Weightier Matters--The Relationship Between Tithes and Justice

About the Book

Religion is big business. Blessings mentioned in the Bible have been turned into monetary opportunities. If G_d blesses you then it must be in terms of money. Churches now stage “blessings” to people by giving them money. Ministers show the blessings of G_d by asking people to give them money for jets and mansions. Unfortunately, many have fallen into this fraudulent belief system. Weightier Matters addresses the foundational giving structure for most churches and its true meaning: The Tithe! What is the tithe? Why was the tithe originally established? Is the tithe just money or does it represent something greater? Dr. Lanston M. Sylvester invites you to walk with him to rediscover what really matters. Clothes, houses, jets may attract many and tap into their base desires, but people matter. Justice and righteousness must be the basis of the money that is collected in the church. The poor, the homeless, the foster kids, the widows, and the immigrants should be the beneficiaries of communities (churches) that pool their monetary resources together. If churches spend more on feeding themselves than relieving suffering, that church has yet to understand what the tithe is. “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint, and anise, and cummin but have neglected the weightier matter of the law: justice, mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.” Matthew 23:23 NKJV

About the Author

Dr. Lanston M. Sylvester is an ordinary man serving an extraordinary G_d. Born in Trinidad, W.I. and raised in Brooklyn, NY he is the last of five children. He credits everything he is to his mother. Dr. Sylvester has done his Ph.D coursework in Public Health at Walden University. A graduate from Andrews University with both his Doctor of Ministry and Master of Divinity degrees. He obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree from Oakwood University. Dr. Sylvester has been married for over 30 years to his wife Raquel (Walker) and together they have 4 adult children. He has pastored for over 30 years and is simply trying to improve the lives of others. He is the president and director of Lanston Sylvester Ministries. He is also the creator of the SCAR Conference that is comprised of a team of skilled leaders helping others work through the wounds of this life. He has served as a Civil Service Commissioner, Board Member of NAMI, and other various roles. Prior to his work as a pastor, Dr. Sylvester served as a public-school teacher. In short, his life has been one of service to others. Our legacy that we leave behind is not money, houses, or cars. Our legacy is the ability to leave our spiritual DNA imprinted on someone else that they may have a better life. “Pure and undefiled religion before G_d and the Father is this: to visit the orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.” James 1:27 NKJV