Getting Something for FREE
The article immediately prior to this, titled "Genuine Godly Stewardship," got this query: "What do you mean by money expense to beautify our lives? Do you mean the temple of the Holy Spirit?" The answer is a big YES. But it's not about church buildings or altar renovations. Church buildings are not God's temple.
Picture above by Saad Chaudhry, Unsplash.
Building and beautifying the temple of the Holy Spirit takes lots of spiritual caring by the Word, prayer, worship, genuine spirit fellowship (spirit-to-spirit connection), and discipleship--plus lots of real money expense. For one, you have to buy bibles in various versions. Another is buying quality books on Jesus and having your own Greek and Hebrew bibles and things like that.
And don't forget books with unusual or radical contents that help you believe outside the (religious) box. Jesus said, "Leave them (the Pharisees). They're blind guides." But these are not musts. The "must" is get revelations straight from the Holy Spirit. Reading one chapter a day--or even 20 chapters a day--is useless if you don't hear straight from the Holy Spirit. Even if you have all the books and references. All you'd have is human understanding of scriptures.
And the bible says that humans--or natural men--cannot understand the bible.
The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.Well, many today sell books at an exorbitant price. They should take a look at what the bible says about "buy wisdom and do not sell!" Some sell bibles at exorbitant prices. I used to sell all my e-books but now I'm giving some of them away for free. I still buy good books on Jesus, but when I write e-books I give some away for FREE!
Why only "some"? Why not give away all my Christian e-books? Because ministers of the Gospel should also get their living from it. We have to balance this passage with Proverbs 23.23.
In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel. [1 Corinthians 9.14]
Buy the truth, and do not sell it, [Proverbs 23.23]
Well, the e-books I give away are not really "for free" because God's going to "pay" me. And it's not so much as "payment" as it is a spiritual reward. I expect God to reward me when I give away valuable things for his glory. And anyway, you don't really know who I am, so my giving is still in secret.
But don't get me wrong. Don't rely too much on free giveaways. Sometimes, you have to buy good books to learn, and then give your knowledge away for free like Jesus did. But the Word also says we ministers have to earn a living through the Gospel. To me, this means we shouldn't charge so much for our books or e-books. But as far as bible are concerned, I believe we shouldn't sell them.
I see lots of pastors depending on freebies. They're happy when they get free books and free meals during conferences. Jesus' audience got free meals and knowledge, but Jesus and his disciples didn't rely on freebies themselves. They produced goods--spiritual and material. Some they gave away; some they sold, like in Acts 2.45.
And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need.
In a sense, they were also providers. Pastors should be like that and not act like paupers or beggars, begging for freebies. Get the reputation of being a provider. If not, then at least do not be in the habit of begging or waiting for people to take pity on you or asking for donations or soliciting. Do not solicit or beg or ask for donations. It's okay to receive from willing benefactors, but it's not okay to beg.
If someone blesses you, take it and thank the Lord and the person God used. But don't beg or get the reputation of always waiting for free handouts. Jesus was never like that. Be a blesser, and don't make it public. Bless people secretly to please the Father who watches in secret.
People love getting things for free, and that's understandable. I myself love getting freebies. But I just wish people would be more interested in God's FREE gift of salvation from sin and hell by receiving Jesus as Savior and Lord and totally surrendering their lives to HIM.
GOD's Flesh E-Book
You want this 100-plus page e-book?
It's about the radical move of God for the church in these last days. I believe God inspired me to write the first edition which was published and sold to a select few. But the original copy was lost. So I can't reproduce it anymore.
But God again urged me to write a second one, and this one's a lot more radical than the first. I myself am sometimes shocked when I read it.
It's about the radical move of God for the church in these last days. I believe God inspired me to write the first edition which was published and sold to a select few. But the original copy was lost. So I can't reproduce it anymore.
But God again urged me to write a second one, and this one's a lot more radical than the first. I myself am sometimes shocked when I read it.
For only P300, get this 100-plus page e-book (PDF). This is for my ministry support.