Thursday, October 3, 2013

We sit as slaves in the land of plenty

Nehemiah 9: 36 “So now today we are slaves in the land of plenty that you gave our ancestors for their enjoyment! We are slaves here in this good land.  37 The lush produce of this land piles up in the hands of the kings whom you have set over us because of our sins. They have power over us and our livestock. We serve them at their pleasure, and we are in great misery.”

This passage is Nehemiah's prayer and yet speaks to us today.  We sit as slaves in the Land of Plenty while our kings pile up lush riches while exercising power over us.  

Let me explain:  It should be abundantly clear to us that we do not walk in the fullness of spiritual maturity.  We are sitting as slaves under the kings/ pastors who live lush plush lives at the expense of the poor.  Slaves in the land of plenty.  They exercise authority over us and all that we own by taxing us unfairly.  How, you say?

There is a system of tithe paying in the modern church that is unjust to the poor.  The kings get richer while at the same time increasing the suffering of the poor.

  We are required to give a 10th of our income to the king.  That is fine for the rich man but unjust when it comes to the poor man.  Under the Law of Moses the poor were exempt from the tax of the tithe but not so at Big Church.

If a man only makes $1,000 per month and is required to pay $100 to the king then he is unfairly taxed compared to the man who makes $10,000 and is taxed $1,000. The poor man must try to live off $900 per month compared to the the rich man who is forced to live off $9,000 per month.  Where is the justice in that?

Under Moses Law it was every 10th animal that passed under the rod.  So a man with only 3 sheep paid no tax.  

We sit as slaves in the land of plenty while our kings have million dollar salaries, live in mansions and fly around in private jets, wearing $1,000 suits.  The sad thing is that we support that with a slave mentality.  We go, we sit, we pay.  We serve them at their pleasure and are in great misery. 

The Messenger