Dear Sharon A.,

Your Comments / Question(s): So are you saying that you are not to give 10% of your money that you make to who. are you giving this money to the church for the up keep? for the bills? really where do the money you give for tithes go. and where does your offering go. There are so many book and teaching on tithes and offering I am very confess I wish you could send me something to explain making it easy to understand Thank you Sharon.

My Answer(s): Thank you Sharon for visiting my website, and for submitting your comments and questions. Yes, I am saying there is NO New Testament commandment for Christians to pay tithes, 10% of your money to anyone. You ask, where does your money for tithing go? I mean, you may check your congregation financial accounting books, if they allow you to do so. Or ask your minister how much do your money go to his salary. Or you can look around at all these ministers with TV shows, books, ranches, mansions, fancy clothes, luxury cars, and private airplanes, etc. for most of your tithes and offerings given to them. If you want to pay for the upkeep of your congregation then learn how much are these expenses first. After this you may determine that these expenses are met well beyond the amounts needed, therefore, I suggest you help the poor with your money instead. For it is written, "I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me" (Matthew 25:40 NIV).

I pray for your understanding the word of God. Sharon, I encourage you to read my whole web site on tithes and offerings, and visit my sister site http://www.KEMOnline.org.

Below are some questions and comments I have received on making offerings to churches:

http://www.kushedifyingministries.org/GivingToYourChurchWeb.htm

http://www.kushedifyingministries.org/WhatTithesOfferingsUsedForWeb.htm

http://www.kushedifyingministries.org/BibleTeachingsOnChurchDuesWeb.htm

http://www.kushedifyingministries.org/TithesandOfferings2Cor97Web.htm

http://www.kushedifyingministries.org/HowDoWeKeepUpChurchWithoutTithesWeb.htm

Sharon, I exhort you to trust in God’s word and not in some book someone wrote. These same books are sold on the market, as if God’s word was for sale. I mean, think about this, why would someone sell spiritual knowledge, something, which he himself claims God have freely given to him? Unless, these books and gospel peddlers are preaching the word of God for financial gain, and from their belly, they would give you free books and tapes to help you understand God’s word. And these gospel peddlers preach that you should give them ten percent of your income, you should ask yourself why? For there are NO Scripture that supports tithing under the New Covenant (Testament) for Christians. Yet, these tithe believers teach claiming certain Scripture give them the authority to lay a tithing burden on you. But, if you search and study these certain Scriptures yourself then you will see that these money hunger, gospel peddlers who being "untaught and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures" preach for financial gain (2 Peter 3:16 NKJV).

I ask that you not just believe what I say, but for you to believe your own Holy Bible. You may very well be confused because you are not studying the Holy Bible for understanding, and relying only on man to teach you rather than trusting the Holy Spirit whom God gives freely. In your faith Sharon, you should accept all preaching as the Bereans in Acts 17. For it is said that, "the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true" (Acts 17:11 NIV). Therefore, I exhort you to search the Scriptures to see if what I say is true. Yes, you need someone to help you understand the word of God. For He has appointed, "some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service" (Ephesians 4:11-12 NIV). "Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming" (Ephesians 4:14 NIV).

However, as Christians we are required to do our part in studying, meditating and praying for understanding God’s word. Now, it is written, the time is coming, and now is when, "the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name [Christ Jesus], will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I [Christ Jesus] have said to you" (John 14:26 NIV, see also Jeremiah 31:34). Again, the Scripture exhorts us to, "Be diligent to present yourself [ourselves] approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth" (2 Timothy 2:15 NJKV). I pray that you commit yourself to pray and study of God’s word. And above all things testing every word and spirit that come into your mind (1 John 4:1). Amen. Praise God.

In Christ love,

Ron Davis, minister of Christ Jesus