Economic

Gloom and Doom

In the midst of all the Economic Gloom and Doom currently being talked about, how about a little reminder regarding how the righteous are actually supposed to be living?

Habakkuk 2:4 states — but the righteous will live by his faith

This prophet was given instruction from the Lord, that even in the midst of terror, violence, and wickedness where justice was perverted (Hab 1:4), even in the midst of the Lord raising up the Babylonian army against Israel (Hab 1:6), the righteous will LIVE by their faith.

Is your life hidden in Christ Jesus?
Do you place yourself ‘under the shadow of the Almighty’?
Then what have you to fear?

Question:
If a certain country went into complete famine and there was not enough food to feed it’s people, would that affect your day to day life, if you were NOT a citizen of, and living in, that country?

Of course you may feel sorry for them and try to send money, or become a missionary to go and help in any way that you feel you could, but if you were not a citizen of that country, it really would not affect your day to day living. You would not have to WORRY that your family could starve to death, that you may not have enough to eat, or even enough money to pay your bills.

So, the honest answer is, “No”, if your family did not hold citizenship in the country undergoing famine, their famine would not actually affect your day to day living.

Next question:
Where is your current, true Citizenship?

In the midst of all the gloom and doom being pronounced upon America, and even upon the world today, Believers should absolutely remember where their true citizenship actually belongs.

Philippians 3:20 reads: but our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ

Colossians 1:13 reads: He has delivered us (past tense) from the power of darkness
and conveyed us into the Kingdom of the Son of His love

and Hebrews 12:28 reads: Therefore since we are receiving a Kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear

By meditating on the TRUTH that we belong to God and have become citizens of Heaven, our minds CAN be set free from worry and fear about our day to day lives while living on this earth.

Yes, the earth will undergo trials, disasters, famines, earthquakes, even wars and rumors of wars, but we should keep our minds STEADFAST on the FACT that we are citizens of a greater Kingdom!

And as citizens of a greater Kingdom … an un-shakable Kingdom, everlasting and eternal Kingdom … the KING has promised us certain provisions, if we would keep our eyes focused on Him for such.

Some of the provisions He has Promised are:

the Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. Those who know Your name will trust in You, for You, LORD, have NEVER forsaken those who seek You — Ps 9:9-10

You still the HUNGER of those You cherish; their sons have PLENTY, and they store up wealth for their children — Ps 17:14

Who then is the man that fears the Lord? He will instruct him in the way chosen for him. He WILL spend his days in PROSPERITY, and his descendants will inherit the land — Ps 25:12-13

The Lord gives strength to His people; the Lord blesses His people with PEACE — Ps 29:11

But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear Him, on those who hope is in His UNFAILING love, to deliver them from death and keep them alive in FAMINE — Ps 33:18-19

The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and He delivers them … Fear the Lord, you His saints, for those who fear Him lack NOTHING. The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack NO good thing — Ps 34

Delight yourself in the Lord and He WILL give you the desires of your heart … I was young and now I am old, yet I have NEVER seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread. They are always GENEROUS and lend freely; their children will be blessed –  Ps 37:4, 25-26

Blessed is he who has regard for the weak; the Lord delivers him in times of trouble. The Lord WILL protect him and preserve his life; He WILL bless him in the land and not surrender him to the desire of his foes. The Lord will sustain him on his sickbed and restore him from his bed of illness — Ps 41:1-4

Our God is a God Who saves; from the Sovereign Lord comes escape from death — Ps 68:19-20

If My people would but listen to Me … how quickly would I subdue their enemies and turn my hand against their foes … you would be FED with the FINEST of wheat; with honey from the rock I would satisfy you — Ps 81:13-16

I will listen to what God the Lord will say; He promises peace to His people, His saints — but let them not return to folly – Ps 85:8

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High, will rest in the shadow of the Almighty … Surely He WILL save you from the fowler’s snare, and from the deadly pestilence…You will NOT fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will NOT come near you. You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked. IF you make the Most High your dwelling, even the Lord, Who is my refuge, then NO harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent. For He WILL command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways … You WILL tread upon the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent. “Because he loves Me,” says the Lord, “I WILL rescue him; I WILL protect him, for he acknowledges My name. He will call upon Me, and I WILL answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life will I satisfy him and show him My salvation — Ps 91

The Promises of the Lord are many.

He can get us meat from the sky, honey from a rock, the birds of the air could bring our next meal if it came down to such lack on the earth ….. but we need to keep our minds focused on His Truths in order to have peace in the midst of any trials coming upon the earth AND we MUST BELIEVE God at His Word in order to walk in that peace AND in order to see His provisions manifest in our lives.

Remember the following:

We also have had the gospel preached to us, just as (the Jews) did; but the message they heard was of NO value to them, because those who heard did NOT combine it with FAITH — Hebrews 4:2

The Jews were Promised a land flowing with ‘milk and honey’, and Caleb and Joshua said, “We’ve seen the Land and it is ours for the taking”. BUT the Jews COULD NOT enter into it, because of their FEAR and refusal to believe that God was actually giving it to them.

They REFUSED the Promise of God.
They let FEAR rule in their hearts and minds.
And so, they did NOT receive the PROMISE that God made to their generation.

You have the same option today!

You can accept God at His Word and see His promises and provision take place in your life,
Or
You can refuse to believe God at His Word and walk in fear and in lack and in trouble.

You get to choose.

May I suggest that you guard your heart and your mind today. Meditate on God’s Promises for your life, even while the rest of the world shouts ‘the sky is falling’.

God is your rock.  A very present help in times of trouble, and  He is faithful to perform that which He has Promised !!!!   As long as you don’t refuse the Promise through  fear or unbelief.

Praise be to God  that even though in this world there will be trouble, we will hear news of trouble, and  even have trouble try to break right into our household, we can remember:

Christ overcame the world and has now given us His authority to also do the same! (John 16:33, Luke 10:19, Mark 16:15-18, 1 Jn 5:4)

Choose to receive God’s Promises today …  and LET the peace of God  rule in your hearts and in your minds!   Amen.

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Ecclesiastes 11: 1-6

GIVING IN TIMES OF ECONOMIC DISTRESS

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Cast thy bread upon the waters; for thou shalt find it after many days.
{Thought: As you give of your substance — your food, your income — you WILL see it return to you … for this is a Law of God … even as Luke 6:37-38 teaches to give and it WILL be given back unto you, pressed down & shaken together.}

Give a portion to seven, and also to eight; for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth.
{Thought: don’t just give what your first inkling is to give or don’t just give seven portions.
Don’t just give the minimum tithe or minimum first thought that you thought to give, but give a greater portion.
Because the Word is the Truth, and you WILL receive a return from God.
You will receive financial provision back from God, when you are not stingy or hording for yourself – even as Proverbs 3:9 states.
And because you do not know what economic crisis is coming upon the land, you should therefore give now, so that you will be protected in the days of disaster.}

He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap.
{Thought: Therefore do not watch the economic news of doom and gloom, which will bring fear upon you and tempt you to withhold from abundant giving}

In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good.
{Or as the NAS puts it:
Sow your seed in the morning and do not be idle in the evening, for you do not know whether morning or evening sowing will succeed, or whether both of them alike will be good}

{Thought: Sow. Sow again. And keep sowing.
Sow portions of seven.
Naw, portions of eight.
Sow in the morning.
Then sow again, in the evening
Keep your sowing up.
Keep giving abundantly.
Keep giving to the poor, the orphans, the widows.
Remember to give to those who teach you spiritual truths.
Give cheerfully, for God loves a cheerful giver.
And then expect God to watch over you and provide for all your needs … always … at all times … no matter what the economy does or threatens to do.

God is your provider.
God is your protection.
God will keep you in days of famine and distress.
God will see that you are fed.
God will see that you are clothed.
God is the lifter of your head.

But keep giving, and don’t be stingy or fearful, so that you can be open to receive the blessings and protection of God.

God is faithful and loving and willing to protect you, to take care of you, and to do all that His Word states He will do for His children!

Hallelujah.

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The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and he delivers them.
Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him.
Fear the Lord, you His saints, for those who fear Him lack nothing.
The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack NO GOOD THING.
{Psalm 34}

Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to GIVE to him that needeth.
{Ephesians 4:18}

GIVE, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will (men) pour into your lap.  FOR WITH THE MEASURE YOU USE  it will be measured to you.
{Luke 6:37-38}

I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread.     They are always generous and lend freely; their children will be blessed.
{Psalm 37:25-26}

He who gives to the poor will lack nothing
{Proverbs 28:27}

One man gives freely, yet gains even MORE; another withholds unduly but comes to poverty
{Proverbs 11:24 }

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Does God Hate Prosperity?
Part 2

Does God hate stinginess, covetousness, idolatry, hoarding, looking down on or holding down the poor, and looking to only one’s own self interest? The Scriptures in “part 1” of this topic proves, “yes”.

But does God hate Prosperity in the lives of His children? The below Scriptures proves, “no”.

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Do not forget my teaching; keep my commands in your heart, for they will prolong your life many years, and bring you prosperity (Proverbs 3:1-2)

Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops;  then your  barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine (Proverbs 3:9)

Those who love (wisdom) and those who seek (understanding),  With (wisdom) are riches and honor, enduring wealth and prosperity….I bestow wealth on those who love me and make their treasuries full (Proverbs 8:17-18)

Diligent hands bring wealth (Proverbs 10:4 )

The blessing of the Lord brings wealth, and He adds no trouble to it ( Proverbs 10:22)

The wicked man earns deceptive wages, but he who sows righteousness reaps a sure reward. (Proverbs 11:18)

One man gives freely, yet gains even MORE; another withholds unduly but comes to poverty (Proverbs 11:24 )

A generous man will prosper; (Proverbs 11:25)

From the fruit of his lips a man enjoys good things (Proverbs 13:2)

He who gathers money little by little makes it grow (Proverbs 13:11)

A good man leaves an inheritance for his children’s children!!  But the sinners wealth is stored up for the righteous (Proverbs 13:22 )

The righteous eat to their hearts’ content, but the stomach of the wicked goes hungry (Proverbs 13:25)

The home of the upright will flourish (Proverbs 14:11)

A good man will be rewarded for his ways (Proverbs 14:14 )

The wealth of the wise is their crown (Proverbs 14:24)

The house of the righteous contains GREAT treasure, but the income of the wicked brings them trouble (Proverbs 15:6)

From the fruit of his mouth a man’s stomach is filled; with the harvest of his lips he  is satisfied (Proverbs 18:20)

In the house of the wise are storages of choice food and oil,   but a foolish man devours all he has (Proverbs 21:20)

He who loves a pure heart and whose speech is gracious,  will have the king for his  friend (Proverbs 22:11)

He who pursues righteousness and love, finds life, prosperity and honor (Proverbs 21:21)

A generous man WILL be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor (Proverbs 22:9)

The blameless WILL receive a good inheritance (Proverbs 28:10)

He who conceals his sins does not prosper (Proverbs 28:13)

A faithful man will be RICHLY blessed;  but one eager to get rich, will not go unpunished … and a stingy man, eager to get rich is unaware that poverty awaits him (Proverbs 28:20, 22)

He who trusts in the Lord will prosper (Proverbs 28:25)

He who gives to the poor will lack NOTHING (Proverbs 28:27)

Worship the Lord your God, and His blessing will be on your food and on your water (Exodus 23: 25)

If you follow My decrees and are careful to obey My commands, I will send you rain in its season,  and the ground will yield its crops and trees of the their fruit.  Your threshing will continue until grape harvest and the grape harvest will continue until planting, and you will eat al the food you want live in safety in your land.  I will grant peace in the land, and you will lie down and no one will make you afraid…..I will keep My covenant with you.  You will still be eating last year’s harvest when you will have to move it out to make room for the new. (Leviticus 26:3-10)

Walk in all the way that the Lord your God has commanded you, so that you may live  and prosper and prolong your days in the land that you will possess (Deuteronomy 5:33)

But remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives wealth, and so confirms His  Covenant, which He swore to your forefathers, as it is today (Deuteronomy 8:18)

There should be no poor among you, for in the land the Lord your God  is giving you to possess as your  inheritance, He will richly bless you, if only you fully obey the  Lord your God and are careful to follow all  these commands I am giving you today.  For the Lord your God will bless you as He has promised, and you   will lend to many nations    but will borrow from none…If there is a poor man among your brothers in any of the towns do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward your poor brother.  Rather be openhanded and   freely lend him whatever he needs….Give generously to him and do so   without a grudging heart; then  because of this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to. (Deuteronomy 15:4-13)

If you fully obey the Lord your God…you will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country.  The fruit of your womb will be blessed, and the crops of your land will be blessed…your basket and your kneading  trough will be blessed.  You will be blessed   when you come in and blessed when you go out.   The Lord will cause the enemies, who rise up against you to be defeated before you.  They will come at you from  one direction but flee from you in seven.  The Lord will command a blessing on your barns and on  everything you put your hand to.  The Lord your God will bless you in the land He is giving you…Then all  the peoples of the earth will see that you are called by the name of the Lord and they will fear you.  The  Lord will grant you abundant prosperity.  The Lord will open the heavens, the storehouse of His bounty, to   send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands.  You will lend to many nations but  will borrow from none.  The Lord will make you the head, not the tail.  If you pay attention  to the   commands of the Lord your God …and carefully follow them, you will always be at the top, never at the  bottom. (Deuteronomy 28:1-14)

Carefully follow the terms of this covenant, so that you may PROSPER in everything  you do (Deuteronomy 29:9)

See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction…Now choose life, so that you and  your children may live and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to His voice, and hold fast to Him.   (Deuteronomy 30:15)

Be careful to obey all the law…do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful  wherever you go.  Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it.  Then you will be PROSPEROUS and successful. (Joshua 1:7-9)

Blessed is the man…who delights in the law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates day and  night….whatever he does prospers (Psalm 1)

Who, then, is the man that fears the Lord?  (God) will instruct him in the way chosen for him.  He will  spend his days in prosperity, and his descendants will inherit the land (Psalm 25 12-13)

The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing (Psalm 34:10)

I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread.     They are always generous and lend freely; their children will be blessed. (Psalm 37:25-26)

For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does He withhold from those whose walk is blameless.  (Psalm 84:11)

Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who finds great delight in His commands.  His children WILL be mighty in the land; WEALTH and RICHES are in his house…Even in darkness light dawns for the upright…He will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord.  His heart is secure, he will not fear…He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor, his righteousness endures forever. (Psalm 112)

Cast your bread upon the waters, for after many days you will find it again. Give portions to seven, yes to eight, (give in abundance … not just in portions of seven, but even in eight) for you do not know what disaster may come upon the land…Whoever watches the wind will not plant; whoever looks at the clouds will not reap. (So do not watch the world, or its economy)…Sow your  seed in the morning, and at evening let not your hands be idle, for you do not know which will   succeed, whether this or that, or whether both will de equally well. (this also teaches that we WILL reap, as we continue to sow faithfully to God, not fearing the economy or the times. Ecclesiastes 11:1-2)

Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house.  “Test me in this,” says the  Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the   floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing  that you will not have room enough for it…Then all the nations will call you blessed,” says the Lord   Almighty. ( Malachi 3:10-12  — even if one doesn’t  believe that New Testament saints should be tithing, I have suggested to people,  that giving at least 10% of one’s income keeps one from becoming stingy and forgetting to give.  Afterall, the Scriptures are quite clear that when one is stingy and does not give, then one cannot easily receive financial blessings or financial protection during hard times, from God.)

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.  For   everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened…If you,  though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in  heaven give good gifts to those who ask Him (Matthew 7:7-12)

And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or  children or fields for  My sake WILL RECEIVE a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life (Matthew 19:29)

“I tell you the truth,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for Me and the gospel will fail to RECEIVE a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers,  children, and fields — and with them, persecutions)   and in the age to come eternal life.” (Mark 10:29  –  Ahhh, but you know some missionary couple who are living in less than 100 fold return right now, or  who may be just barely scrapping  by,  you may say?  Please remember Heb 4:2, as just one teaching as to why some don’t see the Covenant Promises of God in one’s life.  If a Promise is not believed for by a Christian, then the Promise will lay by the wayside.  Promises don’t just ‘drop’ on people.  Salvation never ‘dropped’ on anyone … one has to believe to be saved.  And likewise, one has to believe to receive the other Promises of God, as well.)

The Spirit of the Lord is on Me, for He has anointed Me to preach good news to  the poor…to proclaim the   year of the Lord’s favor (Luke 4:18)

Do not judge, and you will not be judged.  Do not condemn, and you will not be  condemned.  Forgive, and  you will be forgiven.  GIVE, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will (men) pour into your lap.  For with the measure you use it will be measured to you. (Luke 6:37-38)

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life,  and have it to the full. (John 10:10)

The Lord richly blesses all who call on Him (Romans 10:12 )

The Lord generously give His RICHES to ALL who ask for them (Romans 10:12  NLT)

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich (2 Corinthians 8:9 — the context of this entire chapter and chapter 9 is MONEY and growing in the grace of giving)

Remember this:  Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows  generously will also   reap generously.  Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under  compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.  And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things, at all times, having all that need, you will abound in every good work…Now He who supplies seed   to the sower  and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed  harvest of your righteousness.  You will be made rich in every way so that you can be  generous on every  occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. (2 Corinthians 9:6-11)

Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, Who RICHLY provides us  with everything for our enjoyment (1 Timothy 6:17)

Praise be to you, O Lord, God of our father Israel.  Yours, O Lord is the greatness and the power  and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in   heaven and earth is Yours.  Yours, O Lord, is the kingdom; You are exalted as head over all.  WEALTH AND HONOR come from You;  You are Ruler of all things.  In Your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all.   Now, our God, we give You thanks and praise Your glorious name! (1 Chronicles 29:10-13)

Ending Encouragements:

For the eyes of the Lord run throughout the earth to show Himself strong on  behalf of those whose hearts  are fully committed to Him (2 Chronicles 16: 9)

I am still confident of this:  I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of  the LIVING (while I am alive). Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.  (Psalm 27:13)

Heaven and earth will pass away, but My Words will never pass away (Luke 21:33)

For no matter how many Promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ.  And so through Him we speak  the “Amen” to the glory of God (2 Corinthians 1:19-20 )

We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has  been promised (Hebrews 6:12)

And without faith it is impossible to please God because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him (Hebrews 11:6 )

In Conclusion:

Let’s not be so dogmatic in our own opinions and feelings and experiences, that we forget to BELIEVE SCRIPTURE.

I believe this is a tendency of the human-heart….
our experiences, others experiences, and current surrounding circumstances start to dictate HOW we interpret scripture and starts to have more  authority in our thinking,  than the Living and Powerful Word of God does. Meaning, just because we see godly, wonderful Christian believers living in financial distress or poverty, doesn’t mean that God desires it to be that way …. any more than God desires any of His people to be sick or die from a disease.

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Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not ALL His benefits!
{Psalm 103}
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Amen.

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© 2007-2009 — No permission given to reproduce, copy, commercialize or distribute FaithSpeaksInc Blog statements and/or teachings without
prior written permission. Linking to this Site is permitted.

Does God Hate Prosperity?
Part 1

In a discussion about the Word of Faith teaching, the following list of Scriptures was compiled to try to show how God feels about prosperity, with the following statement attached:

“If we take everything that the bible says about wealth, finances and prosperity, we will automatically have to reject the prosperity teaching. Why? Because the weight of scriptural evidence goes against the grain of prosperity teaching. What does the bible say about finances and prosperity? Check out the list of scriptures below.

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Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5)

Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. (1 Timothy 6:10)

People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction.   (1 Timothy 6:9)

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. (1 Timothy 6:10)

The wealth of the rich is their fortified city; they imagine it an unscalable wall. (Proverbs 18:11)

You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.” But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. (Revelation 3:17)

Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. This too is meaningless. (Ecclesiastes 5:10)

Man is a mere phantom as he goes to and fro: He bustles about, but only in vain; he heaps up wealth, not knowing who will get it. (Psalm 39:6)

For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich man will fade away even while he goes about his business. (James 1:11)

How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! (Mark 10:23)

It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. (Mark 10:25)

Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming upon you … You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence.  (James 5:1-5)

No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money. (Luke 16:13)

Though your riches increase, do not set your heart on them. (Psalm 62:10)

A man who has riches without understanding is like the beasts that perish. (Psalm 49:20)

Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle. (Proverbs 23:5)

Be sure you know the condition of your flocks, give careful attention to your herds; for riches do not endure forever, and a crown is not secure for all generations. (Proverbs 27:23-24)

Do not be overawed when a man grows rich, when the splendor of his house increases; for he will take nothing with him when he dies. (Psalm 49:16-17)

For a man may do his work with wisdom, knowledge and skill, and then he must leave all he owns to someone who has not worked for it. (Ecclesiastes 2:21)

Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. (Job 1:20)

The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. (Luke 16:22)

For all can see that wise men die; the foolish and senseless alike perish and leave their wealth to others. (Psalm 49:10)

But God said to him, “You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?” This is how it will be for anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God. (Luke 12:20-21)

Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry. (Luke 6:25)

Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep. (Luke 6:25)

Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. (1 Timothy 6:17)

Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life. (1 Timothy 6:18-19)

Better a poor man whose walk is blameless, than a rich man whose ways are perverse. (Proverbs 28:6)

Better a little with the fear of the LORD than great wealth with turmoil. (Proverbs 15:16)

Yet I am poor and needy; come quickly to me, 0 God. You are my help and my deliverer; 0 LORD, do not delay. (Psalm 70:5)

You have been a refuge for the poor, a refuge for the needy m his distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat (Isaiah 25:4)

You rescue the poor from those too strong for them, the poor and needy from those who rob them. (Psalm 35:10)

The needy will not always be forgotten, nor the hope of the afflicted ever perish. (Psalm 9:18)

I know that the LORD secures justice for the poor and upholds the cause of the needy. (Psalm 140:12)

He will take pity on the weak and the needy and save the needy from death. (Psalm 72:13)

He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; he seats them with princes, with the princes of their people. (Psalm 113:7-8)

A rich man may be wise in his own eyes, but a poor man who has discernment sees through him. (Proverbs 28:11)

The poor man and the oppressor have this in common: The LORD gives sight to the eyes of both. (Proverbs 29:13)

He who mocks the poor shows contempt for their Maker. (Proverbs 17:5)

The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern. (Proverbs 29:7)

Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. (Proverbs 31:8)

Defend the rights of the poor and needy. (Proverbs 31:9)

Give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, “Who is the LORD?” OR I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God. (Proverbs 30:8-9)

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? (Matthew 6:25)

The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. (Psalm 23:1)

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. (Psalm 23:5)

Watch out! Be on guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions. (Luke 12:15)

A greedy man brings trouble to his family. (Proverbs 15:27)

All man’s efforts are for his mouth, yet his appetite is never satisfied. (Ecclesiastes 6:7)

Death and Destruction are never satisfied, and neither are the eyes of man. (Proverbs 27:20)

As goods increase, so do those who consume them. And what benefit are they to the owner except to feast his eyes on them? (Ecclesiastes 5:11)

Better one handful with tranquility than two handfuls with toil and chasing after the wind. (Ecclesiastes 4:6)

A greedy man stirs up dissension, but he who trusts the LORD will prosper. (Proverbs 28:25)

A stingy man is eager to get rich and is unaware that poverty awaits him. (Proverbs 28:22)

Do not eat the food of a stingy man, do not crave his delicacies; for he is the kind of man who is always thinking about cost. “Eat and drink,” he says to you, but his heart is not with you. (Proverbs 23:6-7)

What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? You want something but don’t get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. (James 4:1-2)

When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. (James 4:3)

Do not exploit the poor because they are poor. (Proverbs 22:22)

He who oppresses the poor to increase his wealth and he who gives gifts to the rich–both come to poverty. (Proverbs 22:16)

Turn my heart toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain. (Psalm 119:36)

Naked a man comes from his mother’s womb, and as he comes, so he departs. He takes nothing from his labor that he can carry in his hand. (Ecclesiastes 5:15)

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My Thoughts on the above statement and scriptures

#1 –
The writer prefaced the above Scriptures with the statement, “What does the Bible say about finances and prosperity?” and then supplied ONLY the above Scriptures.  This is a LOP-SIDED pulling of only those Scriptures which fits one’s doctrines and beliefs.  The Bible does not supply  only  the above Scriptures about finances and prosperity.   This writers argument, therefore, is unbalanced.

#2 -
In all truth, when I read the above Scriptures, I see God warning about:

covetousness;
greed;
envy;
storing up one’s wealth for one’s self only (hording);
being stingy and not a giver/not generous to God;
exploiting the poor;
selfishness;
loving money more than loving God;
trusting in one’s money, more than trusting in God.

I do not see God saying He does not want His children to prosper or have any abundance of money.

We know from many scriptures  that it is up to all Believers to guard our hearts and minds against idolatry, greed, being stingy, being arrogant, etc,  but I personally know Believers who struggle in these areas, even while they are broke.

The above warnings, therefore,  are not just for the wealthy.

So as I have said before, I will say again:
We need to look at ALL the Scriptures concerning any subject, so that our thoughts and doctrines won’t be lop-sided.

There are NUMEROUS Scriptures showing that wealth and riches are FROM God, and that God provides wealth to establish His covenant and prove Himself faithful to what He promised our forefathers in Covenant.

So, once again, the issue in the above provided scriptures is not MONEY, but our HEARTS, our ATTITUDES and our MOTIVES.

The heart is always the issue with God.

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{Scriptures proving wealth comes from God will be provided in “Does God Hate Prosperity – Part 2″}

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