"If you are under authority and tithing, your money is blessed. If you are not under authority by not tithing, your money is cursed. My thought is, if you're going to have money, it might as well be blessed money. You get to choose whether your money is blessed or cursed. You are under the authority of the Most High God. Why would you not want your money blessed by him? I love that we get to decide to be blessed." -- Dr. Doug Weiss
Disgusting way to end a disgusting article. Pretend that we are only under the authority of God if we tithe. I have heard Robert Morris preach this by saying that if you pay your bills first -- God curses all of your money. If you pay for a needed medical procedure before paying him your tithe -- God curses all of your money. This is not biblical beloved. It is abuse plain and simple. It is using God to extort money from people. I know plenty of people who tithed religiously and yet faced deep financial problems. Why? Because that is life -- not God. Then there are those who never give a dime and yet seem to prosper. Money is not an indicator of blessing. Not being ruled by it is.
This is where we end up though within the purpose driven models of church growth. Rick Warren will tell you that you lead and plan for the church that is coming; not the one you have. That means if you have 500 members you lead as if you have a 1000. One little problem with that -- what if God only wants you to have 500? This is why we see churches constantly going bankrupt, having building plans beyond their capabilities and being overall poor stewards of money. I know local pastors who have stripped membership if they didn't like someone's tithing record. That man is not a pastor but a hireling. Your job is to shepherd the sheep not beat them into submission. The purpose driven model teaches pastors that they are responsible for the horizontal growth of their churches even though the Bible says that God is. This is only the tip of the iceberg on the tithing conversation. I have literally written a book on the subject. Beloved, God is not waiting to bless you if you give Him His cut or curse you if you do not. Yes one who tends to be stingy is often found in want. Generosity is a Christian trait and we ought to be a giving people, especially in this country where we have been blessed so abundantly. God is not waiting for you in the parking lot to kneecap you though if you don't give Him His percentage. Find a church that is preaching the uncompromised Gospel and you will find that giving more than 10% will be the cheerful norm. You will give not expecting anything but because of all He has already done. Blessings are always taught as something yet to come when they actually are things we already have. If as a pastor you cannot generate the resources to match your purpose driven vision without beating your sheep then that vision is not from God.
Reverend Anthony Wade -