Who's Robbing Who? The non- tither or tithe collector

 Gary MacDougall "Go ye and fleece the flock and build monuments to your egos, and live in million dollar houses."

 Adon Yisrael Cadena "SEEK YE FIRST A 501(C)(3) NON-PROFIT CORPORATION AND A TAX EXEMPTION STATUS, AND ALL THESE THINGS SHALL BE ADDED UNTO YOU!" - Megachurch Bible scripture

 Adon Yisrael Cadena "And this commandment I have of My Father, make thyself rich with mammon!" ~ Megachurch Bible

Who's Robbing Who?

by Ronald Ward Robey

Instead of accepting “tithes” from their Church members, Pastors/Elders/Bishops/Apostles or whatever other title they want to be identified as need to quit encouraging their congregations to tithe. Stop buying tithe envelopes. Tear up (or burn) the tithe envelopes that they’ve already purchased.

Hebrews 7:5 And verily they that are of the sons of Levi, who receive the office of the priesthood, have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law, that is, of their brethren, though they come out of the loins of Abraham:

Hebrews 7:6 But he whose descent is not counted from them received tithes of Abraham, and blessed him that had the promises.

Hebrews 7:7 And without all contradiction the less is blessed of the better.

Hebrews 7:8 And here men that die receive tithes; but there he receiveth them, of whom it is witnessed that he liveth.

God’s Holy Word does not give them authority to receive tithes. The last place tithes are commanded in the Bible, (Hebrews 7:5-8 ) they are to be received by Levites… Not Pastors. Every time your Pastor receives tithes, he has committed an act of robbery. He has taken the property of another…that which rightfully belongs to the person he takes it from.

The commanded tithes in the Bible were never money, they were agricultural produce from the land of Israel/Canaan. Therefore to take money from the congregation under the deception of calling it God's commanded tithe is fraud and thievery.

Even if the commanded tithes in the Bible was money, the above Scripture is clear, the tithe belongs to the Levites. The pastor taking tithes on Gentile soil is still guilty of fraud and thievery.

If their members insist on tithing, they should teach them to make yearly trips to Israel to take the tithes to those whom God’s Word says are the rightful owners of His tithes… Levites, widows, orphans and strangers in Israel.

As long as Pastors/Elders/Bishops/Apostles or whatever other title they want to be identified as continue to receive tithes in their Church, as long as they continue to unjustly teach that God requires their congregation to tithe, they will remain God-robbers, for they will be robbing the rightful owners (Church Members) of their money, or the rightful owners (Levites) of their tithes.

In the Bible, God’s tithe was never commanded for, carried to, collected in, or controlled by the New Testament Church.

MUST READ:

"TITHING" IS NOT FOR CHRISTIANS

http://watchmanafrica.blogspot.com/2015/02/tithing-is-not-for-christians.html  

The first tithe is the LEVITICAL TITHE ; What are the OTHER TWO TITHES? Why wont your pastor ever mention the two other tithes ???

http://watchmanafrica.blogspot.com/2015/02/the-first-tithe-is-levitical-tithe-what.html

 

Brother Gary J. Arnold’s expository teaching on tithing

http://watchmanafrica.blogspot.com/2015/02/brother-gary-j-arnolds-expository.html

 

BROTHER GARY ARNOLD exposes Paula white’s first fruits nonsense

http://watchmanafrica.blogspot.com/2015/02/brother-gary-arnold-exposes-paula.html

The pastor who never studies the bible.

"TITHING" IS NOT FOR CHRISTIANS

-by Andrew Strom.

http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~revival/lie-4.html  

The word "tithe" literally means 'a tenth'. Today it is used as a Law in many churches to force Christians to give one tenth of their income to the church. Many are told that they are "robbing God" if they do not give at least this much to the institution they attend each Sunday.

 

How ironic that most preachers today preach almost nothing but "grace, grace, grace" except when they preach on Giving - when suddenly they feel free to load people with condemnation and guilt. For some reason this seems to be the one subject where they "lay down the law". I wonder why? The fact is, in many places the church machinery relies on this law to force people to give and keep the whole 'machine' churning along.

But is Tithing a New Testament practice at all? Is it really for Christians, or is it part of the Old Covenant? Is there really a law in force stating that all Christians must give ten percent? Or are we supposed to be "cheerful givers" - simply giving whatever God has placed on our hearts?

How art thou fallen, O preacher! For thou wast in the congregation from thy youth. Thou hast known God's Holy Word. Yet thou sayest, "I will preach a monetary tithe. I will condemn God's people who don't tithe. I will avoid preaching the full counsel of God. I will lead the flock in my path, not the path that God has set forth for them". But thou will be brought low. (Ronald Ward Robey)

You may be surprised to learn how little the word 'Tithing' is even mentioned in the New Testament. In fact, there is no actual Scripture telling CHRISTIANS to tithe at all. There is one NT Scripture telling PHARISEES to tithe. But in all the letters of the apostles to the church, they never say that this was for Christians. And in the entire book of Acts (-a history of the first 30 years of the Early Church) there is NOT EVEN ONE mention of tithing. There are plenty of examples of people giving money "from the heart", but NO MENTION of tithing. Isn't that interesting? 

Yet people will often quote the words of Jesus to the Pharisees as though this tells CHRISTIANS to keep tithing. But it doesn't. Here is what Jesus said: "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices - mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law - justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter without neglecting the former." (Matt 23:23, NIV). 

Notice that Jesus refers to these things as "matters of the law". That is what they are. They are matters of the Old Testament Law - not part of the New Covenant for Christians. Jesus Himself referred to them that way. And notice who he was talking to in the above passage. He was talking to LAW-KEEPING JEWS who were still under the OLD COVENANT. (-The New Covenant would not begin until Jesus died and rose again). So what Jesus was saying was right - FOR THEM. But not for us - and not for now.

Yet the Tithing proponents seize on the phrase: "You should have practiced the latter without neglecting the former." The reason they seize on this is because it is the ONLY Scripture they have in the whole New Testament that even vaguely pushes Tithing! And yet it is talking to Pharisees! 

Let me be clear here. This is their BEST New Testament Scripture on the subject. They have almost nothing else. And it is talking to PHARISEES. And it clearly states that Tithing is a "matter of the law". How dare these people apply this Scripture to today's Christians? We are not under Law. The Bible tells us that. What a gall these people have - making people feel guilty about an Old Testament Law, just so they can get more money out of us. How disgraceful. 

"You are not under law, but under grace" (Rom 6:14). "But if you are led by the Spirit you are not under law." (Gal 5:18).

In fact, the only other passage that really focuses on Tithing in the New Testament underlines this very point. At the start of Hebrews 7 there is a passage referring to tithing in the Old Testament. It clearly states that tithing is part of the Old Law (v 5). And then it goes on to say: "The former regulation is set aside because it is weak and useless (for the law made nothing perfect), and a better hope is introduced, by which we draw near to God." (Heb 7:18-19). 

The point that is being made here is that the Old Covenant was a covenant of "regulations" (like HAVING to give one tenth) but the New Covenant is a covenant of the HEART. And we are to give out of a heart overflowing with the love of God. -NOT because we are "forced" to give one tenth! The Old Law is gone. We live under a New Covenant today.

Now another major argument that the Tithing people use is that "Tithing came before the Law". They use the example of Abraham and Melchizedek (Gen 14:18-20). Therefore, they say, it still applies to us today. 

Well, I have one simple question for these people: Isn't it true that CIRCUMCISION came before the Law also? (See Gen 17). And everyone knows that Circumcision is treated as part of the Old Law that has been done away with. It is the same with Tithing. No difference at all. 

As we have seen, in every New Testament Scripture tithing is clearly spoken of as being part of the "OLD LAW". It is not part of the New Covenant at all. How shameful that it is being used today to manipulate Christians into giving ten percent to church institutions. How sad and totally unscriptural. 

As former pastor Bruce Lengeman states in his article 'The Raping of the Tithe': "The title sounds harsh, but I believe it is fairly accurate due to the damage done by the erroneous teaching of the doctrine of tithing... Plain and simple, the doctrine of tithing as it is commonly taught in the contemporary evangelical, or Bible-believing church is twisted exegesis!"

SO HOW THEN SHOULD WE GIVE?

Today when it comes to 'Giving' we are often preached-to out of Malachi 3 in the Old Testament, which tells the Jewish people to "bring the full tithes into the storehouse" and says that they were "robbing God" and they were "cursed" if they did not do so. (Mal 3:8-10).

Modern preachers love to equate the 'storehouse' with their own church(!!), so that they can apply this Scripture to themselves. But the reality is very different. As Bruce Lengeman states: "The 'storehouse' of Malachi has no likeness to the church structure of today. The storehouse was neither a place of assembly, nor a place of worship. It was merely a storehouse for tithed goods to be distributed to Levites, who had no inheritance, and also to widows, strangers, and orphans." 

How very different to the guilt-trip that we are hearing today!

And when we get to the Book of Acts we find that indeed MOST OF THE MONEY that came in actually went to feed and clothe the poor and the widows. In fact, it was a common practice for the Christians to sell any spare possessions and lay the money at the apostles' feet, for distribution to the poor. (See Acts 4:32-37). What love these people demonstrated! And this was true giving "from the HEART", not from some "LAW" that told them how much to give. 

There is also plenty of support in the New Testament for giving to those who minister the gospel. (See 1 Cor 9:13-14, 1 Tim 5:17, etc.) But there is a far greater emphasis on giving to the widows and orphans.

What I believe God would have us do today is be led by the Holy Spirit in our giving. Find ways to give to the poor and the widows in an effective way. (-For instance, some Christian charities like 'Open Doors' support persecuted Christian widows in Islamic countries, etc). Also find effective Christian ministries to give to. 

In many ways the 'local church storehouse' concept is a deceptive fallacy. The fact is, there was no such thing as "church buildings" in the New Testament anyway, so how could that be the 'storehouse'? We need to give where God leads us - with a truly cheerful heart. 

As one of my readers wrote to me recently:
"You sent an email about 2 months ago that convicted me that giving was to be based on the New Testament model - giving cheerfully as we purpose - instead of being under the law. Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law. I have found that since I give cheerfully whenever Father shows me to give that I have had my socks blessed off. I was always giving 10% to my local church and never seeing any great results. I became convicted that my worship leader needed the money so out of a strong conviction to give it to him I did so. I found that suddenly at work my sales went through the roof. Before I was doing so poorly I was close to losing my job. I know the only difference is following the Holy Spirit and doing what He tells me with my money based on the New Testament example."

AMEN!!

Detroit Police: Man Stabs Two at Bus Stop for Not Being Muslim

http://christiannews.net/2015/02/19/detroit-police-man-stabs-two-at-bus-stop-for-not-being-muslim/ 

February 19, 2015 | Filed under: Law & Government,Life & Society,Top Stories | By: Heather Clark

 
DETROIT – A Detroit-area man is behind bars after he allegedly stabbed two people waiting at the bus stop because they answered no when he asked if they were Muslim.

According to police, Terrance Thomas, 39, joined others who were waiting at a bus stop near Detroit on Saturday as they were making small talk among themselves. He then “asked some of the folks there if they were Muslims,” according to Southfield Police Chief Eric Hawkins.

Two replied to his question, stating that they were not. Hawkins states that there was then “some back-and-forth between the victims and the suspect,” who pulled out a knife moments later.
One man, whose name has not yet been released, was stabbed five times: once in the face, once in the neck and three times in the back. Another who witnessed the attack attempted to stop Thomas was stabbed in the hand.

Thomas then fled the scene of the attack, but was apprehended by police minutes later. He was found to be carrying two knives with three-inch blades, as well as some marijuana.

The suspect has been charged with two counts of assault with intent to murder, one count of carrying a dangerous weapon, and one count of possession of a controlled substance. The FBI is also looking into the matter to determine whether or not to press hate crime charges.

“[W]e do know that he was not happy that [the victims] indicated that they were not Muslims,” Hawkins told the Washington Post.

 homas’ bail has been set at 1 million dollars, and is set to appear in court on March 4.
The victims in the incident have been released from local Providence Hospital and suffered non-life threatening injuries.

As previously reported, an Oklahoma man who had recently converted to Islam was shot and killed last fall after he beheaded his former co-worker and stabbed another.


A spokesman for the Moore, Oklahoma Police Department told reporters that Alton Nolen, 30, “recently started trying to convert some of his co-workers to the Muslim religion” when he was fired from his job at Vaughan Foods. He later drove to his former place of employment and entered the front office, where he encountered Colleen Huffort, 54, and began attacking her with a knife.


“He did kill Colleen and did sever her head,” police spokesperson Jeremy Lewis stated.
Nolen then began attacking co-worker Traci Johnson, 43, who caught the attention of others in the building with her screaming. One of those who heard Johnson’s cries for help was Chief Operating Officer Mark Vaughn, who also serves as an Oklahoma County reserve deputy. Being armed at the time, he shot Nolen dead, saving Johnson’s life.


 The attacker’s Facebook page was stated to contain “provocative” content that is Islamic in nature and critical of the United States. Nolen also had a number of tattoos on his body, including one featuring the Arabic greeting “as-salaamu ataikum,” meaning “peace be upon you.”

The first tithe is the LEVITICAL TITHE ; What are the OTHER TWO TITHES? Why wont your pastor ever mention the two other tithes ???

THE OTHER TITHES

http://www.tithing101.com/Part1/tithe4.htm  

 Brother Gary Arnold

Preacher@TithingToday.com

The second tithe is called the festival tithe, or the feast tithe. This tithe was brought once a year to the streets of Jerusalem during the three-annual feast, and it was eaten in the streets of Jerusalem by all the people, as a potluck, and they shared it with strangers and the Levites and the priests.

The Holy Bible, New International Version - Deuteronomy 14:22-27:
22 Be sure to set aside a tenth of all that your fields produce each year.
23 Eat the tithe of your grain, new wine and oil, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks in the presence of the LORD your God at the place he will choose as a dwelling for his Name, so that you may learn to revere the LORD your God always.
24 But if that place is too distant and you have been blessed by the LORD your God and cannot carry your tithe (because the place where the LORD will choose to put his Name is so far away), 

25 then exchange your tithe for silver, and take the silver with you and go to the place the LORD your God will choose.
26 Use the silver to buy whatever you like: cattle, sheep, wine or other fermented drink, or anything you wish. Then you and your household shall eat there in the presence of the LORD your God and rejoice.
27 And do not neglect the Levites living in your towns, for they have no allotment or inheritance of their own.

The second tithe is a ceremonial tithe and differs in that it consists of a tenth of the crops, and the firstborn of the herds and flocks. This tithe also proves they had markets and income since verses 24-26 say to exchange (sell) the items for silver (KJV uses the word money), and then use the silver (money) to buy the food and drink for the festival. To the best of my knowledge, all denominations believe this tithe ended when Jesus died on the cross. 

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A third tithe is called the poor tithe, or the third-year tithe. Every third year the people were commanded to keep a third tithe at the homes of the individual Israelites, and they shared them with the poor and the Levites as they came around to their homes. Since this tithe is not a ceremonial tithe, why do tithing teachers ignore this tithe?

The Holy Bible, New International Version - Deuteronomy 14:28-29:
28 At the end of every three years, bring all the tithes of that year’s produce and store it in your towns,
29 so that the Levites (who have no allotment or inheritance of their own) and the aliens, the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns may come and eat and be satisfied, and so that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hands. 

Let's take a look at Leviticus 25:3-7 (NIV):
3 For six years sow your fields, and for six years prune your vineyards and gather their crops.
4 But in the seventh year the land is to have a sabbath of rest, a sabbath to the LORD. Do not sow your fields or prune your vineyards.
5 Do not reap what grows of itself or harvest the grapes of your untended vines. The land is to have a year of rest.
6 Whatever the land yields during the sabbath year will be food for you-for yourself, your manservant and maidservant, and the hired worker and temporary resident who live among you,
7 as well as for your livestock and the wild animals in your land. Whatever the land produces may be eaten. 

According to what I've just read, crops were not harvested and, therefore, could not be tithed every seventh year. Why do preachers ignore these verses in the Word of God? 

Various kings and other leaders also instituted their own tithes and made them law. 

 THE LEVITICAL TITHE - BASICS

Now let's review Leviticus 27:30-34 (NIV):

30 "'A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the LORD; it is holy to the LORD.
31 If a man redeems any of his tithe, he must add a fifth of the value to it.
32 The entire tithe of the herd and flock-every tenth animal that passes under the shepherd's rod-will be holy to the LORD.
33 He must not pick out the good from the bad or make any substitution. If he does make a substitution, both the animal and its substitute become holy and cannot be redeemed.'"
34 These are the commands the LORD gave Moses on Mount Sinai for the Israelites. 


The law given to Moses for the Israelites is specific - it says that you tithe everything from the land; in other words, crops, and from the herds and flocks. Nothing else is mentioned in the command as being tithable. It's as simple as that. 

God said you tithe on the crops, and the herds and flocks, NOT money or income. When I say this, there's usually someone who says they didn't have money then. That's not correct. They had money (gold and silver) even in Genesis. 


The argument that tithes were always used as money in the Old Testament because money was very rare, and the bartered system required food to be used to purchase items, is not biblical. In fact, the word money occurs 32 times in the Book of Genesis alone. The word money occurs 44 times before the tithe is first mentioned in Leviticus 27. 

Money paid for land. In Genesis 23:9 Abraham bought land with money, not with food. Money bought slaves. Money was used by slaves to buy their freedom. Money was required to pay judicial fines, not food. Money was required to pay sanctuary dues, poll taxes, and head taxes. Money was required in many vows that were made by the people. Alcoholic drinks were paid by money. And marriage dowries very often included money in the earliest books of the bible. 

And from the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, I quote: "Gold and silver were the common medium of exchange in Syria and Palestine in the earliest times of which we have any historical record. The period of mere barter had passed before Abraham." Unquote. 

We even find banking laws, and laws against high interest and usury in the book of Leviticus even before tithing is mentioned. Therefore, it is wrong to say that money was not a tithable item because it was not an everyday essential item. Money was very essential, even in the book of Genesis. Therefore, the argument that money did not exist and therefore could not be included as a tithable item is wrong. 

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It is in the Book of Numbers, chapter 18, that we find the ordinance of tithing. To learn more, study the entire chapter. For now, we will look at Numbers chapter 18 verses 23-28 (NIV):
23 It is the Levites who are to do the work at the Tent of Meeting and bear the responsibility for offenses against it. This is a lasting ordinance for the generations to come. They will receive no inheritance among the Israelites.

24 Instead, I give to the Levites as their inheritance the tithes that the Israelites present as an offering to the LORD. That is why I said concerning them: 'They will have no inheritance among the Israelites.'"
25 The LORD said to Moses, 

26 "Speak to the Levites and say to them: 'When you receive from the Israelites the tithe I give you as your inheritance, you must present a tenth of that tithe as the LORD'S offering. 

27 Your offering will be reckoned to you as grain from the threshing floor or juice from the winepress.
28 In this way you also will present an offering to the LORD from all the tithes you receive from the Israelites. From these tithes you must give the LORD'S portion to Aaron the priest. 

So the tithes belonged to The Lord, and The Lord gave the tithes to the Levites, who in turn, would have no inheritance, or could not own any land.

 MALACHI - ROBBING GOD

http://www.tithing101.com/Part1/robbing.htm  

Many tithing teachers say that if you don't bring a tithe of your gross income to the church you are robbing God. Let's take a close look at the scripture. 

Malachi chapter 3 verses 8-10 (KJV):
8 Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.
9 Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.
10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. 


Who is being addressed in Malachi 3:8-10? Is it the people as the tithing teachers say, or is it the priests? 

We need to study the entire Book of Malachi rather than take a few verses out of context. By the time we get to verse 6 in chapter 1, we see it is the priests that are being addressed at that point. 

Malachi 1:6 (KJV)
6 A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the LORD of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name? 

In both chapters 1 and 2 of Malachi there is a conversation going on between God and the priests. Every time the word "you" is used, it is referring to the priests. Chapter 3 continues with this conversation. In verse 5 God says "And I will come near to you to judgment….." 

In the Old Testament, during this period of time and generally speaking, only the priests could get near to God. It is only in the New Testament that born again believers, you and I, can get close to God. So up to chapter 3 verse 5, God is speaking to the priests. The word "you" is still referring to the priests. There is nothing in the scripture to indicate this changes when you get to verse 8. But that's not all. 

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Malachi chapter 1 verse 14 (NIV) reads:
14 "Cursed is the cheat who has an acceptable male in his flock and vows to give it, but then sacrifices a blemished animal to the Lord. 

Remember we learned that in Numbers chapter 18, God said one tenth of the tithe was to be given to the priests for an offering to The Lord. Malachi 1:14 shows that the priests gave the worst of the tithe to God instead of the best. Thus we have the robbing God of offerings mentioned in Malachi chapter 3 verse 8. 

Now let's look at Nehemiah chapter 13 verse 10 (NIV):
10 I also learned that the portions assigned to the Levites had not been given to them, and that all the Levites and singers responsible for the service had gone back to their own fields. 

This verse is telling us that the priests stole the Levites portion of the tithe; therefore, they had no food to eat at the temple, and they went back to their own fields. We must interpret this verse in this way because nowhere does it say that the priests had also left the temple. The priests had the food. Read chapter 13 of Nehemiah to get the complete picture. 

So Malachi 1:14 shows the priests robbed God of the offerings, and Nehemiah 13:10 shows the priests robbed God of the tithes. 

Next, in Malachi 3:10 God says to bring all the tithes to the storehouse. The people took the tithes to the Levites who lived in the Levitical cities, not to the temple. The Levites took the required food from the tithes to the temple when it was their turn to serve. Only those tithes ever made it to the temple. The priests then took those tithes to the storehouse. It only makes sense if God is speaking to the priests in this verse. 

Therefore, we believe that the evidence shows that Malachi 3:8-10 is being addressed to the priests, not the people.