Is Jesus Into Extortion

Is Jesus into Extortion? So, is Christ into organized crime? If you listen to many rich preachers, you may think so. My mother, and my now deseased sister and others I know who are very charitable and caring to those in need, are being told by rich preachers that they are 'robbing God and are therefore 'under a curse' from God for not giving them tihes of all thier money. What they are essentially saying is that since my mom don't give them her money, she is an abomination to God. I thought they must have strong evidence in scripture until I searched to see if things were so.(Acts 17:11). I braced myself for what I thought was an answer not soon or easily found, But the answer is virtually right before a Bible readers eyes, plain and simple, the question, "Do Christians have to tithe?" The Bible clearly says, "No." Everyone is free to give everything but no one is free to demand anything but love. Romans 13:8. The tithe is one of the most artificially twisted doctrines in the modern church, being pushed by such notables as the rich Rod Parsley and the proven(many times over) false prophet Benny Hinn and many others too many to name In fact, it may be a conspiracy. Tithing is 100% Unscriptural Under the New Covenant. What these money hungry preachers doing?, they are actually trying to make the death of Christ of none effect: Rom 3:19 Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Rom 3:20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. Arguments for tithing range from simply quoting the prophet Malachi sent to the priests and nation of Israel: "Wherein have we robbed Thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse…." While others who can find absolutely no Scriptural authority for Christians to tithe, invent clever little doctrines like this: "Tithing was a form of worship to God, and since we still worship God, we must still tithe." I will answer this one in one sentence: Since burnt offerings were a form of worshiping God, and since we still worship God, must we still offer burnt offerings to God? Let’s see how Paul did things: "And because he was of the same craft [trade], he abode with them, and wrought [worked]: for by their occupation they were tentmakers" (Acts 18:3). "I have coveted no man’s silver, or gold, or apparel. Yea, ye [all of you] yourselves know, that these hands have ministered unto my necessities, and to them that were with me. I have showed you all things how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how He said, It is more blessed to give than to receive" (Don’t kid yourself, there’s a whole army of men of the cloth out there coveting your gold and your silver. Many television ministries are little more than highly sophisticated Hollywood-produced, tithe-collecting infomercials. They make me ill watching them. One final example of how Paul ministered and financed his ministry: "For I think that God has set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men. We are fools for Christ’s sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye are honorable, but we are despised. Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwellingplace; And labor, working with our own hands; being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it: Being defamed, we intreat: we are made as the filth of the world, and are the offscouring of all things unto this day. I write not these things to shame you, but as my beloved sons I warn you. For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel. Therefore I beseech you, BE YE FOLLOWERS OF ME" (I Cor. 4:9-16)! Cheerfully giving from the heart is a virtue. However, fraudulently fleecing the flock by exacting ten percent of parishioner's paychecks under fear of breaking an Old Testament law of tithing is a sin! It is far past time that we offer a little comfort to the millions of people in our nation and around the world who are chafing under the constant burden of supporting ministers and televangelists who live lifestyles so materialistic and worldly that even Hugh Heffner would be envious. I’m not trying to be humorous about these characters; I’m dead serious. Well I certainly don’t begrudge any minister an honest living. However, I do believe that when many of these modern televangelists (and others) feel the need to have everything they own gold gilded, just maybe their greed and vanity starts to destroy their effectiveness as dispensers of God’s Truths. There is no need for people to feel guilty over any religious doctrine. It is time we rid ourselves of guilty consciences. Most people will not tithe unless they are lied to. They are kept under this cult practice through GUILT such as "you are giving to GOD" when they know that it is financing their retirement plan. They are told that if they don't tithe they are ROBBING GOD. And those who rob God are UNDER A CURSE. Sending your money to the government which furnishes virtually the same civil services the Levites provided won't work. Sure, you already give up to 50% of your income to the government but unless you give the 10% of the gross income plus 10% of the value of Aunt Tillie's couch you inherited then you are a 'cursed robber.' THE MYSTERY OF MALACHI REVEALED The message of God through Malachi was: "This is for you, O priests" who robbed God in order to pay the enemies of God. Everyone was careless but only the priests were cursed because they did not teach. Therefore, anyone who would jerk an Old Testament passage out of its context and dispensation are indeed cursed: they come under James' curse of being forced to keep every jot and tittle of the 613 Laws of Moses. It is the book of Malachi that today’s clergy uses as their main authority for promulgating the doctrine of "Christian tithing." Christian tithing means that everyone must give 10% of their gross income (which is in the form of MONEY, 99%+ of the time), or they will be "cursed with a curse." It will be well worth your time to read the real meaning of Malachi’s prophecy. Mostly one will hear only three verses of Malachi quoted by those attempting to wrest a doctrine of Christian tithing from this prophecy. (we never hear the verses that clearly shows He was speaking to the priests.) Here are the "cursing" verses: "Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed Me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed Thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed Me, even this whole nation" (Malachi 3:8-9). Here is the "blessing" verse: "Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat [bread] in Mine house, and prove Me now herewith, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that thee shall not be room enough to receive it" (Malachi 3:10). Their interpretation of these proof texts are as follows: Rob God of His ten percent of your salary and be CURSED, or pay God ten percent of your salary and be BLESSED. We must always keep in mind that when the Bible says "tithes" it means products from the land—as grains and cattle. But when the Priests of Christendom say "tithes," it always means money. Because the clergy prefers to be paid in money, it therefore, became necessary to change the Biblical use of the word "tithes" to now include money. And if "money" can now be shown to be a tithable commodity, guess what? Abracadabra, hocus-pocus, open sesame—every believer, of every occupation in the whole world (not just the farmers as in the Law of Moses), now is required to pay ten percent of his income to the Church. They increased their base of productivity a hundred fold. What then is the 21st Century application of this Malachi Prophecy? Are we now to tithe money? Let’s read Malachi 3:10 very carefully: WHAT were they robbing God of? "tithes AND offerings." Tithes of what? Products from the land— grains and cattle. WHERE were they to bring the tithes? To the "storehouse" [Hebrew: ‘garner’-- a granary for grain]. 1Ti 5:8 But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel. kjv ...So, a man who needs that ten percent to care for his family will either be 'Cursed' or 'Worse than an infidel'. 2Co 8:12 For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not. kjv. This verse alone should be enough to blow doctrine of church tithing off the proverbial map. Yes we are to give, and that may be at times more than 10%, and if you purpose to give an even 10% , great! Allow the Holy Spirit to lead you as to how much and to whom to give, but know this, Christ did not die in vain, you are not under ''bondage''. But give as it has been given to you. The final question remains -- how much should Christians give? Each Christian "...should give what he has decided in his own heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." (2 Corinthians 9:7) No set amount or percentage of income is dictated, rather, "...if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have." (2 Corinthians 8:12) This latter verse alone should shut the mouth of you greedy selfish preachers who push this lie. I have noticed too, that these same people often push this cult-like seed-faith bull, using people's own greed by promising them a 100 fold (or more) from God in return for all money you give them. 'With food and raiment, they are not content.' You tell me that my mother is robbing God, I tell you and all preachers who push that element of the law, You are liars! Using psychological violence to force God's children to tithe when they are barely surviving offends them and therefore offends God and you had better get your neck fitted for a millstone. Don't be intimidated by such cult-like teaching:...''He that works with the Lord for filthy lucre, will work for Satan for a higher wage.'' (unknown) Pro 30:15 The horseleach hath two daughters, crying, Give, give. ..... asv Eli, harlancountypotluck.com