This video is a funny analogy of how people try to get out of tithing, but at the same time, it makes me wonder why these excuses aren’t legitimate if we are apparently in the grace age of required tithing.
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Malachi 3,
And try Me now in this,” Says the Lord of hosts,
“If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing
Has anyone read about the tithe challege? C’mon! What’s the big deal about this tithe challenge thing? I mean really? Isn’t the validity of all of God’s promises always on trial? What if God says prove me, “i am going to reward you in heaven for your good works”. Everyone acts like God is double dog daring us to do something out of character.
Isn’t this another way of God asking us to once again hold him to his word? If God says he’s gonna do something in return for what we do, then it’s up to us to prove that he’s telling the truth. All God is saying is, “believe me when i say that i will do something.” In other words, he’s saying, “if you don’t believe me, then prove me wrong.” God’s been saying this throughout his eternal existence. We act as though the bible is the written account of everything that God has said at all times. As if this is the only time God asks us to try him. Isn’t our act of obedience a form of proving God, and holding him to his word? The word “try” here is more of a form of accountability. It is not to be mistaken as tempting God.
In Deuteronomy it says, “You shall not tempt the Lord your God as you tempted Him in Massah.” Well, in Massah (Exocus 17:7), Israel was murmuring and complaining and it was testing the patience of God. In Malachi, Israel was told to prove God on his promises of tithing. They weren’t given permission to provoke God to act against his character and will.
You have permission to test God in all of his promises. Hold him to his word. He wants you to see that he is truthful and just. As a challenge name some other areas in your life that you have already tested and proved God in?
I was just going over some news today about tithing and offerings in the church, and noticed how more and more churches are allowing debit and credit card payments for the tithe and offerings. In the back of my mind i’m wondering what the pastors think about the financial fees that the church pays for using visa or master card. I’m wondering if they are going to start telling their people to pay 11% of a tithe just to cover the fees? Obviously the credit card fees are deducted from what the churches receive so that they won’t be receiving a full tenth.
Also, The churches who tithe to other charities from what they receive; I’m wondering whether or not they will be willing to give a tithe from their first fruits(before the finance charges)? It would be interesting if they could justify giving a tenth from after the finance charges are taken out, and not justify the congregation from giving a tenth on their net income.
My logic and questioning here sounds so bizarre and almost funny but i guarantee many of the churches have pondered these questions. It blows my mind when tithe teachers say that “we shouldn’t follow the exact law of the old testament tithing, but follow the general rule of giving 10% to the Lord’s work”. It blows my mind because we say that the tithe is a “general” rule but we’ve gotta ask questions about, finance charges, should i do this on net or gross, what about profits, increase, first fruits, at the beginning at the end of the week, how should i, when should i, where should i . .. . in front of the church, behind the church, at the info desk, should i give cash, checks, or credit cards, what about my retirement money, what about my pension, what about my disability, can i give to the church, can i give to my pastor, what about charities, what about my bills, what about my debt workman’s comp, insurance payouts, food stamps, unemployment income, tax returns, rebates, . . . and bla bla bla, and on and on the questions come. Tithing is not a “general” rule or principle for that matter, when you’ve gotta hire a financial guide just to figure out how, when, and where you should tithe.
Even though our leaders have substituted Spiritually empowered giving with an Old Testament law, they still expect the Holy Spirit to intervene.
What’s the difference? What do I mean what’s the difference? What’s the difference between giving freely and giving willingly? Maybe there isn’t a difference. I have to admit myself that they both are very similar, but in regards to the definition of how you should give, they are different. The actual dictionary definitions do not explain much of the difference. They both practically use the word in the definition, which doesn’t help. So if we use the bible(NKJV) to help us see the difference maybe we can understand what the difference is.
1 Cor. 9:17 - For if I do this willingly, I have a reward; but if against my will, I have been entrusted with a stewardship.
Matt 10:8 - Freely you have received, freely give.
The concordance definition of willingly states this:
1) unforced, voluntary, willing
2) of one’s own will
3) of one’s own accord
The Concordance definition of freely states this:
1) freely, undeservedly
Willingly implies- cheerfully making the choice to do what someone has asked you to do. But it is not obligatory in the fact that you are forced to do it. You don’t have a will when you are forced to do something. Now freely on the other hand implies that the giver wasn’t given a command or asked to do it, but gave it for practically no cause.
Many tithe teachers think that freely in the bible means that we shouldn’t feel that we have to give a tenth, but we should give out of love and because we want to give, and we are under grace now. In actuality though they are explaining willing giving, not free giving. No one is ever forced to give up a tenth of their income. God doesn’t hold a gun to everyone’s head and gives them no choice. if the tithe truly is commanded by God, but He does not force us to do it, then you cannot freely give it. You must willingly give the tithe. Why this is so important to understand is because giving freely has nothing to do with tithing. The bible allows us under the new covenant to freely give the tithe, but we are not under a command to do so. You are free to give any amount that you see fit, including 10%, because there is no exact command from scriptures. Although we have no command in scriptures to give a specific amount, that doesn’t mean that we don’t receive instructions from the Holy Spirit. So, now we are presented with an opportunity to give willingly because there are still commands coming from God about giving.
When the Holy Spirit asks you to give a certain amount, are you willing to give out of love and because you want to give? Do you want to give willingly? It’s your choice.
I will agree that personal standards are a must in one’s life. I think that you are setting yourself up for some sort of danger if you don’t define certain guidelines. God even created Adam & the garden at the beginning with boundaries. I don’t care if people say that giving 10% helps me to keep my finances disciplined, as well as those that say, i will only listen to hymns, wear dresses, and not watch TV. If that helps them with their discipline, and if that’s what their conscience is telling them, that’s fine. Although, we must not let our own boundaries define universal spirituality. The tree of the knowledge of good and evil was not a spiritually evil or good tree. Because of pictures, we probably think in our head that these trees were glowing with gold fruit and sat on top of a hill somewhere just emanating with a spiritual aura. It was just a tree that God used to set a standard for Adam, and there was nothing right or wrong about the fruit or tree. What was initially wrong, was Adam’s heart and choice. For our own personal life God has planted trees of knowledge of good and evil, but they have no spiritual value to the rest of us, because God has not revealed them to our conscience. If you think about it this way, Adam could not have sinned some other way, such as getting angry, or being stubborn, because God did not reveal those choices to him.
All physical standards are “things” that do not have a potion inside that creates evil once you bite into it. So, unless God has personally revealed to you the purpose of the fruit on your spiritual trees, then you are at liberty to eat or not eat of its fruit. Just keep in mind that your personal standards do not reflect what God has revealed to others.
In light of this, i don’t believe that God has revealed the tithe to everyone. Yes, they’ve heard of giving 10% before, but not as a commandment. The tithe was not revealed to the New Testament Church as a command. God has not planted a tree that defines what we give and where. Instead, he has given us his Spirit to determine that for us. It’s just a matter of remembering and obeying that command while the serpent tries to trick us into thinking differently.
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