Tithing...


BluBlood

BluBlood

"Mississippi Woman"
We have all read the scriptures where God instructs his people to pay their tithes. A lot of people are teachig now that this is Old Testament logic and that we are no longer under the law. What is your interpretation of tithing? Are we still required to give a tenth? Are people teaching against it because they simply don't want to pay? What are the benefits from tithing?
 
timely... very timely

this month, Iwas to have begun tithin for the first time in my life

I was very excited about it

however, I must be honest in admitting that i did not do so

the money that was "allocated" for this special endeavor was spent on a very ... a very "special" happening

I asked God to forgive me if that "potential misappropriation" was indeed wrong

I also asked Him to lead me and guide, to enlighten me

although it could still very well be too early to call, evidently He has let me know

to make a long post short, tithing is a special way for us to support our church in a way that is very practical and real

i am still committed to actually embarking and staying on this particular path as I truly expect it to enrich me

no, i dont expect that God will pay all of my bills SPECIFICALLY because I tithe

rather, it is about the profound reward of giving
 



My take on your question Blu Blood,

Tithing as it has been taught and understood by me is an act of showing God that everything in this world belongs to him and you are trusting in him for everything. In the book of Malachi 3:10 where it says bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse....,and God will open up the windows of heaven and pour out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to recieve it........,We can compare our finances to the crops that the people of Malachi's time gathered. God wanted the first 10% of their crops just like he wants a tenth of our money because it belongs to God. Those that gave God a tenth were protected because God would open of the windows of heaven, allowing it to rain, and when it would rain, it would keep the locusts from eating up their crops. So by us giving God his tenth the things we need, not just finances are being protected.

As for it being old testament logic, well there are several things to point out but I want to be prayerful as I type cause this could turn in to another topic. The greatest Biblical teacher was Jesus Christ. When he first preached in his hometown, he read from scrolls that had words from the book of Isaiah. Many times with his disciples, he taught and reminded them of things from the other old testmant books. Therefore Jesus honored the writings of the old testament and was a covenant keeper. By giving back to God, you can do no wrong.

Also these are the words from Luke 6:38

"Give and it shall be given unto you;good measure,pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give unto your bosom. For with the same measured that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again."

[Edited by BulldogM.Ed.23 on 02-19-01 at 11:33 AM]
 
I give both tithes and offerings. After reading many scriptures on the subject I am convinced that the same promises that applied in the Old Testament holds true today. I, too believe that it is a principle of honoring God by giving the first part, which was established before the law (Genesis 14:20 and 28:22)and was incorporated into the law for our benefit. Malichi 3:10 "Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and PROVE me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. My rationale to that scripture, not only does God request a tithe, but he also says to "prove him" on his word. Of course that gift isn't for His benefit since he owns everything, but to set our blessings into motion. However, the more we do give, more people have the opportunity to receive salvation. For example, there are many countries that do not have the resources to get the Word, but because of our fruits, missionaries are able to reach more areas to preach the good news and provide bibles and tracts that would have been impossible otherwise. Our resources have also helped many in receiving the gospel through media, witnessing, etc. Other scriptures that addresses the benefits of giving are: Proverbs 3:9-10, Leviticus 27:30, and Luke 6:38.
 
thank you both for your encouragement

Originally posted by BulldogM.Ed.23
By giving back to God, you can do no wrong.
Click to expand...

Originally posted by LMBH
Of course that gift isn't for His benefit ... but to set our blessings into motion.
Click to expand...

Amen.
 
if you tithe on the regular and one day you might see yourself asking where that next meal may come from or etc...and all of a sudden you come in on a more than an enough lump sum of money........that's your blessing coming back. i know because i am a true WITNESS.
 
Call your giving what it is. The Bible does not refer to Christian giving as a form of tithing, therefore Christians should not refer to their financial support as tithing either. Instead, the Bible refers to Christian donations as acts of grace or simply, giving (2 Cor. 8:1-7).

If Christians call their giving something other than what it is, someone may apply stipulations where none belong. If the Christian community calls its financial support to the church 'tithing,' someone can and will place additional rules on its giving. As a result, some of the rules and regulations associated with tithing are attached to what should be an act of grace. This is what is happening in today's church. For instance, people who want to give as they have decided in their heart to give are now told they will be cursed for not giving 10 percent of their income to the local church - all because their monetary gifts are called "tithes".

Pastors should not apply old covenant rules and regulations to what should be Spirit-led acts, such as giving to the church. In order to end the confusion surrounding Christian giving, Christians must first stop calling their giving by the name of tithing and call it what it is - grace giving.

When reading that Christians should not tithe, do not assume that it means to stop giving to the Lord or supporting the local church. These two concepts are completely unrelated. The local church is a good work and should continue, but through grace, as led by the Holy Spirit, and with the correct priorities in place.

Question: Are we to be governed by the law of the tithe as found in Malachi 3:10? Answer: No! Absolutely not!

Question: Does this mean that we don't have to give our finances to support the ministry of God? Answer: No! Absolutely not! However, the difference is that we have moved from law to grace and from the tenth to the whole!

I believe many preachers who support the common unscriptural teaching on tithing are simply deceived, having bought the party line without honest questioning. The really sad part about the preachers following after "party line tradition" rather than God's Truth, is that they are depriving well meaning Christians of inherent blessing as a result of giving in grace as one propose in his heart. The result of "giving in grace" as opposed to "law tithing" is diverse. This diversity of belief can have severe consequences in the life of a believer---physical and eternal. Physical, in that the believer may be deprived of earthly blessings (benefits) here and now as he awaits the Lord's coming, and eternal in that he may lose the heavenly rewards awarded a good steward.

This is not to mention the danger if the person may begin to believe that tithing is a requirement of salvation as a result of this erroneous teaching.

If "all" the money goes to the storehouse (church when the person has membership) the head honcho (pastor) has stewardship over the finances. The BODY of CHRIST (individual member) is denied the gift of stewardship and the rewards that are promised to the trustworthy ones.

I must also mention that it is possible the pastors that teach OT tithing have little faith in the power of the Holy Spirit to convict a believer to give abundantly. Lack of faith in the Holy Spirit of God leads these "pastors" to resort to placing the believers under their "authority" and back under bondage to the Law of which the Holy Spirit made them free.

Saving souls is done the New Testament way, by the preaching of the gospel of Christ. Why then are finances preached the Old Testament way, by tithing? Are the preachers in search of a "guaranteed" income? You know--the same Spirit works in the heart of a lost person as well as a saved one. If preachers trust the Holy Spirit in the saving of souls, why not in the procurement of finances? Unless--ONE IS MORE IMPORTANT TO THEM THAT THE OTHER.
Think about it.
 
TITHING NET OR GROSS

MAY PASTOR SAID THAT IF YOU WANT TO GET BLESSED NET, THEN YOU TITHE YOUR NET; IF YOU WANT TO GT BLESSED GROSS, THEN YOU TITHE GROSS.
 
hmm....

Originally posted by Ice Man
the difference is that we have moved from law to grace and from the tenth to the whole!
Click to expand...

pls share some more braa' Man

this is interesting

*if there is one thing I wan' give to God it is the WHOLE...360?...totality...completeness....cause i know that He gives me His all
 
Hassan,

How much of what you have belongs to God? My answer to this questions is everthing. Tithing leads people to think God own only a tenth and not the whole. The big question is not, "How much of my money should I give to support the Kingdom of God?" But, How much of God's money that He has made me steward over should I keep to support me and my family?
 
Originally posted by Ice Man
How much of God's money that He has made me steward over should I keep to support me and my family?
Click to expand...

so then...fiscal negligence is a sin then ?is it not?
 
Hassan,

You question is based on the part and not the whole. I'm talking about complete word of God. The Bible teaches when we accept Christ we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit to lead us on our Christian journey. If the Holy Spirit is leading you in your Fiscal decisions I have faith that you're not experiencing any negligence. Do you really understand what living a Spirit led life means.
 
Ice Man

i'm learning...i've submitted and i am learning

part of that process is that i am following Spirit down the path that the Lord has laid out for me
 
Hassan, I agree with you!

I think tithing goes hand in hand with our walk. It is one of the things that God commands us to do. It wasn't easy for me at first, but thank God I am on the right path now!
Obedience is an act of faith, and it is impossible to please God with out it!

Jeremiah 7:23- Obey me and I will be your God and you will be my people. Only do as I say, and all will be well!
 



I'm touched....

ICE MAN:
Call your giving what it is. The Bible does not refer to Christian giving as a form of tithing, therefore Christians should not refer to their financial support as tithing either. Instead, the Bible refers to Christian donations as acts of grace or simply, giving (2 Cor. 8:1-7).

If Christians call their giving something other than what it is, someone may apply stipulations where none belong. If the Christian community calls its financial support to the church 'tithing,' someone can and will place additional rules on its giving. As a result, some of the rules and regulations associated with tithing are attached to what should be an act of grace. This is what is happening in today's church. For instance, people who want to give as they have decided in their heart to give are now told they will be cursed for not giving 10 percent of their income to the local church - all because their monetary gifts are called "tithes".

Pastors should not apply old covenant rules and regulations to what should be Spirit-led acts, such as giving to the church. In order to end the confusion surrounding Christian giving, Christians must first stop calling their giving by the name of tithing and call it what it is - grace giving.

When reading that Christians should not tithe, do not assume that it means to stop giving to the Lord or supporting the local church. These two concepts are completely unrelated. The local church is a good work and should continue, but through grace, as led by the Holy Spirit, and with the correct priorities in place.

Question: Are we to be governed by the law of the tithe as found in Malachi 3:10? Answer: No! Absolutely not!

Question: Does this mean that we don't have to give our finances to support the ministry of God? Answer: No! Absolutely not! However, the difference is that we have moved from law to grace and from the tenth to the whole!

I believe many preachers who support the common unscriptural teaching on tithing are simply deceived, having bought the party line without honest questioning. The really sad part about the preachers following after "party line tradition" rather than God's Truth, is that they are depriving well meaning Christians of inherent blessing as a result of giving in grace as one propose in his heart. The result of "giving in grace" as opposed to "law tithing" is diverse. This diversity of belief can have severe consequences in the life of a believer---physical and eternal. Physical, in that the believer may be deprived of earthly blessings (benefits) here and now as he awaits the Lord's coming, and eternal in that he may lose the heavenly rewards awarded a good steward.

This is not to mention the danger if the person may begin to believe that tithing is a requirement of salvation as a result of this erroneous teaching.

If "all" the money goes to the storehouse (church when the person has membership) the head honcho (pastor) has stewardship over the finances. The BODY of CHRIST (individual member) is denied the gift of stewardship and the rewards that are promised to the trustworthy ones.

I must also mention that it is possible the pastors that teach OT tithing have little faith in the power of the Holy Spirit to convict a believer to give abundantly. Lack of faith in the Holy Spirit of God leads these "pastors" to resort to placing the believers under their "authority" and back under bondage to the Law of which the Holy Spirit made them free.

Saving souls is done the New Testament way, by the preaching of the gospel of Christ. Why then are finances preached the Old Testament way, by tithing? Are the preachers in search of a "guaranteed" income? You know--the same Spirit works in the heart of a lost person as well as a saved one. If preachers trust the Holy Spirit in the saving of souls, why not in the procurement of finances? Unless--ONE IS MORE IMPORTANT TO THEM THAT THE OTHER.
Think about it.
Click to expand...

I couldn't have stated this last paragraph simpler myself.
I'm get'n chill bumps over here! You have stated what I've been saying for so long! It's hard to get some folks to see what's actually going on in the churches. WE all belong to GOD. Nothing we have belongs to us...You're right. 10% of ALL that we have ...ALL that we are...is what he requests. I don't recall the God's Word turning that into "dollars and cents"! Our "greedy" society of priests have done that. God only asked that we surrender our lives to him...and live accordingly.

How can some continue to give to an "organization" to support bishops...and elders...homes, income...etc...and can't even afford to put food and clothes on their own table and backs?:confused: They've turned the churches into enterprises and corporations for their own benefit.
How can someone else run God's kingdom?
They can't....God is Superior...NO other above him.

Speak Ice-Man...speak...
*SMH* in glory that others out there understand.
 
I wish preachers and teachers would show our people the power in paying your tithes or whatever you want to call it along with paying 10% to yourself. Yea, I know that might be a far fetched idea.
 
My take on the topic is that if it is in the bible, I'm a believer. Yes, we are living under the new testament, however, the old testament is still in full effect. Yes, they are still using Malachi 3:10 to convey the message. I taught a new members orientation class for my church. It was by habit that I mentioned tithing. The reason I did so was because often people are caught up on being a church member, joining a church home, and what have you. They simply forget about the tithing part. It takes a while for new christians to adapt to the tithing part. We all know that we have heard many negative things about tithing. Being that I was brought up faithfully in church, and continued that path when I became grown, I don't let the negatism affect me. I am a STRONG believer that God will bless us if we tithe. The tithing is 10% of your net earnings. I have learned that we should give our tithes willingly because God will get it from us one way or the other. When the word says that he will open up a window and pour out a blessing, where you want have room enough to receive it, a BLESSING is literally what it means. A blessing is not necessarily a financial blessing. Our blessings are many things. Also, if God has entrusted us with his wealth, how come we can't make an investment? I don't understand how man can give Uncle Sam his money up front, but have a problem giving God his. We as christians need to stop being so wrapped up in MAN and focus more on ourselves. Yes, a lot of people are turning the Church into a business for glorifications of them self. Yes, a church is a business, and it's a rather strenthous business to run. Being an active member in the church, I am fully aware of the burdens that are placed upon the leader of the church. I thank God for the leaders of churches. I just keep my eyes upon the hill. Man does not have a heaven nor hell to put me in. Therefore, my least concern is what they do. I am accountable for my actions to God, just as they are accountable for theirs. Now, is tithing still the law in my book, YES. Are the leaders still teaching Malachai 3:10, YES. Are we as Christians still following the OLD as well as NEW laws, YES! If we are going to do with one part of the OLD testament, we need to do away with ALL of the old testament. Now, as a christian, we know what kind of chaos would develop as doing away with a LOT of the old testament. God said that he come that we might have life more abundantly. The riches of the lands belongs to us. I'm an investor in the riches that MY GOD has promised me. You can't lose by tithing!! My windows stay open and I am truly blessed. Be blessed.
 
Alexxus,

Please read Malachi again. Forget everything you think you know about this Chapter and start new. After you have read the Chapter please tell me who God is talking to. You're going to be surprise. One of the keys to the Bible is to know who God is talking to. The pastor in the church I attend used Malachi all the time until I pointed it out to him. God was so upset that he quit communicating with man for a long time after Malachi.
 
Alexxus,

Let me ask you a question. If a church collects money in the name of a tithe and doesn?t follow all the guidelines of tithing as set forth by the Lord, (i.e., giving all the tithe to the poor on the 3rd and 6th year of the Shemittah Cycle, observing the 7th year sabbatical and therefore not require a tithe, and allows the one who tithes to partake in the eating of the tithe in the presence of the Lord at the place of the Lord?s choosing) then who is, according to the Law of Moses, really robbing God? The church ! Refer back to Malachi 3: 6-12 about not tithing correctly.
 
sounds like breach of contract to me...

hmmm.....

if the church expects us to take Malachi literally, then ?shouldnt we expect the same of the church?
 
Originally posted by Ice Man
Alexxus,

Please read Malachi again. Forget everything you think you know about this Chapter and start new. After you have read the Chapter please tell me who God is talking to. You're going to be surprise. One of the keys to the Bible is to know who God is talking to. The pastor in the church I attend used Malachi all the time until I pointed it out to him. God was so upset that he quit communicating with man for a long time after Malachi.
Click to expand...

Ice Man, God was talking to the Israelites. You are right, one should KNOW whom God is talking to when they are reading his word. I still stand firm on what I mentioned earlier. Yes, God was not pleased with the hypocrites and sinners. Tithing was as a result of the covenant.

I am more than interested in what you presented your Pastor.
 
Originally posted by Ice Man
Alexxus,

Let me ask you a question. If a church collects money in the name of a tithe and doesn?t follow all the guidelines of tithing as set forth by the Lord, (i.e., giving all the tithe to the poor on the 3rd and 6th year of the Shemittah Cycle, observing the 7th year sabbatical and therefore not require a tithe, and allows the one who tithes to partake in the eating of the tithe in the presence of the Lord at the place of the Lord?s choosing) then who is, according to the Law of Moses, really robbing God? The church ! Refer back to Malachi 3: 6-12 about not tithing correctly.
Click to expand...

Forgive me, for I am so lost on this reply. Yes, I am FULLY aware of what Malachi 3:6-12 states, but I'm lost about the church robbing God. Uggggh, did you not know that the church cannot perform the aforementioned??? :eek2: Now on the other hand, if you are referring to the people as being the church, who has robbed God??? Don't you think we are back at square one?? Hmmmmmmm ... Stay Blessed! :)
 
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