Today,
the reply is on the priorities for church congregations, and the use
of church funds for ministry to the poor instead of for special
observances and seasonal programs. Ministry intended to rejoice the
church body as a community separated to Christ is not to be accounted
as self-indulgent, superfluous, or unrighteous. While Christian
church groups perform good works ministering to the
community-at-large and the World, the members of a congregation
themselves must maintain their peculiar identity as those joined by
their spirit content from GOD. Those having discernment will insist
that programs presented to the congregation be prophetic in their
nature, and correctly convey comfort, edification, and exhortation.
Choices and decisions will be required that give the assembly an
appearance of indifference, an exaggerated focus on religion, or even
undue self-promotion. Even so, many of the works that must be done
to establish an anointed congregation of Christian believers are
unseen by the community-at-large, and are provided only through the
active relationships found among mature members of the church. The
idea that one gives GOD a Rolodex—not
a cheap copy or knock-off’—comes
into view with the principle, we are to give GOD only our best.
Therefore, silver and gold will appear even among congregations of
poor, third-world, and working class believers, because they want to
serve unselfishly, and correctly acknowledge the divine preeminence.
It is written: Malachi 3: 13-18, King James Version (KJV): 13 Your
words have been stout against me, saith the LORD.
Yet ye say, What have we spoken so much against thee? 14 Ye
have said, It is vain to serve God: and what profit is it
that we have kept his ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully
before the LORD of hosts? 15 And now we call the
proud happy; yea, they that work wickedness are set up; yea, they
that tempt God are even delivered. 16 Then they that feared the
LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD
hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written
before him for them that feared the LORD, and
that thought upon his name. 17 And they shall be mine, saith the
LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my
jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that
serveth him. 18 Then shall ye return, and discern between the
righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that
serveth him not. One of the fighters in the “Yahoo! Answers”
public forum for Religion & Spirituality who uses the ID
“Anonymous” (no profile is shared) posted the following:
How
could a church justify blowing a grand on soloists for Christmas Eve?
Our
church has decided to spend a thousand dollars on musicians for
Christmas Eve preludes before the service. This is 30 minutes of
music before each of 3 Christmas Eve services. This thousand dollars
could easily house and feed a poor family, and it could provide water
to someone in the Sahara so they don’t dehydrate, or help close the
ozone hole.
How
hard is it for someone to just belt out Ooooooh Hoooooleeeee
Naaaaaaiiiicht thuuuuuuu staaaaaaaaaars are braaaaaiiiiiiichtly
schaaiiiiiiiiniiiing ..........
Just
having someone in the church perform the preludes would definitely
save money to give to the poor, and do they really need a piper
piping and a drummer drumming. Is this wasting good money and
equivalent to lighting the money on fire to see all the pretty sparks
and colored flames. It just ends up going up into the night sky
either way.
Why
pay a grand for something that is so easy to get done for free.
People are starving and freezing without heat and the church wastes
money on special music is this fair?
...Show
more
Updated
2 hours ago:
I
bet most people would gladly sit through a terrible screeching
rendition of these songs if it meant that money went to someone so
they could have heat this winter. Or a family could have a turkey on
the table.
Updated
1 hour ago:
Since
when was singing o holy night as complicated as brain surgery or
something to justify such a high cost. Just belt it out and save the
money if it was me.
Updated
1 hour ago:
That
money would be better spent on education of church members. It could
pay for the textbooks for a law student for a semester. Think of how
much that compounds returns, education is the gift that keeps on
giving, or it could pay for an elderly dementia patient’s diaper
changer for a month. Or help someone afford their nursing home bills.
THE
GOLDEN ARROW: For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not
of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any
man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ
Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should
walk in them. (Ephesians 2: 8-10,KJV)
THE
DOUBLE DAGGER: Why Do They Sing? (11/14/2019); Patriotic Songs To
Worship? (11/10/2019); Christian Celebration And Rejoicing
(11/03/2019); The Purpose Of Worship (10//10/2019); The Church Of
Jesus (06/18/2018); Salvation By Good Works? (03/08/2018); Can A
Church Not Be “Religious”? (07/27/2016); Why Are Works Required?
(07/18/2016)
“Anonymous”,
Christian believers do not become justified before GOD by performing
good deeds and community service works; the process and substance of
our deeds must be Spirit. Properly understood, worship at Christmas,
or Easter and other feasts are sacred events, to be shared within the
sanctuary that is set apart by prayer, and among the saints of GOD.
During celebrations and seasons of observance, the purpose for those
who gather in fellowship continues to be that they resemble, reflect,
and reveal Jesus Christ. Even so, Christian believers usually come
short of the mark set by the Savior as head of the church when they
seek to rank and rate secular works (e.g., distributing clothes;
presenting programs for public health awareness; hosting political
and social activists; presenting concerts and music programs) against
spiritual practices (e.g., confession; praise; prayer; prophesy using
music and dance). The offering to divine fullness (divinity; the
Godhead; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit) is no longer the
blood of bulls, goats and sheep; rather, it is the blood of Jesus.
Standards that applied when making offerings and sacrifices continue
today as principles for behavior and conduct when acknowledging and
showing reverence to divinity. Because buying and selling (bake
sales, yard sales, etc.), charitable giving, and philanthropy are
very visible, and can generate much discussion and excitement, many
congregations mistakenly seek to build up their assembly’s
name and reputation through fund-raising and personal service, where
lasting benefit to the church as a body may come only by the presence
of Jesus Christ and the operations of the Holy Spirit. Consider
again the following that uses language from the Bible, and a
selection from the music ministry of John Michael Talbot:
(1.)
Leviticus 22: 20-22, King James Version (KJV): 20 But
whatsoever hath a blemish, that shall ye not offer: for it
shall not be acceptable for you. 21 And whosoever offereth a
sacrifice of peace offerings unto the LORD to
accomplish his vow, or a freewill offering in beeves or sheep,
it shall be perfect to be accepted; there shall be no blemish
therein. 22 Blind, or broken, or maimed, or having a wen, or scurvy,
or scabbed, ye shall not offer these unto the LORD,
nor make an offering by fire of them upon the altar unto the LORD.
(2.)
Luke 11: 41-42, KJV: 41 But rather give alms of such things as ye
have; and, behold, all things are clean unto you. 42 But woe unto
you, Pharisees! for ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of
herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God: these ought ye to
have done, and not to leave the other undone.
(3.)
Mark 14: 3-9, KJV: 3 And being in Bethany in the house of Simon
the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster
box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box,
and poured it on his head. 4 And there were some that had
indignation within themselves, and said, Why was this waste of the
ointment made? 5 For it might have been sold for more than three
hundred pence, and have been given to the poor. And they murmured
against her. 6 And Jesus said, Let her alone; why trouble ye her?
she hath wrought a good work on me. 7 For ye have the poor with you
always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good: but me ye have
not always. 8 She hath done what she could: she is come aforehand
to anoint my body to the burying. 9 Verily I say unto you,
Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world,
this also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial
of her.
There
is far more that should be said, correctly examined, and spiritually
apprehended. (For example, (4.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6tGWMV22AA.)
Even
so, I trust this fragment will be useful. Be it unto you according
to your faith.
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