4
The War Cry | MAY 2014
O
nly two things are inevitable goes the old expression:
death and taxes. Taxes were on the mind of people
in Jesus' time. Most of the tax dollars went directly to
Rome. To most Jews, this was offensive. Some religious
and political leaders posed a question to Jesus about
it. "Teacher," they asked, "Tell us, what is Your opinion?
Is it right to pay the imperial tax to Caesar or not?"
Jesus replied, "Why are you trying to trap Me? Show Me
the coin used for paying the tax." They gave Him one, and
He asked them, "Whose image is this and whose inscription?"
"Caesar's," they replied. Then He said to them, "So give back to Caesar what is
Caesar's, and to God what is God's" (see Mark 12:14-17).
We know what belongs to Caesar. We get information from the IRS each year
reminding us what we owe. But what do we owe God?
We owe God our money. Whether you give God a tithe of 10 percent, or even
a fraction of that, you and I understand that giving is part of our responsibility
as followers of Christ.
We owe God our joyful service. But the most important thing we owe God is,
of course, ourselves.
Our founder, William Booth, was asked if he could explain why his work had
prospered so. After hesitating for a second, he said, "I will tell you the secret.
God has had all of me. There have been men with greater brains, men with
greater opportunities, but from the day I got the poor of London on my heart
and a vision of what Jesus Christ could do with the poor of London, I made up
my mind that God would have all of William Booth that there was. And if there is
any power in The Salvation Army today," he continued, "it is because God has all
the adoration of my heart, all the power of my will and all the infl uence of my life."
In whose image were we created? God's. "Render unto Caesar that which is
Caesar and unto God that which is God's."
MESSAGE FROM THE NATIONAL COMMANDER
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
W
ILLIAM
B
OOTH
FOUNDER
A
NDR�
C
OX
GENERAL
D
AVID
J
EFFREY
NATIONAL COMMANDER
The Salvation Army Territorial Commanders
P
AUL
R. S
EILER
Central Territorial Commander
B
ARRY
S
WANSON
Eastern Territorial Commander
D
ONALD
B
ELL
Southern Territorial Commander
J
AMES
M. K
NAGGS
Western Territorial Commander
The Salvation Army National Publications Department
Allen Satterlee
Editor�in�Chief
Amy Reardon
Assistant Editor-in-Chief
Jeffrey McDonald
Managing Editor
Roger O. Selvage Jr. Art Director
Gloria A. Hull
Design & Production Editor
Ashley H. Clarke
Graphic Designer
Andrea K. Ricker
Graphic Designer
Cynthia A. Edelen
Publications Marketing Manager
Charles Piercey
Electronic Communications Co ordinator
Judith L. Brown
Editorial Assistant
Esther M. Satterlee Circulation Man ager
Rob Reardon
Publications Officer
Melissa Holllinger Administrative Assistant
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Now in its 134th year, the
"War Cry" prints
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O U R M I S S I O N
The Salvation Army, an international
movement, is an evangelical part of
the universal Christian church.
Its message is based on the Bible.
Its ministry is motivated by the love of God.
Its mission is to preach the gospel of
Jesus Christ and to meet human needs
in His name without discrimination.
National Publication of
T H E S A L V A T I O N A R M Y
MAY 2O14
Volume 134 | Number 6
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�2014 The Salvation Army
I
t is strange how talking about money in church can be
highly offensive to some people. Mind you, the cashier
at the grocery store talking to her customers about money
is fi ne. The government requiring taxes to be paid, while
perhaps painful to the taxpayer, is expected. Few movie
theaters would throw open their doors to someone who
had not paid before entering. Yet, when it comes to talk-
ing about money in church, someone is bound to be angry
about it. It is as if the church is wired with free electricity
or the bulletins are printed on paper that was given away for religious purposes.
The Bible frequently talks about money and giving. It does not shy away from
setting standards and establishing expectations. There are some who argue that
tithing, giving ten percent of our income, is not required of Christians because it is
not explicitly taught in the New Testament. While that is true, it should be
understood that given the grace of God poured out on believers, the tithe should be
the base line from which grateful hearts share freely, not just at church but with the
world at large.
William Booth commented that the last thing to be converted in a man was his
pocketbook. Give testimony to your full conversion. When you prepare your offering
next time, decide the amount and then add to it. Not because you have to but
because you get to.