NCHillbilly...
Does this look familiar to you? Probably spent more Sundays in this little (Rockwood Methodist) church than in all others combined...
Grandpa mowed the lawn there for years when I was little.
Still a Methodist at heart. I believe you will get to where you need to be according to the 'method' in which you live your life.
This is what I believe. First God owns everything. Everything I have God has allowed me to have. I give my tithes to church I go to. The money is not given to the church. The money 10 per cent is given to God. Besides my tithe I also support many of the ministries our church has. We have a young lady who is a missionary for instance that my wife and I support. The money is given to God but picked up by man. If it is not used right God will take care of that. I do not worry about the giving God will take care of it. I believe that by not tithing you are missing out on many blessings from God. Just think if most people were debt free how much more money could be used for Gods word. My wife and I are debt free and all the money would have to spend on house payment, car payments, CREDIT CARDS and other material things we can now freely use to support different ministries. Just my thought. Besides I have a home waiting for me in heaven.
Steve
Where is the tithe found in the New Testament?
Maybe I'm crazy, but I just happen to believe we will give an account of EVERY penny that passes through our hands.
Was it used to help others or further the kingdom, or was it used selfishly?
Can't put a price tag on The Catholic Church.
And.. It's the most charitable organization the world has ever known.
Keep in mind, USA goober*ment was not in the charity business until
the 20th century.
Most all the artifacts and ECW's writings can not be bought. The basis for most "forms" of Christianity.
After all, It IS the church, founded by Christ Himself.
Footnote:
I'm not rich or poor. Liquid, not a lot, paper, assets that can go liquid fast, Im good.
What I put in the plate
is what I can do. Sometimes it's a lot, sometimes
it's only a few bucks.
I don't follow the 10% deal. Sometimes more, sometimes less.
AND I'm a hard right CONSERVATIVE, I worked for every dime except when my parents helped me out as a kid.
Co-signing loans, helping me build my credit at the age of 15. I'm pushing 54 now as of November.
So, any church that can't stand on it's own don't need subsidies from me.
I get the impression you have a very narrow view of The Church. Do you not feel that it consist of believers in Christ worldwide?
In both instances members volunteered their time and resources leaving very little to be financed allowing us to keep all our financial resources going out to missions.
Via translation in the interlinear scripture, by fulfill the literal meaning is they are complete, they have been satisfied. By His sacrifice we are no longer bound to live by those laws but ARE to respect them as to what their purpose was for.one verse keeps popping up in my mind....
"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them."
Matt 5:17
you might want to tie 16 and 18 with it for context.
Via translation in the interlinear scripture, by fulfill the literal meaning is they are complete, they have been satisfied. By His sacrifice we are no longer bound to live by those laws but ARE to respect them as to what their purpose was for.
This,
I'm curious....does this volunteering of time & resources count towards one's 10% gross? Or is that above and beyond?
It's not, the New Covenant doesn't have a levitical priesthood to support and feed.
I believe the church consist of many that "say" they believe in Christ, that would like to "believe" they believe in Christ, but are grossly incapable of making the sacrifices necessary to truly believe in Christ and walk that walk.
Despite what they say and claim to believe and even proclaim, their personal lives prove otherwise.