I was convinced that was what God wanted me to do. As the pastor, I had to set an example, lest I be disobedient as the priests were in Malachi 1. So I sold my cameras and gave the money to the fund.
Many of the other members of our congregation gave possessions and treasures. It was a great time in our fellowship for seeking His will in our finances and testing our willingness to obey Him. Several months later I received a call from a woman who asked if I was the Charles Stanley who had owned a particular camera.
The principle of tithing is relevant for today. However, many make excuses for not returning that portion to God. They fret over the economy and job loss, fear of increased taxes, and generally anticipate the worst. Yet you have robbed Me! You are cursed with a curse, for you have robbed Me, even this whole nation.
When we give our tithe to God, we provide for His work, prove His faithfulness, and show Him honor in acknowledging Him as the Source of all we possess and as One worthy of our worship. We bring Him the sacrifices of our praise and our possessions. He requested the same amount 10 percent and the same portion the first portion [Proverbs ] to be given by all believers.
We are treated equally when we fail to tithe. Plus, being outrageously generous is a blast! And guess what? In Matthew , Jesus warns against focusing too much on the rules of tithing without paying attention to the more important things like justice, mercy and faithfulness.
Bottom line? You should be giving in some way. But tithing is more of a spiritual topic than a financial one. Yep—you read that right. Take a look at your budget and find ways to cut back on spending. It might mean limiting some of your fun money, packing your lunch instead of eating out every day, brewing your own coffee, or buying generic products —but it is possible!
Honestly, whether you tithe from your gross pay or your take-home pay is totally up to you. To learn more, sign up and get our research. But since tax refunds are just interest-free loans to the government, your goal should be to avoid them by claiming the right number of exemptions and not overpaying throughout the year.
So, it looks like this is a decision between you and God. When things are going well and you find yourself with more income than you need, it can be easy to spend all that extra cash on yourself. But think of it as a great opportunity to give above and beyond your tithe. Then look around—ask friends if they know of anyone in need and watch for opportunities to give that money away.
Remember: Giving is the most fun you can have with your money! A monthly budget forces you to really pay attention to where your money is going. I pulled a couple of dollars out of my pocket, put them in his eager little hand, and watched as he walked the short distance to the concession stand. A few minutes later he returned, already digging hungrily into a bag of candy.
Watching him eat those Skittles brought out my sweet tooth. Not to mention I am a lot bigger than you are. If I wanted to I could take the whole bag of Skittles away from you right now. God provides us our Skittles — how we choose to use them reflects our heart for giving. God calls upon us to gladly help others with love, rather than being resentful because we have to do it.
Explaining the need to tithe to your children is easier than you may think. Explain that the Lord uses the money we give to share his love with other people. Have your children look around the church. Look at the chairs, tables, art supplies, bibles, hymnals and even the food served at gatherings after church. All of these things cost money, and the way they are paid for is through tithing. The church also supports local and international missionaries.
Explain to your children that it is important to tithe so that the church can reach more people and share the love of God with other people in the community.
Tithing may seem rather hard to understand at first. The easiest way to teach tithing is to explain it when your child earns money.
This lesson is one that will last a lifetime and will hopefully show that he should continue the practice even as an adult.
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