No 1109 of Living Life Series 1
Don't make a mockery of sorts out of God, saints and religion? God, saints and religion are not there because of us and they are not there to serve us.
We are not the reason why there are God and saints. That would be self-centered or egocentric on our part. They also do not lord over us. That will make them look ego inclined.
We are not their slaves, neither are God and saints there to be at our beck and call, to answer to our wants. If so, then we are the God and saints.
We are not the reason why there are God and saints. That would be self-centered or egocentric on our part. They also do not lord over us. That will make them look ego inclined.
We are not their slaves, neither are God and saints there to be at our beck and call, to answer to our wants. If so, then we are the God and saints.
The reality that many of our requests and prayers don't seem to be answered is not altogether a bad thing. At least, this shows that God and saints know best and will decide what is in our better interests.
Sometimes, not doing what we want or not doing so immediately and in the way and in the time we want may be better for us. Anyway, religion is not there to be popular.
What is popular with men may not be necessarily a good thing. It may defeat the very purpose of religion.
Money is what we want. Religion too wants money. So some wise cracks entice us that to be enriched, we must first enrich religion. We must be poorer before we can be richer.
For God to give to us we must first give to God. Is God like that? Man may be like that but not God and saints.
But if religion goes by lofty ideals, then many will stay far away. They will not go anywhere near religion.
The good lord Lord Bo Tien 武天菩萨 says that insects come to a flower for nectar and many come to God and saints for personal gains. When there is no more nectar, then they leave and the flower will wilt anyway. They go for new flowers.
Thus men switch religion, temple or what have we like insects going from flower to flower. This is what is going on.
Men wants to meet their worldly needs and of all places, they will go to religion or God for this. They think God and saints are simpletons.
God and saints are not but they still entertain such men. It is better for men to be at houses of God than be elsewhere. At least, they are near to God and saints though far. They are the lost sheep and must be attracted back to God and saints. This the good lord Lord Bo Tien 武天菩萨 observes.
Interestingly, God and saints do not forsake such men but welcome them. God and saints may even pamper and spoil them so as to have some hold on them. God and saints do't want them to be lost in the wilderness. But God and saints hope they will wake up and see the light and go for the flower of truth and not the nectar of worldly ends.
Generally we must remember that we must not give to God what we give to men. Give to God what is due to God and to men what is due to men. Saints like Jesus say that, don't they?
God wants us to be good and to be like him. Don't try to make a man out of God. God brings tidings to those who are good and somewhat Godly like him but he does not do so only when we give tithes. Sometimes and often God bless men who are not even good so as to win them to the ways of Heaven.
Tidings are for all men, more so those who are good. But tidings are not tied to tithes. If we give tithes so that we can have tidings, then how would God think about us? Won't we be shallow somewhat?
Man needs money but not God. Money cannot make men more Godly. Men of religion and men running religion need money. But for goodness sake, don't think God and saints need money. Do not fall into such deception.
Are tidings tied to tithes? We should know better if we just think clearly and not be prey to deception and fear. We should not be superstitious that bad will befall us if we do not enrich God. We can never enrich God but we can only line the pockets of men running a religion or sect.
Some but fortunately not the majority certainly want us to think that tidings are tied down to tithes. They can make use of God's name in vain to solicit funds - to line their pockets and run a religion.
But why not be forthright and upfront to ask for funds and not use God's name to coerce for funds. Ask for gift offerings, donations to building and welfare project funds.
In the days of old, emperors levied taxes and so men thought that men should pay taxes to God. They called this tithes. Are tithes relevant when there are no longer emperors? God and saints are no emperors anyway.
Emperors cannot enrich themselves if there were no taxes. God and saints do not need to be rich. They do not need money. Men do but not God and saints.
So is there a need for tithes? Are tidings tied down to tithes? Should tidings be tied down to tithes? Does no tithes mean there will be bad tidings? Will there be no good tidings if tithes are not paid. Do tithes guarantee anything?
Can a religion enforce payment of tithes? Isn't tithes like taxes? Is collection of tithes consistent with the laws of the land? Isn't this a form of membership fees? Do we need to pay to worship God? No easy answers... Issues of religion are always like that.
Whatever it is, don't bother if we are comfortable with what we are doing. Why bother what other people say or think? Continue giving whether it is to God or institution of men for God and saints. The main thing is the good intention and the purity and sincerity behind act of giving.
God and saints need men to reach out to men. These men are men and need to subsist. Money is needed to enable God to allow such men to subsist. These men are not paid to do the job. They are not salaried but need subsistence allowance.
We may call such inputs of money as tithes or otherwise. It really doesn't matter. What matters is that they carry out transactions because of their work for God or rather God works through them. They have to cover cost. Transactions have to be paid for. There is fiscal cost or value to transactions. Someone must foot the cost.
Call the transactions by any name. What is the difference? A rose by any name is just as sweet but perhaps just as thorny. Try not to tie up tidings good or bad to monetary terms. There is nothing to do with money but transactions are involved and money factor is always there in transactions.
There should never be the intention to win God's blessings with money. Money is not part of the equation but as long as transactions are involved, there is the cost factor. Intention is paramount and this should be distant from the money factor. How can money buy God's favor?
Well, whichever way we look at the matter, we cannot deny that God and saints too need to bless their runners with money. Their runners are humans and need subsistence.
Since the runners are not as wise as they should be, the easiest way to have funds is to tell the crowd that God needs funds and tell them to have faith and not to question. This has worked so far but not forever as people are more questioning and discerning.
We are no longer in the old days of rule by emperors but rule by the people for the people. God is no emperor though our forefathers treated him as one. They believed strongly that "what is on Earth so also in Heaven."
Perhaps God will go along with men as men are blessed to have free-will and to think. It is high time men start to use and treasure this gift of thinking.
Men want to have the say on how religion collects money to run religion. Don't try to use God's name unnecessarily. Do have some confidence in men. They are often men of faith and also thinking men. Will men learn to do so - to think and be logical, that is, to have Tao 道?
Don't tell men to stop thinking and cow them into not thinking with concepts like sin. It is no wrong to think and be logical. We learn more that way and calm reflection or mindfulness is catching on with all religions.
We need to think and contemplate but do so calmly, peacefully and with insight. Do so without being emotional and carried away by emotion. We cannot think clearly when emotion has the better of us.
To say that only in one religion can we think clearly and be right is odd. We can think clearly and have common sense Tao 道 through any religion. This is the message of the good lord Lord Bo Tien 武天菩萨.
When we start off young in religion, we just go along. Perhaps we don't know enough to think on our own. We let others do the thinking. But in time as we grow in religion, we must think. We must have Tao 道.
We must know why we need to contribute money to religion and whether this contribution is best in the form of tithes. Don't be afraid to think. If we don't think, we will never progress spiritually or otherwise. But don't be waylaid by emotion and be rash and impulsive.
It is alright to have doubts. Doubts arise because we want to understand more. The good lord Lord Bo Tien 武天菩萨 says we must have doubts. Don't be led by the nose when some people tell us we must not doubt. Thus we can have doubts about tithes...
Tithes or whatever name we assigned must not lead to poor governance and misuse of funds, more so if religion is more charitable in nature and not a business entity.
The organization is accountable though God is not accountable. Therein lies the problem. Never say we are accountable only to God and not to the land.
We must obey the laws of the land and obey the laws of Heaven. This did the good lord Lord Bo Tien 武天菩萨 remind us. Jesus too is great. He says we give to God what is due to God and to man what is due to man.
In a religion of men who needs money - God or men? Men do need money to run a religion. Then why do we give tithes when tithes mean giving to God and not men. The money ends up with men in a religion and not with God. God does not need money. Men do. Let's all be honest and frank about this.
There are numerous incidents of saints chiding men for giving them money when saints descend to talk to men but when they left the spirit mediums, the men who are spirit mediums readily accept money. God and saints do not need money but men do.
Reference reading
http://thetithinghoax.com/tithing-vs-giving-there-is-a-difference/
The good lord Lord Bo Tien 武天菩萨 says that insects come to a flower for nectar and many come to God and saints for personal gains. When there is no more nectar, then they leave and the flower will wilt anyway. They go for new flowers.
Thus men switch religion, temple or what have we like insects going from flower to flower. This is what is going on.
Men wants to meet their worldly needs and of all places, they will go to religion or God for this. They think God and saints are simpletons.
God and saints are not but they still entertain such men. It is better for men to be at houses of God than be elsewhere. At least, they are near to God and saints though far. They are the lost sheep and must be attracted back to God and saints. This the good lord Lord Bo Tien 武天菩萨 observes.
Interestingly, God and saints do not forsake such men but welcome them. God and saints may even pamper and spoil them so as to have some hold on them. God and saints do't want them to be lost in the wilderness. But God and saints hope they will wake up and see the light and go for the flower of truth and not the nectar of worldly ends.
Generally we must remember that we must not give to God what we give to men. Give to God what is due to God and to men what is due to men. Saints like Jesus say that, don't they?
God wants us to be good and to be like him. Don't try to make a man out of God. God brings tidings to those who are good and somewhat Godly like him but he does not do so only when we give tithes. Sometimes and often God bless men who are not even good so as to win them to the ways of Heaven.
Tidings are for all men, more so those who are good. But tidings are not tied to tithes. If we give tithes so that we can have tidings, then how would God think about us? Won't we be shallow somewhat?
Man needs money but not God. Money cannot make men more Godly. Men of religion and men running religion need money. But for goodness sake, don't think God and saints need money. Do not fall into such deception.
Are tidings tied to tithes? We should know better if we just think clearly and not be prey to deception and fear. We should not be superstitious that bad will befall us if we do not enrich God. We can never enrich God but we can only line the pockets of men running a religion or sect.
Some but fortunately not the majority certainly want us to think that tidings are tied down to tithes. They can make use of God's name in vain to solicit funds - to line their pockets and run a religion.
But why not be forthright and upfront to ask for funds and not use God's name to coerce for funds. Ask for gift offerings, donations to building and welfare project funds.
In the days of old, emperors levied taxes and so men thought that men should pay taxes to God. They called this tithes. Are tithes relevant when there are no longer emperors? God and saints are no emperors anyway.
Emperors cannot enrich themselves if there were no taxes. God and saints do not need to be rich. They do not need money. Men do but not God and saints.
So is there a need for tithes? Are tidings tied down to tithes? Should tidings be tied down to tithes? Does no tithes mean there will be bad tidings? Will there be no good tidings if tithes are not paid. Do tithes guarantee anything?
Can a religion enforce payment of tithes? Isn't tithes like taxes? Is collection of tithes consistent with the laws of the land? Isn't this a form of membership fees? Do we need to pay to worship God? No easy answers... Issues of religion are always like that.
Whatever it is, don't bother if we are comfortable with what we are doing. Why bother what other people say or think? Continue giving whether it is to God or institution of men for God and saints. The main thing is the good intention and the purity and sincerity behind act of giving.
God and saints need men to reach out to men. These men are men and need to subsist. Money is needed to enable God to allow such men to subsist. These men are not paid to do the job. They are not salaried but need subsistence allowance.
We may call such inputs of money as tithes or otherwise. It really doesn't matter. What matters is that they carry out transactions because of their work for God or rather God works through them. They have to cover cost. Transactions have to be paid for. There is fiscal cost or value to transactions. Someone must foot the cost.
Call the transactions by any name. What is the difference? A rose by any name is just as sweet but perhaps just as thorny. Try not to tie up tidings good or bad to monetary terms. There is nothing to do with money but transactions are involved and money factor is always there in transactions.
There should never be the intention to win God's blessings with money. Money is not part of the equation but as long as transactions are involved, there is the cost factor. Intention is paramount and this should be distant from the money factor. How can money buy God's favor?
Well, whichever way we look at the matter, we cannot deny that God and saints too need to bless their runners with money. Their runners are humans and need subsistence.
Since the runners are not as wise as they should be, the easiest way to have funds is to tell the crowd that God needs funds and tell them to have faith and not to question. This has worked so far but not forever as people are more questioning and discerning.
We are no longer in the old days of rule by emperors but rule by the people for the people. God is no emperor though our forefathers treated him as one. They believed strongly that "what is on Earth so also in Heaven."
Perhaps God will go along with men as men are blessed to have free-will and to think. It is high time men start to use and treasure this gift of thinking.
Men want to have the say on how religion collects money to run religion. Don't try to use God's name unnecessarily. Do have some confidence in men. They are often men of faith and also thinking men. Will men learn to do so - to think and be logical, that is, to have Tao 道?
Don't tell men to stop thinking and cow them into not thinking with concepts like sin. It is no wrong to think and be logical. We learn more that way and calm reflection or mindfulness is catching on with all religions.
We need to think and contemplate but do so calmly, peacefully and with insight. Do so without being emotional and carried away by emotion. We cannot think clearly when emotion has the better of us.
To say that only in one religion can we think clearly and be right is odd. We can think clearly and have common sense Tao 道 through any religion. This is the message of the good lord Lord Bo Tien 武天菩萨.
When we start off young in religion, we just go along. Perhaps we don't know enough to think on our own. We let others do the thinking. But in time as we grow in religion, we must think. We must have Tao 道.
We must know why we need to contribute money to religion and whether this contribution is best in the form of tithes. Don't be afraid to think. If we don't think, we will never progress spiritually or otherwise. But don't be waylaid by emotion and be rash and impulsive.
It is alright to have doubts. Doubts arise because we want to understand more. The good lord Lord Bo Tien 武天菩萨 says we must have doubts. Don't be led by the nose when some people tell us we must not doubt. Thus we can have doubts about tithes...
Tithes or whatever name we assigned must not lead to poor governance and misuse of funds, more so if religion is more charitable in nature and not a business entity.
The organization is accountable though God is not accountable. Therein lies the problem. Never say we are accountable only to God and not to the land.
We must obey the laws of the land and obey the laws of Heaven. This did the good lord Lord Bo Tien 武天菩萨 remind us. Jesus too is great. He says we give to God what is due to God and to man what is due to man.
In a religion of men who needs money - God or men? Men do need money to run a religion. Then why do we give tithes when tithes mean giving to God and not men. The money ends up with men in a religion and not with God. God does not need money. Men do. Let's all be honest and frank about this.
There are numerous incidents of saints chiding men for giving them money when saints descend to talk to men but when they left the spirit mediums, the men who are spirit mediums readily accept money. God and saints do not need money but men do.
Reference reading
http://thetithinghoax.com/tithing-vs-giving-there-is-a-difference/
http://thetithinghoax.com/
