17. Blessings - Woes

[Pastor Ralph]

Please share your thoughts on one or more of the questions in this lesson. 

[haar]

1.    What does Jesus mean by his use of the words "poor" and "rich" in this passage? Jesus is referring to the spiritual state of the people he was addressing to. Those that felt they were rich and did seek God will miss the Kingdom of God. While the physical poor who devote time to search God will surely inherit God's kingdom  Does he intend these words to be taken literally or figuratively? No.

2.    Choose one of these four alternatives and then support your choice:
(1) Christianity can be accurately characterized by delayed gratification.
(2) Christianity can be accurately characterized as seeking a present blessing and experience.
(3) Christianity can be characterized by both a present blessing and experience, and by delayed gratification. I think this option can describe Christianity. Christians can be   blessed with material possession here on earth and spiritually expect total deliverance from sickness and complete wholesomeness only when in in heaven but not here on earth.
(4) Christianity can be accurately characterized by none of the above. Why did you make the choice you did?

3.    What is wrong with being rich? Nothing except when we allow our riches to lure us away from being true Christians who are totally surrendered to God With desiring to be rich? Nothing for the same reason just given. Why is this such a stumbling block for Christians? Riches tend to become an idol or the god that takes all the attention away from the Giver of the riches. This is the main challenge I believe. How are you getting this in balance in your life? I try with the help of the the Lord God and through the Holy Spirit to use whatever God has given me to serve Him through realising  that everything that I have cames from Him and being thankful to Him, serving Him with the blessing by tithing and giving for His work and giving to the needy. etc. 

4.    Why do we seek to please people? To be acceptable. Why is pleasing people such a trap for Christians? It leads the Christian astray by turning the Christian to men pleasers instead of God's pleasers. Is there anything good about trying to please people? Yes as long as doing so will not violate God's will for for us. Why is it necessary to get this in balance in our lives? To ensure that we remain in / with the Lord.

[AdventIlliniRx]

The Gospels, Jesus's Words, always are focused on The Spiritual & Holy, while humans are listening to His words and analyzing the physical instead of the Spiritual.  

[hanks]

1. What does Jesus mean by His use of the words "poor" and "rich" in this passage? Does He intend these words to be taken literally or figuratively?

Jesus is speaking about literal spiritual poverty. He is not speaking about those in this world who are poor because of circumstances beyond their control. The people that are blessed are those who understand their spiritual poverty, their desperate situation as sinners, the bankrupt condition of their soul, and that salvation is not by works, good deeds, righteous acts, rituals, or sacrifices. The blessed are not the ones who think that their own personal righteousness is sufficient to gain them salvation. It is the ones who are reduced to begging, the ones who has nothing to offer God – nothing, absolutely nothing! This is the exact opposite of the Jews of that day, who saw themselves as the spiritually elite, and their self-righteousness being enough to earn salvation. Our spiritual bankruptcy has become our riches because we have stepped into the Kingdom knowing what is ours in Christ – salvation from sin, escape from judgment, eternal joy and heavenly glory.

[hanks]

2. Choose one of these four alternatives and then support your choice:
(1) Christianity can be accurately characterized by delayed gratification.
(2) Christianity can be accurately characterized as seeking a present blessing and experience.
(3) Christianity can be characterized by both a present blessing and experience, and by delayed gratification.
(4) Christianity can be accurately characterized by none of the above. Why did you make the choice you did?

My choice is option 3: Christianity can be characterized by both a present blessing and experience, and by delayed gratification. Present blessing and experience: Jesus said that yours is the Kingdom of God, meaning we get the Kingdom now!. We become heirs of God, joint-heirs with Jesus Christ, possessors of everything the Kingdom has to offer. Included is forgiveness, grace, mercy, joy, hope, peace, love, and righteousness. We in humility realize that we have nothing to commend ourselves to God; we reach out a hand like a beggar, for the gift of grace, and we receive the Kingdom right here, right now, and all the blessings of salvation. Delayed gratification: In the future we will enjoy all of the riches of the eternal Kingdom in the new heaven and the new earth (Isa 65:17; Rev 21:1). This reminds me of 1 Cor 2:9 which states that we cannot image all that God has in store for us, both in this life and for eternity.

[hanks]

3. What is wrong with being rich? With desiring to be rich? Why is this such a stumbling block for Christians? How are you getting this in balance in your life?

There is nothing wrong in being materially rich, many are mentioned in the Bible who were wealthy. We need only think of Abraham and Job who were extremely wealthy. There is also nothing wrong in desiring to be rich, as long as it does not interfere with our relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ. The problem arises when our wealth interferes with our need for salvation. Woe to those who think that by their own acts of righteousness they have enough spiritual riches to buy their salvation, and that they can earn their way into the Kingdom of God. Jesus Himself said that "No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money" (Luke 16:13). Money can easily take God's place in our life, and before we know it, it has become our master. I know this because I have been there and have experienced it personally - thankfully Jesus helped me realize my error. Wealth also feeds our pride. We take all the credit for being successful never thinking of thanking Jesus for making it possible – forgetting that He is sovereign in all matters. We will find it to be a hard and deceptive master. Some of the symptoms that are worrying are: do we find that we frequently think and worry about money; do we find ourselves not content with what we have – we want more and more; are we spending a great deal of time caring for our possessions; is it hard for us to give money away? Wealth can also be deceptive, promising power and control, yet it cannot provide health, happiness, or eternal life. As far as I’m concerned; I’m a pensioner and I have learned my lesson about the love of money, and have found to put all my trust in my heavenly Father. Knowing that He will provide!

[hanks]

4. Why do we seek to please people? Why is pleasing people such a trap for Christians? Is there anything good about trying to please people? Why is it necessary to get this in balance in our lives?

Our need to please people stems from our own fears and insecurities - the fear of rejection and the fear of people not liking us. So, we have this constant battle with the need for approval, which leads us to the idea that we can get people to love us more, by doing good deeds. To combat this fear, we must come to the understanding that not everyone will love us, and we can’t please everyone, but the One who matters will never stop loving us. God’s love towards us is always the same, and at the cross Jesus demonstrated how much He loved us, by paying the ultimate price with His life. His love for us is made complete in Christ, so there’s no need to fear rejection. Pleasing people can be a trap for us in that we might not want to offend people and therefore we try to avoid confrontation at all costs. People-pleasing focuses more on others’ approval than on God’s, with the result that we put peace ahead of truth. But as Christians we sometimes have to correct our fellow believers in love, which may require some stern words. As Christians we must honour God’s truth at all costs. In John 12:42-43 we read that even in Jesus’ time some people believed His message but refused to follow Him because they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God. We should be much more concerned about God's eternal acceptance than about the temporary approval of people – which is at best fickle and short-lived. It is in the very nature of the gospel to offend the ungodly. Those who receive their approvals from the world, are fellow-travellers with the false teachers that are so prominent today. They tickle the people's ears, telling them what they wanted to hear, being more interested in the favour of men than in the praise of God, and of course in their pockets. When we desire to obey God, the desire to please others fades, and pleasing God becomes more important (2 Corinthians 5:9). The good that comes about by trying to please people is the love we show for them - and this is good, but pleasing God is a higher calling and much more fulfilling. Remembering that God loved us first, actually while we were still sinners, He died for us (Rom 5:8). As His children we are to imitate God in everything we do. Our imitation of God's love is seen in our love for others, and this love for others within the fellowship of believers is an imitation of Christ, and by it the world recognizes us as His: “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another" (John 13:35).  It is necessary to get this balance between Christian love and pleasing people in our lives. Our first priority is to glorify God, only then can we think about the welfare of other believers. “So, whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” (1 Cor 10:31). He becomes our focus and our goal is no longer pleasing ourselves or others but pleasing Him (Col 1:10). When we develop an intimate relationship with Him through saving faith in Jesus, He becomes our focus. We switch allegiance from self-worshiping to God-worshiping. Our goal is no longer pleasing ourselves but pleasing Him (Colossians 1:10).

[Irmela]

 

What does Jesus mean by his use of the words "poor" and "rich" in this passage? Does he intend these words to be taken literally or figuratively? 

The poor are the ones that are needy (that have place to receive more). They are the ones ready to accept "the kingdom of God". They are the ones that will listen and ponder over what is being said. The rich (not only in material wealth but even the ones rich in being poor) in turn are the ones satisfied with the way they are. They are very much harder to reach to be given something spiritual or material for that matter as they are "filled" with what they have.   I think the words can be taken literally and figuratively. 

[Irmela]

2. Choose one of these four alternatives and then support your choice:
(1) Christianity can be accurately characterized by delayed gratification.
(2) Christianity can be accurately characterized as seeking a present blessing and experience.
(3) Christianity can be characterized by both a present blessing and experience, and by delayed gratification.
(4) Christianity can be accurately characterized by none of the above. Why did you make the choice you did?

 

I would choose the 3rd option.

The present blessing and experience is knowing that Christ died for me and i am set free from sin and death. Just the knowledge means i do not need to wallow in guilt. The future too is filled with promise in that i can look forward to eternal life. 

[Irmela]

3.  What is wrong with being rich? With desiring to be rich? Why is this such a stumbling block for Christians? How are you getting this in balance in your life?

 

There is nothing wrong with being rich. If the richess are not an idol. Desiring to be rich, I guess, that almost has a coveting ring to it. That is a slippery place to be in. It is almost a start of serving mammon and not God. I would say it is a scary place to be at. I guess i am grateful to the Lord for what He has allowed me to have and having been able to share it with others not as fortunate. 

[Irmela]

4. Why do we seek to please people? Why is pleasing people such a trap for Christians? Is there anything good about trying to please people? Why is it necessary to get this in balance in our lives?

I guess as human beings we try to curry favour with the next one. We are not made to be alone.

Pleasing people can be a trap because it is not necessarily pleasing God. A person might just be living a wrong kind of lifestyle. To try and curry favour with them you might say nothing, even shrug it all off as nothing, even find excuses. Alternatively it could be that you join in with them to please them. So that too has proven to be a trap. 

Yes, there can be some good about pleasing someone. Depending on the circumstances you can even win them to the Lord. 

It is very important to get this in balance because God needs to be first and sometimes pleasing God means pleasing the next person, and sometimes it is otherway round. 

[Old Jerry]

What does Jesus mean by his use of the words "poor" and "rich" in this passage? Does he intend these words to be taken literally or figuratively?

 

A. I think that Jesus means by the words “poor” and “rich” in this passage to mean spiritually poor and rich. So I guess that it should be taken as literally.

 

Choose one of these four alternatives and then support your choice:
(1) Christianity can be accurately characterized by delayed gratification.
(2) Christianity can be accurately characterized as seeking a present blessing and experience.
(3) Christianity can be characterized by both a present blessing and experience, and by delayed gratification.
(4) Christianity can be accurately characterized by none of the above. Why did you make the choice you did?

 

A. 3 because we are blessed daily by our Father from above and if we continue to glorify Him then we will receive our delayed gratification.

 

What is wrong with being rich? With desiring to be rich? Why is this such a stumbling block for Christians? How are you getting this in balance in your life?

 

A. The problem with desiring to be rich or being rich is that it becomes our God. We will do anything to achieve money.

 

Why do we seek to please people? Why is pleasing people such a trap for Christians? Is there anything good about trying to please people? Why is it necessary to get this in balance in our lives?

 

We try to please people because we want to be accepted. The problem of pleasing people is that we might fall in their trap and start moving away from God. But if we want to evangelize, we need to be friendly to them.

[Nana Karlsson]

There is nothing in being rich as long as it does not interfere with our relationship with God. Unfortunately people who pursue riches often fall in love with the riches they acquire because they somehow experience power, control and even fame in being rich. They tend to put their trust in and honour and worship their riches instead of God. The fear of God is replaced by the love of material wealth, hence they easily sin against God.

 The Bible tells us that people who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. ( 1 Timothy 6:9). 

God and Kingdom business should be our priority. We should love and trust and honour God with everything that we are and have. The Bible tells us " seek ye first the Kingdom of God and all it`s righteousness  and all other things shall be given to you". Mathew 6:33. I am trying to live according to this very scripture, and i have a great expectation of what God has in store for me.

[Bailey]

Bailey Greetings 5/6/21  It's great to be alive!    Why do we seek to please people?  Why is pleasing people such a trap for Christians?  Is there anything good about trying to please people? Why is it necessary to get this in balance in our lives?   I think it's in our nature to be liked and to try and like other people. Now you have people who they just don't care for or like anything or anybody for no reason.  Christians (some) feel it is their duty to please everybody and will go out of their way to please, which can be over the top.  People will take their kindness as weakness.   God commands us to Love our neighbors, but our neighbors don't always return it.  I have been burnt by trying to please other people, and its never  enough.  You have to draw the line.  People will disturb the calm peace of your soul.  In a way, I love this time of being in isolation, I only have to please myself and pray.        

[Nandita]

1. What does Jesus mean by his use of the words "poor" and "rich" in this passage? Does he intend these words to be taken literally or figuratively?
I think Jesus used the words 'poor' and 'rich' literally in this sermon. Poor people are more likely to seek out God for help, and poor Christians are more likely to lean on God. They develop a relationship with him when they do this, and experience the wonder of his divine providence and protection. They feel his love and see his hand responding to their needs. This cycle of trust-dependence-provision-love fills their lives with happiness that cannot be diminished and richness that cannot be quantified. And because of their rich relationship with God and their rich understanding of him, poor people are likelier to walk the narrow path successfully and inherit the kingdom of God.

 

People with worldly riches have fewer reasons to seek out God and rich Christians tend to depend upon God less. They have a limited understanding of wealth and define it in terms of money and possessions. But the joy that comes from having money and possessions cannot compare with the joy that comes from experiencing God's provision and love. The spiritual satisfaction that comes with having a relationship with God far surpasses the worldly satisfaction of having a large bank balance. And because of their poor understanding of God and poor relationship with him, rich people are less likely to find the narrow path and inherit the kingdom of God.

[Nandita]

2. Choose one of these four alternatives and then support your choice:
(1) Christianity can be accurately characterized by delayed gratification.
(2) Christianity can be accurately characterized as seeking a present blessing and experience.
(3) Christianity can be characterized by both a present blessing and experience, and by delayed gratification.
(4) Christianity can be accurately characterized by none of the above. Why did you make the choice you did?

I would choose 4. Delayed gratification is a part of Christianity--we don't focus on the value system of this world but life by the values of God (the rewards of which we'll only feel in the next world). Seeking a present blessing and experience is also a part of Christianity--part of the richness of Chrstians life is the fact that Christians get to see the hand of God and experience his marvellous blessings in everything around them.

But I would pick neither to represent Christianity. The first option (delayed gratification) puts too much of an emphasis on reward and not enough on love, while the second focuses on "what we get out of it". There is a reward and we do get a lot out of Christianity--but that isn't the focus of our faith. Christianity is about having a relationship with God. A loving relationship where he is the parent and we his children. We depend upon him, he cares for us, we repay him with love, loyalty and gratitude, and he showers us with blessings and leads us to a place of safety and contentment. Christianity can be accurately characterised as 'a rich, loving and personal relationship with God'.

[Nandita]

3. What is wrong with being rich? With desiring to be rich? Why is this such a stumbling block for Christians? How are you getting this in balance in your life?

Being rich means being comfortable with the poverty and suffering of others. If you're rich it's because the money that you can use to save lives is being withheld for your comfort. You could help someone afford a transplant, you can 'gift' a child life-saving surgery, you can keep people from starving to death, you can give people clean water or shelter--there's so much in the world that needs to be done. Keeping money so that you feel safe for a rainy day--or keeping it because you like the feeling of wealth in your bank account... that's not compassionate, that's not trusting God, and that's not right.
Christians have trouble with this because the world keeps telling them that accumulating wealth is wisdom. But that is the worldly value system and not Christian wisdom--which tells us to depend upon God and help the less fortunate.

How am I getting this balance in my life? After we've paid our rent, utility bills, and grocery bills and seen to our modest needs, we give our leftover money to charity. In return God has provided for us and we've never been in want. We depend upon God heavily and we've never been in want. I live the richest life possible because it's filled with God's providence and protection. I could never have provided for myself half as well if I'd decided to save all my money instead of donating. We don't have a large bank balance but we do have everything else we need. God has always provided for us when we've needed something. I'd like other Christians to consider trusting God for his help and being more generous. You may not be able to take expensive holidays or own flashy cars, but you'll be saving lives and pleasing God. What could possibly make your life richer than knowing you've saved a life or served God when he called upon you?

[Nandita]

4. Why do we seek to please people? Why is pleasing people such a trap for Christians? Is there anything good about trying to please people? Why is it necessary to get this in balance in our lives?
We seek to please people because we like comfort and it is comfortable to be liked. But pleasing people is a trap because the values of the world aren't the values of God. The world likes people who are rich and successful, and glamorises people who are domineering, cutting, and controversial. If we try to affix those labels to ourselves and we do it by not helping others, stepping on people's toes, and being selfish, hurtful. vain, or unchristian--then we're acting contrary to God.

Is there anything good about trying to please people? It depends upon the deed and your motivation. There's nothing wrong in bringing a smile to someone's face, making people feel better, consoling them, or bringing them comfort. It's only when we act contrary to the will of God in order to win acclaim or adulation that we go wrong. We can balance pleasing people with pleasing God by always remembering to act in accordance with God's will and by examining our motives and intentions. We shouldn't do nice things in order to be liked--we should do them in order to better lives, bring joy to hearts, and honour God.

[Godswriter]

1.    What does Jesus mean by his use of the words "poor" and "rich" in this passage? Does he intend these words to be taken literally or figuratively? I believe what He means is that these are people who are spiritually poor and can truly see themselves as God does which is wretched, poor, blind, naked, and without hope and completely depraved due to their sinful nature. No I believe he means for them to be taken at face value.

2.    Choose one of these four alternatives and then support your choice:
(1) Christianity can be accurately characterized by delayed gratification.
(2) Christianity can be accurately characterized as seeking a present blessing and experience.
(3) Christianity can be characterized by both a present blessing and experience, and by delayed gratification. I pick this one based on what I have learned from Bible college and also my experience as a believer as well as learning through the Scriptures what it says about our faith. First it is a blessing in the fact God chose to redeem us even before we existed and He called us sanctified and sacred vessels for His own purpose. The experiences the Lord has brought me through have proven to me that God is truly good to me and can be trusted. I also know that every time I have prayed for healing He has not chosen to heal me. He has instead replied simply from the Scriptures 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 about me being weak and Him being my strength.
(4) Christianity can be accurately characterized by none of the above. Why did you make the choice you did?

3.    What is wrong with being rich? When it comes to riches as the Scriptures clearly states the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. It leads people a stray. When our hearts are not in the right place and we are not looking to the Lord to give us what we need. We become like the rest of the world and become unsatisfied with what we have. With desiring to be rich? Same as the reason given. Why is this such a stumbling block for Christians? Because sometimes we have forgotten our position in Christ, our person in Christ and possession in Christ. How are you getting this in balance in your life? I have learned through the Lord taking things from me one at a time more than once that anything that is not eternal is not worth losing my relationship with Christ over. The Lord has given me a deep desire to help the less fortunate in the areas hardest hit by poverty in my state through showing them God loves them and wants them to be productive citizens of their communities. 

4.    Why do we seek to please people? I believe it deals with what we believe we are not good enough for salvation or to be accepted by anyone. Why is pleasing people such a trap for Christians? Simply put we believe that God won't accept us even after all He has done for us. In our minds we are not able to comprehend let alone understand the entire depths of His love for us that He would go as far as to sacrifice His one and only begotten Son on the cross at Calvary for us. Is there anything good about trying to please people? Yes when it is in line with the Scriptures and what they teach. Why is it necessary to get this in balance in our lives? To stay in touch with Christ in order to do His will

[Santhi Teja]

Sir can you also explain about the parable of ten virgings.what does oil means(is it our mental or physical energy)who's is bridegroom(is it our goal)why did they all slumber and slept

[pickledilly]

1. What does Jesus mean by his use of the words "poor" and "rich" in this passage? Does he intend these words to be taken literally or figuratively?

Jesus was using relatable human conditions to convey spiritual principles. These brilliant examples were meant to reveal spiritual truths. Being economically poor or physically hungry, etc. does not ensure that you will belong in the kingdom of God or have basic needs abundantly satisfied, etc.  As we read His words today, we can take them literally in the spiritual understanding that we have on the other side of the cross.  But to His audience of that day, I would have to say these words were meant to be taken figuratively. In vs.23, we see that He made it clear to them these things would be fulfilled in a future time and place.  These spiritual blessings will be fully realized in “that day” - to provide our security, fulfillment of every need, and enduring joy when we each are accepted into heaven and receive our reward.  That is when these blessings will become fully literal.

2. Choose one of these four alternatives and then support your choice:
(1) Christianity can be accurately characterized by delayed gratification.
(2) Christianity can be accurately characterized as seeking a present blessing and experience.
(3) Christianity can be characterized by both a present blessing and experience, and by delayed gratification.
(4) Christianity can be accurately characterized by none of the above. Why did you make the choice you did?

I think #3 is a fair statement.

1. On the most basic foundational level, I think our present blessing and experience are all found in the Holy Spirit’s presence within every believer. He brings the attributes of Yahweh into communion with our spirits made newly alive when we place all faith in the work of Christ to redeem us. He provides full access to divine power, provision, peace, wisdom, direction, strength, encouragement, comfort, assurance, etc. These are blessings and experiences with Him meant to guide and bless us through this earthly life. But even in this wonderful relationship, we have only a foretaste of the glorious life we will have in eternity! 1 Corinthians 2:12-13; Galatians 5:22

2. All that has been secured for us by Christ, all that we long for, cannot be fully realized in the natural realm of this earthly life. We lean on hope (confident expectation) and live by faith in what has been promised to us. Ephesians 1:3; Titus 2:11-14

[Lottie]

1.What does Jesus mean by his use of the words "poor" and "rich" in this passage? Does he intend these words to be taken literally or figuratively? He means it literally because those who are poor tend to put their trust in God more to provide than the rich do. The rich feel like they don't need God because they have all they need or want. Their wealth insulates them and keeps them from going to God for any help.Whereas the poor do not have as much and go to Him for all they need.

2.Choose one of these four alternatives and then support your choice:
(1) Christianity can be accurately characterized by delayed gratification.
(2) Christianity can be accurately characterized as seeking a present blessing and experience.
(3) Christianity can be characterized by both a present blessing and experience, and by delayed gratification.
(4) Christianity can be accurately characterized by none of the above. Why did you make the choice you did? Number three because here we have blessings from God and gifts, he has given us to use to build His kingdom. And when we get to heaven, we will have eternal ife and glorified new bodies and there will be no more pain, sickness, disease, tears, disparity, or death or evil. There we will finally see Jesus and our departed loved ones.

3.What is wrong with being rich? With desiring to be rich? Why is this such a stumbling block for Christians? How are you getting this in balance in your life?It is wrong because it takes you away from God and all you think about is getting rich and it becomes an idol. Because some of us see the other people in the world and how easy they have it and we want it. We get tired of being poor and without stuff. It destroys our witness for Him when we are consumed with getting ahead.

I am struggling right now because I am so poor, I am having a hard time paying bills. I just want enough to pay my bills and fix the house. Now I am in fear of being kicked out because of taxes.

 

4.Why do we seek to please people? Why is pleasing people such a trap for Christians? Is there anything good about trying to please people? Why is it necessary to get this in balance in our lives? I think we all want people to like us. We don't want to be ignored. It's a trap because it can cause us to turn away from God in order to please others. Only if your goal is to bless someone by doing something good for them that makes them happy. But if it is sinful then it is not good at all. It will only hurt us in the end. If we don't get it balanced, we will always put people before pleasing God. And we will be very unhappy then.

 

 

 

 

 

[George L]

2. Choose one of these four alternatives and then support your choice:
(1) Christianity can be accurately characterized by delayed gratification.
(2) Christianity can be accurately characterized as seeking a present blessing and experience. 
(3) Christianity can be characterized by both a present blessing and experience, and by delayed gratification. 
(4) Christianity can be accurately characterized by none of the above. Why did you make the choice you did? The presentation of relationship above is essentially gratify self, now or later. Which totally misses the fundamental core of relationship between man and God. That were knit in the womb to be exactly unique and gifted with skills and abilities to perform duties for God necessary for His plan to have the maximum benefit for mankind. There is no greater feeling on earth as completing a task well done.  Adam walked with God in the cool of the evening. We have that opportunity to walk each day with self put on our cross and walk through the day with the Holy Spirit and guide, advisor and that still small voice to work a divine work each day.  What could be a higher goal than serving God with his supply and his supernatural abilities for healing, miracles of all kinds, deliverance each day. How could we possibly do greater good?