Mammon vs God

mikeforjesus

I can put this on my blog but I need advice.


The desire to live for mammon can make one give up the faith as St Paul said
I thought that means because some people steal to get rich or do other sins
But it may mean denying the need in this life for Jesus to be saved even when asked if Jesus is the only way to heaven if anything bad happens to a Christian it means God did not mean him to get rich that way by denying need for jesus

I thought noone ever loses on earth when he follows Jesus
When Jesus told the rich man to sell everything he said it because he knew the rich man wanted to earn salvation by seeming to deserve it by his works and wanting people to glorify him and considering himself better

God wants to make us as blessed as Solomon when we seek the kingdom I thought
If the rich man followed Jesus and trusted in God instead of himself God would have given him a hundredfold on earth and eternal life
Recently I thought a hundredfold means money but it may not. I never knew before it could mean money

I avoided the narrow way as it was hard and I had no peace and I may not succeed but I want to go back to it
I wanted to close my Facebook but I don't think I have enough faith in God to lead me
and I may lose my friends forever or it is harsh

I did not know Jesus enough before that he wants me to give me his whole life or maybe I did but I wanted glory to myself in earth and not to God

Now I want to leave it all but I will not willingly leave my career before I finish university because my dad put a lot of money
Maybe I should have left my parents house and been independent and I would not suffer like this
I am worried my tutor will not help me anymore because he doesn't think I am putting effort but I am but God is making me sick either for eating unhealthy or not taking communion or whatever

I am making this post just to

We must avoid those who suppose Godliness is a means of gain
We must sow our seed but it is God who waters it as James said
Who also spoke of job who loved God more than riches but God chose him
We can not suppose that all Christians will be rich it is up to God He may choose that we be persecuted for His sake or choose to prosper us when we are old we prosper only in our season and as much as our soul prospers but perhaps we are not to desire to be rich as St. Paul says but be content with what we have
It's hard to be a son of a rich man and not desire to be rich and how will I feed my kids ?
I may not get married I do not know if I am seeking to follow God or tradition
which will harm me the shepherded or hireling preachers who speak in His name
I am just telling you not to expect me to be rich

I will suffer persecution by many of the worldly people of your church I should depend on God who gives me richly all things to enjoy with the talent He gives me so glory is to Him alone

That's what He means by not overburdening us His yoke being easy
Other teachers and fathers may not be seeking Gods will

Satans temptations are hard maybe and I may be overcome by the World

I am worried God wants to make me rich but I have to hear and obey Him continually at least if I did it my way I would have some riches and help my future family if I have one
instead of being an extremist and reading the bible too much but not doing it and seeking an easy life and playing around with religion and yelling in the streets and what not. But I may not desire to yell anymore as I won't be under too much stress anymore and I would be guided by the Holy Spirit if God would choose me to preach and reveal Himself in me. BTW I have not yelled often. I am not known as someone who does that but some people I do not know have seen me talk about Jesus in public

It might be satan telling me to stop working and to preach Jesus
or who makes things appear difficult

So does that mean some careers are not from God I don't think so necessarily but it will be harder if you refuse others help you won't make it
You restrict the skills you learn if you do not seek other talents
I am just wondering if God would want us to tell our tutors Jesus is the only way to the Father I know God probably does not want to hinder us from entering any field we want but wants us to seek help from a tutor but to trust He will not let them harm you but what if I am harmed what next ?

How can we be Christians in this world and prosper in anything we set our hand to do ?
So noone will persecute us if we are Christian and hold orthodox beliefs ? Is it a requirement to believe those beliefs and accept it with all ones heart first if we want to preach it and to not suffer ? And to be able to say who will and who will not be saved ?

I would ask a priest if I could randomly ask any priest and be sure he will give me the right answer and help me
For if not all priests are saved and wanting to do His will or not strong in the spirit how could he give me a deep answer and peace?

mabsoota

salvation is a process. we have been saved in baptism, we are being saved through faith and God's grace, and we will be saved and go to paradise with Jesus if we continue in our faith to the end.

if you study, it is good for you. you can use your studies to serve God.
if you worry about money, then stay poor. this is the best way to avoid the temptations of being rich.

mikeforjesus

I am afraid that is burying your talents Jesus wants us to prosper in all things and give us all our needs and richly all things to enjoy but He wants that to come from trusting in Him and not in yourself. Whoever does not seek riches can not expect God to provide for his needs. The lazy man desires and has nothing
whoever does not provide for his own is worse than unbelievers.
If one has a family he should try to make as much money as he can so long as he is pleasing the LORD


Proverbs 13:4
The soul of a lazy man desires, and has nothing; But the soul of the diligent shall be made rich.

Proverbs 13:7
There is one who makes himself rich, yet has nothing; And one who makes himself poor, yet has great riches. 8 The ransom of a man's life is his riches, But the poor does not hear rebuke.


Here we see riches sometimes help get people out of trouble

noone by being poor has ever benefited himself but got a whole new amount of temptations. Jesus does not want people to be poor. St Paul did not want to be a burden to anyone. St Paul said he was glad that he was poor and we were rich. Jesus became poor that we might become rich


the one who makes himself poor is the one who does not seek too many riches but he still seeks riches as the previous verses said like David the King who could have had more and envied the wicked but he had alot.

I will consider how true your advice is but I think it is cruel to want to see a righteous person poor and I think there are many verses which prove that.

being poor never helped anyone. Jesus often told people to count the cost in following Him as a disciple a monk or a priest if he can endure it. He only told people who accepted such advice to follow Him because they knew they were gaining the kingdom selling all they had to gain the kingdom and they knew they could endure the new life in Jesus. And they were sure they found the truth and Jesus even assured them that they were going to heaven. He said they will have a hundredfold and inherit eternal life

Do you have that assurance today?

are you able to witness to your faith in Jesus and not be moved by people who tell you you are a fool? if you are not able you have not truly known Jesus


God made joseph rich so his brothers could respect him

By being poor one can not convince others your way is the truth for they also are sometimes rich and believe in Jesus and you judge them. You can't get respect for your opinions if you are poor unless God has made you spiritually rich and gifted you with something like miracles. Sometimes a sign that God is with you is that He blesses you and the righteous man prospers in all things he sets his hand to do


If I am getting married I surely will not stay poor but will try to make as much as I can to supply their needs. Do you really think God is going to send riches to them from heaven and plenty?
such attitudes make me feel like not even sharing with the poor anything as they want me to be poor like them

This is what I expect by going to orthodox priests they do not give peaceful advice and if I listen only to them I will be lost

I am sorry mabsoota but things are not as simple as you make them
Man does not give peace only God can and through his wise counselors whom we must seek
the advice of orthodox priests tends to destroy the peace of those who seriously listen to them. Priests will try to help those who are worldly and try to destroy those who are spiritual
Yet I must listen to even the strictest but make my own decisions

Do you know a poor man that does not have any desires for money or social problems or no psychological problems or any other problems and do you know one who has kids who does not try to provide for their happiness? Jesus increased in stature and favor with God and man

But all the saint stories ive seen were those who had visions of Christ who enabled them to live that life
How do you expect me to live such life

do not make Jesus more offensive than He is. Do not make Him someone who does not care about our needs and desires

As for those who hear me I feel bad if I influenced you to preach and ruined your future maybe that is not Gods will for our lives but to preach Gods love and His eternal fairness or desire to save all to love and respect all lest we be guilty of their blood and the pains they suffer in life

mabsoota

i try to say with saint paul:
'i have learned in whatever state i am to be content; i know how to be abased, and i know how to abound. everywhere and in all things i have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.'
(philippians 4:11-12; orthodox study Bible)

i have been very poor (could only afford to buy cabbage, not broccoli!) and i have had a lot of money.
the poverty was less dangerous to my spirit.
at one stage i was nearly involved a business that could have made vast sums of money, but i escaped, thanks to God.
i thank God because i was not sure i was strong enough to resist the temptation to be distracted from Him and His great love if i became rich.

i have seen with my own eyes what the love of money can do to someone's soul.
i still pray for my former friend who is on the path to hell, filled with greed and envy and all evil desires since he fell in love with money and power. it was the first time i saw someone (allegedly Christian) who fell so far into sin, and i have cried many tears over his fall and the destruction of his family.

i am convinced that living the spiritual life as we learn in the orthodox church is the best way to escape these trials and temptations.
may God guide you and help all of us to learn from saint paul and put God first in everything we do.

a good resource to learn more about this is the great sermon by our dear departed pope shenouda given in 2011 about the ego and how to control it (i listened to it today):


there are english subtitles
:)

mikeforjesus

We can't disrespect our parents do not put tradition above the commandments of God
you say whoever says to father and mother whatever profit you might have received from me is a gift to God

Solomon says hear the instruction of your father

Honor your father and mother that you may live long on the earth

mikeforjesus

I know if I had been diligent my tutor would not want to leave me but it could be because God Himself does not think I am ready for this blessings or He would not leave me feeling sick like this. My tutor does not believe I am incapable of working much but God and me know. My father has put alot of money into me. How does it benefit God if I fail.

Come now you who say tommorow we will go to such and such a place buy and sell and make a profit when you do not know what tommorow may bring instead you ought to say if the LORD wills we will do this or that.