Modern preachers have twisted the concept of tithing.  I’m not a Biblical scholar, but I am offering my two cents worth.
Here is a brief overview of the history of tithing.

In the Old Testament, a man was commanded to tithe on his INCREASE.  I will begin with an example.  Suppose a man counts his sheep on the first day of the calendar year.  For the sake of argument, let’s use the U.S. calendar and call this
Jauaary 1st. Let’s call this farmer “Abraham,” and let’s say on January 1st he owns 100 sheep.  He tends to his sheep
throughout the year, and counts them again on December 31st.  Let’s suppose he now owns 110 sheep.  His increase for this calendar year would be 10 sheep.  His tithe would be one sheep.  Now I’m not a bean counter, so I can’t tell you the effect of sin offerings or gifts to neighbors.  We can agree, however, that Abraham gained 10 sheep and should tithe one sheep. Also remember that this tithe will be presented by the priest.  He will invite the poor to eat with him, so it is basically a feast (much like Americans do for Thanksgiving or Christmas–except this meal is eaten by the priest, his family, and a group of poor (perhaps homeless) people.

Let’s fast-forward to the New Testament.  Jesus did not use the words “tithe” or “tithing” very much.  In my concordance (the 1980 version of Abington’s Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible), the word “tithes” is only used 5 times in the New Testament.  If tithing were a pillar of Christian belief, would it not be mentioned numerous times (e.g words like “love” or “faith”)?

What does the New Testament say about tithing?  Here are a few examples.  In Luke 18: 10 – 14, we read the story about the pharisee and the tax collector.  The Jews despised tax collectors.  These people represented the evil arm of the government.  In addition to carrying out the decrees of the governor, tax collectors often “helped themselves” with “bonuses.”  I have no idea what kind of salary they were paid (probably much less than modern IRS agents).  Still, Jesus could see through to the heart of these individuals.  The two characters in the story, of course, were types (archetypes, if you will).  If Jesus were alive today, he might have given them names to make the story seem more real.  Before I explain the relevance of this story, I feel the need to mention two more references.  In Mark 12:41 – 44, Jesus is watching the offering plate being passed (in the modern parlance).  Jesus compares the widow’s sacrifice to that of others.  He says she gave more (proportionately) than others.  And in Matthew 21:13, Jesus goes into the temple and drives out the “money changers.” In those days, the priests made money by buying and selling sheep (and other animals used for sacrifice).  Basically, a sheep was supposed to be without blemish.  The priests, being the “inspectors,” would make a determination as to the suitability of each sacrifice. A sheep was supposed to be sacrificed from one’s personal “stock”–something near and dear to the believer.  If a man travelled a long way to the temple and then
found out his sacrifice was “unacceptable,” the priest would conveniently have a “perfect” animal for sale.  Jesus realized the priests were taking advantage of the people, and He was incensed.

What do these three New Testament stories have in common?  Jesus was saying “it is time to get down to the heart of the matter.”  The Pharisees were not bad people.  In fact, they had high moral standards.  The problem was they had achieved a clean lifestyle.  I know, there were exceptions.  A few committed adultery.  Others had two sets of weights for their scales (one set for buying and another set for selling).  And they were great at finding loopholes in the law (like throwing a sandal off the back of the wagon every mile or so to void the “leaving home” clause).  But it would be unfair to call these behaviors typical.  The pharisees took responsibility for their actions (for the most part).  If a man got a woman pregnant, he would provide for his child.  By today’s standards, a pharisee would be a saint.

Why was Jesus so hard on the pharisees?  There were several reasons.  Basically, they trusted in their own righteousness.  They were good people, and they knew it.  The pharisees understood the system, and they used their influence to advance their own agendas.  Unfortunately, they became smug.  They worked hard and prospered, but they gave credit to themselves.  They advanced the concept of “God helps those who help themselves.”  They honestly believed they were blessed because they deserved it.  More on this subject later.

What is the New Testament rule on tithing?  Here’s the rub.  Jesus did not create a new set of rules.  He created a New Covenant, but He did not create a new set of rules.  He wrote a new “constitution” or sorts.  Jesus came to earth to teach us how to love one another.  Jesus called “love” the greatest (highest) law.  He was about compassion.  He told a pharisee that he “should” tithe (Matthew 23:23).  Why?  This pharisee had money.  By contrast, He didn’t think the widow (Mark chapter 12) should tithe.  Jesus had common sense.  He understood dirt poor people cannot afford to tithe.  What is the rule?  Begin with common sense.  If your refrigerator is empty, you don’t need to drop $100 in the offering plate.

Remember, the book of Malachi was written approximately 400 years before Jesus was born.  When a church is experiencing financial difficulty, the preacher may decide to preach from Malachi.  We’ve all heard the sermons about “robbing God.”  Ironically, Jesus never preached on the book of Malachi.  Rather, it was His mission to remove our “heart of stone” and replace it with a “heart of flesh”  (Ezekiel 36:26).

We live in a strange world.  We’ve all heard the analogies and metaphors.  The group Petra described Christians as “strangers” and “aliens”.   Karl Marx referred to religion as the “opiate of the masses.”  In my last job, part of my “harassment training” involved a description of “preaching in the workplace” as harassment.  Despite the “warnings,” I kept a Bible on my desk, and I did not hide my faith.

Are there two kingdoms?  In my mind, it seems so.  And yet, there is a puzzle to solve.  I will begin with the “theory.”  The Bible says Satan is the “god of this world.”  What happened to the Almighty?  God created the heavens and the earth.  He created the sun, the moon, and stars.  Then part of his creation (Satan) staged an insurrection.  How did God punish him?  By sending him to the earth!  Man would have to choose who to serve.

I love John Milton’s description in “Paradise Lost”.  We see vivid descriptions of Adam and Eve, the great temptation scene, and Satan’s long trip to earth.  He even added a humorous line.  When the devil reached earth, his first words were “Oh hell.”

The Bible is not as descriptive.  In fact, the scriptures are sparse when it comes to Satan–especially in the Old Testament.  One Bible student told me that the scriptures are revealed incrementally.  God gave us a brief account of creation and the fall of man.  If we read between the lines, we learn that Satan rebelled against God and he was cast down to earth.  Somehow, Satan grabbed the reins of the world’s business systems.  Even this description, however, is exaggerated by preachers today.  These preachers have made a mountain out of a mole hill.  I have been guilty of blowing things out of proportion.  I mistakenly believed that Satan runs everything.  He is the CEO of America.  Isn’t this what the Muslim terrorists believe?  Isn’t America evil? Well, not exactly.

We have all seen the cartoons.  An executive carrying a briefcase has returned from a meeting with “ol’ Slewfoot” (the man in the red suit with horns and a pitchfork).  Executives seem to be soul-less.  After all, they design mergers, lay people off, and then collect their million dollar bonuses.  Right?  I must confess–I have no data on the spiritual condition of CEOs.

All my life, I have felt persecuted.  My wife tells me my paranoia is baseless.  In my last job, I rose through the ranks from a lowly lab technician to the assistant lab manager.  Not bad for a member of the “oppressed” religion.

What happened to me?  What was I experiencing.  More on that subject later.  For now, I will say I had trouble filtering truth from reality.  We all encounter “noise” in the workplace.  We daily hear threats–rising health insurance premiums, plant shut downs, and layoffs (to name a few).  Most of the bad things we predict never materialize, however.  Why?  Because God is actually on His throne.

After reflecting on my painful experience, I’m still not sure if I had a kidney stone.  In the past, my cure had been sugarless lemon-aid.  I drank plenty of water (and lemon-aid) to be sure.  But I did not get x-rays (or the typical IVP).  After all, I do not have health insurance.  The doctor did say I had blood in my urine, so I may have had a kidney stone (and still may have one).  But the big problem was the diverticulitis.  I feel bad for leading the doctor in the wrong direction.

I used a self-treatment for my diverticulitis.  It consisted of drinking plenty of water, taking a laxative (the magnesium citrate liquid), and taking powdered fiber.  Having worked for a chemical company, I took it upon myself to conduct a “root cause analysis.”  I searched my brain for the “bad” things I had eaten over the previous week.  I determined that the culprit was popcorn seeds.  I had been cooking popcorn in the microwave.  For some reason, the “plain” popcorn does not cook as completely as the bagged popcorn.  I was left with un-cooked seeds in my bowl.  I tried to thoroughly chew them.  Of course, anyone who has suffered diverticulitis knows to avoid “seeds” (corn, popcorn seeds, peanuts, etc.).  I knew better, but my condition had not reared its ugly head in several years.

So now you know.  My condition was truly self-inflicted.  I wanted to blame God, but I knew better.

We’ve all experienced it–the “retribution for our sins.”  At least that’s how it feels.

My story begins in early January.  Desperate to make money, I visited a nearby plasma donation center.  A friend had told me about his experiences (and the “easy money”), so I decided to try it.  The first day was grueling.  I spent about 5 hours at the center.  Most of the time was spent waiting, but it was my first visit.  This meant I had to go through the brief physical, paperwork, and lab tests.  When all was said and done, I made a little cash ($40).  A little cash went a long way for me.  I was able to put gas in my car, so I was happy.

Over the course of 5 weeks, I donated plasma 10 times.  My body was supposed to restore it’s water balance in just 2 days, so I thought I was okay.  On my 10th donation, the phlebotomist had problems.  I was dehydrated, and she couldn’t get blood from my left arm.  Another phlebotomist tried to help also, but now luck.  The first nurse tried was training another phlebotomist, so she described the process.  “This is how you do a second stick,” she began.  She went through the process of removing and discarding the tubing (with the needle).  She then stuck my right arm.  She slowed down the machine and cautioned me not to pump too hard.  I didn’t understand that idea.  Still, I complied (after a few warnings).  I was able to deliver about a cup of plasma before the blood stopped flowing.  The red lights would flash and the machine would beep.  The phlebotomist seemed frustrated as she removed the tubing.  “I hate when this happens on the first patient,” she told the trainer.  “Should I go to the back window?” I asked.  I was hesitant to ask if I would get paid.  “Oh you get paid for today,” she assured me.

When I went to the window, I noticed the familiar face.  The worker was missing a couple of teeth.  She had a southern (New Orleans?) accent.  She also had a tattoo on her neck.  It was someone’s name.  I didn’t want to stare, so I couldn’t read it.  “The hurt you today,” she began.  “But I’m gonna fight for you.”  I’m not sure what she meant.  She told me I could come back in 8 weeks.  “Please come back,” she said, almost pleading.

I knew at that instant my plasma donation days were over.  I could say “goodbye” to “easy money.”  I would have to look for other ways to make money.  I applied for substitute teaching.  I had a telephone interview.

Less than two weeks later, I was at the library.  I started having pains in my lower back (left side).  I had slight pains in my left lower abdomen also.  I went home and took a nap.  The pain persisted for about two days.  I couldn’t stand it any longer, so I went to the doctor.  The doctor found blood in my urine and a slight temperature.  She did not order x-rays, so she couldn’t be certain I had kidney stones.  She thought I might have kidney stones and a case of diverticulitis.  Just my luck–two illnesses at one time.  What did I do to deserve this?  My only answer was plasma donation.  By donating plasma too often, I became dehydrated.  Dehydration set up the conditions for kidney stones.  Maybe losing plasma lowered my resistance to diverticulitis.  I’m not sure.  My wife reminded me that all of my plasma donation money would be spent on this doctor’s appointment (I have no insurance).  Oh well.  I can only blame myself.  This was not my first kidney stone.

Since I am on pain medication, I can now say, “it is well with my soul.”

Last Sunday I attended my “new” church.  This was my third visit.  It is said “the Lord works in mysterious ways.”  I found this church through a salesman who I shall call “Gene”.  Gene is the guy who sold me a three year contract for merchant services.  I had met Gene through a networking organization, and a free cup of Starbucks coffee was all it took to soften me up to his sales pitch.  OK, I’m easy (“easy as Sunday morning?”) But that’s another story.

I had resisted Gene’s church because several of his business friends (another networking organization) had mentioned tithing.  Oh, the dreaded, offensive term.  My photography business had all but failed (another long story), and I admitted to struggling financially.  After one of our group discussions, someone suggested that the best way to keep from being “robbed by the devil” was to tithe.  I had heard this argument many times before.  I shall blog on tithing at another time.  I was so offended by her comment that I avoided “her” church for several weeks.  All I could think was “is this the fruit of her church?  I had attended “her” church about 8 years ago, and the issue of tithing was why I left.  I got tired of hearing it preached “every week”.

To make a long story short (again), my family was late leaving for church (my old church) one morning.  So it was plan B.  My new church started at 11:15, and we were “almost” on-time.  So began my new church.  I read in the bulletin that someone had produced a movie, and my younger son is interested in becoming a movie producer (in a few years).  Also, this church is multi-cultural (by profession and by example).  So I was hooked.

Last Sunday was communion Sunday.  The pastor carefully explained the church’s “rules” (who is allowed to take communion) and what to expect (the process).  He added something interesting.  He said “while you are taking communion, you will feel something lifting up inside.  This is the weight of your sins as you are forgiven.”  I have always believed that God forgives our sins, but for the past several years I have “doubted” God’s forgiveness.  For some reason, I had locked onto this idea that God was getting ready to discard me–like an old tool.  And yes, this feeling was linked to my layoff.  When I was laid off (almost 2 years ago), I felt rejected (written off) by God.  Ever since that date, I have struggled with rejection by would-be employers.  In essence, I couldn’t “buy” a job.  Even McDonald’s ignored my application.  I started a photography business, but for over a year I have spent more than I have earned.

Last Sunday (shortly after communion), I felt a weight lifted.  I knew I was forgiven.  At this point, I am refusing to catalog my sins.  All I can say now is that God’s love is “renewed every morning.  Great is Thy faithfulness.”  As King David said, “His mercies are forever.”

It has been almost two years since I was laid off.  I was working for BASF-the largest chemical company in the world.  I had a cushy job, and I was making slightly more than $50,000 per year.  I was “second in command”–reporting directly to the plant manager.  Of course, there were at least a dozen others reporting to the same person, so my job did not carry nearly as much responsibility as, say a chemical engineer.  Still, I felt important.  Then suddenly I was unemployed.  Of course, I saw it coming (for about three years), but that’s another story.

I have struggled for the past two years.  I spent my severance package (including incentive pay), my  tax refunds, and all of my equity in my home.  I even ran up my credit cards.   I have submitted hundreds of copies of my resumes and dozens of tedious job applications.  And for what?  Only to be shot down.

Something seems to be holding me back.  I walked to the edge of the Red Sea, but it has not yet parted.  I’ve tried praying and even fasting.  Still, the little voice says, “nothing has changed.”  I don’t believe this little voice.  Still, what do I need to do to move on?

My walk of faith began when I was very young.  Oh sure, I complained about going to church as a toddler.  I threw my share of temper tantrums, but somehow God sowed a seed in me at an early age.  I remember attending a vacation Bible school at age 10.  It was at a Methodist Church (I think) in Norfolk.  Ironically, it was there that I met my friend Bill.  Bill was nearly the antithesis of what I was trying to become.  He was worldly, lustful, agressive, and (by the girls’ standards) a hottie.  I know, we were only 10.  As boys, we fought, argued, and cheated one another.  I was honest in my dealings, but I was taken advantage of many times. More on my michievious times later.

My Christian life began officially when I said the Sinner’s Prayer.  I was watching Pat Robertson on TV.  He said one of his invitations, and I accepted.  I knew I had been a bad boy.  I had “run the streets” with my friends.  Although my friends committed most of the crimes, I was an accomplis (at a minimum).  I had thrown pears at a neighbor’s shed.  I had smoked cigarettes.  And there was even more to follow after saying the Sinner’s Prayer.  For me, salvation was more than a single prayer.  It was the beginning of a term of enlistment.  It was to become a long fight.  I would get knocked down (or knocked out) many times.  It took me years to understand the effects of peer pressure (and my desire for acceptance).

My walk continued as I read the Bible everyday.  I read many versions–The King James, The Ryrie Study Bible, and others.  At one time, I had one that zipped up.  Over time, I found that I read through the entire New Testament.  Then I would read the entire Old Testament.  Years later, I would alternate each day.  I might read the New Testament in the morning and alternate it with Psalms or Proverbs at night.  One time my dad even walked in my bedroom.  “What are you reading?  Oh, religion.”  I tried to explain that it was more than religion–it was a personal walk.  I believe I eventually got through to him.

My walk began during turbulent times.  My parents argued constantly.  I could feel the tension in the air.  They were divorced when I was 12, and I was shaken up.  I turned to my friends for acceptance, but they expected “sinful” activities.  In order to be accepted by them, I would have to “sell my soul.”  On several occasions, however, I read the scripture that says, “whoever stiffens his neck beyond reproof will in the end be broken beyond healing.”  It scared the hell out of me.  I knew I was repeating this cycle of sin, repentance, forgiveness, and sin.  I felt like the pig that was washed–only to return to the mud.  I kept imagining God would lose patience with me.  I just knew that God would ex-communicate me.

So, who is God?  As I see it, here is what He is:

1)  The creator of all that is–seen and unseen.  Yes, God made the universe–the sun, the moon, the stars, humans, all plants and animals.  And yes, He made the spiritual (unseen) beings as well.  God made angels, and He made our souls.

2)  The sustainer of everything.  As Saint Paul said, “In Him we live and move and have our being.”  God keeps everything going.  If He decides to destroy the universe, He can do so just by “relaxing.”

3)  The giver of free-will.  That is a loaded topic.  More later.

And perhaps I shall add to these attributes.

What God is not:

1)  The fun police.  He gives us free-will.  We can party until it hurts.  Just remember: when you are bowing to the “ceramic god,” don’t blame the Almighty.

2) A game-show judge.  I shall refrain from using actual names.  A man asked Jesus “tell my brother to share his inheritance with me.”  Jesus replied, “Man, who made me a judge.”  And in the Psalms, “God makes the rain to fall on the just and the unjust.”  You see, God does not fire CEOs just because they make too much money.  He leaves that up to humans (e.g. the U.S. President).

3)  A slot machine.  If you want to play slot machines, go to Atlantic City or Las Vegas.  God has better things to do that to deliver “pennies from heaven.”  Those pennies hurt when they hit you in the head.  When God opens the “windows of heaven,” He simply makes it rain.

What is God’s character?

1)  The scriptures tell us that God is a God of forgiveness  “His mercies are new every morning.”

2)  God loves us.  God sent Jonah to Nineva to save them.  God wanted to give the Ninevites a chance to repent.  In the New Testament, Jesus said, “how long I have wanted to gather you up like a hen gathers her chicks.”  And of course, there is the Old Testament example of the believer being “renewed like the eagle.”  More on that later.

3)  God wants to give each of us a chance (or many chances).  He could just strike us down, but He listens as we repent.  On many occasions, King David celebrated his new lease on life.  He repeatedly talked about being spared from his enemies.

Perhaps I will expand this post later.  That is the beauty of a blog.

My name is Joe.  I have been walking in faith for a very long time (decades).  I do no claim to be a scholar or theologian.  I am just an ordinary human being in search of truth.

I believe in the Christian God.  I believe there is only one God.  People give Him different names to try to put Him in a box.  God does not like to be put in a box.  He told Abraham not to even give Him a name.  I like the old translation of “YHWH” as “I am that I am.”  God said, tell them “I AM” sent you.

So what is in a name?  With God, we are talking about definitions–His likes and dislikes, and yes, His very character.

In my next post, I shall attempt to describe the Almighty.