From the power of faith minitries - Dan Douglas

~ HAPPY NEW YEAR ~

I'd like to say Happy New Year and I hope you've had a wonderful Christmas, I did! With the new year just around the corner, I'm going to prepare you for something that is certain to come. It is the same thing that comes every single year, but this time you will be prepared for it. If you turn on Christian television, you'll see it. If you go to Church, you'll see and hear it.

At the beginning of every new year, you will certainly be bombarded with the tithing sermons. Not only will you be bombarded, it will be intense. Why now? Because, this is the time of year everyone makes their new years resolutions. The people who receive your money (No, not God) want you to commit to giving it to them "all year long".

First, I would like to point out that "New Years Resolutions" are not only "Not" scriptural, they are "anti-scriptural" when it comes to making promises to God.

Matthew 5:34 - "But I say to you, make no oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is the footstool of His feet, or by Jerusalem, for it is THE CITY OF THE GREAT KING. "Nor shall you make an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. "But let your statement be, 'Yes, yes' or 'No, no';

anything beyond these is of evil.
If you really think about it, it is a very warped message to be heard at this time of year, or any other for that matter. What can you compare this message to? In times past, (and sometimes present) the mafia would visit small business owners and tell them to pay a percentage of their earnings. If they did, they would be protected by the mafia. If they didn't, they would get their legs broken or their store burned down.

Similarly, you are being told (by the kindly old pastor) that if you give 10% of your income to your church, (or whomever is gouging you for it) that God will bless you so much that you won't have room to keep all that money and "stuff" that he will give you. The flip side to this is, If you don't give 10% of your earnings to them, you will be cursed and basically, you're "toast!" Deep down in your heart, do you really believe that God would conduct business that way?

I'm sure you've heard preachers cleverly say: (In their deepest most holy sounding voice) "GOD IS IN THE HEALING BUSINESS" or "GOD IS IN THE MIRACLE BUSINESS". Granted, it sounds good and it makes you feel good and it makes you want to give a huge offering but, you need to know that God is not in any business at all! To use the word business is to imply that someone is making a profit. The preacher may be in business, but make no mistake, GOD IS NOT!!

Even if your name is Bill Gates or Donald Trump you do not have enough money to buy a healing or miracle from God. God does indeed heal and perform miracles and he will do so in your life, but tithing will hinder your prayers before it will help you. God does not work on a barter system, he doesn't need your money and he doesn't obligate anyone. God does not take, he gives!

~ DONATIONS ~

I was just watching the news and saw that a very large, well known ministry is desperately asking for donations to pay off a large debt. Don't misinterpret me, there is absolutely nothing wrong with giving or donating, to support a ministry. To the pastors credit, he was not desperately asking for tithes, just donations. Feel free to give all you want. God encourages it and will bless you if you give in a way that is pleasing to him.

According to scripture, you are free to give whatever your heart tells you to give. If your heart tells you to give 90% and you feel good about giving 90%, then by all means, give 90%. However, If you gave even $10.00 and have the slightest regret deep down in your heart, you've given too much!

God loves the cheerful giver. There's nothing cheerful about being made to pay a set amount (10%) or face a curse if you don't. That is not God, that is called "Extortion".

I realize that tithing is a very controversial subject. It is the only page on the Power of Faith website from which I even receive hate mail from time to time. If I were to condense this ministry down to one word, that word would be "Truth". What I have written about tithing "is" firmly rooted in scripture.

I myself tithed for many years. On one occasion in my life, I even tithed my last $14.00 to the church. I used to be a firm believer in tithing until I learned that Jesus had set us free from those laws. Personally, I don't care what you do with your own money as long as you know the truth. And the truth is that Jesus has set you free.

Thank you to those who have written letters of encouragement, and shown your support in one way or another.

God Bless You - Dan Douglass