8th Commandment-3 quotes

“There are fearful woes for those who preach the truth, but are not sanctified by it, and also for those who consent to receive and maintain the unsanctified to minister to them in word and doctrine.” Testimonies, vol 1, p 261-262.

“...no man should be set apart as a teacher of the people while his own teaching or example contradicts the testimony God has given His servants to bear in regard to diet, for this will bring confusion. His disregard of health reform unfits him to stand as the Lord’s messenger.” Testimonies, vol 6, p 378 (see also 9T 159-160).

“...there is danger that some of limited experience may be spoiled by flattery, and by unwise encouragement to expect full support independent of any serious effort on their part. The means dedicated to the extension of the work of God should not be consumed by men who desire to preach only that they may receive support...” Gospel Workers, p 237.

“There are thorough workmen in the cause of God, who have an experience in the work and who devote their time and strength to the service of God. These should be liberally sustained. But those who are merely starting out to visit the churches occasionally--especially those who have no families to provide for and who have a competency themselves--should not draw upon the treasury of the Lord.” Testimonies, vol 2, p 649.

“Those teachers in the church or in the school who distinguish themselves by their zeal in politics, should be relieved of their work and responsibilities without delay; for the Lord will not co-operate with them. The tithe should not be used to pay any one for speechifying on political questions. Every teacher, minister, or leader in our ranks who is stirred with a desire to ventilate his opinions on political questions, should be converted by a belief in the truth, or give up his work. His influence must tell as a laborer together with God in winning souls to Christ, or his credentials must be taken from him...” Fundamentals of Christian Education, p 477.

“...the question was asked me, ‘Sister White, do you think my father should pay tithes? He has met with great loss recently, and he says that as soon as he cancels his debt, he will pay tithes.’ I asked, ‘How do you regard our obligations to God, who gives us life and breath, and all the blessings we enjoy? Would you have our indebtedness to God continually increasing? Would you rob Him of the portion which He has never given us to use for any other purpose than to advance His work, to sustain His servants in the ministry? For the answer to your question the prophet Malachi asks, “Will a man rob God?...But ye say, Wherein have we robbed Thee?”--as though there was a willingness to misunderstand this subject. The answer comes: “In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed Me, even this whole nation.” After such a statement, would I dare say to you, You need not pay tithes as long as you are in debt? Shall I tell you to be sure to pay all you owe to any man, although you rob God to do so?’

“If all would take the Scripture just as it reads, and open their hearts to understand the word of the Lord, they would not say, ‘I cannot see the tithing question. I cannot see that in my circumstances I should pay tithes.’ ‘Will a man rob God?’ The consequence of doing so is plainly stated, and I would not risk the consequence. All who will take a wholehearted, decided position to obey God; who will not take the Lord’s reserved funds--His own money--to settle their debts; who will render to the Lord the portion that He claims as His own, will receive the blessing of God which is promised to all who obey Him.” Counsels On Stewardship, p 92-93.

“The man who has been unfortunate, and finds himself in debt, should not take the Lord’s portion to cancel his debts to his fellow men. He should consider that in these transactions he is being tested, and that in reserving the Lord’s portion for his own use he is robbing the Giver.” Testimonies, vol 6, p 391.

“Letters have come to me...making inquiries as to the disposition of the tithe. The writers supposed that they were authorized to use the tithe money in meeting the expenses of the church, as these expenses were quite heavy. From that which has been shown me, the tithe...for the support of the ministers in the different fields is not to be used for any other purpose....

“The minister who labors should be sustained. But notwithstanding this, those who are officiating in this work...are withdrawing the tithe for other expenses,--to keep up the meeting-house necessities...God is not glorified in any such work. We have to raise our voice against this kind of management.” Manuscript 17, March 14, 1897, found in Special Testimonies, Series A #10, p 16, 18-19.

“I was shown that it is wrong to use the tithe for defraying the incidental expenses of the church. In this there has been a departure from correct methods....But you are robbing God every time that you put your hands into the treasury for funds to meet the running expenses of the church.” Counsels on Stewardship, p 103.

“Those who have used the tithe money to supply the common necessities of the house of God, have taken the money that should go to sustain ministers in doing His work, in preparing the way for Christ’s second appearing. Just as surely as you do this work, you misapply the resources which God has told you to retain in His treasure-house, that it may be full, to be used in His service. This work is something of which all who have taken a part in should be ashamed. They have used their influence to withdraw from God’s treasury a fund that is consecrated to a sacred purpose. From those who do this, the blessing of the Lord will be removed.” Manuscript 17, March 14, 1897, found in Special Testimonies, Series A #10, p 21-22.

“The Lord regards the tithe as His own, to be used for a certain purpose, and it is an easy matter, in the place of practicing the self-denial that we should, (to use tithe) to help in educating students...which should be used only to sustain the ministers...

“Now in regard to educating students in our schools. It is a good idea; it will have to be done; but God forbid that in the place of practicing self-denial and self-sacrifice (of) our individual selves, to do this work, we should subtract from the Lord’s portion, specially reserved to sustain the ministers in active labor in the field, and...to (keep) at work those who are already ordained for the work.” Letter 40, March 16, 1897, found in Manuscript Releases, vol 13, p 282-283.

“...those who are officiating in this work see that there is not money in the treasury to pay the minister. They are withdrawing the tithe for other expenses,--to...some charity. God is not glorified in any such work. We have to raise our voice against this kind of management.” Manuscript 17, March 14, 1897, found in Special Testimonies, Series A #10, p 19.

“Let each church feel her responsibility to have a special interest in the feeble and aged. One or two among them can certainly be taken care of. The tithe should not be appropriated for this work. The word of God has specified how the tithe should be used.” Manuscript 43, August 2, 1900, found in Manuscript Releases, vol 3, p 218.

“The tithe is set apart for a special use. It is not to be regarded as a poor fund. It is to be especially devoted to the support of those who are bearing God’s message to the world, and it should not be diverted from this purpose.” Review and Herald, December 1, 1896 (vol 3, p 418 col 2).

“The widows and fatherless were to be supported by contributions from the church. Their wants were not to be relieved by the church, but by special donations. The tithe was to be consecrated to the Lord, and was always to be used for the support of the ministry.” Welfare Ministry, p 274.

16) Some reason away God’s specific directions, believing that they do not need to give God’s tithe to His living ministers because they themselves can use this sacred money to purchase Bibles, Spirit of Prophecy books, tracts, or other present truth materials and then hand or mail these out; and this misappropriation of God’s sacred tithe is all done “in the name of the Lord!” Still others reason that they can pool their tithe money, and then buy copy machines, computers, tape or cd or dvd duplicators, video cameras, travel vans or motor homes, and the list goes on and on–and all this misusing of God’s tithe is justified by the human reasoning that “it all is to be used in the Lord’s work.” But it is still robbery of God because this tithe was not being sent to or used according to His specific directions!

Satan does not want God’s people to clearly understand these things. The Devil wants as much of God’s money as possible to be diverted away from God’s true ministers so that the present truth can not go forth with power and quickly finish the work. Thus he has more time to keep as many precious souls in captivity to apostasy, corruption, sin and himself, instead of these souls becoming freed by the truth.

“‘We (Satan and his angels) must do our utmost to prevent those who labor in God’s cause from obtaining means to use against us. Keep the money in our own ranks. The more means they obtain, the more they will injure our kingdom by taking from us our subjects.’” Spirit of Prophecy, vol 4, p 339.

There are many other excuses and reasons the Devil suggests to God’s followers in order to divert the tithe away from God’s true ministers and prevent this sacred money from going to injure his evil kingdom. Other satanic excuses and reasons are: refusing to give God’s money to His ministers because a tax write-off could not be obtained; or refusing to give tithe to God’s ministers because these were full-time in God’s work and did not have an extra outside job with which to support their families; or the Devil having his agents spread falsehoods and lies about God’s true ministers in order to deceptively influence others to stop sending them support; Etc.

17) Out of all the different ways the Devil uses to divert God’s sacred tithe from going to God’s true ministers, there is one where he has been and still is the most successful -- leading God’s followers to send their tithes to those who should not receive it.

If you were to send your tithes to ministers or Ministries who only preach 90% or perhaps 95% of the full present truth gospel, then you would still be guilty of robbing God and His true ministers or workers of Ministries!

“There are only two places in the world where we can deposit our treasures--in God’s storehouse or in Satan’s, and all that is not devoted to Christ’s service is counted on Satan’s side and goes to strengthen his cause.” Testimonies, vol 6, p 448.

“...if God pronounces a woe upon those who are called to preach the truth and refuse to obey, a heavier woe rests upon those who take upon them this sacred work without clean hands and pure hearts. As there are woes for those who preach the truth while they are unsanctified in heart and life, so there are woes for those who receive and maintain the unsanctified in the position which they cannot fill...” Testimonies, vol 2, p 552.

After you know the full present truth message, and then you believe that you have found a particular minister or Ministry that can be safely support with God’s tithe, are you to then go ahead and give them God’s sacred money? NO! Before you give any minister or Ministry God’s money, you must first go to God in prayer, and ask Him if you have chosen correctly. God knows better than anyone who needs His money at any given time; and just because you may have supported a minister or Ministry in the past, does not mean that you can just automatically continue supporting them without first asking God for His approval.

If you always seek God’s guidance before you send His sacred tithe out then you will never be ashamed or disappointed with whom you supported, because you would not be following your own wisdom, but the wisdom and guidance of One who never errs!

“When those who are to appropriate to the needs of the Lord’s work the means in His treasury, have unselfishly tried to gain a right understanding of the situation, they should come to the mercy-seat, asking for clear intuition and heavenly wisdom, that they may see the necessities of the far-off countries, as well as of those nearer by. Never will they seek the Lord in vain. As they ask Him to help them to advance the work in regions beyond, they will receive grace from on high.” Gospel Workers, p 455.

“And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.” 1 Corinthians 2:1-2.

All the counsel of God, or a whole gospel message, would include 2 parts – preaching Jesus Christ, and also preaching Jesus crucified. In preaching the first half of the whole gospel message, a minister or Ministry would be uplifting Jesus Christ as the only Saviour for any person to obtain justification and sanctification from all past and present personal sins through Christ’s precious blood, merits and righteousness. And that salvation is not found in any church, or name, or any person, but in Jesus Christ alone.

Jesus was not crucified within Jerusalem, but outside of it. So Jesus was not just separated from all sin, but was also separated from all determined sinners (see Hebrews 7:26). This meant that any who wanted to follow Jesus could not find Him within the Jewish church, but only outside of it. And any Jew who chose to remain connected with their corrupt church, and not to leave it in order to be with Christ outside, could not become sanctified with Christ’s precious cleansing blood! Dear ones, it is the exact same situation today!

Jesus is not to be found within any of the established churches of today. They have all become apostate and corrupt, just like the Jewish church of old, and thereby have become part of Babylon the Great. So in preaching the last half of the gospel message, a minister or Ministry would be plainly exposing the churches as being part of Babylon fallen, and then calling all to fully separate themselves from their harlot church in order to join with Christ outside.

So a WHOLE GOSPEL message is not just preaching and following the message of Christ's righteousness and freedom from all personal sin, without also preaching and following the separation message out of all corporate sin. Nor is it just preaching and following the message of complete separation from all corrupt corporate church bodies, without also preaching and following the message of Christ’s righteousness of complete separation from all personal sin. But it is a WHOLE Gospel message which is the present truth for today.

How foolish to believe that people can rebel against God and walk a different pathway than His specified will, and yet still be on their way to heaven! How hypocritical to preach that God's people must overcome all sin in order to make it to heaven, and yet tell them that it is OK to remain members in a corrupt church and thus become “a partaker of her sins”! (see Revelation 18:1-4)!

If any minister or Ministry is not preaching this whole gospel, but only half or perhaps 90% of it, then they are not to be supported with God’s sacred tithe money. If you are sending God’s sacred tithes to those ministers or workers or Ministries who are only preaching 90-95% of the truth, then you are guilty of supporting the spreading of the 5-10% error of the Devil! This means that you are building up the cause of Satan with God’s sacred money, and thus you are guilty of robbing God by doing so!

20) If you are ever tempted to send God’s sacred tithes to those ministers or Ministries who are not preaching the full present truth message – even if they are preaching 99% correct and only 1% error, then please remember these inspired words.

"The Lord has shown me that precious souls are starving, and dying for want of the present, sealing truth, the meat in due season; and that the swift messengers should speed on their way, and feed the flock with the present truth. I heard an Angel say, ‘Speed the swift messengers, speed the swift messengers; for the case of every soul will soon be decided, either for life, or for death.’” Review and Herald, vol 1, p 11 (September 1, 1849).

“The message of present truth must be carried to those who have never heard it. We pray that the Lord will give you wisdom to place your means where it will build up the cause of God in the earth.” Manuscript 13, March 25, 1908, found in Manuscript Releases, vol 7, p 195.

“Will you withhold from God His own? Will you divert...the portion of means which the Lord claims as His? If so, you are robbing God, and every dollar is charged against you in the books of heaven.” Review and Herald, December 23, 1890 (vol 2, p 451 col 2).

“The tithe is the Lord’s, and those who meddle with it will be punished with the loss of their heavenly treasure unless they repent. Let the work no longer be hedged up because the tithe has been diverted into various channels other than the one to which the Lord has said it should go.” Testimonies, vol 9, p 249-250.

“Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin. Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die...? For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord GOD: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye.” Ezekiel 18:30-32.

22) As every dollar of God’s sacred tithe which we have misused or misapplied is charged as the greatest crime against you in the books of heaven, is there anything further that God requires other than just repenting and correctly sending His sacred money where it should go and be used for?

What right would it be for a thief to just repent for stealing, but not have to repay all that they stole back to the rightful owner? As this restitution of stolen things is required of thieves in the judicial system of our wicked world, then of how much more higher importance are those sacred things connected with God and His cause? So if you see that you are guilty of robbing the Lord in any of these areas of tithing, then please make restitution as far as possible and repay back to the Lord His stolen sacred monies. After you have done so, then you can ask the Saviour to pardon you for this greatest of crimes against God, and you know assuredly that He will completely forgive you, will fully remove His curse from off of you, and will then open the windows of heaven and bless you abundantly.

“Again, when I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; if he turn from his sin, and do that which is lawful and right; If the wicked restore the pledge, give again that he had robbed, walk in the statutes of life, without committing iniquity; he shall surely live, he shall not die. None of his sins that he hath committed shall be mentioned unto him: he hath done that which is lawful and right; he shall surely live.” Ezekiel 33:14-16.