Tag: tithing

God’s Multiplication

I was asked in an interview last week whether a person in debt should postpone paying tithes until he had paid off his debt. That’s an easy question to which the answer is a resounding “No.” Although from a financial point of view, it makes sense to pay off debt rather than make charitable donations, we must keep in mind that God doesn’t operate within the limits of our economic circumstances.

Paying Bills; Photo by Karolina Grabowska on Pexels.com

If you’ve been a Christian for many years, you have likely heard a statement along the lines of, “God can do more with your 90% than you can do with your 100%.” It sounds like a cute cliche that a minister might use to convince his congregation to tithe. It is truth, however, and one that all Christians should take to heart.

God doesn’t need our offerings. He owns it all. God declares, “If I were hungry, I would not tell you. For the world is mine and all that is in it.” Psalm 50:12 (NIV)

God can meet all of our needs without our help. He asks us to give back 10% of the resources He has entrusted to us as a sign of our faith, trust, and obedience. And when we bring our ten percent, He multiples that to do the work of the kingdom, and He multiples the ninety percent that remains to meet our needs.

An great example of God’s multiplication powers is the story of the widow who meet Elijah’s needs, as told in 1 Kings 17. The widow had only enough flour and oil to make a cake each for her son and herself. She was going to prepare a final meal for them before they died. Elijah asked her to make food for him first. The widow obeyed God’s prophet, and God did not allow her flour or oil to run out until the drought had ended.

You may be experiencing great blessings today, or perhaps you are in the midst of difficult financial circumstances. Either way, offer up what you have to the Lord by following His instructions to give ten percent to the work of the church. Then observe how God blesses you. He has promised that He will “throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.” (Malachi 3:10, NIV)

Honoring God with Your Money

My new book, Honoring God with Your Money, is now available on Amazon. This book is a study of what God’s word says about money, wealth, charity, greed, tithing, savings, and much more. It includes principles of budgeting and steps for getting out of debt.

Cover of Honoring God with Your Money, by Susan E Ball

If you are stressed by financial decisions or an inability to manage your money, this is a great book for you. God provides us all with resources to provide for our families and to bless others. Money is intended to meet your needs, not cause you more stress.

As you honor God by managing your money well, tithing, and blessing others, God will bless you. He has promised that in Malachi 3:10, “‘Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this,’ Says the Lord of hosts, ‘If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it.‘”

This is a great book for small group studies and Sunday school classes, as well as for young people graduating from high school or college and going out on their own for the first time and newly-married couples. For those who want to teach this in a group setting, I have developed teaching materials. These include activities, discussion ideas, and examples to enhance the lessons. Teaching materials are free and can be obtained my emailing me at susan.ball5@aol.com

I pray that God will use this book to bless you as you honor Him.

Honoring God With Our Money: Giving Back

In this lesson we have looked at God’s provisions for us.  Today we examine the question, “What should we give back to God in return for all He gives us?

In First Samuel 15:22, we read that God desires obedience above sacrifice.  “But Samuel replied: “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.”

God expects His people to obey Him in all things, including giving to the work of the Lord.  The Israelites were trying to keep God’s favor by bringing sacrifices and burnt offerings while disobeying His instructions to refrain from participating in the evil practices of their neighbors.  Samuel was telling them that offerings are not enough.

In 1 Corinthians 16:1,2, Paul instructions Christians to provide for those who do God’s work. “Now about the collection for God’s people…On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income. ”  Furthermore, Paul doesn’t ask that each person give equally, but rather than each person give in accordance with his or her income.  This supports the concept of tithing, in which everyone gives 10% of their income to the work of the church.

 

The Bible provides clear instructions on how are we to give.

 2 Chronicles 24:16  “All the officials and all the people brought their contributions gladly.”

 2 Chronicles 31:12 “They faithfully brought in the contributions, tithes, and dedicated gifts.”

Proverbs 3:9 “Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the first fruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.”

Exodus 35:2  “And everyone who was willing and whose heart moved them came and brought an offering to the Lord for the work on the tent of meeting, for all its service, and for the sacred garments.”

 

2 Corinthians 8:12 tell us we are to give in accordance with what we have. “For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have.”

Giving according to what we have—typically 10%, or a tithe, of our income–ensures that everyone is contributing but no one is unduly burdened. 

Furthermore,  2 Chronicles 31:12 (see above) instructions us that we are to give contributions, tithes, and dedicated gifts.  Tithes are the first 10% of our income that belongs to God, contributions are gifts above our tithes, and dedicated gifts are given to meet a specific purposes.

 

 We should give to the work of the church out of obedience to God and in thankfulness for the many blessings He bestows on us.  As if that were not enough, however, God has promised to extravagantly bless those who tithe and provide for His work.

Malachi 3:8-10  “You ask, ‘How do we rob you?’ In tithes and offerings.  You are under a curse—the whole nation of you—because you are robbing me.  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 for it.'”

 

2 Corinthians 9: 10, 11 “Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness.  You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God”

 

Our Life Application verse reminds us that God wants us to give cheerfully and that He will bless us in accordance with our generosity to the work of the church and to others.

2  Corinthians 9:6, 7 “Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.  Each man should give what he had decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

Honoring God With Our Money: Lesson 4

This is week 4 of a 6-week Bible study entitled ‘Honoring God with Our Money’.  This week we look at how God provides for us and how He expects us in return to provide for the work of the church.

 

Think about specific ways have you observed God providing for you and your family?  Jot down a few as a record of God’s faithfulness.  This record of God’s faithfulness will serve to increase your faith when you walk through times of trouble.

 

Read the following Bible verses and think about what each verse tell us about God’s provisions for His people?

 Deuteronomy 8:17-18    

 Psalm 37:25 

 Matthew 7:7 – 8

 Read the story of the widow and Elijah in I Kings 17:7 – 16.  What can we learn from this illustration?

 God provides for all of our needs. What do the following verses tell us about what He ask of us in return?

 1 Samuel 15:22 But Samuel replied: “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.”

 This verse tells us that God desires ___________________________

1 Corinthians 16:1,2 Now about the collection for God’s people…On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income.

 This verse tells us that we are to _______________________________________.

 The amount we give should be based on ______________________________.

Exodus 25:2 Tell the Israelites to bring me an offering.  You are to receive the offering for me from everyone whose heart prompt them to.

 We should give when _______________________________________________.

What do the following verses tell us about how are we to give?

 2 Chronicles 24:16 All the officials and all the people brought their contributions ________.

2 Chronicles 31:12 They _______________ brought in the contributions, tithes, and dedicated gifts.

Proverbs 3:9 Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the _____________ ______________of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.

 

Exodus 35:2  And everyone who was _______________ and whose _________________ moved them came and brought an offering to the Lord for the work on the tent of meeting, for all its service, and for the sacred garments.

 What does 2 Corinthians 8:12 tell us about how much are we to give?

“For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have.”

 ________________________________________________________________

What types of offerings should we give? (Refer to 2 Chronicles 31:12 above). 

___________________________________________________________

 Read Malachi 3:8 – 10 and 2 Corinthians 9:10, 11.  If we give in accordance with God’s commands, what does He promise us?

 ____________________________________________________________________

Malachi 3:8-10 You ask, “How do we rob you?” In tithes and offerings.  You are under a curse—the whole nation of you—because you are robbing me.  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 for it.”

2 Corinthians 9: 10, 11 Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness.  You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God

 Life Application:

2  Corinthians 9:6, 7  Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.  Each man should give what he had decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

Please check back throughout the week for my commentary on this lesson.

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