I know we are supposed to be in the new covenant but in the ten percent issue I have always felt that it is a good place to start.
I am not such a good example of this either and I am being brutally honest.
Sometimes the most honored gifts I can give to God are my time and what little finances I havce.
I do believe He honors that.
But if you do feel in your heart to use the ten percent as a guideline He will bless you and more so ,because He says,"Give and it shall be given to you,over and above...........
You can never outgive God.
and i do not think He is holding atwo by four to clonk ya with if you do not give ten percent either
God honors a giver who gives from the heart from right motives and He desires mercy and not sacrifice....
Praise God! Sister Barbara you really get it! That is amazing in this day of televangelists telling everyone that God is an investment bank. Whether you are blessed or not has nothing to do with who prays for you, and everything to do with what is in your heart.
And the whole concept of comparing it to planting a seed, and receiving 30, 60, or 100 fold, is nothing more than a con game.
I believe in tithing because it is the one place in the Bible that God tells us, "Try Me on this". This is the only place I know of that God tells us to test Him. I also believe that your tithe belongs to your local church, not to the missionary you like, or the TV preacher who makes you cry, or the poor people down the street. Those are free will offerings and don't count towards your tithing responsibility.
I have tested God on this and of course His promises are true. I also agree about the tithe going to our local church and also love to practice Galations 6:6 Let he who is taught the word share in all good things with him who teaches.
Malachi 3:7 Ever since the time of your forefathers you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you," says the Lord Almighty. "But you ask, 'How are we to return?' 8 "Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. "But you ask, 'How do we rob you?' "In tithes and offerings. 9 You are under a curse--the whole nation of you--because you are robbing me. 10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the Lord Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.
Tithes are one thing but offerings come from the heart.
Tithes get blessed because God said they would, but offerings are a different thing altogether.
The Bible instructs us in offerings as well, but most people don't realize it. Below are a few examples.
Parable of the talents
Give, expecting nothing in return
God loves a cheerful giver
How do these fit in with the modern prosperity message....they don't. In the parable of the talents, they were not given riches for their own gain, but for the master to have increase. If you receive money because God blesses you, you are supposed to use it for His Kingdom.
When someone stands up there and tells you if you sent $1,000, you will receive 100 fold, does that sound like you are expecting nothing in return?
And if you send money expecting a return, are you really doing it cheerfully? No, you are wondering when you will get it back, or where it will come from.
Finally, we are told that God wants us to prosper. This is true, but why would you think this means money? In the Bible, the word prosper seldom means money, it means to succeed. No weapon formed against you shall prosper isn't talking about money.
Jesus said, it is easier for a camel to fit through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to get into heaven. Why would God "bless" with something that would keep us out of heaven? He wouldn't, He doesn't punish us for doing His will.
Jesus also told us, no man can serve two masters (God and money) for a reason.
God does not reward greed, and that is what it is when you want 100 fold return on your money. You can say you are trusting God all you want, but it is a lie. If you trust Him, hold on to your money and tell Him what you need. If your heart isn't right, He won't send it no matter who asks. You don't need a preacher to pray for you, we all have access to the throne through the cleansing blood of Christ.
GREAT QUESTION, Lydia. And the topic need discussing, because there are many new Christians out there who think as Leon and Avona and we have stated that tithes are to be given, just to get a reward from God, as some of these televanglist are teahing such false doctrine.
We all know that tithes in of the OT, the law, and we are under graces through Jesus Christ, and God does not require us to tihes, because this was for the upkee of the Priests and for the Jews. And if we really did tithe as required from God in the OT, we would be giving more than 10% of our first fruits, because the Jews had to tithes 10% of evrything they own. What we offer up as a tithes I call a grace offering, because it is an offering unto the Lord of my first fruits for all He has done, is doing and plans to do for me in my life.
God is a God of honor therefore, when we pay our grace tithe offerings, we are blessing the Lord for what He ha done for us, and when the times get rough, the saving account in heaven that have been stored up through tithes, retunrs back to us as needed. He fulfills His word.
Avona, this is why God has not required us to tithe since Jesus Christ fulfilled all the Law...He is the Law. There are many ministers and pastor who make people feel guilty because they don't tihes or have enough to tithes, and they use Malachi chapter 3 as a weapon aginst those whodon't have enough to give 10%.
Malachi 3, was written to the Priest who were stealing the tithes from the people of Israel who were paying they tithe. And instead of the priest passing the tithe out to the poor, the Priest were making themselves rich and selling the tithe. This is why God asked the question, will a man rob God? yet you rob me of my tithes and offerings... the Preist were stealing the people's tithes... sounds like pastors, priests and minsters we've heard about today, stealing tithes from churches...huh?...
But under the new covenant we are not required to tithe but FREELY GIVE unto the house of God for the works of ministry. You give of your time in service, that;s your widows mite and tithe offering. There are those who give big tithe not from their hearts, but becasue they show off, and expect God's blessings in material things over spiritual...
