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 | Blogs > mustardNpearls > Shoes of Peace > Please tell me why.................... |
Please tell me why....................
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Every church attended.... That church expects you to be baptised again and sign yet another membership card. I dont have a problem going to 'a church'... I go to gatherings, and if the sermon is of interest to me, I will go. and I love the pretty artwork of stained glass.. haha But, like here, people fly down like vultures.... encasing others to.. save souls own souls the flock............ actually flocks together, but it dont feel like nice birds when they are in that 'mode' it feels like mean birds LOL I thought we were all SHEEP? The pastor who is bound and determined to save me.... (I am talking to a pastor via emails) .. is about ready to kick me out of his synagague.. just because I ask questions instead of taking him for his word  Is that fair to me? WHY is it so important to sign up for membership? What does it even mean? Why cant I be like an angel..... Just 'fly' around.. Its all such a far cry from what Jesus taught way back then... uniSON, uniVERSE.............................. ONE ACCORD
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 9/12/2009 5:59 pm |
MAN,MAN,MAN,MAN. Man screws up everything, but God makes everything perfect.
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9/12/2009 6:22 pm |
Watch who you sign up with...might be signing away your soul. But you know that already. I thought that little paper they give when baptized goes from church to church. To Him be the glory.
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9/12/2009 6:44 pm |
M&P...you are worse than a 4 year old kid...with all the questions...*S* how about asking one I can answer...like is eternity divided by infinity equal to one....??? Somehow I've learned how to listen to the sound of the sun going down. ~ R. Crowell
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 9/12/2009 8:45 pm |
"WHY is it so important to sign up for membership? " $$$ Could it be ... the money? $$$ ... for love covers a multitude of sins. 1 Pet. 4:8 NLT
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9/12/2009 9:06 pm |
Well sort of like no one can buy or sell unless they put a mark on their forehead.
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9/13/2009 5:00 am |
MAN,MAN,MAN,MAN. Man screws up everything, but God makes everything perfect. but its the wrath part... he moved the sun backwards in time to give one man 15 years.. why cant he fast foreward it and bypass the wrath and SAVE US FROM OURSELVES lol all the way back to Adam and Eve............. 
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9/13/2009 5:11 am |
Watch who you sign up with...might be signing away your soul. But you know that already. I thought that little paper they give when baptized goes from church to church. well, let em have it back then haha (I like that clause, thank u very much haha).... well now i am understanding a bit more about churches... coz my baptisms was more like the eunich that phillip baptised haha. So again, man wants me to prove I was baptised LOL *signs, signs, everywhere signs, breakin up the scenery, breakin my mind, do this, dont do that, cantcha read the signsssssssss* lol
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9/13/2009 5:14 am |
M&P...you are worse than a 4 year old kid...with all the questions...*S* how about asking one I can answer...like is eternity divided by infinity equal to one....??? and btw................ is it equal to one?   what does it even mean? hahahha
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9/13/2009 5:55 am |
"WHY is it so important to sign up for membership? " $$$ Could it be ... the money? $$$ WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. ok Tom! Thank u.. I queried up 'tithes' in the bible.. using KJV... God speaks of tithes, every 3 years and to give it to the Levis, strangers, fatherless and widows that they might be fed... And somewhere else, I cant find it... something about holding up an offering to be BLESSED and then EAT it yourself... seems to me it was talking about a tenth part, but I am not sure, but what do we do with the other 90% if it was a tenth part? lol I will try to find it again, maybe I am just confused here.
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9/13/2009 8:14 am |
*ya gotta have a membership card to get inside, so I got me a pen and a paper and I made up my own lil sign, I said thank you Lord for thinkin bout me, Im alive and doing fine* WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. ok Tom! Thank u.. I queried up 'tithes' in the bible.. using KJV... God speaks of tithes, every 3 years and to give it to the Levis, strangers, fatherless and widows that they might be fed... And somewhere else, I cant find it... something about holding up an offering to be BLESSED and then EAT it yourself... seems to me it was talking about a tenth part, but I am not sure, but what do we do with the other 90% if it was a tenth part? lol I will try to find it again, maybe I am just confused here. 1. What was tithed ? We find the answer to the first question in Lev. 27:30-32 " And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the tree,is the LORD'S. It is holy to the LORD. If a man wants at all to redeem any of his tithe, he shall add one-fifth to it. And concerning thetithe of herd or flock,of whatever passes under the rod, the tenth one shall be holy to the LORD" NKJV It is clear from the above text that the tithe consisted of food. All of the food grown from the seeds planted in the ground; or food which came from the herds and flocks raised by the Israelites. What's so hard about that ? Well, even though its clear from the text; that the tithe was food, some would have us believe,that since Christians don't have farms; that we are to substitute money for food. But can we do that ? Can we take that kind of liberty with God's Word ? Keeping with the historical context thetithe must remain food More so, if Christ didn't change the law ( Matt. 5:1), what gives us the right to ? If Lev. 27:30-32 doesn't make it clear enough Duet. 14:22,23 should. " You shall truly tithe all theincrease of your grain that the field produces year to year. And youshall eatbefore the LORD your God, in the place where He chooses to make His name abide, the tithe of your grainand yournew wine and your oil, of the firstborn of your herbs and flocks,that you may learn to fear the LORD your God Always." NKJV If thats not food ! What is ? This gets better. Have you ever heard a preacher say, the reason the Jews tithed food was because they didn't have money, like we do today. In the same chapter (14) we find something interesting. The LORD commanded Israel, that if the place He chooses to place His name; was too far for them; to carry their tithes. That they could exchange ( sell ) the tithe for money; then carry the money, to that place he had chosen, and buy back the tithe; when they arrived there, and enjoy it before the LORD. " But if the journey is too long for you, so that you are not able to carry the tithe, or if the place where the LORD your God chooses to put His name is too far from you, when the Lord your God has blessed you, then you shall exchange it for money, take themoneyin your hand, and go to the place which the LORD your God chooses. And you shallspend that moneyfor whatever your heart desires; for oxen or sheep, for wine or similar drinkfor whatever your heart desires; you shalleatthere before the LORD your God, and you shall rejoice, you and your household." NKJV This is the only time which money is ever mentioned in relation to the tithe. The money which they had at that time; wasn't minted as we have today but they definitely had money. 2. Who received the tithe ? We find the answer to the second question in Lev. 18:21-24 Since the Levites did not get an inheritance of land, and because they were responsible for maintaining the tabernacle. The Jews were commanded to support them with a tithe. " Behold, I have given the children of Levi all the tithes in Israel as an inheritance in return for the work which they perform, the work of the tabernacle of meeting ..... For the tithes of the children of Israel, which they offer up as a heave offering to the LORD, I have given to the Levites as an inheritance, therefore I have said to them, ' Among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance.' " NKJV If you read on; you'll find that even the Levites were required to tithe, a tithe of the tithe; the best of the tithe ( the best of all of them ) and give it to the priest ( v.28 ). so, its clear the tithe was received by the Levites, in support the Levites as well as the priest. In the Christian church we have no need to support any type of Levitical priesthood, there is no tabernacle and no storehouse. Christ has received a ministry that is superior to that of the Levites; because he is the mediator of a superior covenant(Heb.8:6). Whats puzzling, is why some have turned to a system that didn't work for Israel expecting to be blessed. Anyone who understands the concept of covenant; should know not to rely on a covenant that brings a curse rather than a blessing. " You are cursed with a curse, for you have robbed Me, Even the whole nation. Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house." Mal. 3:9-10a Looking at this verse in its historical context, we see that the curse was applicable to the nation of Israel, and there is no storehouse to take the tithe to ( the local church is not the storehouse). However, in the New Testament we see a curse of a different kind (much more severe), a warning to those who attempt to keep any part of the law(Gal. 3:10). If you try to keep any part of the law; you must keep it all( some 613 commandments). 3. What was the tithe used for ? There were three tithes. The Levitical, the celebration, and the welfare tithe. There should be no question as to the primary use of the tithe. However, there was also a special 3rd year tithe, which included the less fortunate (Duet.26:12,13). This special tithe was the only one that didn't have to be taken to the sanctuary. Instead it was stored within the individual cities, and used to feed those with special needs. 4. Where did the tithe have to taken ? In order to determine the place where the tithe had to be taken; all we need to do is follow the various locations, starting with the tabernacle ( at Sinai ); to the building of the temple. The tabernacle was erected in several temporary locations, Kadesh, Gilgal, Possibly Shechem, Shiloh and Gibeon. Gibeon became the place of sacrificial worship until the time of Solomon. After the erection of the temple in Jerusalem; the temple superseded the tent of meeting( tabernacle ); as the place of worship, to offer sacrifices, and bring the tithe. Years before the building of the temple; the LORD gave strict instructions to the Israelites to be sure to take their offerings to this new place He would choose to put His name ( Duet. 12:5,6 ). " But you shall seek the place where the LORD your God chooses, out of all your tribes, to put His name for His dwelling place; and there you shall go. There you shall take your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, the heave offerings of your hand, your vowed offerings, your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks." NKJV In verses 8- 12 they are warned not to do whatever seemed right in their own eyes. The LORD then repeats His commands ( v.13 ) ...... " Take heed to yourselves that you do not offer your burnt offerings in every place that you see; but in the place which the LORD chooses, in one of your tribes, there you shall offer your burnt offerings, and there you shall do all that I command you." Now, if the Lord warned Israel not to do what seemed right in their own eyes, and if He established the only place where offerings ( which included the tithe ); could be taken. What makes Christians today think they can change the location, to any place that seems right to them ( anywhere other than Jerusalem ) ? So, is it legalistic to teach tithing ? We have examined several places which clearly describe the tithe as part of the law. Jesus Himself taught, that tithing is part of the law ( Matt. 23:23 ); ( which was put in a negative context ) and the writer of the book of Hebrews also relates the tithe to the law. " And indeed those who are of the sons of Levi, who received the priesthood, have a commandment to receive tithes from the peopleaccording to the law, that is from their brethren, though they have come from the loins of Abraham." Heb. 7:5 Just as a side note. Many will say that tithing is not legalistic because Abraham tithed to Melchizedek ( before the law was given ). For the sake of shortening this BLOG, I'm going to briefly show; that its not wise to appeal to Abraham in support of the tithe. The problem with that is found in Gen. 17:9-11. " And God said to Abraham: " As for you, you shall keep My covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their generations. This is My covenant which you shall keep, between Me and you and your descendants after you: Every male child among you shall be circumcised and you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between Me and you." NKJV In verse 13; God declares this covenant to be an everlasting covenant. So, was Abraham circumcised before the law was given at Mt. Sinai or after ? It was before. What is the Torah ? The Torah comprises the first five books of the Bible, and all five books are refereed to as the law. Any one who wants to appeal to Abraham for teaching Christians; we're suppose to tithe, must also ( to be consistent ) teach Christian males to be circumcised. How can you, on one hand teach Christians; they should be tithing, and on the other hand neglect to teach circumcision ? See what happens when you attempt to keep only certain parts of the law. You become guilty of preaching a different gospel ( mixing law and grace ), and come under an ecclesiastical curse. Gal. 1:6-9 How then are Christians suppose to support the church, and those who serve in the church ? Clearly not by tithing. Paul gives us great insight; into the manner in which those who serve in ministry are to be supported ( 1 Cor. 9:11-13 ), and their right to receive such support ( 1 Cor. 9:14 ). Yet, Paul refused such material support ( v. 15 ) for himself; because he felt so compelled to preach the gospel, voluntarily ( free of charge ) not using 9 or abusing 0 his rights for preaching ( vv. 15-18 ). That's having a real passion for preaching the gospel, a willingness to preach the good news of Christ ; without expecting to receive a salary from it. Today, there aren't many churches where you'll find pastors; who don't expect to receive a salary for preaching. Some are paid astronomical yearly salaries ( 100,000.00 to over 1,000,000,000.00 ) Where's the passion in that ? At one time I attended a church that didn't take up a collection ( by passing a plate ) at all. Instead they had two cedar boxes near the entrance of the church. Members simply dropped their offerings into those two boxes, ( without putting their names on envelopes ), and they collected ( in a 3 year period ) enough money to run the affairs of the church for ten years ! And all that was done without teaching the members they had to tithe. What's stopping other churches from doing the same ? " So let each man give as he purposes in his own heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver." 2 Cor. 9: 7 ... for love covers a multitude of sins. 1 Pet. 4:8 NLT
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9/13/2009 8:58 am |
well--I have a diff viewpoint totally then Y'all lol--For most churches it;s not about Money---seems interesting the minute we get ticked over something in chruch we imed say --oh they just want our Money lol---I 100% believe in tithing where you are fed--the storehouse is where your fed--dosent have to be the local church if you donthave one--I give alms to the poor and needy--have for many yrs--and That includes Food Banks and Overseas missions!! The lord owns everything I have so I have no trouble releasing it to him--whether it be the church I;m attending or the needy I;m feeding!! When I give--I give to HIM--and it;s not about membership or anything else--I igve because I beleive it;s biblical--and it is all his anyway!!! Our relationship withhim isnt about church membership--it;s all about the heart!! Now Ilove church--and being apart of a family who weekly prays for me==phones me when I need encouragement etc--that;s what the church should be for--not forcing you to sign a paper saying you will tithe or you will be htere every Sunday or whatever lol----just my thoughts--DeeDee
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9/13/2009 9:04 am |
P/S to my last comment--I also beleive in the box at the back of the church--you simply put your money in--no names etc---a large church in Seattle did it and as the above post said--this churcha lso thrived financially--never ever had a major need brought before the congregation--because the People--who werent pressured--had aheart to give!! I also ministered in Albania were pigs were brought to the church as a tithe--so in 3rd world nations they do bring fruits and veggies and yes Pigs when that;s a 10th of what they have--pretty interesting huh????
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9/13/2009 9:42 am |
What is the diff between a tithe and an alm?
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9/13/2009 12:11 pm |
Well The way I see it is this--Alms is Giving to the Poor and needy--above and beyond the tithe--and you do it unto the lord--I odnt let people know who I give my Alms offering to--whether it be the poor man on the sreet or the Food bank --I simply ask the lord where he wants my alms offering to go to!! Some May argue it;s above the tithe--and that will always be debatable--but the first 10% goes into the Storehosue--then alms and offerings!! I was ina church where the titihe went to the Pastor--levite--offerings were for the church expenses--and alms is personal between you and the lord where it should go!! Now it was avery tiny church so the Pastors Income wasnt much lol---I;mnot sure in huge huge churches if that shoudl be so--because then the Pastors income would be hundreds of thousands and I dont agree with that!! Many Pasotrs dont like the --I;m hired phrase--because they beleive it;s a ministry--not hired like a secular Job!! I think if the Pastor and Board sit down and mutually agree to the salary according tot he size of the church--the repsonsiblities you will have as Pastor --that is the way to do it!! My Pastor backhome made 40,000a yr--congregation of 250--soit was very comparable I think--if you have a church of 6000--then obviously you have more repsonsiblities and the Salary would be higher!!
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