ìWherefore the LORD God of Israel saith, I said indeed that
thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before me
for ever: but now the LORD saith, Be it far from me; for them
that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be
lightly esteemedÖAnd this shall be a sign unto thee, that shall
come upon thy two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas; in one day
they shall die both of them.î 1 Samuel 2:30 & 34
As with all scripture, these passages are as relevant today as they were then.
The Apostleís of Greed seek to use the offerings of the Body of Christ to live in
luxury and make themselves fat. The LORD did not wink at this great sin in times
past, nor does He in our day!
Although they are sure to vehemently deny it, most of these so-called teachers
of the Word of God have actually fulfilled this scripture.
ìAnd [Jesus] said unto them in his doctrine, Beware of the
scribes, which love to go in long clothing, and love salutations in
the marketplaces, And the chief seats in the synagogues, and the
uppermost rooms at feasts: Which devour widows' houses, and
for a pretence make long prayers: these shall receive greater
damnation.î Mark 12:38-40 (emphasis mine)
Topping off the evil of their deeds, these false prophets and lying teachers have
the audacity to quote Malachi chapter 3 verse 9 and tell those who will listen to
them that they are cursed for not supporting their ministries.
ìYe are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this
whole nation.î Malachi 3:9
But the reality is the ones who are being robbed belong to the Body of Christ.
People that truly desire to follow the Lord are coerced through fear and false
teaching to support a watered down, lukewarm, compromised gospel and a
lifestyle of preachers comparable to that of rock stars and the Hollywood elite.
Using the Old Testament Law of tithing as a point of obedience and justification
also moves someone into very dangerous ground.
ìChrist is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are
justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.î Galatians 5:4
The main reason for giving to the local church or a ministry is for the
proclaiming of the True Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. The money was never
intended to be used to build extravagant structures that rival the Temple of
Solomon, or to support preachers in their efforts to live like kings!