Can You Be Rich and Be a Christian?

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unsafe said:
Waterfall ---you said ---
When it comes right down to it, it's possible Grace will overrule how we have lived on this earth anyway.

I say ---a big Fat No
Jesus is God and Jesus clearly says ----one must be Born Again ----and God says in Revelations ----nothing unclean can enter heaven ----the only way to be clean is to Receive Jesus in your heart who is Grace and Grace comes through Faith ----Sin makes us unclean and unacceptable in God's Holy domain -----Good living --going to church --serving in the soup kitchen ---serving your neighbour --God's love ---or Grace without the proper Faith will not save anybody ------ Jesus is also the word ----- So if Grace by itself saves then Jesus who is the word lies and that makes the whole Bible a big fat lie -----So if you want to believe that --you go right ahead ---I do
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Well Satan seemed to enjoy his visit to heaven while having a chat with God about Job....Hope God survived all that uncleanliness.
Apparently you don't believe that Grace is given without merit or conditions.......and therefore, IMO, I think you just called Jesus a liar but that's just because I have a different definition of Grace than you do.
 
unsafe said:
Waterfall ---you said ---
When it comes right down to it, it's possible Grace will overrule how we have lived on this earth anyway.
Careful who you call a hypocrite....isn't that God's call?



far as your statement here ------Careful who you call a hypocrite....isn't that God's call?

No that is our call when Preachers tell their people to live a certain way and they they don't follow that way -themselves ---a hypocrite is a person who preaches that in order to follow Jesus you must sell all you have and they themselves keep all there stuff ------they are in fact a hypocrite and -----Jesus called the Pharisees hypocrites.....
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Where do you live unsafe? In a cave with bears? I still think it's not your call.
You can tell us what a hypocrite is by your example if you like.
 
Mendalla said:
Which, I think, is really the attitude Jesus is seeking. Lack of attachment to the material. Much like Buddha that way.
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But many who try to do that will catch hell - or be dismissed as nobody - for it, from those who expect everyone to fit in with the status quo, or lose even the basic necessities of life if they don’t. My old boss, for a couple of years, who was spiritual - some Buddhism and Abrahamic ideas informed his faith, but I don’t think I ever asked him to label it - said it was the Christian condition. He was a wonderful boss, actually. So kind and gentle and interesting.
 
Kimmio Laughterlove said:
But many who try to do that will catch hell - or be dismissed as nobody - for it, from those who expect everyone to fit in with the status quo, or lose even the basic necessities of life if they don’t. My old boss, for a couple of years, who was spiritual - some Buddhism and Abrahamic ideas informed his faith, but I don’t think I ever asked him to label it - said it was the Christian condition. He was a wonderful boss, actually. So kind and gentle and interesting.
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Low end bosses tend to be more connected ... but there are exceptions when the newly endowed forget their previous conditions in the human situation!
 
Luce NDs said:
Low end bosses tend to be more connected ... but there are exceptions when the newly endowed forget their previous conditions in the human situation!
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All I know about his background before coming to Canada, is that he was from Lebanon, has family in Egypt - and in Greece? - I think? He went to Greece, I’m pretty sure it was to to visit family one summer - and his mother who raised him had worked for UNISEF. I picture Jesus looking like him. I feel like I’ve met Jesus several times, but even they would deny it - it’s never a fact, but a feeling.
 
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Kimmio Laughterlove said:
All I know about his background before coming to Canada, is that he was from Lebanon, has family in Egypt - and in Greece? - I think? He went to Greece, I’m pretty sure it was to to visit family one summer - and his mother who raised him had worked for UNISEF.
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Can we keep on topic please?
 
Waterfall said:
Can we keep on topic please?
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I am on topic. I was talking about the Christian condition of being put down for being detached from worldly expectations - as brought up to me by a kind and gentle man who grew up in the Middle East, whose lived experience was one with a mother who was devoted to helping poor orphans and other needy children. I never asked but got the sense that he grew up modestly.
 
GeoFee ------you said -----Scripture is not the word of God.

I say ---well lets see there GeoFee

Dictionaries - Easton's Bible Dictionary - Scripture
Scripture Scripture - Meaning & Definition - Baker's Bible Dictionary Scripture. - Smith's Bible Dictionary Online
invariably in the New Testament denotes that definite collection of sacred books, regarded as given by inspiration of God, which we usually call the Old Testament ( 2 Timothy 3:15 2 Timothy 3:16 ; John 20:9 ; Galatians 3:22 ; 2 Pet 1:20 ). It was God's purpose thus to perpetuate his revealed will. From time to time he raised up men to commit to writing in an infallible record the revelation he gave. The "Scripture," or collection of sacred writings, was thus enlarged from time to time as God saw necessary. We have now a completed "Scripture," consisting of the Old and New Testaments. The Old Testament canon in the time of our

Lord was precisely the same as that which we now possess under that name. He placed the seal of his own authority on this collection of writings, as all equally given by inspiration ( Matthew 5:17 ; 7:12 ; 22:40 ; Luke 16:29 Luke 16:31

Greek word for Inspired


2315. theopneustos ►

Strong's Concordance
theopneustos: ------God-breathed, --[Inbreathing (2315 /theópneustos) relates directly to God's Spirit (Gk pneuma) which can also be translated "breath."]



So GeoFee if you want to believe scripture is not the word of God -----then you just go ahead and believe that ---

My Bible says Jesus is the word and the word became flesh -------and Jesus is God -----So the scripture is God

I say ----As far as interpretation goes the scripture is clear on who can help with that GoeFee -----

JOHN 16:13
KJ21
However when He, the Spirit of Truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth; for He shall not speak from Himself, but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak; and He will show you things to come.

Through the Holy Spirit one is guided to the right interpretation of what the meaning behind the word is ----not by own own mind --that is why Jesus spoke in parables ----to separate the sheep from the goats ----and He did just that ------
 
Kimmio Laughterlove said:
I am on topic. I was talking about the Christian condition of being put down for being detached from worldly expectations - as brought up to me by a kind and gentle man who grew up in the Middle East, whose lived experience was one with a mother who was devoted to helping poor orphans and other needy children. I never asked but got the sense that he grew up modestly.
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Anything can be easily denied ...
 
Christians (going along with the supposition that there is such a thing as 'proper practice' with regards to 'riches') in my opinion ...
Should not be in the practice of saving or hoarding.
Everything beyond what they need should be given away.
Such practice would allow a 'Christian' to be freed from serving 'Mammon' (the system of selling and buying).
After all ... the kingdom of God is where grace and giving reign.
 
The more I look at it, it feels right to me that it's the attitude of lack, the anxiety of not having enough and getting more. Lying awake at night wondering how you'll pay off your debt if something happens. That unfulfilled feeling of desire that you want something so much that you see in a store or read in a magazine.
It's such a relief when you lose that. You are then free to be open-hearted and generous, even with less. You get to see what you can live without.
 
Ritafee said:
Should not be in the practice of saving
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There's a difference, to me, between "saving" in an RRSP or similar instrument to help one supplement one's income after retirement and "hoarding" (to both take and keep in excess of one's wildest needs). Even those lucky enough to have a pension of any sort rarely get a decent COLA adjustment.
 
unsafe said:
But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. 4 They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.
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Hi unsafe. Let me pick up our conversation by reference to your Bible quote. What Jesus says then is relevant now. There are many evangelical superstars who preach the gospel to thousands live and millions by television. Such preachers present a double message. They say we can serve both God and Money. Saying so they generate many millions of dollars and built extravagant temples. Though preaching Jesus these false prophets present the pursuit of money and power by their lived example. Encouraging all who hear such words to dedicate their resources to support their temple economies.

I am not justified by a correct interpretation of the Bible. With the Apostle I am justified by faith alone.
 
Ritafee said:
Christians (going along with the supposition that there is such a thing as 'proper practice' with regards to 'riches') in my opinion ...
Should not be in the practice of saving or hoarding.
Everything beyond what they need should be given away.
Such practice would allow a 'Christian' to be freed from serving 'Mammon' (the system of selling and buying).
After all ... the kingdom of God is where grace and giving reign.
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The problem with not saving is that someday you won't have enough to get what you need, which is the point of saving. CPP and OAS don't cut it in the 21st century and corporate pension plans are anything but a sure thing. Just ask Nortel employees about that one. So, as Bette suggests, unless you're in a really good, secure plan like the Ontario teachers or municipal employees plans, RRSPs and similar savings are to be encouraged. And if you end up with more in your retirement kitty than you need, you can always leave it to those who need it in your will.
 
Kimmio Laughterlove said:
Can’t think of anything. There’s nothing that exists now that couldnt exist without it - except maybe the ridiculousness of corporate branding and lucrative advertising - the excesses - the prices of nearly everything artifially inflated to keep costs to the consumer high, and labour costs low, to bring the greatest amount of profit to the corporate overlords. Everything is commodified. The very basics, food, shelter, necessary clothing, air, clean water, medicine... should not be part of any commodification. That’s evil. Just as evil is the arms industry. I think we can have better lives for more people with a system - perhaps one Jesus would find acceptable, without Christians having to make weak excuses - that more closely resembles democratic socialism.
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Thanks for the response :3 I am interested in what you think.

#MutualAid
#BeNotAfraid
#SystemicWhimsey
#JoyPrivilege
 
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