Scripture’s account of Ananias and Sapphira highlighting judgment in the congregation of holy brethren, Acts 5:1, modern day believers correctly understand The House of The Lord is not a building of bricks, mortar and other architectural finishes. The Church, founded on Peter’s confession that our Lord Jesus was, and therefore still is the promised Messiah, Mathew 16:16 old KJV, expected to deliver Israel and the world from imperious Rome, Luke 24:21 and Galatians 1:4, is a “building” of “living stones”. 1 Peter 2:5. Several verses teach this, and that Christ’s Church is a house of prayer, truth, judgment, and justice. Moreover, The Church is the storehouse, and place we bring our gifts. Importantly, the word Church, comes from the Greek word Ecclesia, which means, “the called out”.
The word “storehouse” appears twice in the old King James Version. Appearing first in Malachi 3:10, and then Luke 12:24, the irrefutable teaching remains where our “treasure is there will be our heart also”, Luke 12:34. As Christians, we rightly understand this verse teaches Christianity in pure form, as taught by our Lord Jesus, requires our all!
Before the old testament temple was built by Solomon in the 10th century before our Lord, all Israel gathered at Shiloh to tithe. The tabernacle, a portable temple, was erected on a stone base at Shiloh, and stayed there for over three and a half centuries. The precept therefore established by scripture is that the appointed place for the bringing in of the tithe of the land, Deuteronomy 12:5 and 6, and Deuteronomy 14:22 and 23, is to be at the place of the temple of the Lord.
Israel then wanted a king like the other nations. 1 Samuel 8:5. Scripture teaches, “And the Lord said unto Samuel, hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them”. 1 Samuel 8:7. Under Samuel’s ministry, Saul was anointed king of Israel, and Shiloh was hastily abandoned after Saul’s last battle wherein the Ark of the Covenant was captured by the Philistines. The Ark was soon returned to Israel, and king David brought The Ark to Jerusalem. Solomon’s temple was built, and after king Hezekiah had broken the brazen serpent, 2 Kings 18:4, and destroyed the places of idol worship, 2 Chronicles 31:1, king Hezekiah built “chambers in the house of the Lord” to store the heaps left over from the abundance of the tithe as Israel returned to obey God. The bringing in of the tithe of the land was a time of sharing, great rejoicing, and celebration.
Establishing precept upon precept, and line upon line, Isaiah 28:10, and living by every word of the scripture, we understand the statute of tithing, that we ought to tithe, or bring the tenth due unto The Lord. We have a very clear instruction to us via the prophet Malachi, to bring all the tithe into the storehouse, and indeed to prove God therewith if God will not open the windows of heaven and pour out a blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it, Malachi 3:10, however the pure Gospel of the Kingdom of God, presents serious disciples with a number of questions, beginning with the tithe, or the ten percent.
Globally, this is an astonishingly vast sum of money, prompting men to view religion as the largest business on Earth, yet this incredible resource is not making the world a safer place, and it is not only Christianity taking money, but other religions do as well!
Truly serious Christians who have studied The Word, question why the 3rd millennium after Christ presents a divided Christian “Church”, not at all united in God’s truth, nor against crime and corruption, whilst wealthy clergymen live well, and promote another new age interfaith religion to receive 10 percent! They ask “is this not great deception”?
Division especially evident in the Christian religion, the concern serious Christians share is that “The Storehouse” has become very difficult to discern, or identify, yet many Christians pay ten percent of their earnings not thinking Lord Jesus taught, “see no man deceives you, for many shall come in my name, and shall deceive many”! Matthew 24:4-5.
Furthermore, The Church, or those called out of the world, and false religion, living resurrected, changed lives as a result of “God’s unspeakable gift” in Christ sacrificed for the sins of the world, sincerely asks, “is ten percent appropriate for the new testament Christian”? We should note the twelve disciples forsook all to follow Jesus, Matthew 19:27, the poor widow cast in all the living she had, Mark 12:44, Zacchaeus gave the half of his goods to the poor, Luke 19:8, and the Early Church sold their possessions, and parted them as every man had need. Acts 2:45.
Paul makes it very clear The Body of Christ is the temple of the Lord. 1 Corinthians 3:17. The apostle Peter goes further to teach The Church is a chosen generation, a holy nation, and a royal priesthood! 1 Peter 2:9. It therefore follows as the Levites received the tithe at Shiloh, so the Early Church received the gifts of those giving their all to God. Those wishing to participate brought their gifts, and laid them at the apostle’s feet. Acts 4:35
As Christians living in the 3rd day of Christ, one day with the Lord being as a thousand years with man, 2 Peter 3:8, we cannot fail to see the 3rd millennium after Jesus presents Christ’s Church as hopelessly divided on many matters, disunity having rendered the salt of the Earth, Matthew 5:13, of no effect to have brought about the Kingdom of God! Surely this observation speaks of the unfruitful works of darkness Paul instructs us to “have no fellowship with, but to rather expose, (NIV), and reprove”! (KJV). Ephesians 5:11.
Understanding the Kingdom of God is where God’s servants obey God in all God has commanded, sincere followers of Jesus certainly question Christendom’s attitude to Sabbath keeping, and blindly paying ten percent into the unfruitful works of darkness! Considering ourselves “the called out”, Revelation 18:4, we need ask, “have we abandoned falsity to be gathered unto Jesus, 2 Thessalonians 2:1, the author, and finisher of our faith, Hebrews 12:2, to have found The Storehouse, Christ’s Church, the pillar and ground of the truth, 1 Timothy 3:15, to reprove, Ephesians 5:11, and rebuke, 2 Timothy 4:2 to have made our prayer to understand God’s truth? Daniel 9:13. Have we purposed to seek first the Kingdom of God in our lives with all our heart, 1 Samuel 12:24, indeed knowing we live in the 3rd day in which our Lord Jesus Christ is to be perfected”? Luke 13:32.
By Lester Oliver Thomas Flock © 2020