Customer Reviews

The A, B, C's of Financial Success

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In the fast paced, I need it now, lifesyles that we all seem to live today, this book will help you refocus the importance of over extending our finances. Barry Cameron points out the clear biblecial reasons about debt and how it can affect our lives.
If you are in debt and want to get out, get this book. If you are not in debt, get this book and give it to someone, it will bless their life.

I went to Barry Cameron's church for 3+ years but finally left because of his inaccurate depiction of the tithe as mandatory for New Covenant believers.
Here is one example of how Barry Cameron perverts the Word:
Page 76 of "The ABC's of Financial Success" Barry states, "Tithing is in the old Testament. It really began with Cain and Abel. They were supposed to bring the "first fruits" to God. God evidently had told them, "The best of what you have belongs to Me, Bring it to Me."
But this is how it really reads;
Gen 4:3 "And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD".
Barry tries to say that the tithe is "elementary" and mandatory even for New Covenant believers by explaining that the tithe was around before and after the Old Testament since Cain, Abel, Abraham, Jacob, Paul and Jesus practiced it or taught it, but he misinterprets the verses he quotes and even adds his own words to these scriptures.
Barry says that the laws contained in the Old Testament weren't fulfilled and abolished by Christ's sinless life and perfect sacrifice for us, but instead Christ raised them to a higher standard for us and we must abide by them or suffer, even though Peter says the yoke of the law is impossible to bear. (Acts 15:6-11, 19)
Barry supports the tithe with the blessings of Deuteronomy and Malachi and the curses of Haggai but fails to explain the severity of the consequences for not following the law of the Old Testament. (Deuteronomy 28:15-68)
Barry requires the tithe to be given to the local church using the Temple laws even though the tithe was given to the Priests and the Levites Forever by God. (Numbers 18:23) Barry avoids the Levite claim to the tithe by playing down personal ownership and stewardship through his arguments that the tithe and everything we possess belongs to God solely.
Barry implies, or in my view outright states, that his church is God's New Temple even though Jesus and Paul said His Temple is not made with hands. (John 2:19, 1 Corinthians 3:16, 2 Corinthians 6:16, Matthew 18:20)
This book will help you get your finances under control if you heed Barry's advice and stop spending on credit but then you will be mired in curses from the Old Testament; I am sure there are better books out there to help you get a handle on credit spending.

A frind of mine used all of Barry's materials in his church and it just put his church over the top in the area of giving. They are building a building and doing it without the usual high pressure campaign. The people have gotten on board and withour asking for pledges or one time gifts they are building a building. None of this is new material if you have been around church for a while but Cameron kind of takes the the Bible and Dave Ramsey get out of debt and it makes sense. He is not as funny or charismatic as Ramsey but he is a very good communicator at a time when people need some good financial counsel. Kind of small book with a lot to offer.

This book has two goals (explicitly stated):
1. To get you out of debt and to live reasonably.
2. To tithe at least 10% of your income to the church, blindly.

Goal 1 is noble. Goal 2 severly misrepresents the Bible and the Gospel. According to Pastor Cameron, if you don't blindly tithe at least 10% to your local church, you are:
1. Robbing God
2. Under a curse

Why? Because of a faulty understanding/interpretation of Malachi Ch. 3.

He also preaches the evil "give-to-get" scheme/gospel that is getting ever more popular with some Evangelical preachers (again, based on misinterpretation).

(...)
Christians should be practicing stewardship, where 100% of their time, treasure, and talent belongs to the Lord (not just 10% of their income). Also, the rich should give much more than 10%, and the poor and needy should actually RECEIVE (not give) tithes. That's the way it was practised in the Old Testament. It's a shame to extract money from the poor, in the name of God, with the "give-to-get" rationalization.

Several people have now read through the book, and have commented how eye-opening it has helped them to be become.

We hope to offer a class and use this book as a basis for financial management. We are very pleased with the book.