MinistersperspectiveBlog.net

Spiritual Rest....... continued...
"Come unto me, all ye that labour, and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."...................... Matthew 11:28......  kjv.

All ye that labour and are heavy laden!

The Saviour here, perhaps, is referring primarily to the Jews who groaned under the weight of their ceremonial laws and the traditions of the elders.
Some of these Laws and Traditions are mentioned in the book of Acts 15:10 &11; where Peter the Apostle is speaking these words to the Pharisees, concerning thoughts pertaining to circumcision and the keeping of the Laws of Moses..
(Vs-10): "Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?  (Vs-11) But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, we shall be saved, even as they."
In Matthew 11:28; Jesus is telling them that by coming to Him, and embracing the new covenant (or system of religion), they would be freed from these burdensome rites and ceremonies.
There can be no doubt, however; that He also meant here chiefly to address the poor, lost, ruined sinner: the man "burdened" with a consciousness of his transgressions, trembling at his danger, and seeking deliverance. For there is relief.
Christ tells them to come to Him, to believe in Him, and to Trust Him, and Him only, for salvation.
Doing this, He will give them rest.
Rest from their Sins, from Alarms of Conscience, from the Terrors of the Law, and from the Fears of Eternal Death.....

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Jesus told the disciples in (Mark 6:31);..... And he said unto them, "Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat. (Vs-32)... And they departed into a desert place or a (Solitary place); by ship privately". This all took place after the disciples finished reporting all that they had done andtaught, and Jesus knew they were tired. This is mentioned back in (Mark 6:30......."And the Apostles gathered themselves together unto Jesus, and told him all things, both what they had done, and what they had taught.
In essence these verses are stating the facts that: (1). They needed to come apart before they fell apart.  (2). There must be a time of restoration for the body and the soul, and (3). true rest can only come through Jesus.
Through Jesus who is the Shepherd, we can find divine Spiritual Rest as is taught in (Psalm 23:2-3);....(vs-2)... "He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the path of righteousness for his name sake.
(Ezekiel 34:14-15)... God is speaking through the Prophet Ezekiel... (vs-14)... "I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the big mountains of Israel shall their fold be: there shall they lie in a good fold, and in a fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel". (Vs-15).. "I will feed my flock, and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord God".

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Credit and debit cards can make money more accessible for ministry personnel
and thieves alike.  Whether you use cards to make purchases or receive pay-
ments, it's critical to safeguard your ministry against fraudulent activity.

Churches generally use small-business debit and credit cards to make purchases.
Federal law treats these cards differently than cards used by individuals. 

If a church debit card is hacked or stolen, the Federal Electronic Fund Transfer 
Act does not protect the ministry against unauthorized charges. That means the
church could be on the hook for all charges. thieves rack up on a debit card.

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Safeguards......continued
In order to protect the church from theft or criminal fraud, it is suggested that
the following measures be implement as standard operational procedures:

(a). All who are charged in handling the ministries money should undergo a
comprehensive background investigation.
(b). A written application should be submitted.
(c). A reference check should be made.. (must contain at least two
references).
(d). An annual criminal background check must be made.

During the screening process, ministry leaders should ask volunteer appli-
cants if they are experiencing financial difficulties.  Unexpected medical
expenses, the loss of a job, or even an expensive vehicle repair bill may
cause an otherwise trustworthy person to act in desperation. To avoid
false allegations of fraud, it's best for volunteers to step away from hand-
ling ministry money until they are back on more stable financial footing.
Immediate family members and people who work at the same place dur-
ing the week, should not work together on church finances. This policy
is designed to make it easier for volunteers to impartially supervise one
another.

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Whether in secular business or the church, fraud may not be obvious, but it
happens. According to the Status of Global Mission report from the Center
for the Study of Global Christianity, churches worldwide will lose an esti-
mated $37,billion to fraudulent activity per year by 2025.  In addition to
draining a church's bank account, fraud can damage the ministry's
reputation. Not only does fraudulent activity damages the church's reputation,
it also can effect the church's credibility and it's ability to minister above
reproach. Which in turn diminish it's ability to witness, and would also have
a negative impact on the entire ministry in the community. "Once credibility
is lost, it's extremely difficult to get it back".

Maintaining credibility starts with a strong set of financial controls. A series
of checks and balances shows donors that church leaders are taking reason-
able steps to safeguard their contributions.  Financial controls also reduce
the chance that someone could get away with stealing from the church. Fur-
thermore; These controls can help protect ministry personnel from honest
mistakes and false allegations.

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