Tithing…Is it a command?

[A.W. Bowman]

Love it! So simple and so elegant.

[gloryseeker]

Originally Posted by NotforSale

A thought came to me this weekend.

The Lord is the Bridegroom. The Church (us) are the the Bride.

In marriage (been married myself for 28 years), finances between my wife and I are one and the same. What's mine is hers and what's hers is mine. We are one flesh and care for one another with no barriers. In raising 3 children, I didn't tell my wife, "The Family only gets 10%." When my wife became ill and almost died, my bank account went dry paying her hospital bill. If 10% was my limit, she wouldn't be with me today.

In marriage counseling, when the marriage is at risk of failure, finances become divided, or have been a devisive issue for a long time. In fact, money becomes the fight when the bitter end evolves.

If we are one with the Lord and are truly His Bride, the 10% rule is abolished. The reason is simple; Our relationship with Him holds no bars or lines because we are married to the Lord; We are 100% comitted, just like a good marriage is. If we hold back, we are telling God we are on conditional terms with Him. This will lead us down the path of "Divorce" if we are not careful, and it won't be the Lord who files.

This is just a thought. Hope it provokes good reason.

Hmmmmm,

I read several of your posts and have agreed with many of them, however this type of logic is what gets the Body in trouble.

While it is true that everything is God's and we are only stewards of what is His, so all of what we have should be his also. The struggle with everyone who posts anti tithing theories is that they don't even give the 10%.

But as to the notion of your thinking, if you are true then marriage would be abolished as the Lord (bridegroom) and those who comprise the Church (bride) are espoused to a groom who states that beside Him there shall be no other.

If what you are saying is true then in addition to the tithe the offering is abolished. I have been married for only 24 years, but I don't give my wife offerings because our money is one.

I can go on and on, but biblically (and logically) it doesn't work

[NotforSale]

Originally Posted by gloryseeker

Hmmmmm,

I read several of your posts and have agreed with many of them, however this type of logic is what gets the Body in trouble.

While it is true that everything is God's and we are only stewards of what is His, so all of what we have should be his also. The struggle with everyone who posts anti tithing theories is that they don't even give the 10%.

But as to the notion of your thinking, if you are true then marriage would be abolished as the Lord (bridegroom) and those who comprise the Church (bride) are espoused to a groom who states that beside Him there shall be no other.

If what you are saying is true then in addition to the tithe the offering is abolished. I have been married for only 24 years, but I don't give my wife offerings because our money is one.

I can go on and on, but biblically (and logically) it doesn't work

Thanks for your comment.

First, I don't believe in "not" tithing. I just believe God wants "ALL".

I refuse to be drawn into the Pharisiacal way of living, cutting, dividing, chopping, and limiting God who saved me from a horrible pit. I will wind up in the den of thieves if I get out my balances. When my nature is bound by "counting", God moves to the back seat. When are we going to realize this. Those that were rebuked severely by Jesus, tithed. They were lost. They were bound. They did it "right", but they were dead wrong.

The Lord brought me out to give me His Name. My Family is Him. My love is His. He can have anything He wants, anytime, anyplace, without question. This is how I treat my wife, and dare I not give my Maker and my God more?

Marriage is an all out comittment. It's everything. This is what God wants from us, this is why we are considered His Bride. We need to discover the Lord in His fullness, and we will never do this if we only give Him 10%. 10% is the American way, not God's. You can have this Lord, but the rest is MINE! God's way is ALL, just ask His disciples. Just ask the rich young ruler. Ask those of the early Church.

People wonder why tithing is not mentioned in the New Testament. It's easy; God married us and now it's EVERYTHING! This will set us free.

I love Him with my all. Jesus, may you know today, my heart holds nothing back. I've given it before and I'll do it again. My fear is not in losing the things that mean the most to me in this life; It's in losing You.

God Bless, NFS

[gloryseeker]

Originally Posted by NotforSale

Thanks for your comment.

First, I don't believe in "not" tithing. I just believe God wants "ALL".

I agree and I think that this is the core of it all. My guess is, those who argue that there is no tithe are not giving very much at all and while a counting game is not my goal we do invest in what we believe in.

When the average Christians struggles with 10% but spends more than that on their car payment, house payment, food bill it speaks of what is important to them.

I believe in the tithe, but more than that I believe in the all.

I refuse to be drawn into the Pharisiacal way of living, cutting, dividing, chopping, and limiting God who saved me from a horrible pit. I will wind up in the den of thieves if I get out my balances. When my nature is bound by "counting", God moves to the back seat. When are we going to realize this. Those that were rebuked severely by Jesus, tithed. They were lost. They were bound. They did it "right", but they were dead wrong.

You have a good point, but the reason Jesus rebuked was not because of the tithe, but because of the attitude, focus, and lack of love or mercy.

I recently talked to a man who so much didn't want to fit in the box of Christianity because God is not in a box. While I agree with his premise that God is not in a box and when we create a box we lock out God he then took what was good and brought it to error.

His reasoning went on that God is not bound by a clock. Amen to that. So he determined whether we start our church at 10:00 a.m. or 10:07a.m. wasn't relevant because God doesn't operate by our clock.

True, but where he was wrong is in the fact that God is not going to have a powerful move of the Spirit at 6:00 a.m. on Sunday morning because no one will be at church. On the other side when we say we are going to start at 10:00 and don't start until 10:07 we are now dealing with an integrity issue. So he was confusing two different issues.

You are doing the same thing. Counting is not the goal, but if you look at your giving (counting) as a percentage of your life you will see where your focus is. Are you really willing to give all or is it just great Christian speak?

The Lord brought me out to give me His Name. My Family is Him. My love is His. He can have anything He wants, anytime, anyplace, without question. This is how I treat my wife, and dare I not give my Maker and my God more?

I agree with that 100% and a lot of Christians and those on this thread would give a BIG AMEN! But is it true?

About 8 weeks ago the Lord told us to give our car to this elderly couple (man is not saved) who needed it. I'm not talking about a old junker either. We did! They said it was the nicest car they ever owned. Before I gave it to them I filled up the tank with gas (about $50), I got it washed, I had the tires aligned, and I paid the transfer fees. He told me to "give" it to them.

When we are as you say then we will do as God directs. Jesus shed His blood for the world and it takes money to get this gospel out. Tight waded Christian with fancy talk (not saying you are this way) who give 2% or 5% of what God has blessed them with isn't going to cut it.

I am not saying you are this way. From your posts that I have read you seem to have a very sincere heart and communicate it well. But most Christians are poverty minded and their giving reflects it even though they say God is in control of their life.

What God controls gives....because love gives and God is love.

[quote]Marriage is an all out commitment. It's everything. This is what God wants from us, this is why we are considered His Bride. We need to discover the Lord in His fullness, and we will never do this if we only give Him 10%. 10% is the American way, not God's. You can have this Lord, but the rest is MINE! God's way is ALL, just ask His disciples. Just ask the rich young ruler. Ask those of the early Church. [\quote]

100% agreed, but when He has all He will use it to reach the world with His message.

It's amazing how Christians struggle giving 10% to Master Jesus, but have no problem giving far more to Master Card

People wonder why tithing is not mentioned in the New Testament.

It is read your Bible

It's easy; God married us and now it's EVERYTHING! This will set us free.

Salvation is free everything else will cost you greatly. Serving God is not free, but you have to be free to serve God. The most difficult area of being free is financially free.

Seriously, look at your checkbook and whatever your balance is can you bring it to your church so they can accomplish what they are trying to do, could you give it to a missionary so they could stay on the field. Can you give it all?

Write a check, have zero left until next month! I've done it! I do it! I bring the tithe and I bring the offering, there are foreign churches that exist because I not only pray for them, but help them.

Those who oppose the tithe won't do this, but from your comment below it appears that you can agree with me on this

I love Him with my all. Jesus, may you know today, my heart holds nothing back. I've given it before and I'll do it again. My fear is not in losing the things that mean the most to me in this life; It's in losing You.

God Bless, NFS

[gloryseeker]

I was thinking about this post today as I was driving and the scripture came to me:

John 4:23
23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. (KJV)

These true worshippers are ones where the worship comes out of the heart: It is not mandated, it is not controlled, it is a response that comes from the heart.

Contrasting this with the Old Covenant God told them how to worship Him through the law. It included many aspects of which one was in sacrifices and offerings.

Under the guidelines of how to worship there were MANY sacrifices, many offerings, the tithe and the first fruits it seems to be an endless cycle of giving and sacrificing.

Using your illustration of how the "rule" has been abolished because of the relationship we know from scripture that God does not change.

So while He is now looking for someone who will worship Him without a law, He has given us in the law an example of how He desires to be worshiped.

How can we who have the benefit of the shed blood of Jesus think that we could worship LESS than those who lived under a lesser covenant.

If God desired such a high level of sacrifice and giving without the cost of Jesus blood I could only imagine His desire as in a "level of worship" would be much higher.

We American Christians think that because we spent three or four hours in church on Sunday and an hour and a half in church midweek, dropped $20, $50 or even $100 in the plate that we have adequately honored and worshiped our Master.

If the average Christian would be honest and calculate the actual time spent in Word, prayer, and evangelism they would find that most spend less than 5% of their time pursuing the purposes of the King.

If that same average Christian would calculate the actual percentage of their giving to their gross income most give less than 5% and most tithers give less than 15%

To maintain a full time job you will commit at least 24% of your life to hold that position.

If you sleep only 6 hours per night you contribute 25% of your life to sleeping.

The honest truth is most Christians contribute more to Hollywood than to God spending valuable time watching stupid shows (I'm not against TV either).

True worshipers will worship GREATER than those of Old.

[EA]

Originally Posted by gloryseeker

I was thinking about this post today as I was driving and the scripture came to me:

John 4:23
23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. (KJV)

These true worshippers are ones where the worship comes out of the heart: It is not mandated, it is not controlled, it is a response that comes from the heart.

Contrasting this with the Old Covenant God told them how to worship Him through the law. It included many aspects of which one was in sacrifices and offerings.

Under the guidelines of how to worship there were MANY sacrifices, many offerings, the tithe and the first fruits it seems to be an endless cycle of giving and sacrificing.

Using your illustration of how the "rule" has been abolished because of the relationship we know from scripture that God does not change.

So while He is now looking for someone who will worship Him without a law, He has given us in the law an example of how He desires to be worshiped.

How can we who have the benefit of the shed blood of Jesus think that we could worship LESS than those who lived under a lesser covenant.

If God desired such a high level of sacrifice and giving without the cost of Jesus blood I could only imagine His desire as in a "level of worship" would be much higher.

We American Christians think that because we spent three or four hours in church on Sunday and an hour and a half in church midweek, dropped $20, $50 or even $100 in the plate that we have adequately honored and worshiped our Master.

If the average Christian would be honest and calculate the actual time spent in Word, prayer, and evangelism they would find that most spend less than 5% of their time pursuing the purposes of the King.

If that same average Christian would calculate the actual percentage of their giving to their gross income most give less than 5% and most tithers give less than 15%

To maintain a full time job you will commit at least 24% of your life to hold that position.

If you sleep only 6 hours per night you contribute 25% of your life to sleeping.

The honest truth is most Christians contribute more to Hollywood than to God spending valuable time watching stupid shows (I'm not against TV either).

True worshipers will worship GREATER than those of Old.

Good stuff here.

[Scott Hutchinson]

Here is a interesting article.
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14741b.htm

[NotforSale]

The perecentage issue can only be described by experience.

I want to ask the question; Those who debate this, wondering about it's meaning (0-100%), have you been involved in missions work and its birthing process, enduring this process to completion?

Have you sold, given, and been to the bottom for His cause ever in your life? Home and foreign missionaries understand this in ways that only come by experience. In other words, talk is cheap.

If you haven't been there, you may go in circles with this and never understand others who try to describe this type of commitment. The tears, the finances, the patience, the rejection, the storms of lonliness and despair, the sleepless nights; words aren't enough.

If you want to know my burden here, leave your family, friends, securities, big church, everything, and go to a mission work to labor with a lonely pastor who is on his knees pleading for someone to help him. This will change you in in ways you'll never know until you, "Get thee out of thy country".

God Bless, NFS

[Truthseeker]

Scripture is the only thing that can be used to determine if tithes is for today, with an unbias study tithe doctrine has no support.

[Digging4Truth]

Originally Posted by Truthseeker

Scripture is the only thing that can be used to determine of tithes is for today, at with an unbias study tithe doctrine has no support.

Indeed...