By Patricia Backora

When I started this article it was Halloween. Trick or Treat time. Preachers go Trick or Treating every single week. They collect sweet green candy from church people while saying Gods gonna TRICK you if you dont stick some in the ushers velvet goodie bag. And remember, size matters. Pay your tithe or judgment will fall from heaven when pigeons poop on your Porsche and ruin the paint job. No wonder your cat coughed up a hairball, you didnt cough up the preachers cash! Preachers preach newness of life and liberty in Christ Jesus. Some even teach the truth (up to a point). Theyll tell saints to sing and shout because Christians are not under the Law (Rom.6:14,15; 8:2; Gal.5:18). Theyll even admit that Jesus took the Old Mosaic Law to the Cross with Him (Col.2:14; Eph.2:15). EXCEPT FOR TITHING!

Lest anyone argue that tithing was not part of the Old Law but was an eternal principle which predated the Law (principle means LAW by the way), in Matt.23:23, Jesus includes the tithing of garden herbs in the points of the law. According to Jesus, even if you DID have to tithe, God would be far more interested in the herbs growing on your window sill than the lettuce in your wallet. But you just try taking the preacher some home-grown parsley and watch the expression on his face! It wouldnt help finance his trip to Hawaii and the other treats he expects as perks of his job. Pharisee Preachers Distort the Law for Profit Self-righteous Pharisees kept the tithing ordinance meticulously even as they neglected mercy, justice and faithfulness in their religion. In Matt.23:23 Jesus did NOT mention money in the list of things JEWS UNDER THE LAW owed as tithes. He knew the Law was clear on exactly WHO owed tithes and precisely WHAT they consisted of. Only livestock, agricultural produce, and EDIBLE greenery OF THE LAND OF ISRAEL could be collected as tithes (Lev.27:30-34), such as the mint leaves Jesus cited as being tithable under Mosaic Law. Jesus was speaking to an observant Jew. Are YOU a Jew too? More specifically, are you a Jew who owns a farm or ranch, or grows tomatoes out in your yard? Do you live IN THE LAND OF ISRAEL (Lev.27:30,34)? Note especially verse 34. Moses commanded tithing and all other ordinances of the Law FOR THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL, not the children of the Hottentots, the Chinese, the Eskimos, or the Apache Indians. Psalms 147:20 states that people of other nations were not taught Gods ways (at least until Paul taught Christianity to the Gentiles). Even if youre a Jew in Israel who raises agricultural produce, are any Levites appointed today to take tithes from the people, and in turn, present ten per cent (the best tenth) to the Temple High Priest and his family (Lev.10:13-15; Num.18:26-28)? And even if some Jewish rabbis DO reinterpret the Law to allow for a type of tithing in Israel in the absence of a Temple and Levitical priesthood, non-Jews have no business taking up tithes of any kind on behalf of the God of the Bible. If Gentile preachers do collect tithes in Gods Name theyre in flagrant violation of His written law which states that only MALE DESCENDANTS OF LEVI can do this (Heb.7:5; Num.18:21,26). Any imposter who played Levite in Moses day was to be put to death (Num.1:51;3:10;18:22). Now if God wouldnt let just any ordinary Israelite dress up as a Levite and collect tithes, how much less would He want some Gentile to do what He used to choose only a few Jews

to do! No wonder the modern church isnt the same powerhouse the early church was. God cant bless places where His ancient ordinances are mangled into a muddy mess in order to keep money rolling in! Why dont preachers give equal time to Mosaic WAVE OFFERINGS and have farmers bring in a sheaf of wheat to wave in front of the pulpit? Ive heard of so-called wave offerings happening in prosperity churches but guess whats waved? YOUR RENT MONEY THAT THE LANDLORD AINT GONNA GET ON MONDAY CAUSE ON SUNDAY YOU BOUGHT THE PREACHERS SONG AND DANCE ACT AND CONSECRATED IT TO GOD, contrary to Mark 12:17 where Jesus commands you to pay Caesar his due. Preachers transform the wave offering into an emotionally charged crap shoot where the worshipper dedicates money he cant afford to give and hopes that God will reward him with a hundred-fold return. In Mark 7:9-13 Jesus warns about taking money meant for the support of needy family members and consecrating it to god, or Greedy Old Dogs (Isa.56:11). By pressuring Christians to donate money they need to support their family, preachers cause them to break I Tim.5:8 and become deniers of the faith and infidels! Preachers who KNOW theyre doing this figure that even if their lies lead you to hell, theyll be up in heaven enjoying their second helping of Pie in the Sky (and dont forget the ice cream on top)! Preachers also lust after THEIR version of the FIRSTFRUITS offering. Instead of bringing a pile of veggies in a basket like the REAL Jewish ordinance commanded, Christians are told God has changed His diet and wants THE FRUIT OF YOUR WORK instead of the Fruit OF HIS EARTH (Deut.26:2). The following passage gives a few instructions for making a Firstfruits offering. It also mentions the Third-year Tithe for the Poor (yes, there were several types of tithe, but KEEP IT SIMPLE STUPID, because most folks dont have time to study all the dry details of Old Testament Law, so they dont know all those nitpicky little tithing regulations anyway. Teach ALL the scriptural rules and regulations on Old Testament Tithing and youd only have to spiritualize those away too)! So leave the dirty truth of your deceit hidden under your religious rug. Just keep screaming about the GROSS ten per cent figure and Christians will dig deep just to get you to shut up, to save their eardrums from bursting. Besides, all the underhanded tricks youve pulled to get into peoples purses have worked for many, many years. If it aint broke dont fix it. The more complicated the lie, the more scriptures you must twist to justify it, and the more people will catch onto your con game and FLEE!

Deut.26:1: And it shall be, when thou art come in unto the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance, and possessest it, and dwellest therein; 2 That thou shalt take of the first of all the fruit of the earth, which thou shalt bring of thy land that the LORD thy God giveth thee, and shalt put it in a basket, and shalt go unto the place which the LORD thy God shall choose to place his name there. 3 And thou shalt go unto the priest that shall be in those days, and say unto him, I profess this day unto the LORD thy God, that I am come unto the country which the LORD sware unto our fathers for to give us. 4 And the priest shall take the basket out of thine hand, and set it down before the altar of the LORD thy God. In verses 5-9 the giver of Firstfruits does something BEFORE handing his basket of produce to the priest. He recites a ritual account of his forefathers enslavement in Egypt, God leading them out of that bondage, and His leading them into the Land of milk and honey. Has any modern preacher EVER asked his audience to recite these words giving God glory for leading them out of Egypt and giving them a land full of milk and honey? Why not? Because this particular ritual (and the Firstfruits and special third-year tithes FOR THE POOR this passage deals with) pertain to a specific NATION, not all the people of the entire earth! Only biological descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob can glorify God for delivering their ancestors out of Egyptian bondage and leading them to the Land promised to these Biblical patriarchs. Another major difference between Old Testament Jews and us: Their Law commanded them to utter ritually prescribed blessings and prayers, as well as ritual historical accounts like the one above. Under the New Covenant, no apostle EVER teaches Christians to pray prescripted prayers. We pray from the spirit; we dont recite ritual words. If the shoe doesnt fit, dont wear ANY of it! Instead of milk and honey, Christians are bilked out of their kids milk money. Continuing with verse 10: 10 And now, behold, I have brought the firstfruits of the land, which thou, O LORD, hast given me. And thou shalt set it before the LORD thy God, and worship before the LORD thy God: 11 And thou shalt rejoice in every good thing which the LORD thy God

hath given unto thee, and unto thine house, thou, and the Levite, and the stranger that is among you. 12 When thou hast made an end of tithing all the tithes of thine increase the third year, which is the year of tithing, and hast given it unto the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, that they may eat within thy gates, and be filled****Notice, it was Gods will for poor people to eat till they were FULL! Some preachers eat till theyre fat but neglect the REAL goal of tithing, which was to GIVE to the poor, not take from them! Jesus fed the crowds till they were full (Matt.14:20;15:37; Mark 6:42,8:8; John 6:26). Not one mention of Him asking for tithes. Christ didnt even pass ice cream buckets around to help defray the costs of the crusade. Just for fun lets rephrase the above verses to reflect whats actually DONE with modern Firstfruits and Tithes: Deut.26:1: And it shall be, when thou art come in unto the church house which the church board giveth the preacher for a tithe warehouse, and everybody pileth into it, and dozeth therein; 2 That thou shalt take of the fattest of all the fruit of the Federal Mint, which thou shalt bring of thy workplace that somebody else owns, and shalt put it thy wallet, and shalt go unto the place where you see a big flashing billboard with the preachers name written thereupon. 3 And thou shalt go unto the preacher that shall be in those days, and say unto him, I profess this day unto the membership committee that I am a citizen of the country which the government allows us to live in. 10 And now, behold, I have brought the firstfruits of the Federal Mint, which my boss at Burger King hath paid me. And thou shalt set it before the preachers podium, and worship some vague Force of Faith: 11 And thou shalt cry about every good thing the lord of the pulpit is robbing you of, thine house, thou, and the poor Levi-wearing college student, and the strange-looking wino sitting next to you. 12 When thou hast made an end of tithing all the tithes of thine GROSS income the third year, just like every year from now till you drop dead from working triple shifts, because EVERY year is the year of tithing, and the preacher hath taken it from the poor Levi-wearing college student, the strangely dressed hippie in dreadlocks, the fatherless, and the widow, that they may do without their dinner and stay hungry

Spiritual Levites? Preachers, desperate to justify tithing, call themselves spiritual Levites. Run that by me again? Well, did you know that most Levites were not priests, just servants of the head honcho Levites who comprised the priesthood? Sure, the Levites took tithes from the people but they themselves had to present THE BEST ten per cent of what they collected to their bosses the priests (Num.18:26-32). This tithe of the tithe was called the Heave Offering (Heb. terumah). It consisted of EDIBLE items like grain and wine. Only priests and their families were permitted to eat it. While todays spiritual Levite pastors have the ultimate authority in spending the tithe, back then only the highest-ranking Levites were supposed to get the best. What kind of spiritual Levites do preachers mean when they distinguish themselves from common Christians by using this title? (BTW, its just like when TV preachers call themselves Dr. so-andso, even if they havent even attended one year of college, and its just a make-believe degree. Calling themselves Dr. sets them up a peg or two above you so youll offer them UNQUESTIONING submission and obedience and just give them what they want without whining about it). But guess what? SOME LEVITES WERENT EVEN PERMITTED BY GOD TO APPROACH HIS HOLY PRESENCE OR COME ANYWHERE NEAR ANY OF HIS HOLY THINGS! Ezek.44:10: And the Levites that are gone away far from me, when Israel went astray, which went astray away from me after their idols; they shall even bear their iniquity. 11 Yet they shall be ministers in my sanctuary, having charge at the gates of the house, and ministering to the house: they shall slay the burnt offering and the sacrifice for the people, and they shall stand before them to minister unto them. 12 Because they ministered unto them before their idols, and caused the house of Israel to fall into iniquity; therefore have I lifted up mine hand against them, saith the Lord GOD, and they shall bear their iniquity. 13 AND THEY SHALL NOT COME NEAR UNTO ME, TO DO THE OFFICE OF A PRIEST UNTO ME, NOR TO COME NEAR TO ANY OF MY HOLY THINGS, IN THE MOST HOLY PLACE: but they shall bear their shame, and their abominations which they have committed. Another reason the notion of spiritual Levites is so ridiculous is this: There were TWELVE tribes in the House of Israel, thirteen if you divide

Joseph up into Ephraim and Manasseh and count the Levites as a tribe. Thats a bakers dozen. To be consistent, if you spiritualize one tribe youve gotta spiritualize them all! When will all those conveniently ignored spiritual Danites, Gadites, Benjamites and Reubenites come out of the closet and claim THEIR share of the pie?, How does a Christian determine which spiritual tribe of Israel he belongs to? Whos got a handy genealogy chart to prove it? How about doing a DNA test to PROVE youre descended from these guys? And the key question: If membership into a tribe of Israel can be spiritualized, then why are tithes kept literal (and payable)? How do preachers figure theyre making the corn, wheat, wine and oil of the OT tithe more spiritual by transforming it into literal filthy lucre, the lust for which drowns a soul in perdition (I Tim.6:9)? SCARI-see preachers who pervert the Word of God to bring their people back under Law are leading the blind obedient sheeple down to hell (Matt.23:15)! Man, that SCARES me! So much for the ambiguous term spiritual Levite. Did you know youre a New Covenant priest if youre a believer in Christ (I Pet.2:5,9)? The Old Covenant priesthood did NOT pay tithes to anyone, so it is a SIN for preachers to compel you to do this today! For all the hollering preachers do about your robbing god (themselves) if you dont tithe, THEYRE the ones robbing God of the glory of His New Covenant priesthood by busting Christian pewsters down to peons who have to pay tribute to the President of the pulpit! Jews are well-known for their money-making expertise. But JEWS IN GENTILE LANDS DONT COLLECT MONEY TITHES, or any other type of tithe. According to Pastor Craig Lyons of Bet Emet Ministries, Rabbinic law still requires the tithing of produce OF THE LAND OF ISRAEL. Some observant Jews will tithe produce they have bought from other Jews. Theyll say a ritual Jewish blessing over it, and then destroy the terumah (theres no high priest in Israel today to feed it to). Since tithes are no longer allocated to priests and Levites (there arent any officiating today since the Temple hasnt yet been rebuilt), theyre sent to various zoos in Israel. So next time Brother Fat Cat brings out the claws and threatens you with hellfire and damnation for refusing to tithe, tell him youve already fed your peanuts to the elephants at the zoo, and youre sorry he missed out!

Who is that spiritual Levite in the pulpit accountable to, to pay his own terumah tithe (tenth of the tenth) to the self-appointed priest of Crapshoot Cathedral? Have you ever seen a preacher gobbling up the nicest-looking twenty-dollar bill? When confronted with conclusive, irrefutable BIBLICAL evidence that monetary tithing is NOT sound doctrine, preachers pull rank on pew Christians and warn them God will zap them if they dont shut up and submit and pay up anyway. Preachers expect you to just take their word for it that THE LORD placed them in authority over you, so you have to be their slaves and render THEM blind obedience. Preachers are great manipulators. They learn how to modulate their voice and use the right buzzwords to play you like a fiddle. Theyll play the submission card over and over again to make you feel guilty so they can get squeeze your wallet like a tube of toothpaste. The Law Was Our Enemy Read Col. 2:14 and Eph.2:15. The whole body of Mosaic commandments was our ENEMY. Why do I say this? In Eph.2:15 Paul says Jesus abolished the ENMITY, which he defines as the collection of Mosaic ordinances contained in the Law, which worked against us to condemn us before God. Colossians 2:14 says Jesus nailed these

ordinances to the Cross, and that means ALL those old Jewish ordinances, not just the ones preachers cant make money out of. The Law didnt minister life. It ministered death. In 2 Cor.3:7-8 Paul compares the Law, the MINISTRATION OF DEATH, with the ministration of the Spirit which is glorious. In verse 9 Paul also calls the Law the MINISTRATION OF CONDEMNATION. The Law serves only to CONDEMN people as being hopeless, hell-bound sinners. No one can be justified by keeping the Law or any part of it, including tithing (Gal.2:16). The whole body of Old Mosaic Law has been nailed to the Cross of Christ. Paul likens it to a husband a woman is bound to for as long as he lives. Rom.7:1: Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth? 2 For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband. 3 So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man. 4 Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God. Paul makes it clear that the Law is dead to us and we are dead to the law. The logical implication is we must be free from ALL of it. One of ancient Romes most sadistic punishments was to chain a decaying corpse to the back of a criminal and force him to carry it around till the day he died. The foul odor and the rot of that corpse would seep into the criminals own body and cause so much infection that it ended up killing him. Thats exactly what preachers are doing to the Body of Christ as they chain all or part of the Old Law onto people Jesus suffered and died to redeem FROM the Law (Rom.7:2;8:2). THEYRE INFECTING GODS PEOPLE WITH DEATH AND THE CURSE OF THE LAW! Bible-twisting, money-hungry, legalistic preachers are spiritual graverobbers who dig up the decaying corpse of the Old Law. Theyll take off an arm, tithing, and bind it on the back of Christians to carry

around with them till the day they die. Such preachers are spiritual ghouls who come between Christ and the His bride the church with their rotten flesh doctrines of men. Viewing Donations (and Preachers) the Wrong Way Sometimes offerings can be a spiritual stumbling-block, not just tithing. Christians tend to deeply spiritualize the giving of church offerings (scripture DOES teach freewill offerings, given when they are necessary, though not as a religious ritual). Could it be that God may be a little bit annoyed that people bring offerings thinking they serve as peace offerings to butter Him up and make Him more likely to answer prayers? Some Christians even think modern money offerings are just as critical to salvation as Old Testament animal sacrifices were to OT Jews, and without them God doesnt want us to approach His Presence. Some greedy televangelists teach youre not supposed to enter Gods Holy Presence without an offering, though they never mention the minor point that were one spirit with Christ Himself (I Cor.6:17), and we are IN Christ (2 Cor.5:17). So were ALREADY in the Lords Presence, and we dont have to pay some preacher admission to get there! So why do so many Christians think they need to tip God and buy their way into His Holy Presence? This is a violation of the Book of Hebrews which teaches that only the precious Blood of Christ brings us into the Holiest of ALL (Heb.9:8; 10:19). If the REAL truth be told, money buys your way into the PREACHERS presence, and some Christians subconsciously equate god with the preacher because the preacher teaches that when you bring your offering, hes the one who gets it, but youre REALLY giving it to god! I use a little g because unscrupulous preachers view themselves as little gods to do with you as they please! Some preachers are almost as egotistical as King Herod, who accepted the peoples worship and didnt correct them when they cried out, It is a god and not a man! (Acts 12:21-23). Contrast Herods haughty attitude with that of Peter who refused to let Cornelius put him on a pedestal (Acts 10:26). Christians may be only VAGUELY aware that they view monetary offerings (and unscriptural tithes) as paying the Lord for His favors. But the Christian life is based on what we BELIEVE IN OUR HEART (Acts 8:37). All other belief systems on earth emphasize what MAN can do HIMSELF to reconcile Himself with his Maker. But true Christianity is about THE WAY in which were made acceptable enough

to God to enter into His Holy Presence. If some perverse deep-seated belief about filthy lucre offerings making you acceptable to a Holy God has been drilled into you by money-hungry preachers, theyve come between you and Christ. Theyre are causing you to fall from where you used to stand THROUGH FAITH IN CHRIST ALONE (Rom.11:20; Gal.3:11; 5:4)! Theyve sold you down the river for a corruptible bag of silver, just like Judas did Jesus! A chill ran through me when I realized how deeply preachers deceive Christians about the spiritual significance of monetary offerings. Even while preachers insist that OT animal sacrifices were a type of promissory note offered up for the sins of OT saints while they looked forward to the Cross of Christ, Christians have been misled to view money as the modern-day equivalent of the animal sacrifices brought by the ancient Israelites. Preachers preach with a forked tongue. Whenever preachers teach Old Testament passages which deal with bringing sacrifices and offerings to God, theyll apply it to peoples lives by plugging in the word money wherever God instructs the Jews to bring in ANIMAL sacrifices. Apparently God would rather have bucks than belief in His one and ONLY Sacrifice for sin, Christ Jesus. Do you think God is pleased when deceived Christians equate MONEY with the sacrifices brought by the Israelites, which sacrifices were fulfilled in Christ alone when He shed His precious blood on Calvary? Preachers hang you on a guilt trip cross about making sacrifices to show everybody you love Jesus, the same One Who NEVER asked His fishermen disciples to tithe on their smelly fish or anything else! Some preachers still insist you cant get into heaven without sacrificing part of your paycheck to God (Where would the REAL God spend it anyway, K-Mart?). Preachers dont believe God when He says He doesnt even want sacrifice (Heb.10:5). Heb.10:12: But this man, after he had offered ONE sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; Various forms of the word sacrifice appear 29 times in the apostolic teaching epistles. In every context but one this word has NOTHING to do with money. Sacrificing to idols is prohibited, and other passages speak of SPIRITUAL sacrifices or the sacrifice of Christ Himself. The ONLY context in which Paul calls monetary giving a sacrifice is Philippians 4:15-19, where poor Macedonian Christians gave out of their need to FEED Paul when he was in prison. Paul did not tell these people to give or theyd go to hell. They gave out of love, and it WAS

a sacrifice for them because they gave what they needed to sustain their own lives. Paul did NOT pressure poor people to give so he could add to his art collection. Paul did NOT make preacher greed a spiritual principle. He did NOT teach people to sow into his sinistry to get richer. He did NOT ordain any offertory service to fleece the flock on an ongoing basis. Preachers quote OT verses about bringing an offering to enter Gods Presence, although the fullness of God ALREADY dwells in us by faith (Eph.3:19), and we are brought into the Holiest Place through the precious blood of Jesus (Heb.10:19). Believers living under the Old Covenant did not have this blessing and could only approach God through the Levitical priesthood. And since the precious blood of Jesus hadnt yet been shed for their sins, they had to bring animal sacrifices to receive atonement for their sins. Money was only presented to God three (3) times a year, and ONLY by MALE worshippers (Ex.23:17; Deut.16:16-17). These MEN were to give as they were able, and nothing was said about it amounting to ten per cent of their GROSS salaries! By the time of Christ, the ancient regulations of Moses had been modernized to fit the agenda of the legalistic Pharisees and that could help explain why some poor widow threw her bread money in the Temple treasury (Luke 21:1-4). Clearly, this NON-MALE gave far more than she was able because she wouldnt be able to stop by the bakery on her way home for a scrap of bread to eat to stave off starvation a little longer. Notice, in verse 5 how people comment on the lovely gifts and exquisite adornments which beautify the Temple. But instead of Jesus agreeing that its a good idea to do without the basics in order to lavish money on Temple upkeep, in verse 6 He only warns that the Temple is doomed to utter destruction. Preachers say Jesus was proud of the poor widow sacrificing her food money to the Temple. But Jesus never said it was Gods will for her to do that. He only commented that she made a bigger sacrifice than all the rich men who gave out of their extra fat. If, in the same context, Christ pronounced DOOM upon the Temple, why would He approve of poor people donating the last of their bread money to it? Preachers who solicit offerings of any kind out of poor widows to finance the house of god are following the Pharisees who obeyed manmade traditions instead of the Word of God. Apart from the fact the BODY OF THE BELIEVER (I Cor.6:19), not some brick and mortar building of MAN (Acts 7:48), is the house of God.

God would give a simple commandment and the Pharisees would expound on it, or actually EXPAND it, to make it much more challenging to keep. For example, unless God warned Israel to fast ON SPECIAL OCCASIONS to humble themselves in repentance, or in response to a threat to national security, He only required fasting to be done on the annual Day of Atonement. But the Pharisees improved on Gods orders by saying God would be more pleased if people starved themselves twice a week to prove their love for Him. They did the same with tithing, where God required ONLY the tithing of agricultural produce by those who actually owned the land. Today, peons who do NOT own the place they work (or its output) are forced to tithe on money they need to feed themselves and their families. The self-righteous Pharisee in Luke 18:12 tithed on EVERYTHING he owned, down to his golf balls and Elvis collection. Tithing Twisted Beyond Recognition Todays tithing law is a big MESS! Moses would turn over in his grave if he saw how todays preachers have butchered it. Just a few examples: 1. Poor widows and other disadvantaged people were supposed to help EAT the tithe, not pay it (Deut.14:29). Today, food is taken FROM the poor through the tithe instead of tithe money being used to feed the poor. 2. Only landowners who raised crops or livestock were responsible for paying the tithe. When you write a letter to somebody, you normally make it clear at the very beginning who youre addressing it to, which the Book of Malachi also does. The very first verse of this book states that it is Malachis message to the nation of ISRAEL, not to the mostly non-Jewish church, who are the Body of Christ, and members of His own Body, and one spirit with Christ Himself (Mal.1:1; I Cor.12:27; I Cor.6:17)! Although some preachers worm out of this minor revelation by claiming that the Curse of Malachisk; still applies to Christians because were spiritual Israel. So why isnt tithing spiritualized as well? Because the BMW dealer wont accept spiritual dollars! Notice in Mal.3:5 and 6, just a couple verses before you get to the Dreaded Tithing Passage: Mal.3:6 And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and AGAINST THOSE THAT OPPRESS THE HIRELING IN

HIS WAGES, THE WIDOW, AND THE FATHERLESS, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me, saith the LORD of hosts. 6 For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore YE SONS OF JACOB are not consumed. Could God have made it any clearer who he was fixin to warn in verses 8-10? God was chewing out somebody who was oppressing hirelings (wage earners), widows and fatherless children. If the Dreaded Tithing Passage applies to poor people defrauding God of tithes and risking His judgment, it begs a question: WHY WOULD GOD ACCUSE THE HIRELING OF OPPRESSING THE HIRELING? Obviously whoever was defrauding the poor in verse 6 was also robbing God of tithes in verse 8. It just doesnt make sense to accuse the poor and fatherless of defrauding themselves! Those in charge of the tithed food storehouses were defrauding needy people of their right to be fed. This is so important it bears repeating! Hired workers (hirelings) were included in the POOR category who were oppressed by the same ones God addressed the book of Malachi to. God was NOT rebuking the hireling for oppressing the hireling, so He could not have been rebuking the hireling for failure to tithe, unless He changed the addressee of this message in mid-stream without telling anybody. Most preachers wont admit it, but THE REBUKES IN THE BOOK OF MALACHI, INCLUDING THE PREACHERS LUCRATIVE CURSE OF MALACHI IN CHAPTER 3, WERE SPECIFICALLY AIMED AT THE LEVITICAL PRIESTHOOD (sons of Levi, see Mal.3:3; Mal.1:6; 2:1). Are you a descendant of Levi? Then this curse is NOT for you, no matter how hard the preacher beats you over the head with it and tries to attach the rotten, nasty fear of it to your soul! 3. Some of the tithes were CONSUMED BY THE WORSHIPPERS in a big meal of thanksgiving at the three annual Feasts of Israel (Deut.14:26). It was a time of great rejoicing. God even suggested people consume alcoholic beverages when they ate before Him. Preachers NEVER teach on Deut.14:26, and if they did, they would say Jews drank wine and beer at their feasts, but that parts done away. But for some reason the tithe spoken of in this passage is NOT done away with, only modernized into money. Preachers not only hang onto the tithe, they defeat its whole purpose by turning it into a misery tax instead of food for a joyful celebration. 4. Preachers never bother to suspend tithing every seventh year when no crops were to be taken from the land (during which no tithe could

be paid from it (Ex.23:11; Lev.25:4). This was a seventh year of REST for the landahem! WORKPLACE which was the SOURCE of the tithe. The land was to be allowed to lie fallow, probably so it could replenish its nutrients instead of being worked to death like so many Christians are today. But instead of allowing people to REST from sowing and reaping in their alleged harvest field (workplace) every seventh year, preachers force believers to keep on sowing a seed into the church coffers so theyll allegedly reap a harvest ofwhat else? MONEY! If, as preachers claim, todays workplace is the equivalent of the oldfashioned dirt farm where ancient Israelites collected their tithes, then why in Sam Hill dont preachers pound the pulpit and scream about how a good Christian sower-and-reaper needs to take the whole year off work every seventh year like the Bible teaches?

Big Brother Barker Chews Out a Non-tither

Big Brother Barker glared like a bear as he leaned over the pulpit one sunny Sunday morning. After blistering the ears of the congregation about THEIR personal responsibility to work hard so they could be selfsufficient and pay tithes, he made an announcement: Yall, Ive heard rumors about one church member in particular who not only refuses to tithe, hes been spotted at the food bank and at the park pickin wild blackberries. Last week Brother Grouse caught him fishin on Tuesday afternoon instead of workin. Another day somebody saw him climbin in a dumpster to get his dinner. Not only that, I heard from reliable sources that this man has been unemployed since the end of last year. Is that so, Brother Redwood? Now you either leave right now or come up here and explain yourself. Redwood, a bearded drifter in faded denim, squeezed through the crowd, looking unabashed. Christians coughed. Redwood wasnt dressed for success like the pastor and his inner circle. How dare that no-good hippie bum show his face in the house of the lord, after the way hed failed to support it with tithes and offerings! Redwood bounded onto the stage and shook the pastors hand, hardened from years of yelling and pounding the podium.

Brother Barker cleared his throat and squinted at him through his tinted glasses. Lord bless you, brother. At least you didnt run off. Relax. Were all friends here. Just speak into the mike. Take all the time you need. Now, Redwood, why do you live the way you do? Well, thats what the Bible teaches. How do you figure that? Because you said yourself, pastor, that our job is our harvest field. Isnt that so? Yeah, but whats that got to do with your lazy lifestyle? Pastor, youre always teaching on how our workplace is the source of our tithe. Yeah, thats right, but what are you drivin at, son? good. This better be

Redwood opened his well-thumbed Bible. Well, pastor, my Bible says in Leviticus 25, starting with verse 3: You shall sow your fields, prune your vineyards, and gather your crops for six years. But the seventh year is to be a year of complete rest for the land, a year dedicated to the Lord. Do not sow your fields or prune your vineyards. Do not even harvest the corn that grows by itself without being sown, and do not gather the grapes from your unpruned vines. It is a year of complete REST for the land. Pastor, in case youre wondering how I figured this is the seventh year, somebody told me this church has been going for six years and its going into its seventh, and ever since it started youve been making folks tithe. So this is the year I dont have to sow or reap in my harvest field. That means no job and no tithing. Besides, verses 6 and 7 teach that both people and wild animals are supposed to just live off the land during that time. Thats why I go to food banks and pick wild blackberries. Thats why I fish. Thats why I dig in dumpsters to get enough to eat. The pastor reddened. His massive jowls shook in disapproval. But the apostle Paul teaches if you dont work you aint even supposed to eat!

True, Pastor, Paul did say that, but Jesus also taught that the same God Who feeds the birds of the air will also feed me. Birds neither sow nor reap and the Father takes care of them. Aw, come off it! Pastor Barker scolded. That passage you quoted about the land getting a rest is Old Testament Law. Them days are dead and gone. These days Christian farmers have to work the land every year and you know it! Well, pastor, said Redwood with a wry grin, tithing is Old Testament Law too. Jesus called tithing part of the Law in Matthew 23:23. So if you insist on enforcing tithing, youd better do it Gods way and give me a whole year off from my so-called harvest fieldand from tithing! Unless you want to turn me into a lawbreaker. Youre way out of order! Silence! Pastor Barker barked. Redwood waved his hands. No no, pastor, you said I could have as long as I wanted. He turned to face the crowd. Didnt he, saints? Redwood got several shouts of support. Then the mother of all church splits erupted. Squabbling broke out on the right hand and on the left. The poorer Christians argued with the richer ones who said the pastor was in the right and Redwood ought to shut up and submit. Those who resented the burden tithing put on them wondered why they couldnt take a whole year off work and just live off the land, free as a bird. Why did modern life have to be so complicated they couldnt take a break every seven years from sowing, reaping and tithing? Before Pastor Barker could stop him, Redwood hollered into the microphone: Just read Deuteronomy 14:26, everybody. Why cant I spend my tithe money on beer or whatever I like to eat? Why dont you ever hear preachers preach on that scripture? And why doesnt this church donate all the tithe to poor people like Deuteronomy 14:28 and 29 commands? Why doesnt Pastor Barker bark about that? Redwood felt both his arms seized by two upset ushers in black suits. As they hustled him toward the exit he yelled, Pastor Barker wont let the saints enter into the rest Jesus promised us! He wont do what the tithing law was for and feed the poor! Thats the reason I gotta dig in dumpsters! ******

Preachers Rob Tithers Spiritually, Not Just Financially We who believe have entered into Jesus rest (Heb.4:10). But modern tithe-collecting preachers would far rather have Christians live in anxiety and turmoil worrying about how to pay some unscriptural lifelong tithing bill and still eat. Regardless of the fact the true tithe would have fed them, not robbed them of their bread money. Preachers who force Christians to keep their warped tithing laws arent obeying Jesus or even the REAL Law of Moses stated in the Jewish Torah (first five books of the Bible). NOWHERE does God give anybody permission to give His Biblical laws a facelift to make them more lucrative for money-hungry preachers! Greedy preachers dont give a hoot if their listeners go to hell for falling back under the Law and making a dogs dinner of keeping the tithing ordinance. Keep a law wrong and God counts it as breaking it (James 2:10). But it wouldnt fatten the preachers bank account to let you in on that little secret. And if preachers value the tithe more than the truth, it wouldnt be in their interest to warn you that if you go back under the Law you fall from grace and youre no longer under the protection of the Blood of Christ because youve placed your faith in something else to get a right standing with God (Gal.5:4; Heb.10:29). That means if you louse up your law-keeping by doing it the wrong way, and you think tithing, not the precious Blood of Christ, will get you into heaven, youre no longer in the faith (see 2 Cor.13:5; 2 Cor.1:24; Rom.11:20), so youre exposed to the red-hot wrath of God. Man, thats scary! Preachers couldnt care less if putting you back under the Law brings billions of curses down on your head. Just read Deuteronomy 28:1568 to get some idea of what those curses entail. Not to mention the misery that waits on the other side of eternity! Emotional distress, financial setbacks, lengthy separation from loved ones, getting trapped in bad situations, failure, sickness, humiliation, gnawing fears, unanswered prayers, bad luck of all kinds. Nothing good ever comes from turning Christianity into a crap game where you sow a seed and throw money at God to try to shake blessings out of Him. Preachers yak about faith and some dont care what you put your faith IN. God DOES respond to faith, but only if its in Him. He cannot bless Christian religion which makes money the object of faith instead of Christ. Abel offered up a sacrificial lamb like God told him to. But Cain offered up a pile of greenery (Gen.4:2-5). God accepted Abels gift but rejected Cains. The Lamb of God will get you to heaven, not lettuce.

Preachers insist that non-tithing is THE sin that will send you to hell. But now, just like in Cain and Abels day, you cant approach God with the wrong peace offering. Preachers still insist that you must give god (themselves) MONEY to test and perfect your faith because faith without works is dead. Heb.10:14 For by ONE offering he (God) hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.* * * * God aint talking about that one-time hundred-dollar prove God offering you just mailed off to Preacherland, California! God is talking about the ONCE AND FOR ALL offering of the blood and body of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ (Heb.10:10) ! A wrong view of monetary offerings, and misplaced faith in RITUALISTIC giving (nowhere taught in the epistles) could help explain why satan has had a wide open door to oppress the people of God. Committed Christians have been tormented with doubts about their own salvation, have experienced financial setbacks instead of blessings after seed-faith giving, have wondered why theyve lost the first joy of their salvation. Why? Because preachers have pulled the wool over these blindly trusting sheeps eyes. Theyve turned GODS FREE GIFT (Rom.5:15,16,18) into a seedy business transaction. Or, rather, a TRANSFUSION whereby Count Dracula preachers bleed Christians dry till the day they die! Get Rid of the GuiltGET OUT! If church feels like a big social club where everybody owes dues to pay for the props, the lighting, the choir director, the church mortgage, salary staff, utilities, and landscaping (these things ARE pricey), and you dont have the money to pay your fair share, GET OUT and go somewhere cheaper! Go where it feels like a family knit together in the love of Jesus! If for no other reason, just to get rid of gnawing guilt feelings that youre getting a free ride while richer folks are paying your way. If you cant afford to dine on filet mignon at the Ritz, go to Burger King. If possible, hold informal prayer meetings or Bible studies in living rooms like the early Christians did, AS THE LORD LEADS. Or sit at some sheltered picnic table in some park. If you find yourself the leader of the group because the others dont know as much, then dont ever teach tithing or other false religious traditions which have driven countless Christians out of the institutional churches.

If any giving needs to be done to meet LEGITIMATE expenses, ask for no more than necessary, and NEVER blame or shame people who barely have enough money for food and cant contribute. Giving should NEVER be turned into a regular religious ritual where giving is done just for the sake of giving. If God is in the work, Hell make ends meet. HELL GIVE PROVISION FOR THE VISION. All giving should be done discreetly and in secret, not in full view of your nosy neighbor who wants to size you up by the size of your donation (Matt.6:3). The true church, the Body of Christ, is the family of God (Gal.6:10). God does NOT tax His own children (Matt.17:25-26). When you gather around with your natural family and one of them has a need, do you make a religious ritual out of sharing something to help that needy family member out? And just because you have a family get-together, does it mean you automatically have to sing three songs and reach for your wallet? Think about it. ****** My web sites: http://banpreachergreed.tripod.com http://boogerbucks.tripod.com http://kingdomage.tripod.com

Read my free book on tithing and fasting: http://www.scribd.com/doc/4617708/Fasting-Tithing-BlessingBringers-or-Burdens My free book of prophetic words from the Lord: http://www.christianityoasis.com/puritypublications/5022/BeholdISeek MyOwn.htm My anti-tithing videos: Tithe-atron is Coming to Church http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQ6-nxfu7yM The Apostles Did Not Teach Fasting and Tithing http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-p4shu6va24 God Rebukes Fat Cat Preachers

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97d8iklWGAQ The Preacher and Poor Widow http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kxtCXr8gpk Buy a Bud With Your Tithe http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oyjreV5OqJE Big Bucks and the Boogerman http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RfKgYvuEu5I Tithe or You'll Fry in Hell http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KUu7g8fvWI Fleecing the Flock http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKUlbi2TmDc Jesus Loves You if You Tithe http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=baxW6aHpJT8