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1-INTRODUCTION
It seems so few people these days give tithes, offerings, and alms, yet they profess to be walking with
God. This applies to people all over the world. By their actions, they deny Him.
Every person is to give 10% of their total income to God. This is called a tithe. Tithing is a command from
God. In addition, as the Lord provides, a person should give extra (an offering) and also should give to the
poor (alms). Giving an excuse, such as, "I don’t have enough," is not acceptable to God. Obey the Gospel.
Even a person in prison receiving an income or other items is to tithe on them.
Preachers and ministries are also to tithe. Tithing is for everyone including missionaries. Can you receive
the love of the truth? Every pastor and every ministry ought to tithe. Ministries should consider tithing to
other ministries as God directs.
Would it cause offense to suggest that you give an offering, when asking a ministry for a cassette or book?
Those that can ought not only to give an offering but give generously.
Do you want the truth, or do you wish to continue living in deceit? God forbid, all too often, those that
profess Christ are yielding to the lusts of the flesh, covetousness, and evil desires. It is written, IF ANY
MAN HAVE EARS TO HEAR, LET HIM HEAR-Mk 7:16.
The subject of giving tithes and offerings is covered in Mal 3:8,9-WILL A MAN ROB GOD? YET YE
HAVE ROBBED ME. BUT YE SAY, WHEREIN HAVE WE ROBBED THEE? His answer is: IN TITHES
AND OFFERINGS. YE ARE CURSED WITH A CURSE: FOR YE HAVE ROBBED ME. There is a lot of
misleading preaching on prosperity in the church today. Some may say, "Just send me $100.00, and a
financial blessing will be poured out on you."
Note, Malachi said, YE ARE CURSED WITH A CURSE, if you are not giving tithes and offerings. So we
are to give tithes and offerings. Why? because we are commanded to. We are also to give alms. Many are
sick, hurting financially, or have multitudes of problems. One area to examine is whether or not you are
obeying God in the area of tithes and offerings.
2-WHAT IS A TITHE?
Now what do we mean by a tithe? A tithe is ten percent of everything. For instance, do you have a fruit
tree? tithe ten percent of your fruit tree. Do you have a garden? tithe ten percent of the increase of your
garden. Do you rent houses to others? tithe ten percent of your profit.
Perhaps, you own an apartment and rent it out. This does not mean you begin spending lots of money to fix
it up, saying, "I’ll give what is leftover to the Lord." Perhaps, you try to justify spending large amounts of
money on your taxes—as tax write-offs. You are not to do that with God. You are not to play games with
God. Ten percent of your total income, before taxes, before bills, before food, belongs to God. Ten percent
of your gross income, right off the top: before electric bills, before water bills, is God’s. If you rob God,
you can expect to have a curse on you.
The tithe is the first ten percent. If you receive something, you tithe or give the best. You do not give the
worst to God, but the best. For instance, if you catch ten fish, you tithe one of those fish. You do not tithe
the worst one, you tithe the best one.
5-FREELY GIVE
Jesus tells us, Mt 10:8-FREELY YE HAVE RECEIVED, FREELY GIVE. The Lord will reward each
person as they give, however, not always in the way you may expect. God will reward you in the way He
wants to. Have a giving heart, and let God take care of the rest. 2 Cor 9:12 NIV-THIS SERVICE THAT
YOU PERFORM IS NOT ONLY SUPPLYING THE NEEDS OF GOD'S PEOPLE BUT IS ALSO
OVERFLOWING IN MANY EXPRESSIONS OF THANKS TO GOD (the results of your giving). Then
he says, THANKS BE TO GOD FOR HIS INDESCRIBABLE GIFT!-2 Cor 9:15.
It is written, Neh 10:38-AND THE PRIEST THE SON OF AARON SHALL BE WITH THE LEVITES,
WHEN THE LEVITES TAKE TITHES (the Lord commands the Levites to take tithes from the people):
AND THE LEVITES SHALL BRING UP THE TITHE OF THE TITHES UNTO THE HOUSE OF OUR
GOD, TO THE CHAMBERS, INTO THE TREASURE HOUSE. Where does it go? to the treasure house
of the church.
It is also wise to bear in mind that, one way or another, we can expect to pay our tithes. If we refuse, then
we may end up paying it in the form of hospital bills. It is better to give the firstfruits of all thine increase to
the church rather than to a repairman for your car, or a hospital, or a doctor.
Do you think you are going to heaven, yet you do not tithe? Is a robber going to enter heaven? Unless he
repents, no, he will not. Are those that rob banks going to enter heaven? No, not unless they repent. Well,
which is worse? to rob a bank or to rob God? If you are not going to enter heaven robbing banks, you are
not going to heaven by robbing God. A person who says, "I’ve been a Christian for 5 years," but does not
tithe, can expect a surprise at the judgment, as their actions indicate they have not truly repented. They will
not obey God’s Word.
We are to have a willing heart, as, 1 Chr 29:6,7,9-THE CHIEF OF THE FATHERS AND PRINCES OF
THE TRIBES OF ISRAEL, AND THE CAPTAINS OF THOUSANDS AND OF HUNDREDS, WITH
THE RULERS OF THE KING’S WORK, OFFERED WILLINGLY. This should also be your attitude: yet
perhaps you say, "I don’t have enough to even live on, let alone tithe!" Then you can expect a curse, for the
Bible (which is true) says it will come. AND GAVE, FOR THE SERVICE OF THE HOUSE OF GOD (you
are giving for the service of the house of God)....THEN THE PEOPLE REJOICED, FOR THAT THEY
OFFERED WILLINGLY. (We rejoice, because giving is close to the heart of God. He gave everything,
didn’t He? Even His only begotten Son for you.) BECAUSE WITH PERFECT HEART THEY OFFERED
WILLINGLY TO THE LORD. With a perfect heart they offered willingly to the Lord. Now examine
yourselves: when you pay your tithes, is your heart saying inside, "I wish I’d kept back some of it"? Are
you giving grudgingly? or do you have a perfect heart that wants to give, because it is holy to the Lord?
Give with a right spirit, with a perfect heart, and with a willing mind.
We are to, Neh 10:35-37-BRING THE FIRST FRUITS OF OUR GROUND, AND THE FIRST FRUITS
OF ALL FRUIT OF ALL TREES (all fruit of all trees) YEAR BY YEAR, UNTO THE HOUSE OF THE
LORD: ALSO THE FIRST-BORN OF OUR SONS, AND OF OUR CATTLE, AS IT IS WRITTEN IN
THE LAW, AND THE FIRSTLINGS OF OUR HERDS AND OF OUR FLOCKS, TO BRING TO THE
HOUSE OF OUR GOD, UNTO THE PRIESTS THAT MINISTER IN THE HOUSE OF OUR GOD: AND
THAT WE SHOULD BRING THE FIRST FRUITS OF OUR DOUGH, AND OUR OFFERINGS, AND
THE FRUIT OF ALL MANNER OF TREES, OF WINE AND OF OIL, UNTO THE PRIESTS, TO THE
CHAMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF OUR GOD; AND THE TITHES OF OUR GROUND UNTO THE
LEVITES.
We are to remember, HE WHICH SOWETH SPARINGLY SHALL REAP ALSO SPARINGLY; AND HE
WHICH SOWETH BOUNTIFULLY SHALL REAP ALSO BOUNTIFULLY-2 Cor 9:6. This is a law of
God. It does not mean, if you give one hundred dollars that you’re going to get back one thousand dollars.
You will get back generously from the Lord, but in the way He desires to give it to you. It might be in
wisdom and knowledge. 2 Cor 8:7 NIV-SEE THAT YOU ALSO EXCEL IN THIS GRACE OF GIVING.
One thing that is troubling is when we see a person that does not excel in the grace of giving. Anyone that
does not excel in the grace of giving, usually falls away.
Another method certain ministers use, is to have you hold up your offering or alms; they may even have
you wave it before the people. Apparently, they have found that people give more this way—God forbid,
the ways of the church in this last generation. The Bible tells us, FOR IF THE WILLINGNESS IS THERE,
THE GIFT IS ACCEPTABLE ACCORDING TO WHAT ONE HAS, NOT ACCORDING TO WHAT HE
DOES NOT HAVE-2 Cor 8:12 NIV.
Please bear in mind, this is referring to offerings, not tithes. You tithe on everything, as the Scriptures have
already established. Your tithe comes off of the top. Then what is left goes for your living and so on. God is
to receive His ten percent. He simply gives you an income of a certain amount—ten percent of which is
His. The remaining ninety percent is yours; however, remember according to what you have always try to
give at least a little extra for an offering and do not forget to give alms.
13-EXCEL IN GIVING
We are to excel in giving. As it is written, Lk 6:38-GIVE, AND IT SHALL BE GIVEN UNTO YOU;
GOOD MEASURE, PRESSED DOWN, AND SHAKEN TOGETHER, AND RUNNING OVER, SHALL
MEN GIVE INTO YOUR BOSOM. FOR WITH THE SAME MEASURE THAT YE METE WITHAL IT
SHALL BE MEASURED TO YOU AGAIN. Phili 4:16,17-FOR EVEN IN THESSALONICA YE SENT
ONCE AND AGAIN UNTO MY NECESSITY. NOT BECAUSE I DESIRE A GIFT: BUT I DESIRE
FRUIT THAT MAY ABOUND TO YOUR ACCOUNT. Giving results in fruit that may abound to your
account. Do you want to lay up rewards in heaven?
In Lk 8:3 NIV-we read of women that were helping meet the needs of Jesus: THESE WOMAN WERE
HELPING TO SUPPORT THEM (the Lord and His disciples) OUT OF THEIR OWN MEANS.
The Bible tells us, Deut 16:17-EVERY MAN SHALL GIVE AS HE IS ABLE, ACCORDING TO THE
BLESSING OF THE LORD THY GOD WHICH HE HATH GIVEN THEE. In 2 Ki 12:4, we read, AND
ALL THE MONEY THAT COMETH INTO ANY MAN’S HEART TO BRING INTO THE HOUSE OF
THE LORD. The Lord will lay on your heart what to give. When it comes time to give an offering (not a
tithe, as tithing is a command), ask God what He wants you to give. God should put an amount into your
mind. Then, all of a sudden, some other amounts may also come into your mind—lower amounts. For
instance, we may be visiting a church, and the Lord might say, give one hundred dollars to this church.
Then, all of a sudden, a voice says, "No! only give ten dollars; you need the other $90.00." In almost every
case, the first figure—the highest one—is of the Lord. The confusion that sets in afterward, you can expect,
is from the devil. So what do you do? Do you give grudgingly or cheerfully? Excel in the grace of giving!
Let’s look again at Mal 3:8-WILL A MAN ROB GOD? YET YE HAVE ROBBED ME. BUT YE SAY,
WHEREIN HAVE WE ROBBED THEE? IN TITHES AND OFFERINGS. In Pv 21:26-HE COVETETH
GREEDILY ALL THE DAY LONG (the opposite of giving is coveting greedily all the day long): BUT
THE RIGHTEOUS GIVETH AND SPARETH NOT.
So Jesus told the rich man to sell what he had, then follow Me. Perhaps, this was because he would be
following Jesus while looking at his riches: trusting in his riches, not in God. Any obstacle that comes
before Jesus, needs to be repented of. Note, this does not mean the Lord tells everyone to sell every house.
That is not what has been said. Nevertheless, when the young man heard that, he went away sorrowful, for
he had great possessions.
22-SUMMARY
Mal 3:8,9-WILL A MAN ROB GOD? YET YE HAVE ROBBED ME. BUT YE SAY, WHEREIN HAVE
WE ROBBED THEE? His answer is: IN TITHES AND OFFERINGS. YE ARE CURSED WITH A
CURSE: FOR YE HAVE ROBBED ME.
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