Where is the best place for my tithes and offerings?

"After the ongoing row about companies not paying a fair share of tax in the United Kingdom, and with companies such as Starbucks, Amazon and Google being in the headlines, focus has now turned to Microsoft. Whilst the tax arrangements are strictly legal, there has been outrage on how companies are avoiding paying their fair share of tax generated in the country."

 And over here in the U.S., there is news of Google getting caught doing something similar: "Bloomberg reports that Google is using Bermuda shell companies to avoid paying billions of dollars in taxes world wide. By routing payments and recording profits in zero tax havens, multinational companies have been avoiding double digit corporate taxes in the US and Europe. Congressional hearings were held in July on the destructive consequences of off shoring profits. Why aren't the US and Europe exerting more diplomatic pressure on these tax havens that are effectively stealing from the US and European treasuries by allowing profits that did not result from activities in Bermuda or the Cayman Islands to be recorded as occurring there?"

So the question is how long will it be before churches and ministry's are taxed? There are some very high profile ministries that stand out in their abuse of funds as well as some mega churches. 

The underground has traditionally invested in churches along with  scamers for the easy tax free funds.  In 1993 I was approached by two men who said they were from Las Vegas who asked me if I was interested in them financing a church building. They told me that they would have an architect draw up plans to my specs and they would pay for and build the church on any plot of land zoned for churches that I choose. All they wanted in return was a portion of the offerings ad infinitum. 

The men said that they had done this numerous times before for other men of God. Made me wonder how many corrupt churches might exist out there. Of course it was a no brainer for me, I declined their insane offer and high tailed it out of there.

The day is coming when churches will have to pay taxes. And in one sense, rightfully so.

The funds of God's people should be targeted to those people who actually are out in the mission field spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ to others. All of us Christians can meet in smaller groups in homes and public places to worship and study the Word of God together. The cell group church pattern is very productive where it is exercised. 

Think about it. Building and land costs a lot. Maintenance and staff.  Utilities and insurances. It all adds up. And add to that the on going building and remodel project that some pastors have discovered bring in more funds from the people of God. When I look at some pastors and their immediate families I see a much higher level of economic privilege above that of their own congregations. 

This is a simple blog, web space provided free by Google, bless them Lord. We accept no funds, never have never will. Funds are simply not needed. Check out this site.

It is interesting how everything ministry gets taken over by businessmen eventually. I recall the day a church I attended as a teen purchased their own radio station. We had been renting time on a local radio station. But now we own our radio station. 

The pastor got up infront of the congregation and joyfully announced the purchase, saying, "Now no more commercial interruptions just praise and worship and the teaching of the Word of God. The people cheered and clapped with joy. Not to long after that commercials became the norm and the radio station became just like every other station out there.

Anything to bring in funding even though the people brought in more then enough funds to keep the station commercial free until the rapture. Someone figured it was better to stock pile funds in bank accounts and gather more, so much so that the church is one of the wealthiest churches around. They have more then they could ever use, so they have purchased buildings and land that really is not needed to do the work of the kingdom. 

When the pastor one day graduates to be with the Lord it will be interesting to watch what happens in his absence...

Differing factions are already forming up. How will they 'do church' will they stock pile or will they release the funds to those who are out there among the people's of the earth spreading the gospel message? People who have no interest in buildings or fancy lifestyles. People who have left all to spread the gospel to others. 

People like that are out there you know.  People who honestly walk with God and enjoy sharing Christ no matter what the personal cost to themselves. Wouldn't it be wonderful to invest our prayers and resources in people like that? People who will use funds to send teams of mission minded people to those places that we can't or won't go our selves. 

The most sincere Christians have the testimony of having come to the Lord from a "one on one" encounter with a Christian who evangelically shared the gospel with them. The retention rate goes up when people come to the Lord through divine encounters as opposed to mass evangelism. I heard that only 2% of converts at Billy Grahams crusades went on to walk with God out of the masses that responded to his alter calls. I have also heard that people who come to the Lord through one on one divine appointment encounters have a 50% retention rate or higher.

Therefore logic would conclude that the best place for evangelist results are those individual teams going out into the mission fields for the harvest of souls for the Kingdom of God. So why do we not direct more of our tithes and love offerings in their direction? Buildings, lands and material goods will not count for anything in eternity. But the souls that are there because we invested God's resources wisely will indeed count throughout eternity! Be wise as to how you invest God's tithes and love offerings, go for the best investment for eternity, not the temporal. It is expected of you to tithe where you go to church and are fed the Word of God. But you can also invest in eternity's rewards. Souls are always a great investment, so much so that Jesus Christ gave up His own life at 33 to invest in the salvation of souls. 

Our Blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for "the church of God, which he purchased with his own blood." Acts 20:28.

The sower of the seed has to get to the good ground...invest in the sower of seeds...not the hoarders of God's resources.Purchase fruit for all eternity...

   If you desire to donate where your money does not build mansions and fancy lifestyles then this is the ministry you have been looking for to give your support to. Grace World Mission. Please pass this on to others in your own network. Let's get the seed sowers out there! Thank you.