Bible Study Should I tithe or pay my bills first? Do we rob God when we don't tithe?

[GodsGrace]

Doubt in the bible = unbelief!

God demands to be “FIRST” in every area of your life (Matthew 6:33). He does not want your leftovers. As He said, “I Am a great King, give those leftovers to your Governor.” Mal. 1:8

Jesus tells us we must render to Caesar what belongs to him, and God what is His (Matthew 22:21). Jesus says, "If therefore you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches (Luke 16:11 NKJV)?

Christians are tested with the least in the Kingdom of God which is money.
Considering what Jesus has said here (Luke 16:9-13 NKJV), I think it would be difficult to overstate the significance of this down to earth, practical teaching, that applies to everyone. If a person cannot be trusted with money, and in any capacity, Jesus plainly says, he cannot be trusted with Salvation, i.e., "true riches." In view of the seriousness of what is being said, we would do well to heed carefully.

In these passages (Luke 16:9-13), Jesus is saying that irrespective of how loudly and how often we profess our Godliness, if it does not show up in our practical, every day living, and especially in the matters of money, and our responsibility toward others, our profession is vain. This statement is plain and clear, if we are unfaithful in these things. "Who will commit to our trust the true riches?"

I agree with everything you've stated above.

 

[iLOVE]

Not tithing brings scarcity.

9 You are cursed with a curse: for you have robbed Me, even this whole nation. (“You are cursed with a curse,” is dire indeed! The effect of this curse was scarcity and barrenness, as we see from Verses 10 through 12. Robbing God of tithes and offerings brings a curse. These belong to God by virtue of Covenant agreements with man; to use them for personal gain is robbery of that which rightly belongs to Him.

The phrase, “For you have robbed Me, even this whole nation,” proclaims the reason for the poverty, among other things, of the nations of the world.) Mal. 3:9

JSM

 

[jasonc]

Read Hebrews 7 in context (through His Righteousness).

So your are gonna argue with me that the state should at gun point force the,sinner to tithe to help the poor wheb Jesus said the exact opppsote?

A lady collecting taxed money to Help,the poor ,herself takes her money to feed others when she can't feed her,self makes sense?I,quote Pauline authority,aka Paul ,hpe said widows ought to be taken care of by their families ,only,should the church assist those who have no one,

If my,wife is sick,and I'm in bankruptcy,i should pay tithes to help so that my church?
I should ignore the order of creation ,family first then the church ,feed the stranger over my child ,wife?


While i get the idea ,but in true context ,
The priests ,didn't help,the father less,widows ,they had no land ,the people allowed the poor to glean the fields .

Context ..

 

[GodsGrace]

Not tithing brings scarcity.

Must leave now.
I believe we must support our church or it will close down.

But tithing represents an amount of 10% of what my family earns.
First of all, my husband would divorce me.
Second of all, I think it's too much and would prefer to help people in more direct ways.
(while not ignoring the church which has expenses).

 

[jasonc]

Not all churches teach that .I know these arguments .the lady ,I,mention is deceased.she was disabled on food stamps,and section 8.yet tithed.

She couldbt afford to fix her car so,members paid to fix it .I,was one.

Yet the entire point of tithing is so that pantries ,could be filled,food and rent paid ,it makes no sense to have a person in that condition tithe !

 

[iLOVE]

So your are gonna argue with me that the state should at gun point force the,sinner to tithe to help the poor wheb Jesus said the exact opppsote?

A lady collecting taxed money to Help,the poor ,herself takes her money to feed others when she can't feed her,self makes sense?I,quote Pauline authority,aka Paul ,hpe said widows ought to be taken care of by their families ,only,should the church assist those who have no one,

If my,wife is sick,and I'm in bankruptcy,i should pay tithes to help so that my church?
I should ignore the order of creation ,family first then the church ,feed the stranger over my child ,wife?


While i get the idea ,but in true context ,
The priests ,didn't help,the father less,widows ,they had no land ,the people allowed the poor to glean the fields .

Context ..

I tithe in good ground, and my vats are overflowing!

Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. 3 John 2

 

[jasonc]

I tithe in good ground, and my vats are overflowing!

Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. 3 John 2

You,may bit not all can nor should .my,pastor wouldn't take money from me or those like that lady .

I'm filing chapter 13 ,my,wife's medical bills on,meds are 600 a month .

She is disabled on whose hands and feet should provide ,me or the church ?

For me to tithe ,implies a decision to not have food,water or power,or meds.

Simply to have God provide those back.via my own church or another person,imho is tempting him.

My,pastor is a young but humble man,his wife is a pa,a doctor of the local er,yet they drive a used car,he allows the home less to sleep on church property ,helps them ,and also others,he also has the church fully paid for .

A person on unemployment shouldn't tithe ,he said that .pointless to ask the poor to give to the other poor when they simply don't have it .

 

[jasonc]

I,get the faith on,that but I get grated by those who imply the widows whom,by command of Paul to be fed ,are encouraged to tithe .!

 

[jasonc]

In,context ,the tithe was once every three years ,

Deutermony 14:28.
I,looked up this ,and on the offerrings it was for sacrifices ,

Not coinage unless you,lived to far from the high priest in Jerusalem ,tithes were locally .

Really not a verse for today's church doesn't mean we can't learn from Malachi 3

 

[iLOVE]

Not all churches teach that .I know these arguments .the lady ,I,mention is deceased.she was disabled on food stamps,and section 8.yet tithed.

She couldbt afford to fix her car so,members paid to fix it .I,was one.

Yet the entire point of tithing is so that pantries ,could be filled,food and rent paid ,it makes no sense to have a person in that condition tithe !

The Church is the child of God, not the building. We tithe ONLY in good ground. Good ground is ONLY when the Pastor points every jot and tittle of the Word of God to Calvary. If the Pastor is not doing this, Faith will not come, flesh comes! Faith will not work outside of the Righteousness of God (Jesus Christ and Him Crucified). Faith is dead if it is not working (John 14:21, James 2:14-26). There will be a curse of scarcity and barrenness if you will not tithe into good ground.

 

[jasonc]

The Church is the child of God, not the building. We tithe ONLY in good ground. Good ground is ONLY when the Pastor points every jot and tittle of the Word of God to Calvary. Faith will not work outside of the Righteousness of God (Jesus Christ and Him Crucified). Faith is dead if it is not working (John 14:21, James 2:14-26). There will be a curse of scarcity and barrenness if you will tithe into good ground.

Context on , giving should be based upon what the early church did ,

A pastor didn't and often Paul didn't take fro the church to ease a burden .I'm,not suggesting that is always the case but I'm,not gonna ignoring pentacostalism problem of mega houses ,cars for pastors .

Not suggesting not give but basing Malachi 3 as support for a curse is missing the context .meat for the levites.that's a worship ,most of the meat was consumed by,the levite and worshipper who gave the sacrifice unless it was specifically to burned fully .

Context and first audience ,new testament mentions a few things but oddly you,skip over where Paul,forbids widows from being helped by the church unless they have no son,no able relative to house them.

Odd he would do that when you imply its the church first .a widow beibg robbed of necessity is a bad juju from God,he judged the Pharisees for that .

 

[daninthelionsden]

Do people rob God by not tithing?

No. Christians are not dependent on ANY earthly institution to stand between them and God. Nor are they dependent on ANY man/woman who would place themselves between man and God. If I see a poor man on the street, I am many times more likely to help him than a preacher wanting my money for who knows what.
Preachers can't say we are free of the Law and then turn around and beat us over the head with tithing.
The Temple is within US...not a building. Our High Priest is Christ.....not man. Our relationship with the Lord through the Holy Spirit guides us to whom to give....if it is to a church ...then fine. If it is to a charity or to an individual(s), then fine as well.
A question in reverse(not politically correct).....should an able bodied/sound minded preacher go get a job or live off his flock?

 

[jerry63935]

Preachers can't say we are free of the Law and then turn around and beat us over the head with tithing.

tithing help supports the church in today's world it takes $$$ to support it is Bible to pay the pastor not starve him. upkeep the building utilities etc. then the Church helps out when it can.. all the churches i been in have not had very big cong but the expenses still came in. give to the best of your ability . some are able to go above and beyond in giving some are not . pay your bills give to the church what you can. its not about beating over the head .give from the heart its the attitude of the heart in giving . last give in secret i put cash in the collection plate .others write a check

 

[jerry63935]

should an able bodied/sound minded preacher go get a job or live off his flock?

if the Church can support him financially do so. it is very much Bible.. in my area most all are bi vocational preachers. let me reverse your question is it fair to take and take from the pastor not help him $$ wise? be mindful hospital visits marriages , not to mention to things he puts up with trying to keep the flock spiritually healthy and preach to the lost.. then those who ahs complaints the average working pastor will drive at least 20 miles or more to work some less. they put in 8 hours or more a day. has to make time to study . i think a full time pastor would be great but it take lots $$$$ . my first church i was at i got the offering once a month. which was less than thirty dollars . i had one couple who had a successful cattle ranch my numbers was around 15-20 if i had thirty i had a crowd.. try being a pastor

 

[jerry63935]

might i add it is very biblical to attend worship in a building . we dont worship the building only worship in the Building it be comes a church the body of Christ

 

[daninthelionsden]

tithing help supports the church in today's world it takes $$$ to support it is Bible to pay the pastor not starve him. upkeep the building utilities etc. then the Church helps out when it can.. all the churches i been in have not had very big cong but the expenses still came in. give to the best of your ability . some are able to go above and beyond in giving some are not . pay your bills give to the church what you can. its not about beating over the head .give from the heart its the attitude of the heart in giving . last give in secret i put cash in the collection plate .others write a check

COVID-19 has changed everything, including whether or not brick and mortar churches will even be feasible. Preachers better take whats happening as a possible wake up call that past practices of living off the flock may no longer be possible.
House churches may be the future. Pastors/Preacher might wanna become adaptable to the new reality. I knew a fellow operator at the refinery who worked full-time and ran a prison ministry. It can be done.

 

[jerry63935]

COVID-19 has changed everything, including whether or not brick and mortar churches will even be feasible. Preachers better take whats happening as a possible wake up call that past practices of living off the flock may no longer be possible.
House churches may be the future. Pastors/Preacher might wanna become adaptable to the new reality. I knew a fellow operator at the refinery who worked full-time and ran a prison ministry. It can be done.

the church will grow with COVID-19 might i add people still give. iam talking about pastor a church . my 2nd church i had i was song leader/ sunday school teacher/ and pastor . all in one. doing a prison ministry is little bit different. any thing can be done . But are you willing to put the time in that is needed . preparing for a message takes study . the pastor has a balance to keep Jesus family church often time jesus and family gets put on a back burner. espc family i have a buddy drives truck gets up and leaves by 4:30 a.m puts in 12-13 hour days and does wed night church plus sun a.m and p.m plus funerals weddings . checks in on his members gives council to those with life issues . who takes care of the pastor.. i know i sound defense i am not pastor at this time.. but i have been there done that. had a church member get mad because i mentioned FOOTWASHING . talk about a carnal mind/jezebel spirit . a different church i said in preaching not everyone is saved . a woman threw a fit interrupted the message . did i do well ? no i got upset a week later i left.

 

[OzSpen]

Will I be under a curse if I don't tithe (in good ground)? Will God continue to rebuke (turn back or keep down) the devourer (Satan)?

iLOVE,

In my understanding, the tithe was biblical teaching that applied to the Israelites (Gen 14:19-20 NIV).

However, it is not Christian teaching because the NT states

6 Remember this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 7 Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver (2 Cor 9:6-7 NIV).​

Oz

 

[daninthelionsden]

the church will grow with COVID-19 might i add people still give. iam talking about pastor a church . my 2nd church i had i was song leader/ sunday school teacher/ and pastor . all in one. doing a prison ministry is little bit different. any thing can be done . But are you willing to put the time in that is needed . preparing for a message takes study . the pastor has a balance to keep Jesus family church often time jesus and family gets put on a back burner. espc family i have a buddy drives truck gets up and leaves by 4:30 a.m puts in 12-13 hour days and does wed night church plus sun a.m and p.m plus funerals weddings . checks in on his members gives council to those with life issues . who takes care of the pastor.. i know i sound defense i am not pastor at this time.. but i have been there done that. had a church member get mad because i mentioned FOOTWASHING . talk about a carnal mind/jezebel spirit . a different church i said in preaching not everyone is saved . a woman threw a fit interrupted the message . did i do well ? no i got upset a week later i left.

Somehow. I think if you and I had a 1 hour lunch together, we'd turn that into a 3 hr. lively conversation of stories, experiences, debates, laughs and realize we'd talked way too long.

 

[Corn Pop]

The word tithe in context really meant tenth of what you had in produce and not so much money,meaning live stock ,fruit and grain.

And also correct me if I'm wrong but the entire scriptural tithe is from the Israelites and goes to the Levite because they had no land share.