Dear WPA,
When i read the post asking about tithing i took it to my closet. Now If Anyone wants to know WHAT THE MOST HIGH thinks about TITHING...read THE SECOND THUNDER.
If that is not enough, do a simple word search. In the KJV "tithe" appears 32 times, 7 in the new testament. Of those 7 scriptures, only three are in the RED LETTERS....stuff JESUS HIMSELF SAID....
(1)Matthew 23:23 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: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.
(2)Luke 11:42 But woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.
(3)Luke 18:11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.
So, to put it bluntly, those that tithed were religious hipocrits. Nowhere did THE MESSIAH teach on tithing, either from the net or the gross income. In Hebrews the term tithe appears 4 times.
Hebrews 7:4 Now consider how great this man was, unto whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils.
5 And verily they that are of the sons of Levi, who receive the office of the priesthood, have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law, that is, of their brethren, though they come out of the loins of Abraham:
6 But he whose descent is not counted from them received tithes of Abraham, and blessed him that had the promises.
7 And without all contradiction the less is blessed of the better.
8 And here men that die receive tithes; but there he receiveth them, of whom it is witnessed that he liveth.
9 And as I may so say, Levi also, who receiveth tithes, payed tithes in Abraham.
10 For he was yet in the loins of his father, when Melchisedec met him.
11 If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, (for under it the people received the law,) what further need was there that another priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron?
In Genesis 14 Abram meets THE KING OF SALEM...MALEK-ZADEC...THE KING OF RIGHTIOUSNESS...and gave him "ONE TENTH" of his paycheck...just ask any preacher. The problem is Genesis never gives a percentage. What is said is that ABRAM "And he gave him tithes of all."
I suppose you could guess it as a round 10%...it just does not say. Nor does it say THE KING OF RIGHTIOUSNESS asked for a "LOVE OFFERING". So why do we hear that line so often?
So let me give you my personal opinion. Anyone who asks for money without a specific purpose or need is not of GOD. Anyone who cajols, manipulates, or intimidates to get money OPENLY SERVES MAMMON. Anyone who steals, extorts, misrepresents, or humiliates others for the sake of obtaining money is THE SEED OF THE SERPENT.
Now you wonder how off base i am...simply i am not. If you asked about GIVING i would have said JESUS did instruct us how to do it. And i have adressed it several times in the past...even on the WPA. All you have to do is read
Matthew 6.... 1 Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.
2 Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
3 But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:
4 That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.
Here the term is ALMS....it could mean money, or goods. In Acts at the GATE BEATIFULL a cripple was begging for ALMS....and got healed. The real issue is that whatever you do, how much you give, to whoever or whatever you give....is IN SECRET.
In other words....just between you and GOD. PERIOD.
Anyone fail to understand this simple fact?
You do not declaire it on your income tax. You do not stand up and declaire to the congregation you were giving $100 because the pastor/preacher/bozo asked people to "openly pledge their support"....
When said pastor/preacher/bozo asked you to do such a thing he/she/it was telling you to directly disobey what JESUS HIMSELF instructed.
And i guess this is the point that upsets me the most. Whether it is "giving", "praying", or "fasting"....
KING JESUS said to do it all in secret....and NOT TO MAKE A BIG SHOW OF IT.
So what does church do? Make a BIG SHOW out of anything and everything. And that is both THE FIRST and THE SECOND THUNDER...but who noticed?
THE ONE WHO SHALL SIT ON THE WHITE THRONE...that's who?
Now someone asked about how are the churches going to pay their bills.
That is what i shall explain next.
YOU EAT PRIME RIB ONE BITE AT A TIME.
enjoy
selah
dog