You can hardly go to church anymore or watch Christian television without being confronted with preachers talking about money. Um… we could rather say, begging for money. Many churches have adopted the methods of charities to raise money. Just like worldly charitable organizations, they tap into the emotions of empathy and solidarity. Latou te iloa, that if you pull the emotions and feelings of people, people are often more willing to give. Ae peitai, many Christians are annoyed by this begging-for-money culture in the church and don’t want to go to church anymore. Some will even leave the church and stay away. All because of this carnal begging behavior that the church has copied from the world and Christianized. What does the Bible say about money? What does the Bible say about tithing and giving?
The begging-for-money culture in the church
Week after week, it’s the same routine. When it’s time for the buckets, the elder or pastor shares a dramatic story about the lack of the church and what they could do if they got money. Or they share an inspirational story of a financial miracle after they or someone else had given money.
Lea auala, they make an emotional appeal and play with the senses and feelings of the hearers in the church, who are touched by the story and are more willing and motivated to give.
And do you know what the worst thing is? Some even preach from the pulpit, that you must give money in order to receive healing. They say when you sow money, you will reap healing. Now how is that possible? The only way to be healed is by the stripes of Jesus Christ.
Whatever you sow you will reap. If you sow money, you will reap money. If you want to have an apple tree to reap apples, and you put a seed of a mulberry tree in the ground, you will not get an apple tree with apples but a mulberry tree.
I le lalolagi, you can almost buy everything with money, but in the Kingdom of God, it doesn’t work that way.
Many believers, who are not born again or are still spiritual babies, often believe this lie and give money in order to get carnal blessings, like healing, o le toalua, a job, a house, ma faapena atu ai lava.
The believers are being manipulated to give. Even when you receive an email from the church and open the email, it starts with all kinds of wonderful promises from the Bible; le Afioga a le Atua, but when you scroll down, the true reason for sending the email is revealed, because all they want is your money.
Why do preachers have to beg for money?
Ae aisea do preachers constantly beg for money? We serve an Almighty God. God is so great, that He can move the hearts of people in an instant to give. Why have these preachers taken over the role of God? If they believe in their own ability and use the methods of the world, God will withdraw Himself.
Why don’t they just rely on God instead of relying on people? Why don’t they believe in the Word since it is written that God is Ua toʻasā Ieova; He is our Provider?
They constantly ask and beg for money, while they preach that you have to trust God and believe God for blessings. This behavior shows that they don’t believe God and don’t believe what is written in the Bible and don’t apply their words in their own life. They don’t practice what they preach.
Preachers should start acting upon their words and practice what they preach and stop begging for money. They should stop using the gospel and spiritual blessings of God, for raising money.
Ae faapefea Kerisiano? What do Christians do with their income? Because both parties in the church; the leaders of the church and the church members, have difficulties trusting God and relying on Him.
Both parties have lost their faith in God and don’t believe truly that God will provide for their needs.
Many Christians have become lovers of money
While the Bible says, that God shall supply your needs and that you don’t have to worry, because God is your Provider, there is a lot of poverty among Christians. Many Christians are lacking and suffering. Aisea? Because many Christians don’t want to listen to God, let alone obey God. They don’t want to do what God is telling them to do through the Word or to their heart.
When God speaks to the hearts of Christians to give, they don’t listen to Him. They look first at their own situation. They look at their needs and all the things they can do with that money.
Some can hardly make ends meet and therefore they don’t give to the Lord. I se faapuupuuga, there are many reasons why Christians are not willing to give.
They don’t rely on God and don’t give to God what belongs to Him and be thankful, but they are greedy and steal from God.
They let greed and the love of money rule in their heart, which is a fruit of the old man and not of the new man (Faitau foi: Tuu ese le toeaina ma ofu le tagata fou)
Although they say, that they are not greedy and are not lovers of money, oa latou gaioiga e peiseai.
They rely more on their money and on the predictions of the economics of this world than they rely on the Almighty God and believe and do what God says in His Word.
They don’t give to God anymore, but they keep the money for themselves and spend it on (o mea o) le lalolagi. And without knowing, they build the kingdom of the devil.
Churches are closing, because Christians keep their wallets closed
Many churches are having a hard time paying their mortgages, bills, and dues, because Christians keep their wallets closed. As a result of Christians keeping their wallets closed, many churches are closing. Church buildings are bought and used as restaurants, hotels, kalapu, ma faapena atu ai lava. Ma o le mea tonu lena o le Tiapolo Manaomia; close the churches and them for his kingdom (Faitau foi: Faʻafefea e le Pogisa Ona Faʻateleina le Malamalama).
Christians can pray for the existence of their church building, but if they don’t give money, their prayers are useless.
On Sundays, Christians sing wholeheartedly; “let it rain, let it rain, open the floodgates of heaven”. But what is God telling us in the Bible about the floodgates?
Return unto me, and I will return unto you, ‘ua fetalai mai ai le ALI‘I o ‘au. But ye said, Wherein shall we return? E faoa ea e se tagata le Atua? A ua outou faoa a'u mea. A ua outou fai mai, O le a le mea ua matou faoa ai oe? I sefuluai ma taulaga. Ua fetuuina outou i se fetuu: auā ua outou faoa mea mai ia te au, e oo lava i lenei atunuu atoa.
‘Ia ‘outou ‘aumai mea e sefulua‘i uma i le faleteuoloa, that there may be meat in Mine house, ma tofotofo mai nei ia te au i lenei mea, ‘ua fetalai mai ai le ALI‘I o ‘au, afai ou te le toina pupuni o le lagi mo outou, ma sasaa atu le manuia mo outou, ina ia le lava se avanoa e talia ai. + Ou te aʻoaʻi atu foʻi i lē e ʻaina mea ona o outou, na te le faaumatia foi fua o lo outou laueleele; e lē to'ulu fo'i ona fua a o 'outou vine i le fanua, ‘ua fetalai mai ai le ALI‘I o ‘au. And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, ‘ua fetalai mai ai le ALI‘I o ‘au (Malachi 3:7-12)
Before the existence of the law, Abraham tithed
Masalo e te manatu: “Ia, God did indeed say that, but that is a commandment of the law under the Old Covenant and we (Kerisiano) are not living under the law anymore, but we live under the New Covenant”.
You are partially right. Because yes, God spoke these words in the Old Covenant. But before the law came, we read in the Book of Genesis, that Cain and Abel gave God an offering of their firstlings (Kenese 4:3).
And in Genesis 14:20, we read about Abraham giving tithes of all, i Mekisiko, the king of Salem. And they lived before the law and belonged to the generation of the old creations and not the new creations.
What does the Bible say about tithing in the New Covenant
When we go to the Book of Acts, we read that those, who came to Christ and became a new creation, sold mea uma and gave it all to God. They gave all their possessions to the apostles of the Church; o le Tino o Keriso. How about that? Thats’s more than giving a tenth of your income.
There were also churches, who were canral, faataitaiga, the church at Corinth. I le 2 Korinito 8, Paul taught the church regarding giving.
Tele taimi, Christians only want to receive and are not willing to give. But let us give what belongs to God. Start by giving a tenth of your income, because you are thankful that God has blessed you with a job; with an income, a house, meaai, ma isi. and give gifts to the poor.
When you are grateful and thankful to God, you will give to God out of your own free will. E le ona e tatau ona e faia, ae ona ua e manao ai (Faitau foi: ‘Lotu po o sootaga‘).
How to get out of debt?
Maybe you are struggling with finances or you are in debt and don’t see a way out. Start giving to God. Because of your obedience and by giving to God, you show Him that you love Him and trust Him and that you believe that God shall provide in every situation.
Spend time in the Word of God and in prayer, tithe and give and stop spending money on the world on things for yourself, which you don’t need.
When you do this, you will see that God will miraculously take you out of that situation and that God will restore your finances. God will fulfill His promises, when you meet the conditions. Ona, you should first seek His Kingdom and His righteousness and everything else will be added to you!
Don’t give money out of greed, but give out of love
Don’t give money out of greed, to receive more money back. This is not the right attitude to give. But give out of love, because you love God and are thankful to God. when you give to God out of a thankful heart, E te maua le fiafia i lou loto.
But this I say, He which sows sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which sows bountifully shall reap also bountifully (2 Korinito 9:6)
And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work (2 Korinito 9:8)
He hath dispersed abroad; he hath given to the poor: his righteousness remains for ever. Now he that ministers seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness; (Salamo 112:9)
As God says, Prove Me. The question to you is: Do you dare to believe God?
‘Ia fai ma masima o le lalolagi’
