Originally Posted by jdlongmire

posted in another thread, then remembered this one:


2 Corinthians 9:7
Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

Originally Posted by Jagan

I prefer Acts 4:32-5:11. Nothing like a little friendly persuasion.

Originally Posted by jdlongmire

context is everything...

Deuteronomy 23

21 "When you make a vow to the LORD your God, you shall not delay to pay it, for it would be sin in you, and the LORD your God will surely require it of you.
22 "However, if you refrain from vowing, it would not be sin in you.

Ecclesiastes 5

4 When you make a vow to God, do not be late in paying it; for He takes no delight in fools. Pay what you vow!
5 It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay.

Originally Posted by WILLOWTREE

Absolutely correct.

Unless your faith reaches your wallet - you have none.

Why should my faith have anything to do with my wallet? I wasn't aware that I could buy myself a spot into heaven. That is my point--if God wants my faith then I will gladly burn all my income, my possessions, and everything else that God declares to be a "worldy" possession.



You already did.

Perhaps you were mistaken. When I said, "I can't make sense of it all" I meant, "Why do I have to tithe if I have faith in God?" and furthermore since you blatantly refused to read the OP, "Why do I have to give money to the church?"

Giving that which you had to work and toil for is the BEST way to respond to God and all He has done for you.

You say this as if I have never tithed or ever been to church. Please, let me reassure that I have been to church--I have "worked and toiled" and given far more than 10% of my earnings to the church to have my prayers answered. The money did not help me or my prayers, but I'm sure it made the preacher and his church happy.



He doesn't.

C.S. Lewis said, "God to be God has no needs".

Interesting. So if we aren't giving money to God then we are giving it to the church. Ok, that's what I thought. Thank you for clearing that up.

God has erected the structure of the church to be supported by patrons who believe in its reason for being and have benefitted from that purpose.

Last I checked it was men who erected the structure of the church unless of course you have proof of that.

Beneficiaries/saints/church members are supposed to testify to the worth of what they received from the church by giving tithes and offerings so the structure of the church can continue so others can also benefit.

Ok, I see what you are saying. But, I can give offerings by sacrificing a lamb or my firstborn, or many other rituals without giving away my money, right?

Worship = worth - ship.

Worth is expressed in the giving of money.

Ahh, I see. So worth is expressed in the giving of money. That seems to be quite a petty God to be depending on money. Didn't you just say that God...Ohh right the church needs our money to function. What would happen if the church ceased to exist? No more God?

God only knows for sure when you put your money where your mouth is.

That's the same God that allows all sorts of atrocities to happen without so much as an apology? Or a "Sorry, didn't mean for that earthquake to kill hundreds!"

God has a system declared in the Bible as to what He wants us to do with our valuables.

I admit, I do not know everything there is to know about the bible, but the little I do know is nothing but hazy. If God wants my money I'll just burn it--because according to you, "God only knows for sure when you put your money where your mouth is." So then the only person that would be upset with that is the church.

God sacrificed His Son and to cheapen the reality of that act by saying cable money is more important than the church where you receive His word is blasphemous.

Well, I would also say that God allowing man to kill one another in wars is blasphemous. I would also say that millions of people giving away their livelihood because the preacher told them to is blasphemous.

I do not know who Meyers is but I assume this person is a wealthy preacher.

IOW, you are under the assumption that preachers should be poor.

What is the source of this belief ?

Doesn't the bible say something along the lines of, "Earthly riches won't buy your way into heaven?" I can't remember the exact quote, but doesn't Jesus in the new testament mention something along the lines of giving away all your mortal possessions? It's interesting that you would ask me where this source of belief comes from is it not?

God has designated the preacher/pastor to stand in the place of the Levite and live off the success of their message.

Right, just like God designates when someone will die from a random car crash or AIDS....or any of the million other things that God has control over--but to speak wrongly of it is "blasphemous."

Nothing infuriates the world more than a rich preacher.

This is pure hypocrisy.

Does a rich actor infuriate you ?

Businessman ?

Pope ?

What is the ONLY acid test that the Spirit of God dwells in us ?

Its the one thing which cannot be faked.

Tongues can be faked.

Love can be faked.

If God dwells in us we will be givers of that which cost us.

God is a giver (He gave His Son) and if He dwells in us we will give that which costs us (money).

That marvelous quote you mentioned earlier--interesting that God doesn't need our money, but he wants it anyway? Ohhh wait--it's the church.

This is what the Bible teaches from cover to cover.