Hello fellow Nairalanders,

I've never really posted in this section, but after going through a couple of posts I think I may need to start posting from time to time. And I pray you all would be blessed by all I have to say.

First off, I'd like to throw some light on a very popular topic which has led to countless debates and arguments; does God want us to be rich?

I've said it a couple of times and will keep saying it; God doesn't want us to be rich neither does He want us to be poor. The bible makes it clear that God's will is for us to be CONTENT with whatever He gives us. If we actually believed that God is in control and all things are working together for the good of those who love God, we would be a lot more content with what God has given us than trying to make things go the way we want it. The Bible says ALL THINGS work together for our good. And this ALL THINGS could include prosperity and poverty, health and sickness. Nevertheless, God's will is for us to be content.

Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. - 1 Timothy 6:6

I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being CONTENT in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. - Philippians 4:12

Keep your lives free from the love of money and be CONTENT with what you have, - Hebrews 13:5a

God's greatest desire for us is that we be conformed into the image of His Son, Jesus Christ; and He will do that whether through prosperity or poverty. When we look through the New Testament we will find that there's actually no single promise of material prosperity for believers here on earth. Most scriptures used by prosperity advocates are usually taken out of context. In fact, Jesus wasn't rich, neither was Paul nor any of the Apostles. We do see Paul's testimony in 1 Corinthians 4:11 - "To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless."

I would even go farther to say that scripture does warn us that those who chase after money do easily fall into temptation.

For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. - 1 Timothy 6:7-9

, people of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain. - 1 Timothy 6:5

Jesus did come to give us the abundant life, as He said in John 10:10. But He was quick to stress that this abundant life has nothing to do with material possessions. Thus in Luke 12:15, He stated, ", life does not consist in an abundance of possessions." - Luke 12:15b . So what kind of life is the abundant life? It is Eternal Life. What is Eternal Life? He defines it in John 17:3 - "Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent."

My point is all of these is that we should focus on seeking Jesus. He may or may not bless us materially. Let's be content. I'm not just telling you guys this; I'm also telling myself because I too struggle in this area. God bless.

WELL HE DOES NOT WANT YOU POOR but he does not want you rich aswell

WELL HE DOES NOT WANT YOU POOR but he does not want you rich aswell he wants you to follow him if you get rich praise the lord
but a mans life does not consist of his wealth you come naked and you will leave the same

It is the will of God for us to be RICH. The truth is that money has great influence on the wellbeing of a man. If we allow the unbeliever to take absolute control of wealth, then they will use that wealth to attack the Gospel, they will use their influence to take some satanic decision that will be inimical to the Gospel. The earth is Lord and the fullness thereof, we need to key in or reposition ourself to the principles of sowing and reaping great blessing as stipulated by the Bible. Please read Deutoronomy 28:1-14. Luke 6:38.
Lastly, there is only one way to reap abundant. The four letter word. G-I-V-E. God bless you. God2man.

So why isn't Apostle Paul's name on Forbes list? And what's your view on Paul's testimonies of himself?

1 Corinthians 4:11 - "To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless."

2 Corinthians 11:27 - "I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked."

Contentment is good. It only depends on the way you look at it. Some people are contented with having little, they will be happy and satisfied. Complacency will now set in. How do we handle it? The important thing is destiny, if God has destined it that you will become RICH, and you fail to reposition yourself or key in to the divine blueprint from heaven, then it means, your life will be a disappointment to God. The money that you are supose to use to propagate the Gospel, you do not have as a result of your complacency.
The devil hate prosperity of the christians with perfect hatred, he knows that with the prosperity of the righteous, the world will be a better place. I am talking of true christians, those that will not allow money to have them, but they will make money their servant, christians that will not be moved by the wealth of this world. Christians that will not allow money to control them.
Of course, the devil will be happy if many christians remain poor without achieving their aims of making heaven. He will be sad to see many poor christians go to heaven with the high level of contentment. Above all, we need to be able to differentiate between contentment and complacency. It is important. God bless you. God2man.

"if God has destined it that you will become RICH, and you fail to reposition yourself or key in to the divine blueprint from heaven, then it means, your life will be a disappointment to God."

I love the "IF" there. I agree there're some that God's will for them here on earth is to be rich, but I also agree that for some, God's will for them here on earth is to be poor. It's not that God wants to withhold good things from us, it's just that he knows riches so easily distracts a lot of people. The most important thing to God is our spiritual prosperity, not material prosperity. The problem I have with the prosperity teaching is that it says God's will for all believers is to be rich materially. Scripture does not advocate this. Throughout scripture we see both rich and poor believers. God made some rich: Abraham, David, Solomon, Joseph of Arimathea, etc. And God made some poor: Paul, Lazarus, the poor widow who gave an offering,, etc.

Money itself is not the problem. The problem is that we still live in this flesh which so easily falls into temptation when we open the door for the devil. A lot of times we think we're strong and we can handle wealth. The spirit may be willing but the flesh is weak. That's why Jesus warned extensively about money, and Paul said those who desire to be rich fall into all kinds of temptations.

^^true.

however, it might be God's will for some to be rich, doesnt mean everybody has to be. [even though we all want to be].

besides, riches dont consist of material things alone.

quite relative, imo.

Joagbaje:

Psalms 35:27
. . .Let the Lord be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant.

So why wasn't Paul prosperous?

"To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless." - Paul (1 Corinthians 4:11)

Prosperity has many definitions, or contexts.

Godliness with contentment is great gain, and at the same time the bible says its God's will that we prosper even as our souls prosper.

Personally, if my being rich entails doings things that go against my convictions, then i simply dont have the drive to pursue such "riches" further.

tpia@:

Prosperity has many definitions, or contexts.

Godliness with contentment is great gain, and at the same time the bible says its God's will that we prosper even as our souls prosper.

Personally, if my being rich entails doings things that go against my convictions, then i simply dont have the drive to pursue such "riches" further.

Agreed!

Chuksxp:

So why wasn't Paul prosperous?

"To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless." - Paul (1 Corinthians 4:11)

It's a choice . It's called denial. Why do we fast? Is it because we are poor. It's a choice ,it's cakled denial. Paul choice is not everybody choice. You follow Gods plan for you. If you're called thesme way he was ,follow it. Remember he even denied himself a wife . It's his choice. And there's no problem with that. The important thing is to know his will for you.

Joagbaje:

It's a choice . It's called denial. Why do we fast? Is it because we are poor. It's a choice ,it's cakled denial. Paul choice is not everybody choice. You follow Gods plan for you. If you're called thesme way he was ,follow it. Remember he even denied himself a wife . It's his choice. And there's no problem with that. The important thing is to know his will for you.

Well, to an extent I do agree with you. God has different plans for everyone. He makes some believers rich and makes some poor. That's one of the dangers of the prosperity doctrine that says God wants every believer to be rich.

joagbaje, it was neither pauls nor d apostles choice to not become rich,they were only following bible principles so as not to be distracted & so that they could have freeness of speech to speak to d congregations,
He did it & all d apostles had to be neither rich nor poor so that they can fully accomplish there ministry & also not to be choked by d deceptive powers of riches,
Imagine if the apostles were all rich/wealthy fellows how would they have spoken to d congregations??, how would d apostles send those words written @ 1timothy6??, they knew amassing material riches would cause notin bt distraction & destruction to there faith,
Many feel that d apostles preached like d lazy pastors of today who stay on pullpits to teach people how to aquire wealth, all d apostles moved from door to door,town to town,people to people to declare Gods word,sometin that pastors & there followers will never or barely do, tell me where will d time come from to amass wealth or to think of becoming rich
Let d churches today teach meaninful things rather than teach material prosperity, ,, it doesnt make any sense, people can always work to meet there basic needs,but becoming rich/wealthy is not commensurate with Gods blessings
The richest persons in the world today barely serve God so been rich is not a sign that 1 is a servant of God, thats why d example of d apostles & Jesus is always there for us.
, 99% of wat d churches teach shuld be hw they can store up treasures in heaven(spiritual prosperity), not how to be obsessed wit financial breakthru in this temporary mumu world,
Marraige is optional ur correct
, but godly contentment is not optional, its a requirement for all christians if we want to imitate Jesus & serve God completely,

rich in the glory and spirit ? YES. rich in wealth ? > the lord talking to his followers about his perception of wealth
REVELATION 2 VS 9. I KNOW THY TRIBULATION AND POVERTY (materially poor) BUT THOU ARE RICH (because they will inherit the kingdom)

Seek Ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and ALL OTHER THINGS shall be added unto you Matt 6:33.
My God shall supply ALL YOUR NEEDS according to HIS RICHES IN GLORY through Christ Jesus. Phil 4:13.
IMHO, I think what God wants us for us is spiritual prosperity. Then He would supply all our needs. He determines how much is going to be added unto us. But christians must not be complacent.

We are Commanded in the Bible not to make Money out of the Gospel
Here are all the scriptures
Matthew 10:5-20
Matthew 10:7As you go, preach this message: 'The kingdom of heaven is near.'
Matthew 10:8Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.
Matthew 10:9Do not take along any gold or silver or copper in your belts;
Matthew 10:10take no bag for the journey, or extra tunic, or sandals or a staff; for the worker is worth his keep.
Matthew 10:11"Whatever town or village you enter, search for some worthy person there and stay at his house until you leave.
Matthew 10:12As you enter the home, give it your greeting.
(N.I.V) 1 Corinthians 9:18 What then is my reward? Just this: that in preaching the gospel I may offer it free of charge, and so not make use of my rights in preaching it.
(K.J.V) 1 Corinthians 9:18 What is my reward then? Verily that, when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel of Christ without charge, that I abuse not my power in the gospel.
1 Corinthians 9:19 For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more.
2 Corinthians 2:17 (New International Version,)
(N.I.V) 2 Corinthians 2:17 Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, as those sent from God.
2 Corinthians 2:17 (King James Version)
2 Corinthians 2:17 For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.
2 Corinthians 11:6 I may indeed be untrained as a speaker, but I do have knowledge. We have made this perfectly clear to you in every way. 7 Was it a sin for me to lower myself in order to elevate you by preaching the gospel of God to you free of charge?

King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.)
2 Peter 2:3 And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.
New Living Translation (©2007)
2 Peter 2:3 In their greed they will make up clever lies to get hold of your money. But God condemned them long ago, and their destruction will not be delayed.
Aramaic Bible in Plain English (©2010)
2 Peter 2:3 And by greed and fictitious accounts they will make profit among you, these whose judgment from the first has not been idle and their destruction does not sleep.

Matthew 16:26 What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?

if riches and wealth would solve the problem of
man kind God would not have send us his son.

read the bible as a metaphor and u'll c things differently,

to ur question NO is my answer,God did not create riches nor wealth
but Man did,although,u may argue as xtians do,what bout abraham.

christ him self did not or could not even afford his tax levy until he sent
one the disciples to catch a fish and check in d mouth for cash.

riches and wealth came as a result of purnishment to man after adam sinned,.
God said since u disobeyed my instruction u'll have to suffer to feed ur family
and to the woman u'll suffer to deliver a child.

the same bible said it was not the will of god for any to suffer.

Google these names lomans and knight am sure u'll learn some few things
from their research.

thanks for your insights but i think you need to read the bible more it is not a metaphor

if you would like more proof on this matter i would happy to help you understand and i don't want your money

sucessful1

Chuksxp:

Well, to an extent I do agree with you. God has different plans for everyone. He makes some believers rich and makes some poor.

God didn't create nobody poor. Poverty is mans choice .

That's one of the dangers of the prosperity doctrine that says God wants every believer to be rich.

There is nothing like prosperity gospel. Prosperity is part of the gospel.

Luke 4:18

If the good news to the blind is recovering of their sight, and good news to those who mourn is joy ,good news to th broken hearted is joy. Certainly the good news to the poor is prosperity
"The Spirit of the Lord is with me. He has anointed me to tell the Good News to the poor.

Question, what's good news to the poor? Is it their burial announcement or the hope of their prosperity .

Psalm 34:1 Of David. When he pretended to be insane before Abimelech, who drove him away, and he left. I will extol the LORD at all times; his praise will always be on my lips.
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Daniel 6:10 Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.
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Ephesians 5:20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.




Thessalonians 5:18 New International Version (©1984)
give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
New Living Translation (©2007)
Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

English Standard Version (©2001)
give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

New American Standard Bible (©1995)
in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.)
In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.


Luke 12:15 Then he said to them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions."

3 John 1:2 Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers.

3 John 1:2 Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.

Joagbaje:

God didn't create nobody poor. Poverty is mans choice .

There is nothing like prosperity gospel. Prosperity is part of the gospel.

Luke 4:18

If the good news to the blind is recovering of their sight, and good news to those who mourn is joy ,good news to th broken hearted is joy. Certainly the good news to the poor is prosperity
"The Spirit of the Lord is with me. He has anointed me to tell the Good News to the poor.

Question, what's good news to the poor? Is it their burial announcement or the hope of their prosperity .

Yes, prosperity of the soul is part of the gospel lol.

Has it ever occurred to you that "the poor" there is referring to the POOR IN SPIRIT, not the physically poor.

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. - Matthew 5:3

The poor are those who understand that they're spiritually and morally bankrupt, and that they need a Saviour.

for me, God cannot be author of confusion, what i did do is "seek FIRST His Kingdom and His Righteousness" d things the gentile seek will be added! now what is His Kingdom-righteousness,peace and joy in the Holy Spirit!His Righteousness is a gift which i daily receive NOT my own righteousness!

I. Some Biblical references to greed.

Ps. 10:3 - "the greedy man curses and spurns God"
Prov. 11:6 - "the treacherous are caught by their own greed"
Jere. 6:13; 8:10 - "everyone is greedy for gain"
Lk. 12:15 - "be on guard against every form of greed; life is not in possessions"
Eph. 4:9 - "Gentiles, practice every kind of impurity with greediness"
I Thess. 2:5 - "we did not come with pretext for greed"
I Tim. 3:8 - (deacons) "not fond of sordid gain" (cf. Titus 1:7)
II Peter 2:3 - (false prophets) "in their greed they will exploit you with false words"
II Peter 2:14 - (false prophets) "have hearts trained in greed"

II. Defining and describing greed.

A. Greed is inordinate desire to acquire and possess
1. lust and envy - James 4:2
2. covetousness - Exod. 20:17; Rom. 7:7,8; I Cor. 5:11
3. selfish immoderation of desires - "Me-ism"
4. patterning of the "flesh"
B. Greed is sin - contrary to character of God
1. Listed in the Bible with the gravest of sins - Mark 7:22; Rom. 1:29; I Cor. 6:10; Eph. 5:3
2. Roman Catholicism identified as one of seven "deadly sins"
C. Greed involves the "personal aspiration" of the "lust of the eyes" (I Jn. 2:16)
D. Greed is related to materialism
1. living for possessions - Lk. 12:15
2. get rich quick - I Tim. 6:9
3. love of money - I Tim. 6:10
4. Rockefeller - "How much is enough? More than I presently have."
E. Greed is idolatry - Eph. 5:5; Col. 3:5

III. Practical expressions of greed.

There may be greed if you:

, keep "wish lists" of desired objects to purchase.
, can't say "no" when offered money to do a job.
, are always seeking ways to make more money.
, feel resentment when someone acquires what you would like to have
, have fallen for several "get rich quick" schemes. , joined a multi-level marketing?
, are disturbed after losing a relatively small amount of money.
, become perturbed when you purchase an item and find it cheaper elsewhere.
, feel good and find relief in going shopping.
, would rather have a high paying job than one which is interesting and rewarding
, despise paying taxes and have sympathy for those who find ways to avoid such.
, feel uneasy around people who are wealthier than you.
, make disparaging remarks about people who are rich.
, engage in the "one-up-man-ship" of topping another's accounts of acquisitions.
, go to an "all you can eat" buffet and feel obliged to eat as much as possible to get
your money's worth.
, give something wanting to be properly credited or reciprocated.
, drive through neighborhoods with exclusive homes yearning to live in such.
, ponder how much it is going to cost when a family member gets sick.
, feel imposed upon when one of your children asks for money to buy something.
, insist on controlling the family finances and the checkbook.
, argue with your mate about how much they are spending on personal items.
, brag about the "bargains" you got, how "thrifty" you are, or how little you paid for
something.
, boast of how clever you were in getting the best of another in a business deal.

IV. Solution to greed.

A. Deriving the character of God by faith.
B. God's character involves contentment. God lacks nothing, wants nothing.
Lk. 3:14 - "be content with your wages"
Phil. 4:11 - "content in whatever circumstances I am"
I Tim. 6:6 - "godliness is means of gain, accompanied by contentment"
I Tim. 6:8 - "food and covering, with these we shall be content"
Heb. 13:5 - "content with what you have"
C. We are to be fulfilled and satisfied in the abundance of Christ's life -
John 10:10 - "life more abundantly"