Another Tithing Beatdown

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I love the church. I really do. But I am perplexed at the sermons I have been hearing lately. First of all, for years, the church has made sure they got their money through 1. promises of God's favor if they gave and 2. shaming those who have little into giving. Let me preface the rest of this post by stating that I (as do others) interpret the Malachi verses on tithing differently than does the majority of preachers and Biblical scholars. Putting all that aside, though, if one understands the nature of Jesus, the sermons I have heard lately can not be right. Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma have left a path of unfathomable destruction. There are millions without power and food and water. There are thousands who have lost homes and are living as evacuees. The death toll is not complete. The injury count grows. It is tragic and there are pastors standing behind their pulpits telling their congregation to give, but make sure they don't use their tithes to feed and house these people whose lives have been turned upside down. These preachers would rather make sure their offering plate does not suffer then make sure that precious lives do not suffer. I have also heard a preacher say to make sure you tithe first, then give the money to help the evacuees to the church, and let the church distribute the help. These preaches sound more like politicians than ministers. They are making the church seem like government control freaks. Ok, that is my rant. I say we use our resources to invest in lives not in a church committee's idea of touching lives means. That's just me. Maybe I am wrong and reading the sermons improperly. All I know is that if Jesus were standing there and in front of him was an offering plate and a hurting person, He would reach out to the person.