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The other day I had a conversation with a friend who was a bit bewildered at all the "ministries" asking her family for money. She purchased some homeschooling resources from a wonderful company, which we both really appreciate. But, she was really disturbed near the end of her purchase transaction, when a message popped up asking if she'd like to make a monetary donation to this ministry. She told me that it is well known that the owners of the ministry are well-off and not hurting financially. And she asked me, "why do you think they want more money, do they need new curtains or something?" It is troubling in this time, when anyone can call their home business a "ministry" and receive money for it in donations. We've heard of terrible abuses occurring. One man told us that a pastor hired him to do some work for him. When it came time to pay this man for the work he had done, the pastor refused to pay. When the man asked how he would provide for his family since he had counted on receiving the money he had worked hard to earn, he was told by this pastor to send out a ministry letter asking for money. Then people would just mail him money. The man told the pastor that he didn't have a ministry. The pastor asked him: "well you have a family, don't you? Isn't that a ministry?" We want to think the best of folks, and that is good. But we also don't want to blindly give money away to those building their own kingdoms and calling it God's kingdom. I do believe there are very good businesses out selling great resources, and encouraging folks to live their purpose before God. However, when at the end of the year we receive letters, stating that if we benefited from a "ministry" in anyway this past year, we owe it to God to send them more money...this is a bit disturbing. We believe we should be careful with the way we hand out money to others, whether they call their company a ministry or not. Can companies minister to people?... yes. All who are in Christ should be ministering to others every day. But with the star-search mentality of this time, it seems that we want to follow a famous person. It is not only true in the secular society, but also in Christian groups, in denominations, and in the Christian homeschool community. There are "opportunists" out there, who will want to be "your friend" , if you are well known. Some will not defend truth, and God's word if they aren't sure what side popular opinion will fall on, so they sit it out and wait. But, if the winds turn toward someone, they rush in to share the lime-light. How ridiculous is this to God? James 2:1-7 NKJV My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality. For if there should come into your assembly a man with gold rings, in fine apparel, and there should also come in a poor man in filthy clothes, have you not shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my beloved brethren: Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him? But you have dishonored the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you and drag you into the courts? Do they not blaspheme that noble name by which you are called? We've mentioned before, how we have stopped supporting missionaries due to the corporations they belong to or by their changing the gospel to just being about "love" = to tolerance. Love is defined in the Bible and it starts with a complete love for the the Savior and then for others. But love for the Lord our God is shown in our obedience to His word of truth. When the gospel is changed, we must part ways with the those who are changing it. There is still only ONE way! One group that we sent money to in the past, took half the money sent in for the mission field, and put it into their multi-million dollar new administration facility in the US. The missionaries were receiving less than half of the money sent in, after everyone got their "cut". We recommend giving money to those who you know personally or have personal knowledge of. There is nothing wrong with someone making known a need and for others to contribute toward it if they so choose. But we believe it would be a better way of handling things to call a business, a business and a ministry a ministry (if it is a ministry, there would not be profits being made and the word of God would be central and unadulterated). We must never get into the idea of peddling the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 2: 14-17 NKJV Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life. And who is sufficient for these things? For we are not, as so many,* peddling the word of God; but as of sincerity, but as from God, we speak in the sight of God in Christ. Do we support "missionaries"? Absolutely! But we know them personally. We are all to be "missionaries" sharing the gospel as we go along the way. The gospel is the good news that we as sinners born in sin and destined to hell without a Savior, now have a way to reach a holy God. We must go through Jesus Christ, He is the ONLY way. We must admit we are sinners, we must repent or turn from our sin and believe on Jesus alone as our righteousness. His perfect life and death on the cross is payment for those who have faith and come through Him to a Holy God. We don't come to him through ritual: taking communion, baptism, attending church or any other "good works" of religion. We come to him in our sin, confessing Jesus Christ as our only hope for salvation. Confessing Him as Lord of our lives. Then we follow after Him studying His word and praying for Him to guide us throughout life in the truth through His Holy Spirit, who indwells all true believers. God loved us so much that He provided a way through His son that we can have eternal life with Him. So do you want to send us a donation? ---Please don’t. We are a family business. We plan. D.V., to sell more products in the not so far future. If we see a need around us, we do not need to go through an "organization" in order to help. No, just go ahead and help! --And do so privately if at all possible. Here is a sweet family that we do know personally. They are totally gospel centered and we would encourage any who are looking to help with the spread of the gospel, to contact them. We've had the advantage of getting to know them personally and see very clear fruit. They love the Lord Jesus Christ and desire to live for Him and help others to do the same:
Cut and paste the following onto your web browser:
http://www.diachenkosforaustralia.com/Matthew 6: 1-4 NKJV 1 "Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven. 2 Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. 3 But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.
Give generously to those around you in need. It seems we have gotten things topsy-turvy. Churches have building programs and raise tons of money to add on to their church facility. (What is the church? Is it the building(s) or the people? (Ekklesia?)
Yet, many of those churches spend their funds not only on buildings, but on entertainment. It is the "fun generation", if it is not fun, then it shouldn’t be done. Do we see this modeled in scripture anywhere? Were the Apostles traveling entertainers? Did they put on drama presentations and give out coffee and donuts if people would come watch? Did they have separate programs for the children, or did they speak to whole families? Did the Apostle Paul have the "gift"of puppetry? ....Or were the Apostles bold in their teaching of the gospel? ----Were they tortured for standing for truth? ----Were some even killed for the sake of the gospel? Another negative trend is to a more Catholic experience. This is experienced based with bells and smells. They say they are worshiping Jesus Christ, but it is a different Jesus than the true one we see in scripture. They have him still suffering in the eucharist. They have him paying for some, but not all of our sin--the rest you have to pay for yourself in a made-up place called purgatory. They want all faiths to join together under "Eucharistic Adoration"... worshiping the wafer in transubstantiation... where they believe the wafer actually becomes the physical body of Christ. * This is found in the Roman Catholic Church, Anglican and other Orthodox Churches and to differing degrees in: The Emerging Church and Federal Visionist views : Is that where the money should go? To ornate accommodations, idolatry, relics, incense, candles...? Colossians 2 NKJV 1 For I want you to know what a great conflict I have for you and those in Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh, 2 that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 4 Now this I say lest anyone should deceive you with persuasive words. 5 For though I am absent in the flesh, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ. 6 As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, 7 rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving. 8 Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. 9 For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; 10 and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power. 11 In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, 12 buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. 13 And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, 14 having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. 15 Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it. 16 So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, 17 which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ. 18 Let no one cheat you of your reward, taking delight in false humility and worship of angels, intruding into those things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, 19 and not holding fast to the Head, from whom all the body, nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments, grows with the increase that is from God. 20 Therefore, if you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations-- 21 "Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle," 22 which all concern things which perish with the using--according to the commandments and doctrines of men? 23 These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh.
Should we send money to any man who wears a label of elder or pastor because he is popular? What about the qualification for elders in the church? ---Were they to have famous names? ---Were they suppose to have disc jockey voices and tell funny jokes well? ----Were they to come up with their own way of "doing church" apart from what God has laid out in scripture? Were they to be pastoral and shepherding to the local body, or running off to speaking engagements to sell their latest books, get famous and make the big bucks? .....What of having their own houses in order, each with a wife and children who were not wild, and were reverent? ---Were they to be disqualified from eldership if they couldn't run their own families well? --- Were they not to be lazy, but diligent and helpful? Stop following men--that is idolatry. Follow Christ alone. Spread HIS gospel, work for His glory with other true believers. Love the LORD your God with your whole being! 1 Corinthians 10:14 NKJV
- Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.
If you know of a business which sells helpful products, tell others about that business. But if you have a business and you are making money, don't call your business "a ministry". It may well minister to others, but you are making profits and should be clear as to what you are doing. 1 Corinthians 9:18 NKJV
What is my reward then? That when I preach the gospel, I may present the gospel of Christ without charge, that I may not abuse my authority in the gospel. We had better look to God and His word for the way we run "ministries" and "businesses". We had better be careful about supporting "ministries" that may even be detracting from the gospel of Jesus Christ, for the sake of being sensitive to the "unchurched" instead of true to the perfect word of God...or for the sake of worshiping at the idol of the supreme pursuit of intellectualism...the "new and improved" way of living the Christian life, only known by the elite famous guys with really big brains, and yours for just $19.99! (Plus tax and shipping)--- The gospel is unchanging. Truth is not based on emotion nor popularity. Do not follow the ecumenical broad road that states all are "in" and we should just tolerate all beliefs. Turn to the Bible and follow Christ alone. He is the only One worth of praise and adoration. He is not in a wafer or a piece of bread. He does not continue to suffer in the "eucharist"... His work is completed! He has paid it all! It is finished! He is seated at the right hand of the Father in heaven. He will return for His own. We are to live for Him according to our instructions of how to do so in the New Testament, not the ways of men taught in churches, but through His word and in communion with other believers who are doing the same ! |
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