CHURCH, MONEY & LIES
The conversation around money in the Church usually focus on GOD!
It is God who so desperately & urgently wants your money, and if you don't obey God in giving Him money curses will follow you.
Often it feels like all God wants from us is money, and if you give Him money He is happy with you. And who doesn't want God to be happy with them?
GOD wants you to give a tithe. God wants you to give offering. God wants you to plant a financial seed for your marriage, job, breakthrough, promotion, fruit of the womb etc.
DOES GOD NEED OUR MONEY?
We need to be crystal clear about WHO needs money that we give in Church. Is it God who needs our money? Is it man who needs our money?
OK, this is my two cents contribution on this subject.
"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God"
I would love you to notice "or whatever you do". This for me is a guide to giving, singing, serving, preaching etc.
So the principle is whatever you do, do it all to the glory of God, not man!
So let us clear one thing. God doesn't depend on your money to pay His bills. He is the all sufficient God. He (God) owns cattle on a thousand hills. Silver & Gold belongs to him.
So who needs the money that we give in the local Church?
OK let me first clarify this; your attitude in giving should be "as unto God". There is a huge difference between "as unto God" and "unto God".
Now who then needs your money that you give in Church?
Answer: The local Church to which you belong needs that money.
Let's take a family; father, mother and children.
The family grows through child bearing. The family grows through nurturing (shelter, food, water, clothes etc).
The family grows financially to support itself through family business or employment.
The health local Church should be self-sufficient, self-propagating and self-governing.
In short the Church like the State needs a budget.
And this budget first needs to be funded through the generosity of the believers who call that local church their home.
In the event that the offerings cannot meet the budget, the local Church can ask for financial support from other churches, Christian organizations or individual sponsors outside the local church.
But the help from outside should be given with no strings attached. When I say no strings attached, I don't suggest spending the money without accountability.
What I mean is that financial help should not come with conditions that compromises self governance of the local. Any financial help from outside requires accountability.
So let us go back to the question; who needs your money?
Churches these days even invite outside Pastors to come and raise money through manipulative means.
Those who are considered money pullers. When they come even the person who has never given a R100 will pull out R10, 000.
These money pullers some just use tricks, while others use spells.
You need to ask yourself a question before touching your life savings; is it to the glory of God to empty my savings & give R300,000, or am I feeling pressured or coerced or manipulated, or am I under the " do as I say" spell?
Usually, these guests speakers hired to speak about money demand 40/60 while others 60/40 and if you lucky 50/50.
For example; after the three days of the conference he manages to pull R1 million, he will take with him R500,000 cool and that is tax-free!
Ye,s welcome to the modern church of Paparism.
What Pastors need to do with the leadership is to begin a year with Planning, and part of the 2022 plan should include the 2022 Church Budget.
Yes, church budget!
I guess many of you have never seen a church budget.
Not just beginning the year with fasting and jumping on the Holy Spirit planning which they call "as the spirit leads" which is an excuse for the actual planning.
When the 2022 church budget is in place, share the budget with th members so that they know exactly who/what needs their money.
This is where your offering goes;
1. Salaries for the Pastors and full-time staff
2. Building (rentals or mortgage)
3. Expenses for Ministries eg; children ministry, music department, you, hand young adults, Amadoda ministry, women Ministries, internet, security,y, etc.
Therefore the money you give is not offered to God through the fire, and God receives smoke and accepts your offering, no!
That money is used here on earth in the local church.
There was a time when I was at Bible school in 1995-1996.
Some youths used to go to the post office and send money to me for school fees, grocery money,y and usually they would say, "God just put your name on my heart".
So why modern-day Christians don't feel the leading of the Holy Spirit to support the gospel ministry?
The answer is simple; the wrong teachings around money have made it hard for generosity to reach genuine servants of God.
Today people need to be manipulated, lied to, entertained, and promised heaven on earth to give.
Promise them marriage, healing, babies, promotion, favor, prosperity, death of enemies, etc before they could empty their wallets for you.
May God touch your hearts. May He bring you back to the place of innocence where you need not be cranked like a car low on battery to respond.
Whatever you do in the area of giving, give as unto God!
But responsibility demands accountability.
You have every right to ask where the building fund has gone if there is no building project going on.
You have the right to ask where the carpet money has gone after you contributed money for the church carpet.
Good stewardship is not just throwing money away, Deacons exist in the local church for checks & balances.
It must be crystal clear that God doesn't function with earthly currencies the Pula, Rand, or Dollar.
It's the local churches that need your money as devoted members to finance church programs.
Therefore, those of us who preach should never intentionally mislead people that the All-Powerful, and All-Sufficient God is at the mercy of mortal money to fill His begging bow with money.
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