My Prayer for Prosperity...

I pray the Lord will work this message into my life and help me to see that I don't want money. I've never been much of a person to love money, but it's slipped its way into my life and I'm hating it.

I hate the way it fills itself.

Money is like a selfish, amorphous blob that will fill any area it is allowed into. The more you have and spend of it, the more you need to take care of what you have and spend. It's a vicious cycle that I am ready to stop. I understand now why Jesus used money as the counter-choice to God when He said that none can serve two masters.

It's because money has some similar characteristics to God. The affects, however, are disastrously opposite.

Anyway, those are my feelings and not what the sermon I'm linking is about. But it is about why the Recession. If you know what money is, I recommend listening as John Piper shares What Is the Recession For?

Also, if you like this sermon, or don't. Especially if you don't, here is where you can find more by him. Some are audio only, some are video. He's been preaching at Bethlehem since the 80s at least, and there are many many sermons there on all sorts of topics.

Main Page
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Also, if you'd like, he mentioned this organization in the sermon linked above, and I would recommend their emails and/or the zine. Global Prayer Digest

I promise I'm not going to only post links, but I had to post these, because they are excellent. You can learn a lot about the God who Saves, and His word to us from this man He uses.

Does James Contradict Paul? :: Desiring God Christian Resource Library

Does James Contradict Paul? :: Desiring God Christian Resource Library

Awesome short read on Faith and Works. Does the Bible contradict itself in this matter? Paul says we are justified by faith alone, but James says man is justified by works, and not by faith alone. James 2:14-26 and Romans 3:27-4:5

Short answer is, no. The Bible doesn't contradict itself. We are first justified by faith. No works as an empty, dying human can justify us to Christ. After we are first justified, though, faith does not remain alone. If it is living faith, it will produce works of love.

Read the link for the detailed, excellent essay on this difficult topic. (Easy read, and it explains it in a way anyone can understand)