i thought this was pretty clever.
Posts Tagged ‘finances’
There’s Something About Benjamin
Monday, April 13th, 2009
Have Debt? Start Tithing
Friday, February 20th, 2009Oh yes, another example of someone getting out of debt by tithing. Read the story here “CBN.com“. I have to be careful here, because i do believe God honors faith, as well as sacrificial giving, which means that i believe giving 10% isn’t the only way to receive blessing. According to the story, apparently, a couple has paid of $125,000 worth of debt since they started tithing. I do not doubt that God’s blessing is upon them, i just wish people do not think that tithing is the magical bullet for their lives.
For every tithing success story, you could probably find an equal story where an individual is tithing and getting in even more debt then before. In my tithing testimony you will read that my own family suffered the consequences of debt, and legalistic tithing. People don’t understand that God blesses the sacrifice not the animal. So it isn’t because this couple reached the 10% benchmark, that God decided to finally bless them. It’s the sacrifice that they made that God blessed.
I’m not preaching another form of the health/wealth gospel here. God’s word says he blesses faith. I couldn’t tell you the form that your blessing will come in, or even if it is now or in eternity, but God does reward faith, not that personal gain is why you should give.
Many more have gotten out of debt, through practical stewardship principles rather than waiting for the windows of heaven to open up. Typically, money doesn’t fall from the sky. Usually, financial planning is the key to financial success. There are no tricks to being wealthy, or even financially stable. There is only planning, and implementing.
Global Rich List
Thursday, October 16th, 2008Want to put your wealth into perspective? Well, here’s a website to help you. Type in your income per year, and see where you rank in the world for your wealth. This website has a donate button, please be careful about donating through websites that you know nothing about.
God Before Mortgage
Monday, September 22nd, 2008
Here’s a news article written by Nick Carey that i read on Reuters. The title is, “For many U.S. Christians, it’s God before mortgage”. I have quoted and commented on certain portions of this news article below.
While millions may lose their homes during the worst housing slump since the Great Depression, some devout Christians among them will do so in part because they will not give up tithing. . .
you will find some people for whom obedience to God comes second to none, . . . For those people, a contract with God is worth more than their home
Milton Sharp, a home ownership specialist at NeighborWorks, an umbrella group of 230 nonprofits, said for many borrowers tithing is “mandatory and not a discretionary item that can be cut.
Granted, people have been poor stewards of their finances, and have made bad decisions to get into homes that was a risk for them to afford later on. But to say that your contract with God carries more spiritual weight than your contract on earth is ridiculous. Remember the context of the quote, “give unto Caesar’s what is Caesar’s and unto God what is God’s”? Here is the passage:
Luke 20
Then they asked Him, saying, “Teacher, we know that You say and teach rightly, and You do not show personal favoritism, but teach the way of God in truth: Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”But He perceived their craftiness, and said to them, “Why do you test Me? Show Me a denarius. Whose image and inscription does it have?”
They answered and said, “Caesar’s.”
And He said to them, “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”
The answer is that giving to God is not more important than paying your taxes. Your purpose on earth is just as much pay your bills as it is to give to your church. People get mixed up when they think that God is asking for a denarius, or the dollar, or the yen or the euro. Sure, we give money to the poor, to our church, or to hurricane victims; but money is not what God is seeking. Unfortunately, thousands/millions of tithers are caught in the mindset that God is one big tax collecter sitting up in heaven counting the pennies that you owe Him. It makes me wonder about the order of wording in that passage. Notice Jesus says first, “render unto Caesar’s what is Caesar’s”. I don’t know. I’m not a greek buff, but if Jesus did state it in that order, i wonder if He had a reason to state “give to caeser” first.
“Often it’s the folks who can least afford it who tithe,” said Regina Grant of the Atlanta Cooperative Development Corp.
This reminds me of my tithing testimony. My parents had 8 children, and my father was basically the only one working. He had a blue collar job, and was sending all the kids to a private school. My parents were faithfully tithing every week, but let me tell you, the bills and credit cards were piling up. We were the least that could afford to tithe, but yet we were tithing. My parents believed in the promises and curses of the tithe. They were suckered into this mystical Old Testament curse, and did not adhere to basic stewardship principles. You cannot be in debt and afford to give. You cannot serve two masters. You cannot be a slave to debt and expect to serve other causes with your giving also.
“I made an agreement with the Lord 30 years ago and I have tithed ever since,” said the woman, who declined to give her name in an interview. “Nothing could persuade me to give that up. My relationship with God comes first.”
All these twisted lies of the tithe. I’ve heard many say that the tithe confirms our relationship with God. Somehow, by tithing we are declaring God over our lives. As if the tithe was the literal cross of the Christian life. I guess it is true, the tithe is the literal cross of many misled Christians. Unfortunately, we don’t think Jesus paid the price and fulfilled all the old laws, so we feel that we have continue carrying the burden of the old testament on our shoulders. There are burdens that we have to bear in the New Testament, but the tithe is not one of them. We are to take care of the needs, help the poor, and supply for the saints. Sacrificial giving is important and commanded, but 10% minimum requirement is not a command for the Spirit led Church.
People really believe that God will be happy if they tithe even though they can’t pay their bills. Why would God be happy that you defame his name through financial negligence? In one of Jesus’ parables in Matthew 25, He tells how God would despise the servant who gives 100% back, if we act upon poor stewardship principles. God will not reward you because you sacrificed your house. God is not smiling just because you are faithfully tithing. In fact he may punish you because of your poor stewardship.
Even if your house and mortgage was a financial mistake, paying your mortgage is one of the most spiritual decisions you can ever make. There is no spiritual difference in writing a check to your church or writing a check to your bank. Just because your check goes to a church does not sanctify your poor stewardship.
In closing, Render unto Caesar’s what is Caesar’s and unto God what is God’s. In financial hardship, the easy way out is to simplify what Jesus said and exclude Caesar. But Jesus didn’t insert the clause, “in case of financial hardship, only give to God”.
Why is God So Selfish?
Monday, June 2nd, 2008Why 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/
My Tithing Testimony
Wednesday, May 21st, 2008
I haven’t done so officially yet, but i was just thinking the other day about writing a testimony about how i came to my conclusion about tithing. I guess what prompted this was when i had mentioned to someone that i used to tithe. They asked me what reasons did i switch my views on tithing and if it had anything to do with the abuse of money in the church. Typically people ask questions like that because they wanted to see if my tithing stand was born out of ill conceit. Most people think that if your opposition sprouted from rebellion then they think that your argument is not legitimate. I’m sure there are many people out there today that believe in Spirit-led giving because they questioned abuse in the church. I’m sure some of them are still rebellious and bitter about it. But let’s not throw out the truths that we find even though they are found in the doubting moments of the church.
My tithing testimony doesn’t include a rebellious foundation. I grew up in a church that was very good with money. We had no debt, and we had great outreach. We didn’t have the bells and whistles, like coffee shops and stage lighting like most seeker sensitive churches, but we still had more than what we needed. I remember the church going into debt only once because the school needed classrooms. It was a facility that cost only 1 million dollars and was well worth the cost for the students of a complete high school and church to constantly use.
So anyways back to my testimony, i got my first job at 16 at an ice cream shop. My very first paycheck i tithed on. I tithed from then all the way through the end of college. I didn’t question it. My parents had tithed all their lives and so i would as well. I really didn’t even know what verses that tithing was commanded from, but i tithed anyways. I am glad that i gave all that money, and there are no regrets there. The only thing i regret to tell you about my tithing testimony is that i was living by a law and i didn’t know why. It was automatic.
There’s been some controversy today about ATM tithing and automated debits for your offering. People are afraid that since the money is not physically placed in an offering plate that we will be out of tune with the heart of giving. But with how tithing is automated today, what difference does it make if you blindly press a button on the internet, or you just blindly sign a check? If there is no spiritual interaction involved it doesn’t matter if you have automatic withdrawals or you place cold hard cash in a gold offering plate as it passes by.
Let me tell you that one of the hardest things for me was to tithe my income when i was paying my way through college. Most people have it harder than i did, but i paid for my own gas, insurance, vehicle, entertainment, tuition, and books. My parents gave me a place to stay and eat for free, but they didn’t give me anything extra. Over one summer i had three jobs and was working about 70 hours a week. Regardless of how hard i worked i still had to take out some loans. Luckily it was only about 1 years worth of school debt
This is essentially what i did with my money. I was a giver, not an investor. An investor is Spirit-led, but a giver follows directions from a dead law.
So as i was saying about my tithing testimony in college. At the end of college i became involved in a fellowship that challenged and fed me. We did lots of ministry together. One day a friend confronted us about tithing. He said that tithing is not required of New Testament Christians. I immediately argued with him. Of course i didn’t agree. I couldn’t have been wrong all these years. After all, tithing is commanded in the bible, right? After that i began to search the scriptures to prove him wrong. The more and more i studied, the more and more, i couldn’t prove him wrong. It was the craziest thing! I kept going over and over scriptures. I kept questioning my reasoning. There’s just no way that this much of the church has been wrong for so long about tithing. Then it hit me. What was the number one thing that Jesus talked about in the bible? It wasn’t heaven, hell, hatred, the tongue, lying, or satan. It was money.
Outside of the Holy Spirit and the Word, money is the most powerful and influential substance known to mankind. If there is anything that the church can be wrong about, it’s gotta be about money.
So i’ve been heavily studying and discussing tithing since 2005. I started a tithing website, started this blog, and started a tithing group in order to get the word out. Hopefully one day, i will write a book.
I cannot tell you the amount of growing and learning that God has given me over the past years. I wish i could just take a portion of my heart, soul, and mind and let you see the truths that God has spoken to me about Spirit-led giving. My passion on this subject is what keeps me writing about it so much. If this truth was not so alive in me i wouldn’t be able to write as much as i do. Right now, i believe there are over 180 blog articles that have been written here since 2006. Each day there are about 245 unique visitors, 3280 hits, and 175 google searches. That is another thing that keeps me motivated about this site. I know people are searching for the truth.
I am convinced to my grave that Spirit-led giving is what God intended for his Children under the New Covenant. Would i remain open to a new evidence that tithing is required for us, well, sure! I have listened to hundreds of sermons, and read dozens of books on tithing, so i’m not sure that much of anything new is out there to reveal, but an open mind is there, believe it or not. I hope my tithing testimony encourages some. Please share your testimony as well. It will encourage me and others.
Investigating Televangelist Finances
Saturday, February 16th, 2008
I’m sure these slimy little weasels have covered their tracks with their finances. I mean they have enough money to hide anything. Here is the article on US News. US News stated that these “religious” organizations complaint is two-fold, “that the IRS, not Congress, is the proper body to investigate tax matters related to religious groups, and that the focus on members of the Prosperity movement is discriminatory and threatens their First Amendment rights.”
What makes them think that their luxurious lifestyles doesn’t send up a red flag? They are just plain foolish in their logic. Who should congress be discriminatory of? Maybe they should investigate the poor old ladies that have devoted their life savings to these organizations. These poor old ladies don’t get investigated cause they don’t flaunt their stuff! Who should congress pick on if these money raking fools can’t take the heat? I guess congress should just pick ministries out of their black hat that they should investigate. Oh yeah, i guess that goes the same way with everything. We should just pull names out of a hat when we investigate the steroid problem in baseball. Of course Barry Bonds, Jose Canseco, and Mark McGuire are gonna get investigated, for the simple fact that they turned into big huge monsters and their batting numbers showed it.
So deal with the discrimination, dollar, hinn, meyers, and copeland cause the rest of the world does!
Televangelist refuses to turn over more financial documents
Friday, December 7th, 2007
It looks like Creflo Dollar is refusing to turn in some of his financial records to the Senate Finance Committee. You can read about the CNN article here. 5 of the 6 ministries have already turned over their documents or have asked Senator Grassley for more time. It looks like Dollar is willing to be subpoenaed from the committee if they don’t accept what he’s given them. I understand the concerns that these ministries have with the government meddling in the Church. But at the same time, what do you expect? I mean, if you consider your organization a charity with a non-profit status, but you are living in a multi-million dollar mansion and are driving around in a rolls royce, what do you think they’ll do?
I just recently posted a funny blog post about these televangelists. I made up the game from Monopoly and called it Televangoly and made up a board game and game pieces with pictures of these televangelists on it. It’s definitely worth a laugh.
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