PODCAST
Trust, But Count Twice
February 13th, 2013
2 Corinthians 8:16-24
In 2 Corinthians, chapter 8, verse 19 Paul gives two reasons for the offering: to honor the Lord himself and to show their eagerness to help. Paul is crossing all the t’s and dotting all the i’s when it comes to how this offering is being handled.
A modern-day church learned a painful lesson when it came to putting checks and balances in place. The church treasurer was having difficulty paying the monthly bills and could not figure out why there was less money coming through the weekly offerings. After a thorough investigation it was found that the head usher was removing cash from envelopes and loose money in the offering. At the back of the church he collected the offering plates from the ushers. As the ushers returned to their seats, he slipped money into his pocket while walking into the church office to put the money in the safe.
Let’s consider the practice of the Salvation Army in my town. A minimum of three people together count the money from their red kettles. Then the money is counted a second time to insure accuracy. The public can be assured the money they contribute to the Salvation Army is being handled honestly.
Author: Patricia Kissell
February 13th, 2013 at 9:49 pm
We teach the “law” of giving rather than the principle behind the law of giving.
True giving to God is in the giving up the evil desires of our heart (Colossians 3:5). The furthering of His Kingdom is a “desire” of a Christian (just as a “happy hear.” of giving).
Jesus fulfilled all of the law. Now, it’s all a matter of the heart and the allowing of the Holy Spirit to occupy all of its chambers.
February 18th, 2013 at 1:09 pm
For those that don’t trust the Holy Spirit to prompt the proper giving, the law still has “a purpose” (just as those 10 commandments).