Originally Posted by testallthings (Post 50156)
While there is strong evidence from the Bible to support the first point (giving), I do not see that God's plan for the Church is to solve the problems of the world. If the Church cannot solve its own problems, and there are so many, how could her help others?
Thanks for your thoughts. The point above seems to be similar to the idea that we should not help others until we've taken care of ourselves. This is the very reason some people never give. The poor widow gave out of her poverty, that's why the Lord praised her. So should we. My church, ACF, was in debt when we began moving toward giving away 50% of money collected in offerings to other ministries and needs. We paid off our debts when we hit around 25% or so. Now we give away 50% and are not in need.*
This is God's REAL economy.
No, the point above was pretty in line with what the pastor (Will Davis, Jr.) was trying to convey. The church does not give because has problems, like fears, mistrust in the ministries and so on. If we expect the church to give these problems must be solved (the church of course has many other problems). I watched the message once and listened to it a second time. The passage for his preaching was from 2 Cor 8.
verse 7 says, But as ye abound in everything, in faith, and utterance, and knowledge, and in all earnestness, and in your love to us, see that ye abound in this grace also. (ASV)
A church that abounds in everything, faith, utterance, earnestness and love, needs just to be reminded to excel (that's W. D. word for the message) in giving also.
I noticed that a year ago you started a similar thread under the title
What God's Economy Means to Me Now
“When all is said and done, and the dross is burned away, it's this.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=632CHpeHYZE
Love your neighbor as yourself.
It is better to give than to receive.
By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. “
It is obvious that you have a burning desire to see that we all put into practice what our Lord taught us. To this I say Amen, Amen, and Amen!
I love what you said, “What? Should we have yet another discussion about how the LCM leaders are bums or how Daystar was a ripoff? Haven't we beaten those dogs to a pulp?
This board should be about healing, and speaking for myself, my LCM-tainted attitude toward giving needed
healing. Probably some others do, too.”
“I'm not condemning, I'm just asking questions that I've been asking myself.
The theological outs you guys are throwing into the conversation don't do it for me anymore.”
I just disagree with this quotation from the message you posted at the beginning of this thread,
"God's plan for solving the problems of the world has never been government. It has always been the Church."
"If every church member tithed the Church would collect another $165 billion a year, which would solve the world problems of hunger, thirst, literacy, mission funding... with $100 billion left over."
In the message the pastor asks, What if....? and goes on in mentioning what impact the Church could have if....
I would like to add another one. Let's suppose that in the U.S. (for example) there were 50 million Christians. What if each one of them could bring to the Lord 1 soul a year? In less than 3 years the U.S. would be a Christian country from the president to most humble citizen. The Church would not have a “mere” 165 billion a year but trillions.
Peace
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