by Herbert W. Armstrong

I find it impossible to believe that a Minister of Jesus Christ could at the same time be a THIEF – STEALING FROM GOD! Nearly all ministers and 98% of brethren have been LOYAL. Yet during recent years “liberals” have risen up in the Church, watering down the laws of God.

God says, “If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder, and the sign or wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, ‘Let us go after other gods… and let us serve them,’ Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet,… for the LORD your God proveth you…Ye shall walk after the ETERNAL your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments…” (Deut. 13:1-4). And in Old Testament times such a false prophet was put to death.

Yet it is reported to me that a minister has said to a congregation words to this effect: “If you don’t want to tithe, you don’t need to.”

The living Christ who heads this Church has been, for a full year now, SETTING GOD’S CHURCH BACK ON GOD’S TRACK. Jesus Christ has moved swiftly. Great strides have been taken–great change already has taken place.

But during the past ten years much false teaching has gone out, subtlety, craftily, inducing many of God’s people to ease off on keeping God’s Commandments, leading many into SIN, while being deceived into supposing they are on safe ground spiritually.

God has shown me that my Commission is not ONLY to proclaim the Good News of the coming Kingdom of God, but also to raise up this Church (which already has been done) and, far more, to lead this Church into becoming READY for Christ’s soon return in GLORY to earth.

LISTEN! Fellow Ministers and wives – and you brethren in the Church: Jesus “loved the Church, and gave himself for it; that he might sanctify and cleanse it… that he might present it to himself a GLORIOUS church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be HOLY, and WITHOUT BLEMISH” (Eph. 5:25-27).

Again, (Rev. 19:7), at the time of Christ’s return in power and GLORY, the Church shall have “MADE HERSELF READY” – and brethren, we have many spots to be cleaned out, and many wrinkles to be ironed out before we are READY! And TIME IS SHORT and GROWING SHORTER FAST!

Actually, I think God already has held up the progression of world events, TO GIVE US more time to 1) give out the Gospel of the Kingdom in greater power to more and 2) get ourselves – the Church – READY!

I am simply heartsick that my son assumed power and authority neither Christ nor I gave him to WATER DOWN GOD’S TRUTH. In that infamous “STP” paying tithes which we OWE to God was changed to merely mean a little GIVING – IF we feel like it!

God says, “To him that knoweth to do good and doeth it not, to him it is SIN”! perhaps some of you – even ministers – were DECEIVED by these “intellectuals” who felt they were superior to Jesus Christ and put out of circulation the official Church booklet on TITHING, and substituted a new booklet based on the “STP.”

Perhaps “the times of this ignorance God winked at, but now commandeth all men everywhere to REPENT” (Acts 17:30) – and THAT MEANS YOU!!

God has ordained the tithing system. This whole earth BELONGS TO GOD – not to us! Everything we have, whether goods or value in money, comes out of the ground. Even we, ourselves, have come out of the ground – WHICH IS GOD’S EARTH – therefore even WE OURSELVES belong to God, whether we wish to admit it or not.

The Church of God is built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets – Jesus Christ being the chief corner stone. The prophets who form part of the very foundation are the OLD TESTAMENT prophets, for the apostles’ teachings and New Testament writings are quite largely built on the Old Testament prophets. There were NO NEW TESTAMENT PROPHETS WHO CONTRIBUTED any doctrines or teachings to the Church. Malachi wrote after both the Kingdom of Israel and the Kingdom of Judah had gone into captivity and slavery, and his words were therefore written for US, rather than for recording “Old Testament teaching.” It is THE WORD OF GOD!

And this Prophet on which the Church was built, says to YOU who have not been tithing, “Will a man rob GOD? Yet ye have robbed me… in tithes and offerings. YE ARE CURSED WITH A CURSE: FOR YE HAVE ROBBED ME, EVEN THIS WHOLE NATION! Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse… 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” (Mal. 3:8-10).

You ought to know how tithing is COMMANDED in the NEW Testament also –even though some liberals try to twist the Scriptures of the Holy GOD so they can ”GET” and never “GIVE.” Speaking of the Old Testament Levitical Priesthood, we read in Hebrews: “And verily they that are of the sons of Levi, who receive the office of the priesthood, have a commandment to take tithes of the people, according to the law… But he whose descent is not counted from them received tithes of Abraham, and blessed him that had the promises… And as I may so say Levi also, who receiveth tithes, PAYED tithes in Abraham.” (Tithing is not a matter of taking pity on poor God and GIVING Him alms and charity in the form of tithes and offerings – IF YOU FEEL LIKE IT. IT IS A MATTER OF PAYING to God WHAT YOU OWE AND ARE COMMANDED TO PAY). Neglect or refusal to PAY is STEALING from GOD – cutting yourself off from the lavish BLESSINGS He promises to faithful tithers as quoted above.

But continue in Hebrews 7: “For the priesthood being CHANGED,” – (not abolished, but a change in which Priesthood receives your tithes under the NEW TESTAMENT), “there is made of necessity a change also of the law.”

What law is it talking about? As quoted above, a law in which the priesthood ”have a COMMANDMENT to take tithes of the people ACCORDING TO THE LAW” (Verse 5).

The priesthood was changed at the founding of the New Testament Church back again to the Melchisedec priesthood under CHRIST. There is therefore a CHANGE in the TITHING LAW which COMMANDS YOU AND ME TO PAY TITHES TO THE MINISTRY OF JESUS CHRIST, since Christ is now our High Priest at the right hand of GOD! (All above quoted from Hebrews 7).

Brethren, it is not easy for me to write to you whom I dearly LOVE, and tell you that some of YOU ARE THIEVES breaking God’s holy Commandments, and stealing from GOD – which surely is far worse than holding up and stealing from a bank!! I want you to think this over. I don’t know WHO you are – I have just been informed that a shocking number of members and ministers ARE NOT PAYING TITHES, and are giving either NO offerings, or a comparatively small amount.

I want you to look at it as GOD looks at YOU!

Jesus said to the Pharisees, “Woe unto you, Pharisees! for you tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God: these [tithing] OUGHT YE TO HAVE DONE, and not to leave the other undone” (Luke 11:42).

You who have neglected tithing have NEGLECTED “SO GREAT SALVATION” (see Hebrews 2:3).

The living JESUS CHRIST put TITHING in God’s Church from the very beginning of this Philadelphia era, and it has been in God’s Church EVER SINCE 31 A.D.

Heretofore I have made NO EFFORT TO CHECK OUR COMPUTER RECORDS TO FIND OUT WHO TITHES. I surely never wanted to “snoop.” But it is A LAW! Neglect or refusal is MAJOR SIN!!

I am not pussy-footing! Commandment breakers won’t get into the Kingdom of God, and I am commissioned to blot out the spots and iron out the wrinkles (Eph. 5:27) to make God’s Church READY when He comes (Rev. 19:7).

Brethren, we are not like other people. We are not like those in the more than 250 Protestant “Christian” denominations. We are not of this world. We are CALLED OUT to be a separate, and a holy people.

HOW WONDERFUL! HOW WE SHOULD PRAISE GOD AND REJOICE that He has called us to be a separate and a peculiar people! Nearly all our ministers, and

I would estimate 99% of the lay membership have proved 100% LOYAL, standing faithfully with me and God’s leaders in the terrible, illegal and unconstitutional onslaught of the State of California, trying to DESTROY God’s Church and Work, take over our beautiful properties at Pasadena, and themselves personally PROFIT by taking the money. But GOD WAS WITH US, and YOU were with us!

Yet, during recent years a few “LIBERALS” at Pasadena used my son Garner Ted, manipulated authority even Ted did not have, in order to water down GOD’S LAW within the Church.

If a minister does not obey God’s LAW he simply CANNOT HAVE GOD’S HOLY SPIRIT! The Bible speaks of the Holy Spirit which God gives to them that OBEY HIM.

How, then, can a minister who violates GOD’S LAW AGAINST STEALING, preach God’s TRUTH – lay hands on, anoint and pray for the sick? Is not the reason that some few ministers were so vehemently opposed to God’s promise of healing, were those who were not obeying God in the matter of finances?

HOW can such a man be minister to, and pastor of, a congregation of TITHE-PAYERS?

If you are on the payroll, unless tithing begins with the very next paycheck, YOUR PAYCHECKS WILL BE CUT OFF WITHOUT FURTHER NOTICE.

Don’t say you can’t afford to tithe. You can’t afford not to. If you owe other debts, PAY GOD’S TITHE FIRST, AND PRAY FOR HIS PROMISED BLESSING TO HELP YOU ON THE OTHER DEBTS. THERE CAN BE NO EXCUSES for not tithing. Failure to tithe is STEALING – COMMANDMENT BREAKING. It is without excuse! Keep current with God and HE will keep you current with your other obligations!

This matter of STEALING FROM GOD is one matter that Christ is CLEANING UP IN GOD’S CHURCH NOW! No delay! And no excuses!!!