Common Sense Christian

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Daily Devotional – August 20

EXTORTION AND BRIBERY

 

Part 3 of 3

We have two kinds of ministers in today’s pulpits. “Demetris” and “Jeremys.”

  • One brutally preaches that his boss is owed a percentage of your take–and will get it even if he has to put you out of business. (“If you don’t give God his ten percent he’ll get it some way by causing you to be sick, a car repair, have financial difficulties, blah, blah, blah.”)
  • The other cruelly offers false incentives–bribes–in order to get what he wants. (“If you give God his 10 percent he will will give you four times as much!”)

This is NOT God, and has nothing to do with Him. He will hold the Demetris and Jeremeys accountable.

In order to give their congregations false hope or promote fear, contemporary ministers rely on an Old Testament practice called the “tithe.” The tithe was a custom developed between people either as an honorarium or for the purpose of paying for some derived benefit. It was later instituted for the Jewish people as a means of supporting a huge religious bureaucracy. Believing and non-believing Jews alike were required to pay the tithe–an obligatory tax that no one dodged. Another mistaken notion was that it was a tenth, but was really 1/12th of ones monetary income. Interesting that we seem to have dropped the rest of the requirements put forth in Leviticus 27.

  • Fast forward to today, and we find nothing in our New Testament that teaches of a God who requires cold cash…or else. There are plenty of people who don’t tithe and get richer by the day.
  • Fast forward to today, and we find nothing in our New Testament that teaches of a God who gives back 2, 3 or 4 times what one gives. If this was the case, no one would invest in the stock market–all investment would be in churches. There are plenty of people who tithe who don’t get this “promised return.”

We serve a God that wants our gift of love, not a begrudged tax.

2Corinthians 9:7 Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, [so let him give]; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.

What does your minister preach, and why?

August 20, 2007 - Posted by | Christianity 101, Extortion and Bribery, Tithing

4 Comments »

  1. Wow. When you put the three parts together, you get a powerful comparision between the violence (and greed) of the world and the less violent but equally ambitous (and greedy) mindset of many in church leadership. I do think Parts 1 and 2 should be reversed to show how this attitude grows from childhood. Sin abounds, and members of the clergy are not immune.

    I agree completely about tithing. We live in the age of grace. Jesus death on the cross paid everyone’s tithe. What it did not pay is the electric bill. I would hope that pastors fall into more than two categories, because, if not, the church is in big trouble.

    Wait, the church is in big trouble. I’m so gald there is a “church within the church,” whose allegiance is to none but the Savior.

    Comment by helenl | August 20, 2007 | Reply

  2. Hi Helen! There is little room left for grace and love in many of our churches. We seem to play at it, assimulate it, but putting it into practice goes against our old fallen nature.
    Hi Helen! There is little room left for grace and love in many of our churches. We seem to play at it, assimulate it, but putting it into practice goes against our old fallen nature.

    Some thoughts on the matter:

    I have witnessed ministers put their congregations under guilt and fear or appeal to their greed many times. There may be times that they do it out of ignorance, having been taught these things and never maturing past them, but listening closely, considering the circumstances and discerning the spirit makes it easy to determine when it is out of self-interest–a means to grow a physical plant (a monument to self?), a means to supplement their own lifestyle(retirement, salary, etc.), a means to do everything but the work of God.
    ______________________________________
    Expect a tithing message when:

    1. The church has gotten itself into a fincial mess (debt, etc.)
    2. The church wants something (new bus, new buildings, new gym, etc.)
    3. The ministers or leaders want a raise or they want to hire another position.
    4. Pet projects.
    5. Receipts are down from last year.
    ______________________________________
    I learned and teach “grace giving” (giving to God because one loves him). A VERY common sense Christian teaching if one gives it an ounce of thought. When one does that, then one is very particular about what one supports. If I’m going to give out of love, then I am going to be particular about what that love is used for! In regards to my former church, I did not give all of the money I gave to the Lord to this church. It had a large physical plant and loads of money in the bank–I kept up with the financial statements and there was plenty of money being poured into this church every week. So…I contributed some to the church, but took the rest and allocated it elsewhere. I directly supported missionaries, gave to people in need, etc.

    Because of this, I was labeled as a “non-tither” (I refused to put my money in an envelope for tax deduction purposes) and told that I could not teach in the class on the matter of tithing.
    ______________________________________
    It has been my personal experience that those who don’t preach this in ignorance or vice, can preach this because of a lack of faith in God and his provision. Out of one side of the mouth we tell others that “God knows our need and will provide” while out of the other we say “You’d better give or else.” It is a man-centered teaching that cheapens our God and teaches others what he IS NOT.
    ______________________________________
    (At this point I have one foot off of my soapbox, but not yet…)
    ______________________________________
    And why stop at 10 percent?! How would you like it if your husband said he loves you 10 percent? “Hi Helen, I’m home. Here is ten percent of my paycheck, I’ve contributed my part of the relationship, don’t let the door hit you on the way out.” One can say a lot about those those first century saints, but they sold everything they had “And laid [them] down at the apostles’ feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need.” Acts 4:35
    ______________________________________
    I heard an example given that went something like this:

    Sam, father of four makes $25,000 a year giving 10% ($2,500) of it to his church each year. That leaves $22,500 for the whole family to make it on through the year.

    Joe, married-no kids, makes $120,000 a year giving 10% (12,000) to his church each year. (BTW, in many churches Joe is much more valued than Sam). That leaves $108,000 for the two of them to make it through the rest of the year.

    It is my impression that Joe is a “cheerful” giver for different reasons than Sam may be.
    ______________________________________
    (Ok, I have both feet back on the ground now)
    ______________________________________
    I agree with you about switching parts 1 & 2, Helen. So true. Part 2 I had originally written as a confidence man trying to make someone invest in a risky scheme, but the more I thought about it, the more I wanted to illustrate the cruel nature of someone who would try to get others to give to something by promising something that wouldn’t happen.
    ______________________________________
    I like you, Helen!
    ______________________________________
    God bless,

    Paul

    Comment by bereans | August 20, 2007 | Reply

  3. And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much.

    And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing.

    And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury:

    Didn’t Paul refuse to take money for preaching?

    BTW, Do you wonder if those holding the signs ever stop to think of the holocaust that birth control causes every year?

    Comment by Voice of Reason | August 20, 2007 | Reply

  4. Good point, Voice!

    During the time of the Mosaic Law the Priesthood was supported by a tithe commanded by God. However this command has passed with Jesus Christ’s death, buriel and ressurection. Meanwhile while some ministers in the Church today deny Christ and the resurrection and still claim that God commands the people that make up the Church to pay a tithe.

    Who were the people of the Old Law? Were they Jews? If so does the Old Law extend to Jews that have made the transition to Christianity today? What about the Gentiles? Are they (Gentiles) honorary Jews and are still bond by the Old Law. Can you abide by the Old Law and accept Christ as your Savior? Did Christ come to remove the need to pay tithes by dying for sins? WHY DON’T THE PREACHERS TEACH THE TRUTH ABOUT THIS QUESTION? Could it be that they serve two masters?

    The apostle Paul does not mention anything about a tithe when he teaches about giving in the New Testament. Like you mentioned, he also goes to great lengths to demonstrate that he is not preaching for money.

    1 Corinthians 9: 15. “But I have used none of these things: neither have I written these things, that it should be so done unto me: for it were better for me to die, than that any man should make my glorying void.”

    Although Paul realized that God (see verse 14) has noted that ministers are to be compensated (just as the Priest received not money but food, grain, livestock) for preaching the Gospel he refused pay. But to understand this verse clearly need to look at a couple more scriptures before proceeding.

    In Acts 18: 3 it is noted that Paul had the skill and occupation of a tent maker. Thus he could provide for himself.

    Acts 20: 33. “I have coveted no man’s silver, or gold, or apparel.”

    Paul writes that he was not preaching the Gospel in order to obtain the personal possessions of the brethren.

    In regards to the picture, I chose that to illustrate the mindset of people who know little of God.

    Thanks for your comments, Voice.

    Paul

    Comment by Paul | August 21, 2007 | Reply


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