Comments on: One Message the Mountain Preachers Get Right

By: willoh

willoh — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 13:52:42 +0000

We just realized in our church that we help druggies and the usually unemployed more than we help the youth of our church when they are just starting out. We are in Northern Appalachia not nearly as financially challenged as Imonk’s area, but not 90210.
Angie K I am so sorry for the churches behavior towards you. I got that same response when I had cancer. It hurts when your family kicks you when you are down.We need to realize Hebrews 13 was ment for us to share with… us. Take care of each other first. It is Biblical.

By: bob pinto

bob pinto — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 16:48:11 +0000

Thoughtful post. Belated response. Presently out of work, again due to factory closure. No 410K to worry about.

Some darker thoughts that pop into my head as I wrestle with God’s level of provision, and do the poor of SE Kentucky share these thoughts.

God may provide but the state has to help a lot.
No health insurance so am I worthy to go to the doctor?
God has perfect peace but I still have to take Xanax for anxiety.
Thousands of Christians recently fled Mosul,Iraq and many have been killed in Hindu India. What about them?
If I question God’s motives will it jinx me and bring me even worse misfortune?
I am the poorest in my family (or church) and some look down their noses.

I tried OTR trucking but left the trucking company because I missed my wife after having been gone for over a month and still made little money. Did I do something foolish?

Indeed this has been a long storm and I’m still here, I still eat well and am content with the simpler life. My wish list is somewhat small- merely make enough to fix what breaks, and have the strength to sweat it out before I finally die, hopefully the same time as my wife.

I freely admit to God that maybe I’d like him more if he restored what I once had. I hope He understands. Same God as always. I’d make a poor God but a good contender to be the Enemy. God’s goodness is hindered by my philosophies.

By: Jim

Jim — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 16:37:28 +0000

“Adult unemployment in our area has been over 50% for the entire 16 years weâ€™ve lived here.”

Why don’t folks migrate to where there are more jobs?

By: Clark

Clark — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 02:55:59 +0000

After that lengthy comment, I went ahead and wrote a whole post on that line of thought: http://themasterstable.wordpress.com/2008/10/11/a-scriptural-perspective-on-economic-collapse-and-financial-bailout/

How many Christians are screwed in this crisis because their 401K tanked and they haven’t been laying up treasures in heaven?

By: Clark

Clark — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 01:45:39 +0000

My dog drinks cleaner water than about half of the world’s children. Let’s be honest, and take Mike’s idea a step farther; even if this economic cirsis causes the entire system to collapse and the American way of life as we know it comes to an end, God has been and will be good. As Job sat in ashes surrounded by his friends, he said “The Lord gives, the Lord takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.” Our nation is young. Could this whole enlightenment experiment be on the brink of failure? I don’t think so at this point. But even if our nation dies tomorrow, we have been blessed beyond measure for the past 200 years, and furthermore, will give an account for what we did with that prosperity. Everything not build on the foundation of Jesus Christ and his gospel will be burned away.

By: lonelypilgrim

lonelypilgrim — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 00:01:06 +0000

“My firstborn lives in Lexington and attends a megachurch there (Southland). Having lived in two poor developing countries in southeast Asia, she thinks Americans very ethnocentric to be worried about the stock market fluctuations as if that is the only thing happening in the world”

Charis,

I teach a bible study at my church and I told them last Sunday night that Americans could have their standard of living cut by a half and still be materially better off than 90% of the world. I think your firstborn is right on the mark.

By: Kat

Kat — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 22:40:00 +0000

PostmodPuritan-
“Even in the church, we lack a penchant for being honest about things.”
So why did you not accept God’s provision through a brother? What if your refusal to be honest enough to admit your need hampers that brother’s willingness to let God use him next time he is sensitive enough to recognize a need (financial or otherwise)in another person’s life?
God is good. He does supply. But sometimes we don’t like His methods.

By: davin

davin — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 18:29:01 +0000

I was eating free lunch at the Church of Christ student center Thursday with the Marketing professor of our small college. She commented on her concern with the markets and the economy.

We both agreed that the beans, cornbread, and fellowship were wonderful. Even in a recession/depression, we can enjoy some of these better things in life because God will provide.

By: Angie_K

Angie_K — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 18:18:48 +0000

Thank you so much for this post.

My husband and I learned a hard lesson a few years ago. We sold real estate, both of us being agents, when the market crashed and came to a halt. Suddenly we had no income.

We were told by our church (pastors and congregates) that we needed to ask God for direction. Which we did ~ alot.

But instead of being told that God is good, He will provide, He will supply. He has enough. As you have shared in this post…

We were told that we had hidden sin in our lives that we needed to repent of ~ we searched in desperation for that sin or sins. Finally, we were told that we just didn’t have enough faith. We were scorned, humiliated, ridiculed for our lack of faith. We left that church completely devastated. And we were dangerously close to leaving our faith behind as well, but God had mercy on us.

We spent years trying to undo the harm the church did to our concept of God.

I thank God for people like you that preach the real Gospel of God.

God WILL get us through. He DOES provide for all our needs and His hand IS big enough to catch us when we fall. That’s the truth of who He is.

By: Mich

Mich — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 13:24:09 +0000

Wow, puritan, it’s wonderful to hear about that elder.