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Lisa

Hi Lysa,

Actually, my quote to Greg was "What do you propose".

It was Greg that said, "...we should be the ones that are helping the poor and dis-advantaged."

Hmmmm, how to answer your question? Like the morality thread we just had, why do we have to compare ourselves with the world and vice-versa and tell each other what to do? Am I detecting competition with the world? I don't know but I don't think we should always be comparing our efforts with the world's efforts. You know, "whatever they can do, we can do better". Is that what our Christian life is all about? Upstaging the world? (I am speaking rhetorically to anyone who is reading this).

Ok, now that I have that out of the way.

The apostle Paul tells us there is a form of giving that is not an expression of God's love. In I Corinthians 13:3 Paul writes, "if I give all my possessions to feed the poor...but do not have love, it profits me nothing." Today we see a lot of loveless giving and the motivations for this are varied. Pressure from others to prove yourself a Christian is at the top of the list. Giving out of compunction is void of love and loveless giving is not Christian giving. Through the years, I have observed not a few times that men who challenge other men to "do more", "give more" and "do it better than the world", actually desire to be the very recipients of your "love gifts". I call them "smooth operators". You have all been challenged many times to "prove your Christianity" and guess what? Many of you work very hard to meet the expectations put on you because you know that your "Christian love" is going to be evaluated either by the frequency of your giving or the size of your giving or maybe even your attitude of giving. And if you don't pass the test you receive ostracizing of some sort. Is it YOUR love that is giving, anyway? Is that what you want people to know? Or is it the Son of God expressing His love for men, through you? His love that is prompting you and me to give?

Now that we finally got to that all important thought, "His love prompting us to give"...SHOULD WE really be telling other brothers and sisters how they SHOULD give?

The world is not going to be touched by our giving, Haiti is proof of that. The Church has poured hundreds of millions of dollars into that tiny island. No, the world is going to be touched by letting the Living God function in us and express His love and character through us.

The Churches of Macedonia first gave themselves to the Lord then unto each other but only by the will of God (not man).
2Cor 8:5 And this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God.

Ahh, "not as we hoped". Love those Macedonians!!

The will of God is always that He might express Himself through us. We are not to be conditioned by men as if we are Pavlov's dog, to give at the drop of a hat (or the passing of a plate). We are to walk closely with the Lord so we can discern God's will in the matter of giving and what He would specify. He is the One who tells us when to give, what to give, to whom to give and how much to give.

"IF you see a need fill it". Have you ever heard that one? In my early Christian days some tried to condition me like Pavlov's dog to "meet the need everytime I saw one". That worked real good for the preacher who was always making known the needs of his church. Many Christians believe that Christian giving is responding to the need.

Right here on SermonIndex we read from brother Ian Thomas:
Reference:https://www.sermonindex.net/modules/articles/index.php?view=article&aid=24580

"The Lord Jesus Christ refused to be committed to the parochial needs of His own day and generation; He was not committed to the political situation in Palestine, or to the emancipation of the Jewish nation from the Roman yoke! He was not committed to the pressing social problems of His time, nor to one faction as opposed to another, any more than today He is committed to the West against the East, or to the Republicans against the Democrats (as though either were less wicked than the other!). Christ was not even committed to the needs of a perishing world; He was neither unmindful nor unmoved by all these other issues, but as Perfect Man He was committed to His Father, and for that only to which His Father was committed in Him exclusively!

The basis of His commitment to the Father is the basis upon which the Lord Jesus Christ claims your commitment to Him; you are committed to Him for all that to which He is committed in you exclusively!"

We don't respond to the need because it was the most emotional, compelling or persuasive one. We respond to what Christ wants to be and do in us. This is how we walk and this is how Christ walked. He responded to what the Father wanted to be and do through Him.

John 8:29 And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.

May the Lord bless you all and have mercy on us.

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Lisa

Hi Lisa,

I always write for "whoever the shoe fits", so no it was not directed to anyone personally. Just like I could not have any insight into whether Greg asks people to give because he wants to be a recipient. How would I know that. But, what I do know is there are churches and pastors and leaders who purport to represent Christ who are in competition with the world and are looking to personally gain from yours and my giving.

And you experienced what you did because you touched "the holy grail". The money.

Whenever a sheep comes up with an idea regarding how to better use the abundance of finances that come in each Sunday, they will get a persona non grata response. And the leadership will not mind at all if you just disappeared. Remember, the mammon is holy, don't touch it, they'll take care of it.

Blessings to you and Greg.