Kelly asks:
Is it God's will for his children to be prosperous in wealth and riches?
Jim's reply:
Hi Kelly:
You asked these two questions:
1. "What about health and healing, is that his will too? Does he really want us
to be well?"
2. "Is it God's will for his children to be prosperous in wealth and riches?"
I find these questions you ask as all leading to living a pleasant life in the
flesh. You ask concerning the will of God. Which human could ever be so arrogant
as to claim knowledge of God's will? I do not, though God does give us many
clues into that Will through the instruction and guidance written in The Holy
Bible.
Here is a quote that seems to explain why sometimes we may not be "blessed":
Jeremiah 5:25 Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have
withholden good things from you.
KJV
Another verse in this same book says:
Jeremiah 7:23 But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice , and I
will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I
have commanded you, that it may be well unto you.
KJV
These verses speak about being rewarded by God according to whether we each live
our lives in obedience to God as written in the Bible. Take a look at this which
says that God knows what He wants us to have:
Matthew 7:9-11
9 Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a
stone?
10 Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?
11 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how
much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask
him?
KJV
Do not overlook the fact that not one human being (other than Jesus) can live
without sin, therefore each and every one of us is evil as compared to God.
Here we read about how we are "paid" in accordance with how we live our lives:
Galatians 6:7-8
7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he
also reap.
8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he
that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
KJV
God's greastest gift to us is eternal life .... BUT we must obey Him to receive
it.
Romans 12:1-2
12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present
your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your
reasonable service.
2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of
your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect,
will of God.
KJV
If you or I are not living our lives as God has instucted us to do in the Bible,
we have no right at all to ask for His blessings or His answering our prayers.
If we are obeying God's wishes, we are in error to question Him about why
something we asked in prayer was not given to us. We are to obey Him, not
question Him or His will.
..............................................
Additional words on another reply:
For the love of money is the root of all evil:
1 Timothy 6:5-19
5 Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth,
supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself.
6 But godliness with contentment is great gain.
7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing
out.
8 And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.
9 But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many
foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.
10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted
after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many
sorrows.
11 But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness,
godliness, faith, love , patience, meekness.
12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art
also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.
13 I give thee charge in the sight of God, who quickeneth all things, and before
Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession;
14 That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the
appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ:
15 Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the
King of kings, and Lord of lords;
16 Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach
unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power
everlasting. Amen.
17 Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor
trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all
things to enjoy;
18 That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute,
willing to communicate;
19 Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come,
that they may lay hold on eternal life.
KJV
What's more important? Your flesh life for 70, more or less, years or your
spirit life for eternity?
Isn't that what God gave us the free-will to choose?
............................................
This was added to be clearer:
The LORD's prayer
And
"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these
things shall be added unto you."
And
"Thy will be done"
============================================================
Matthew 6:8-7:1
8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye
have need of, before ye ask him.
9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed
be thy name.
10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the
kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also
forgive you:
15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive
your trespasses.
16 Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for
they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say
unto you, They have their reward.
17 But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face;
18 That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in
secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.
19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth
corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust
doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
22 The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole
body shall be full of light.
23 But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If
therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!
24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the
other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve
God and mammon.
25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat,
or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the
life more than meat, and the body than raiment?
26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor
gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better
than they?
27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?
28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how
they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:
29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed
like one of these.
30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to
morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little
faith?
31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we
drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
32(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father
knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these
things shall be added unto you.
34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought
for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
KJV
.............................................
Kelly responds:
| RE: But seek ye first the kingdom of God |
Thank you for taking your time to write back. I did check
your response the next day. However it took me a few to get some scriptures
together that I want to show you. I must apologize, I already knew the answer to
my questions but I was hoping to get scripture to back up my beliefs. So in the
light of your response I did some homework. I am certain that you are lead by
the spirit and are open to any revelation concerning God’s word. So long as it
can be proved in the bible itself. Here is what I found.
Jer. 19:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD,
thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
Pss. 84:11 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.
[12] O LORD of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee.
*What God has planed for the righteous is only good. Both poverty and sickness
is not good.
Healing;
John 6:38 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of
him that sent me. (God’s will)
Matt. 12:15 But when Jesus knew it, he withdrew himself from thence: and great
multitudes followed him, and he healed them all;
Luke 4:40 Now when the sun was setting, all they that had any sick with divers
diseases brought them unto him; and he laid his hands on every one of them, and
healed them.
*If Christ came to do God’s will and he went about healing all and in many other
references to healing, doesn’t that mean God wants us to be well?
* Sickness is under the curse.
Deut. 28:27 The LORD will smite thee with the botch of Egypt, and with the
emerods, and with the scab, and with the itch, whereof thou canst not be healed.
28 The LORD shall smite thee with madness, and blindness, and astonishment of
heart:
60 Moreover he will bring upon thee all the diseases of Egypt, which thou wast
afraid of; and they shall cleave unto thee.
61 Also every sickness, and every plague, which is not written in the book of
this law, them will the LORD bring upon thee, until thou be destroyed.
Gal. 3:13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse
for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree
1 Peter 2:24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that
we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were
healed.
17 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying,
Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses.*Praise God! We don’t have
to live sick anymore.
Wealth and Riches
Gal. 3:13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse
for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:
14 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ;
that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
Deut. 28:11 And the LORD shall make thee plenteous in goods, in the fruit of thy
body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy ground, in the
land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers to give thee.
Eph. 3:16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be
strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;
19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be
filled with all the fulness of God. *(Every aspect of him, in spirit and in
riches.)
20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or
think, according to the power that worketh in us,
Heb. 10:35 Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence
of reward.
36 For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye
might receive the promise.
John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy:
I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more
abundantly.
*More than just enough.
2 Cor. 8:9 For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was
rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be
rich.
2 Cor. 9:8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always
having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:
*Sufficiency in all things. This is how we are supposed to be able to give to
the poor and take care of the widows and give to every good cause. We have to
have more than enough for ourselves.
1 Tim.6:10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some
coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through
with many sorrows.
*But the loveof and the trust in God & Christ is the root of all blessings.
1 Tim.6:17 Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded,
nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all
things to enjoy;
Jim's closing remarks:
Hi Kelly:
You said: "I must apologize, I already knew the answer to my questions but I was
hoping to get scripture to back up my belief."
Why would you even ask the questions then? What was your purpose,
Kelly? Did some other person/preacher tell you that God wants you healthy and
wealthy?
Do you fully understand those words of yours I just quoted? You told me you had
a belief and then you searched the Bible to prove your belief because I didn't
give you the expected answer.
Please do not be offended by what I am about to say, but that is the problem
with most folks (on pulpits and in the pews) who try and convince the rest of us
unlearned folks what the Bible says.
You don't read the Bible and then relate what you found as God's message to
humanity to me and to those around you. Instead, you are already certain what
God means through your own reasoning and convictions. .............. Then, and
only then, do you attempt to justify these convictions by finding proof of it in
the Bible.
Kelly, you have gotten the "cart ahead of the horse" and that will lead you
nowhere but into the ditch. Read and study God's written Word and learn what He
has told you. ......... Then, with that knowledge, will you be able to share
what God says instead of what Kelly says.
How about looking carefully at the following quote which Jesus spoke directly to
the disciples (not the crowds who followed Him) for instruction about how they
are supposed to behave as Jesus' disciples. These words are our guidance when we
disciple for Christ, too!
Pay very close attention to poor, hunger, weeping and so forth as metioned
there.
Do you really think that your assemblage of verses proves your points in any
realistic way? I don't, but thank you for your efforts and may you:
Luke 6:20-39
20 And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said, Blessed be ye poor: for
yours is the kingdom of God.
21 Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that
weep now: for ye shall laugh.
22 Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you
from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for
the Son of man's sake.
23 Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great
in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets.
24 But woe unto you that are rich! for ye have received your consolation.
25 Woe unto you that are full! for ye shall hunger. Woe unto you that laugh now!
for ye shall mourn and weep.
26 Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers
to the false prophets.
27 But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate
you,
28 Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.
29 And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and him
that taketh away thy cloke forbid not to take thy coat also.
30 Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods
ask them not again.
31 And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.
32 For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love
those that love them.
33 And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for
sinners also do even the same.
34 And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for
sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again.
35 But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again;
and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for
he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.
36 Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.
37 Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be
condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:
38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken
together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same
measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.
KJV
AND LASTLY:
| Wealthy is God's plan for you .... ? You miss the point |
You said: "What God has planed for the righteous is only
good. Both poverty and sickness is not good."
Hmmmmmmmm .... Then why does Jesus say this about those who are proud of their
riches?
"Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of
nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and
blind, and naked"
You will find it written here:
Revelation 3:14-4:1
14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith
the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;
15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold
or hot.
16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee
out of my mouth.
17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of
nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and
blind, and naked:
18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich;
and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy
nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest
see.
19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open
the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I
also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.
22 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
KJV
asd@holyscriptures.com