Discern

John Calvin's commentary on 2nd Corinthians chapters 8 and 9 includes:

 

(God) "has enjoined upon us frugality and temperance, and has forbidden that any one should go to excess, taking advantage of his abundance. Let those, then, that have riches...consider that their abundance was not intended to be laid out in intemperance or excess, but in relieving the necessities of the brethren." Calvin said that half the church's funds should be allotted specifically for the poor. He concluded that "no one is to be allowed to starve."

 

Governments and organizations make the same mistake. While in their beginning their motives may have been correct they slowly slip into the attitude that the money they are given to dispense is "their" money to be used as they choose to use it. Our emergency fund contains the contributions of hundreds of people who thought we had a need. We have taken "their" contribution and put it into "our" emergency fund in case we need it. If those contributors had known we did not need their contribution they could have used the money to help someone who needed help.

 

I mentioned this before and was bombarded by some of the recipients when I said that GSMCOC does not need to operate on "faith" because we do not make any plans without knowing the source of the funds.  I was told emphatically that relying on God is testing God and that is sin.  I was equally as emphatically told that not knowing is bad business. Those reactions were spoken by people who never did anything without knowing. They have never experienced the loss of a job without a new job plainly in sight. They have not experienced a natural disaster where you wake up one morning and have: no house, no clothes, no food, no money, no credit cards, no driver's license or other form of identification. Not having experienced something of that order we comfortably and leisurely discuss our possible assistance and who is in charge and do they really need our funds.  

 

There is a distinct difference between giving to God and giving to "the church". The example of the church at Corinth "laying by in store" was to help others. We encourage people to give to us.

 

Giving to God is a scriptural concept (Matt 22:21); Giving to "the church" could just be an emotional response to a well-orchestrated man-made appeal which is out of God's Will and God's Word. So it is important for us to study God's Word so that we are able to discern whether funds being solicited are based on sound New Testament Scriptural principles.