[Faith_Machine]

As you all know, I am a collector of vintage Landover Baptist Church memorabilia.

As such, I recently paid a visit to Freehold Antiques and Notions, to see if I might acquire some wonderful new collector's items.

Naturally, when the proprietor, dear Mrs. Baumgartner, told me she had an LBC tithing chart from 1962, I'm sure you can imagine how excited I was!

But I was a bit surprised to see the information contained on that chart (please see attached photo).

Why was I surprised? Well, you all surely remember the financial problems I had a couple of years ago. During that dark time, I approached our pastors about perhaps temporarily lowering my monthly tithe to something more manageable than the fifteen percent I was paying.

I was informed at that time that fifteen percent has always been the absolute bare minimum any church member has ever tithed, even during the Great Depression.

So I'm sure you all can imagine my shock when I discovered the attached tithe chart, which I immediately purchased, and have in my possession.

I might be willing to surrender this valuable artifact to our church elders for safe keeping, but first I would like to address the small matter of my having apparently over-tithed for the last several years.

I am not asking to be paid for this rare collector's item; I will give it to the church freely, and without reservation.

But I do believe it would be appropriate for me to be refunded any monies I might have over-tithed since March 2015.

Thank you.

[MitzaLizalor]

There is no such thing as "over" tithing.

LUKE 21 . KJV . look up
1 [Jesus] looked up, and saw the rich men casting their gifts into the treasury.
2 And he saw also a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites.

Now what did Jesus say?

tick box

. . ."Oi!" to Temple official "Oi you! That lady just put in 100% she should be a net recipient! Make her a disbursement from the treasury!"
. . ."Oooooh it's a shame isn't it."
. . ."Arrest that woman! She has contributed less than the minimum amount!"
. . ."That is the preferred, the best proportion of one's income to contribute into a treasury."
. . ."The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles. Freeman and slave, patrician and plebeian, lord and serf, guild-master and journeyman, in a word, oppressor and oppressed, stood in constant opposition to one another, carried on an uninterrupted, now hidden, now open fight, a fight that each time ended, either in a revolutionary reconstitution of society at large, or in the common ruin of the contending classes."

The Bible records what Jesus actually said:

3 And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all:
4 For all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God: but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had.

Mark was there too.

MARK 12 . KJV . look up
41 Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much.
42 And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing.
43 And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury:
44 For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living.

I would not like to put myself in the position of disagreeing with Jesus. As you can see, there are degrees† of damnation. Calling Jesus a liar would be the most likely fast-track to tier one. Especially where such a crucial area of fulfilling His great commission is concerned.



†Mark
†Luke

[Johny Joe Hold]

You bring up a great question, Brother Faith. Do we ever give too much?

That, as it turns out, is President Trump's problem as well. He gives so much of his wealth to Jesus each year he knows others would feel shamed if they his devotion. Not wanted to embarrass other Christians, he keeps his giving a secret.

I've learned from my sources in politics this is the reason he continues to resist making public his tax returns. He thinks his giving is a private matter and it would only complicate things for his wealthy friends if the public had access to his generous nature:

Democrats aren't giving up on Trump's tax returns

Posted: Mar 08, 2017 6:02 PM CSTUpdated: Mar 08, 2017 6:02 PM CSTDemocrats are making good on their vow to keep pursuing legal avenues to review President Trump's tax returns for potential conflicts of interest that violate the Constitution or pose a national security risk.

President Trump doesn't have to publicly disclose his tax returns, now or ever. But some members of Congress can, if they want.

By Jeanne Sahadi
NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Leading Republicans in Congress are not yielding to pressure to review President Trump's tax returns for potential conflicts of interest.
But Democrats making the push aren't letting them off the hook easily. They want them to go on the record with their refusals, repeatedly.
"It's going to be embarrassing when those tax returns come out. They're coming out sooner or later. ...Then we'll see how many people voted time and time and time again to deep six ... the request," said Representative Bill Pascrell on Wednesday before the Ways and Means Committee.
Just prior to Pascrell's comments, the Committee had voted down an amendment from another Democratic member -- Representative Lloyd Doggett -- which would have required Committee Chairman Kevin Brady to request the president's tax returns from Treasury before the Obamacare repeal bill could take effect.
Meanwhile, in the Senate on Tuesday, Senators Ron Wyden and Debbie Stabenow sent their second letter in a week to Senate Finance Chairman Orrin Hatch, again urging him to obtain and review Trump's tax returns.
In response to the senators' first letter, Hatch and Brady last week rejected their request and called their suggested approach "an abuse of the tax-writing committees' statutory authority."
Hatch has not issued a response to the second letter. His spokesman told CNNMoney that Hatch and Brady "have already said they will not use [that] authority."
Democrats are pointing to a section of tax law that authorizes the tax committee chairmen to confidentially review anyone's return -- including the president's -- without that person's consent if they have cause for concern pertaining to the committee's areas of oversight.

[MitzaLizalor]

That is a wonderful precedent from the modern era. Out here in the heathen islands we are encouraged to just grasp at whatever we want (unless we want Bibles) and steamroller anyone who gets in our way.



I am concerned about our brother but do not see it as my place to rebuke anyone. "How far has he fallen?" I think to myself, "how much lower could he go?" and so I have a question Mr Hold is this a case for handing over to Satan?

I CORINTHIANS 5 . KJV . look up
5 To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.

Although where two or three are gathered there Jesus may be found, would such a small number be quorate and would there need to be a Pastor included? If I can help in any way please do not hesistate to contact me.