Better to be poor and honest than to be dishonest and rich!

1) Worldly rich: The love of money can motivate any evil on this earth. Rich sometimes get rich by oppressing the poor. There are many wicked rich people in this world who have hardened their hearts filled with arrogancy, selfishness, harshness, cold-heartedness throwing rich parties wasting their money on useless things, who are overfed and has no pity nor concerned about the poor but are hoarded with wealth, pride and refused to pay their workers, who do not even defend the rights of the poor nor share their wealth or food with poor and needy. But in scriptures we see that when Jesus and his disciples threw parties they invited the poor, the crippled, the lame and the blind. Luke 14:12-13 says but when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame and the blind.


There is a generation, whose teeth are as swords, and their jaw teeth as knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from among men says Proverb 30:14.

We can remember the parable Jesus told about the beggar Lazarus and the rich man (Luke 16:19-31). Jesus says only that the rich man had great wealth and that he enjoyed his wealth while Lazarus suffered miserably outside his gate. The rich man exploited Lazarus to acquire wealth. He simply neglected to share. So God punished him (Luke 16:19–31).

2)Godly rich: Godly rich is showing our generosity in the good works such as helping the poor , needy disabled, helping the humble widows , orphans, and foreigners sharing the testimony of God with unbelievers. No matter how justly we have acquired our wealth, God demands that we act generously towards the poor.

Proverbs 22:9 says A generous man will himself be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor.

Proverb 29:7: The righteous considereth the cause of the poor: but the wicked regardeth not to know it.

3)God cares for poor: In the world today, we see only few people care about the poor. God curses on anyone who looks down on poor and needy. Proverb 28:27 says He that giveth unto the poor shall not lack: but he that hideth his eyes shall have many a curse. When we give the poor, we are lending it to God. Prov. 19:17 says He who is gracious to a poor man lends to the LORD, and He will repay him for his good deed.

4)Another kind of poor: Some people are poor because they make sinful choices because of lack of Self Control by being disobedient to the will of God by pursuing a life of pleasure and hypocrisy. Proverbs 28:19 reminds us that He who works his land will have abundant food, but the one who chases fantasies will have his fill of poverty and some people become poor because of unwise in their financial usage like buying things they don’t need, not saving for emergencies, buying a lot of things by making to many debts. People can bring poverty on themselves by refusing to follow wise counsel. Proverbs 13:18 says Poverty and disgrace come to him who ignores instruction, but whoever heeds reproof is honoured.Some of the choices they make are lying, stealing, willful ignorance of wise instruction, laziness, gluttony, gambling, lottery, drunkenness, negligence, waste, greediness, adultery and bad addictions. Do not be with heavy drinkers of wine, or with gluttonous eaters of meat. For the heavy drinker and the glutton will come to poverty and drowsiness will clothe a man with rags” (Pr. 23:20-21). Drunkenness can lead to sexual immorality, anger, fighting and even murder. For such kind of poor people we should admonish them to walk in righteous godly path by helping them to quit their present life style by rebuking and encouraging them to walk rightly in the eyes of God not human standards.

God will still hold us accountable for our actions. “He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy” (Pr. 28:13). Neither thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards shall inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Cor. 6:10). The apostle Paul commanded Christians ...not to associate with any so-called brother if he should be an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler not even to eat with such a one. (1 Cor. 5:11).

Conclusion: True happiness, peace and satisfaction are there in our lives when we follow and live in God‘s ways.

Are you a carnal Christian?

You are a Carnal Christian, if you do not have the fruits of the spirit.

You are a carnal Christian, if you confess that there is sin and failure to acknowledge sins in your lives without any grief or true repentance

You are a carnal Christian if you believe you will go to heaven yet walks after the fleshy desires.

You are a carnal Christian if you are professing godliness but not practicing in actions.

You are a carnal Christian if you do a lip-worship, seeking outward purity but inward full of ravening and wickedness

You are a carnal Christian if flesh rules you and the world has a hold on you.

You are a carnal Christian if you value self-will above God’s will.

You are a carnal Christian if you seek spiritual discernment in light of worldly wisdom rather than depending upon the Holy Spirit to lead you.

You are a carnal Christian if you partly serve God and at the same time partly serve yourself, and self-righteousness becomes important.

You are a carnal Christian if you glorify God but still have the evidence of works of flesh such as adultery, Fornication, Uncleanness, Lasciviousness, drunkenness, alcohol and drugs, addictions such as smoking, pornography, gambling, sexual perversion such as homosexual etc , Idolatry, and Witchcraft.

You are a carnal Christian if you profess to be saved but yet are controlled by the sins.

You are a carnal Christian if you do not demonstrate victory over addictions and sexual temptations.

You are a carnal Christian if you have a long list of very serious sins

You are a carnal Christian if you quench the Holy Spirit and listen to the evil spirit.

You are a carnal Christian if you your attitude in your daily life still not reflecting as good children of God but shows the evidence of children of disobedience and evil

You are a carnal Christian if do not love what God loves or hate what God hates.

You are a carnal Christian if you are influenced by the ways of the world and dress like the world.

You are a carnal Christian if you are dominated by the desires of your flesh and who lives a self-pleasing and self willed life.

You are a carnal Christian if you Exalt Man above God

You are a carnal Christian if you are a Sexual immoral, drunkard and the greedy.

You are a carnal Christian if you gossip under the cover of sharing prayer requests

You are a carnal Christian if you are bragging about the depth of your sins, rather than humbly and shamefacedly confessing them

you are a carnal Christian if you addicted to food, drugs, sex, pornography, gambling, alcohol, tobacco, violence, smoking watching sports, shopping, TV, computer or video games, reading romance novels etc

You are a carnal Christian if you are a self indulgent; always making excuses for staying in your sins.

You are a carnal Christian if you are celebrating Halloween and Christmas like trying to drink from the Cup of Lord and devil same time.

You are a carnal Christian if you neglect the Bible guidelines and walks not according to Holy Spirit

You are a carnal Christian if your lifestyle is ungodly living in evil pleasures and lusts.

You are a carnal Christian if you do not dress modestly, with decency and propriety.

You are a carnal Christian if you adorn yourself in a way that excites lust in another person.

You are a carnal Christian if you allow your family and children to follow the path of wicked .

You are a carnal Christian if you call yourself a Christian or a spiritual person, but fail to overcome Temptations to Sin on a Regular Basis

You are a carnal Christian if you get drunk, or hang out at Bars & Clubs, attend Worldly Parties

You are a carnal Christian if you Love The Things of This World More than God's Word

You are a carnal Christian if you say you Love the Lord but are embarrassed, or ashamed to Share & Preach Gods message to the World

You are a carnal Christian if you have failed to repent and forsake sins.

You are a carnal Christian if you justify, condone, or participate in their evil practices instead of rebuking sin and refusing to fellowship with Evil Companions

You are a carnal Christian if you are Befriending with Sinners instead of limiting our association with sinners to places and circumstances that do not promote and encourage sin, avoiding places and circumstances of moral disrepute where people gather to commit immorality.

You are a Carnal Christian, if you don’t teach what it is good or right in Gods eyes and ignore Gods commandments.

You are a Carnal Christian, if you committed adultery, married multiple times, divorced because of selfish, uncontrolled sexual lusts.

You are a Carnal Christian, if you are living together in an unmarried and adulterous state.

You are a Carnal Christian, if you have All kinds of sin and wickedness.

You are a Carnal Christian, if you do not teach your children’s a Godly ways in every area of their life.

You are a Carnal Christian, if you are unholy, having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof.

You are a carnal Christian is you falsely accuse others, if you cheat others, if you lie, if you have pleasures more than lovers of God.

You are a carnal Christian if you compromise your Christian walk with unholy, ungodly, unrighteous people.

You are a carnal Christian if you preach different gospel and cause divisions among other believers.

You are carnal Christian if you worship in church with rock and roll music, hip-pop music instead of songs of hymns and spiritual songs.

You are a carnal Christian if you are Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents.

You are a carnal Christian if you fail to acknowledge your sins, faults, mistakes or wrong doing and are unrepentant concerning your sin, often rationalize and look for excuses to justify your sins.

You are a carnal Christian if you are living spiritually defeated lives because of your unrighteous acts such as adultery,lust,temptation, addiction to tobacco,smoking,drugs, immodestly dressed women, drunkenness to gambling, divorce, living together, premarital sex, pornography, sexual perversions etc , and have tried to justify your sin gradually developed a rebellious spirit.

You are a carnal Christian if you are a slave to any kind of bad addictions

You are a carnal Christian if you have a tendency to rationalize evil into good and good into evil.

You are a carnal Christian if you compromise against the works of flesh, darkness and works of Satan.

You are a carnal Christian if you justify your disobedience to the Word of God by twisting the Scriptures to justify your lifestyle.

You are a carnal Christian if you are the partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of devils.

You are a carnal Christian if you watch a questionable content of sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, violence of all types drunkenness, orgies.

You are a carnal Christian if you are watch TV or Video games that glorify violence, lewdness, and dumb decisions.

You are a carnal Christian if you dress seductively like a Harlot cunning of heart and causes temptation in others.

You are a carnal Christian if you are busy in pursuing money, entertainment, work, houses cars and material things, and failing to fulfill your spiritual responsibility.

Are you a Godly person who is suffering for doing right?

Godly people will be ridiculed by their friends and families for their Christian beliefs & teachings. They are accused and described as Paranoids, fanatics, narrow-minded, extreme, ridiculous, "sinners" & as teaching the "doctrine of devils. They endure emotional and physical pain, as they give up the things they could have in this world for the sake of Gods Kingdom.

1. The Godly people suffer for righteousness sake: The Godly suffer for many reasons, sometimes through no fault of their own .Most of the time they suffer for doing right things because we live in a fallen world where there is sexual immorality, corruption and rebellion to Gods word which is enmity with God. Persecution is not only done through violence and destruction, but also through harassment, ridicule, and being an outcast. All the Godly people have experienced persecution and ridicule when we do not do what the world does or says. Refusing to be like the world by not participating in ungodly practices has caused us to be alienated from family, friends, and co-workers. Godly people do not participate in their godless passions and activities and are different from the sinful world. When a believer is consumed with godly living, he will lose his appetite for the world's ungodly attractions.

But as Christians, you are called to be a chosen race, holy and separate to the Lord, and “in the world, but not of the world.” Paul calls you to be aliens and strangers who “present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God.” He exhorts you, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind” (Rom 12:1-2). As pilgrims in this world, we are not to practice what the citizens of this world do. We are to do what citizens of the kingdom of heaven are supposed to do.

2. The ungodly live in worldly desires: often live a life of worldly passions and desires, they do not believe in heaven or hell. But Peter reminds us that judgment comes for both living and dead and everyone has to give an account of themselves to God. All ungodly will be judged. All believers who are Godly will get their reward. Preaching the gospel condemns unbelievers and ungodly. Showing them our godly, obedient lives also make them see their ungodly, rebellious lives.

3. God sees when Godly people suffer: God sees all the rebellious acts caused by Ungodly unbelievers. He sees Godly believers suffering in the hands of unbelievers. Thus, those who suffer unjustly because of their faith in Christ have shown that they are willing to be done with sin by living in obedience to God, to be different, and to be set apart-even if it means persecution and ridicule.

But take comfort, Godly, unbelievers do not have the last word, for they will give account and face God’s judgment .They will face God’s severe judgment, especially those who have heard the gospel of Christ preached to them but rejected it. Preaching the gospel condemns unbelievers. Showing them our godly, obedient lives also make them see their ungodly, rebellious lives.

John says in the book of Revelation that when the people of the earth see the two witnesses-symbolizing the church-dead, they rejoice. They give gifts to one another. Because “these two prophets had been a torment to those who dwell on the earth” (Rev 11:10). How are unbelievers “tormented” by believers? When they hear Godly people tell them, “Repent and believe in the gospel of Christ!” and when they see Christians practicing a completely different life from them as “salt” and “light” to the world, they know in their hearts that they are sinners bound to eternal hell.

Sometimes unbelievers can't tolerate a righteous man or woman. A holy life irritates them to the point of aggression. A believer who suffers under such circumstances is "blessed" (1 Pet. 3:14). "Blessed" doesn't necessarily emphasize happiness or joy as much as it does the meaning of "privilege" or "honor." Elizabeth said Mary the mother of Jesus was "blessed among women" (Luke 1:42). Mary's heart was pierced with many sorrows (Luke 2:35), so that isn't a reference to general happiness. Instead, it speaks of divine favor--the privilege of giving birth to the Messiah in Mary's case. A believer has the same sense of privilege when he shares in Christ's sufferings. Perhaps Peter understood the meaning of "blessed" from our Lord's words in Matthew 5:10-12: "Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when men cast insults at you, and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely, on account of Me. Rejoice, and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great." A believer has the honor of receiving a divine, eternal reward for suffering on Christ's behalf.

4. A Godly believer is to be ready to provide an answer in all situations: A Godly Christian who can't carefully, thoughtfully, reasonably, and biblically give a clear explanation for his faith will be insecure when faced with hostility, and might be inclined to doubt his salvation. The enemy's blows will devastate those who haven't "put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation" (1 Thess. 5:8).

But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect. 1 Peter 3:15

Ungodly enjoy drawing attention to a sinning Christian because they want to justify their sinful behavior. Therefore all Christians are to live above reproach so any accusation has no valid basis.

5. Scriptures says that that Godly will suffer for being Godly:

1Peter 3:17:It is better, if God should will it so; that you suffer for doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrong."

1 Peter 4:3-4 :For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do—living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry. They think it strange that you do not plunge with them into the same flood of dissipation, and they heap abuse on you.

Psalm 34:19: A righteous man may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all;

2 Corinthians 4:16-18: Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 1For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Luke 9:23: Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.

2 Timothy 3:12: In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.

1 Peter 4:12-13: Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.

Romans 8:18: I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.

Galations 5:22-23: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

1 Peter 4:15-16: But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody in other people’s matters.Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter.

2 Timothy 1:12 For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day.

Matthew 5:10-12: Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake,

For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

1 Peter 3:14: But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you are blessed. “And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled.”

1 Peter 5:10:But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.

Revelation 2:10: Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.

6. Righteous suffer for many reasons:

1. They suffer for the glory of God: Book of Job; Isa. 48:9-11

2. They Suffer to comfort others: 2 Cor. 1:3-6

3. They Suffer to demonstrate the power of God, the provisions of grace: 2 Cor. 12:8-10

4. They Suffer from spiritual growing pains; the testing that strengthens faith: Deut. 8:1-10; James 1:1-6; 1 Pet. 1:7,8; Rom. 5:3 Faster growth means more frequent testing; there is a refining process: Job. 23:10; Isa. 1:18-27; 1 Pet. 1:7

5. They Suffering to keep down pride: 2 Cor. 12:6,7; Matt. 26:31-75 (the scattering of the disciples)

6. They Suffering to illustrate doctrine (for advanced believers: Book of Hosea

7. They Suffer by association occurs when we have some relationship with someone who is suffering: Rom. 14:7; 1 Cor. 12:26; 1 Chron. 21

8. They Suffer to show the fruit of the Spirit and the results of edification: 2 Cor. 4:6-11

9. They suffer to learn the value of doctrine: Psalm 119:65-72

10. They Suffer as a witness to Christ: 2 Tim. 2:8-12; John 15:18-21; Acts 5:40-42; 1 Cor. 4:9-16

11. They Suffer as a result of exercising a spiritual gift; illustrated by the life of the Apostle Paul

12. They suffer from involvement in spiritual battles, the angelic conflict: Eph. 3:8-13

7. Hope for the Godly: if a believer stays in fellowship with God and grows in Christ consistently, this type of suffering can be a great blessing and an opportunity to witness to other believers and to the unsaved. So no matter what you are going through, God has given you a Comforter to help you.

When Jesus was on this earth He was the Comforter, but now the Comforter is God the Holy Spirit:

Jesus said,” And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Comforter who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world at large cannot receive him, because it isn't looking for him and doesn't recognize him. But Godly people do...

No, I will not abandon you as orphans- I will come to you." (John 14:16-18).

The Godly believers will be obedient to Gods word and his commandments by being self-controlled and sober-minded, abstaining from all evil and evil addictions , loving, hospitable, and using your spiritual gifts for the building up one another. A Godly believer needs to arm himself with a trust in the power of righteousness to triumph over persecution and suffering. During times of hostility, we're to have confidence, not be in turmoil. A passion for doing good produces a pure life, which should be the goal and delight of every believer.

When we suffer for being Godly we glorify God and Christ our Lord and Savior. Our goal should be of putting Christ & His truth first in our lives shunning all evil things contrary to Gods word.