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Do Paul’s Life and Writings Support a Prosperity Gospel?

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  Do Paul’s Life and Writings Support a Prosperity Gospel? “ Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one—I am talking like a madman—with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. ” (2 Corinthians 11:23-27) Some teachers promote the “prosperity gospel,” the idea that you will prosper in this world if you believe the “right” way. But do the life and writings of the apostle Paul support this idea? Consider what Paul faced once
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PRAY!

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  Almighty God, by the power of your Holy Spirit, teach me to speak your Word of truth. I will speak about Jesus because ______________________________ ____. Amen.
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Be a Vessel of Christ!

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  Be a Vessel of Christ “ I will go in the strength of the Lord God; I will make mention of Your righteousness, of Yours only. ” (Psalm 71: 16) As we navigate through this world, we need to remember that we are mere vessels. We are carrying precious cargo: the message of Christ to declare to a lost and dying world. Our mission is to proclaim  his  story, not our own story. Only by the strength of Christ can we hope to live the Christian life in a credible way. The righteousness of God saves us and gives us right standing with God. This is why the Psalmist said he would go into his everyday life in the strength of the Lord and in God’s righteousness alone. We have no righteousness of our own. In fact, Scripture says our righteousness is as filthy rags in the sight of God. The apostle Paul said he did not want a righteousness that comes from self – one based on the law, works, and self-effort. Rather, Paul wanted the righteousness that comes from God, by faith in the person and work of J
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Silence is Not an Option!

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  Silence is Not an Option “ Then they said to one another, ‘We are not doing right. This day is a day of good news, and we remain silent. If we wait until morning light, some punishment will come upon us. Now therefore, come, let us go and tell the king’s household.’”  (2 Kings 7:9) The siege was on by Aram, and people were starving in Samaria. Four lepers decided to surrender to the enemy, hoping they’d be allowed to live. When they went to the location of the enemy camp, the lepers discovered the soldiers had fled. The Lord had made the soldiers hear sounds that caused them believe allies were approaching to help. In their haste to flee, the army had abandoned all of their food and valuables. The lepers plundered what they could, storing as much as possible for themselves. Then they realized that what they were doing was not right. People were starving just over the hill! Remaining silent was not an option.  They felt compelled to share the good news of their discovery. Is this not
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PRAY!

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  Holy God, may I never forget to honor you with a sacrifice of thanksgiving. When you speak, Lord, I will listen and I promise to obey you. I praise your holy name and thank you for your saving love. Amen.
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Safe in His Hands!

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  “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.” (John 10:28–29) Safe in His Hands You may be in a difficult time. Don’t get discouraged. Just remember how God has already parted the Red Sea in your life and delivered you from Pharaoh, so to speak. He snatched you out of a harmful situation. He closed that door that would have proven a big mistake. You have a history with God. You’ve seen His mercies—not once, but again and again—showing out in your life.   You need to announce to that cancer, “You can’t finish me off. God controls the number of my days.” Announce to that depression, fear, and anxiety, “You’re not going to finish me off. God promised I will finish my course with joy.” Don’t get discouraged because of that person who’s trying to push you down and make you look bad. They can’t stop God’s plan for your life. When negat
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A New Way of Living!

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  A New Way of Living “ But… the Lord has said to you, ‘You shall not return that way again.’ ” (Deuteronomy 17:16) After the wise men’s encounter with the newborn King, the Lord instructed them to return to their homeland by a different route. Things change when Jesus Christ assumes control of our lives.  We become new creations and are transformed into instruments for service to God. We abandon the old ways of doing things. We no longer try to earn our way to God through works. Instead of living the law of the flesh, we live by the law of faith. We become ambassadors for Christ. As we practice the concepts of  soak ,  sow ,  and  flow   in The Word of God, our attitudes, thinking, and behavioral patterns change. The love of Christ compels us to live in harmony with the will of God. Even though we are wasting away outwardly, we discover we are being renewed inwardly daily. As we consider this transformation process, the words of John the Baptist come to mind: “He must increase, and I
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