This article may sting a little but if the shoe fits, wear it!

Would your or I think of driving a stolen vehicle? Would you dream of wearing stolen clothes? Are you storing up warehouses of stolen goods? This Christmas will we steel money from our credit card companies with the full intent of never paying them off.

I know of a lady that has the philosophy of keeping her credit cards to the absolute max with no intent of ever paying them off and understands full well that the debt will even be passed down to her children for generations to come. The very sad part of this is that many of us who have this philosophy are sitting in church pews every Sunday and listening to plea after plea from our pastors; pleading to honor the God's principle of tithing.

I remember when I got my first paying job stocking shelves at the Military Post Exchange at Fort Carson, Colo. and my pay check left a lot to be desired. I remember when 45 rpm records were 99 cents and '60s rock and roll was just coming into full swing, and we all just had to have the latest hits by Jerry Lee Lewis and Chuck Berry and, of course, Elvis. (If there are any teenagers reading this, please ask your parents what a 45 rpm record is and they will explain).

I remember my mother sitting me down and explaining the scriptural account of how Almighty God owns all the gold and cattle of a thousand hills and how He has clearly stated in His word that we are to tithe. I thought she had developed a lisp when she said the word tithe.

She explained to me that God allows us to keep 90 percent of all that we make and that he asks us to give just 10 percent back to him for His work here on earth. Imagine, just 10 percent! What if He asked us to give 90 percent and keep only 10 percent for ourselves? Isn't God good?

It also clearly states that they are to be brought into the “Storehouse of the Lord.” This means the church. It further states, “Would a man rob God?” Ouch! I certainly don't want that conversation with God one day when it's me and Him talking one to one and He has all my check book stubs sitting on the table.

I will probably step on a lot of toes here and I know we all get a lot of requests for money from many sources and many of them are good causes. But, we are supposed to take care of God's work in our churches first. National statistics reveal that the professing Christian churches world wide provide 80 percent of all the charities in the world today.

I also know that there are a lot of ministries out there needing help and how you split up your tithe is up to you and God. I know Christian people who send their tithes to everyone but their local church where they are fed spiritually every week.

I remember attending the Brownsville Revival in Pensacola, Fla., where thousands of visitors come every week. I was wondering how they were going to handle the offering. One of the pastors stood up and said, “If you are visiting the Brownsville Revival and you want to give an “offering” here that's fine, but if you have your tithe with you, don't put it here in Brownsville — that belongs in your local church.”

I almost shouted for joy at hearing a church that size “getting it right.” Your and my tithe belongs in the local church where ministry is going on for you and your family.

If you or I have been dealing in “stolen goods,” now in the beginning of a new millenium is a time to come clean and start over.

God forgive us if we have stolen from you, Amen. And He will!

P.S. Interestingly enough, I had that same conversation with my two teenagers about the tithing of their meager pay checks that my mother had with me, and CDs don't cost 99 cents either.

The Rev. Dr. Knox Herndon is the pastor of “His House Community Church” and a substitute school teacher in the Fayette County school system, and a former Army chaplain. The church is currently meeting in the American Legion Log Cabin across from the fountain on the Square in Fayetteville. Prayer line 770-719-2365; e-mail Khern2365@aol.com

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