Micael's Blog (11)

Text from http://macedoniayf.multiply.com/journal/item/42 1. In general, a righteous life will have certain tendencies towards prosperity. God want us to work hard. (Conversely, if we are lazy in our jobs, this is poor testimony). God want us to work smart. If a righteous person work hard + work smart, and avoid vices e.g. drinking, he will tend towards prosperity. This is what many verses in Proverbs teach. "Poor is he who works with a negligent hand, but the hand of the diligent makes rich."… Continue

“Share everything with your brother. Do not say, ‘It is private property.’ If you share what is everlasting, you should be that much more willing to share things which do not last.” - The Didache, c. 90 AD, (Did. 4:8) “Now then hear me and be at peace among yourselves, have regard one to another, and assist one another, and do not partake of what God has created alone in abudance, but share it with those that are in need. For some men through their much eating bring weakness on the flesh, and i… Continue

Jay Beaman's states that 13 of 21, or 62% of American Pentecostal groups formed by 1917 show evidence of being pacifist sometime in their history. (Beaman, J: Pentecostal Pacifism: The Origin, Development, and Rejection of Pacifistic Belief among the Pentecostals, Center for Mennonite Brethren Studies, Hillsboro, KA, 1989) Assemblies of God Resolution Concerning the Attitude of the General Council of the Assemblies of God Toward any Military Service which Involves the Actual Participatio… Continue

Can a Christian be rich? That depends on how you define “rich”. If being rich means earning much money, it is neither good nor bad, because you can earn much money and still give it all away to the poor and the needy – and there’s nothing wrong with that. But if being rich means having much money, if it is to keep a lot of resources for one self and thereby not give it to the poor – then it is wrong. We live in a world where 1,4 billion people live in extreme poverty, that is, on less than one… Continue

This text is from http://www.harmlessasdoves.com/twoswords.html --- Luke 22:35-38 is often cited to challenge the Christian pacifist perspective. In this passage, Jesus instructed his disciples to buy swords, amongst other items. Luke 22:35-38: Then Jesus asked them, "When I sent you without purse, bag or sandals, did you lack anything?" "Nothing," they answered. He said to them, "But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don't have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one… Continue

This text is from http://www.harmlessasdoves.com/oldtestament.html --- The ethical concept of “eye for an eye” is found several times throughout the Old Testament. The following is one example: Leviticus 24:19-20: If anyone injures his neighbor, whatever he has done must be done to him: fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth. As he has injured the other, so he is to be injured. Jesus, on the other hand, stated: Matthew 5:38–39: You have heard that it was said, “An eye for an eye… Continue

“Golden-tongued” John Chrysostom (347–407) preached often to his church at Constantinople on the duties of rich Christians to care for the poor. He takes up the theme in this homily, excerpted here, on Acts 4:32–37, challenging his listeners to imagine themselves living as the first Christians had lived, just three-and-a-half centuries earlier. “And great grace,” it says, “was upon them all; for neither was there any among them that lacked.” Grace was among them, since nobody suffered want, tha… Continue

Lesotho is a small country totally surrounded by South Africa. Poverty and AIDS have crushed the population, and some say that Lesotho may not be able to survive as an independent state, while the problems are too great. The queen of Lesotho, 'Masenate Mohato Seeiso, realized that it is only one who can bring light to her people: Jesus. She invited the Swedish Mission organization “Mission SOS” to come to Lesotho and arrange a Jesus Festival. Mission SOS gladly accepted the invitation, and toget… Continue

Often in these sorts of Christian groups where we work for social justice and peace we lose our spiritual base. We don’t take the Bible so seriously and we claim that feeding the starving is a miracle just as much speaking in tongues. We shorten our services and prayer-times to work with the poor. “Pray and work” (“ora et labora”) is reduced to “work”. Doing this, we work in our own power and cut off our head, that is, Christ. I guess God knew this would happen. We read in the Gospel: While Je… Continue

I always used to get so glad when I heard of great victories on the mission field, when millions of souls turned over to Christ. I even planned to be a missionary myself. But after a while, I got worried when I heard of such reports. There is a great risk that they do not turn over to Christ but to the Pharisee Church, the church that we are so familiar with, who think that moral issues and rules are more important than grace and mercy, who love war and wealth. I noticed with great sorrow that g… Continue

We serve the God of life and we are supposed to bring the Gospel of life to all nations, and then we can’t kill those who we give life to. We shall love them and give them the best we have. That’s why the early Christians didn’t use violence. With the power of the Holy Spirit they rather died themselves than killing someone that God had died for. The first church was a church of martyrs where the holy ones gave their lives as sacrifices for God, and they refused to kill. (But how many Christians… Continue