There are many truths sugar coated in error in different modern day messages in the church. I’ll cover the faith message or the message of faith. Paul said that some preach Christ out of envy and strife, not out of goodwill. The good thing is that they are preaching Christ. Philip 1:15. We are not to forbid their preaching. They are our brothers and sisters in Christ.
One
of the problems of the current teaching called the Faith Message is it reminds
of a Santa Claus God that we are teaching it’s better to receive gifts than to
give. This is contrary to the nature of God, God is a giver, as believers
we are to be givers. It is more blessed to give than receive.
Once we really become a true giver in life, it will turn our life
around. If we are a generous giver it’s an “automatic” that we will reap
bountifully, but it’s really not giving to get, its letting God’s nature
becomes a part of our inner nature. We are new creature’s in
Christ. God’s nature is giving and our new nature is a giver. It’s
a “natural” response to letting our new nature gain it’s way or ascendency and living in the Spirit to be a
giver. Our new nature is pleasing to God.
In everything I did, I showed you that
by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord
Jesus himself said: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.' "
Acts 20:35
Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly
will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap
generously. 2 Cor. 9:6
Many
of the faith people use the prodigal son’s elder brother as an
example. The elder brother had his father’s good things/inheritance
all along, but he lost his joy in serving the Father. It’s sort of like
how I bought a membership at Bally’s Health and Fitness Club 20 years ago and
it’s $50 a year to renew. I kept it renewed and then it transferred to LA
Fitness. But it’s how much I take advantage of using my wonderful
membership is up to me.
But he answered his father, 'Look! All
these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders.
Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends.
Luke 15:29
Well,
exercising can be a joy and at times, but
most of the time it is “work.” The elder brother was complaining that he
continued to “slave” or work so he started getting bogged down with working for
his dad. Many people can get bogged down in life with many cares,
worries, the work of the ministry and lose their joy as a Christian.
The
Lord spoke to me that if I would exercise I would be happier. People who
exercise usually are happier, they release Endorphins, less stress and
depression, feel better about themselves and have more energy, but I know that
God was not talking about physical exercise that profits little, God was
talking about exercising my faith. It’s because I get lazy, and I don’t
want to pray and believe God. Sometimes I say, “God can you just hand me
that bottle of milk—stick the bottle in my mouth like I do to my
grandson? I’m tired of praying and believing you in life, and exercising
my faith and patience for everything.
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
I’m
a hitchhiker. I used to hitchhike off my husband’s intelligence when I
was reading a magazine or newspaper I did not know the big words because he was a walking encyclopedia. Now
I have to use Google. I don’t want to get my own car in life. I
don’t want to look for a house, a job, or another husband. Can you just
drop them all from the sky Lord? Well, He does at times, but most
of the time I have to do my part. Even Rebecca was willing to come with
Abraham’s servant and that was a step of faith to leave her country without
even physically seeing Isaac. Abraham left his home town.
I
call up the elders of the church and I say, “Can you please agree with me that
I have better people who want to rent in my house.” But my hitchhiking
does not work all the time. I had beginning stages of arthritis prayed
for in my knees and when the pain came back I thanked God 2 or 3 times before
the pain went away two years ago and has not come back since. I agree
that we have to use our own faith at times. The prayer of agreement works
for the healing, but at times I’m on my own like Paul living in some jail cell
and have to get my own encouragement to keep
my healing. David found himself like that in his cave experience where
his men even wanted to kill him. He had to encourage himself in
God.
But
It’s more than taking advantage of our rights and privileges in Christ. The elder
brother failed to recognize what was important to his own
dad. It brought joy to the Father’s heart to see his brother return more
than 99 righteous people. The older brother was too jealous of his brother like
Joseph’s brothers and thinking about himself.
My
husband bought a boat and wave runners to spend more time with his children,
but it did not work. His children were too busy to spend time with
him. God gives us good things, but then many people are so busy with all
the distractions and things to seek God. I find when I pray for
other’s finances, pray for their relationships, pray for their healing and go
minister to others, it seems that my needs get met according to God’s riches in
glory.
But seek first his kingdom and his
righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:33
Payback
from laying up treasures in heaven eventually come back in this
lifetime. Mark 10:30. My husband and I were the happiest
people on the planet because we were busy in loving and serving each other, our
family and the community. The faith message does not teach that the elder
brother was too focused on his own needs rather than the needs of his own
dad. Love seeks not its own way. 1 Cor. 13
I
had a similar experience in my own marriage about one year after I got
married. I thought “Wow I married a real dud.” It’s one of
those fire crackers that you thought is great and then it fizzles out over
time. It’s because my husband was not romantic when I would see
other couples with their arms around each other at concerts. I was like
his teddy bear that he would drag along to sit next to him, but ignore the rest
of the night at a concert. I was lonely and miserable in my marriage.
He
would come home after dinner and go in his man cave (headphones with music) and
expect me to sleep every night with a complete stranger. I learned to set
boundaries to slow my husband down at night and also I kept reaching out to
hold his hand, put my arm around him and cuddle at night and do my part and I
found that he changed, he became more affectionate. He was not
raised in a huggy/kissy environment with his parents. His dad does
not hug, kiss or hold his mother. He did get some affection from his
grandparents is what his sister told me. The point is when I kept meeting
my husband’s needs rather than getting bitter about my needs not getting met,
my needs got met in the process.
At
times if I have a back pain out of the blue, I’ll ask God to make intercession
for me for someone who may be experiencing a back pain. I walked into
East 91st Street Christian church one Sunday morning and as soon as
I walked in the door I had a migraine headache. Within seconds they shut
down the women’s bathroom for a medical emergency and would not let anyone in
the bathroom. I started praying for that person because I believe the
headache was a “spirit of intercession” I picked up. Same experience when
a branch fell on my car and I freaked out for a minute when I could not see
anything. My friend called me on the cell phone and at the exact
same time the stage at the Fairgrounds fell down and some people were injured
and killed due to wind. As the body of Christ, I want to be sensitive to
do my part and be more sensitive to pray for others who are in crisis and
need.
I’ll
cover in my next blog about abasement which I don’t believe the Faith message
covers, but it will be a different perspective than you probably thought
about. The Lord showed me that we are prisms of light and each of us
sheds light as different colors as a rainbow. We have a different
perspectivie. The faith message has some good points/perspectives that I
agree with, but I believe we need to “rightly divide” the whole word of God.
Work hard so you can present yourself to
God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be
ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth. 2 timothy 2:15
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