“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.” Malachi 3:10
God’s promises
Those are strong promises the Lord gives us if only we are obedient to His commandment to tithe to His church. Please join me today in the sharing of my testimony to the faithfulness of God’s Word regarding these promises made.
In 1999 I bent the knee of my will to the Lord Jesus Christ and was born again!
“Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” John 3:3 – Jesus to Nicodemus, a man of the Pharisees, and a ruler of the Jews.
Thanks be to God for His mercy, grace, long suffering and especially His death on the cross for my sin. Since 1999 I have been walking this earth as an alien no longer feeling at home in this world, but longing to be home with my Lord in heaven. My purpose on this earth is now solely to yield my body a vessel of honor to the Lord for the work of His church.
Part of my duty as a Christian is to give of my first fruits back to the Lord’s church in the form of a tithe. That is, I am to give 10% of my earnings to the church in obedience to God’s Word. First fruits meaning we are to give 10% of our gross income, not net income. This tithing by God’s people is one of the ways the Lord funds his ministry here on earth. Does the Lord need our money? No, He can do anything He wishes any time He wishes, however the tithing of His people is the system He chose to implement and work through, so as Christians we need to faithfully give in this manner.
Have I tithed faithfully since my salvation in 1999? No, regrettably I have not. At times I have been a faithful giver, and at other times have been disobedient to my Lord and withheld my tithe for one reason or another. Today I want to give my readers a journal entry of my experience of both giving in obedience, and not giving in disobedience.
Looking back over the 9 years of my Christian life I can now see that the times of my greatest financially stability, regardless of how much money I was bringing in, were in direct correlation to when I was giving of my tithe to my local new testament church. Likewise, the times when I seem to have struggled financially were always in the midst of a titheless period in my life. Though I have always known I should tithe, the Lord has just recently revealed the utter and imminent importance of these things to me in all clarity of mind. I began faithfully tithing again at the first of this year (January 2009) and intend to never go another month of my life without giving to the Lord in this respect. Over these last two months I have been witness to Gods direct financial intervention in my life. To me it is both a blessing and a miracle. Before tithing I always seemed to be living paycheck to paycheck (sound familiar?), seemed to be slowly getting into more credit card debt, all while being unable to save much of anything. Why was this happening? My wife & I don’t have any kids. We don’t buy new cars. We don’t buy expensive toys. We don’t blow a lot of our money on frivolous purchases…so why was this happening to us?
In the Old Testament, when God’s people were not obedient in the giving of their tithe, one way or another He always seemed to part them with the money they were withholding from Him. In my life, while disobedient, it always seemed like random things were happening that would consume any extra money I had left over leaving me wanting again until my next paycheck. Now that the Lord has granted me repentance and has again turned me toward Him these things have changed drastically. Before tithing I would pay my bills on the last possible day they were due, sometimes even having to pay late fees, simply because I had to wait for my next check to be deposited before I could pay the bill. Now that I have been tithing, I am able to pay all my bills the day I get them in the mail. To summarize, let me give you some of my financial drawbacks I experienced before tithing, and what I am realizing now that I’m giving faithfully.
Before I was giving my tithe:
- I was living paycheck to paycheck
- I waited until the due date of my bills before I paid them
- Every single month I seemed to incur random expenses that consumed all my extra money and even pushed me more into debt
- Always broke even on my tax return or owed money to the government
- Bank fees: be they credit card over the limit, over-drawn checking account, late payments fees…you name it I paid it
- A guilty conscience
- A heavy heart
Now that I’m tithing, though no increase in salary this has been my experience:
- I’m able to save at least $200 every month
- I pay every bill the day it comes in the mail
- Random expenses have not been a part of my life for the last few months
- For the first time since we filed taxes Married Filing Jointly, my wife & I are receiving a sizable return of over $1,200
- No more bank fees
- A clear conscience and a happy countenance
- A peace that passes all understanding – Philippians 4:7
Please believe that the things listed above are just the tip of the iceberg. My obedience to God in my tithe opens the door to other areas of obedience and therefore more blessings of a peaceful spirit and fellowship with my God!
If you are a Christian, I strongly urge you to consider my experience and use it to transform your view upon Christ, His Church, and your tithe. Please give joyfully and liberally and experience the blessings of the Lord! He is challenging you today to prove Him now, how will you respond? If you are not born again, please consider Christ and His death on the cross for your sin. Look to Him and live.
“For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.” Romans 5:6-11
What is your giving testimony?
Share your experience with giving in the comments below. God bless.
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You never received a tax refund before? That’s no good. I’m hoping to get a decent one this year. We’ll see.
What things would happen to prevent you from saving?
@Jeffrey:
When I was single, I ALWAYS received a refund. Now that I’m married, I never had until this year! That’s our gov’t for you…penalizing the married folk!
I was prevented from saving because there was always something coming up in my monthly budget that would consume my savings. That coupled with undiscipline caused me to save very little if any at all over the last few years.
Now that I’m tithing, God is blessing my efforts, as Malachi 3:3 says, and is providing the opportunity to save. Also, now that I’m taking a more disciplined approach to my budget, it forces me to make a conscience decision to save or not to save every month.
These two things together are currently allowing me to save $200 every month, which will only increase over the next few years. I am setting up an “Emergency Fund” that I hope to have $18,000 in by January of 2011. I will be able to fund this in much greater chunks once I pay off my remaining $5,000 in CC debt (which God willing will be before the end of 2009).
Talk about our government, it has been corrupt from the word GO. My comment is why do the people sit in ignorance about federal laws that don’t concern them? Take the federal income tax. The tax is on federal income. Do you earn wages that the federal government pays you by federal payroll? Does your private employer have the federal government to give you your check from the federal payroll? If no, then why pay the tax you are not liable for. Where in the Internal Revenue Code is the nonfederal citizen made liable for the federal income tax? Why sign the federal tax form under penalties of perjury when you know that you are not reporting federal income? Perjury is a crime and a federal crime at that because the tax form is federal. If you are a christian, then there is no way you can sign the form and admit to something that is not so. The Lord God has said that there will be no LIARS in Heaven. If everyone owed a tax to the Internal Revenue bunch, then the tax would be just a federal tax on incomes. But that’s not the case. The tax is on all incomes that exist within federal jurisdiction (federal government).
Thanks for you comment Alvis, but it doesn’t really deal with the content of the post.
Well the government sees the two incomes and concludes that you now have double the income, therefore you are now “rich” LOL!!!
True story! Sometimes things just work out like that. I remember being like “the math makes sense and somehow i still have $100+ dollars every check” or whatever the case was. i have heard this from many ppl 🙂
@Mallory:
It is amazing the way “the math just works out” once you take the leap of faith to tithe in obedience to God’s Word.
Often times it takes a leap of faith, but that is EXACTLY what God wants from us. He wants to prove our faith, and wants us to take that leap of faith truly believing that He will be faithful to His promises!
This is my testimony that He does EXACTLY what He promises!
The only way to be blessed by tithing is by observing all 600+ commands of the OT law which is impossible.
Malachi 3:10 has been replaced by Galatians 3:10; 1:8-9; 3:1-2 and 2 Cor 3:10.
Gal 3:10 For 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.
See Deuteronomy 28-29. The entire law was a TEST. Obey and be blessed; disobey and be cursed.
NT giving is primarily sacrificial with no set limit up or down.
For over 150 articles on tithing see: http://www.tithing-russkelly.com
Thank you for taking the time to comment Russell. I will study this out thoroughly.
I would like to add at this point, I am giving liberally under the New Covenant of grace but do not find it detrimental to follow ordinances in the Old Testament as a guideline for obedience to God.
Although I am not under the law (I am under grace) I do not believe according to the scriptures that I am errantly practicing giving to the Lord.
I also give gifts to missionaries, and give of my extra money to needs that arise in my church according as God has blessed me. The tithe I give is simply the foundation for my giving.
Great post, Matt!
I’m with you. We don’t have to tithe, we get to tithe.
Abraham tithed and that was before the law was even given.
It’s such a blessing to be able to give back to the Lord and it shows Him that we trust Him to provide for us.
Hey Russell,
Those curses are still valid. Try committing murder and see what happens. I doubt anyone will say you are under grace and over look the incident.
EnnisP,
We are no longer condemned by or under the Law. Christians are obligated to follow the law of Christ through guidance by the Spirit. If we live out Christ’s teachings, we will fulfill the purpose and intent of the entire Law.
Being under grace doesn’t mean we’re free to murder and steal whenever we feel like it. It means we are no longer condemned by a set of laws no one could ever fully keep. The sacrifice for our sins has been made and we now live under grace and the law of love. Why would you choose to put yourself back under the Law when Jesus has already fulfilled the Law and provided us with a better covenant?
Giving compelled by love rather than requirement is so much better, but the Church keeps focusing on percentages instead of sacrifice and generosity. Why do we choose the old and inferior way of faith to the superior way Jesus taught?
“If we live out Christ’s teachings, we will fulfill the purpose and intent of the entire Law.”
I think we can all agree on that fact Paul… great point and thank you for bringing Jesus – the Master of peace, love, & wisdom – to the forefront. Always a wise decision.
I completely agree. The Ten Commandments are Old Testament, and still valid. I tithe in obedience to Old Testament requirements, and find myself financially blessed because of it.
Excellent point, EnnisP! You made the most sense that I have read all day and I have been researching tithing for a few days, now. Thanks!
I really enjoyed your story, Matt, and find it to be true. I have always wondered about the direct donation via titheing at church and donations to charities. I do both but I donate a great deal more to charitites, some supported and part of a church and others independent. I give about 10% of my income to a combination of both but of my net, not my gross, which is a substantial difference and something I had never really thought about before. What are your thoughts on this? Better yet, I know you are much more familiar with the Bible than I am these days. Does God discuss the difference and what is considered tithe versus charitable donation? Here’s an example of why I ask. I donate to an organization that is a senior center connected to (physically and in name) a church in Detroit. They feed seniors and the homeless 365 days per year, provide housing for some, etc. I donate not only money but time as well. Are these donations considered titheing or is it necessary that they be above and beyond a thithe in the envelope every Sunday? If it’s the latter of the two I think my donations will likely not change but simply how I make them. I would hate to not have some type of control over where my donations go which is why I donate separtely and directly to causes I am most passionate about, like the elderly and children. I’d love to hear your thoughts. It’s always great to hear from old friends.
Hi Charity. It’s great to hear from you, and good to hear the Lord is burdening your heart to serve Him in this matter of giving.
Regarding where to give, I myself focus my giving on things centered around Christ, namely His church, and view it the church’s responsibility to distribute these funds to the poor and afflicted. I should faith that God is directing the elders to distribute scripturally. I figure it this way, as a Christian I’m living to serve Christ’s purpose on this earth. Since “Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it” Eph 5:25. by and large I ought to support this entity of the Church.
Giving according to faith does not mean that you should not be ignorant concerning the church you give to. It is important for the giver to be fully knowledgeable concerning the distribution of the monies collected. If you don’t know where your church is distributing its funds…find out. If their distribution is unscriptural, you may want to find a new church.
The most important thing for individuals to do is to seek God’s counsel on these personal matters through prayer & meditation on His Word. He reveals different things to different people at different times, so no one answer is going to be perfect for all of us all the time. Follow the still small voice of the Holy Spirit and your spirit will be blessed of God.
More regarding the question “Can You Give Outside your Church”…ChristianPF.com has an excellent post in their forums on this very topic that you should read when you get a chance. Here is the link. Enjoy!
Personally I believe you can give outside your church (definitely w/o a doubt) as long as you already gave your tithe (10%) to your church. This would then require your secondary giving to be over & above 10%. We MUST KNOW that God will reward us for such giving. 2 Corinthians 9:6-8 says, “…He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:”
I really enjoyed your article on the tithe, Matt. Not only enjoyed it, but was convicted by it. I have not been a regular church goer or tither for over a year now. I have tried to submit myself to the Lord in other ways and I have experienced mega growth in some areas. But, financially I do continue to struggle. I can relate to what you said about random expenses slowly draining the life from the budget. I just had an experience with a tow company that set me back $250 and it was a completely ridiculous and unnecessary expense! However, that experience and your article have got me to thinking…..it is very important to be in obedience to ALL of Gods ordinances. We tend to think that we know best but He always knows best. He will be faithful and bless us for our obedience in ways that are small and large! Why should He bless me financially if I am not faithful to tithe the first fruits of His provision for me? He actually does bless me, but He also sends me messages in the form of that little incident with the tow company, just for instruction. The choice is ALWAYS mine, and He is certainly longsuffering and very loving and patient with us!
Hey Mom. Praise God that He may use any feeble words by any feeble man to persuade believers to follow Him more diligently.
Over the years the small unexpected expenses incurred while not being faithful to God cost me more than what a faithful tithe would have amounted to…I’m sure of it. The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away!
Praise Him that He takes time to spiritually counsel each of us individually!
“Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.”
My own experience with tithing was this – we had never regularly tithed because we always felt like we were short every month. Once we started budgeting after taking a Dave Ramsey class, we started tithing 10% right off the top every month. Once we started tithing my income started growing as well.. it was strange how that first month I tithed fully 10%, my blog income actually grew by almost the same amount. I wouldn’t always expect that to happen, but at the same time it made me realize – God will provide.
I don’t think God needs us to give, he is all powerful and can do whatever he wants without our help. I think it’s an act of obedience and worship that allows us to become closer to God.
Great post!
My wife & I have experienced the same thing. For the two months we’ve been giving consistently now we have noticed a positive impact on all areas of our lives, especially financially.
I am in utter agreement with this comment! The Lord does not need our money. As BBM said, it is a privilege for us to be able to get closer to Christ by giving to further His purpose.
Thanks!
I do believe in tithing. Thanks for sharing this.
However personally I prefer to get not too many refund on my tax return. Tax return is not free money from government. You get tax return because of over payment. I don’t want to give free loan to the government. I can use the money somewhere else.
If you know that there will be change in your life in that year (ie: married, new child, buy home, etc), I’d suggest you to change your witholding numbers so that over a period of year government doesn’t take your money more than they should.
Thanks for your comment JS, you bring up a very good point! I actually believe as you, and do not want the gov’t to have my money any longer than they have to! I just didn’t know it was going to happen this year because it hadn’t in years past & nothing much changed.
That being said, people who are not good savers may actually benefit from letting the gov’t hold on to it for them, that way they get a large check that they may have piddled away otherwise.
Amen brother! I love tithing testimonies – it just gets me more encouraged about it!
Totally believe in tithing. My wife and I will have been married for twenty years in a few months. We have always tithed and have seen God do some pretty incredible things in our life.
With regard to tax returns, this year I had to pay $172 to the federal gov’t. It actually felt pretty good knowing that I didn’t give the gov’t an interest free loan this year. I always try to get the number to $0, but always seemed to get a couple hundred dollars back.
Tying tithing and taxes together, I use TaxCut software. When I enter the amount I give back to God (Charitable Giving), the software kicks up a dialog box that says “That’s a very large number. Are you sure it is correct?” Kind of sad that there is no expectation of someone giving away more than 10% of their income.
why doesnt tithing seem to work for me? my mum and i have been tithing from my teenange years and from then to now(am in college)i have never seen this promise come to pass in our lives. we are always short of money while everybody else seems to be on a roll. why is this coz it seems that it works for you?
That seemed like me not too long ago, me and my husband were jobless what little bit of money we got we would pay tithe and nothing seemed to happen I got very disappointed and even mad. That’s when I thought to myself I’m either gonna give up or start telling God out loud “thank you” for everything I said “thank you for what you give us and what you don’t” FOR THE DEVIL TO HEAR ME AND REALIZE WE WILL NOT SURRENDER. 2 hours after I said that I got a $2,000.00 blessing. Plz never give up I would really like to see the blessing(s) that’s coming your way if in fact you have been faithful and paying your tithes. Praise God outloud so the devil will flee and God will deliver… he promised.
I appreciate your testimony and it corresponds perfectly with my last post on the topic of tithing, “Tithing Develops Life Skills.” What I find surprising is the number people who reject tithing and the rationale that comes with it.
We are all in different phases of our Christian walk, so it is important that we all focus on Jesus and His word for individual wisdom and guidance. Giving to Christ’s work with a pure heart and a motive of charity is always profitable.
Thanks EnnisP
What I find surprising is how todays tithing doctrine cannot be validated by the old or new covenants.
Through 36 years of observation I have seen more folks hurt by tithing than those who seemingly get a wind fall.
Well, I have long been a believer about tithing. For me, one of the “best” parts was actually praying over the check before giving it. Thanking God for His giving to me first. Asking Him to bless it and use it to advance His purpose. To request that it be used in some way as to bring someone to the faith.
God loves a cheerful giver! It’s awesome to be able to have the privilege to give back to Him what He already gave us!
i was wondering…what if you have discovered your church to be living in disobedience, and your leaders keeping truth about their lives from the people? has God been keeping His blessings from us because our church has been disobedient to His calling on our very lives? is it possible to find a church without any secrets, living in God’s will? do we continue to tithe and hope that God’s work is done anyways? or do we hold onto our tithe, or give it to someone else who is living out God’s plan, until our church gets back on track?
EXCELLENT question Deanne!
I have wrestled with this one myself. My advice is to seek out a church that is most inline with SCRIPTURE, and continue giving according to God’s Word.
If you know your church is in disobedience the uproot yourself and go to another… but do it quickly and continue giving. If you are in between churches for a few months then give to your local rescue mission.
Question for you…. I am not attending church right now, long story….. but did found out much of the money that had been given to my previous church was used unscrupulously. It’s going to take a lot for me to TRUST a church again! I haven’t really found one yet… I need to, I know, but until I DO find one, if I am convicted about tithing – where to tithe? I am an avid Charles Stanley listener, do I send to him since I have gotten MUCH from his teaching, or do I give to individuals who might need financial help, as I’ve had the opportunity to? I know this is not a permanent solution, but just until I find a church. I just can’t seem to get it together financially, and i think this would be a positive step for me (though I know finding a church would be too…. trust me I have gotten all the lectures, but in this area, and especially as a single person, easier said than done!)
Great question Sharon, I empathize with your situation. Not too long ago my wife and I spent years looking for a solid church we could trust. We attended one church for about a year but found it just wasn’t for us, and have finally landed where we think we belong – and it feels great… we have a lot of opportunity to worship, give, and minister there.
To address your question (maybe I should actually dedicate a post to this great question) I would give to other believers who have need. I encourage you to read the Book of Acts right now. Pay special attention to chapters 1 – 8. In those chapters there is great information about how the early church viewed giving.
Church members sold their possessions and gave to every man as he had need. I would encourage you to seek out needs among your born again family and friends, and give to them as they have need – not to buy new toys… but to buy food and/or necessities.
If I were you, that is what I would do until you can find a church you believe in and trust. And on that topic, when you find a decent church… make sure you ask to see the budget and the books – an honest group of believers will have NO problem filling that request, as they should.
Hey Sharon,
Matt is right. Your question is a very good one especially given the tendency for churches to get a little off track these days. And also, I don’t believe too many people would have a problem with Matt’s answer. Can’t disagree.
But I would add this. The answer could be “all of the above.” You recommended several possibilities all of which are legitimate. Think and act as if you were in the position of leadership and you were looking for the most beneficial use of the money. With the economy taking strain and many folks with it, finding ways to help people through the difficult times is a great idea.
Also, don’t be too quick to commit to the next church. Relax, take your time and enjoy the ride. Consider it an adventure in which you are searching and God is guiding. He never leaves us and is always very ready to lead us.
In fact, I think it is a good idea for people to visit different kinds of churches, not necessarily to join but to get a feel for how others relate to God. It won’t change your theology but it does give you a different perspective on how God can use different types of churches to minister to all kinds of people.
All the best as you grow through this experience.
A few months back I may have disagreed with EnnisP about the “trying out different types of churches” thing, but I think he is correct.
My wife and I just stopped going to an “Independent Fundamental Baptist Church” and started attending a non-denominational church.
Many of the issues I had w/the Baptist church are not an issue at our new church, yet their doctrines are all just as sound and just as solid. They focus more on ministering to and serving others where they are in their walk as opposed to simply handing out tracts and hoping people will come. They use the culture to minister to people despite the culture – if that makes sense… they don’t expect non-believers to conform to some religious look or behavior, simply because of tradition.
Also, there are multiple elders so authority is spread upon many as it should be… and believers are much more active in service as opposed to the clergy/layman feel of our old church.
In saying all this, I am saying that before going to this church I would have discounted them as “liberal”, but really they are not at all – so we have to get past our differences as Christians and focus more on salvation and preaching Christ to the lost. So exploring other church options is a good thing – just make sure their doctrine fits the bible!
Wow Matt, for some reason I just started reading this thread again and read the above post… I come from the “Independent Fundamental Baptist Church” background — and they used to BASH the church that I am going to now as liberal, they use the wrong Bible (NIV, not KJV like they used), and…gulp…. the ladies wore….PANTS! LOL There, I was all concerned about rules and regulations — but I will be the first to admit that my heart was crap. I’m grateful for the Bible knowledge that I acquired there, but glad I have moved on to learning matters of the heart and how to serve others – b/c that is the heart of what the Christian life is all about. Anyway, they drilled the tithe into our heads, and then after the whole church split and people started stabbing each other in the back — and I just left b/c I didn’t want to get involved with that, it was publicly exposed that the pastor had used the tithe money for his own personal gain.
I haven’t really gotten involved in a church since, I go, but I’m not involved. I’ve started giving every OTHER paycheck’s tithe to the church’s mission fund, b/c the one area you would think they wouldn’t embezzle from would be the missions fund 🙂 I’m really happy that our church has “online giving” b/c now I can truly give in secret. It’s between me, the treasurer, and God. Maybe I’ll see something from it, maybe I won’t, but at least I know in MY HEART that I am doing what God wants, so at least it’s one area I can be right….LOLOL
Awesome Sharon, glad you can relate to the experience. Give where you can. Pray for God to give opportunity for you to give. Give with your time as well as your finances… few things will give you a better look at the inner-workings of a church than being involved in the inner-workings of a church. 🙂 Doing so will help you decide whether or not it is somewhere God has placed you or somewhere you’re trying to “fit” into. Hope this helps. Continue giving whenever and wherever possible, and God bless!
I have been wanting to fix the frame on my Hyundai for about 13 months now but couldn’t because it was roughly $2;000.00 to fix including the other things that broke when the frame dismantled. My husband and I started paying our tithes recently and I got a letter in the mail today saying that there is a recall on my car because of thin frames that break due to too much exposure to road salt. I called and my car is completely covered. God says he will reward your tithes and give you more than you can ask or think. I didn’t even think to ask God to help with that car even as bad as I wanted it fixed, he did it because he already knew it was a desire I had but just couldn’t afford it. He could have found me a cheap mechanic but no he didn’t, he went far beyond that and made it were I would get it fixed for free. I am so happy! Thank you God.
God is amazing… far beyond words. All we have to do is believe him and obey his word… everything else always false into place more perfectly than we ever could have managed without him!
That is a great testimony Angel! Thanks for sharing.
We began faithfully tithing in 2004.
In 2005, in pursuit of Christ, I quit my job (our only visible source of income), we sold our home and gave all of our possessions away to benefit the poor.
We’ve not asked anyone for a place to stay since. We’ve not paid ANY rent or mortgage. We’ve not been homeless, not even a single day. We have four children. We’ve not gone hungry a single day either.
God’s love, particularly His temporal care, for us has been supernatural AND practical. The Bible says we will hate the one (serving money) and love the other (serving God) or we will love the one (serving money) and despise the other (serving God).
Through His grace, we’ve given all that Christ might be seen through our journey. This has been our “service.” He is showing up!
We were actually asked to share part of our journey: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NVAjNnhaqW8
Bless you!!
Robert.
Funny you mention that Robert… I’ve recently been studying modern day Christian communities made up of people just like you! I believe Christ may be calling me into a very similar journey.
Wow Matt! That’s great.
While it’s been the most difficult thing of our lives (that says a lot cause I was an air traffic controller in NY on 9-11-01), it’s also been the MOST rewarding. Oh the GRACE of God!!! His grace is power and His presence has been ever so very close the whole while (Psalm 46:1).
One thing though friend. Make sure it is Him who is calling you. Make sure it’s not just your good intentions. If you are convinced it is Him and not just you – go for it! Your faith will give glory to God! Nothing is impossible for those WHO WALK WITH CHRIST.
Hello, I have been tithing since I got saved at the young age of 13. Whenever I got money, I gave 10%. Now that I’m 30, I can say it’s just as easy to tithe off my income. I don’t even miss the money. It’s the 2nd thing in my budget (under rent).
I have NEVER gone without in 17 years. My electric has never been cut off, nor has my gas or water. My rent has NEVER been late. School has always been paid for even BOOKS. God is FAITHFUL to His Word. I did get into debt in my 20s while being a student. But I too consolidated. I stuck with the consolidation, continued to tithe and paid off my debt in 3 years. Tax refunds helped me to pay debt down. One time I thought I was going to miss a payment so I contacted them. But GOD sent me a check in the mail from the STATE in December…how random is that. Another time, he blessed my mom wih an inheritance and she helped me pay my consolidation that month. She even let me move back in so I could my debt even quicker!!! The whole time I continued to tithe. Even when I have lost jobs…never went months without a new job. And I tithe the whole time.
TITHING does WORK…you can’t afford not to tithe.
I agree that you have to be obedient in your walk with God also. Not to say that you won’t mess up…but it all works together in our relationship with Gowd.
Great testimony Dannie, thank you!
Hi, Matt,
I loved your post. I can be a great witness hopefully. I stopped titihng for two months. In these two months, I brought a purple t-shirt. The color spilled to other clothes. I had to buy new clothes. Also, my computer was defected. I need to spend a large amount of money repairing.
Interestingly, when I tithed again three weeks ago, something happened. I left a camera in a shop. On the Sunday after the church service, I passed the coffee shop. The staff kept it for me.
I need to say though. I have been well-blessed since I tithe. Excluding the two months I did not tithe, I have not lacked anything. Church members take care of me. They give me free rides and invite me for meals.
Coming from a single-family, since I tithe, relatives have given more money to my mother. My father’s friend paid back his debt. My father’s friend borrowed the money 20 years ago. My mother’s friend also asked my mother to help manage his friend.
My contract will be over the end of April. I have confidence though I will get a new job.
To find the church that Christ Himself founded, I suggest reading writings of early Christians who had been taught by the apostles themselves, such as Ignatius of Antioch. Look for the church that GAVE us the Bible.
Just posting this asking for everybody’s prayers. I was married to a woman for twenty years and anyway, we tithed and things got worse and worse and worse for us. Finally she died in 2006, and left me with massive debts. But I’m willing to give tithing ONE MORE TRY because I’m at rock bottom financially in my life. Unemployed and soon will be in trouble with the IRS and on the street if things don’t turn around. In fact without a miracle of intervention, I will be WIPED OUT financially and probably my life as a human being on this earth will be snuffed out, too.
But I tithed my last two unemployment checks after encouragement from my girlfriend, and will continue to so so. I DON’T have the money to do it but I did anyway. I am encouraging myself by reading and viewing testimonies of successful tithers. I NEED to encourage myself because in the natural I have no hope. God and tithing is my last hope, so PLEASE pray for me.
I have prayed for you Doug. Be assured that if you are born again, follow God’s commandments with a pure heart, and desperately seek Him… His Word says that He will be found of you, and God cannot lie. Be faithful and of good cheer, knowing that the Lord has always been waiting for you to come to Him.
I really appreciate the prayers, more than I can ever say. My guts are in a knot right now as I am a month behind in my mortgage and they bank is HOUNDING me for THEIR money. (Oh, and they make it abundantly clear indeed that it IS their money.) But the old saying is you can’t get blood out of a turnip. I know that isn’t very spiritual but it pretty much expresses how I feel. I’m barely eating as it is, and if they had their way, I would absolutely STARVE to death in order for them to have their money.
But if you guys really knew all the details of my financial situation you would quickly agree that if I get out of it, it will only be a miracle from God’s hand!! With all the trouble I’m
in, as deep as my feet are entrenched in the mud, there is NO WAY in the natural, humanly possible, apart from God’s intervention that I am going to get out alive.
It doesn’t help my faith much that I have been giving money that I don’t have to support Israel, and I have also been giving money to feed the hungry, even sponsoring a child overseas at one time. I thought that kind of giving would be pleasing to God, but I now don’t think it was because my finances continually went further and further in the hole while I was doing those things. I finally was forced to drop my sponsorship of that child, and my plant closed down after eleven years of my working there and it went to Mexico leaving me and a hundred others to fend for ourselves on unemployment..but unemployment is a pittance, a tip of the hat. and it will soon run out.
But in the meantime, my girlfriend has been encouraging me to tithe. She has emphasized this to me over and over. I told her of my past experiences when my wife was alive and how we tithed and went in the hole, but she absolutely insisted. So I, being NOT an unteachable soul, decided a few weeks ago that I will do it one more time. This in SPITE of the fact that Google has turned up for me numerous websites that show that tithing for Christians went out with the old testament, complete with detailed scriptural arguments.
HOWEVER, I can’t deny the testimonies I’ve read all over the internet and Youtube of people who tithed and miraculously got blessed, got delivered, got their needs met, and got out of debt and more. I can’t deny the abundance of those testimonies. (In all fairness, on the other side of the coin, there are also testimonies of people who tithed like me and my wife did and went in the hole., BUT I am going to FOCUS on the positive ones. I am going to let the positive testimonies encourage me and give me hope. I can’t allow myself to dwell on the negative ones.
As far as seeking God, I think I’ve got that covered. I sometimes spend hours or even days seeking Him and praying, fasting and whatever else it will take to get my breakthrough.,and this has been my practice for years.
But tithing is my final conclusion, my last thread of hope..if tithing doesn’t work, then ol’ Doug is a dead duck. .so I’m gonna do it every week and try not to let look my eyes look at my dwindling bank account…I am going to give it an HONEST sincere try. And I am going to dare dream that someday MY testimony will be posted on how desperate I was and how God miraculously brought me out. Believe me, if I ever get to wrote such a testimony, it will amaze EVERYBODY who reads it, because my situation, if you knew all the details, is absolutely IMPOSSIBLE.
You will benefit from use $100 of what you give to attend a Dave Ramsey FPU course… do this as soon as possible. If you arm yourself with the knowledge of this class, and follow it, you will see a miracle.
I’m way ahead of you. I already went to see Dave at one of his Rallies. And one of his personal counselors. He gave me the book Total Money Makeover.
Man, I never expected this! I have so far tithed on two paychecks, and gave offerings, and today when i went to pick up my unemployment check, I had a nasty shock. It had dropped by $25.00! Man, that felt like a punch in the gut! Every testimony I have read from tithers said after they tithed GOD THINGS began to happen. Not BAD ONES. I have MEDITATED on these positive testimonies to give myself hope and encouragement, and now I see myself being driven into the dirt again. It ALMOST FEELS as if tithing brings a CURSE into my life.
Nevertheless, I tithed on the smaller check, and didn’t reduce my offering. But my gut is in deep pain and turmoil right now. it seems history is repeating itself. As i said, when me and my wife tithed when she was alive, our income took some nasty hits. eventually driving us into the poor house, and then she died.
This $25.00 drop, even though it may seem small to a lot of you is a NASTY HIT to me. A huge blow. My gut is hurting right now so bad that it is physical.
Am I to think this is the devil trying to stop me from tithing, OR am I to think it’s God testing me to see if I really believe Malachi??? Which????
OR is it God telling me that Malachi 10 is not for today, as in so many places I have read?
Can somebody PLEASE tell me what it means when you tithe and instead of the devourer being rebuked, instead he devours even more?????
This is the SAME thing I went through with my wife when she was alive.I see history REPEATING itself in my life and it is tormenting me. SOMEBODY PLEASE HELP!!!!.
Doug. Don’t be blown about by every wind of change. True faith = patience through times you don’t understand. If you believe, then believe, if you don’t, then don’t.
Blown about? If I was blown about I would have withheld back the tithe when I saw the instant dip in my income. My actions showed where my faith lies. But the fact remains I feel like I have been hit in the gut by a steam locomotive,
And I DO understand what you are saying,. James chapter one, correct? Yoda from Star Wars “No try. DO.”
If you made the right decision, then rest in the faith and confidence of that decision and don’t question it. 🙂
May the Force be with you!
Ahhhhhh! the TRUE, eternal Force, and not some Hollywood fable!
Hey Doug,
Your situation sounds very difficult. Sorry for that but I do appreciate your openness and vulnerability. Not many people will express themselves so openly in comments.
I wish there was one FINAL answer to your situation but unfortunately, there isn’t. I will say that God’s benefits and blessings come in many different forms. It isn’t always hard cash.
Where I live (South Africa) the value of the dollar changes everyday and sometimes short term swings can be as much as ten or twenty percent down. I have experienced as much as a sixty percent reduction in operating capital over the long term and I am working on not much more than that now.
The rate used to be 14 Rand to 1 Dollar and now it is just under 7 to 1. Unfortunately, the street prices don’t follow the rate of exchange. When the rate goes down the prices stay put. For several years we have paid prices that reflected the 14 to 1 rate but only on a 7 to 1 rate of exchange. That is inflation gone wild! Imagine The food you buy doubling in price tomorrow and you can understand our situation.
I do understand the feeling in your gut. I have had it many times.
But, I am a tither. In spite of this strain we have maintained our giving through all the ups and downs of the exchange rates and God has never let us down.
One of the blessings for us was learning to live “down” a bit. We have learned to enjoy being frugal and finding ways to save on daily and monthly expenses. Even though our money levels didn’t change, we did and it has been a great ride. In fact, I have been amazed to realize how much we have spent in the “good” years which could have been saved and invested.
In spite of these difficult financial strains (the exchange rate has been bad for seven years now) we have paid off some huge credit debt and a few months ago we bought our first ever investment house. Paid a 20% down payment on it, got it at half price and our mortgage is very doable. We did all that working under extreme financial circumstances.
Obviously, I haven’t walked in your shoes exactly. Your situation sounds grim but God never changes even when our circumstances do and He knows the way through the difficulties. Be faithful and prayerful and God will honor your consistency.
By the way, it was sites like DFA that have affirmed my efforts to make financial progress in spite of the struggle. Keep reading. Its great stuff. You will be encouraged to keep going.
Go well.
It’s true not a lot of people will express themselves openly in sites like this. But when a man is at the edge of desperation, it’s amazing what he will do. And that’s where I’m at.
This site is a help because at least i don’t feel alone when I read about others who tithe and don’t know where the promised blessing is at. So I don’t feel REAL alone, at least not in that sense. Now when I read of those who tithe and have success with it, it encourages me. Inside I think “That could be me! That could be my life experience and testimony.”
But alas, the tithers who are having a similar experience to mine drag my faith down. I can NOT understand why the promise is not coming to pass in EVERYONE’S life because he commanded us to PROVE Him. He said if you will do “A” , then will do “B” and He said in another scripture that He is no respecter of persons, so what applies to one should apply to all as long as we meet the conditions. Sounds pretty simple, pretty cut and dried.
So yes, the one’s who tithe and have success inspire me on, but the one’s who see no results throw me off.
Believe me, I have researched tithing till my fingers were sore and my eyeballs were coming out of their sockets. Over the past years, I have looked at HUNDREDS of websites, and the more I hit the Google button, the more I realize their are TRULY two camps. And BOTH SIDES can prove their viewpoint through scriptures! I’m serious! Bot sides can point out scriptures till they are blue in the face to prove their perspective. It’s like the rapture or other doctrines,. the arguments go on and on and on and on……
So who is a guy to believe?
I stayed a neutral observer for years, Googleing and Googleing. Trying to find that ONE website that will just settle every issue and every conflict, but guess what? It doesn’t exist.
So as I said, my fiance spoke heavily to me in an attempt to inculcate tithing into my brain, and telling me how she believes in it, and will not be swayed.
She thought I was not listening. She knew of my past negative tithing experience with my deceased wife, but because for the most part I remained silent, she thought she was not getting through to me. But the truth was, I was taking it all in.That is because I believe that a woman should be submissive to her husband, but ALSO I think the scriptures also demand a certain amount of Christlike submission on both parts as directed by the Holy Spirit.
But when I decided to give tithing another go, I figured the only way to gird up my own spirit (and mind) was to research tithing testimonies of people who tithed and found a blessing, and that is what led me to this site.
So I am trying my very BEST to focus on the positive, but the negative testimonies and the arguments that tithing is not New testament, etc, are always there, like a fly in the proverbial ointment. Even on a site as this, which is pro tithing, there they are.
I am trying with all my might to shut them out of my brain.
But I am also determined. I’m resolute. No turning back. I’m going to tithe no matter what. If I go into total bankruptcy, them so be it. If the Titanic sinks, then at least I’ll go down knowing I did my VERY BEST to try top obey God to the best I know how.
But, If there is a miraculous breakthrough / turnaround in my life, then I will tell my testimony every chance I get. And this site will be the first place.
But as I said, there is conflict on conflict of viewpoints on the issue, and I have determined in my heart that there is only ONE WAY for me to settle it once and for all for good in my life and that is to tithe and give offerings until I’m either broke and homeless or until I am blessed beyond measure. I’ll put it all on the line to get to the bottom of it.
Frankly, as with the subject of the rapture, the trinity vs oneness, baptism, once saved always saved, and myriad other subjects that SHOULD be Biblically crystal clear, I’m sick and TIRED of hearing the body of Christ not being able to come to agreement on such a simple issue. I’m fed up past my eyeballs with nobody being able to agree on what God REALLY said and wants concerning this subject.
If something is that important and crucial in the Christin life, should it not be explicit??? Why the confusion? Why the conflict? Why the opposing viewpoints?
I’m going to settle this issue in my own life FOR ONCE AND FOR ALL. Period, End of story.
Sorry for my poor proof reading job in that post. It’s VERY late and I’m burning the proverbial midnight oil.
Dear Doug,
“…If something is that important and crucial in the Christin life, should it not be explicit??? Why the confusion? Why the conflict? Why the opposing viewpoints?…”
Pro 26:4 Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest you be like him yourself.
Pro 26:5 Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes.
I’m not calling you a fool by pointing out Proverbs 26:4-5. Rather, I hope to answer your desperate plea so that you may enjoy the peace Christ died to give you.
The answer is, “A personal, real, practical walk with God in the earth.” It’s not a rulebook that you desire, but a Friend who will hold your hand through everything life has to offer. In that real walk you will look to God through Christ to know what to do and when to do it. You will be led by the Spirit of God through the Word of God.
In fact, that is what’s going on NOW in your life! God is challenging you to find Him (Proverbs 25:2) so that you may follow Him, Personally. Of course, there are costs – many. Do you really want to walk with Him? Or is it just His blessing that you prefer? Rhetorical questions. I believe the Book of Haggai suggests that many tithers receive no blessings whatsoever because their motives are off (Haggai 1:9). Are they truly forsaking all to facilitate God’s living, fluent agenda or are they trying to live their own life their own way, believing that God will change His agenda in order to facilitate their desire?
It’s not that we are to become impersonal slaves before God, obediently doing all that He says like empty robots without a soul (mind, will, emotion). Instead, as we get to know Him more and more we find ourselves WILLING to do just about anything without placing any sort of demandful response upon Him. We do what we do out of love.
I had an interesting dream recently. I wrote it down and emailed it to some friends. I’ll copy/paste it here. I pray it will bless you. I also pray that ALL of your personal finincial and spiritual needs will be met by God through Christ – according to His purposes, pleasure and glory.
The copy/paste:
I saw opportunities to do good appearing here and there. As each opportunity appeared a set of interlocked wedding bands appeared out of heaven over them. The wedding bands were beautiful!
As I moved to fulfill each need in love (there was emphasis that the motive for doing good was love, not to invoke any specific response but simply acting in love) holy angels and even creation itself sprung into action to produce love-rewards specifically for me.
Treasures were created to bless me in response to the acts of love.
After the dream, as I prayed, I perceived the wedding bands to represent God’s covenant love, blessing and faithfulness to His Bride in the earth. I think the message in this dream can be received and realized by all those who believe.
“Christ’s Yoke is Easy” by Charles Finney
“…Christ’s yoke is easy because He only requires a love-service; and He gives us a love-reward. He does not stipulate to pay us upon the principle of [work]…nor do we stipulate to serve Him for pay. He has no servants but love-servants…all His servants serve Him because they love Him and love His service. To all such He gives a love-reward. It is not pay on the score of justice; it is not what they deserve, but what His bountiful love is pleased to give them. He gives them more than pay, more than a reward on the principle of justice, infinitely more. His servants all prefer to leave the reward with His love, they want no stipulation as to wages. We serve Him because we love Him, and He rewards us because He loves us. All this makes His yoke very easy…”
Are you the Bride of Christ? Have you recently experienced your Husband’s radical love? Is God providing opportunities for you to do good in your day to day life?
Are you too busy to offer yourself in love? Are you working for a reward? Don’t rob yourself of God’s love and the discovery of what His creation can provide by robbing others of the gifts He has given you. Look for those opportunities the hand of Providence is offering and be pleased to meet the needs. Don’t miss out on the thrill of participating with God to see that the needs of His creation are met with tender loving kindness.
– end of copy/paste –
In Jesus’ Name,
Robert S. Totman
Awesome stuff guys… what a testimony God gives each of us, if we are willing to blindly follow in faith! I am just setting off on a mission-minded life – I have no idea how I will make money, and I don’t really care, I’ll live poor if I have to – but I cannot live any other way… Christ is compelling me, let Him compel you too!
You’ll live by love…or you won’t live at all!
Love never fails, never.
As you step out into the deep (God put this on my heart for you yesterday) you will either tap into His river of Life anew and experience Christ like never before, being upheld by His Person, or you will surely perish. Deu. 8 seems quite fitting.
As for me, I’m votin’ and believin’ for your radical success in Christ. I believe He is and will order your steps and complete the good work which He has begun in you!
At all times and in every way, turn to Him. He will be there to meet every need.
In Jesus’ Name!
I’m pretty cognizant about the “perishing” part, as I feel as if I’m on the edge of a cliff right now. Only God can save me from the jagged rocks below. Of that I am CONVINCED.
As for the scripture, it says we can perish because of lack of knowledge, but Solomon also said of knowledge there is no end, and I believe he had grown very weary trying to obtain it.
I know that sounds pointless, but I’m just kind of thinking out loud, here.
Anyway, all that aside, let me ask you just to be clear on exactly what you’re saying:
Man, I have to be CLEAR on something; God spoke to you directly and told you in no uncertain terms that I (Doug) am going to PERISH if I don’t meet certain conditions?
I’m asking because in my mind the word perish has certain connotations. In paraphrase it means to get wiped out; to get creamed; to be finished; to be “toast”; dead meat; to get annihilated; wiped off the face of the earth; Nothing left of you but a memory; six feet under; pushing up daisys
If that’s what I’m correctly understanding God directly told you, I’ll say that was pretty blunt. Holy cow! It’s like if Doug doesn’t meet certain conditions, I’m gonna wipe him off the face of the earth like I did those Heathen nations in the old Testament.
That’s enough to scare the tar out of a guy!
Doug,
No! I made that comment about perishing to Matt. I was resplying to his comment about living a mission-minded life.
The bit about perishing is more of a “count the cost” kinda thing than it is relying on our own ability to obey. We do live under grace. And if, once one steps out of the boat, they fail to receive God’s grace the only thing left for them is to sink into doom.
His grace is so very real and able to uphold ANYONE who can receive it. The question often becomes, “Are you really receiving His grace?!”
If so, there should be a sense of rest. A sense that everything is going to be okay, because the LORD of Hosts is on scene. This storm-calming grace about which I speak comes through time in the Word and prayer. And even time in the Word and prayer comes by God’s inspiration, God’s grace!
I have been praying for you Doug. My heart hurts with yours and my only hope is that Jesus Christ Himself will stoop down to make you great. I have great Hope!
“Lord help Doug to know Your grace like never before!”
In Jesus’ Name.
Wow Doug. I commended a certain message to Matt this morning. I was just re-listening to that message and it specifically speaks of “perishing.”
Perhaps the same message would profit you:
http://my.ekklesia360.com/Clients/sermonaudioplayer.php?CMSCODE=EKK&siteid=3621&sermonid=165769&useSkin=skin_plain.xml&CMS_LINK=http://my.ekklesia360.com&width=350&height=140
It’s a message I delivered several weeks ago. I’m practicing what I preach, all by the grace of God.
Bless you.
Robert,
My apologies! I’m still new at figuring how the threads work here, as far as which comment goes with which.
I got an e-mail that said there was a new comment posted, so I assumed it meant the comment was in reference to my last comment.
D’oh!
(Slaps himself on the forehead)
I’ll try to lessen the confusion from now on by prefacing my comments with the name of the person it is referencing to.
Doug
Doug,
It’s all good friend. I’m not the sharpest tack in the box either when it comes to blogging and all this e-communication.
🙂
RST
LOL! Yeah, when it comes to technical stuff, I’m stumped. That comes from being an old guy.
Anyway, I am spending this morning looking up tithing testimonies on the internet and feeding my spirit on them. Since my fiance encouraged me to tithe, I just wrote her and told her that as a couple we are going to make tithing the FOUNDATION of our financial life. We are going to do it no matter WHAT, come proverbial hell or high water. I explained to her in the letter that if we can’t tithe now BEFORE we say I do, what makes us think we can do it AFTER we tie the knot?
Hey Doug,
I enjoy your sense of humor. Hope you never loose it. “A merry heart is good for your health” Prov. 17:22
Ennis,
You mean about being an old guy?
That, and you generally have a very open, honest and almost playful turn of phrase. I mean that in a good way. You don’t come across as critical or mean spirited and I think people appreciate that.
You should think about starting a blog. Blogs are mostly information sites nowadays but the original idea was just to record and share your life, feelings and experiences. You do that well. I think people might be drawn to it and, who knows, over time you might make some money with it.
Ennis,
Thank you for the very kind words. I will do my very best to not let them go to my head!! (By giving any glory and praise where it belongs) .I already have a blog. it’s http://www.gerch.blogspot.com
I also have a channel on youtube that I named Daffy Doug’s Chet Channel where I share the guitar genius of the late guitar player, Mr Guitar Chet Atkins. I have 4 or 500 videos there.
Doug
Robert, What we were talking about earlier concerning technical stuff: Man, I get all confused when it comes to that stuff! When I have problems with my PC, I call my son, and with a few key strokes, it’s fixed! It amazes me beyond words!
Kids nowadays do this stuff easier than breathing. When in was in kindergarten we played with Crayolas, now they play with Windows.
But what i don’t understand, and what no one can sufficiently explain to me is that these kids have the ability to create VIRUSES, trojans and other nasty things that when they get in your PC, if not caught, they wreck it.
Now let me see if I’m understanding this here. Someone out there, who doesn’t know me from Adam, can sit behind a key board and CREATE this thing from scratch and then send it my way where it will promptly BREAK MY PC.
The million dollar question: WHY?????
Why would anybody have so little love or concern for me that they want to destroy what cost me hard earned dollars to purchase? What did I ever do to them? Is that their concept of fun???
In my mind, the best analogy I can think of is this: Someone walks by my car and takes a key and intentionally puts a big long, nasty SCRATCH on my car by dragging the key the length of the car.
Why?
Or someone who doesn’t know me pours rice in my radiator just to see my hard earned dollars go down the drain.
Why?
What am I missing here?
What is the mentality of these people that compels them to do these kind of things?
Is that the intelligence limit of the kids in this new generation that we are raising in America?
Is one of these kids someday going to be our President?
Doug,
No doubting there is plenty of ugly out there to look at and ponder. On one hand, I know you are speaking light heartedly. On the other hand, I offer caution: God created the human being to be captured by WHATEVER he/she focuses on. Now to focus is to worship, because it costs all to stay honed in on any one thing. To keep our eyes on the Lord we must take them off of everything else! That’s one of the reasons we are called to meditate on the Word of God day and night. As we see His beauty through contemplation of His Word we are captured by His love and even transformed into His likeness, supernaturally. We ought to want this desperately! Our transformation is the solution to all that ugliness out there. If we truly love we will give up sight of all else that we may gaze upon the Beauty of the LORD. We become carriers of Light.
The human that doesn’t focus on God (true beauty/value) is captured instead by WHATEVER evil (worthlessness) he/she focuses on. The human being, once captured, will do the will of its master, wittingly or unwittingly. Christ is our only freedom…and that through willingly making ourselves His slaves by God’s grace.
I too enjoy your light-hearted and open comments. The way you express yourself is refreshing.
Me, light-hearted? Not so much! But God loves us both equally.
Eyes off the crud my friend. If you’re not careful the crud will begin to control your feelings and then your mouth, your actions, your habits, your character and ultimately your legacy. What legacy will be left by you? Christ, I pray. I pray the legacy you leave is Jesus Christ.
🙂
Robert.
I have a burning question I just have to ask. And I’m only asking it to those who have had experience in tithing. I want to know if what is happening to me is common.
My question to those who are knowledgeable is this: Is there a common thing as, for lack of a better phrase, “satanic backlash” when one begins to tithe?
In other words, when you begin to tithe, and God promised he would rebuke the devourer (Obviously Satan) for your sake, is there a lag period of time, in your experience, when the devil gets so mad that he just goes on a rampage and kicks you wherever he can for your decision to tithe? I’m literally surviving on millet right now guys, my stomach is growling, I’m starting to grow emaciated, because I can’t afford groceries, and the last thing I need is the cost of PC repairs! This kicks me where it HURTS!
So when this happens am I accurate in assessing it as normal backlash?
Yes, I think backlash really is the correct word, for I can think of none better.
For example, on the tithing testimonies I have read, I have read where people experienced that before tithing things (like their car, appliances, PC, etc) would break down costing them MONEY.
But after they tithed, things suddenly started working right for them. (This is apparently God rebuking the devourer, no?)
The reason I’m asking this question of you experienced tithers, is I need to know why after I have started tithing, suddenly things have mysteriously started going BAD for me. Just the opposite of the testimonies I have been absorbing. I haven’t read ONE tithing testimony where someone described any kind of satanic backlash when they began to tithe. I feel very ALONE and very singled out.
For example, after tithing my income immediately dropped by $25 a week, (which I already described)
Then, next, I received two totally unexpected bills in the mail for over $400!!
Now, as I type, I’m typing from my sons PC because my computer mysteriously picked up a virus last night that shut it down. It had never done that before when I wasn’t tithing.
Is all this backlash???
My son says the virus has taken over the entire PC and they are going to have to pull the hard drive out to try to fix it.
Holy smokes! The devourer has seemed to have more free reign in my life after I have begun tithing then when i wasn’t tithing! What is going on here???
When I began to tithe I petitioned God of one small thing in Jesus name I said “Father, I ask that you please let me experience TRUE peace in my heart now.” I really did. I asked God for PEACE and tranquility in my heart. But now there is such turmoil that I feel like I’m losing my mind.
Somebody PLEASE tell me if this is indeed BACKLASH, and if it is a common experience, because otherwise, I think I’m about to lose my mind!!
What I’m going through feels more like a CURSE than a blessing! But brothers ,I’m tithing to come out from UNDER the curse, not to be cursed worse!
Doug,
My two cents –
Yes. I do believe there is such thing as spiritual backlash. Interesting word and certainly providential. I keep a hand written journal and JUST THIS MORNING I wrote that exact word in my journal (for the first time), referring to the perceptions I received through the night after baptizing someone into the Name of Jesus last night. I’ve experienced similar reactions many times in the past, even through making quality financial decisions born out of Scripture.
I think some folks get those instant success testimonies as our Lord is bolstering their faith and affirming their actions while others do not experience the INSTANT success because they are more capable of standing through opposition without having their every move supernaturally validated.
My wife and I live by faith alone, to God’s glory and certainly by His grace. From 2003 thru 2005 we got such a HUGE LOOK AT THE TRUTH regarding finances that in 2005 I quit my job, we sold our home and gave all of our possessions away to benefit the poor. We set out to make withdrawals from our “open purse in heaven that can’t be worn out, filled with treasure that can’t be exhausted” (Lk 12:33). Our eyes and hearts were FILLED with the glorious riches of God and His endless resources. Don’t ya know we stepped RIGHT INTO THE FIRE!?!?! Yes. Of course we did. We stepped right into the flames of affliction so that our faith could be tested. Faith that hasn’t been tested is no faith at all. Same with love – love that hasn’t been tested is no love at all. In any case, here we are five years later. By the grace of God and because of His glorious richness in mercies to His children, we have not asked anyone for a place to stay, we’ve not been homeless a single night, we’ve not begged for food or gone with out – and we have four children. God has even thrown in several vacations.
But don’t you think for a second that all that came without the testing of our faith (oh, the trials that come to mind)! In fact, the word “patience” comes to the surface of my heart for you along with two passages. James 1 says that patience wants for nothing. When you’re faith has been refined and you sit without computer, without job, without this or that and you find yourself satisified because you know that God is with you…well, patience wants for nothing. The other passage is Hebrews 10:35-39. Check it out.
By the way, I believe with all of my heart that our God will answer your heartfelt prayer for peace. That’s what you need more than anything because from there will spring all sorts of other goodies. Go to His Word. Continue with the heartfelt prayers and keep looking into God’s Word. You will find peace and so much more. Maybe losing your computer was a form of rebuking the devourer so that you are not distracted from God’s Word. I’m not trying to be mean and I’m certainly not saying “that’s what God did.” I don’t know; I’m just sayin’.
You are right to be out from under the curse through Christ Jesus. Now, live under His Word and tell everything else to shut up and bow down to the Name of Jesus!
One more by the way – the open purse in heaven thing, filled with treasure that can’t be exhausted: It’s intimacy with God!!! That’s the inexhaustable treasure! HALLELU-JAH! It’s free to all those who want it (My wife says, “Proof of desire is in pursuit.”) and from our intimacy with God our every need is richly met.
Don’t give up my friend. The trying of your faith will produce wondrous fruit for generations to come. In the mean time, while your waiting on neato testimonies, look to the needy. Is there no other person on the planet more needy than you? One near by, that you can somehow be a blessing to? Bless those within your reach and see what treasures come forth.
I don’t mean to be rude, but I do mean to be intentional. My heart is for your well-being.
In Jesus’ Name,
Robert…
doug, tithe out of love and obedience to God. dont tithe because you are in trouble and need the ‘return’ on your ‘investment’! there is a return from the Lord, blessing from Him when we ‘seek first the kingdom of God’, tithe because it is what we are suppose to cheerfully do, the money is not ours to keep anyway, dont tithe looking for the return. give with the right heart attitude and forget it! let it go, its Gods money, THEN when you have forgotten it, you will be surprised, and you must realize THAT is the blessing of the Lord!
I’m still surfing the net, hitting the Google button. I just found this tremendous testimony of someone who tithed and had their income quadruple!;
For years I knew I should tithe. But I never did. That’s when I read this from the Bible:
“Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. But you ask, ‘How do we rob you?’ In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse–the whole nation of you–because you are robbing me. Bring the whole tithe into the store house, 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. I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit,” says the LORD Almighty. “Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land,” says the LORD Almighty. -Malachi 3:8-12 NIV
During the most daring financial time in our lives, we decided to tithe. I was out of a job, and we didn’t know how we were going to get by if more than a few months passed without work. The Lord had instructed us to test him in this, and we did.
That’s about the time that the floodgates of heaven opened and poured out such a blessing we couldn’t contain it. It was amazing. Within two weeks of I had two job offers at the same time, and both offered benefits so exponentially better than the video store, I was actually frustrated that I had to make a choice! My income almost quadrupled.
I want you guys to know I’m NOT trying to be a pest by asking all these questions, but the truth is this forum is my only lifeline where I can reach out to touch real people. If not for this place I would be totally alone.
So I have to ask: Does the willingness to tithe count with God when there is no income coming in? The reason I am asking is because I just got word that I will be without income for three weeks.
I consider myself a tither now because I had determined to tithe in my heart to tithe no matter what, but obviously one can’t tithe when there is zero income coming in. Does the intentions of the heart count with God?
I pray it does, or I’m sunk. See, I told the Lord, and I meant it, that I am willing to tithe on anything He puts in my hand through any sources, unexpected as they may be.
But for three weeks, I will not be able to tithe unless He does that. But again, the willingness is there.
But one can’t plant willingness as seed. One can only plant actual money as seed as far as tithes go.
So if (this is just hypothetical) if someone came knocking on my door out of the blue and said ” You don’t know me, but God instructed me to give you this money.”
(Yes God can do that)
If something miraculous like that happened, I would gladly tithe and give an offering on it to keep the flow of my tithe unbroken.
I WANT to tithe. I truly, TRULY do.
Ad I refuse to put any limits on God or to put Him in a box of any kind. That would be a mistake.
I’m going to meditate on the scriptures. Especially the one where he says He gives us the power to get wealth.
I was especially blessed to hear from my fiance that she delivered our tithes to the place where we had determined to give it. She gave it to them yesterday, and they were very touched. After much prayer, we had decided to give it to a small struggling couple who had started a church in their home where we had attended when I was visiting in my fiances home state.
This couple is struggling with their new church, and the wife is expecting another child soon. Anyway, we prayed and asked the Lord specifically where my tithes should go and this young couple was layed strongly on our heart. So that is where we gave the tithes. I had to mail it to my fiance to hand deliver it because it is close to 700 miles from where I live. We also commited to God in prayer that we will continue in that mission until He directs us otherwise. Of course, soon after that is when I found out that I wil not be payed for three weeks.
So now that I can’t tithe, not having income, me and my fiance lift this couple up in prayer regularly. (Yes, me and my fiance have prayer sessions over the phone all the time. We pray for the lost and anybody else the Lord lays on our hearts.) Last night being Halloween, the devil’s holiday we had a long and loud warfare prayer, being cognizant as we were, that on that night witches and other occult practitioners are intensely working their evil, casting spells and such on what they consider their high and holy day..
Anyway, back to my main question of this post. Since I don’t have income coming in now, do you experienced tithers on this forum feel the WILLINGNESS to tithe counts with God? It’s about all I have right now.
Oh! I forgot to tell you, I was especially blessed a couple days ago, because my son bought me dinner. He said he wanted to (He offered without me asking) and he bought me a sub, so I had food that day, and boy was it ever delicious!
As I said, I was eating millet to survive. But that sub was like heaven! Oh, man I LOVED IT! It tasted so good! I divided it up in two halves so I could have a meal the next day, also, eating it for breakfast.
Doug,
I am praying for you. I encourage you to meditate on the following
– I am reigning in life by Jesus Christ (Romans 5:17)
– I am not looking at the things that are seen, but at the things which are not seen (2 Corinthians 4:18)
– I am walking by faith and not by sight (2 Corintians 5:7)
– I am casting down imaginations and evey high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God (2 Corinthians 10:5)
– I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:21)
– I am rooted and grounded in love, because Christ dwells within me (Ephesians 3:17)
– I am the workmanship of God, created in Christ Jesus for good works (Ephesians 2:10)
– I am a partaker of God’s divine nature (2 Peter 1:4)
– I am prosperous and in good health, because my soul prospers (3 John 2)
– I am being transformed by the renewing of my mind to prove the perfect will of God (Romans 12:2)
– I am healed by the stripes of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 2:24)
– I am more than a conqueror through Jesus Christ (Romans 8:37)
– I am com;ete in Christ (Colossians 2:10)
– I am strong in the Lord and in the power of His might (Ephesians 6:10)
– I am taking the shield of faith and quenching all of the fiery darts of the enemy (Ephesians 6:16)
I am praying my desires and receiving them (Mark 11:24)
– I am like a tree planted by the rivers of water and everything that I do prospers (Psalm 1:3)
– I am a temple of the Holy Ghost (1 Corinthians 6:19)
– I am given exceeding great and precious promises, and by them I partake of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world throug lust (2 Peter 1:4)
– I am led by the spirit of God; therefore, I am a son of God (Romans 8:14)
– I am not walking after the flesh, but after the Spirit (Romans 8:1)
– I am receiving all of my needs met according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19)
– I am casting all of my cares upon Him, because I know He cares for me (1 Peter 5:7)
– I am blessed with all spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 1:3)
– I am blessed when I come in, and blessed when I go out (Deutoronomy 28:6)
– I am an heir of God and a joint-heir with Jesus Christ (Romans 8:17)
– I am increasing and abounding in love (1 Thessalonians 3:12)
– I am being made perfect in every good work to do God’s will (Hebrews 13:21)
– I am showing forth the praise of God (Psalms 51:15)
I’m back. I know I post a lot here, and I’m not trying to be a pest, and I pray that I’m not, but you guys are my only contact right now. I DEEPLY need friends, which is why I came here.
I just need friends to talk to. If not a human voice, at least a virtual voice through your posts.
I surprised myself last night. After I found out my income has stopped, I prayed a prayer and I was amazed at what came out of me, but I’m positive it was from the Spirit because instead of finding myself angry, I heard a prayer of submission come out of my mouth that I didn’t know was in me.
I basically told the Lord that no matter what happens in my life, if I eat again, or if
He chooses to take me out of here, I don’t care, because I just want whatever He wants. I just want Him to be Lord. I told Him that I am under his ownership because He purchased me with a price. As far as I’m concerned, God owns me. I am no longer my own and my life is no longer my own to do with as I please. I’ve tried doing things my way, and I just don’t want to do that any more. I don’t want to drive any more, I want the Lord to drive and let me be in the back seat. I don’t want God to be my co pilot, I want Him to be the Chief pilot and ME be the co pilot.
I mean that.
Me and my fiance made up a list this morning of people we know who have needs, and we are going to pray over it tonight. We plan to praise Him first and then praise Him for meeting the needs of every person on that list. It includes loved ones as well as friends AND our enemies, too. We are going to have one heck of a prayer session tonight! We are going to lift up every one before God’s throne and praise Him for breaking every SHACKLE of prison that people are in! We want to see the shackles drop to the ground!
We have one driving goal and that is to see the devil defeated and see God glorified!
That was my fiance’s idea after we prayed that submission prayer, and I agreed in the name of Jesus. We see so MANY people hurting all around us, and we want to see that changed and to see them healed.
Hi Doug – I encourage you to think of what we have been calling a “tithe” as “free-will giving” instead. The tithe assumes a tenth, and is never specifically addressed in the New Testament. What is addressed is the free-will offering. When I wrote this post I called it a tithe, but today I call it free-will giving. This is important because our giving should not be limited to a 10th, it should be according to what the Lord puts on our hearts to give.
Read Mark 12:42-44 carefully. It reads, “And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing. And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury: For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living.”
Notice that she did not have much to give, but freely gave all and was praised of the Lord. The others gave more in amount, but less in percentage. Free will giving has no limits… and we are to give cheerfully! What a TRUE HONOR to give to those in need!
Matt,
Wow! Thank you for that confirmation from the Lord! The reason I say that is that what you told me is EXACTLY what God told me when I was in prayer yesterday.
As I was praying and considering that I no longer have any income to tithe off of, the Spirit spoke to my heart, and it was so clear it could have almost been audible. (But it wasn’t really audible)
Anyway, what God told me was this: “I want you to give an OFFERING every Monday, the first day of your week. I don’t want you to break the cycle of giving regularly. And I want you to give it cheerfully.”
So I gave a small offering, out of what little money i have left and I mailed it to my fiance to give to that couple who is struggling with that new church, as I mentioned.
So Matt, your words are a confirmation to me!
Praise the Lord Jesus Christ for his mercy and abundant grace toward us… who are continually unworthy, yet loved of Him! Nothing short of amazing.
Anyway, I believe what I’m picking up from God, here, is that the “cheerful” part of the equation is EXTREMELY important. A MAJOR key. Much more important than we are being taught in church sermons.
Hey,Maybe the “cheerful” part is the what makes giving WORK! I know that when I gave that little offering that I just described, I felt really happy in my heart. In fact, it wasn’t hard being cheerful, I didn’t have to fake it.
By contrast, traditionally, when people give their tithes into the offering plate on Sunday all across America, how may give with joy? Even worse, how may do it with a sour attitude out of compulsion? Am I onto something here, Matt?
I believe you are. Giving is a gift, let’s spread the word! 🙂
I believe you ARE on to something Doug.
If 2 Cor. 9:8 is true, why wouldn’t we give with great joy?
The Truth illuminated inspires us to give joyfully and radically. We have an endless source to draw from (the open purse that can’t be exhausted)!
2Co 9:8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.
Look at how many “absolute” terms are in that one sentence. And it seems to me only God is qualified to use an absolute.
“…all grace…all sufficiency…all things…all times…every good work.” Wow!
Let us simply RESOND to glorious Truth.
uh. whoops. I meant, “RESPOND. Let us simply RESPOND to the glorious Truth.”
In my post I also misspelled the word “many” as MAY.
I’m sorry I haven’t been here in a couple days. Been spending a lot of time in prayer seeking the Lord.
But I’m posting to ask for prayer. Recall I mentioned that when I started tithing I petitioned God for peace in my heart. But almost every night I have been having horrible nightmares! I mean consistently. I haven’t had what I would call a truly pleasant dream since my tithing adventure began. I want the nightmares to stop! It’s horible! They come every night!
I was horrified when I looked at my wrist this morning as I got out of bed. I noticed that it was notably THINNER, (And I’ve never been a big guy to start with, so I can’t afford to lose a lot of weight.)
But I’m looking gaunt, my stomach is always growling, (because I can’t really afford groceries anymore, so I’ve been eating rice and millet with a little flavoring.)
But I WILL NOT stoop to buying cat food! (You’ve heard stories of older folks who have no money, so they buy cat food to eat) That is something I will NOT do. I feel such a thing would rob me of the last shred of dignity I have.
But I am desperate and could use all the prayer you guys can muster. I feel like I’m fading away. ESPECIALLY I need prayer that the nightmares would cease and desist. If you have ever had nightmares, then you can understand how this feels, and especially if you have them on a nightly basis.
I DESPERATELY need God’s peace in my heart! I don’t know where else to turn. I turn to God Himself by praying and seeking Him for hours a day, but now I’m turning to my brothers in the Lord for prayer because I just can’t do it alone. I’m at my wits end.
The only real joy I have is looking forward to Monday as I have decided to let that be my giving day as I mentioned in an earlier post.
I will pray Doug. Another thing you may want to check out are the excellent FREE courses at Setting Captives Free. God bless.
Doug,
Thank you for sharing.
I was working as an air traffic controller in NY on 9/11/01. Starting that night I had horrid nightmares for two full years, until I became suicidal. They were frequent and the horrors were unimaginable. They were shocking and took control of my daytime behavior.
After I surrendered all to God the nightmares were immediately transformed. I began dreaming out of God’s Word.
I learned that the dreams were spiritual warfare. Your only hope here is God. It will be by submitting to him wholly that you enter into the Fortress of His love…and thereby receive His protection from the dreams. I suggest a fresh exercise of Romans 12:1, from your heart.
I’d also like to send you a book that I think will help. It’s a prayer assist, encouraging one to pray God’s Word. I think it will help with the other sufferings you are going THROUGH to. You’re not at your destination! You ARE going through and into a beautiful NEW – in Jesus’ Name!
Feel free to send me an email through our web-site and so that I can get your postal mailing address and send you this small but powerful book. I think if you click on my name at the top of this message the link will direct you to our website – where you can go to the “Contact Us” page.
Bless you brother. May the blood of Jesus cover you and speak for you.
In Jesus’ Name,
Robert…
I have to be fair in telling all my tithing experience, both positive and negative. So last night someone offered to buy me a sandwich. (Which I gladly accepted and consumed with alacrity!)
Anyway, I did ask him if he could afford it, because I knew he was experiencing financial troubles too, but he assured me he could, and I didn’t want to rob him of his blessing that comes from giving. Plus it didn’t hurt that fact that I was hungry!)
Anyway, that was very kind of him. I am not sure what happened, if this was a blessing as a direct result of my tithing, OR the fact that this particular person is one whom I had bought him a sandwich some time back when he was hungry.
Yes, it’s true. Some time ago this person had no money to eat and I offered to buy him a sandwich and now the shoe was on the other foot and he bought me one.
So was this blesing because I’m tithing, or was his compassion a pay back for my previous compassion on him?
Perhaps I’ll never know.
I do know that when my finances were better I regularly fed the hungry in Africa. And I know that the Lord says that he that hath pity on the poor the Lord will have have pity on him, (paraphrasing)
Anyway, I divided that sandwich in two, and the other half is in my fridge so I am going to have a good breakfast this morning! Praise the Lord!
So I’m posting this to keep you guys in formed on my tithing experience. Which I why I found this forum in the first lace.
Well, actually I don’t know if I can technically call it “tithing ” experience because technically I’m not tithing now, the tithe being the tenth of you income and since I don’t have an income now, technically it’s not tithing, just giving offerings as I am. (Sorry for the redundancy)
BUT, on the other hand, in my HEART I’m a tither, as I determined to tithe all the way, as previously posted.
SO I hope that God is looking upon the heart, and even though the means is no longer there, I hope it counts with Him because the spirit is wiling and the intention is there. I pray with all my heart that is the case.
I have been thinking about this, and I have a couple extra winter coats, and if I run out of monetary offerings, than I bet God will accept me giving my coat to someone as an acceptable offering. (Or tithe, although not technically a tithe, but it will be the best I can do under my circumstances.)
Please pray that he will show me EXACTLY who or where to give it to. I think this would bring me great pleasure to do this. No, joy is more the word. I love giving!!
I’m already praying about it, and I ask for your prayers too for guidance.
Right now, I’m headed to the fridge to gobble that other half of that sandwich!
Update. I just got a check. Praise the Lord! Now I can be back into full tithing. I’m serious, guys. I’m more serious about tithing than anything I have ever been in my life.
But as I’ve been praying and seeking God, I believe I’ve been getting wonderful insights into it too.
But I still want prayer that the Lord will guide me exactly who and where to give that winter coat.
I want to share a story with you guys for what it’s worth. I know the scripture says “David encouraged himself in the Lord. ” I kind of think that indicates that he rehearsed in his mind things God had done for him in the past to keep his spirit up.
This is a TRUE story of something that happened to me over twenty years ago. Probably closer to thirty. And I’m not going to exaggerate, but this is exactly how it came down.
I was a young man just out of the service, and trying to find my direction in life.
I was living in a cheap motel room, because I didn’t really have any place else to go, and I was broke.
Now let me back up to tell you i am a guitar player, have been since age thirteen. I was in that motel room with my guitar and I had just flipped on the TV. As I flipped it on, it was a Christian station, and I caught this very dark man from Africa with a heavy accent. He was telling about a ministry he was starting in Africa, and he was describing their needs. Just as I flipped the TV on he was describing that they needed a GUITAR for their music ministry..
I felt God move on my heart, and I called up the TV station and told them they could have my guitar.
Yup. That’s what I did.
So they came and got it.
And I was without an instrument.
For a while, that is.
Then all of a sudden, without my prompting, an amazing thing happened. Fellas I’m telling you the absolute truth, people all of a sudden started giving me guitars!
I’m not kidding. Folks would come up to me and say “God told me to give you my guitar.”
This happened several times till I had several guitars.
Even got Les Paul! And that’s a honey of a guitar!
I became the guitar man! I had more guitars than I could ever play.
Now I no longer listen to Kenneth Copeland and Kenneth Hagin, Charles Capp, and all that gang but I did remember won time when Copeland said, “You get back what you plant. If you plant beans, you get beans. If you plant corn, you harvest corn. If you plant money, you get money.”
Why did I share that story? I don’t know. Maybe to encourage my own faith, and maybe to cheer your day.
Well, apparently, I had planted a guitar seed, and I grew a harvest of guitars.
I love testimonies like this, I’m hoping to gain more personal testimonies as the Lord transitions my wife and I to a greater life of faith. God bless Doug, congrats on the check… praise God.
Thanks Matt. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not out of the woods yet. I’m still a month behind on my mortgage and come tax time, I am going to be owing the IRS at least a thousand bucks.(And I need to come up with a BUNCH in order to be able to move to Arkansas to marry my fiance.But the IRS one is the one that scares me. But at least with this check I can get some food. Makes me wonder, though about the last days when their won’t be any grocery stores around the corner in America as we now know them.
But as I said, I’ve been feeding my spirit on tithing testimonies wherever I can find them. I really DO want to be the next testimony that someone else can read about to encourage THEM in their walk with God.
Well, I picked up that check today and the FIRST THING I DID was take out the tithe.
I am determined to give to God OFF THE TOP first and foremost the same way I’d like to be treated by Him. I’m going to give with the attitude that I’d like to see God show towards me. Maybe I’ve hit on a principle, here?
Although I have read today that the tithing itself is not really “giving” because you can’t “give” what is not yours in the first place. Instead tithing is “paying” the same way you pay the IRS what is owed. What I read stated that the OFFERING, which is obviously over and beyond the tithe is the only thing you can truly give. Time will tell.
This seemed to make a lot of sense, and I may incorporate it into the fabric of my thinking on tithing.
Anyway, I’m also writing today because I DESPERATELY need you guys prayers. I’ve been really backed into a corner today. Let me explain.
My fiance was talking to me today on the phone, and she is really pressuring me to move to Arkansas really soon.
That may not sound bad, but here are the circumstances. Moving 650 miles is not cheap!!! I am almost out of money and every month i stay here, I have to pay monthly bills, and it takes HUGE chunk out of my savings every month. ESPECIALLY the mortgage, which is close to $500 a month. It eats into my little savings lie Pacman.
Now if I move, I might be forced to ABANDON the mortgage and my house. I have no idea what the repercussions might be but I don;t think they will be pretty. Banks may not go for a person abandoning the house and mortgage.
Yet, every month I stay here I am watching my finances dwindling. And soon I will not even have enough left over for a move.
That’s part of the reason I was eating so little, because I needed to save that little money I have for BILLS. (Like electricity, heat, gas etc)
Now to add misery to misery, I have NO PLACE to move to in Arkansas. My fiance lives in Government housing, so she can’t keep me, so I will end up living either in my car or in a cheap hotel room until the rest of my money runs out.
As far as a job when I get there, I am going to definitely be a NEW GUY in town. A stranger.
I am REALLY backed into a corner.
“For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.” Ephesians 5:23
Do not move unless the Lord gives you that direction by opening doors to make it possible. Also consider this verse and remember that making the decision is your responsibility. You should consider your finance’s input, pray, wait on the Lord, gain clarity from Him, then act accordingly.
Well, Matt. Looks like I won’t have to worry about it. She just made it clear this morning that she doesn’t love me anymore.
Then you have your answer. Praise God!
Yeah, but I never expected a punch in the gut as my answer….
I’ve said for years now, “It only hurts to the degree that you resist God.” Let her go. He has BETTER for you!
The message God had me deliver last Sunday is titled, “God has your best interest at heart” – http://www.churchcloud.com/oz/sermon/god-has-your-best-interest-at-heart/
I pray it will bless you. And my offer to you still stands, to send you the prayer assist book, “The Sword of the Spirit, the Word of God.” It’s a powerful help to believers, thrusting them from a defensive, defeated stance in life to an offense, victorious, expanding-the-Light type of existence.
Psa 34:18 The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.
When ANY of God’s children are hurting, His Presence is invoked to comfort as a tender-hearted and loving parent. Thank Him for His Presence. I believe you will then “feel” the Truth.
In your corner through Christ,
Robert…
Oh wow – I just realized that during last Sunday’s message (through the link above) I went off on a Holy Ghost inspired side-track and taught about tithing too. That’s the first time I’ve ever taught publicly on the subject. Seems even more fitting, then, to commend it here.
Bless you!
Robert…
Robert, that book sounds great. But give me a little time. I’m feeling sick to my stomach right now. Even typing is hard at the moment.
Okay Doug. When you can just click here, send me an email and let me know what your postal mailing address is: http://www.churchinnd.com/Contact_Us.html
I look forward to getting it to you.
In Jesus’ Name,
Robert…
Sorry I haven’t posted in a while, guys. I’m still dealing with my wounds.
Doug,
Please man – use the link to send me an email with your postal mailing address! God has a prescription for what ails you and I believe this is it!
Robert…
OK.
I told you guys I was going to be fair and honest sharing my results from my tithing experience. That means I’m going to report the good as well as the bad.
Obviously my fiance and me breaking up is bad, but I also had a blessing yesterday that I am obliged to share.
So here goes: My car has electric windows. It’s a ’93 so it’s pretty old. Anyways, the windows have been going to pot for a long time now. The motors in them burn out and they either wont roll up and down, or worse, they just loosen up and fall completely down and stay that way. (Or get stuck in the halfway position)
Makes for a bad situation when there is snow or rain. A couple days ago, I went in my car and the back seat was full of leaves. Which I promptly cleared out by hand. Car is to small to fit a rake in there.
The front window on the passenger side I had shoved a wooden wedge in there to keep the window in the up position. I looked like some kind of clown driving down the road with a door stop in my window.
Anyway, with winter on the way, I thought I had better try to get things fixed because well, frankly, I had planned a trip to Arkansas to see my fiance before the devil struck us down. And when I travel I stop at roadside rest stops several times along the way. In winter there is a possibility that I could freeze to death in that situation, so, as I said, I sought out my local mechanic to get the back passenger side fixed because it was half way down, frozen in that position and there was no way of getting it up so I could stick a wedge in it, too.
I told him that I just wanted him to jimmy rig it in the up position, because to replace the little motor would cost a couple hundred at least. (He had previously done my driver side window and it was a couple hundred or more after the parts were included.)
So he said he could do that, and quoted me a cheap price. A cheap price is all I can afford, obviously.
Well, long story short, after he finished it, he came and brought back the car. Here is the good part: His worker didn’t know I just wanted the back passenger side done and he went ahead and fixed the back passenger side AND the front passenger side (Jimmy rigged them up in the permanent up position.)
That was a mistake on his part. Tony explained to me what happened, BUT he told me that because he had quoted the low price that he was going to eat his mistake, and charge me only for the one.
So I got two fixed for the price of one.
Now that’s a blessing. So I’m going to say chalk one up for tithing. I cant prove that it was my tithing that caused this blessing top come upon me, but I am determined to give God the benefit of the doubt. That’s the way I’D like to be treated, after all.
I am dead serious when I say am taking it LITERALLY when He said “Prove me in this” (Translate into out language TEST me in this.)
I’ve heard it said over and over that tithing is the only place in the Bible where we are invited to test God. And I’m taking it seriously as if my life depends on it. Um, because it does. My results are going to determine whether I am to be or not to be whether i will continue to live on this earth, or be wiped out and die in a homeless shelter somewhere, or even worse, on the street. Fact is I’m LITERALLY fighting for my life. I’m behind in my mortgage and the bank is demanding THEIR money. And they make it very clear that it IS THEIR money.
Either the promise is true and it’s for us today in the new testament church or it’s not. There is no in between. No riding the fence, here. Peoples lives are literally on the line hanging in the balance.
SO I’m attributing this blessing to tithing. I’ll come right out and say God gave me this blessing to keep a promise he made in Malachi. And I’ll openly share here any other blessings I get, because I’m determined to be completely impartial and fair in what I share concerning my tithing experience, both positive and negative.
I mean think about it, if he had charged me for both windows, that would have been twice as much I had to pay. But the money I saved on the one free repair equals about the same as one of my tithes that I gave.
And I’m tithing on a GOVERNMENT check, to boot, but God knows that’s all I have right now.
And yes, speaking of the government, I’ll be very honest, I’m more than a little worried about come tax time when I will probably owe the IRS at least a grand. (Because I rolled my 401 K into an IRA to have money to live off of after my factory shut down about a year ago.) Fellas, I have never, NEVER been in trouble with the Gestapo…er, pardon me, I mean the IRS before in my life and I don’t know HOW I am going to handle that. Yes, I honestly feel dread thinking about it. It’s a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach.
Sorry to spoil this testimony with that. I meant this post to be a positive and optimistic. But on the other hand, I am going to be completely transparent with you guys on everything I share. What you see is what I am. What you see is what you get.
Anybody here? Seems to be an echo in this place lately!
I wanted to share a blessing I just got, but am not sure if anybody is even reading the forum lately.
So I’ll share it anyway, and maybe later on if someone drops by they may read it at that time.
Here is what happened: Today I had gone out of town, and was out all day. When I got back and walked in my house, my eyes popped out of their sockets. While I was gone, unbeknownst to me someone had dropped off, out of the blue, a HUGE computer desk in my living room. This puppy is GIGANTIC! All kinds of drawers and cubby holes. Lots of room for my PC, my printer and everything else.
I had NO IDEA this was coming. No idea whatsoever. It’s so big that they had to carry it through the door in sections and assemble it.
It even has room for me to lay my canvases down and oil paint.
So, even though this obviously won’t pay my bills, I still am going to call it a blessing from God.
And you know the great thing? I don’t own any of this in my heart. I’m not letting the possession posses me. I know it ll comes from God and it can easily go back to God if He so chooses to take it back.
TRULY we don’t own ANYTHING in this world. But when the Lord drops something in your lap out of the blue, you just feel thankfulness welling up inside you, and you REALIZE who the provider is,
Anyway, I just wanted to share my blessing with you.
Is anybody here?
Hi. My family was just praying for you! Some timing.
I look forward to getting this parcel out to you over the next day or two.
Love through Christ,
Robert…
Here’s my testimony for today: I had left my car for a while and it was parked in a parking lot while i went in the drugstore.. When I came back to get back in, I saw that lying next to my door, on the ground, glaring at me, was my CHECKBOOK!
Think about that one, fellas! Apparently I had dropped it and was TOTALLY unaware that I had dropped it, and in fact, I don’t even remember bringing it with me. I have no recollection whatsoever of bringing that checkbook! My mind is totally blank on that part.
But apparently I did, because there it lay, where it had dropped. So of course I thankfully picked it up and took it back home!
Now here is the testimony: First of all, God knew that I had brought it, and He knew where I had dropped it! He allowed my eyes to see it lying there before I got back in the car, (I could have easily overlooked it!) cAND he apparently PREVENTED any one else’s eyes from seeing it, and most of all I’m referring to any number of dishonest people out there!
SO I think it’s fair and safe to say that God saved me a TON of grief! Can you imagine me at home later looking for that check book, not knowing that it had ever left my room! I would have been frantically searching and rummaging my house, looking in vain for a check book which was totally out of reach. How pitiful that would have been!
I would have never figured it, because the last place I remember seeing it was in my room and not in the car!
So I give God the glory for that small miracle, Small for most people, but when you are broke, a MAJOR deal.
I am determined to keep my word and tell all the good as well as the bad, here. I’m going to be as fair to God in my new tithing adventure as I would like Him to be with me. If He has glory coming. I’m going to give it.
And this incident today was VERY GOOD.
Oh, and I almost forgot! This is pretty cool, too: To make a long story short, recently I auditioned for a local talent contest. (The top prize is $2,500!)
So anyway, here is the website in case you guys want to look at it. http://www.thefinesttalent.com
So a few weeks ago I auditioned among several contestants, and was accepted. I do ventriloquism and I use these large, colorful full size bird puppets. There are two characters that I am using this time, One is black crow puppet named Elvis, and the other is a big dumb (rather brainless) bird that I named Dodi. I use the birds, and I do their voices PLUS I mix in my own straight, vocal impersonations of the classic Looney Toons Characters. (Bug’s Bunny, Daffy Duck, Yosemite Sam, Porky, Tweety, etc) So I’m basically a voice artist, impersonator and ventriloquist all rolled in one.
I have several of these bird characters, plus a full life size ventriloquist figure named Daniel Duggins. But of course, having only two hands, I’m maxed out with two puppets.
So anyway, as I said, i got in the final line up. And unbeknownst to me, the local paper interviewed two other contestants from my hometown and did a little story on them in today’s Tribune.
However, because of some strange reason, she missed me.
So I got a surprise call today, and it was this reporter from the paper. Since she missed me, she wanted to arrange to come to my house later and do a SEPARATE interview and photo shoot with me just before the contest! Wow! What a blessing!
That means I will be getting a separate, special write up and story!
Isn’t that great?
Praise the Lord!
Wow Doug!
Those are great testimonies! I’ll check out the web-site now.
rst
These testimonies of good things that have happened to me recently help me a lot. They are small things, but they help me. Of course, I’m far from out of the woods. Still deep in debt, but small blessings give me some hope.
I’m back. I hope I’m not a pain to you guys, but You guys are the only ones I really have to turn to, for friends, and especially when it comes to friends who are experienced tithers.
I pray that you brothers will not despise me for posting so much that I end up turning myself into a pest.
But I just had to post today because today I don’t have a testimony, but rather, I just need to share the pain that is in my gut. And today it’s hurting deeply.
As I woke up this morning as always, I prayed and sought God. And I had a sudden realization, and it hit me like a freight train to the gut. I realized that there is NO FOOD IN MY REFRIGERATOR, only jars of water, and that there hasn’t been food in there for a long time. Pretty close to the time when my wife died in 2006. That’s pretty much when it started.
Whenever I open my fridge an empty fridge stares back at me and today it really hit me hard. It just really hit me HARD how hungry I am. A lot of times I fast because I purpose to in my heart before the Lord, but other times I fast because I simply can’t afford groceries.
THAT just HIT ME so forcefully today. The Bible says in Proverbs the “mouth of the wicked goes hungry.” Is God telling me that I am wicked? I don’t understand.
I really thought that when He said to bring all the tithe into the store house so that there would be meat in His house, that the other side of the coin would be that because I obeyed, God would also make sure there is meat in “my house” (meaning physical food in my fridge.)
But I’m strapped, and I really can’t afford groceries. And as I type tears are streaming down my cheeks because guys, it really, REALLY hurts. It hurts me in the deepest spot in my gut. Not only the physical sensation of hunger, but also the pain of the realization of my poverty.
So I’m typing this today to ask you guys to pray for a miracle that God will provide food so I wont have an empty fridge. I know that sounds crazy, but I am that desperate that I would actually ask prayers to fill up my fridge because I just can’t do this alone anymore.
I could purchase groceries, but then I would be spending money that needs to go to my creditors and my gas, mortgage, utilities, and everything else that goes into keeping alive.
What good would it do to spend money for groceries in my fridge only to have the electricity shut off so it would spoil? Or what good would it do to have groceries in the fridge only to have the bank repossess the fridge too, when they take the house back and as it stands I’m already a month behind on the mortgage, my credit is shot, and they are hounding me about the payment?
In other words my money, what little I have left is NOT MY OWN. My creditors rightfully own it all. I am their slave and they own it all and they own me.
Technically I DON’ T HAVE A RIGHT TO EAT until all my creditor’s are payed off.
I NEED your prayers for a food miracle in my refrigerator. PLEASE PRAY FOR ME.
I CAN’T GO ON LIVING THIS WAY!!
Doug,
DON’T GO ON LIVING THE SAME OR NOTHING WILL CHANGE!
PLEASE – check out this two minute video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NVAjNnhaqW8
My wife speaks of the empty fridge challenge you are experiencing today in the video clip and how to overcome it.
YOUR MIRACLE IS ON ITS WAY!!!!
Even today, THIS DAY, my family has offered a sacrifice of thanks to God by preparing and mailing a care package to you. You will find a prayer assist book, cash, and food in the package. We love you through Christ!! He loves you infinitely more!!
We wanted to leave the care package as a surprise to you – but I couldn’t withhold the good news from you today, having read your plea.
Psalm 12:5 “…because the needy groan, I will now arise,” says the LORD; “I will place him in the safety for which he longs.”
Doug – the most powerful thing you can do is to praise God for His merciful providence and offer Him thanks for His tender loving mercies.
We bless you in the Name of Jesus Christ.
Wow, this is awesome!
That video is awesome, you guys really show an example of extreme faith! LOL
Doug — don’t give up. Sometimes God seems silent, but he loves you and will provide for you! I’m learning the whole lesson of the tithe too, and though I’m working, it’s not easy. I’m making 25% less than I was 3 years ago, and my bills are like 50% more! 🙂 There’s unfortunately a lot of people living paycheck to paycheck, or unemployment check to unemployment check. When you have debt, it’s definitely a challenge, and the Biblle is right when it says you are a slave to your lenders. I’m not a big fan of living this way either…
I’m trying to think about things differently…. more positively…. this site really helped me a lot, it’s the “40 day fast from wrong thinking” they have it about life and finances!
Anyway, the Bible always says when you are going through stuff to help someone else, so I’ll pray for you!
oops forgot to post the link: http://fromtheinsideout.us/
Sharon,
Thank-you for the word of encouragement. I know what you are saying about the bills being higher and the income lower. I am going through the same thing. It started when my wife died in 2006. I can only best describe it as the “squeeze” And it’s VERY uncomfortable.It’s part of the New World order’s plan to CONTROL US, but they are not going to win! I’m living unemployment check to unemployment check. And it will run out in a few weeks, leaving me totally without support.
I’m going to pray for you, because you are in a similar situation as my own and you need God’s blessing, too.
Are you new to tithing or are you experienced?
I had a very important lesson come into my life recently. I want to see if you guys agree that this was God.
A few days ago, i went to my mailbox and was surprised to find something from my former employer. Now let me back up and say my factory went to Mexico last December a year ago yesterday. Last December 19 they told us all we no longer had a job unless we wanted to eat tacos and work for a dollar an hour.
(Just a bit of humor there.)
Sorry about that, but you have to consider what a stab to our hearts that was. I worked there eleven years FAITHFULLY, didn’t even miss a DAY of work.
Sorry, I digress.
So back to the mailbox. I opened my mail to find a letter from the factory, and I thought “What in the world?”
When I opened it, I saw that it was a “summary annual report”
Here they were accounting to me, even though I was no longer an employee, of every cent they had spent.
Accountability! That is the word that came into my mind like lightning!
Then I immediately related that to God and tithing. I thought If a former factory, with which I was no longer associated was required ti account to me of all they spent, then how much MORE will we account to God of every cent we spend in this life?
I thought about how long I have been on this earth and how much money i had made over the years while I was employed. I didn’t know how much, but I figured it had to be a lot.
Now if tithing as we are traditionally taught is true, and we owe exactly one tenth of every cent we make to God, then that is a staggering amount! And especially so when we consider we will have to account to Him for it some day.
And the bad part was I didn’t have any idea of how much I probably owe God if it is so that we owe him a tenth of all our income. I didn’t have any inkling. And without Divine revelation it would be impossible to ever figure it out. Utterly impossible and hopeless!
So, I got in prayer and I asked God to please COVER MY PAST (all the times I didn’t tithe) with the blood of Jesus! If not tithing is FAILURE before God, then I asked Him to please cover all those past failures with the blood of the lamb.
That is the Lord bringing to your attention the severity of your disobedience to Him. Praise Him for revealing it to you… for giving you eyes to see, ears to hear, and a repentant heart before Him. If your heart is pure He is just and faithful to forgive us our trespasses.
Matt,
Thank-you for answering my post. I testify to you that my most sincere desire (and goal) is to keep my account with God RIGHT for the rest of my days. That word ‘accountability” is a heavy word, when you think of the implications.
what I really want is to have the experience that you had when you said “Before I was giving my tithe:
* I was living paycheck to paycheck
* I waited until the due date of my bills before I paid them
* Every single month I seemed to incur random expenses that consumed all my extra money and even pushed me more into debt
* Always broke even on my tax return or owed money to the government
* Bank fees: be they credit card over the limit, over-drawn checking account, late payments fees…you name it I paid it
* A guilty conscience
* A heavy heart
Now that I’m tithing, though no increase in salary this has been my experience:
* I’m able to save at least $200 every month
* I pay every bill the day it comes in the mail
* Random expenses have not been a part of my life for the last few months
* For the first time since we filed taxes Married Filing Jointly, my wife & I are receiving a sizable return of over $1,200
* No more bank fees
* A clear conscience and a happy countenance
* A peace that passes all understanding – Philippians 4:7”
Specifically, I want the LATTER part!
I’ve already experience the former, and it’s not fun. (Vast understatement)
I like the part where you said you actually pay your bills the day they come in the mail. That’s what I want! So far it has been that when the bills come, I am AFRAID to pay them, because the money in my bank account is dwindling. I don’t want to write a BOUNCING check.
I’m still behind in my mortgage…but I am RESOLUTE to keep tithing. I’m going to carry this thing through to the end. (Whatever the end may be)
Whatever prayers you guys on this board have prayed for me, I have to tell you that they mean more to me than silver and gold.
I listen to Alex Jones a lot, and Ive gotten a pretty good education about what’s REALLY going on in the world as far as the Bilderburgs, (sp?) Bohemian Grove and the New World Order.
The latest is the fiasco at our Nation’s airports with the full body scans and groping of people’s genitals in the name of “safety” (What a sham!) And a THINLY veiled one at that.
They apparently think we are all stupid. Or they don’t care and their unparalleled ARROGANCE is clear. BUT, It has gotten so bad that they have ticketed men in central park for playing chess, when these guys have been playing there for decades! BUT, the police state says they might be “child molesters,” so therefore they are being ticketed under suspicion.
Then there was the recent story of the little boy who was selling lemonade or cookies or something at a stand that he had made. He was approached and the police called on him because he apparently didn’t have a permit to sell cookies!
And the latest is that they want to make it illegal to grow your own backyard garden, and (Get this! They want to make it illegal to mix two food ingredients together! And they want to fine people several MILLION dollars for selling refurbished items at garage sales!!! These people are KOOKS! I mean they have literally gone off the deep end! (As has our country and our world)
I was practicing Christmas songs on my guitar last night, and it hit me If they keep getting away with this draconian rubbish, someday it will be illegal for me to play Christmas songs on my guitar! That’s how crazy it has gotten! Imagine me in my room playing Christmas songs, and all of a sudden the Police bust in dressed in swat gear and tell me I’m under arrest for violating the ordinances that forbid the practice of ANY Christianity in any form!!
Sound far fetched?
I mean we have Bill Gates trying to reduce the population by placing diseases in mosquitoes…and they are playing Frankenstein by mixing the genetic material from insects with animals to try to create NEW diseases that have never existed before!!
I’m telling you, guys, the devil, if you give him and inch will take a MILLION MILES!!!!
You know the old saying about “give him an inch and he’ll take mile?” Well, with our enemy, the devil (and his cronies) it’s a MILLION miles!!!
He won’t stop until we SMASH him under our feet like Jesus commanded us to!
Thank you for being patient, for I said all that to finally come to a point: The point is the New world Order has PLANS for all of us. I’ve seen the FEMA prison camps, I’ve seen the stacks of disposable coffins. I’m no dummy! They may THINK I’m stupid, but they have another think coming!
But here is my point: The Lord enlightened a scripture for me the other day. It’s found in Jeremiah 29:11. It says (God speaking, here) “I know the plans I have for you!” Of peace and not evil! To give us an expected end!” God has plans! Read it again! God has plans! So the NWO may have their rotten plans, but that scripture tells me that God’s plans SUPERSEDE and TRUMP the plans of the devil that he wants to carry out through his filthy, sick, “New World order”
I’m STANDING on that scripture and clinging to it with all my might!
AND while I still have check coming in, unemployment as it may be, I am going to HONOR God with every last breath by tithing and do all within my power to keep my account with him in the black, my past being covered by the blood of Jesus.
But again, Matt, it would mean all the world to me if I could experience what you are experiencing and see my bills payed as soon as they are due…what a TREMENDOUS blessing that would be!
As it is now, the first of the month always fills me with dread!
It’s funny you mention the fear based advancement and reporting of the NWO, then mention how it doesn’t matter for true believers… because the Lord has revealed these same truths to me as of late. They are definitely progressing with their plans, but that should not surprise us because the Lord has given Satan power over this world for a season, but not over God’s remnant, and only until the Lord comes back to reign in power and glory.
Alex Jones, the Tea Party movement, etc… they all have their facts correct in what terrible things are advancing in government. But they all miss one crucial and powerful point: that the LORD reigns overall, and that the NWO has no power other than the power my God gives them for a season! THAT is where the hope lies. 🙂
Keep honoring the Lord Doug, you can’t go wrong. Even if you end up like Job… suffering in right doing… at least you’re still doing right.
God bless.
There was a time when I wouldn’t even listen to Alex Jones, (My son played him on his PC daily) because it GRATED against my spirit. It sounded like he was ranting and raving and blowing hot air. It VEXED me to hear what he was saying.
But the deal with the full body scans at the airports got my attention, and I began to REALLY listen. And I found out this guy could get a bullet through his head at any time, so I changed my feelings to believe that he is telling the facts. Him and Jessie Ventura have more courage in the their little toes than most professed Christians have in their whole body.
I just could not stomach the thought of MY LOVED ONES being groped at the airports by some perverts. That did it for me.
I woke up real fast.
So anyway, as I said, I am standing on Psalm 91 and the other scripture that I mentioned. The word and promises of God are our ONLY HOPE. “A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come NIGH THEE.”
Matt, I have a question for you. I hope this doesn’t sound trivial, but you would be the number one guy to ask, in my book.
In my previous post, I spoke of being RIGHT with God and keeping my accountability in the black. In other words, getting right with God and STAYING right for the rest of my earthly days.
Now Matt, what qualifies as “INCREASE” that we need to be tithing on? Is it just our paycheck, only? If that’s the case, my mind wonders about the persecuted Christians in China who are dieing for the Lord every day and losing their families and getting beaten and whipped. They probably don’t have any income to tithe on. So if tithing is for EVERYONE, what defines INCREASE? Sorry to digress,but I REALLY need to know so I can do this RIGHT! Is increase EVERY CENT that comes into our hand, no matter from what source? How about GIFTS that people may give us? (Money gifts)
Specifically, a couple days ago, someone offered me $5 for a bottle of Apple Cider Vinegar that I had in my cupboard. I accepted the offer and sold it to him, so he gave me a five dollar bill.
Matt, does that count as INCOME or INCREASE under God’s definition? What exactly IS God’s definition? If we are tithing on our INCREASE, what exactly and specifically is INCREASE? How do you define it, in the context of Biblical commands?
I don’t have any problem at all in giving God a tithe and offering out of that five dollar bill, but I just want to be clear and specific on what His expectations are and how He defines increase.. If I found a dime on the floor, do I save aside a penny for God? I MUST have answers, as this is very important to me, for I don’t ever want to get in trouble with Him again!
Experts on the subject are probably few and far between, but I’m thinking Matt that you may indeed be one.
What do you think, Matt?
OK. I’m going to assume no reply is your way of telling me it was a dumb question. Though I was always told that the only stupid question is the one that is left unasked.
Anyway, so I’m going assume on the side of even gifts or small amounts of money that you are given or find should also be tithed on.
Doug,
Hi! So glad your refrig is looking much better today – Praise God!
Since Matt hasn’t addressed your question I would like to offer my two cents:
I don’t think your question is dumb. I believe the answer is, “It’s all about your heart.” What’s in your heart regarding tithing off of the little things?
If you’re trying to please God by your efforts, your ability to obey Him, you have fallen from God’s grace (Gal. 5:4). Your confidence would be misplaced in such a case, trusting in yourself rather than in God.
On the other hand, if you receive His grace/favor which has ALREADY been extended to you through the Cross of Christ you will feel a sense of relief because your confidence is being placed in the Truth (infallible) rather than yourself (fallible). Trust in God – it FEELS better!
Out of that overwhelming sense of peace/relief you will be grateful. And, that’s where the answer to your question comes in. For example: Last week someone filled the gas tank on our Chevy Tahoe out of love – a gift to God through us. I was thankful to God for moving this person’s heart on our behalf so we tithed off of the gift ($6 off of a $60 tank of gas). This week someone else bought us groceries. We also tithed off of that gift.
The gift you recently received from us was to God, through you. Likewise, the gift was from God through us so that in all things Jesus Christ is seen and honored.
Your financial offerings to God are not to earn His favor. They are PERSONAL acts of love and respect PERSONALLY to God, from you to Him – directly. Of course, He will impress you with someone or some organization as to where He would be pleased to receive your tithe/offerings (which are given out of a right heart). You’ll want to pray and ask Him where you could express your gratitude to Him – what person/organization. Pray believing that He will move your heart and then step out in faith!
Don’t let your giving be done from an attitude that is trying to appease an angry God (Jesus did that, to turn God’s wrath away from our sin once and for all), or trying to get Him to do something for you. Rather, give with an attitude which is responding to the extravagant goodness that He has already demonstrated to you at the Cross of Jesus Christ. Make it personal, a personal love affair with God.
I pray you will discover the Truth in new and fresh ways, unto the glory of God.
In Jesus’ Name,
Robert
Doug,
Correction in last paragraph, “…Jesus did that, to turn God’s wrath away from us by removing our sin once and for all…”
RST
Robert,
Thank-you for that very, very thoughtful answer. I plan to print it out and re-read it over and over as it is very deep!
Well guys, I said I would report the good as well as the bad with my tithing adventure, and today I have to report some bad. My set of keys that has my house key, my bedroom key and my car key has gotten into the hands of a known felon. Now I am going to have to change the locks on my house and bedroom and maybe even my car. It’s gonna cost me a bunch of money. I call that a losing situation. The devourer?
If you are going to ask, no I have not stopped my tithing.
New update. Some good mixed with some bad. Praise the lord, He allowed me to find my reading glasses. I had been riding in my mom’s car, and when we got back I checked everything to make sure I didn’t forget anything It was dark, so I had to feel with my hands. Later I discovered that my eye glasses were missiing. (Actually the case with the glasses inside them)
I have to tell you, without those glasses i am Mr Magoo. Especially when it comes to reading text.
I looked everywhere, and couldn’t find them.at all, Mom checked her car and didn’t find them. But after my pleading, she checked again, and lo and behold they had ROLLED to the back of the car.
And those were not a cheap pair. That’s a lot of bucks to lose.
So anyway, Praise the lord, God returned them to me.
But the bad part is that when i was driving the other night, my head lights started blinking on and off wildly and erratically. As I twisted the switch, they would temporarily come back on, but then they would go off again, and it seemed that evey time they did it a car was coming toward me in the other lane. It was almost as if the devil was TRYING TO KILL ME. It’s pretty scary driving without head lights!
But I made it home and finally took the car to get it checked out. The mechanic tells me the switch is corroded and he will replace it for about sixty bucks plus labor and he estimated it will be at least a hundred and twenty plus tax..So we’re talking a good hundred and fifty bucks.
That’;s bad news for me. I know God promised to rebuke the devourer, and it seems the devourer here got away with taking another chunk of my money. But maybe the devil is mad because I’m tithing. Yes it hurt, I’ll admit, because I thought when I am tithing God is supposed to protect me from these surprise expenses that pop up and EAT YOUR MONEY. . At least that is what others testify happens to them after they tithe faithfully.
So here is what I’m going to do. I’m going to assume that He is going to rebuke Him AFTER the fact. In other words he may have stolen a hundred and fifty bucks of my money, BUT if something miraculous happens, like say I get an unexpected surprise check in the mail out of nowhere, them I will consider that a pretty good rebuke.
So I’m hanging onto my faith for all it’s worth that he will REBUKE THE DEVIL because I am a tither now!!! Just like you guys! I am one of you now! All my past is under the blood, and my financial past is under it, so my time of my life when I didn’t tithe is covered by that blood. I’m an obedient tither now and I fully expect the promised blessings of the tither to kick in any time now in my life
I’m anticipating and waiting. And I’m not giving up.
Latest update. I’ve had both a blessing and a curse. well, maybe curse is not the right word, but I don’t know of any other word to describe the opposite of blessing.
Anyway, they finished the car, and it was a a lot more than he had estimated. So I can’t really consider that a blessing. I payed it of course, because I need a car but it is being taken out of my bill money living expenses.
After he finished the work, I picked the car up and drove it to mom’s. and to my shock, when I tried to get back in, the door lock wouldn’t work! it was dead a s a doornail. (It is a keypad, number combination lock on the outside of the door)
I called the mechanic and told him the combination was totally unresponsive, and he told me he had forgotten to out back in a fuse!
So he came down and tried to get in the car by sticking something down the crack of the window and jiggling it around. It took a long time but he finally got in, and when he replaced the fuse, bingo, it worked perfectly.
So here is the blessing: The fact that he was willing to eat his mistake and come all the way down and take time out of his schedule to fix it, at no extra charge and without complaining was a blessing.
The bad part, though, was the higher bill than he had estimated. That stung. It stung real bad.
As you can see, I’m trying to look on both sides of the coin, here, because I have taken God SERIOUSLY when He said in Malachi that we can TEST HIM to see if He will pour out so much blessing that we can not receive it.
I mean every word when I say I’m determined to tithe till the bitter end.
I have heard it over and over again that He will make the 90% go further than the 100% if we keep it to our self. So far I’m not seeing that, but I am hanging in with all my might. I want to be like Matt, where he says he gets his bills payed before the actual deadline when he tithes.
Isn’t that what you said, Matt? I I got it mixed up, bear with me. But I believe you said that. If not I stand corrected.
This month, nothing has changed as far as that, but maybe it takes a few months for the tithe blessing to kick in?
What I’m saying is I wanted to have all my bills payed on the first of the month, but I find myself dragging my feet, because my savings are running very, very low. (I’m paying all bills out of my savings) The money is just not there.
I read somewhere that there is a “tither’s confession” which is something which you say before you tithe that is in the form of a positive confession.
I copied it and prionted it out, but I got to thinking: What do we ned thsi for? He didn’t say “Bring all the tithes into the storehosue AND make positive confessions then i will pen the windows of heaven and rebuke the devourer>
As i read it, o only requires that we met one condition before He meets His end. That one condition is to bring the tithe and offering into the storehouse, PERIOD. No further instructions or commands are included in Malachi
So therefore, I’m not really sure about that confession.
I have to question why it was written in the first place. What can you guys tell me about this? Matt, do you have any knowledge or experience concerning making confessions over your tithe in order to get it to kick in?
Am I right in my assessment, or am I off?
I simply want to do things right, here, and I don’t want to screw up my tithing because of making a mistake..
Still, on the other hand if positive confessions over your tithe make it more effective, then Maybe I need to keep an open mind.
I can’t AFFORD to screw up, here, because I’m coming to the end of my savings and my money. I am still behind on my mortgage and my phone bill, and they are harassing me. They have not STOPPED just because I became a tither. Truth be told, if they knew it, they would most likely say that money belongs to THEM and I have no business giving it to a church.
BUT, they don’t understand spiritual laws, do they? The banks and the phone company don’t understand that ten percent of everything we make belongs to God. if they did, they would honor God and stop harassing me.
I mean after all I”M trying to honor God, so why can’t they??
The obvious answer is because they are UNGODLY.
However my financial past is covered by the blood of the lamb. I’m a tither now, and I’m one of you guys. I believe it was this website and my fiance’s urging that tipped me over the edge.
So Matt, what do you feel about the question concerning whether or not it’s necessary to make a positive tither’s confession over our tithes? What has been your experience, as a seasoned tither?
In my last post line four should read PUT back a fuse, not “out back” a fuse . Sorry. I’m not from Australia.
I just re-read my post and discovered all kinds of spelling errors. That’s just not like me. I’m usually very meticulous.
I know this has nothing to do with tithing…not directly. but I have to ask for prayer. Something is beginning to drive me crazy. You see, ever since my factory went to Mexico, over a year ago, something has been plaguing me.
This may sound crazy but almost EVERY NIGHT, I think literally hundreds of times now, I dream about that factory, that job, my boss, my plant manager, and my co workers.
It’s like my dreams keep putting me back there. The setting is not always the same, but I know it’s my factory because most of the time the plant manager is in the dreams. A guy I REALLY really liked by the way,, and who liked me and we had a very special rapport.
Anyway, it is getting very troublesome that these dreams won’t stop. It is even burdensome. I don’t WANT to continue to be plagued with these dreams,. and I have NO IDEA what they mean.
Is God telling me they may miraculously re-open someday?
I don’t think so. I mean it’s dead as a doornail there. They moved the major machines out, it’s a ghost town.
Plus with the Obamaconomy, I don’t hardly think they will ever be able to re-open their doors again.
Anyway, it’s almost becoming like a torment to keep dreaming of that place.
it didn’t help that yesterday a fellow worker died, one who trained me on that janitorial job, and i went to see little Larry at his viewing.
But the dreams have plagued me long before he passed away, that was just something that made it worse.
I need prayer real bad.
?
Matt,
I need to ask you this: When you started tithing, how long did it take before the promised blessings started “kicking in”
Specifically, how long was it before you were able to, for instance, be able to pay your bills either right on time or even before the due date?
Was it days? Weeks? Months? (Surely it wasn’t years, That’s why I didn’t include that)
Give me a reasonable idea here, so I can know what to expect.
I appreciate your answer.
Thanks, Matt
Hi Doug. Apologies for not being as reachable lately, I’ve been quite busy. Um, I believe the blessings began to manifest themselves quite immediately – with that said, my wife and I also had good jobs and earned far more than we spent – so we’re in a different situation than you. I still notice the blessings though. Our cars never break down and we rarely have any other unforeseen expenses pop up. But we also cut a ton of costs, we don’t pay for any TV service, I don’t have a mobile phone or home phone (use Google Voice for free,) we set spending limits on all categories of spending and stick to them, we stopped going out to movies and replaced it with a cheap Netflix subscription for little more than $10/month, we only budget one meal out each month, we cut our grocery budget in half and now grow/hunt/preserve a lot of our own food, etc, etc, etc.
You should not focus on the blessings, but on the fact that you are obeying God. That is where your joy should rest… God will never fail you – if you are His child. Are you born again? According to John chapter 3? Have you had a spiritual birth? Read John chapter 3 and let us know. God bless.
Great info Matt. Very good ideas for anyone looking to manage their resources as well as increase them.
Doug,
Look at tithing as honoring God with what you have. Don’t tithe because you want God to move or do something for you. HE has already done everything for you. All you have to do is receive what HE has already given you.
Blessings!!!
Thank-you for answering Matt. It was beginning to feel like dry gulch in this forum. I could almost see the tumble weeds blowing by.
Anyway, as far as blessings, I don’t want a bunch of material stuff. Believe me, there is very little in the way of material things that I desire. Just food.
The one blessing that I have in mind, and I can’t say I would consider selfish. I just want these debts off my back. I don’t want to be behind in my mortgage anymore. I don’t want to have creditors constantly harassing me asking for money that I really don’t have..
Like you, I have cut back to the very barest bones on anything I buy, and don’t have a TV or anything fancy. I live EXTREMELY simply. If I cut back any more, I’d be on the street.
And if I don’t catch up on the mortgage, that’s where I’m headed.
Matt, I meant to tell you I deeply appreciate your honesty. (You said your wife and you both had good jobs and you spent far less than you earned)
I was under the wrong impression. I was thinking that you guys were in a similar situation as mine, where God brought you up from the absolute pitts, which is where I’m living right now.
I was thinking that after you began tithing God gave you miracles to pull you out of a mess.
But your last post clarified things for me.
Unfortunately, in my situation, my wife can’t work because she passed away in 2006. And when she was alive she couldn’t work because she had a debilitating heart condition for twenty years.
Then when she died, I lost her income (disability) but was stuck with this same mortgage. And she left me her medical debts and more. She left a HUGE MOUNTAIN on my shoulders. And it is crushing me.
So pretty much my situation is the exact opposite of yours.
From what I understood in your post when you began tithing you really didn’t need an outright miracle to rescue you. So what happened with your tithing situation and your testimony bears little resemblance to mine.
I know you said focus on obeying God.
Believe me, Matt, I am. As much as is in me to do so.
But I have to say it becomes just a little bit difficult to keep your focus when the bank is constantly HARASSING you for money which you don’t have. (And other creditors.)
When he said He would open the windows of heaven, that to me would be to have abundance to GET THESE CREDITORS OFF MY BACK. When he said He would rebuke the devourer, then that would also be the same thing, because my creditors are DEVOURING what little savings I have left.
I don’t like being badgered, but badgering is what they specialize in.
Only a person who has been in absolute DESPERATE debt and under the constant barrage of attacks by creditors would understand.
if you haven’t been there, then I wouldn’t expect you to understand the stress and how it wreaks havoc on your mind. How it ties your stomach in KNOTS.
But again, Matt, I truly do appreciate your honesty in your last post. Now I know where I stand. And, um, I don’t stand too good.
I was hoping tithing would be my way of RESCUE, but it appears from your last post that it may not be. I’m sinking deeper and deeper into the slimy pitt called debt.
Still, as I promised, i will continue to tithe till the bitter end.
Free will giving with joy is but one step of many in obedience to God. God’s plan may not be for you to be rescued… and as hard as that may be, you have to be willing to accept that truth. Our job is to obey God with a pure heart, not so we can get ourselves into or out of any position, but because He commanded it. His thoughts are higher than our thoughts and His ways are higher than our ways. We need to focus on being CONTENT in whatsoever situation we are in as we obey God – and trust that all things work together for good for those who love God and are called according to His purpose. The Lord may need you to go through this time of hardship in preparation for some work He will call you into, you never know. Your duty is to obey Him with love and contentment in all situations… like Paul did when he was imprisoned for obeying God.
God bless Doug, hang in there and focus on obeying Christ, worshipping God in spirit, and on being content… even in destitution.
PS… I didn’t see you answer my question about being born again according to John 3. Without a spiritual birth we are at enmity with God and are condemned to hell for our iniquities.
Bro. Doug,
Pl. look to the Cross where the prince of peace died for you and me. Please think about what the Lord had done on the Cross and your doubts will fly away like morning dew. Our Lord Jesus Christ will refresh you.
Bro. in Christ
Isaac
Issac,
I AM looking to the cross. Where else could I possibly look? There is no other place.
All I can say is that I’ve been tithing for months, now. Since I first started in this thread. I made the determination to do it, and I am going to follow through come **** or high water.
BUT, my report is that so far, I am in just as bad a mess as I was when I started, if not worse. I’m Sorry, but my tithing testimony does not match up to the glowing tithing testimonies I have read on the internet. Not by a long shot. Oh, I’ve gotten some blessings, but nothing yet to prove what He said about pouring out a blessing so big that I can not contain it. He said PROVE HIM in this right? Did He not? We are told that this is the ONLY place in the Bible where we are invited to prove God?
Anyway, I had a realization today as I was praying. I remembered a verse in the Bible that I had read where He said “Jacob I loved , but Esau I hated. Then it hit me like a bolt out of the blue. Certain people, for reasons unknown to us are destined to be loved by God, and others are apparently destined to be hated.
I mean, it’s right there in the Bible, in Malachi, the same book that tells us to tithe.
I was thinking about my life this morning, and recalling my past, WAY back in my past, and it dawned on me: I have been hated by God for most of my life, even after I got saved.
Oh, I don’t think that the word hate, as used in the Bible here means hate as we normally use it in our society, (Because how can God hate when the Bible says in I’st John that God IS love?)
So I don’t think it’s hate as when humans say “I HATE so and so! I hate his guts and I wish he was dead!” That kind of human hate comes from Satan and involved deep animosity, and hostility and a wish to MURDER.
But I believe God’s hate as in this verse means simply a LACK of blessing, and or a lack of favor; a withholding of those things from a person’s life for whatever reason, not necessarily any animosity or hate as we think of when we think of the VICIOUSNESS of human hate.
Those things CAN’T be in God’s heart because God IS love. But He can certainly withhold favor and blessings for other reasons.
Anyway, I came to the conclusion this morning that that is where my life has been for the fifty five years I’ve been here.
With the deepest part of my being I was hoping that tithing would break that curse. But so far, it has not. My life is just as unblessed now that I am a tither as it was before I began tithing.
I read about the wonderful testimonies of other people who tithed and the wonderful things that happened in the lives. How God began to suddenly smile on them and suddenly THINGS BECAME DIFFERENT for them. Things miraculously turned around for them once they started to tithe.
They tell about how their car stopped breaking down, their gas mileage went up in their vehicle, their mortgage debts were miraculously wiped out and and they suddenly had enough money to meet their bills at the end of the month , etc, and it goes on and on.
When I read these testimonies I feel like a man outside a department store window, looking in at the nice things in the store, but locked out of the store, and all he can do is look and dream.
For reasons unknown to me the tithe has NOT broken the curse for me. I am still on the brink of being destroyed off the face of the earth. Just a few more things, and I will be a dead man; On the street. Just a thin thread to break, and I will be wiped OUT. Doug will be history.
But who cares, right?
Others can downplay my situation, but they are not in my shoes. That would be TOTALLY UNEMPATHETIC. They would then become nothing but Job’s comforters. I am in deep, DEEP pain. Every day I go through intense agony and mental torture, and their is no comfort from God or my friends. I have been in some bad situation in my life, but what I’m in now is by far the ABSOLUTE WORST I have ever experienced in my almost 56 years, here. If you knew my situation in detail, you would now that it is going to take MULTIPLE miracles to deliver me from the living hell that my life has become. Not just a miracle, mind you, but SEVERAL MASSIVE miracles that are way beyond my current faith level. For instance, who is going to deliver me from the clutches of the IRS when I am going to owe them at least grand this year and I DON’T HAVE IT!! Heck, I ‘m still not caught up on my mortgage and they are demanding their money, and now the IRS (read Gestapo) is going to want what little I have, too????? I am procrastinating in getting my taxes filed this year because I DREAD facing the IRS.
I have the banks and their fancy high priced lawyers after me for that mortgage money, and now the IRS on top of that? The bank has sent me a PILE of notices and they just never CEASE in their incessant demands. See what I mean by I’m about to be wiped off the face of the earth??
I have SEVERAL other creditors who are demanding their money, too. that has NOT changed since I began tithing. Hasn’t changed one iota. One creditor sued me and others are threatening to. The one that sued me got a judgment and now I have to come up with $150 every month by the fifteenth, or they can take every thing I have including the clothes on my back. I wrote them a letter practically begging for mercy, but they never answered back. After all these people are lawyers, and they know the law inside and out, while a little guy like me struggles to understand it. They know EXACTLY how to go about screwing a person. That’s what they do for a living after all. The sit around in their fancy offices on their big fat buts, and people send them their money for fear of being taken back to court again. So in effect, they are parasites who feed off the poor of society. They get rich and fat, while I struggle to make ends meet every month. The fifteenth is hear and I have not sent them their money this month because I have to decide whether or not to pay THEM or keep my utilities on.
I have a brother who was helping me with hundred dollars a month toward that debt, but guess what? After I began tithing he stopped helping me. So after I began to give ten percent to God, I found that instead of increasing my fiances, they DECREASED. It’s like I’m being forced to make bricks without straw.
And I don’t need Job’s comforters.
And that is the last thing I need, is for people to rub salt in my wounds, because I am DEEPLY wounded and I am bleeding from the inside out. Hemorrhaging inside my spirit.
Doug,
If you situation is as bad as it sounds by your description, you do not need to fear the IRS. They are required to work with taxpayers who are in dire straits. There are ways to have your tax reduced or completely forgiven if it would create an undue and unfair burden on you. I suggest you do not delay filing your taxes and begin looking into the collections and appeals process. If you are sincere and honest, you should have no difficulty getting the IRS to work out either an agreement to let you pay a lower amount over a long period of time or to completely forgive the taxes due.
Doug,
Through this message, you’ve exalted all sorts of things over the Cross of Christ which you say you are focusing on. Experience or circumstance do not dictate the truth. Truth dictates circumstance. God promises to lift those who bow down to the Truth. Turn from exalting your past pains and sufferings above the cross. Bring them under the authority of the Cross of Jesus Christ, receive the favor of God demonstrated at the Cross and begin telling your circumstances to bow to the Truth. That way it is His power and authority which backs your humble words.
If you have Jesus as Savior you have God’s favor…because Jesus bought God’s favor for you. That’s the black and white Truth.
2 Cor 5:15 and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.
2 Cor 5:16 From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer.
2 Cor 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
2 Cor 5:18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.
“…ministry of reconciliation…”
The word “reconciliation” in 2 Cor 5:18 means “restored to divine favor.” A person is either restored to favor before God or not. There is no in between. This comes by faith, an act of the will. There are certainly trials, testings, prunings and the like; however, all those are to be received with thanksgiving by those who have been reconciled to divine favor by the work done at the Cross of Jesus Christ.
I’ve found that no matter the fuss I present in prayer God will not restore to me things which He is trying to remove from my life. Rather, His continual flow of upholding power, resources, favor, provision, safety, protection and the like are found “in Christ.”
Col 3:1 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
Col 3:2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on earthly things.
Col 3:3 For you have died, and your new life is hidden with Christ in God.
Col 3:4 When Christ who is your new life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
As you press into your new, hidden life you will discover Christ. As you discover Christ others will see Him through your experiential revelation of God. The “appear with Him in glory” is not strictly after “the rapture.” He’s eager to display His glory through you NOW. However, that’s only experienced through the new hidden life. All that glory is hidden FOR you and FROM the devil. It’s the glory of God to conceal a matter and the glory of royalty to search the matter out (Pro. 25:2). Are you royalty (1 Pet. 1:9)?
I don’t speak with any malice. I speak the truth in love. There will be no change in your life or circumstances until you receive by faith, an act of the will, the validity of God’s Word and are willing to live or die for the Truth (Rev. 12:11) without any regard for yourself (Luke 14:26-27), but only a passion for the Cross of Christ to be honored. How can one teach others to honor the Cross if they themselves are not honoring Jesus’ sufferings, even the rewards thereof.
What is your passion for? Self-restoration? Self-blessing? Or, is your passion to see the rewards of Jesus’ sufferings be made manifest in the earth? The full repossession of that which is ALREADY redeemed by His blood. If your passion is to join God in repossessing that which is His, you will find superabundant resources to get the job done. If however your passion is to be restored to comfort so that you can then “go and disciple all nations” you will likely be waiting a long time and be sorely disappointed.
My experience, which by the grace of God is bowed down to the Truth, has taught me to abandon myself altogether that I may inhabit Him who saved me. From there, only He knows the specifics of how things will work out.
God is eager to “redeem” all of your past hurts and sufferings. That is, turn them around restoring honor unto you through Christ. But as He Personally spoke to me last week, His will is good to all but available only to those who will give up their own will.
In Jesus’ Name,
Robert
Doug,
God loves you more than you’ll ever know. He gave you His Only Begotten Son. He forgave all your sin before you even committed them. You are not cursed because Jesus became a curse for you. I pray that you get a revelation of God’s love for you. Medidate on the times that you felt God was there (though He has never left you) instead of thinking of the bad things that ‘might’ happen. Start thanking God for everything and peace will reign in your heart.
Testimony – From air traffic control in NY on 9/11/01 to Hurricane Katrina miracles to passing through “the eye of a needle” to church planting – evidence of Jesus Christ in “my” life: http://www.churchcloud.com/oz/sermons/
Just like the Twin Towers, my life came crumbling down. But God…
I thought it would be great to share my testimony on tithing, so that anyone out there who may be doubting or even just without the know how, can start trusting God because He honors His word above His name. I had to relocate from America back to Africa late 2009. Since then I have had no income, I survived from handouts from family members. All the free time I had, I spent in church, praying, or fellowshipping. However, my financial situation got worse, even though all my basic needs were met, I had the desire to be financially independent, sometimes wanting to help others in need but unable to do it fully. I remember taking so much money that I would receive from family members and take it to church, but still I did not see much change, not to say I won’t, but I just haven’t yet. Six weeks ago, I had reached bottom and very desperate for so many things, including a job. Laying on my bed, I felt guided to start a small popsicle business and sell it to the neighbourhood children, since its very sunny. I immediately jumped out of bed took the few coins I had and even borrowed a few more coins from my mother and bought the ingredients. I made some that night, and started off. Days later, I got ideas of where else I could sell, then more ideas of what more ingredients to add or remove to make the popsicles of high quality and still affordable and profitable. Week 1 I made KKsh108, I gave all the profit as my firstfruit offerings. Week 2 I made Ksh402 and gave more than the tithe required, Week 3 I made Ksh242 again I gave more than the required tithe, Week 4 I made Ksh360, but this time around though abit discouraged that I was not seeing open doors, I gave ksh 260 and kept on trusting God.
I then struggled through week 5 since I had no money to buy the needed ingredients to continue the business. At the end of the week I had madeKsh320 but with a debt of Ksh 200 plus. Worse still, I borrowed money to buy a major ingeredient and after mixing it all up, it all spilled on the floor and I had lost everything but a very small fraction. I had started losing hope and even being discouraged when my breakthrough would happen. So as I closed the book for the week, I remember looking at the loss, and remembering the spill of ingredients, I then muttered under my breath and said, Lord I refuse to be limited by the numbers I see, I know you are faithfull. Two days later I got an email from a friend telling me she had sold my old TV in the US at $100 and she had actually sent me Ksh8198 from the sale. I was more that excited and marveled at God’s faithfulness when we trust in Him.
I pray so much that anyone out there that may be struggling financially or in any way possible, please consider obeying God in paying your tithes. Malachi 3:9-12 has made it clear of the awesome things God will do jus t by obeying this simple command. It is very simple because He is asking for a tenth and leaving us with 90% including mind blowing blessings. I hope I have encouraged even just one of you, I too was encouraged by reading other testimonies written by faithfull tithers. Our God is faithful, praise His Holy name, let us praiseHim. I am still trusting Him for more than enough, and today I just opened a bank account as an act of Faith. I will be back with more testimonies, I promise!
Matt
I have tithed and not missing once in the last three years, yet my money problems still are here. I going to try to thank the Lord for everything that I have and receive from Him. As one person posted below. Let you know what happens. Need prayer
A few things to remember… we give because God allows us to as a blessing to us (it is more blessed to give than to receive,) not because we expect something in return for it. Giving doesn’t cure money problems either, living on less than we earn does. Also, giving is a commandment for Christians, not an option.
The tithing system that is in place today cannot be found in the new or old testaments. So where did it come from. Are we not ‘making void the word of God with our traditions’? The tithing in the old covenant took care of the poor and widows. The tithing of today takes tithes from the poor and widows. See what I mean? How did it change. A guy making 400.00 a week pays 40.00. 360.00 to support his family with. A guy making 4,000.00 a week pays 400.00 and has a paltry 3,600.00 to support his family with. Do you smell a rat yet. This is not a fair system. God is cruel by this definition of tithing.
Dave, it is because tithing places you under a curse. You must keep all the old testament laws in order to be blessed. You can’t cherry pick tithing. About tithing. You need to pay tithes according to the commands of God. No one does today, therefore an added curse. Paul never mentioned it once but did say we should be willing to help with the needy and missionaries. BUT…not to the point where it hurts you to benefit another. So please get out from under any ordinance or ceremonial laws of the O.T.. Those were for Israel in another time before Christ ushered in a new covenant.
Good morning
My heart is heavy and truly convicted! I know I am supposed to tithe. Can I work up to a tenth, or does it have to be the full tenth? I will admit that I am scared. I live paycheck to paycheck, and my physical eyes don’t understand how to tithe when I have bills that must be paid. Is this called faith? I am even more scared of not being obedient to GOD…
What bills do you have?
Matt,
I have rent, car payment, car insurance, electric, gas, cable, cell, student loan. I am praying about moving into something cheaper (renting a room).
Cancel cable and lose the cell phone. I haven’t had either for over a year. That will free up over $100/month. Use Google voice for free over your computer instead, that’s what I do – for business and personal. Instead of TV, read personal finance books to gain motivation.
Asil, who told you that you are suppose to tithe?
I had a running debate with my sister about my buying goods for church pantry. I say it is not tithing she says yes who is right.
That can only be answered by each individual according to their personal relationship with Christ. Technically it is giving, but it’s the motive that is important to the Lord, and that is different with every individual and each gift.
2 things that God never told me to do. 1:Go to church. 2:Pay tithes. It was men that me to do these 2 things. God had already revolutionized my life completely but He never impressed upon me those 2 items. So I obeyed man and it screwed my walk up with God for about 27 years. I am now free.
Look what happened to Ananias and Sapphirah when they refused to hand over their money. Both were dead within hours.
Matt
I appreciate your desire to be faithful and your frugality. However….
The law of tithing ti support the Old Covenant priesthood and temple no longer applies to Christians. Most telling there is no example of giving to the “local church” for the purpose of sustaining that organization. Rather the model was a complete sharing among Christians so that all benefitted and none were went without, not the majority of Christians giving to pay the salary of one or a few men. All of the giving in the New Testament went to meet the material needs of believers or in one case to support an itinerant worker ministering in a far off land. There is just not a command or example anywhere in the New Testament for “storehouse” giving. Christians are not called to tithe but to radically share with one another.
Yep, I understand this Arthur. When I wrote this back in 2009 (I reposted it because I’m busy moving to NC) I wasn’t clear on the topic. Now I “give” according to the New Testament. The point I’m really trying to make is that that you just cannot go wrong giving to the Lord’s work or to other believers in need.
‘He who gives bountifully shall reap bountifully. He who gives sparingly shall reap sparingly’. I do not believe that this means receiving money ot material supply. I believe it means spiritual blessings, knowledge, wisdom, understanding and the like.
Let me explain my own experience. I gave and gave and gave for more than 2 decades. Never seen any monetary return of any note. In fact we struggled for those years just to keep head above water. So I went to God. We had it out. He empressed on me that I was already blessed. All things are Christ’s and I dwell in Him so all things are mine in reference to my needs being met. He gave me one verse to back that up. ‘..and we know the GRACE of our Lord Jesus in that though He was rich yet for our sakes He became poor that we through His poverty might be rich[have all of our needs and even some desires met’. Note the word GRACE in that verse. Does that tell you something. You cannot earn His provision by works or giving money away. We should always be willing to distribute to those in need as He speaks to us.
So I tried it on for size. I prayed and quoted that verse to God daily for about 6 months. Over the course of the next year I received 2700 dollars out of nowhere because at various times I needed the help desperately.
I also am attentive to His voice when I’m out and about. Many times He has directed me to help someone I see. But this does not buy me favor with God. I already have favor with Him from the day He brought me into the family of the redeemed.
Are you seeing it? You cannot by His blessings by the false tithe or by giving your money away. Giving to get some would say. We are blessed already whether we have much money at the moment or not. Take that verse and pray on it and talk it over with God every day.We give to help the missionary and the poor as He prods us but that’s because He says all things in Christ belong to us. He already paid for it. Quit trying to earn God’s favor as it is falsely taught in most churches. Much seeking God on this is the only way to lay hold of it.
I know sincere believers who feel the tithe is no longer valid. We haven’t been convinced by their reasoning so are still tithing. It has been extrememly difficult at times financially and we certainly haven’t had the wonderful financial “blessings” many of you experienced. It comes down to this for us, anything not from faith is sin. And guess what?, we’re still here, we still have food and clothes and shelter. Tithing has been helpful in our keeping a budget as everything has to be accounted for.
I’d like to make two suggestions. One is the riches of one person are meant to be shared to meet the needs of another first within the body of Christ. That’s why the apostles appointed deacons, but that doesn’t preclude our giving quietly to another brother or sister. We’ve found our own small “windfalls” come at just the time another within the body is really strapped. So if you know people like the brothers and sisters who expressed their difficulties, bless them with your extra, even if it’s a cup of cold water.
The second is the individual church’s responsibility to remain financially transparent to the congregation. To do right in the sight of all men. Here is one way to do that, there are probably others. Our church prints up a yearly budget a month before a December congregational meeting. It includes the pastor’s salary and benefits, deaconal disbursements (but not who they are given to), and all anticipated operating expenses. The budget designations are worked on by the trustees (those responsible for the physical property), deacons, elders and treasurer and are open for discussion and approved of by vote by the congregation. Plus, every month the current giving and expenses are printed in the church bulletin so that everyone knows if the offerings are “on target”.
Several people mentioned they are between churches. Usually these three “marks” are mentioned as something to look for. Is the word faithfully preached? Are the sacraments handled biblically? Is there biblical church discipline? I would add, do the people love one another? These are different from prefernces, such as worship style or demographics but should carry some weight in the decision as they are the things addressed most heavily in the epistles. We are a body and gathering together is God’s means to sanctify (the body is built up as each member does it’s part) and encourage one another (not forsaking the assembly of ourselves together… but encourage one another). It’s really hard to be out there on your own.
Hope this helps someone. Thanks Matt for starting the discussion.
Olivia, all I can tell you is things we have experienced. When I tithed for 21 years we struggled with no returns. When I quit tithing and trusted God with the verse I mentioned, the blessings started pouring in.
I view giving as a gift God gave me. It is a blessing to me when I give to others, and I’ll never stop. I give joyfully to my church and to other believers in need. It just works.
Hi Matt. Thank you for sharing. I too notice a difference during the times I have not tithed. But, in honesty I have also had tough times while tithing and learned SO much. I also do not claim it on my taxes and tithe in cash so it’s just between me and God.
One thing I recently learned is that the Jews actually gave 20% not 10%. The first 10 went to the temple and the second 10% went directly to the poor. This is also found in the old testament. I am considering… it just seems like such a good idea. Yes, it will take some adjustments but what better way to use the money I earn? I heard of an organization that can put in a well in a town that has no money for $500. What a difference that would make to the lives of the poor.
Sounds like a great system Carol, it feels so great to give. Let us know if you end up doing this and how it goes. God bless.
There were 3 festival tithes that they spent on themselves.
Also the tithe was never money. Only agrcultural products and the herdsmen tithed. Nobody else tithed.
I agree with your post completely. Since willingly tithing the full 10% with a gracious heart, I’ve found things to be so much easier. Favorable circumstances continue to happen, my heart is full of joy, and I walk with confidence knowing that God is protects me and provides for me because I trust in him 100%.
To be honest I don’t know how I can afford to tithe. I should be short every month, but I’m not. The first few months were hard when I had to decide if I was going to pay the Lord first or my credit card payment. After a few failed attempts of trying to pay debt first and getting stuck with overdraft fees anyway.. I then tried paying the Lord first… And tried not to worry about the consequences.
Initially I was tested by still coming short, but soon after little miracles began to happen. Someone who owed my money that I thought I’d never see again would call wanting to pay me back. I’d win a couple hundred in a drawing a work. There were and continue to be so many instances of God showing me grace and favor because of my trying earnestly to seek him and be obedient to his word. I’m not saying I’m perfect, or that everything else is —- I’m just saying that relying on God offers real security. Whereas, relying on myself, others or this world — does not.
Well said Hannah! God bless.
Tithing is a sure way of staying on top. It comes back in various ways like divine healing, protection, defence, favour, connections, long life and great achievement in life without struggling. I started tithing when I began my work after schooling. My first salary I took to my father for blessing and gave him part of it and pay my tithe. This is almost 16 years now. I don’t lack money, the land I bought for building someone just gave me the full amount. I went to hospital for etopic pregnancy operation, someone called the doctor and said do whatever necessary to keep her alife I wll pay everything, no matter the amount. The car I am using today with husband was bought for N555.000. I was surprised at the end of the day, I was asked to pay N200,000. God is rewarding in one way or the other. HIS IS FAITHFUL TO HIS WORD.
I’ve been a faithful tither for 8+ years. The 1st year I received 3 $200 a month raises and I’ve always received a tax refund. I haven’t had a raise in 4 years, and my debt is increasing, mostly to the government. I can’t seem to pay down my student loans because there is always something popping up. The IRS said I owe them $4600 now they’re saying I owe $8800. I have no credit card debt, I don’t own a home nor will I ever at this rate, and I still live paycheck to paycheck. I live on bare essentials and I still can’t get my head above water. I don’t understand what I’m doing wrong.
Hi Andi,
Its sad that you are going through a lot financially, but one thing to change are your words that you are speaking. Life and death are in the tongue and you will eat the fruit thereof. Speak life to receive life, try not to look at the circumstances, find the good in all things and you will soon see a turn around. Also I bought a DVD by Jesse Duplantis, “Why Isn’t My Giving Working?” Awesome information. It explains the Tithe, Offering, First Fruits and the Alms, these Spiritual laws should be obeyed so that the enemy can not destroy our ground….Priceless….Jesse Duplantis is a blessed individual!
God Bless,
Tracy
I was never taught about the “tithe”. I grew up in a mind control cult and after researching the leaders, I discovered they were a bunch of false prophets and I left. My family shuns me, my wife divorced me. I felt totally alone. I started attending ‘regular’ churches and again met more false prophets, coming to me and predicting things over me and my life as a ‘word from God’. Needless to say, every last word they spoke was a lie, I cannot to this day figure out how God could let this happen, I have little faith in anything as a result. When I read Malachi about the tithe, i started giving every month for months, after all God says to ‘test me out in this’. Things got worse and worse, My son was in a terrible accident. I felt overwhelmed by people constantly wanting to borrow money from me and for me to do them favors. i don’t mind helping people, but this was every day of my life and I had no peace. I was always running low on money because of others problems and most of them never paid me back. I even got letters from ministries wanting yet more money from me, I guess they were never content with what I was giving. This really agitated me and I stopped giving completely. It is very hard for me to believe anything people tell me, 99.9% is usually lies, lies and more lies. I can’t stand this world of deception. I came to the conclusion that I can’t even trust what God says, ‘test me out in this’ is what God, supposidly says in Malachi. Well, if its God, then He too has failed the test.
This world is a living hell because we are separated from God, who is in heaven. This is all a result of our sin, it separated us from him. In his grace He sent Jesus to atone for our sin, though we don’t deserve it. Look past humans and look to Jesus, He is the only way – the way the truth and the life. Blessings Jan!
God is ever faithful. He knew your heart and was waiting to know what you would do. You are a life, moving about, eating and your health is with you.God has been good to you. You may not know what God has planned for you in future and you are busy accusing him. He owns heaven and earth, what is your need that he cannot provide?