TITHES AND OFFERINGS
Most individuals on Earth are taught from youth to store up for their future or to plan for the unexpected and it has been like this for thousands of years. We even see this as far back as when Joseph was in Egypt and God showed pharaoh a dream of seven years of plenty and seven years of famine. Joseph, who interpreted this dream for Pharaoh, was subsequently placed in charge of Egypt’s storehouse to store up during the years of plenty so the country would lack nothing in the years of famine.
Quite interesting how a Christian will plan for his or her earthly retirement but not plan for their eternal future with God forever. The Bible teaches enormously on the value of storing up for your future starting with our Salvation.
Matthew 16:26-27
26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
27 For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.
Our salvation is free from God through Jesus Christ and we don’t ever work for it, so, hopefully you planned for your eternal future by accepting Jesus Christ as your Saviour. But let’s look at other ways where we can store up for our future and this is where the Bible states that a law already exits in this world and is already active to cause a rewarding and storing up to happen:
Luke 6:38
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 ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.
What are Christians doing with this scripture (Luke 6:38) which is already active and in motion to bless them. Well, if you ask some Christians, they would probably say that they have had this shoved down their throats throughout their time as Christians and that they have been used and abused by these individuals perpetuating the “Prosperity Gospel” and begging for money. Unfortunately, so many things are for sale in Christian Churches today that it has become more of a marketplace than a place to build upon the Cornerstone which is Jesus Christ. We see what Jesus did to these individuals selling in the following scripture:
John 2:13-16
13 And the Jews' passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem, 14 And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting: 15 And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables; 16 And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father's house an house of merchandise.
I like what Jesus did because he wanted to get the business of God activated in the Church and not the business of man. In other words, please put aside those errors in what individual ministers have done to you or what you have seen them do in the news or on the television, etc. Please focus on your own walk with Jesus Christ right now and change your future. What you do today echoes tomorrow and forever according to the Bible because we are living epistles (written letters):
2 Corinthians 3:3
3 Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.
We are the future of God forever and therefore what things we do in Jesus Christ is recorded and written forever. That means we are rewarded for the deeds done in this body and we are also storing up rewards for our future eternity.
2 Corinthians 5:10
10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
Your probably wondering what this has to do with Tithes and Offerings and that is a good question. To answer your question is this; physical money is not the only thing to be given unto the only true and living God. Everything you do for God is rewarded, even praise from your lips to God. If you volunteer to cut the grass for your church, there is reward given by God now and in the eternal future. I am not talking about the Pastor paying you to cut the grass but what I am saying is that if you take care of God’s house (Church), he will take care of your house. God can return it to you in many different ways (in health, in finances, in spiritual growth) and it is God’s decision how he returns it to you. You also store up treasures on the other side eternally (forever). You mean to say if I give financially to my church or give of my time that I will be rewarded forever? Absolutely, even if you cook a meal for the brethren or clean a toilet in your church, do it unto God and you will be rewarded for it. Some Christians might say: Yea, too bad I don’t clean toilets, that’s what they have janitors for. Than let the janitor of your church get the blessings and you miss out. Some would say that is ridiculous and I would say: So be it according to your Faith!
I only use an example of a job in the church and am not saying if a man or woman in your church is being paid a salary as a janitor to take over their job but if no one is paid to do the job than you have an opportunity for blessing. Most churches cannot have a full-time janitor on duty and furthermore if you get paid for a job in the church, then you have your reward and it is no longer a spiritual giving. If you are being paid for a job in the Church, your not giving freely but using your talents for gain, no condemnation but that goes for any position in the church (ie: bookkeepers, maintenance persons, singers, choir, assistant pastors, etc.). A Church is not a business, it is made up of individuals in the Body of Christ who have various talents, skills and professions. These Christians can work their talents (work a job) in the world and support their families and homes, however, their skills should be volunteered in the Church because being paid for their talents and skills is not giving freely.
Matthew 10:8
8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.
The Pastor of the Church is on a different level all together because he or she is worthy of double honor and should be financially supported by the Body of Christ:
1 Timothy 5:17-18
17 Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine.
18 For the scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. And, The labourer is worthy of his reward.
Not everyone holds a job office in the Church and subsequently there is only so much ministerial work to go around. You go to your church’s weekly services and you are rewarded, you praise the Lord and you are rewarded, you pay your Tithes and Offerings and you are rewarded, etc. Is that enough rewards for you? Because, if it isn’t and you want to store up for your eternal future now with untold reward forever than ask what you can do in your Church to start building your rewards for the future. Because a billion years from now you will be feeding off your rewards that you earned in this life and yes even those rewards by you giving an offering by wiping clean a kitchen table inside your church after everybody has eaten.
There are rewards for praying for the ministry you are under, for praying for the brethren in the Body of Christ, for working your spiritual gifts, and more. But lets talk about money for a moment. A church needs finances to pay the electric and water bill and to pay for maintenance and for the rent (if not owned). The church needs to pay the Pastor and make sure his or her needs are met. Who pays for all this? The Church members (body) are the ones designated by God to pay these needs because the Gospel is free but the needs of the Pastor and the Church bills are not.
You might be saying that paying for the Pastor and the Church are not what you signed up for and you can just do without Church and go it alone. Well, you are wrong because as soon as you accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior, next comes placement. You ask what is “placement”? This means that God will place you into a Body of Christ (Church) for education, to be delivered, to be protected, to be taught, to grow, to advance in God, to get healed if you are sick and to be perfected in Christ Jesus. This is the way that God set up the Kingdom.
Galatians 4:2
2 But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father.
Ephesians 4:11
11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
If you are not where God placed you, than you are out of the will of God and if you know where you are placed and refuse to stay there, than you are in rebellion. You are not given the knowledge of God without paying a price for it by obedience to God and that means doing what his Word says to do.
Hebrews 10:25
25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
James 5:14
14 Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:
Pastors are in the center of all that is going on in the Body of Christ (Church) because “they” are the ones that have rule over your soul (Heb 13:17). Some would think that was blasphemy and untrue because Jesus Christ is over our soul. You are correct that God is over our souls, however, the scripture below isn’t talking about God giving an account for you. Who would God give an account to? He does not have to give an account to anybody because he is God. The scripture says “they” watch for your souls. It’s not God who is “they” and it’s not angels because angels don’t watch for your souls and give an account for you. It is your Pastor that watches over your soul and gives an account to God for you when he or she prays for you and has to answer to God accordingly of your progress, status and growth. It even talks about not grieving the Pastor that they may do it with joy because it says that if you grieve your Pastor, than it is “unprofitable for you!”
Hebrews 13:17
17 Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.
This becomes unbelievable for many Christians because they believe the only one they are accountable to is God. You are accountable to God and you are accountable to who God has placed over you in the Church (ie: Pastors). Last time I looked, angels were not teaching or preaching the Gospel to men but men are called and commissioned to teach and preach the Gospel to men and to evangelize the World.
So, you may ask where is this all leading too? Tithes and Offerings are two separate categories of giving. Tithes are ten percent (10%) of your earned income given to God and that means to the Ministry you have been placed into. Offerings are above the ten percent (10%) of Tithing which means you give your Tithes to your Church and your offering wherever God tells you to. For example, if there is a collection taken for a visiting preacher in your church and you give money to him or her, this should not be from your Tithes given to your church. Your Tithes are required by God for you to give to your Church and not to be given to any other collection. An offering above your Tithes can be given if you choose to do so which of course is separate from your Tithes. Several examples of offerings collected are for the poor, a building fund, visiting ministers, missionary trips, etc.
There is a reason that you pay Tithes to the Ministry that you are placed into and are taught by. It comes down to this:
It is a command of God:
Malachi 3:8-12
8 Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.
9 Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. 10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. 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, saith the Lord of hosts. 12 And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the Lord of hosts.
Well folks, I didn’t write the scriptures, however, I can interpret them for you and it is very plain to understand that God requires you to give and I am the first to say that many ministers have used this for great financial gain. I am sorry that they have done this but the scripture does also say this.
And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes which means God is going to protect your finances. When nobody can find a job, you can because God is protecting you from the devourer. When they are handing out termination notices on your job, God is going to protect you from losing your job. Medical problems will drain your finances and can leave you with nothing but if God is your healer than your finances are not eaten away by the devourer. Are you getting the picture or do you need more. How about God keeping your tires on your car going longer than they should because the expense of buying new tires is too much. Why not, he did it for Israel in the desert where their clothes and shoes never wore out. God fed them in the morning with bread and meat in the evening. God can do anything and he does it when we align ourselves with the Word of God and are obedient.
Isaiah 1:19
19 If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:
20 But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it:
God is not asking you to go broke paying your Tithes and Offerings, however, if you can’t pay your Tithes and Offerings, you don’t get the benefits. I know some Christians would say that is ridiculous!
Ok, lets look at it from God’s point of view. Since a Christian desired to get that new house with a loan financed by the bank, than desired to get two brand new cars with a loan financed by the bank, than desired to get four credit cards financed by the bank with thousands of dollars on them to buy the latest music, tools, toys, cellphones, computers and fashions and than this same Christian decides to spend a fortune to eat out every other night. From all these financial decisions, now this Christian can barely afford to pay their bills, mortgage and credit card payments along with everything else.
Now, this same Christian expects God to bless them financially even though they racked up all these bills from buying all the desires of their hearts and subsequently expect God to do this even though they now can’t afford to pay their Tithes or Offerings to God.
This means this Christian trusted and had so much faith in God that they went to the bank to get everything they needed instead of trusting in God. Furthermore, they expect to bend the laws of God for their own financial lusts and somehow now expects God to change his formula for financial success through Tithing and Offering by eliminating the giving part. Does this make sense?
Now, these Christians are broke and can’t pay God ten percent of their income and have become indentured servants to banks and finance companies. Credit is one of the biggest industries in the world and it sucks everyone in with just one signature to spend beyond their means. Instead of Christians fixing their payed off car, they decide to drive down to the local car dealership. Once there, all an individual needs is a pen to purchase a brand new car that they can’t really afford with just several pen strokes of their signature right onto the finance contract. Or fill out those credit card applications that come in the mail every week with another pen.
Do I have to go on? You have a choice not to go to the bank or to sign for more credit cards. You have a choice to stay out of debt or pray for a way out of debt.
I understand your predicament because we have all been there and the way out is to get back to where you can financially breathe again, where you have room to save money and pay your Tithes. This book is not meant to condemn you but to give you motivation and direction to get out of debt and to be as blessed as you can be. God can give you a financial plan to get out of debt or give you a side business in order to make a second income to pay off your bills and give you spending money. Please don’t overlook the fact that it is not God’s will for you to go to the bank and you are not blessed because you get a loan.
Deuteronomy 15:6 For the Lord thy God blesseth thee, as he promised thee: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, but thou shalt not borrow; and thou shalt reign over many nations, but they shall not reign over thee.
Let’s face the facts and the facts are that Christians believe they have a right to all of God’s promises without paying the price to activate them. I am not talking about your salvation because that is free. Or a Christian expects to receive all the benefits of prosperity without “giving” and that is not the way it works:
Luke 6:38
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 ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.
It is a law already working in this world and it works for everybody, even non-christians. You reap what you sow or in another words, what you give is what you get back. God did not say, give nothing and receive a tremendous amount back.
Mark 12:41
41 And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much. 42 And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing. 43 And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury: 44 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.
Ok, you may be saying right now that you understand about paying Tithes and that you understand about getting out of debt, however, you ask why do I need to pay ten percent (10%)? Good question!
Here is the question answered for you in black and white:
1 Samuel 8:6-7
6 But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the Lord. 7 And the Lord said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.
1 Samuel 8:15
15 And he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his officers, and to his servants.
1 Samuel 8:17
17 He will take the tenth of your sheep: and ye shall be his servants.
Genesis 28:22
22 And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God's house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee.
Hebrews 7:2
2 To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace;
Hebrews 7:4
4 Now consider how great this man was, unto whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils.
Let’s discuss these scriptures now that you have read them. These are just a few of the scriptures that discuss giving ten percent (10%) and than giving that ten percent unto those ordained by God to take up Tithes and Offerings. So, this brings us to the question why ten percent? Throughout the history of Israel from Abraham to Jesus Christ, God has required Tithes from his people. In Acts 4:37 it talks about laying money at the Apostles feet and even in Acts 5:1 it depicts Ananias and Sapphira who sold land and gave the money to the Church but lied to the Holy Spirit about the price they sold land for while holding back some of the money for themselves. God killed them on the spot when they stood before the Apostle Peter.
I am absolutely not saying you will be killed for not paying your Tithes or Offerings but I am describing how serious God is about the financial agreements you make with God even under the New Testament. Israel demanded a King to rule over them and no longer a Judge (Prophet) which meant they wanted a man to rule over them and not the Spirit of God. Therefore, God said the King (Captain of the Inheritance) will now be paid a Tenth of everything from the people he has rule over. Not to mention that from the slaying of Able by Cain (which was over Tithes) to the New Testament, there has been Tithes being brought into the Storehouse of God for thousands and thousands of years.
The Storehouse and Government of God on Earth today is the Church (Body of Christ) and nothing has changed except the mind of man. Your prosperity, financial positioning and financial protection depends on your Tithes and Offerings and to be bluntly honest; Tithes are not optional but they are a demand by God.
In the New Testament, a higher level of Tithing and Offering was given that went beyond the basic ten percent (10%) and into being spirit led in your financial giving. This meant that a Christian no longer went by the old law of ten percent (10%) of giving but now went into a financial giving according to the direction of the Holy Spirit. This higher level of financial giving was giving as the Body of Christ had need. This meant a Christian would give to a need as the Holy Spirit directed them and he would tell them the exact amount to give. If the Apostles needed to build a Church, go on a Missionary Trip, hold a Revival, give to another Ministry in an area with a famine going on, etc than certain Christian Brethren would give a lot more than ten percent (10%)
Acts 4:32
32 And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common.
Acts 4:34
34 Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold,
Acts 4:35
35 And laid them down at the apostles' feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need.
This higher level of financial giving was instituted in the New Testament, however, it takes Christians that can hear the Holy Spirit and who will obey God. If God tells you specifically to give to a Ministry, he is going to give back to you in more ways than you can imagine, however, if you don’t obey when the Holy Spirit comes calling than you will lose out on your blessings through disobedience. You may say, I can barely deal with ten percent (10%) of giving and now I might have to go above that? So be it according to your faith!
Too much is given, much is required and this higher level of financial giving is called Stewardship and of course it has a much higher level of blessings to it than the average Christian could imagine. God raises up certain Christians financially and they become the “Storehouse of God” and when the time comes they are required by God to give where he tells them to give. Unfortunately, a number of Christians are in such financial debt right now that they couldn’t pay for a bus ticket out of town and subsequently a lot of wrong financial decisions are made by Christians. There are many ways a Christian gets into poverty and it is not always by wrong financial decisions but by lack of “Godly Knowledge” which causes many wrong decisions spiritually.
Hosea 4:6
My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge:
because thou hast rejected knowledge,
I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me:
seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God,
I will also forget thy children.
I am not talking about the “Prosperity Gospel” where men and woman are selling the Gospel through Books, CD’s, DVD’s, Prayer Packages, Websites, etc for profit and heaping riches unto themselves. I am talking about the Kingdom of God and Ministries called of God being sent to do a work for God. When Ministries called of God are sent out into the “field” according to the Commission of God, than God will provide the finances for this work to be done by drawing from the “Storehouse of God” which are those Christians that I told you about who will pay for the work of God as the Holy Spirit leads them. This is the higher level of Tithes and Offerings and it is happening right now, so in the mean time, start planting into good ground and watch the return both 100 fold in this life and in the life to come!
Luke 16:10
10 He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.
Matthew 25:20
20 And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more. 21 His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
Amen.