Bob Neumann: The Traditions of Tithing (1/1999)
Dear Bill, each time I try to deal with this particular ''beast'' it just gets too involved. To explain why JESUS hated the RELIGIOUS SYSTEM of THE PHARASEES, and HIS ANGER at the SYSTEM now in place forces the issue for me.
HE said the ''traditions of man'' overrode the Commandments of GOD, and those that held these traditions were a bunch of hypocrites and workers of iniquity with whom HE has no fellowship, no relationship. So I have a choice right now. I can join the hypocrites and deny my LORD. Or dish it out and offend all of Christendom. Guess what church, you lost. Put on your lifejackets because the LORD, THE LORD MOST HIGH, wants you ''dead''. One way or another, your ship is not coming in. it sinks.
So I ask you exactly what HE asked me. "DO YOU KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN REALITY AND TRUTH?"
SELAH.
THE TRUTH
THE TORAH SET FORTH THE TITHES. YES THAT IS PLURAL. FOR THE PURPOSE OF FEEDING THE WIDOWS, ORPHANS, THE ONES ABANDONDED, AND THE TRIBE OF LEVI. The MISHCON.
THE TABERNACLE OF MEETING had been built and was a low maintenance TENT. No crystal cathedral, no set of walls with doctrines, just the place of HIS SHEKINAH. SO MAN PREFERS AFFLUENCE AND CONTROL OVER HIS GLORY. BAD CHOICE.
Deuteronomy 12:6-14 , 6 And thither ye shall bring your burnt offerings, and your sacrifices, and your tithes, and heave offerings of your hand, and your vows, and your freewill offerings, and the firstlings of your herds and of your flocks:
7 And there ye shall eat before the LORD your God, and ye shall rejoice in all that ye put your hand unto, ye and your households, wherein the LORD thy God hath blessed thee.
8 Ye shall not do after all the things that we do here this day, every man whatsoever is right in his own eyes.
9 For ye are not as yet come to the rest and to the inheritance, which the LORD your God giveth you.
10 But when ye go over Jordan, and dwell in the land which the LORD your God giveth you to inherit, and when he giveth you rest from all your enemies round about, so that ye dwell in safety;
11 Then there shall be a place which the LORD your God shall choose to cause his name to dwell there; thither shall ye bring all that I command you; your burnt offerings, and your sacrifices, your tithes, and the heave offering of your hand, and all your choice vows which ye vow unto the LORD:
12 And ye shall rejoice before the LORD your God, ye, and your sons, and your daughters, and your menservants, and your maidservants, and the Levite that is within your gates; forasmuch as he hath no part nor inheritance with you.
13 Take heed to thyself that thou offer not thy burnt offerings in every place that thou seest:
14 But in the place which the LORD shall choose in one of thy tribes, there thou shalt offer thy burnt offerings, and there thou shalt do all that I command thee.
Look at verse 12 again. 12 And ye shall rejoice before the LORD your God, ye, and your sons, and your daughters, and your menservants, and your maidservants,and the Levite that is within your gates; forasmuch as he hath no part nor inheritance with you.
Boy, what does this mean? That those in ministry are not to have part of ''the land'' like everyone else? That they would receive 'their daily bread' on an even level as the hired help? No wonder why RELIGION became a necessity for a hypocrite. Little incentive for wealth, power, esteem. That is GOD'S AGENDA. It is the pure TRUTH.
2 Chron. 31: 4 Moreover he commanded the people that dwelt in Jerusalem to give the portion of the priests and the Levites, that they might be encouraged in the law of the LORD.
So the LAW states that the tithe fed and housed the SERVANTS of GOD. Only we are told over and over exactly how GOD wanted things to be.
Num. 31: 47 Even of the children of Israel's half, Moses took one portion of fifty, both of man and of beast, and gave them unto the Levites, which kept the charge of the tabernacle of the LORD; as the LORD commanded Moses. That is THE LAW. OLD TESTAMENT. Fifths and tenths to care first for widows, then orphans, then strangers/aliens. And then the PROFESSIONAL CLERGY. As we would call them. But how often do the cries of ''we are not under LAW. We are ''under grace'' ring out? Fine when did GRACE BEGIN?
Acts 4:32-37 , 32 And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common.
33 And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all.
34 Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold,
35 And laid them down at the apostles' feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need.
36 And Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas, (which is, being interpreted, The son of consolation,) a Levite, and of the country of Cyprus,
37 Having land, sold it, and brought the money, and laid it at the apostles' feet. (KJV)
So if you want to ignore LAW and use GRACE. You do what JESUS asked of the rich young ruler. And simply give all to the LORD. Again simple TRUTH. Is HIS CHURCH of one heart? One soul? Having ''great power'' as we ''give the world a witness of THE LORD JESUS our CHRIST"? Then maybe we should not wonder why that ''great grace'' is missing. Nor should we be surprised that everywhere we turn THE CHURCH stands against being ''one'' in any way, shape, or form. Selah. Selah. Selah.
And now the REALITY
Today the "TITHE" is what pays for the expenses of what we call ''THE CHURCH''. As the old saying goes. "It's a good job if you can get it". And what is the PURPOSE of THE CHURCH. Think of all the answers that are flying around there. To reach the lost, to spread the gospel, to show the light of JESUS, to equip the saints to do the work of the ministry. Why go on. THE REALITY is the ''TITHE" is what keeps the local ministries in the game of raising money.
- How many churches spend 90% of the ''tithes and offerings'' for missions?
- How many churches use 40-50% of their cash flow to feed the widows and orphans?
- How many pastors work a 40-hour a week in the world and tend a flock in AMERICA today?
- How many called to the mission fields have to beg and plead for support year in and year out?
- How many food pantries, soup kitchens, rescue houses and shelters for the hurting are scrimping daily trying to reach out to as many as possible as THE AMERICAN MEGACHURCH pays millions of dollars a week for air-conditioning, sound systems, teleprompters, and air time.
And some dare to ask WHY THE MOST HOLY SPIRIT GRIEVES. WHY ABBA IS OFFENDED. AND WHY THE LAMB PREPARES TO DESTROY THE AFFLUENT AND USELESS APOSTATE CHURCH . . . BEHOLD THE TWO-EDGED SWORD OF THIS ABOMINATION.
THE FIRST IS THE EXTORTION OF MONEY FOR THE PURPOSE OF MAN'S PERSONAL KINGDOMS. MALFESCENCE OF THE MOST PROFOUND ORDER. THE SECOND IS THE WHOLESALE MERCHANDICING OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD TO LINE THE POCKETS OF BABYLON ON A SCALE UNIMAGINABLE TO EARLIER GENERATIONS.
THE FIRST TRUTH
Matthew 6:33 , 33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. (KJV)
Exodus 19:5-7 , 5 Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine:
6 And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.
7 And Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and laid before their faces all these words which the LORD commanded him. (KJV)
Exodus 20:1-7 , 1 And God spake all these words, saying, 2 I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. 3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me. 4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: 5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; 6 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments. 7 Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD ill not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. (KJV)
THE FIRST REALITY. By serving ministry and self, APOSTATE Christianity can provide for itself. Of course the way to do it all is to create RELIGIOUS TRADITION once again that would replace GOD and GOD'S commandments. Once the LIE is accepted in place of TRUTH we can point to REALITY for ''self-justification'' to feed off HIS FLOCK. No need to SERVE GOD. Because we now do right in our own eyes. And because we are right. All the means are justified to reach the end we envision. And woe to the sheep if they don't ante up fast enough, because we will brow beat them, cajole them, feed them all manor of lies and doctrines of demons to ''influence'' their REALITY. And that reality is ''my ministry''. ''My vision''. .''My anointing''. ''My calling''.
THE SECOND REALITY is if the first don't work we'll get it and make the sheep pay with interest, to BABYLON of course. But remember the ends justify the means doesn't it! So take out loans and build edifices to ''house the sheep'', and to impress all other hirelings. Now write a book, cut a CD, do tape series after tape series and sell it to hireling wannabes and sheep dumb enough to believe that serving man and serving GOD are one and the same. Wonder why the sheep quote Dr so and so. Rev what's his name, Pastor you know who and never LOGOS?
Wonder why THE CHURCH runs all over from show to show for healing, deliverance, prophetic WORDS, and ''signs and wonders'' in general? And never have relationship with THE FATHER?
THE TRUTH is simple.
Matthew 16:4 4 A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And he left them, and departed.
Matthew 7:21-28 , 21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. 24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: 25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. 26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: 27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it. 28 And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine: (KJV)
So let me show you a future reality JESUS has HIS own doctrine and it is not really a doctrine as we ''know'' it. Call it "HOUSE RULES''. Maybe just a little something man forget in his hurry to build his own ''little kingdoms''.
Deuteronomy 30:19-20 , 19 I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: 20 That thou mayest love the LORD thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them. (KJV)
Matthew 25:31-46 , 31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: 32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: 33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. 34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: 36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. 37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? 38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? 39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? 40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, In as much as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. 41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: 42 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: 43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. 44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? 45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. 46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal. (KJV)
That is REALITY. And it is TRUTH.
So choose you this day. To be an unfruitful work of darkness, IN JESUS NAME.
Of course, got to have someone shouting "LORD! LORD!'' thinking they played the game by their own rules in anticipation of great blessings. Never knowing the curse they were under in the midst of their 'prosperity'. And you wonder why your ''seed'' is cursed? Why the LAND is cursed? Why you pray and never get exactly what you were asking for? Why America has become a lawless, violent, perverse state where LAW is cast down and lies rule?
Maybe asking, or should I say demanding, GOD to bless what HIS WORD declares to be ABOMINATION in HIS EYES, and a stench before HIM might just be your problem. To be 'cursed' and calling it 'blessing'
Selah
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