"Ed Hulett -> Ross Sauer"  wrote in
news:10659$HOLYSMOKE{at}JamNNTPd:

 TR>>> Jesus `wasn't' poor. His step-father, Joseph, was a carpenter.
 EH>   Jesus TR>> followed into Joseph's trade.

 RS>> I know that.
 RS>> But we have no idea if Joseph was a good carpenter, mediocre or
 EH>   bad. RS> Likewise Jesus.

 EH> Good grief. Read the book, it tells you how good Joseph and Jesus were
 EH> as wood workers. "Carpenter" is a misnomer, they were
more carver and
 EH> carpenter.

The Bible does say how good they were?
Show me.

 TR>>> In the day of Jesus, pretty much as now, a skilled tradesman
 EH>   always TR>> has work, and makes a good living. Where the idea that
 EH>   Jesus was TR>> `poor' came from is probably buried in antiquity. But
 EH>   skilled TR>> carpenters are rarely, if ever, `poor'.

 RS>> Thing is Jesus gave up the trade to go "on the road."

 EH> He was on the road for 3 years.

I know. 3 years, POSSIBLY.
He may have gone on the road before that and it was never written about.

 RS>> So how much ready cash did he have at hand?

 EH> He didn't take much cash at all. Read the story of the young rich man
 EH> to understand it. Jesus told the young man to sell all his property
 EH> and give the money to the poor not because Jesus was teaching him that
 EH> he must be poor to follow Him, but that he could not have two masters.

I remember that story.
Too bad Pat Robertson forgot it.

 EH> The lesson is that one cannot love wealth and God at the same time.

Tell that to the Prosperity Preachers.

 EH> I know several people who are devout Christians and are wealthy. The
 EH> consecrated all their possessions to the service of the Lord, helping
 EH> those less fortunate when the need arises. God does not want you to be
 EH> poor, but He also does not want you to be so caught up in gaining
 EH> material wealth that you forget where it all comes from.

"Consecrated all their possesions to the Lord?"
How do they do that?

 RS>> Some of these "Prosperity Preachers" say he had a lot.

 EH> He was comfortable, but not wealthy like those preachers claim. Again,
 EH> the story of the young rich man is an example.

 EH> It's a case of priorities.

And the priorities of far too many national and/or TV preachers is
gaining wealth for themselves.
Jerry Falwell even kissed up to Moon, who he had previously condemned,
when he wanted to keep his TV ministry going but not cut his own and his
cronies' salaries.

--- Xnews/5.04.25