Saturday, August 17, 2013

EXAMINE SELF; DISCERN OTHERS

Bobservation Column
by Pastor Bob Lawrenz

Many years ago, a woman came to me with a difficulty she was having about tithing. Her desire was to give a tithe of a large sum of money given to her by her brother. What troubled her was the source of the money. You see, her brother didn’t always conduct his business with honesty and integrity. She did not want to sully the church tithe box with money that wasn’t gained in an upright manner.

Her brother knew a portion of the gift would go to her church; it was his way of performing a good work. Some of the money would do good for others, but it put his sister into inner turmoil. She had done well to question the gift. She examined her own heart and came to the conclusion that her intents were righteous in obedience. She also did well to question the funds, for she knew her brother’s life by the fruit of it.
Judas Iscariot also had a love for money, and betrayed the Lord because of it. Though he repented and returned the money to the High Priests, they rejected it, for it was now “blood money.” It would defile their coffers if they returned the money to the Temple Funds.


Judas went out and hanged himself because of the betrayal. And the Priests eventually used the money to bless the poor by purchasing a Potter’s field to bury their family members.


God somehow has the ability to turn bad into good (Rom. 8:28). So our Sister-in-Christ determined that she would tithe the money, so the work of the church could continue, and others might be blessed.


Judgment would have come to the Priests for their deeds, and Judas certainly received his reward for his actions. But money has no soul; it can be used for good, or for bad. The heart of the giver determines the difference.

Acts 11:8-9 - “But I said, ‘Not so Lord: for nothing common or unclean hath at any time entered my mouth.’ But the voice answered me again from heaven, “What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.’” 













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