Yes GOD is a vending machine.

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oyster67

Senior Member
May 24, 2014
11,887
8,705
113
#22
you shouldn't be asking for material things.
You shouldn't be demanding material things or trying to "pull God's levers".

I don't see that God is concerned about our glory, but rather His glory.
Amen. It's about Him, not us. Our reward awaits on the other side of the river.
Luke 17:10
“So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.”

Chase God not His blessings
Amen. Just know He loves you and acknowledge that He knows best. He will give us what we need. Our wants are another matter. It is good to pray, but not good to demand like an immature child.

The clue is gospel ... good news
Yes! Salvation makes us all infinitely rich. Thank you, Jesus! :)
 

Evmur

Well-known member
Feb 28, 2021
5,219
2,618
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London
christianchat.com
#23
You shouldn't be demanding material things or trying to "pull God's levers".


Amen. It's about Him, not us. Our reward awaits on the other side of the river.
Luke 17:10
“So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.”


Amen. Just know He loves you and acknowledge that He knows best. He will give us what we need. Our wants are another matter. It is good to pray, but not good to demand like an immature child.


Yes! Salvation makes us all infinitely rich. Thank you, Jesus! :)
The way to get God our wants supplied is to want what God wants. If we are gospel people, if God prospers us He is prospering the gospel.

Every blessing comes from God our Father, we should want them.

Seek ye FIRST the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all the things everyone else desires shall be added unto us. The things we desire are included in the kingdom of God [there will be no sickness or poverty in kingdom of heaven.]
 

Magenta

Senior Member
Jul 3, 2015
59,883
29,274
113
#24
The way to get God our wants supplied is to want what God wants. If
we are gospel people, if God prospers us He is prospering the gospel.

Every blessing comes from God our Father, we should want them.

Seek ye FIRST the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all the things everyone
else desires shall be added unto us. The things we desire are included in the kingdom
of God [there will be no sickness or poverty in kingdom of heaven.]

Matthew 6:31 plus 33
:)
 

ResidentAlien

Well-known member
Apr 21, 2021
8,247
3,587
113
#25
The way to get God our wants supplied is to want what God wants. If we are gospel people, if God prospers us He is prospering the gospel.

Every blessing comes from God our Father, we should want them.

Seek ye FIRST the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all the things everyone else desires shall be added unto us. The things we desire are included in the kingdom of God [there will be no sickness or poverty in kingdom of heaven.]
Word of Faith prosperity lies.
 

Lucy-Pevensie

Senior Member
Dec 20, 2017
9,385
5,724
113
#26
"He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. " Matthew 5:45

"So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him. " Matthew 7:11

Tired of Christians telling everyone GOD is not a vending machine. EVERYTHING you have is a gift from GOD.....even the air you breath. It's not a sin to ask GOD for anything.

I think you may misunderstand people sometimes.
Asking God to provide and even to make our cup overflow is good. He wants to do good to us. He wants to provide for us.
I have a hard time imagining Christians telling you not to pray and not to ask God for blessings & provisions.


"God is not a vending machine" Is a concise way of saying that you shouldn't see God as a magic charm by which
you can conjure anything & everything you want. Sometimes we pray and the answer is "no" or "not yet".


"God is not a vending machine" - are words of wisdom, not a constraint on prayer for the needs of life.
 
P

Polar

Guest
#27
Word of Faith prosperity lies.
Did someone say anything about so called word of faith? I do not see ANYONE but you bringing it up in order to come, once again, to your personal conclusions that God does best when we leave Him on a printed page and assume that's it that's all

I love the verses Magenta posted with her lovely illustrations, that are explicit in the fact that God is not trying to make sure we all 'just get by', but will, in fact, take care of us in every way.

Did you miss that somehow? You seem eager to address people's comments, but do not acknowledge actual scripture. You have labelled people's faith, expectations in a faithful, generous and loving God, as word of faith and we are all well aware of your negativity to anything beyond your own experience.

I expect no response from you but I am addressing scripture, as has been done, and you will not because it questions both your attitude and your apparent desire to smush out what you are either afraid of or have no understanding of. Either way, it says more about you than others who actually do refer to scripture and do so with faith and love in God who is able to save to the uttermost. God does not lie and our hope in Him is not in vain.
 
P

Polar

Guest
#28
"Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us." 1 John 5:14

Equating our Lord to a vending machine demonstrates a great lack of understanding. I wonder if a person who would suggest this has even cracked open a Bible.

and this ^^^^

you could not have possibly read the actual op with any understanding because the op is saying that God is NOT a vending machine and you have gone off spouting about wof as though someone triggered you
 

ResidentAlien

Well-known member
Apr 21, 2021
8,247
3,587
113
#29
you could not have possibly read the actual op with any understanding because the op is saying that God is NOT a vending machine and you have gone off spouting about wof as though someone triggered you
. . . Nice try.

In case you didn't notice, the heading of this thread is: "Yes GOD is a vending machine."
 
P

Polar

Guest
#30
. . . Nice try.

In case you didn't notice, the heading of this thread is: "Yes GOD is a vending machine."
That was to get people to click on with passionate indignation. I would say it worked in your case but we would expect that.

here is the op for your benefit and hopefully, enlightened understanding:

Tired of Christians telling everyone GOD is not a vending machine. EVERYTHING you have is a gift from GOD.....even the air you breath. It's not a sin to ask GOD for anything.

the op, which I disagree with in some things, is saying we can approach God with anything....did you know there is a verse in the Bible that tells us to pour out our hearts to God?

Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts before Him. God is our refuge. Selah Psalm 62:8

and you are invited to think about that...selah

I honestly do not think he is literally calling God a vending machine. It seems he is actually more irritated with the type of believer who does not believe all of scripture AND says that other believers have used the words 'God is not a vending machine' when he tries to talk about asking God for material needs

God is certainly not a vending machine but you would have Him limited in many ways according to your posts and attitude

And are you able to tell us what you think all those posted and very visible verses directly from scripture mean?
 

Rosemaryx

Senior Member
May 3, 2017
3,754
4,119
113
63
#31
"He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. " Matthew 5:45

"So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him. " Matthew 7:11

Tired of Christians telling everyone GOD is not a vending machine. EVERYTHING you have is a gift from GOD.....even the air you breath. It's not a sin to ask GOD for anything.
According to His Will...
 
P

Polar

Guest
#32
According to His Will...
yes Rosemary, but the Bible does say that God will supply all our needs according to his riches in glory.

19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Philippians 4

so we have to look at what might be going on in someone's life if that is not happening; God does not lie...so if someone is living far short of their potential in God, then that should be what they look into and then consider those riches...God has no end...so His will is what we see in scripture.

different things can block the blessings of God in a persons life: unforgiveness, habitual sin, blaming God, unbelief and so on

People have to choose and blaming others is not ever going to work.

So, two things. God is willing but He will not bless sin
 

JohnB

Well-known member
Jul 31, 2022
2,078
456
83
Calif
#33
I think you may misunderstand people sometimes.
Asking God to provide and even to make our cup overflow is good. He wants to do good to us. He wants to provide for us.
I have a hard time imagining Christians telling you not to pray and not to ask God for blessings & provisions.


"God is not a vending machine" Is a concise way of saying that you shouldn't see God as a magic charm by which
you can conjure anything & everything you want. Sometimes we pray and the answer is "no" or "not yet".


"God is not a vending machine" - are words of wisdom, not a constraint on prayer for the needs of life.
Sadly I have seen way too many Pastors and Christians use it as a constraint.
 

JohnB

Well-known member
Jul 31, 2022
2,078
456
83
Calif
#34
The way to get God our wants supplied is to want what God wants. If we are gospel people, if God prospers us He is prospering the gospel.

Every blessing comes from God our Father, we should want them.

Seek ye FIRST the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all the things everyone else desires shall be added unto us. The things we desire are included in the kingdom of God [there will be no sickness or poverty in kingdom of heaven.]
Yet he rains on the just and the unjust, he blesses both. I could have done far better in the ministry if I had been married.
 

Sipsey

Well-known member
Sep 27, 2018
1,476
690
113
#35
and this ^^^^

you could not have possibly read the actual op with any understanding because the op is saying that God is NOT a vending machine and you have gone off spouting about wof as though someone triggered you
I implore you to s-l-o-w-l-y reread the op. I think you misread.
 
Mar 4, 2020
8,614
3,691
113
#36
Amen. It's about Him, not us. Our reward awaits on the other side of the river.
Luke 17:10
“So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.”
Just a great verse. There’s so much in the New Testament (and the Old Testament for that matter) to consider.
 

Pilgrimshope

Well-known member
Sep 2, 2020
13,896
5,634
113
#37
I think it's fine to ask God for things, but we should also accept a resounding "No." There's a bit more to asking for material things than "Gimme dis, gimme dat."

I don't see that God is concerned about our glory, but rather His glory. We're still under a punishment from Adam and Eve, men and women, and part of what comes with that package is we're going to have to do many things ourselves.

Genesis 3:16-19
16To the woman he said,
“I will make your pains in childbearing very severe;
with painful labor you will give birth to children.

Your desire will be for your husband,
and he will rule over you.”
17To Adam he said, “Because you listened to your wife and ate fruit from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat from it,’
“Cursed is the ground because of you;
through painful toil you will eat food from it
all the days of your life.

18It will produce thorns and thistles for you,
and you will eat the plants of the field.
19By the sweat of your brow
you will eat your food
until you return to the ground,

since from it you were taken;
for dust you are
and to dust you will return.”


What the above passage means to me is that we're going to have to work for many things that we want. In my experience, God opens doors for us to enter where the outcome will be favorable for us, but He probably won't airdrop you a pallet of cash into your front yard. There's a lot of meeting Him halfway.

Also, the giving is conditional at times. James put it like this:

James 4:1-3
1What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you?
2You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God.
3When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.
amen what Jesus is saying is said to his disciples those who are allowing his word to change their hearts from self , to brotherly love

A greedy person hears “ I can get anything I want “

a Christian hears “ God will do anything we ask for The glory of his name and advancement of the kingdom “

God isn’t going to bless us in the worldly things if we’re seeking those things more than to know him better we have to have our desires changed from the world

“For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.”
‭‭1 John‬ ‭2:16-17‬ ‭KJV‬‬

if we’re doing gods will he’s always going to be in it with us and will always answer and provide


We need to start acknolwedging the conditions Jesus makes himself to believers

If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.

( that’s spoken to disciples who are abiding in Christ and following his word it’s not anyone adding to what Jesus said but he himself says it )

If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his Lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.

Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.”
‭‭John‬ ‭15:7, 10, 12-16‬ ‭

Jesus is telling those who believe and heard the gospel that if hey follow the gospel if they hear his word d walk after him then we can ask for whatever we wish at that point and he will do anything within those parameters for his glory and for salvation of souls


If we erase all the conditions and instructions and just say “ god will give me anything I want “ we’re just pretending to believe we have to believe it all for it to be effective
 
Mar 4, 2020
8,614
3,691
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#38
Word of Faith prosperity lies.
More specifically, the word of faith doctrine is about materializing things into existence through the power of a word spoken; such as is the case how God created the universe. People trying to turn boulders into solid gold, for example, because they told it to in an act of faith is an example of the “word of faith” doctrine.

The power comes from God when a blessing is received, not from ourselves, and the nature of the asking is critical. God searches the deepest trenches of the heart, before making it so, unless it already aligns with His will; the kind of prayers God wants to answer immediately typically deal with repentance and the gospel.

Many times in scripture, one must be moved to genuine tears and begging. Even then God is searching the heart.

I agree with your general premise that God is not a vending machine, vending machines might take your money and never give it back.
 

ResidentAlien

Well-known member
Apr 21, 2021
8,247
3,587
113
#39
More specifically, the word of faith doctrine is about materializing things into existence through the power of a word spoken; such as is the case how God created the universe.
I agree.

People trying to turn boulders into solid gold, for example, because they told it to in an act of faith is an example of the “word of faith” doctrine.
Never heard of this in Word of Faith. Maybe the most extreme of the extreme might practice this, but I've never heard of it.

The power comes from God when a blessing is received, not from ourselves, and the nature of the asking is critical. God searches the deepest trenches of the heart, before making it so, unless it already aligns with His will; the kind of prayers God wants to answer immediately typically deal with repentance and the gospel.

Many times in scripture, one must be moved to genuine tears and begging. Even then God is searching the heart.

I agree with your general premise that God is not a vending machine, vending machines might take your money and never give it back.
In Word of Faith, God becomes subservient to man. So whether you "speak into existence" a new Rolls Royce or a loaf of bread, if you're the one in charge you're practicing Word of Faith. If you're trying to get stuff by manipulating God or through "universal laws" you're practicing word of faith. God's in charge, not us.
 
P

Polar

Guest
#40
I implore you to s-l-o-w-l-y reread the op. I think you misread.

I am not surprised you would think that

however, he is, again, repeating what he states others have said to him when he says his requests are denied

have you kept up with this poster? As it is, he never introduced wof

perhaps you might read my post 32? you might find that I am saying something a little different and not just objecting to the title of this thread

another poster brought up wof and did not address and apparently will not address, the scripture that tells us how much God cares for us and the fact He will provide for us

God is certainly not a vending machine but you would have Him limited in many ways according to your posts and attitude

And are you able to tell us what you think all those posted and very visible verses directly from scripture mean?
how do people think they are being equitable if they do not even actually listen, but just give a knee jerk answer.

the op makes the following point in the op

EVERYTHING you have is a gift from GOD.....even the air you breath. It's not a sin to ask GOD for anything.