I told this one before. Walked into a Sunday school class one time. This 'pastor's' wife was hammering home tithing. I raised my hand and respectfully asked, where in the NT is the command for Christians to tithe?'
She referred to the offering that was taken up for the saints in Jerusalem during a famine and I clearified that for her.
She was flabbergasted because someone dared to challenge her on the subject. Most dumb sheep won't. Just sitting there like deers in the headlights....zombies. I'm sorry but I don't know how else to describe churched to death people. I'm tired. God love them but they need to wake up and take some responsibility and quit 'loving it so'!
Any way! So she said to her husband sitting in the front row ' 'pastor', do you want to say anyrhing?'
So he turned to me and said ' Jesus dealt with the Pharisees that were tithing spices and told them that they should have shown mercy and not let the other undone.
I, with tact and quiet respect, said ' the old covenant was still enforce at that time'.
Now here's the climax. He actually conceded with ' ok you're right. There is no place in the new covenant that tells Christians to tithe'.
He said that right in front of about 10 congregants. I've known of this guy for years. He was about 65 years old and been 'pastoring' for decades. He taught no differently than thousands of other 'pastors'.
But now, for the first time in his ministry, so called, he told the truth about tithing in front of the 'church'.
You could hear the proverbial pin drop! A hush over the whole scene. It was intense.
At this point his wife jumped back into the fray and actually answered with this insanity 'well I'm telling you that I don't care if it's not in the NT, you had better pay your tithes to God or you are going to stand guilty before Him one day for 'robbing God'.
I very, very gently tried to chime in with 'excuse me mam, uh, excuse me ...mam but if...excuse me, may I say....'?
At this very point I felt a hand on my shoulder and an elder saying ' lets go. You've got to leave'.
I did not resist. And...I was not shocked or surprised.
He led me out the door. I started to walk away then I heard the 'pastor's' voice. He said 'let me ask you a question. Do you tithe?'
I answered with 'I tithed for years and it hurt my family..and..'
He interrupted me with 'do you tithe now?' I answered 'no'. I give freely....'
He Interrupted again with 'then you have no right to talk about tithing'.
God told me to simply walk away! Shake the dust.
Later I thought about the logical conclusion of what he said could be used with ' unless you are living in adultery, you can't preach against adultery. Unless you are a homosexual, you cannot preach against homosexuality. Unless you are a rapest, you cannot preach against rape. Unless you are an active thief, you have no right to preach against stealing.
Unless you are an active murderer, you have no right to preach against murder.
Unless you are a member of Isis, you have no right to condemn beheadings.
Somebody wake me up when you get there.
How far does the 'church' have to sink before smelling the coffee? Yes I prayed for this man and his poor wife, deceived by covetiousness.
But it does beg the question once again. Do these 2 still have a home waiting for them in glory? Seeing that they are co-conspirators in a lie and in theft, all for fun and profit?
Now multiply this by thousands of other pulpiteers playing the same game, promoting the same bondage upon the weak and the poor. The rich have no problem. Tithing is easy for them.
Now look up the scriptures on what God is going to do with those that 'spoil the widows'.
Again, we are talking about lies and theft....what's going to happen with these hirelings?
She referred to the offering that was taken up for the saints in Jerusalem during a famine and I clearified that for her.
She was flabbergasted because someone dared to challenge her on the subject. Most dumb sheep won't. Just sitting there like deers in the headlights....zombies. I'm sorry but I don't know how else to describe churched to death people. I'm tired. God love them but they need to wake up and take some responsibility and quit 'loving it so'!
Any way! So she said to her husband sitting in the front row ' 'pastor', do you want to say anyrhing?'
So he turned to me and said ' Jesus dealt with the Pharisees that were tithing spices and told them that they should have shown mercy and not let the other undone.
I, with tact and quiet respect, said ' the old covenant was still enforce at that time'.
Now here's the climax. He actually conceded with ' ok you're right. There is no place in the new covenant that tells Christians to tithe'.
He said that right in front of about 10 congregants. I've known of this guy for years. He was about 65 years old and been 'pastoring' for decades. He taught no differently than thousands of other 'pastors'.
But now, for the first time in his ministry, so called, he told the truth about tithing in front of the 'church'.
You could hear the proverbial pin drop! A hush over the whole scene. It was intense.
At this point his wife jumped back into the fray and actually answered with this insanity 'well I'm telling you that I don't care if it's not in the NT, you had better pay your tithes to God or you are going to stand guilty before Him one day for 'robbing God'.
I very, very gently tried to chime in with 'excuse me mam, uh, excuse me ...mam but if...excuse me, may I say....'?
At this very point I felt a hand on my shoulder and an elder saying ' lets go. You've got to leave'.
I did not resist. And...I was not shocked or surprised.
He led me out the door. I started to walk away then I heard the 'pastor's' voice. He said 'let me ask you a question. Do you tithe?'
I answered with 'I tithed for years and it hurt my family..and..'
He interrupted me with 'do you tithe now?' I answered 'no'. I give freely....'
He Interrupted again with 'then you have no right to talk about tithing'.
God told me to simply walk away! Shake the dust.
Later I thought about the logical conclusion of what he said could be used with ' unless you are living in adultery, you can't preach against adultery. Unless you are a homosexual, you cannot preach against homosexuality. Unless you are a rapest, you cannot preach against rape. Unless you are an active thief, you have no right to preach against stealing.
Unless you are an active murderer, you have no right to preach against murder.
Unless you are a member of Isis, you have no right to condemn beheadings.
Somebody wake me up when you get there.
How far does the 'church' have to sink before smelling the coffee? Yes I prayed for this man and his poor wife, deceived by covetiousness.
But it does beg the question once again. Do these 2 still have a home waiting for them in glory? Seeing that they are co-conspirators in a lie and in theft, all for fun and profit?
Now multiply this by thousands of other pulpiteers playing the same game, promoting the same bondage upon the weak and the poor. The rich have no problem. Tithing is easy for them.
Now look up the scriptures on what God is going to do with those that 'spoil the widows'.
Again, we are talking about lies and theft....what's going to happen with these hirelings?