Confidentiality of Tithes

[Jay]

Originally Posted by Jason Badejo

You want the truth? You can't handle the truth! But here it is anyway, you have no business calling yourself a Bishop. You come on here an speak of people who have attended your church as big heifers, free loaders, and a host derogatory names. You insult the people of AFF and spew your vileness all over the board. I don't blame you for posting as Atlanta Bishop, because if I were you I wouldn't want someone in my church to google my name and see how you talk to people (or what you say about those of your own church). You are unqualified and should be disqualified, you are self appointed and self anointed. On what criteria can you legitimately claim to be a bishop? Certainly not on the criteria given by Paul, let's take a look, feel free to vidicate yourself.


1 Timothy 3:1 It is a true saying that if someone wants to be an elder, he desires an honorable responsibility. 2 For an elder must be a man whose life cannot be spoken against. He must be faithful to his wife. He must exhibit self-control, live wisely, and have a good reputation. He must enjoy having guests in his home and must be able to teach. 3 He must not be a heavy drinker or be violent. He must be gentle, peace loving, and not one who loves money. 4 He must manage his own family well, with children who respect and obey him. 5 For if a man cannot manage his own household, how can he take care of God's church? 6 An elder must not be a new Christian, because he might be proud of being chosen so soon, and the Devil will use that pride to make him fall. (NLT)


1 Timothy 3:1 It is a true saying that if someone wants to be an elder, he desires an honorable responsibility

Of course the word in the KJV is "Bishop" instead of elder. While the Bible says its good to desire to be a bishop, I'm not sure that it condones the kind of desire you seem to have for recognition, a title, and a position.


V.2a For an elder must be a man whose life cannot be spoken against.

You seem to give much reason for people to speak out against you. You've had people on this board rejoice that you are not that pastor and even express gratitude that they will never have to meet you in "real life." Do you even stop and think about how you are perceived? Is your heart even sensative enough to care? Even if someone is just a person on the internet and they spoke such against me, I would bury my face in my chair in prayer and ask God to help me search my own heart to make sure I am not actually giving them reason to say such things, and if I AM, then God please reveal it to me so I can repent. When such statements are made towards you, it only seems to flame your rage.

v.2b He must be faithful to his wife.
check (I assume).

v.2c He must exhibit self-control, live wisely, and have a good reputation.

You do anything BUT exhibit self control. You seem to exhibit a complete lack of self control, and your reputation is horrible, quite frankly.

v.2d He must enjoy having guests in his home and must be able to teach.

The KJV version speaks of hospitality rather than just entertaining people. I don't know how hospitable you are, but you haven't appeared to be caring for people. Perhaps you would be hospitible to a tithe payer, but it seems unlikely towards anyone else.

As for teaching, I've not heard your teaching, but I have my doubts. You are probably a master expositor (in your own eyes).

V3a He must not be a heavy drinker or be violent.

I assume you are not a drinker or physically violent. I assume you are all bark and no bite. I assume you meet this criteria.

v.3b He must be gentle, peace loving,

Uh-oh. BIG PROBLEMS. He MUST be gentle and peace loving. Well, AB, your in luck because the word MUST does not appear in the KJV, so I guess you can continue to treat gentleness and peace loving as optional for bishops. I can tell you don't believe it should be required of a Bishop.

v.3c and not one who loves money.

To be fair, I don't know that you love money. But I know you have a strong dislike (hatred?) for people who don't give what you think they should. At one time you had a picture of yourself on AFF in front a a shiny black car, looked more like the cover of a rap album than a picture of a humble servant, just sayin. You lash out most aggressively when money is the topic. Do you love money? I don't know. Perhaps you believe that money loves you? In either event you don't seem to live up to the idea required of bishops by scripture, but there's still more criteria.


v.4 He must manage his own family well, with children who respect and obey him. v.5 For if a man cannot manage his own household, how can he take care of God's church?

I assume you meet the qualifications of v.4


v.6a An elder must not be a new Christian,
check, if Christian means knowing the facts of the gospel of Jesus Christ and all the religious lingo. If christian means living a life of humilty, self denial, and esteeming others above oneself, well..........

v.6b because he might be proud of being chosen so soon

While this verse speaks of the pride of a novice, I think all would agree pride should not be a quality of a bishop. You seem quite the opposite, your list your "accomplishments" more than Obama. We know, we know, you've ministers in over 35 countries, pastored thousands, had 200 churches look up to you as bishop, did this, did that, got the t-shirt. To quote a worldly song, Big deal,so what, who cares? Have you ever read the first 3 verses of 1 Corinthians 13. NOTHING you do matters if you don't have love. I for one (and I'm probably not alone) wouldn't be impressed if you fed the whole free world as long as you keep coming on here tearing down other christians, throwing around your title and what you consider accomplishments (which others call self righteousness, a la, Luke 18:11-12. You may not have been a novice, but you seem to be lifted up with pride because of position.

v6c and the Devil will use that pride to make him fall.

AB, if you had the patience to read this whole post, this is the reason I am posting it. I know it is very sharp, but the fact is you do not seem to exhibit the qualifications of a bishop. You seem to exhibit the qualifications of a hireling. I disagree with Elder Epley, but he seems to at least bear the fruit of the spirit, such is not evident in your posts. The post you posted in reponse to Aquillas personal story was amazing. It was caring, compassionate, and I was really impressed by you. But that was 1 post, and there are about 999 other posts of yours which are anti-christian. Jesus would never talk to or about people the way you do. I haven;t called you a liar, a thief, immoral, or anything else. I give you the benefit of the doubt for being a good family man who runs his house well, though I don't know you. Perhaps the only thing you could claim is "personal" is that I called you a hireling, and you haven't said anything (minus the one post to Aquilla) that makes me think or believe anything else. Yet the whole time you come on here and personally insult people, judge their motives, and in the process make yourself look foolish.

I'm not asking you to get into a tit for tat with me. I am telling you up front, using my real name, that your posts sicken me, I think they are a shame. What is shameful isn't the posts themselves (though they are not fitting of anyone who claims to be a christian) but that you claim to be a BISHOP and a shepherd. If you are not the kind of person you are coming across as, perhaps you should at least consider how others are perceiving you. I believe that you should repent and seek to truly fulfill the qualifications of a BISHOP according to 1 Timothy 3:1-6.

Sir, Jesus called people serpents, seplechures, graves, filthy dishes, unwashed, theives, robbers, idolators, and worse, and those were the people that He had the most in common with (Jesus was in no fashion a Sadducee). He called them rebellious, userpers, liars, decievers, and destined for Hell's fire. According to your accusations against AB, you would condemn Jesus Himself, as well as Paul, Peter, Jude, James, John the Baptist, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Malachai, etc. for saying such things about the "believers' of their day.

For all of the seeming frustration that is revealed in his posts (as the son of a bivocational Pastor I understand better than most), I find that his invective to actually fall short of Biblical proportions. I might not agree with him that all that way, but I have found that his statements hold more truth than many would desire to believe.

I have listened to a number of preachers over the radio (denominational or, just for the amusement of AB, denominal) who have stated that they have found that the people in their churches who tithe are also the most faithful in giving and service. They are also the most blessed in the congregation. They then say that they do not believe that it is required, but that it is a very good practice, and one that they themselves practice.