Giving it your all (tithing)

The truth is, if every Christian did tithe, there would be no church on earth with financial difficulty, aside from blatant abuse and mismanagement.

Amen? God bless!

Cheers,

Jim

 

Some want to wish the "Legalist" bug on others who do see tithing as a NT command--well, a Legalist, dear friend, is one who shoots at a target(the law) and never is quiet able to hit it--so the next time he shoots--he shoots first and then draws a target around the center of the bullet hole--A legalist has to help the law out a little bit!

I look at the law this way---I'm coming up on a speed limit sign there on I-55 that says 70 mph--and I keep motorin' along until I pass the sign. Now, I just passed the sign. It's behind me! There is no sign in the forseeable distance. Now, although the sign is behind me and I see no sign in front of me telling me otherwise--guess what?? The speed limit is still 70mph! Although there is no longer any sign in front of me telling me so!

The same way with tithing--there is no sign in the New Testament that tells me that I no longer have to obey that law---Jesus never did away with that law--its still there in the pages of the Old Testament---the Old Testament law of tithing is in back of me as I journey down life's interstate but that doesn't mean I can do anything I please because I don't see any sign in the NT!

When Jesus said for us to "Render unto God that which is God's!"--He was out of the other side of His mouth saying--"That means tithe!"

Your buddy,
Blackbird

 

Blackbird,

Good sermon - as they say in the black church - "preach on!"

 

Amen!!

 

Well Blackbird that sounded great, unfortunately you have no scripture to prove that Christ only freed us from SOME of the law. The fact is, if we are still to obey the OT then we must obey ALL of the law. Legalists like to pick and choose which ones they think Christ freed us from and which one Christ expects us to obey today. In all their fancy talk they can give NO scriptural basis for their belief.

Yes GIVE to God what is God's, willingly and NOT of nececissity, for God loves a cheerful giver. That my friend is scriptural.

You know what the Word says and you know what you believe and have been taught by man, you choose whom you shall follow.

~Lorelei

 

The prosperity teachers emphasize "Give to get!", the Christian knows it is really "Give to get to give more!"

From the description of the widow in Mark 12:41-44 & Luke 21:1-4 I think she might have given just a bit more than 10%.

I am reminded of an expansion of Matthew 13:45-46 I heard a few years ago that went something like: A merchant was looking for fine pearls, and saw one so incredible he just had to have it. He asked the owner what he wanted for it. The owner asked him back how much the man had in his wallet. The man opened his wallet and counted the money. The pearl's owner said "give me the money, now what else do you have?" The man looked at the pearl again, then told the owner about his car. The owner asked for the car, "and what else?" The man thought for a minute again and said his house. The owner said "give me the house, now what else?" The man looked at the pearl again, thought for a longer period of time, and then said his family. The pearl's owner said "ok, give me them too, now what else do you have?" The only thing the man had left was his life. He wanted that pearl so offered his life for it. The pearl's owner shook the man's hand and said "Deal. I will give you the pearl. And I will LEND BACK to you everything you gave for it, but remember it is all mine."

One of my favourite quotes is "After all God has given us, what can we give Him but our all."

Pete

 

I don't tithe. I do believe in giving.
I tried tithing before, and would tithe even when I didn't have enough for bills. I quit when I got my electric shut off. LOL It's hard to sit by and listen to a pastor preach on tithing and how you must and not to worry, God will take care of your needs and know that there are other people who are in the same bad situation that I was in then that will take that seriously and jeopardize their welfare because of it.
If you tithe and your needs are all met that's great. If you tithe and you can't afford gas to get to church because of it you've got a problem. I think God also wants us to use common sense and I really really really wish preachers wouldn't make people feel guilty or promise God will take care of their needs if they tithe because it doesn't always happen and it does NOT say that in the bible and it's mean to do that to a person who trusts you!
Gina

 

Amen! If I would have heard this lesson instead of "tithing will bless you" all the time, I may have learned how to be good steward a looong time ago!

When I realized three years ago that I was not living by the Spirit as I should be, I began really working on letting the Spirit lead in all areas of my life. I realized that my life in general was not a very good witness to Christ. The Spirit led me to desire to be more Christ like so that people would see the light that was within me.

Anyway, it was during this time that I came to the realization that tithing was not a NT teaching. Before I learned this, I used to try to "tithe" and trust God to meet my financial needs, but I still continued to be a bad steward of my money in all other areas of my life. I was in debt and not paying on some of my bills because I simply could not afford to. My bills were usually late and I had bill collectors calling all the time. Never before had I realized that this was affecting my witness! Never had I heard that "being a good steward" meant anything other than tithing! I thought to tithe WAS being a good steward. (that and not gambling with your money)

Through the Spirit I am learning good stewarship. Since I was no longer under "obligation" to tithe, the Lord allowed me to willingly give less than 10%, because he showed me that getting out of debt was just as important as putting money in an offering plate. He wants me to be like him and I had to get out of debt to do that. Oh some would say he promised to help me make it through while tithing and I just did not trust him, but I know that he blessed my decision to do what is right. That freedom allowed me to slowly get out of debt. As each bill was paid in full we were able to give to the Lord more and more. What is even greater, is that I no longer have a cealing for which I must reach. Now that I am virtually debt free, I am free to use that extra money I used to spend on bills and spend it on the Lord and His work!

~Lorelei

 

I agree that tithing is under the law and not for the NT Church. As it says in 2Cor 9:7

Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.

Nothing about 10% there. Maybe it is 20% or 50%. Whatever God lays on your heart. I think alot of IFB Pastors harp on tithing so much because they are so worried about not making their weekly budget and that their members wont give unless they are constantly badgered about it. Its the same thing with "soul winning"
Tithing, soul-winning, soul-winning, tithing, tithe-winning, win-tithing, soul-tithing blah, blah, blah.
It is a shame though that we tip a waitress (oops, sorry, "server") 15% and complain about giving God 10%. So I vote that we give God at least more that we give a "server" in a diner or what comes out of our paychecks to pay cops, schoolteachers and crooked polititions.