333 Words
333 WORDS….
The usher collects more than tithes and offerings each and every sunday. He collects allegiances.
Something troublesome is happening within the heart of the tither with every passing collection plate. His tithe is anchoring him to another way. Allegiance is being transferred from God’s way to man’s way, and therefore from God to man.
Our Lord taught, “Wherever your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” The heart of the evangelical follows his treasure. He who gets his money gets his allegiance, be it Jesus or another.
Only the one sensitive to the Spirit’s leading is actually giving (returning) unto the Lord. With each response to the Spirit the bond between believer and Lord Jesus is strengthened. The stronger the bond, the more wholesome the evangelical’s outcome.
It can never be emphasized sufficiently: What matters most is one’s quality of relationship with the Lord Jesus. It is the christian’s responsibility to guard his/her heart from straying.
Not some, but most slip from passionate to tepid. They were negligent. They allowed their heart to be impressed with the status quo. Imperceptibly, trust in others grew; imperceptibly, trust in Lord Jesus shrank.
Jeremiah 17:5: “Cursed are those who put their trust in mere humans and turn their hearts away from the Lord.” That’s all humans, even the good guys.
The tither long ago abandoned a life in the Spirit, and made a heart-agreement to gratify church lords. Not good. There is ample reason to distrust yourself and others…. both you and they have a history of mistakes. All are “mere humans”. None can be trusted.
Tithing can harden the heart. Because he dropped his tenth into the plate, the tither is not responsible for supporting evangelists or missionaries or third world workers. He can turn away from the neighbor and relative in need because, you see, he already gave substantially last sunday.
We keep step to be accepted, the foremost reason tithers tithe. Approval of the licensed is paramount; approval of Jesus secondary.