AS WERE RECOMMENDED BY REV. WILLIAM BRANHAM FOR THE BRANHAM TABERNACLE
(AND FOR ALL END TIME MESSAGE CHURCHES)
AGREEMENT AND OPERATION OF OFFICES
The following agreements and the operations of The present offices in power at the Branham Tabernacle are compiled below. It is to enlighten the present members who now attend the worship services at the Branham Tabernacle; as to the proper function of each office. That we may agree as one united body, understanding each other’s position as we work together to forward the kingdom of God.
THE OFFICE OF THE PASTOR
The office of the pastor is to conduct and act upon any program of which he believes to be according to the plan of God, according to the Word of God, for the Branham Tabernacle. He shall assume supreme authority and meet promoting for the spiritual welfare of the church. He shall be head of the associate pastor, the deacon board, the trustee board, and the church body itself. Acting in wisdom to lead God's saints, manifesting love toward all the saints and their burdens. Conducting himself in perfect servitude, of which God has called and placed him to act upon.
JEREMIAH 3:15~ “And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.”
HEBREWS 13:17—“Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.”
I THESSALONIANS 5:12-13 – “And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you; And to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake.
1 TIMOTHY 5:1~ “Rebuke not an elder, but intreat him as a father; and the younger men as brethren.”
RELATED SERMONS on "PASTORING":
“But the FULL and COMPLETE AUTHORITY of the church is the PASTOR. Read that in the Bible; see if that's not Bible order. That's exactly right. There's no one above the elder. I have nothing to do with what Brother Neville does here. That's up to you and Brother Neville." (HEBREWS.CHAPTER.7.PT.2.CHURCH.ORDER JEFF.IN HEB 57-0922)
"And now to the PASTOR, to our Brother Neville, at this time. Remember, he is the full head of the church. Brother Neville has the right to exercise any AUTHORITY that the Holy Spirit would, anything the Holy Spirit would tell him to say, in other words. In the church, he has the RIGHT to anything that God would lead him to do. He also has the RIGHT over his deacon board. He can CHANGE the DEACON board, the TRUSTEES, or PIANIST, or any other office in the church that he desires to change, feeling led by the Holy Spirit to do so. And whatever he does, I will recognize it, as he (I believe) to be a godly man. I will recognize it to be of the Lord, and will sanction the same, therefore it gives him the authority then to operate the church the way he feels led to do it. Now, or, any office in the church, that he desires to--to--to switch positions of people, for he has the authority to do that." (CHURCH.ORDER_ JEFF.IN COD TUESDAY_ 58-1007)
“If you can't respect the man, respect the office he holds in God. That's exactly right (See?); respect him. If a minister comes up, your pastor, always respect him. I've heard congregations talk about their pastor, how just talk about him, run him down, ridicule him. How is that pastor ever going to do anything for you? He can't do it. You--you don't--you don't re... I don't say this church, but I mean churches I have seen, that if you... You've got to love your pastor. You've got to know that he's a human being, but yet God has made him His pastor. The Holy Ghost has made him overseer; then you've got to respect him in that manner. And no matter what the pastor's done, if you respect him in your heart as God's servant, God will respect you for doing it. "He that--he that receiveth Me, receiveth Him that sent Me," Jesus said." (RESPECTS, JEFFERSONVILLE, INDIANA 61-1015)
PASTOR’S QUALIFICATIONS ACCORDING TO 1 TIMOTHY 3:1-6 ~
1 This is a true saying, if a man desire the office of a bishop (tagapangasiwa), he desireth a good work.
2 A bishop then must be blameless (walang kapintasan), the husband of one wife (isa lang ang kanyang asawa), vigilant (mapagbantay), sober (maingat) ,of good behaviour (kagalang-galang), given to hospitality (bukas ang tahanan sa iba), apt to teach (may kakayahang magturo);
3 Not given to wine (hindi lasenggo), no striker (hindi basagulero o marahas) , not greedy of filthy lucre (hindi maibigin sa kalayawan); but patient (mahinahon), not a brawler (hindi mahilig makipag-away) not covetous (hindi mapag-angkin ng hindi kanya);
4 One that ruleth well his own house (isang tao na may disiplina sa kanyang pamilya), having his children in subjection with all gravity (kaya niyang pasunurin ang kanyang mga anak ng may takot at paggalang) ; 5 (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)
6 Not a novice (hindi baguhan), lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil. (Baka lumaki ang kanyang ulo sa kapalaluan ay mahulog siya sa bitag ng kahatulan ng Diablo) 7 Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil. (Bukod dito, kailangang siya'y may mabuting patotoo sa paningin ng mga hindi mananampalataya upang di siya mapintasan at hindi siya mahulog sa bitag ng Diyablo).
THE OFFICE OF ASSOCIATE PASTOR
The associate pastor to the Branham Tabernacle, is to perform and carry out the duties of the pastor, in his absence. To conduct worship services according to the manner of doctrine believed and practiced by the Branham Tabernacle. He shall be invested with the same power as the pastor is, meeting all responsibility of the church, and acting in full authority to keep the church in order. He is to manifest deep concern to all the burdens of the saints and fulfill the commission of which God has called him to, as a shepherd. He shall account at various times the progress of the church, spiritual matters present, and problems that may be pressing, to the pastor. He shall not undertake any business transactions without first presenting it to the pastor, the exact transaction.
THE OFFICE OF THE DEACONS
The office of deacons, as elected according to the Word of God and the manner of the Branham Tabernacle, is to act as an office of spiritual assistance to the pastors. They are to assist the pastors on all of his spiritual activities. They are given free speech in presenting to the pastors any program or benefits that would bless the general and spiritual welfare of the church. They must be apt to teach, and ready to assist the pastor or associate pastor on every duty if called to do so. They shall assist in serving communion. They shall be acting ushers in all services. They shall police the church, in keeping civil order and conduct. They shall assist in taking local offerings. They shall oversee the spiritual conduct of the church in working with the pastor and one another on spiritual problems and matters of the saints. They shall be ready at anytime to assist the need of every saint who is burdened and in need of spiritual consultation, or general welfare. They have not the right to act upon any program or promotion without agreement with one another, the pastors, or the trustees if the program they are considering doing involves church funds. They will be responsible before God for their conduct and manner of service, according to the Word of God. They shall not have meeting among themselves without the pastor or associate pastor present.
QUALIFICATIONS OF A DEACON ~ 1 TIMOTHY 3: 8-12
8 Likewise must the deacons be grave (kagalang-galang), not double-tongued (tapat mangusap), not given to much wine (hindi lasenggero) , not greedy of filthy lucre (di maibigin sa kalayawan); 9 Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience (pinanghahawakan ang pananampalataya ng may malinis na kunsyensya).
10 And let these also first be proved (dapat muna silang masubukan) ; then let them use the office of a deacon, being found blameless.
11 Even so must their wives be grave (dapat ang kanilang asawa mandin ay kagalang-galang), not slanderers (hindi mapanirang-puri), sober (mapagtimpi), faithful in all things (matapat sa lahat ng bagay).
12 Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife (dapat isa lang ang asawa), ruling their children and their own houses well (pinangangasiwaan ng may disiplina ang kanyang mga anak at sambahayan). 13 For they that have used the office of a deacon well purchase to themselves a good degree, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.
RELATED SERMONS PERTAINING TO THE OFFICE OF A DEACON:
“They are appointed by the church, by their own vote…And if later, if they feel that they are disqualified, then they have a right in the next few weeks to resign the office, that someone else could be appointed in their place. At the end of fiscal year, in first of January, that all offices of the church, such as deacons, and so forth, expires. If they want to continue on, they just continue on. If they don't, then they have to resign if they don't want to continue on. And there is nothing against them, then they continue on for the next year. And--and then if they do not continue on, then they have an election, and appoint some other trustee, or--or whatever the office was.” (PLACING OF DEACONS - 58-0720E)
“The deacons, your duty is to keep order in the church with kindness and friendliness. And then you are supposed to, if someone gets out of order in the church, or comes in here like a drunk, or somebody come in... And if someone jumps up and starts interrupting the pastor, or something other like that, and the pastor in his message, the deacons supposed to walk up to them people, two or three of them, say, "Could we speak to you, brother?" See? Bring him from the church, out into the office, in here or some other office, and speak to him about it, saying, "You're not to interrupt.” You know, it's a--it's a great fine by the law to interrupt a service anyhow. See? But some people, such as a delinquent person or something, come among you, you know, and--and some religious fanatic, and-- and start carrying on, then the deacons... And if--and if the deacons don't seem to be able to control it, then the trustee board or anyone else in the church can step up and give help to such a person, you know, that. But, remember, the deacons are God's policemen in the house of God, no matter what anybody else thinks. Sometimes a policeman want not to have to go up and make an arrest on somebody, maybe one of his friends, but he's sworn to an office; he's got to do it anyhow. That's his duty to his city. See? Like they shot that minister out of the platform the other night up there. You heard about that, that drunk coming in with a double-barreled shotgun. And he screamed for his wife, and and went up towards the pastor. And the pastor showed him his wife setting there, but he was going to shoot her right in the church, and the pastor started to dealing with him. And instead.… The man with the shotgun turned around and shot the pastor out of the pulpit, and then shot his wife, and then shot himself. Now, if there'd been a bunch of deacons there when that man entered that door with that shotgun, they'd have had their arms around him and the shotgun out of his hand. (QUESTION AND ANSWERS, Number 222)
“Jesus acted as a Deacon. He was both pastor, prophet, trustee, and deacon. Sure was. So then you see what He did, let that be your example in the house here at this Branham Tabernacle…. That's the way, that's the way He wants it. He never slagged. When it come time to say, call what was what, He called it. When it come time to show gentleness, then He showed gentleness. He was sweet, kind, understanding, but stern; and everything was right to the dot with Him, and He did that for your example.” (CHURCH ORDER AND CONDUCT - 63-1226)
Q: How far, Brother Branham, can or should a deacon go to keep order in the church? Should we keep the order or wait until Brother Neville tells us what we should do? A: That isn't Brother Neville's job; that's your job. See? You don't tell Brother Neville what to preach on, how to preach it. See, that's your job, you deacons; you're supposed to do that. You take care of that. That's nothing to Brother Neville that's your job. See? Now, if a policeman's out here on the street and he sees a man stealing property out of a back of a car, should he call the mayor and say, "Now, Mayor, your Honor, sir, I am working for you here on this police force. Now, I find a man up the street here, he's—he was stealing some tires off of a car last night. Now, I just wonder, what's your opinion of that?" See? See, that wouldn't be sensible. Would it? No, sir, If he's doing something wrong, arrest him. Those who leave the church… If they leave, there's only one thing to do: let them go, and pray for them. See? Then maybe some of the deacons go to their church--or go to their house sometime, and find out why they left, and ask them what was wrong. Then, and if they... See if you can reconcile them. If you can't, then take two or three witnesses with him, that they might be understood.Then if they can't be understood, then it's told before the church if they are a member here of the church... "Now, if those people get angry and go out from you, what does the Scripture say about it, Brother Branham?" "They went out from us because they wasn't of us." That settles it.
(QUESTION AND ANSWER NO. 231.)
“And it's your duty to stand by those men (See?) for they'll make mistakes. They're mortals; they're just men, and they'll make mistakes. But if the President of United States makes a mistake, do we throw him out as President? We forget about it and move on. That's the way we want to do our church now.”(A.TOTAL.DELIVERANCE_ JEFF.IN 59-0712)
THE OFFICE OF THE TREASURER
The responsibility of the treasurer is to provide an exact account of the financial status of the present funds in the treasury. This report is to made available to the pastor or the board of trustees, upon their request of such a report. No other office in the church may have access to this information. He may obtain such information from the trustees report given to him by the treasurer. The treasurer shall sit in on every trustee meeting to take notes and minutes of actions taken by the board of trustees. ***He has not the authority to convey or acknowledge the financial status information to any acting office in the church but the pastor or board of trustees.*** He shall not be a consultant in spiritual matters, nor is it of need that he should attend meetings of the deacons. Unless asked to by the pastor.
THE OFFICE OF THE TRUSTEES
The body of men, shall govern the welfare of the church as a business group. They are elected to protect the church in its financial matters, its business investments, the supervision of its properties, and its expenditures. They shall strongly consider every move of progress, step by step, which involves church funds. For they shall be responsible to keep the church from indebtedness, and the saints from burdens that are too great to bear financially. In the undertaking of any project, regardless what it is, they are to bring the matter to the pastor, consultation by the pastor, consultation by the pastor only for every financial project the church wishes to invest or engage itself therein is absolutely required.
THE OFFICE OF SUNDAY SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT
The office of Sunday school superintendent is of vital importance to the church. Though his duties are not major, he is responsible to keep the children’s classes with teachers and supplies that pertain to teaching. He shall undertake to appoint teachers to their rooms assigned to them. He shall, in the absence of a Sunday school teacher, appoint another teacher to take the place of the one absent from duty. He shall watch carefully that the time element of the classes beginning and closing does not interfere with the worship service. He shall present the needs of Sunday school supplies to the board of trustees, who will advise him concerning the funds needed for supplies. He shall not direct the teachers themselves, only assigning them to their classes. He shall not undertake any program without consulting the pastor, for the Sunday school department solely. He is not required to sit in on deacon board meetings, nor on trustee meetings. He is free from any responsibility as that pertaining to a deacon or trustee, that all his time may be given to supervise the Sunday school, with devout interest.
THE OFFICE OF MUSIC PROGRAM
The music program and all order pertaining to the development of such a program is under the supervision of the pastor only, and the associate pastor. During regular - services, special meetings, or revivals, at all times, the pastors shall advise and conduct this program. The trustee board shall advise on the purchasing of any musical instruments and the pastor shall be consulted. Any suggestions for musical programs by the saints, deacons, or such parties interested should be presented to the pastor, who will welcome them, and advise on such suggestions. It is preferred the pastor shall control this program, as he is the leader of the worship service, and confidence is placed in his ability to lead the church in worship that is most pleasing to God. Music programs, testimony services, addresses by various parties, reports to the church by various offices, or any program that intervene the worship time should be under the pastors supervision.
TRAINING OF YOUNG MINISTERS
“And then in there, get training in your own groups other ministers, men that you see that has a calling in their life for the ministry. Train them young men; bring them in here to the elder. All of you set together in a ministerial meeting and there teach the deeper things of God. Don't go on the bad end. Keep someone who, can have confidence in to be kind of like a--a leader for you. And then sometimes if you don't see it just exactly the way he does, goes--that's all right, you're in the faith anyhow; just move along. And training up a group of men. And if I'm in evangelistic work somewhere, there's places I can place them worldwide.” (TAKING.SIDES.WITH.JESUS.title JEFF.IN COD 62-0601)
THE PROPER CONDUCT OF CHURCH SERVICES
Now, He's give us a nice place; let's dedicate it to Him and dedicate ourselves with it to Him.
The beauty of the church is the character of the people. By a consecrated life is the only way we can do it. We should never buy or sell in the house of the Lord . It should be a place of worship, holy, consecrated for that purpose. It’s not a place to visit, it’s a place of worship. We should never murmor a word inside of here, outside of worship, to one another unless it’s absolutely necessary. We should never rally around. We should never run through the building or let our children run through the building. We do not come into the sanctuary of the Lord to meet each other, we come here to worship God.
This sanctuary is dedicated to worship. Stand outside; talk anything you wish to as long as it’s right and holy. Go to one another’s home. Visit one another’s place. But when you enter that door, keep quiet. If you desired to, silently you come to the altar and pray silently. You walk back to your seat, open up your Bible. What your neighbor done, that was up to him. You had nothing to say. If you want to talk to him, say “I’ll see him outside. I’m in here to worship the Lord.
We should never buy or sell in the building. We should never do any business in this auditorium here; it should never be done in here. That is, such as permitting ministers to come in and sell books and everything. No matter what it is, there's other places to do that. We--we shouldn't buy and sell in the house of our Lord. It should be a place of worship, holy, consecrated for that purpose. See?
And now, this may seem a little rude, but it's not a place to visit; it's a place of worship. We should never even murmur a word inside of here, outside of worship, to one another unless it's absolutely necessary. See? We should never rally around; we should never run through the building or let our children run through the building.
I have seen churches though, to where the children were permitted to run all over the sanctuary, and the adults stand and holler across the room to one another. That's a good way to ruin the service.
We do not come into the sanctuary of the Lord to meet each other; we come here to worship God, then go to our homes. This sanctuary's dedicated to worship. That's what we're here for, is to hear the Word of the Lord. And so everybody wants to hear, and we want it just as quiet as they can be. That is, not a bunch of talking and carrying on.
Therefore, dedicating ourselves, let's remember when we enter that sanctuary, keep still to one another and worship God. If we want to visit each other, there's places we may visit each other like that but never walking around where you can't hear yourself think, and some person come in, and they just don't know what to do. See? It's so much noise and things.
You come here to talk to Him (See?) and let Him talk back to you. The trouble of it is, we do too much talking and don't listen enough. Then when we come in here, wait on Him.
Now, the ushers stands at the corners of the buildings and so forth and if any carrying on, they are ordained as their duty (and trustees set here in the front) that in a case of someone getting misbehaving, they are commissioned to ask the person to keep quiet.
The ushers stood at the door to see that nobody talked. When you done your talking outside, you come in. If you desired to, silently you come to the altar and prayed silently. You walked back to your seat, opened up the Bible. What your neighbor done, that was up to him. You had nothing to say. If you want to talk to him, say, "I'll see him outside. I'm in here to worship the Lord." You read His Word or set quietly.
Stand outside; talk anything you wish to as long as it's right and holy; go to one another's homes; visit one another in places; but when you enter that door, be quiet.
Of course, somebody worshipping the Lord; that's expected. That's what it should be; that's what you're here for, is to worship the Lord. And just if you feel like praising God or shouting, just go right on (See?), 'cause that's what you're here for (See?), but--is to worship the Lord in your own way of worshipping. But there's nobody worships the Lord while you're talking and passing notes, and you're helping somebody else to get away from the worship of the Lord. See?
So we feel that that would be wrong, and we want to make that a ruling in our church, that in--in our congregation, that to this building, this church will be dedicated to the Kingdom of God and to the preaching of the Word. Pray; worship; that's the reason you should come here, to worship.
As soon as the service is dismissed leave the auditorium. You're through in the worship then. Then go out and talk to one another and whatever you want to do. If you've got something you want to talk to somebody, to see them, why, you go with them or to their home or whatever it is, but don't do it in the auditorium. Let's dedicate this to God. See? This is His meeting place where we meet with Him. See? And the law goes forth from the sanctuary, of course. And I believe that that would be pleasing to our heavenly Father.
Remember, love is corrective (See?), always. Genuine love is corrective. So you must be able to stand the correction. And mothers know now that there's a place there for your babies. You young kids know different than to run around over the building. See? And you adults know different than to talk and carry on your conversations in the auditorium. See? Don't do that; it's wrong. It isn't pleasing to God.
Jesus said, "It is written: My house shall be made a house of worship, prayer, called the house of prayer by all nations." And they were buying and selling, and He plaited ropes and ran the people out of the auditorium. And we certainly don't want that to happen in this sanctuary here. So let's dedicate our lives, our church, our tasks, our service, and everything we have to the Kingdom of God.”
And then the music--Sister Gertie, I don't know whether she's here this morning or not, Sister Gibbs. The old piano, I believe, set back in this corner the best of my remembrance. And she would play softly, "Down at the cross where my Saviour died," some real sweet soft music, and then until it come time for the service, and the song leader got up and led a couple of congregational songs, and then if they had some outstanding solo, they sang it, but never just a bunch of carrying on.
And then the music continually played, and then when I heard that, I knowed it was my time to come out. When a minister walks into a congregation of people praying in the anointing of the Spirit, you're bound to hear from heaven. That's just all. There's no way to keep from it. But if you walk into confusion, then you're so confused, the Spirit's grieved. We don't want that, no. We want to come here to worship. We have lovely homes that I'm going to speak about just in a minute and so forth at home, where we visit our friends and take them. This is the house of the Lord.
Now, there's little children, now, little babies. Now, they don't know no different. The only way they can get what they want is cry for it. And sometimes it's a drink of water, and sometimes they need attention. And so we have by the grace of God dedicated a room; it was called on the list a "cry room," but it's right straight in front of me. It's, other words, where the mothers can take their baby.
Now, it's never bothers maybe me here at the pulpit; maybe I won't even notice it, being anointed, but there's other people setting near, and it bothers them. See? And they come here to hear the service.
So the mothers, if your little baby starts whimpering, you can't help that. A real mother wants to take her baby to church, and that's the thing you should do. And we've got a room there to where you can see every corner of the building, all the auditorium, and a speaker there to where you can control the volume any way you want to, with a little toilet in the end, and water basin, and everything just exactly for the mother's convenience. With chairs and things you can set down, a place to change your baby if it needs to be changed and everything setting there. It's all fixed.
And then, many times teen-age children and sometimes adults will get to, you know, young people will pass notes or cut up or something in church. Now, you're old enough to know better than that. See? You should know better than that. See? You shouldn't come here... If you expect to be a real man someday and raise a family to the Kingdom of God, then start it off in the beginning (You see?), and--and act right and do right. And now, 'course." (GOD.IN.SIMPLICITY_ JEFF.IN SUNDAY_ 63-0317M)
SERMONS ON TITHING AND OFFERING
1. TITHING IS AN OBLIGATION AND A CHRISTIAN DUTY
”I do believe that every Christian is obligated to pay tithings because it is a commandment of the Lord. "And blessed is--are they that do all His commandments, that they might have a right to enter into the Life, the Tree of Life." Now, I do believe that tithe-paying is essential to a Christian experience.”
QA.GOD.BEING.MISUNDERSTOOD.title JEFF COD 61-0723E
"But, you know, I feel like this, that a member of a church, their first obligation is with their tithe and offerings, is to support their church. If you're members of these fine churches that's represented here, you support your church. That's your first duty to God. "Bring your tithe and offerings into the storehouse." Andthe storehouse, you surely know what that is; it's where you get your food. So there's where you get your spiritual food, and your obligation is to your church and not to an evangelist like me.”
LET.US.SEE.GOD.title SAN.JOSE.CA V-14 N-2 59-1129
"Brother, sister, the church ought to get in God's program, then the church will move all right. Just like suppers and dinners and so forth to appropriate money, that's not God's way of doing it. Pay your tithes; that's what God wants you to do. See? Just keep in God's program, and He'll bless the giver and so forth. He promised it." BEGINNING.OF.JESUS.FAME_ CONNERSVILLE.IN FRIDAY_ 53-0605
"Because they reject God's way of paying tithes. Certainly. Why do they take a creed? Because they don't want the Bible. Why they take a error? 'Cause they don't want the Truth." GO.AWAKE.JESUS_ SHREVEPORT.LA V-17 N-9 SATURDAY_ 63-1130E
2. BROTHER BRANHAM PAID TITHES
"But just as loyal as I ever could, I paid tithes. And when I took my own money from the church here or from my campaigns, I'd take more... I'd give a tenth. Then I'd give it out to the ministers, and give the rest of it to ministers. Then when I couldn't do that, then the thing I did, I kept ten percent and give God ninety. And then, when the law told me I couldn't do that, I'd have to take... And if I did, it was going to be charged to it, then I had to take and bypass it into foreign missions and so forth, and then just take a wage out of that of a hundred dollars a week; and I pay my tithes from that.Yes, sir. I believe in paying tithes . It's one of God's blessings that's proven to be a blessing. You say, "That's of the Old Testament." It is of the New Testament too. Yes, sir."
QUESTIONS.AND.ANSWERS_ JEFF.IN COD SUNDAY_ 64-0823E
"And I went down there and worked during the depression, and--and they brought their tithes in. Instead of me keeping it and not working, I put my own tithes in, and my offerings in, and the money in, and we built the tabernacle here. And it's built on the alms of the people that they give to me to make a living with. I worked and put it back in the tabernacle, and that's the reason they call it Branham Tabernacle." UNPARDONABLE.SIN_ JEFF.IN V-26 N-8 SUNDAY_ 54-1024
617-Q-146 049 146. "Brother Branham, don't you feel that everyone who claims to be a Christian should pay tithes, pay their tithes into the storehouse of the Lord? Please give Scripture to this question.All right, if you will... That is right, that the Bible said in Malachi the 4th chapter, "Will a man rob God? And you say, 'Where have we robbed Thee?' In tithe and offerings. Bring all your tithe and offerings into My storehouse and prove Me," saith the Lord, "if I will not open up the windows of heaven and pour out a blessing that there'll not be room enough to receive."That's a challenge to any individual. And if I only had the time, and would not get to this little Scripture that I wish to get to in about the next ten minutes, I would like to give you a personal testimony of how that I was even hungry, and my mother and them hungry, and my daddy sick, but I took my tithes out first and give it to God, and you ought to see what happened. I have never seen in my life, that any man or a woman, that if you only make one dollar a week, will bring the ten cents of that money and put it into your storehouse, your church where you come, if God don't bless that, call me a hypocrite. Yes, sir. That's a challenge to anybody. And every Christian should pay tithes. That's right. It should be done."
QA.GOD.BEING.MISUNDERSTOOD.title JEFF COD 61-0723E
"A minister, he's to live by the Gospel. But I was young; I was healthy, why shouldn't I work and not be an obligation to the people? Not because that they wouldn't do it; they would be glad to do it. But I just felt like if the rest of them worked, then I'd work also. So I worked and--and paid my tithings right at the church . I believe in tithe paying. Now... God has blessed (to) me millions of times." MY.LIFE.STORY_ CLEVELAND.OH SUNDAY_ 50-0820A
"And the church ARE THOSE who come and support the church with their presence, with their tithe and offerings, are always the ones that has legal say-so in the placing of such."
PLACING.OF.DEACONS.title JEFF.IN COD 58-0720E
3. AS THE ROYAL SEED OF ABRAHAM, WE ARE TO FOLLOW HIS EXAMPLE
As you see, Abraham lived under “grace” and not under the Law. Yet, he was the first one to introduce “tithings” to the seed of Abraham."And to you people that don't believe in tithe paying, look at this. The Levitical priesthood paid tithes. And the Bible said that Levi paid tithes when he was in the loins of Abraham, and that was his great, great grandfather. And when Levi was in the loins of Abraham, when Abraham paid tithes to Melchisedec, the Bible reckoned Levi paying tithes. How ought you people to live? If your sins are visited to the children, what about your blessings?"
FAITHFUL.ABRAHAM.title LA.CA 59-0415E
"Notice, we want to go back and think. Paul here is referring back to an Old Testament character. In the Book of Genesis we take up the life of Abraham from the 12th chapter of Genesis: God giving Abraham the promise, and through Abraham would come the righteous Seed. And Abraham as believed by many to be a Jew, he was not. Abraham was a Gentile, a Chaldean from the city of Ur. And he became God's servant, not because he was different from anyone else, but because of the election of God."
THE.COMMUNION_ JEFF.IN ER 21-34 THURSDAY_ 57-0418
4. NOTHING WILL EVER SUBSTITUTE GOD'S “TITHINGS”
"Today they're trying to take the place of God's tithing. They're trying to adopt something. They're trying to make it different. They go down and have bunco games in the churches, play lottery.Lottery will never take the place of God's tithings. Suppers, blanket selling, picnics to raise money to pay different debts off. It'll never take the place of God's eternal tithe and offerings; it'll never do it. But yet we're trying to do it.
ENTICING.SPIRITS.title JEFF.IN DE 79-112 55-0724
"We got to have some kind of a sale to pay the..." When it gets to a place like that, the church ought to close it's doors. Pay your tithes and the pastor will be paid." AS.THE.EAGLE.STIRRETH.UP.HER.NEST YAKIMA.WA THURSDAY_ 60-0804
5. TITHING GOES TO THE MINISTER
680-Q-161 085 161. Would it be wrong to use tithes on church building funds?Well now, here--here's a touchy little thing for the minister. That's right. In the Bible they had a box they'd set at the door in the Old Testament when the--building. This box was a fund where the people put in there for the repairing... You've read it many times in the Old Testament. They kept up the buildings and things like that... All the repairs on the buildings was taken care out of that fund. But a tenth of that went--a tenth of the tithings--all the tithings went to their priests, their pastors. Yes, tithings are to go for nothing else.I know people take their tithes and give them to a widow woman. That's wrong. If you've got anything to give the widow woman, give her, but don't give her God's money. That's not yours in the first place. That's God's."
QUESTIONS.AND.ANSWERS.title JEFF.IN COD 61-1015M
MALACHI 3:8-11 ~8
Willl a man rob God ? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.
9 Ye [are] cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, [even] this whole nation.
10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that [there shall] not [be room] enough [to receive it].
11 And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts.12 And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the LORD of hosts.
ADMONITION TO THE CHURCH
“Love one another above everything. Love one another. Don’t... No matter what the devil tries to say... Now, you’re all one great, big, sweet group now, but remember my warning . See? Satan won’t let that stay that way. No, sir. He’ll shoot everything, if he has to bring somebody in to make his target . He’ll bring some critic or unbeliever in, set him down, and cause him to fellowship with you under the quietness and things. Then he will shoot that guy with some kind of poison stuff, and he’ll start through the church with it. Don’t you take sides with it. Don’t you have nothing to do with anything else. You stay right loving and sweet and kind to one another.
Pray for that man that he’ll be saved too, or that woman, ever who it is. Just pray for them and stick one with another and stay with your pastor. See? He’s the shepherd and you give him respects. He’ll lead you through, and—cause, he’s ordained of God to do so. Now, do you remember that? The enemy will come. And when he does, just cling that much closer together. And the one that the Devil is using for an enemy will either get out or come in and be one of you. That’s all. Don’t never clan among one an—or talk, make yourself clannish; we are one. I couldn’t say, “Left hand, I’m mad at you; I’m going to take you away ‘cause you’re not a right hand.” He’s my left hand. I want him to stay there. Even the little tip of my finger, I want it to stay right there, every little part of my body stay right there.
And God wants us as a Body of believers to stay right exactly with one another, right it with one another. And now, you’ve got tapes on that. You’ve got tapes on what we believe. You got tapes on discipline in the church : how we behave ourself in the church of God, how we got to come here together and set together in heavenly places. Don’t stay home. If God is in your heart, you can’t hardly wait for them doors to open out yonder to get in here to fellowship with your brothers. If you don’t—don’t feel that way, then I tell you, it’s time you got to praying, ‘cause we’re in the last days where the Bible exalted us—exhorted us to—to much more as we see that day approaching, to love one another with Christian love and Divine love, to assemble ourselves together in heavenly places in—in Christ Jesus and love one another.
“This will all men know you’re My disciples when you have love one for the other.” That’s right. Stay right together. If the brother, you think he’s a little wrong, or the sister, say, “Lord, don’t let me ever have the root of bitterness spring up, ‘cause it’ll—it’ll affect him, and it’ll take the Christ right out of my life.” That poison acids of malice, and jealousy, and hatred, that’ll just take the Holy Spirit right away from you . It’ll run Him from the Tabernacle here. It’ll kill the Spirit of God or drive it away from here, hurt your pastor; it’ll do everything. See? Don’t you do that. You just wax that much closer together . Draw up the... Take the buckle, as the brother testified (a minister here the other night) about having a buckle (seeing it in a vision). Just... That buckles on the whole armor of God; just put it on, tighten up, move right up close to one another. Love one another anyhow. Talk nice about one another. Say nice things about one another, and then God will bless you.” (CHRIST.IS.THE.MYSTERY.title JEFF.IN V-3N-7 63-0728)
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Compiled for our local church reference ~
by Pastor Ron Millevo,
Spoken Word Christian Assembly, Quezon City, Philippines.
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