| Author | Message | ||
| Gregkleinig Registered user Username: Gregkleinig Post Number: 43 Registered: 12-2010 |
G'day. As a new SDA (1977) when I was taught about tithing I accepted what I was being taught without question. When you know nothing about the Bible how can you question those who supply both the question and the answer. So we tithed faithfully. I knew Malachi ch 3 real well. I was invited to take over the management of our family (3,000 acres) farm in western Australia and commenced in 1985 to do so. I just knew, I mean really absolutely knew, that God was going to bless our efforts and as a result "The Truth" (SDA truth) would become known because of the great things we would achieve. How could God not bless you when you loved Him so much that you tithed and kept the Sabbath. At the end of my 2nd year home we suffered a sheep theft which cost us $250,000. A lot of money now - even more back then. No worries I knew God would work a miracle. Interest rates went very high and we found ourselves paying 23%/annum. No worries I knew God would work a miracle. In 1990 Australia lost it's markets to Saudi Arabia for live sheep and we had a drought. No worries I knew God would work a miracle. I shot my sheep rather than watch them starve and buried them in huge pits in the ground that we blew with explosives. We taught ourselves. Having no income and 5 little boys, a wife and my two parents to provide for I went contract shooting sheep to provide for my family rather than watch them starve. I shoot about 12,000 sheep. It haunts me to this day. No worries hey, You got it; I knew God would work a miracle because I still tithed. In 1991 the area we farmed in had a wonderful season and we grew the best crops ever. See I told you God would work a miracle. I did my sums and that crop was big enough to get us out of our huge debt. On the 23rd of November 1991 we had a wind of Jobian proportions. Never before or since seen in our area. It was 105 degrees by 7am and blowing a gale. By midday our crops were flogged bare and on the ground. It was one day before harvest. No worries I knew God would work a miracle. At church that Sabbath I poured my heart of sorrow out to my fellow elders and other visiting dignitaries. I guess I needed a kind word. Well a lot of those good folk had their say that day; basically along the lines of Malachi ch 3. So it was proof to all those good people that I was secretly an evil person. Not one single person had a kind or encouraging word to say. I josh you not. Why I never got up and walked out forever I will never know. But hey; God works miracles. We had no money to meet our payments so the bank took us to the Supreme Court of WA. They messed up their case and did some bad things and we won. About that time I started to wonder whether God did really need my tithe at all. Eventually we sold the farm (after 19 years and no miracle other than me not killing myself). Along the way I got delivered from SDAism. (The miracle?) I sure don't pay tithe anymore. I help those in need when I can. Recently I had the joy of teaching my black sister from another mother from Zimbabwee that it is a fine thing to send her tithe back to her battling family in Africa. All my Adventist days I heard stories about how God would bless me if I tithed. Listen up - the New Testament doesn't teach tithing. Why? Because there was not supposed to be a priesthood (other than all believers)and no buildings to be upkept. So keep your tithe and be generous instead to those in need. Post script. We started over in 2003 and I am grateful indeed to God for the skill of my hands and the strength in my back and I have provided for my family a house and some land. Thankyou God. I am wondering about other peoples tithe paying experiences. | ||
| Flyinglady Registered user Username: Flyinglady Post Number: 9246 Registered: 3-2004  |
I will write on this tomorrow when it is not so late in the evening - 10:11 PM Pacific time in the USA. Diana L | ||
| Thegoldenway Registered user Username: Thegoldenway Post Number: 17 Registered: 5-2011 |
I was a tither....up til a month ago. That's when I began to see that it's not part of the NC. So right now I am actually studying into this issue. As I think about it, my reasons changed about 6 years ago regarding tithe. When they changed, so did my material circumstances. Six years ago, I started to give my tithe as a symbolic acknowledgement to God that He is Lord of all in my life as well as Lord of all of me. I gave it out of gratitude for what He blessed me with over that week. Over the last couple of weeks as I have been looking into the NT about tithing, I discovered that its not mentioned. Jesus does talk about tithing I believe "once" but it wasn't to promote it. Paul doesn't talk about it at all. What I have learned so far is that it's more about sowing and reaping. It's about "giving and sharing". In Acts, its about having all things in common with believers. I am learning that in the NC tithing isn't enough. In the NC its about being generous with what we have and helping those in need. It's about being generous. Tithing isn't generous and has nothing to do with being generous. Tithing has nothing to do with being a "cheerful giver" either. Tithing is a "must do" according to the OC. Tithing is a requirement in the OC. There is no such requirement in the NC. So that is what I am starting to see so far in what I have studied at this point. And believe me..... I am just "starting" to learn regarding a lot of things. lynn | ||
| Ric_b Registered user Username: Ric_b Post Number: 1114 Registered: 7-2004  |
Another important element to consider in this discussion is that the church is never God's storehouse. NT, free will generosity includes supporting ministries (our own church and other activities) but it also includes directly supporting others in need. Genorosity isn't defined by percentages, but by the motives of our hearts. We can give out of requirement. We can give as disaster insurance. We can give as an investment. We can give selflessly. | ||
| Thegoldenway Registered user Username: Thegoldenway Post Number: 18 Registered: 5-2011 |
amen! | ||
| Cloudwatcher Registered user Username: Cloudwatcher Post Number: 481 Registered: 5-2009  |
Thegoldenway---SDAs would agree with your points and since they believe in both covenants (as if), they tell their members to tithe and then give a cheerfully given, generous offering on top of that. | ||
| Thegoldenway Registered user Username: Thegoldenway Post Number: 24 Registered: 5-2011 |
Cloudwatcher: That is one of the things that has been made very very clear to me over the past month and that is the SDAs have created their own covenant so to speak. They have taken parts of the OC and parts of the NC and developed their own covenant....The SDA way (covenant). I didn't see all that til last month. Something happened and all of a sudden it was like a veil (or scales) were ripped off my eyes and I could see things so clearly so distinctly. It actually has been kind of a scary thing for me cuz I just couldn't believe that I had not seen all this before. How could I have missed seeing it all???!!!! As far as tithing is concerned, I have to admit that I haven't turned in a tithe for the last month...nor am I impressed with giving an offering at this time. (This I know is all temporary) I'm digging into the word and listening to the Holy Spirit teach me on these things right now and I know that He will tell me when to start giving again. I think that He just wants me to focus on learning the "Truth" right now without the "distractions" of all this other stuff. I have a lot to untangle right now..... 40 years of SDAism plus 6 generations of it to deal with. But He has accomplished a lot with me in just a month!!! And this forum has been VERY instrumental in all this untangling  lynn | ||
| Ric_b Registered user Username: Ric_b Post Number: 1124 Registered: 7-2004 |
Lynn, The have even added things that aren't in any covenant (abstaining from alcohol, meat, tobacco, spicy foods....). | ||
| Cloudwatcher Registered user Username: Cloudwatcher Post Number: 484 Registered: 5-2009 |
That's a good blog post/article/chart idea: The Old Covenant, The New Covenant and the Adventists Covenant. | ||
| Thegoldenway Registered user Username: Thegoldenway Post Number: 28 Registered: 5-2011 |
haha Your Right Ric! And so are you Cloudwatcher. It's actually the Adventist covenant. LOL |
