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Ok, without getting into too much detail, God never, and I mean never, specifically instructs anyone in the Bible to do anything that financially benefits them. His personal instruction almost always entail giving up basically everything you have and becoming a poverty stricken prophet. Trying out for the Seattle Seahawks as a football player ? What happened to the days of camels and eyes of needles? Unless the tail end of that spiritual email was to 'give all your earnings to charity', I will certainly mock, because it cheapens actual life altering sacrifices like those of Sam Childers.

Honestly, the whole schtick modern American Christianity has going of 'drive by' faith is repulsive. Thinly veiled 'mission trips' of highschool and college kids going on a free vacation to France, spending the weekend 'converting' and then leaving whoever was impressionable enough to listen to them to their own endeavours. That's a good example.

God doesn't care if you are rich or who you work for. If he did, I've never seen it. The Lord is terrible and fearsome in his might, and yes, most likely wants to have a relationship with individual humans. I'm extremely thankful for that. But my own personal financial success and creature comforts, or whether I choose a red car or blue car, are absolutely inconsequential as to the salvation of my soul or anyone elses. I don't interpret 'feelings' as 'messages from God'. When God wants to tell people something, a freaking angel of the Lord comes down and beats it into them; God does not beat around the proverbial burning bush. I'm thankful I haven't gotten a message from God, because as St. Augustine said: "Lord give me chastity, but do not give it yet." It would probably end with me wearing a burlap bag and standing outside the whitehouse screaming about impending doom, which is the modern equivalent of what MANY of the prophets got to have as a life.

I agree with much of your post, but God does speak to people to instruct them to go here, go there, do this, do that. God speaks by angels, but He also (mostly) speaks directly to us through His Spirit. It's a personal relationship with Him, not a relationship by proxy. We are His children, He's our Father, Jesus is our brother and the Spirit of God dwells within us.

You're trying to make this a money thing when it's not about money, it's about His will for us. He will speak that will to His children if they would only listen.

This post was edited on 2/25/14 at 4:34 pm