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The Story of Ananias and Sapphira reads as follows:The community of believers was of one heart and mind, and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they had everything in common. With great power the apostles bore witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great favor was accorded them all. There was no needy person among them, for those who owned property or houses would sell them, bring the proceeds of the sale, and put them at the feet of the apostles, and they were distributed to each according to need. . ....

Dear Dave, My husband and I are on Baby Step 2 of your plan, and we’re working hard to pay off all of our debt. We’re Christians, but would it be a good idea to decrease our traditional 10 to 15 percent tithe while we work through the debt snowball? Janelle Dear Janelle, I’ve studied Scripture on this subject for about 20 years and taught in Christian settings. But I don’t want you to take my word as the final authority. What we’re about to get into comes from God, not some guy with a radio show, okay? When you...

President Obama and the first lady on Thursday reported earning $5.5 million in 2009, the majority of which was from the sale of Obama’s books, the White House said. By contrast, former President Bush and Laura Bush reported a taxable income of $719,274 in 2007. The Obamas paid nearly $1.8 million in federal income tax and reported giving $329,100 to 40 charities. Their tax return is here. ---- Some context: The Obama's household income jumped from $991,296 in 2006 to $4.2 million in 2007. It was $2.7 million in 2008. ---

Brothers and Sisters In Christ - In my locale, there is a public place where street preaching goes on we have some regular hecklers who show up to ... make things more interesting. One of them has softened up over the years. He used to be somewhat contemptuous of Jesus, but now though still an agnostic, speaks well of Christ and Christians. He is tithing, wanting to see God reveal himself per Malachi 3:10. Question: What biblical standards exist for God to bless him abundantly in an obvious way? He wants to be sure he is not making a mistake...

Settlement papers show Mormon church leaders agreed to return more than $202,000 in tithing money paid by a man convicted of bilking investors out of more than $142 million. U.S. District Court filings show Val Southwick paid The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints $202,761.74 between 2001 and 2006. In 2008, the LDS Church Corporation of the Presidency agreed to return the money as part of a Securities and Exchange Commission enforcement action. Spokesman Scott Trotter says the church has a policy of not profiting from alleged ill-gotten gains. Southwick was convicted of securities fraud and is serving nine...

Tithing picks up among Christian business owners Charities, both religious and secular, benefit as entrepreneurs give them a portion of their profits Contractor Tom Barry stopped at the Cup of Joy Cafe in Wasco on his way to a job site on a rainy Thursday afternoon and bought a small latte. Barry chatted with owner Chris Fisher for a few minutes, then stepped to a set of boxes mounted on a wall and stuffed his receipt into a box that benefits King's Garden Orphanage in Haiti. The orphanage got a 21-cent donation, and Fisher got a warm glow in his...

Can you put a price on faith? That is the question churchgoers are asking as the tradition of tithing -- giving 10% of your income to the church -- is increasingly challenged. Opponents of tithing say it is a misreading of the Bible, a practice created by man, not God. They say they should be free to donate whatever amount they choose, and they are arguing with pastors, writing letters and quitting congregations in protest. In response, some pastors have changed their teaching and rejected what has been a favored form of fund raising for decades. The backlash comes as...

Years of ridicule end for many as loony outpaces greenback OGDENSBURG, NY – It’s a brisk November afternoon in this small town perched near the top of New York State, and Pastor William Barth is huddled behind the desk in his modest office at Ogdensburg Presbyterian Church. All four walls are plastered with pictures of Barth’s family, Thomas Kinkade prints, and a bevy of other items that speak to his decades of service as a minister. But one 24- by 36-inch spot of bare wood paneling begs an obvious question. “Yep, that’s where the ‘Canada: America’s Hat’ poster used to...

10. Gross, not net—as usual! 9. Hush Money 8. Casino winnings! 7. For voice lessons for worship team!

SecureGive takes tithing to the touchscreen by James Bickers, editor * • 28 Nov 2006 Amy Forrest works in the communications department of a non-profit organization in Ward, S.C. A member of Stevens Creek Church in Augusta, Ga., she was one of the first to use the church’s SecureGive kiosk program, a touchscreen system that allows electronic contributions."My impression of the kiosk when I walked into Stevens Creek for the first time was, ‘This place gets how I live,’" said the 31-year-old. "I never carry cash, therefore I rarely gave an offering. Then I felt like a heel for not giving...

Tithing is Unscriptural Under the New Covenant [A Scriptural Exposition on the Fraudulent Fleecing of the Flock] Since first posting this tithing paper on bible-truths.com, we have had over 100,000 visitors seeking information on this topic. Many have written me personally thanking me for freeing them from this illegal and abusive practice of the Church. I have also received emails from some who are sure that tithing is a bonafide legal obligation for members of the New Testament Christian Church. Objections to my paper range from simply quoting the prophet Malachi sent to the priests and nation of Israel: "Wherein...

HARTFORD, Conn. - Connecticut ranks first when it comes to making money - but joins New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Rhode Island at the bottom of an annual index of charitable giving. The Catalogue for Philanthropy's 2004 Generosity Index showed Mississippi, for the eighth straight year, as the nation's most giving state. It was followed by Arkansas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Alabama and Tennessee. The survey is based on residents' average adjusted income and itemized charitable donations reported on 2002 federal tax returns, the latest year available. The index does not take into account non-itemized giving or volunteering, said Carol Schofield of the...

Evangelical Christians are familiar with the concept of tithing. For those of you new to the concept, let me summarize it this way: G-d is owed a tenth of everything you make. "Owed," mind you. The first 10 persent of everything BELONGS to G-d for use in building His kingdom. Genuinely grateful people give above the 10 percent mark. Now the vast majority of evangelical Christians don't tithe. The average annual donation to a church by a family is a few hundred dollars, not a few thousand. But the standard is often discussed by pastors as a means of inspiring...

Church revenues are down in the past 12 months. One reason may well be the decline in the proportion of Christians who tithe. Among the highlights of this week’s report, regarding tithing, are the following: The proportion of adults who tithe has dropped by 62% in the past year. Just 6% of born again households tithed to their church in 2002. Tithing, when it occurs, is generally among Protestants: 5% of adults who attend Protestant churches tithed last year, compared to less than one-tenth of 1% among Catholics. Among the groups most likely to tithe are people over 55, college...

Does God require me to give a tithe of all I earn? Two kinds of giving are taught consistently throughout Scripture: giving to the government (always compulsory), and giving to God (always voluntary). The issue has been greatly confused, however, by some who misunderstand the nature of the Old Testament tithes. Tithes were not primarily gifts to God, but taxes for funding the national budget in Israel. Because Israel was a theocracy, the Levitical priests acted as the civil government. So the Levite's tithe (Leviticus 27:30-33) was a precursor to today's income tax, as was a second annual tithe required...