I thank God tomorrow's e-learning week at SP! That means I won't have to go to report to school! I get to stay at home to rest. But the downside is that I have 7 full scale projects to finish, the easiest of them is a 1000 word essay on something I have no clue about! Which is just as good, for I get a real reason to do online research! Well, I'm am so tired!
Full day at church today, but the sermon's were real good. One would learn to protect themselves from being too obsessed with money! Think about it! If you had a well to do family, as the grand parent, or even great grand parent. Then let's say you suddenly got yourself US$60,000,000! This is a real event that happened, but to a church, when a really rich guy was called home to the LORD and left his property all to the church! The church elders were really stressed, and to make matters worse, even the media and press were sending journalists over to check the situation out. The church had a lot of decisions to make, because many church members were suddenly requesting money from to church to "repair my roof/pay for my son's university/settle my huge credit card debt" etc. As can be easily seen, problems came because the money arrived! Even Christians struggle with matters of life and this "corrupts" a church, but I say that the church was formed to deal with such matters! Just as only the sick require a doctor, only us sinners require Jesus Christ to save us, which is why the church is formed! And, like medicine, requires time and the correct attitudes, as in taking your medicine, not just leaving it on the shelf; thus being, one must attend church, read the bible, and pray! Dear reader, if you ever knew a church, or are in one, and ever think that the church is nothing more than a place where many people as who act kind and sincere, but are as sinister as other people, you may be right! And if you think that your church is becoming worse and not fulfilling to you, you may be correct too. However, it is part of Christian life to struggle with sin, and the way of the world! If God were to suddenly make all people into fully devoted Christians, then wouldn't we be following God not by our own will, because God supposedly forced us into becoming Christians!
Or, if God were to let everyone see clearly through some miracle the wonders of getting to know Christ and accept him as our personal Saviour, then wouldn't we all be zombie like Christians, following God only because the rewards, walking by faith and not by sight!? A fortiori, this would truly be the vanity of vanities, for Christianity would lose its true meaning!
That said, I belief God has miraculous ways of working, which we will not be able to truly grasp. If we could, then God would be no more different than us men. Thus, God is sovereign because of us not being able to fully comprehend him, unbeknownst to many of us! Praise God, for he is truly great!
As Christians, we would always be demanding for a better church. We think that other churches are better, and thus forget that all churches have problems. Just as a foolish man would learn of the flaws of his wife, demand a divorce for a better woman, only to find out later on that that woman has her own flaws also, causing a life of regret and remorse. As for us, if we do lack the strong will to bear with the bad side of our church, moving to another one would do little satisfy us. However, if we have patience, and search for your own calling in your own church, God will definitely touch you! Remember, He put you in that particular church for a reason! Do not dishonor your Father by moving away from it, unless you are very sure God is calling you to!
Back to the sermon; in the end, the pastor of the church made a very wise decision. He gave the money all away; 40 million was distributed to all other churches, 12 million given to the needy around the world, and 4 million into a bank account, the interest of which being US$10,000. This interest would then be given to the needy around the world like the 12 million. Actually, this amount of US$10,000 was also to commemorate the late brother who gave the money to church, because such was his yearly contribution. The remaining 4 million was to be deposited into the church fund, supporting the expansion of the church, but this decision was abolished. Instead, the 4 million was added to the 12 million also, making the total amount 16 million, plus an additional 10 thousand annually. The end result: the church kept not a single cent. This also meant that the expansion of the church was to be funded by the accumulated offerings of the church members.
I really thought this to be a real waste, giving away 60 million just like that! Twas a fortune which I may not be able to see! But inasmuch as I try to think of the logic behind the pastor's actions, the more I realize that the wisdom of man is but folly to God! Because the pastor prayed and seeked God's counsel, he removed all problems concerning money matters. Only because of the money, problems arised and many people threw away God, caring less of growing spiritually but more concerned of looking at how the money will be settled, ever hoping that they would get a share. On the other hand, if they had hitero usurped the money, unending arguments would have arised, and the church would really crumble! The giving of the money not only solved the problem immediately, but also thought the church a valuable lesson! Never let money rule you! And never lust for more than you need! This was a real case where "having more is less, but having less, is more!"
This is but one of the many lessons to learn in life, and many more I will learn through God's Word! And if you a Christian, nay, even if you be an unbeliever yet, may you take home this lesson, of cherishing what you have, and not be unsatisfied with what you have! Truly, what do you have that you did not receive!
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