A MODEL OF COOPERATION
All Christians should give their tithes, plus voluntary sacrifices. There are also many other methods and projects whereby the members of the church can work together and grow, spiritually, with regard to finances. Acts 2 gives us a model of cooperation in the first Christian congregation towards developing their own financial system (they were expelled from the synagogues, and had to function independently). Other religions and cultures also apply economic principles that are beneficial to such groups. Lack of money is usually the reason why churches fail to initiate projects for the youth.
WHY AREN’T WE IN THE LEAD?
The church has to admit, sad to say, to a massive shortfall with regard to technological developments. Videos, DVDs, TV programs, music, and fashions – all are focused on the youth as the prospective market. Global money forces inundate the markets with their products – and their ideas, and so our children are being influenced, not even gradually in many cases, by hidden occultism, sexual lasciviousness, and other non-Christian ideologies. Unwittingly parents buy these items, in the absence of something better. The development of Christian companies during the past number of years is happening however at a sorely slow pace and against an increasing backlog. If our Christian churches had shown more daring in the past, we could have been in the lead by now!
GENERATE RATHER THAN BEG
Islam, the Jews, and lately the Chinese in particular, hold such vast financial power because they stand together, each group caring for their members. We, on the contrary, have the most out-of-fashion, outdated ideas, economically speaking, in terms of God’s Kingdom. He is the God who had His scribes put on record healthy economic laws and principles in the Word. Why should we leave this kind of growth only to sinners and the heathen, to our own loss? Why should religion and business not work together? I believe it was one of the most detrimental mistakes made by our people. We should not make the church a business concern is a lie as deceptive as you should not be fanatical about your religion. In our practice we have to give advice to so many Christians on God’s principles about financial matters – the churches seem to have a bad conscience in this respect. Much better to generate money than to beg for it!
GOD WISHES PROSPERITY
I differ considerably from those TV and super evangelists with their dogma of a Gospel of Prosperity. God is not meant to enrich us! At the same time, however, I cannot accede to churches’ closing down due to a lack of money. A healthy balance is necessary – and possible if the church would just apply the laws and principles set out explicitly in God’s Word. We Christians should set a morally sound example to the heathen (sinner) – and if we are always lagging behind, something must be missing. Our God and Father wishes His children to be prosperous, therefore we may ask Him without reserve for assistance in our financial matters – provided that we are committed to managing all righteously on His behalf. After all, Psalm 24:1 says:
“The earth is the LORD’S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.”
WHY NOT CHURCH AND BUSINESS?
We Christians have to revise our economic policy, for sure. It so happened that I recently became involved with two congregations both with serious financial problems. Both their ministries had in fact requested serious praying in this respect. In answer to their prayers, a network business was offered to both congregations, where all the members could partake by selling the products. It could be most profitable to both the members and the churches. To my astonishment the church councils decided against the project – We do not mix church and business…
SATAN’S BILLIONS
The churches’ members are now even more distressed – feeling guilty because they simply do not have the means to bring the necessary sacrifices. So, what may we conclude? That we deserve such an affliction because we are so careless in dealing with the financial opportunities God grants us? Way back we had the same idea about television, and now Satan is using it to his benefit. Same with the music, and now Satan is leading our young ones astray with it. Satan has a capital of hundreds of millions – no, billions – at his disposal to send out this message of no hope – and we Christians plod along in our “temples”. Therefore the Lord will have to turn about the entire church system, to break it down and install a new system, as He had promised in Acts 15:14-17
“Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name. After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up: That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things.”
TEMPLE VERSUS TABERNACLE
Where some translations use the words “House of David”, some prefer “tabernacle.” I am convinced that our man-made religion with the traditions attached to it serves as a stumbling block in the path of the Kingdom. God is going to reject our temple service, reduce it to nothing, and reinstate the tabernacle. The home church movement that has come to the fore during the last decade or two might be the first step. So, if we go on to cling to the old system, we are just placing an even heavier burden on ourselves and God’s children. As encapsulated in Acts 15:10
“Now therefore why tempt ye, God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?”
DR KRIGE AND HOUSE REGENERATION
This adapted content was extracted from Make your Stand, authored by Dr Ado Krige, the Founding Director of House Regeneration, a South African drug rehabilitation centre offering a comprehensive discipleship training program. By applying principles of Biblical Therapy, using the Scriptures to teach, rebuke, correct, and train in righteousness, House Regeneration counsellors show anyone who has suffered from addiction how to fully understand why they do what they do and how to bring their belief systems in line with the Word of God.
