Tithing curse?

[docjohn]

Was listening to a "minister" "teach,edify,encourage" folks to give based on LUKE 6:38. Heard him make this statement" GOD gives you 100% so you GOT to give 10% back- IF YOU DON'T GIVE 10%-HE WILL TAKE other 90% back too!!!!"  where is that remote??? what do you think fam

[Fenix]

Well i don't know about that man. I cannot remember off the top of my head which scripture applies to not paying of tithes as equal to stealing from God.

I don't think churches should start scaring of bullying folks into paying tithes. It should be done out of love and duty to God.

On a personal note, ever since i started paying tithes consistently, i have NEVER not had a job, while i was a student and once i got out of school. I am grateful that the Lord trusts me enough to know that i will continue paying him my tithes and first fruits and continually provides for me. 

[SisterT]

Since everything we have comes from God, I agree that God gives us 100%. The Word says that we should be cheerful givers, not giving of necessity or with a grudge. Therefore, the givier should not give because of "pressure." The atttitude of the giver is important.

What I do know is this.....it's an awesome privilege to give to God. However, if we don't give to God, we tend to lose what we should have given and more. We lose it to sudden car repairs, sudden illness, and other "unexplainable" expenses that come up. People who don't give tend to have holes in their pockets. They lose money and don't really notice where and when they lost it.

[Keys410]

I have a off topic question. If you currently don't have a church home how should tithes be handled?

[SisterT]

I have a off topic question. If you currently don't have a church home how should tithes be handled?

Hopefully you are visiting churches in search of a new home. I would give to whatever church I happened to visit that particular Sunday. After all, I did dine off the spiritual food that was given.

[nessalynn77]

I'd send it to the place I was last a member until I placed my membership somewhere else.   

[momuzik]

... I cannot remember off the top of my head which scripture applies to not paying of tithes as equal to stealing from God...

Mal. 3:8-12

...The atttitude of the giver is important....

Like the widow who gave only 2 mites? Mark 12:42

[docjohn]

Hey FEN,the Malachi verse is the ones that pertain to giving,although I don't see tithes in the NEW TESTAMENT.PAUL speaks continually about an offering,giving liberally out of your poverty(church @ THESSOLNICA). Giving is NOT the issue-this cat was preaching IF you DIDN'T give at LEAST 10%,GOD was gonna get you.Struck me as totally somebody more interested as getting his hand into folks wallet.LORD has been extremely faithful in all my steps.

[jlc4703]

Struck me as totally somebody more interested as getting his hand into folks wallet.

Hi doc,

I think you have "rightly divided the Word of truth."  Malichai was given to the Jewish nation. As belivers in Christ, the real key is the spirit behind giving.  Giving is useless if it has to be coerced.  (saying this does NOT absolve the Christian from giving to support the local ministry that is providing their spiritual food, but does say that legalism is not the proper foundation.

Jim

[kodacolor]

Was listening to a "minister" "teach,edify,encourage" folks to give based on LUKE 6:38. Heard him make this statement" GOD gives you 100% so you GOT to give 10% back- IF YOU DON'T GIVE 10%-HE WILL TAKE other 90% back too!!!!"  where is that remote??? what do you think fam

I'm pretty sure that's no where in the Bible.  I believe he was taking this passage out of context:

Malachi 3: 8 - 12

 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.
 11.  I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit," says the LORD Almighty.
 12.  "Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land," says the LORD Almighty.

I have to take time to really study the book of Malachi and see exactly why this was said.  It was explained to me that the passage meant when people don't give you run into problems and other people suffer when they have to deal with your problem.  (i.e: a drug addict using rent money to buy drugs and he/she has a family to support).  Tithes and offerings is an act of faith.  If you don't have faith in God how can you expect him to bless you.  Idk.  That's how it was explained to me. 

[docjohn]

Thanks JC;how you doin?glad to see you back. Koda;that's some good input also.Funny I heard somebody say if you read Malichi without the punctuation,it sort of reads like the PRIESTS are robbing LORD!!! Kinda thought of that as i was listening to this fellow,as JC rightly discerned this speaks more as cohersion.FOR me and my house- I've given myself to the LORD 100%,nothing without HIM,all I have is from HIM;want to give it all back.But,some folks would rather have the 10%. Hmmmm,I consider myself  a temple not built with hands,made in HIS IMAGE,saved by HIS BLOOD,fit for HIS PURPOSE,filled with HIS SPIRIT,and somebody wants to pimp all that for mammon.  Talk about shortchanged!!!!! 

[csedwards2]

I'd send it to the place I was last a member until I placed my membership somewhere else.  

this is what I did

[BigFoot_BigThumb]

It's one thing to be God-fearing, and another to use God to instill fear.

[Furious Styles]

I've given small lectures in many threads about the history of tithing. Malachi 3 is always edited by those who love to bewitch people into giving. WE need to be clear about where the money is going... It is going to the ministry that we support not "GOD". God sleeps nor slumbers. All of the Gold and silver is his!!! That old song that we used to sing about not being able to beat God giving is true!!! How can you 'give' something that isn't technically yours in the first place? WE are giving in support of the vision of the church we attend. Any other line of communication is a bold face lie. Fiefdom in the faith is older than everybody who contributes to this site. The pre-protestant reformation era of the church points to a time where war, greed, evil and deciet infiltrated(for a season as fortold by Jesus) the mission of the early disciples. Evil helped to finance the spread the concept of christianity which morphed from the original intent of discipleship. Don't believe me? Find a scripture in the Gospels where Jesus called his apostles christians? More on that later.

Modern times as seen a resurgence of many of the false teachings by false profits(I meant prophets) who masquerade as apostles of God. Their lust for filthy lucre, fame and a insatiable desire to have their names carved into "christian history" causes many to get a distorted view of the coming kingdom of heaven. I've pointed out before that tithes were always grain, animals and non perishable goods designed to sustain a nation in the time of lack. Joseph instructed Egypt by way of a vision from God to put up enough supplies during the seven years that Egypt prospered. Remember the lean cow represented 7 years of famine while the fat cow represented 7 years of prosperity. The idea was to provide for all of the citizens of Egypt. That's why Joesph's brothers traveled to Egypt because their land was barren and was experiencing famine. Thus why the term storehouse is relevant in Malachi. Notice it didn't say bring all the money to the bank....

You don't store money in a barn!!!! Money yields no return in a barn. It yields returns in money markets!!! If Grandma kept a twenty in her bra strap it would still be worth the same when she pulled it out to give you gas money.. If one is persuaded in their own mind to keep the law then let him do so under the auspice of not admonishing others to do so!!! Paul and Peter parted ways due to the disagreement about trying to convert Gentiles into Jewish culture. The blessing is in us giving for the sake of being a blessing. It is written that it is more blessed to give than recieve. Most of us seem to understand that. However when Keys asked the question where should he send his tithes while on hiatus from his fellowship notice we got different answers. That's not to say anyone was wrong but it is suprising that none of the answers was consistent with scripture or the nature of God. Some of the specific respones was to tithe where you visited or to tithe where he formely fellowshiped until he had a new place to worship. All sincere responses but they were given out of their opinion and not out of scriptural authority...

I'd like to revist the point I made about how Jesus never called disciples christians. Disciples gave up everything to follow Jesus. This wasn't limited to their own personal will... The disciples had various occupations.  Some were fishermen, laborers, tax collectors and one was a physician. Obviously 4 of them were highly educated because they wrote an account of the ministry of Jesus. Disciples will do everything they can to mimic the character of Jesus. Christians, on the other hand try and blend in so they can't fit the status quo of the nick name given in Acts. We are all familiar with the term we were first called christians at Antioch. The world gave us that name not Jesus. New testament disciples financed the gospel with all of their material wealth not 10 percent of it!!!! They did it because they believed that Jesus would going to return in their lifetime.

We dare not call people false prophets in this generation for fear of rebuke by the establishment. The work of false prophecy is very relevant in our times. Some are in store front churches. Some have mega ministries with various locations. Some aren't directly affiliated with one ministry. Some are supporting the work of certain ministries caused by satanic witchcraft from their leaders. Their affinity for mistaking the success of the ministry as a sign of right standing with GOD is the final phase of the the hypnosis. False prophets will not admit that they are false!!! Tithing is false teaching!!!! I know that kills a few sacred cows but its got to die. The misrepresentation of this principle has caused many to stumble as a result of them grasping the concept that GOD was some sort of Genie. IN other words god has become a whore!!! You pay for the result you are seeking!!!!

Now I see why whoremongering is such an abomination to God.... Every year the TBN telethon implies that "releasing a seed" will help to unleash a supernatural blessing to the people of God. Supernatural blessings comes through faith not through payment attached to a perception of "faith". Jesus said seek and we would find. He said knock and the door would be open. That's why when we pray in Jesus name is so powerful... That's why there are no more heave offerings, earthly high priest, and pure lambs. Jesus fulfilled that. Whatever we need he knows about it. He taught us to take the kingdom authority within (Luke 17 vs 20 and 21) which cause the spiritual mountains of lack, doubt, sickness and disease to cease. GOD freely gave so we must replicate that in our everyday life. Deception isn't of GOD... PERIOD...

[BigFoot_BigThumb]

I love how the term "storehouse" in interpreted in so many differnet ways.  I look at the word as meaning the work of God.  Actually helping your fellow man.  The "church", or some churches in particular, use(s) it to mean the church's bank account.  Don't worry about what we do with it, just give it to us.  When it goes to pay huge salaries and you got members who are struggling to pay rent and feed the kids, people are said to be wrong to question.  I mean if I have membership at another church, and I have been attending another smaller one regualrly and haven't yet joined, what do I do?  If I came upon $100,000 one week, do I put 10K in the church I have been visiting, or do I send it to where my membership is?  The smaller church does need more in it's "storehouse" compared to the larger one.  If God put me in the position to bless them how does that work according to what the Bible says?     

[under13]

I love how the term "storehouse" in interpreted in so many differnet ways.  I look at the word as meaning the work of God.  Actually helping your fellow man.  The "church", or some churches in particular, use(s) it to mean the church's bank account.  Don't worry about what we do with it, just give it to us.  When it goes to pay huge salaries and you got members who are struggling to pay rent and feed the kids, people are said to be wrong to question.  I mean if I have membership at another church, and I have been attending another smaller one regualrly and haven't yet joined, what do I do?  If I came upon $100,000 one week, do I put 10K in the church I have been visiting, or do I send it to where my membership is?  The smaller church does need more in it's "storehouse" compared to the larger one.  If God put me in the position to bless them how does that work according to what the Bible says?     

I was thinking about something like that a while back. When you think about the way churches spend money on stupid things, I'd say you'd be helping more people by giving to them directly. I wonder how much of that money we give is actually going to the storehouse, and how much is going to the Pastor's house?

[docjohn]

that's a mouthful FURIOUS!!!! I wonder sometimes how many storehouses have become whorehouses;there's NEVER anything in there,buckets with holes in them.Like JESUS said which PAUL echos' false apostles ,workers of iniquity who make MERCHANDISE of you",devourers,unclean ,unholy appetites,spots,blemishes.

[docjohn]

another quick thought about Where to send offerings; how about a missionary?  For example,I supported a work called "HOUSE OF GRACE" thru Global Servants (Mark Rutland) Lakeland Fl.They actually rescued girls and then boys from age 6 up to 20's giving them a home,christian education,etc. in Thailand. Otherwise,these kids would have been lost to the sex trade.Remember getting a letter from an 80 year old (pastors' mom) telling me how $40 I sent bought rice for the whole bunch for a month!Also,you can support a missionary (native ) in India for 3 mos.for like $50.,just be careful that it ALL goes directly to the missionary.Most of the big organizations take an "administrative fee"for "handling expenses".Yeah,right-let the LORD deal with those ;FURIOUS has apptly described them and as Peter said to simon the sorcereer. Think LORD would be a little more pleased with saving a few lives and souls than more concrete and mortar. Too many"visions" for buildings ;  WORD says "people PERISH for lack of VISION,WISDOM,UNDERSTANDING-which I take to mean of HOLY SPIRIT's attributes.

[betnich]

IMO Christian ministries should strive for greater transparency and accountability in their financial dealings...could save a lot of grief.

[BigFoot_BigThumb]

IMO Christian ministries should strive for greater transparency and accountability in their financial dealings...could save a lot of grief.

Most avoid that buy preaching prosperity that can be achieved based upon your level of giving.