The Lord is Keeping Tabs on your Check book

Our preacher spent the entire sermon today trying to get us to believe that tithing has a direct impact on our salvation AND earthly rewards. Example after example was given of people who religiously tithed and were rewarded with promotions, windfalls, and health. He said we couldn't take it with us when we died, but we could send it on ahead (by tithing). The message being that those who tithed could buy their way into Heaven. "Have you ever seen a U-Haul behind a hearse?" he asked us.

As a finale leading up to the passing of the collection buckets he trotted up on stage a lady that told us she had glaucoma and had been unable to afford an operation - until she gave $20 to the church's fund for a new building and kapow! - she got a call from the gov'ment offering to pay for her operation AND pay for her to go to college anywhere she wanted for two years. Must be part of President Bush's faith-based initiative. As the congregation went wild I wondered to myself who it is that is paying for her operation and college education? Guess I'm tithing and didn't know it! Does this count?