Corporate Christianity

[ayin jade]

1 hour ago, ReneeIW said:

Not sure greed was there. They were content, but then deceived. They coveted something that did not belong to them after being deceived.

10For 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.

Sorry, I dont intend to be picky, but the bible says eve was deceived but adam willfully sinned. God held both accountable though.

[ayin jade]

43 minutes ago, unworthyservant said:

And a distinction that Christ NEVER made! Most folks get that notion from Paul when he said "The LOVE of money is the root of all evil". If you look at Paul's statement he never said that one could accumulate it unless he first loved it, he was just pointing out the fact that the "love of money" or "greed" is behind the evil of accumulating it. He never meant to override the teachings of Christ when He said definitively "You cannot serve God and mammon". So, when folks say it's not the money that's evil, it's the love of it, they're right that the love of it is behind the accumulation and the money is simply the fruits of that evil desire for it. "By their fruits you shall know them"! That said, if you simply read Paul's statement in context with what Jesus said, it's apparent that the love of money is the catalyst for the sin of mammon or the accumulation of wealth. That's why Christ said "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." If your heart is with God, your treasure is in Heaven, if your heart is with mammon then then your treasures will be earthly wealth. Paul just said it differently. You could just transpose on the words of Christ (since Paul was teaching on them anyway) to Paul's statement and you could have "where your treasure is, there is where your love is". So, do we love Christ and serve God or do we love mammon and serve ourselves?

Ive seen poor folks have a far greater love of money than rich folks. 

[unworthyservant]

2 minutes ago, Kristin said:

I wish I had more money and more friends and better things

I wish I had more money but I pray that if I ever do, I'll have the Faith and strength to resist the temptation to use it for "better things" for myself and instead use it to help those who have even less than I. We could all use more real friends but the "Catch22" is that having money can attract the wrong kind of "friends" so one must be even more wary. I would hope that any new friends that I would attract from having money is those poor or needy folks that I was able to help.

[ayin jade]

24 minutes ago, unworthyservant said:

It was from the evil desire of someone. Whether it's from your own or your ancestors is irrelevant as Christ just told us what to do with it and never mentioned where it came from. He never differentiated whether it was personally accumulated or inherited. I imagine that the "rich young ruler" whom Christ encountered probably inherited some if not the bulk of his wealth (as a ruler in those days usually was from a wealthy family) and Christ didn't differentiate which part of his wealth he should give, He said "all".

Have you given all?

[Kristin]

I have not given anything really ?

[Kristin]

2 minutes ago, ayin jade said:

Have you given all?

Not remotely 

[unworthyservant]

Just now, ayin jade said:

Have you given all?

I've given all that I have on more than one occasion (which is comparatively little) and while I have very little I try every day to use either what money or resources I have at that time to help someone in even worse shape than I. It's all relative. The old song says "I can't even talk to a rich man, to compare I'm a beggar no doubt" but I don't believe that Christ taught His teachings just for the rich. Matter of fact He took the time to point out that God treasured the widows two mites over much bigger offerings not because of the size but because she gave all that she had. It's not the amount ("to whom more has been given, more is expected") but whether one is putting God's work over hoarding their money.

[unworthyservant]

7 minutes ago, Kristin said:

I have not given anything really ?

Don't feel bad. I sometimes feel the same as I live month to month and don't always have money to give but as long as you give everything you can and don't spend what you have on earthly treasures then God will be pleased. And when one doesn't have money, you can always give your talents (God appreciates that as well).

[unworthyservant]

BTW, how did this topic turn from the expensive corporate structure of modern churches to comparisons of individual giving. Christ said to give our alms in private and I never intended to start a discussion of folks personal finances or giving. (that is another discussion entirely and has been discussed here as such recently).

[ReneeIW]

15 minutes ago, ayin jade said:

Sorry, I dont intend to be picky, but the bible says eve was deceived but adam willfully sinned. God held both accountable though.

That’s okay. It’s good to be exact. I just believe that  anyone who is sinning  has been deceived, so I just lumped them in together with being deceived.

He had to have been led to believe he would not suffer grave consequences even though he had been warned that he would; therefore he was deceived.