Brothers and sisters, I am very aware that many people here are mature Christians, probably leaders or pastors, who do not need the milk of the word but solid food. However, we should bear in mind that no matter how old we are naturally or spiritually, we are still sons of God.
Though we may be mature Christians, I believe that we can still be blessed if we open up our hearts to even the milk of the word. Let us not also forget that we do not all have the same understanding of the word of God. We may not need the milk, but somebody else may need it. Personally, I'm open to both the milk and solid food.
Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye (Mark 7:13)
It is a good thing to dedicate one's property to God. But when we have done this, we must take good heed that we use it in the ways marked out for us by Devine commandments. It will not do to cover miserliness and greed by a pretence that we have given our money to God, and therefore cannot use it for charitable purposes.
For example, if a man has needy parents, one of the first uses of consecrated money is to provide for their wants. He may say that he is gathering means to build an orphanage, or asylum for infirm old men or old women, and that he has consecrated his property to this great charity; but if meanwhile he allows his aged parents to suffer, his consecrated property is not acceptable to God. He who sets aside the fifth commandment that he may use his money for the poor is playing a miserable farce before God. No amount of service in the work of the church avails when one is neglecting the duties he owes to his own family.
The case is still worse when, as under the Rabbinical rules, the money or property was never really used at all for God, the plea of ''Corban'' being only a pretext to evade the requirement of filial duty. The consecration of money to God implies always the use of the consecrated money in the service of God as He may call for it.. God does not want money hoarded up; He wants it going about doing good. We apply the parable of the talents to everything but money, when there surely is nothing to which the parable applies more certainly than to money. At least we may never pretend that we have given our money to God, and therefore cannot give it away. Giving it away for wise use is the very thing God wants us to do with it.
Though we may be mature Christians, I believe that we can still be blessed if we open up our hearts to even the milk of the word. Let us not also forget that we do not all have the same understanding of the word of God. We may not need the milk, but somebody else may need it. Personally, I'm open to both the milk and solid food.
Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye (Mark 7:13)
It is a good thing to dedicate one's property to God. But when we have done this, we must take good heed that we use it in the ways marked out for us by Devine commandments. It will not do to cover miserliness and greed by a pretence that we have given our money to God, and therefore cannot use it for charitable purposes.
For example, if a man has needy parents, one of the first uses of consecrated money is to provide for their wants. He may say that he is gathering means to build an orphanage, or asylum for infirm old men or old women, and that he has consecrated his property to this great charity; but if meanwhile he allows his aged parents to suffer, his consecrated property is not acceptable to God. He who sets aside the fifth commandment that he may use his money for the poor is playing a miserable farce before God. No amount of service in the work of the church avails when one is neglecting the duties he owes to his own family.
The case is still worse when, as under the Rabbinical rules, the money or property was never really used at all for God, the plea of ''Corban'' being only a pretext to evade the requirement of filial duty. The consecration of money to God implies always the use of the consecrated money in the service of God as He may call for it.. God does not want money hoarded up; He wants it going about doing good. We apply the parable of the talents to everything but money, when there surely is nothing to which the parable applies more certainly than to money. At least we may never pretend that we have given our money to God, and therefore cannot give it away. Giving it away for wise use is the very thing God wants us to do with it.
