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If burnt offerings and tithe
were easy laws to comply with, Christ would have died for
nothing
-Samuel Joshua.
If any earthly institution or custom conflicts with God's
will, it is your Christian duty to oppose it … challenge
unjust mores, to champion unpopular causes, and to buck the
status quo
-Martin Luther King, Jr.
Curses and Blessings: Even before the death of Christ,
curses and blessings associated with non-conformity and
conformity with the twin law of burnt offerings and tithe
were exclusively for the Jews who were under the Law of
Moses, not Christians (the redeemed). Examine these
quotations, “… How do we rob you? In tithes and offerings”
(Malachi 3:8) the offering mentioned here was animal
offering for sacrifice, see Malachi 1:8 “when you bring
blind animals for sacrifice, is that not wrong? When you
sacrifice crippled or diseased animals, is that not wrong?
…” As a result of this contemptible sacrifice by the
levitical priests, the curses follow those who offer
blemished animals. Malachi 1:14, “cursed is the cheat who
has an acceptable male in his flock and vows to give it, but
then sacrifices a blemished animal to the Lord …” I will
like to add another curse pronounced by the law. You are
under a curse, the whole nation of you because you are
robbing me” (Malachi 3:9), which nation robbed God in burnt
offering and tithe? Malachi 4:4 says 'Remember the law of my
servant Moses, the decrees and laws I gave him at Horeb
(Sinai) for all Israel'.
Is a Christian under the curse of the law? No! Because the
scriptures state in Galatia 3: 13 14, “Christ redeemed us
from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it
is written: “cursed is everyone who hang on a tree”. He
redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham
might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by
faith we might receive the promise of the spirit”. Since
Christians are not under the curse of the law, what about
its blessings as written in Malachi 3:10-12. “Bring the
whole tithe into the storehouse … test me in this …see if I
will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so
much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. I
will prevent pests from devouring your crops … then all
nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a
delightful land, says the Lord Almighty”.
Look around Christians who claim to pay tithe correctly and
see if their store house are filled and have no space for
more? By this I mean whether they are no longer in need,
that is to say, the window of heaven is yet to open for
them, yes! Sometimes, they will be begging Christians who do
not pay tithe but give generously. Do you forget the fact
that rich men do not pay correct tithes? It is only the poor
who pay and continue to wallow in legal dungeon of poverty.
A Medical Doctor of Qua Iboe Church denomination, who is
very wealthy, told me that he would never pay tithe, but
believe in generous giving which God uses to bless him
abundantly. I wish to ask you this question; do you not find
many wealthy persons, as well as the poor in churches that
oppose tithing? A brother from a church that preaches
materialism told me that his church insists that he must pay
tithe as a leader to show an example to others; when he lost
his job for a long time and wondered where they expect him
to derive the tithe from, but I taunted with rhetoric, 'but
you are still a winner', for the winner I know fly a private
jet while you are cruising with a Japanese Junk who is
fooling who?
Devourer: Shine your eyes around you and see that the so
called tithers are experiencing the same pestilence,
turbulent business, disaster, poverty and hunger sometimes
more than non-tithers. Hear me Christians who are under the
law A sister's poultry farm was closed down when the whole
birds contacted bird-flu; another sister, a tither prospered
when she stopped tithing, but her car had a serious accident
when she resumed tithing, some pastors returning from annual
convention ran into armed bandits, who attacked them and
killed one, injured others and stole the car; a pastor's
driver had an accident and killed person; a pastor was given
a new car by the church but had a serious accident a month
later; kidnappers held a tither's kid hostage and was
released after collecting a ransom being paid from church
funds; Tsunami, earthquake, hurricane, flood, economic
recession, lost job, poverty and hunger affects Christian
tithers as well as we who live by the Grace of our Lord
Jesus Christ, but not under the works of the law.
Who Is Under Curses? I wonder why some church leaders who
vehemently deny being under the law as regards to decent
dressing; persons not wearing dresses of opposite sex,
Sabbath, burnt offering, sin offering, divorce, producing
children for your late brother, killing witches, stubborn
children, false prophets and adulterers, not eating fish
without fin and scale, pork meat, fat and other repugnant
laws and its judgment; invoke curses from Malachi chapter 3
verse 9 on ignorant and or innocent Christians, why? Because
money is involved -Pharisees, whom Jesus condemned for
serving two masters -money and God. Yes! They love money and
selves rather than God. Read the Bible, 'All who rely on
observing the law are under a curse, for it is written,
“Curse is everyone who does not continue to do everything
written in the book of the law”. You cannot observe tithing
without observing all other laws. So, a Christian who pays
tithe is under a curse! Why the legalist could not change
“we are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face
to keep the Israelites from gazing at it while the radiance
was fading away. But their minds were made dull, for to this
day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read….
'Even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil covers their
hearts. But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the Veil is
taken away…” (2 Corinthians 3:13-18)
Why Jesus Didn't Collect Tithe and Burnt Offering: let us
discover why our Lord did not collect tithe and animal for
sacrifice, having been made a high priest in order of
Melchizedek. Hebrews 7 verse 5 states: “Now the Law requires
the descendants of Levi who become priests to collect a
tenth from the people; that is, their brothers -even though
their brothers are descended from Abraham'. Two facts are
revealed here. That, tithe was a law and that only Levitical
priest collected it. What is more! 'If perfection could have
been attained through the Levitical priesthood. (For on the
basis of it the law was given to the people), why was there
still need for another priest to come in the order of
Melchizedek, not in the order of Aaron? For when there is a
change of the priesthood, there must be a change in law. He
of whom these things are said belong to a different tribe;
and no one from that tribe has ever served at the altar. For
it is clear that our Lord descendent from JUDAH, and in
regard to that tribe, Moses said nothing about priest…. The
former regulation is set aside because it was useless for
the law made nothing perfect…” (Hebrews7:11-21 NIV).
In Mathew 23:23, Jesus talked about tithe to the Pharisees
and teachers of Law under a curse (woe). The same way that
Jesus told the leper '….but go, show yourself to the priest
and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your
cleansing' (Mark 1:44). The said sacrifice included lambs:
male and female' (Leviticus 14:32).
Did the Early Church Collect Tithe? The answer is simply,
No! None of Jesus Apostles ever collected tithe or animal
sacrifice because they were operating in the likeness or
similitude of Jesus Christ who fulfilled old testament
priesthood by sacrificing himself (Heb.9:26,28;10:12
1Jn.2:1). All believed are called a kingdom or priests
(1Pet.2:5, 9; Rev.1:6; 5:10). Acts of Apostle says that some
priests became believers. If all Christians are priests, who
pays tithe to who? But it is evident that the Apostles and
other Church leaders receive offering (gift) as a source of
assistance from the church just as Christ did. (Acts
4:34-36; 1 Corinth. 9:14; 1Tim.5:17; Gal.6:6; Phil.
4:17-19.). Please read commentary on tithe and offering in
the Topical study Bible, New Living Translation. Page 139
“…..The New Testament does not command Christians to tithe,
but it is clear that we ought to be generous in our giving.
God promises to bless those who give generously”. I had a
telephone discussion with Roman Catholic Priest, when I put
to him that tithing was abolished in Italy in 1887 and that
neither Jesus nor the early Church collected or paid tithe.
The honest man of God accepted; if he belonged to some new
generation Churches he would have wanted a way of
circumventing matters. The issue is that Christians should
offer cash and kind and abstain from tithing so as to be
free from the law because those who live in it are under a
curse. Who is this Levitical Priest that keeps on collecting
tithe? Enough is enough! Be a Christian and stop tithing
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