Christian Living

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TITHING...GIVING JOY OR CHORE?

Malachi 3:8
Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. But you ask, "How
do we rob you?" In tithes and offerings.

I'm sure that most everyone who goes to church on Sunday
morning puts money in the offering plate when it comes by
them...right? But I guess the question would be, how much
do you put in?

Some put in a very small amount and others a large and
some put in the tithe as it states in the Bible, (tithe...refers
to "a tenth" of something).
Malachi 3:10 says:
Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may
be food in My House, and test me now in this, "says the Lord
of Host", "if I will not open for you the windows in heaven and
pour out for you a blessing until it overflows.

Tithing is an "Old Testament" Concept. The tithe was required
by law in which the Israelites were to give ten percent of crop
and livestock to the tabernacle/temple.
Leviticus 27:30 says:
A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil
or fruit from the trees, belong to the Lord, it is Holy to the Lord.

The "New Testament" states it this way:
I Corinthians 16:2
On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside
a sum of money in keeping with his income, saving it up, so that
when I come no collection will have to be made.
Some in the Christian Church have taken the ten percent figure
as a "recommended minimum" for Christians to give.

It is very important to give as much as we are able, to help with
the support and needs of our churches. But we all need to pray
and ask for God's wisdom and guidance in what we should give.
James 1:5 states:
If any of you lack wisdom, he should ask God, who gives
generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.

You see, God doesn't need our money. In fact if you stop and
think about it, it's really His anyway. He provides all things to each one of us...our jobs come from Him. Our money comes from Him. God wants our Faithfulness. He wants us to all put our trust in Him and He will pour out His Blessings over us. Ten percent is a very small amount compared to all the Blessings and Favor He gives to us.

Well, all I can tell you is what giving the tithe (10%) means to me and my family:
Oh, we always gave our offering every Sunday, maybe we could
have given a little more once in a while, but we always gave. But
in my heart, I always felt like I was cheating Him. Because of all He does for us. I always felt that I needed to do more, to give more. And we always seemed to be struggling, trying to make ends meet. Always never enough to pay this or to get that. But I noticed, satan always got his share.

Well the Good Lord started speaking to me, convicting me, telling
me, "Give your tithe, and let me pour out those Blessings and Favors over you". "Give your tithe, even though it looks like there's not enough". "Trust me...Believe in me. Let me prove the promise of my word".

2 Corinthians 9:7
Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

So that one Sunday I stepped out in Faith Believing and I gave our tithe to the church. And oh what a wonderful feeling, knowing I was doing what I know was the right thing. We were honoring Our Lord by giving a portion of what we had earned from those jobs He had given to us.
Proverbs 3: 8-10 says:
This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones. 9)Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the first fruits of all your crops; 10) then your barns will be filled to overflowing and your vats will brim over with new wine.

So from that time on, every Sunday we gave and we give our tithe
and our offerings to the Lord. And I noticed, looking back now, that our struggles have been few and far between. Oh, we still have our struggles, satan still takes his two cents, but Sweet Jesus always gives back more than enough.

So I pray you all give from your heart. I pray you all are giving some back to our Lord Jesus. Give with a Cheerful Heart. Give with Joy, and as much as you can, and watch all the Blessings the Good Lord will give back and more.

Tithing Should Be A Joy...Not A Chore!

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