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PAGE 6 - THURSDAY,
MARCH 28, 2013
What The Bible Says About Tithing
Tithing is exclusively an Old
Testament doctrine. Bible pas
sages establishing the tithe are
Leviticus 27:30-33, Numbers
18:21-28, Deuteronomy 14:22-
29, and 2 Chronicles 31:4-6
Other pertinent passages are
Abraham offering Melchizedek
a tenth of the spoils of war
(Gen. 14: 20) and Jacob of
fering God “a tenth of all thou
giveth me.” (Gen. 28: 22). The
Israelites were required year-
after-year to give 10 percent
of their farm animals and farm
produce (grain, wine, olive oil,
honey, etc.) to the Levites. The
Levites were descendants of Ja
cob’s son, Levi, who were set
aside as members of the priest
hood to perform special duties,
first at the tabernacle in the wil
derness and later at the temple
in Jemsalem. Since the Levites
received no land in the divi
sion of Canaan, they depended
solely upon the tithe for their
livelihood. In turn, the Levites
were required to give one tenth
of the tithe they received (tithe
of the tithe) to the high priests.
Following destmction of the Je
msalem temple by Rome in 70
A.D., the cessation of temple
worship significantly reduced
the role of the Levites, thus
collection of the tithe in that
context was no longer relevant.
Modem day Jews, however,
purchase annual memberships
in the synagogue and contribute
to charities.
In contrast, nowhere does the
New Testament compel Chris
tians to comply with this legal
istic tithe system. However,
in the early Christian church
at Jemsalem, a more stringent
requirement was imposed: the
possessors of houses and land
were required to sell their prop
erty to raise money to care for
the widows and the poor. Be
cause Ananias and Sapphira
withheld some of the proceeds
from a property sale and did not
report it to the apostles distrib
uting the money, they both were
stricken dead.
Although pastors often ap
peal to the above Old Testament
passages to advocate tithing, the
logic of applying this anachro
nistic Levite support system is
debatable. In another sense, the
tithe may be a scriptural para
digm to follow. The Lord stated
in Malachi 3.10: “Bring the full
tithe into the storehouse and I
will open the windows ofheaven
and pour down for you an over
flow blessing.” In contrast, the
Apostle Paul, in raising money
for the church at Corinth, used
a different approach to giving:
“Each man should give what he
has decided in his heart to give,
not reluctantly or imder com
pulsion, for God loves a cheer
ful giver.” While prosperous
individuals can contribute more
than 10 percent, the extreme
poor, who must choose between
paying the heating bill or buy
ing medicine, are disadvantaged
in tithing.
Christians today are required
Will The Easter Bunny JustHopAway... Please!
I am what many people refer
to as a purist. Many do not
understand or know what a
purist is, so let me explain.
No, a purist is not a Puritan,
although I have nothing against
Puritans and lean heavily in
their direction. After all, I think
it is better to be radical in the
right direction than radical in
the wrong direction as many
people are today. I think the
Puritans are getting a bad rap
today.
A purist, however, is
someone who likes things just
the way they are. No additives.
No upgrades. No unnecessary
changes. If my light bulb goes
out, I want to change. That is
the limit for change except
maybe some of it that jingles in
my pocket.
Have you ever noticed that
once you are comfortable with
a computer program and really
like it, someone will upgrade it
until it is a completely different
program with no relationship
to the one you love? I hate that.
When you get something that
works, do not try to fix it. That
is one of the basic rules of life.
It is a rule I have been trying
to explain to the Gracious
Mistress of the Parsonage for
years. I keep telling her I am not
broken and therefore I do not
need fixing. It has become the
mission of her life to upgrade
me. Can you imagine that? I
love me the way I “are.”
Some people are more
like soup than anything else.
Anything and everything goes
into the pot. Not me. I like to
savor something in its own
environment.
So, I am a purist in many
regards, which can best be
seen from my point of view in
holidays. I like holidays but I
do not like all of the upgrading
and embellishments attached
to every holiday you can think
of except perhaps April 1.
We know who celebrates that
holiday.
I would like to enjoy a
holiday sometime without all
of the extras. At Christmas
time I want to celebrate the
purpose of Christmas, I have
no idea what a Santa Claus
with reindeer, and Frosty the
Snowman have to do with
Christmas. This is rather
confusing to me. What are we
celebrating at Christmas? If
you follow the commercials,
you have no idea what holiday
is being celebrated.
For Easter, I would like to
strip away all of the trappings,
all ofthe hype andjust celebrate
it for what it is. What do the
Easter bunny and the Easter
egg have to do with Easter?
I would be open to having a
holiday for the Easter bunny,
another holiday for the Easter
egg and if you want to get
technical, a holiday for Santa
Claus, one for Rudolph the red
nose reindeer and a separate
one for Frosty the Snowman.
When you put it all together, it
just is rather confusing to me.
I know who is in charge of
these holidays. A holiday is not
to celebrate but rather a holiday
is to make money. Some
people, and I will not mention
any names, have never seen a
holiday they did not want to
make a buck. Maybe every
holiday should be called “Buck
Day,” where we celebrate and
honor the almighty dollar.
One more holiday I would
suggest is one with no
commercials and no selling
whatsoever. A holiday where
you would be fined dearly if
you bought anything. Aholiday
from buying would suit me just
fine.
I know my critics will say
that unless somebody buys
something nobody makes
anything. I have no problem
with that. Wouldn’t it be nice
to have a holiday where that
kind of thing was not front and
center?
The value of the Easter
bunny is how much money
it can make for the person
sponsoring the holiday.
I have seen a very interesting
thing and I just cannot quite
explain it. Just before the
Easter holiday and leading up
to it, all the Easter candy is at
Believing
God
We all believe in
something. You and I can
put our faith in our job, the
amount of money we have,
what we own, the people
we know, and the list goes
on. The problem goes on.
The problem is, all of these
have the ability to fail us.
You and I need to believe in
what cannot fail us...Jesus
Christ. To believe means “to
accept as true, to trust or to
have faith in. Believing is
a key ingredient necessary
to receive the promises of
God.
You and I don’t have to beg
God to forgive us or feed and
clothe us or give us power
over the enemy. All we need
to do is believe these things
are ours because God’s
Word says they are ours.
Believing God means that
in every situation we face,
we have faith that God is in
control. It is believing Him
over what our circumstances
say, what others say, and
what the devil says in our
ears. We can call ourselves
T
Weekly Devotion
By Angie Carr
Columnist
believers, have Christian
bumper stickers on our car,
wear a gold cross, wear long
dresses, shout all over the
church, carry a five pound
bible or quote scriptures;
but if we are worried from
daylight till dark, we are not
believing God.
If you and I are truly
believing God, we are not
upset, we are not anxious,
worried or fearful. That
doesn’t necessarily mean
everything is easy or that
we are not hurting. It means
that in spite of any situation
we are in, we have a restful
peace on the inside of us,
knowing that God will work
any and everything out. Be
blessed!
Martha Jeanette Turner
Graveside services for Martha Jeanette Turner,64, of Rober
ta, were held Friday, March 22, 2013 at New Haven Baptist
Church Cemetery, Knoxville, GA. Jeanette passed away on
Wednesday, March 20, 2013 at Coliseum Medical Center.
She was of the Baptist faith and was preceded in death by her
parents, Lester Earl Childers and Ruby Harper Childers.
Survivors include her son, Richard Turner of Roberta; daugh
ter, Rhonda Childree of Butler; brother, Buck Childers of
Butler; four sisters, Jewel Turner of Roberta, Frances Har
mon of Butler, Ann Gamer of roberta, and Louise Bone of
Butler; one grandson, Jeremy Childree of Reynolds.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to:
Agape Hospice, 3312 Northside Drive, Macon, GA 31210.
You may sign the online guest register at www.mcleighton-
funeralservice.com.
Church Happenings
Billy Powell
Columnist
www.billypowellbooks.com
by law to pay taxes—federal,
state, and special purpose—
ranging from 30 to 50 percent
of income. If one decides to
tithe, should it be based on pre
tax or after-tax dollars? Since
a person’s pre-tax income is
not legally his, giving based on
gross or pre-tax income seems
unreasonable.
When the rich young ruler
asked Jesus, “How do I inherit
eternal life?” Jesus replied,
“Sell all you have and give it
to the poor.” Jesus praised the
widow who dropped two small
copper coins (worth about a
penny) into the temple offer
ing box, saying, “She gave all
she had to live on.” Bottom
line: the church and the cause
of Christ must be supported not
only by our money, but through
our talents and our time.
Out to Pastor
Rev. James L. Snyder
jamessnyder2@att.net or
whatafellowship.com
a premium price. Then, after
Easter, this same Easter candy
is at a hefty discount in the
stores. What has changed?
Could it be that the older
something gets the less it is
worth?
Of course, I am beginning to
feel that way myself, as I get
older. (Thanks, Uncle Sam.)
As a purist, I would like to
celebrate a holiday for once
without all of the rigmarole
and shenanigans. A holiday
where nobody will pester me.
A holiday where I can shut
out the world and enjoy the
comforts of home and family.
If I have not offended
anybody up to now, let me take
this a step further.
It would be nice to have a
holiday when all media would
shut down. No television. No
radio. No telephone or cell
phone. No Internet.
I know I am a radical, but
I think it would be nice some
time just to close out the world
and remember the things that
have value.
Even Jesus understood this
in his time. “And he said unto
them, Come ye yourselves
apart into a desert place, and
rest a while: for there were
many coming and going, and
they had no leisure so much as
to eat” (Mark 6:31KJV).
Therefore, I would like all
of these things to hop along
let me enjoy the things that
really have value to me before
I simply come apart.
Prayer Line, Tuesdays and
Thursdays, Christ Abundant
Life Ministries, S. Dugger Ave.,
Roberta. Call 478- 836-3912.
Word of God Tabernacle
invites you to join us for the
following weekly services:
Sunday Prayer at 9:00 a.m.,
Sunday School at 10:00 a.m.,
Sunday Service at 11:00 a.m.;
Monday Prayer at 9:00 a.m.;
Wednesday Prayer at 9:00 a.m.,
Wednesday Bible Study at 7:00
p.m.; Friday Prayer at 9:00 a.m.
Everyone is invited. Pastor
Frank Martin, Sr.
Springhill Baptist Church is
providing free Tutoring Service
every Monday at 5:30- 6:30
p.m. 71, Springhill Church Rd.,
Roberta.
Marriage Restored weekend is
scheduled for April 12-14, 2013
in Macon, GA. Marriage Restored
is a weekend program for couples
who have experienced marriage-
threatening circumstances and it
is a weekend of hope for couples
in crisis. All faiths are welcome.
For more info visit the website at
www.marriagerestored.com
Gospel Meeting Revival:
Knoxville GA Church of
Christ. Guest speaker Daunae
Permenter. Wednesday, March
27- Sunday, March 31, Wed-Fri
7:00 p.m., Sat. 6:00 p.m. and
Sunday, Lord’s Day Worship at
10:30 a.m.
Pineview Baptist Church
will be celebrating their church
anniversary the 1st Sunday in
April (4/7/13) at 11:30 a.m.
Orange Grove Baptist Church
will host a Good Friday Service
Friday March 29th at 7:30
p.m. Presenting the recorded
statement from the cross
climaxing with the spoken word
from our special guest, Rev.
Ricky Wright, pastor of Pleasant
Grove Church in Musella. Easter
Sunday morning a special Sun
Rise service beginning at 7:00
a.m. with special guest Rev.
Kenneth Oates, pastor of Pine
Grove CME Church.
Deadline for Church
Happenings: Friday 5
p.m.
McLeighton Funeral Service
view obituaries at www.mcleightonfuneralservice.coin
375 S. Dugger Avenue
Roberta, Georgia
478-836-3336
David & Donna
McLeighton - owners
’Our Family Serving
Your Family
Granite • Marble • Bronze • Coping • Monument Cleaning • Sandblasting
33 Serving all Middle Georgia cemeteries 33
Kade E. Rooks
P. O. Box 1711, Fort Valley, GA 31030 *478-825-2424 or 478-951-1571 *Fax: 478-825-3794
