Should a Pastor, Pastor a Church for free

[Pastor Lorenzo Edwards]

Should a pastor that spends most of his time preaching and teaching get paid for what God has him to do? I know what the scriptures says about this, but would you pastor for free?

[Dr S.A David]

The bibles is said The levite should it from the Altar.Pastor is entile to eat from the Altar.

[Evelyn Thomas]

How do you know a real Levite these days?

[John]

One thing for sure Sister Thomas, a Levite isn't a position but a people of the tribe of Levite and their responsibility was the Arc of the Covenant and the priestly things for the whole tribe of Israel. The Arc isn't here anymore so I don't know how you do that either, meaning know if someone is a real Levite. Just because you call yourself a priest or have priestly responsibilities doesn't mean your are from the tribe of Levites. We've been so separated we dont' know what tribe we're from.

[Archbishop Trevor 'Elihu' Greene]

What shepherd does not wear wool? He's a naked fool! They say he's "fleecing the flock" like its a bad thing! A sheep's wool is to keep them warm for the winter and help protect them in other situations, however, the shepherd will fleece his flock and eat of the meat for certain reasons:

-Lamb meat is available! Why am I going to go and buy meat from the store if its growing right here?? At the same time, if the church can support the pastor, why would he not eat from the ministry?
-The Tallit is made of wool; the mantle that the Prophets wore was usually wool unless specifically stated; the Priestly garments were wool. These things are all provided by the very sheep that shepherds are charged to watch. They would also sell the wool in the spring and summer so that they can have the funds for food in the winter not just for themselves, but for the sheep. This is what the church should be doing also with their Shepherds.

Have we forgotten what Apostle Paul said in 1st Corinthians 9, and 2nd Corinthians 8-9?

[Rev.Mr. Terrance Ray Johnson]

This is pastor Johnson from Dallas dont do it you will make the people lazy, even if you have to recieve a love offering

[Archbishop Trevor 'Elihu' Greene]

Please explain that comment Pastor

[pastor Godwin wine Evans]

God will not let us down:
Isaiah 41:10 Fear not; for I am with you. Be not dismayed; for I am your God. I will strengthen you; yea, I will help you; yea, I will uphold you with the right hand of My righteousness.


Who can harm or condemn those who belong to God?
Isaiah 54:17 "No weapon that is formed against you shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against you in judgment you will condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of Me", says the LORD.


We have nothing to fear in death:
Isaiah 57:1 The righteous perish, and no man layeth it to heart: and mericful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come. He shall enter into peace: they shall rest in their beds, each one walking in his uprightness.


The Lord will stop the enemy:
Isaiah 59:19 When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him.


God will be found by those who seek him, and will prosper those who find him:
Jeremiah 29:11-13 "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you", says the LORD, "thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall you call upon Me, and you shall go and pray unto Me, and I will hearken unto you. And you shall seek Me, and find Me, when you shall search for Me with all your heart."


We were hand picked by God:
John 15:16-19 You have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that you should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remin; that whatsoever you shall ask of the Father in My name, He may give it you. These things I command you, that you love one another. If the world hate you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love his own; but because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.


Why we endure:
Romans 5:3b-5 ...we glory in tribulations also; knowing that tribulations works patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope: and hope maks not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.


We share in Christ's glory if we share in his sufferings:
Romans 8:16,17 The Spirit Itself bears witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with Him, that we may be also glorified together.


God gave us His Son, who pleads with Him for us:
Romans 8:31b-34 If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifies. Who is he that condemns? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.


In both life and death, we belong to God:
Romans 14:7,8 For none of us lives to himself, and no man dies to himself. For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's.


With Jesus you can do anything:
Phillipians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.


God will give us mercy and grace:
Hebrews 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.


Endure temptation to receive God's wonderful and holy promises:
James 1:12 Blessed is the man that endures temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to them that love Him.


God cares for us and lifts us up, protecting us from the our enemy:
1 Peter 5:6-8 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time: casting all your care upon Him; for He cares for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about, seeking whom he may devour.


Our true reward:
??? (NIV or TEV) And so we look forward to possessing the rich blessings that God keeps for his people. He keeps them for you in heaven where they cannot decay or spoil or fade away. They are for you, who through faith are kept safe by God's power for the salvation which is ready to be revealed at the end of time.


Do not love the world's ways, and we will live forever:
1 John 2:15-17 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passes away, and the lust thereof: but he that does the will of God abides forever.


We have victory if we have faith:
1 John 5:3,4 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments: and His commandments are not grievous. For whatsoever is born of God overcomes the world: and this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith

[Archbishop Trevor 'Elihu' Greene]

AMEN, and all that i totally true. Now how does that pertain to the subject? Maybe I missed it.

[Minister Robbin Swinger Otey]

that word "gift" in that scripture would be more correctly transliterated as the the word "bribe".....which will bring you before great men, not provide substance.

[Minister Robbin Swinger Otey]

The word teaches on many, many occassion that the priests were to be provided for by the people. That was their life and in the case of the Levites, it was the destiny of their tribe.

The Bible also shows where the people gave of their substance to build the temple. hmmm...

Back in the day, early 90s, Clarence McClendon (not my pastor) used to take a separate Love Offering for his salary. He said the LORD told him to do that and he earned much more than the salary that was in place when he arrived by doing that. Proved to be GOD in deed.

Some pastors actually have jobs outside of their church and not only don't need a salary, but spend a lot of their own funds maintaining the ministry.

Then you have people like Dennis Leonard that was wealthy before he ever started his church and look where he is now.

Since 1985, when Pastor Dennis Leonard launched the congregation in the basement of his Denver home, Heritage Christian Center has broken barriers of race, language, class, and culture to become a thriving multi-ethnic Christian community with 12,000 members. (Denver, CO)

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[RON STAPLES of THE MIGHTY CLOUDS]

Certainly, if the grocery stores, utility companies and mortgage companies and all other creditors that we need on a day to day basis decide that because of your ministry that they are going to extend their servicesto you as a Pastor for FREE. I don't know that that has or will EVER happen.
Ironically, as a recording artist, Im presented with the same dilema and question quite often. Its assumed that because we are singing praises unto the LORD that we should do it for FREE, but as a man, do I not still have a responsibility to provide for my family. YES I do. If your ministry, like mine, is all that you do on a full time basis, then you should be reasonably compensated. The more time you have to study the word because you are a full time pastor means that you are able to be a better teacher. If your church appreciates you then this should be likend to that of a music fan purchasing your CD or concert ticket.
Remember, GOD has called you to do a work. Do your followers work for FREE? If not, then neither should you.

[John]

We can take God's Word and make it fit what we want to can't we! They never talked about tithing money to anyone. It was the first fruits of the earth and the flock. They kept in the OT tithes for three years and then fed the stranger, widow and those that couldn't fend for themselves to eat. We are talking about food people not money as the Prosperity Preachers preach. Jesus told his Disciples to take nothing and ask for nothing as did Paul. If you want to use preaching the Word as a business then so be it and when you stand before God you explain it to Him. If you have a building to preach out of and the building needs to pay it's bills then by all means the congregation should help but to make a living for the preacher, I just don't get that in the Word that ministers of the Word get paid in money and have mansions and fine cars and all that while the flock is struggling. You can't point out to me anywhere in the Word that they get paid with money. They were fed food and given shelter while they were where they were to preach. Show me in scripture please. I saw and heard Creflo Dollar just destroy Matthews and then use the word prosperity and prosper in the OT and NT to TRY to make it fit as money and then tell his flock the reason they don't get money is because they don't give money to him. Call me what you want but I grew up in the streets and know a pimp when I see one. He's pimping the wrong thing and to me any pimping is wrong. I know I may have said something that will get under a lot of your skins but so be it. Show me I'm wrong and God forgive my anger on this topic. I should have left it alone but couldn't. God bless.