God’s Word says —
“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” (1 Peter 5:8)
Yes indeed! He is active in so many ways. In fact the Word warns us of his desperation now.
“Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.” (Rev. 12:12)
Thus, he shows his artful and even insidious work today, all to bring down souls to his pit. One of those deceptions is in the mishandling or even thievery of God’s money–His Tithes.
Many of you are aware that over the years we have tried to report on “advancing truth” better known as “present truth”. SOP tells how important this is.
“Satan is pressing in on every side, and unless we watch for him, and have our eyes open to his devices and snares, and have on the whole armor of God, the fiery darts of the wicked will hit us. There are many precious truths contained in the Word of God, but it is “present truth” that the flock needs now.” (EW, p.63)
With our armor “present truth”. we will be better prepared to withstand his attacks. But sadly, some present truth advocates have been caught in his snare. One of those is “brother E.”. This brother has had his own ministry for over a decade now, and has advocated the final message of Elijah (Mal. 4:5) aka present truth. His method of ministry is largely three websites and a couple YouTube channels.
However, somewhere along the line our adversary had watched him closely and sprang when it was time. Whispering into his ear, he has convinced this brother that the following is what present truth believers can do with their tithes.
1) Set up their own home storehouse complete with a system to print out literature of the present truth from your own printer.
2) He advises and helps to set up this process
3) He pushes the idea that we are in the “scattering period” based on Zech. 13:7, and Testimonies 7, p.140.
4) He then declares that anyone who publishes the present truth from their own home can collect Tithes. They are “qualified” to do so by the Lord.
5) His whole ministry is largely based on this idea and he produces YouTube videos and Website reports advocating such a system.
There are SO MANY false beliefs and ideas here, we hardly know where to start! But let us show some of them
First, as a Elijah message messenger, we learn one of the beginning most basic tenets of our faith — the Lesson of Zech. 4. Here is a chart that the prophet drew based on that Scripture.
For those who aren’t up to speed on this prophecy, the basic lesson is that this design shows how God dispenses truth (His Word and Prophecy) down to the people. Take a look at the two golden pipes coming from the two olive trees. The message declares the following about those pipes —
“Let all Present Truth believers carefully study the fourth chapter of Zechariah, and take particular notice of the method there illustrated, which God employs to reveal truth to His people. The diligent Bible student will there see that the candlestick represents the church membership (Rev. 1:20); that the tubes from the golden bowl (the writings of the Spirit of Prophecy) to the candlestick, represent the ministry (“Testimonies to Ministers,” p. 188); that the olive trees are symbolical of the Old and New Testament Scriptures (“The Great Controversy,” p. 267); and that the two golden pipes, which carry the golden oil from the trees to the bowl, are the only two mediums which God has employed since 1844 A.D. to interpret the Scriptures.” (5 SC, no. 1-5, p.3)
Thus we see that ONLY two mediums (two prophets) since 1844 have been authorized to “interpret the Scriptures”. So this lesson is basic to our faith. Yet strangely, brother E ignores or doesn’t care about this method.
How do we know this? We carefully review the Scriptural index to see what the prophet spoke about on Zech. 13:7. We find two references —
“The word “cometh” from Jude 14, with Jude 15, is applied to His second advent, the same as Zechariah 13:6. Verse (6) is applied to Christ’s second coming and verse (7) to His crucifixion.” (2 SRod, p.241)
Zech. 13:6, 7 — “And one shall say unto him, What are these wounds in Thine hands? Then He shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of My friends. Awake, O sword, against My shepherd, and against the man that is My fellow, saith the Lord of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn Mine hand upon the little ones.”
I have no special comments to make on verses 6 and 7, other than what is commonly understood among Christians. It is plain to see, though, that after the Lord’s shepherd is smitten, then it is that the Lord will separate His people.” (1 TG, no.18, p.17)
We see that inspiration declares that Zech. 13.7 applies to Christ’s death and subsequent scattering of His people. No other application is made.
So where did brother E get this idea that he can now put Zech. 13:7 as a Scriptural basis to support that we are now in the “scattering period” since the death of Victor T. Houteff ( the 2nd and final pipe to our church) in 1955? NOWHERE but from his own private theory for promotion of his home storehouse tithe collection doctrine. It fits nicely, so he thinks. But there IS one who is laughing all the way to his hell hole pit –Satan.
You see brethren our adversary does not care who he devours, present truth believers or Hitler! Makes no difference to him.
Now, as to Testimonies, vol 7, p.140 , let us read —
“And in a large degree through our publishing houses is to be accomplished the work of that other angel who comes down from heaven with great power and who lightens the earth with his glory.”
We notice that the publishing of the message of Elijah, aka the fourth angel message, is integral and very important for us today. Yes, extremely important. However, notice the sophistry of the enemy! He whispers to brother E to connect the two! Tell them to publish the message and then take the tithes! They are qualified now. Danger and deception!
How do we know? Again we go back to the inspired prophets and what they say about “home storehouses”. Let us read —
CANNOT MY HOME BE HIS “STOREHOUSE”?
Question No. 97:
Is it Scriptural for one to retain and personally use his tithe and offerings in order to carry on the gospel work in his own community, according to his own plans?
Answer:
Nowhere in the Scriptures do we find permission to use the Lord’s money at our own discretion. The only justification for so doing would be sheer inability, for some reason to send it to the Lord’s “storehouse.” Should one voluntarily, though, engage in such a practice then he would set the wrong example before others. And if following in his lead, others assume the same right, their course must inevitably result in seriously handicapping the Lord’s work, bleeding and subverting His treasury, and thus disorganizing His work and reducing the church to a mere shell, while her members are hiring themselves as laborers in the Lord’s vineyard, helping themselves to the Lord’s money, and running without having been sent! What a Babylon that would be!
Though the Lord commands, “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse” (Mal. 3: 10), He does not say to bring all the offerings. Thus, He shows that if we would engage in some personal charity or missionary activity, we should sustain it from offerings, not from the tithe.
“Angels keep a faithful record of every man’s work, and as judgment passes upon the house of God, the sentence of each is recorded by his name, and the angel is commissioned to spare not the unfaithful servants, but to cut them down at the time of slaughter….And the crowns they might have worn, had they been faithful, are put upon the heads of those saved by the faithful servants….”Testimonies, Vol. 1, p. 198.” (Answerer book, vol. 4, p.44-45)
Look carefully at the question asked of the prophet. Someone was wanting to know if they could use the tithes and offerings to do their own work in spreading the Gospel. The answer was a resounding –NO, as to tithes. However, the offerings could be used for such work.
“The portion that God has reserved for Himself is not to be diverted to any other purpose than that which He has specified. Let none feel at liberty to retain the tithe to use according to their own judgment. They are not to use it for themselves in an emergency, nor to apply it as they see fit, even in what they may regard as the Lord’s work”(Testimonies, vol.9, p.247)
But brother E teaches, and this is clearly said in his ministry work, that anyone can collect tithes and is “qualified” if they produce and spread the message in purity (originally written by the prophet).
So who do we believe the inspired prophet of God or a man “whose breath is in his nostrils”(Isa. 2:22)? Satan is hoping you and I get snared by this worker deception.
So let us not be “devoured” by that roaring Lion, stand upon what God’s prophets tell us and we shall avoid our enemy’s many pitfalls! DO NOT keep His tithes by justifying yourself through a very conniving and artful doctrine, rather return them to His storehouse and receive that beautiful promise of Malachi 3:10.
Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house,
and try Me now in this,”Says the Lord of hosts,“If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it.”
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