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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Ordered by Verse | ||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | can i pay my tithes to my mother? | 2 Cor 9:7 | Paraclete | 109187 | ||
Thoughts on Tithing by John MacArthur All Rights Reserved Copyright 1984 ...So when people today say, "We want to tithe now like they did in the Old Testament," they can't stop at 10, they got 23.3 to start with. In addition to that, you paid a half shekel temple tax every year, in addition to that, if you had a field, you had to harvest the field in a circle and leave the corners open for the poor. It was a profit sharing plan. If you dropped a bail of hay off your wagon, on the way to the barn, you had to leave that for the poor. So you start adding that up and you are looking at about 25 of their income went to fund the national entity of the government. Now when you get into the New Testament, the Jews were still doing that, because they still had a nation, even though they were an occupied nation, they were still a nation. They were occupied by the Romans, but they weren't run by the Romans. They had their own religious hierarchy, they had their own school systems, they had their own festivals, and all that stuff, and so they had to take care of that. They had their own priesthood; it all had to go on, that is why Jesus said, "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's," in other words, pay the Romans what they asked, and render to God the things that are God's. So just to clarify that at the very beginning, when you are talking about a tithe, you are talking about the "taxation." Now when you translate that over into our time, it is kind of interesting to me that the base tax system in our country is about 20, you add sales tax to that and you probably get another 5, we are on about the same level they were then--about 25 of our income goes out for taxation, if you are in the normal tax bracket and with normal deductions, unless you are really doing well, but then they get you in different ways, because the more money you have the more things you buy, the more things you buy, the higher sales tax you pay, so maybe it comes out even harder for people who have more. Nonetheless, that's taxation. OK? Giving was always something different, always you gave whatever you wanted, like when they built the tabernacle and God said, "Let every man bring whatever he purposes in his heart; let him do it willingly, whatever he wants to give." And they kept coming, bringing so much that finally they said, "Stop, don't bring anymore--that's enough." So giving is always a "freewill," it's always an expression of love and appreciation whatever you want to do. I worry about this Charismatic "Health and Wealth" prosperity business, where you are just simply saying, "Well I am going to give my money so I can get it!" That is not the spirit of the Macedonians, they didn't even have enough to give what they gave, but they gave it anyway, because they had already given themselves to the Lord. Their whole program was a "give myself away" program, not a "get for myself" program. We are suffering today, in Christianity, from an absolutely pervasive greed. Our contemporary Christianity is so self indulgent it boggles the mind. That is why we don't reach out to people, because we are consumed with feeding ourselves. It's a mentality that all of us fall prey to. |
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2 | can i pay my tithes to my mother? | 2 Cor 9:7 | PapaChapa | 109202 | ||
God’s work requires both tithes and obedience and it is with obedience that we tithe and with obedience to God we will receive His blessings. God has entrusted use with money and requires use to manage our money with Godly wisdom. One question to ask your self is “can God trust me with the money/income He gave me?” A truthful answer for most Christians is NO. Most Christians live with out any knowledge of managing money. If you can’t manage what God has given you then how can you expect God to bless you with more? Most Christians do not budget or have a financial plan for their income. If you managed money for a business the same way you manage money for you home you would not have a job for very long. With out a financial plan (financial plan: A report of estimated expenditure and income.) a business will not last survive. The same way it applies to an individual, without a financial plan you will come into bondage with debt. Having large credit debt hanging over you will hinder your walk as a Christian. With out financial planning you have little ideal where your money is being applied, with that you find you’re self running into the red every month. When you read the parable Jesus told about the Loaned Money: Mat 25:14-30. The master entrusted 3 men with 3 different amounts of money. Each one did what was in there heart for the master. The last man that was entrusted with the smallest amount did not produce growth. God requires his children to produce fruit (Growth in every aspect of a Christian life). When we become enslaved to debt we cease to grow with what God has given use. You will not be able to help others, or the church, missions or even family. You start to question if you should pay tithes or you are not paying tithes at all. When you are not paying tithes as a Christian you are robbing from God. Mal 3:8 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. Mal 3:12 And all nations shall call you blessed; for you shall be a delightful land, says Jehovah of Hosts. Honor God with your first fruits! This does not mean to give God what is left over. You will hear some Christians ask if you should pay tithes on net or total. If you have to ask then you need to spend more time in God’s Holy Word. 2Ch 31:5 And as the command spread, the sons of Israel brought plentifully of the firstfruits of corn, wine, and oil, and honey, and of all the increase of the field. And the tithe of all things they brought in abundance. Firstfruits are not leftovers or scraps; firstfruits are the FIRST and the Best, without spot or blemish from what God has entrusted you with. Be it money, time, prayer, studding or helping others you should strive to give God your first and best. In a nutshell, some Christians do not pay tithes because they can't or they wont. They can't because they lack the knowledge to manage their finances and they wont because they lack sound biblical teaching. I find the later would argue the point, which tithes are not in the NT. Poor argument! Always pray for wisdom and God will give it to you. Listened to the Holy Spirit and let Him guide you in your walk with Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior. Your Brother in Christ, Dave Chapa |
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