would we?

[buildthefarm]

there was a most interesting statistic in church this morning. apparently only about 5% of the american church goers tithe. and the stat was that if 10% tithed it would amount to 185 billion dollars a year. then they went on to say that with 85 billion dollars a year increase the church could completely wipe out all world hunger, and fix all water problems, and provide all basic medical needs in the whole world. and would still have 100 billion dollars left over for other ministry. if thats true that means the american church now has the 85 billion nessacary to do those things. if we got more would we do them then? if we had an extra trillion dollars a year would the money make it to those 3 causes, or would we have even more nice buildings and great facilities than we have now?

you know a basic stewardship rule in personal finance is that if you handle Gods money the way God says to handle it He will give you more. perhaps the church should start acting as one body and pooling their resources to solve the problems that God blessed us with the money to solve and stop whining about how few people tithe. because if we continue down this road God will take it all back and let someone else use it. that 5% will be 1% and the big buildings will be empty. the church can meet in a house or a tent and provide the needs of the needy as God commands or eventually all these independent bodies will fall away due to the lack of funds, and the lack of comfort and the lack of ever seeing Gods power displayed in "church".

we cant undo the situation that we are in as the church but we need to go forward from here and change the way it all operates. its not doing what its supposed to do and its gona die out whether we change it or not so we may as well change it.

[warrior]

It is far more complicated than that picture presented in your church. This is an issue about stewardship of money as you point out, whether that is giving under obligation or under grace. God does not need our money but we can show our love and thanks by recognising it is really His money and using in godly ways (which includes but goes far beyond giving) and we will be blessed. We are the church. We are the priesthood. We are all responsible. The responsibilty does not rest with institutions. If we read our Bible and pray we will give and know where to give.

[buildthefarm]

true true, my point in the US a large portion of tithe is wasted. most churches have newer and newer buildings when a tent and feeding the hungry and sending out missionaries and so on would beat the heck out of a 15 million dollar new construction. and some churches even have debt!! i cant imagine what on earth a church can be thinking to build a new building on borrowed money!! but yeah all these new fascilities are not good stewardship in my opinion. the sum total of all denominations in the US could be united to one goal the way The Church as a body should be. instead you have hundreds of thousands of small bodies that disaggree with each other, dont know each other, dont work together as hands and feet, and pay interest on a hundred thousand mortgages, and are hence slave to their lenders and not to Christ. not to mention all the 'leaders' of these places, all the division, and on and on. if these denominations would stop being petty and just be one, humble, body the way we are supposed to be, the situation in this entire world would be changed and our country wouldnt be collapsing. i mean i know its part of the set up for end times and that the mistakes made will still work together for Gods glory but they are mistakes none the less. and if the church was one body the fruit would be obvious and more than 5% would tithe and give and share each others burdens. ya know?