What an anomaly it is that God's people are deliberately giving their tithes and offerings, not to their churches, but to where they perceive the true Gospel and its work to be carried on. They are at a loss to see Gospel work being done in their own congregations. This is precisely what they want to see being done.
But what do they find? That their hard-earned money is being spent on themselves - it is being devoted to improving their church infrastructure, thus displaying their worldly affluence; they want to grow bigger and better than their neighbours, thus exhibiting a level of sinful pride; they will give their money to paying exorbitant salaries to their minsters - some of them being paid in the region of £50,000 pa.
Yes, they still give to the missionary outreach of their churches, but only to keep face with the church authorities. They give their money to help pay the salaries of men and women who neither believe the true Gospel nor preach it to their people. They have no compunction about allowing the money they give for the Lord's work to supporting theological liberal causes; and they support the cause of promoting unbiblical ecumenism, despite their loud protests to the contrary.
Is it any wonder that conscientious Christians are refusing to support such anti-church, anti-Gospel activity in their midst? These people are to be applauded and honoured. They are prepared to think outside the box and not be dominated by some blind adherence to a denomination, however unfaithful it is to the Scriptures.
What these believers are doing is that they are putting their money where their mouth is. They say they are Gospel people, so they give their money to support Gospel work. They are most consistent with their own beliefs and faith. They are being true to the Scriptures. They are honouring God with their wealth, thus showing that they love God with all their heart. had they been the kind of Christians who supported both Gospel and anti-Gospel activities, then they would be living in disobedience to the revealed word of God in the Bible. But these believers are not being rebellious to the Lord Who ought them, but live their lives in submission to Him - the only proper place for the child of God.
Is there another reason why these good Christian people do not give their money - actually, the Lord's money - to support work that He curses? Well, yes, there is. They do not have the confidence that those charged with administering their money will do so exclusively to support His work. They have seen ulterior motives, but true believers are pure in their motivation.
Do you agree with this? Is it right for Christians to support the Lord's work, even when that means not giving to their own churches? How are they to answer the church officials who say that it is their Christian responsibility to support financially and in any other way the church to which they belong? Well, if the church is to be supported by my little contribution, then so much for the church! If I have to support my religion, then too bad for that religion.
Surely the church is there to support God's people and to facilitate their service for the Lord, and their service for the Gospel! It is not the other way round! And surely, religion is there to support us, not us to support it! If my religion is something that I have to cart around with me, then it will be of no use when I need it most.
The church, and Christians, need to get their priorities right, and give their support, heart, mind and soul, to promoting the cause of Christ in this lost and needy world, and not to erecting an overly fancy 'rain shelter' thus depriving the real work of the church of the necessary resources. Are you ready to do this?
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