Dragoon Posted June 29, 2011 Group: Advanced Member Followers: 1 Topic Count: 4 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 378 Content Per Day: 0.06 Reputation: 10 Days Won: 1 Joined: 12/21/2007 Status: Offline Birthday: 10/18/1965 Share Posted June 29, 2011 I've been out of North America for about 9 years now, and while I think we all hope and desire our answer to this would be an unreserved 'YES LORD!!!!"... I think there is sad truth in the words, "it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven." (Mt 19:23) We in the West are rich. So rich that we don't even see the excesses, or if we do, they have become barely noticable. I see furniture left on the streets of supposedly 'poor' homes that bears no damage other than being out of fashion. I go to children's birthday parties and see more toys given in one hour than most children in the rest of the world own in their lifetime. Even our poor worry about being seen in the right designer labels. What about us in the church? We have such beautiful church buildings. I had one Christian leader abroad tell us that, "You Westerners have built big and wonderful church buildings, but we are more accustomed to poverty and put our funds into training and sending out missionaries." Where have we stored our treasures as a body of Christ? I also feel the impact on myself and my family. The temptation to materially 'add' is greater here. When I talk of 'getting rid' of our belongings, am I really ready to sell them? Or am I really talking of putting them in storage so that my treasures are waiting for me when I return? If I am willing to serve incarnationally in relative poverty, am I doing so in the security of knowing that great riches await me... back home in my storage area? Even traditional faith based missions organizations which once sent us out with prayer alone, now are in the capable human hands of business minds. We have 80% of financial support pledged. We have money ready in the General Fund for shortfalls. I see great business acumen in this... but does it build true trust in the daily unwavering provision of God? He IS faithful. When my Lord says to me, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glennagail Posted June 29, 2011 Group: Members Followers: 2 Topic Count: 1 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 32 Content Per Day: 0.01 Reputation: 2 Days Won: 0 Joined: 05/25/2011 Status: Offline Birthday: 11/12/1957 Share Posted June 29, 2011 Luke 18:8-23 18 A certain ruler asked him, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldzimm Posted June 30, 2011 Group: Diamond Member Followers: 2 Topic Count: 85 Topics Per Day: 0.02 Content Count: 1,874 Content Per Day: 0.34 Reputation: 348 Days Won: 12 Joined: 03/10/2009 Status: Offline Birthday: 07/08/1955 Share Posted June 30, 2011 This topic has come up in our men's group and the question came up, would you, could you give it all up? Since I'm the old man in the group, I said "If God wants you to sell everything or somethings to do his works, you will know it in your heart that it is the right thing to do". Brother Joe posted a verse that makes perfect sense, I Timothy 5:8. 1 Timothy 5:8 King James Version (KJV) 8But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel. If a man can not take care and provide for his own family, how can he possibly put his whole thought into doing God's works, when his mind might be somewhere else. Have you ever been at work when a loved one at home is seriously ill, where is you thoughts, at home or at work? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 30, 2011 Share Posted June 30, 2011 To be honest, if I were an important ruler and very wealthy as the example given, I doubt that I would even be asking the question. I believe that if one is not saved before they achieve the pinnacles of fame and success, that the likelihood of them hearing and responding to the call of the Holy Spirit is pretty small. The noises of the world, the wealth, the power, and the forces of darkness would drown Him out. I think that is what Christ meant when he made the Truth statement about the difficulty of the rich to enter Heaven. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gods_girl111 Posted June 30, 2011 Group: Members Followers: 1 Topic Count: 6 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 50 Content Per Day: 0.01 Reputation: 0 Days Won: 0 Joined: 04/19/2011 Status: Offline Birthday: 10/19/1989 Author Share Posted June 30, 2011 Mark 8:34-36 34 And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 35 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it. 36 For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? does this not also imply that we are to deny the things of this world that we want to follow Christ in a faith-filled walk with him? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ears Posted July 1, 2011 Group: Advanced Member Followers: 1 Topic Count: 18 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 348 Content Per Day: 0.07 Reputation: 39 Days Won: 2 Joined: 01/05/2011 Status: Offline Share Posted July 1, 2011 There's an old song that says"if just a cup of water I've place within your hand , then just a cup of water is all that I'll demand." I believe it was within that man's ability to sell all and follow Christ and he chose his belongings. Where as the Lord would never have asked that of another man that maybe had a sick wife or child to take care of . The Lord has full knowledge of the weight of his requests, I believe. Praise Him, for he is so good to us..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Isaiah 6:8 Posted July 1, 2011 Group: Royal Member Followers: 2 Topic Count: 426 Topics Per Day: 0.07 Content Count: 3,633 Content Per Day: 0.58 Reputation: 222 Days Won: 13 Joined: 03/23/2007 Status: Offline Birthday: 08/26/1978 Share Posted July 1, 2011 As for ny wife and I we have been groined for missions since we were young and we have moved three times over 1000 miles away. We often gave away or sold most of our things. This last move as we went through the useless junk we approached the stuff with the view of.. " if we go to Sufan tomorrow is it that important. You see for us we are just awaiting a call like that and god has been preparing our hearts fir over 15 years! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gods_girl111 Posted July 2, 2011 Group: Members Followers: 1 Topic Count: 6 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 50 Content Per Day: 0.01 Reputation: 0 Days Won: 0 Joined: 04/19/2011 Status: Offline Birthday: 10/19/1989 Author Share Posted July 2, 2011 As for ny wife and I we have been groined for missions since we were young and we have moved three times over 1000 miles away. We often gave away or sold most of our things. This last move as we went through the useless junk we approached the stuff with the view of.. " if we go to Sufan tomorrow is it that important. You see for us we are just awaiting a call like that and god has been preparing our hearts fir over 15 years! LOVE it! AMEN! God bless you and your wife! Gods been calling me to do something like this, but the preparation has been long. i now have an almost 6 month old boy and i have no idea where God is going to take me, but i trust what He has put on my heart. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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