In many of our churches today there is a very strong emphasis on prayer and fasting........and rightly so, they are a necessity for the body. Yet, it is interesting to note that in many of these same churches, there is very little said about alms (charitable giving). I wonder why? Maybe it's because it doesn't seem as 'spiritual' as the other two.  Or is it simply an oversight?  During his teaching on the mount, Jesus discussed all three, side-by-side, promising rewards for all if practiced without hypocrisy, as shown below:

                        Alms       [Matt. 6:1-4]

                        Prayer     [Matt. 6:5-15]

                        Fasting    [Matt. 6:16-18]

Furthermore, these same three practices were evident in the life of Cornelius, even before his conversion. As a direct result, God 'rewarded' him by sending Peter to preach to him, as show below:

                        Alms     [Acts 10:2,4,31]

                        Prayer   [Acts 10:2,4,30]

                        Fasting  [Acts 10:30]

PROSPERITY TEACHING
It is my belief that one of the reasons that alms are no longer a major subject in some of our churches is as a direct result of some strands of the prosperity teaching. When I first heard the prosperity teaching in 1988, it had a big impact on my Christian life, for which I am grateful.  In essence, it is a message which tells us that it is God's will for us to prosper in every area of life, including the financial area. This is true [Psa. 1:3b, 3 John 2], and I still believe in it today.  However, in some sections of the church many have now distorted prosperity teaching in such a way that it encourages selfishness, greed and covetousness (which is idolatry [Col. 3:5]). It also encourages people to believe that if they keep 'sowing seeds' of 'sacrificial offerings' to certain ministries (usually ministries which minister mainly to the spiritual needs of Christians), they will reap a harvest of wealth untold.  Alms has thus become substituted for the giving of offerings to selected ministries, expecting a 'hundredfold' return.

While perpetual poverty is certainly not God's plan for anyone, I do not believe that God intends for everyone to be wealthy by worldly standards?  God's standard of prosperity in the Bible is abundance i.e. having more than enough.  Once we have more than what we need in an area of life, then we are prospering in that area.  Unfortunately, some prosperity teachers teach that God wants all his children to be rich; thus riches and possessions have become one of the major signs which many expect to follow those who believe.  Yet, while we are busy seeking such a sign, many in our world are desperately impoverished.  Even Jamaica¹ (homeland of my parents), officially a middle income country, yet one quarter of the population live on approximately £1 a day.  It is a country crippled by debts owed to rich countries and as a result the government has cut back on many subsidies and free services.

Now, it is not my intention to discourage you from supporting ministries which have helped you in your spiritual walk.......go ahead!  I am simply saying that we also need to be mindful of the scriptural statements and warnings regarding the way we treat the poor, such as:

He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord, and He will pay back what he has given [Proverbs 19:17]

Whoever shuts his ears to the cry of the poor, will also cry himself and not be heard. [Proverbs 21:13]

He who gives to the poor will not lack, but he who hides his eyes will have many curses. [Proverbs 28:27]

In conclusion, let us be careful not to ignore the cry of the poor in our world. Let us be thankful for the things that we have, rather than have an excessive concern for the things that we don’t have. Consider today what role God may want you or your church to play in tackling poverty in our world, and then make a decision to act on what God is saying to you.

¹ In March 2003 I was privileged to visit Christian Aid's partners in Jamaica along with a group of Christian Aid supporters from Manchester.  For some more information about my visit see click here.

To all readers: I would be very pleased to receive your thoughts on this article, please send your responses to: david@kingship.co.uk

David King is the Regional Black Majority Churches Liaison Worker for Christian Aid in the West Midlands and the North West.  Christian Aid is an organisation dedicated to tackling poverty and the systems and structures which keep poor people poor in the world's poorest countries. To find out more about their work visit their website: www.christianaid.org.uk

If you would like David to visit your church to speak or explain more about his work, send an e-mail to: dking@christian-aid.org

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