Giving - we have failed

FutureAndAHope

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We are a joke. Not the funny kind, but the kind that needs to be pitied. I have come to the conclusion that the church, and the secular world, in Australia, and most likely the rest of the world, have forgotten Jesus commands to give to the needy. Judgment begins at the house of God, so I will start with that. Read the following true story I put up on my church face book account. Then read the story of secular giving.



Hi all,

I would like to encourage you all to become givers. I was rather shocked recently, after a young girl had returned from a Christian mission in Indonesia, she saw a need at the mission and wanted to meet it. Why was I shocked? The girl had rang a Christian radio station with many listeners, telling of the need, and asking for people to help her fundraise to help the mission. Yet not one person, not even one, gave to her appeal. This has grinded on my heart. Why? We as Christians are supposed to be generous toward the needy, Jesus spoke many times of how important it is to help the poor. He even went as far as to say of those who refuse to help the needy will be in hell. God has time and time again in scripture promised blessing for those who help the poor. I challenge you, when was the last time you gave joyfully to the poor and needy? I challenge you today, are you generous to the needy? If not repent of your selfishness, and greed, get a heart.

I have included a link to the appeal that the girl put up. I ask you to help her in her mission.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/medan-indonesia

Robert Palmer



I work for a major sports and fitness brand here in Australia, we have many thousands of people per day visit our website. And the company spends many thousands of dollars, to get people on the site. I work as the web developer, as such I have to query the database to get information from time to time. My boss generously offered to match dollar for dollar any donation made by customers to the bush fire appeal, for the fires we have down here. He ran the appeal over a month. When I was asked to query the database to find out how many donations had been made I nearly dropped dead with fright, thinking I had miss calculated. There were a grand total of less than 50 donations, in a month. We advertised with big banners on the home page, and made very effort to get people to donate. Yet less than 50 donations. Out of potentially 50,000 people only 50 donated. That is 0.001% of people donated.

I remember a few years ago trying to raise awareness of people helping the poor. Almost no one listened. Has it changed? I think not.
 

brinny

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Hmmmm.....as i read the OP, what came to mind for me, is that we ourselves need to give with thankful hearts, regardless if anyone does. Keep giving, while lifting the churches, etc. that don't have a heart to give, and move on and just give ourselves. This is between us and God. Ask Him to prompt others to give in the meantime.

This comes to mind:

"Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can." ~John Wesley
 
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Pavel Mosko

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I'm on the other side of the issue. I believe in tithes and offerings, and especially the saying that "Charity beings at Home" or at least your own neighborhood, work place. In the near and distant past, I have done things like give money budged for offerings, tithes etc. specifically to help people in need from getting evicted for not paying their rent, utilities shut off, to buy groceries etc. And that is all good.

Their are some potential problems with that, namely people begin seeing you as their savior rather than Jesus etc. I have literally had to give a lecture to someone with their over-depenence when he was asking for more when I had already gone way, above what he previously expected, and much much more that his other long term friends and relatives had done etc. (knowing a person for just a few years, or months compared to other people that grew up with him or knew the person decades).


And then there is the judging by externals. Since I've helped out people personally because of my Christian convictions I actually have been much less receptive to those official charities like the Salvation Army holiday ringers etc. than I normally would be, when I was less tapped out.
 
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FutureAndAHope

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I'm on the other side of the issue. I believe in tithes and offerings, and especially the saying that "Charity beings at Home" or at least your own neighborhood, work place. In the near and distant past, I have done things like give money budged for offerings, tithes etc. specifically to help people in need from getting evicted for not paying their rent, utilities shut off, to buy groceries etc. And that is all good.

Their are some potential problems with that, namely people begin seeing you as their savior rather than Jesus etc. I have literally had to give a lecture to someone with their over-depenence when he was asking for more when I had already gone way, above what he previously expected, what his other friends and relatives had done etc.

And then there is the judging by externals. Since I've helped out people personally because of my Christian convictions I actually have been much less receptive to those official charities like the Salvation Army holiday ringers etc. than I normally would be, when I was less tapped out.

At least you have a heart to give. I am just so shocked, by the lack of giving around me, at the moment.
 
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Pavel Mosko

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At least you have a heart to give. I am just so shocked, by the lack of giving around me, at the moment.

In the long run they are only hurting themselves.


Some things have to be fostered. And there should be better teaching on it. In Christianity you often have to extremes. Many Christians don't teach/believe that there is a blessing to giving, but on the other hand you have the Faith /Prosperity Movement that takes the idea of blessing too far, beyond common sense, prudence etc.

But the parable of the Talents applies to everything we have as far as finances, time, personal abilities, spiritual gifts and so on.
 
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SavedByGrace3

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1 john 3:17
But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?
 
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SavedByGrace3

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It is. I'm on a disability pension from the government and at one time was shamed by right winged Christians for it. If it wasn't for government sanctioned charity, I'd have no chance at life.
They were wrong for doing that. As we say in the south "Get all ya can."
Blessings to you. May God prosper you and enrich your life.
 
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SkyWriting

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We are a joke. Not the funny kind, but the kind that needs to be pitied. I have come to the conclusion that the church, and the secular world, in Australia, and most likely the rest of the world, have forgotten Jesus commands to give to the needy.

Like all commands in scripture, these are for you, not others.
 
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FutureAndAHope

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Like all commands in scripture, these are for you, not others.

They are for me. But not just me. Jesus commands are for every one.

Matthew 25:41-46 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

Luke 16:19-23 There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.

A part from the times Jesus mentioned sexual sin and hell, all his other statements about hell refer to us not being generous to the needy and poor. I am not saying the church will be in hell, but I am suggesting the church needs to get Jesus heart to give to the poor.
 
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yeshuaslavejeff

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At least you have a heart to give. I am just so shocked, by the lack of giving around me, at the moment.
You know Scripture well enough I hope,

that it is the time now, and has been, that people's love has grown cold.

Also, just 'giving' , there is a multitude who gave or who will give,
who show up on judgment day, expecting to be let in....
Jesus tells them they did it all for show, not obedience to Him (i.e. they called Him Lord, Lord!, but did not DO as He Says),
so they get tossed.

Then, there's the little one, a boy, with a bit of fish and bread.... it was sufficient !
 
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yeshuaslavejeff

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Yes, Judgment began at the house of God.
It might be perhaps already that God has given some up to believe their own deception ?

Judgment begins at the house of God, so I will start with that.
=================================================
At a joke, people laugh.
God laughs not at a joke, but at the plans of the wicked ..... those who think or believe they can get away with their sin, or climb the wall to get into His Kingdom,
instead of through the narrow gate, who is Jesus.

It might be God laughs at some other plans, not those in particular, for His Heart may be full of grief for those souls deceived, for multitudes without a shepherd, so to speak as some places in Scripture.

We are a joke. Not the funny kind, but the kind that needs to be pitied. I have come to the conclusion that the church, and the secular world, in Australia, and most likely the rest of the world, have forgotten Jesus commands to give to the needy.
 
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yeshuaslavejeff

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They are for me. But not just me. Jesus commands are for every one.
Some posters who say that Paul and Jesus can be ignored, keep bringing subtle or bold open accusations against the brethren. There is no mechanism to prevent that on this site, nor to silence the wicked even those who reject Jesus and the Apostles.
 
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yeshuaslavejeff

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It is. I'm on a disability pension from the government and at one time was shamed by right winged Christians for it. If it wasn't for government sanctioned charity, I'd have no chance at life.
Two other testimonies might be pertinent also: Watchman Nee wept deeply grieved, crying openly, when some 'brethren' accused him of wickedness or sin because he had to work at some industry that was known to be corrupt. He broke down and cried in front of them, weeping with great sorrow,
because they had been the cause of that great need ! --- He told them straight up, totally honest, it was because no one was coming to the aid/ support of the assembly, the Ekklesia, the poor and the needy, the needs that the assembly is told to take care of in the Bible....
The other testimony was from someone who survived the great war in Europe...
he said without being refuted, that the churches in the west were responsible and would be held guilty, because they knew of the great poverty and destitution of the pastors and pastor's families in Russia, etc, and helped little or not at all - would not even let people know, so much so that the teen age daughters of the pastors were forced.... to make money to even get food.....
 
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