Ross Sauer -> Ed Hulett wrote:
 RS> "Ed Hulett -> Ross Sauer"  wrote in
 RS> 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.

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

Back then a tradesman was well respected and a woodworker was considered
among the best. One did not become a woodworker right off the street, but
had to go through years of apprenticeship.

 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.

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

His ministry spanned 3 years.

 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.

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

Your knickers knot up whenever you think of Pat Robertson.

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

 RS> Tell that to the Prosperity Preachers.

Why should I? I have no need to.

 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.

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

They admit that all they have is God's and that they use it in His service.
IOW, they willingly share it with those in need when the need arises. I
explained it quite well already. Your inability to understand what I said
isn't my problem.

 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.

 RS> And the priorities of far too many national and/or TV preachers is
 RS> gaining wealth for themselves.

You know this... how?

Jim and Tammy Fay Bakker were an example of what you claim with gold plated
bathroom fixtures and such.

 RS> Jerry Falwell even kissed up to Moon, who he had previously condemned,
 RS> when he wanted to keep his TV ministry going but not cut his own and his
 RS> cronies' salaries.

Falwell is dead.

Ed

-- 
"Truth does not become more true by virtue of the fact that the
entire world agrees with it, nor less so even if the whole world
disagrees with it." --Jewish philosopher Maimonides (1135-1204)

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