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COMMONWEALTH
CHRISTIANITY OASIS
HAS PROVIDED YOU WITH THIS COMMONWEALTH STUDY. MOST HAVE
HEARD OF COMMONWEALTH BUT HAVE NO IDEA WHAT COMMONWEALTH IS. LET US
SEEK AND FIND THE TRUTH OF COMMONWEALTH TOGETHER, SHALL WE?
Commonwealth is having all
things . . . in common. In other words, when the Christian
movement started everyone shared everything. Those who would
become Christian would oft times do as Jesus said and sell
all worldly possessions and follow the Christian movement.
They would then each contribute their gifts and talents and
possessions as their part of the commonwealth.
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Acts 4:32
And the multitude of them that believed were of one
heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that
ought of the things which he possessed was his own;
but they had all things common. |
I know this may
sound a little strange, having been raised in the selfish
generation we live in today. But, it was an excellent idea
because the poor and rich Christians became of one calling
and shared all, whether it be financial or skills for a
COMMON GOAL. Let me give you an example. You may be a good
sandal-maker, so your job in the commonwealth would be to
make sandals for all the people who belonged. to the
Christian group. Your neighbor may be a good hunter, so your
neighbor could provide you with the leather that you need to
make the sandals, and meat to feed the commonwealth.
Somebody else may have a green thumb and they would grow
fruits and vegetables and herbs for everyone. Nobody has
more or less than anyone else, and everyone’s job is just as
important as the next person’s.
Now ...
with all the scams going on these days I want to be sure
that you do not believe this message to mean that you should
run out and give your life savings to some Church, group or
man claiming to be something. It would be best for you to
check the fruits well and be certain that it is God's will
before making such a rash decision. In addition ... I am not
saying tithes is not a righteous deed either, so all you
Pharisees can sit back down and lower that brow. If you
feel led or called to put forth monies to some worthy cause,
that's great. Just be careful ... The main purpose of
commonwealth was to LOVE and care for one another as family.
It is best for one to sacrifice whatever they can to the
Christian cause, but it may not be financial ... Some of
your time, talent, devotion and love shared for the
Christian cause would be deemed as putting your part into
the commonwealth.
A few
things to beware of when it comes to belonging to a
commonwealth:
If you
contribute more than someone else, you might feel entitled
to more benefits of the commonwealth. My friend, this is not
commonwealth at all. The whole IDEA is that ALL things are
common. Don't forget the parable that Jesus told about the
workers in
Matthew 20:1-16. Now, don't get this wrong,
because freeloading is not admired by anyone, but who is to
say how much of a person's heart
is given with the little that some have to contribute or how
little of another person's heart
is given with the abundance that they have to contribute?
Let God be the judge of such things. Whenever you give from
the goodness of your heart, you're really making a deposit
into your Salvation account and your treasure is being saved
up for you in Heaven.
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Matthew 6:21
For where your treasure is, there will your heart be
also. |
There's a
little story in the book of Acts that tells how a man and
his wife took advantage of the commonwealth of the early
Christians, and the consequences they faced for the error of
their ways:
There was a man that
wanted to join the Christian movement named Ananias. He and
his wife Sapphira wanted to be part of the commonwealth, so
they sold their land. However, Ananias and wife Sapphira
decided to deceive the Christian group and keep part of the
money back for themselves. Ananias then took the specified
amount that he and his wife secretly plotted to contribute
and laid it at the Apostles’ feet. In doing this, Ananias
was saying, in essence, that he wanted more than the others
and the BIG problem was. His gesture was showing a lack of
Faith and that He thought he was fooling ... GOD.
Now, Peter, being
clued in by the Holy Spirit as to the plot said, Ananias,
why has satan controlled your heart to lie to the Holy Ghost
and keep part of the price of the land for yourself? Before
you sold it, wasn’t it your own? And after it was sold,
wasn’t all the money yours? Why have you thought this thing
in your heart?
You haven’t lied to men, but to God.
Peter was saying, it would have been better for Ananias to
keep it all to himself and not be a part of the
commonwealth, than to keep part and give part so that he
could have more than the others. When Ananias heard these
words, he fell down, and died. They wound him up, and
carried him out, and buried him.
It was about
three hours later that Sapphira, not knowing what happened
to Ananias, came in. Peter asked her, Tell me if you sold
the land for this much (the amount that Ananias gave him)?
And she said, Yes, for that much. Then Peter said to her,
Why did you agree together
to tempt the Spirit of the Lord?
Look, the feet of those who buried your husband are at the
door, and will carry you out too. She fell down immediately
at his feet and died, and they came in and carried her out,
and buried her by her husband. Great fear came upon all the
Church, and on anyone who heard these things.
So, as you
can see, the Holy Spirit knows where your heart is and the
sincerity of your generosity.
Paul
explained to the Corinthians about commonwealth:
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2 Corinthians 8:12-15
For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted
according to that a man hath, and not according to
that he hath not. For I mean not that other men be
eased, and ye burdened: But by an equality, that now
at this time your abundance may be a supply for their
want, that their abundance also may be a supply for
your want: that there may be equality: As it is
written, He that had gathered much had nothing over;
and he that had gathered little had no lack. |
In our
modern society, we’ve forgotten about the principles of
commonwealth that the children of Israel practiced when they
were freed from Egypt (Exodus
16:18), and also the early Christians in
Acts 4:32. People would find it very difficult
today with all of their rights and selfishness to adapt to
such a thing. What about when the End Times arrive?
Christians won’t be able to buy or sell anything without the
mark, because of antichrist so commonwealth among Christians
may come into practice once again. It may be a good thing to
think about, and ask ourselves how the Holy Spirit will feel
about our attitude toward commonwealth if it ever becomes
the only way that Christians can survive.
Take care and have a SON-sational
day.
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