opportunity to repent. Therefore Peter and the apostles preached repentance to the Jews:

• Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise (of the Holy Spirit) is for you and your children and for all who are far off.

After the lame man was healed, Peter said to the Jews in the temple: Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away.Not only did Peter preach repentance to the Jews; he preached repentance for Jews first. He assured his Jewish listeners:

• That for them first, God raised up His Servant and sent Him to bless them by turning every one of you from your wicked ways;
• That Jesus is the Christ (Savior) appointed for them and;
• That God exalted Jesus to His right hand as a Prince and a Savior, to grant repentance to Israel;

Paul often used the phrase Jew first. God, after the death of Christ, not only sent the gospel to the Jews first, but they will always have the first right to salvation: From the standpoint of God's choice they are beloved for the sake of the fathers.
JEWISH SERMONS

Peter's sermons were entirely Jewish. In his sermon on the Day of Pentecost he addressed his audience as Men of Israel and as the house of Israel. He quoted both Joel and David. These references would have meant nothing to any Gentile standing around. The 3000 people who were saved that day would all have been Jewish. His second sermon, in the temple, after the lame man was healed, was also entirely Jewish. Several times he referred to the prophets, explicitly mentioning Samuel, Moses and Abraham.

Stephen's defense before the High Priest and the council was also thoroughly Jewish, summarizing Israel's history. See Acts 7.

IN THE TEMPLE

After Pentecost the 3000 believers were day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, where Gentiles were not allowed. The nearest the Gentiles could get was the Court of the Gentiles, which surrounded the Temple. Peter and John were going up to the temple at the ninth hour, the hour of prayer. They were all with one accord in Solomon's portico, which was a specific part of the temple.
God gave Peter to heal a lame man at the gate of the temple. This man they used to set down every day at the gate of the temple. All the people knew him. Since God had removed his deformity, the man was probably now, for the first time in his whole life, allowed to enter the temple. He entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. With the man still clinging to Peter and John, and with all the people gathering around them, full of amazement, the miracle gave Peter the opportunity of testify in the temple, where only Jews were allowed. God chose this location, which confirms that God's efforts were still focused on the Jewish nation. Peter urged them to repent, so that their sins may be wiped away. Many believed, and the church grew to 5000 men.

After the apostles were jailed, an angel released them and told them to go and speak to the people in the temple, which they did. The authorities arrested them again, flogged them and ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, but they just kept on preaching in the temple Jesus as the Christ. Their worship still centered around the temple. In their view they were the true Jews.

CONCLUSION

For a number of years after Jesus's death and resurrection God limited the efforts of His Holy Spirit to Jews. During this first phase of massive growth the church consisted only of Jews, continuing to live like Jews. Christianity at this time was a part of Judaism, and the dramatic actions of the young church were still confined to Jerusalem. The later three phases provide additional evidence for this conclusion.

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Being a Real Christian - Walking in the Spirit of Christ

Most Christians today conform to a set of church teachings which defines their unique denominations, but this is only a subset of the total way of the Lord. They become conformed to external compliance to a standard religious behavior set by their pastor's knowledge and understanding. They are more bound by peer pressure and desperately seek the approval of fellow Christians. The real Christian are sons and daughters of God, they walk in Spirit and Truth, their transformation is real and lasting not counterfeit nor pretentious, when they talk their actions are in line with their body mind and spirit and they are naturally in obedience to God as a way of life. They do not try to be Christians they are in Christ and Christ dwells in them. These are the real ones who cling to the Rock in times of crisis and stormy weathers; they trust God totally even unto death. God is part of their lives and he becomes an integral part of whatever they do and think.

Mark 7:6-8 (New International Version)

6 He replied, "Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: "These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.

7 They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.'

8 You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men."

The most difficult thing to understand about the Christian living is how sanctification works; how should anyone actually go about living the Christian life? The Law is meant as a restraint, it reveals what Sin is; it accuses the sinner of their sin. So is the Law and Grace of God opposing in nature? No. It is not. As a young Christian, you will need the Law to know what is acceptable or not in the sight of God. Without the acceptance of God no one can lead an overcoming life and they will have no power to restraint Sin. Sin is the demonic suggestions that tempt the person, like what the Serpent did to Eve in the Garden of Eden. The serpent tempts Eve into eating the forbidden fruit of the knowledge of Good and Evil. Sin makes you its slave to obey the lust of the flesh and not the Law of God. Sin caused you to fall short of the Glory of what God wants to see in you.

So God has to send us the helper in times of Grace. The helper is the Holy Spirit sent by Jesus to help us in times of need. Jesus said, to those who asked it shall be given in Luke 11:9 to 13.
Luke 11:9-13 (New International Version)

9 "So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.

10 For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

11 "Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead?

12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion?

13 If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"

If you need the Holy Spirit, you have to formally ask for this indwelling. God must dwell inside of you for you to have the full power to resist the Devil. The Holy Spirit will show you all truth. But before you can have Jesus and the Father God dwelling inside of you, you have to build your house.
John 16:13

But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.

Haggai 1:7-11 (New International Version)

7 This is what the LORD Almighty says: "Give careful thought to your ways.

8 Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build the house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored," says the LORD.

9 "You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why?" declares the LORD Almighty. "Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with his own house.

10 Therefore, because of you the heavens have withheld their dew and the earth its crops.
11 I called for a drought on the fields and the mountains, on the grain, the new wine, the oil and whatever the ground produces, on men and cattle, and on the labor of your hands."
What is the meaning of building your house? It means build your spiritual body the house of the living God so that he will dwell in you and do not focus on building your physical house of wealth and earthly things. We are all living stones build in his image and we should conform to his ways and teachings.

In order for us to be over-comers, we need to be tested for our faith and believe. Make no mistakes, God will test everyone because he said, when the storms comes the house which stood on the Rock will be left untouched. Jesus is the Rock. But believing in Jesus Christ alone is not enough, even the devil believed in Christ and they also knows scriptures. So a real Christian needs more than that and what is the thing that they need? When we accept Christ, we have only gone through justifications. Accepting Jesus Christ only allows us into the narrow gate, but we need to move past that gate into the promise land. This is the first step of Justification in which we confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord and Christ, our Savior and that he shed his blood to redeem me from eternal death.

Is this all there is as a Christian, just saying these few words and our live will be good and smooth and blessings will flow through us? No, the next step is Sanctification. When God brought his people out from Egypt, they had to walk through the desert from one place to another until they reached the Jordan. But by that time they reached the Jordan only 2 men of the entire generation at that time managed to cross over. Who are they? They were Caleb and Joshua. And what do they represent in the sight of God? They represent in the case of the name of Caleb, whole heartedness and faithful, while Joshua represents salvation comes from God, and he is also faithful bold and courageous. Caleb had confident that he can conquer all his enemies by the presence of God in him, while Joshua could command all the people to fight the enemies of Israel and gain victory through listening to God and being obedient, he had faith and action. These are the combined qualities of the true Christian who can enter the promise land.

Sanctification is a deliverance and house building process. During this process, God will send manna from heaven and that represents his word to us. This word is given to us daily and not weekly, God will send us daily food from heaven; his word. If we were to use yesterday's word or keep his word for tomorrow it will turn into maggots and harm us not bless us. The same word applied the next day

will not be suitable for us since it is a today's word a now word for us to do today.

Exodus 16:19-20 (New International Version)

19 Then Moses said to them, "No one is to keep any of it until morning."

20 However, some of them paid no attention to Moses; they kept part of it until morning, but it was full of maggots and began to smell. So Moses was angry with them.

Sanctification is freedom from the ritual acts of Sin. Sanctification comes from constant training our spirit, mind and body to the obedience in Christ to gain freedom from Sin. Freedom is gain when we are freed from the bondages of Sin. Whenever we Sin, we are subjected to obey its commands. Sin torments us until we obey its commands and manifest its wishes, once done it gives us some release until it torments us again. Gambling, alcoholism, smoking, sexual immorality, and fear are some examples of this type of Sin that have a hold on your body mind and soul. It is called a habit in human terms but it has its spiritual roots of binding the sinner to its commands. This Sin gives us temporal release and escape from a world of capitalistic control. The pressure of Mammon (Mammon means God of Money) rules the entire world and everyone becomes its slave. Therefore when we need some peace of mind we run towards one of the above habits to find some form of release, its called escapism from the world of demands.
When the pressures come, we run towards our familiar rituals because it gives us real temporal relief, we suck on our cigarettes to ease our mind, we drink our whiskey to dull our mind to create a state of euphoria and we caress strange women paid by price to gain love and acceptance; all to find some short term release from the demands of a world ruled by merciless Mammon. The more you do the more you will do it, since it gives us a temporary fix. As the Great Lord God has mentioned many times, the wages of Sin is death. All these Sin have their consequences and its only a matter of time they catches up with the Sinner. Cigarettes, booze, women for sex all will destroy your health, reputation and it puts holes into your pocket because Sin is expensive. That is why the poor can not afford to Sin since they have no extra cash or money.

Sin makes you pay tribute to the 5 kings in the days of Joshua when he entered the promise land. Once we cross the Jordan, we have to fight these 5 kings. Those who supplied the Booze, Cigarettes, Women, drugs are all servants of Satan and Mammon rules them and those who patronize them are slaves to the 5 kings because they took their unclean spiritual food and became a slave to them through Mammon. This is a willing buyer and seller situation sanctioned by our economic wizards of this world who created this system.

Sanctification is thus a deliverance from spiritual bondage it's the application of our spiritual sword to cut and sever the unholy ties to become the slave to Sin and demonic suggestion. Without sanctification, we can not be acceptable in the sight of God. Everyone who is justified will be sanctified whether they believe it or not; it will take place since they have declared that Jesus is their Lord, so Jesus will chastise everyone he calls son. So if your life is still not right, don't expect to be blessed with a lot of good things, God will not put authority and position on you if you are not trained and qualified for that position. So how long can the process get? As long as you are humble, obedient and trainable it will get faster, but the more you rebel the longer it gets. And God promised that when we seek him diligently, we will find him.

Jeremiah 29:13
You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart

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God and the Lessons of Money

We are at the beginning of the second decade of the new millennium. In the first few years of the new century, we have witnessed some of the greatest accumulations of wealth of all time. The stock market was raging, real estate markets were rising and even after the Internet Stock bubble burst, it seemed that all America continued to sing that old song from the 30's, "We're In The Money".

But as time went on, the real estate market as well as the stock market showed themselves to be the Emperor with no clothes. As companies went from having defined benefit pension plans where retirees would know how much they would get when they retired, to defined contribution plans where the employees took on the market risk, what seemed to be a great idea suddenly has become an albatross, a sign of evil and foreboding of bad times ahead.

No matter what index you look at, the markets have all dropped beyond anyone's worse expectation. But what is worse is the effect that a loss of 28, 35 or 40% means to people who have no other liquid asset base.

The top 1% of the wealthy in America control 33% of all the privately held wealth in the country. The next 19% which consists of professional, managerial and small business owners control 51% of the wealth. That leaves the remaining 80 percent of American workers to share a paltry 16% of the wealth of the nation's economy. That means that salaried and wage employees, while making up the largest portion of the American workforce, have very little control of their own destiny.

This is the reason that I have chosen to use the Book of Ecclesiastes for our text today. The timelessness of the Bible speaks to all generations about the realities of life and what is truly important in the larger scheme of things.

We twenty-first century Americans can learn something from the ancient Israelites. By using the principles of the Bible as a baseline we can understand how the current situation can be overcome on an individual basis. Because just as in Israel, salvation is made of the individual not of the nation. And like Israel we must learn how to live, what things we can control and what things we can't.
In spite of what prosperity preachers teach, the Bible does not say that everyone will be rich. The Smith-Barney brokerage commercials tells the message of what many churchgoers believe about money AND salvation. "We make money the old fashioned way; we EARN it."

God's message is quite different than what is said on Wall Street-He provides to those who don't deserve it, giving to them something they have no capacity to earn and gives it to them without expectation of repayment. He has adopted us into his family as joint heirs with all the privileges of being a natural-born child.

The Lure of Money

 It doesn't matter if you are a Democrat, Republican, Libertarian or Independent, what I am about to say applies equally to all the members of your affiliated party. Most of them are going to bust hell wide open.

I don't say that because of what policies one or the other party has tried or is trying to enforce, or what platform they have or what legislative agenda they have tried to enact. The fact is, while I don't know any of them personally, the Bible says that "There is none righteous, no not one. There is none who seek after God." Rom. 3:10

Most of the legislators in both houses of congress are there to get paid. If not while in office, then after.

It is little wonder that ordinary American's have little say in what happens in the world. There is no lobby for Ordinary Folk. There are no Senator's who are going to go to work to push for legislation that benefits Average Jane and Joe.

But there comes a price for having wealth. The more you have, the more you want. Back in the 60's, reporter asked him how much money is enough. John D. replied, "Just a little bit more."

A New York survey of those making over $200,000 per year showed that while they were much better off than most American's, they felt more aware of their relative lack of wealth as compared to those earning more than they. In other words, they had more anxiety due to not earning millions per year than those who earned under $100,000 per year.

We think that if we have more money, everything will be alright. If only I could make an extra $5,000, $10,000 per year, we'd be ok. We believe, just like John D. Rockefeller that if we just had a little more, everything would be alright.

This is why Solomon says, "There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is common among men: A man to whom God Has given riches and wealth and honor, so that he lacks nothing for himself of all he desires; yet God does not give him the power to eat of it, but a foreigner consumes it. This is vanity, and it is an evil affliction."

The pursuit of wealth has been the hallmark of the American experiment. Time and time again, those who were willing to risk much have been able to reward themselves and their families with a higher standard of living and the betterment of society.

But the Protestant Work Ethic that was instilled by our Puritan forebears that allowed America to become the envy of the world in wealth and prosperity has been corrupted and misplaced.

Rather than placing emphasis on an honest day's wage for an honest day's work, and the reality that each person's vocation, no matter how trivial or mundane, had worth in and of itself, we find that those who lead a corporation by elimination of the workforce are the most highly compensated, rather than those whose effort allows the product to be brought to market.

The Puritans felt that all work, no matter what it involved, had worth as long as the individual realized that he was doing it as "unto the Lord". Beginning in the Garden of Eden, humans have the need to DO, to cultivate, to work.

Now, those who do the least will decide to lower expenses by laying off those who assemble, distribute and sell the items that cause them to be able to be compensated.
What has happened? How did the system become corrupt?

Simply stated, it was because while most people were not Christian during the time of the Puritans, but they at least held to what was a nominally Christian worldview that viewed God as in control and that all things were under his providence.

The Puritans understood that God created everything in the world, everything in the universe and that we are all going the way of all flesh. In other words, no matter how much wealth is accumulated in this life, if you don't have Jesus Christ as savior, there is no amount of money that will get you into heaven, there is not enough money in the world to keep you from going to hell, and that everything in this world is eventually going to pass away.

The Rich man in Luke 16:19-31 would have foregone all of his wealth if he could only have a drop of water to be put upon his tongue to quench the torment he felt. But instead of the ease he had in this life, he could only wish that he could send warning to his family of the reality of hell.

Now, we are in Post-Christian America, where even churchgoing Christians are likely not to understand the basic principles of Orthodox Christianity, that the saying, "God helps those who help themselves" is not in the Bible, but was a quote from Benjamin Franklin. That wealth is not a symbol of God's blessing, but more often a sign of personal spiritual apathy and a declaration of independence FROM God.

In study after study it has been shown that there is an inverse relationship between income and interest in God. In other words, generally speaking the more money you make, the less likely you are to go to church regularly, to pray regularly and to be concerned about God in general.

The Love of Money

What is it that we are to love? How are we to respond to love when we receive it? Why do people sometimes neglect to look out for the needs of others? God is at the center of each of those questions.
In the first place, we are to love God with our whole heart and soul and might. There is to be no one or nor any thing that comes between our relationship with ourselves and our creator, sustainer and redeemer. For unless our relationship with God is in order, our relationship with our families, our neighbors and co-workers cannot be right.

But how many people do we know who boast of what earthly possessions they have or their ability to do this or that, or to go here or there.

In Paul's first letter to Timothy, he compares the life of godliness to that of seeking money for its own sake. (1Tim 6:6-12)-What Paul is getting across to Timothy is that while there is nothing wrong with wealth in and of itself, far too often wealth, the desire to be wealthy and/or the pursuit of it becomes a snare and trap for those who become enamored by its allure. Wealth is a desire that is difficult to satisfy and it becomes a stumbling block to those who seek to serve Christ.

In the Book of Acts, Ananias and Sapphira tried to hold back a portion of what the proceeds of a sale of real estate that they owned from the Apostles to their own destruction. (Acts 5:1-10). It was not that they were wealthy, but that they were attempting to deceive God by declaring that they had given their all, when they only gave a portion.

Look, God owns it all anyway. He doesn't need what you have. But if you want the best HE has, you must be willing to turn over control of what you perceive as yours to Him. As Americans, we tend to look at things and feel that we can accomplish anything on our own.
But as Jesus said in Luke 12:48, "For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required..." or as is in some translations "much is expected".

But far too many of us have been guilty of answering the question that writer Denis Brogan asked in the mid-forties; if God was to be replaced..."What would replace Him? Could anything replace Him but 'Democracy' made into an object of worship, or business or success?"

And the business of business is to advance SELF interest. That is, the determination to make money is the overriding principle in the advance of the capitalistic ideal. Michael Douglas as Gordon Gecko in "Wall Street" purring, "Greed is good", is now being transplanted into the real world by Bernie Madoff.
Compare the current hand wringing over our current status of the economy with what Jesus said to his disciples in Matt. 6:25-33. "Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

"Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not worry, saying 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'

"For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But SEEK FIRST the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and ALL THESE THINGS shall be added to you."

And in that last line is encapsulated the entirety of the desire of the Christian; to seek the righteousness that God graciously gives to his subjects in His Kingdom, the gift that none can work for, earn, buy or deserve.

And if we submit to the authority of the only wise God, to whom be honor, glory power and majesty, now and forevermore, we have all our needs cared for.

The Labor of Money

If we are perfectly honest, not only are we all working for the Lord, ME! We want to be on the throne of our lives, we want to have control of our households and we want control of our pocketbooks and billfolds.

In other words, we want a small 'g' god that we can control, one we can dictate our wants, needs and desires to and have the expectation that, like a genie of the magic lamp he will grant us our wishes and the desires of our hearts.
Which leads to the following quote; "Show me a person's checkbook, and I show you what is important to them." Your spending habits tell more about you and your personality and desire than anything else.

Today, when you get home, I want you to do something for me. Take your check book, online bank statements or just the receipts for the past three months. Go back and look at how much you spent on YOU, how much you spent on your Family and then how much you spent on GOD. Then break that down into percentages to see what is important to you.

Now, when I say what you spent on God, I don't only mean what you put into the offering plate, although that's important. I also mean what you spent on developing your relationship with God. You know, music, cd's, books, movies, dvd's, magazines. Anything that would enhance and strengthen your connection, knowledge and love of God.

Then, how much time did you spend in the last month at work. 40, 50, 60 hours? And what were your earnings for that time. Then how much of your time was spent with your family? And how much of that time was spent in meaningful communication?

Then how much of the rest of the time was spent with God? Counting church services. And of that time, how much was spent in "meaningful communication"?

Someday, when I'm ready I'm going to write an essay that may turn into a book. It's about my cousin who died this January. I already have the title for it; it's called "Buddha and the Cross".
You see Artie was what I and the family called him, but for 26 years that he was on the Michigan State Police, he was known as Buddha.

Now, long story short, Buddha was a profane, drunken, womanizing poor excuse for a human being. But at the same time, he was a caring, devoted father, loving son and kind police officer who would help others and think of them before thinking of himself.

After he died, his wife asked me to speak at his funeral. And, as my mentor, best friend and Father-in-law once told me, "You can't preach anyone into heaven or hell. That is all in God's hands."

As I stood and began to speak to his brothers, his wife, daughters, friends and former co-workers, I spoke what I know to be the truth from the Bible. Artie could make you as mad as anything, but he could also make you break out in the biggest smile and heartiest laugh. He could try your patience and he would take the best care of you. He would get on your last nerve, but he would go out of his way to do something good for you.

He knew that he was a sinner; he knew that he deserved punishment. But he also knew that Jesus died for him. And I leave all the answers to all the questions anyone ever has about his fate in the Hands of God, who came to seek and save the lost, to provide a way of salvation not for the righteous, but for sinners.

What does that have to do with the labor of money? Let me tell you. In Isaiah 55, the Lord says, "Ho! Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat. Yes come, buy wine and milk without money and without price."

"Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and let your soul delight in abundance. Incline your ear, and come to me. Hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you-the sure mercies of David.

"Seek the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, and He will have mercy on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways' says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts."

God is not a man that He should lie. Consider yourself. Consider your life. Consider what money cannot buy and seek the Lord while he may be found.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/3650372

Jesus Christ Teaches About Money

Jesus Christ, the savior of the universe gives approval of Christians who get involved in making money using legitimate businesses, but at the same time warns His followers not to make money their god and worship it instead of their creator.

Jesus thanked the servants who invested their talents in business transactions and doubled the returns after some time (Matt 25), but cursed the lazy servant who hid his talent and never used it wisely to multiply and make more. This is an indication that we need to use our God-given talents including money to multiply to because this is what pleases God, our creator. He loves to see His children prospering financially.

Jesus commends hard work for all His followers to enable them support their families as well as their ministries without becoming burdens to other people. The apostle Paul agrees with Jesus when he states that those who do not work should not eat (2 Thessalonians 3:10). Many young people today look at work as punishment and want their parents to work for them and provide everything they need. They just want to sit, wash, decorate their hands and only wait to eat what is ready on the plates. This is against Christian values.

At the same time, Jesus commands Christians to be faithful in their financial management thus become good stewards. He does not support any form of extravagance among His people because this will lead to the wastage of God-given resources. A christian should properly budget for and spend his time and money in a way that glorifies God. He should give tithe and offerings to support God's work and use the rest to help himself and other people.

However, Jesus strongly warns Christians not to love money more than they love the giver of both life and money. This is a big challenge because some Christians tend to love their wealth more than God after getting a lot of wealth. They spend more time looking for more money; have no time for fellowships, Sunday services and even their families. Too much love for money becomes the source of all evil (1Tim 6:10). If this money is not properly used, it can lead to divorce among the marrieds, abandoned children thus increasing crime rates in urban centers.

Jesus Christ therefore, recommends that Christians should seek God first and His kingdom and all the other earthly things will be added unto them (Matt 6:33). This simply means looking at God as number one in all your priorities without encouraging any form of laziness. When the giver of money and creator of all things is given the first place in your life, He will bless you and give you all other things that you need accordingly. If God gives you money, it should be used to help you, but most importantly, to expand His kingdom to bring Him glory. Otherwise, He can take it back and give it to those who will use it appropriately.

In conclusion, every christian needs money to enjoy a good lifestyle in this world, support his family and the ministry of the gospel but he/she should not love money too much and worship it instead of the living God who gives both life and money. We brought nothing into this world and we shall take nothing out of it but be with the Lord for ever and ever amen!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/2533825