“Glory to the Precious name of our Lord Jesus Christ”

1 Timothy 6: 10

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen

If we, the bride, the church work for the Lord then we should not receive offering by our hand.

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, in the portion of the Bible that we meditated upon in the past days, we meditated that we, the bride, the church should give salvation freely to those who are living in sin.

Next what we are meditating upon is that 2 Kings 5: 20 – 27 But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, “Look, my master has spared Naaman this Syrian, while not receiving from his hands what he brought; but as the Lord lives, I will run after him and take something from him.” 

So Gehazi pursued Naaman. When Naaman saw him running after him, he got down from the chariot to meet him, and said, “Is all well?”

And he said, “All is well. My master has sent me, saying, ‘Indeed, just now two young men of the sons of the prophets have come to me from the mountains of Ephraim. Please give them a talent of silver and two changes of garments.’”

So Naaman said, “Please, take two talents.” And he urged him, and bound two talents of silver in two bags, with two changes of garments, and handed them to two of his servants; and they carried them on ahead of him. 

When he came to the citadel, he took them from their hand, and stored them away in the house; then he let the men go, and they departed. 

Now he went in and stood before his master. Elisha said to him, “Where did you go, Gehazi?” And he said, “Your servant did not go anywhere.”

Then he said to him, “Did not my heart go with you when the man turned back from his chariot to meet you? Is it time to receive money and to receive clothing, olive groves and vineyards, sheep and oxen, male and female servants? 

Therefore the leprosy of Naaman shall cling to you and your descendants forever.” And he went out from his presence leprous, as white as snow.

In the above-mentioned verses, after the man of God told Naaman to go in peace and sent him when he went a little distance Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, “Look, my master has spared Naaman this Syrian, while not receiving from his hands what he brought; but as the Lord lives, I will run after him and take something from him.” So Gehazi pursued Naaman. When Naaman saw him running after him, he got down from the chariot to meet him, and said, “Is all well?” And he said, “All is well. My master has sent me, saying, ‘Indeed, just now two young men of the sons of the prophets have come to me from the mountains of Ephraim. Please give them a talent of silver and two changes of garments.’” So Naaman said, “Please, take two talents.” And he urged him, and bound two talents of silver in two bags, with two changes of garments, and handed them to two of his servants; and they carried them on ahead of him. When he came to the citadel, he took them from their hand, and stored them away in the house; then he let the men go, and they departed. Now he went in and stood before his master. Elisha said to him, “Where did you go, Gehazi?” And he said, “Your servant did not go anywhere.” Then he said to him, “Did not my heart go with you when the man turned back from his chariot to meet you? Is it time to receive money and to receive clothing, olive groves and vineyards, sheep and oxen, male and female servants? Therefore the leprosy of Naaman shall cling to you and your descendants forever.” And he went out from his presence leprous, as white as snow.

My dear people when we work for the Lord and when one soul accepts Christ and are washed from their sins and cleansed and are saved or if any incurable disease goes away and they received healing, we must not expect any thing or money from them. If they force and give anything we must not receive it with our hands. Regarding this thing, the Lord is showing us Gehazi as a pattern and telling us. Because he received the offering that was with Naaman, the leprosy of Naaman shall cling to you and your descendants says the Lord. Therefore we must be very careful regarding offerings. This is because if we receive the offering for the Lord by our hands then the sin that they have done will cling to us and our generations. Therefore my dear people in Christ, let none of us be partakers of other’s sins and submit ourselves to safeguard ourselves.

Let us pray. May the Lord bless you all abundantly. 

       - To be continued