Charity Begins At Home
One of the passages that give rise to the maxim “Charity begins at home” is 1 Timothy 5:8 – But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. (Emphasis mine) Now I will show the verse before it so there is no mistaking the meaning of this verse.7 Give these instructions to the church so that no one will be open to criticism. Notice how the NLT says this to the church? What is home? Home is the place we live, home can be work. When we are out of our office and away at another office,and someone asks us for something we do not have with us, we say, oh well I will have to send you that info once I get back to my home office. Meaning the office which we are based out of.
Our church is also called our home church. So if church is also considered our home and our church family is there, shouldn’t our home church also provide (within their means of course) for those who have been faithfully going to the church, tithing at this church, serving at this church? So many churches are looking to provide for the community they are based out of, but neglect their parishioners. I would think that the church one goes to, could and should hopefully, be able to be depended on to help them to eat, especially when there are children involved.
It is amazing to me that some people in some churches tell their parishioners, wow you know that’s too bad that your going through this, give us more money and we will help the community, and God will take care of you. Just pray more and work harder for the Lord, and you will be fine. Meanwhile they are going hungry and going to be living on the streets any moment. Where is the charity in their own house? Charity starts in the home, and then radiates outward from there. I have no problem with churches helping out their community, but only after the people in their own house are eating and clothed and have a roof over their head.
Why is it we do not see our churches doing a special offering from those who have, to give to those who do not have, within their own house? Things are only going to be getting much worse, and unfortunately prosperity preaching does not work. I heard it said by one of my favorite women preachers, that prosperity preaching only works in the United states. That it does not work in other countries, and the folks In other countries would scoff and walk away, if you told them to give more, when they have nothing to begin with. Why is it even being preached here in the USA? We are going to, so very soon, be in the same exact boat as all other countries. Poor and hurting and broken.
I can tell you that these churches who keep demanding more and more money from their parishioners, and who do not help their parishioners either, will lose all of their people. Let me ask, what good is a church if the people have all left? It is not the building nor the leaders that make a church, but the very people who call that church home.
I have also seen many families who are completely uncharitable to one another. Husbands and wives totally and completely lacking in any charity one towards the other. Allowing their adult children to go without because well they made their own bed let them lay in it. Allowing their grandchildren to go without. Charity begins at home, means a whole lot more than just loving them. Also children allowing their parents who have nothing, to go without. Satan is working over time to divide families and we are letting him. There is a very real battle going on these days, and we are allowing satan to win. Look at divorce rates and marriages that are falling apart within churches. Satan is attacking us through one another and no one even seems to see this, or to care.
The Lord warns us in His word, And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. Matthew 24:12 Then also in 2 Timothy 3:2-5 we are told, 2 For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. 3 They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. 4 They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. 5 They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that!
Children disrespecting parents and parents being rotten to their kids. It is an epidemic. Charity does not mean only to give but Paul meant it in (1 Corinthians 13:13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity,) as love. We know according to God the greatest of these is love. Love can conquer all things great and small. Especially loving one another can conquer satan. It can stop him in his tracks from doing damage to us, and our loved ones.
We cannot allow our love for one another as well as the body of Christ to grow cold. We must love one another and be strong together. Remember united we stand divided we fall? Well it is so true!! In every way it is true. Our government is now working openly to divide the people of this country. The greatest country on earth is going to fall and break, and it is going to be one of the worst countries in the world. All because we have forgotten what true charity is. We must use our faith,and never lose our hope, and especially never stop giving to each other, and loving one another.
When the New Testament saints started to build the church, (not the building, but the people) everyone pooled their belongings, and whatever was left over, after everyone ate, and had their needs met, then they went and did what they could for others. Only though if they came to Christ. They were a community. In this day and age if a church takes care of people to bring them into the church, and then does nothing to sustain them further, once they have them to count as another body, they will lose those people too. I do not believe for a moment that God is looking for numbers as much as he is looking for those who will keep growing, and stay on the straight and narrow path. If a church is consumed with winning more folks to their church, just for the body count, and does not worry about maintaining a relationship with those already there, they will lose those parishioners as well.
How much are you giving, in your work,in your home and in your church? What is your giving going to? Is it going to your family members? Your coworkers, or the actual members of your home church? We need to make sure those we love, and whom we are brothers and sisters with, are being cared for. I heard a preaching about 3 months ago now that blew me away, and made me want to puke on the preachers head. This preacher said the sign of a good Christian is someone who increases their tithe by 10% every year, until they are giving 90% of their earnings. I mean how disgusting and hungry for money can one be? If God wanted more than 10% of our earnings He would have certainly said so!!
Another thing I need to say here is this. Prosperity preaching is heresy. God says it is harder for a rich man to get to heaven than it is for a camel to go through the eye of a needle. Those odds are impossible. So how is it that people are buying this garbage? How can anyone think God wants them to be rich? Basically it is like people are saying God lied to you in the bible, when they tell you He wants you to be rich. Why with one verse would He say it is impossible basically for a rich man to receive eternity and then tell you He wants you to be rich? Wouldn’t that in essence be Him saying,I don’t want anyone coming to eternity?
In our hardships is where strength is built. God Bless you all and keep you ever charitable and loving towards one another. Love in Christ Jesus, Tammy