Pin It Now!
This is in response to yesterday's post on tithing. Few readers had trouble posting comments on the blog and so shared their response via email. Posted below as is...
Paul Delightson from Bangalore writes:
Jesus Name Greetings!
Always we can come cross a few precious people of God, need to sit back and learn the basic principles of God. Our Jesus in new covenant didn’t not come to remove the Old laws, HE came to fulfill it.
Jesus, our Wonderful Savior, encourages us to follow the law willfully. Before we see about tithing, let us first see some of a few of HIS sayings about the law.
Matthew 5:17
Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.
Matthew 22:37,38
37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’[a] 38 This is the first and greatest commandment
Matthew 22:39
39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself
Mathew 22:40
40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments
Amen to verse 40. With the Holy Spirit of God if we can pause for a while and read again the verses and meditate, I think we can come closer to clear our hearts! - Amen!
Laws should not be just for the law sake, it has to be for the love we should/can have for God - Amen!
* So What is Loving Our God?
Loving our God is a true worship we can opt for HIM. We can show our love to HIM. Are we really worshiping HIM truly!? Bible encourages us in the following verses (must read)
Romans 12:1
1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship-
Living a best life acceptable to HIM through Jesus Christ our. Are we really doing it!?
John 4:20-24
Jesus through HIS conversation with the Samaritan woman, encourages us to worship God with Spirit and Truth.
(let us analyze and change our hearts even today for the true worship, by submitting our lives, bodies, holy and acceptable for HIM - Amen)
* Now let us move on to the next point: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself..
What is this all about? Are we really doing it at-least in our Churches?
The First Century Church of Jesus was filled with rich and poor, but there were no one of any need. They equally share what they had for life. A true brother ship was there.
Acts 2:45
45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need
Acts 2:44-47
44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
Now coming to the point of tithing. New Covenant we see not only Tithing it more that tithing.
How many times we willfully refused to see the poor and needy people in the Church. A brother a Sister may be in a great need for life, may be a financial need to his/her medical bills, may be a need for the next day food. May be a need of a job etc. Needy people in the Church who has to help them? is it not we the fellow believers. I know a few Churches, from the tithe they receive, they make food for the poor, they do financial support for the needy, they give shelter, they give Cloths. Church is taking care of the precious people. So maybe it is not only tithe even beyond tithe we have to give to/for HIM.
Luke 18:22
22 When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
Malachi 3:10
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 there will not be room enough to store it
If we are not open and if we shut our hands for the people in need don’t worry, Salvation will come from other ways. After all it is HE who cares for HIS people. However when our brothers/sisters are in need and if shut our hands for them as a Church, then I am not sure, God will be happy on you and me, when HE opens an another door for the needy.
So what can we say now - Tithe is eliminated!? No let us give even more to and for God, not just for the law sake but with true intention of Love. Loving HIM and HIS Church
In this context many used to thing why we have to give to Pastors. They are the responsibilities God has made in the Church to take care of the various affairs. Even let them have a share in what we give. Let they be benefited in food, shelter and clothing
1 Thimothy 5:17,18
17 The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching. 18 For Scripture says, “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain,”[a] and “The worker deserves his wages.
Let us close it with the Word if Prayer:
"Dear Jesus, we Love you. Thank You for the Church. Thanks that we are part of it. Let us be a part taker of Your blessed vision through Your Church. Cover us always under Your blood - Amen"
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mrs. Livingston from India shares:
Offering one -tenth to God is a commandment from God that we should fulfill.
Also when we promise god that we will give one tenth if we receive a job/ more salary etc, we should fulfill our promises to God. My only point is that we should not give our tithe only to one church. The Old testament Temple activities are different from that of our present day churches. Even in those days God has clearly said that we can eat from our tithes with the Levites, poor people, strangers, orphans etc.
When we have so many needy people just in front of our eyes, how can we give all the tithe amount in one place and be careless about it. It is true the ministers in our churches need our support. we can give them a part, may be a major part of the tithe amount. The remaining we can give to other ministers who had been nurturing us in our spiritual/ physical lives. Yet another part to be sent for doing good to those needy people just in front of our eyes.
Yet another part may be spent in giving food for the believers in any church, yet another may be offered for a convention expenses etc etc. since the one tenth is Gods money, we should not hesitate to spent it for His people and for His glory and do not set your mind on it for you. It is not for you. Pl. do not give all of it to only person.
My basic verse in this regard is:
Deut 14th chapter
22"Thou shalt truly tithe all the increase of thy seed that the field bringeth forth year by year.
23And thou shalt eat before the LORD thy God, in the place which He shall choose to place His name there, the tithe of thy corn, of thy wine and of thine oil, and the firstlings of thy herds and of thy flocks, that thou mayest learn to fear the LORD thy God always.
24And if the way be too long for thee, so that thou art not able to carry it, or if the place be too far from thee which the LORD thy God shall choose to set His name there, when the LORD thy God hath blessed thee,
25then shalt thou turn it into money, and bind up the money in thine hand, and shalt go unto the place which the LORD thy God shall choose.
26And thou shalt bestow that money for whatsoever thy soul lusteth after: for oxen, or for sheep, or for wine, or for strong drink, or for whatsoever thy soul desireth; and thou shalt eat there before the LORD thy God, and thou shalt rejoice, thou and thine household.
27And the Levite that is within thy gates, thou shalt not forsake him, for he hath no part nor inheritance with thee.
28"At the end of three years thou shalt bring forth all the tithe of thine increase the same year, and shalt lay it up within thy gates.
29And the Levite (because he hath no part nor inheritance with thee), and the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, who are within thy gates, shall come and shall eat and be satisfied, that the LORD thy God may bless thee in all the work of thine hand which thou doest.
when we give all our tithe in one place , we are neglecting who are within our gates the stranger, fatherless, widow,the one tenth belongs to these people.
This is in response to yesterday's post on tithing. Few readers had trouble posting comments on the blog and so shared their response via email. Posted below as is...
Paul Delightson from Bangalore writes:
Jesus Name Greetings!
Always we can come cross a few precious people of God, need to sit back and learn the basic principles of God. Our Jesus in new covenant didn’t not come to remove the Old laws, HE came to fulfill it.
Jesus, our Wonderful Savior, encourages us to follow the law willfully. Before we see about tithing, let us first see some of a few of HIS sayings about the law.
Matthew 5:17
Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.
Matthew 22:37,38
37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’[a] 38 This is the first and greatest commandment
Matthew 22:39
39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself
Mathew 22:40
40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments
Amen to verse 40. With the Holy Spirit of God if we can pause for a while and read again the verses and meditate, I think we can come closer to clear our hearts! - Amen!
Laws should not be just for the law sake, it has to be for the love we should/can have for God - Amen!
* So What is Loving Our God?
Loving our God is a true worship we can opt for HIM. We can show our love to HIM. Are we really worshiping HIM truly!? Bible encourages us in the following verses (must read)
Romans 12:1
1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship-
Living a best life acceptable to HIM through Jesus Christ our. Are we really doing it!?
John 4:20-24
Jesus through HIS conversation with the Samaritan woman, encourages us to worship God with Spirit and Truth.
(let us analyze and change our hearts even today for the true worship, by submitting our lives, bodies, holy and acceptable for HIM - Amen)
* Now let us move on to the next point: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself..
What is this all about? Are we really doing it at-least in our Churches?
The First Century Church of Jesus was filled with rich and poor, but there were no one of any need. They equally share what they had for life. A true brother ship was there.
Acts 2:45
45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need
Acts 2:44-47
44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
Now coming to the point of tithing. New Covenant we see not only Tithing it more that tithing.
How many times we willfully refused to see the poor and needy people in the Church. A brother a Sister may be in a great need for life, may be a financial need to his/her medical bills, may be a need for the next day food. May be a need of a job etc. Needy people in the Church who has to help them? is it not we the fellow believers. I know a few Churches, from the tithe they receive, they make food for the poor, they do financial support for the needy, they give shelter, they give Cloths. Church is taking care of the precious people. So maybe it is not only tithe even beyond tithe we have to give to/for HIM.
Luke 18:22
22 When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
Malachi 3:10
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 there will not be room enough to store it
If we are not open and if we shut our hands for the people in need don’t worry, Salvation will come from other ways. After all it is HE who cares for HIS people. However when our brothers/sisters are in need and if shut our hands for them as a Church, then I am not sure, God will be happy on you and me, when HE opens an another door for the needy.
So what can we say now - Tithe is eliminated!? No let us give even more to and for God, not just for the law sake but with true intention of Love. Loving HIM and HIS Church
In this context many used to thing why we have to give to Pastors. They are the responsibilities God has made in the Church to take care of the various affairs. Even let them have a share in what we give. Let they be benefited in food, shelter and clothing
1 Thimothy 5:17,18
17 The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching. 18 For Scripture says, “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain,”[a] and “The worker deserves his wages.
Let us close it with the Word if Prayer:
"Dear Jesus, we Love you. Thank You for the Church. Thanks that we are part of it. Let us be a part taker of Your blessed vision through Your Church. Cover us always under Your blood - Amen"
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mrs. Livingston from India shares:
Offering one -tenth to God is a commandment from God that we should fulfill.
Also when we promise god that we will give one tenth if we receive a job/ more salary etc, we should fulfill our promises to God. My only point is that we should not give our tithe only to one church. The Old testament Temple activities are different from that of our present day churches. Even in those days God has clearly said that we can eat from our tithes with the Levites, poor people, strangers, orphans etc.
When we have so many needy people just in front of our eyes, how can we give all the tithe amount in one place and be careless about it. It is true the ministers in our churches need our support. we can give them a part, may be a major part of the tithe amount. The remaining we can give to other ministers who had been nurturing us in our spiritual/ physical lives. Yet another part to be sent for doing good to those needy people just in front of our eyes.
Yet another part may be spent in giving food for the believers in any church, yet another may be offered for a convention expenses etc etc. since the one tenth is Gods money, we should not hesitate to spent it for His people and for His glory and do not set your mind on it for you. It is not for you. Pl. do not give all of it to only person.
My basic verse in this regard is:
Deut 14th chapter
22"Thou shalt truly tithe all the increase of thy seed that the field bringeth forth year by year.
23And thou shalt eat before the LORD thy God, in the place which He shall choose to place His name there, the tithe of thy corn, of thy wine and of thine oil, and the firstlings of thy herds and of thy flocks, that thou mayest learn to fear the LORD thy God always.
24And if the way be too long for thee, so that thou art not able to carry it, or if the place be too far from thee which the LORD thy God shall choose to set His name there, when the LORD thy God hath blessed thee,
25then shalt thou turn it into money, and bind up the money in thine hand, and shalt go unto the place which the LORD thy God shall choose.
26And thou shalt bestow that money for whatsoever thy soul lusteth after: for oxen, or for sheep, or for wine, or for strong drink, or for whatsoever thy soul desireth; and thou shalt eat there before the LORD thy God, and thou shalt rejoice, thou and thine household.
27And the Levite that is within thy gates, thou shalt not forsake him, for he hath no part nor inheritance with thee.
28"At the end of three years thou shalt bring forth all the tithe of thine increase the same year, and shalt lay it up within thy gates.
29And the Levite (because he hath no part nor inheritance with thee), and the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, who are within thy gates, shall come and shall eat and be satisfied, that the LORD thy God may bless thee in all the work of thine hand which thou doest.
when we give all our tithe in one place , we are neglecting who are within our gates the stranger, fatherless, widow,the one tenth belongs to these people.
Malachi 3:7 (KJV) “Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ORDINANCES, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the LORD of hosts. But ye said, Wherein shall we return?”
ORDINANCES NAILED TO THE CROSS:
Colossians 2:14 (KJV) “Blotting out the handwriting of ORDINANCES that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;”
Matthew 5:17-18 states Christ came to fulfill the law and not abolish it.
This is where some education in law is useful. What does fulfill mean? What does abolish mean?
Let me give an example. A legal contract is enforceable under the law. Let’s say you hire a contractor to build a swimming pool in your back yard. Once the contractor has completed the job, and everything in that contract has been completed, the contract has been fulfilled. The contractor’s job is to fulfill the contract, not abolish it. He fulfills it by completing the terms, bringing it to an end.
Consider:
Hebrews 8:13 (KJV) - In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.
Colossians 2:14 (KJV) - Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
Galatians 5:18 (KJV) - But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.
Galatians 3:19 (KJV) - Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.
Until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come. In other words, until Jesus came and fulfilled the law.
Galatians 3:23-25 (KJV)
23But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.
24Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
25But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.
Galatians 3:10-14 (KJV)
10For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.
11But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.
12And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them.
13Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:
14That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
IF you have the Spirit, you are no longer under the law. However, those who do NOT have the Holy Spirit within them still need laws.
Freely you have given; freely give - is the verse I am reminded of.