In a Leodicean age packed with people of skeptic minds, who are majorly uncertain of what exactly they have received from Christ, which is what they should believe in, a great majority are now imagining things into their God-worship, and how they should serve Him, thus ending up, “…doing what seems right to them-Prov.14:12”, and so, “…each following their own plans and acting according to their stubborn hearts-Jerem.18:12”. Getting careless with the only lamp (God’s word) which can light and guard their paths-Psalm.119:9-10,105, they have each justified whatever they imagine, and anyone who approaches them with the truth is met with talks of, having made himself a judge, and so, he gets condemned. But that doesn’t nullify God’s word for He says, “…I am watching over my word to perform it-Jerem.1:7”, and again, “…. I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass; I have purposed and I will do it-Isa.46:11”. I know the kind of approach employed in this message is never welcomed by many; it is termed rough and offensive, but its high time we knew how the truth will never be welcomed by the flesh, for “..It is enmity to it-Rom.8:7”. Whoever therefore wants to read and understand this message must first, “…deny self…Mat.16:24”. Once everyone denies self, we will all remain empty minded, and learn afresh from God who will equip us with His mind (word-Jerem.31:33), and so make us agree in everything-Eph.4:3-6. With this said brethren, let everyone turn inward for self-examination-2Cor.13:5, and confirm one’s worship of, and service to God. So now we come to our question. Who should be responsible for tithes and offerings that are offered to God’s church? Is it everybody- yes in a way, and no in another way? Is it he who teaches others and demands that tithes be paid to him- yes in a way and no in another way. What do I mean? Let’s get it please from the one who commanded that these contributions be done please.
GOD OWNS EVERYTHING
The God we are talking about here is He who “… created the heavens, the earth, the seas and all that is contained in them-Neh.9:6”, “whom all things are His servants-Psalm.119:91”, who, “ when he calls, the same all come and stand before Him without any failing-Isa.40:26”. Therefore He is the God ,“ who gives to all men life and breath and everything-Act.17:25”. So, He says, “ all things, my hand has made, and so, all these things are mine, says the Lord-Isa.66:4”. “the silver is mine, the gold also belongs to me-Hagai.2:8”. “ If I were hungry, I would not tell you; for the world and all that is in it is mine-Psalm.50:12”. If this be the case, why then does He need people to pay tithes? Why does He demand what is His? Brethren, we should know and understand that God does everything with a purpose, and tithing is not exceptional. So then, why the tithe? God has always used people to serve their fellow human beings in executing his will and purpose for them. We know that, after man was deceived, God did start a plan of revealing to him this deception, and teaching him the right life-Isa.42:6-7. Throughout the ages, He has had people who serve in this way to make sure that in every generation this truth about life is taught. We all know that the uppermost thing in God’s mind right now is to restore His kingdom here on earth, and that we were created for that purpose. But, in order to be able to do it, we must first learn to live His life after which, He will give it to us permanently. Looking into His nature of life, we find that God is always on the giving side. There is not a single time when He is on the receiving end. So, we are very right to conclude that the basis of God’s life is the giving aspect- the outgoing concern.
FREE SERVICE
Since we are learning to live like God, and all that He does to us is without any pay on our part, then, whoever is successfully learning to live like Him, is also learning to non-conditionally be a giver, as a natural way of life- no strings attached. So, whenever He appoints His service people, He tells them, “ you received without pay, give without pay-Mat.10:8”. How will that be possible and we are in this flesh and blood, in which, even God Himself knows it needs these material things-Mat.6:32? If then, someone is called to a service like the one am doing right now, that of a priesthood nature, in which one is supposed to be fully devoted to, how will he get the physical supplies? When God says, you received freely, give freely, He is addressing all of us, not just those He appoints in ministering to others. Therefore, since everyone is His servant-Psalm.119: 91, and God gives to everyone everything, it means, He has equipped the same everyone with what to give for it reads in scripture, “ practice hospitality ungrudgingly to one another. As each has received a gift, employ it for one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: Whoever speaks, as one who utters God’s oracles; whoever renders service, as one who serves by the strength which God supplies;….1 Pet.4:9-11”. I have heard many people talk of things belonging to the brethren. Are they right, if we have to think and live spiritually, the give way, and not the fleshly self-one? I would say no. Why? To begin with, the notion that only pastors/ministers are the God’s appointed is wrong, because the church is one body, meaning, everyone is appointed to some kind of service. With that corrected, we now come to the services based on gifts, remembering that all are God’s free-given gifts. It is not good brethren for us to continue without citing examples from our cloud of witnesses who served God before us. Let’s hear what one of them says in support of what we are saying here. “ But who am I, and what is my people that we should be able to thus offer willingly? For all things come from thee, and of thine own have we given thee-1 Chron.29:14”. This is King David speaking here. Was he talking about the people he rules, continually demanding from them while he remains on the receiving end, thus being exempted from the give way? Not at all, he very well knew that, what he is telling people is from God and is for all human beings, beginning with himself, for he has to be an example as a leader-Rom.2:21. The principle here is, according to each person’s gift, whether the leader or the being led, everybody should, “..know the God of all creation, and serve Him with a whole heart, and a willing mind- 1 Chron.28:9”. Though this was addressing Solomon the king, it also applied to the rest, for we see each obeying the same by, “…being with Solomon in the work; every willing ( not forced) man who has skill( gifted according to God’s will) for any kind of service-1 Chron.28:21”. Yes, they all acknowledged that, “all this abundance which we have provided for building thee a house for thy holy name comes from thy hand and is all thy own-1 Chron.29:16”. Therefore brethren, it is important that we be like our forefathers, or else, we miss the mark and serve God in vain. We here confirm that the things that we give in rendering any service in God’s work are His, not ours. As He gives us, so we also give, for we can only do what we see our father doing-John.5:19.
TITHES ARE GOD’S
As it was during the old covenant services to God, so it continues to be in this present new covenant, for, “ Yesterday, today and forever, Christ is the same-Heb.13:8”. Since all that fills God’s mind, which is also His purpose for creating all human beings, is to restore His kingdom here on earth, then everything God and man is engaged in should be geared at achieving that. This project is at the stage of creating the rulers of that kingdom-Heb.2:5-7. Since these rulers, in that process, are at the stage of being imparted with knowledge and behaviour based on that knowledge( please read our message, “ Man’s creation process” for details), then, everything that man has done in obedience to God’s instructions is meant to develop him towards becoming complete, for, “….scripture is inspired by God, for the purpose of teaching, reproving, correcting and training in righteousness( God’s behaviour) that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work-2 Tim.3:16-17”. If we have not known, let’s know now. And if we have known, let’s remember please, that we of God’s church are a people whom God has appointed, and commissioned to rebuild that same house which Solomon built many years back, which got destroyed, which God raised Zerrubabel to rebuild-Zech.4:1-6, of which He commanded the people in those days saying, “Go up to the hills and bring wood and build the house, that I may take pleasure in it, and that I may appear in my glory-Hag.1:8”. Brethren, we must hear notice something please. Though God commands people to do His work, He doesn’t force anyone, for He always emphasises on,free will service.To those who freely heed the command, God equips them with whatever is needed in the work by sending their fellowmen who freely give, “…to assist with silver, gold and all manner of materials-Ezra.1:4”. This is the same house of which God said, “the latter splendour of this house will be greater than the former- Hag.2:9”. Why greater? Bearing in mind that God has established the physical to enable us better understand the spiritual- rom.1:20-21, and remembering that all He did in old testament was pointing at what He wants to achieve in man, which is to make him a spirit being, to rule in his spiritual kingdom-Gen.1:26; Heb.2:5-7, then the greatness of the one we are building now lies in the spiritual aspect of it, in that, it is the accomplishment of all that God began since before the foundation of the world. Speaking of it, Paul says, “…the present time are not worthy comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us-Rom.8:18”. Having gotten the clear picture of what we are each called to do in this building project, lets then now come back to our topic. The true church of God are a people who, after the spiritual building( the church) was invaded by wolveActs.20:29-31, and the spiritual inhabitants taken to the present spiritual Babylon( leodicea), have heard the call by Christ to go up the hills( by getting restored to the true spiritual life, and displaying it to others by both deeds and speeches) and bring wood to build the house-Hag.2:9.
GOD’S PROVISION TO THE WORKERS
Since the work we are doing in this present building is to develop godly mind and behaviour, and God has appointed a people ( the entire Church) to do it, He has also facilitated them. He has given gifts to each one according what service He needs one to serve. So, how do we go up the mountain and bring spiritual wood? God commands saying, “ bring the full tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house-Mal.3:9”. Anyone who does not obey this command, God calls, not just a thief, but a more terrible person, a robber-Mal.3:9. Is it anyone’s tithe? Is it that person’s to give? Not even in the least, for as we have seen, we are only giving that which is His. Therefore, it is very wrong for anyone to call it, the brethren’s tithe. It is also very wrong for one to imagine he/she is giving it to somebody. We take it to God’s storehouse, and God gives it out. To who? In the Old Testament, God did appoint the priests to serve in the temple in service to the congregation of Israel (the then Church). Then He said, “To the Levites, I have given( God gives, not man) every tithe in Israel(the congregation) for an inheritance, in return for their service which they serve, for I the Lord am their(Levites’) portion and inheritance-Numbers.18:21-20”. In the present spiritual dispensation, God’s temple is the bodies of the believers in which the holy spirit dwells-1 Cor.6:19; 3:16.This because, when anyone is baptized into the Church (Christ), God and our saviour Christ Jesus makes his/her heart, their dwelling-John.14:23. This is why Christ says that, by receiving anyone He has send, one receives Christ himself-Mat.10:40. So, the right now storehouse is a people within the Church whom God appoints, and equips them with that gift of priests that, from their mouths should come true instructions….. and whose lips should guard knowledge, that men should seek knowledge from his mouth, for he is a messenger of the Lord-Mal.2:6-7. Since all of us are called into Christ, and Christ right now is coming in the flesh through His appointed service men-Gal.2:20, then, these people are the present- spiritual storehouses of God, and whom God (not man) has given all the tithes of the Church, for He says, “those who proclaim the gospel should get their living from the gospel-1Cor.9:14”. For surely, if the instructions we are getting from these God’s appointed servants are building us, yes, equipping us with the knowledge we need in pursuing our mind and character development, is it too much if they reap our material benefits-1 Cor.9:11?”Our Lord commands that he who is taught the word shares good things with him who teaches-Gal.6:6. Now, having all this information, let’s now answer our question. Who is responsible for the tithes? It is God Himself, not any man. After that, it is secondarily every man whom God calls into His Church. Hey! Someone is confused here, wondering what I mean, “its God, and its also every member”. Get is please.
GATHERED IN CHRIST
Please, let everyone who is reading understand. This message is for those who want to make the truth their thinking, feelings and desires, yes, who have nothing personal except to be made a god like Christ Himself; and who are searching for God’s life with all their hearts, which search, must be devoid of any manner of self. This I say because, anyone who doesn’t allow Christ to dwell in one’s heart can’t accept and obey God’s law-Rom.8:7. They will always be looking for a way of disqualify it, always engaged in disapproving arguments. With this alert, let’s go back to the point. Christ said, “ where the carcass is, there the vultures will be gathered- Mat.24:28”. Therefore, it is every church member’s responsibility, to prayerfully and searchingly establish where Christ has placed His name; I mean, who his appointed shepherd-of-the-flock is, for that is where he( the carcass) is. Itsvery strange, how most Church members today cant establish this, when Christ himself explicitly says, “ the spiritual man judges all things-1Cor.2:15”. Why then is it difficulty to know where Christ is working from? It can only be because, we have supressed the spirit to that level where it is packed somewhere at some corner of our minds, and given room to the carnal mind, which not only opposes God’s word, but also can’t understand it, thus making the holder doubtful of anything that God says. We are now exactly the way the Pharisees were in their days, so darkened in their minds though with the truth in their mouths, that, they could not know Christ. But that didn’t nullify God’s word. This is why Christ told them, and He is telling everyone of us, “ if anybody’s will is to do the will of God, then he should be in a position to know whether my teachings are God’s or am speaking on my own authority-John.7:16-17. But a true Church member will always be sure of where Christ is, for he/she knows his voice, and can’t mistake it with a stranger’s one-John.27, 5. Brethren, it is by the unmixed word of God that whoever is seeking where Christ is, will find Him, for He says, “ a servant of God speaks the word of God( and vise vasa-John.8:47)-John.3:34”. This is where the member’s responsibility to God’s tithe lies. So, once we establish who the true God’s servant is, that is where we take our tithes to Christ, not to the man; am talking in a spiritual language to the spiritual who are given to understand it-1 Cor.2:14-15. After that, their responsibility stops there. You have taken your tithe to God whom you have known by hearing and seeing His word at work in his servant. From that point, God takes the responsibility of giving his tithe to that servant, and holds him( not men) accountable, for He says, “ But no accounting should be asked from them for the money which is delivered into their hands, for they deal honestly- 2 Kings.22:7”. This kind of arrangement is not possible to Leodicea, where everyone is rejecting the command to not do according to what one thinks-Prov.3:5. For except God in Christ does His work of creating His knowledge in someone’s mind, he who builds does it in vain-Psalm.127:1.Therefore, for us to arrive here, there is need for total surrendership to God’s will, for if He doesn’t create us into that understanding, no one else can, or will do it( our messages, “ God’s work”, and, “ The Church of God”, will explain in details. Get them from www.endtimecog.org). If there is any time that God’s house has ever needed to be built, its now, for we are at its final touches, when all that He began, and has spoken of through the prophets and apostles is at the point of being accomplished, when the glorious kingdom of God is about to be established on this earth, with that glorious heavenly temple residing here on earth, yes, when the splendour of this latter house will be greater than the former. This will be possible if, every one of us will learn and be striving to be like God-Mat.5:48, a non-conditional giver, which can be possible only when true knowledge is applying. This will leave everyone doing what they do because they are standing before God, and carefully imitating Him in everything they do, using God’s gift for what God gave it to do, and knowing it to be God’s, and not one’s own, for, it is not in the way of eye service as men-pleasers, but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart-Eph.6:6. Are you among those who are given to understand, who have heard the command? Then, go up to the mountain and bring wood, that God’s house may be build (people’s hearts), that He may come and reside in it and show His glory-Hag.2:9. He who has ears, let him hear what the spirit is saying to the Church. This is reaching you from Christ our Lord through His servant,
THE ENDTIME CHURCH OF GOD