The Crack Tithing Addiction

February 8th, 2010

You know of anyone who has been addicted to drugs? I’ve had a couple family members that had been on drugs for quite some time. It’s a sad thing to see. The worst part happens when they need a fix and can’t get their hands on their drugs. They break out in sweat while worry, fear, anger, and panic overcome them. Manipulation and rage are usually the consequences of their complete dependence. For those of you who might not understand; your brother or your sister, whom you’ve known your whole life, might as well be your enemy. They will do the most vile and manipulative things to you and your family in order to get their fix. My cousin (who is dead now), at one time stole all his brothers and sister’s presents on Christmas eve and sold them to buy his drugs! I don’t want to go on an anti-drug rant here, but i do want to show you the affects of addiction.

Many times, in my discussions about tithing, i get a lot of comments about how all the churches would close their doors and all the pastors would leave if we did not have tithing. They feel that the survival of the Church is completely dependent upon the enforcement of the tithing law. Without this tithing law, the church would just shrivel up into nothing. Just the thought of getting rid of tithing causes panic.

Many are so absorbed into the enforcement of the tithing law, that they do not even realize that they are many examples in the bible of ministries thriving without any signs of the tithing being enforced. As a matter of fact, there’s no sign of tithing in the new testament to support any ministry. Not that the absence of tithing is argument for my beliefs, but the fact that people can’t believe the Church can operate without tithing is ignorance to me.

These people are so addicted to tithing that they will come up with the most manipulative things to say in order to get you to tithe. They will threaten you with excommunication, curses from God, and even losing your salvation.

I have enough to worry about with my own finances let alone worrying about some church keeping open their doors.

Let me share a part of my testimony. I lived in a home and a church that always tithed, so as i grew up, i did so as well; even without question. So as i was confronted with the challenge to defend tithing, i began study on my own what the bible had to say. My mind quickly changed about what i believed about tithing.

Although i knew tithing was not commanded, i struggled with the truth for a while. It took me a while to get over the shallow guilt and my conscience. As i look back, it’s sad to see the bondage that i was under. As a former addict, I truly felt that i was a slave, and now i finally feel how it is to be free.

One look at the bible, and you can tell that money is an important subject. It is the most talked about subject in the bible. Because of the bible’s emphasis on finances, and the ability for materialism and money to corrupt, i began to feel that tithing is probably the number one vice of the church. I began to see how churches were so addicted money and the power of tithing to produce it. It is almost as if they would go through withdrawal if tithing were relinquished.

Why is the Church so addicted to money? Is tithing our way of manipulating our brothers and sisters every week so that way we can get our fix? Not that money is evil but can you and i really live off of every word from the mouth of God, or must we feed the money monster ever week in order to get through our withdrawals? I don’t know, you tell me!

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The Skinny on Tithing Video

February 4th, 2010

Just another video you can use to manipulate everyone into believing that tithing is commanded.

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Creflo Dollar on Tithing

February 3rd, 2010

Watch this insane video with Creflo Dollar on tithing. Here are few things he says

  • If it weren’t for the blood of Jesus he (creflo) would hold people at gun point to give a tithe.
  • If you take the time to tithe correctly it’s impossible to go to hell
  • Tithing will keep you in heaven and in the presence of God
  • The only way you are going to be healed is through the tithe

This tithing rant by creflo dollar just makes me sick.

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Charity: Who Cares?

January 25th, 2010

Mint.com – A visual Guide to Giving

Charity Who Cares-3
budget planner – Mint.com

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Is Church Marketing Right or Wrong?

January 21st, 2010

In my opinion, Church advertising is one of those gray areas. depending on which angle you look at the way some churches advertise, you can make a case for unethical practices or just poor stewardship. The hard part is figuring out if there is a line to draw or even if there should be any boundaries at all. It’s hard for me to determine at what point do we treat the church like a business, or treat it like a family? I mention four questions below that i believe could help us determine some boundaries.

Do we rely on it too much?

How much is too much? Truthfully, I don’t know. I believe that God gave us resources to use as tools to reach people. So, I’m not one of those who believes that we shouldn’t advertise or build church buildings just because you can’t find a verse for it in the New Testament.

I am worried that we rely too much on our advertising to attract others to the city on the hill instead of using the light to attract. What i mean is that our actions should shine a light that reflects Jesus Christ onto the world. Advertising is not bad as long as those who come get some light when they show up. If you use advertising to bring people there, and promos to keep people there, then that’s when i believe we rely on it too much.

Wood, hay, and stubble make can make a lot of light when they are burned, but the fire only lasts for a few moments. On the other hand – gold, silver, & precious stones emit an everlasting glow, and do not decay. How much light would your fellowship have once the flare, and blazes of your promotions burned out? If i say it more directly. . . how much light does your fellowship once the flare of the Sunday performance ends?

Do we spend too much on it?

I realize there is no price limit on how much we should spend to gain 1 soul. But the opposing truth is that if all we had to do was spend money, then i think we would be a lot more successful then we have been. As stewards of God’s kingdom, i think there’s one word to sum up our role – investors. A steward is much more than a person who can keep his master’s possessions safe. A good steward uses wisdom to multiply his master’s wealth.

This is my opinion, but i believe we spend too much money on those who we think are going to deserve God’s grace. We love investing in the middle-class American. If we had to advertise to the poor, then our advertising would be most effective through charitable actions. Advertising to the poor takes a lot of humility, time, and has very little recursive benefits.

One of our struggles as humans is to see the potential that some earthly investments have over others in heaven. That’s why I think most of us are complacent with putting more  money in advertising dollars than in humanitarian efforts. The truth be told, if we wish to advertise Jesus the Christ, find out how Jesus asked us to advertise. And then advertise your advertisement. Make sense? :)

Is Marketing Evanglism?

I don’t think that advertisements need to have a gospel presentation embedded in it. So, maybe this is one of those gray areas. I think the bottom line with advertising is that we should be seeking the lost, or those who need Christian fellowship and accountability. It seems that some churches really lose site of that.

Some churches think their advertising campaign is a PR tool to promote their popularity. It says nothing about Jesus Christ, and when you go to their advertised events, still nothing is said about Jesus Christ. More or less, it’s either a self help seminar, a warm and fuzzy message, or a concert. I think my statement above applies well to this. Find out what Jesus asked us to advertise, then advertise that.

Maybe it’s OK that our goals are strictly for social reasons instead of Gospel reasons? Maybe we can advertise concerts just to break down social barriers – so that people know Christians can have fun as well? Must we always be on the offensive as Christians? I know I am asking a lot of questions, but like i said, there can be a lot of gray areas when it comes to this topic. I don’t think i have this all figured out yet.

What are the pros and cons?

The Pros

1. It spreads awareness – There’s nothing wrong with telling people – this is what we do, and this is where we stand.

2. It nags people – The consistent reminder here and there wouldn’t hurt.

3. You can focus on certain demographics – Targeting age groups and certain cultures is an effective way to communicate that visitors  will feel welcome and comfortable around those who are like them.

The Cons

1. It costs money – According to Center for Church Communication in 2005 “80% of churches spend less than $10,000 on marketing and promotions each year (includes bulletins, newsletters, web sites, mailings, etc.)”. That figure seems lower than i expected. Don’t know how they come up with their numbers.

2. It’s used as bait – Usually you are not going to advertise the penalty of sin, and that we all deserve to burn in hell. More than likely you are going to advertise a concert, some self help sermons, or a pot-luck dinner or something.

Conclusion

I don’t think I’ve come to any solid conclusions here. Like i said, i have questions, and i see a lot of gray areas. I think this is partly because i don’t believe that Church is an event that occurs on Sundays. So, why should we judge how we prepare for that day different than we would any other day. The important thing is that we are a family, but there’s no laws against using business techniques. Bottom line- Christians have a job to do,- we have the liberty to use resources to get the message out- and we should be wise stewards.

Do you have any Pros or Cons that you wish to add to churches spending money on marketing? Do you think i was wrong with my analysis anywhere?

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Tithing & Stewardship Discussion Groups

January 14th, 2010

I have just updated our blog to add sign-up boxes for both Yahoo and Google discussion groups that I participate in. These groups are a good compliment to this blog because it is an open format. On this blog, usually the comments stick to the topic in that post, so it might not seem relevant to ask general questions that do not relate. But joining and submitting your questions to any of these discussion groups can be the best way to ask general questions and bring up topics all on your own.

The Yahoo Group was started in 2005 and was started by George Fox. Currently there are 145 members. The Google group was started in 2007 and was started by me. Currently there are 133 members. The sign up boxes are in the right hand column of this page.

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Misconception about Jacob’s Tithing Vow

January 11th, 2010

I know there are a majority who disagree with what I’m about to say. Even some of those who believe the same thing as I do – that tithing is not required, will disagree with me about this.

I do not believe that Jacob’s tithing vow in Genesis 28 was deceptive or manipulative. I believe that unclear translation, and preconceived notions about Jacob have implanted wrong assumptions. Before i run through my analysis Let’s quickly overview the scenario leading up to the events of Jacob’s vow:

Jacob just found a resting place to sleep after deceiving Esau out of his birthright and running away. During his sleep, Jacob had a dream in which God promised him multiple blessings. After the dream, Jacob wakes up, renames this place to “bethel” and makes a vow to God. – That should do it for a quick synopsis.

First, I believe that many translations of Genesis 28 interpret Jacob’s vow unclearly. Here’s what the NKJV states, “Then Jacob made a vow, saying, ‘If God will be with me, and keep me in this way that I am going, and give me bread to eat and clothing to put on, so that I come back to my father’s house in peace…’”

I believe the unclear translation comes with one simple little word in that passage – “If”. Let’s reword that passage and use a more clear translation of what I (IMHO) believe it should say. “And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, SINCE God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on, So that I come again to my father’s house in peace”.

Let’s not forget that God JUST finished stating those exact promises to Jacob in the dream- “the land on which you lie I will give to you . . . I am with you, and will keep you in all places . . . . and will bring you back to this land”.

We can see that the phrase- “if God’, is constantly misused throughout many other biblical passages:
Romans 8:31 “What then shall we say to these things? If God [is] for us, who [can be] against us?”
2 Peter 2:4 “For if God did not spare the angels who sinned”
1 John 4:11 “Beloved, if God so loved us”

Really, “IF” God loves us? Hmmmm. I believe “SINCE” God loves us would be a more clear translation.

Let’s not just take my word for it. here are some others who agree

Young’s Literal Translation states the beginning of Genesis 28:20 as this, “And Jacob voweth a vow, saying, `Seeing God is with me, and hath kept me in this way which I am going…”

Warren W. Wiersbe in his Old Testament bible commentary states, “The ‘If’ found in many translations of verse 20 can also be read ’since.’ Jacob wasn’t making a bargain with God. He was affirming his faith in God”

In “Exploring Genesis: An Expository Commentary” by John Phillips it states, “And Jacob vowed a vow saying, If God will be with me [or better, 'since God will be with me'; he is not using the language of uncertainty, but of assurance]“.

Jacob didn’t add any amendments to God’s promises, so where do we find that Jacob makes any bargain? For instance, If i told you that I’m going to buy a brand new car, and you responded back by demanding a new car as if it was your idea, i would think you were a little wacky. It wasn’t Jacob that drafted the terms of God’s promises. Jacob’s response was telling God – “since you are doing that, then i will do this”

The other preconceived notion is that Jacob was being deceptive in his vow. Yes, i believe that Jacob was deceptive at times; but there is no indication that deception was in his heart at that time. As a matter of fact, scripture says quite the opposite. Once Jacob awoke from his dream the bible says he had fear – “Surely the LORD is in this place; and I knew [it] not. And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful [is] this place! this [is] none other but the house of God”

Another situation that clouds our assumptions is that many correlate Jacob’s vow with Jepthah’s careless vow in Judges 11 where he promises God, “If you give the Ammonites into my hands,  whatever comes out of the door of my house to meet me when I return in triumph from the Ammonites will be the LORD’s, and I will sacrifice it as a burnt offering.”

Jepthah’s vow was made out of uncertainty and not of assurance. It was foolish, and he thought he could use a token from his possessions to persuade God to give him victory. Jacob’s vow was not used as a bargaining chip in this way.

As you can see, Jacob immediately named that place “bethel”, fulfilling his vow in vs. 22. In chapter 35, he commands that his family put away the strange gods, therefore affirming that the LORD was his God. Two-third’s of Jacob’s vow was just fulfilled without God completely fulfilling his promises. Did Jephthah do the same?

Jacob didn’t fulfill one portion of his vow, and that was because he couldn’t. God stated, “the land on which you lie I will GIVE to you and your descendants”, so once you look at what Jacob promised, “of all that you GIVE me, i will surely give a tenth unto thee”; you find that Jacob had promised to tithe off of what he received from the promised land. It’s kind of hard to give a tithe of the promised land, when you haven’t inherited it yet.

Like i said, many people disagree with me about this issue, but there’s no scripture to back up the claim that Jacob was bargaining or being deceptive with God. As i stated above, scripture is clear in saying Jacob had fear in his heart, not deception. Second, these demands did not originate from Jacob, they came from God. Third, the word “if” is unclear in many other passages in many bible translations.

I hope this helps some of you. I don’t want to just throw out my opinion here so that’s why i compared this translation with other scriptures, and used scriptures to also determine the attitude that Jacob had in his heart at the time.

- jared

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5 Roadblocks to the Tithing Truth

January 8th, 2010

Through the years of debating and writing about tithing, I’ve come across many people  that seem to be almost persuaded about the truth of tithing. But there’s always one or two things that hold them back. So what is it about tithing that neutralizes scriptural truth and keeps them from switching teams? These reasons could be roadblocks to accepting the truth from anything. Maybe you thought the color of the sky was actually red, until someone told you it was actually blue. What emotions did you experience that could have stopped you from believing the truth? Here are 5 reasons why it is so hard to let go of the tithing practice.

1. INSECURITY- Tithing comforts us with predictability, simplicity, and safety.

A frequent question many want to know is where would your church get money if there was no command to tithe? Would your lights be on? Would your heat be working? It’s hard for tithers to grasp the idea that the Church can survive without a mandated tax upon the people.

Tithing’s simplistic nature seems to be an impossible formula to miscalculate. I mean, how hard is it to figure out 10%? Tithing’s simplicity is a strong reason why many are hesitant to let go of its practice. As a side note, i don’t believe that tithing actually  is simple. Too many questions about tithing on the gross vs net, or tithing on retirement accounts, gift cards, bonuses, birthday presents . . .etc, etc, etc (you get the point).

Giving 10% seems to be a safe standard that consistently earns God’s favor (or so it seems). if you give at least a tithe, you should be safe right?  Many believe that the tithe puts a hedge of protection over them.

2. DOUBT – How could so many other Godly people be so wrong for so long?

Granted, that question is worthy of an explanation. First, if history has taught us anything, it’s that we can’t rely on precedence to determine how we should operate. Second, there are hundreds of denominations that all have a distinguished set of differences, which means that the majority of the Church is wrong about some of their practices.

Since most of us rely on church practices to dictate our beliefs, our faith lies in what  the church has practiced over the last couple of centuries, rather than relying on scripture.

3. FEAR- Fear of being wrong and fear from peer pressure

So many of our friends and family still tithe. Our  pastor tithes. All the deacons and elders tithe. All the ushers tithe. Even our Sunday school teacher tithes. What would everyone think if you told them you didn’t believe in tithing? I didn’t want anyone to think that i’m a backsliding Christian. It’s only human to not to want to be judged about your faith.

I struggled with being wrong about my stance for a long time. What if there’s something i was missing? What if i was totally wrong about tithing? I’m human, so more than likely i fouled up somewhere in my analysis. This is probably true, but there’s so many others out there that have got our backs.

4. IGNORANCE – They don’t know how to be anything else besides a tither

Their whole lives they’ve been tithers, so how do you change the stripes on a zebra? More than likely we have never experienced what true, new covenant giving should be like. We’ve been tamed and trained like a circus lion our whole lives, and we couldn’t operate in a jungle if our lives depended on it.

Once we stop tithing, we just stand there with our pants down, nibbling on our fingernails. So ultimately many of us just go back to tithing because we don’t know how to operate once we’re released in the jungle and given our spirit led freedom.

This is probably why many tithers believe that Spirit led giving is just like throwing darts at a board. They believe that Spirit led giving is just a guessing game that let’s you do whatever you please without consequence. This is just plain ignorance.

5. PRIDE – The truth hurts

I remember my very first response to when i first heard that tithing was not biblical for the Church. I immediately defended tithing and I defended those who taught me tithing. There’s just no way i could be wrong. At that moment, I felt I knew scripture like the back of my hand. I was definitely right, and the other person who questioned tithing was definitely wrong. So of course, with my pride at full steam, i scoured the scriptures to prove my adversary wrong.

Boy, was I in for a rude awakening, and my pride was hurt when i had to concede that i was wrong. I tell you that once i found the truth about tithing, i looked at what i knew with a whole different light. I had an open mind about anything i thought was truth. I began looking everything up in the bible. I never ever trusted my instinct again. I began to listen to theories other than my own. Luckily i actually studied scriptures rather than let pride take my stand for me.

Conclusion

How did i come up with this list of 5 roadbloacks to tithing? Well, these feelings are what i felt when i was contemplating the truth about tithing. I have had to come face to face with each of these emotions. I had to confront each one of them in order to fully believe the truth behind tithing.

What were/are your feelings when you were dealing with the truth about tithing? Have you felt anger, bitterness, disappointment, or anything else? Was there any other doctrine that you felt deceived about? What was your reaction to the truth then?

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