Money – TGN

God’s Blessings Are Not For Sale

Enoch Anti — Mon, 11 Feb 2019 09:27:24 +0000

Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, saying, “Give me this power also, so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money! (Acts 8:18-20).

Simon–not Peter–we are told in the narrative was a magician. Not only a magician but one held in high repute by the people. Scripture records his “magical exploits thus: “But there was a man named Simon, who had previously practiced magic in the city and amazed the people of Samaria, saying that he himself was somebody great. They all paid attention to him, from the least to the greatest, saying, “This man is the power of God that is called Great.” And they paid attention to him because for a long time he had amazed them with his magic.” (Acts 8:9-11).

Here was a magician who has bewildered the people of Samaria with his magic and left them fixated on him for a long time and indeed considered him as somebody from God. But things will change when by the sovereign will of God, the people of Samaria encountered the gospel through the ministry of Philip the evangelist:

But when they believed Philip as he preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. Even Simon himself believed, and after being baptized he continued with Philip. And seeing signs and great miracles performed, he was amazed (vv.12-13).

The gospel liberates and in the preaching of it lies the power of God to save and liberate from bondage and deception. Now, permit me to consider the activities of Simon and Philip as a clash of powers, though it is not, for the Sovereign Lord and King, ruler of the heavens and earth has no equal and competitor; but for the sake of argument, we see magic and the power of God through the preaching of the gospel coming face to face. And the power of God prevailed, so that “Even Simon himself believed.”

In response to this great move of God, Peter and John were sent to Samaria to reinforce the faith of the Samaritans so to speak (vv. 14-17). Hands were laid by the apostles on these new Samaritan believers and they received the Holy Spirit. That was when the state of the heart of Simon now an ex-magician was revealed. It appears he had not fully overcome the love for power hence he wanted what the apostles had by offering money. Peter rebuked Simon the magician pointing out to him that the gift of God–the Holy Spirit — cannot be bought with money: “you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money!”

Sadly, what Peter rebuked has become the model for many so called Christian ministries. Money has become a conduit for God’s blessings and gifts. People are promised all kinds of blessings from God if only they will sow a seed—give money. It is common these days to hear preachers arrogantly speaking blasphemous words about money and the blessings of God: “If you want my anointing, sow a seed.” “If you want your ministry to grow like mine, sow a seed.” Everything you want and desire, you are told “sow a seed.” All around us the word of God and his blessings are up for sale by preachers who merchandise the gospel.

It is crucial for us to come to an understanding that God’s blessings cannot be purchased. Everything we receive from God is a result of his grace and mercies. Whatever spiritual gifts we have has been freely given to us by God (Matt.10:5-8; Jn 3:27; Eph. 2:8-9; Jam. 1:5; 1Cor. 12).

What then must be our attitude towards ministers of the gospel and money? Any minister that ties the blessings of God to money must be avoided. He is a false teacher teaching unsound words (1Tim.6:1-10). Does God bless our generosity at all? One may ask. The answer is yes. However, our generosity must not be transactional in our Christian journey. By all means give to support Christian ministry. Give for the cause of the gospel. Give to the poor and needy. However, don’t engage these in a transactional manner because God’s blessings cannot be bought.

Many people give with the hopes of receiving back. It is true that God loves a cheerful giver. But our giving must be influenced by our love for God and the example of Christ that he loved us and he gave himself for us. Amen.

The post God’s Blessings Are Not For Sale appeared first on TGN.

Does God Want us to be Poor?

Kwesi Sena — Wed, 13 Dec 2017 23:13:04 +0000

When our last article was shared on facebook, one of the followers of our page asked this same question: “Does God want us to be poor?” One of the main questions adherents of the ‘prosperity gospel’ ask whenever their theology of “come to Jesus and be rich and healthy” comes under scrutiny is, “do you think God wants us to be poor?” This might seem a legitimate question, especially if you have grown up in certain parts of Africa and Ghana my homeland specifically where poverty is ripe and endemic.

However, this question has one objective in mind, it is often meant to push back against any criticism of the false teaching of the “prosperity gospel”, and silence those who call out these false teachers.

In John 12, Mary took a pound of expensive ointment and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. Judas Iscariot, one of the disciples was dismayed at such a waste(by his assertion), according to him, the perfume could have been sold and the proceeds given to the poor. Jesus’ answer was astonishing, “leave her alone…for the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me.”

Was it that Jesus didn’t care about the poor, condoning such waste when so many poor people could have been helped? Of course he cared! It is the height of pride to think that we who are evil care more about the poor than Jesus did. Sometimes the peddlers of the “gospel of health and wealth” want us to believe they care more about the poor than everybody else, but just like Judas, they care more about their own stomach than the people they claim to help.

Jesus knows what our truest need is. In Luke 19:10 he tells us that “…the Son of Man came to seek and save the lost” We must never confuse the gospel with poverty eradication. The question “Do you think God want us to be poor?” is just an alibi used by false teachers to advance their own cause. If Jesus came to make us rich, then he should have made every poor person in his day rich. But he didn’t do that, he actually said, “The poor you always have with you”

Now, poverty is not the lack of that car or house or job or comfortable life (things the “prosperity gospel” often promises) . Poverty, is actually a life enstranged from God. And God is more concerned about our spiritual wealth than our material comfort or riches. In Mark 8:36 & 37 Jesus asks “For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? For what can a man give in return for his soul?” Material riches is no barometer of how well a person is doing spiritually.

There are those who will still ask, “Is it not possible to be a good Christian and be rich?” to that I don’t need to give my own opinion. The words of our Lord Jesus in Luke 18:24 is the most sobering, he said, “How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” Then in verse 25, he puts the nail in the coffin, “For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God”. It is very frightening that the very thing Jesus warns us to flee from, is the same thing we crave the most. What a rebellious people we are!

The reason why the “gospel of health and wealth” is so dangerous and deadly is that it preaches a different God. In Matt. 6:24, Jesus in his sermon on the mount told his listeners, “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money”

Money is not neutral, it has a cunning ability to offer itself as a God-alternative. What the “prosperity gospel” preachers are peddling is not some sort of harmless call to become rich, they are effectively extolling a different god, the god of Money.
Our approach to life should be what Paul admonished in 1 Timothy 6:6-10:

But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. 8 But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. 9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs

We should be a people who are content with God’s daily provision for our lives. Jesus taught his disciples to pray to their heavenly Father for their daily bread. God has promised to provide for these things (food, clothing and shelter) (Matt. 6:25-34), and if we have these things we should be content for those who desire to be rich fall into temptation. This is exactly what has happened to these false teachers; their desire to be rich led them to this false doctrine in the first place and unfortunately they are taking many unsuspecting people down with them.

God is more concerned about your soul than your material comfort in this fleeting world. Don’t be fooled, we have been promised unimaginable riches and inheritance (1 Peter 1:3-5) but it is not on this side of eternity. It is in the world to come. Beware! For many false prophets have gone out into the world!

The post Does God Want us to be Poor? appeared first on TGN.