TITHE

TITHE

1. God is all sufficient. He does not need our money. Rather He wants lost souls. Church’s greatest sin is to neglect the lost and spend an obscene amount on itself.

2. The OT tithe was from the produce of the land and every tenth animal that passed under the rod. A carpenter did not tithe every tenth chair nor did the fisherman tithe every tenth fish. No land no tithe. (Lev. 27:30-32)

3. Tithe does not mean money; it means food, “Bring tithe to my store house that there may be food in my house.” The tither brought grain, wine, and animals and ate his tithe in the presence of the Lord in Jerusalem along with his household, the poor, the Gentile servants and the Levites. Tithing was a celebration of God’s goodness. Jews gave 20% every year and 30% in the third year. (Deut 12: 5-19; 14: 24-27; 26: 10-13; Mal. 3:10)

4. Under the New Covenant, believers do not tithe, but offer “all” as reasonable service (Latreia=Worship) (Rom. 12:1). As Royal Priests of Melchizedec’s order, we the saints rank higher than Levitical priests (1Pet.2:9; Heb.7:1-5). The physical temple has been replaced by believers wherein God dwells.(Mat.24:1,2; Acts 7:48,49)

5. We the Gentiles believers were never instructed to tithe. Read all thirteen letters of the Apostle Paul to the Gentiles and find one verse where he asked them to pay even one penny of tithe money to anyone. (Acts 15:20)

6. OT tithe was God ordained. The church’s collection box was invented by man. If you follow Abraham’s example, then you must practice once in lifetime tithing from your loot, and also circumcision, sacrifice and polygamy. (Gen.17: 10-14; 22: 5-13; 25: 1-6)

7. NT church tithes with breaking of bread from house to house; and eating their food (tithe) with gladness... and the Lord adds to their numbers daily.” (Acts 2:46,47)

8. Devotion to giving to itinerant saints to carry the gospel to the lost is, “fragrant aroma, a sacrifice well pleasing to God.” Yeshua did not teach tithing but extravagant generosity. (1Cor.16:15; Rom.10:15; Phil 4:18)

9. God gives us strength to earn wealth to fulfill His covenant, made with Abrham, to be a blessing to the Gentiles. Sacrificial fat was God’s portion, the lean meat for His devotees. Wealth is for our ‘daily bread’ while the excess fat is for redeeming our inheritance, the lost souls. (Gen. 12:3; Deut. 8:17,18; Lev. 3:16)

10. The NT does not ask to fleece the flock every Sunday. Paul collected gifts for famine stricken believers of Jerusalem on the first day of the week (Saturday evening). He did so once but did not set any tradition. (1Cor.16:1-4)

11. It is not just giving but also receiving, “Give and it shall be given to you pressed down, running over...” Jews gave dutifully, but we give freewill offering, “Each one as he has purposed in his heart.” (Luke 6:38; 2Cor. 9:7)

12. Jews gave for their own salvation but we sow abundant seed faith to reap a bountiful harvest of souls. (2Cor. 9:6)

13. World evangelism was never “tithe driven”. Apostles do not chase Mammon but all necessary resources come to their feet. (Act. 4:34-37; 1 Pet. 5:2; Mat. 6:24)

14. Feeding your tithe to the lost people in the presence of Lord and giving to the itinerant royal priests of the order of Melchizedec, is biblical and has profound missiological and church architectural implications.