Acts 20:34-35
34 You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities and to those who were with me. 35 In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
In observing over years of Christian service it has become apparent that there are two types of attitudes in the church, that is also in the world. That of giving and receiving …there are those who spend all their time giving and others who spend all their time taking. If you are doing much in social media we find that we have to beware of trollers…people who are looking to con the sheep by taking advantage of others through gifts and services.These are the same personalities that prey on the naive in the world. It’s just wearing a Christian mask.
I am not faulting those who are being supported by those who are partnered by those they are feeding. Any minister should be cared by their people.I Tim.5:17 But if the motive in the heart of any believer is to feed greed,pride, and material wealth then we need to start cleaning out the cobwebs of our heart. Attaching the pictures and heartaches of others in order to work on emotions of the tender and generous is manipulation, and that is one step away from control that is akin to witchcraft.
The Lord plainly stated that what we sow we reap. Yet there are those who only sow to reap what they haven’t sown. If you are asking others to bless you …how have you blessed the one you are asking? God said in this principle He would not be mocked. Gal.6:7-9 Yet we have those who work others by generating not God’s vision but their own. We need to carefully follow those who are honoring and operating the Word of God in EVERY truth. If God calls He provides. I look to heaven and He provides as I follow the calling that is on my life. These passages are only a part of the full picture of ministry that is given through this and other social media as Jesus did-free. At no time have I asked for anything from others except prayer, untainted by requests of needs for money. It is seed that is sown toward the harvest to come and through efforts that will not dilute the love of Christ through me. I see many who are on the same path but they sow nothing into anyone unless it’s for their own agenda. Then when the funds dry up they are confused. We are to give first…freely and indiscriminately. Then we will receive however heaven decides not man.
Jesus had strong words for the money changers and much written about His response. It conveys God’s disgust in turning the gospel into a way to serve greed. I in no way want to feel that I have served money in my walk but rather the Master. The Lord is my Shepherd I shall not want! Psa.23:1 If it seems things have dried up around you…what are you sowing and why? It may open revelation to re-adjust priorities.
crystalthoughts333 