Where Would Jesus Give To In Times Like This?

Matthew 24 : 3-8As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. "Tell us," they said, "… what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?"
Jesus answered: "Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Christ, and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains.

We are certainly living in the days nearing the end of the age and in troubled times indeed. The recent string of disasters all around us is a testament of that fact. We were first shocked at the fury and devastation of the super Typhoon Ketsana which has caused massive floods and destroyed houses and farms in Philippines, Vietnam and Laos since 26 September. Then, barely 3 days later, we were stunned by the massive 8.3 magnitude earthquake and tsunami which wiped out entire villages in Samoa. Almost immediately, another massive 7.6 magnitude earthquake hit Padang, Sumatra. The Sumatran earthquake tremors were even felt in many parts of Malaysia.

In all these disasters, many lives were lost, untold numbers were made homeless, entire villages were destroyed. Women became widows and children became orphans. Suffering, hardship, pain, hunger, broken lives resulted. Cries for help rang throughout the world and many are responding to the plight of these unfortunate victims.


(These photos are compiled from the Star newspaper and online resources)
Volunteers are being mobilised to go to the aid of these people. Funds are being set up and many are coming forward to give. It is everyone’s hope that their little help extended will bring some relief to the poor victims and help to wipe away their tears. But really, none of us can ever fathom or even imagine the hurt, the pain, the suffering which these fellow human beings are going through right now. Seeing such tremendous suffering around us, what should our attitude be as Christians?
Deuteronomy 15:7 - “If there is a poor man among your brothers in any of the towns of the land that the LORD your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward your poor brother.”
Deuteronomy 26:12 - “When you have finished setting aside a tenth of all your produce in the third year, the year of the tithe, you shall give it to the Levite, the alien, the fatherless and the widow, so that they may eat in your towns and be satisfied.”Proverbs 14:31 - “He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.”1 Timothy 6:18 - “Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.”James 1:27 - “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”
1 John 3:17 - “If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?”
Proverbs 22:9 - “A generous man will himself be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor.”

Isaiah 58:10 - "And if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday."
Proverbs 19:17 - “He who is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward him for what he has done.”
While the whole world is responding in compassion and mercy, here in Kuala Lumpur, the pastors of Calvary Church are busy encouraging or almost forcing the church staff and life group leaders to sell coupons for the coming Calvary carnival in an effort to raise funds to build the extravagant world-class 5,000-seat Calvary Convention Centre (CCC) costing no less than RM200 million including land.

To achieve their sales target, bundles of coupons are shoved into the hands of the church staff and life group leaders who are “encouraged” not to return unsold coupons but only to hand in the cash for the coupons. This has put unnecessary burden on the church staff and lay leaders.

There should not be a need to compel church leaders and church staff to hard sell the coupons in order to raise funds. Our God is a rich God and if indeed, the CCC is His vision and His will, He will surely provide the funds. There is no need for Senior Pastor and his pastors and deacons to worry. They just need to trust in Him and exercise the faith which they preached about.

However, every Calvarite (including the pastors and deacons, if they will be honest enough) knows that this mammoth Convention Centre, if completed, will become another white elephant which will suck every cent from the church coffers just to maintain it. Yet the leadership can be so blinded as to continue to push the members to give to the building of this centre and in the process, lay heavy yokes on the shoulders of the church members. Where is their conscience?

How can the leadership of Calvary Church say that they are followers of Jesus but continue to have their priorities totally out of sync with the heartbeat of God? Jesus did not come to build mega churches or big convention centres. He came to build lives…. period! The Bible says He came for the poor and needy, for the widows and orphans. That is what missions is all about…..touching lives and saving souls. Missions is never about buildings. Buildings can never bring glory to God. Lives touched and won for God will bring glory to God.
Therefore, in harsh and troubled times like this, when people are dying around us, when the cries of the poor and the suffering echo all around, when love and compassion are much needed, every child of God and every church ought to re-examine themselves and set their priorities right.

CalvaryToday hopes that all the funds raised in the coming Calvary carnival, bowling event and golf tournament will be totally channeled to the victims of the recent calamities. Better still, the Church should sell off the CCC project and give the proceeds to where Jesus would give to.

Matthew 19:20 “‘All these I have kept,’ the young man said. ‘What do I still lack?’ Jesus answered, ‘If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions (the CCC?) and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.’"

So, dear Senior Pastor Tan Sri Prince Guneratnam, what say you?


AND, To all Calvarites, WHERE WOULD YOU GIVE TO IN TIMES LIKE THIS?

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