These snake oil salesman and televangelists are some of the wealthiest people in the country. Keep sending them your money. They need to maintain their lifestyle.
And who could forget Jim and Tammy Baker? The main goal for a religion is to get butts in the seat or have you tune in on Sunday morning. It all means money to them.
(1 Timothy 6:9, 10) But those who are determined to be rich fall into temptation and a snare and many senseless and harmful desires that plunge men into destruction and ruin. 10 For the love of money is a root of all sorts of injurious things, and by reaching out for this love some have been led astray from the faith and have stabbed themselves all over with many pains. (Matthew 6:24) “No one can slave for two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will stick to the one and despise the other. You cannot slave for God and for Riches. (Matthew 13:22) As for the one sown among the thorns, this is the one hearing the word, but the anxiety of this system of things and the deceptive power of riches choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.
"YOU received free, give free.” (Matthew 10:8) (2 Corinthians 2:17) [We are;] for we are not peddlers of the word of God as many men are, but as out of sincerity, yes, as sent from God, under God’s view, in company with Christ, we are speaking. (1 Peter 5:2) Shepherd the flock of God in YOUR care, not under compulsion, but willingly; neither for love of dishonest gain, but eagerly;
Paid shepherds were unknown in first-century Christianity. The apostle Paul, for example, provided for his own physical needs by means of a secular job—tentmaking. What is more, he reached the people in a very effective way, by teaching them “publicly and from house to house.” A paid clergy class can impose a heavy financial burden on the laity, especially when the former have lavish lifestyles. Christian overseers, on the other hand, care for their financial needs by doing normal secular work, thus setting a good example for others.—Acts 18:1-3; 20:20,21,33, 34; 2 Thessalonians 3:7-10. (Acts 18:1-3) After these things he departed from Athens and came to Corinth. 2 And he found a certain Jew named Aq′ui•la, a native of Pon′tus who had recently come from Italy, and Pris•cil′la his wife, because of the fact that Claudius had ordered all the Jews to depart from Rome. So he went to them 3 and on account of being of the same trade he stayed at their home, and they worked, for they were tentmakers by trade. (Acts 20:20-21) while I did not hold back from telling YOU any of the things that were profitable nor from teaching YOU publicly and from house to house. 21 But I thoroughly bore witness both to Jews and to Greeks about repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus. (Acts 20:33-34) I have coveted no man’s silver or gold or apparel. 34 YOU yourselves know that these hands have attended to the needs of me and of those with me. (2 Thessalonians 3:7-10) For YOU yourselves know the way YOU ought to imitate us, because we did not behave disorderly among YOU 8 nor did we eat food from anyone free. To the contrary, by labor and toil night and day we were working so as not to impose an expensive burden upon any one of YOU. 9 Not that we do not have authority, but in order that we might offer ourselves as an example to YOU to imitate us. 10 In fact, also, when we were with YOU, we used to give YOU this order: “If anyone does not want to work, neither let him eat.”
I think that Malachi 3:10 is the most referenced verse by proponents of the "Prosperity Gospel".
Almost all, if not all, Evangelicals believe in paying preachers. Most believe in tithing although I am not sure if most believe in the "prosperity Gospel"(?) Funny they call the Hebrew/Aramaic scriptures the "Old Testament" but when they need money or want to go to war they revert to the "Old Testament". With tithing in the Mosaic Law, no one got rich, more of an equalizing affect. Twelve tribes of Israel giving a tenth part to a 13th tribe.
Part of an article from 1985: [Tithing and the Law of Moses Tithing was part of a body of laws given by God through Moses to the ancient nation of Israel. Twelve tribes of Israel were required by law to support a 13th tribe, the priestly Levites, who had no land inheritance. This enabled the Levites to concentrate on the spiritual needs of the nation. (Numbers 18:21-24) Being an agricultural people, the Israelites were not required to pay the tithe in cash. Rather, it was to come from the land’s produce and from the increase in livestock. If produce was to be tithed and an Israelite wanted to give money instead, then he had to pay 20 percent more than the value of the produce.—Leviticus 27:30-33. God’s command on tithing was a serious matter. If an Israelite mistakenly used for himself some of what he was going to tithe, then he had to make amends. How? By giving an extra 20 percent and offering up an animal sacrifice for his guilt. (Leviticus 5:14-16) Though not every Israelite could share in the priesthood, everyone could share in the support of the priestly service through the tithe. All of this was included in God’s law on tithing. Therefore, it fitted the circumstances of that ancient people. But does it fit the circumstances of people today? More importantly, are Christians commanded to tithe? A Change of Law ...]
WOW! Didn't know that. I wonder what Donald makes of 1 Timothy 6:9, 10; Matthew 6:24; Matthew 13:22, quoted in my answer as well as Matthew 19:23? (Matthew 19:23) Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Truly I say to you that it will be difficult for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of the heavens.
Hmm now why doesn't it surprise me?? You guys are way toooooo nice and forgiving re Trump.. he IS dumb, stupid, he isn't intelligent.. yes he has done well in business - most likely by bullying and trampling all over people.. that doesn't take smarts.. it takes being a bully, simple.. and he inherited a lot of money to start with...
This latest just fits with my already very low opinion of him.. he would just be the sort who would believe in that.. and the poor dumb plebs who voted for him are just the sort who would be easily exploited by such.
Staying within the context of the question, what is the motive mentioned in the question and how does that line up with the scriptures? (Hebrews 13:5) Let your way of life be free of the love of money, while you are content with the present things. For he has said: “I will never leave you, and I will never abandon you.” (1 Timothy 6:10) For the love of money is a root of all sorts of injurious things, and by reaching out for this love some have been led astray from the faith and have stabbed themselves all over with many pains.
I think that giving with a selfish motivation is bad and should be warned against. But that's just my personal opinion from reading the account at Acts 8:18-24
SpunkySenior 