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If you sell everything you have and give it to the poor, you'll be homeless with one pair of underwear, one outfit and a toothbrush. Then you'll depend on the government, really what the point in that? You'll go from a self-sufficient tax payer to a tax liability living in a shelter. It's no way to live. Certainly, no way to have and raise children. God does not expect you to damage your life or children in a substantial manner.
There is something that has not been discussed. When people care about money more than others, they make bad choices which leads to elitism, selfishness, cheating and using legal and illegal, but immoral means to make money. For instance:
It's the goal of becoming rich that causes people to make immoral choices. It's the worship of money and the power it brings which is immoral. It's pursuing the spotlight for your own goals.
It's more than what you have, it's the choice you make along the way!
If one did sell all their belongings, gave to the poor, and committed their life for the sake of Jesus, they would be dependent on God's ability to take care of them. This is what Jesus Himself did, and wherever He went, He would stay with those who opened their house to Him. Other times I imagine He pitched a tent and slept outside. The Apostles would follow in this whenever they would go out to other areas to preach and demonstrate the message of the Kingdom of Heaven. Out of all the Apostles, perhaps Paul was the most zealous in this area.
If one did sell all their belongings, gave to the poor, and committed their life for the sake of Jesus, they would be dependent on God's ability to take care of them. This is what Jesus Himself did, and wherever He went, He would stay with those who opened their house to Him. Other times I imagine He pitched a tent and slept outside. The Apostles would follow in this whenever they would go out to other areas to preach and demonstrate the message of the Kingdom of Heaven. Out of all the Apostles, perhaps Paul was the most zealous in this area.
Very interesting how you avoid actually answering the question.
Very interesting how you avoid actually answering the question.
For the record, you first asked me this.....
Quote:
Originally Posted by phetaroi
So may we assume that you live a life that could honestly be described as "poor and suffering"?
To live a life as "poor and suffering". To this I spoke of coming from a people who were poor and suffering. Yet if you wanted a yes or no to this, I pointed out that would be subjective. I don't speak to specifics concerning my life, but will speak to where I come from.
However, concerning selling and giving to the poor, that wasn't in your original question. You indeed added those details. If I was poor and suffering, what does that have to do with selling and giving to the poor? So again, you added the twist. Yet ultimately with my last post, even your twist has been answered. If I never sold a thing in my life, then you can conclude I never sold anything to give to the poor.
To live a life as "poor and suffering". To this I spoke of coming from a people who were poor and suffering. Yet if you wanted a yes or no to this, I pointed out that would be subjective. I don't speak to specifics concerning my life, but will speak to where I come from.
However, concerning selling and giving to the poor, that wasn't in your original question. You indeed added those details. If I was poor and suffering, what does that have to do with selling and giving to the poor? So again, you added the twist. Yet ultimately with my last post, even your twist has been answered. If I never sold a thing in my life, then you can conclude I never sold anything to give to the poor.
Perhaps, but to this I turn to Eddie's response...
I haven't been told to sell everything yet.
The point has never been to sell all you own to give to the poor, the poor are everywhere, the whole point of Christ and his disciples was submission under the priesthood to pay tithes or to sell all you own to give to the poor Jewish widows l. The poor needy orphans, the poor Jeeish elderly and to help any Jew return to the land God gave them.
Jesus says that we had better purchase gold refined in the fire, and that is the Jewish nation. Jesus tells us we better find a pearl in a field and then buy the field and he is speaking of Judah.
Jesus tells us we are to purchase the oil, and the only way this can be done is to first find an acceptable extra vessel to fill before you ever purchase the oil, and that vessel is a Jew.
How does a Gentile become a son of oil?
Anyone and they grandma can make all kinds of claims that they are a preacher, or somehow they ate filled with the spirit but what good are all those claims if God hasn't appointed you himself, and made you a son of oil?
Unless God appoints you, you can tell the world you are a son of oil, but unless God actually pours oil on your head, you are just a wanna be.
Now we claim Jesus to have been the Messiah, and let's look at his very first mission, the supposed first thing Jesus said he fulfilled.
Like
And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written,
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
JESUS IS IN FACT MAKING THE BOLDEST CLAIM ANYONE HAS EVER MADE.
THIS CLAIM JESUS IS MAKING IS A CLAIM TO HAVE FULFILLED ALL OF ISAIAH 60, AND ALL OF ISAIAH 61.
Sorry for the bold but this should be something that needs to be understood.
Has any Christian ever read Isaiah 60 and 61? We claim Jesus came doing what Isaiah says, have we?
Jesus is making a claim to begin making the entire world servants to Judah, to make the whole world become one with Judah..
Selling all you own to give to the people of the nation of Judah, that was the point in the beginning as it is today. Do it and find out what happens, helping Gentiles is fine and comes with a blessing, but that is nothing campared to helping Jews return, you will see miracle after miracle and your entire being will be altered.
The GREATEST promise to a Gentile, and what does the Gentile offer God to become a son of oi
Isaiah 66
So they will proclaim My glory among the nations. And they will bring all your brothers from all the nations as a gift to the LORD on horses and chariots and wagons, on mules and camels, to My holy mountain Jerusalem,” says the LORD, “just as the Israelites bring an offering in a clean vessel to the house of the LORD.”
God says if you help the Jewish people, you may become a son of oil.
Helping the needy Jew and helping the Jewish family return to Israel IS A GIFT AND AN OFFERING, you do that and find God, and all the hidden doubt will immediately fade away.
THE JEW IS THE OFFERING
Last edited by Hannibal Flavius; 02-23-2024 at 08:35 PM..
Perhaps, but to this I turn to Eddie's response...
I haven't been told to sell everything yet.
In all fairness, I think Jesus' point is that it was clear that the rich guy was into "rich guy" things...
And Jesus was metaphorically pointing out that it was going to take a major change in priorities and a healthy dose of commitment to get "treasures in heaven"...
I think in a more practical sense Jesus was also saying..."Hey, if you are going to go with us you need to get rid of all this stuff because we sure can't haul it around with us."
And to add one more thing about this, from a Christian perspective, Jesus leads us all as a group and in our individual areas of gifting. Jesus told some to follow Him full time. Others He told to tell everyone what good things Yahweh has done for them. (As Jesus told a man in Mark 5:18-19).....
As He (Jesus) was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed by the demons begged to go with Him. But Jesus would not allow him. “Go home to your own people,” He said, “and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and what mercy He has shown you.”......
There was another time Jesus stayed at a rich man's house and shared the good news with him and his family. The rich man, Zacchaeus, of his own free will declared he would sell half of his possessions and give to the poor. Jesus didn't tell him to do this. Jesus also didn't say, "No, no, no Zacchaeus! It's not half, but you have to sell ALL your possessions and give to the poor"! Nope, and Jesus still declared salvation has surely come to Zacchaeus' house. So Jesus may tell one to do this, or He may tell one to do that. He may not say anything at all and let us give from our heart. (Our transformed heart)
With all that said, those who do give all for the sake of the Kingdom, they will reap 100 fold (along with persecutions) in this age and the next. So if a believer is lead or they want to go all in, it is most certainly not a bad thing by any means. I myself may one day do that. Yet doing so wouldn't make me anymore Christian or Bible-like than those who don't.
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