Comments on: Contentment Comes from Giving http://www.sfpulpit.com/2007/10/25/contentment-comes-from-giving/ A Ministry of Shepherds' Fellowship Fri, 04 Jul 2008 20:09:48 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.4 by: Thomas Twitchell http://www.sfpulpit.com/2007/10/25/contentment-comes-from-giving/#comment-69968 Tue, 30 Oct 2007 04:15:05 +0000 http://www.sfpulpit.com/2007/10/25/contentment-comes-from-giving/#comment-69968 I've thought much about how we could reach a pact with the Liberal politcal establishment and the social gospelers. We begin a liberal registry. Everyone who believes that have to give, put their names on the Registry. All their property is ceded to the Registry and redistributed to all according to need. Those who do not register, cannot receive from the registry. The unregistered would be left free to give according to conscience and be content with it. By the way John, I could use a big gift right about now! Like, if you could just payoff my house, I would be able to increase my giving a hundred fold. Paul is a great example for us. He gave everything and in the end God stripped every thing he owned from him and he died imprisoned and pennyless. Now that is contentment. So, go and sell all you have and give to the poor, but if you expect that God is going to bless in this life with the things that the gentiles seek after and are not content with food and clothing, you're a rich man and making very hard on yourself to be pulled through the eye of the needle. I’ve thought much about how we could reach a pact with the Liberal politcal establishment and the social gospelers. We begin a liberal registry. Everyone who believes that have to give, put their names on the Registry. All their property is ceded to the Registry and redistributed to all according to need. Those who do not register, cannot receive from the registry. The unregistered would be left free to give according to conscience and be content with it.

By the way John, I could use a big gift right about now! Like, if you could just payoff my house, I would be able to increase my giving a hundred fold.

Paul is a great example for us. He gave everything and in the end God stripped every thing he owned from him and he died imprisoned and pennyless. Now that is contentment. So, go and sell all you have and give to the poor, but if you expect that God is going to bless in this life with the things that the gentiles seek after and are not content with food and clothing, you’re a rich man and making very hard on yourself to be pulled through the eye of the needle.

]]> by: Colin http://www.sfpulpit.com/2007/10/25/contentment-comes-from-giving/#comment-69901 Mon, 29 Oct 2007 20:48:08 +0000 http://www.sfpulpit.com/2007/10/25/contentment-comes-from-giving/#comment-69901 Dear Carol, I too have read "Lost Books of the Bible" and, as of today, it still sits quietly on one of my bookshelves (not to far from another book which bears the title "The Other Gospels.") Historically, what connects the "Lost" books and the "Other" books to each other is what also separates them from the canon of Scripture. The key factor of this division is that these lost books and other gospels were not written until at least a century after St. John wrote the final prophecy to the Church, the text that we know today as the Revelation of John. The other gospels and lost books are exactly what they appear to be at face value: strange tales and/or hodgepodges of jumbled sayings. They are not God-breathed. There is no divine benefit in them. They are ancient texts and folktales from the 3rd-5th centuries; many are Gnostic or mystical in their content. Revelations is the last book of the Bible. It was never a lost book. Dear Carol,
I too have read “Lost Books of the Bible” and, as of today, it still sits quietly on one of my bookshelves (not to far from another book which bears the title “The Other Gospels.”) Historically, what connects the “Lost” books and the “Other” books to each other is what also separates them from the canon of Scripture. The key factor of this division is that these lost books and other gospels were not written until at least a century after St. John wrote the final prophecy to the Church, the text that we know today as the Revelation of John.

The other gospels and lost books are exactly what they appear to be at face value: strange tales and/or hodgepodges of jumbled sayings. They are not God-breathed. There is no divine benefit in them. They are ancient texts and folktales from the 3rd-5th centuries; many are Gnostic or mystical in their content. Revelations is the last book of the Bible. It was never a lost book.

]]> by: Carol http://www.sfpulpit.com/2007/10/25/contentment-comes-from-giving/#comment-69409 Sun, 28 Oct 2007 01:21:34 +0000 http://www.sfpulpit.com/2007/10/25/contentment-comes-from-giving/#comment-69409 I seek advice & would like to hear the views of others on a particular question. I have begun to read the "Lost Books of the Bible" & am having a difficult time. I am so confused & fustrated. The Bible says; Not to add to or take from His word. If these books are from the original Bible, then why were they removed. Who would have the athority to remove them? That would be taking from; If they are not real, how do I know? I talked to a friend about it this morning & she told me that I should get that book out of my house! She said that it was not inspired by Christ, but by satin to confuse the children of God. I am going to talk to my minister about this, but I was hoping that you would share your knowledge wit me on this matter too. I need to know. I seek advice & would like to hear the views of others on a particular question.
I have begun to read the “Lost Books of the Bible” & am having a difficult time. I am so confused & fustrated.
The Bible says; Not to add to or take from His word.
If these books are from the original Bible, then why were they removed. Who would have the athority to remove them? That would be taking from;
If they are not real, how do I know?
I talked to a friend about it this morning & she told me that I should get that book out of my house! She said that it was not inspired by Christ, but by satin to confuse the children of God.
I am going to talk to my minister about this, but I was hoping that you would share your knowledge wit me on this matter too.
I need to know.

]]> by: Josh Buice http://www.sfpulpit.com/2007/10/25/contentment-comes-from-giving/#comment-68682 Thu, 25 Oct 2007 18:29:04 +0000 http://www.sfpulpit.com/2007/10/25/contentment-comes-from-giving/#comment-68682 Dr. MacArthur, I appreciate your post - it provides much clarity! I recently witnessed a member of our church sell his truck and provide the money to a family in our church who is suffering from cancer. It was wonderful to watch someone give to a family who was in need. Furthermore, the gentleman is not a very wealthy individual. It was truly amazing to see how God takes care of people and provides for their needs in two accounts: 1. Fellow believers taking care of one another. 2. Through sacrifice, God still takes care of people when they give financially. Rev. Josh Buice www.deliveredbygrace.com Dr. MacArthur,

I appreciate your post - it provides much clarity! I recently witnessed a member of our church sell his truck and provide the money to a family in our church who is suffering from cancer. It was wonderful to watch someone give to a family who was in need. Furthermore, the gentleman is not a very wealthy individual. It was truly amazing to see how God takes care of people and provides for their needs in two accounts:

1. Fellow believers taking care of one another.
2. Through sacrifice, God still takes care of people when they give financially.

Rev. Josh Buice
www.deliveredbygrace.com

]]> by: Daniel Chaney http://www.sfpulpit.com/2007/10/25/contentment-comes-from-giving/#comment-68643 Thu, 25 Oct 2007 12:45:42 +0000 http://www.sfpulpit.com/2007/10/25/contentment-comes-from-giving/#comment-68643 John, Our church is currently listening to your messages on "Spiritual Stability" and have been so blessed by them. In today's society, in which everyone is consumed with themselves, Christians need to be content more than ever before because the world has so many more temptations to offer than ever before. But God is the same today as He was in the day of Job (and Job was content with God). God was more than enough for Job, and He is more than enough for us. John,

Our church is currently listening to your messages on “Spiritual Stability” and have been so blessed by them. In today’s society, in which everyone is consumed with themselves, Christians need to be content more than ever before because the world has so many more temptations to offer than ever before. But God is the same today as He was in the day of Job (and Job was content with God). God was more than enough for Job, and He is more than enough for us.

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