The Masquerade of the Tithe

One night while channel surfing, we happened to run across a very slick, smiling, preacher speaking in a MAGNIFICENT, HUGE "church". The smoooooth, smiling, preacher was polished in delivery and style, the huge crowd mesmerized by his path to the good life. He even made a few references to the Bible after opening with a cute joke.

 It happened that another ex-church goer was visiting with us during the broadcast.  Our friend related how their own pastor would get up and exhort the folks to tithe, while they would have the folks repeat a mantra about God rebuking the devourer and all the financial benefits and blessings that come to them as a result of tithing to God. Give to God!  (wink-wink)-but make your check out to "The Church"....  (i.e. the family that manages the "church" checking account and sorts out the tithe from the general offering.)  

(organized churches operate as a "DBA" (doing business as), and many are government licensed 501c3 Incorporated.  This means they have a President-CEO, Board, Secretary, just like every other business organization.  Usually the  pastor is CEO.) 

Sometimes the secretary is the pastor's wife, sometimes a bookkeeper is hired or found within the assembly.  In the charismatic-Pentecostal church world, often one family has sole control over all the finances. Can you see how easy it would be for satan to use "church" income to corrupt and/or destroy a ministry?

So we present a humorized typical day in the business life of "The Local Church":

The church office on Monday, the pile of envelopes and cash from Sunday's cash-flow.  Let's see, envelope #1:

TITHE:  (from wages) $300.  "Ahhh, nice, goes in our pile, thank you Lord! -bless'em real good!" 
(as he/ she calls for reservations at the local 4 star restaurant)

OFFERING: (general gift to the overhead of the organization and building fund:)  $50.00  
and on it goes through the stack.

At the end of the envelopes, the week's totals for God's tithe  (goes in pastors checking account), and Offering, (goes into churches general fund):

TITHE total: $2437.54      OFFERING total: $718.23.  Budget Need: $3,500.00

"WHOOPS! We have a shortfall, call a staff meeting, now what can we do for a fundraiser. I know, another bake auction, car wash, and a church yard sale. There should be enough to pay the Church Liability Insurance, Staff medical insurance, a new computer, and upgrade our video cameras." 

The following Sunday, a sermon on "Malachi" is dusted off and the folks are reminded about "robbing God" out of the Old Testament Law of Moses." We heard and saw this time after time after time, always trusting our leaders and never questioning their authority to put a church full of people under the law of the tithe. 

Or they may go all the way back to find Abram tithing from that which was not his, the spoils of war. A one-time tithe, and he gave away the other 90% too.  Or they may try and resuurect Jacobs tithe-promise for which there is no information WHAT he tithed or to who.  Worse yet, the may quote from Leviticus and other places from the Law, -a covenant God never made with us.

Here's the masquerade:

God's people are taught tithing by false manipulation of scripture, for the personal benefit of those who directly gain (prosper).  This is done by sleight-of-hand in telling them they are REALLY tithing to please God, and that God would bless them for doing so. The clergy person themself may tithe 10% or more to be blessed by a special covenant of their misunderstanding of scripture. (there is no other NT covenant).

That is blatant and decieving HOGWASH.  But we have to give them credit, (no pun intended) week after week they get up there with a warm smile and a sincere, beneficent look, as they manipulate both scripture and the trusting people for their own benefit. If the clergy person tithes to be blessed, where does their "blesing" come from?  

These are the modern counterparts to the money changers who ran their businesses in the temple and changed folk's money into an act of worship for their own personal benefit. After all, weren't they serving God's people? -They had discovered the secret that there is good money to be made in the "church".  Eventually Jesus ran them out of the temple.

There is not one verse in the New Covenant instructing or reminding any Christian or church to tithe.  There is not a single one of the apostles, elders, or overseers who are given a word or example in the New Testament ministry to take tithes of the people.

When we rip the Old Testament mask off the tithe, there is nothing there.... except a corrupted ministry.

 Ezekiel 34:2 Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD unto the shepherds;
Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the flocks? 

God is AGAINST Grumbling and Complaining  

Do you want to earn God's disapproval real fast?
It is SOOO natural and easy to do, and it is sure to bring the benefit of some "correction" in the form of affliction, pain, even a demon or two sent to add a bit of torment in the form of anxiety or depression.

Believe me, we have learned firsthand. A prayer request came in and as I prayed, the Lord gave clear reason why the "curse" was applied:
Like a fluttering sparrow or a darting swallow,
      an undeserved curse will not land on its intended victim. -Proverbs 26:2

..... I need healing of anxiety. Married about 8 years, and have never been sick before or during this marriage until last year. I'm 56 and have been around negative people, and relatives. And now this has befallen me. Please pray this demon will leave and never come back and I will agree.  

• The first time I grumbled IN MY THOUGHTS about someone, within 1 minute the wheel barrow I was working with hit and scraped my shin bone. Man did that hurt! Immediately I knew why and repented.
• Next, as we were having a garage sale, a lady was poking around in our boxes before we had opened and in my mind i began to grumble at her that she should wait for us to be ready. A few seconds later i put my hand down in possibly the same box and my knuckle slid right across a sharp knife blade. I bled for 30 minutes. Again, I knew why that happened. OUCH!
• Two months later my father in law was over and he was grumbling and complaing about another family member. All I did was sympathize with him and come into agreement with his complaint. About an hour after he left, I got hit with a sinus infection that lasted two weeks.

• Having faith with "respect of persons" (looking up to people because of name, wealth, title, or position.) ............James 2:1 My brethren, hold not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons. 2:9 But if ye have respect of persons, ye commit sin, being convicted by the law as transgressors.
• Dishonoring of our parents, employers, and politicians.
• Making pledges, oathes, and promises. (like the building fund pledge, or "Allegiance to...")
• Uunbelief and not putting God first.
• Strife and debate. Arguing. Stubborness and pride.
• Repenting of "family" sin, i.e. those things we inherited from our ancestors. The "iniquity" or "inclination" to walk in the sins of our fathers, or even the affliction God may put on us because of THEIR sin. 

For example, my parents both smoked years ago. As a child, I got asthma, a breathing problem. 
Bingo, the sins of my parents sin put a curse on me called asthma... (I was healed long ago).
My opinion is there are many others in Christ who yet suffer from their parents sins. 

Yet we have the promise "Wherefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature: the old things are passed away; behold, they are become new..." -2nd Corinthians 5:17  But it is our responsibility to conquer the land of our flesh with the "sword of the Spirit".
We just have to get more of our spirit, mind, and body "IN Christ' where there is no curse, nor affliction.

It is the CHURCH That Needs a Resurrection

Jeremiah 16:19 O LORD, my strength, and my fortress, and my refuge in the day of affliction,
the Gentiles shall come unto thee from the ends of the earth, and shall say,
Surely our fathers have inherited lies, vanity, and things wherein there is no profit

One of the reasons we left the apostate church was the way we all happily participated in the pagan aspects of a "Christian" holiday encased in the trappings of pagan fertility sun worship. Thank God for Christ risen and our hope of a better resurrection but....,
 We actually have no scripture to observe the annual fulfillment of the Passover or carry on the paganized version of the event.  We do not have a Hebrew calendar to go by nor were we told to have one in the New Testament. Someday the Lord will fix our paganized calendar, untill then, many of us will simply do as Paul wrote to the church: "One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike".

For us, the quote from Christ "It is finished." means no more bunnies, eggs, sunrise services, easter baskets, chocolate eggs, egg-hunts, or "Happy Easter" greetings.

Furthermore, we do not observe a "Good Friday" crucifixtion followed by THREE DAYS and THREE NIGHTS in the earth, only to come out of the grave 1.5 days later on Sunday.

Have you ever thought of that?
Matthew 12:40 For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
-Uh, that is what Jesus said.  Few church goers seem to be able to count days. From Friday 3pm +24, 'till Saturday 3pm = 1 day. + to Sunday  3pm= 2 days, + to Monday 3pm = 3days.  If He went into the grave around 6 or 7 the 3 days creep toward Tuesday morn. So we do a little 3rd grade math and find the three days that began late on Friday now puts the resurrection early on Tuesday!
-whoops on somebody.  

If Jesus was crucified Friday and a day was 24 hours like it has been for a long time, then for Jesus to be in the earth "3 days and 3 nights", either He resurrected on Tuesday or the church has it way wrong again, and maybe He was crucified on WEDNESDAY. Now He can resurrect on the first day of the week, which is our Sunday, like the Bible says in Mark 16:9 Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week.

But, like Christ-Mass, we will gather with family in a non-judgemental way, for a meal and fellowship as they do not understand our convictions as to our dislike for the pagan practices that have been whitewashed with Christian terms, all the while retaining the fertility symbolisms. 

A risen Christ? YES!
A correct calendar date for it? Maybe.
What the scripture says about it? ABSOLUTELY!
But the bunnies, eggs, sunrise worship, and "FUN" practices that have been passed down from Babel? -NOT!

Isn't it odd there is no mention in the Book of Acts or the epistles of Christians observing a holiday called "Easter"?
Oh yes, for a time the Jewish disciples observed Passover but that observance was not mentioned as a practice for the gentile Christians to observe.  The Jewish observance of the Passover bore zero resemblance to the pagans around them who worshipped Ishtar, Queen of Heaven, and her son, Tammuz, the resurrected false son of God.
 

Hot "t" Buns anyone?
|The "t" stands for "Tammuz"  Ezekiel 8:14 Then he brought me to the door of the gate of Jehovah's house which was toward the north; and behold, there sat the women weeping for Tammuz. Yes, right there in front of God's Temple, a celebration for Mr. T.
..........(And is it just pure co-incidence Jesus was crucified on a "T" ?)

Some things never change. The fun luvin' folks down at 1st Church of your city will have a cute egg hunt after service and pass out baskets to the kiddies so they learn to enjoy Easter at church!

However, in the greater sense, the resurrection of Jesus was observed by disciples who did walk empowered by the "former rain" of the Spirit, and the power of His resurrection:

Acts 4:33 And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus and great grace was upon them all.

I am not trying to debate or change anyone's observance one way or the other, but by the time we walked out of church, we were fed up with the worldliness of our holidays and the lack of real evidence in the church around us of the resurrection. 

Today it is the church around us that needs resurrection more than the observance of the historical commemoration-celebration of what Christ did 2,000 years ago.

Thank God there will be a remnant who have left apostate Christendom who are among those looking for the "latter rain" out-pouring of His Spirit and a complete restoration of what the Bible showed us in the Book of Acts.  We pray for you and I to be among them.

***For those who wish to study, Here is a link to a chart of the Passover week and the events surrounding Christ's death and resurrection.  Be assured, the holiday called "Easter" you grew up with is not the one we read of in scripture. And finally, this link has a rundown of where "Easter" actually came from, right down to the "cross my heart" with a "T" for Tammuz from good 'ol Babylon..

Now, about that "sun rise" service:

ezek. 8:
5 Then said he unto me, Hast thou seen this, O son of man? thou shalt again see yet greater abominations than these.

16 And he brought me into the inner court of Jehovah`s house; and behold, at the door of the temple of Jehovah, between the porch and the altar, were about five and twenty men, with their backs toward the temple of Jehovah, and their faces toward the east; and they were worshipping the sun toward the east.

17Then he said unto me, Hast thou seen this, O son of man? Is it a light thing to the house of Judah that they commit the abominations which they commit here? for they have filled the land with violence, and have turned again to provoke me to anger: and, lo, they put the branch to their nose.

18Therefore will I also deal in wrath; mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity; and though they cry in mine ears with a loud voice, yet will I not hear them.

Friends, God has had His fill of this abomination, we do not have long to see the same judgements for the same sins of Gods people as the church repeats Israels error.

"Now we go to the tomb on the first day of the week, the resurrection morning the women came at early dawn but Jesus had already risen.  No mention of the women facing to the east and paying homage to the Sun as it rose in the eastern sky, no mention of bringing colored eggs, no rabbits were brought to sacrifice to the goddess of fertility.

  Of course, the women coming to the tomb of Jesus had nothing to do with the present day celebration of Easter or Easter Sunrise Service.  The reason was that as a festive celebration to observe the resurrection of Christ, the event was unknown! 

Those who are afraid of the truth should read no further!  For the truth is that Easter is pagan!"

For more info:
Easter  Where the Easter "stuff" came from...
The Harlot Church and the connection to sun worship  Joseph Herrin
Apostles of the Sun  understanding where the pagans and the church became one.

1+1+1= Easter?  A simple look at a "Christian" holiday.  Babylonian mathematics and the church.
Let's see, crucified on "Good Friday"? -followed by 3 days in the tomb? But he resurrected Sunday?
uhhh, I think the nice church on the corner has been LYING to us...

Does Jesus go to church?
Most Christians think so, we did too.  I wonder what Jesus might think if He showed up as a member or visitor to a gaggle of local assemblies in the modern era.
Let's use a bit of wry humor and imagination as we follow Jesus around the local church scene!

A lot of people see Jesus as a solid pillar in the assembly, a faithful tither, a 40 Days of Purpose reader, a G-12 church grower, involved in the youth program, He led church car washes, and sang in the synagogue choir. He lit a candle and some incense as He prayed a prayer written by some obscure "saint" or faceless organizational writer. He has a benign smile on His face as he watches a famous evangelist kiss the popes ring. He's a Catholic and a Protestant, a Mormon and a Lutheran, He's a Baptist  and an Evangelical, He's orthodox and reformed. He's Community and Independent, He's Pentecostal and Church of Christ, he's Calvary Chapel and He's Adventist. He's a Jehovah Witness and a Methodist, He's everybodys jesus and a real Superhero that changes His church clothes like lightning.

 He helps with the chicken dinners and is known as a nice guy and helpful to others.  He gives the pastors (rulers of the synagogue), good advice and testifies once in a while. He could really tell good stories and He speaks with admiration of some of the Big Names in Christianity.

Sunday 10:00 am
Jesus stands there, songbook in hand as the congregation sings three or four "worship" tunes, including a contemporary "rap" number by the youth group. He politely listens to the announcements and a testimony about the pastors' vision for ministry. He listens as a worshipper's prayer request "for God to use the doctor" in healing her childs illness and for the money it will cost for her expensive drug medicine.. 

 He moves  to the platform  for the sermon and claps for the message on "God Wants to BLESS You"  which is about the "Faith Promise-Seed-Sowing, Fathful- Tithing Road to Miracle financial blessings". The Italian suited speaker wearing a Cartier watch glances over at Jesus with a grin and a wink, and thinks to himself that Jesus is sure blessing his ministry.

At 2pm He walks into and old-time "Holiness Church of God".  As he walks in and takes a seat about at about the middle of the pew in the tenth row from the front, many heads cast sideward glances over at Him making note of His "hippie" clothing, sandals, and beard.
The hard-line holiness preacher tore into the modern hairstyles on women, wearing of jewelry, women wearing mens pants, and especially zeroes in on long hair and beards on men.
An altar service is opened and several of the clean-shaven men try to take Jesus to the altar to get Him saved. They don't know the pastor is embezzling church funds and having an affair with the church secretary, but Jesus knew all about it.

On Wed. nite,  He visits the mid-week service at the People's Assembly and a church-board meeting at the church campus Admin building. As the deacons and church Board discuss the pastors upcoming vacation schedule and retirement account funding, he wonders why His apostles never did that for Him.

On a Friday The Lord goes down to the abortion protest and carries a flag, and holds a "Take Back America sign. That night He attends the youth service to check on their preparations for the Great America trip and he watches and listens to the youth group musicians blasting a "Christian" rock number.... and He notices the song says nothing about Him.

Saturday:
He decided to visit a Messianic congregation where the Torah is read by the Rabbi, and followed by an exhortation to follow the Law of Moses. He noticed they glossed over the New Testament quite a bit. he remembers how He used to wear the talith and how He cast some demons out in the Synagoge back in Nazareth.
These folks don't seem to discern the same Pharisee devils glowering at Him with resentment through the eyes of the Torah reader,  that knew Him back in Capernaum. .
Later, He pops in on a 7th Day Adventist meeting to check them out as they read and quote from Prophetess Ellen G. White. At the fellowship lunch he notices they cook the vegetarian food on a gas stove and He remembers how he fed fish to thousands and ate meat at the Passover.    

Sunday again.
He visits  the Pentecostal church at 11am after exactly 1 hour at the Catholic church, where He prayed the rosary, crossed Himself, Hails Mary, blesses the Pope, and lights a candle. Mass is kind of hard for Him though, as he looks down at His hands as the priest does the ritual with the host. 
The large crowd at the "Mass" is unaware of what the priest  is doing with the altar boys, but Jesus knows.

At the Pentecostal church, the music and crowd response was powerful. This was followed by some testimonies and one of ladies cried as she told everyone how the devil was really attacking her. Another testified how the pastor had healed him and he was so glad Brother Pastor got that new, black Mercedes because he deserved it.
The song service shifted into the tithes and offering time and the "pumped up" believers gave sacrificially to the building fund and for the guest speaker, Apostle Hugh Mongus who would preach "Going to the Next Level!"  The folks loved it and the vision of a BIGGER building and BIGGER crowd was very exciting. Then Jesus remembered in John 6:66 how the crowd turned their back on Him.

Sunday evening, He visits the 5pm Community Church services and then a sparsley attended Baptist service at 6:30 which had announced a special "prayer meeting". 
Jesus was glad for the 8 people who showed up from the 135 member church.  The Community Church service went well as they showed a film about the rapture followed by a report on the churches budgetary needs. Jesus scratched His head and tried to remember where He said the rapture was post, pre, or mid-trib.
 
Afterwards, he visits with one of the church families and they sit and watch Christian television 'till midnight. The lovely program hosts make three or four requests for "gifts" and a special "Christian artist" performs to a rockin' guitar-laced and double-time drum solo.
Other guests with famous, Christian household names are interviewed and tell of their ministry accomplishments and their million-plus book and DVD sales. A beautiful lady in a flowing, low-cut gown sings the song finale and the smiling hosts say good-nite with their fourth reminder for the folks to remember them in their prayers and giving.

Have you ever wondered how Jesus does it?
And that somehow He approves and gets along fine with all the mess of confusion that calls itself "Christian"?
Someone may have invited Jesus to church once upon a time back in Matthew 13.
     And coming into his own country he taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished, and said, Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works?
 Is not this the carpenter`s son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joseph, and Simon, and Judas?
 And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things?
 And they were offended in him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honor, save in his own country, and in his own house.  And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.

Well, the modern version of Jesus has something in common with the Biblical account: "And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief." 

Back in old Galilee they let him speak a little, but that was about it.
Then they tried to KILL Him.

Sure, they had heard all about Jesus and His mighty works, but when He came to visit, they were more interested in keeping their traditions than in in Him. In fact, in Luke 4, when Jesus went to church and spoke from the scriptures, this happened: And they were all filled with wrath in the synagogue, as they heard these things;

What do you suppose would happen in one of those churches today, if the real Jesus showed up?
I daresay say He would be most unwelcome.
He might heal people. Demons would manifest and be cast out. The real truth would be spoken and the leaders of the church referred to as "snakes and vipers, hypocrites", tithe-taking extortioners. About the time of point 2 of a 5-point message, an angry Senior pastor and his assistant, along with several upset deacons would be trying to "lay hands" on Him like they did in Nazareth.  

When He spoke to the leaders of God's people He said:
-Woe unto you Pharisees! for ye love the chief seats in the synagogues, and the salutations in the marketplaces.
- Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye cleanse the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full from extortion and excess.
Woe unto you, ye blind guides
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye tithe mint and anise and cummin, and have left undone the weightier matters of the law, justice, and mercy, and faith: but these ye ought to have done, and not to have left the other undone.
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, even while for a pretence ye make long prayers: therefore ye shall receive greater condemnation.
Ye offspring of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.
Ye serpents, ye offspring of vipers, how shall ye escape the judgment of hell?

He spoke to the churches in Revelation:
But this thou hast, that thou hatest the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there some that hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit fornication.
So hast thou also some that hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans in like manner.
But I have this against thee, that thou sufferest the woman Jezebel, who calleth herself a prophetess; and she teacheth and seduceth my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed to idols.
And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he that searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto each one of you according to your works.I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
So because thou art lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spew thee out of my mouth.
Because thou sayest, I am rich, and have gotten riches, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art the wretched one and miserable and poor and blind and naked:

In short, most churches would kick Jesus out and some would want to kill Him again, just like they did the first time. If a church isn't doing what Jesus did, it is like an assembly that Jesus said:  I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and thou art dead.

Look around folks, the church on the corner may be busy, and you will see many nice people, but if they are not doing what Jesus said, it is time for a reality church-check.

Pretty scary isn't it?
I mean what Jesus actually said to the leaders of God's people back there, and what he said to the churches in Revelation 2 and 3?  Can you see why it might just be a good idea to stay home for a few months and really read the Scriptures for yourself? And ask God to speak to you and show you anything in your life that might displease Him?

.. but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
 And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.
 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons: freely ye received, freely give.
 Get you no gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses;
 no wallet for your journey, neither two coats, nor shoes, nor staff: for the laborer is worthy of his food.