26/12/08

Are you happy you tithe, do not be

Malachi 3:10 - 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.

The word 'tithe' means ten percent or tenth portion. It the portion of all that the Lord has given you which is His and which you need to return back to Him. This statute the Lord has set so as to teach us righteousness. Some may say it is part of the old law the law of Mosses. Jesus did not change any law for He too kept it; He only added grace and truth to it so that we can follow it in spirit and not in words. The old Law was given in shadow (Old Testament is a shadow of the Word) therefore needs to be understood. When the Spirit is in us the Law gets inside us, we break free from the words and now we follow in spirit and truth; in the light and not in shadow.

Tithe was not a law but a statute of the Lord. If we do not tithe we do not become a sinner but we do not become righteous either and block our own blessings. Lord wants to mould us like Him therefore asks us to tithe. So do not be happy if you tithe, it is our duty to do so. If you are not led by the Spirit of God by default you need to give the minimum ten percent otherwise as what the Lord leads you to. Tithe giving is not limited only to the Church, one needs to tithe to the poor, widows, etc., to the evangelization of the Word and also for the study and publishing of the Word.

Tithe is not limited to possession like money, or material things. One needs to tithe in all three areas possession (material), time and also worship / prayer. If you are not getting time for yourself it will be most probably because you do not tithe your time to the Lord doing his work.

We all lack because we like robbers do not give the Lord what belongs to Him.


[ Prayer Starter ]

Father God, I thank You for teaching us to be like You. Lord, forgive me for holding back all that rightly belongs to You. Teach me Lord to tithe in all the areas I need to and to give to all those who You have set to receive, which You have given me to give. I ask this in Jesus' Name, Amen.


[ Reference Scriptures ]

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.

Genesis 14:20
18 Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was the priest of God Most High.
19 And he blessed him and said: "Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth;
20 And blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand." And he gave him a tithe of all.

Acts 4:36-37, 5:1-11
36 And Joses, who was also named Barnabas by the apostles (which is translated Son of Encouragement), a Levite of the country of Cyprus,
37 having land, sold it, and brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet.
1 But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession.
2 And he kept back part of the proceeds, his wife also being aware of it, and brought a certain part and laid it at the apostles’ feet.
3 But Peter said, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself?
4 "While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God."
5 Then Ananias, hearing these words, fell down and breathed his last. So great fear came upon all those who heard these things.
6 And the young men arose and wrapped him up, carried him out, and buried him.
7 Now it was about three hours later when his wife came in, not knowing what had happened.
8 And Peter answered her, "Tell me whether you sold the land for so much?" She said, "Yes, for so much."
9 Then Peter said to her, "How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out."
10 Then immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last. And the young men came in and found her dead, and carrying her out, buried her by her husband.
11 So great fear came upon all the church and upon all who heard these things.

John 1:17
17 For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

Luke 24:44-45
44 Then He said to them, "These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me."
45 And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures.

The Word of God was given free to us, therefore we should also share it freely with others. (All rights are with God)