If you knew of a key requirement about the faith, a requirement that would help to guarantee God's favor, wouldn't you share it?
If you have been reading this blog you should know by now that I am passionate about a key to the Christian life that is primarily found in James 1:27 "Look after Orphans and Widows..."
This book discusses one such topic, Tithing.
When was the last time your church preached on Tithing? Oh and not in a year when they were doing a Building Fund Drive? Not recently... As a church we tend to steer clear from this 'touchy' subject.
"Of Course." you might say, "We are in a recession. We don't want to make people GUILTY for not tithing.." Well, I can reply with 2 things.
1) Check out the Box office for last week's movies. How many MILLIONS or BILLIONS did they take in. Check out the sales for the IPAD, or the IPHONE ver. 1 and the update. We have $ we just spend it on things we care about. Didn't someone once say "Where you're heart is there your treasure will be also..."
2) Read through Micah. Not only does this book of the Bible talk about tithing but it talks about God asking why they ROB HIM... they robbed Him by not giving of their first fruits. Their Tithing.
Here is another thought... We will spend 5 hours in a car lot trying to figure out a way to pay for something we can't afford, YET we will NOT spend 5 SEC's trying to figure out a way to GIVE money we do have.
I typically purchase 2 or 3 times a week a Pepsi at the Gas station. That is almost $2.00 each time. Then what about those times I eat out when I could have taken a sack lunch... Do you do Starbucks? 3 times a week? That can be $12-15 of EXTRA money that you could be giving.
This book Tithing: Test Me in This by Douglas Leblanc is a book of stories of those who live a life of generosity. It then shows how out of their generosity they are overflowing with Happiness... This book was a great collection of uplifting stories that will challenge the way you look at tithing and the importance of it. I received this copy free from Thomas Nelson to review for this blog and would recommend you to check it out if Giving is something that you are finding difficult.
Let me leave you with one last verse: "No man can serve 2 masters.... no one can serve both God and Money." Does Money control you? Here is the way to find out. If this week you think that you can give $50 in Tithe then give $60. Give enough to STRETCH YOU. Like the Widow's Mite, it is not about the AMOUNT but the spirit of giving, the heart!
Do you have a heart to give or a heart to store up?
"TEST ME IN THIS!!"
2 comments:
Charles Spurgeon responded to the question of tithing much better than I ever could have; he said..."But you are not under a system similar to that by which the Jews were obliged to pay tithes to the priests. If there were any such rule laid down in the Gospel, it would destroy the beauty of spontaneous giving and take away all the bloom from the fruit of your liberality! There is no law to tell me what I should give my father on his birthday. There is no rule laid down in any law book to decide what present a husband should give to his wife, nor what token of affection we should bestow upon others whom we love. No, the gift must be a free one, or it has lost all its sweetness."
That is a very good point... yet one that as American's we miss... What percent of church goer's actually tithe? less then 8%. We use this 'freedom' as an excuss to not give.
I don't believe that we are to give 10%, 15% or 20%... I believe though that it is about GIVING and giving REGULARLY that is the key truth preached in both the old and the new testament!
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