Do We Export Christian “Mini-Loans” . . . at the Expense of GOD’S WORD ?

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Do We Export Christian “Mini-Loans” 

. . . at the Expense of GOD’S WORD ?

Are we teaching CAPITALISM or CHRISTIANITY ?

Are Christianity and Capitalism Compatible ?

Some Christian ministries working amongst the poor are doing a new type of out-reach. 

Certain Christian ministries have developed programs to teach the indigenous, poverty-stricken people how to buy and sell and take loans. 

These Christian programs teach the people “sound financial practices”, such as:

·        how to treat customers nicely

·        the way a Christian ought to buy and sell

·        saving a portion of their tiny income

·        pooling their funds

·        paying their debts

·    and taking small business loans after making a realistic plan to use that money for business purposes.   

The Christian mini-loan programs are popular in poverty-stricken areas, with waiting lists for those wanting to enroll in the financial program to be able to take a loan. 

The enrollees are taught pertinent Scriptures, sound money principles, stressing honesty, responsibility, and customer care. 

They are required to repay the loan in a reasonable amount of time, and the enrollees are monitored. 

These small financial programs seem to be highly successful, with a very high percentage of loan-takers repaying their loans. 

These financial programs seem to be well-liked by the indigenous people in the countries in which these ministries function, as the personal testimonies and the waiting lists attest.

Furthermore, American Christians delight in giving funds to this program to establish a money pool, making it possible for poverty-laden people to take a loan in the Name of CHRIST through the church. 

Surely, the church is a more reputable institution than some loan offices who would spit upon these “inconsequential” indigenous people and take advantage of them !  

How satisfied we Christians are for the poorest of folk to find a way to support themselves and their needy families ! How happy they are, as well !

Indeed, how relieved ANYONE is to be able to find an honest way to put food on the table, to clothe loved ones, to maintain a form of transportation, to pay rent, and to heat a dwelling place in winter  when work is scarce. 

This is a very REAL struggle in life amongst the working classes, even in wealthy America and other Western Civilized countries. The increase in the population of homeless people in wealthy America attests in part to this real-life struggle.

 

The Christian mini-loan ministries’ programs provide a way for indigenous people to provide for their basic needs. 

SO . . .

how could this possibly be “BAD” in GOD’S eyes ?

Well, consider this:

Is it POSSIBLE to contradict GOD’S WORD

and still receive the blessing ?

We would all say NO, for we all know that we cannot disobey GOD’S WORD and expect to be blessed.  

 We teach this principle all the time.

Here is His+ WORD: 

OWE NO MAN ANYTHING,

but to love ( agape) one another;

for he that loveth ( agape ) another hath fulfilled The Law.

Romans 13:8

In reality, the Spiritual part of the mini-loan program goes directly against Romans 13:8, as the Christian ministries teach the people to IGNORE THIS VERSE . 

They teach the people it is all right to take loans from THEIR Christian program.

Such programs are NOT found in the New Testament nor in the Early Christian writings. When the Early Christians encountered poverty amongst their fellow Believers, they simply GAVE, asking nothing in return, following the Words of CHRIST: 

Give to every man that asketh of thee;

and of him that taketh away thy goods

ask them not again.

Luke 6:30

Are we , then, teaching the CAPITALIST FINANCIAL SYSTEM

. . . rather than teaching Believers to ADHERE to GOD’S WORD ?

Are we, then, ACTUALLY TEACHING Believers to SET ASIDE the Apostles’ teaching about money in our sincere effort to raise them from that poverty which is so hard to see and bear?

Christian ministries are SUPPOSED to be a witness for CHRIST. 

Christian ministries are SUPPOSED to affirm the TRUTH of GOD’S HOLY WORD. They are supposed to be affirming the wonderful WORD of GOD above all the systems of man, including financial. 

Christian mission workers are SUPPOSEDLY sent to teach indigenous people who follow The LORD JESUS that IF THEY LIVE ACCORDING TO SCRIPTURE, the LORD will supply their needs.

Hear these familiar Words of Our LORD JESUS CHRIST from Matthew 6:31-34.

Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 

(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your HEAVENLY FATHER knoweth that ye have need of all these things.

But seek ye first the KINGDOM OF GOD, and HIS Righteousness; 

and all these things shall be added unto you.

Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

~ Words of our LORD JESUS CHRIST~

The REAL issue is this: 

We cannot TEACH what we ourselves do not believe. 

We cannot GIVE to others what we ourselves do not put into practice: If we seek first the Kingdom of GOD and HIS Righteousness  that the LORD will supply all our needs.   

That is,  we do not believe enough to apply those Words of CHRIST to our own finances and the way we handle our money.  

We cannot exhort indigenous people to live by Matthew 6: 31-34 when we ourselves DO NOT LIVE  BY THOSE WORDS OF CHRIST.

In other words, we are CHRISTIANS

when it comes to Salvation,

but American CAPITALISTS

when it comes to our money dealings.

In  capitalism,  there must be enough funds available to form a pool of money in order for loans to be given. 

In Third World societies, that pool of funds simply does not exist for the poor, even if they together pooled a few cents every week . . . a few cents that each can scarcely afford to sacrifice. 

Yes, the poor work hard. They MUST or they simply will not have enough to buy even their daily food. 

They may lack even that if  something unexpectedly happens: the cow dies or the company closes or the wage-earner becomes sick. Or if their vehicle suddenly quits working. 

It is a hand-to-mouth existence for so many people upon this earth.

The poor cannot possibly save enough to pull themselves out of poverty. In spite of their daily labor, their country’s economic system is not geared to help them. 

Teaching the people to take loans requires a pool of money supplied from Christians who live elsewhere or who have money above their daily needs. 

So what happens to their “sound financial teaching” if that ministry suddenly leaves that area or a recession hits the wealthier ones ? 

There will be no more pool of money for the poor to borrow from. Worse, the Believers have not been strengthened to STAND upon the promises of GOD. 

CHRIST JESUS said Our Heavenly FATHER knows our needs before we ask. 

Be not ye therefore like unto them:

for your FATHER knoweth what things ye have need of,

BEFORE YE ASK HIM.

Matthew 6:8

Instead of teaching how to become FUNCTIONAL CAPITALISTS, perhaps it would be more fruitful if these Christian ministries focused their teaching upon APPLYING the WORDS of CHRIST to the lives of the Believers. 

As far as loans, IT IS NOT SO DONE in the Word of GOD. Giving, not loaning, is what Christians are exhorted to do. 

The ideal would be, as one Christian receives a gift to establish a small income-making business, that he would IN TURN give to another fellow Christian he finds in need. 

That cannot be programmed, nor required, however. That is, the gift given cannot be contingent  upon the person  giving the amount of the gift to another person. 

We all can read: there are NO contingencies listed according to New Testament giving principles. Not even “screening” the applicants who would borrow from us !

However, IF CHRIST JESUS is indeed formed in a person’s heart, he would want to “do unto others as he would have them do unto him,” wouldn’t he ? 

Thus . . . FORMING CHRIST JESUS in the hearts of the indigenous people comes FIRST. [ We are not talking simply about church attendance here, but the REAL fruits of Salvation.]   

If indigenous Christians are found being dishonest or irresponsible, the REAL problem is a faulty walk with The LORD --- exactly like it would be for American Christians. It is not an issue with their finances but rather sins that need to be addressed. 

If unkind words, sharp-tongued retorts are their means of communication, then it is NOT “customer care” that needs to be addressed but the lack of The HOLY SPIRIT in their lives, controlling their tongues . . . and heart.  

If The LORD JESUS is formed in their hearts, HE+ will lead them to repent of those sins. They will become honest and responsible as well as  kind and patient with everybody, including their business customers.  Those type of things are the FRUITS of walking with The LORD. 

It is not financial counseling they need, but repentance from sin.

Now then, nowhere in Scriptures are Christians exhorted to set up loan programs to help the poor. 

Nowhere in Scriptures are Christians instructed to instruct others about “sound financial principles.” 

And, NOWHERE in Scriptures are we taught to IGNORE GOD’S WORD! 

We cannot REPLACE GOD’S WORD with our own programs nor Capitalistic systems. 

If we try to substitute HIS instructions with the methods and ways of man, we may indeed succeed for awhile on earth. But we will not succeed in Heaven, before GOD. 

HE+ is interested in Spiritual fruit; HE+ is quite able to take care of our earthly needs, as The WORD of GOD plainly states.  

WOE to any one or any ministry which teaches men to ignore GOD’S WORD and “owe” money to another or to a program. 

WOE to any one or any ministry which teaches men that CHRIST’S words are empty of power !

“Seek ye first the Kingdom of GOD and His+ Righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you” is to BE BELIEVED, does WORK, can be APPLIED in this day and age, and INCLUDES our daily bread or crucial needs. 

Hear The WORD of CHRIST JESUS HIMSELF+. 

Not every one that saith unto ME+, LORD, LORD,

shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven;

but he that doeth the Will of My+ FATHER Who is in Heaven.

Many will say to ME+ in that day, LORD, LORD, have we not

prophesied in Thy+ Name? and in Thy+ Name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?

And then will I+ profess unto them, I+ never knew you:

depart from ME+, ye that work iniquity.

Matthew 7:21-32

FAR BETTER it would be to help the worn-out, poverty-stricken peoples in this world in the way we are instructed to do in Scriptures: to give in the Name of JESUS and not ask for any return.

The POWER of The HOLY SPIRIT will be loosened through our obedient adherence to the WORD of GOD.

Then it will be that Spiritual CONVICTION will be loosened upon the receiver or taker. CONVERSION to CHRIST JESUS may occur following that conviction or a hardened heart may be softened under the Influence of un-earned, un-merited Christian Love.  

If conviction does not change that person, WOE to him! But our hands will be clean of the responsibility for his soul.

If we ourselves walk in and teach sound CHRISTIAN principles instead of “sound financial principles”, we would win souls for the Living CHRIST. 

We would teach them to enter into a real and present fellowship with HIM+, instead of teaching men to savor capitalism as we do. 

Nominal, mechanical Christianity receives no promises,

but a living relationship with CHRIST JESUS does.

And if souls enter into a Living relationship with The LORD JESUS CHRIST, HE+ would see to it to provide their daily needs . . . just like HE+ has promised in His+ WORD.  

 For . . .

GOD is not a man, that HE should lie . . .

Numbers 23:19

Let us , therefore, RETURN to GOD'S Way of ministering to the poor, the way that CHRIST and His+ Apostles have taught us to do. 

A way which MAINTAINS the WORD of GOD, not negates it.   

Give to every man that asketh of thee;

and of him that taketh away thy goods

ask them not again.

Luke 6:30