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See Acts 4:34-35
Today people and churches are building bigger "barns". .
. See Luke 12:16-21
Do not conform
any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the
renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's
will is-- his good, pleasing and perfect will.
(NIV) Rom
12:2
When I read that the early church in Jerusalem was selling their
possessions and sharing with the poor, and that this was habit (they
were devoted to it) of early Christians, I am challenged to think
that just perhaps Jesus was serious about “selling our possessions
and giving to the poor.”
-- John Mark Hicks
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Each church must set its
own priorities. I realize that an outsider cannot say what
they should have done.
We hear about the meager aid from churches in
our client interviews. As I survey the combined results and listen to the
poor, it is obvious that there is only a trickle of aid from metro Oklahoma City
churches.
We obviously need a
building in which to worship God, but only by continually dying to
self-interests can we begin to know what God's priorities are.
When self-needs consume a church body, they are hindered from knowing what God
is doing and what their priorities should be.
We know that God wants the poor to be
loved. Sharing church money (creatively and as the spirit may lead) is a good
thing to do. But somehow we have gotten ourselves into a tradition of believing
otherwise. Apparently aiding poor people does not sit very well with parishioners.
The lack of an outreach ministry does not
make them feel bad.
On the other hand, a nice facility makes
parishioners feel good. It can be a status symbol which people can have
pride in.
Buildings or people?
In our day the physical facilities
are winning out.
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