Does God reward you?
 

When you do good things, does God reward you? I mean here and now, not in the afterlife. Got any examples?

I stopped tithing once, and got a big raise soon after. :heeheehee

Re: Does God reward you?
 

What happened when you stopped tithing the 2nd or 3rd time though?

Re: Does God reward you?
 

"For the LORD God [is] a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good [thing] will he withhold from them that walk uprightly." - Psalm 84:11

Re: Does God reward you?
 

That's cool. Is it true in real life?

Re: Does God reward you?
 

I'll let you know when it happens. :)

Re: Does God reward you?
 

I can't account for anyone else, but for me personally I know this verse to be true.

Re: Does God reward you?
 

Cool.

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AYYYEE, gotten plenty of booty with the help of a few cannon balls!!:pirate

Re: Does God reward you?
 

arrrrrgh matey, where have ya been?

Re: Does God reward you?
 

:lol

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Shiver me timbers, I've been up to my neck counting all of my GOLD and looking for more TREASURE!!

:digging :pirates

Re: Does God reward you?
 

Classified information.
I am not at liberty to say.

Re: Does God reward you?
 

Yes, he will. We are saved by grace, but judged by our works. In the next age, rewards will be given to us based on our faithfulness to what he has given us.

Re: Does God reward you?
 

I have often been blessed in this life when I have done what God has commanded. He is faithful and is not slack concerning His promises.

Re: Does God reward you?
 

How about in this life?

Re: Does God reward you?
 

Thanks. Got any examples?

Re: Does God reward you?
 

I'd venture to say, the rain falls on the just and the unjust. The sun shines on the saint and the sinner. Sickness and health strike the rich and the poor, and Jesus Christ appeared to be reaching for those that the Religious didn’t count as “Blessed” or rewarded.

Christians are way too guilty of claiming a special favor from God. People fall, fail, and are completely human, even in Church. When the divorce rate in our Church was the same as the World, I knew, "Houston, we have a PROBLEM!" While people are counting their supposable blessings, personal deceit grows within the heart. As long as certain things work out, God remains in our little box of lies.

Why doesn't the Church have the "Blessing" of un-failed marriages? If God has joined 2 Believers in Faith, Love, and Truth, nothing should cause them to separate.

I think the bottom line with Life is; you reap what you sow, Christian or not. And, if we would truly judge our blessings for what a blessing "IS", we would discover that sunshine, water, and oxygen is more important than money or some monetary reward that will vanish when we die.

Re: Does God reward you?
 

We do not share a collective problem. I would prefer, I would... um, ya'll need to stop saying that WE have a problem.

Re: Does God reward you?
 

Was NFS wrong about the way things are, or just wrong about calling it a "problem"?

Re: Does God reward you?
 

"We", or "Houston"? :laffatu

The divorce rate amongst Christians, including conservative Christians, is as high, or higher than Atheist or Agnostic groups. Not only have they proved this with polling all groups of Faith and Denominations, I have seen this with my own eyes.

I have been married for 31 years, but many of my friends in the Apostolic Church haven't been so lucky. I came from a very conservative Church, and the divorce rate in that church was unbelievable!!

At first I didn't really consider how many of our constituents were getting a divorce, but one day I was going through an old Church Directory, and I was floored at how many marriages had fallen apart!!!! And, I’m talking about solid families, and marriages of 20 years and better.

I watched my Pastor, who was a well respected UPCI preacher and leader, grow weary of trying to help couples who just didn't get along. I have been a pastor for the last 15 years, and now I know exactly what he was dealing with.

Houston, in reality, problems with people don't change when they become saved. In fact, I would be so bold as to say, problems usually intensify when a spouse, or spouses, become believer(s). The Church is guilty of causing division in well established families because of creating a religious difference between men and women who once loved each other.

The lack of tolerance for those who have a different idea about Faith can lead to a very stressed marriage, and, when a spouse starts to call her mate, “Lost”, this can rival hate and separation in a once, healthy and loving relationship.

Divorce rates among conservative Christians were significantly higher than for other faith groups, and much higher than Atheists and Agnostics experience.

George Barna, president and founder of Barna Research Group, commented:

"While it may be alarming to discover that born again Christians are more likely than others to experience a divorce, that pattern has been in place for quite some time. Even more disturbing, perhaps, is that when those individuals experience a divorce many of them feel their community of faith provides rejection rather than support and healing. But the research also raises questions regarding the effectiveness of how churches minister to families. The ultimate responsibility for a marriage belongs to the husband and wife, but the high incidence of divorce within the Christian community challenges the idea that churches provide truly practical and life-changing support for marriages."

According to the Dallas Morning News, a Dallas TX newspaper, the national study "raised eyebrows, sowed confusion, [and] even brought on a little holy anger." This caused George Barna to write a letter to his supporters, saying that he is standing by his data, even though it is upsetting. He said that "We rarely find substantial differences" between the moral behavior of Christians and non-Christians. Barna Project Director Meg Flammang said: "We would love to be able to report that Christians are living very distinct lives and impacting the community, but ... in the area of divorce rates they continue to be the same." Both statements seem to be projecting the belief that conservative Christians and liberal Christians have the same divorce rate.

http://www.religioustolerance.org/chr_dira.htm

Re: Does God reward you?
 

1) Hebrews 11:6 - God is a rewarded of those that diligently seek him.
2) 1 Timothy 5:24 - Some men's sins are open beforehand, going before to judgment; and some men they follow after.
3) Job 1:21 - The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD.
4) Psalm 37:25 - have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.

I think that pretty much sums up the subject.

Re: Does God reward you?
 

I have seen the righteous forsaken. Haven't you?

Re: Does God reward you?
 

What about the Begger, Lazarus?

Re: Does God reward you?
 

You see, one must define "forsaken" in a way that makes it impossible to know if a forsaking has actually happened. ;)

Re: Does God reward you?
 

I can tell you that I have yet to find myself forsaken by God, and as far as examples to prove my point...where would I begin? The song says it best, "He has done so much for me, I can not tell it all."

I have asked Him for financial aid, and within seconds had it provided. I have asked Him for other things and seen them occur. I have asked Him health to do His will, and I have had that granted. I have made petition for various forms of aid, and had them granted. How many things are there for me to say. I lack the linguistic capacity to attempt the endevour to enumerate the multitudes of blessing that have been bestowed upon me and my family.

Re: Does God reward you?
 

Must be nice.

Re: Does God reward you?
 

I never said that I got all I asked for, and on occasion it can be slightly nerve racking, but I would live no other life than walking in the will of God. If I keep that first, then everything else will be fine. It is an exhilarating experience.

Re: Does God reward you?
 

I know there are times God has rewarded me according to his word and has answered my prayers. I think there were more times though that God took care of me because I am his and kept me from harm. I received the HG when I was 11, but we did not continue to go to church and I grew up doing normal, well stupid, teenage things. I hitch hiked, I partied, I did things I should not have and God allowed me to make it through my teen years w/o being raped or killed.

God steered me back into a HG filled church where I had the tremendous pleasure of being part of a great revival that included hundreds, close to a thousand people coming into the church and being baptized and filled with the HG. These I count as some of the most precious experiences of my life.

God helped me to fulfill the dreams of my life, to finish college, live on a tree lined street along the river, and travel through Europe.

And, even though the last few years, I have gone through a period of doubt, death, sickness and despair, I know God is still speaking to me, still leading me. I’m not sure of the direction at the moment. But I know God is able to keep what I have committed to him.

I’m excited to see what God has planned for my future.

Re: Does God reward you?
 

God gave someone I know a house! Can you top that? :lol

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My husband and I both believe that our marriage came from God's approval, not man's approval.

Perhaps in some cases, men feel like they lose control of his place in his household when his mate becomes saved and what the Pastor says becomes law?

We once went to a church where there were several couples who divorced, then married others in the same church. Some actually sat in the same pews together. :spit

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That is disturbing.

Re: Does God reward you?
 

That's an interesting statement. Care to share?

On this end, we have been disappointed, seen troubles, gone through fiery tribulations...but God has never forsaken us. Through it all He's been here right beside us.

Re: Does God reward you?
 

Ahhhh...yeah I see what u are saying. Never mind the above post.

Re: Does God reward you?
 

arrghhh matey ,.........I got more treasure than ye apparently ..however I see the same with you , eye to eye with them there statistics ..
ALSO who says God joined them two together in marriage Huh? :laffatu

Just between you am me matey , I was joined together in that there marriage thingy in a Church with another, but God had nothing to do with it...and he would not repent..:highfive:heeheehee

Re: Does God reward you?
 

I don't do good things just for the sake of thinking God will reward me. :)

I do try to live my life in obedience unto Him. He has given so many blessings in my life that I would have a very long list to try to name them all.

Are blessings the same as rewards?

Most of all, I do know that the greatest blessing/reward awaits in the life to come! What a day What a day that will be, for those who believe. :)

Re: Does God reward you?
 

In my personal life, no. I would not care to tempt God in that fashion, when I know that I am not ready for nor care to accept that responsibility. However, I have heard of Him giving houses, cars, lands, etc. to those who follow him. I do not know that I care for all of that upkeep, but he has given me a new car to drive and more blessings than I can count.