I have been doing some soul searching about blessing my "pastor" and this is what I have come up with.

We are supposed to take care of the people who do the work of the ministry, especially those who teach and preach the word!

1 Timothy 5:17 "Let the elders (pastors, overseers) that rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially they who labor in the word and doctrine. "

So Paul is telling Timothy to see to it that the people who help him pastor and oversee the ministry of the church as paid and paid well "double honor" if they are laboring in the word and doctrine.

My pastor loves us and truly seeks God in the word and seeking sound doctrine to deliver us the right message for the right time, and he is worthy of this double honor!!

You guys keep quoting one scripture, but you need to look at the context of your arguments, this scripture v.17 seems to mean honor you give a man, but if you keep reading in (v. 18) "For the scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. And, The laborer is worthy of his reward!"

So Paul is saying that we are to actually pay our pastors and the ones who deserve to be blessed in double portion, are to be blessed!!! To what degree is a good question and I'm from America so 6 million whatever is beyond me to comment on its reagents, but I can say this. Blessing comes in measures and portions, and maybe the pastor of that flock has been sowing for years into something and has been driving a bucket, and now is the time of blessing for him and his family!!! To say that he is not worthy of anything else and don't give him a dime, is a very narrow comment and shows no maturity on your part! However, if the motivation is for showing off, and if the pastor is not a good steward of his things, if the family is not seeking after God and they are only seeking after acceptance in material things, then we have a problem!

The bible says the LOVE of money is the root of all evil. Again our motivation for the money determines is ability to build or destruct. Loving the money and the things it buys will bring about evil and bad things in your life, but if you love God and see money as the thing that makes helping people possible, and you give with that attitude, then money is not evil by itself!!

I agree with a lot that has been said from different people here, and I think most are saying similar things.

It is about the motivation in all cases. God is searching for seekers of his heart, and those He will bless, because God knows if he can get it through you! He will get it to you!!

So if you are blessed and intent to bless others, then money and blessing will come.

Is everyone destined to be a millionaire? NOPE! God know who he can trust with money and who he can't, and sometimes we are given more than normal just to prove it.

If he gives you 10,000 and you use it all on you, then maybe your not the guy who is going to be blessed a millionaire by The Lord!

This is a deep subject, and unfortunately many people do abuse the concept of blessing and being prosperous. I believe Jesus was never in need, lack, he was never without, and I believe always had an abundance! When he blessed things he ended up with more than he started with! That is pretty good in my book, and leads me to believe he was not hurting in the monetary sense! Find me a scripture that suggests otherwise?

As for not operating like the true church did by having pastors, that is a huge streth, Eph 4 11-15. We are given pastor, teachers, etc, "for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ"

I hope we can all agree that God is interested in our hearts first, then he can make us knowledgable about the use of money for His glory, and not just for our satisfaction! But there absolutely nothing wrong with blessing your pasotr for an anniversary, birthday, or for any occassion for that matter!

Thanks for listening,

Peace,

TS