Posting this from my facebook page:
This verse scares me a bit..Luke 16: 11″Therefore if you have not been faithful in the use of unrighteous wealth, who will entrust the true riches to you? 12″And if you have not been faithful in the use of that which is another’s, who will give you that which is your own? 13″No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.”
To sum up months of thinking about giving and the tithe I will say our unwillingness to give money can cause a lack of spiritual understanding. If giving money and stewarding it rightly is connected to “wisdom and understanding” then is it possible that the dullness of our hearts has more to do with our lack of honoring our pastors then it does with some besetting sin? 1 Tim. 5:17 says “double honor” to the man teaching the word..Galatians 6–share in all good things with him who teaches.” I know those are just two verses but it is really shallow to just sit in church and think that we can receive a message and then think not giving is an option.
Many would object and say, “what about all that prosperity seed-faith stuff from years and years ago?” Yeah, so what. Of course, people abused the sewing a seed and reaping a harvest lingo to only mean money, but the principle here of money and honor and then a entrusting with power from on high..its still connected.
If we do not give to a church then we are not honoring the leaders there. Honor does not mean you agree with every doctrinal nuance but it does mean you give and submit to their leadership. If we don’t submit to our leaders then we are not submitted to God and if we are not submitted to God then what would we be? I mean saved you could be but a follower of Christ gives everything. Luke 9:62-anyone who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is not FIT for the kingdom of God.” If I can’t tithe my ten percent then why should God trust me to preach the Gospel. I am not that awesome to begin with so how does skipping over tithing make me more awesome. Love demands that we lay everything down not religiously but because most of us will if its seeing God in His beauty. I pray we can give in every area of our lives.
THE RUCKUS JOURNAL 