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Aug 8Liked by Stephen K. De Silva

Steve, I can feel that your heart is in the right place by posting your call to action.

However, don't you think it would also be valuable for you to state the importance of Financial Sozo Leadership Training for Church Leaders?

You can "Teach the Teachers" or "Lead the Leaders," they in turn would receive the blessings from Christ to teach, lead, and support their church members better.

They also would be able to receive financial sozo healing, blessings and overcome poverty programming or lack programming.

Would you be opposed to writing another post about inviting Church Leaders to a Financial Sozo?

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Aug 8·edited Aug 8Author

Great idea. That would be a wonderful part 2 to this post.

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Excellent, Steve. A timely, prophetic word. May the Church at large rise to the example of the early Church in Acts 2: 43-47 and foster genuine revival.

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I have been asking more questions, from a place of childlike humility - "what does the Bible really say about XYZ...?" I'm not calling Google the best theologian, but simple Google search questions like "Did the Levites eat the tithe?" brought back thought provoking passages. // I have been in church for 20 years, attended 2 years of ministry school, 1 year of discipleship school, read countless books. // I have heard countless teachings urging that tithing and giving to churches and ministries is mandated. What has not been taught alongside that is that those very passages used to teach mandated tithing and giving to churches and ministers, communicates equal obligation to systematically "tithe" to beneficiaries identified as "socially vulnerable": orphans, widows, foreigners. (Stephen, I'll send you a screenshot... Apparently cannot post that here.). But this highlighted for me that the vast majority of Christian minsters and churches I have heard from (and I've heard from a lot) are not actually being faithful to teach the whole command of scripture, either Old Testament or New Testament, which emphatically command us to systematically protect and provide for socially/materially vulnerable people particularly those inside our shared covenant bonds of submission to Christ. Scripture also says that God hears the poor who cry out to Him against those who ignore their cries for help. Is it possible that stronger actions are needed in urging a response to the whole counsel of the Word - both in *public teaching* and *required behaviors* ...of church leaders, as well as the common constituency of Christians...? Are we an insulated social club for the middle class and those with no needs? Or are we sober enough to ask ourselves what does Scripture actually model, testify, and command in the Old and New testaments? Where is the accountability? Thank you for your open letter -- it is a good start, but not nearly strong enough. 🙏🏽 If I can help be a mouthpiece, I will!

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