Originally Posted on February 1, 2011
As I become more inclined to follow my feeling that the church of today is way off base of what God intended, the organized, man-made denomination, the ‘religious’ church, I continue to come across books and websites that confirm my thoughts.
Take for instance the teaching of the church on tithing. We are constantly told we need to give our 10% to the church or we are robbing God. Wait a minute, that was in the Old Testament. Jesus came to fulfill the law and provide grace for us. Follow the following links and read a different thought on tithing:
http://freebelievers.com/article/tithing-is-not-a-christian-doctrine
and
http://freebelievers.com/article/rethinking-the-tithe
Am I saying it is wrong to tithe? No. If you attend an organized church and you feel they are doing what God wants for them, yes, support it. But do not feel you ‘have’ to tithe. Do not let a pastor guilt you into giving because he uses some Old Testament verse to tell you that you are robbing from God. Give because you love God and want to give. Give 1%, 5%, 10%, 50%, whatever you determine in your heart to give. We are free to give the amount we determine and are no longer under law and required to tithe.
Why get so caught up on being in a building each week listening to one man (or woman) telling us what God is saying or what the bible says. Is it not written in the bible that we now have the Holy Spirit to teach us?
Am I saying it is wrong to go to church? Of course not. I do believe the modern-day organized church is not in line with what God intended, and I do believe we do not have to attend any organized church. Some will say the bible says do not forsake the assembling of yourselves together. That is true but it does not say you have to assemble together anywhere in particular. Meet up with other believers in a restaurant, or invite them to your home for a meal and a time of fellowship. That is what I feel the bible is talking about. Check this article to see what I mean:
http://freebelievers.com/article/the-flabby-body-of-christ-why-is-church-so-dull
In our day and age it is time to get over man-made religion and the church building being the center of our Christian life and realize there is more. Most churches today are more of a social meeting place or a big business than anything. We should focus on Jesus and build our relationship with him and realize that WE are the Church and the Holy Spirit lives within us, making us the dwelling place of God. We are the temple of God. We need to build our fellowship with God and with one another. This does not need to be done in a building with an organized service, but in spending time with our brothers and sisters in Christ, helping one another and talking about God and His love for us. Others should be able to know that we are Christians because of the love we have for one another.
Done with Religion 
Thanks! I think I’ve had a heart problem for years but lived with it. After the stent, I feel better than I have in quite awhile. One of the meds is still kicking my behind … COREG … still learning to work with it. That one slows the heart and respiration and if I’m not careful, can make me dizzy because it lowers the BP so much. I think that’s short term stuff so just biding my time until I can play superman out in the yard again. 😉
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Thanks Jack. I will read this article also. Always enjoy your posts. Hope you are recovering and feeling better.
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PS: I think I have read all your articles on tithing but I will check out the link to refresh my memory. Thanks.
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Funny how pastors and those deeply involved with the institution will fight to protect it. They seem to be unable to see any other option.
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How to pray for the corrupt worldly fallen church is a subject that has troubled me for years. If you can bear it, I wrote about it here: https://thesonsarefree.com/2016/02/21/throwing-down-babylon/
For me, the way to pray is for exodus, before what I am now certain is the Lord’s intent to destroy it – since I now firmly believe the institutional church is not of Him, but a great deception.
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“You’re destroying the HOLY CHURCH OF GOD!” … that’s what one minister said to me in response to my first expose on tithing back in 2001 … he said it with such condemnation, I nearly retracted the article. “To Tithe or Not to Tithe: The $earch for Truth” was the beginning of my exodus – in that through a lengthy study of the tithe, the Spirit showed me that the tent-pole of institutional Christianity was money. And the Spirit prompted me with a simple observation: “if the church can be destroyed by cutting off the money supply, then it SHOULD be destroyed.”
Last month, the Spirit prompted me to collect all 7 tithe articles in a single post, in the order they were written and repost them as “Exposing the Tithe Lie”. It’s here if you’re interested. https://thesonsarefree.com/2017/04/01/exposing-the-tithe-lie/
Honestly, I don’t know how a person can get ahold of the truth about tithing, and remain IN the institutional church. Lord knows when I found the truth, I felt so violated and ripped off.
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Thanks Tony.
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Thank you for the informative article and the link. I appreciate it.
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Great post, Jim. Thanks 🙂
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The design of the Ekklesia must first be understand. There are three metaphors in the scripture, a building, a body. and a woman. We are living stones, and built up a SPIRITUAL HOUSE. 1 Pet.2:5 Same thing in Ephesians 2:20-22 a habitation of God by the Spirit. Then a body, where we are members of his flesh and of his bones. Eph.5:30 The function of HIS BODY is Christ manifesting himself through the body as we read in 1 Cor.12:7 “The manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man.” etc. This body edifies itself according to the effectual working of the measure of ever part . Eph.4:16 We are each to hear the voice of Jesus Christ for our selves. Eph.4:21..If so be you have heard him and have been taught by him as the truth is in Jesus. Open participatory gathering is the norm for an Ekklesia. 1 Cor.14:26,30 How is it brethren when you come together every one of you has a psalm, has a doctrine, has a tongue has a revelation, has a interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying…For ye may all prophesy one by one that all may learn and all may be comforted. Jesus alone is head of HIS body directing every member as he so chooses. Each of us are royal priests that can minister to HIM, one another, and the world as He would move us and equip us 1Pet.2:9 The problem that the LORD’s people are having, is not allowing Christ to be head. The design of the house has been altered to fit man, so he is the head, not the LORD. Ezekiel 43:10 “Show the house to the house of Israel that they may be ashamed of the their iniquities: and let them measure the pattern.” We must understand it is Christ in us the hope of glory manifesting himself through HIS body the Ekklesia. Lastly a woman. She is to be pure, holy, set apart, his bride. She is getting herself read to be married to the bridegroom. This is why we a time talk about the harlet in Revelation as the religious system that is unclean,and how we are to come out of her. We discover there is no such thing as THE PASTOR OF A CHURCH any where in the New Testament. Just qualified elders Acts16:23 20:17 1 Tim.3:1-7 who help guid the Ekklesia but do not make decision on it’s behalf. Matt. 18:17 God gave gifts to the Ekklesia in Eph.4:11..five of them not three. They are to perfect the Ekklesia, work of ministry, and edifying of the body till we all come to the knowledge of the Son of God unto the stature that belongs unto Christ. You can watch my teaching comparing the man centre assemblies with Christ’s body here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrU5rRPaX3E
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May the Holy Spirit through scriptures I’m posting show you what the Ekklesia that Jesus Christ is building not what men are building. The following verses will describe it, command it, reveal it.
The design of the Ekklesia must first be understand. There are three metaphors in the scripture, a building, a body. and a woman. We are living stones, and built up a SPIRITUAL HOUSE. 1 Pet.2:5 Same thing in Ephesians 2:20-22 a habitation of God by the Spirit. Then a body, where we are members of his flesh and of his bones. Eph.5:30 The function of HIS BODY is Christ manifesting himself through the body as we read in 1 Cor.12:7 “The manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man.” etc. This body edifies itself according to the effectual working of the measure of ever part . Eph.4:16 We are each to hear the voice of Jesus Christ for our selves. Eph.4:21..If so be you have heard him and have been taught by him as the truth is in Jesus. Open participatory gathering is the norm for an Ekklesia. 1 Cor.14:26,30 How is it brethren when you come together every one of you has a psalm, has a doctrine, has a tongue has a revelation, has a interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying…For ye may all prophesy one by one that all may learn and all may be comforted. Jesus alone is head of HIS body directing every member as he so chooses. Each of us are royal priests that can minister to HIM, one another, and the world as He would move us and equip us 1Pet.2:9 The problem that the LORD’s people are having, is not allowing Christ to be head. The design of the house has been altered to fit man, so he is the head, not the LORD. Ezekiel 43:10 “Show the house to the house of Israel that they may be ashamed of the their iniquities: and let them measure the pattern.” We must understand it is Christ in us the hope of glory manifesting himself through HIS body the Ekklesia. Lastly a woman. She is to be pure, holy, set apart, his bride. She is getting herself read to be married to the bridegroom. This is why we a time talk about the harlet in Revelation as the religious system that is unclean,and how we are to come out of her. We discover there is no such thing as THE PASTOR OF A CHURCH any where in the New Testament. Just qualified elders Acts16:23 20:17 1 Tim.3:1-7 who help guid the Ekklesia but do not make decision on it’s behalf. Matt. 18:17 God gave gifts to the Ekklesia in Eph.4:11..five of them not three. They are to perfect the Ekklesia, work of ministry, and edifying of the body till we all come to the knowledge of the Son of God unto the stature that belongs unto Christ. You can watch my teaching comparing the man centre assemblies with Christ’s body here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrU5rRPaX3E
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Thanks John.
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I am praying and believing for a new move of the Holy Spirit to purge and purify the church. The church, largely, since the Reformation, has ‘thrown the towel in’ and conceded to secular thinking. Instead of expending its energy in the pursuit of holiness, and being conformed to His image, it has adopted the world’s way, and its sinfulness. I too have fled the church, but still hunger for the true Church.
We must return to the ways of the 1st century church – to the ancient paths. This is the model that God gave us. It will not be popular with feminists, or the advocates of remarriage, and it will certainly sort the sheep from the goats! It will not therefore be conducive to attracting a large flock; so nothing here then for the pulpit pimp and his Rolls Royce! Carrying a cross is never going to be popular, but it is a price worth paying for those who desire an eternity in fellowship with Jesus.
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Hi Carol, so true. We have misunderstood what tithing was in biblical times and now seem to have turned it into an entitlement. Many pastor’s truly believe they are doing right but are certainly misguided by the religious system. You are so right in that we cannot force people to change, we just love them. Thanks for commenting.
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I agree that the church of today is way off base of what God intended.
If you insist on pulling an Old Testament scripture from the Bible to guilt people into tithing and ignore that Jesus came to fulfill the law and provide grace for us, then do exactly what the scripture says and bring agricultural crops and herds to the church. Of course you would have to be a farmer or a rancher.
I’m not on Facebook, but my daughter shows me unbelievable requests from pastors on Facebook asking for money for a laptop or even a new vehicle. One said since he posts devotional messages, he has every right to ask for money from the people that read them and not burden his congregation. The even sadder part about this is before the end of the day, someone has sent him or her the money they requested. I also think that there’s not anything we can say to change their way of thinking. We just have to love them.
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Thank you Leah.
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Awesome! I agree!!
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I agree with you. The church as we know it is flawed. My wife and I left the system over 2 years ago and neither of us are interested in returning. Yet I know there are many in the system who love God and want to please him. This church system is all they know and until the Spirit leads them out I do not think anything we say will change them. Whether in or out of the system we are still brothers and sisters in Christ. Thanks Elle for your comment.
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I don’t think it’s wrong to go to church either, but I do think the church is wrong especially since all it does is produce a bunch of pharisees who can’t stand anyone who says one thing against it. My husband asked me today if I missed it and I said “no way”. I don’t miss a thing about it. That chapter of pain is closed in my life and I’m not embracing it again.
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