Darnell wrote:
I'm sure you know that all churches ask people to pay their tithes...Which I believe you should tithe. But now they take it to the extreme...and lead people down a path in which they will not lift one hand to help a church member...Why doesn't the church preach the other promises of God that he will give them? just as the promise came through Father Abraham...that through him, all nations will be blessed. God is surely big business...But today, they exploit the Word of God. Remember the poor lady and what she put in the offering in Temple: two mites...she gave all she had... God blessed her...The church also sells things that they call a good faith offering...This makes the church a den of thieves...God says his house shall be a house of worship...for if one truly follows God's statute, his ordinance, and his laws, to do them, then shall we not be blessed...if we truly follow him and forget about self...He says in one part of the bible...It's not his desire that anyone perish but repent and be healed...See, when we ask God for something, we ask amiss for our own desire, Lust, Love, House, Money, etc. God says he knows what we need even before we ask... If that is the case, I have to believe that...God says that if any climbs up any other way, he is a thief and a robber...we have to be careful that we don't ask for our own selfish needs or tempt God because we don't have this or that...Remember, while in the desert, they cried for meat...God told Moses to gather twelve other leaders of the tribes so that he could take off the spirit of Moses and put on them also so that Moses wouldn't have to bear their iniquity alone, and he gave them quail until they were overwhelmed, and while the quail was still in their mouth he slew them, we should not tempt God with what we don't have, but to give thanks for what we do have, constant in prayer, and the Father who sees will reward thee openly...Remember the magician who traveled with the disciples who wanted to buy the Spirit of God and was told that the Holy Spirit could not be bought, so to mislead the people, he tried a deaf feat and died...the kingdom of God cannot be bought...
Dear Darnell,
God Bless your beautiful heart, and thank you for writing. The law of tithing was for Abraham and the children of Israel and is not expressed or implied to The Church, which is His Body. We are told to give as we purpose in our hearts, from our abundance to the outreach of the True Word of God but first make sure no brother in Christ has need.
If you are having trouble paying bills because of sums of money given to "the church," then God is not meeting your needs, which He promises He will. For instance, if God gives you $1000 dollars and your bills are $980, but you tithe $100, then you are going to be $80 dollars short and are not meeting your responsibilities. God Blessed you with the abundance to cover your debts and needs, but you took a portion of that money and gave it back as if you didn't need it, and God does. I guarantee you our Heavenly Father does not need money and suffers no lack.
Many "churches" teach tithing today not because it's The Word of God for the believers today but because it keeps their bills paid, bills that they should not have incurred in the first place. Look at 2 Corinthians 9:6-8 and follow the principles. We certainly believe in GIVING but giving from the heart and from one's abundance, not because of a law now passed. We have Grace and Liberty in Christ Jesus and are not under The Law, so we are free from the consequences of The Law and live under a Greater Law, Love. The Lord loves a cheerful giver because that believer knows their Heavenly Father will always take care of them and give them a greater abundance to give. Those who walk in the spirit will be able to give riches far beyond money, for they will be able to give the fruit of the spirit and help their brothers and sisters in Christ with Love, Understanding, Peace, Joy, and much more. The Scriptures guide us by showing when money was given, it was always used first to make sure no believer had a lack and that all were full and had their obligations met.
Let me tell you something straight out: God is Love and our source of knowledge and inspiration. If Jesus Christ were to enter a convening of pastors who teach that people on Disability are to Tithe (10%) of their disability checks to these pastors and not be able to meet their obligations, you wouldn't want to be in that same room with them. If you think Jesus was angry with the hypocritical Pharisees in Matthew 23, I know He would be much more displeased with those who handle The Word of God deceitfully in this Dispensation of Grace.
Listen to the Lord's own words:
- "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith:..." (Matt. 23:23).
Tithing was nothing to Jesus Christ compared to properly judging [taking care of), Mercy (where is the mercy in taking widow's mites?), and Faith (these hypocrites don't have any Faith, or they would trust God for their ministries operating funds not widows who are disabled)..."
Read Matt. 23:14:
- "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses...".
It is against The Will of The Lord to place these burdens on the shoulders of the poor:
- Matt. 23:4 For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.
There is a minister on TV that I have seen off and on over the years (I seldom ever listen to an entire plea-for-money sermon), but I have never once heard this man teach on anything except how believers will become blessed and prosper by sending Him their money. He has a huge ministry that goes around the world. I can't tell you how ill it makes me and how much it grieves The Holy Spirit to watch him pronounce his false blessings or curses on his listeners for either giving or not giving him their money. And yet, I have never heard him or any other prosperity preacher say that if one is in poverty or debt, one should not feel obligated to send their false ministries money. In fact, they will tell you that if you are in debt, can't pay all your bills, and don't have enough to buy food and to live on, this is the time to send them your money right away. These false teachers need to repent, ask The Lord to forgive them, and start obeying and trusting God.
In the Book of Acts, when there were widows whose needs were not being met, all Twelve Apostles called for the elders of the church to appoint those who were filled with the spirit of wisdom to take care of these widows immediately.
Paul told Timothy to Honor the widows who were widows indeed.
Even in ancient Israel, if a man had but nine cows or sheep (many poverty-stricken people around the world would have been thankful for but one milking cow to feed their children), God did not consider such a one prosperous enough to tithe at all. A man with only nine cows did not tithe his cattle to God. God is merciful.
Here's what you can do to receive Blessings from God: Be kind! Show love to everyone! Be thankful! Pray for others! God Will Bless, He Guarantees It!
All God's Blessings,
The Believers
