Darnell wrote:

I'm sure you know that all churchs ask people to pay their tithes..Which I believe you should tithe. But now they take it to the extreme...and lead people down a path in which they will not lift one hand to help a church member...Why doesn't the church preach the other promises of God, that he will give them. just as the promise came through Father Abraham...that through him all nations will be blessed. God is surely big business..But today they exploit the Word of God. Remember the poor lady and what she put in church, two mites.. she gave all she had... God blessed her.. The church also sell things that they call a good faith offering.. This makes the church a den of theives... God says his house shall be a house of worship... for if one truly follow God's statue, his ordiance, and his laws, to do them, then shall we not be blessed.. if we truly follow him and forget about self.. He says in one part of the bible.. It's not his desire that anyone perish,but repent and be healed.. See when we ask God for somethings we ask amiss for our own desire, Lust, Love, House, Money, etc. God says he knows what we have need of even befor we ask.. If that being the case I have to believe that... God says that if any climb up any other way he is a theif and a robber...we have to be careful that we don't ask for our own selfish need, or tempt God because we don't have this or that...Remember while in the desert they cried for meat...God told Moses to gather twelve others leaders of the tribes so that he could take of the spirit of Moses and put on them also so that Moses wouldn't have to bare their iniquity alone, and he gave them quail until they were over whelmed, and while the quail was still in their mouth he slew them, we should not tempt God with what we don't have, but to give thanks for what we do have,constant in prayer,and the Father who sees will reward thee openly...Remember the magician who traveled with the disciples who wanted to buy the Spirit of God, and was told that the Holy Spirit could not be bought, so to mislead the people he tried a deaf feat, and died...the kingdon of God cannot be bought...

Dear Darnell,
God Bless your beautiful heart and thank you for writing. The law of tithing was for Abraham and the children of Israel and is not expressed or implied to the Church which is His Body. We are told to give as we purpose in our heart from our abundance to the outreach of the true Word of God.

If you are having trouble paying bills because of moneys given to "the church" then God is not meeting your needs which He promises He will. For instance if God gives you $100 dollars and your bills are $98 but you tithe $10 then you are $8 dollars short and are not meeting your responsibilities for which God Blessed you with the abundance to cover. Many "churches" teach tithing today not because it's the Word of God but because it keeps their bills paid, bills that they should not have incurred in the first place. Look at 2 Corinthians 9:6 and following for the principle and realize we do believing in GIVING but giving from the heart and from ones abundance not because of a law now past into freedom and consequence now past into love. The Lord loveth a cheerful giver because God is able to bless cheerfully so you will have a greater and greater abundance to give.=20 Also please realize the money was always used first to make sure no believer had lack and that all were full and had their obligations met.

Let me tell you something straight out, as God as my Judge and source of knowledge and inspiration. If Jesus Christ were to enter a convening of pastors who teach that people on DISABILITY are to TITHE (10%) of their disability checks to these pastors, you wouldn't want to be in the same room with them! If you think Jesus berated the hypocritical Pharisees in Matthew 23, I don't think you would have seen anything yet!

Listen to the Lords own words:

"WOE UNTO YOU, SCRIBES AND PHARISEES, HYPOCRITES! For you tithe of mint and anise and cummin [little herbs of the garden], and have OMITTED the weightier matters of the law, JUDGMENT, MERCY, AND FAITH..." (Mat. 23:23).

WOW!  Tithing was NOTHING to Jesus Christ compared to properly judging [taking care of], MERCY [where is the mercy in taking WIDOW'S MITES?], and FAITH [these hypocrites don't HAVE ANY FAITH, or they would trust God for their ministries and NOT WIDOWS WHO ARE DISABLED]..."

Read Verse 14:

"WOE UNTO YOU, SCRIBES AND PHARISEES, HYPOCRITES! For you DEVOUR WIDOWS' HOUSES..."!!!

It is UNSCRIPTURAL EVIL to place these burdens on the shoulders of fragile widows!! Verse 4:

"For they bind HEAVY BURDENS and GRIEVOUS to be born, and lay them on men's [AND WIDOW'S] shoulders; but THEY themselves will NOT move them with one of their fingers."

There is a minister on TV that I have seen off and on over the weeks, months and years (I seldom ever listen an entire plea-for-money sermon), but I have NEVER ONCE heard this man speak on ANYTHING except becoming blessed and prospering by sending HIM your money. He has a huge ministry that goes around the world. I can't tell you how ill it makes me to watch him pronounce his blessings and cursing on his listeners for either giving or not giving him their money. And yet, I have NEVER heard him or any other prosperity preacher say that if one is in poverty or debt, to not feel obligated to send them money. In fact, they will tell you that if you are in debt, can't pay all your bills, don't have enough to buy food and live on, that THIS IS THE TIME TO SEND THEM YOUR MONEY FOR SURE!!!   They need to repent and start obeying and trusting GOD!

In the book of Acts when there were widows who's needs were not being met, ALL TWELVE APOSTLES called for the elders of the church to appoint those who were filled with the spirit and wisdom to TAKE CARE OF THESE WIDOWS IMMEDIATELY!

Paul told Timothy to HONOR the widows who were widows indeed.

Even in ancient Israel if a man had but NINE cows or sheep (many poverty-stricken people around the world would have been thankful for but ONE milking cow to feed their children), God did not consider such a one prosperous enough to TITHE AT ALL!! A man with only nine cows did NOT tithe his cattle to God. God IS merciful.

Here's what you can do to receiving BLESSINGS from God: Be kind! Show love to everyone! Be thankful! Pray for others! GOD WILL BLESS, HE GUARANTEES IT!

All God's Blessings,
The Believers