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Originally Posted by ZNPaaneah
I know nothing about Joyce Meyers, so I don't want any part of that discussion.
However, I think you are both talking past each other. The laborer is worthy of his wages, in that respect I agree with you Igzy that the Bible doesn't say anything against laboring or earning a fair wage for your labor. Also, I see no reason why an author shouldn't get the market price just because they are Christian.
But, I don't think that is what Ohio is talking about when he refers to wealthy, I think he is referring to a lavish lifestyle. That is something different and I think the NT does speak in several places about that.
Sam Walton was one of the richest men on Earth, if not the richest and yet still drove the same old pickup truck and ate at the same diner he always had long before becoming rich. Therefore I think it is quite easy to distinguish between being wealthy, being a laborer that is worthy of his wages, and of being fleshly and living a lavish lifestyle.
And to be fair to WL I don't think he ever adopted anything that could remotely be considered a lavish lifestyle.
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I understand the objection to some of Meyer's perceived extravagances. But I think you have to take what you read in the media with a grain of salt.
For example, they talk about the $2 million "complex" she lives in. Well, $2 million is really not that much anymore. There are some houses around me near that range and though very nice, are not mansions. Meyer has a status approaching a rock star. She just couldn't live in any old place and have any kind of privacy at all.
Another issue was her private jet. But she said there is no way she could travel commercial at her age (68) to minister, and she feels the Lord want's her to travel and minister.
She had a face lift. She said she prayed for a long, long time about it and she felt God finally said, "It's your face. Do what you want." I had some cosmetic surgery myself and felt exactly the same thing.
How about her husband's $150,000 car? That one I can't justify. Hopefully, he drove it for a while, dealt with his mid-life crisis, and sold it and moved on.
But, regardless, I don't think any of that is a major sin. And I don't think pointing to Old Testament blessing is twisting. I think we got injected with a bias from Lee's Brethren background and I'm not sure it's close to being valid. Lee taught in his book
Character that Christians should embrace poverty. I don't see the scriptural justification for that, and anyway, he didn't do it himself.
Honestly, I think some people who object to wealthy ministers are just jealous.