Our Thoughts on Tithe

"The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it." Psalm 24:1

Everything (more than just 10%) belongs to the Lord! On earth, we are simply His stewards. He entrusts us to manage all He owns in the ways that will glorify and honor Him. We need to use our time, talents, and treasures wisely and according to His will.

We need to give all of ourselves to the Lord. Many give 10% and consider that the rest of their resources can be spent at their discretion. Let’s realize that God owns all of us, including our resources. Let’s spend them as He leads us by His Word and His Spirit. The New Testament portrays the concept of freewill sharing and equity among believers. "Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. Then there will be equality, as it is written: ‘He who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little." 2 Corinthians 8:13-15

We, as the body of Christ, are called to reach out to a lost and dying world. We need to deny ourselves, carry our crosses, and follow Jesus. We need to live lives of "New Testament" simplicity, and not in luxury and self indulgence. We believe there is a significant mismanagement of God’s money among His Church (the body of Christ) in affluent countries. The Church should not be spending billions of dollars on church buildings, church salaries, and unnecessary/extravagant personal items/hobbies/property. (Certainly, the worker deserves his wages, but his work must be in accordance with the Father’s will. The Church is not a business.) These resources should be spent on reaching the millions of people who have never heard of the Gospel even once, and on providing them with the Word of God in their own language. Sadly, we are spending the majority of our resources on the areas of the world where Christ has already been preached. "More than 95 percent of the total church budget in the United States is spent at home to maintain programs rather than to reach out in mission. Of the five percent that goes overseas to mission, less than half of one percent is used to reach the lost." (K.P. Yohannan, The Road to Reality, p. 118) It is unjust to share the Gospel of Jesus repeatedly to people who have already heard when there are those who have not heard the Gospel of Jesus even once. These resources need to be quickly redistributed so that the majority of the Church’s resources are sent to the unreached people groups of the world.

We need to give to native missionaries who are reaching the unreached, to organizations that are actively sharing the Gospel in unreached areas (i.e., CRU's Jesus film ministries), and to organizations that are actively translating the Bible into unreached languages (i.e., Wycliffe).

We should also generously give food, clothing, shelter, and medical supplies where possible to the neediest from among mankind. We need to give to those who could not otherwise receive the basic needs of life from anyone else. Many of us are so comfortable and wealthy compared to these needy ones. If we live simply and pool our resources together, by God’s grace there will be enough for everyone throughout the world who is in need (remember the five loaves and two fish). We need to join together in praying and giving to those in need across the world as God directs.

"Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." 2 Corinthians 9:7

"Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Luke 12:33, 34

Striving to be good stewards,
Eric and Urailak

~ To find other Spiritual Sundays participants, please visit here.

Eternal Perspective

As this year comes to a close and you may be making plans for the new year, please keep an eternal perspective with you.  Don't waste your life/your time/your resources.  "Be very careful, then, how you live--not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil." Ephesians 5:15-16

Note: Please turn off my playlist at the bottom of this page before starting the video.

Tears of the Saints from HistoryMaker on Vimeo.

IN THE PAST HOUR:
1625 children were forced to live on the streets
1667 children died from malnutrition or disease
115 children became prostitutes
257 children were orphaned because of HIV/Aids.
It gets worse...
2 billion people in the world today have never ever heard of Jesus. 1% of missions financial support, goes to reaching those unreached people. 30000 people starve to death every day.
  ~ Info. taken from historymakers.info/

While you are enjoying your new gifts, feasts with your family, and the comfort of your home, billions of people are suffering and many of them are on their way to hell. 

Lord, please move our hearts to have Your compassion and love and move us into action to save the lost, to reach the unreached, to feed the hungry, and to help the needy.

If you "love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind," you will want to obey Him/His Word, including the Great Commission.

If you "love your neighbor as yourself," you will want to share the Good News of salvation through Jesus Christ with the lost and not want to see any of them spend eternity in hell.

Let's put aside our denominations and our differences on the secondary issues. Instead, let's unite together in prayer and in our resources to move toward fulfilling the Great Commission...to reach those who have never heard of the Gospel...to give them hope in Christ. One Body of Christ under one God working toward one common goal!

"There is enough evangelism taking place today to reach the world dozens of times. Unfortunately, most of it is happening among people who have already heard the Gospel." (~K.P. Yohannan)  Please take a look at this table (taken from Come, Let's Reach the World by K.P. Yohannan) below and let me know what you think.

     To Those Who Have Already Heard  To The Unreached
Tract Distribution 5 billion (99.8%) 10 million (0.2%)
Scripture Distribution 4.6 billion (99.6%) 20 million (0.4%)
Full-time Workers 5.5 million (99.6%) 20,500 (0.4%)
Christian Books 3.5 billion (99.9%) 4 million (0.1%)
Christian Broadcasting $5.8 billion (99.9%) $6 million (0.1%)

"It is unjust to share the Gospel of Jesus repeatedly to people who have already heard when there are those who have not heard the Gospel of Jesus even once." ~Eric (my husband) I agree.  Please check out http://www.gfa.org/ , a wonderful ministry that focuses on sharing the Gospel with the unreached. I recommend you read Revolution in World Missions and Come, Let's Reach the World. You can request a free copy of Revolution in World Missions here .

Let's live in the light of eternity!

~Please visit here for the links to other Spiritual Sundays posts. Thanks so much to Charlotte and Ginger for hosting Spiritual Sundays every week.  Have a blessed New Year, everyone!