The sermon this morning made me very angry!

[evangelist6589]

Beat me to it! :thumbs:

As to Reformed churches not teaching tithing, that is not universally true. I attended a Calvinist Baptist church in the early-mid 2000's and they preached the tithe. In fact, the pastor was so adamant about it that he said if you couldn't tithe 10% to the local church you should sell your house and move into a smaller house so that you could tithe and would not be disobedient. Meanwhile, he admitted that he was not tithing 10% to HIS OWN CHURCH because he had commitments to other ministries from before the time he came to become pastor at this church.

That was the last straw for me.

You found a needle in a haystack among Reformed churches.

 

[righteousdude2]

It may not have been WOF,

No its a IFB church and he did not preach a prosperity gospel. However he did not preach a Reformed message neither. I mean I encourage free-will giving, but not burdening people down with guilt as what may have happened yesterday. Its too bad... My wife gave the church $100 after the message which is a good thing if that is what the Spirit instructed, however she does not regularly give money. I usually give money when I have a income to the church and para church ministries. However as of late in Colorado my income has been irregular. But if I did not know any better I may have wrote a check for everything in my bank account after such a message, when that may not have been what the Spirit instructed.

However, if they could get your wife to separate herself from $100.00, if it sounds like a duck; It walks like a duck; and looks like a duck; it is a duck.

I've been in those kinds of services, and these preachers are as good as any used-car salesman, I've ever heard in the pulpit! These kinds of sermons raised the money they set out to raise, and when people give, like your wife, it is sad because most never know if the Spirit moved them or the persuasiveness of the preacher!

I've learned, when in these high-pressured services, to step back, but the check book away, and decide as to how much to give, after the service is over, and I have time to prayerfully react as to how much I should really give!

Years ago, I was dating a gal, that I co-signed a personal loan for that was supposed to be used to pay off some of her debt!

A few days after she received the check, she excitedly told me that while watching a TBN fund raising week, she felt moved in the spirit to send the entire one-thousand dollars to the network for a satellite. She said God spoke to her and promised her He'd in turn send her seven-fold [times] that amount within the next week!

I blew my stack, but what could I do? I gave her two weeks to get that seven-fold blessing, and once it didn't manifest itself, I shot a letter off to Paul and Jan, and explained the situation to them, that the check was money I co-signed for to help her get some credit cards paid off, and that I'd appreciate the money be returned.

To my surprise, a few days later, TBN sent a check for %500.00 and an apology for the preachers' high pressured sales technique. However, they also argued that at least a half was being kept, as it was still my girl friend's choice, and they prayerfully decided she would feel good with giving at least half of that!

To tell the truth, I never expected a red-cent, but their reasoning was "Lame and selfish!" Nevertheless, at least I recovered half of the gift and personally paid down one of the three credit cards!