Are we guilty of this?

[JohnD]

James 5:3 (NIV84)
3 Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days.

Wealth i a subjective term.

To any 3rd world nation the poorest American lives like a king or queen.

This is not some Catholic-esque call to vows of poverty... but rather an opportunity to

consider whatever our degree of wealth... what is it used for? ...what are our purposes in life, and thus where we invest our treasure and our time?

 

[simplejeff]

29 minutes ago, JohnD said:

To any 3rd world nation the poorest American lives like a king or queen.

Maybe this is why some American churches just don't help people sleeping in the park or alley or under bridges nearby - the churches think that those ones poor and homeless and sick and destitute are living like a king or queen compared to other countries.....  ......  

good excuse,  eh ?    .....  .....

[JohnD]

Point taken.

But have you been to countries where REAL poverty / feudalism exists?

[Neighbor]

 

Hi I'll not knowingly judge, for two passages containing these verses are brought to my mind:

 

"Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand." Yes, just who am I that I should attempt to cast such judgement

 

..." when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,"...

I do not calculate,  nor long remember details, except to know that the Holy Spirit often confirms that the  right thing was done, whatever it may have been .

 

 My response to the general question is: 

No I am not guilty, as has been questioned. I do practice not knowing to what extent I may be doing or not doing something. I do without much regard if any,and certainly no tallying. I follow if, when, and as the Holy Spirit leads and confirms. Also I do not judge others  servant-ship; for they are not my servants! I would think  it a sin by me to  make such judgement upon another person, church, or denomination.

 Instead, I do marvel and take great pleasure in the wonderful Christian servants God has privileged me to come into contact with since  that day when He was so kind as to turn me about to my own repentance some 35 years ago, some famous known to many  a person, and some likely not known to anyone except me and our creator. By the Holy Spirit's glory and lead much  that is good  that declares the gospel of Jesus  does happen, all in the name of the Son, my Lord, God, and savior Jesus.
 

Edited May 16, 2017 by Neighbor

[simplejeff]

5 hours ago, JohnD said:

Point taken.

But have you been to countries where REAL poverty / feudalism exists?

Yes.   The "houses" if someone had one,  was 4 to 6 foot wide,  3 to 4 foot tall(no standing inside ),  and 4 to 8 feet front to back,

made of cardboard, hardboard, tin, straw,  or similar 'temporary' materials.... 

They were most content, most peaceful ,  most sharing and most eager to join in prayer and praise with any Godly visitor sent by God.

The 'rich' among them had more than one shirt/ dress.  If anyone needed anything,  it was provided instantly and joyously .....

Not one of them was so damnably immodest like most americans and europeans can be (and as it is seen daily many are);

not one of them was (apparently) selfish , egotistical, proud nor haughty nor rebellious against God nor one another. 

They had simple and pure hearts, joy, peace, and righteousness like seen in the NT believers (like I used to expect anyplace believers gathered)....

That was many years ago,   the poorest (money wise) section of anywhere I've ever been,  and more peaceful, joyful, and righteous than anywhere in the United States I've ever even seen or heard about or been....      

[JohnD]

1 hour ago, simplejeff said:

Yes.   The "houses" if someone had one,  was 4 to 6 foot wide,  3 to 4 foot tall(no standing inside ),  and 4 to 8 feet front to back,

made of cardboard, hardboard, tin, straw,  or similar 'temporary' materials.... 

They were most content, most peaceful ,  most sharing and most eager to join in prayer and praise with any Godly visitor sent by God.

The 'rich' among them had more than one shirt/ dress.  If anyone needed anything,  it was provided instantly and joyously .....

Not one of them was so damnably immodest like most americans and europeans can be (and as it is seen daily many are);

not one of them was (apparently) selfish , egotistical, proud nor haughty nor rebellious against God nor one another. 

They had simple and pure hearts, joy, peace, and righteousness like seen in the NT believers (like I used to expect anyplace believers gathered)....

That was many years ago,   the poorest (money wise) section of anywhere I've ever been,  and more peaceful, joyful, and righteous than anywhere in the United States I've ever even seen or heard about or been....      

Karachi Pakistan 1979.

The air was thick and putrid, people lived and worked and traded on top of each other. At night time, if they were fortunate enough to find a square of pavement for their families to sleep out of the dirt and mud and squalor (that someone else was not willing to put up a fight for) that was their "shelter" for that one night.

Conditions not dissimilar to those Jesus and disciples lived during his 3.5 year ministry.

[Neighbor]

On 5/16/2017 at 11:05 AM, JohnD said:

James 5:3 (NIV84)
3 Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days.

Wealth i a subjective term.

To any 3rd world nation the poorest American lives like a king or queen.

This is not some Catholic-esque call to vows of poverty... but rather an opportunity to

consider whatever our degree of wealth... what is it used for? ...what are our purposes in life, and thus where we invest our treasure and our time?

 

 

This is a fallen creation out of which some will be saved by the mercy and grace of God, though none are deserving.  I will praise God for my salvation, plus for the share of prosperity that I have, and for the good fortune of having been born in the USA, where opportunity is  still as vast as the horizon is wide.

If God wills that I be blessed in the flesh with  affluence, then praise God! 

Praise God, He is awesome, He is just, He is merciful.

 

[Guest]

Have done several trips to Ensenada, Mexico up in the mountains to help the Pai-Pai through charity work. No running water except spigot for an entire village that wasn't clean. No sewage. No electricity. Tribal members lived in shanties made of plywood, aluminum sheets or hardened cardboard. No medical care unless it was charity. Very bad conditions. Makes you extremely grateful you have a toilet, water, and a roof.  

[LadyKay]

On 5/16/2017 at 11:05 AM, JohnD said:

James 5:3 (NIV84)
3 Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days.

Wealth i a subjective term.

To any 3rd world nation the poorest American lives like a king or queen.

This is not some Catholic-esque call to vows of poverty... but rather an opportunity to

consider whatever our degree of wealth... what is it used for? ...what are our purposes in life, and thus where we invest our treasure and our time?

 

I have been sort of thinking about being considered poor in America compared to 3world nations.  In some cities in the US, not all but some; it seems it is against the law to be poor. They will arrest homeless people just for being homeless. They will Fine people who give money to a homeless person or offer to feed them .  If your home is in need of repairs and you can not afford to repair it, they will Fine you; and when you can not afford to pay the Fine they will arrest you. People with children in most places can not just go live in a cave out in the woods somewhere. CPS will show up and take your children away from you if you are not able to provided a functionable home for them. So while it is true that the "poor" in the US live better than the "poor" in 3world nations, I feel it is only because you're not really allowed to be "poor" in the US. There is no way anyone with children here would be able to go live in a dirt hut in the woods somewhere without CPS nosing around. So with all that being said. I do not feel that I should feel guilt for using my wealth to care for my child and to provide a place for us to live. With that note, I was watching this show about extreme homes one night and thought to myself that having a $100,000.00 RV was over kill and unnecessary. It just would not be in my personality to live that way even if I could. 

Okay I'm done now thank you. 

[JTC]

I'd say that all of us in America, except for the real homeless people, are guilty of not giving enough. Greed runs rampart in our country. And we shouldn't make excuses for being like this (if you are do that) bc that adds a 2nd sin to being greedy. 

I think it's the 5 pm ch 2 news that does a segment each night called Living Large. They show apartments, usually in NYC, where the rent is over $1 million a month and the kitchen looks like something out of a kings palace. I change the channel when that comes on. I know there are people who live like this and see nothing wrong with it, but I don't even want to know about it. I realized as a teenager money can't buy you happiness, and now as a Christian I know money can damage your soul. Actually, to be more accurate it's the love of money that does damage. God did bless some of His people with wealth. He expects them to use that wealth to help the unfortunate. If a wealthy person does that there's no sin in being wealthy.