Subject: I won"t be saved if I don't tithe |
Bible Note: Johnny, that is a heart-warming story and thanks for sharing it with the forum. Now I will write a "Tale of Two Churches" for in it I believe lie hints and clues that teach a valuable lesson to all churches. This "tale" by the way is perfectly true. In my city stand Church A and Church B. Church A hardly ever mentions money, asks no one to sign a pledge card, stages no money-raising campaigns, no every-member canvass to raise funds, pressures no one to give. Church B stages every-member canvasses, asks its members to sign pledge cards, revisits some of them to ask them to raise their pledges, routinely stresses budget needs from the pulpit, and even hires outside professional fund raisers during "pledge month" every year. Church A has no problem whatever meeting its own internal monetary needs and has a very large surplus which it uses for radio and TV ministries, supports two local on-campus missions, one for the local Asian community and the other for the Hispanic community, and in addition contributes heavily to both North American and world missions. Church B has great difficulty meeting the essentials of its own internal financial needs and virtually nothing to spare for any outreach missions. Church A preaches and teaches God's word. Church B is more oriented toward social issues and secular humanism. Church A is growing and prospering, and many are being led to Christ. Church B is struggling to keep its doors open...... So I ask, is the problem financial or is it spiritual? Is the real solution to churches' financial problems always to be found in finding ways to raise more money, or could it be a deep-seated spiritual problem that cannot be cured by all the money in the world? Does not it apply to churches as well as individuals to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added? [See Matt. 6:33] --Hank |