Your Comment(s) and Question(s): As a minister I'm required to [study] God's word to show myself approved. I had begun to study what I was taught for years, concerning paying tithes. After a three day fast, I prayed to God that he might help me to rightly divide his word. Sometime later he brought me to this understanding about tithing, I shared this same truth with the pastor of the church that I attend. Thinking that perhaps, she might receive it, But it wasn't received, I was told that I was in error of the [Scriptures], I was warned not to go around the church spreading this [erroneous] doctrine. My wife and children have turn against, thinking that here daddy goes again with more false teaching (because I shared with family and that same pastor about female pastors). Which again was cast down quickly. I'm not sure at this point what to do, I know that it is wrong to PAY tithes, God has no doubt revealed this to me, but where do one go, if there is no churches around that teach what has been revealed.

My Response(s): Thank you for visiting my web site and submitting your questions and comments. I pray that your wife and children will come to understanding, but what is more important today is that you stand firm in your faith. Yes, your sole responsibility to those in this evil and adulterous world is love (Romans 13:8-10). For it is written, "Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong. Let all that you do be done with love" (1 Corinthians 16:13-14 NKJV). And may your prayers for your wife and children, be "that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give" them "the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that" they may know His holy word better. And again, you must pray for your wife and children, that the eyes of their "heart may be enlightened in order that" they "may know the hope to which He has called you" (Ephesians 1:17-19 NIV).

Your first comment, saying you’re "a minister" and are "required to study God’s word to show" yourself approved is curious. Are not "all" followers of Christ required to study His holy word to show themselves approved? For this Holy Scripture you paraphrase says, "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth" (2 Timothy 2:15 NKJV). Now, this Scripture is meant for all who seek to follow Christ Jesus, and not just a few who have laid claim to the realm called the "ministry". Now, I pray that all those who claim to be professing Christians will take heed to my exhortation to not just believe me, but to pick up there own Bible, and study and believe in it. May be then your family would hear what you are saying, until then you must continue to keep them in your prayers. Yes, there are many in the professing Christian communities who never pick up their Holy Bibles. They rely solely on their "minister" and this evil and adulterous world to guide them in their beliefs. As you, yourself admit in your own comments, saying, "I had begun to study what I was taught for years". Sadly, too many of us only began our study of God’s word after we have been indoctrinated by the established religious denominations or commandments of men.

The fact that you do not find it strange, yet it is not strange that you have continued to attend "your" religious congregation even after you had learned, rather God had shown you that female ministers were against the word of God. This is one reason your family may have wondered about your newfound belief. I mean, what did you expect "your" female minister to do when you told her she should not be a minister, and teaching men? Did you really expect her to give up such a lucrative "job"? Speaking about "women" ministers and those who allow them to continue teaching them, Christ our Lord and Savior clearly say, "I have this complaint against you. You are permitting that woman--that Jezebel who calls herself a prophet--to lead my servants astray. She is encouraging them to worship idols, eat food offered to idols, and commit sexual sin. I gave her time to repent, but she would not turn away from her immorality" (Revelation 2:20-21 NLT). Here Christ Jesus tells us that these women who call themselves ministers will not repent. This means even if you go to this woman about the truth concerning women in the churches of the saints, she will not change or repent of her sins. Nor will this woman hear what you are saying, for she is convinced by this world that she has this authority. And these women and their supporters openly criticize the apostle Paul and the word of God, accusing the apostle to be a woman hater even saying things God have not said.

Then even after sharing with this so-called "female minister" of yours, about her not being in line with the Scriptures concerning women in the Church of the living God. You submitted to her authority by continuing to attend this woman’s human organization. If this woman told you that you were in error concerning her having the authority to be a minister and you still attended "her organization" then this in her eyes and your family was you agreeing with her having the authority in the Scripture to teach and have authority over you as a man. And then after this God shows you that paying tithes to this woman and other self-proclaimed ministers is not in line with the New Covenant with His Church. You would go to this woman expecting her to hear what you have to say concerning this doctrine of men called tithing, which support these gospel peddlers in their greed (Matthew 15:7-9). You, yourself say, she "warned" you "not to go around her organization spreading this [erroneous] doctrine". And you submitted to this warning, in fact giving this woman further proof of you submitting to her teachings, and not the teachings of the Holy Spirit after studying the word for yourself.

Now, concerning "women" in the churches of the saints, it appears you have already conceded that your "female" minister has the authority to teach and preach in the churches of this world. For you only say in your last sentence that paying tithes is wrong and not "female" ministers also being wrong. Did not God reveal this to you also? Yet, you continue to go to this woman who has usurp the authority of men in the churches for advice on the Holy Scriptures. I mean, have you so soon forgotten the teachings of the Holy Spirit saying, "I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. For Adam was first formed, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression. Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety" (1 Timothy 2:12-15 NKJV).

You ask, at this point what are you to do? I exhort you to do the will of God. For Christ Jesus says, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets" (Matthew 22:37-40 NKJV). And again the Spirit says, "Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality" (Romans 12:11-13 NIV). And you must stop attending that "female" congregation and stop paying tithes to all other congregations demanding you to pay tithes to them. One place you do not want to attend anymore is any congregation with women as ministers or teaches such doctrine of men. If your wife and children wish to continue to attend that woman’s organization then let them. For it is written, "If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone" (Romans 12:18 NIV). But continue to pray for them always. Yes, "pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints" (Ephesians 6:18 NIV). Yes, you must show love to your wife and family, for "Love is patient and kind… Love does not demand its own way" (1 Corinthians 13:4-5 NLT).

Yes, there are many congregations teaching the doctrine of men called tithing and supporting these so-called women ministers who have seized authority over men in the churches and in the homes. These so-called professing Christians even deny the Holy Scriptures, which say "For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man. For the man is not of the woman: but the woman of the man. Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man… But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God" (1 Corinthians 11:7-9, 16 KJV). Here, it is clear that the man is head of the woman with three truths: "the woman is the glory of the man", "the woman came out of the man" and "the woman was created for the man". Then the Holy Spirit tells us that these same teachings are throughout the churches of God. And again the Spirit says "Now I praise you, brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and keep the ordinances, as I delivered them to you. But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God (1 Corinthians 11:2-3 KJV). Here again the Holy Spirit establishes that God has set in order authority in this present age giving this as a truth: man is the head of woman, Christ is the head of man, and God the Holy Father in heaven is head of Christ Jesus.

Therefore, I exhort you to remain faithful to God’s word. And pray and meditate on the things I have said to you. There is no Scripture saying you must belong to a congregation teaching the things of men rather than the things of God. Remembering also the exhortation of the Holy Spirit in Revelation 18, "Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great! She has become a home for demons and a haunt for every evil spirit, a haunt for every unclean and detestable bird. For all the nations have drunk the maddening wine of her adulteries. The kings of the earth committed adultery with her, and the merchants of the earth grew rich from her excessive luxuries." Then I heard another voice from heaven say: "Come out of her, my people, so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues; for her sins are piled up to heaven, and God has remembered her crimes… Rejoice over her, O heaven! Rejoice, saints and apostles and prophets! God has judged her for the way she treated you" (Revelation 18:2-5, 20 NIV). Meditate on the spiritual things the Holy Spirit is saying here, answering this question: who is "her" whom the Spirit is calling God’s people out of, is it this evil world or the churches of this world? Does this mean not to associate with these professing Christians who teaches for doctrine the commandments of men? The answer is no, but it do mean for you to come out of these doctrines of men taught by the churches of this world. For a true follower of Christ Jesus should be more concern about following and submitting to the Word of God rather than sitting around socializing with those who profess to the be Christians, yet, refusing to follow the Law of Christ. Let us learn from Elijah, for he thought he was the only one left who followed God, and the Holy Father in heaven said to him. "I have reserved seven thousand in Israel, all whose knees have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him" (1 Kings 19:18 NKJV). I pray that God continue to bless you in understanding His holy word. Amen. Praise God.

In Christ love,

Ron Davis, servant of Christ