Church Membership Covenants

1. 60

   seamistposted 14 years ago

   What does everybody think about church membership covenants? What does everybody think about church membership covenants in which you have to pledge to tithe 10% of your income and "to obey and submit to church leaders" among other things?

   replyreport
   1. 76

      Lady LaShondaposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      This is my firm belief...
      
      Church leaders are gifts to the church according to bibical scriptures. They are sent to edify, unify, and perfect the saints. Now if they are sincerely sent by God, then they deserve reverance as such. What I find most hypocritical is the man will obey their boss because they get paid to do a job, but will not obey church leaders who cares for their souls.
      
      As far as their tithes, they are not obeying church leaders, they are obeying God which issues the covenants of blessings for doing such.

      replyreport
      1. 60

         Beelzedadposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         Child molesters are gifts sent by god? Yikes!

         replyreport
   2. 0

      Brenda Durhamposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      IF churches were even close to being like the original churches of the disciples, with leaders who really were God-fearing, humble men, then I can see submitting to their teachings and requests/rules.
      But until and unless that happens, I believe a Christian should give to the church only as he is able and as he sees fit.  The desire for money has gotten worse as time went on, from the leadership of many churches....

      replyreport
   3. 57

      exorterposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      church leaders are not rulers, they are guides, you do not obey them, you ask for advice,

      replyreport
2. 60

   turgumanposted 14 years ago

   submit to no human the only one u should submit to is God

   replyreport
   1. 60

      Beelzedadposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Submit to humans and we have slavery.
      
      Submit to gods and we have wars.
      
      Submit only to yourself and we shall see world peace.

      replyreport
      1. 57

         exorterposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         we are praying for you, maybe some day you will recieve a little sense

         replyreport
         1. 73

            earnestshubposted 14 years agoin reply to this

            How arrogant and assumptive is this?
            
            That's the business of godbothering!
            
            
            I after E .... except before C ........... a little poem to help you spell "receive"

            replyreport
3. 66

   Greek Oneposted 14 years ago

   sorry.. i only submit to God..
   
   (and to my wife... who gets WAY more than 10% of my income)

   replyreport
4. 74

   aguasilverposted 14 years ago

   My church membership record is held in the Lambs book of Life, that's the only membership role I need be listed on.
   
   If your church is a social club in reality, then you should pay membership fees to keep it open, but God does NOT require us to pay subscriptions, and anybody who believes that 'tithing' religiously will bring prosperity has followed the wrong gods and the wrong leaders.
   
   In the New Testament tithing is not required or proscribed, the last mention is in Malachi 3, it is not reiterated in the NT.
   
   Abraham paid a tithe first, to Melchesidech, a 'form' of Christ in the OT, but he ONLY paid it once (by the record) and he ONLY paid it on the 'spoils' he had taken in battle.
   
   Tithes have always been payable on the 'increase' i.e. if you started the year with 1000 sheep, and ended the year with 1200, you 'tithed' 20 sheep (and the best ones) to the Levites for temple sacrifice.
   
   We no longer have a Levite priesthood, nor a temple to send our sheep to.
   
   Besides which, God requires a LIVING sacrifice from us, our obedience to His word.
   
   Having said that, God does require that we see the truth that ALL of what He provides is from Him, to use in His service, and not ours to use as we like.
   
   God has no problem with our living well, as long as we honour Him with our lives, and listen to Him when He tells us to assist in His kingdom plans, in other words, we must use (or be prepared to use) ALL of His resources for others, IF He calls us to do so, which He does do on occasion to see whether we or He owns the cash we are custodians of on His behalf.
   
   Speaking from experience I can tell you that God gives and God takes away, that you cannot out give God, that God can bless you pressed down and overflowing, or reduce you to eating grass like the animals of the field, for a season, and HOW you get treated is dependent upon HOW you handle what God gives you to manage on His behalf.
   
   I also know that what we achieve here on earth has no bearing on what our worth may be in eternity, you cannot buy eternal life, nor earn it, nor donate enough to secure it.

   replyreport
   1. 0

      Brenda Durhamposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      AWEsome explanation!

      replyreport
      1. 74

         aguasilverposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         Thanks Brenda, should have made it a hub!.... maybe I will
         
         John

         replyreport
         1. 0

            Brenda Durhamposted 14 years agoin reply to this

            That would be great!
            This subject stalls lots of Christians, time after time.  I've seen it happen in churches myself, and heard friends tell me how they stopped going to a specific church because the leadership wanted personal knowledge of the members' paychecks, etc.!

            replyreport
            1. 74

               aguasilverposted 14 years agoin reply to this

               I actually have tons of info concerning this point, so when I have time, I'll get at it, meanwhile here's a useful site to read about it:
               
               http://www.apostasynow.com/tgd/tithing.html
               
               Check out the whole site!

               replyreport
               1. 60

                  Woman Of Courageposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                  I will check this site out when I get a chance.

                  replyreport
                  1. 61

                     h.a.borcichposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                     John - the link doesn't work. I tried it earlier - thought maybe it was me. So I just tried it again and it didn't work.

                     replyreport
            2. 61

               dutchman1951posted 14 years agoin reply to this

               The church I left preached money,  had an assistant Pastor stand up at a certin time and do that  at every service. They would stand in the back and watch who put money in the plate. They would note it.

               replyreport
         2. 61

            h.a.borcichposted 14 years agoin reply to this

            I think you should make the hub!

            replyreport
   2. 60

      Woman Of Courageposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      aquasilver, You have wriiten another true outstanding explanation.

      replyreport
5. 60

   Woman Of Courageposted 14 years ago

   There are leaders who say if we don't give our tithes, we are robbing God. I read in Malachi Ch. 3 about giving God 10% of the tithes, but this is the old testament. That does not apply to us today. We are now living in the new testament. Jesus has redeemed us from the curse of the law Galatians 3:13. The Old testament law were fulfilled on our behalf by Jesus when he died for us on the cross. We are required to be obedient to God as a living sacrifice to him to gain prosperity.Have anyone ever read the book Tithing And Still Broke? It's a really good book!

   replyreport