Thursday, June 16, 2011
Bible Questions Answered: Church Fund Raising.
Bible Questions Answered:
Our church recently got permission to sell lottery tickets to raise money.
Is this good, or is this not good for the church?
Lynn/ Louisiana, New Orleans U.S.A.
Bible Answer:
Today, it is not unusual to see churches sanctuaries turned into gambling halls, as you mention, rummage sales, restaurants, books, tapes, cds, dvds and knick-knack merchandise marts.
All to the anger of Almighty God.
The Sanctuary of the church, with its altar, is the dwelling place of God in the church.
Matthew 21:12,13 KJV
12 And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves,
13 And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.
John 2:13-16 KJV
13 And the Jews' passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
14 And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting:
15 And when He had made a scourge of small cords, He drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables;
16 And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not My Father's house an house of merchandise.
Well how is a church to raise funds for it's existence?
I Corinthians 16:1,2 KJV
1 Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye.
2 Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.
Leviticus 27:30 KJV
And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is the LORD's: it is holy unto the LORD.
Malachi 3:10 KJV
Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in Mine house, and prove Me now herewith, saith the LORD of Hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.
Did Jesus say that one should tithe? Yes!
Matthew 23:23 NLT (Luke 11:42)
What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens, but you ignore the more important aspects of the law—justice, mercy, and faith. You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things.
When we as Christians, are faithful in putting the Lord Jesus Christ first in our lives, there will be no need in the house of God.