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RE: Tithes and Offerings - One Stop Thread - 3/22/2010 7:19:38 AM
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luispinzon
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I think this is an opportunity to give.
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RE: Tithes and Offerings - One Stop Thread - 5/14/2010 6:36:42 PM
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benzapped
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quote:
ORIGINAL: Eutychus
Twice in the NT have I noticed someone being commended for their giving. The first was given by Jesus about the widow who gave all that she had out of her poverty. The second was by Paul leading up to the often misapplied "cheerful giver" verse.
I have read the widow's mites scripture over and over. I don't find where Jesus is commending her for giving, or using her as an example for sacrificial giving, as it is usually preached. The context begins at verse 46 of chapter 20, where Jesus is warning about the scribes devouring widows' houses. It ends in 21:6 with Jesus pronouncing judgment on the temple--the corrupt religious system where money was being extorted from the poor until they had nothing to live on.
Ben
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RE: Tithes and Offerings - One Stop Thread - 5/18/2010 2:23:55 PM
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Eutychus
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quote:
ORIGINAL: benzapped
quote:
ORIGINAL: Eutychus
Twice in the NT have I noticed someone being commended for their giving. The first was given by Jesus about the widow who gave all that she had out of her poverty. The second was by Paul leading up to the often misapplied "cheerful giver" verse.
I have read the widow's mites scripture over and over. I don't find where Jesus is commending her for giving, or using her as an example for sacrificial giving...
Ben, I'm sorry you only see condemnation, but Jesus clearly praised her in BOTH accounts:
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. (from Mark 12)
And he saw also a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites. And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all: For all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God: but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had. (from Luke 21)
She gave when giving would take all the money she had and her sole source was God. The religious leaders toss God their chump change and took His glory for their possessions.
In the midst of hypocrites, that widow shines as an example.
_____________________________
Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent." -John 6:29
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RE: Tithes and Offerings - One Stop Thread - 6/10/2010 7:04:33 PM
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gralan
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I was wishing to discuss having a godly worldview - Jesus' paradigm - but realized that my example would probably end up being kicked here so lets start here.
I just read a very masterful construction of a fictional account in George Barna's book Think Like Jesus. It is an Evangelical view of why to tithe 10% or more, and how it is done being a steward of God's resources with which God has allowed into your hands.
The whole focus of the book is developing a mindset that is renewed into agreement with the mind of Christ. At least I surmise that is the focus.
The force of the arguments used however did not use Jesus as the author, finisher and interpreter of the faith. IMO.
Jesus did not give 10%. He did not partially heal anyone that we know of. The lack of contradictory acclamation infers that Jesus did take care of his mother and family prior to engaging in ministry towards the cross.
I'm not criticizing the idea of tithing and offerings.
I did a quick study once (2 weeks) and was able to come up with a minimum of 40% being engaged in the process of tithes and offerings; so I'm thinking that legalists have a real problem on their hands if that is the standard. And that was not including taxes to the King.
Thoughts, smart remarks, comments?
I am trying to wrap my head around the idea of having Jesus' mind. This is not something new even for me. But having a Jesus-paradigm means a focus on being God's will in every situation, living a holy life and being the quintessential servant.
Yes?
_____________________________
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gralan,
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The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever...
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RE: Tithes and Offerings - One Stop Thread - 7/25/2010 3:12:00 PM
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thevoiceofgod
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Everyone claims to have the true church but has anyone truly looked at it from the perspective of Christ who started it. This thread was to open your eyes to some things that is wrong with the churches throughout the world.
I used this tithing and offerings topic to point out something that is wrong in the churches today. Now I've been by the Mormon Tabarnacle several times and I know that building wasn't cheap to build. I was involved in construction for 25 years and the labor on that church cost a lot of people their hard earned money. There are many multi-million dollar churches in America today.
I'm living in Barcelona where it's mainly Catholic Cathedrals but I do know there are Protestant churches here too. It's a big city so it can handle a lot. What I'm getting at is that Jesus would be shaking his head right now to see how many poor people througth the years had to fork out money they really didn't have to get these churches and cathedrals built.
Can you imagine how much money it took to buy the land, build the churches and fill them with all the churchy things men like and then the cost of maintaining all this. Then of course, you have the missionaries who need support and many other workers that go about their religious activities.
Jesus operated his church on a very low budget such as nothing. Everything he needed came from the Lord. He even fed his congregations through God's donations. He taught his disciples to depend on God and not the world. They were to depend on him for food, clothes and a place to sleep. That's all God promises to us anyway. He didn't say we were going to drive Mercedes cars, live in expensive homes, go to the best universities, or build cathedrals and churches all over the world.
God commanded us to not worship any other gods before him and to not worship man-made idols. Are we obeying him by all the churches we build and forcing the poor people to divy up money to build them with? How about worshipping the money itself? This seems to be the most important issue in many churches today.
The saints of the true church of Jesus Christ took care of each other. If someone needed food, it was given to them. If someone needed clothes, they were clothed. If someone needed a bed to sleep in, they slept well. Not one nickel was spent on buying land or building churches in their time, which was during the three hundred years before the Romans killed them all off and started Christianity.
The true church of Christ was in the hearts of the saints. They didn't need buildings to worship their God because he was with them at all times. They slept wherever they could sleep and ate food off the trees and from that of the ground. They were never without food, clothes and sleep because God always provided for them. They never had to worry about a thing.
The only purpose a saint had was to preach the gospel so that's all they did when they had people to listen to them. They didn't have a one hour sermon on Sunday mornings. They probably preached for six hours on Sundays before our pastors and preachers even got out of bed. God gives a saint a very powerful desire to preach the gospel so that's all they want to do. He doesn't care where all the listeners will stay or if they follow him around the country. All they preach for is that one listener who comes to know the true God.
They might preach for a whole year to find one listener of the truth that finds faith in God. Then God will take over this listener's heart and start working on cleansing him of all sins so he can fill him with his spirit. Then this listener becomes a new saint.
This is what the true church of Jesus Christ was like in those days until the Romans turned it into a circus of religion. This is when the tithes and offerings became a very important part of church building. The spirit didn't exist in this new Roman Catholic church because all the saints were killed by this time. The Vatican was set up and the tithe and offerings were pushed on the new congregation made up of deceived followers of the dead saints. The Bible was changed drastically to keep these followers from the truth of the spirit of Christ.
Money started to roll in with these tithes and offerings and eventually they were able to use this money to go out and conquer land and wealth. This Roman church became the richest entity known to mankind and they built cathedrals everywhere and filled them with idols.
This church set the example of all other churches in the world. No matter how much the churches try not to be unGodly, they are still a far cry from being like the true church of Jesus Christ. After they were all killed and most of their writings were destroyed, we didn't have much to go by. Now you know what it was like and what it should be like today. If it wasn't for those tithes and offerings, we wouldn't have church buildings today and no one would have known the difference. The true church would still be operating and meeting in the parks, back alleys, people's homes, coffee shops, and maybe a rally out on someone's farm.
Tithes and offerings are useless in the true church of Jesus Christ. Not one penny of it can buy sainthood. Sainthood costs much more than money can ever buy.
God bless you,
Brad
_____________________________
God bless you,
Brad
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RE: Tithes and Offerings - One Stop Thread - 7/25/2010 4:12:22 PM
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gralan
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wow.
That print hurt my eyes.
Good points, but you forgot to mention that the idea was we were a family - if anyone was in need, the family took care of it.
There are plenty of people worshiping and functioning as the church outside of the buildings.
BTW, the LDS church is not a part of the Body of Christ.
If there are Mormon Christians it is because they haven't realized they are in a false religion at this point. The name says Jesus Christ, but the Jesus they exalt and the God they worship are not the same as is in the Bible testimony, or the Apostles' Teaching.
Wow. That print is still hurting my eyes.
God bless.
_____________________________
your fellow suffering servant,
gralan,
//TrinityTheology.org/
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The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever...
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RE: Tithes and Offerings - One Stop Thread - 7/26/2010 4:50:21 PM
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Eutychus
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quote:
ORIGINAL: thevoiceofgod
Tithes and offerings are useless in the true church of Jesus Christ. Not one penny of it can buy sainthood. Sainthood costs much more than money can ever buy.
God bless you,
Brad
I've never met anyone who tithes that thinks money buys sainthood. All of the Christians I've known that tithe, do so as an act of worship to God and His grace for providing all the goods He allows us to be His stewards over.
Sainthood was purchased by the Blood of the Lamb of God for all who believe in Him, repent of sin, and are born again. Nobody can ever earn it.
_____________________________
Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent." -John 6:29
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RE: Tithes and Offerings - One Stop Thread - 7/26/2010 4:53:48 PM
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Eutychus
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quote:
ORIGINAL: thevoiceofgod
I'm living in Barcelona where it's mainly Catholic Cathedrals but I do know there are Protestant churches here too. It's a big city so it can handle a lot. What I'm getting at is that Jesus would be shaking his head right now to see how many poor people througth the years had to fork out money they really didn't have to get these churches and cathedrals built.
Have you ever read how elaborate God the Father instructed His Temple to be? We are to give of our best to the Master, His only begotten Son AND also provide for those in need. We don't have to give God our second best in order to minister to others.
_____________________________
Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent." -John 6:29
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RE: Tithes and Offerings - One Stop Thread - 7/26/2010 8:50:03 PM
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prophetjul
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quote:
ORIGINAL: Eutychus
quote:
ORIGINAL: thevoiceofgod
I'm living in Barcelona where it's mainly Catholic Cathedrals but I do know there are Protestant churches here too. It's a big city so it can handle a lot. What I'm getting at is that Jesus would be shaking his head right now to see how many poor people througth the years had to fork out money they really didn't have to get these churches and cathedrals built.
Have you ever read how elaborate God the Father instructed His Temple to be? We are to give of our best to the Master, His only begotten Son AND also provide for those in need. We don't have to give God our second best in order to minister to others.
Which temple?
_____________________________
Create in me a Clean Heart, O Lord.
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RE: Tithes and Offerings - One Stop Thread - 7/26/2010 9:46:02 PM
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19ramman85
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quote:
ORIGINAL: Eutychus
quote:
ORIGINAL: thevoiceofgod
Tithes and offerings are useless in the true church of Jesus Christ. Not one penny of it can buy sainthood. Sainthood costs much more than money can ever buy.
God bless you,
Brad
I've never met anyone who tithes that thinks money buys sainthood.
Reminds me of a time period, when the Catholic Church used to teach that very thing, plus getting people out of purgatory.
Glad they don't teach that anymore! lol
-charles
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RE: Tithes and Offerings - One Stop Thread - 7/26/2010 9:59:57 PM
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gralan
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Indulgences were first offered as a means of easing restrictions placed by a church upon repentant members who had publicly sinned and brought shame upon Christ and His Church. Bishops could step in and do what Paul did with the Corinthians when he said that the offending person in their church had suffered enough and now was time to love him back into the fold.
The Medici Popes used an eventual perversion of indulgences to raise money for building of St Peter's Basilica and lining their pockets.
There also were people who secured positions for themselves with land grants to the church. This is another reason why the Apostolic succession is a fairly useless basis of establishing correctness of doctrine and faith.
They couldn't even guard their own house.
Both of these practices were not considered the act of Christian faith or practice, except by the illiterate and spiritually immature. There were a lot of them. This is the result, in my opinion, of a fear-based religion.
Some Christians today think a fear-based religion is worthwhile, they spend so much time talking about hellfire and damnation they never get around to being mature believers. IMO.
The good news of God is not that sinners are going to hell.
quote:
ORIGINAL: 19ramman85
quote:
ORIGINAL: Eutychus
quote:
ORIGINAL: thevoiceofgod
Tithes and offerings are useless in the true church of Jesus Christ. Not one penny of it can buy sainthood. Sainthood costs much more than money can ever buy.
God bless you,
Brad
I've never met anyone who tithes that thinks money buys sainthood.
Reminds me of a time period, when the Catholic Church used to teach that very thing, plus getting people out of purgatory.
Glad they don't teach that anymore! lol
-charles
_____________________________
your fellow suffering servant,
gralan,
//TrinityTheology.org/
//freecourses.org/
The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever...
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RE: Tithes and Offerings - One Stop Thread - 7/27/2010 9:30:07 PM
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LoyalGypsy
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RE Tithes and Offerings One Stop Thread
quote:
ORIGINAL: bolt.
or "Proof text"
Try looking at the tithe in numbers
A tithe is 1 tenth and there are 10 commandments
Now if one breaks 1 of the commandants or 1 tenth... then we have broken them all... or what remains = 9 tenths, so in general one is cursed in ALL
Now look at the opposite
Mal 3:10 Bring ye all the tithes (1 tenth) 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.
So in the same manner when we tithe its like keeping that 1 commandment, whereby the result is
Mal 3:11 And..... I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and "he shall not" destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts.
Mal 3:12 And all nations shall call you blessed (instead of cursed)...: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the LORD of hosts.
LG
_____________________________
Ex 19:5 Now therefore, if you will indeed "obey My voice"
...So the Persians ask that the 300 drop their arms. Leonidas responds; "Persians! Come and get them!"
300 The Movie
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RE: Tithes and Offerings - One Stop Thread - 7/28/2010 12:25:10 PM
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bolt.
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I think I'll just stick with my original assessment:
"Proof text"
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RE: Tithes and Offerings - One Stop Thread - 7/28/2010 12:31:55 PM
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Eutychus
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quote:
ORIGINAL: rcjames
quote:
ORIGINAL: Eutychus
Or one can rely on the teaching and leading of the indwelling Holy Spirit for biblical principles to guide.
"Proof text" implies someone had a rule or position and was looking for any flimsy excuse to support it. What do you call it when you start out to disprove something and the evidence leads you to change your POV?
If we are honest about ourselves we will change our POV after sufficient study of the Word.
It has happened to be before.
Thanks
RC
Thanks, RC, that is exactly what happened to me. I started out with the opinion that anything to do with tithing was proof texts and irrelevant to me today. Yet, that which I so easily dismissed, the Holy Spirit used in convincing me that it was God's will for me to begin returning 10% of my gross to Him. He used that beginning to teach me that 10% doesn't belong to Him, 100% of it does, as does my time, talent, and energy. It's all His and I am just His steward!
_____________________________
Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent." -John 6:29
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RE: Tithes and Offerings - One Stop Thread - 7/28/2010 5:16:02 PM
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bolt.
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quote:
10% doesn't belong to Him, 100% of it does, as does my time, talent, and energy. It's all His and I am just His steward!
Somehow He manage to teach me that ^ without taking me through a journey of non-applicable Scriptures en-route.
_____________________________
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>>audio link<<
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RE: Tithes and Offerings - One Stop Thread - 7/29/2010 2:11:00 PM
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LoyalGypsy
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quote:
ORIGINAL: Eutychus
quote:
ORIGINAL: bolt.
quote:
10% doesn't belong to Him, 100% of it does, as does my time, talent, and energy. It's all His and I am just His steward!
Somehow He manage to teach me that ^ without taking me through a journey of non-applicable Scriptures en-route.
We're not all at the same level in our walk and we're not all equally teachable in the same ways.
The Lord uses what He wants to use when teaching His disciples. I have been obedient to what my Master spoke to my heart through His written word and His Holy Spirit. I apologize to no one for doing so.
Greetings
Just because we tithe it doesn't necessarily dictate a monetary return, because the devourer works in every area.
So when the Lord rebukes the devourer it’s in a specific area or more than 1 area and there is a measurable structure in the NT, if we look at the monetary, the structure looks like this
We make 100 dollars and we tithe 10 leaving 90
The fold ... or the return is 30, 60,100
So when God blesses the remaining 90 we can add to the 90 an increase of either 30, 60, 100 dollars
In other areas I can offer an example by experience that has occurred in like manner to the event every time the same particular (whatever it was) event has occurred
My Example of a 100 fold return concerning an issue
It had to do with a negative report from a customer given to my superiors on my watch concerning a service issue in general at my place of employment that had nothing to do with me.
The very next day I received a phone call from another customer who had nothing but good things to say about ME, So the return was 100%... 1 for 1as the Lord timed this perfectly,
What I saw their according to the scriptures is he rebuked the devourer and the blessing was spiritual
These types of things go on all the time in many different areas in my life; the key is to recognize them.
LG
_____________________________
Ex 19:5 Now therefore, if you will indeed "obey My voice"
...So the Persians ask that the 300 drop their arms. Leonidas responds; "Persians! Come and get them!"
300 The Movie
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RE: Tithes and Offerings - One Stop Thread - 8/9/2010 12:55:23 PM
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wifeandmomof3
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I don't feel my church uses it's money wisely. So, I give offering each week that is far less than 10%. But, I volunteer my time, and lots of it: in the nursery, teaching Sunday school every week, serving on two committees, VBS, etc. I think the time is far more valuable than money. The church needs some money to pay for expenses and for staff, but beyond that there is so much that people can do to alleviate costs, such as volunteering to mow the grass, clip the hedges, weed the flower beds. Plumbers can volunteer time to repair leaks, electricians can volunteer time to fix electrical issues, carpenters can build and repair structural or interior things. We are the church, not our money.
We also give time and money to community service, which I think is also our duty to God. By helping others directly, we are doing God's work. If everyone volunteered time directly to serving others, think of the good that could be done. You don't need to travel halfway around the world to help others, every community has needs. And, those who cannot donate their time, can give money to support those organizations. Donations don't need to be routed through a church to be the work of God.
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RE: Tithes and Offerings - One Stop Thread - 8/9/2010 3:23:06 PM
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RichLP
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I recently started tithing.
A very good friend of mine, who is a Christian, has been tithing for a little while. He fully stands by it and believes that by tithing, Christians will be financially blessed.
He in fact gave me a friendly challenge which he gives to others... "tithe for 3 months. If you feel no difference, stop if you like." but he was very confident, as if something unusual would happen in the 3 months I tithed.
Well, this is my situation. I have for a few years paid all my credit card debt in full every month, but due to some overspending this summer, I accrued a certain balance which I transferred to a 0% credit card account so I can pay that off without interest. If I were to pay that new debt now, which I technically could, I would lose 1/3 of my savings (not including retirement savings).
My mother is also a believer and a staunch believer in the wisdom of tithing. She has over the years quoted an OT passage ("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 storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.).
So my question is this. Does tithing guarantee that God will bless the Christian with his finances? I"m not saying, that He'll make me a millionaire overnight - that's silly. I mean, Christians can lose their jobs and face financial hardship - should they still tithe? And although tithing has apparently brought results for my mother and for my friend, does this mean it'll work for me too? I would assume the tithing Christian is still responsible for wise management of money (which I wasn't when I incurred this chunk of cc debt).
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RE: Tithes and Offerings - One Stop Thread - 8/9/2010 3:37:52 PM
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Eutychus
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I began tithing in 1980 at age 28. I'm now 58. I have been out of work twice since then. I quit a job in 1981 and was laid off after 24.5 years at a Sony plant and took a 30% pay cut on my next job and acquired a nearly $700 a month medical insurance premium.
We have never skipped a meal nor missed a bill payment. We are not well off. But it has been an adventure seeing God take care of financial needs when I just could not figure where the money would come. It has let me live a faith of trust in God rather than just a theory. I truly understand that God is the source of my supply and not any brains, education, or talent I might fancy myself to have apart from His grace.
There's a huge difference in a head knowledge that we can trust God and experiential knowledge that He is truly trustworthy and honors our commitment to return a mere 10% of that which is ALL His anyway.
If you want to tithe in order to make a lot more money, then my advice is not to bother. Blessings from God is far more than finances. Besides, how much of it will follow you to heaven? That should be your guiding principle. Remember what Jesus said, "for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Read Matthew 6)
_____________________________
Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent." -John 6:29
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RE: Tithes and Offerings - One Stop Thread - 8/9/2010 3:43:28 PM
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RichLP
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quote:
ORIGINAL: Eutychus
I began tithing in 1980 at age 28. I'm now 58. I have been out of work twice since then. I quit a job in 1981 and was laid off after 24.5 years at a Sony plant and took a 30% pay cut on my next job and acquired a nearly $700 a month medical insurance premium.
We have never skipped a meal nor missed a bill payment. We are not well off. But it has been an adventure seeing God take care of financial needs when I just could not figure where the money would come. It has let me live a faith of trust in God rather than just a theory. I truly understand that God is the source of my supply and not any brains, education, or talent I might fancy myself to have apart from His grace.
There's a huge difference in a head knowledge that we can trust God and experiential knowledge that He is truly trustworthy and honors our commitment to return a mere 10% of that which is ALL His anyway.
If you want to tithe in order to make a lot more money, then my advice is not to bother. Blessings from God is far more than finances. Besides, how much of it will follow you to heaven? That should be your guiding principle. Remember what Jesus said, "for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Read Matthew 6)
Eutychus, thank you so much for this reply.
I understand that the blessings God choose to pour to the tithing Christian may not be limited to, or may altogether exclude, financial blessings.
Having said this, as I'm struggling in this area and am a beginning tither, can you give me one or two examples of how God provided for you during times when you were unemployed, etc? I've heard other stories too, but I never got details on this miraculous divine interventions showing how God provides.
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RE: Tithes and Offerings - One Stop Thread - 8/9/2010 4:46:53 PM
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bolt.
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God blesses people who's hearts are for Him, and who live their lives to His glory. He blesses them in many ways, but those ways often include material and financial provision (or even abundance). He tends to send more financial blessings towards those people that He can rely on to 'use it well' -- due to their track record of faithfulness with finances.
Some Christians have this heart / lifestyle and they express it in part by mimicking the OT practice of the mandatory tithe. Some Christians have this heart / lifestyle and express it through stewardship and generosity in a more free-flowing manner. Both of those situations are likely to see God's provision (at least) and possibly His abundance... except for seasons when His purposes may be accomplished through permitted suffering.
However some Christians do not have this heart / lifestyle. This too can be expressed both ways: those who mimic the OT practice of tithing with the attitude of giving God what He requires of them and keeping the rest... and those who see their giving as a free choice, but are not actually willing to allow much of it to flow out of their hands.
God wants to be able to trust His people to manage His money according to His priorities: if He can teach you to do that, and trust you to continue doing it, that makes you a good candidate for your bank account to be used to send more and more of His money to the places He wants it to go. Sometimes that starts with a 10% target... but it starts many other ways too.
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RE: Tithes and Offerings - One Stop Thread - 8/9/2010 4:56:57 PM
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Eutychus
Posts: 12143
Joined: 4/11/2005
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quote:
ORIGINAL: RichLP
quote:
ORIGINAL: Eutychus
I began tithing in 1980 at age 28. I'm now 58. I have been out of work twice since then. I quit a job in 1981 and was laid off after 24.5 years at a Sony plant and took a 30% pay cut on my next job and acquired a nearly $700 a month medical insurance premium.
We have never skipped a meal nor missed a bill payment. We are not well off. But it has been an adventure seeing God take care of financial needs when I just could not figure where the money would come. It has let me live a faith of trust in God rather than just a theory. I truly understand that God is the source of my supply and not any brains, education, or talent I might fancy myself to have apart from His grace.
There's a huge difference in a head knowledge that we can trust God and experiential knowledge that He is truly trustworthy and honors our commitment to return a mere 10% of that which is ALL His anyway.
If you want to tithe in order to make a lot more money, then my advice is not to bother. Blessings from God is far more than finances. Besides, how much of it will follow you to heaven? That should be your guiding principle. Remember what Jesus said, "for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Read Matthew 6)
Eutychus, thank you so much for this reply.
I understand that the blessings God choose to pour to the tithing Christian may not be limited to, or may altogether exclude, financial blessings.
Having said this, as I'm struggling in this area and am a beginning tither, can you give me one or two examples of how God provided for you during times when you were unemployed, etc? I've heard other stories too, but I never got details on this miraculous divine interventions showing how God provides.
When I was out of work the first time, God supplied money from unexpected sources just when I needed. My biggest expense came when all 4 tires went bad and I needed to be able to go to job interviews. Two days before, I received a credit card that I applied for before I was out of work - I really didn't expect to need it when I applied but couldn't have gotten it if I'd applied after being out of work. I was able to pay that off quickly when I discovered $900 that I forgotten about.
During that time, I was able to pay all my bills and provide my children good meals - and I had absolutely no savings at the time. And to top it all off, the Lord gave me an unexpected job about 35 miles from where I grew up and most of my relatives are. I couldn't find anything nearby when I spent 2 years looking for a job before leaving the Navy.
As I said, I've been able to experience firsthand many times in the last 30 years of God providing when there was no logical way for me to make it. I wouldn't trade a year of that time like I used to be, a talker but not a trusting doer.
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Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent." -John 6:29
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RE: Tithes and Offerings - One Stop Thread - 8/9/2010 6:25:02 PM
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LoyalGypsy
Posts: 2408
Joined: 4/12/2005
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quote:
ORIGINAL: RichLP
I recently started tithing.
A very good friend of mine, who is a Christian, has been tithing for a little while. He fully stands by it and believes that by tithing, Christians will be financially blessed.
He in fact gave me a friendly challenge which he gives to others... "tithe for 3 months. If you feel no difference, stop if you like." but he was very confident, as if something unusual would happen in the 3 months I tithed.
Greetings
My first revelation of the tithe was right in the very beginning just after I was saved,
But
The funny thing about it.... is the blessing came from a place of employment that I had resinged at... which was before I was saved...
(I had expected nothing more than my last pay check)
I still don't know were He found it... but it came!
LG
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Ex 19:5 Now therefore, if you will indeed "obey My voice"
...So the Persians ask that the 300 drop their arms. Leonidas responds; "Persians! Come and get them!"
300 The Movie
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