|
1 Kings 17:8-9 "Then the word of the Lord came to him [Elijah], saying, 'Arise, go to
Zarephat, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. See, I HAVE COMMANDED a widow
there to provide for you' ". |
I will quote here a couple of passages from the early "church fathers" writings, who lived and
ministered just after the departure of the last of the original apostles. The quotes are from Didache
(Teaching of the Apostles).
|
Didache 11:6 And when he departeth let the apostle receive nothing save bread, until he
findeth shelter; but if he ask money, he is a false prophet.
Didache 11:12 And whosoever shall say in the Spirit, Give me silver or anything else, ye
shall not listen to him; but if he tell you to give on behalf of others that are in want, let no
man judge him. |
Is this to say that there should not be mention of giving in the church? No! On the contrary, the
truth about giving should be taught as any other truth - no more, no less, and ACCORDING TO
THE WORD OF GOD.
I need to mention here a teaching that is taking place in the church lately: the teaching on the "Spirit
of Poverty". I personally haven't been exposed to it and haven't read any of the books that deal
with that subject. However, "knowing them by their fruits", I can guess what is the main thrust of
the teaching: give and keep giving (to the church) - that's the only way to be kept safe from the
"spirit of poverty". I am also sure that the "evidence" of the existence of this "spirit" is not the
complaints of those "afflicted" by it, but rather it is a circumstantial evidence gathered from the
level of collection by the church's fund raising programs.
I understand that all churches are not well off financially, yet it should not be an excuse for the
preachers to resort to dishonest teaching in order to get extra funds. Can you imagine a person in a
secular job resorting to a dishonest method for getting some extra money to feed his family? He
would end up on the wrong side of the law and, in all probability, in jail. Yet, in our Christian
world, it appears that dishonest gain is OK, as long as it is used for the "advancement of the
kingdom of God". I believe that an offering to God gained in a dishonest way is considered
unclean and an abomination and not acceptable to Him. With Him, the end does not justify the
means.
I hope, dear brother or sister that you learned something valuable from this message.
May God bless you all.
Copyright: It is expected from every sincere believer, who reads this message, if he or she agrees
with its contents, to pass it on to whomever possible. It would be also appreciated, if any
objections, disagreements or questions are directed to the author.
George Potkonyak
PO Box W123
West Pennant Hills, NSW 2125
Australia
Phone: 61 2 9875 3014
Fax: 61 2 9875 1123
E-mail: potkony@ar.ar.com.au |
|
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 