Paradise Cafe Discussions - A Place For Bible Research And Christian Encouragement

Good day all ...

Boy are we sure feel the loss of Iso and all the info that he puts into his texts :( :coffeeread:... can't wait until you come back my dear brother and friend and step back into those shoes that are much toooo big for me ... :giverose:

Here is the Scripture and comments sent by our dear wolfie for me ...

''Is it the time for you yourselves
to dwell in your paneled houses,
while this house wastes?.....Hag. 1:4...

''Long before the exile to Babylon, the prophet Amos had
rebuked wealthy ones in Israel for their ''houses of Ivory'' and for their ''lying down on couches of ivory'' )Amos 3:15, 6:4) The fancy houses and decorated furniture did not last. Those things were plundered by enemy conquerers. Yet, years later, after an exile of 70 years, many of God's people had not learned from this. Will we? It would be fitting for each of us to ask: ''Frankly, how much emphasis do I put on my home and its decoration? What about arranging for extra education to advance a career, thus crowding out spiritual life?'' (Luke 12:20.21 I Tim.6:17-19) Whether we have an abundance of material things or not, if we fail to receive Jehovah's blessings, it will definitely be to our spiritual detriment.''--Matt.25:34-40, 2Cor.9:8-12 w4/15/06 10,14,15

I no problem with agreeing that we need to be busy in doing the work of the Lord ...

But just what IS the work of the Lord ...?

Is it not EVERYTHING we DO covering ALL aspects of our lives ... how we act ... how we live ... how we think ... how we interact daily with other people, both those 'related to us in the faith' :friends:... as well as those who are not ... :(

Now, when it comes to taking care of our homes and education I think BALANCE is the key ...

For those of us who thought the end would have been here long ago and hence did nothing in relation to our homes ... may certainly NEED to redecorate and replace things that may need replacing ... because of economics and the need for higher education we may need to have more than just a high school ... and so should seek to have an education to do what God words says 'heads' should do ... and that is be able to 'take care of their family' (spiritually, materially, physically and mentally) or he is worse than a person without faith ...

It is the 'showy display of one's means of life' that I think ... IMHO ... that lies the snare ... in thinking that what we OWN and HAVE is what makes us 'US' ...:(

It is what we are from the HEART :heartbeat: that really matters ... for we may have the nicest home or the best education ... but if we are not servants of God and footsteps followers of Christ FIRST in all we do ... then our lives are indeed really hollow are they not ... and one whose everlasting future is on shaky ground ... :(

So, while we need LIVE in a 'house' ... may our 'homes' not be our 'focal point' ... but rather the furthering of spreading the good new of the kingdom as we daily seek to improve ourselves as ZEALOUS CHRISTIANS ... walking in the footsteps of our exemplar Christ Jesus!! :thumbsup:

I hope someone else will add some better thoughts ...:giverose:

Luv as always ... BR :sheepy: :bouncyhearts:

What about the luxurious Bethel properties and vast real estate holdings? What about the expenses in maintaining these properties?

Warm Christian Love
Bangalore

Well I don't have much input.

But Abraham was rich wasn't he? It’s not about the possessions it's about how we view them and what we do with them.

You can be greedy and still be poor.

"Keep on seeking FIRST the kingdom and all other things will be added"

What this means to me, is learning to rely on God and he will teach us and train us how to live and thus we will be successful.
We will not just be successful we will have the real life, not some hollow make believe shell.
and our means of life will be used for our comfort but also to help others which is something that will be counted as treasure for us in heaven.

and I agree with all the above--:love: life truly is a matter of priorities. We can have Much and have our priorities in order--''Seek the Kingdom First'' or we can be poor and have nothing and still have our priorities all messed up--we should value no material thing over a person--no money amount over a person and what we hold the dearest should be in the spiritual treasures we hold so dear--I have worked for some extremely wealthy people in my working life and one especially has made me want to write a book calling it ''How To Have Everything and End Up With Nothing.'' so I don't think it really is the decorating your home that is the real problem--rather what place these things have in our heart--:giverose:

''store up for yourselves treasures in heaven,
where neither moth nor rust consumes, and where theives
do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there
your heart will be also.'' Matt.6:20+21.....:happyheart: