Another timely sermon by Rev Charles Spurgeon delivered in 1880, subject about grace giving.
Read and enjoy.

http://spurgeongems.org/vols46-48/chs2716.pdf

I saw the link below about the above message given by the famous preacher - Charles Spurgeon in 1855.
It is quite long for me to summarise, but it is worth the reading.
To my fellow brothers and sisters, what do we understand from this sermon.
Let's feel free to add our comments in a clear and sensible manner.

http://spurgeongems.org/vols1-3/chs37.pdf


Also the link can be used to view many other sermons given by Charles Spurgeon

http://spurgeongems.org/sermons.htm

A review of the Scriptural Teaching on the Tithe:
• The tithe was never money or a percentage of wages earned, it was crops and livestock (Lev 27:26,30)
• The tithe was not required of everyone in Israel; it was only landowners in the eleven tribes. Aliens, slaves, servants, labourers, and the tribe Levi were exempt.
• In its original context, Malachi was not written to all of Israel. It was directed at the tribe of Levi and particularly the Priestly clan.
• The primary emphasis of Malachi is not the sin of the people in failing to tithe, but the sin of the Levities and Priests in dereliction of duties and misappropriation of the people’s tithes and offering. Malachi is basically an oracle of judgement. It is directed not to all of Israel, but at the Levites and priests.
• The Levities took the place of all other Israelites in performing civil and religious duties for the nation.
• In Malachi, God was specifically dealing with the Levites and Priest for their misuse of the tithes (foodstuffs) and offerings (sacrifices) that was causing the people to withhold their giving!
• God commanded them to “bring the whole tithe – the grain of the field, fruit of the vine, herd animals and flock animals – into the storehouse, so that there may be food in my house, the house of Israel”.
• He was charging them to administer their civil and religious tax income properly.
• In exchange, all landowning Israelites gave ten percent of the grain of the field, fruit of the vine, animals from the herd, and animals from the flock to the Levities as payment for their services (taxes). As the Levities are not entitled to any part of the Promised Land, they are full time ‘servants’. The Lord God is their inheritance.
• The Levities are divided into three clans – Gershonites, Merarites and Kohathites. They first two perform civil governmental functions, whilst the third perform religious governmental functions under a theocratic rule.
• 1. Gershonites (they care for the tabernacle tent coverings). 2. Merarites (they care for the frame of the tabernacle, pegs and posts) and 3. Kohathites (they care for the sanctuary and the ark and ministered as priests).
• Two of the Levitical clans (Gershonites and Merarites), further tithed on the ten percent of grain of the field, fruit of the vine, animals from the herd and animals from the flock to the remaining priestly clan (Kohathites). (or all three clans tithed on that income to those Kohathites who are currently serving as priests).(Num 18:26-28)
• The Lord accuses the priests of dishonouring Him by offering diseased animals for sacrifice and turning their nose at the Lord’s table (Mal 1:6-14)
• The ‘house’ refers not only to the temple, but to the whole house of Israel. The ‘storehouse’ or storerooms refer to those rooms built specifically to store foodstuffs, not a treasury to store money.
• The produce brought into the storerooms was not for the upkeep of the physical temple structure or other administrative costs. It was meant to feed people – not only the priestly clan, but the poor, the widows, and aliens (Deut 14:28-29). This was part of their ‘social security’ system for the disadvantaged.
• The tithe to the priests who were currently serving in the temple was only one percent of what Israel brought in. It was food, not a salary.
• This prophecy was given to natural Israel, who are stewards of a physical land. That’s why it refers to food, grain crops and so on. Even when Jesus mentioned tithing in the New Testament (Matt 23:23; Luke 11:42), he identified tithing as the giving of foodstuffs (garden herbs). And it was in the context of the Old Covenant people keeping the Old Covenant law, which had been for 2,000 years fulfilled in Christ Jesus.
• In the New Covenant, Christ has fulfilled the Law and cancelled its judgement against us (Matt 5:17; Col 2:14). Therefore, there is no longer a curse for believers who do not tithe.
• On the other hand, contrary to what Christian tithing proponents believe, there is a curse on those who still believe the Law applies to Christians (even it it’s only the tithe doctrine) (Gal 3:10-13)(.
• Whether it is circumcision (now done only for health reasons) or tithing, no part of the law can be mixed with grace (Gal 5:3-4).

Believers are free from legalism, ritualism and performance oriented, human religiosity. Yet free believers still bind themselves for the sake of the gospel (Rom 14:1-15:6, 1 Cor 8-10). As Frank Stagg states in his book, ‘New Testament Theology’, the irony of man’s plight is that bondage is the result of his attempt to be free (page 32).

Most of the summaries are from the book titled: ‘The Truth About Tithing, What the Bible Really Teaches’ authored Lee A Howard.

Let us all reason together.

The Christian life is simpler than we can imagine. We have made it so complicated, so religious, and God grieves over our bondage. He wants to bless us financially so that we can bless others. This only comes by truly understanding His word and listening daily for the voice of the Spirit – not following religious formulas.
Is it wrong to tithe? No. The key principle in New Testament giving is found in (2 Cor 9:7). “Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, God loves a cheerful giver” (NIV). If you decide in your heart you want to give regularly a certain amount of money, or a particular percentage of your income, that’s fine, so long as you can do it:
• without reluctance
• without being compelled by someone (or your own guilt)
• cheerfully
So much of popular teaching about tithing and giving requires brainwashing; getting you to ignore your heartfelt reluctance, compelling you to give a certain percentage, and convincing you that doing so should be a cheerful act. This is what the Bible condemns.
What you give must sit right with your heart. No matter what you give, there is no special blessing for tithing and no curse if you don’t. Give as the Spirit directs you, and you will be blessed. (Gal 6:7-10 (NIV).
The gist of the entire teaching about the tithe demonstrates that careful study of the Scriptures about tithing does not and cannot lead to the conclusions about tithing that are popularly taught in evangelical and charismatic circles today. There is no way we can conclude that tithing now means –or ever did mean – that believers are to give ten percent of all their money income to the local church. Unless we twist the Scriptures to say what we think they say, and not what they actually teach.

There is no way that we can turn the “storehouses” of the Old testament temple into New Testament local church, and make the Old Covenant priests the New Covenant pastor. Unless, of course, we twist the Scriptures. Unfortunately, we have become bound by these traditional teachings to the point of feeling they are correct. We must guard against reading our contemporary notions of the clergy/laity distinction into the text. This separation between “common believers” and “professional ministers” is not God’s design for His New Covenant Church. It is unscriptural. However, we can see the importance of giving God our best, of fulfilling our covenant obligations to the Lord.

The Origin of ‘Storerooms’
These ‘rooms’ are the ‘storehouse mentioned in (Malachi 3:10 NIV) “bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. These storerooms in the temple were not part of the original design of the tabernacle or temple; they were built during the time of revival under Hezekiah to hold the tithes (food products, not money) that should have been coming in every year (2 Chron 31:4-11). Hezekiah commanded them to prepare rooms in the house of the Lord. Out of these surplus, the poor, widows, and the fatherless were to be provided for. But the Levites were turning them away, which is a great injustice.

The tithe doctrine is promoted in Christendom by ‘those who have religious systems to fund, and who want to turn the gospel into a money-making opportunity. If we insist on clinging to the popular ‘doctrine of the tithe’ as binding on Christians, then you need to be more ‘scriptural’ in your interpretation…
• Bring food crops or livestock to church – but only if you own a farm.
• Pay your national income and social security taxes with these grains and animals.
• Make sure that one percent of what you bring is scarified on a properly built altar by a priest. who receives no other remuneration but a portion of food you bring.
• Skip work every seventh year, and two years in a row starting the forty-ninth year, expecting God to bless your crops and send enough rain to store up plenty in the preceding years.
• If you are unable to carry a large load to Jerusalem when you bring your tithe, only then sell it, convert it to money (adding on twenty percent as a penalty for doing so), then take the money to Jerusalem and buy livestock and grain, food and drink – even “fermented drink or anything you wish” and have a big party “in the presence of the Lord”. (Deut 12:4-7)

The Church is a spiritual people under grace, not the Law. The doctrine of the tithe was for a natural people in a physical land with a theocratic government. Take the people out of the land, and it makes no sense to reinterpret the tithe as anything other than what God specifically taught it to be: the paying of taxes in an agrarian society for civil, religious, and social security purposes.

Part Two:

Siphoning Cash into Property
Is it ethical for the pastor (or his company or trust) to own property that the church is paying for? Of course not. Another variation on this scam is the church trust being controlled by the pastor and his family, so they control both the church's cash and property. Some of these pastors are very clever in how they hide the money trail. But ultimately if church money is paying for an asset the pastor owns, except via his wages of course, then it is almost certainly wrong. Imagine the furor if a politician was caught siphoning off government money into property or assets owned by himself.

Excessive Wages
The Bible teaches that the spiritual worker deserves to be paid: The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honour, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching. For the Scripture says, "Do not muzzle the ox while it is treading out the grain," and "The worker deserves his wages." - 1 Timothy 5:17-18 I believe it is reasonable to assume that Paul the Apostle meant only fair wages, not excessive wages, and that Paul would have agreed with what Peter the Apostle wrote: To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder, a witness of Christ's sufferings and one who also will share in the glory to be revealed: Be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care, serving as overseers-not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. - 1 Peter 5:1-3

Obviously one of the ways greedy pastors can extract money from God's people is via excessive wages. The amount of which they will often decide themselves, or have conferred on them by their sycophants (via the church board, or the church wages review committee, for example). No honest pastor would have a problem with his congregation knowing how much their church pays him, or at least what range his wage fell in, like say "between $50,000 and $60,000". This is normal. Openness regarding the pastor's stipend has been a practice of the Christian church for hundreds of years, and continues today. Only those pastors who have an excessive wage would be reluctant to let the amount become public knowledge.

If your pastor refuses to be open about his wage then be very suspicious. It is likely he knows that the amount would be considered excessive. If it is excessive, then watch him dodge the issue like a sweaty politician. Be even more suspicious whenever you hear a pastor's wage being justified by comparing him to a CEO. If you hear this CEO nonsense then you can instantly know two things: first, the pastor's wage is massive; second, you are being scammed. A pastor is not a CEO no matter how big his church empire is; a CEO runs a for monetary-profit organization, a pastors serves the people of God - they are not the same thing.

By the way, if the pastor claims to be a CEO, then you must be a shareholder. Shareholders have full rights to the accounts, including how much their "CEO" is earning. Your Counter Strategy: Find out how much your pastor is paid. If he will not reveal the information then stop giving to that church until it is revealed. Especially stop if you hear any of this "CEO" rubbish.

Perks
Expensive leased cars, holidays, clothing allowances, spending money, restaurant meals, hotels, flights, and expense accounts, are some of the perks demanded by these luxury smitten pastors. Some say that if they are preaching the "prosperity gospel", then they have to appear prosperous to "walk their talk". But of course that is a deception. They are using God's money to misrepresent how wealthy they are, to help prove their false teaching works. Despicable.

Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. - 2 Corinthians 4:2

What is worse, many of these churches make their members complicit in this deception. Members are instructed to wear expensive clothes and groom themselves in the manner expected of the rich. They are encouraged to buy (or lease) the most impressive car they can afford. Members are required to appear happy and successful. The excuse given is that the appearance of success breeds success, but this is nonsense, more likely it breeds significant debt. The real reason the leaders want their church members to appear successful is to trick others into thinking that the prosperity dream that they preach really works.

Nepotism
A church isn't a family business you know; it is a family, but it's not a business. Are the pastor's relatives high up in the church? Are they the ones with the most powerful positions? Then that is nepotism. A good church will choose the very best people for the job, while a bad church will reward those closest to the pastor with the lucrative positions of power If you see nepotism, then that is a sign that something is very wrong.

Their Fabricated Tithing Doctrine
This is the big daddy. This is their sacred cow. This is the beating heart of their evil empire. The crown jewel. The Death Star. The one ring to bill them all. The pot of gold. Their matrix (into which they want to plug you). Their Wizard of Oz. Their magic spell. Their special power. Their secret recipe with the eleven herbs and spices. Their Golden Goose. The very air upon which they breathe!

Question this doctrine and watch these money hungry pastors bare their fangs. This is a teaching that they will bear no compromise on. Tithing, or at least their own version of tithing, is their one true love. Here are some bullet points about tithing that these money hungry pastors don't want you to know:
The New Testament Church did not tithe.
The New Testament does not teach tithing for Christians.
Their favourite Malachi verses cannot be used for Christians since Christians are not under the law of Moses. Abraham's one off tithe of his war booty did not set up a precedent for Christians to regularly tithe their income. The version of tithing they teach cannot be found in Scripture (see below).
The "Storehouse" in Malachi cannot be equated to your local church organization. There are plenty of rich (money wise) Christians who do not tithe. This would be impossible if their version of tithing was true. The New Testament teaching is that you decide how much to give, and there are no rules about where it goes. You cannot be compelled to give.

It may come as a surprise to learn that their tithing doctrine is a combination of twisted scriptures and wishful thinking, as opposed to solid Biblical exegesis reflecting a central thrust of New Testament teaching. Here is their tithing doctrine stated in a nutshell:

"Christians must give ten percent of their gross income only to their church organization. If they do, then God will bless them for any offerings they make to the church organization beyond this ten percent. But if they do not give ten percent gross, then they are stealing from God and God will curse them." There are variations of this teaching, and sometimes it is called a "principle", but the above definition contains the core essence of this doctrine. It is vital to grasp that tithing is not for Christians. Tithing was part of the old law (of Moses) which was fulfilled (completed) by Jesus. You know that Christians are not under the law of Moses don't you?

But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code. - Romans 7:6

Know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified. - Galatians 2:16

All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law." - Galatians 3:10

New wine should not be put into old wine skins, nor should new unshrunk cloth be used to patch an old garment; if you think you need to obey the law of tithing then you need to obey the whole law (or you will be cursed, Galatians 3:10).

What is more, this tithing doctrine they teach isn't found in either the New or Old Testament. Tithing in the Old Testament does not match what these pastors preach - this unique tithe teaching is of their own invention.

Tip: If you are struggling to feed your family or buy them clothes, then understand that you do not need to give to the church. You can still do so if you choose, but you should not feel under compulsion since your family is more important. Also understand that if you are poor then that does not mean God is cursing you, or that you have done something wrong; this is an erroneous teaching these greedy men promote to guilt you into giving. Remember, your duty is to your family first. If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. - 1 Timothy 5:8

Tip: Churches that push this erroneous tithing doctrine will often try to enforce tithing via written agreements (called covenants), and also by monitoring what people give (so they can compel them to give more if they are not meeting the ten percent target). First, grasp that these "covenants" are illegitimate and not worth the paper they are printed on, because they contain false doctrine (like tithing) and set up the pastors as a false authority over you. God would not be party to a covenant that contains falsehoods, therefore God was not party to the covenant you were pressured to sign, therefore you are free from this burden. It is as if you never signed it. Second, recording what you give and using that information to pressure you to give more is wrong, the Bible implies that our giving is best done in secret so that only we and God know what we gave. Don't go to a church where they monitor what you give. (note: some churches voluntarily let you record what you have given via a numbered envelope system for tax purposes. Done correctly, no one in the church will know what you gave. There is nothing wrong with this kind of recording.)

Your Counter Strategy: Stop giving to that church until they change their ways. That doesn't mean to stop giving to Godly works, we would encourage you to give as the Holy Spirit prompts you and as you decide. But it is valid to protest false doctrine by refusing to fund the system that promotes that false doctrine.

The Carrot and the Stick
These pastors are not only money hungry, but often power hungry too. They want to be both pastor and master. They commit the sin of the Pharisees and appoint themselves as middle men between God and you. They seek to replace the Holy Spirit in your life. They "lord it over" their flocks. Using the connection they claim to have with God they threaten you with the stick of spiritual curses if you disobey them, and dangle the carrot of spiritual blessings if you comply. They seek to dominate your life; often implying that they have say in where you work, where you fellowship, who you marry, and of course, when, where, and how much you should give. This is a false spiritual authority not supported by Scripture. In fact I believe it to be quite devilish (the desire to control and dominate others).

In these pastor's prosperity teaching, obeying the pastor and giving money are the two pillars necessary for a successful Christian life. If you sit back and think about it, you will quickly see what a con it is. These men want to be at the head of everything, they want to dominate you, they want to be seen as the big man, and some even secretly desire adoration (almost worship). This is the opposite of true Christian leadership:

Also a dispute arose among them as to which of them was considered to be greatest. Jesus said to them, "The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors. But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves. For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves. - Luke 22:24-27

I call God as my witness that it was in order to spare you that I did not return to Corinth. Not that we lord it over your faith, but we work with you for your joy, because it is by faith you stand firm. - 2 Corinthians 1:23-24 Jesus called them together and said, "You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. - Mark 10:42-44. Threatening people with curses if they do not obey or donate is spiritual extortion. It is contrary to the nature of grace and the person of Jesus.

Your Counter Strategy: Don't be afraid of these men. Ignore their bluster. Grow a backbone and stand up to them. And if you give, then give to honour God and not out of fear of punishment or greed for financial gain. Memorize this verse: Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. - 2 Corinthians 9:7

Summary
I believe many church goers would be shocked if they could comprehend the real attitude their pastor has towards them. From my experience with both the cults and these money focused churches, it is my impression that instead of being looked upon with love, these pastors see their congregation as farm animals to be milked. It is my prayer that this article will set you free from this kind of spiritual bondage. I hope now you will be able to spot this counterfeit Christian life and be able to transition into a closer walk with Jesus; a walk built on love, trust and grace, not fear.

To summarize what we have learnt about the methods money hungry pastors use to feed off their flock: We discovered the multilevel marketing pattern that these often ex-salesmen (not theologians) model their churches. We examined some of the products they sell into their captive market like books and DVDs. We unhyped the hyped conferences, and exposed the Christian speaking circuit. Next we talked about how spiritually dishonest pastors set up their own businesses that their followers are expected to patronize. After that came the scam of "honouring the pastor" with gifts of luxury items. We delved into the high pressure offering mini-sermons that are designed to guilt people into giving. We examined how most of the money gained is used to build the pastor's modern day cathedrals, projects that their fragile egos demand. We exposed the scam of siphoning the church's cash into properties and assets owned by the pastor. We covered the obvious points of excessive wages and extravagant perks, and that was followed by the not so obvious problem of nepotism. Their big daddy came second to last - their fabricated tithing doctrine was exposed for what it is, a fraud. Finally we discussed the spiritual carrot and stick of the false authority that the pastors claim.

Realize that a number of churches follow the patterns that this article exposes. However there are many good churches who do not practice these methods. If you have been hurt by these practices then feel free to give up on these twisted money-focused environments, but please do not give up on Jesus. Men who peddle the word of God for profit are not sent from God?

Feel free to think this one through for yourself.

End.

The article below is not my own. I can't remember when I saw it, but I think it would help us to understand what the topic of discussion is all about. It is quite lengthy.

Part One:

I will start by outlining the primary pattern that underpins these modern schemes. Then I will drill down, listing each technique one by one, exposing how they work. Finally, at the end, I will outline the biggest monetary scam of all.

First let's discover the primary pattern behind their methods...

The Multilevel Marketing Pattern

When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple courts he found men selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple area, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. To those who sold doves he said, "Get these out of here! How dare you turn my Father's house into a market?" - John 2:13-16
We've all been approached at some time by a friend caught up in the hope of multilevel marketing. The business they are pushing is simple, sell toothpaste or web sites or whatever, and then recruit people under you doing the same, taking a cut from their sales. Soon you will be so rich that you can buy a flash European car and give stacks of money to Godly causes. That is the dream. The proof the dream works is embodied in the wealth of the dream's leaders. Do you see how rich our leaders are? They made all their money by following the dream, proving that you can too. Except, that it's a lie.

Coming up is the key to the pattern, are you ready? These leaders did not become wealthy by following the dream, instead they became wealthy by building up a group of people who believe passionately in the dream, and then selling dream-promoting wares to this captive audience. I will say it again, because you need to understand this pattern. They did not become rich by selling toothpaste; they became rich by hyping dream-promoting books, tapes, DVDs, and conferences to their own private market of dream believers. This same pattern is practiced by some Christian leaders and their churches. The dream is the prosperity gospel. Their captive market is their congregation. The products are, well you guessed it: books, tapes, DVDs, and conferences, and t-shirts, and most ominously spiritual rewards and the prevention of spiritual punishments.

These leaders use their faked "success" to promote a distorted gospel which basically says: "tow the line obeying the leaders buying whatever we tell you to buy, and donate money whenever we tell you to donate, and then God will pour riches into your life." They tell us that they became successful by following this dream, but in reality they became rich by sucking money out of those caught up in the buzzing environment where this distorted gospel seems real. Let's drill in and discuss some of the products and techniques they use to line their pockets with money that ought to have stayed with God's people or gone to legitimate good works. You are about to discover how these spiritual vampires feed...

Tip: A clue that you are caught up in one of these churches is if you hear things like, "This is your spiritual home; you can't go to another church. You must be loyal." They are very jealous about protecting their market, and do not want to lose one of their paying customers to another church. Some even try to prevent their patrons leaving by making them sign contracts or "covenants", like a mobile phone company locking you into a two year term. But the Bible does not teach that Christians are bound to their local church organization, this idea is foreign to Scripture.

Books
The first product is the leader's book (often ghost written and fraudulently claimed to be authored by the leader). Let's be honest, many of these books are below par. Like bad business books they have one good idea, if that, and then are padded with motivational sayings and anecdotal stories of how the leader obeyed the dream and so God hosed him down with wealth. The theological content is basically non-existent. These books would tank on Amazon or in a real bookstore, but hyped to their captive market they sell like hot cakes.

DVDs
Next comes the ever popular DVD. Most of which are videos of the leader preaching in his church on a certain topic. Let me ask you a question, is it ethical for a leader who has been paid by his church to prepare and deliver a sermon, to then take that performance and sell it back to his own church members for a healthy profit? I'm not talking here about paying for reproduction costs or the money going into church funds. I'm talking about DVDs being sold at the same cost as a movie DVD and the profit going into the leader's own pocket. And like the books most of these DVD's are awful, not worth the money paid. Minimal content with gallons of fluff. Some are so bad that my friends and I have been in hysterics, like the preacher whose proofs for his latest invented doctrine is to slap the bible he's carrying and say, "It's bible, it's bible!". But, these DVDs are hyped and hyped, and the captive audience buy stacks of them. In the worst money hungry churches you're expected to buy them, and it is noticed if you don't.

Hyped Conferences
The hype for these conferences start months before hand. Other church members look at you strangely if you are thinking about not going. What, you can't afford the huge entry fee? What's wrong with you, don't you love God? Don't you want to be blessed? Don't you want to be successful and wealthy? Don't you want to be part of us? Because you won't be, unless you go to THE CONFERENCE! Each speaker is completely amazing. The next best thing to the second coming.
He's built a church up from nothing to one with thousands of people. She's the most Godly woman in the universe who is the best wife ever with the best kids and the best lifestyle, and she's the pastor's wife too. He's from overseas. She's a corporate CEO. Wow. It's going to be awesome. It's going to be triple awesome! It's going to be mega massive triply awesomely awesome!
The spiritual reward for going is implied to be life changing. The conference fee is nothing, compared to the fire-fighting-bomber worth of blessings and wealth God will dump on your head from upon high.
And Jesus had conferences too, don't forget, like the Sermon on the Mount, where He charged, oh, he didn't charge anything for that spiritual teaching. In fact it was free wasn't it? Hmmm. Well, often the first-movers can't figure out how to monetize their success, we can't blame Jesus for that, can we? Gosh, if only He had some books to sell at the back...

Understand, I'm not against conferences. I'm against overly expensive hyped conferences that deliver hardly any lasting value to their attendees; Conferences that are linked to your standing in your church, and supposedly what God thinks of your commitment to Him. And why are they so expensive? Where does all that money go? Well, in the next section you're going to find out...

Your Counter Strategy: Hire a hotel room, and sit there reading your Bible with a few Christian friends - trust me, spiritually you'll get more out of it and it'll cost less. Realize that you don't need the sugar high of a conference to get closer to God. Deprogram yourself from the idea that conferences are like a spiritual hot-point you just have to be at. See the hype for what it is. Be led by the Spirit to conferences, not pulled by the fear of losing your church friends and God's blessing.

The Christian Speaking Circuit
If you have a big market (congregation) and are willing to let others come and sell there, then your fellow pastors will invite you to come and sell into their markets (congregations) too. The bigger your own market, the larger the markets that will open their doors to you - as long as you are willing to reciprocate. Quid pro quo. There is a Christian speaking circuit, just like there is a motivational speaking circuit. The circuit has no formal structure like say a football league, but rather is like an exclusive network or an old boys club.

Young speaking-cubs sweat blood to be allowed into the circuit. These wannabes practice hard and desperately seek in-circuit patrons because the financial rewards are significant. Revenue flows in four ways: from sales of products, from special "love offerings" taken for the speaker, from various perks, and from the formal payments (honorariums) for speaking. Not all visiting church speakers are on the circuit, the difference is in the amount of money their visit extracts. There is nothing wrong with a speaker's flights and accommodation being paid for, along with the speaker receiving a fair payment for his time. But if the amounts are excessive and the perks extravagant, then that is an unacceptable waste of the Lord's money.

Some speaker's egos are so ripe that they demand business or first class flights, expensive chauffeured cars, five star hotel accommodation, gourmet dining, and the right to bring a small entourage along with them (at the church's expense). Their fees can be enough to buy a family car, and then they have the audacity to expect a special "love offering" to be made for them. The sales of their books and DVD's are carefully planned, and the hosting pastors are expected to hype their products. Of course the hosting pastor will then get the same treatment later at the visiting speaker's church, including his own big fat love offering. If the visiting speaker does not have a church, then the hosting pastor will expect a cut from the speaker's product sales.

These Sunday service speaking engagements are the bread and butter, to the glamour and super-liquidity of the hyped conferences. Only the true speaking-circuit superstars get to keynote at these hype-fests. The speakers at these conferences are like sharks in a feeding frenzy, seeking to boost their profit margins with the over inflated prices of their products. Their speaking fees and perks are why these conferences cost so much, and can sometimes even run at a, ahem, cough, "loss". It is unbelievable what some of these speakers expect from the Body of Christ. I would not like to be in their shoes when they finally meet our Lord, or for that matter anywhere within the blast radius.

Pastor Owned Businesses that Feed Off the Flock
Another way bad pastors extract money from their captive market is to set up a business, and then get their congregation to patronize their business. Businesses like: bookshops, counselling, gyms, production firms, computer consulting, cinemas, business coaching services, supermarkets, building firms, music festivals, music studios, real-estate firms, and many more. The bookshop is the most common, often located inside the church itself. Members in the church who show loyalty to their pastor's businesses are rewarded, often with increased standing in the church. Members who refuse to use the pastor's businesses are frowned upon.

The Honour the Pastor Scam
Money focused churches tend to be run on cultic patterns. One of these cultic patterns is the division of the church into exclusive rings: the all-powerful pastor perched at the centre, the inner-ring of sycophants around him consisting of the pastor's lieutenants and the church's privileged class (the rich, the famous and the very pretty), and the outer-ring of the ordinary folk who would love to be in the inner-ring, but are not. The power of those in the inner-ring is determined by the amount of favour the pastor bestows upon them.

To get more favour the inner-ring will employ many favour-currying measures, one of which is a scam called "Honouring the Pastor". It works this way, the inner-ring will figure out what the pastor would like, say for his birthday. Then the inner-ringers will squeeze the outer-ringers for the money to buy this item. Using this method pastors have been "given": diamond rings for their wives, cash gifts, jet skis, luxury cruises, motorbikes, cars, holidays, boats, and a myriad of other expensive luxury items.

Are the pastors complicit in this game? Of course they are. They couldn't demand the gift openly themselves, but seek plausible deniability by having their inner-ring lieutenants do the work. Of course they could refuse the gift when it is presented, and make it clear that they don't want the Lord's money spent on such things again, but they never do. These pastors exchange their favour, for cash from their congregation.

High Pressure Offerings
Another way the pastor uses his inner-ring to extract cash, is via high pressure offering talks in the church services. One of the church's inner-ring will take the Sunday offering, which in these money focused churches can turn into a mini-sermon. These inner-ring members are competing against each other's past high scores. At stake is their standing with the pastor and hence their standing in the church. If they rake in the cash then their position is secure, but if they score low then no matter what excuses they have they know the pastor will blame them. In the extreme money focused churches it is made known who gave the most and who gave the least, and in these churches the giving will not be in secret but people will be expected to come up the front so that everyone can see how much they give. Or people will be watched to see if they put anything in the offering container as it is passed down the aisles. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. - 2 Corinthians 9:7

Cathedral Building Wars
Like the cathedral building wars in the middle ages where cities and countries vied against each other to build the most impressive cathedral. The pastors of these money focused churches fight to own the most impressive church to top their rival pastors - their egos demand that they are the king of the heap. The most impressive churches require the most magnificent buildings, the most professional entertainment in their services, the best church programs, and the best conferences, the best websites, the best radio and TV programs, and the most members. All this costs a lot of money. And just like in the days of old these self-anointed church kings seek to tax their subjects to fund their private war. Understand that these cultic churches ultimately exist to serve their pastor's insecure egos, and their congregation suffer under their madness. This type of church culture breeds a harsh environment where people are discarded as soon as they are no longer useful. This is a dysfunctional ethos entirely alien to that of Jesus's teachings.

to be contd...

Looking forward to an open-minded expository with the help of the Holy Spirit.

Instead of using a vernacular sentence such as highlighted in the interview, "my oga at the top".
A better response would have used the words, 'my superior', 'my line manager', or even 'those in hierarchy' etc...

What has Dr Reuben Abati got to say now about the 'hot' topic of the day.
Since he's the Speical Advisor on Media to the President or has Dr Okupe taken over his job completely?.
This is a link to what he wrote back in 2005.


http://nigeriavillagesquare.com/articles/reuben-abati/alami-should-go-its-over.html

What we need in this generation, are pastors and teachers of the word, teaching the word of God correctly and not for selfish gain.
So many errors today in christendom.

A clear, neat and easy to understand teaching.
How I wish this kind of teaching is avalaible in our churches.
Christians need to be taught and well equipped for the work of the kingdom, unfortunately majority of us are 'shallow christians'.
Goshen, thanks for this.

Goshen360:

How do I get this book please? Hard copy please. Thanks

As said already, most good bookshops will be stocking the book.
Furthermore, you can get many other books by David Pawson, he is a good bible expositor.
Check out his website www.davidpawson.com

Zikkyy:

It is very much 'legalism'. Adherence to the law is usually because the law requires it. Take the case of the father lays down certain rules for the son (defined as expected behavior), i.e. "you must do your homework when you come back from school" (punishment might be the son will be denied of his favorite program on t.v.); "you must go to bed by 10p.m., no late night t.v"; "if you must go out with friends, i want you back latest 8.00p.m". Now we know parents do this out of love for their children, but the reaction will be different from the child's end; It's most likely a stubborn child that requires these rules. without these rules, it's possible the child will not be doing his homework as required, and keep late nights. Consider a situation where there is a strong relationship between son and father, where son understands the love and wishes of the father for him; a relationship where the son 'trusts' the father's guidance; where the son knows the father want the best for him, the son will not be needing the set of rules to the right thing. He knows the father wants him to excel, there will be no rules for doing the homework; he is not going to wait for threats from the father, he will do his homework and put in extra efforts to get good grades.

So what can we say is the purpose of the law?

"According to Paul, the law has a negative purpose: It was added because of transgressions. Paul has already demonstrated what the law does not do: it does not make anyone righteous before God; it is not based on faith; it is not the basis of inheritance. So if the law is divorced from righteousness, faith and inheritance of the blessing, to what is law related? Paul says that the law is related to transgressions. A transgression is the violation of a standard. The law provides the objective standard by which the violations are measured. In order for sinners to know how sinful they really are, how far they deviate from God's standards, God gave the law. Before the law was given, there was sin (see Rom 5:13). But after the law was given, sin could be clearly specified and measured (see Rom 3:20; 4:15; 7:7). Each act or attitude could then be labeled as a transgression of this or that commandment of the law......

.....In order to clarify the relation of the law to the promise, Paul poses a contrary-to-fact hypothesis: If a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law. The very way that Paul phrases this hypothesis (as a contrary-to-fact conditional statement) indicates that he does not for a moment think the law can impart life. By life Paul means living in right relationship with God: "that I might live for God". If the law could empower one to live in a right relationship with God, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law. This was in fact the position of the rival teachers in the Galatian churches. They were promoting the law as the way to live for God. It was actually their position that set the law in direct opposition to the promise; it contradicted the gospel. For as Paul has already said, "if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!"......

.....By reducing all to the level of sinners, the law prepares the way for the gospel. But neither should the law be viewed as if it were the same as the gospel. The law has a negative purpose: it makes us aware of our sin. But it does not, indeed it cannot, set us free from bondage to sin. The promise of blessing comes only through faith in Christ.The Law Is a Jailer and a Disciplinarian....

.....The Mosaic law was given not only as a permanent standard for all humanity but also as a temporary system to supervise a particular people. As we read through the Mosaic law we are impressed with a complex system of laws that were set in place to guide the conduct of the Jewish people. According to Paul's imagery, the law functioned as a jailer to lock up the Jewish people in a vast system of legal codes and regulations. But that lockup was meant to be only temporary...."

The above is an extract from another argument, i lifted some portion that has to do with the purpose of the law as i see it aligns with my thoughts. You can find the full article here - - - > http://www.biblegateway.com/resources/commentaries/IVP-NT/Gal/Understanding-Law

Stipulating a fixed % of giving was required because the Israelite would not have supported their brothers from the tribe of Levi. We have gone beyond just complying with the requirement of the law. You need to look at the underlying source of the law, which just as stated by Christ is love. The reason Christ in Mathew 5:23-24 made the comment below:

Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.

If a tither had not adopted a legalistic approach to the law, why would he/she abandon (or pass by) a brother/sister in serious need and render his tithe first (on the ground that the tithe is more important)? A behavior that does not align with Christ comment above.

The law for us as Christians is not in the form of written codes, our connection with God is not based on a list of dos & don'ts, it is based on our relationship with Christ. We fulfill the law by trusting in Christ and allowing the spirit of God to lead us.

Romans 8:14 (NKJV)
14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.

Zikky, you have made very good points on this topic another epic explanation.
Diligent students of the bible will understand what you have written.
The laws are given to the children of Israel to help them form a United Nation after their slavery experience in Egypt.
We should remember, they went in as a family unit and came out in their millions without any laws or constitution defining them as a nation. Hence, God gave them the rules and regulations to make them to be a different nation among the heathens (notably the Canaanites, Jebusites, Ammonities etc).
These 'legalistic' law brings death if they disobeyed, reason why the death of Jesus Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law. This has been the most important discussions in Apostle Paul's letters to the various converted Jewish Christians, that the laws are done with and they should embrace the grace of God.

I will recommend to every student of the bible to read this book: 'Unlocking the Bible' by David Pawson

Dis one good o

tunapawizzy: PRESIDENCY GO PICK 300, SENATE 150, HOUSE OF REPS 50, PDP NATIONAL SECRETARIAT GET 50, FRIENDS AND FAMILIES OF INEC TOP STAFFS GET 100;WITH DT USELESS FEDERAL CHARACTER THING THE REMAINING 850 GO TURN 850/36 WHICH IS ABOUT 23 PER STATE, FOR THAT 23 UR GOVERNOR GET 10, ROYAL FATHERS IN YOUR STATE GO SHARE 8, STATE RULING PARTY CHAIRMAN GET 3, THE REMAINING 2 UNA MASSES GO KILL UNASEF ONTOP AM

Very good analysis to how things are done in our country.

Bidam:

stop bastardazing scriptures by claimin tithing is of pagan origin..All men including Abraham and his father all originated from one man(Adam) who God created..along the line the fellowship with God might have been lost due to sin and evil deeds of man..but man has always had the innate desire to worship a deity...no wonder paul challenged the greeks who were worshipping an unknown God..satan cirmvented the glory because he is the god of this world..but thank God that Christ( the light of the world and the hope of all creation) came and restore that fellowship..We even hear the heart cry of the Father when malachi prophesied that we have robbed Him in "tithes and offering".God principles are eternal. He doesn't change them. The coming of the Messiah was not to abolished what malachi prophesied,Christ came in the order of melchizedek as revealed by paul in hebrews..He is our High priest and He has made us priests and kings unto Him..what more can we offer Him than our consistency in prayers, study,time,money,relationship, sacrifices until we put on immortality during resurrection.Glory to God!

Bidam,
Just a gentle reminder, how did you know that Paul wrote Hebrews?
You still have to do some careful studying on the book of Hebrews to get better understanding through the help of the Holy Spirit.
You have been doing your best to this debate, but please stop writing errors similar to the one highlighted as a lot of folks are learning. Thanks

Warri and all deltans no dey carry last.
Engraved in the DNA to be Nigerian champion.

@poster,
In the same situation here, but I have learnt to look at the bright side of life, being the first of five siblings.
Still single two of my siblings have married, but I'm 100% certain at the right time, I will marry.
Nonetheless, it has not been easy, always have a positive attitude about everything.
Your good planning, hard work, sacrifice and most importantly patience will surely pay off in the long run, just hang in there.
Wish you all the best, it's a cross we have to bear alone

plappville: Who do you think authored it?


1) Paul
2) Barnabas
3) Apollos
4) Timothy
5) Combination of two or more.

I not so sure of who penned this Book, but I believed God wrote it by using man as a tool.
This tool used is what i'm simply curious to identify, so i would like to know what others think.

Several persons argue Paul, Apollos, Barnabas or Timothy. This appears to be a tough one that is basically unanswerable with any absolute certainty.
I think some section of the book, may leads to believe that Paul did wrote it though.

(Hebrews 13:22-24) 22 And I beseech you, brethren, suffer the word of exhortation: for I have written a letter unto you in few words.
23 Know ye that our brother Timothy is set at liberty; with whom, if he come shortly, I will see you.
24 Salute all them that have the rule over you, and all the saints. They of Italy salute you.

Seeing in most of Paul's writing, Timothy seem to be under or working with Paul's ministry.
This shosw Paul wrote this very letter.

And this one:(2 Peter 3:15-16) 15 And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you;
16 As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.

Scripture itself gave the most compelling. Peter wrote this to the Hebrews (The Jews).again see Galatians 2:7,9 Peter is "confirming" that Paul had also written a letter to the Hebrews!(2 Peter 3:15-16).

Now take a look at this section: All other times Paul references Scripture, he does not address it this way.

Hebrews 2:6 - But one has "testified somewhere", saying, "WHAT IS MAN, THAT YOU REMEMBER HIM ? OR THE SON OF MAN, THAT YOU ARE CONCERNED ABOUT HIM?

Hebrews 4:4 - For He has said "somewhere" concerning the seventh day: "AND GOD RESTED ON THE SEVENTH DAY FROM ALL HIS WORKS ";

I think the way Scripture is referenced here doesn't read like Paul.
The way the author referred back to the OT is not how Paul referred back to them. I don't know if anyone is seeing it?

Again here in:Hebrews 2:3 How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;
It seems that the readers did not see or hear Jesus in His earthly ministry. This does not discribe Paul.

What do you think? Anything to add or something that doesn't sound right? your views please.

God bless.

The letter to the Hebrews is one of the books of the bible which is difficult to ascertain who wrote it, but the receivers is well-known, the Hebrews or Jews.
Various names like Paul, Peter, even James the half brother of Jesus have been suggested as authors.
However what is known about the book, is that it was written to Jews in the diaspora (those Jews who are now converted and not living in Jerusalem). These Jews still practised the old Jewish customs in their various synagogues across the Roman empire.
The author's intention is to take the Hebrews through the old testament book of Leviticus about priesthood and how they now have a better priesthood in Jesus Christ. Showing them to discard their old customs and traditions and take up a more better option.
If thorough study is done, one will find a number of quotations from the book of Leviticus in Hebrews.

As it is in the bible John 17, Jesus prayed for believers and He is coming for His Bride (the church) and not brides (various denominations).

Also Peter never started the Catholic Church.
He was married.
He went to Rome to evangelise, he was killed for the gospel's sake, actually he was crucified upside down (his own preference, as he didn't want to be martyred upright like Jesus Christ).

If this is true, then we have a long way to go in this country.

As long there is an entity called Nigeria, federal character is here to stay.

ajetunde: What WORLD RICHEST Nigerians like Folorunsho Alakija Aliko Dangote Mike Adenuga have in common? Government PATRONAGE main source of income.

In the Nigerian MIRACLE a daft hair dresser gets 1 Oil Block and becomes WORLDS RICHEST BLACK WOMEN. A lunatic retired General like Danjuma gets his own OIL BLOCK & informs the world he does not even know what to do with his money.

Government stifles competition and allocate Aliko Dangote sole right to import rice, cement and supply same to Nigerian Army and he becomes AFRICA’S RICHEST MAN. Hard working Nigerian business men and women, innovators, scientists and even intellectuals who PLAY BY THE RULES are wallowing in PENURY.

The craze is even spreading to younger generation of Nigerians. A smart Nigerian mobilise Nigerians under a very attractive project of LIGHT UP NIGERIA. He gets hundreds of thousands of LIKES on social media converting same to praising those who are responsible for bringing DARKNESS into Nigeria and the LIGHT UP NIGERIA smart dood becomes an overnight million owner. It is such a jungle in Nigeria that breaking rules is the MAIN road to success and to cap it all Imams Babalawos and Pastors are smiling to the bank as a result of HARVEST THANKSGIVING.What a HOLE of COUNTRY!

Source - http://liveofofo.com/general-news/what-world-richest-nigerians-have-in-common-kayode-ogundamisi/

I have been having the same thoughts as well, how do certain groups of people suddenly become rich without any base of well-thought-out-entrepreneurship ideology. A case of starting a business today and suddenly all the riches are accrued to them.
In other climates, how the business leaders made their money is there for all to see.

Nice lists of online options.

Image123:
Matthew 23:23

@ image123

To have a better understanding, the whole of Matthew 23 have to be read within the setting which Jesus Christ was referring to.
Right from Matthew 23:1, there was a rift between Jesus and the Jewish power structures (the Pharisees) which was becoming more intense.
Jesus is doing His possible best to reach out to these group of people to give up their traditional and nationalist concepts. We have read from the scriptures, how the Pharisees continuously tried to trap Jesus with questions. These questions usually focused on the controversial issues of their time (e.g. the woman brought to Jesus who was caught in adultery).

Now back to Matthew 23:23, Jesus was referring to the legalism of the Pharisees in tithing mint and dill and cummin (these can be garden or even kitchen items). They counted even the smallest spices so as to give ten percent to God, but yet they neglected justice, love and fidelity, which should be the bedrock of Christianity (being Christlike). If I may ask, please think, (What is the Gospel of Jesus Christ?) - this can be another topic to be discussed later.

As new testament believers, we must be careful not to turn Christianity into a new legal performance oriented code (a sort of Christian Talmud). In our desire to please God, we often try as much to find various guidelines for every area of life. This can be quite dangerous in our christian faith if we pull old-covenant rules which are not re-affirmed in the new testament and make them dogmatic criteria, especially when they are claimed to be causes of calamity or promises of prosperity.

No wonder our churches can be likened to business conglomerates, where the pastor-in-charge (aka CEO) have to visit the many branches worldwide.
But why are these church branches only limited to the following countries UK, USA, Canada and maybe handful of African countries.

okeyxyz: @Goshen:
When I read the topic, I thought that someone was at last going to explain the true meaning of double-portion to the 'ignorant'(no insult) christians who brandish this saying about. But alas, It was not to be, So I take this opportunity to explain, so when next a christian uses the phrase 'double portion' they should know how to apply it properly.

Double portion is simply a jewish principle of inheritance. For example, if a man has five sons and he is going to share his property amongst them, He would divide his property into six parts(instead of five), The first son(or preferred son) takes two parts while the others take a part each. The son with a double portion is the one who assumes the position of the father after his death. Double portion has nothing to do with amount of wealth or blessing given to a seeker, it is about inheritance of office. So spiritually, if a prophet consents his double portion to a disciple, then such disciple inherits his office of prophesy after he's gone. This was the case with elijah and elisha. Elisha did not get 'double' the prophetic power of elijah, he merely inherited the same, exact office of Elijah, according to tradition.

Another masterpiece.

Politics is truly a serious business venture

Another landed property for Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.

Baba Obasanjo is only trying to be relevant in the political scene.
If GEJ wants to be his own man, the likes of OBJ and other so-called political godfathers should be in prison now, for crimes against Nigerians.

The video link has been blocked, why?