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23 Comments

  1. This teaching is counter-cultural. In the great white north the average person is indebted to the bank in the order of $1.70 for every dollar earned. For the lower than average income earners, this ratio climbs to over $3 per earned dollar. Living as debt-slaves to the banks, as the majority of people in North America are, will not permit the flexibility described in this article. Step one of the journey, refuse to become a bond-servant to the bank.

    1. It is all about choices and the personal responsibility. The average person is in that situation because they have chosen to do that. They could just as easily have chosen to manage their finances more appropriately. While we do live in a debt driven society that literally pushes debt at you, the individual has the ultimate responsibility on whether they take that debt on. Giving to God is always an option.
      I would certainly agree with your statement about avoiding indebtedness. There is an option though that is outlined in the Bible to achieve that when you have made bad choices. I will cover that.

  2. Giving to others = giving to God
    (KJV) Matthew 25: 34-40
    40: And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

    1. Giving to others does not always equal giving to God. Giving to others who have a need usually does (assuming it is given with the right heart). There are some qualifications outlined in the Bible and I will go over those in the other parts of this submission.

      1. R2,
        Of course, you are correct. If you read through those scriptures (Matthew 25: 34-40), they point the direction of righteous giving without expectation of reward or praise of men (there’s a scripture for that, too. something about “empty sepulchres”, I believe?).
        I’m sure there are other scriptures that say the same. I didn’t want to turn this into a Biblical scripture chase.

  3. Interest/usury – The Parable of the Talents
    (KJV) Matthew 25: 14-30
    27: Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury.

    (dare I say it? “Greed Is Good”)

  4. After retirement my parents bought a small convenience store. My father especially enjoyed running it and interacting with the public. My mother less excited about all this but was in the game as well. She complained about one customer who smelled bad, talked loud and was rude and often vulgar. How she wished that she would simply not shop at their little store. Then one day this lady came in and asked to buy something “on the cuff”. My mother said at first she was going to say, hell no! But she quickly realized that this was her chance. So she allowed her to buy ten dollars or so of goods with the promise to pay it back on payday. As expected she didn’t pay it back but she didn’t ever show up at the store again. $10 well spent.

    Do not loan money to friends and family. Do not sell them cars, rent them homes or have any financial dealings with them. If necessary give them money with the proviso that this is a one time gift, fix your problems and don’t ask again. Only loan money to those who you wish to lose as friends.

    1. Gone,
      Loaning to family, I would generally agree that doing so causes heartache and splits.
      BUT-as with everything else, there are qualifiers. One must look within one’s heart, and rationally weigh all factors of the familial relationship. My daughter (and her husband) wanted to become independent, and start a store. So I loaned them the seed starter money (~$5k) (personal finances, no bank), and it was repaid in about two years (no interest). Five+ years later, and the store is going strong. They are not wealthy, but doing well enough.
      I just thank Heavenly Father that I was in a financial position to aid them, even though it was a pinch (but not a hardship) to my own wallet at that time.

    2. I think you missed the point, I liberally give money and possessions to the people I love, and SHAZAM I still have plenty. Some have repaid me and others (so far) have not, but I’m always sowing seeds and keeping the faith that it won’t come back void.

      1. 1611, King James Version of the Bible, Book of Proverbs, 16:18, Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.
        I think the original post was about giving discreetly.
        On the other hand, what profit is there in giving to those you love. Do not the “tax gathers” do the same? (Mt 5:46)

    1. That is a very “Western”, modern church interpretation of an “Eastern”, cultural statement.

      Even the author of Hebrews (whoever that is) agrees that it is a title: “…what further need was there that another priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec…” – Hebrews 7:11 (emphasis added) and “Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.” – Psalm 110:4 (emphasis added)
      Culturally, the phrase “without father, without mother, without descent…” means that the genealogy is unimportant to the subject at hand and should not be paid attention to. Indeed, until the birth of Jesus, the Scriptures don’t even deal with the title again (except in Psalms, which prophesy about the Messiah).
      Most conservative scholars agree on this point. Melchizedek (Melchisedec in Hebrews in KJV) was not a magical being. They recognize the import of cultural language idioms. The concept that Melchizedek was not an actual human is a relative newcomer to the theological scheme of things and is not a widely accepted interpretation. The concept of who the real person is is not well understood in the modern church because the church has a tendency to ignore the cultural implications, idioms, and history of the Scriptures.
      Using a Western mindset and understanding of cultural language idioms on an Eastern (Hebrew/Jewish) mindset Scripture is pretty much a guarantee to get bad theology.

  6. All things being equal, I won’t just pony up tithe to the church to satisfy a rule. In keeping with minding my talents, I will only put my tithe toward something I believe will promote the faith, help the poor, and/or bring glory to God. I’ve watched far too much offering get diverted for arbitrary purposes I would never support, let alone agree with.

    Just simply paying your fair share to a church somewhere doesn’t cut it. You must first make sure that offering is going to be genuinely used, otherwise you have squandered the blessing.

    My church isn’t in a grand building somewhere. It used to be, until I realized that God didn’t abide there much. Nowadays, I put my time, effort, and resources towards where God leads me to. About a year ago, the wife and I were praying that God would bring us a worthy purpose for our tithe. It happened that we were introduced to a young lady who’s husband had recently committed suicide, and was also 8 months pregnant with her second child. We thanked God for the blessing and have supported her for the past year while she got to a point where she could stand on her own two feet. We did this without any conditions. We’ve done similar many times before. As long as God blesses us, we will share. We paid far more than our tithe limits. We paid even beyond our abundance, but God provides. Being involved in her life beyond the gift was up to her, and she allowed us to be her friend as well, which was nice, but not necessary.

    She no longer needs our aid, though we remain friends. Now we are looking for our next blessing. That is my church, for now.

    1. benjamin,
      That is actually the more Biblical approach. I’ll cover that in more detail in Part 3 and 4 of the article. While there is Biblical basis for supporting a “church”, the individual has to take a far more active approach than the modern church wants.

    2. I think the general understanding is to give “tithes and offerings”. What you have been doing is giving offerings, I will pray that you will find a fellowship that deserves your tithes as well.

  7. Very good and timely article. I’ve been thinking about this. I’m fairly low income so giving of time would be better than giving of money to a point.

    I refuse to give my money to a “church” because the true “church” isn’t in a building. It’s in the hearts and minds of the people.

    Why do modern churches seem to think that it’s better to send $100 to Ethiopia than to give it to a single mother down the street who can’t afford to buy anything for her child?

    The $100 can be “wasted” just as easily by the people in Ethiopia as it could be by the single mother down the street.

    But- you can MINISTER to the single mother down the street. Don’t see much of anyone ministering to the person that the $100 in Ethiopia benefited.

    If the $100 is going to build a new church- it’s a total waste!

    Look at China. They’ve got the greatest revival of modern Christianity going on there and the state doesn’t even allow them to worship!

    More thoughts. This was posted in the run-up to the christmas season. As Christians we are called to have the spirit of giving year-round, not just during christmas. Reject the so-called “christmas” spirit and give out of the love of your heart when you see a need… not because it’s a particular time of year.
    Pagan and satanic images abound this time of year… whitewashed as tradition. The Bible speaks of the christmas tree as an idol of the nations. There’s a lot of similarities between Santa and Satan, including the letters of their names. Do a little search.
    You would be totally amazed at how many aspects of christmas are simply whitewashed pagan traditions. Reject them! Live the life that the Bible commanded! Read it for yourself, don’t let others read it for you.

    1. This has worked for me.
      Look around and join a local church, something that feels right, you will know it when its right.

      Immediately, start tithing 10% of your take home pay each time you are paid. Pray that God will bless your faithfullness.

      Be the best person you can, be the best parent you can and be the best neighbor you can, and live the bible as best you can.

      It took me 20 years to be a millionaire as I am a weak individual,but during the process I have tithed at least 200k and offered up so much more. It’s all Gods doing, the only place in the bible that God challenges us to test him is about tithing.

      Imo in all your ways trust in Him and lean not on your own understandings.

    2. You can also rearrange the letters of the word “live” to spell “evil.” This proves nothing. Not to mention that “Santa” means “saint” in some languages, which is how you get Santa Barbara, Santa Monica, and numerous other city names. And “saint” means holy/sanctified.

      Santa Claus is a stew of legends based on a very real person, Saint Nicholas, bishop of Myra, who was present at the Council of Nicea, which determined that Jesus Christ was true God from true God, begotten, not made, on in being with the Father, and not just a created being, as the Arian heretics proposed. Nicholas got into some trouble for punching one of the Arians, and knocking him out. Look it up.

      If you don’t want to give any money for the building of a church, don’t, as long as you don’t mind worshiping in the pouring rain. Or in the dark. Or in a dangerously overcrowded too-small building. I know that some churches have building mania, but this is all or nothing thinking.

      The Chinese build churches like mad. Their government tends to knock them down.

  9. Cain’s offering of fruit was unacceptable because it was not a blood sacrifice. Abel knew the value of blood in redemption, Cain thought his good works were enough to redeem him.

  10. Ecclesiastes 11English Standard Version (ESV)

    Cast Your Bread upon the Waters

    11 Cast your bread upon the waters,
    for you will find it after many days.

    2
    Give a portion to seven, or even to eight,
    for you know not what disaster may happen on earth.

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