Tithes Are Not Just For The Church
I knew it!
Just based on the heart of God towards the stranger, widow and the fatherless, I knew that God could tell us or we elect to give our tithes to those who needed it that He would bless us.
Then my pastor gave this scripture to us yesterday:
Deuteronomy 26:12-13 (NKJV) “When you have finished laying aside all the tithe of your increase in the third year— the year of tithing—and have given it to the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, so that they may eat within your gates and be filled, then 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.
What does this mean to me?
I know that some people have a hard time giving to churches. Okay, whatever. You can still honour God and give ten percent back to what is already His in the first place by giving to those who God has such a special love for.
So like those day laborors on the street corner? Leviticus 19:33-34
So like all the kids who grew up without fathers? Psalm 10:14
So like the single moms whose boyfriend/husband who has left for the woman to do it all? Psalm 68:5
God never said your tithes had to be funneled through a church to help the needy.
You see a need? Let the Spirit stirs your heart. Ask Him, “What do You want me to deliver to those in need? I don’t give what is not mine. I just a carrier of the portions that God has blessed me with.”
Strangely enough, God is so good like that.
Tithes are not for the church at all. The text you quoted included the Levite in the poor tithe because he was supposed to stay poor and could not inherit land or property. Wow, has that changed today!
NT giving principles are: freewill, sacrificial, generous, joyful, regular and motivated by love for God and man.
Although money was very common even in Genesis and required for worship, money was never included in tithing. In fact tithes could not come from pagans or from pagan land and the tithe was never used for missionary purposes.
Maybe that is why OT tithing failed per Hebrews 7:12-19.
Churches need to get back to what worked in the 1700s and 1800s —teaching personal evangelism rather than cursing believers for not tithing.
Russell Earl Kelly, PHD
http://www.shouldthechurchteachtithing.com
I am not sure about the Levite staying poor. All it says that their portion and inheritance is of God.
I am not a priest. Not even a pastor. But my portion and inheritance is of God and God alone. I know that I am beyond wealthy because He provides for what I need and desire.
My pastor never cursed believers for not tithing but unless you have a different version of Malachi, the Malachi in my bible clearly states that “you are cursed with a curse because you robbed Me.”
One thing to note is that our lack of tithing doesn’t rob the churches at all. They are taking care of by God.
My point to you is that clearly we are to tithe because the money and provision is clearly not ours but of God. If you have no church to speak of, then take what would you give to the church and give it to somebody in need: stranger, widow or fatherless. Even if you have a church to tithe to, you can still be obedient to God and give your tithes to anybody in need. God promises still hold true.
Even Jesus said in Matthew 25:40 And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’
nice joe. yes.
“You see a need? Let the Spirit stirs your heart. Ask Him, “What do You want me to deliver to those in need? ”
this gets us out of the way too. but i have to be willing to give. and to give unselfishly without a pat on the back. a true sacrifice. which is much harder to do than dropping a check in the offering basket. this is not saying we do not give to our church, because we do…but we also try to give more (our offerings) to our community, personally. we’re all about that.
love you brother!
Joe: i think you’re so right… i also love how the early church divided the gifts into means to help widows and orphans. i think, if churches absorb all of their giving, without reaching out, we are grossly misusing the funds that God has blessed us with.
Mandy: This is where our trust has to be with Him when it comes to giving to churches.
Just as blessings cannot terminate with us when they get to us, so too are blessings cannot terminate when the get to the church. If the church is keep churning money within it self and not reaching out and bringing the community closer, then God will deal with them. He says so over and over again in Jeremiah.
I know that people have issues with giving and tithing to churches especially in America. Who can blame them?
But in all things, we must trust in God for He is sovereign.
While I can definitely can agree to God calling to bring the tithes to the house of the Lord, I know I can also be incredibly responsive to His calling and His voice.
God is incredible and I will not try to limit Him.