The Truth about Tithe -3

Well then, what should the tithe not be used for?

Church expenseIt is not to be used for church expense.

"His people today are to remember that the house of worship is the Lord's property and that it is to be scrupulously cared for. But the funds for this work are not to come from the tithe."-9 Testimonies, 248.

Incidental church expensesIt is not to be used to defray incidental church expenses.

"It is wrong to use the tithe for defraying the incidental expenses of the church. In this there has been a departure from correct methods."--Counsels on Stewardship, 103.

School purposes or canvassers' salariesIt is not to be used for school purposes or for the support of colporteurs.

"One reasons that the tithe may be applied to school purposes. Still others reason that canvassers and colporteurs should be supported from the tithe. But a great mistake is made when the tithe is drawn from the object for which it is to be used."-9 Testimonies, 248-449.

Poor fundIt is not to be regarded as a poor fund.

"Brethren, do not leave the burden of your poor upon the people and institutions at Battle Creek, but come up nobly to the work and do your duty. Deny yourselves of some things in your houses or in your dress, and lay by in some safe place a sum for the needy poor. Let not your tithes and thank offerings to God be less, but let this be in addition [to the tithe]."-4 Testimonies, 511.

It is not to be used to help the needy poor.

"The tithe is set apart for a special use. It is not to be regarded as a poor fund." Counsels on Stewardship, 103.

One's own personal useIt is not to be used for personal use when in strait places.

"Let no one, when brought into a strait place, take money consecrated to religious purposes and use it for His advantage, soothing his conscience by saying that he will repay it at some future time."-9 Testimonies, 247.

Student aid fundIt is not to be used as student aid fund.

All these things are to be done, as you propose, to help students to obtain an education . . When you see a young man or a young woman who is a promising subject, advance or loan the sum needed, with the idea that it is a loan, not a gift. It would be better to have it thus. Then when it is returned, it can be used to educate others. But this money is not to be taken from the tithe, but from a separate fund secured for that purpose."-2 Selected Messages, 209.

Secular purposesDo not use it for secular purposes.

"Far better cut down the expenses to correspond with the income, to restrict the wants, and live within the means than to use the Lord's money for secular purposes."-9 Testimonies, 247.

One's own secular businessIt is not to be used for one's own secular business.

 "That which has been set apart according to the Scriptures as belonging to the Lord constitutes the revenue of the gospel and is no longer ours. It is no better than sacrilege for a man to take from God's treasury in order to serve himself or to serve others in their secular business." -9 Testimonies, 246-247

. Who must the tithe never to be used for?

We are not to use the tithe for a poor fund or for tuition, etc., as noted above. But never, never, never should it be used to pay the salaries of ungodly men who are gluttonous, immoral, or who teach deadly heresies! You dare not do this at the peril of your soul!

How can a false teacher be identified? He will be a pastor or teacher who instructs the people that they need not or cannot, in the strength of Christ, obey the law of God.

"Are not religious teachers turning men away from the plain requirements of the Word of God? Instead of educating them in obedience to God's law, are they not educating them in transgression?"-Christ's Object Lessons, 305.

False teachers are the ones who will bring in heresies in the last days.

"The apostle [Paul] warned the church against false teachers, arising in the church and accounted true by many of their brethren in the faith . . The latter end is worse with them,' he declared, 'than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.

"Looking down through the ages to the close of time, Peter was inspired to outline conditions that would exist in the world just prior to the second coming of Christ. . Not all, however, would be ensnared by the enemy's devices. As the end of all things earthly should approach, there would be faithful ones able to discern the signs of the times. While a large number of professing believers would deny their faith by their works, there would be a remnant who would endure to the end."-Acts of the Apostles, 535-536.

Now you know who the remnant will be. They will be the ones who remain true to God's Inspired Writings, in spite of the attractive presentations of heresy! It is by God's Word that we can distinguish the true from the false.

"Teachers of falsehood will arise to draw you away from the narrow path and the strait gate. Beware of them; though concealed in sheep's clothing, inwardly they are ravening wolves. .

"We are not bidden to prove them by their fair speeches and exalted professions. They are to be judged by the Word of God. 'To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them. "-Mount of Blessing, 145.

Those evil men try to put a stamp of truth on falsehood.

"Let all our brethren and sisters beware of anyone who would set a time for the Lord to fulfill His word in regard to His coming, or in regard to any other promise He has made of special significance. .

"False teachers may appear to be very zealous for the work of God, and may expend means to bring their theories before the world and the church; but as they mingle error with truth, their message is one of deception, and will lead souls into false paths. They are to be met and opposed. . They are teachers of falsehood and are endeavoring to put upon falsehood the stamp of truth. "-Testimonies to Ministers, 55.

They craftily instill error in the minds of the people, which draw them away from a knowledge of the truth. They confuse minds with their subtle errors.

"Paul speaks of those who bring to the foundation wood, hay, and stubble. This represents those who bring in as truth that which is not truth, even their own suppositions and fabrications. . The mingling of these fallacies with the work of God makes that which should stand out clearly and distinctly before the world, a jumble of conflicting principles in its practical working." -Evangelism, 213-214.

These false teachers tell you that it is all right for you to remain in your sins.

"What message do these teachers bring? Does it lead you to reverence and fear God? Does it lead you to manifest your love for Him by loyalty to His commandments? If men do not feel the weight of the moral law; if they make light of God's precepts; if they break one of the least of His commandments, and teach men so, they shall be of no esteem in the sight of heaven. We may know that their claims are without foundation. They are doing the very work that originated with the prince of darkness, the enemy of God." Mount of Blessing, 145.

They quote Scripture, and then pervert it into hideous lies.

"No one is to put truth to the torture by placing a forced, mystical construction upon the Word. Thus some are in danger of turning the truth of God into a lie."-Evangelism, 213.

Such men rob men of salvation and Christ of the souls for whom He died. So intent are they upon enjoying their own cherished sins, they assuage the guilt by proclaiming that no one can escape from sin. A return to the fleshpots is evidence of deeper, more secret sins they are involved in.

"Will any who are ministers of the gospel. . set an example in returning to the flesh pots of Egypt? Will those who are supported by the tithe. . permit themselves by self-indulgence to poison the life-giving current flowing through their veins?" -9 Testimonies, 159-160.

Beware of those who come to you with "new light," and declare it must be true-because they have quoted a statement, by Ellen White, that new light may come!

"Satan's angels are wise to do evil, and they will create that which some will claim to be advanced light, and will proclaim it as new and wonderful; yet while in some respects the message may be truth, it will be mingled with human inventions, and will teach for doctrine the commandments of men. If there was ever a time when we should watch and pray in real earnest, it is now.

"Many apparently good things will need to be carefully considered with much prayer, for they are specious devices of the enemy to lead souls in a path which lies so close to the path of truth that it will be scarcely distinguishable from it. But the eye of faith may discern that it is diverging, though almost imperceptibly, from the right path. "Evangelism, 590.

Some will declare that Christ is not eternally divine or that the Holy Spirit does not exist. "Christ is the pre-existent, self-existent Son of God. . In speaking of His pre-existence, Christ carries the mind back through dateless ages. He assures us that there never was a time when He was not in close fellowship with the eternal God."-Signs, August 29, 1900.

"The Comforter that Christ promised to send after He ascended to heaven, is the Spirit in all the fullness of the Godhead, making manifest the power of divine grace to all who receive and believe in Christ as a personal Saviour. There are three living persons of the heavenly trio; in the name of these three great powersthe Father, the Son, and the Holy Spiritthose who receive Christ by living faith are baptized, and these powers will cooperate with the obedient subjects of heaven in their efforts to live the new life in Christ."-Special Testimonies, Series B, No. 7,63.

They will tell you that there is error in the Inspired Writings, and that they, the wise ones, have been sent to explain the truth to you.

"With the open Bible before them, and professing to reverence its teachings, many of the religious leaders ,of our time are destroying faith in it as the Word of God. They busy themselves with dissecting the Word, and set their own opinions above its plainest statements. .

"When Satan has undermined faith in the Bible, he directs men to other sources for light and power. Thus he insinuates himself. Those who turn from the plain teaching of Scripture and the convicting power of God's Holy Spirit, are inviting the control of demons." Desire of Ages, 258.

We have been forewarned of the crisis we are in. The message will be proclaimed, "Only believe. "

"We shall meet with false doctrines of every kind, and unless we are acquainted with what Christ has said, and are following His instructions, we shall be led astray. One of the most dangerous of these doctrines is false sanctification. . Another doctrine that will be presented is that all that we have to do is to believe in Christ."-Manuscript 27, 1886,

They will tell us we no longer need to keep the Ten Commandments.

"These men tell us that the commandments of God were done away at the death of Christ. Shall we believe them, these men who claim to be sanctified, while they refuse to obey God? They say the Lord has told them that they need not keep the Ten Commandments; but has the Lord told them this? No, God does not lie.

"Satan, who is the father of lies, deceived Adam in a similar way, telling him that he need not obey God, that he would not die if he transgressed the law . .

"We need to know for ourselves what voice we are heeding, whether it is the voice of the true and living God or the voice of the great apostate ' "-Evangelism. 598,

"Satan declared that it was impossible for the sons and daughters of Adam to keep the law of God, and thus charged upon God a lack of wisdom and love. If they could not keep the law, then there was fault with the Lawgiver. Men who are under the control of Satan repeat these accusations against God, in asserting that men cannot keep the law of God,"--Signs. Vol. 3, p. 264.

We must beware of these false teachers! Do not dally with them; do not support them!

Angels of God will preserve His people while they walk in the path of duty; but there is no assurance of such protection for those who deliberately venture upon Satan's ground. "-Review, June 27, 1882.

"Those who are so curious to find out things that have not been made known in the Scriptures are generally surface students in regard to those things which have a bearing on the daily life and practice. . We are to reveal to the world that which God has seen necessary to reveal to us. We are not doing the will of our heavenly Father when we speculate upon things which He has seen fit to withhold from us,"-Evangelism, 627.

The future is now!

"In the future, deception of every kind is to arise, and we want solid ground for our feet. We want solid pillars for the building. Not one pin is to be removed from that which the Lord has established. . Where shall we find safety unless it be in the truths that the Lord has been giving for the last fifty years? -Review, May 25,1905.

Listening, week after week, to false teachers is a dangerous thing to do.

"False theories, repeated again and again, appear as falsely inviting today as did the fruit of the forbidden tree in the Garden of Eden. The fruit was very beautiful, and apparently desirable for food. Through false doctrines many souls have already been destroyed." Loma Linda Messages, 165.

Do not give your tithe to those who lower the standards.

"It would be poor policy to support from the treasury of God those who really mar and injure His work, and who are constantly lowering the standard of Christianity." -3 Testimonies, 553.

Beware of those whose own lives contradict the teachings of God's Word.

"No man should be set part as a teacher of the people while his own teachings or example contradicts the testimony God has given His servants to bear in regard to diet, for this will bring confusion. His disregard for health reform unfits him to stand as the Lord's messenger,"-6 Testimonies, 378,

Beware of those who refuse to condemn and put away the wrongs in the church. These peace-loving hirelings are dumb dogs who refuse to bark. They are more interested in keeping their job than serving God, with integrity, as his ministers to protect the sheep,

"When existing evils are not met and checked, because men have too little courage to reprove wrong, or because they have too little interest or are too indolent to tax their own powers in putting forth earnest efforts to purify the family or the church of God, they are accountable for the evil which may result in consequence of neglect to do their duty."-4 Testimonies, 516,

"If wrongs are apparent among His people, and if the servants of God pass on indifferent to them, they virtually sustain and justify the sinner, and are alike guilty, and will just as surely receive the displeasure of God; for they will be made responsible for the sins of the guilty."-5 Testimonies, 676.

You do not want the WOES to fall on you, which God says will erelong fall on those who have supported false teachers and wicked ministers.

"There are fearful woes for those who preach the truth, but are not sanctified by it, and also for those who consent to receive and maintain the unsanctified to minister to them in word and doctrine." 1 Testimonies, 261-262.

Am I being overly concerned? No, the situation is very serious. The woe is upon those who placidly continue supporting such men in the ministry.

"If God pronounces a woe upon those who are called to preach the truth and refuse to obey, a heavier woe rests upon those who take upon them this sacred work without clean hands and pure hearts. As there are woes for those who preach the truth while they are unsanctified in heart and life, so there are woes for those who receive and maintain the unsanctified in the position which they cannot fulfill." -2 Testimonies, 552.

"The churches must arouse. The members must awake out of sleep and begin to inquire, How is the money which we put into the treasury being used? The Lord desires that a close search be made. Are all satisfied with the history of the work for the past fifteen years? Where is the evidence of the co-working with God? Where has been heard throughout the churches the prayer for the help of the Holy Spirit? Dissatisfied and disheartened, we turn away from the scene.

"Our churches and institutions must return to where they were before the backsliding commenced, when they began trusting in man and making flesh their arm. Have we not seen enough of human wisdom? Shall we not now seek God in earnestness and simplicity, and serve Him with heart and mind and strength?" - Kress Collection, 120

CONTINUE PART 4