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Request on Behalf of Heaven's Family
December 29, 2016

I never ask for donations for my web site. In fact, if you donate to the cause below, you will COST me money.

Heaven's Family serves "the least of these" around the world, and they do a fantastic job. I know the director, his family, and a number of their workers. All of them live simply and follow Jesus wholeheartedly. They have 21 sections of their ministry supporting missionaries, feeding widows, rescuing orphans, preventing sex trafficking, bringing supplies to persecuted Christians and more.

They have a matching fund offer that has two days left to be matched. I am one of thirty people who made the pledge to be matched. The more you donate, the more of my pledge I have to send. That's how you can give money and cost me money at the same time.

The money doesn't go to me, but straight to them. I just went to heavensfamily.org, and the matching challenge is there on the front page. I would love to see them meet their challenge because I know the good that they do personally.

My Take on Money and Giving

I have a successful business. That business earns me a six-figure income, and the responsibility terrifies me. We who follow Jesus and the apostles know that riches can tear our hearts away from heaven and that those who pursue riches fall into many temptations and harmful lusts (Matt. 6:21; 1 Tim. 6:9).

Giving to ministries like Heaven's Family is a way for me to move my treasures from earth to heaven.

It is important, however, to make sure that our giving is to God. Just as the United States has only authorized the IRS to receive my tax payments, so God has only authorized certain persons to receive my gifts to him. For example, Proverbs 19:21 says that anyone who is kind to the poor lends to the Lord. We can conclude then that the poor are authorized representatives to receive our gifts to God. In fact, if you give to the poor, that same verse says that God will pay you back!

Wow!

Those who feed us spiritually are also authorized to receive earthly goods from us. Paul says that the worker is worthy of his hire (1 Tim. 5:17-18). Thus, true leaders and teachers are worth their hire, too. Beware, though, that you are not deceived by those who prey on your desire to be rich by promising you monetary returns upon this earth. Such preachers are in the employ of mammon, not God. They are not authorized by God, and thus your money will never make it to God, but will be lost in the temples of mammon.

Those are my thoughts on giving. I share them as the webmaster of Christian History for Everyman and one called by God to teach and encourage his people, not as a psychological ploy to get you to give to the worthy and important ministry at Heaven's Family.

If you would be willing to do that, though, please join me in supporting the many worthy causes of Heaven's Family. I gave you the link above. Thank you.

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