Any young person studying for ministry in the COG would do well to develop friendships with people who have money and resources. It never occurred to me to do that instead being poor I went to those who were even poorer than myself. After 18 years of ministry they were never able to lift me up to the point where I had even a reasonable standard of living ( to gain that I had to do it myself.)
Growing up poor one can easily get the idea that there just isn’t much money in the world. When I was about 60 I read the book; The Millionaires Around You, amazingly there are many and one or two would be glad to sponsor the right young person who showed promise.
Even a country like Turkey has 28 Billionaires, Taiwan 18 and the US has over 400. A young person might not be able to reach them but might well make acquaintances with Millionaires. Even here in a small southern community I have met people who were worth ten or more million. Just recently a man I know was honored for making a $ 50.000.00 donation to a worthy cause. How about it young person; are you a worthy cause?
Discussion
18 comments
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This post had COG in it so it qualifies. Otherwise it would be deleted as not worthy of posting.
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Don’t educate your children to be rich. Educate them to be Happy. So when they grow up they will know the value of things not the price. copied and pasted from a FB friend.
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This issue isn’t about happiness its about effectiveness, about tooling up to meet needs of the modern world.
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Matthew 13:22 King James Version (KJV)
22 He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the DECEITFULNESS of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.
Matthew 19:23-26 King James Version (KJV)
23 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.
24 And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
25 When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved?
26 But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.
Hebrews 3:12-14King James Version (KJV)
12 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.
13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the DECEITFULNESS of sin.
14 For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end; -
I’ve met a few wealthy people. My wife had either prophesied over a woman or she witnessed her prophesying. The woman invited her over to pray about a ministry of which her husband was on the board. We had dinner there and talked with a missionary, a prophetically gifted member of the organization, and the husband who was on the board who hosted. I knew he was rich. He had men dressed in military uniform guarding the house in the front. I looked him up online later that year and he was a billionaire.
I have also heard 2 million dollar prayer requests about a family business in a cell group. The man who gave them was a very humble unbecoming guy, not the type to brag. I think one of the other guys in the cell group was probably a millionaire. He is an important man in finance in his country. I probably know a few more.
We’ve got to be careful about trying to get close to the rich to get their money, though. It’s easy to get tempted and to have the wrong attitude if we are looking for the rich to support our livelihood. I’ve never asked these people for money. The billionaire offered to publish a book for me, but I don’t think it ever happened. I was in another country after that and the guy he put in charge of it did not keep up with me. One of the men in the cell group gave me $1000, totally unsolicited and un-hinted-at by me, when I was very short on cash in grad school.
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The COG has come under the influence of the New Apostolic Reformation/Renewal and their teaching is to reach the rich influential leaders. It was a method T. L. Lowery utilized.
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I do not believe that God wants his people to be poor. But we have many in our churches that keep the church afloat that are poor or low medium income people.
The “PROSPERITY” doctrine is preached much more than the “PURITY” doctrine. But the people, for the most part, are no better off, just surviving from paycheck to paycheck.
What seems to be the problem/ Why does this continue?
Does God intend for us to lay up riches hear on this earth?
How can you tell that riches are sticking to you?
1 Timothy 6:17-19 King James Version (KJV)
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. -
I see here in these comments that the old vow of poverty is very much alive. Yet the tomb that Jesus was buried in came from a man who had resources and connections. Jesus usually travelled with a small group and one of the women was the wife of a wealthy man who trusted her to provide for Jesus and his disciples. So we are not talking about riches but adequacy.
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Prosperity gospel?
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If by that you mean, ” my God shall supply all your needs ” then I’ll accept that.
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absolutely, God will supply all our needs, according to his riches in glory! Whatever the poor beggar, Lazarus, needed He had it!
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I would do anything for a such an education. The Lord has healed me of CKD and used me to bless the lives of so many through my testimony. If it is his will for me to become educated, so be it.
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Either way, educated or not, I will serve him regardless.
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Feel free to share god bless
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Jas 2:1 My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.
Jas 2:2 For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment;
Jas 2:3 And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool:
Jas 2:4 Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?
Jas 2:5 Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?
Jas 2:6 But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats?
Jas 2:7 Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called?Heb_11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
Jas 4:2 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.
Jas 4:3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.
Jas 4:4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
Jas 4:5 Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?
Jas 4:6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.Mat 6:31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
Mat 6:32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
Mat 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. -
Lahry, It was these scriptures that I based my approach to the ministry yet they do not off set the point I was trying to make above. Some of the women who travelled with Jesus had well to do husbands and Jesus was buried in a tomb provided by someone who had assets. When I worked in the Billy Graham campaign I came to realize that they had tapped into some some really big money. It is not unusual for some ministers to find givers that give a hundred times over and above what the average working man can give.
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Yes sir, but my LORD had no place to lay HIS head…….
1Jn 2:6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.
I’m not saying that a workman is not worthy of HIS hire. But the LORD surely knows every situation, and knows who to take care of each individual in such a way that is a blessing to that individual.
Rom_8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
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