| TITHES AND OFFERINGS |
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| TITHES and OFFERINGS Giving is a form of worship. God wants us to see that our money is something holy that we offer to Him in worship. Psalm 96:8-9 �Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come into his courts. O worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness: fear before Him, all the earth. When we bring our money to God, we are surrendering a very important part of ourselves. Money represents our time, our efforts, even how we se ourselves. Much of our life is spent doing something to earn money because we need money to live. So many problems in our world are as a result of people wanting more money. Murders, wars, break-ions, drug trade, prostitution, all for the sake of money and power. How much money is enough? God wants us free of the hold that money can have on us. Money is not the root of all evil but the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil ( 1 Timothy 6:10 �For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. If our focus is always on money and acquiring money, then we can be in danger of putting it ahead of God. God wants us to be prosperous but not greedy or selfish. Matthew 6:24 �No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. Jesus here is saying that you cannot serve two masters. Mammon is money. It�s OK for us to have money but not for money to have us. Mark 11:41-44 �and Jesus sat over against the treasury, and looked how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much. And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing. And he called unto him his disciples, and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow has cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury: For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living. The important thing here was not the amount but rather the sacrifice that it represents. God wants our hearts. He wants us to trust Him completely. One of the most difficult places some of us have in trusting God is in our finances. In the OT, people were instructed by God to bring the tithe into the storehouse (God�s house). A tithe was one-tenth of everything they acquired. It was the way in which the temple was looked after and how the priests (pastors of today) received their portion. As well, the poor were taken care of with the tithe. It was an act of worshipTithing was never seen as a burden in the OT. They were expressing love and trust for God as He had promised to bless the work of their hands. Deuteronomy 14:29 �and the Levite, (because he has no part nor inheritance with you,) and the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, which are within your gates, shall come, and shall eat and be satisfied; that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hand which you do. Tithing is first mentioned in the bible in Genesis 14:18-20 long before God gave any law concerning tithing (when Abraham gave a tithe (10%) to Melchizedek the King of Salem). Read this story in Hebrews 7:1-10. Abraham is our earthly father, and we can learn something from him. There is no direct teaching in the NT on tithing but Jesus did not do away with it. He simply carried on the tithing principle. Matthew 23:23 � Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you pay tithe of mint and anise and cumin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought you to have done, and not to leave the other undone. Here Jesus denounced the hypocritical ways that the Pharisees ignored things like justice, mercy and faith but yet they tithed � which was how they received their blessings. We still receive our blessings the same way today. Tithing is generally taught in full-gospel churches but just as in the O�T, it should not be seen as a burden. Tithing is a practical way of putting God first in the handing our money. Tithing must be done willingly and cheerfully. God loves a �cheerful� giver. 2 Corinthians 9:7 �Every man according as he purposes in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loves a cheerful giver. Everything we have belongs to God anyway and this way we get to keep 90%. That�s a good deal! In order for a church to exist, there has to be a continuous cash flow. A full time minister has a right to be paid (just like us). 1 Corinthians 9:13-14 Do you not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar? Even so has the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel. If we are faithful to give, then we are saying that we trust God to meet our needs. We should not �give to get� but we should give in faith believing that God will see to it that we are taken care of. Matthew 6:6 �seek you first the kingdom of God and all these things will be added unto you. Giving is a law (a principle) and it works whether you are a Christian or not. Luke 6:38 �Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that you measure it shall be measured back to you. Even many unsaved rich people have a revelation of this principle, because it works for them. Giving is sowing seed. Read about this in your bible in the second book of Corinthians Chapter 9, Verse 6-14. As a farmer plants seed, it produces a crop. The Kingdom of God is likened to the principle of the farm. Whatever you give is to be given willingly, not grudgingly. Don�t give God your leftovers. 1 Corinthians 16:1-2 � Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do you. Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him� Tithing is an area that each of us must prayerfully take before the Lord. People that say they cannot afford to tithe will be surprised to know that they cannot afford NOT to tithe. Why? Because Malachi 3:10 says � Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in My house, and prove me now herewith, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open to you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. Notice the word �bring�, some people send their tithe to other ministries. It�s good to support other ministries, but the word says to bring your tithe to the storehouse. I believe this means the church you attend. Malachi 3:11 �And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, says the LORD of hosts There is a �devourer� out there. The world is a devourer of your money and who rules this world. It says in 2 Corinthians 4:4 �the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. God Himself promises to rebuke the devourer for you. If you�re a tither you come under the tent of blessings. If you give God your first 10%, you will not have to worry, He�ll take care of your other expenses. Just ask God. He did say to �test Him� � he tells us this in vs. 10 �prove me (test me). When we tithe we avoid the curse. Let�s look at Mal 2:8-9. Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed me. But you say, when have we robbed you? In tithes and offerings. You are cursed with a curse: for you have robbed me, even this whole nation. God promises to give seed to the sower but you must begin to sow what you have. Sow in good earth and water it every day with the Word of God, it will produce a harvest for you BIBLE STUDY INDEX MAIN INDEX - On The Rock Kanata OFFENSE UNFORGIVENESS |
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