Chapter 1 - The Unexpected Adventure
*1 the odometer on our highly experienced' Ford station wagon showed upwards of 130,000 miles s I rolled up to the pump at the little Oklahoma gas station.
it was 1984 and was a young evangelist. in those days, my wife, Debbie and I would gladly drive to just about any place that would offer me an opportunity to preach.
we were on a journey that day in 2 senses of the word. Yes, we were on our way to minister the Gospel. but this little filling station was also a stop on a voyage of discovery - one we had embarked upon about a month earlier. it was a journey into the power and joy of Spirit-led giving.
as I walked into the station to pay for my gasoline, the lady behind the counter said, 'It's taken care of'.
'Excuse me? I asked, a little confused.
*2 'It's taken care of, she repeated. 'You don't owe anything for the gas.
Now I was genuinely confused. 'Why is that?'
very matter of factly, she said, 'When you pulled up, God told me that you were an evangelist and that i was to pay for your gas. So , it's taken care of'.
Grateful and still a little startled, I thanked hr warmly and went on my way.
that stop was a small but significant milestone on the journey I mentioned. you see, the idea that the Spirit of God would speak to someone and instruct them to give wasn't a new concept for me. in fact, this incident was a perfect example of the very thing God had begun to make a centerpiece of my ministry and my walk as a Christian.
The Next Level
as a traveling evangelist, all of our income came from the love offerings I received from the churches in which i preached. in those years, my income from offerings might be $800 one week and $200 the next. we just never knew. but early in our marriage we had learned to trust God where our finances were concerned.
you see, Debbie and I were diligent tithers. God had spoken clearly to us about the principle of the tithe several years earlier. and ever since we began honoring the Lord by giving the first tenth of everything that came in, we had always seen our needs met - sometimes miraculously .
what we didn't know was that God was about to take us to the next level.
as I mentioned, about a month before the surprise blessing at the gas station, God did something remarkable to get my attention where the mater of giving was concerned.
*3 I was scheduled to preach at a church for only one night and as it turned out, it was the only meeting, I was scheduled to preached all month. from a financial standpoint, that meant having only one opportunity to receive an offering instead of the usual 4, 5 or 6. although Debbie and i had grown in our ability to trust and rest in God, this represented a major budgeting challenge in the making ..
at the close of the service, the church received a love offering on my behalf. shortly thereafter, the pastor approached me with an envelope.
he said, 'Robert, I'm pleased and amazed to tell you that this is the largest love offering this little church has ever given. God used you to bless us tonight and i'm so happy to be able to give this to you.'
when I opened the envelope, I found a heck for roughly the same amount as our entire monthly budget. in one meeting, God had miraculously provided what it normally took several meetings to produce. it was quite a lesson for us . but the lesson wasn't over yet.
as I stood there holding that check, basking in the warm glow of gratitude and wonder , something happened to me that forever changed the course and quality of my life.
earlier in that evening's service, a missionary had given a brief testimony and update for the congregation. now, as I looked across the nearly-empty sanctuary, I caught sight of him. as I did, the unmistakable voice of the Lord spoke in my heart, 'I want you to give him your offering - all of it. '
*4 in an instant , I went from euphoria to something approximating panic. 'Lord, that can't be Your voice! I mean...after all... I...You...You just did a miracle here to meet our needs!'
once again, the instruction came through, gently but clearly . 'I want you to give him hour offering'.
like a kid who doesn't want to hear what his brother is saying, I wanted to stick my fingers in my ears and sing, 'LA, LA, LA, LA, LA...! WHAT? I CANT HEAR YOU!'
'Give him the whole offering. Trust Me'.
I couldn't shake it off. I tried to rationalize. I tried bargaining. i tried begging. the impression only grew stronger.
Ultimately, I waved the white flag and said, 'Okay, Father, I trust You'. i endorsed the back of the check, folded it in half and took a quick glance around the room to make sure on one was watching.
walking up to the missionary, I said something like, 'I really appreciated your testimony tonight. please, don't tell anyone about this, but I would like you to have this offering. the check is made out to me, but I have signed it over to you.' I handed him the check and walked away.
an hour later , i found myself seated with about 29 members of the church at a pizza place. across from me sat a well-dressed man I barley knew. (we had met briefly on one other occasion.)
after a while, he leaned across the table toward me, looked me straight in the eye and asked me a shockingly personal question, 'How much was your offering tonight?
naturally, his question flustered me. I had never had anyone ask me that before, especially a near stranger! his boldness so caught me off guard that I didn't know what else to do but answer him. so, I told him the amount of the offering. i remember hoping that was the end of it.
It wasn't
*5 in the same authoritative manner, he asked me another question, 'Where is the check? 'WHAT NERVE! I remember thinking 'AND , WHAT IS HE UP TO?'
of course, I no longer had the check, but I wasn't about to tell him that. so, I am not proud to tell you. this preacher lied through his teeth.
'Uh..my wife has it, I said nervously. she was sitting at the other end of the long table - a nice, safe distance away . 'NOW CAN WE CHANGE THE SUBJECT?!
'Go get it. I want to see it'. the man was relentless! Not knowing what else to do, I made a pretense of getting up to go ask her for the check. bending down close to her ear, I asked, 'How's your pizza 'good, she replied, giving me a perplexed look. 'Great. glad to hear it. just checking', I muttered and headed back down the table to my seat.
my ears heard another lie floating past my lips. 'she left it out in the car, I said, trying to make the car sound as if it was very, very far away. (at this point, not only was I trying to hide the face that I had given my whole love offering away, i was also covering the fact that this evangelist, who had just spent the evening proclaiming that Jesus was the Way, the Truth and the Life, had just lied!)
as tiny beads of perspiration began to pop out on my face, the gentleman leaned across the table and got uncomfortably close. 'The check's not in the car, Robert, hesitated in a low voice.
'how o you know that? I responded, trying to sound a little offended.
'because God told me...and He told me something else.
at this point, the man spoke words that have rolled like thunder through my life ever since:
'God is about to teach you about giving so you can teach the body of Christ'. with that, he slid a folded piece of paper across the
*6 table . it was a check. the amount - to the penny - was 10 times the amount of the one I had given away only an hour or so earlier. ten times...to the penny.
that is the night this journey started.
Wonders of Provision
'God wants to teach you about giving so you can teach the Body of Christ'.
those words stayed at the forefront of our minds in the amazing months that followed. we were wide open to anything God wanted to teach us. and, as a result, we saw God work wonders of provision over and over.
sometimes He would prompt us to trust Him and give. other times, He would use someone else to bless us unexpectedly.
for example, not long after that life-changing night, Debbie and I were at an in-home Bible study where we spoke with a couple who was about to leave on a missionary trip. they had asked us to prayed for them before they left. they particularly requested prayer for their finances. 'We don't quite have all the money this trip will require, they told us. they did not mention their amount needed, but,as we prayed, I had a strong impression that the amount was $800.
at that point in our lives, $800 sounded like a very large sum of money. but we had it, because of the amazing tenfold blessing we had received at the pizza place.
that night, we were able to walk out to our car after the meeting and write a check. we caught them before they drove away and handed it to them. of course, it was the precise amount they needed to be able to take that mission trip.
frankly, it was the most exciting thing I had ever done. we were quickly beginning to discover how thrilling it was to be able to give when God tells you to do so.
*7 within the next few weeks, we had that encounter at the gas station I related at the beginning of this chapter.
shortly after that, we went out to eat with a man who had just purchased a new van. we all rode in it to the restaurant and were talking about how nice the van was and how excited for him we were. when we returned to his home, he said, 'Help me get my stuff out of my van'. so i began to gather up his cassette tapes and other items he pointed out. after several trips, i asked, 'Do you even want that umbrella out of there? and, by the way, why are you moving all this stuff inside?
his response was, 'because I'm giving you the van, but I need my umbrella! 'Excuse me? he repeated, 'I'm giving you this van. God told us to.
naturally, we were awestruck, grateful and thrilled. the brand new van had a value of more than $25,000!
of course, that blessing raised another question. now that we have this van, what do we do with the station wagon? it wasn't much to look at, but it was good, reliable transportation.
after some prayer, we felt the Lord instructing us to give the station wagon to a family that we knew didn't have a vehicle.
almost immediately, someone we didn't even know gave us another vehicle! God told us to, was the familiar explanation.
*8 after more prayer we gave that vehicle away, as well. soon, another one arrived to replace it. and then another one. and another one. each time a vehicle landed in our driveway, we would give it away. and each time, another one would show up to take its place. \
\over an 18 month period, we had the joyous privilege of giving 9 cars away to families that needed one. in the middle of this amazing sequence, God did something that, at first, puzzled us.
in the case of one of the cars we were given, our prayer for direction brought this instruction from the Lord: 'Don't give this vehicle away. sell it.
at first, we weren't sure we had heard God accurately. seeking confirmation, we said, 'Lord, are You sure You want us to sell this vehicle? we certainly have enjoyed giving them away.
the clear reply came back: 'No, I want you to sell the vehicle. i want you to sell it for $12,000.
at church that weekend, a man walked up to me and said, 'Hey Robert, would you like to sell that ban? somewhat startled, I said, 'yes, as a matter of fact, I believe i'm supposed to sell it. the man then said, 'i think the Lord wants me to give you $12,000 for it. is that acceptable? of course, i sold him the vehicle.
the very next week, we were scheduled to go on a mission trip to Costa Rica, so we put the $12,000 in the bank awaiting instructions from the Lord on what to do with it.
a few days later, we found ourselves in Costa Rica riding in a dilapidated old van owned by the missionary we were there to assist. i was genuinely concerned about whether or not we were going to make it to our destination.
at one point, I asked the missionary, 'Why don't you buy a new van? I think this one is about to die and go to be with the Lord!
'as a matter of fact, I am about to get a new van! the missionary said very excitedly. 'Last week, I was driving by a car lot and the
*9 Lord told me to stop. then He pointed out a van to me and said, 'I want to give you to pray over it', so I did! I don't know how the Lord is going to give me that van, he continued, but I know He will!
sensing the hand of God. (I asked him, 'how much do they want for it? I'm sure you have already guessed the answer - $12,000. with great joy, my wife and I were able to write the check for $12,000 as soon as we got home.
Out Give God?
throughout this remarkable season of giving , we experienced tremendous blessing. our income had skyrocketed. it seemed the more we gave, the more god gave to us. it was as if we were truly living out the old saying, 'You can't out give God.
over the course of those 18 months, it was our privilege to give away 9 vehicles. what's more , we were able to increase our giving to 70% of our gross income. we found ourselves living more comfortably on 30% than we previously had on 90%.
we simply encountered God's blessings everywhere we turned. and around each corner, we learned new lessons in the power of Spirit-led giving. just when we thought we were as radical about giving as we could possibly be, God would stretch us a little bit more.
for example., toward the end of that 18 monthly period, the Lord spoke to us about giving both of our vehicles away. he aid, 'I want you to give them and another thing, I also want you to give your house away and I also want you to take every bit of money that you have in the bank and give it away, too.
needless to say, we wrestled with this one. when we prayed, we said 'Lord, You're asking us to give everything away that we own. are You SURE this is what You're saying? and the Lord kept saying,
*10 I'm sure, I'm sure.
and ,. so, we did. as the Lord showed us the recipients, we gave the vehicles away. we gave away all the money in our bank accounts. and we looked and listened diligently for instructions about giving away the house. in our hearts, we had already given the house away. we had fully released it. we just needed to know what family to whom we were to hand the title and the keys.
there we were - without transportation and without a dollar with which to buy any. as I sat in my house (which I no longer considered to be mine), I have to admit, I was having some carnal thoughts.
I remember thinking to myself, 'Aha! I've got Him. this time I've out given the Lord.
I recall having a very frank and honest discussion with God, saying , 'Oh really!' at that moment, the telephone rang. on the other end of the line was a man who said, 'Robert, God has spoken to me about helping you with your transportation'. (You need to know that other than the recipients, no one on earth knew of what Debbie and I had given. this man did not know we had given our vehicles away.)
my immediate thought was, 'Well, that's a blessing. this man is going to give us a car. my assumption was that the pattern we had seen repeat itself so many times was about to play out once more. I must also admit that I thought, 'Well, Lord, even if he give us a car, the fact remains that we gave away 2 cars, all or our money , and, in effect, our house, too. so, I think i've still got You.
so , I asked the man on the phone, '
what did the Lord tell you to do? He answered, '
the Lord told me to buy you an airplane. I was speechless.
he continued: 'As a matter of fact. I bought the plane today; AND I've parked it at the airport; AND I'm going to pay for the hangar; AND I'm going to pay for the fuel; AND I'm going to pay for the insurance and maintenance on the airplane; AND I've hired a pilot. I'm going to pay his salary, so anytime you want to go somewhere, just call him and he'll fly you there. I'll take care of all the expenses!
as I stood there stammering and stunned, I heard the still, small voice of the Lord whisper in my spirit. 'Gotcha'.
my friend , you can't out give God.
God offers the only true 'guaranteed financial results' available on planet earth. there are principles, however, that we have to follow in order to experience God's highest rewards.
they are the keys to living 'the blessed life'.
*18 not only does the firstborn belong to God, but firstfruits belong to Him, as well.
in Exodus 23, we read: 'The first of the firstfruits of your land you shall bring into the house of the LORD your God'. (v19)
this verse goes even further and says it's the First of your firstfruits that God wants. that means the last of your firstfuits isn't acceptable. it's not the Tenth portion of your firstfruits, it's the First portion of your firstfruits. read that verse again:
'the first of the firstfruits of your land you shall bring into the house of the Lord.'
notice that the scripture designates 'the house of the Lord' as the proper place to give firstfruits. it doesn't say give them to a
*19 television ministry, although I believe strongly in supporting worthy ministries. it doesn't say give the first of your firstfruits to a missionary, even though supporting missionary work is near and dear to God's heart (and mine!) It doesn't say give the first of your firstfruits wherever you want. it says bring them 'into the house of the Lord your God.
we must always give to the Lord's house first. this is an aspect of the principle of firstfruits that we need to understand. that's why Proverbs 3.9-10 says:
Honor the LORD with your possessions, and with
the first fruits of all your increase;
so your bars will be filled with plenty, and your
vats will overflow with new wine.
as this passage suggests, tithing to the Lord's house involves honoring the Lord with our possessions and with the firstfruits of all of our increase.
now , in Old Testament times, most people were farmers. they raised animals and grew crops for their living. 'Increase' came as crops were harvested and livestock reproduced,. today, you might be a banker or a lawyer or a teacher or a construction worker. Your increase comes in that way.
*20 no matter how it comes, the Word makes it clear that we are to honor the Lord with the firstfruits of all of our increase. when we do. according to these verses, 'our barns will be filled with plenty and our vats will overflow'.
do you remember the account of the fall of Jericho in the book of Joshua? you'll recall that the Lord gave strict instructions that the Israelites were not to keep any of the spoils from Jericho. all of it belonged to Him, the Lord declared.
why did the Lord say that all of the silver and gold from Jericho had to be given to the Lord's house? because it was the First city conquered in the Promised Land, it was firstfruits.
God was saying, 'Bring all the silver and the gold from Jericho into My house and then you can have all of the rest'. He didn't say 'Conquer 10 cities and give Me all the spoils from the tenth one. He essentially said, Give Me the first and you can have the rest. that took faith, of course, and so does tithing.
you'll also remember that one person among the Israelites regarded God's clear instructions. they were told, 'the silver and gold were consecrated to the Lord', but after a man named Achan took some for himself, we read that it was 'cursed'. (Joshua 6.18)
think about that. when the spoils were given to God, they were 'consecrated' or set apart for God's house, but after a man took some for himself , it was called 'accursed'.
Consecrated or cursed - that's exactly what the tithe is all through the Bible. the tithe is consecrated to the Lord and for the Lord's house. but if we take it for ourselves, it becomes cursed because it is stolen.
in Malachi, chapter 3, God makes it clear that if we keep the tithe to ourselves , we are 'robbing God'. what a sobering thing it is to consider that one can steal from God and, therefore, be under a curse.
*21 'Will a man rob God? yet you have robbed Me! but you say, 'in what way have we robbed You? in tithes and offerings. you are cursed with a curse, for you have robbed Me., even this whole nation'. Malachi 3.8-9
it is amazing to me how many people try to overlook this Scripture or explain it away. some say, 'Well, that's in the Old Testament'. but in the very same chapter of Malachi, God says, 'For I am the Lord, I do not change. v6
we have already seen that the Lord clearly says, 'The firstborn belongs to me' and 'the firstruits are Mine'. we also just heard Him say, 'The tithe belongs to Me.
here is my question to those who contend that the principle of the tithe is no longer active: if God also declares, 'I do not change', then when did those things supposedly change? when did God change?
the tithe, the firstborn and the firstfruits all belong to the Lord. this isn't a law! it's an unchanging principle established by an unchanging God.
many people say: 'Well, tithing was under the Law, so I don't have to do it. we're under grace now'. they need to know that there are many things that were under the Law that continue to be principles with God
would you believe anyone who asserted that because adultery was forbidden under the Law, that it is now acceptable under grace? would you accept an argument which stated that because stealing was forbidden under the Old Testament Law, that it is now acceptable under New Covenant grace? of course, not.
there are eternal principles throughout the Word of God and tithing is clearly one of them. it is a principle that runs from Genesis to Revelation.
the tithe belongs to God, the firstborn belongs to God. and firstfruits belong to God.
*22 throughout my life as an evangelist and pastor, I have been amazed at the consistency of the testimonies I hear from tithers and non-tithers. in more than 20 years of ministry, every thither I have spoken with has given me the same testimony and every non-tither has given me the same testimony. )and keep in mind the biblical exhortation to 'let everything be established by the mouth of 2 or 3 witnesses. II Cor. 13.1
without exception, tithers say, 'I'm blessed' or 'God has blessed me'. they all give the testimony that God is blessing them. in contrast, every non-tither I have ever spoken with gives this testimony: 'I can't afford to tithe.
now I want you to think about these two statements and tow types of people they come from: All tithers give the testimony that they are blessed; and all non-tithers give the testimony that they can't afford to tithe.
I think Forest Gump could discern the pattern on this one. he would probably say, 'I'm not a smart man, but I'm going to tithe. and that's all I have to say about that'.
Respect for Abel
the principles of tithing, the firstborn and firstfruits are biblical and eternal. Aligning your life and actions with them can't help but bring God's blessing.
we find a great example of this in the fourth chapter of Genesis.
and in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the Lord. Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. and the Lord respected Abel and his offering, but he did not respect Cain and his offering. and Cain was very angry and his countenance fell. Genesis 4.3-5
*23 many people have wondered for years, 'Why did God respect Abel's offering but not Cain and his offering? the Word makes it a point to tell us very clearly that the offering Abel brought was the 'firstborn' of his flock. but it doesn't say that Cain brought of the 'firstfruits of his crops. notice that teh passage quoted above says, 'and in the process of time...' in other words, Cain grew his crops and then, 'in the process of time', got around to bringing an offering to the Lord. the implication is that he didn't bring his firstfruits to the Lord. could that be why God did not respect Cain's offering? I believe so.
Abel, on the other hand, brought the firstborn of his flock to the Lord and God accepted his offering.
there is a lesson in this for us. God is looking at our hearts when we give. and when we give of the first of our firstfruits or our tithe, God receives and respects that offering. the tithe is your firstfruit. the tithe most be first! the Bible is clear on this matter:
and all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lord's . it is holy to the Lord. Leviticus 27.30
just as the first born belongs to God and the firstfruits belong to God, so does the tithe belong to Him. but, like the other two. it must be first. as he declared in the verse above, 'all the tithe of the land...is the Lord's'.
*24 I once heard Mike Haves, pastor of Covenant Church in Carollton, Texas, use an excellent illustration of this truth.
now, if I had 10 one-dollar bills to give away and asked 2 specific questions about them, I suspect most Christian would get the first one right, but would scratch their heads at the second one.
Imagine, I've given you 10 one-dollar bills and have laid them out on a table in front to you. now, my first question is, 'How much is the tithe on this money?
I think everyone would get that one right. the tithe on 10 dollars is, obviously, One dollar. but here is the more difficult question which One is the tithe? 'Obviously, the first one', you might say. but Which One is the first one? is it the one on your left, or is it the one on your right?
Let's say you get paid on Thursday and immediately pay all your bills, then buy groceries and then write your tithe check before going to church. have you tithed the first of your increase? No. is it possible to give a full 10% and still not be tithing in accordance with God's principle? Absolutely.
for understanding, let's go back to the one-dollar bills. which dollar is the tithe? let me tell you how to decide that. the tithe is the first one spent or given. the first money that you spend represents your firstfruits. in other words, when yo get paid, the first check you write should be the tithe check.
\
is it really an act of faith to give 10% after all your other bills are paid? what does it say about our priorities when we willingly pay everybody else first and the see if there is enough left to give God His portion.
the first portion we spend should be the tithe. that is the firstfruit. and, according to Exodus 13, that first portion is the redemptive portion. the first portion has the power to redeem the rest. this is the essence of paul's message in Romans 11.16:
*25 'for if the firstfruit is holy, the lump is also holy; and if the root is holy, so are the branches.
there are so many blessings that go along with tithing, but it is the principle of putting God first and the principle of faith that initiates the blessings. it is the trigger.
*31 Chapter 3 Life , Not Law
tithing is life, not law.
...with all my heart, I want you to understand something: tithing is not Law to me -It Is Life!
let me say that again. I don't tithe because tithing was a part of the Old Testament Law; I tithe because it's life to me and to my family...
*32 the principle goes all the way back to the opening chapters of Genesis, where we see Abel's offering accepted and Cain's rejected .
In a sense, it even goes back further than that! we can see the principle of the tithe in God's instructions to Adam and Eve about the trees in the Garden of Eden.
then the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it. and the Lord God commanded the man, saying, 'of every tree of the garden you may freely eat, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die'. Genesis 2. 15-7
notice that in giving adam and Eve stewardship of the Garden., God gave them 'every' tree from which they could ear 'freely' except for one. exercising faithful stewardship of the Garden meant leaving that one tree alone. they were not to take that fruit themselves and consume it. being faithful stewards meant Life to Adam and Eve. by choosing to eat of the fruit of the tee, they were acting like Owners rather than stewards.
isn't that precisely how the principle of the tithe operates for us? god gives us stewardship responsibility over our lives. thought it All belongs to Him. He has richly given us all things to enjoy I Tim. 6.17 but He has asked us not to touch the firstfruits. 'The tithe and the firstfruits are mine, says the Lord.
we demonstrate faithful stewardship - we show God that we realize that we are stewards, not owners - when we give Him the tithe.
as each of these examples shows, the tithe completely transcends the Old Testament Law. but that shouldn't surprise us because so
*33 do many other eternal principles.
imagine what you would think if,one Sunday morning, you visited the church I pastor and, as I was preaching, I suddenly pulled out a gun and shot someone in the congregation. what if, when asked , 'Whey did you do that? the Bible says you're not supposed to murder', my response was,, '[Well, 'thou shalt not kill' was part of the Law, I'm not under the Law. I'm under grace.
what would you think about that? you would probably point out to me that respecting human life and not murdering are principles that run all through the Bible.
I am using a rather absurd illustration to make an important point. just because something was mentioned in the Law of Moses doesn't mean that we can throw it out now.
let me address this issue another way. if something was Wrong under the Law, can it be Right under grace? in other words, since murder was wrong under the Law, is it now right under grace? of course, not.
now let me turn the question around. if something was Right under the law, is it now Wrong under grace? certainly not.
we can't afford to throw out any vital principles in the Word of God - and tithing is a principle that runs all through Scripture.
What most Christians fail to comprehend is, tithing is a test.
Passing the Test
in Matthew 6.21, we find the familiar words: 'For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
I want you to notice it doesn't say, 'Where your heart is, there your treasure will be also' (even though many people quote and apply it as
*34 if it did). it says , basically, 'Tour heart follows your treasure'. that is why tithing represents a test for every Christian...
the word translated Tithe in the Bible literally means 'tenth' or 'a tenth part'. and do you know what the number 10 represents all through the Bible? it represents Testing.
let me give you a few examples. how many plagues were there in Egypt? in other words, who many times did God test Pharaoh's heart? the answer is 10.
how many commandments are there? in other words, in how many ways is our obedience tested? the answer is 10.
how many times did God test Israel while they were wandering in the wilderness?
and who may times did God test Jacob's hear (by allowing his wages to be changed) when he was working for Laban?
or how many days was Daniel tested in the first chapter of the book of Daniel?
in each case, the answer was 10.
the pattern continues in the New Testament. in Matthew, Chapter 25, ten virgins had their preparedness tested.
ten days of testing are mentioned in Revelation 2.10...
what Is true is that the number 10 is associated with testing throughout the Bible. and the tithe (tenth) represents the ultimate 'heart test' for the deliver. but, more significantly, tithing is also the only area in which the Christian is invited to 'test' God.
'Bring the whole tithe into the store house, 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. Malachi 3.10
I remember having a conversation with God about this passage.
*35 I said something like, 'God, why did You put those verses in the Old Testament? I mean, they only missed the new Testament by just a page or two. why couldn't You have waited and put those verses in the New Testament? didn't You know that everybody would try to explain these away because they are in the Old Testament?'
to that question, I felt as if the Lord spoke to my heart and answered, 'i put those verses exactly where I wanted them. you see, tithing is a test of the heart. if I had put them in the New Testament, it wouldn't be as much of a test as it must be'. then the Lord said : 'However, I Did put verse 6 i there for you.
at that point, I remembered what the Lord says in Malachi 3.6. as I pointed out in the previous chapter, he says, For I am the Lord, I do not change.
you see, tithing truly is a test. the truth of this passage seems so simple to me. if I tithe, I'm blessed; if I don't i'm cursed. Hmmm, that's a tough decision...let me think about that. Tithe - I'm blessed...don't tithe - i'm cursed. Blessing? or curses? for me, that one really isn't that hard to figure out.
still unsure about this tithing business? then take God up on the offer he makes in Malachi 3.10. test Him on it!
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. Malachi 3.10 NIV for it.
...GOD PROMISES TO 'REBUKE THE DEVOURER' ON OUR BEHALF IF WE WILL TRUST HIM AND OBEY.
*36 That's why i want to extend a friendly challenge to you. do the test! begin to diligently honor the Lord with your first fruits - the tithe - and see what happens.
Obedience and The Curse
in response to this teaching, I have heard some people say, 'this Curses thing doesn't apply to me. as a believer, i can't experience any curses because Jesus bore the curse of the Law for me on the cross'. this does bring up an important issue. let's examine it.
the Bible does clearly state that Jesus bore our sins, sicknesses, sorrows, pains and shame on the cross. it is difficult to read the 53rd chapter of Isaiah without becoming overwhelmed with awe and gratitude for what Jesus did for us on the cross.
we also find a wonderful passage about the work of redemption that Jesus performed for us in the third chapter of Galatians:
Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a cruse for us (for it is written) 'Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree'), that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. Galatians 3.13,14
without a doubt, Jesus bore all of these things - and more than we can imagine - on the cross. now, let me ask you to consider something: as we just noted, Jesus bore your sin on the cross. as First Peter 2.24 says, 'Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness - by whose stripes you were healed'. but have you sinned Since you became a believer?
*37 I'm sure the answer to that is, 'yes'. so, think about that. even though Jesus bore your sins on the cross, you have, nevertheless, sinned since you believed.
in a similar vein, we have also noted that Jesus bore our sicknesses, as well. that is wonderfully, gloriously true. yet, have you ever been sick since you became a Christian? I know I have.
even though Matthew 8.17 says, 'that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet saying, 'He Himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses', we still battle the curse of sickness from time to time.
the fact is, we must all appropriate,by faith, what Jesus did for us on the cross. and when we don't we continue to experience some of the effects of the curse.
as believers, if we disobey the Word of God, we can still experience the effects of the curse. that applies to our finances just as surely as it does our physical bodies. can we, if we are in willful violation of God's principles of firstfruits, see our finances come under a curse? Yes, we can.
the good news is, we have the wonderful promise of Malachi, chapter three, in which God promises to 'rebuke the devourer' on our behalf if only we will dare to trust Him and obey.
Law and Grace
as I have noted, a common excuse for failing to tithe is, 'i'm under grace, not law'.
the grace of God really is amazing. yet, far too few Christians truly understand what grace is or how it operates. for one thing, the righteousness of grace always exceeds the righteousness of the Law. this is the essence of what Jesus said in Matthew 5.17-20: 'Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. i did not come to destroy but to fulfill. for
*38 assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot of one tittle will by no means pass from the law will all is fulfilled. whoever therefore breaks one of he leas of these commandments and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. for I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you till by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.
in this passage, we wee an important truth - the righteousness of grace Always exceeds the righteousness of the Law. notice that each time Jesus points to an Old Covenant Law, he than sets a higher standard under New Covenant grace.
for example, the Law said, 'Don't murder'. but Jesus said, 'Don't even be angry with your brother. A higher standard! the law said, 'Don't commit adultery, but Jesus said, 'Don't even look at a woman lustfully'. once again, a higher standard.
in other words the righteousness that grace demands (and Jesus Is grace) goes further than the law demands.
that's why I smile when someone says to me, 'I don't tithe because I'm not under the Law. I'm under grace'. I respond by saying, 'Oh, so you give according to grace? 'Yes, that's right' then i say, 'Great! that means you give much more than 10% because the righteousness of grace always exceeds the righteousness of the Law. it's a higher standard.
the point is, there are certain principles that permeate the Word of God and tithing is one of them.
Yes, when we give according to grace, we will give more than the tithe, but we Start with tithing. the first 10% should be
*39 given as firstfruits offering because it is a bedrock principle in the Word of God.
I suspect many believers think that the only Scripture on tithing is the one we read earlier in Malachi. let me show you just a few of the other places in the Word where the principle of the tithe is established.
Abraham, Melchizedek and You
in the 14th chapter of Genesis, we find a passage I have already mentioned:
The Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was the priest of God Most High.and he blessed him and said: 'blessed by Abram of God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth; and blessed by God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand' and he gave him a tithe of all. (vs 18-20)
a full 430 years before tithing was a part of the Mosaic Law, Abraham tithed to Melchizedek. according to the book of Galatians, Abraham is our spiritual father and Melchizedek is a type of Jesus Christ (some prominent Bible teachers think he might even have been Jesus Christ Himself! Melchizedek's titles were King of Righteousness and King of peace - and, of course, Jesus is the true King of Righteousness and the King of Peace.
we also know that Mel is a type of Christ because the Bible explicitly says so. in Hebrews, chapter 5, the inspired writer says of Jesus:
and having been perfected, he became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him, called by God as High Priest 'according to the order of Melchizedek'. (vs 9,10)
likewise, the entire 7th chapter of Hebrews is devoted to
*40 showing how Jesus is the fulfillment of all the types and shadows embodied in Mel. it gives particular attention to the fact that Abraham tithed to Melchizedek.
for this Mel, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, to whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all, first being translated 'king of righteousness', and then also king of Salem, meaning 'king of peace', without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the son of God, remains a priest continually. Hebrews 7.1-3
so Abraham, our spiritual father, tithed to Melchizedek, who was either Jesus Christ himself or a symbolic representation of Christ. moreover, all this occurred 430 years before the Law.
there is one other important thing mentioned in this passage i want you to see.
Here mortal men receive tithes, but there he (Jesus) receives them, of whom it is witnessed that he lives. Hebrews 7.8
according to this remarkable verse, Jesus, in Heaven, 'receives' tithes. when you write your tithe check, you may think you're giving it to your local church, but in a very real, spiritual sense, true tithers have their offerings received by the Lord Jesus Himself.
what a privilege! what a holy thing! and what a loss for those who never take the step of faith and tithe.
A Heart Thing
Let's look at another passage in which the principle of the tithe is evident.
*41 in Genesis, chapter 28, we find the patriarch Jacob having his famous encounter with God in a dream, with a rock as his pillow. his life and heart changed, he rises and says:
'And this tone which I have set as a pillar shall be God's house and of all that You give me I will surely give a tenth to you (v22)
Jacob's vow to tithe came straight from his grateful heart. that's what i want you to see. true tithing comes from the heart - not from a legalistic mind. i also want you to note that this promise came 400 years before the Law.
like his grandfather, Abraham, Jacob wanted to give God the first of his firstfruits - the first 10%. having experienced the sweetness of god's presence and the goodness of His favor, he wanted to bless him. it was a heart thing.
that's why tithing is life to me, not Law. and when it becomes life to you, it will be one of the greatest joys of your life.
we see another insight into the power of tithing in Leviticus, chapter 27. in verse 30, we find God giving instructions to the Israelites about how to prosper in the land of promise:
'and all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lord's. it is holy to the Lord.
*42 God considers the tithe 'holy'. the word holy means separated and set abprt. in other words, the first 10% is to be separated and set apart for the Lord. IT IS NOT FOR ME TO DETERMINE WHAT TO DO WITH IT. It is God's tithe.
in Deuteronomy 26. 1-2, God says: 'And it shall be, when you come into the land which he Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, and you possess it and dwell in it, that you shall take some of the first of all the produce of the ground, which you shall bring from your land that the Lord your God is giving you, and put it in a basket and go to the place where the Lord your God chooses to make His name abide.
a little further down in the chapter, God says: 'the you shall say before the Lord your God: 'i have removed the holy tithe from my house and also have given them to the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless and the widow, according to all Your commandments which You have commanded me; i have not transgressed Your commandments, nor have I forgotten them. I have not eaten any of it when in mourning, nor have I removed any of it for an unclean use, nor given any of it for the dead. i have obeyed the voice of the Lord my God and have done according to all that you have commanded me'. (v13.4)
notice the key phrase, 'I have removed the holy tithe from my house...'
when you understand that the tithe is holy, you don't want it in your house. you want to get it to the house of god where it belongs. you don't use part of it for your vacation. you don't use it to
*43 pay for your children's school tuition. you know that holy means 'set apart'.
'These You Ought to Have Done'
the new Testament isn't silent about the principle of the tithe, either. in fact, Jesus made a very plain statement on the subject in Matthew 23.23:
'Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. these you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone'.
Jesus is obviously scolding the Pharisees here. he points out that they are meticulous about tithing, but that they have 'neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. these you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone'.
Jesus is obviously scolding the Pharisees here. he points out that they are meticulous about tithing, but that they have 'neglected the weightier matters of the law'.
but I want you to notice what He says at the end of this stinging endictment. he declares, 'These (meticulous tithing) you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone', in other words, He says to them, 'Yes, tithe of all your increase, but don't neglect the vitally important heart issues of justice, mercy and faith'.
think about it. what we just read is, in my opinion, one of the most amazing Scriptures on tithing. Jesus Himself affirmed the tithe. I don't know how anyone with a soft heart toward God could get around this.
of course, tithing isn't a grim duty. it isn't a dry religious exercise. and it isn't a punishment.
it is an amazing opportunity that brings tremendous benefits to the tither. we see this in action in second Chronicles. this is a long passage about a decree of King Hezekiah, but it is worth the time it takes to read:
'Moreover he commanded the people who dwelt in Jerusalem to contribute support for the priests Jerusalem to contribute support for the priests and the Levites, that they might devote themselves to the Law of the Lord.
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Tuesday, January 22, 2019
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