Giving money to church
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A Christian is to act wisely and trust in the Lord. Pay your bills and stop pretending to abide by a covenant of which you aren't a participant.
In these passages (Luke 16:9-13), Jesus is saying that irrespective of how loudly and how often we profess our Godliness, if it does not show up in our practical, every day living, and especially in the matters of money, and our responsibility toward others, our profession is vain. This statement is plain and clear, if we are unfaithful in these things. "Who will commit to our trust the true riches?"
If love is not our motivation, whatever we give equals zero and amounts to nothing (1 Corinthians 13:3 NKJV). When we perform and try to meet the demands of the Law, we fall under the curse of trying to get God to “do” something (Galatians 3:10-14). The concept of giving and tithing is not based on money itself, it is about trust. When we give, it is no longer just giving money—it is authenticating our love and trust in God. Luke 16: 9-13 NKJV
JSM
If love is not our motivation, whatever we give equals zero and amounts to nothing (1 Corinthians 13:3 NKJV). When we perform and try to meet the demands of the Law, we fall under the curse of trying to get God to “do” something (Galatians 3:10-14). The concept of giving and tithing is not based on money itself, it is about trust. When we give, it is no longer just giving money—it is authenticating our love and trust in God. Luke 16: 9-13 NKJV
JSM
The test is this: do you believe that Jesus Christ paid the penalty for your sin? It has nothing to do with money.
Irrelevant for Christians, who are not under the Law of Moses. Tithing is of the Law, period. Fear-mongering on a false foundation is not of God either.
Scripture DOES NOT say that Jesus receives your tithes in heaven. That is unadulterated eisegesis. Scripture also doesn't say anything about tithe being 10% of gross.
No, it doesn't. "Always" is NEVER used in a command about tithing. The closest is where "always" is used with respect to "revere God" in Deuteronomy 14:23... where it commands the Israelite to EAT the tithe, not to give it! Your assertion is completely refuted.
Proverbs 3:9-10 Amplified Bible (AMP)
9 Honor the Lord with your wealth
And with the first fruits of all your crops (income);
10 Then your barns will be abundantly filled
And your vats will overflow with new wine.
9 Honor the Lord with your wealth
And with the first fruits of all your crops (income);
10 Then your barns will be abundantly filled
And your vats will overflow with new wine.
You quote this, but clearly you don't believe it. Tithing is a demand of the Law. Actually, we don't fall under the curse you describe. Rather, we fall under the curse of the Law, which is this: "Cursed is everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the Law, to perform them" (Gal 3:10). You either do it ALL or you're wasting your time doing any of it.
Jesus Explains the Purpose of Speaking in Parables
Matthew 13:10-14
10 And the Disciples came, and said unto Him (seems to pertain to a later time when they were alone), Why do you speak to them in Parables? (This portrays consternation on their part!)
11 He answered and said unto them (concerns the Lord's method of dealing with two different classes of people, those who really wanted to know God's way and those who were merely curious), Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven, but to them it is not given (two categories are here presented; in which category are you?).
12 For whosoever has (and wants more), to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance (if one wills Righteousness, the Lord wills more Righteousness to them): but whosoever has not (no interest for more), from him shall be taken away even that he has (he not only loses what he could have had, but even that which he has; to those who accept the Cross, they will have even more, and to those who reject the Cross, they will lose everything, even that which they previously had).
13 Therefore speak I to them in Parables (in order to separate those who hunger and thirst for Righteousness from those who don't): because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand (that is, they do not wish to see or hear or understand; and hence by a just judgment they lose this triple moral ability).
14 And in them (those who reject the Cross [1 Cor. 1:23]) is fulfilled the Prophecy of Isaiah, which says, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive (a willing deafness, a willful blindness, and a willful dullness; this Passage is quoted in one form or the other some seven times in the New Testament [Mat. 13:14-15; Mk. 4:12; LK. 8:10; Jn. 12:39-40; Acts 28:26-27; Rom. 11:8]):
JSM
There may be some people who are scared that others may read this and realise that they too may begin thinking for themselves too, heaven forbid.
I went to the Church this morning (I no longer consider it 'my Church'), and I realised that it isn't just the money thing.
It's the fakeness of it all.
Don't get me wrong, there are people there that would genuinely call eachother friends.
But they have created a very weird inward looking, 'plastic' culture that surrounds their beliefs.
Everything is "amazing", and although marriages are far from arranged, the unwritten rule is that being on a Church team is where the singles hang out.
Very few couples are on teams and if they are they tend to be the ones doing the organising.
In a relationship with somebody that isn't a Christian?
This probably means you're engaging in intercourse, which means there are some things in Church life you'll be prevented from doing (such as speaking on stage).
No this hasn't effected me as I'm married, I'm just commenting on the culture.
It's a very hierarchical Church, with an unofficial in-crew.
The slogan is "Church without the boring bits", but it would be just as easy for other Churches to adopt the slogan "Church without the fake energy draining people".
Probably good advice, but, in my experience, those who Tithe with a loving heart never seem to have a problem paying their bills.......hmm, think there MIGHT be a connection there?
Seriously, folks, a former member here WORE THIS SUBJECT DOWN TO THE WEE LAST NUB of it's existence...........
If you feel led to Tithe.......Tithe........if you don't, don't............one day you will be face to face with the Lord, and then you will discover if you made the right choice or not............oh, and one more thing:
YOU CAN'T OUT GIVE GOD!
Do you believe God wants our money for salvation, or faith and belief in Jesus Christ?
Let's try to stay relevant to the topic of the thread, please.
I would like to "Like" your post for the last line, as I agree wholeheartedly. However, it appears that you conflate "tithing" with "giving" or perhaps with "giving generously". With that I cannot agree. Tithing is an old covenant command. Under the new covenant we are to give... not tithe.
I should clarify by the way that the people do come across as nice and actually most of the people are nice. Honestly they are, as far as I'm able to tell at the moment.
I suppose there is this "scratch my back and I'll scratch yours" feeling.
I don't just mean that church people tend to help each other, which is natural for anybody within the same group, but I mean it is an unnatural closeness that's difficult to articulate and put your finger on.
Kind of like the masons.
Suppose somebody who goes to this kind of church works somewhere and that they have some level of influence or say in what happens.
Suppose that somebody from their church needs a job, or applies for a job at the place this person works.
It is virtually guaranteed that this person will get it.
It's not just helping each other which is normal, it's something other.
As I said, the church is quite hierarchical with an unofficial 'in-crowd'.
I don't want all of this to come across as negative because it isn't, but the culture is a little 'plastic' and strange.
I've just realised that I'm spending so much time and energy on this.