Bendang Imsong
Social Activist, Mokokchung
The Bible does not instruct churches to go around begging for money to achieve their goals. A church thrives on the faith of its congregation. According to Malachi 3:10, God commands us to give our tithe, 10% of our earnings, to Him. Additionally, 2 Corinthians 9:6-8 teaches that each person should give what they have decided in their heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. This scripture emphasizes voluntary and heartfelt giving, not compulsory collections, penalties, or begging from the wealthy.
If the Bible had instructed us to ask others to fund God's work, Peter would have accepted money from Simon (Acts 8:19-20). However, this was not the case. It is not wrong for someone to donate a large amount to the church willingly. Such generosity is commendable and aligns with biblical principles.
A church should prioritize preaching the gospel and gathering souls, ensuring that God and the people are pleased. By focusing on spiritual growth and salvation, the church will naturally be blessed with both earthly wealth and spiritual richness. In summary, a church that dedicates itself to the mission of saving souls will find itself thriving in all aspects.
In 1972, the Nagas celebrated the 100th anniversary of Christianity's arrival in Nagaland. This centenary celebration was not just a historical milestone but a blessing, marking a great revival initiating from the Ao lands to the whole of the Naga lands. They had the privilege to lead the Nagas in this spiritual awakening. Over time, the Word of God spread to every corner of Nagaland, and the influence of Christianity became deeply rooted in the culture and lives of the people. The churches then focused only on salvation and home evangelism, not fundraising.
However, with this progress came challenges. The churches became blinded by materialism and started focusing more on fundraising rather than home evangelism. With this, the forces of darkness started devising several cunning plans to destroy the spiritual progress that resulted in the birth of many sinful habits among the believers.
1. Normalization of Sinful Habits: The first of these schemes was to normalize the consumption of harmful substances, such as alcohol and drugs, under the guise of moderation. This tactic aimed to weaken the moral fabric of the church and its members.
2. Immorality Within the Church: Another diabolical plan was to promote sexual immorality within the church, particularly between male and female workers. This was intended to corrupt the sanctity of the church's leadership and undermine its moral authority.
3. Materialism and Distraction: Lucifer’s plan also involved blinding people with worldly wealth, which would lead to the destruction of families. Moreover, the youth were targeted by making them lazy and distracted with mobile phones and the internet, causing them to neglect spiritual services, and miss out on blessings during church gatherings, thus indulging in various immoral acts.
4. Family Division: Church leaders and workers were often sent away from their families to serve in outpost areas for various NGOs, prayer homes, revival missions, and counseling services. This separation was exploited to create opportunities for infidelity and moral compromise.
5. Division Among Church Members: A further tactic was to sow division within the church by creating a hierarchy based on wealth and power. The voices of the poor and weak were ignored, and the wealthiest churches were allowed to dominate the council, leading to inequality and discord.
6. Physical and Spiritual Destruction: Various initiatives were introduced to lead believers into self-destruction, both physically and spiritually. This was aimed at weakening the overall strength and unity of the church community.
7. Corruption of Church Finances: The church’s treasury was targeted by allowing black money to enter, making the congregation spiritually blind and corrupting the sanctity of the church's resources.
8. Laziness and Misuse of God's Name: Laziness was encouraged among the church members, leading to a decline in attendance at spiritual services. Additionally, God's name was used in vain to solicit funds, diverting attention away from spiritual growth and towards personal business interests.
9. Undeserved Titles and Family Disgrace: Lastly, even unworthy individuals were persuaded to assume the title of “Reverend,” leading to a degradation of the holy work. This laziness also affects family fellowships, causing shame through the actions of their children and ultimately leading them away from their sacred duties.
Additionally, when churches focus more on materialism than on evangelism, many problems arise. An excessive emphasis on material growth often leads to frequent fundraising, which may improve church infrastructure and provide comfort for church workers, but can also shift attention away from the church's primary mission of spreading the Gospel. As a result, church leaders may become distant from the congregation and more concerned with status and prestige.
Instead of reaching out to people through evangelism, counselling and pastoral care, the church may become preoccupied with maintaining buildings and financial resources. This can lead to the construction of large church facilities that remain underutilized, with many empty seats. Moreover, repeated financial collections can place an additional burden on poorer families, making it more difficult for them to meet their daily needs. Therefore, the church should prioritize faith, salvation and evangelistic ministry over material concerns. Since the leaders play a crucial role in shaping the church, they must remain committed to spiritual leadership and ensure that the church's mission of faith, salvation and evangelism is not overshadowed by material concerns. Some guidelines for effective leadership:
• Reflect on your identity and the nature of your leadership.
• The greatest tool for a leader is staying informed about what’s happening around them. Awareness enables effective planning.
• Build relationships with honest individuals and never ignore their counsel.
• Maintain liberal and positive connections with everyone.
• When faced with challenges, don’t consider running away.
• Make decisions confidently, focusing on what benefits society rather than personal interests.
• Learn to speak eloquently in front of the crowd.
• A leader must have self-control.
• Always stand for truth and honesty, but never support wrongdoing.
• Accepting one’s mistakes is a valuable quality in a leader. Learn to acknowledge when you are wrong.
• Love others and remain humble, regardless of your position.
• Nurture the next generation of leaders with a vision for the future.
• Above all, fear God and lead by teaching His ways.
The Bible says, “You shall not follow the crowd in doing evil, nor shall you testify in a dispute to pervert justice” (Exodus 23:2).
Be fearless like a lion and let truth be your armour. If holiness uplifts a society, let the leaders guide the people in holiness.
