The boys in Cincinnatti are on a roll trying their hardest to make you believe you need to be funding their jobs with tithe money. Apparently, when you tithe, you are converting your soul.
Psalms 19:7 states, “The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.” Is that true when it comes to tithing? At the surface level, tithing can appear to be a mere physical commandment, ensuring that resources are given for God’s Work. However, the verse above indicates that cannot be the whole story! Tithing, as part of God’s law, has a part in “converting the soul”—have we considered how it does so? And how does tithing impart wisdom to a person?
Tithing, like all of God’s commandments, teaches spiritual lessons about our Creator. Paul attests to this, saying, “For we know that the law is spiritual” (Romans 7:14). Tithing is a spiritual command that has a spiritual impact on us—converting our soul and bringing about meaningful changes in our minds and hearts.
Giving your chunks of change apparently changes your heart. So empty those pockets boys! YOu too can have a changed heart by dumping the chunks of change into the offering basket. God wants to hear the money clanging!
1st tithe, according to UCG:
The first tithe has the effect of changing our heart into a heart for God’s work to be done. God is still working here on earth, and we can be a part of that work! When we send our first tithe to the Church, placing it into God’s hands, we become personally invested in preaching the gospel to the world, making disciples and caring for those disciples. We have then contributed our own resources to the effort and put our own skin in the game. When we give first tithe, we can remember how we benefited from the tithes of others, giving thanks for how we first learned God’s truth and asking God to bless our contribution to help others learn His ways and find support through our pastors and congregations.
The new covenant says believers give according to how they have been blessed, freely, without stipulation. No command, but freely given.
2nd tithe, according to UCG:
The second tithe develops in us a heart of obedience. Deuteronomy 12:14, in instructing us to go and keep God’s festivals, says “there you shall do all that I command you.” Laying up the second tithe for our family gives us the resources to go and do what God has commanded. In keeping the Holy Days, we not only humbly reflect on and rejoice in the blessings He has given us, but we also learn more deeply about His plan of salvation and connect with His people in fellowship. In this way, the second tithe cultivates obedience to God’s entire law and sets our heart toward obeying Him in every part of our lives.
Since holy days are not a new covenant command, being COMMANDED to keep the second tithe is not a requirement. Use that money for a real vacation.
3rd tithe, according to UCG:
The third tithe sets our heart on the outgoing love of God. God cares about all people—He doesn’t want anyone to starve or suffer poverty or live on the street! Sometimes people find themselves in such situations by their own bad choices or problematic behavior and sometimes it’s through no fault of their own. But in every situation these people are hurting and God cares for them. The third tithe is only one of many commandments God gives regarding help for the poor, and the message for all of them is the same: God wants us to develop deep compassion for our fellow man. Whether it’s when we pay our taxes or whether we set aside third tithe beyond that, God wants our heart focused on those in this world who are in need. We ought also to recognize that we were all once spiritually poor, and God has given us exceedingly great riches with the precious knowledge of His truth!
Sadly, in the COG movement, very little of the 3rd tithe money ever really went to the poor, widows, or orphans. Even in the mother church (WCG) there were persistent tales about ministers using 3rd tithe to remodel homes (like Rod Meredith did) or that money being used for other pet projects of ministers or church leaders (buying artwork, gold, and silver finery. The stories are all over the internet about church members being told they don't deserve 3rd tithe money, even though they are struggling. Ministers will be very vocal in how begrudgingly they hand out some of the money.
Tithing is a big deal, and it’s important not to take this act of worship for granted as we go on fulfilling it year after year. We work hard for the money that we earn, and to willingly give it over to God at His command requires ongoing humility and faith!
But tithing goes far beyond an exercise of physical obedience—it is about God directing our heart to where He wants it to go. God wants our heart to be invested in His Work. God wants a heart that will “go and do” all His commands, including keeping His festivals. God wants a heart that is generous and inclined to the needy.
If we obey God in this and worship Him not just in the flesh but with understanding in the Spirit, then His law will have the intended effect, “converting the soul” and “making wise the simple.” How Tithing Directs Our Hearts to God’s Purposes
If only UCG ever talked about Jesus Christ with such passion, then they too might really feel the "converting the soul" experience that Christians have understood for centuries.
12 comments:
I apologize to repeat this about the phrase "third tithe": That means there has got to be a first and second tithe!! But no. There is no third tithe in scripture, only a third year. But the greed for money overwhelms false apostles and prophfits and they have to butcher the phrase "third year" to be "third tithe year".
Intriguing that the writer of the posted piece has a PhD in "Applied mathematics". And he cannot distinguish between "3rd year" and "3rd tithe year"?????
Keep our salaries rolling in………or else.
The ‘tithing’ genie is truely out of the bottle now.
The arguments against this being all encumbrance on Christians today are in ascendant today.
The arguments put forward by ucog and it’s sister groups are rather weak, but not to the ‘converted’.
Stop tithing and Armstrongism will disappear.
That is the ‘gospel truth’.
But the gospel of Jesus Christ will indeed continue to save and convert many worldwide (pun intended) as it has always done and will do into the foreseeable future.
And that is the ‘Good News’.
"When we send our first tithe to the Church, placing it into God’s hands,..."
This line clanged in my ear. Such cheek to say that those tithes are actually being placed in God's hands as if the usage by UCG is the same as if placed directly in God's hands.
Frankly, it reminded me of a harsh Biblical account. I imagine the question being asked, "Is this ALL the first tithe you are placing into My hands?"
Don't claim you are doing something you are not.
(1) Why does an omnipotent god need money in his hands? If he can do anything needing money seems irrelevant.
(2) If the scripture was truly followed by COGs the feast would be spent in booths, not hotels with pools and cable TV. Seems not much money would be needed for that. (Leviticus 23:40–42) Some of the more devout of the Jewish faith actually do this, setting a proper example. COGs (and just about everybody else) blatantly ignore any Bible verses that are inconvenient.
(3) Helping the poor is easy. For several decades our family has supported needy children in India through a reputable charity. No church administration needed or wanted and thus no redirection of the money to nefarious purposes.
After I stopped tithing I got a much better job with better pay and benifits. I am much better off financially then when I was when I was tithing. Seems that I am being blessed for "not" tithing. The b.s. that you will be given back more then the 10% you give can not be proven to be true. I am shocked at how many main-stream churchs push this b.s. it is not just in armstrongism that religious leaders are trying to fleece the flock!
Beyond the TITHING issue, is WHY must there be a PAID MINISTRY at all?
Many churches do just fine with volunteer elders. Going to such a set up would eliminate a lot of issues in churches of all kinds.
With all the churn and splintering in these churches, there's no way that a young person will get a cent back from their third tithe contribution. By contrast, the third tithe in ancient Israel was a two way social safety net. Everyone put in, and everyone took out if the circumstances arose. Just like with a insurance policy.
The ACOGs third tithe schemes are morally unjust.
Isn't that a drum that's been hit once too often over the years "Tonto" ?
Volunteer elders = amateur elders.
Volunteer elders = atrociously embarrassing sermons.
In my recent experience (over 20 years in the finance administration of a splinter) most of the third tithe is paid to "unpaid" ministers... relatively minor amounts are paid to lay members, and even then sometimes under a "loan" type of arrangement.
Hi Not Kev,
I would say this is not necessarily the case, but probably depends on the minister more so. I have heard atrocious sermons from very well paid ministers, and very good ones from volunteer elders. In fact, to me personally, the words of a volunteer speak generally as more authentic and genuine- they aren't doing it for the money.
Authentic ? Ha ha did they even write what they spoke.
Yeah when I learned the truth about tithing I realized it was just a magic ritual or hocus pocus for bewitched Christians.
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