With such a big congregation, surely there are more collections than needed weekly.
The recent furor of churches using tithes and offering donated by her members to venture into businesses has sparked government investigation into the misuse of church funds.
http://sg.yfittopostblog.com/2010/06/07/new-creation-church-explains-business-ventures/
Once you have a lot of money, you want even more! Churches are not spared that temptation. The 2 biggest churches in Singapore started humbly like another other churches. But when they grew into mega-churches, the funds collected exploded because tithes are still enforced on their members. Instead of following the Bible on how money in churches is to be used, they follow the world – use money to make more money!
Tithes are primarily given to the Levites and priest because the LORD did not gave them any inheritance. Numbers chapter 18 spelt out clearly how the tithes collected in the ancient Israel was to be used. In particular, verses 20 and 21:
20 The LORD said to Aaron, "You will have no inheritance in their land, nor will you have any share among them; I am your share and your inheritance among the Israelites.
21 "I give to the Levites all the tithes in Israel as their inheritance in return for the work they do while serving at the Tent of Meeting.
Levites are wholly dedicated to the work of the LORD and so they could not generate their own business or income, the tithes collected are given to them and the work of the LORD. Today, we have full-time pastors, church workers and missionaries who are performing like the Levites. So, any church collections must serve the same purposes as that stipulated in the Old Testament.
There is no New Testament command on tithing. Don’t ever give to a church that uses her collection for any other purposes than that to meet the need of God’s servants and HIS works.
Money collected in God’s Name is never money collected to generate more Mammon.
.
No comments:
Post a Comment