13 - FINANCES

You will notice that with both Dowie and Branham, errors of judgement in the financial area certainly helped to precipitate their downfall. With Dowie, his problem was becoming too caught up in financial dealings and the ’cares of this world’ (almost certainly as a result of his "Elijah the Restorer" revelation). And there can be no doubt today, that God will deal harshly with anyone who uses their anointing and giftings as a means to wealth and luxury living. As G.H. Montgomery wrote of the decline of the Healing Revival, and of a number of evangelists at that time: "Men who preach the meek and lowly Nazarene to a lost and dying world, and yet live in palatial homes built on money contributed by God’s poor people, cannot call themselves followers of Jesus." With Branham, it was the opposite problem, as he obviously couldn’t care less about his finances, and perhaps presumed that "God will take care of it - I don’t need to arrange or give heed to anything". Again, a fatal form of presumption. I have no doubt that God quietly warned Branham many times about his finances and lack of accounting or basic organization, but in the end it took a disaster to make him sit up and take notice - and by then it was too late, and his ministry was deeply mired in a financial pit from which it never truly recovered.

I have met a number of men and women of God in recent years who are also "anti-organization" to the point where if they were in a Revival ministry, they could very easily suffer the same financial fate as that of Branham. Their theory is that essentially, "God will do it all", and many of them see any form of organization almost as a sin. But my question is this: If God doesn’t want humans involved in such ministry-related organization, then why did he invent the giftings of ’HELPERS’ and "ADMINISTRATORS"? (1 Corinthians 12:28, RSV. The King James refers to these as ’helps’ and "governments", and they are found in every translation in the list of spiritual giftings for the church). It is also important to remember that the Early Church appointed seven men to administrate the funds collected by the apostles for use amongst the poor, etc. (Acts 6:1-7).

Obviously, such organization does not have to be too similar to today’s churches, but it does need to be streamlined, efficient, and above all - transparently honest, open and above-board. The last thing we need is shifty financial dealings bringing reproach upon God’s people. The early Salvation Army, which was a true Revival movement for at least it’s first 40 years, had just such an operation. Obviously, the whole move- ment was modelled on a mobilized army, with a central command post in London (from whence General William Booth ruled with a rod of iron!), and supply lines reaching out into every corner of the world. Like the early church, these people cared for the poor, as well as for God’s ministries, and thousands of people were clothed, fed and housed (as well as thousands more saved) right around the world. The early Salvation Army was one of the most long-lived anointed Revival movements that the church has ever seen, and there can be no doubt that this was greatly helped by the effectiveness and godliness of their organization. Revival literally followed them wherever they went. It is very clear then, from this and other examples, that ORGANIZATION DOES NOT HAVE TO BE OUR ENEMY. In fact, under God, it can become one of our most helpful friends.