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Think on these things
I received a devotion this morning from Guideposts: How Abundant Is Your Life? The author Norman Vincent Peale states "Prosperity and abundance can be yours. How? Start thinking prosperity thoughts. Never think scarcity, for scarcity thoughts scare prosperity away. In the Old Testament, you will find the following: “You will also declare a thing, and it will be established for you” (Job 22:28). Suppose someone says, “I am poor.” What is that person decreeing? He or she is decreeing poverty. If, on the other hand, the person says, “I am the recipient of God’s abundance,” then that person is decreeing prosperity. So don’t think any lack thoughts! Look to your Father and believe He will send you a life that is satisfying and richly filled with blessing."
Scripture tells us:
Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Philippians 4:8
This goes to balancing out the Bible in another discussion.
Unsaved, I used to imagine myself in a good home with a good marriage, visiting Europe as I always hoped to do, of winning the lotto and wiping poverty out of my family. None of that was even close to my life however. Once saved, I felt these were all "fantasies" and I shouldn't be engaging in fantasy but living in the real world, the here and now.
So what is the difference between that and between what Peale says above?
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Tammy on
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Are you asking the difference in the desires you had before you were saved compared to what he says?
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Permalink Reply by Seek on
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I'm asking what some believe is to go around saying we're already healed and we're prosperous or we already have this or that...even if it's not here...ie: if you're missing a leg you're supposed to imagine yourself with that leg still intact. Isn't that the same as fantasizing?
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I think it's practicing the faith that defines us as His, that faith is 2. For by FAITH are you saved? Not because of yourself. It's the GIFT of God not of man so man can't boast.
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Yes by faith in Jesus were saved. But is there a scriptural reference about by faith that we already were healed we are healed...Our bodies just don't know it yet. I used to imagine I didn't live in poverty and was able to take care of my parents, daughter, brother, grandparents, aunts & uncles, etc. According to this article that's what Peale says to do unless I'm reading him wrong. I mean some honestly believe that if we're in severe pain that we're to say we're not. Isn't that like parents who refuse to take their kids to a doctor because God will heal them then find themselves burying them tomorrow?
Sad part is, if the child dies then the parents must've not prayed hard enough or had sin in their lives...but they'll tailor whatever explanation fits their capability to understand.
Tithing is done the same. If you tithe and, as I did, get broker, then you're tithing with wrong motives or you have sin in your life. People want to grasp onto a scripture and apply it. And when the application doesn’t produce results, they search for another explanation. Isn't that a fantasy in and of itself?
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Sheesh Seek. I keep reading my reply above yours & am trying to figure out what I'm talking about. I see you made some sense out of it. Congratulations. Guess I'm replying to too many & getting lost along the way.
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LOL
I guess this is what I'm trying to figure out with the "blab it and grab it"? crowd. I mean, I know they don't see it as they're blabbing and grabbing. They say they're speaking God's Words, God's truth. But they take some of the scripture I think out of context. I mean...I read, You are the God who heals all our diseases....and He is. No other gods heal diseases. But when it says by His stripes you're healed, prior to that it says wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities. Nothing about our infirmities. God's Word says we've been made righteous and are a child of God, etc. But some believe we go around speaking Words taken incorrectly. God heals our diseases, that doesn't mean He already healed us by a verse taken out of context. So to go around claiming you have a leg when you don't is no different than fantasizing prior to rebirth as far as I can tell...unless as I said I'm missing something.
If we have financial struggles, it doesn't help to say we don't have any struggles. If we don't ask for help, how do we get it? Even scripture says you have not because you ask not. Well if we're going around saying "Oh I'm fine, couldn't be better, no problems at all, nope, money's good, health's good", and we don't ask God to heal us or bless our finances, we're just speaking a bunch of fantasy and God's not going to fix it...cause we never asked Him to.
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And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it. John 14:13-14
Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full. John 16:24
If you ask anything in My name, I will do it. John 14:14
And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.” Matt 21:22
These are an example of other Scriptures that they use as well.
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And as you already know, I totally believe as you on this subject of "Don't speak it" kinda thing.
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Permalink Reply by ScribeD on
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The problems with the Positive Mental Attitude and Positive Confession guys are:
1. they have a pretext (predetermined set of beliefs) that they start off using the Bible to teach, but eventually they all start to refer to other religions and philosophies to "prove" their pretext.
2. they have to ignore the key context and meaning of a scripture to build their ideals upon.
3. they actually miss God's intended purpose of what He is teaching us in scripture.
Give me any prosperity preacher or business coach who teaches this stuff (such as N.V. Peale) and I can take the Bible verses they use and show you what that Apostle was actually saying and it's usually quite different from what these prosperity people want you to believe.
Don't get me wrong: I don't think God is opposed to your ability to live well and acquire and use wealth. I just don't think it's his point. He has much higher goals for your heart. This is why Jesus said "where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." And "store up for yourselves treasures in Heaven where moth and rust cannot destroy and thieves cannot break in and steal." Sure, success and material wealth is helpful to accomplishing a lot of things. But, it's not God's highest goal for our lives.
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