A statement from a popular Nigerian pastor, Bishop David Oyedepo, the founder of Living Faith Church aka Winners’ Chapel has attracted multiple reactions from social media users.
According to the statement credited to the popular clergyman, anyone who doesn’t pay tithes but instead uses the money to help the needy will eventually end up as one of the needy.
The statement read;
“Someone that is helping the needy and not paying tithes will soon become one of the needy”, Bishop Oyedepo.
As a reminder, God wants us to take care of the poor, but he wants us to pay our tithes because tithe is his mechanism of blessing us and causing an increase in our lives.
This can also be connected to Jesus’ statement on the same matter- give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God. If you can pay taxes to the government, why should you struggle to pay tithe to God?
Based on the principle of spiritual prosperity, Bishop Oyedepo wants us to know that giving to the needy must not replace giving to God.
Therefore, if all you do is charity, it is not enough. According to Oyedepo, one will worst off after sometime if one does not pay one’s tithe but only give to the poor.