Mind Control; The "90-Day Tithe Challenge" Exposed

We are commanded by God to...

"Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them." - Ephesians 5:11 

Over the past few weeks I have had a few conversations with several pastors concerning the popular fad of offering their churches a "90-day Tithe Challenge" where people in the church are challenged to "pay their tithe faithfully" every week (or when a paycheck is received) for 90 days. Most of the churches have a form on their websites that can be used to sign up for the challenge. The form is a method the "tither" can use to "make the commitment, take the challenge."

During the 90-day period it is claimed by these churches that God will "change the life of the tither in some miraculous manner" including, as it is further claimed, an increase in financial gain within the 90 days. At least that's what the public is told, but the truth appears to be much different, a much more disturbing and dangerous trend within many churches.

The 90-day tithe challenge is of course erroneously based on Malachi 3:10 by taking this scripture out of context...

"Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, 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." 

Malachi 3:10 was based on and pursuant to the Law of Moses (see Malachi 4:4, Matthew 23:23, Hebrews 7:5), and was a command to corrupt priests (Malachi 2:1) to transport 1/10 of one of the nationally required tithes to the Temple Storehouse at Jerusalem (see Nehemiah 10:38). The priests were in disobedience to God's word and failing to do as they were commanded (see Nehemiah 13). Malachi 3:10 is not a command given to New Testament Christians to tithe. To claim so is to take scripture completely out of textual, situational and historic context. Taking scripture out of proper context is often the root cause of false and misleading doctrine.

Sadly, Malachi 3:10 is the flag ship text for the "tithe challenges" you can see all over the Internet from churches and other ministries, yet it instructs no tithing for Christians and is not a call to challenge God over tithing for New Testament Believers.

As I was talking to the several pastors concerning the challenge they had placed before their church, I asked each one this question; "How do you know that God will in fact do anything for anyone taking the challenge during the 90 day period?" 

And I also asked; "Where in the Bible can you show me where God has promised to, and will in fact, increase a person's financial gain in 90 days by tithing?" 

None of them could give me a clear biblically satisfactory answer to either question. A couple of times I mentioned to the pastors I was talking to that perhaps God will do nothing in that 90 day period, and will let the person experience financial hardship (or other hardship) in order for them to learn to trust God. Again, they had no answer to that comment.

Sadly, these pastors seemed to think that tithing for 90 days was a road to escape any problems a Christian may have, "a new beginning into a new victorious life style," and a way to force God to perform on the participant's behalf. Maybe the Apostle Paul should have given the "90-day Tithe Challenge" a try in persuading God to remove the thorns in his flesh? 

In the course of the conversations a pattern began to emerge and became clear; that is to say the real motivation and strategy began to surface. Each pastor I spoke to, as we got deeper into our conversation, admitted to me in some manner or another that the real reason for the 90-day tithe challenge was actually what could be called "behavior modification." As one pastor explained it to me; "when you get someone to commit to doing something for 90 days it becomes a habit, a solid thing, and we're hoping that our members will make a habit of tithing. After a while they just tithe as a matter of course." 

Do you see the manipulation?

In reality the goal is not a challenge to act in obedience to God's Word and then witness God respond to your actions when and as God sees fit to do so, but rather to condition people in a church to behave as the leadership of the church desires people to behave. In the case of the 90-day tithe challenge, condition as many people as possible to habitually hand over 10% of their income on a regular basis to the church.

In short, that"s called MIND CONTROL.

The 90-day tithe challenge, in many cases, is nothing more than behavior modification disguised as a "challenge to take God at His word." God's word is being deceptively used to condition a person into tithing. God's word has something to say about using His word in a deceptive manner...

"Cursed be he that doeth the work of the Lord deceitfully" - Jeremiah 48:10

The answer to the 90-day tithe challenge? This...

"Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity [ NOT being pressured or manipulated ]: for God loveth a cheerful giver." - 2 Corinthians 9:7

"These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so." - Acts 17:11

"For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision: who's mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake." - Titus 1:10-11

People are deceived into tithing by many other methods besides "tithe challenges," and always under false teachings on the subject, but when a church and it's leadership are deliberately employing mind control techniques to persuade it's members to tithe, perhaps it's time to find another church. Tithing has nothing to do with Christianity, and the only way to include it as a New Testament activity is through false doctrine taught by false teachers. There are no instructions in God's word toward any Christian to tithe anything to anyone at anytime.

Conclusion;

Don't be controlled or manipulated by anyone. Think clearly, be of a sober mind. Be led by God's Spirit, by God's word, give as God leads you to give, not as you are "modified" to do so, not by being manipulated.
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