Kris Vallotton busts out the shepherd's rod and then turns it on the sheep...

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For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you. I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law. You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace. For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. -- Galatians 5: 1-5 (ESV)

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The NAR cesspool known as Bethel Church has never met a false teaching they have not embraced with open arms. That includes prosperity preaching, which teaches that God wants to bless your socks off but you know -- ya gotta prime the pump first. The number two heretic out at Bethel is Kris Vallotton. Kris's main shtick is that he is prosperity pimp, whoring his god out for anyone willing to pony up $17 for his latest book. This week he wrote an article offering up "answers" to tithing questions. Before we get into debunking the above linked article using discernment and the Holy Spirit, let us turn first to Scripture. The key verses today eviscerate tithing as a New Testament practice.

You see the Galatians were having their own tithing issues, although it was with a different part of the law. They were being infiltrated by some Jews who demanded circumcision in addition to faith in Christ. What is the correlation? Tithing and circumcision were part of the Old Testament law which Jesus Christ had nailed to the cross on Calvary. Not the moral code, which we should still keep today but the civil and ceremonial law which was meant for the society of ancient Israel. What is God telling us here in this passage? If we insist on any part of the Old Testament law, whether it is tithing or circumcision, we actually sever Christ from us and render Him useless in our lives! First Corinthians teaches us that the New Testament giver must not give out of compulsion, yet tithing by definition is a compulsory system. With this scriptural foundation, let us explore the reprobate mind of Kris Vallotton as he twists the Bible to pretend that tithing is still in effect for the church.

"Contrary to popular opinion, God cares what you do with your money.We see this when Jesus went to church (the Temple) and He sat next to the offering box so He could watch what people put in the offering. When a widow put all she had into the offering (although it was just two copper coins), Jesus made a major issue out of it. He called His disciples over and said, "Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the contributors to the treasury" (Mark 12:43). So if we can see that how we manage our money matters to God, then why do so many people avoid tithing?I'm sure that part of it is lack of understanding of just how beautiful and empowering it can be to trust God with your tithe, so today I want to lend some fatherly advice on why this principle matters so much in the Kingdom, and how it could just be the key to breakthrough in your finances."-- Kris Vallotton

Any true prosperity preacher will blow up any scripture that they think supports a money focused life at the expense of context and what God is actually trying to teach. If you read the story of the widows mite and come away with the teaching points that Jesus was watching what people were giving, that God cares about what we do with our money, or that Jesus made a big deal of this incident then you have truly missed the point. This is what happens when one uses the Bible to leverage pre-biased conclusions. Kris Vallotton needs to prop up tithing so he has to make money more important than anything to God. So he scours the Bible and wrests passages like this out of their intended context and thus shut off what sayeth the Lord in favor of what Kris sayeth. He then draws an inane conclusion as if he has proven something and starts to promise the quid pro quo of tithing. The blessing theology he supports. He has linked tithing to financial breakthrough. He has started to whore out his god. The widow's mite by the way is about the depths of faith with giving. To not judge by the exterior. The world would trumpet the rich man's donation because of the amount but in reality it cost him nothing. God looks at the heart and the level of sacrifice.

"What is a tithe? The word tithe means "ten," as in 10 percent of your income. One of the most important principles of the tithe, however, is that it is not just 10 percent--it is the first 10 percent. In other words, God challenges you to pay your tithe before you pay your bills or spend money on anything else. Remember, the Old Testament saints were to give the first fruits of their fields (see Exodus 23:16). In this way, you are tithing by faith in that you are giving God His share before you deal with your purchases or expenses. Thus, you must trust Him to provide for the rest of your needs and desires. This is one of the key elements that establishes the tithe as a New Testament principle--you are giving by faith, not by Law." -- Kris Vallotton

Wow, talk about speaking out of both sides of your mouth! If you were truly giving out of faith Kris then you would not need to impose a forced tithing upon your sheep. You do not get to leverage a piece of the law and then pretend it is now magically by faith and no longer law. Watch how duplicitous Vallotton is when we actually look at the Exodus verse in context:

"Three times in the year you shall keep a feast to me.1You shall keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread. As I commanded you, you shall eat unleavened bread for seven days at the appointed time in the month of Abib, for in it you came out of Egypt. None shall appear before me empty-handed.You shall keep the Feast of Harvest, of the firstfruits of your labor, of what you sow in the field. You shall keep the Feast of Ingathering at the end of the year, when you gather in from the field the fruit of your labor.Three times in the year shall all your males appear before the Lord God.-- Exodus 23: 14-17 (ESV)

Are these verses provided in the Old Testament to set up some eternal principle? No beloved. These are discussing the various Israel feasts, none of which are demanded of Christians to perform. Perhaps the most insidious part of this teaching is the abusive policy of tithing before you pay any other bills. This is a championed approach by renowned tithing teacher Robert Morris. That we do not pay our rent, electric, or even medical bills before paying the tithing teacher. I have read stories of people who have refused medical treatment and just raised their giving to their tithing teacher only to slowly die. God is not some spiritual loan shark looking to kneecap us if we do not pay up, let alone pay up before being remotely responsible to other life needs.

"The tithe is not a gift, either. It is your "franchise payment" for God's partnership in your life--the most extraordinary franchise opportunity that will ever come your way. In other words, you owe God the tithe. We can see this play out in Malachi 3:8-12 when God partnered with Israel for their prosperity. Metaphorically speaking, He had franchised the earth out to them. He had provided favorable conditions for their farms to succeed--blessing the soil, causing the rain to fall at the right time, making the sun shine on their crops, and so forth. They, on the other hand, had provided the labor--tilling the ground, pruning the vines and harvesting the crops. God's franchise deal with them was 90/10; the farmers kept 90 percent of the profit, but God, for His part, required the first 10 percent to be His. As the ultimate philanthropist, God wanted His portion of the profits to be given to the priests, who gave spiritual oversight to His people. Furthermore, the tithe is to be paid to the storehouse (typically your church), the place that provides you with spiritual meat and milk. You don't get to designate your tithe to a certain activity or person. It is not yours; it is God's. Therefore, you cannot control it. If you ask God to partner with you in life and you don't pay God His 10 percent dividend, He calls it robbery. You have basically ripped off your business partner and embezzled your stockholder's money. When you give money above the tithe, which is everything above 10 percent, it is called an offering. Your generosity begins above the tithe. You have the freedom to give an offering to anyone or anywhere you want. God has given you authority over 90 percent of your income to do with as you see fit. He wants you to be as generous with your money (the 90 percent) as He is with His portion." -- Kris Vallotton

There are so many unbiblical lies here it is staggering. Kris just made up this nonsense about the tithe being a "franchise payment." His abuse of Malachi is deeper than most. If he bothered to cross reference Nehemiah, who also prophesied during this time, he would understand that Malachi was written to the priests! They were the ones robbing God! At the end of the Book of Nehemiah we see him return to discover abuses with the temple and sacrifices which he immediately corrects. Drilling further down into the warped theology Vallotton has been taught and still teaches he makes God co-equal with us here. Beloved, God is not your partner. He does not need to partner with us. He is God. Here are five questions Kris claims he is always asked regarding tithing:

1) Should I take my tithe off of a money gift that's given to me? For example, if I'm given a large financial gift from a family member?

Kris' Answer - Under the New Testament, the principle is to tithe by faith the first ten percent off all of your increase. Here's a practical example: if you have a business you don't tithe off of the sales, because you'd be losing money if you did that. So, you tithe off the increase, or the profit, of the revenue (sales minus the cost of doing business and cost of goods). So it's not about tithing off of all the money that comes your way, but off of the INCREASE that comes into your life. I personally tithe off of gifts because I feel like that's increase. If you don't want to tithe off of it then maybe give an offering (meaning it doesn't have to be ten percent). The point is that in the Kingdom we should always err on the side of generosity. Why? Because when you give to God He always gives back to you.

God's Answer -- Since tithing was an agricultural system designed to ensure the Levites had food to eat; it is no longer in operation. The Bible says that God loves a cheerful give who gives out of joy and not under compulsion. It is true that God prefers a generous heart so if you came into money somehow and felt you wanted to give extra that month to the work of your church or to help out a brother or sister in the Lord that is fine as long as you do so cheerfully and not begrudgingly. Most important here is the false quid pro quo Kris has set up. God does not always have to give back to you if you give. This lie comes from the poor theology Kris has been taught and continues to propagate. This blessing theology is entirely man made.

2) How do I tithe when I have debt? Should I pay off my debt and then begin tithing?

Kris' Answer - The quick answer is that if I was in debt I would still tithe, but I would not go into debt for an offering. There are a lot of ways to look at this, so I'll share how I look at it--God says that you tithe 10% off of your increase. So, if I'm in debt, I tithe because I believe that when I give, I'll receive. When you tithe you're creating a partnership with the Guy who rules the world. So then, you're resourcing but God is also resourcing your 10%. He doesn't need money so He's asking you to trust Him with that 10% and watch what He can do with it. I believe that if you tithe by faith and not through compulsion, you're going to pay off your debts quicker. I want to make a distinction here between tithe and offering. The offering is above and beyond the tithe. I don't give offerings from what should be my landlord's rent (more on that below). In other words, I don't go into debt for an offering.

God's Answer -- But you are willing to go into debt for the tithe? Ridiculous. The Bible says that he who does not take care of his own family is no better than an unbeliever. Once again it is his unbiblical sense that God must always repay the tithe, and apparently with interest, that is at the core of his deception. Read the Book of Acts and see if you can find a single example of tithing to be blessed. Instead they gave all they had to each other.

3) If I tithe I won't be able to afford rent. So what do I do?

Kris' Answer - Some may ask if tithing could be seen as taking the rent from your landlord. Of course, this is only true if you can't actually afford to live there. If you use money that should go to your tithe to pay your rent then you'll be owing to God. If you use the money to tithe instead of paying your rent then you'll be owing to your landlord. The truth is you were never supposed to take God's money (the tithe) and make it your landlord's (your rent). When you rented that house you couldn't afford, that was not a good plan and actually steals your engine of reciprocity. I'm not at all suggesting that you shouldn't pay rent! I'm saying it's wiser to live in a place that you can afford to pay tithe first and still make rent. I'm using this illustration to show you that if you're going to owe anybody money, then I wouldn't suggest owing it to God. And I'll say it again: if you choose to still tithe by faith and trust God, I believe it sows into a cycle of reciprocity. Remember that prosperity begins with giving.

God's Answer -- How utterly reprehensible and disgusting. When you say that you would not choose to owe God then you are in fact saying to not pay your rent! Then you make assumptions that they must have chosen to live above their means and essentially tell them to undertake another financial burden of moving? Are you serious? The engine of your reciprocity? I must have missed that Bible verse. Was it in 2prevarications? Beloved, this is nothing short of vicious sheep beating that Vallotton will answer for one day when he stands before the King of Kings.

4) How do I tithe when I don't have a single cent that isn't accounted for each month? What if 10% is out of reach?

Kris's Answer - I'm a guy who preaches grace, but this is one of the only places where you would find me on the black and white side of things. Why? Because the only place where God says "test Me" is in Malachi 3:10--"'Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this,' says the LORD of hosts, 'if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows.'" Many many years ago Bill shared this verse with me and asked me to tithe for a period of time, and if God didn't at least return the tithe, Bill would give it all back to me. It was an opportunity for me to learn without risk, but the truth is God did return it back to us and we started to live at another level financially. So I'd say, try and figure out a way to squeeze out 10%, do it for six months, and see what happens. And if nothing happens you can say to God that you tested Him"but I'm sure that He's going to be faithful to you.

God's Answer -- Wow. The tithe was supposed to be holy unto the Lord and here Kris is treating it like a whimsical party trick. On top of that grievance, he actually sets you up to be able to say to God like a spoiled brat that "hey I tested You." What's the inference in that statement to God? That God somehow failed. What Kris is either not telling you or is too biblically ignorant to say is that Malachi 3:10 is not God speaking to you. He is speaking to the priests who were robbing the tithes from the store house. How does Kris Vallotton explain the impoverished church in the underground of China? Or in the Muslim dominated Middle East? I guess they are just not tithing right? Or maybe the engine of their reciprocity must be low on oil. What utter garbage.

5) Can I count hours of work as a part of my tithe?

Kris' Answer - I think that you can count this as an offering but a tithe is always mentioned as an increase. In my personal life, I would say that hours of work are not a tithe, but it could be a great offering. When God talks about giving to Him, He always calls it a tithe. When He talks about giving to anyone else He calls it an offering.

God's Answer -- The purpose driven church model requires free labor (ministry) and cash (tithing). You cannot have one counted as the other so you lie and create this system where people feel compelled to serve in ministry or even work because it is their "dream destiny thingy" while at the same time contribute financially in order to be "blessed." This is a clever answer by Kris to split off the working as an "offering" but to keep the fake tithe intact.

6) If I don't have a home Church, where do I tithe to?

Tithe always goes to the storehouse, so whoever is feeding you spiritually is who you should tithe to. -- Kris Vallotton

Another popular lie is that the storehouse referenced in Malachi is now the church today. Again, in the days of Malachi there was an actual storehouse which held the grain and food for the Levites. While there is nothing unbiblical from making one's living from preaching the Gospel, Paul went out of his way to not take any money from the people he preached to and often worked as tentmaker to make his own money.

Kris Vallotton will never preach on that because he can't make any money from it. His entire theology on tithing is taken from the false foundation that God will always give you back more than you give Him. he has to scam you into believing that though. So he offers the silly challenge you saw knowing that one of two outcomes will arise. Those that see no increase will stop tithing but they were not tithers anyway so it is no loss. The other group of folks however will attribute anything positive in their lives to their new found tithing obedience and voila! You have a new batch of suckers to bleed dry, selling your god out like the prostitute you have made him to be. If the well runs dry one day they will stop tithing and probably shipwreck their faith but hey, you got yours right Kris? Beloved, give cheerfully what you and God have decided is right and leave the hucksters like Kris Vallotton on the street corner hustling tricks.


Reverend Anthony Wade - June 1, 2018

Authors Bio:
Credentialed Minister of the Gospel for the Assemblies of God. Owner and founder of 828 ministries. Vice President for Goodwill Industries. Always remember that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.