Everything a Christian does should not be termed a ministry for endorsement and financial support through the churches.
The false doctrine in America is:
Everyone is a Minister.
The teaching of Jesus says everyone is NOT a minister.
The false doctrine that everyone is a Minister has resulted in debasing the Gospel preacher to nothing, having no authority over you and no accountability to Christ Jesus for you.
Those whom JESUS gives authority and accountability at the risk of Heaven or Hell are the only Ministers of the Gospel.
All other activities in the churches may be considered ministries only in the context of “services” that are still UNDER the Ministers’ authority and accountability.
Today, there are multitudes of activities Christians do and it has become a false doctrine that all these activities are a “ministry”. There are book ministries, concert ministries, dance ministries, praise ministries, housing ministries, shelter ministries, bike club ministries, bike club churches, political ministries, political churches, book ministries, magazine ministries, journalism ministries, cowboy ministries, cowboy churches — everything is a “ministry”. And these ministries seek your donations to operate.
The heart that the first Christians expressed did things for the Lord ONLY BECAUSE THEY LOVED THE LORD.
Today, that heart has been replaced in Christians with doing things because they seek an income from it as a “ministry” or POWER and are no longer content to help the church Jesus “set” them in to help only for love’s sake.
Jesus’ original divine order for support was
- Gospel preachers He sent,
- Helping those with low incomes and no incomes
- Helping other churches
- Giving to the poor in general with our surplus
This order has been destroyed and replaced by the unscriptural teaching that EVERYONE is a “minister” and virtually anything is a ministry to support.
This means that things Christians are commanded by the Lord to support are not being supported while things Jesus has NOT commanded are being supported.
Money in Truth Seekers of Jesus Christ™ goes to three areas: Gospel preaching, taking care of our hurting, taking care of other Christians hurting and yes, helping the poor outside these responsibilities if money remains.
Helping others inside and outside the churches is our individual duty and responsibility — which Jesus calls ALMS.
Alms is something almost never preached and taught. ALMS must be discreet, anonymous and voluntary for God to reward you AND IT IS A COMMAND OF THE GOSPEL. There is GREAT reward in, privately, giving alms.
Dorcas made coats for the widows, but she wasn’t trying to call it a ministry to take collections for it. She did it as her own, individual and secret, love-offering from herself and of her talents TO THE LORD.
Reminder: He that gives to the poor lendeth (means gives) to the LORD and of the Lord shall he be repaid. See Proverbs 19:17.
In this church persons are restored to learning the character of love and reverence for the Lord that the Gospel teaches about “loving” the poor.
Duty To Pay Preachers Commanded
Creative Commons | As long as you don’t change anything and you do provide a link back to any page of this Christian Survival website you may copy, use, or distribute anything on the site — but not for selling. See copyright license Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International