Issue 05> Mon, 03 December 2001
This Week's Question : Do people have to be poor in order to be holy? (Luke 18:22)

It has been taught for many years that holiness and poverty go hand in hand. The apostle Paul said, " I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound," then he added, " I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." (Phil 4:12, 13) You can be just as holy when you are financially comfortable as you can be when you are poor. Perhaps it is easier to cry out to God for help when you are in need. But if Christians sanctify God in their hearts ahead of material concern, they should be able to live above their circumstances whether that involves prosperity or poverty.

Poverty is a curse, not a blessing. It is certainly not equated with righteousness. It comes sometimes because of the horrors of war, sometimes because of unjust or unwise government, sometimes because of oppression by the greedy and the ruthless, sometimes because of disobedience to God's commandments and sometimes because of lack of knowledge of God's principles of blessing. Sometimes temporary poverty follows a satanic attack or a serious and unexplainable calamity. Whatever its cause, poverty is not equated with holiness.

Some voluntarily take a vow of poverty so that they can give themselves totally to God. In that situation, poverty becomes a blessing to those people, because they have given up material riches for God. However, simply being poor is not a sign of holiness. Of course, neither is being wealthy. Godly people are those who are content wherever God has placed them and who are serving Him to the best of their abilities, irrespective of material circumstances. ( 1 Tim 6:6, 17-19)

"...You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me"
(Luke 18:22) NKJV

 


Lonely...

Apo...what??

18 "I will not leave you orphans;
I will come to you."
(John 14:18) NKJV

5 "Let your conduct be without covetousness;
be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you
nor forsake you
."
(Heb 13:5) NKJV

 

Apocrypha. Literally means "things that are hidden", and generally refers to those books of the bible that are not universally accepted. It's not a particularly accurate term, because neither the books themselves nor their contents are really hidden. The term is more commonly used today to mean a story of which the accuracy or reality is in question. Some of the books are like 1 and 2 Esdras, Book of Tobit, Book of Judith, The Wisdom of Solomon, Ecclesiasticus, also known as the Wisdom of Ben Sirah, Book of Baruch, The Letter of Jeremiah etc etc. Some of the churches in modern times still accept these books as part of the scriptures, some placed as appendices, while others just don't print them anymore...like ours...:)

All references taken from RBC, Pat Robertson, Ron Rhodes, Kenneth/Gloria Copeland, Charles Slagle, Smith Wigglesworth, Selwyn Hughes, Charles Spurgeon, Manners and Customs of Bible Times, The Complete Bible Handbook, The Spirit Filled Bible(NKJV), The NIV Bible, God's Promises for your every Need.