Name Tags: You are… Rich & Prosperous

The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.

John 10:10 (NLT)

I don't use Wikipedia often, but it does summarize the history… on the alarming popularity of “prosperity-pastor” messaging.* 

Consider this sly manipulation:

Combine God's Word (taken out of context) with a “sanctified” temptation of wealth... and VOILA! Saints get the best of both worlds. They can LIVE THE HIGH LIFE here and beyond.

I won’t name names, since judging is God's job. He knows our hearts and how riches are used. Yet He warned us:

'It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God' (Mark 10:25).

Actors, models and talent for Christ:

Consider 2 thoughts:

  1. Without any doubt, Jesus is our Model and Example, and we’re clearly ordered to copy Him. Unlike handsome paintings of a “white” Christ, God’s Son was “colored” and middle-eastern.** His appearance was unremarkable.

    Jesus was a tradesman, like his father. They weren’t rich, and didn’t aspire to be. As a preacher, He was itinerant. THE Man we’re called to copy lived simply.

  2. Speaking of myself, I've known just enough wins, wealth and bounty… to learn the hard way how empty they are. True satisfaction and prosperity can't be earned or purchased like treasure chests.

    They're found in Jesus. They're found in love, hope, family, and friends. They’re found in the pursuit of your calling.  They're found in THE passion that never fades.

Dearest performers, you’re on the right path, and you ARE rich in all the ways that count.

Name Tags: You Are… Rich & Prosperous (Part 76)

* Wikipedia on prosperity theology: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prosperity_theology

** 'He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to Him, nothing in His Appearance that we should desire Him' (Isaiah 53:2, NIV).

NOTE: God is my Ghostwriter. If what I write is good, it’s from God. You may see notes to 'Actors, Models & Talent for Christ.' If you think you're not in show business, think again. Shakespeare said, 'All the world's a stage and all its men and women merely players.’ Mostly true. But you're not merely players. You are messengers and ambassadors for the King of kings.

Carey Arban