The practice of preachers "taking" stuff from their followers is nothing new. It has long been that way and it will always be. Preachers who milk Christians are actually right, though not all of them. That was the sermon preached last Sunday at Last Adam Tabernacle - milking!
Strictly speaking though, we were learning how to honor Jesus, not how we should be milked. Because God said, “Those who honor Me I will honor" (1 Samuel 2:30), we need to know how to rightly honor Him.
The Lord expects us to honor Him with our possessions (Proverbs 3:9). The Bible records some women who did exactly that; honoring Jesus by providing for Him from their substance (Luke 8:2, 3). One of them, Mary Magdalene, even lavished on the Lord ointment estimated to have been worth a year’s salary!
Now, if you also are planning on meeting Jesus to give Him your year’s salary, there is one big hurdle for you - He ain’t here no more. Yet He is here! When He ascended to heaven, He distributed Himself among the Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors and Teachers (Ephesians 4:11). Jesus is no longer here to be honored with your possessions of cars, houses, lands, year’s wages, et cetera; but He can still receive them now when those possessions are given to His Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors and Teachers.
The Corinthian church did not think that way. They wanted God to keep Paul humble, as they kept him broke. Paul had the right to refrain from working (1 Corinthians 9:6). God expected him to milk the Corinthians, them being the flock he tended. But he did not use that right, because the Corinthians, like many today, thought that preachers who milk Christians are evil. And so Paul temporarily got a job, making tents.
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Preachers who milk people, and those who hope and expect to receive possessions from their congregants (1 Corinthians 9:7, 10) are actually very Godly and scriptural. That also means that Bible-believing sheep should eagerly look forward to being milked. Hallelujah.
Those who labor in preaching and teaching should be counted worthy of double honor, for the laborer is worthy of his wages (1 Timothy 5:17, 18). When that is done and the sheep willingly accept to be milked, Jesus is honored and He will in return honor the flock.
When the Corinthians thought Paul was not worthy of the milk from their breasts, he got a job. But thank God that not all his flock was stupid; for when he was in need, the brethren from Macedonia who included the Philippians, supplied all his needs (1 Corinthians 11:9). It is to those Philippians, who honored Jesus - represented by Apostle Paul, that it was written, "And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:19). On the contrary, the stingy Corinthians manifested gross sexual immorality, idolatry and many character issues. It seems to me that keeping their milk to themselves worked against them, even though they had the great Apostle Paul ministering to them for a whole eighteen months (Acts 18:11).
"Those who honor Me I will honor" (1 Samuel 2:30), God said. Therefore, honor Him - with your possessions, then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine, (Proverbs 3:9, 10).
Now, not all milking is of God, some is of the devil. It behooves you sheep therefore to be Spirit-led; Jesus the good Shepherd will lead the sheep to His authentic and loving "milkers". Just because abafere bangi, does not mean milking should not happen. I read the Bible, and I saw milking coming straight from heaven.
God bless you.