::truth::
Beating the Prosperity Trap
“Howl and Wail!” “Your riches will eat your flesh like fire!” “You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter!” Whew! James lays down some of the strongest rebukes in the Bible against the oppressive rich. And though He is taking up the prophetic mantle on behalf of his poor brothers who are being oppressed, we in the affluent west need to hear his words ourselves.
Remember, God never condemns money. Rather hard work and providing for oneself and family is commended. But prosperity has a way of twisting our souls in upon themselves and skewing our perspective. Like Gollum in “The Lord of the Rings”, wealth becomes “My Precious” and we cling to it until it consumes us.
What is the proper perspective on wealth? The Bible gives us some key insights in 1 Timothy 6:6-8, 17-19:
6 Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment, 7 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.
17 As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. 18 They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, 19 thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.
Here’s the way it works:
1.    Contentment, not acquisition, is the goal! (v.6)
2.    Money is for meeting our basic needs, (v.7)
3.    It’s okay (even commanded!) to enjoy the good gifts God gives us! (v.17)
4.    God gives excess wealth so that we can be generous to those in need. (v.18)
While we’re listing points, here are some probing applications of generosity from Tim Keller’s excellent book “Ministries of Mercy”
- We must give so that we may feel the burden of the needy ourselves.
- Keep only what wealth we need for our calling and ministry opportunities.
- We must not be generous in such a way that we or our families become liabilities to others (1 Tim 5:8).
So – here’s the bottom line: work hard, give harder, and live in joyful contentment of God’s good gifts!
The well wisher of your soul’s happiness,
Pastor Tom
::prayer::
Debbie S.: My step sister’s son, Josh was injured when a roadside bomb went off six feet from where he and his group were standing. He was thrown through the air and into a brick wall. He is married and has two small children.
Report from hospital in Germany: Josh has a broken T-4(vertebrae on his spine), damaged hip, foot is “the least of Josh’s concerns”- nurses quotes. Received bomb damage to the right side of face-don’t know the extent. Left elbow is injured but not broken. He is in a leg brace to keep him from moving his leg/foot/hip. He is on a breathing machine as it is hard to breathe-like broken ribs! With his concussion, from the blast, they are watching for memory loss.
He will be flown to the U.S. to be attended to at Walter Reed Hospital. He’s pretty angry at how he was injured- not in combat. Right now he is saying that he doesn’t want any visitors-lots of depression after combat injuries. One of his favorite Sergeants is at Walter Reed now going through therapy-good friend to have at hand. He is worried about his family, loss of combat pay, chances for promotion/officer, etc.
Sandee: Leya A. is having many family problems. Jordan continues to have a lot of pain with her foot. I have continued stress at work and pray that I keep my focus on God. Jordan, Nichole and Brett – keep their focus on God.
Wendy: Please continue to pray for Sammy, a sweet 7 year old boy facing bone cancer. Pray for healing for him and comfort and wisdom for his parents, Tim and Angie, as they make difficult decisions about Sammy’s treatments. Praise for the life of Rich Willis, an amazing man of God who was called home on June 27th. Pray for comfort and love for his family, particularly his wife, Connie, and children, Aimee and Trek.
Susan F.: Praise to God for Johnny’s new job! Thank you to the many who have kept him in their prayers. God is good!!
Jim P.: Pray for Lindsey and her team in their work in Indonesia. Pray for Whitney to find a church home in Auburn.
Deborah T.: A safe trip to, around and back from Va. Praise God for a certified kitchen I can bake in! God’s guidance in Deb & Jim’s adventures.
Anonymous: Pray for a person in need of a physical healing touch.
Nancy: continued blessing of recovery for Jonathan. Encouragement and strength to endure in difficult trials for our family. Outreach and growth for our church.
::community::
This Week:
- Elder’s Meeting: This month we will meet at the Phillips at 7:00 PM this Wednesday.
- Mission Sunday: Next Sunday we’ll focus on prayer and updates about the cause of Christ worldwide.
- Back-to-School for Pastor Tom: PT will be taking a Doctor of Ministry class July 13-18 on “Theology of Ministry” at Reformed Theological Seminary in Oviedo. So if you see him with his nose in a book – little wonder!
Sunday, July 12 –
- 9:15 AM – Family Bible Classes for all ages.
- 10:30 AM – Worship Service
- Next Sunday’s Message: “Patience that Perseveres”, from James 5:7-12
THIS WEEKS SERVANTS:
- Set-up: Jeff & Tony
- Prayer: Patti Tindall
- Nursery: Deb Thompson
- Greeters: Tindall’s
::mission::
Toby & Kiersten Hull (Home Assignment from Burkina Faso) – Pray for Toby as he travels to various churches to share what’s been happening in their ministry. Pray for the people in the region of Kenedougou in Burkina Faso, Toby will be working on church planting when they return next year.
Tim & Penny Iverson (Taiwan) – Pray for Ming-Ming who recently had a dream where she was singing a song in English. She hummed the tune and the song was “Amazing Grace”. This has opened a door for the Iverson’s to share God’s grace and love with her. Pray she will be receptive.
