You rulers make decisions based on bribes; you priests teach God’s laws only for a price; you prophets won’t prophesy unless you are paid. Yet all of you claim to depend on the LORD. “No harm can come to us,” you say, “for the LORD is here among us.” Because of you, Mount Zion will be plowed like an open field; Jerusalem will be reduced to ruins! A thicket will grow on the heights where the Temple now stands. Micah 3:11-12 NLT
Many Christians in America look at the decay of our society and ask, “How did we get here?”
The answer is not our politicians. It’s not even Hollywood.
It’s the church.
That’s a big claim. I’ll bet some reading this might be a little angry. You have to get past it to see the facts. These facts are not easy to swallow.
In 2022, American congregations received 74.5 BILLION dollars in tithes.*
That’s not including Christian organizations, or Bible-belt political donations.
Nope.
That’s the tithe.
74.5 BILLION!
To put this in perspective, since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, the U.S. has given Ukraine 75 billion in aid.**
Now, a lot of people are upset about that, but look at what it has accomplished.
Imagine what 74.5 billion dollars given to the church would do!
Oh, wait… Americans are pretty darn generous. So… What is the 74.5 BILLION doing?
Where’s the money going?
In 2022, according the HUD, there were 582,462 homeless Americans.
74.5 billion dollars should get that number to 0 and then some.
Remember, the 74.5 billion dollars is the average tithed ANNUALLY.
Whew, that’s a lot of money: Yet there is still homelessness in this nation.
There’s an estimated 400,000 kids in the American foster care system.
Again, 74.5 billion dollars is given annually. Gee, I wonder what that kind of money could do for the orphans of today.
In 2022, America had an estimate of 11.9 million widows.
So, 12, 882,462 Americans are in need of help. 74.5 billion given in just one year could change all of their lives for the better in an instant.
Why isn’t it?
Why are there still hungry children in America?
I’ll tell you why.
As Christians, we’re supposed to be really good at turning the other cheek (Matthew 5:38). Some may say we’ve become too good at turning the other cheek. However, nothing is clearer than Matthew 6:12 and forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us.
With as meek and incredibly humble as Jesus is, there was that one time he lost his temper…
Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out all the people buying and selling animals for sacrifice. He knocked over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves. He said to them, “The Scriptures declare, ‘My Temple will be called a house of prayer.’ But you have turned it into a den of thieves!” Matthew 21:12-13 NLT
Did Jesus go where the Romans were sacrificing animals to their gods?
NO!
Jesus dealt with the corruption in his Father’s house.
In America, I’ve seen a lot of Christians go outside of their lane to hunt down people who sin differently than them and verbally knock over their tables.
Many times, “You’re going to hell!” has been screamed in godless places. From what I’ve seen, all that’s done has turned people away from God.
All the while, entrepreneurs figured out that preaching is a pretty good gig. Like hungry wolves, these faux-shepherds crawled their way through seminary school and right up to the pulpits.
Of course, not everyone behind a pulpit is like that. I’ve heard of pastors who go above and beyond the call of duty for their flocks. That said, there are enough wolves in shepherd’s clothing to turn many congregations into dens of thieves.
I’ll give y’all plenty of personal reference to this.
My great-grandmother (a widow btw) was on a fixed income. She wanted to tithe to a television preacher. Once she gave her bank info over the phone, that was it. They took more than she intended to give and kept taking money from her every month!
Disgusting!
The elderly on fixed incomes should be helped by the tithes and offerings, not robbed for them!
When I was in 7th grade, my mom and I attended a church where the pastor owned an entire cul-de-sac of houses. He rented them out to the deacons. He didn’t even have a book deal. That was all funded by the tithe.
Meanwhile, single mothers experiencing hard times were denied assistance from this church.
Sick!
I’ve even heard pastors brag about their worldly wealth from the pulpits, all of which was funded by the tithe!
One of them needed a lake house, so he could get away from everybody on his boat!
A real shepherd’s heart (insert eye roll)…
I even heard him tell the congregation while holding his Bible in the air, “It doesn’t matter what drugs you’ve done. It doesn’t matter who you slept with last night. So long as you show up and pay your tithes and offerings, God will forgive you!”
When I heard those words, the Holy Spirit within me mourned.
Right now, we’re getting close to Easter Sunday. It’s the biggest attendance day of the year. I imagine the wolves in shepherd’s clothing have dollar signs in their eyeballs; cha-ching!
When the truth is, no one can buy their way to salvation.
For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16 KJV
You do not desire a sacrifice, or I would offer one. You do not want a burnt offering. The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God. Psalm 51:16-17 NLT
Belief in Christ and repentance for sins is all that’s required for YOU to have everlasting life.
There’s not much profit in that though, is there?
So many Americans desire an audit of the Fed.
Others seek to audit the assistance given to Ukraine.
I say those are political issues and far beneath what Christians should primarily be focusing on.
It’s time to audit the church.
WWJD?
He would demand accountability for where every penny of that 74.5 billion has gone.
Audit the pulpits!
Don’t get comfortable. We’re only supposed to have faith in God like a child. All of this faith in personalities has gotten the church in trouble. We need to continue to audit the tithes EVERY year.
I’m not calling for violence, I’m not calling for destruction, but there’s a time to turn the cheek, and there’s a time to turn over tables!
Weed out these wolves in shepherd’s clothing!
Paul didn’t make his living off of tithes. Preachers shouldn’t either. Sunday mornings, Wednesday evenings, and maybe Saturday nights leaves plenty of time for them to have a JOB!
The tithes shouldn’t be making pastors rich; they should be making God’s people enriched!
Enrich the homeless!
Enrich the orphans!
Enrich the widows!
Enrich our communities!
Perhaps then the blessings promised in Malachi chapter 3 will come pouring out, because look around, they sure aren’t here now.
Tent cities keep popping up, though…
Remember, 74.5 billion dollars!
Audit the church!
Audit the tithes!
We’re not living in Matthew 24 times. If we were, the hearts of the church would be too cold to give 74.5 billion dollars every year. NO! The Church is generous! But we are living in Ezekiel 34 times. Far too many shepherds have put themselves before the flock.
Then this message came to me from the LORD: “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds, the leaders of Israel. Give them this message from the Sovereign LORD: What sorrow awaits you shepherds who feed yourselves instead of your flocks. Shouldn’t shepherds feed their sheep? You drink the milk, wear the wool, and butcher the best animals, but you let your flock starve. You have not taken care of the weak. You have not tended the sick or bound up the injured. You have not gone looking for those who have wandered away and are lost. Instead, you have ruled them with harshness and cruelty. So my sheep have been scattered without a shepherd, and they are easy prey for any wild animal. Ezekiel 34:1-6 NLT
If by chance you are a pastor who lives comfortably (or even high on the hog) off the tithes of your flock, yet refuse to get to know their hearts, or even visit those who are in the hospital, you had better open up to Ezekiel 34 and keep reading past verse 6. If this has been you, please, PLEASE repent. I really feel God has had enough and is very close to saying, “That’s it!” Repent while you can.
For everyone else, if you’ve been hurt by one of these wolves in shepherd’s clothing, do not put their face on God! Do not let the sins of man keep you from knowing the love of the LORD!
For everyone else, it’s time to focus on our lane.
You know how you tell these money-hungry entrepreneurs that it’s time to step aside from the pulpit?
“Learn to code!”
Okay, that was mean.
Seriously though, if they want to be entrepreneurs, they can make money in other ways. The pulpit should NEVER be one of them.
When we focus on our lane: When Christians don’t allow predators to infiltrate the flock: When we spend our time and energy worshipping God and bettering ourselves by basking in His Spirit: When our generosity makes a difference that no one can deny came from Christ’s followers: When we shine bright in our homes and in our congregations: THAT’S how we attract people to the LORD. THAT’S how we reflect His love on earth.
Do that and pretty soon, there’ll be a lot of lane changes.
More and more people will WANT to follow Jesus.
Kimberly Humphreys
* https://www.enterpriseappstoday.com/stats/church-revenue-statistics.html
** https://www.cfr.org/article/how-much-aid-has-us-sent-ukraine-here-are-six-charts