Corrupt and Greedy Church
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Not concern or heart for an equal.
And if they do help, it often means indebtedness on your part. The help they offer may mean your enslavement to them for life, a trap they have set for you. Well, sometimes they don't see it that way at first, but later they realize how they can use it as a leverage to control and use you. They will hold you hostage for it and make you feel guilty all your life. You have no choice but to grant their every "request" and point back to the time they helped you if you decline.
Yes, it happens. Some Christians may turn a blind eye to this and deny that anything like this happens in Christian families or in church. I'm probably just bitter about someone or something, they'd add, that's why I'm saying these things here.
Nope. I'm just being honest. I'm not one to cover-up negatives just to give born-again churches an immaculate image. God never covered up the negatives of his people or servants in the bible. He was honest about them all. So should I. I believe there is a perfect church, without spot or wrinkle or any other blemish which Paul mentioned about to the Ephesians [5]. But today, as it is, this radiant or glorious church is still nowhere found. As long as the modern church conforms to this world, it will never become the glorious church of Jesus Christ. Like how slavery is still practiced, although in subtle ways---so subtle they have become accepted practices.
And the unjust treatment of poor and lowly brethren in church or in Christian families will go on, mostly unnoticed. Some people have become used to it they find nothing wrong. Everyone is sized up based on the money value system. If you have no money, you're nothing. If you get help from them, you're trapped. You become their slave.
It happened to Jacob and Laban (and Esau), Joseph and his brothers, and even to Christ and his family. The story goes something like, they felt some pity for their unfortunate brother but their personal interests and feeling of superiority over him prevailed. There's always this mentality that the one who helps is superior to the one being helped. And the one helped becomes their slave or underdog. Then they misquote this verse:
The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is slave to the lender. [Prov.22.7]
The funny thing is, because it is a verse in the bible, they think they should apply it in life. They believe they have the right to enslave their borrowers and rule over the poor like tyrants because the bible "allows" or sanctions it. But God put it there in the bible as a character warning. It's as if God were saying, "People have the tendency to abuse needy people. Don't be like them."
Hence, the following verse issues this warning:
Whoever sows injustice reaps calamity, and the rod they wield in fury will be broken. [Prov.22.8]
I actually heard a pastor quote Proverbs 22.7 and use it to suppress and oppress those indebted to him. Then he said, "That's what the bible says." If you bowed down to his wishes, he treated you well, If not, he treated you cruelly. Thus, you saw him often treating moneyed people well because they are not indebted to him. Again, the money value system or culture.
They could not get rid of this culture. The result is the attitude of belittling the needy. Yes, they would help the unfortunate, feel pity, probably pray for them---but they will begin to look down on them, treat them like slaves or trash, just because they have no money. Worse, I sometimes see this attitude among poor believers. They treat each other this way. If you have no money, you become useless to them. So they try to get close to rich people and please them to earn their approval.
They use the same tactic to God. They try to get near God to get more from him. This is good if the goal is spiritual benefits---like, to be more like God in character and holiness. Or, to have spiritual wisdom to know God more and do his will better. But they do it to get more material blessings from God. They give to church and donate because they see how other people who do it get more money in return---or have their businesses or jobs prospering.
Indeed, it happens that those who give get more because God is faithful to his promise. But that's beside the point. We should give because God says so. Second, because God loves us and we love him. Yes, he has the prerogative to reward those who give, but it should not be the the drive or impetus for giving. People in Jesus' time followed him, not because they understood the miracles, but because they ate bread and fish for FREE! But when the miracles stopped coming, they had him crucified.
The worst I've ever seen is a ministry advertising on TV to give money to their work and then show how those who do give earn more money in return. It's like investing in stocks. You think people who invest on stocks or buy shares from a company do it because they love the company? Nope, they love the profits. They'd quickly withdraw their investments once they see the company losing and find one that gains and put their money there.
You think these church people give because they love God or his work? Nope. They love to get more out of their money. And once they get nothing, they look for another church or ministry where they see people who give money get more in return. Then they put their money there. That's why very few moneyed people are in small, unknown churches. The rich are all in big, mega churches where they believe their investments will make them richer.
Some people will even judge your ministry success based on how much money you have or the size of your church. Meaning, if your ministry is small or has little money, God isn't pleased with you. You're doing something wrong. Hence, you are not "fertile ground" to invest their money in. But if your ministry is moneyed and peopled, God is pleased with you. Then, they'd risk their money and invest in your church. You are "fertile soil" that will give them abundant harvest. Everything is all about money to them, not realizing they are now serving mammon, not God. And some pastors approve of this practice because it puts more money in their ministries.
They put you in position in church if they see your good standing in life---if you are a professional, moneyed, titled or degreed. Who has ever heard of a poor vendor being made church board member? Or a taho vendor? Even if you're so spiritual, you wouldn't make it.
But I have seen moneyed folks or professionals man positions in church even if they were unspiritual, worldly and immature. They're even given pastorate licenses. They decide what the pastor and the church should do.
So, that's the spiritual health condition of the modern church---if you have no money, you try to get the approval of the moneyed so they'd invest in you. If you are moneyed, you expect to be treated well and differently. You also look for ways you can grow your money more by investing in a profitable church---one you think is "blessed" by God. God is no longer God---he has become Stock Market. He has become a mere "blesser" rather than Lord God Almighty.
The best thing to do in all this is to stay as far away from all this rotten system and culture as possible. I always look for the Jesus' glorious church, which is without spot or wrinkle or any blemish, but holy and pure.
Unli TEA: Unlimited Trinitarian, Evangelical and Apostolic meditations.
They could not get rid of this culture. The result is the attitude of belittling the needy. Yes, they would help the unfortunate, feel pity, probably pray for them---but they will begin to look down on them, treat them like slaves or trash, just because they have no money. Worse, I sometimes see this attitude among poor believers. They treat each other this way. If you have no money, you become useless to them. So they try to get close to rich people and please them to earn their approval.
They use the same tactic to God. They try to get near God to get more from him. This is good if the goal is spiritual benefits---like, to be more like God in character and holiness. Or, to have spiritual wisdom to know God more and do his will better. But they do it to get more material blessings from God. They give to church and donate because they see how other people who do it get more money in return---or have their businesses or jobs prospering.
Indeed, it happens that those who give get more because God is faithful to his promise. But that's beside the point. We should give because God says so. Second, because God loves us and we love him. Yes, he has the prerogative to reward those who give, but it should not be the the drive or impetus for giving. People in Jesus' time followed him, not because they understood the miracles, but because they ate bread and fish for FREE! But when the miracles stopped coming, they had him crucified.
The worst I've ever seen is a ministry advertising on TV to give money to their work and then show how those who do give earn more money in return. It's like investing in stocks. You think people who invest on stocks or buy shares from a company do it because they love the company? Nope, they love the profits. They'd quickly withdraw their investments once they see the company losing and find one that gains and put their money there.
You think these church people give because they love God or his work? Nope. They love to get more out of their money. And once they get nothing, they look for another church or ministry where they see people who give money get more in return. Then they put their money there. That's why very few moneyed people are in small, unknown churches. The rich are all in big, mega churches where they believe their investments will make them richer.
Some people will even judge your ministry success based on how much money you have or the size of your church. Meaning, if your ministry is small or has little money, God isn't pleased with you. You're doing something wrong. Hence, you are not "fertile ground" to invest their money in. But if your ministry is moneyed and peopled, God is pleased with you. Then, they'd risk their money and invest in your church. You are "fertile soil" that will give them abundant harvest. Everything is all about money to them, not realizing they are now serving mammon, not God. And some pastors approve of this practice because it puts more money in their ministries.
They put you in position in church if they see your good standing in life---if you are a professional, moneyed, titled or degreed. Who has ever heard of a poor vendor being made church board member? Or a taho vendor? Even if you're so spiritual, you wouldn't make it.
But I have seen moneyed folks or professionals man positions in church even if they were unspiritual, worldly and immature. They're even given pastorate licenses. They decide what the pastor and the church should do.
So, that's the spiritual health condition of the modern church---if you have no money, you try to get the approval of the moneyed so they'd invest in you. If you are moneyed, you expect to be treated well and differently. You also look for ways you can grow your money more by investing in a profitable church---one you think is "blessed" by God. God is no longer God---he has become Stock Market. He has become a mere "blesser" rather than Lord God Almighty.
The best thing to do in all this is to stay as far away from all this rotten system and culture as possible. I always look for the Jesus' glorious church, which is without spot or wrinkle or any blemish, but holy and pure.
Unli TEA: Unlimited Trinitarian, Evangelical and Apostolic meditations.
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