Beloved brethren. I write these words because I am truly concerned about your needs. As many of you know, I have raised help for different needs in the past. In some cases, time revealed that there was dishonesty in some of the requests and immorality among those getting help. When I have to reveal such things to those who send the aid, they become, understandably, less willing to send help in the future. What can we do so that those who truly need help, receive help? And what is God’s plan for helping those who are in need?
How can we prevent needs from arising?
When I think of my rural Zimbabwean brethren who work so hard preparing fields, planting them, and cultivating them, it is truly wonderful how they are committed to this work of hopefully providing food for their needs. This should be a worthy example to all of us of how committed we should be to GOD’s work. We should be studying God’s word each day, growing to be more like Christ, worshiping faithfully, and giving sacrificially to the work of the church so it can support preachers and help its needy.
Have you ever thought about the fact that if we neglect our spiritual work for God, it is possible that God will not bless our physical work to produce food? “Thus speaks the Lord of hosts, saying: ‘This people says, “The time has not come, the time that the Lord’s house should be built.”’”…Now therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Consider your ways! You have sown much, and bring in little; You eat, but do not have enough…and he who earns wages, earns wages to put into a bag with holes….Why?’says the Lord of hosts. ‘Because of My house that is in ruins, while every one of you runs to his own house. Therefore the heavens above you withhold the dew, and the earth withholds its fruit. For I called for a drought on the land…and on all the labor of your hands.’” (Haggai 1:2-11) Brethren, do you really think that under the greater testament of his SON Jesus, our Father will be happy with less than what he commanded under the lesser testament of His SERVANT Moses? “Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and try Me now in this,”says the Lord of hosts, “If I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it. And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, so that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground, nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field.” (Malachi 3:10-11) Brethren, what are you giving for the House of CHRIST? Why do you not commit yourself to giving a significant percent of what you earn or what you grow to the Lord and see what happens! If you have crops, but no money, commit yourself to giving a significant percentage of what you harvest to those who lack. Some Christians are already doing this – may God bless them! If enough of God’s people do this, maybe an area-wide drought or flood will be averted! The destruction of Sodom would have been averted by just ten righteous inhabitants! (Gen.18:32)
Another thing that causes God to turn His blessings from us is sin. How committed are we to purity – to be like Jesus? One of the strongest desires God has put into man is to satisfy his sexual needs. God’s will is that this need must only be satisfied with the partner we are married to, Heb.13:4. Sex is designed to help build a deeply loving, life-long bond between husband and wife, 1 Cor.7:2-5. To reject God’s will on this and satisfy our sexual needs with whomever we desire removes God’s blessings from us. It brings shame on the church, and great suffering and hardship to family and brethren, especially in these days of AIDS. Think how much need could be averted if everyone just lived pure lives! God says, “When I had fed them to the full, then they committed adultery and assembled themselves by troops in the harlots’ houses. They were like well-fed lusty stallions; everyone neighed after his neighbor’s wife. Shall I not punish them for these things?”says the Lord. “And shall I not avenge Myself on such a nation as this?” (Jeremiah 5:7-9) Almost everywhere I go I find fornication among Christians. I find churches asking for aid when there are non-repentant drunkards and fornicators among them, especially their own previously baptized children. “But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner – not even to eat with such a person.”(1 Cor.5:11) Brethren feel they should be humble – they should not point fingers and withdraw from sinners. God says in 1 Cor.5:2 that if we do not withdraw from sinners, we are proud. We think our ways are better than God’s way. “Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?” (1 Cor.5:6) How can God bless such a church?
Brethren, let us live so that God will bless us!
Who is a needy Christian?
Although it is generally true that God blesses those who obey His commands, it is possible that, for some reason known only to God, a faithful Christian will lose his job or his crops will fail or he will become too sick to work. This we learn from the book of Job. We do not always know why God sends a famine, (Acts 11:27-28).
In Matthew 25:43, people were judged who did not help the sick, the hungry and the naked children of God. 1 Timothy 6:8 commands, “And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content.” Therefore, a needy Christian is one who lacks food, clothing, and basic medical care.
What must a Christian do so that, if he becomes needy, he will receive the things he needs?
Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things (food and clothing) shall be added to you,” (Matthew 6:33). This is a beautiful promise of God! How does God keep His promise?
- It is God’s will that every Christian seek the kingdom of God first. Part of your obedience to God is that you must physically work hard – not just for yourself, but also to give to others, Eph.4:28, 2 Thess.3:10-12. You will give generously of the fruit of your labour every first day of the week, 1 Cor.16:1-2, 2 Cor.9:6-8. You will be doing this before you become needy. Then, if you become needy through no fault of your own – perhaps sickness or famine, other Christians who have observed your past behavior will be motivated to help you. The word of God that you have already stored in your heart will give you strength to face your trial, and give you comfort and direction for how to live. If you are in need now, pray to God for your daily bread, Mt.6:11, and then look for ways God can answer that prayer – look for small jobs you can do in exchange for food or money. Worship faithfully, live a pure life, and make sure the children living with you are living pure lives. Even if you do not have money, you can still use your time to keep doing good to others. If you have not been living as you should as a Christian, repent. When others see that you are doing everything you can to help yourself and to live right before God, they will be motivated to help you.
- God uses the physical family of the needy Christian to provide for him. “If any believing man or woman has widows, let them relieve them, and do not let the church be burdened, that it may relieve those who are really widows,” (1 Tim.5:16) If you are in need, read 1 Tim.6:8, then pray to God and then humbly approach your family for help. Your goal is to keep the church from being burdened so that it can help those who are truly needy – those who have no families to help them. Be honest about your needs. Do not exaggerate them to try to pressurize others into helping you. Be humble, not demanding. Do not expect luxury items, like cell phones. Do not expect other people to help you when you are feeding children who are fornicating or have enough money to buy alcohol. Remember the parable of the prodigal son in Luke 15. (A “prodigal” is one who wastes his life.) The father of the prodigal son saw to it that his sons worked while in his house. The son had to go outside the home to be a waster – and the father left him alone outside starving in the pig sty until he “came to himself” and truly repented. Then he was joyfully received back into the home.
- God uses individual Christians to help the needy. Those who have been blessed by God need to “do good…be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share,”(1 Tim.6:17-19). “Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world,” (James 1:27). The word “visit” means to go and see a person to find out what his needs are and then help him. If you are needy, and someone comes to visit you, you must not be too proud to let them know that you are struggling. On the other hand you must not be jealous that the other person has more than you and exaggerate your situation to try and get him to give more to you than what you really need.
- God uses the local church to help the needy. “Nor was there anyone among them who lacked; for all who were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold, and laid them at the apostles’ feet; and they distributed to each as anyone had need,” (Acts 4:34-35) If you have done all you can do to help yourself, and if there is no one in your physical family who is willing or able to help you, humbly bring the matter before your spiritual family. Please remember that “need” means you lack food, clothing, or basic medical care. Also remember that if you have not cared for yourself properly (eg. you lived an immoral life and brought AIDS upon yourself), you really cannot expect the church to be burdened to pay for your medical costs. Remember, our goal is “do not let the church be burdened,”(1 Tim.5:16). For the same reason, if a physically healthy brother has not worked hard to try to provide for himself, the church is not to help him, (2 Thess.4:10). If everyone in the congregation is giving a significant percentage of his income to the Lord, and if every person is following the steps above to prevent need and to get help from other sources first, the local church will be able to take care of its own needy 99% of the time. Because the church knows those who are among them, it prevents the LORD’s money from being wasted on those who are not faithful. Remember, it is a very serious thing to waste the LORD’s money!
- Be thankful for whatever you receive. Express that thanks both to God and to the people who have helped you, Luke 17:15-17, 2 Cor.9:12.
When is a church in need? When may a church ask for help from other churches?
In Acts 11:27-30 we read that there was going to be a severe area-wide famine – a famine that was going to cause churches in Judea to not be able to take care of all their needy. And so the church in Antioch determined to send aid to them. The aid was for the needy saints (Christians lacking food due to the famine). There is no Bible example of a church asking for money from another church to feed all the hungry in the village. There is no Bible example of a church asking for money from another church for any other reason, eg. to erect a church building.
How must help reach the needy congregations?
In every NT example, help was sent directly from the helping church to the elders of the church where the need was by means of a messenger who was known and trusted by the helping church. (1 Cor. 16:1-4; Acts 11:27-30; 2 Cor.8:16-24; Acts 24:17; Rom.15:25-28,31; 2 Cor.8:1-4, 16-24; 2 Cor. 9:1,2,12; Gal.2:10) There was never a person or organisation that collected the funds, pooled them, and distributed the funds how he or they saw fit. The churches did not send their money to one person or church who then distributed the need how they saw fit in the entire area. The messenger did not decide how to distribute the aid. The messenger’s job was to deliver the money to the elders of the local church to whom he was sent. The elders then distributed it as they saw fit because they are the ones who know who is in need. Of course, if the messenger could see that there was not total honesty about the need, or that the need was being met by someone else, he was responsible to report to the sending church before delivering the money! When a church has elders, the messenger can feel confident about delivering the money because he knows that only honest and blameless men will be appointed to be elders. The problem is that most churches have NO men qualified to be elders! That alone should sound an alarm to potential helping churches that things are not as they should be! Brethren, if you are upset because it is difficult for you to have your needs met, look to yourselves and see if there is not a reason for it – and fix it! Of course, elders cannot be novices and new congregations cannot be expected to have elders. However, there are many old congregations where, time after time, the children of the Christians go off into the world, thus disqualifying men to be elders.
When a church does not have elders, the help needs to be delivered before the whole congregation, who will decide the best way to distribute the aid, Acts 6:1-5.
For the sake of honesty and openness, the congregation will distribute the need according to the report they made about the need. Of course if the need has changed, they will inform the helping church.
What is the responsibility of a church who asks for help?
- The church asking for help must make sure there is absolute honesty about their need. Before drawing up a list of those in the congregation who are in need, read 2 Kings 5:20-27. Naaman was a rich man of a country that was oppressing the children of Israel. When Namaan was cleansed of his leprosy, he offered Elijah a gift, which Elijah refused. Elijah’s servant Gehazi, although he obviously had food and clothing, was not content. It seems that Gehazi thought it was his right as a poor servant in an oppressed nation to receive something from a rich man of an oppressing nation – and so he justified his dishonesty to himself. What was God’s reaction? “Therefore the leprosy of Naaman shall cling to you and your descendants forever.” Brethren, when there are 50 people in a congregation, some of the brethren must be poorer than others, and surely not all 50 are in need! When all 50 insist that they must receive the same amount of aid, someone is not being honest! Individual members must not feel that they “deserve” aid simply because someone else is richer, even much richer, than they are! If you have food and clothing, you are commanded to be content! (1 Tim.6:8)
- When making a list of who needs help, remember that help is designed to bring about equality, 2 Cor.8:14-15. All must have an equal (adequate) amount of food for the family – NOT all must RECEIVE equal amounts of food from other brethren! Is there equality between a family that has an income and family that has no income? Is there an equality between a family that has crops or livestock they can sell and a family that has nothing? Is there equality between a family that has family members who have jobs in other places and can send support and a family who has no outside support? Such things must be thought of in making the list of those who are truly needy and in deciding how much the congregation is going to ask from others.
- The money the helping church has collected is the LORD’s money and is to be used for the work and people of the LORD. That congregation has a serious responsibility to make sure that this money is used in a wise way; otherwise God will hold them accountable.
If they send money to support men and women who are just living together, but not married, will God be happy?
If they send money to support lazy men, will God be happy?
If they send money to support dishonest men, will God be happy?
If they send money to support families who have children in their houses who are drinking and fornicating, will God be happy?
If you are asking other congregations for help, but you are not withdrawing from unfaithful members, you are doing a great injury to those churches! God can never bless such an effort! Brethren, something like this happened in the Philippines, but God is not mocked! The abuse came to light. Helping churches then stopped sending aid, and innocent people suffered. Surely you do not want such a thing to happen to you! - In order for the needy church to enable the helping church to fulfill its responsibility of using the LORD’s money correctly, the needy church must take special care to provide things honest in the sight of all men, (2 Cor.8:21). There must be total openness and transparency regarding the need. In this regard I suggest it would be good for the needy church to write a letter to other churches they think might be able to help them. In the letter state how many people are in the congregation and how many are in need, explain what you have done to help your own needy and why extra help is needed, state exactly how much money/mielie meal/ etc is needed to cover the need each month, and state how long the need is expected to last. In these modern days, a report can be sent with this information via the messenger or even via post every time help is received, as well as a report of ALL funds received (if funds are received from more than one church) and photocopies of receipts as to how the money was spent. If a person on the list dies or becomes unfaithful – or if needy people are converted and need to be added to the list, the helping church needs to know about this. If the needy church does not have enough funds to send letters and photocopies, I am sure the helping church will be more than happy to send extra to cover this cost. Remember to express thanks for what you have received! (Luke 17:15-19)
- Remember, if too many Christians and too many churches are crying out that they have a need, even though they are able to survive without outside help, the benevolence will not enjoy God’s blessing. The burden will become too great and it will come to nothing. A donkey can only work so hard, otherwise it collapses.Brethren, every true child of God will do everything in his power to make sure that no child of God or any of his dependents goes to bed hungry or cold at night. However, those in need have a serious responsibility to honestly inform Christians of their needs. The fact that brethren in poorer congregations have not always been giving as they should and the fact that there has not always been honesty is hampering efforts at this moment. I pray that these Scriptures will be of help to you so that God will be able to use each of us to fulfill His promise of Matthew 6:33: “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” I thank God for those of you who are enduring hardships, yet working hard for the kingdom of Christ, working hard to provide for your families, and giving sacrificially. You are a great encouragement to me and to many. May God bless you!
