SNIPPET OF MY UPCOMING NEW BOOK, “IS YOUR PASTOR A SHEPHERD?”

My experience as a travelling minister for over 25 years to hundreds of churches all over the world has been overall very negative. The Bible speaks about many of the exact same wrong things I have encountered in the churches. 

Here are some examples:

Pastors, who in their greed make up clever lies of sowing seeds in exchange for financial breakthroughs and healing, only to get hold of people’s money. (See 2. Peter 2:3)

Pastors, who instead of caring for the congregation that God has entrusted them and making sure to be a good example of a true humble follower of Jesus Christ to them, instead control every aspect of the members’ lives - including their finances, by obligating them to pay tithes (10% of their income) and special offerings. Those who don’t tithe will be excluded from any ministering function in the church, because they are not seen as “faithful.” (See 1. Peter 5:2-3)

Pastors, who are preaching with deceit, impure motives, and trickery. They try to win you with flattery, pretending to be your friend just to get your money! (See 1. Thessalonians 2:3+5)

Pastors, who give special attention and a good seat to the rich person who comes into their church dressed in fancy clothes and expensive jewelry, while to the poor person, who is dressed in dirty clothes, they say, “You can stand over there, or else sit on the floor.” (See James 2:2-4)

Women pastors, who teach men and have authority over them, contrary to what the Apostle Paul instructed the church: “I do not let women teach men or have authority over them.” 1. Timothy 2:12 NLT

On several painful occasions, I have also experienced pastors, who love to be the leader, refusing to have anything to do with me and my wife and instead make up evil accusations against us for no reason at all. Not only do they refuse to welcome us, they also tell others not to help us! And if they do help us, these pastors kick them right out of the church! (See 3. John 1:9-10)

Sadly, most of the pastors I have dealt with do not have the gift, the calling, or the qualifications to be a shepherd - a true pastor! Many, who call themselves pastors, have no business shepherding people because their actual gift is that of a teacher, prophet, evangelist or other! Only those whose gift is to be a pastor (including the apostle, who operates in all the gifts) should be shepherding. If a man is pastoring without the specific gift of a pastor or apostle, he will not be able to lovingly shepherd/care for the people, but will instead end up wounding them! It is no wonder there are so many dysfunctional churches out there.

Here are the qualifications a pastor (also called a bishop) must have:

“He must be faithful to his wife. He must exercise self-control, live wisely, and have a good reputation. He must enjoy having guests in his home, and he must be able to teach. He must not be a heavy drinker or be violent. He must be gentle, not quarrelsome, and not love money. He must manage his own family well, having children who respect and obey him. For if a man cannot manage his own household, how can he take care of God’s church?

He must not be a new believer, because he might become proud, and the devil would cause him to fall. Also, people outside the church must speak well of him so that he will not be disgraced and fall into the devil’s trap.” 1. Timothy 3:2-7 NLT

A pastor must care for the flock that God has entrusted to him. He must watch over the people willingly, not grudgingly—not for what he will get out of it, but because he is eager to serve God. He should never lord it over the people assigned to his care, but lead them by his own good example. (See 1. Peter 5:2-3)

     

  

CHURCH OBSESSION WITH GETTING RICH | Edwin Christiaan

 

The church is full of people who long to be rich. The prosperity preachers tell them that Jesus was rich while here on earth, and that God wants nothing more than to lavish His children with an abundance of material blessings! These preachers falsely teach that in order for you to get rich, you must tithe and sow large money seeds to them.

But what you see happening, is that the people despite of giving all their money, are not getting rich! Instead, as the Bible says, they fall into the temptation of gambling their money away, getting into debt and because of it, they are now being trapped by this foolish and harmful desire of getting rich, that plunge them into financial ruin and destruction (see 1. Timothy 6:9-10).

Jesus Christ was not rich while He was living on this earth! During His public ministry, Jesus and His disciples depended entirely on the hospitality of others as they ministered from town to town. He told His disciples:

“Don’t take any money in your money belts—no gold, silver, or even copper coins. Don’t carry a traveler’s bag with a change of clothes and sandals or even a walking stick. Don’t hesitate to accept hospitality, because those who work deserve to be fed.” Matthew 10:9-10 NLT

And Jesus said about Himself,

“Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place even to lay his head.” Luke 9:58 NLT

Jesus did not come to make you financially rich, but He will take care of your needs, as He said,

“For your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask Him!” Matthew 6:8 NLT

Therefore,

“Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need!” Matthew 6:33 NLT

That’s why the apostle Paul, a disciple of Jesus Christ, taught that,

“True godliness with contentment is itself great wealth.  After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can’t take anything with us when we leave it.  So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content.” 1. Timothy 6:6-8 NLT

“And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from His glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus!” Philippians 4:19 NLT

TITHING IS A UNIVERSAL SCAM! By Edwin Christiaan

Pastors, ministers, and televangelists all over the world tell you that, according to the Bible, you are obligated to give at least 10% of your money income to their churches or ministries in order for God to bless you and to avoid any curses! They pressure and guilt trip you by making up all sorts of lies to get hold of your tithe money! (See 2. Peter 2:3)

They use verses in the Old Testament that was only meant for the Jewish farmers, who according to the Law of Moses had to give 10% of their agriculture products from the land of Israel once a year to the Levite priests. (See Leviticus 27:30) They also like to use the passages where God admonishes the Israelites for failing to give their tithe of fruit and vegetables, so they can guilt trip you and pressure you to give!

“Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, ‘In what way have we robbed you?’
In tithes and offerings. You are cursed with a curse, 
for you have robbed Me, even this whole nation. 

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.

 “And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, so that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground, nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field,”

Malachi 3:8-11 NKJV

These pastors, ministers, and televangelists also tell you that Jesus said that you must tithe, as they misuse the scriptures where Jesus was admonishing and condemning the Pharisees, who were living under the Old Covenant Law of Moses, for their hypocrisy!

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone. Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!” Matthew 23:23-24 NKJV

To top it all off, these false teachers tell you that Abraham tithed before the Law of Moses came, and therefore tithing is a principle, an act of faith that we must do in order to receive the promises of God!

But the Bible says in Genesis 14:18-24 that Abraham, in a one-time event gave King Melchizedek of Salem 10 percent of what he had captured in battle. In other words, Abraham gave a tithe of the spoil and not from his personal property! So, if this is the principle we should follow, we should only give a one-time 10 percent of the spoil we capture in battle or war!

Some of these pastors go so far to have you sign pledges of how much you will be tithing to their churches in order to be a member or even to be a regular visitor!

But it is the apostle Paul, not Benny Hinn, Bill Johnson, Rick Joyner, or many of these other false teachers, who in the New Testament teach that,

You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give in response to pressure! (See 2. Corinthians 9:7)

Give in proportion to what you have. Whatever you give is acceptable if you give it eagerly. And give according to what you have, not what you don’t have. Your giving should not make life easy for others and hard for yourselves! (See 2. Corinthians 8:12-13)

On the first day of each week, you should each lay aside some of the money you have earned. (See 2. Corinthians 16:2)

As you can see, the Old Testament Law of Tithing, which by the way was not about money, was never meant for the New Testament church, because when Jesus Christ died on the cross, He ended the system of law with its commandments and regulations! (See Ephesians 2:15)

These pastors falsely teach you to depend on the law of tithing to make you right with God, but actually you are under God’s curse! (See Galatians 3:10)

So, to teach that you must pay tithes, is dangerous and nothing but a scam that often leads to financial ruin!

The apostle Paul warned those who teach such a thing:

“Let God’s curse fall on anyone, including us or even an angel from heaven, who preaches a different kind of Gospel than the one we preached to you!” Galatians 1:8 NLT

“God condemned them long ago, and their destruction will not be delayed!” 2. Peter 2:3 NLT

But God blesses those who cheerfully give whatever they are being led to give! He generously provides all what they need and they will always have everything they need and plenty left over to share with others! (See 2. Corinthians 9:7-8)

 

Amazing new book by Edwin Christiaan: "TITHING - Exposing One Of The Biggest Lies In The Church"

 NEW BOOK BY EDWIN CHRISTIAAN

May 13, 2015

"TITHING - Exposing One Of The Biggest Lies In The Church"

Author and preacher Edwin Christiaan explains, in easy to understand language, why the Church needs to STOP imposing the false doctrine of TITHING on its parishioners – the obligation to pay 10 percent of their gross income to the church as a rule from God.
Discover why this “rule” in the Church is actually an Old Testament command that has been misinterpreted and misused by Modern-day pastors and preachers to impose an obligation on people that was only meant for the Israelites who lived under the Law of Moses.

• Have you ever been manipulated, bullied, or controlled in the area of tithing?
• Are you really robbing God and coming under a curse?
• And do you truly understand the Scriptures, apart from what you are being told?

It’s time to expose perhaps the biggest lie in the church today! Dowload the e-book here!

ORDER THE BOOK HERE (Paperback):

TITHING Exposing ...

Edwin Christiaan

$9.99

HEY PASTOR! WOULD YOU STOP LYING ABOUT TITHING! By Edwin Christiaan

Heck no! I do not cheat or rob God and I am not cursed if I don’t tithe 10% of my income to Him! That’s a bunch a baloney! The church is full of false doctrinal crap, lies and guilt trip!

All this stuff about that you must tithe in order to be blessed was only meant for the Israelites under the Old Testament Law of Moses and was never about giving money to begin with! They were farmers and ranchers who had to bring the 10th portion of their crops and livestock ONCE A YEAR to the Levites as stated in Deuteronomy 14:22 and Malachi 3:10. And this was also the case with the Pharisees who were living under the same Old Testament Law of Moses during time of Jesus on this earth. They were giving tithes of spices and herbs, even though they had money and many of them lots of it! (See Matthew 23:23)

And by the way, Abraham tithed only ONCE in his entire life! That one time, he did not tithe from his wealth or normal income, but of the spoils of war. (See Genesis 14:20) So, to try to insist that Abraham’s one time tithe on the spoils of war means that every Christian must give 10% of their regular income every month throughout their entire life is absolutely ridiculous and foolish!

When Jesus Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead He ended the system of the law with its commandments and regulations! (See Ephesians 2:15)

Now His own disciple, the apostle Paul teaches in the New Testament that;

“You must each decide in your heart how much to give.” 2. Corinthians 9:7 NLT

And “On every Lord’s Day, each of you should put aside some amount of money in relation to what you have earned and save it for this offering.” 1. Corinthians 16:2 NLT