Focus: John 12:4-6 - KJV
4. Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, which should betray him, 5. Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor? 6. This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein.
John 12:3-6
There are many custodians of funds in the body of Christ who, as the overall pastor in charge of a flock or the keeper of the church income, know that the income of the Church is first for the expansion of kingdom works and caring for the needy. By this knowledge, even though they convert the funds primarily to their personal uses, they create a menial desk and claim it is to provide for the widows and needy but God sees their intention as He cannot be mocked. Worse is the Christian who, out of lack of love for God and the things that are of God, bring up the theory of giving to the needy to avoid giving an offering, paying tithe or giving the first fruit as indicated by the Church. They make these activities appear unscriptural, whereas their thoughts and acts are borne out of a lack of love for God or His affairs. God sees them too in their nakedness.
When Adam and Eve became naked, rather than seek God as they were for God in His mercy to ransom them, they sewed fig leaves together with a view to covering their nakedness, not knowing that no leaf, no matter how large can be put seamlessly together to cover crass nakedness. Every time men assume they are hiding from the face of the Lord concerning that which He commands, they return to the posture of Adam and Eve in the Garden when they thought they could hide their nakedness from the Lord. Judas was a thief whose heart was to keep away for himself, offering brought into the ministry. He would not say so publicly so as not to be stoned to death. He would rather use the needy as smoke screen to achieve his evil purpose. But won’t the one who created the eyes see?
The Lord’s counsel today is for us to stop pretending to be who we are not. Those who do not hide their sin shall obtain mercy; the shenanigan of fools shall be their undoing. There are those who claim they do not believe in tithes and offerings. There is no quarrel about that. If, however, your pretense is that you are giving to the needy and not to the Church but you are not giving to anyone, who do you think you are deceiving? If you fail to tithe or give an offering, no one will compel you as it is your prerogative. If, however you come with the shenanigan of doing it through the needy but you are not doing anything, then will such a person be considered an agent of the enemy of the Church and therefore, an anti-Christ.
SOLUTION: Stay in your belief. Do not feign whom you are not. Every deceiver is a liar and child of the devil. Be plain and deliberate in good doing for whatsoever we do has consequences on earth as well as in heaven, or hell.
Please pray:
· Give God thanks for being your sustainer and help from the very beginning
· Plead for the mercy of God over your past pretenses that the same may not impact your future life negatively
· Ask the Lord to grant you the grace to be upright and true in all that you do and not to offend His will in any way
· Pray that in all you do to support the work of the Kingdom, your labor will not be in vain and that you will not end it like Judas Iscariot
· Ask for your daily bread today.
If you are blessed by this post, kindly share with your contacts, as well as others, that they may be blessed also. Thank you and may God bless you abundantly as you do so, in Jesus’ name.
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