The Socialist do-gooders in the U.S. Government have succeeded, over a period of years, in producing a colossal welfare system in this country. Helping the needy seemed like a good idea, but instead of helping them get off welfare, they have succeeded in producing a welfare customer base that has grown to gigantic proportions. In some families, they are now into the third generation of furnishing a welfare population.

Now that the government has created this monster, they are now looking for someone else to dump it on. We have heard politicians, for several years, talking about getting the churches to do more about helping those on welfare. The pressure is mounting for the churches to take a more active part in doing this.

President George W. Bush has made a strong push for the government to give money to the churches to help take over a lot of the welfare mess. I certainly admire him for many of his conservative ideas and his moral decency, after suffering through eight years of debauchery and shame in the White House. I believe that he has innocently come up with an idea that will in the end be very dangerous for churches.

Why I Oppose Faith

Based Charities

1. Money given to the churches will eventually have strings attached. This is the reason I am against giving vouchers which can be used at church schools. Good Christian schools are certainly a wonderful way to save children from public schools. The NEA and their liberal cohorts are leading our children down the road to moral and spiritual ruin.

However, when the government starts handing out money to church schools, they will eventually exert their influence on these schools. I do not know all the solutions, but we had better watch out for the traps.

2. Some churches and other faith based organizations will misuse this money. Can you imagine what people like Jesse Jackson might do with the money if given to one of his organizations? It would come in handy to pay off a mistress and furnish child support for an illegitimate child. There are plenty of other dishonest people in the religion racket, and an awful lot of them would be white.

Why It Is Unscriptural

For True Churches To

Be Involved?

1. If you study the Great Commission found in Matthew 28:19-29, you will find no provision made for a church to becoming a charity. "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you; and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen." The church that Jesus founded was never told to operate like the Salvation Army.

2. The church at Jerusalem did not become a charity. some might claim that when they distributed to the widows in Acts 6, they were a charity.

If you will notice Acts 6:1-2, you will find that they were only helping the destitute widows who were disciples and members of the church at Jerusalem. "And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration. Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables." They were not helping all the other widows in Jerusalem.

3. When Paul was taking up an offering from the churches of Macedonia and Greece, it was to help the poor saints at Jerusalem. Notice that he calls it the collection for the saints. "Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye." (I Cor. 16:1)

We notice that this offering was to be taken to the church at Jerusalem. "And when I come, whomsoever ye shall approve by your letters, them will I send to bring your liberality unto Jerusalem". (I Cor. 16:3)

This seems to have taken place on more than one occasion. We find that the church at Antioch sent relief to the brethren at Jerusalem.

"And in these days came prophets from Jerusalem unto Antioch. And there stood up one of them named Agabus, and signified by the Spirit that there should be great dearth throughout all the world: which came to pass in the days of Claudius Caesar. Then the disciples, every man according to his ability, determined to send relief unto the brethren which dwelt in Judaea: Which also they did, and sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul." (Acts 11:27-30)

The distribution was made to the saints, and not to the population as a whole.

"Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality." (Romans 12:13)

4. Paul limited the churches as to which people they would help with their offerings. If they would not work, they were not to eat. "For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat." (2 Thessalonians 3:10)

There is a whole class of people in our society that do not and will not work on a regular basis. They will always depend on someone else to take care of them.

5. Paul clearly set forth certain limitations as to who the churches were to help. Paul instructs them to help widows that were widows indeed. He makes it clear that children and nephews were to render aid to the widows who were related to them.

This would include other relatives such as, "offspring, children, descendants, and grandchildren." Those who have such relatives could not be "widows indeed."

"Honour widows that are widows indeed. But if any widow have children or nephews, let them learn first to shew piety at home, and to requite their parents: for that is good and acceptable before God." (1 Timothy 5:3-4)

Even then, the widow that was to be helped must be desolate, trusting in God, and continuing in supplications and prayers night and day, and must not be living a life of pleasure. "Now she that is a widow indeed, and desolate, trusteth in God, and continueth in supplications and prayers night and day. But she that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth". (I Tim. 5:5-6)

A widow that was to be helped must be at least sixty years old, and must have been the wife of only one husband. She must also be a widow that has been living an exemplary life.

"Let not a widow be taken into the number under threescore years old, having been the wife of one man, Well reported of for good works; if she have brought up children, if she have lodged strangers, if she have washed the saints' feet, if she have relieved the afflicted, if she have diligently followed every good work." (1 Timothy 5:9-10

Read this whole passage carefully, and you will not find here or anywhere else in the New Testament, the authority to dispense charity in the way many churches are doing it today.

A scriptural church needs to carefully heed the teaching of the New Testament. A lot of money and resources that should be going to support missions and the winning of souls is presently being directed to people that do not serve or even know God.

My Experience As

A Pastor

I am sure that some will severely criticize me for this article. Some will call me hard hearted and uncaring, but I know better. Churches and pastors by careless charity, enable people to live lazy, sinful lives, smoking, drinking and carousing.

Do I ever help people who come by for help? Yes, I do sometimes, but out of my own pocket. Most of the time I simply turn them down. I have been the victim of so many lies that I could write a book on the lies that these people tell.

Many times they are supposedly going to a funeral or to see a sick mother in the hospital in a distant city. Most of the time they are simply liars seeking to deceive and rob godly people who are soft hearted. They travel from church to church, and the same people may come back in a few short weeks or months.

This time they have forgotten that they have been there before, and they may tell the same story, or be from a different place this time. If you compare notes with another preacher nearby, you will find that the same person dropped by their church with an entirely different story.

I have seen them come in "hungry" with a brand new pack of cigarettes in their pocket. Pregnant women or women with small children come in wanting diaper money, baby food money, or funds for a prescription for the baby. After they leave, if you peep out the door, there may be from one to three able bodied men sitting in the car waiting for the women and children to return to the car.

The car they are driving, may be in some instances better than what the preacher is driving. Give them money and they may well head out toward the liquor store.

They will tell you that they only need five or ten dollars to meet their need. Give it to them, and then watch them as they go to the next church to give them the same story. I have seen many of them come by, and they just need some gas money to get to Phoenix or Houston where they have a good job waiting. They promise that as soon as they get their first check, they will pay you back. In over 40 years, I have never had even one to repay me. No not one!

They will come by at Sunday School time, but they don't have time to stay for spiritual help. The reason is, that they want to get to as many different churches as possible during the time that they can catch the preacher or someone else to get a handout.

David gave his testimony concerning beggars. "I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread". (Psa. 37:25) This was David's experience, and not an absolute doctrine. My experience has been about the same as that of David, but I realize that there are exceptions. the beggar in Luke 16:22 is one of those exceptions.

How Many Of These

People Live For God?

I have yet to find one of these professional beggars that was really serving the Lord. I have asked them about their salvation and they say they are saved. Then they are asked to name their home church and pastor.

Usually they are vague about this, but a few of them name names. When you ask if it is all right to call their pastor, they begin to make excuses. The pastor has recently moved and his phone has not been installed, or he is away on vacation or is in revival.

I have yet to meet any of these people that were faithful in church. I have never met one who was a tither, or could give the name of any person you could call to verify their story. Ask for a drivers license or some kind of identification, and they will tell you that they lost it or do not have it with them.

It is a shame that we have no way of checking up on the criminal record of some of these people. It is certain that some of them are lawbreakers.

I could go on and on with real stories, but I will not do so at this present time. Yes, I have helped people, and then felt guilty, because I wasted money that could be used in some way that would glorify God.

In the future I am not going to help people who are passing through. If I help anyone, it will have to be someone I know, or someone that I could get to know. It is a sin to waste God's money, and it is a sin to waste money that God has given to me. I had rather give it to the Lord's work. There are plenty of missionaries who have great needs.

TORCH EDITOR: If you do not receive the PLAINS BAPTIST CHALLENGER you should. In my opinion this is one of the best, if not best, church papers published. The cost is $5.00 for one year and $8.00 for two years. The paper is usually 8 pages, 8 by 11 and is published monthly. Here is the address: PLAINS BAPTIST CHALLENGER, P.O. BOX 3100, LUBBOCK, TEXAS 79452.