Indeed, that is true, however, neither does any parent who wants to raise mature, disciplined children cater to every whim and demand the children make on them.
God not withholding any good thing from His children does not equate to holding God hostage to giving us what we want because WE think it's good for us.
Luke 11:13 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
The good gift that God gives us is the Holy Spirit. Nothing else matters in comparison. But if God becomes nothing more than a giant pez machine, dispensing *good thing* (as WE think they are) to us on demand, well, any child raised like that becomes a spoiled brat with entitlement mentality, and that is EXACTLY what I've seen so many Christians in churches becoming.
The problem is is that materialism has become so rampant in the church today that people think they're entitled to perfect lives here on earth, that they have to have prosperity and health, and think that all that counts is physical comfort and physical blessing. They have totally lost sight of the spiritual aspect of it with their soul prospering.
When I said to a friend once that I considered this eating issue like the refiner's fire and that I saw it as something God was using in my life to draw me closer to Him, she said, "No, no, no, no,....." and rebuked that kind of thinking in typical name it and claim it fashion. That was until she went through her own health crisis and saw what God did in her through that instead of instantly healing her as she was demanding and *claiming*.
The good gift that God gives us is the Holy Spirit
Amen. "And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, HE who raised Christ from the dead will also GIVE LIFE TO YOUR MORTAL BODIES through His Spirit, who lives in you."
I BELIEVE HIM when HE SPEAKS! PRAISE GOD!!
If I may ask one basic question here: What is the purpose for speaking in tongues today?
You are so right! If we think about it soberly and logically we should recognize that the Apostles NEVER preached the false "Name it, Claim it" Gospel. Every one of them died a martyrs' death with the only exception of John, though he survived attempted execution several times. In our country especially, we have grown so lax and lazy that we complain if we miss a meal much less knowing REAL want. How easy it is for us to forget that there are millions of Christians around the world who still face persecution and threat of death and who, through it all, have a faith that is so strong it makes some of ours look like we're just getting started. From adversity comes strength, patience, perseverance and faith. Those who expect an express pass to that point fail to understand it takes the process to get there.
And those that do are soon going to find that those things can be gone in a very short time and then they will realize that in comparison to eternity they don’t amount to much. Some think that because they have all those things that God is blessing them but scripture tells us that He sends the rain on the just and the unjust.