Re: [TruthTalk] The Outside of the Cup

[Terry Clifton]

Slade Henson wrote: Kay in purple: -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of Terry Clifton Sent: Monday, 06 December, 2004 14.20 To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [TruthTalk] The Outside of the Cup I truly want to thank you Kay for at least giving me an inkling as to how your thought process works.  As I suspected, we see things a good bit differently.  Some comments on this below. I am all for taking care of those who are trying, but unable to meet their own needs, but consider this to be a love gift rather than a tithe since no fixed percentage is involved.  As for the rabbi and the preacher, neither qualify as a go between between God and myself and I am not obligated to provide them with my earnings.  Jesus is our high priest, and I am a priest just as surely as any doctor of divinity, so their services are unneeded and unnecessary.  So, you're saying your pastor shouldn't get paid for his work? You shouldn't help the building pay its bills in order to provide you the service of teaching? It doesn't have to be earnings...it could be gifts of food from your garden, from your wife making jams and jellies from the berry bushes, it can be a tithe of our time; helping out in the nursery, attending the church cleaning day, making food for the sick and bringing it to them, going to see them in the hospital. Tithes have much more than just a monetary gift. We don't have a church house or a pastor Kay.  We have a home church, as many in the early church did.  No mortgage, no janitor, no secretary, no preacher, no bills.  Our giving is to those in need.  In 1 Cor. 14:26, you find one , if not the only description of a church meeting.  If you read it, you will notice that it is not one guy talking and all the rest listening.  Everyone takes part, much the way I understand the synagogue to function, except we meet first for a shared meal, what the Bible calls a love feast, then a time of prayer requests, followed by prayer, followed by Bible study and discussion. Can you imagine how much money is pumped into buildings and speakers and choir robes and salaries and insurance  that could be spent to feed and house those living in garbage dumps in Manila, or build orphanages in India , or send out missionaries who now want to go but have no funding?  We made it possible for an orphanage in Slovakia to buy a much needed tractor so they could grow their own food.  I think the Lord would rather we do that than hire someone to preach to us We have preachers in this area and probably every area who preach without being paid.  They see it as a calling, not a career.  If they are stable residents, there is no reason why they should not support themselves as Paul did.  If, on the other hand, they are on the mission field or traveling evangelists, I see no reason not to take up an offering to help them. Terry