“NT = Tithing & Giving – 101”…Blog.
*** (Malachi 3:8-to-11) Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me. But you say, In what have we robbed You? In the tithe and the offering!
(Mal 3:9) You are cursed with a curse; for you are robbing Me; the nation, all of it.
(Mal 3:10) Bring all the tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house. And test Me now with this, says Jehovah of Hosts, to see if I will not open the windows of Heaven for you, and pour out a blessing for you, until there is not enough room.
(Mal 3:11) And I will rebuke your devourer, and he shall not decay the fruit of your ground against you; nor shall your vine miscarry against you in the field, says Jehovah of Hosts.
*** (1Corinthains 16:1-2) Now concerning the collection for the saints, you should follow the directions I gave to the churches in Galatia.
(1Cor 16:2) On the first day of the week; each of you should set aside and save some of your money in proportion to what you have; so that no collections will have to be made when I come.
There seems to be quite a ‘Difference’… about “Giving”… in the ‘OT & NT’. Actually the OT Saint… “Tithed about 40+% of his gross income!” And every seven years… that land was not to be cultivated. And in the Year of Jubilee [every 50-yrs]… the land lay barren both the “49th & 50th” years! Israel, God’s covenant people… were also to minister to the widow and fatherless [orphan]. In addition there were the “Free will offerings & Sacrifice offerings!” I have heard Pastors, demand… ‘Tithes & Offerings’… to support their ‘Mega Churches and Kingdom Denominations’. How did they demand those Offerings…? By simple “Intimidation”…! There were always a parade of people… coming to the Pulpit telling Stories… how GOD met their need in a miraculous way! And as “IF GOD”… could not meet their Needs… through “Plain Financial Discipline!” Then there were always those Sermons… about ‘Tithes & Offerings’… “To GUILT”… people into giving! The terms like… ‘Faith Seed’ & ‘Faith Promise’… were used to “Milk the Ignorant” of their Financial Resources… without ‘Any Financial Accountability’… to the “GIVERS”…! Have ‘You’ experienced that…?
*** (1Timothy 5:24-25) Some men's sins are open beforehand; going before to judgment. And some they also follow after.
(1Tim 5:25) Likewise also the good works of some are manifest beforehand; and those who are otherwise cannot be hidden.
*** (Proverbs 30:7-8-9) I have asked two things from You [Lord]; do not deny them before I die;
(Pro 30:8) remove far from me vanity and a lying word; give me neither: poverty or riches; tear for me my portion of bread,
(Pro 30:9) lest I be full and deceive, and say; Who is Jehovah the LORD? Or lest I be poor; and steal; and violate the name of my God.
Have you in your Church… had the “Offering Plate” passed during the collection part of the service; with hymns playing in the background. Of course, everyone was really looking… when the ‘Plate’ went by “You”… ‘Weren’t They’…? …LOL! The Guilt Trip = Plate Passing Trick = has worked for years…! Have you ever approached the ‘Elder Board’… and asked them about your annual giving statement…? Oh, we only credit the monies, placed in the giving envelopes; and cannot keep track of the other moneys ‘You’ place in the ‘Plate!’ Are there… “Always TWO People”… counting the “Offerings”…? There are many ways Churches… can “Milk their Parishioners! Oh yes, surely there are abuses… where those Collections are being spent. Do ‘You’ know… really where your “Offering–Went”…? When I gave by Check… I always designated… “50% for Church/50% for Missions. One year I got my annual receipt… and it said ‘100% Church’. Shortly after that, I said my say… and left that Church. Within 3-years… they were down to a ‘Handful of Attendees’. Others soon realized what they were doing… without having to tell anyone.
*** (1Kings 9:9) And they shall answer, Because they left Jehovah their God who brought out their fathers from the land of Egypt, and have taken hold on other gods and have worshiped them and served them. On account of this Jehovah the LORD; has brought on them all this evil.
*** (Jeremiah 16:10-11) And it shall be, when you declare to this people all these words, and they shall say to you, Why has Jehovah pronounced all this great evil against us? Or what is our iniquity, or what is our sin that we have committed against Jehovah our God?
(Jer 16:11) Then you shall say to them; Because your fathers have forsaken Me, says Jehovah, and have walked after other gods, and have served them, and have worshiped them: and have forsaken Me, and have not kept My Law.
*** (Ezekiel 23:39) And when they had slain their sons to their idols; then they came into My sanctuary in that day to profane it. And lo, this they have done in the midst of My house.
Putting these “Wrongs” aside… what should be “My Responsibility”… to My NT Church…? Am I just to give… without knowing where my… “Giving’s are being Spent”…? Absolutely Not…! No more than you would give your teenager… money for School Clothes… and then “NOT Hold them Accountable”. Should there be such oversight… on your Giving’s to Our Lord…? That is for ‘You’ to decide… between “You & Him!” One church I know of… had two offering boxes in the rear of the Church. As members came in, they could casually place their Offerings in the Box… with “No Offering Plate”… being passed in the “Worship Service!” There was ‘No Statement’ from the Pulpit… “Let us Worship the Lord… with our Tithes & Offerings!”
*** (2Chronicles 24:8-to-11) And the king commanded; and they made a chest; and set it outside at the gate of the house of Jehovah.
(2Chron 24:9) And they gave a call in Judah and in Jerusalem, to bring in to Jehovah the collection that Moses the servant of God laid on Israel in the wilderness.
(2Chron 24:10) And all the rulers and all the people rejoiced, and brought in, and threw into the chest until it was finished.
(2Chron 24:11) And it happened at the time the chest was brought into the king's office by the Levites, and when they saw that the silver was abundant, the king's scribe and the high priest's officer came and emptied the chest, and took it and carried it to its place again. So they did day by day, and gathered a great amount of silver.
How about “Free Will Offerings”… that are outside your ‘Giving’s’ to your local Church? One can often set aside ‘Free Will Monies’… so that One may meet the Need; of a “Brother or Sister or A Widow”… in Christ. Is there such a Scriptural principle in the Word…? There are many. One must simply set aside a certain amount… and then wait for a Spirit Led [Romans 8:14] Opportunity to Give! These “Discretionary Funds” can be of any size… that you set aside for this Purpose. In these verses, the Owner… “Previously Dedicated”… the animals to the Lord.
*** (Matthew 21:1-to-6) And when they drew near Jerusalem, and had come to Bethphage; to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples,
(Matt 21:2) saying to them, Go into the village across from you. And - immediately - you will find an ass tied; and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to Me.
(Matt 21:3) And if anyone says - anything to you; you shall say; The Lord has need of them; and immediately He will send them.
(Matt 21:4) All this was done so that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying,
(Matt 21:5) "Tell the daughter of Zion, Behold; your King comes to you, meek, and sitting on an ass, even a colt the foal of an ass."
(Mat 21:6) And the disciples - went and did - as Jesus commanded them.
Are YOU a “Steward”… of those Finances you have been “Entrusted With”…? ‘Many’ do not live on a written budget. Still ‘many’ more live from “Paycheck to Paycheck”… “Never Planning”… for “Emergency Expenses!” Still ‘many’ more are living way “Beyond their Means”. When I was a Child… my Non–Christian father often remarked… “They are trying to buy Champagne… with Beer Money!” I did not understand that meaning… till I got my first job as a young teen. What I foolishly ‘desired’… I did not have the money ‘to spend’. Then it all made sense! Today, “Debt has become the New God”… as Christians have ‘Bought Goods’… they could “Not Afford”… with Funds they did Not Have… “To Impress People”… who could not be Impressed. Credit Cards have made… “Economic Slaves” to ‘Interest & Debt!’ If you cannot… “Properly Spend–Your Monies”… ‘HOW’ then can You Plan to Give… to Christ and His Work…?
*** (Deuteronomy 8:16-17-18) Who fed you in the wilderness with manna which your fathers did not know; so that He might humble you and so that He might prove you; to do you good in your latter end,
(Deut 8:17) and so that you might ‘not’ say in your heart My power and the might of my hand has gotten me this wealth.
(Deut 8:18) But you shall remember Jehovah your God; for it is He; = Who gives you power to get wealth; = so that He may confirm His covenant which He has sworn to your fathers, as it is today.
*** (Proverbs 27:23) Know well the face of your flocks; set your heart on your herds.
*** (1Corinthians 14:40) Let all things be done decently; and in order.
*** (Luke 16:10-11-12) He who is faithful in the least is also faithful in much. And he who is unjust in the least is also unjust in much.
(Luke 16:11) Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon; who will entrust the true riches to you?
(Luke 16:12) And if you have not been faithful in that which is another's; who shall give you that which is your own?
Crown Financial Ministries
Do I give: even though I do not have a ‘Budget’… and am in a “Financial Crisis”…? Does a crisis bring a new… “Discipline of Life”…? Does that ‘Discipline’ BEGIN… ‘during or after’… the Crisis…? “During”…! Who do ‘You’ serve First… “Yourself of God”…? Remember one very important thing… “Please?” “It is Never = ‘HOW’ much you have… = It is… ‘HOW’ you Spend = what You Have”…! “All of life is a Discipline”… to build Character and a Pureness of Dedication to Christ and His Work. After that… everything falls in its proper place…!
*** (Jeremiah 12:5) If you have run with footmen, and they wore you out; then how can you compete with horses? And if you feel secure in the land of peace; then how will you do in the swelling of the Jordan?
*** (1Corinthians 9:27) No, I keep on beating my body and making it my slave so that; after I have preached to others; I myself will not somehow be disqualified.
“Losing ‘what’ you have – 101”…Blog.
*** (Romans 12:1-2-3) I beseech you therefore, brothers; by the mercies of God to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, pleasing to God; which is your reasonable service.
(Rom 12:2) And do not be conformed to this world; but be transformed by the renewing of your mind; in order to prove by you what is that good and pleasing and perfect will of God.
(Rom 12:3) For I say, through the grace given to me; to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think. But set your mind to be right-minded, even as God has dealt to every man the measure of faith.
*** (Luke 16:13) No servant can serve two masters. For either he will hate the one; and love the other; or else he will hold to the one; and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon
*** (John 3:30) He [Jesus] must increase; but I [Self] must decrease.
*** (Matthew 6:21) For where your treasure is; there will your heart be also.
Where do ‘You’… go from “Here”..? Did ‘You’ know that “90%” of all small businesses “Fail” in their ‘First Year’…? The Owner has some sort of… “Fantasy Experience”… about being his own boss… and then without even a ‘Written Business Plan’… “Fails!” So too… unless you plan your own simple finances… you to will… “Fail!”
*** (Luke 14:28-29-30) For which of you, intending to build a tower; does not sit down first and count the cost; whether he may have enough to finish it;
(Luke 14:29) lest perhaps; after he has laid the foundation and is not able to finish; all those seeing begin to mock him,
(Luke 14:30) saying; This man began to build and was not able to finish.
Love; in Christ, Roger / “Psalms 138:2”…!
Email: atruth459@yahoo.com
Ende…!
