Rev 3:14-21
[SUP]14 [/SUP]And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;
[SUP]15 [/SUP]I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
[SUP]16 [/SUP]So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
[SUP]17 [/SUP]Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
[SUP]18 [/SUP]I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.
[SUP]19 [/SUP]As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
[SUP]20 [/SUP]Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
I see this church as the prosperity Gospel preachers of today.
It surely applies today,for the prosperity Gospel is big,even if some only go a little bit by their wants.
How many people do you see that actually does not abide by the prosperity Gospel,only going by their needs,and to help other people with their needs.
Act 2:44 And all that believed were together, and had all things common;
Act 2:45 And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need.
Act 4:32 And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common.
Act 4:34 Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold,
Act 4:35 And laid them down at the apostles' feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need.
How often do we see this take place among the Christians,and today if you went next door to a Christian,and said,can I borrow a cup of sugar,they might chase you away with a broom.
1Ti 6:5 Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself.
1Ti 6:6 But godliness with contentment is great gain.
1Ti 6:8 And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.
If they preach the prosperity Gospel withdraw yourselves from them,having food,and clothing,be content.
1Jn 3:17 But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?
1Jn 3:18 My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.
Jas 4:3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.
God only blesses us with our needs,and not our wants,and to help other people with their needs,for people are important to God,not blessing the saints with their wants,and lusts.
2Co 6:10 As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.
When the world views people they view them as rich if they have money,and material things.
But the saints appear to the world as poor,and having nothing,which obviously means God is not blessing them with money,and material things,for personal use other than their needs,or they would not appear to the world like that.
Of course in today's world they would view them as doing good,and being rich among some.
God said this generation will devour the poor from off the earth,and the needy from among men,and they will be pure in their own eyes,but will not be washed from their filthiness.
So there will be many people who claim Christ,heaping to themselves,for this is the generation of hypocrites a plenty.
1Ti 3:3 Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous.
The preacher is not to be in the ministry for money.
God only blesses with our needs,not our wants,not for anything that does not pertain to our needs,and the needs of others,for God loves people,and if they fail to do it,the love of God does not dwell in them.
The prosperity Gospel people like Joel Osteen are worth millions of dollars,but that is not love,and it is not a part time thing,where you do it sometimes,but hold back other times,but all the time.
If Joel Osteen is worth 42 million dollars,he does not care like he should,but he does not understand the Bible as he should,looking at it as God wants the saints to have all those things,and money,but God loves people.
The Bible says some people have a form of godliness,but deny the power thereof,ever learning but never able to come to the knowledge of the truth,and that is cease from sinning,and love people,which Paul said charity,love in action.