MarkMiwerds:
The Bible only identifies Melchizedek as a Priest... not as a High Priest.

Genesis 14:18 And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the Priest of the Most High God.

"After the order of" does not mean Melchizedek was a High Priest.

There was an order of Priests that Melchizedek was in. Jesus became the High Priest of that Order.

Melchizedek is the order of priesthood that Jesus belongs just like we have the the order of Aaron (Heb 7:2). No man take the honour of being a High Priest except He is called by God just as Aaron was. So Christ did not take upon himself the glory of becoming a High priest like Melchizedek( Heb 5:5-6). So for you to categorically claim Melchizedek was a priest because you saw it only in Gen 14:18. is not only baffling but laughable and it contradicts your statement in blue.

What is baffling is how you can say Melchizedek was a High Priest when the Bible doesn't state he was.

The sons of Aaron were all Priests in the order of Levites. However, not all Levites were Priests. And of the sons of Aaron, it was only certain ones who were made High Priests.

Scripture nowhere says Melchizedek was a High Priest, it simply says he was a Priest. You can add to the Word of God to make him seem to be a High Priest if you wish. I cannot be so bold as to add to God's Word.

Proverbs 30:6 Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.

Bidam:
You did. Jesus is the High priest after the "order of Melchizedek" just like we have high priest after the "Aaronic order" in the OT. To allude Melchizedek was a priest is dishonest and does not stand the authenticity of scripture. The priesthood is not dead, it lives forever.

You still haven't explained why based on this twisted logic christians should tithe of their income to our high priest who is Jesus. Unlike Melchizedek, the earthly life and teachings. Of Jesus was very well documented. And in his 33 years on earth, he neither gave, collected or even preach tithes to his followers. He taught us several things and lived an exemplary life which we are to follow yet your favourite tithes is conspicuously absent. You then dis honest enough to tell us to ignore Jesus example and follow melchizedek's one off example just because they are in a similar priestly order. How dis honest. Is there even any teaching in the bible that Melchizedek must collect tithes based on his priesthood

OLAADEGBU:


Good question.

My brother from the same Father, i yam HAILING ohhhhh. Nice week.

chillykelly86:

Matthew 23:23 (KJV) Woe unto you, scribes and Phariseesyoy, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone

@image123

From the words of Christ in the passage above:-
1. Do you believe tithe is a "matter of the law"?
2. Do you believe Christians are not bound by the law?

This is pretty straight-forward. I am sure some people will actually have stoned adulterous women, arguing that they have "defiled the temple of the Holy Spirit" if not for the specific encounter between Jesus and one such woman.

Oh common, this is ridiculous. From the words of Christ in the passage above:-
1. Do you believe judgment, mercy, and faith are WEIGHTIER "matters of the law"?
2. Do you believe Christians are not bound by the law?

vooks:
Prayer is a command.
He was not commanded to tithe.

vooks:
He picked the amount,the time and the place to do it. Nobody asked him to. Neither did nobody aks Jacob to. In fact, that he conditionally offered to tithe tells you tithing was not a practice.

Next question

Okay, you said that "There is nothing like liberty to obey a command. That's a contradiction. You are under no liberty to ignore commands" Do i have a liberty to pray or not? could Abraham have ignored tithing?

You have as much liberty to pray or not to as you have to fornicate
Yes, Abraham could have ignored tithing to Melchizedek.

What's your point? Next question please?

Image123:


Okay, you said that "There is nothing like liberty to obey a command. That's a contradiction. You are under no liberty to ignore commands" Do i have a liberty to pray or not? could Abraham have ignored tithing?

Image123:


Oh common, this is ridiculous. From the words of Christ in the passage above:-
1. Do you believe judgment, mercy, and faith are WEIGHTIER "matters of the law"?
2. Do you believe Christians are not bound by the law?

I believe both sir.

And that is why I am not damned when I am not as merciful as I ought or as faithful as I ought because Christ's Grace is sufficient for me.

So now,
1. Do you believe tithe is a "less important or lighter" "MATTER OF THE LAW" than judgment, mercy and faith?
(Other translations render "weightier as "more important" ) .

The crux of the message is, "Christians are not bound by the law". So, stop promulgating laws with attendant penalties that you do not have the power to promulgate. Even the law of Moses was not promulgated by individuals but they were given by the Lord for the people of Israel. Christ died to set men free from laws and you are here trying your best to burden free men with your laws of tithing which were never for those free men. So now, who is persecuting Christ? Christ is freeing, you are binding?

In your human understanding, without tithes the work of God will not move forward but I tell you that even in the days of John the Baptist, the gospel has been preached in deserts. Without your tithes that your coerce and blackmail people to give, God's work with still go on. Have you not heard that the Lord said He will build His Church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it? All He needs are ready men who have cleansed themselves of filth and been made ready for the Master's use.

vooks:
There is nothing like liberty to obey a command. That's a contradiction. You are under no liberty to ignore commands
Paying an externally determined fraction is not GIVING. That's why you pay taxes. One asalimpo called tithes taxes.
We are trying as much as possible to liberate Gentiles from the legalistic yoke of tithing imposed on them. In the first century, they contended with circumcision. Today it is tithing. Note, if a Gentile of their own volition opted to undergo circumcision nobody would prevent them. The error was the Jews made it mandatory. Holy Spirit called it a burden. We see them every time. Some are bound by the Sabbath commandment. Others won't shake your hands. They are 'happily' following Moses.

Christ has liberated us from the Law and only requires of us that we purpose in our hearts what to give and this without compulsion. The same Spirit of Christ who convicts you of sin and righteous life is to guide us on what to give. Tithing brigade are terribly scared that the Spirit would NEVER convince anybody to give, so they create commandments with terrible penalties and utopia to prompt giving.

Now,
Matthew 23:23 (KJV) Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone

Which part of this scripture tells you to tithe? Please walk me through it

You said that prayer is a command. i know well that i am at liberty to obey that 'command'. Is that a contradiction? Correct it if i am wrong; i can pick the amount of time i want to pray, i can pick the time and the place to do it. i can pray without anyone asking me to. i can pray conditionally. Like, IF i wake up tomorrow i pray, IF i run into trouble unexpectedly i pray. What is not right here, the liberty, the command, or the assertion that it is a contradiction?
Abraham and the pharisee GAVE tithes, they externally determined the fraction.
Gen 14:20 And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he GAVE him tithes of all.
Luk 18:12 I fast twice in the week, I GIVE tithes of all that I possess.

i purpose in my heart to give tithes, even Daniel purposed in his heart so purpose is not a new thing. The Spirit of Christ guides me to give the tithe. i quoted a passage from Luke 11, you can go and and check that. you are yet to show me/us where this passage was debunked(whatever that means) in my eyes, or show where the passage said to do ALL the law. Selah on the passage you quoted, i'm not going to walk you like a blind man.

Candour:


True Christ hates hypocrisy. See what he told all the Jews listening to his sermon that day.

Matthew 23:1-3 Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples, [2]Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat:[3]All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do: but do not ye after their works:for they say, and do not.

He informed them that they were to do ALL that the hypocritical scribes and Pharisees told them to do, not just tithes because they represented Moses. Remember the law of Moses was still in supremacy at this particular time. If you have to tithe because Christ said it ought to be done there, then you MUST do all the scribes and Pharisees have coded as laws for the Jews too.

See some of the message in that passage.Excerpts again below.
"The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat. The people were not to lose sight of this fact. They were not to be disrespected or disregarded. Moses'seat refers to the seat of authority, of the law. They were the legislators. All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do. The word "therefore" is the operative word in this phrase. If Jesus had said " All whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do", it will have a different meaning from saying " All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do". The THEREFORE is there for them to note that observing and doing is premised on Moses'seat. What they are bidding you to observe and do has to rest on the law. It was not just a blind command to do whatsoever the pharisees bid. Even Jesus Himself did not do whatsoever the pharisees bid. See for instance,
Luk 19:39 And some of the Pharisees from among the multitude said unto him, Master, rebuke thy disciples.
Jesus did not rebuke His disciples. In fact He told His disciples to beware of the pharisees.
Mat 16:6 Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.
Mat 16:12 Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.

It would be inconsistent and contradictory of Jesus to say that we(disciples and multitudes) should beware of the doctrine of the pharisees, and then say we should do all whatsoever they bid. We need to read with understanding, else we miss the meaning. Jesus' hearers understood Him, they didn't do all whatsoever the pharisees said.
Act 5:28 Saying, Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man's blood upon us.
Act 5:29 Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.
But they respected them, and regarded them as authority. They wrote about them and referred to them as elders.
This applies to us all today too. We are to respect and regard authority, whether in secular government or office or in the society. Traditional rulers, institutional heads, irrespective of their ignorance and sin. We honour them and obey them, and submit to them where applicable. But of course, we obey God rather than men where there is a contrast.
We should not forget or neglect the later part of the verse. It says "but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not." Don't do after their works BECAUSE they say and do not. There are those that have rule over us. We have church leaders and elders and pastors. We are to follow their life, imitate them(in some translations). We do not imitate blindly though, we CONSIDER their end/goal/outcome/direction, Jesus Christ being the same forever. If they are deviating from the Word, do not follow them."

Whoever has tried to stop your tithing is infringing on your fundamental human right. You even have the right to spend your cash on marijuana if it catches your fancy. I'll defend your inalienable right to indulge. However, why we can't keep quiet is because of wicked, callous, manipulative and insensitive messages on tithe preached by those who should know better. Since it's possible you've not heard or seen them before, some are reproduced below and i expect you to get angry with these mog too, infact get very righteously angry.

Oyakhilome






Adeboye



Pat Robertson


Creflo Dollar


I'm sure you'll agree with me that its wickedness that makes messages like this come out and it's totally unchristian.

i verily agree with this statement "Whoever has tried to stop your tithing is infringing on your fundamental human right." Most antitihers here have tried to stop me and other tithers from giving tithes. Manipulative questions and articles aimed at discouraging tithes is wickedness and unchristian. We should not keep quiet about abuses on every teaching and christian doctrine as much as we can. Some unhealthy fixation on tithes and gloating over preachers is not what God has called us to. Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. That is the message and mandate.

This is actually talking about the needy among the brethren and folks who have mentioned it on this thread have been accused of playing Judas. If you're now getting concerned about the poor, then that's a good thing. Hope you'll help others see the necessity of taking welfare of needy brethren close to their hearts?

Matthew 25:40 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

Giving to the poor equates to giving God almighty as Christ affirmed in that scripture. It means a needy brother can even collect your tithe if you must pay it after all Christ said he could be represented by them and we all, individually are priests and are called God's temple.

This is ridiculous, do you have needs? Are you the needy? i have always had the welfare of the brethren close to heart and help others see so when i can. The poor BTW is not necessarily the brethren, i have many poor people on the streets of Lagos that are not the church. i help them when i can and how i can, but i never for once confuse them as Christ or the Body of Christ. Give ALMS of such things as ye have. i give ALMS/handouts to the poor. i have come to understand the importance of church contributions in the forms of tithes and offerings and i agree with the local church's administration of these gifts. i found this scripture true in my local assembly and thus i give.
2Co 9:12 For the administration of this service not only supplieth the want of the saints, but is abundant also by many thanksgivings unto God;
And that is what i strive to explain, the basis why a christian can and should tithe and give other offerings. While i think that a real christian should tithe i am not of the opinion that you MUST tithe. It's not my business/headache what you think about that, but you all would do some honesty to not mischievously blur those lines in our discussions.
Matthew 25:40 says my brethren, ye have done it unto me. Giving to the brethren equates to giving God almighty as Christ affirmed in that scripture. Not some general poor, please do give to them i am not against that in any way. Nothing stops you from giving a tenth to the poor, another tenth to your individual brethren, another tenth to the Church/Assembly/Body/Congregation etc. There are 10 tenths in an 100 i suppose. Who has hindered you? It is evident from Matthew 25 that when you GIVE meat to the brethren, you are giving to Christ the Head. When you take in the brethren(even the least), clothe the brethren, visit the brethren, come to the brethren, you have done it to Christ who is the Head and Saviour of the Body. This is the point i laboured to show vooks, chillykelly86, Mark and co. All these are forms of GIVING, giving love, time, clothe, care etc. When you do something to the Body of Christ, it is as unto God. A parallel thought is implied in the Scriptures that say For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love, which ye have showed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister. He that receiveth whomsoever I send receiveth me; and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.

Blackmail alert! Blackmail alert!!

No christian is against giving in a gathering of believers. No christian is against meeting the legitimate needs of the church. No christian is interested in starving the body of Christ of necessary resources. The contention has always been against manipulating Christians to give or threatening them to give.

Just allow the children of God be led by this scripture below and you'll see all of us living happily ever after

2Corinthians 9:7 Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.

God bless you

Folks here are against me giving a tenth of my money in a gathering of believers. We should ALSO not manipulate christians to not give or threaten them about falling from grace and any other such rubbish like goading them to keep all the law if they give tithe. i know many christians like me, who have purposed in their hearts to give the tithe. And it is not grudgingly but cheerfully. Many folks dance rather too cheerfully (for my shamefaced disposition) to give their tithes. i however have no problem with them even though i might not be caught dead being THAT cheerful even. There are cheerful givers of the tithe. New testamental given can be PURPOSEFUL, NOT GRUDGINGLY and CHEERFUL as seen in the verse you quoted. Some other verses show also that it can be PLANNED, REGULAR, CONSISTENT, GRACIOUS and PROPORTIONAL. e.g
1Co 16:2 Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.
The tithe can meet all these criteria. So also do other offerings and conversely. God bless you too, though some of your antiprosperity friends would find that statement unnecessary as we are already blessed in Christ and etc. You display a more level-headed persona though, so again.
God bless you.

chillykelly86:


I believe both sir.

And that is why I am not damned when I am not as merciful as I ought or as faithful as I ought because Christ's Grace is sufficient for me.

So now,
1. Do you believe tithe is a "less important or lighter" "MATTER OF THE LAW" than judgment, mercy and faith?
(Other translations render "weightier as "more important" ) .

The crux of the message is, "Christians are not bound by the law". So, stop promulgating laws with attendant penalties that you do not have the power to promulgate. Even the law of Moses was not promulgated by individuals but they were given by the Lord for the people of Israel. Christ died to set men free from laws and you are here trying your best to burden free men with your laws of tithing which were never for those free men. So now, who is persecuting Christ? Christ is freeing, you are binding?

In your human understanding, without tithes the work of God will not move forward but I tell you that even in the days of John the Baptist, the gospel has been preached in deserts. Without your tithes that your coerce and blackmail people to give, God's work with still go on. Have you not heard that the Lord said He will build His Church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it? All He needs are ready men who have cleansed themselves of filth and been made ready for the Master's use.

If you believe both, that is excellent and that is my exact point. Judgment, mercy, and faith are WEIGHTIER "matters of the law", Christians are not bound by the law. This doesn't stop us as Christians from exercising or practicing weightier matters of the law like mercy and faith. It in the same way/vein/sense doesn't stop the tithe. You are not damned for not tithing, Christ's Grace is sufficient for me. i have ALWAYS believed tithe is a "less important or lighter" "MATTER OF THE LAW" than judgment, mercy and faith. you can confirm from others. The work of God will move forward and must move forward. It is however my understanding and experience that money is important in this life. Jesus talked about money and used money. Believers need money, do you need money? Jesus was a very spiritual man, you know. i understand that we should set our priorities and love and passion right, but it is foolhardy to imply that money is irrelevant. Ready men need ready money to go if they are going to go far. The Master hath need of your cash, make no mistakes. Sorry if that sounds brash, but that is the simple truth. It is not first, it is not priority, it is not even compulsory. i think it is necessary, in this life at least.

PastorKun:


You still haven't explained why based on this twisted logic christians should tithe of their income to our high priest who is Jesus. Unlike Melchizedek, the earthly life and teachings. Of Jesus was very well documented. And in his 33 years on earth, he neither gave, collected or even preach tithes to his followers. He taught us several things and lived an exemplary life which we are to follow yet your favourite tithes is conspicuously absent. You then dis honest enough to tell us to ignore Jesus example and follow melchizedek's one off example just because they are in a similar priestly order. How dis honest. Is there even any teaching in the bible that Melchizedek must collect tithes based on his priesthood

You can start from beginning of the OP and learn a thing or two. Moreso the OP stated tithes and offerings. If you give you offerings who do you give it to? God or man?

You sure have a proclivity to insensitivity. How many times have you used the blind metaphor on this thread? You are getting back at MarkMiwerds aint you?

A Christian is not at liberty to obey God's commands, they are BOUND. That's why you call Jesus LORD. That's why Paul called himself Bond Servant

Abraham gave yet nobody required of it. Pharisees gave because Moses commanded it. You sure can purpose to tithe, circumcise, offer animal offerings and anything else your imagination fancies. Holy Spirit calls those burdens. What you can't purpose to do is to OBEY a command. Because you are already bound to obey.

Next question?

Image123:


You said that prayer is a command. i know well that i am at liberty to obey that 'command'. Is that a contradiction? Correct it if i am wrong; i can pick the amount of time i want to pray, i can pick the time and the place to do it. i can pray without anyone asking me to. i can pray conditionally. Like, IF i wake up tomorrow i pray, IF i run into trouble unexpectedly i pray. What is not right here, the liberty, the command, or the assertion that it is a contradiction?
Abraham and the pharisee GAVE tithes, they externally determined the fraction.
Gen 14:20 And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he GAVE him tithes of all.
Luk 18:12 I fast twice in the week, I GIVE tithes of all that I possess.

i purpose in my heart to give tithes, even Daniel purposed in his heart so purpose is not a new thing. The Spirit of Christ guides me to give the tithe. i quoted a passage from Luke 11, you can go and and check that. you are yet to show me/us where this passage was debunked(whatever that means) in my eyes, or show where the passage said to do ALL the law. Selah on the passage you quoted, i'm not going to walk you like a blind man.

The same way Holy Spirit convicted you of your sins is the same way He moves men to support His work. Men and institutions which resort to Moses to exact money from their members are numb to the Spirit. They are infected with Pharisee-ism. They need external compulsion, they need incentives such as open heaven to give, they must be scared with hellfire and Devourer to give

Image123:


If you believe both, that is excellent and that is my exact point. Judgment, mercy, and faith are WEIGHTIER "matters of the law", Christians are not bound by the law. This doesn't stop us as Christians from exercising or practicing weightier matters of the law like mercy and faith. It in the same way/vein/sense doesn't stop the tithe. You are not damned for not tithing, Christ's Grace is sufficient for me. i have ALWAYS believed tithe is a "less important or lighter" "MATTER OF THE LAW" than judgment, mercy and faith. you can confirm from others. The work of God will move forward and must move forward. It is however my understanding and experience that money is important in this life. Jesus talked about money and used money. Believers need money, do you need money? Jesus was a very spiritual man, you know. i understand that we should set our priorities and love and passion right, but it is foolhardy to imply that money is irrelevant. Ready men need ready money to go if they are going to go far. The Master hath need of your cash, make no mistakes. Sorry if that sounds brash, but that is the simple truth. It is not first, it is not priority, it is not even compulsory. i think it is necessary, in this life at least.

@image123
Except you haven't read the Matthew 25 passage you quoted out of context, you would see from it that Jesus was referring to the hungry, sick, thirsty, imprisoned (in short less privilege and needy people) as his brethen and NOT his church members or his followers. It is wicked, evil and callous to twist this Jesus teaching of giving to the needy to mean giving to your church. Giving to the poor means giving to God/Jesus. Jesus made it clear in his owns words so regurgitating oyedepo's words who twisted it for the sake of his greed. I keep on saying it, you can't possibly be a christian and routinely twist the words of christ for the sake of your greed. It's just not possible.

PastorKun:
@image123
Except you haven't read the Matthew 25 passage you quoted out of context, you would see from it that Jesus was referring to the hungry, sick, thirsty, imprisoned (in short less privilege and needy people) as his brethen and NOT his church members or his followers. It is wicked, evil and callous to twist this Jesus teaching of giving to the needy to mean giving to your church. Giving to the poor means giving to God/Jesus. Jesus made it clear in his owns words so regurgitating oyedepo's words who twisted it for the sake of his greed. I keep on saying it, you can't possibly be a christian and routinely twist the words of christ for the sake of your greed. It's just not possible.

The church had not yet been formed. Read Romans 15:26.

Bidam:
The church had not yet been formed. Read Romans 15:26.

Jesus already had a lot of followers then and he definitely was not referring to his followers who can be likened to the church today. No matter how you and other charlatans try to spin it, Jesus was referring to the poor and needy in that scripture.

*editted

PastorKun:


Jesus already had a lot of followers then and he definitely referring to his followers who can be likened to the church today. No matter how you and other charlatans try to spin it, Jesus was referring to the poor and needy in that scripture.

If Jesus was referring to his followers who are Jews using your logic, are you a Jew? Yes, Jesus was referring to the poor and needy, does the church not have the poor and needy?
Romans 15:25."but now, I am going to Jerusalem serving the saints. 26 For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem. 27Yes, they were pleased to do so, and they are indebted to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in their spiritual things, they are indebted to minister to them also in material things.…

Galatians 6:9 Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. 10So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith.

Bidam:
If Jesus was referring to his followers who are Jews using your logic, are you a Jew? Yes, Jesus was referring to the poor and needy, does the church not have the poor and needy?
Romans 15:25."but now, I am going to Jerusalem serving the saints. 26 For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem. 27Yes, they were pleased to do so, and they are indebted to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in their spiritual things, they are indebted to minister to them also in material things.…

Galatians 6:9 Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. 10So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith.

Yes I agree that christian charity should start with the needy brethen in the church(not greedy over fed preachers) but it should also be extended to others outside the church and even to unbelievers.

OLAADEGBU:

The article I posted above will do justice to your questions.

Sir I like to ask a question according to the article you posted. The article says Melchizedek is Jesus Christ. Do you agree to that sir?

Image123:


If you believe both, that is excellent and that is my exact point. Judgment, mercy, and faith are WEIGHTIER "matters of the law", Christians are not bound by the law. This doesn't stop us as Christians from exercising or practicing weightier matters of the law like mercy and faith. It in the same way/vein/sense doesn't stop the tithe. You are not damned for not tithing, Christ's Grace is sufficient for me. i have ALWAYS believed tithe is a "less important or lighter" "MATTER OF THE LAW" than judgment, mercy and faith. you can confirm from others. The work of God will move forward and must move forward. It is however my understanding and experience that money is important in this life. Jesus talked about money and used money. Believers need money, do you need money? Jesus was a very spiritual man, you know. i understand that we should set our priorities and love and passion right, but it is foolhardy to imply that money is irrelevant. Ready men need ready money to go if they are going to go far. The Master hath need of your cash, make no mistakes. Sorry if that sounds brash, but that is the simple truth. It is not first, it is not priority, it is not even compulsory. i think it is necessary, in this life at least.

The Master hath need of me. I freely gave my life to the Master. Me and my all belong to the Master now(100%, not just 10%; The question I pose here is:- If 10% belongs to God, who does 90% belong to? "Me"? And as a Christian, who does "me" belong to? It doesn't add up, does it?). That should be the position of every Christian. And so, whatever needs to be expended in doing the Masters work should and would be expended, be it time, money, societal standing or even my life. I give them willingly, without compulsion because I understand what it means that "I am not my own, I was bought at a price". However, I would not compel a fellow believer who has not come to that understanding to do so. The best I can do is to teach him/her with Scriptures until he/she has learned it and has become convinced of it. - (2 Timothy 2:13(NIV)...continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of ...).
So, please don't get me wrong, Christians should be givers, generous givers for that matter, in the footsteps of God(who gave His only begotten Son) and Christ(who gave His life) but their giving should never be out of compulsion, coercion, manipulation, etc. So, I wouldn't make mockery of Christ and/or trample underfoot God's principles in the name of enforcing "giving" or "salvation" or any other thing. They should be out of the individual's freewill. That freewill is important because that is the justification for judgement. "Responsibility for one's actions, thoughts and words".

God bless you.

PastorKun:


Yes I agree that christian charity should start with the needy brethen in the church(not greedy over fed preachers) but it should also be extended to others outside the church and even to unbelievers.

So kindly go through image123 post with an unbiased mindset and understand how the moneys are being distributed administratively by the church thanks.

Bidam:
So kindly go through image123 post with an unbiased mindset and understand how the moneys are being distributed administratively by the church thanks.

Are you image123's lawyer

PastorKun:


Are you image123's lawyer

Nope, i understand his posts better than you.

Birds of a feather flock together

Payment or Non-payment of tithes would not affect a man's chances of making or not making heaven.

However, u can get to heaven having lived like Abraham( he was rich in all things) or like the begger Lazarus who made heaven but lived a miserable life on earth.

What determines this constrasting life styles is ur Tithes or the absence of it.

I choose to Tithe and God's Word in Mal.3:10 is being fulfiled in my life everyday.

The choice is yours.

khaylee:
Payment or Non-payment of tithes would not affect a man's chances of making or not making heaven.

However, u can get to heaven having lived like Abraham( he was rich in all things) or like the begger Lazarus who made heaven but lived a miserable life on earth.

What determines this constrasting life styles is ur Tithes or the absence of it.

I choose to Tithe and God's Word in Mal.3:10 is being fulfiled in my life everyday.

The choice is yours.

Your synopsis is flawed.

Abraham was already rich before he gave tithes to Melchizedek. There is no Scripture that says he got richer because of tithing to Melchizedek.
Also, Abraham did not tithe his own riches and assests. He tithed spoils of war that he had promised God he would not claim as his own property.

There are many people who have tithed for years who stay in poverty. My mother was a perfect example of that. Tithed for more than a half century. Lived a poor life, died poor. Money had to be borrowed to lay her body in the ground.

Malachi 3:10 is not being fulfilled for you. You may think it is, but in reality, it is not. The commanded tithes there are not tithes of money, they are tithes of agricultural produce as the Law required. You may think you are being faithful to Malachi 3:10, but you are not. If you were, you would be taking agricultural tithes to a Temple in Jerusalem. (That is, if you were a Levitic Priest) You may be blessed of God, but it is not because of the promise of Malachi 3:10. You are actually practicing contrary to Malachi 3:10. The commanded tithe was agricultural, and the commanded place to bring the tithe was a storehouse in Jerusalem... not money and a Church on Gentile soil.

Bidam:


You did. Jesus is the High priest after the "order of Melchizedek" just like we have high priest after the "Aaronic order" in the OT. To allude Melchizedek was a priest is dishonest and does not stand the authenticity of scripture. The priesthood is not dead, it lives forever.

God bless you.

Bidam:


Melchizedek is the order of priesthood that Jesus belongs just like we have the the order of Aaron (Heb 7:2). No man take the honour of being a High Priest except He is called by God just as Aaron was. So Christ did not take upon himself the glory of becoming a High priest like Melchizedek( Heb 5:5-6). So for you to categorically claim Melchizedek was a priest because you saw it only in Gen 14:18. is not only baffling but laughable and it contradicts your statement in blue.

Please tell him.

Image123:


My brother from the same Father, i yam HAILING ohhhhh. Nice week.

God bless you my fellow soldier in Christ. Keep on the good fight of faith.

FortresOfChrist:


Sir I like to ask a question according to the article you posted. The article says Melchizedek is Jesus Christ. Do you agree to that sir?

Yes. Here is another article that gives food for thought.

The Order of Melchizedek

"The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek." (Psalm 110:4)

The importance of this intriguing verse is indicated both by the fact that it is the central verse of a great Messianic Psalm (quoted at least 12 times in the New Testament) and also because this one verse constitutes one of the main themes of chapters 5-7 of Hebrews, where it is quoted no fewer than five times (Hebrews 5:6, 10; 6:20; 7:17, 21), and where Melchizedek himself is mentioned nine times.  It refers to the fascinating personage glimpsed briefly in Genesis 14:18-20.  Melchizedek (meaning "King of Righteousness" ) is said to have been "King of Salem" (or "Peace"), but there is no record, either in secular history or elsewhere in the Bible, that there ever was such a city or earthly king.  He was also called the "priest of the most high God" (Hebrews 7:1), and he suddenly appeared, then disappeared as suddenly as he had come.

Commentators mostly have assumed that Melchizedek was the chieftain of a small settlement of which we have no record, but this hardly does justice to the exalted descriptions of him in Scripture.  He was obviously greater than Abraham (Hebrews 7:4), as well as Aaron, the founder of the Levitical priesthood.  Furthermore, he was "without father, without mother, . . . having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually" (Hebrews 7:3).  Such language is hardly appropriate merely because no genealogy is recorded.

If one takes the Bible literally, such statements could be true only of God Himself, appearing briefly in the preincarnate state of the Second Person, as King of all peace and righteousness.  Now this same divine Person, "because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood.  Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him" (Hebrews 7:24-25). HMM

@Markmiwerds,
My parents have bin tithging for over 25yrs, they are not rich but God has fulfilled and is still fulfilling the promises in Mal 3:10 to them.

One of the promises He made in that chapter is that He will send the devourer far away from us, My tithging was on and off and believe you me my two kids were always down with one sickness or the other every month to the extent that one of the nurses in d hospital we use said to her one day " regular customer , you have come again"?

I knew where the problem was and four months ago I decided to be totally faithful. the only time we Hv bin to the hospital after that decision was when the younger of d kids used cotton buds to hurt her ear. so My broda its working for me .

Concerning the agriculture produce u talkd abt, u shld knw that was there main occupation back then.

I am sure u are one of those that claim the blesseings in Deut 28, y can't u say d blessings mentioned there are meant for farmers alone?

Like I said in my earlier post, its not a gaurantee of making heaven but it makes our life on earth a bit enjoyable.

Sorry for the long story culdnt make it shorter.

stay blessed.