I was going through my bookshelf the other day and reorganizing some things and i noticed this book. I knew i had read it but found out i haven’t written a review yet about it. It’s been a while so hopefully my memory isn’t too blank. I purchased the book because the title intrigued me, “Tithing and Still Broke”. Niral Russell Burnett is the author and basically spins the idea of the book off of people’s doubts about tithing’s financial return. Of course most of us are familiar with the Malachi 3 statement, “I will open up the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing so that you will not have room enough to receive it.”
Before i read this book, i remember using this exact phrase as a pundit to get my point across. Many people were tithing, but they were still broke. Supposedly, if that’s the case, God is either punishing you for that one Sunday you missed five years ago, or your faith is not strong enough, or your heart is not right. Although you have been faithfully giving the tithe, one of these three issues is what is keeping you from God blessing you right?
I write a lot of comments on other blogs that talk about tithing. I try to add my 2 cents, but the one type of blogs that i do not add comments on are the personal testimonies. I’m sure many of you have heard testimonies that portray a couple that gives their $127.67 tithe check to the church and then God doubles or even gives them 10x the amount to the exact penny. Some things to note on those people. One, that only happens once. Two, for some reason it doesn’t happen to everyone. Three, it never happened to me.
I have no doubts that God purposefully blessed them with that exact amount, but i have no doubts that it wasn’t because they obeyed the tithe. Why? Because those situations happen to those people who give freewill offerings as well. I forget to mention above, but the reason why i do not comment on the testimony blogs is because the ability to convince them that their blessing didn’t come from an old testament law is similar to convincing you that you are not real. That tithing testimony is so real to them, that scripture will not convince them otherwise.
Giving can be part of stewardship, but for illustration sake let’s refer to the master who left 3 of his stewards some talents. Two out of Three had taken the talents and invested it, and had more in the end. The third one actually gave 100% of his talents back to his master, but was still considered a bad steward.
I appreciate Niral Burnett’s challenge to bring more faith and sacrifice into tithing, but tithing + faith is not the only equation to God’s blessing. Yes, i do think finances can be a blessing for those of you who think money is a curse. I don’t know about you but i appreciate material things. They are not a curse until they become an idol. An idol is not exactly something you bow down to. It can be a material possession that God’s Spirit asks you to give up but you hold onto.
First, I think people are tithing and still broke because they lack the financial discipline to say “no” to their idols. Second, i think people are tithing and still broke because they put themselves under the requirement of a law that had been fulfilled. I think people are tithing and still broke simply because they can’t afford to tithe.
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Tags: book, church, stewardship, tithe, tithing
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HI i use to be a faithful tither and i was still temporarily out of cash i did’nt think it was because i lacked discipline with the 90% because i paid my bills and took care of my children i even helped other people when it seemed like wisdom yet there seem not to be enough finance, always workin on a hope and a prsyer. I did’nt think my heart was wrong because i’m trusting God as my heart fixer, and i have faith that’s how i was able to tithe in the first place… since then… lately i have not been giving money to a particular church i tell myself that i am the church and try to maintain my household with my little, what a lame i think to myself! to me it seemed like the more i gave the more worked against me although i have backslided in tithing nothing has changed maybe it has. it could be my outlook however i desire to tithe and I pray to be on the right track with things concerning God and i must say even if tithing did’nt change my bank account it sure help build my confidence I enjoy giving to God and people.
HI i use to be a faithful tither and i was still temporarily out of cash i did’nt think it was because i lacked discipline with the 90% because i paid my bills and took care of my children i even helped other people when it seemed like wisdom yet there seem not to be enough finance, always workin on a hope and a prayer. I did’nt think my heart was wrong because i’m trusting God as my heart fixer, and i have faith that’s how i was able to tithe in the first place… since then… lately i have not been giving money to a particular church i tell myself that i am the church and try to maintain my household with my little, what a lame i think to myself! to me it seemed like the more i gave the more worked against me although i have backslided in tithing nothing has changed maybe it has. it could be my outlook however i desire to tithe and I pray to be on the right track with things concerning God and i must say even if tithing did’nt change my bank account it sure help build my confidence I enjoy giving to God and people.
Barbara Whitehead, you’ve said a mouthful when you mentioned people are tithing and broke because they can’t afford to tithe. I agree. A good book to add to your tithing library is called “Tithing?” by Paula Brooks. I promise you it’s a great read that questions christians and informs concerning paying tithes as opposed to giving tithes.
“God does not bless us on our performance” is true, but he does base blessing and answered prayer on obedience. And if you read the new testiment correctly you would be convicted to do more than tithe. 2 Cor 8:1-7 says, “And now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints. And they did not do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God’s will. So we urged Titus, since he had earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completion this act of grace on your part. But just as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us—see that you also excel in this grace of giving.”
Paul said you can excel in everything, but see that you also excel in this grace of giving. Call it tithing or whatever, but you cannot deny that God wants us to show that we trust him, not our earning power, by learning to give.
Forget the debate over “to tithe or not to tithe” and just learn to give as we have been given to and it will be give back to you “good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over”.
When you tithe,you must believe inthe very tithe that you give to be blessed.i believe some of you guys are paying tithe ‘to find fault in God’ and destroy the faith of thoze who believe in it.Ive seen wonderful thingz that the Lord have done to tithers….but like i say,it is because of the reverence that you give to it….of course coming from the faith that you may have inthe Lord that he is able.
Paul states that man should give according to his prosperity. In Hebrews he explains that tithing was for the levites through the law(old testament)and that now a new covenant is here, the old covenant must be abolished. Because in it man fell short. ( the letter kills, but the spirit gives life) In Galatians he also explains if we put our self under the law, then we are under the curse of the law. But no one is justified by the law because it represents the works of man(Gal:3,10-14). The fact of the matter is that tithing makes the works of Jesus null and void. He came to redeem us from the curse of the law (tithing) that wasn’t even set for us Gentiles anyway. There’s tons of info on the net that will teach you how tithing was introduced into western civilization, how tithing consisted mostly of vegetation and what other question you need answered. I believe some pastors have put themselves in a postion(bills)and have no other choice but to come up with ways to keep people giving or in bondage. But, God will deliver as he always does. Much Love
i tithed for 3 months consistently even beyond my tithe and my electricity has just been cut off on account of it..do i hate god? i want to BUT im the one who was been mislead by my own peers around me that i had to tithe in order to be blessed..jesus loves me and no im not selfish ,and im not trying to “”ROB GOD”"..but something is wrong if i have to ask for money which i am now doing…somebody please pray for me im caught between doing the right thing and being religious
this message is regarding the one i just posted above me.i believe god is faithful and that god honors those who put him first,,the message above is my level of fustration because it is not easy to do the will of god..im going to say that yes the tithe is holy and that if it means getting your electricity turned off in order to be obeidient than so be it..if i sound like the last message i made was making a mockery out of god then i want to say that i was wrong and that gods word on tithing is true..may the lord god use this message as a faithful testimony to those who tell you that tithing is not for today,but instead it is an everlasting covenant…
I listened to alot of people complain about tithes and offering. Its sad that so many people think and actually believe that they should not tithe. Lets look at what would happen if no one actually gave tithes and offerings? The comand that Christ himself gave us to go out and preach the gospel to the whole world would actually be stopped. Yes, no more churches. Lets see, maybe the Pastors would then have to start working and neglect the sheep. Great just what the devil wants. You see tithes and offering should be from the heart. You are not forced to give and if you give without a clean heart, dont bother cause there is no blessing in that. So maybe that many are just giving because they “think” they are forced to when they should rather love to give to build more and more churches and take the gospel to approx 5.5 billion non believers. Ever wonder what it cost to build a church? ever wondered what it would cost to send an evangelist to other parts of the world and pay for air fares; food; travelling etc? makes you think doesn’t it? I will pay my tithes becuase I am blessed in so many more ways by my father like health; family; kids etc and I will continue to build my fathers kingdom until my last breath.
My husband and I tithed for nine months. It was hard to start “cold turkey,” but we did it. I felt so comforted when we did this because I felt I was putting us under the blanket of God’s love and protection that we had not really done when we gave as we thought we could afford.
However, every month we tithed,we had had one financial set-back after another, and were looking to having to get a new (old) car to boot. We asked ourselves what we were doing “wrong”, but since it didn’t seem to be “working,” we were not going to be so proud that we were going to allow ourselves to get into the position of having to refinance, or worse, lose the house. We stopped paying, and things became a lot easier.
I don’t know what the answer is. I would love to believe Mal. 3, but we did “prove (Me) this day” and we were not blessed, at least not in the sense that the windows of heaven allowed us to completely pay everything off and have more to spare.
What we got was a lesson on how to accelerate our pain.
To this dear couple,I thank God that you are honest enough to share your struggles with other christians.I hope what we share here will help you.Many christians are taught or have come across this passage of scripture in Malachi 3:10 but missed verse 9 that says you are cursed with a curse.People who teach from Malachi 3:10 need to know that Jesus took away the curse of the law.Please pray about this as you study it.Either Jesus took away the curse or we have to do it ourselves by paying the tithes that the Jews found it impossible to keep.Please think about this,before Jesus died only the high priests were allowed to go in to the most holy place once a year.Read Hebrews 9:1-10(NLT)because of Jesus we are allowed to enter the most holy place anytime because of his precious blood.It is an abomination to go back and try to practise the law that the bible teaches that was cancelled for the sake of the new covenant.Read Galatians 4:24-30(NLT)says clearly to get rid of the slave woman and her child that enslaved them(the law of Moses given to the Jews only)We live by faith in Christ our saviour through his Grace.Did you receive your salvation for FREE?What makes you think God will charge you for financial blessings,Jesus already died to give us life for FREE if we beleive that he died and rose from the dead and confess with our mouths that He is Lord.The new life He came to give us for FREE includes our finances.Jesus paid it all,we cant earn it ITS CALL “GRACE”One more point with Jesus we can enter the most holy place for free,in the old covenant God had with the Jews only the high priest were allowed.There is no high priest here now that is from the Levitical priesthood on earth,even Jesus is not allowed to act as a priest because he is not a Levite.Hebrews 8:4(NLT).I hope this will help you,please dont just take anyones teaching.Look it up in the bible if its true or not.Bless you