27/06/10

Beware of the Scribes

Luke 20:45-47
45 Then in the audience of all the people he said unto his disciples,
46 Beware of the scribes, which desire to walk in long robes, and love greetings in the markets, and the highest seats in the synagogues, and the chief rooms at feasts;
47 Which devour widows' houses, and for a shew make long prayers: the same shall receive greater damnation.



Scribes are not limited to the unbeliever churches just because they wear white robes. Today we have scribes also in believer churches.

Scribe implies here to a religious official. What will amuse you is the Greek word comes from the root which mean 'letter'. These people like the name's root are those who follow the letter. They really do not have an understanding of what the letter means or its purpose and if they are in the right path or not. They will just follow it irrespective of what it says, because their senior has told them to do so.

Doing this, their hearts harden and instead of the Lord's glory progressing them, they use different media management and other PR methods to their expansion. Like Jesus said their speeches are long but they themselves will hardly follow what they themselves say. Their words and actions go at 180 degrees.

I know of many Pastors who's favorite topic to preach on (which they regularly do without fail) is tithing. The biggest nightmare for them is when their fat cows (those who tithe more) go to other congregations. To the extent some of them openly warn their people from going to other congregations. And in case it is too much for them to stop they even tell them 'okay you can go there or anywhere else but make sure you put your tithes here'.

I confronted one Pastor on tithing, this gave him the chills and he landed warning the other Pastors about me.

It is not that they take the money home or misuse it fully. You will understand the reason behind this when you come to know of their numbers game.

For example, if a new family of husband, wife along with their 2 small kids, say of 1 and 3 years respectively register in their congregation then they will count them as 4 believers! Come on, can you count the 1 year and 3 year old children as believer members of the congregation?

Their books show their congregation numbers as 700 but the people who regularly attend are hardly 50-100, as far as the tithes from the others come they are not concern if they come for service once a year or not at all. The numbers registered is very important because this helps them to keep their status high between other Pastors. The tithes are mostly used to conduct events on grand scale so as to further their status among other Pastors / in the ministry.

In God's Kingdom quality is give higher importance then quantity. You may have thousands of members in the congregation, but how rooted and mature are they in the Word? A congregation of 25 rooted in the Word will please God more than a congregation of 2500 just calling themselves believers.

(Please note I do not want you to stop your tithing even if your Pastor is one from this category. Understand you are not giving to man but to God what is due to Him. About your Pastor, do pray that God intervenes in his life and set things right in His grace and not in His anger.)


[ Prayer Starter ]
Lord Jesus, we pray for those You have set to lead others. Lord, we ask You to intervene in their lives and set things according to your Kingdom. That they fulfill their duties as true watchmen set on the wall. Lord we pray that You operate in the grace You made available through Jesus Christ...

This prayer we make in Your Mighty Name, Amen.


[ Reference Scriptures ]
Isaiah 56:8-11
8 The Lord GOD which gathereth the outcasts of Israel saith, Yet will I gather others to him, beside those that are gathered unto him.
9 All ye beasts of the field, come to devour, yea, all ye beasts in the forest.
10 His watchmen are blind: they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber.
11 Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand: they all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter.

The Word of God was given free to us, therefore we should also share it freely with others.
(All rights are with God)