Helping “the Least of These”
Okay, today I was reading in Exodus (I told you the schedule I use is random) and came across this passage in Exodus 30:
11God spoke to Moses: 12“When you take a head count of the Israelites to keep track of them, all must pay an atonement-tax to God for their life at the time of being registered so that nothing bad will happen because of the registration. 13Everyone who gets counted is to give a half-shekel (using the standard Sanctuary shekel of a fifth of an ounce to the shekel)—a half-shekel offering to God. 14Everyone counted, age twenty and up, is to make the offering to God. 15The rich are not to pay more nor the poor less than the half-shekel offering to God, the atonement-tax for your lives.
16Take the atonement-tax money from the Israelites and put it to the maintenance of the Tent of Meeting. It will be a memorial fund for the Israelites in honor of God, making atonement for your lives.”
When I combine this chapter with what Richard Stearns has to say in The Hole in Our Gospel, I had two reactions to it:
- On the one hand, all that Moses is calling for is a “minimum” of the Israelites money to go toward the maintenance of the temple.
- In the chapter in Richard Stearns book about money, he said that in reality, Christians currently donate less than 2% of their income to support charitable causes and that 2% of those funds go to organizations that care for the poor, the downtrodden, the orphans and the widows.
I’ll be the first to admit that I am not one of the few who tithe as much or more than what the Bible calls for, but the thought comes to mind…..
If Christians everywhere were to increase their support of mission organizations by 2% of their income, how much of an impact could we have on those who are in desperate need of assistance?
And how many organizations would then have the funding that they could not only provide short term relief but could more importantly provide long term efforts that would help the needy break the cycle of poverty and be better off in the long run?
Please join me in praying that the hearts of Christians would be opened (and remain open) to the call to help those who are less fortunate than us.
Until next time…..
Tom
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May 05, 2010 @ 02:42:39
hi tom!!!
yess break the circle of poverty!!
yesterday i was asked by a friend why we help GLA?
WHY????? why not i said….
for me this was a strange question, also because she is a christian..
i answerd her that i feel that i have to do it. This is what GOD asks us to do.
When we started organizing fundraisers for GLA God was with us and we felt it!!, because this way we raised money, experience beautiful thing, miracles happend, we have meet special people, we are so happy that we can help GLA and feel good about it, its a small effort to break that big circle of poverty….
SO WHY NOT????
its so simple to look away….my grandma always say : the easy way is not the good way…..its always the hard way when things can happen.
Warmest regards Janneke Leemhuis
http://www.whenhelpisneeded.nl
so, this is my oppinion how to be a good christian and hope to tell HIS story to other christians/people so they see WHY we have to help other people in need.