Few people, I suspect, would argue with the declaration that God is their source. American Christians are great when it comes to the pronouncement of their faith. The challenge arrives when they are faced with the practicality of their (stated) faith. To better understand the nature of giving (and in turn prosperity), it is important to understand a group of people Paul emphasizes in 2 Corinthians (8:1-4; 9:6-10), which in his mind illustrates the connection between giving and prosperity.
NO LONGER ASHAMED OF PROSPERITY #16: The Spiritual Side of Your Money
I have enjoyed fielding several questions about prosperity from those who have been reading these articles. Those questions have helped me refine and expand some thoughts about how money works in our lives as believers. One of the questions revolved around the concept of Mammon (see Luke 16:9-13) and why it was referenced as such rather than simply saying the word, “money”? I have personally come to the conclusion that there is more at work with our money than simply a tool of transacting business. Money has a unique and special authority in most people’s lives. It has the capacity to make us do both incredibly generous things as well criminal things. It controls us at various levels of existence. We worry about it and have anxieties concerning it. Money may be a tool for navigating an economy, but it’s power far exceeds a wrench.
DEALING WITH PROPHETIC IMPRECISION
“And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;”
Ephesians 4:11-13
As a committed theological continualist, I consider the above passage to be one of the clearest texts presenting the ongoing ministry of the prophet. It is not possible, nor is it the purpose of this post, to elaborate on the similarities and dissimilarities between the Old Testament prophets and the place of New Testament prophetic utterances. The truth is a number of OT activities transitioned at the Cross of Christ while a number of things remained the same. That is called a “continuity and discontinuity” discussion or debate amongst students of the Bible. There are plenty of books and online articles for the interested student to study ad infinitum.
NO LONGER ASHAMED OF PROSPERITY #15: Key Concepts Concerning the Tithe
This may be the most helpful post in the series…
As I mentioned in the last post, my wife and I have been practicing tithers for close to 40 years. I think it is important to tell you that through those years we have generally been a very middle-class, American couple. We have no personal jets, do not drive a Rolls Royce, or have a 15,000 square foot home on the ocean. Not that there is anything intrinsically wrong with any of those things. If you can afford it and God has genuinely released you to purchase it, then there is no condemnation from me. For us, we have determined that great prosperity entails even greater responsibility, and our resources should go to more Kingdom expanding projects and needs. I mention our middle-class existence because I want to underscore that prosperity has purpose and the keys we have learned to tithing are meant to lead us to greater obedience and in turn greater favor.
NO LONGER ASHAMED OF PROSPERITY #14: The Door to Prosperity
This blog excursion started by sharing that my wife and I have been on a journey exploring and searching the genuine biblical precepts of prosperity. It is our journey. It is not an apologetic or defense for those ministries or teachers who may over emphasize the doctrine or present it with lack of precision. My guess is that this blog post in particular, will begin challenge some people’s thoughts on the matter.
I understand that there will be people who for various reasons resist and reject any thought of biblical prosperity. I understand that by the very nature of sharing a journey into a topic like this that apologetic moments present themselves which appear to be a defense. I guess that is inevitable and unavoidable to some extent. My intent is to simply present a testimony and account of things which we have either been reminded or received an epiphany concerning. The reader is, of course, at liberty to accept or reject what we discovered. Again, life unfolds, and fruit is revealed by the thousands of decisions we make in a lifetime.
I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; (Deuteronomy 30:19)
This brings me to the “tithe”.