Filthy Lucre

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Lanolin

Well-known member
Dec 15, 2018
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#21
Preaching the gospel in order to raise money is filthy lucre, many preachers have panged themselves with many sorrows doing it.

There should never be any hint, not even the slightest hint of any link between ministry and prayer and donations.
yes but it seems so many do it...weird....were they 'appointed by God to be wealthy'?
 

Blik

Senior Member
Dec 6, 2016
7,312
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#22
It is dishonest gain.
It has a much more involved meaning than this, for God is spirit and His word is from a God who does not think as a man of the flesh.

There are two ways for us to live, we may live as belonging to God and live in the kingdom of heaven or we may live in the fleshly world. The main object of the world of the flesh is supporting that flesh and money is at the core of that. It does not work at the kingdom at all, it works for the flesh. It looks to the world for it's values. This money is called filthy lucre. It is a completely different value system than the value system of the kingdom of God.
 
Nov 26, 2012
3,095
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#23
oh ok so nobody should really be buying expesnive clothes then, if they do, they probably just spending their own ill-gotten gains right?
Exactly! Also we shouldn’t buy cheap clothes, because they were most likely fabricated in some sweatshop. We should all grow our own cotton and loom material for our own clothes. This way we can be certain.
 
Nov 26, 2012
3,095
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#24
It has a much more involved meaning than this, for God is spirit and His word is from a God who does not think as a man of the flesh.

There are two ways for us to live, we may live as belonging to God and live in the kingdom of heaven or we may live in the fleshly world. The main object of the world of the flesh is supporting that flesh and money is at the core of that. It does not work at the kingdom at all, it works for the flesh. It looks to the world for it's values. This money is called filthy lucre. It is a completely different value system than the value system of the kingdom of God.
Where do you think the line is? Christ worked many years as a tradesman. I’m certain He did well financially. Then we look at John the Baptist, a homeless dude living in the desert eating grasshoppers and wild honey. We have God honouring kings and vagabonds in the Kingdom. As much as we think the wealthy Christians should give all to the poor, it doesn’t make sense. If the poor are poor because of their lifestyle choices, and laziness then why enable them? We should give to the needy but finding the needy takes wisdom. I think it would please the Lord to donate money to prisoner’s families in need. This would help the needy and bare witness to the incarcerated, that the Lord is good.
 

Gideon300

Well-known member
Mar 18, 2021
5,354
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#25
what is this...in the Bible Titus 1:11
is it the same as 'dirty money' if so, what exactly is it these days
How can you tell if money is clean or dirty?
If you get a modern translation, you will get the meaning. It means money obtained by dishonest means. If you work at a normal job and pay your taxes, the money you earn is clean. If you rob banks, fiddle the till, lie on your tax return then your money is contaminated.
It's not always easy to tell. Some preachers are guilty. One well known preacher charged people for baptising them in the Holy Spirit. He confessed that it was sin, which is commendable. I don't know how people can be so gullible as to pay for God's gift, but that's another subject.
 

Gideon300

Well-known member
Mar 18, 2021
5,354
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#26
Where do you think the line is? Christ worked many years as a tradesman. I’m certain He did well financially. Then we look at John the Baptist, a homeless dude living in the desert eating grasshoppers and wild honey. We have God honouring kings and vagabonds in the Kingdom. As much as we think the wealthy Christians should give all to the poor, it doesn’t make sense. If the poor are poor because of their lifestyle choices, and laziness then why enable them? We should give to the needy but finding the needy takes wisdom. I think it would please the Lord to donate money to prisoner’s families in need. This would help the needy and bare witness to the incarcerated, that the Lord is good.
I don't think you should bare witness, it will get you arrested.
 

Evmur

Well-known member
Feb 28, 2021
5,219
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London
christianchat.com
#27
yes but it seems so many do it...weird....were they 'appointed by God to be wealthy'?
The church is appointed to undo the the works of the devil in Jesu's name by the preaching of the gospel in the power of the Holy Spirit and the devil's work includes poverty.

The gospel always brings prosperity in it's wake of COURSE it does because our God is the God of all blessing.

But the gospel itself must be FREE, freely received and freely given, nobody can come to God with money in their hand with which they hope to buy His blessing.

That doctrine which says "you must first prime the pump in order to set the blessing flowing" is just as wrong as the doctrine which says you must first become righteous in order to be saved.

The problem [as nearly always] is the freewill theology which always puts faith before grace, always puts our choosing, our deciding ahead of God willing IN US to do of His good pleasure.

It is right to give to support a soulwinning ministry and God will bless our giving, it is wrong for the preacher to ask [beg] for financial support. God will always provide.

Not all preachers who asks for money are crooks but they are poor theologians. Certainly we ought to look at what they are spending the dough on.
 

Blik

Senior Member
Dec 6, 2016
7,312
2,428
113
#28
Where do you think the line is? Christ worked many years as a tradesman. I’m certain He did well financially. Then we look at John the Baptist, a homeless dude living in the desert eating grasshoppers and wild honey. We have God honouring kings and vagabonds in the Kingdom. As much as we think the wealthy Christians should give all to the poor, it doesn’t make sense. If the poor are poor because of their lifestyle choices, and laziness then why enable them? We should give to the needy but finding the needy takes wisdom. I think it would please the Lord to donate money to prisoner’s families in need. This would help the needy and bare witness to the incarcerated, that the Lord is good.
am just reading a book about where the line is. This book makes a case for making the way the first churches, the churches of the apostles, interpreted scripture is where the line is. They are closest to the people who heard directly from Christ. Ever since, man has added his own thoughts to this interpretation. Constantine changed the church in a major way.

The major difference in the church today and then relates to love. We are told that love is major, the root of all law and the way Christians show their faith. Today, love is a cultural happening and it is mixed up with tolerance of sin. In the early church love was a matter of being concerned with the well being of people.

The book I am reading uses the writings of the people trained by the apostles as source material.
 

Lanolin

Well-known member
Dec 15, 2018
23,460
7,188
113
#29
The church is appointed to undo the the works of the devil in Jesu's name by the preaching of the gospel in the power of the Holy Spirit and the devil's work includes poverty.

The gospel always brings prosperity in it's wake of COURSE it does because our God is the God of all blessing.

But the gospel itself must be FREE, freely received and freely given, nobody can come to God with money in their hand with which they hope to buy His blessing.

That doctrine which says "you must first prime the pump in order to set the blessing flowing" is just as wrong as the doctrine which says you must first become righteous in order to be saved.

The problem [as nearly always] is the freewill theology which always puts faith before grace, always puts our choosing, our deciding ahead of God willing IN US to do of His good pleasure.

It is right to give to support a soulwinning ministry and God will bless our giving, it is wrong for the preacher to ask [beg] for financial support. God will always provide.

Not all preachers who asks for money are crooks but they are poor theologians. Certainly we ought to look at what they are spending the dough on.
prime the pump?
what? Never heard if that one...

i have heard a lot of preachers beg for money though. They call it a 'love offering'

working in retail, the boss always talks about our 'offer'. But the offer isnt given for free. You have to buy it. He says they are a business, not a charity.

with the tills and such, the workers just put the money in and it gets banked. No matter how much we take in during the shops hours, we never earn it. We just get paid the same for the hours we work (minimum wage) . It doesnt matter if we take in $0 or $1000. Nobody is making a profit except the boss and I really dont know what he does with any excess money after its banked.
 

Lanolin

Well-known member
Dec 15, 2018
23,460
7,188
113
#30
I don't think you should bare witness, it will get you arrested.
they arent poor because of 'lifestyle choices' they are poor cos there was this thing called a world war, and people just took, stole or invaded their land, they didnt CHOOSE to be poor.
 

Lanolin

Well-known member
Dec 15, 2018
23,460
7,188
113
#31
Exactly! Also we shouldn’t buy cheap clothes, because they were most likely fabricated in some sweatshop. We should all grow our own cotton and loom material for our own clothes. This way we can be certain.
yep
or knit from wool if you live in a colder clime.
 

Lanolin

Well-known member
Dec 15, 2018
23,460
7,188
113
#32
wonder about the companies that DONT pay tax, or have their companies registered in...Delaware.
 

Lanolin

Well-known member
Dec 15, 2018
23,460
7,188
113
#33
or the money launderers

maybe that is why people squirrel their money away in secret swiss/cayman islands/panama bank accounts and make up fake companies?

Gang members also use legit businesses as fronts for their drugs/porn cartels.

I can see how false preachers might use a tax free church organisation as their side hustle.