POSTED | December 6, 2022 - Rev. Gordon Williams
Is Tithing for Today?
Mal. 3:8-10
No matter where I travel, I am constantly asked, "Do we have to tithe 10% of our income to the Lord’? I have discovered that people who are spiritually blind and in rebellion to what Jesus wants, are always trying to find a way to cheat God.
Yes, tithing is in both the Old Testament and the New Testament. It is carried over from the original Melchizedek (King of Righteousness) included in the Old Testament where the tithes were given to the tribe of Levi. Under the New Testament the tithes are given to the tribe of Judah which is Jesus’ tribe since He is the new High Priest Melchizedek who receives our tithes by "the power of an indestructible life” (Heb. 7:1-28).
This means that the terms of tithing are carried into the New Testament. God told Israel, "Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How are we robbing you?’ You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me; the whole nation of you. Bring the full tithes and offerings into the store house, that there may be food in my house; and thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you an overflowing blessing (Mal. 3:8-10).
Today throughout the churches people are being told that tithing is not for today and they are cheating God. The result is that both they and these churches are having financial troubles. We can tithe our way out of debt. When Jesus criticized the Pharisees, it was not because of their tithing. In fact, tithing was the one thing he complemented them about. He said, "Woe to you Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for your tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law, justice and mercy” "and faith” (Matt. 23: 3, 23; Lk.11: 42).
While pastoring in Brampton, Ontario, a woman received Salvation and the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. She began tithing 10% of her husband’s income. Every summer, they had to borrow money in order to go on vacation with their children. It was no problem because of his income. After the first year of tithing, her husband asked her, "How much money do we have to borrow from the bank to go on vacation?” She said, “None!” He asked her to show her their financial records.
No matter where I travel, I am constantly asked, "Do we have to tithe 10% of our income to the Lord’? I have discovered that people who are spiritually blind and in rebellion to what Jesus wants, are always trying to find a way to cheat God.Yes, tithing is in both the Old Testament and the New Testament. It is carried over from the original Melchizedek (King of Righteousness) included in the Old Testament where the tithes were given to the tribe of Levi. Under the New Testament the tithes are given to the tribe of Judah which is Jesus’ tribe since He is the new High Priest Melchizedek who receives our tithes by "the power of an indestructible life” (Heb. 7:1-28).
This means that the terms of tithing are carried into the New Testament. God told Israel, "Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How are we robbing you?’ You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me; the whole nation of you. Bring the full tithes and offerings into the store house, that there may be food in my house; and thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you an overflowing blessing (Mal. 3:8-10).
Today throughout the churches people are being told that tithing is not for today and they are cheating God. The result is that both they and these churches are having financial troubles. We can tithe our way out of debt. When Jesus criticized the Pharisees, it was not because of their tithing. In fact, tithing was the one thing he complemented them about. He said, "Woe to you Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for your tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law, justice and mercy” "and faith” (Matt. 23: 3, 23; Lk.11: 42).
Jesus was saying to them and us, "you are supposed to tithe” but you were not proving to be faithful by doing what goes along with the tithes: justice, mercy, faith and the love of God. Today’s hypocrites are those in churches who do neither tithing nor do they do the ministry of Jesus Christ. The result is that they have financial problems and Jesus closes their churches down (Rev. 3:5).
While pastoring in Brampton, Ontario, a woman received Salvation and the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. She began tithing 10% of her husband’s income. Every summer, they had to borrow money in order to go on vacation with their children. It was no problem because of his income. After the first year of tithing, her husband asked her, "How much money do we have to borrow from the bank to go on vacation?” She said, “None!” He asked her to show her their financial records.
He came to the Church page and saw they had given 10% to the ministry. She said, "Oh, I forgot to tell you that we are now tithers.” He said, "We cannot afford to do this!” She said, "We have more than enough money to go on vacation without borrowing any.” He came to see me and asked, "How does tithing work? My total income was more than I had received. I said, "I can’t explain how Jesus does it, but He increase our incomes without us noticing it when we are faithful to give him our full 10% of our income”. The result was that he received Jesus as his Saviour. Giving Jesus our tithes, offerings and alms proves that we are "cheerful givers” (2 Cor. 9:7).
