Posts Tagged ‘christian’

Christian Financial Counselors V. Tithing

Tuesday, April 6th, 2010

I’m sitting here right now trying to think of a way to transition all the thoughts going through my mind, so this post might get a little bumpy and random. I have Google tithing alerts sent to my email every day. Whenever someone in the news or on their blog mentions tithing, i receive an email of a list of those websites. I try as best as i can to visit as many blogs and news sites as i can to place comments that refute tithing, and support Spirit led giving.

I am somewhat picky about the blogs i will comment on. I try to comment on blogs that seem to get a little more traffic because i don’t have much time to comment in the first place, and wish to share my thoughts with as many as possible. There are certain types of blog posts that i  usually do not write on regardless of their website traffic – and that is blogs that give personal and emotional testimonies about tithing.

Trying to reason with someone about their personal experiences with tithing is like trying to take a child away from a mother who has carried for nine months and has given birth. You cannot take those experiences and emotions away from people. They will take those emotions to their grave. The best thing i’ve found is to state a few verses to counter-balance their emotions, plant a few seeds in forms of questions, and then be on your way. Side note about internet debating – you have no personal rapport with anybody. They don’t know you, so you aren’t going to change their mind anyway.

History proves over and over that you cannot persecute or beat ‘faith’ out of anyone. It only makes them more stubborn, stronger, or turns them into martyrs. Many people believe tithing out of emotional faith, and not because of reason. This is one of the reasons why I try to stay away from the tedious, long, relentless banters towards any ‘opponent’. If you stay in an argument too long, both you and your opponent will be going around in circles while placing more and more bricks on each of your castle walls.

(So here’s one of those weird transitions :| ) This is going to seem awkward to say but we need to take these emotional experiences away from people. I first was thinking about all this when i was reading Dave Ramsey’s website. On there it had someone’s testimony about tithing and then getting out of debt. It made me think that when they’ve gotten out of debt and the emotional relief they felt was all attributed to tithing. Unfortunately, this is false advertising for tithing because Dave Ramsey is a financial counselor not a tithing counselor. People have to change their buying and saving habits in order to get out of debt.

Tithing never got anyone out of debt, and yet you hear of thousands of testimonies every year who attribute financial success to tithing advice from a financial counselor. You will always hear a testimony such as this – ‘We were in up to our necks in debt. We met with a Christian financial counselor. Someone challenged us to tithe. In one year we paid off $20,000 in credit card debt.’ Even hearing the story, we get so caught up in the astronomical achievement that we don’t even wonder what tithing even has to do with spending, credit cards, and materialism?

(another awkward transition) Since i want to take the focus of financial success stories away from tithing, here’s the bottom line -  I wish to support Christian financial counseling ministries that does not support tithing. We need stories that include financial success while people gave freely without tithing.

Your Help is Needed

All of this encouraged me to go on a practical but seemingly unrealistic journey to find a Christian Financial Counseling Ministry that does not support tithing. My search has almost come up empty, so i am going to ask all of you if you are familiar with a christian financial ministry that does not support tithing in their counseling plans. I was fortunate to accidentally come across http://www.providentplan.com/.  They provide great Christian Financial Counseling services, but we need to find as many others as possible.

Crown and Dave Ramsey are great counseling tools but they both support tithing in their financial counseling plans. I am looking for a company that provides similar services, but I want to partner with or promote a Christian financial organization that does not support tithing. If we are to eliminate the false teaching through tithing, we need to promote organizations that do not teach tithing in their financial foundations. We need to create Christian financial success stories that show tithing is not a magical formula that gets you out of debt.

If we do not support the ministries that teach the right thing, then Dave Ramsey and Crown will still pump out people who will be permanently rooted in the tithing doctrine. If we can get people to see that it is sound financial principles that creates good stewardship, then there will be less and less work for us to do in the long run. We have to get people at the roots. Crown and Ramsey’s converts makes their pupils into tithers for life.

If we can all band together and promote a third financial ministry, one day it may turn out to be a huge competitor to crown and ramsey. This will be a great way to get the truth about tithing out there.Yes, I think my vision is somewhat idealistic, but we’ve gotta be realistic that every one that ramsey and crown covert to tithing will be near impossible to change back.

THE GOAL: Find financial counseling ministries that do not teach tithing and post them in your comments. I would like to compile a list of all these organizations in a blog post.

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The Tithe Test

Wednesday, September 10th, 2008

taking the tithe test

I know i had seen this tithe test floating around here and there on other websites. So i figured i might as well post it here. As a side note, i just want to say that i do not particularly agree with all of the answers to this test, but you should Take the Tithe Test anyways.

The Tithe Test – What Do You Really Know?
by Robin Calamaio
11/25/2007 / Finances

Is 10% of your gross income to be given to the local church for the rest of your life? What do you actually know about the Biblical teaching on the tithe? Well, here is your chance to find out! Below are twenty questions worth five points each. Normally, 60% would be a passing grade. But in this case, I want you to study this subject until you score 100% ! Why do I want this? Well, if your income averages $50K a year, after fifty years, you will have given a quarter of a million dollars to the local church. It does seem sensible to ask some questions about this – and know some answers. Actually, it is wrong for you to give 10% of your gross income to anybody without knowing for sure it is God’s will …100% sure. That’s why I want you to work on this until you are an A+ student!

So, … get your pen and paper and take this 3 minute test right now. Don’t cheat by looking at the answers. Go!

  1. How many Bible authors wrote commands about the tithe – its purpose, amount and procedures?
  2. Who are they?
  3. What was done with the third and sixth year tithe? Who had access to it?
  4. Can you explain the “tithe cycle” of the Israelites?
  5. What was done with the tithe every seventh year?
  6. Explain Abram’s tithe. What did Abram give Melchizedek?
  7. Did any of the Levites tithe? If so, to whom and how much?
  8. How much money did the tithers give to the Levitical Priests?
  9. In the “to the Levites” tithing years, did all the tithe go to the Levites?
  10. What group did Jacob give his tenth to?
  11. What were the conditions God must meet before Jacob would give that tenth?
  12. When was the tithe “rediscovered?”
  13. Who is credited with that “rediscovery?”
  14. What was the catalyst for that “rediscovery?”
  15. Is tithing the number one responsibility for the Christian and his/her money?
  16. What kind of curse should the Christian expect for failing to tithe (Malachi 3:17-23)?
  17. Where did Jesus tell Christians to bring their tithe?
  18. Where did Paul, or the other New Testament writers, tell Christians to bring the tithe?
  19. When the Corinthians, and others, were making their collection for the saints, what was done with that collection before Paul and company took it to Judea?
  20. Can the tithe be given to parachurch ministries?

Now, before rushing down to grade yourself, let’s address one other little item. It seems reasonable to me that anyone who tells you God requires you to tithe – should be willing to answer a few questions (like … maybe twenty?). And if that person fails to score 60%, well, … where I grew up, that was an “F.” Should you be expected to yield to such “expertise?” But, even if expected … should you?

ANSWERS

To calculate the score, count the number of correct answers and multiply by 5.

1. One.

2. Moses. In Malachi, God was speaking and simply reiterated the commands in the Law.

3. It was kept in the local town. It was for the local Levite, alien, orphan, and widow.

4. Year one, two, four and five were taken to the designated place (eventually Jerusalem). Year three and six – see question 3 answer. Year seven – see below.

5. There wasn’t one. There was not one on year fifty (Year of Jubilee) either.

6. He gave him 10% of the choicest spoils of a bunch of stuff he had no intention of keeping anyway. He gave nothing of his own possessions.

7. Yes. Those Levites not of Aaron’s family gave a tithe of the tithe they received. They gave it to the priests of Aaron’s family.

8. None. The tithe was never money.

9. The tithe of year one, two, four and five were shared by the tither with the Levite in a celebratory meal when the tithe was given. What was left over stayed with the Levite. In year three and six, it appears the tither deposited the whole amount in the local town without partaking of any of it.

10. There was no “group” to give it to of which we know. If your testee responds with, “God,” count that as a correct answer. The testee is still going to flunk.

11. God had to be with him, keep him on his journey, give him food to eat, give him garments to wear, and return him safely to his father’s house. At that point, God would be his God. The tenth came (we assume) twenty years later. It was a vow fulfillment.

12. After the Bill of Rights was adopted in the United States.

13. American Theologians in the Higher Criticism of Systematic Theology.

14. The loss of the church’s ability to tax citizens (The First Amendment in the Bill of Rights) caused a financial crisis in the church. That led to this “rediscovery.”

15. No. Family obligations are number one. There is no tithe for Christians anyway.

16. There aren’t any. Christians are not Jews under Law.

17. He didn’t, because there isn’t one.

18. They didn’t, because there isn’t one.

19. It was saved … most likely at home by each contributor.

20. There is no such thing as a parachurch ministry, and there is no tithe for the Christian either. All the assumptions in this question are nonsense.

These answers are correct.

The teaching that is going around today is not the Tithe of the Bible. In fact, this “new teaching” is totally foreign to the Bible. A legitimate Biblical word and teaching (tithe) has been hijacked – and applied it to this new concoction.

God does give clear directives for the use of your money. But that design is not found in this “new teaching.” This “tithe” teaching is actually extortion in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ. But, it is not just the extortioner who will be held to account. The duped one is accountable too. It is ultimately our responsibility to learn God’s will for us – especially when it is written in black and white. And in this matter, “I have not spoken in secret, in some dark land” (Isa 45:19). God’s material on the tithe, and His priorities for our money, are clearly stated in the Bible – there for the reading.

So, how did you do? Are you comfortable with your current knowledge level on this matter?

Free, unique ebooks at http://www.freelygive-n.com/Free_Christian_Ebook_Home.html . Or find out how to get right with God through a visual Stick Figure Gospel Presentation at http://www.freelygive-n.com/Gospel_Presentation.html ! Robin has a Master of Divinity – Emmanuel School of Religion, 1992.

Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com

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Invisible Church – Hunger

Wednesday, August 6th, 2008

In the last post we had spoken about providing and helping people pay for health care. In continuation of the “Invisible Church” series, let’s talk about “hunger”. When it comes to world hunger the Church takes the verse, “man shall not live by bread alone” in a literal sense. People ask for food around the world and we just hand them a tract, or we send them a missionary. We say, “here, this is even better for you”. In a sense, when they ask for food, you might as well just give them a stone:

“If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish?”

There’s nothing wrong with sending missionaries, or a shipping container full of bibles- that’s part of Jesus’ commission to us. The other part of the commission dealt with taking care of the poor, and feeding the hungry and the stranger. Send food also.

“Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’”

We have much to be thankful for in our country. We need to share what we’ve been given. We are stewards, but we are acting like a bunch of glutenous wasters. We put so much money into things that are not needs. We have purchased so much “Jesus junk”. I’m talking about all the little knick knacks that you can purchase at the Christian store. Everything from TestaMints to t-shirts. Sure, that stuff is creative, it’s thoughtful, and it might even have its rightful place in our Christian sub culture; but for the most part it is just junk.

As we’ve stated before, God doesn’t need anymore advertisements; he needs ambassadors. He doesn’t need posters, He needs people that advertise his work through actions. Helping those who are hungry is one of the ways of doing that.

Everyone knows that the red cross, and heifer international brings aid to desolate people, but do the poor know that the Church does as well? The Church wasn’t meant to be a hospital just for Spiritual care; it was meant to be a hospital for physical, emotional, and mental care as well. I don’t know why we have handed that torch over? I don’t know if we think it’s too expensive, or too demanding? In essence, we didn’t hand over an opportunity to feed people, we’ve handed over an opportunity to witness. God gave us the call to take care of those in need so that they can see God in their needs through us. Zechariah 8:13 says:

“And it shall come to pass
That just as you were a curse among the nations,
O house of Judah and house of Israel,
So I will save you, and you shall be a blessing.”

The opportunity to be a blessing to others is not an opportunity to show off ourselves, God saved us and blessed us so that our actions would glorify His name. I know people need to find a place that has good doctrine and fellowship, but i’m kind of intrigued at the idea that churches put their address on the back as if that’s the road to salvation. I know, i know, it’s there for a good purpose, but it’s just funny to me how it shows in a slight way that a purpose of witnessing is to bring more people to “Our” church. It was funny to see that when i moved into our new house, i received a couple letters from churches stating, “come visit our bla bla bla church. . . we are a friendly people . . . bla bla bla.” Cold calls, mailing lists, and email marketing is what i learned to run a business in college, so that type of outreach kind of ruffles my feathers.

In closing, i wrote a poem called, “Why is God so Selfish“. It has a deeper meaning than just to say that God is selfish, so i would recommend you read it. But for now, here’s an excerpt:

“Why should I give to God’s missionary
When my own city is cold and hungry?
Why should I find God by going to church
As if God wanted me, but didn’t search?”

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The Invisible Church

Friday, August 1st, 2008
Can a city on a hill be hidden?

Can a city on a hill be hidden?

Some recent thoughts about the availability and efficiency of the Church have prompted me to write a series titled, “The Invisible Church”. Make no mistake, I said “invisible” NOT “invincible”. This series has been prompted by my thoughts about how billions around the world are homeless, starving, or without proper health care. I would even love to write a book on this subject, because there is just so much to say.

We’ve made ourselves visible through our elaborate sanctuaries, energetic conferences, social alliances, political influence, catchy billboards, pop music groups, energetic websites, tag line t-shirts, bible verse tattoos, entertainment events, radio and TV broadcasts, Christian concert and cruises, and engraved jewelry; but our efforts have brought anything but tangible results. The above ways of “reaching out” have very little to do with actually reaching out. Advertising is not reaching out. Making sure our church sign is lite up at night is not reaching out. We have to be in the mindset that putting money towards any of these things could be considered an overhead cost, because they do almost nothing in performing the actual work of Jesus Christ.

Ok, Ok, so you get my point. I understand those things are not wrong. Well let’s look at this practically. I do not put a sign up at my house with spotlights saying, “i am a Christian”, just so everyone can know, that God is here, just in case you didn’t know. Ok, analogies are not perfect, but i want to show that actually reaching out is in contrast to advertising God. We should give them help when they need it. Give them food if we have extra. Mow their lawn if they are incapacitated. A house next door doesn’t show that there are any neighbors, just like a church building does not tangibly prove that there is a loving God. This is why you can have millions of dollars in real estate, top-notch church programs, energetic worship team, and thousands in attendance, but still fail miserably.

We have said enough about Jesus, written enough about Jesus, sang enough about Jesus, it’s about time we just be Jesus. The world doesn’t need anymore words, or pictorial reminders. They need real tangible help. The repetitiveness of Jesus name in public is not going to stop world hunger, cover the homeless, and bring back proper health care.

We pour so much money into displaying our God and our Church that we could easily pay for all the commercial spots available during the Superbowl! Are we afraid that people don’t know that we are here? Does God need a greater display than the heavens? Does He need a greater display than what nature gives us? Will our t-shirts, billboards, tattoos and jewelry make the Church tangible in any way? Will our humanistic efforts to display God make God more real to us or others?

People are over gorged with our Christian sub-culture. We are so accustomed to displaying Jesus, instead of being Jesus. Jesus laid simple principles of this in his teaching. He said,

“for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’

“Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.”

This is the first part of a series on this blog about the invisible Church. In the next couple of posts, our stewardship methods will be on trial; and hunger, poverty, and health care will be on the witness stand. My final question to you is, “Can a city on a hill be hidden?”

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Why is God So Selfish?

Monday, June 2nd, 2008

Why is God So selfish?

Why is God’s request a need
But my own, a want indeed?
Why must God’s house be so fancy
But my house should not be much to see?

Why should I give to God’s missionary
When my own city is cold and hungry?
Why should I find God by going to church
As if God wanted me, but didn’t search?

Why does a man of God drive a brand new car
As I drive my clunker that does not get very far?
Why should your music program be so hot
But my stereo system be so not?

Why is God so selfish and unkind
What about healing the sick and the blind?
Why is God’s money used for investments
But for me, it is the root of disobedience?

Why does God need a coffee shop
And I have to wait at the bus stop?
Why is a mission trip a huge cost
But our own neighbors are still lost?

Why must God have padded pews
And the poor walk with holey shoes?
Why does God have a tall steeple
But seems to reject the lowly people?

Why does God pass the offering plate
And pass by the widow standing at the gate?
Why does God need elegant pipe organs
But only muse about the orphans?

So why is God so selfish?

© Copyright 2008

http://churchtithesandofferings.com/

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What is Practical Theology?

Tuesday, January 8th, 2008

I am not a scholar, nor am i a pastor. I don’t have a PhD nor do i have experience as a teacher.  I don’t know the “theological big word” definitions of hermeneutics, homiletics, or exegesis. I couldn’t even tell you if i just spelled them right. I am the normal, every day joe schmoe when it comes to theology. Most would put me in the category of laymen. I don’t think my opinion matters more than a man who has a PhD and has 30 years experience as a senior pastor, but i don’t think that my opinion matters less either. At this point i don’t know why i’m sharing my thoughts here about this, but it’s just something that came to my mind, so here we go.

I don’t know how many others out there feel left out when the Christian conversations start progressing towards the “theological big words”. I don’t think i get in many conversations with those words as much as i read these big words from the pages of scholars who write them. I’m not saying that there is no relevancy to understanding these definitions, but i think i appreciate the more practical communication. i like parables. i like applications. Its very simple, and very practical.

I couldn’t tell you that Jesus sat down with his pupils during a course study and spoke a lesson to his disciples about homiletics (is that even a word?).  There were no university’s offering a masters of divinity. There was no doctorate of theology. You were either a disciple or follower of Jesus, or you were not.

Right now, many random thoughts are just coming to my mind. Like why spend 10 years in college? Why spend many thousands of dollars on these degrees? How is all this practical? How does all this help? Well, if life is just a vapor, what’s your opinion? I realize that these questions have very legitimate answers, and i don’t want to belittle any of the causes here. I don’t know, maybe i’m just trying to comfort some self doubt in my mind right now, because i am just the average joe schmoe. My vast use of vocabulary comes from just a small little town in eastern Pennsylvania. It doesn’t come from any dictionary’s or theology courses.  I did graduate with a bachelor’s degree, and i consider myself more fortunate than most.

I didn’t feel like writing about finances, stewardship, or tithing in this post. I just wanted to share some of my personal thoughts that have been running through my mind recently.

How practical do you think theology is these days? i’m not necessarily talking about what your pastor thinks of practical theology, but i’m asking you about your personal life. What is your own definition of practical theology in perspective of your own experience and own knowledge? Do you think the majority of theology out there today is practical?

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Rebellion against tithing: lashing out at legalism?

Thursday, December 6th, 2007

I just read a news article written by Ken Walker on ChurchCentral.com. The title of the article is Rebellion Against Tithing: Lashing Out at Legalism? This article comes in response to the news article on Wall Street Journal – Backlash Against Tithing.

Here’s a quote from the article on Church Central:

“While there may be criticism of tithing, I have a feeling that it stems from a desire to throw the legalistic baby out with the generous bathwater.

In other words, those who teach tithing as an ironclad law reap the fruits of rebellion against something that wasn’t meant to be a barometer of our spirituality or salvation. Generous giving is a spiritual principle, not a Pharasitical law intent on binding people’s hearts.

After all, points out financial author and pastor Brian Kluth—whose materials are distributed in more than 100 nations—the idea of tithing to God’s work is accepted historically, across denominations, and around the world.”

My response is, “you bet were throwing the legalistic baby out with the bath water.” Their baby is tithing, and i’m sorry it is not adorable and not cute. Also, if my rebellion is in response to wrong, then that means i am doing what’s right. There is no rebellion my friend. If rebellion is part of proclaiming the truth then i’ll be the first claim myself guilty.

It’s so obvious how people are blinded by tithing. For instance Walker goes on to say that “generous giving is a spiritual principle not a Pharisaical law”. I say they are blinded by tithing because they can’t see that the backlash against tithing is not a backlash against generous giving. Generous giving is not about tithing. How much more plain can i say it? Just because i don’t believe in the tithing mandate does not mean that i am throwing out the generous giving baby out with the tithing bathwater. I just want to throw the tithing bath water out. I don’t want to throw the generous giving baby out.

Is tithing the bath water or is it the baby? This is another misconception in Walker’s analogy. He thinks that tithing is the baby! Is tithing the part that you are suppose to keep, while you throw out generosity with the bath water No! you are suppose to keep the baby, which analogously is the generosity, and throw out the water, which is tithing.

Why can’t people like Walker see the this picture clearly? It’s because they think my response to the tithing mandate is in rebellion against generosity. But his vision fails when he doesn’t see that my response to the tithing mandate is actually in response to what’s wrong. I am an advocate for sacrifice and generosity.

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Embattled Oral Roberts President Resigns

Saturday, November 24th, 2007

Oral Roberts UniversityLots of scandals going on in the Church lately but here’s the latest news written by Justing Juozapavicius in the Associated Press – “Embattled Oral Roberts President Resigns”. The link to the news article is here. There were allegations brought up a few months ago that Richard Roberts, the president, had used some of the University’s funds to support his lavish lifestyle. Some of the allegations brought forward are, “a $39,000 shopping tab at one store for Richard Roberts’ wife, Lindsay, a $29,411 Bahamas senior trip on the university jet for one of Roberts’ daughters, and a stable of horses for the Roberts children.” I’m one of those people that think our leaders deserve a bountiful reward and compensation, but i gotta tell you, 29,000 for a Bahamas senior trip, and a 39,000 shopping tab at only one store? I hope they were just shopping for a car.

It’s bad enough that Britney Spears is in the news for her shopping habits let alone a Christian evangelist. I’m glad that the faculty and chair members had enough guts to stand up for what’s right. This extortion of charitable funds in order to support lavish lifestyles needs to end inside the Christian community. I have nothing wrong with Christians having money, just don’t hoard it all. There’s just something wrong with a Christian group calling themselves a charitable organization, when the presidents and directors are living a life of luxury in the top 1% of the world. It’s practically an oxymoron to say that they are a charitable organization but yet, their biggest charity is to themselves.

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