The Gospel Lottery

[Pastor Michael Samuels]

The American church in some ways, I beleive has been seduced into a lottery menatlity. What do I mean? I mean that people follow ministries or attend conferences or services hoping that this will be the one that when I give my money, I win the big pot of blessings,(usually financial).

We must begin to properly teach biblical principals that will show people how to appropriate the blessing of God anytime. Does God use these conferences? Yes! But to many people attend these events emotionally and leave emotionally and that is all they get. God is a god of faith.

Does God want christians well off or wealthy? I believe that he does. But God knows that most christians will not properly use His word or work in the right way to gain wealth. It is easier for people to hope that if they give $50.00 at a conference that money will automatically come out of the BIG SLOT MACHINE in the sky. It doesn't work that way, although God does use our giving to activate open doors and blessings but there is so much more that we must do to walk in God's blessing.

Look at 2nd Chronicles 7:14

1. Humble ourselves
2.Pray
3.Seek His face
4. Turn from our wicked way
5. Then God, the key word is then....

Look at John 10:10

The theif comes to steal. How has the enemy stolen from you?

We have much study, praying and sitting in the presence of God to get true revelation on how to prosper God's way. We must teach, teach, teach, teach teach....

[Abraham Israel]

Good Day My Wonderful Love One!. A Brother ask me if i had did some studying on Lord & Jesus? I appreciate his question in regards to Lord and Jesus. Because people just don't ask that guestion or study it to know; Moreover Here Are The FACTS; When you look in the Strongs Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible or the King James Hebrew/Greek Key Word Study Bible, Under the reference Lord there is a Hebrew code, 3068 יהוה which is YHWH. And concerning Jesus, go to the Greek Dictionary in the same reference book there is a Greek code 2424 which will take you to the Hebrew code 3091 which is Joshua,
which will take you back to the Hebrew 3068 יהוה which is YHWH. Note,when you read and apply the principles of 2 Timothy 2:15, You will know these facts That Joshua,
Jesus, Isaiah, Lord, Jehovah, John, Jonathan, and other names or titles will ALL
take you back to Hebrew Code 3068 יהוה YHWH. Moreover, I come in truth. All I ask is that you consider to study the facts and be blessed. And go and wake up your family and continue to be blessed. Praise Yahweh, Your Dear Brother Abraham

[Eric Hancock]

Excellent point

[Lonnie Kluttz]

Brother Hancock,

As God has said and I have been commanded to teach.... you won't find one scripture that says that tithing is money. But I have one question for everyone. If God tells us to stay out of debt, why would he give us money to pay our bills?

God bless

[Eric Hancock]

EXCELLENT COMMENT ...LOT OF GRAVITY IN THAT COMMENT
BUT FOR SOMEONE TO SAY TO ANOTHER THAT IF YOU ARE A CLERGY MEMBER AND PREACH THE GOSPEL AND DONT HAVE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF MATERIAL THINGS ,,YOUR NOT A CHILD OF GOD,,I LOOKED AT IT AS WHERE MY PIMPING SKILLS NEEDED SOME ENHANCING...
I WAS AKED HOW MANY CARS DO I HAVE ,,HOW MANY HOMES AND CHURCHES DO I HAVE? AND WAS EVEN TOLD THAT I AM NOT TITHING ENOUGH AND NEEDED TO SOW a 10,000 dollar seed into his ministry

I want to as well get your opinion on where I was told by my aunt,,that when she was a teenager in church,,when you paid your tithes they would right your name on a chalk board and when people come in and out the church the chalk board would be up on the wall so that everyone can see who the tithers were!! this one poor woman every sunday would see everyones name on the board and one day wanted hers up since she was a member,,she paid her tithes but her electric was shut off,,she did not care ,,all she wanted was her name to be seen,,WOW what a MINDSET..where was the CHURCH according to the Bible?? do you see how easy it is to be caught up with POPULARITY??the hell with a chalk board,,I want my name wriiten in the book of life not a chalk board..BPN I am not cursing but this type of mess really upsets me and then when people speak against it we're the bad guys or are we the ones that you cant FOOL?

[Pastor Michael Samuels]

There is a perception or assumption in the church world and the secular world that when a Christian talks about making money or becoming wealthy that, that person or persons are somehow worldly(secular). Actually it is practical to pursue an abundant lifestyle. Does that mean that everyone will become wealthy? of course not. It does mean that God desires us to have more than enough to pay our bills, leave an inheritance, give to the poor, the sick and the needy...(Look at the good Samaritan) He had more than a handshake and a prayer.He PAID for the needs of the one who needed support. Have people in the body of Christ abused God's desire and purpose for money? Of course but that does mean that God has not, does not and will not raise up some in the body of Christ to walk in wealth. If God is the same yesterday, today and forever and raised up wealthy men in the past, He will do it, has done it and will continue to raise up men who understand the purpose for money and use to the kingdom of God. Never assume that you know a persons heart, motive or directive of God for his or her life. Will God deal with those who have wickedly and selfishly used people to gain filthy lucre(ungodly wealth) using His name? Of course. However, God will bless those who use money wisely and as led by God. Let us pray and get the mind of God as we discuss issues and hear from God what He is saying in all things. By HIs Word and by His Spirit. Proverbs 3..Acknowledge Him in all thy ways and He will direct thy path....I am truly enjoying BPN and the thoughts, responses and blogs, however, I do understand that their are many thoughts, opinions and ...

[Eric Hancock]

Brother klutz
I agree,,this has gotten so out of hand that I even hear TV evangelist once say that if you dont have any money your out of order with God,,I have some concerns with that because every body is not going to be a millionaire,,I dont care how much you BLAB IT AND GRAB IT,,NAME IT AND CLAIM IT,,,Prosperity comes in many forms
everybody is not out of order...I told a Preacher that I dont own a BENTLEY,,,right there I was an outcast

[Lonnie Kluttz]

Brother Samuels,

Once again, you are writing on worldly standards and not what God has said in His Word. There isn't a scripture that says that God wants you to be wealthy with money. However there are many that says the opposite. I dont know what bible you are reading, but in order to teach the word, you have to give the word as God has put it. Without our own interpretations. It's what God has said and what He wants, not what we want or what we feel He should do for us.

God Bless

[Eric Hancock]

Motivation is everything

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life (John 3:16).

Most people ignore this verse in the context of giving, but God’s giving has to be the very foundation of our giving. Notice three things about God’s giving:
1. His motivation was love.
2. In giving His Son, the Father gave of Himself.
3. God’s giving was in response to our need, not our greed — that we should not perish.

There is a form of sacrificial giving that God despises:
And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I deliver my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing (1 Corinthians 13:3).
God looks on the heart, and He is not impressed by loveless giving. Your motivation is everything.

[Eric Hancock]

The first Church Council

In the early church, there were those who tried to force the Gentile Christians to live under the Law. A dispute arose which quickly lead to the first ever church council.

And some men came down from Judea and began teaching the brethren, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” And when Paul and Barnabas had great dissension and debate with them, the brethren determined that Paul and Barnabas and certain others of them should go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and elders concerning this issue.
And when they arrived at Jerusalem, they were received by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they reported all that God had done with them.
But certain ones of the sect of the Pharisees who had believed, stood up, saying, “It is necessary to circumcise them, and to direct them to observe the Law of Moses”.
And after they had stopped speaking, James answered, saying, “Brethren, listen to me. It is my judgment that we do not trouble these who are turning to God from among the Gentiles, but that we write to them that they abstain from things contaminated by idols and from fornication and from what is strangled and from blood” (Acts 15:1-2, 4-5, 13, 19-20).

The question being answered by this council (v.5) is:
Do Christians have to observe the Law of Moses (which, of course, includes tithing)?

What was the answer?

They were given four instructions:
Abstain from:
— things contaminated with idols,
— fornication,
— what is strangled, and
— blood.

Where does tithing come on the list?
Nowhere! The first ever Church Council decided that Christians are NOT required to tithe.

[Eric Hancock]

The people paid a tithe for the poor, the orphans and the widows

At the end of every third year you shall bring out all the tithe of your produce in that year, and shall deposit it in your town. And the Levite, because he has no portion or inheritance among you, and the alien, the orphan and the widow who are in your town, shall come and eat and be satisfied, in order that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hand which you do (Deuteronomy 14:28-29).

This tithe went to the poor, the widows and the orphans. In Australia that is called “Social Security”. It was payable once every three years, which equals one-third of a tenth annually.
These tithes were not ‘gifts’, they were taxes. The total tithes paid by the Israelites were 23.3% of their total income, about the same as what the average Australian pays today in income tax.