Submission to the limitations of life

[PeterJens]

I was thinking about the prosperity gospel and those who hole wealth and health are to be claimed or as christians we live in a cabin but could be at the captains table being totally self indulgent.

Jesus came to earth as a poor simple carpenter, to a simple family without recognition or importance.
He chose the limitations of life and respected the threat the authorities posed in terms of violence and death.
He submitted even unto death on the cross, he did not lift a finger in opposition.

Now our mission is to reach out in love and empathy to the suffering, the hurt, the lost and lonely and bring them the good news of forgiveness, love and wholeness within through repentance and faith in Jesus.

But as christians we can live, so they claim, a super human existence in wealth and health just by believing in faith. Because how could God give us the same lives as everyone else if we are His children?

The answer is simple because love transcends our situation, and we do not follow Jesus because he promises to change our circumstances but our hearts. In a very real sense we need to live in the limitations we have because we so easily fall into self indulgence and superiority over others at the merest hint of something that makes us different.

To follow Jesus is to take on these limitations, and despite them to still praise the Lord, to be grateful for the blessing we have and to accept opportunity to share matters more than safety.

 

[Blain]

The prosperity gospel is not from God it is from the enemy, Jesus never once promised us that by following we would live healthy wealthy and spoiled lives, what he did promise was that we would have rich fulfilling lives in him not money wise but in the spirit.
If someone believes that they are more special and since they are God's children will have money and wealth and the spoils of this world then it's this world they are living for not his.

The enemy himself can give all the spoils of this world and he wants us to be focused on the treasures of this world but what will they do when suddenly all their riches are gone? Because they sought to gain wealth from God instead of knowing him they will not have a leg to stand on.

 

[kedge]

we live in a cabin but could be at the captains table being totally self indulgent.

Jesus came to earth as a poor simple carpenter, to a simple family without recognition or importance.
He chose the limitations of life and respected the threat the authorities posed in terms of violence and death.
He submitted even unto death, he did not lift a finger in opposition.

From my understanding Jesus was a perfect man and without sin where as the rest of mankind are all sinners and in a sinful condition until our death, Jesus was here for only a short while and some say he knew of his origin, his beginning and creation and he knew his course and what to do. We have to work hard even in jobs we hate, mortgages and rent have to be paid, there are bills to pay, mouths to feed etc, most of us don't live in desert regions and have simple lives nor is it always possible to attain a simple way of life, many of us live in large cities and towns that they themselves push us to the very extremes and pressures most of the time, on top of all of this the Bible states satan tests us constantly and under our own imperfections under our sinful condition that cannot be removed and none of us asked for in the first place. Even the natural weather kills and causes much suffering for mankind and yet who made the earth and its weather patterns, give me a break please, i get where you lot are coming from but oh man having to obey commands from God or Jesus is not easy in a world that has no rules or commands to follow or obey. This is not a dig at Christianity just a heads up and an awareness of our imperfect condition in comparison to a man that was perfect in every way, i don't know about anyone else here but i find it all unsustainable at times.

 

[crossnote]

From my understanding Jesus was a perfect man and without sin where as the rest of mankind are all sinners and in a sinful condition until our death, Jesus was here for only a short while and some say he knew of his origin, his beginning and creation and he knew his course and what to do. We have to work hard even in jobs we hate, mortgages and rent have to be paid, there are bills to pay, mouths to feed etc, most of us don't live in desert regions and have simple lives nor is it always possible to attain a simple way of life, many of us live in large cities and towns that they themselves push us to the very extremes and pressures most of the time, on top of all of this the Bible states satan tests us constantly and under our own imperfections under our sinful condition that cannot be removed and none of us asked for in the first place. Even the natural weather kills and causes much suffering for mankind and yet who made the earth and its weather patterns, give me a break please, i get where you lot are coming from but oh man having to obey commands from God or Jesus is not easy in a world that has no rules or commands to follow or obey. This is not a dig at Christianity just a heads up and an awareness of our imperfect condition in comparison to a man that was perfect in every way, i don't know about anyone else here but i find it all unsustainable at times.

That's because some here only set forth Jesus's example as our map in the Christian walk, ignoring the fact that we also have the Guide, and the One who works in us both the will and the power to do, as well as the Aid when we fail.