Tithing

[Naomanos]

But since it is in violation of your rights of religion, you can probably have visitation on a different day maybe. She shouldn't be able to keep you from church. It is wrong with the kids, but that is a violation of your rights.

There are no other days that it works for me. I work Tuesday through Saturday. They are in school during the week. So there are no other days. They live 45 to 55 minutes away as well. I get them Friday evening to Sunday evening.

 

[farouk]

This is such an interesting thread.

We are free to give, in my opinion, much more generously than a tenth of our income as the Lord leads just like the Church of the book of Acts did.

But I think a tenth is a good place to start. I think tithing should be a heart matter between us and the Lord.

We are to give cheerfully and not under compulsion. Undue pressure from churches are wrong imo.

@Wynona In the NT, unlike being under the law, it's liberty that rules, not law.... :)

 

[Enoch111]

So Christ actually mentioned we should tithe. I was surprised.

You misunderstood that passage. Until the crucifixion the Law of Moses was binding on all Israel including Jesus of Nazareth. So during that time tithing was in force. But the Pharisees had perverted the meaning of tithing and neglected justice and mercy. After the crucifixion, the New Covenant came into effect. And it does not include tithing, since Christians giving is on a totally different basis, and the temple (where the tithes went) is no longer in Jerusalem.

 

[Mayflower]

You misunderstood that passage. Until the crucifixion the Law of Moses was binding on all Israel including Jesus of Nazareth. So during that time tithing was in force. But the Pharisees had perverted the meaning of tithing and neglected justice and mercy. After the crucifixion, the New Covenant came into effect. And it does not include tithing, since Christians giving is on a totally different basis, and the temple (where the tithes went) is no longer in Jerusalem.

Food for thought. But I do believe tithing is a good standard of giving and we should give a portion to God. We need to give our first to everything to God including finances. It is a blessing to give to God and support His church.

These church resources should go to helping feed the poor, sick, getting the Gospel out.

 

[Mayflower]

So does anyone know what tithes are specifically used for? Are they supposed to go into the "temple?" I guess it isn't something I asked about.

 

[Naomanos]

We need to give our first to everything to God including finances.

Should this be done before or after you provide for your family? I know when I am unable to give an offering it's because it is a choice between paying a bill for the house or putting food on the table.

Please remember, I am a single father.

 

[Mayflower]

Should this be done before or after you provide for your family? I know when I am unable to give an offering it's because it is a choice between paying a bill for the house or putting food on the table.

Please remember, I am a single father.

I wouldn't feel guilty about it Naomanos. But I do believe God provides when you give to Him first.

 

[Naomanos]

I wouldn't feel guilty about it Naomanos.

I don't. I was just curious how you felt about the situation.

But I do believe God provides when you give to Him first.

I have heard this before, from churches that push tithing. I am not saying that is your motive, but I have heard this before. Please do not take offense if based on my experience I find that not always to be true.

 

[Sabertooth]

Should this be done before or after you provide for your family? I know when I am unable to give an offering it's because it is a choice between paying a bill for the house or putting food on the table.

Please remember, I am a single father.

"...And [test] 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.
And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes,
So that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground,
Nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field,”
Says the Lord of hosts;..." Malachi 3:10-11 NKJV

With God's blessing, I raised ten kids on EBT, my wife's SSI and odd jobs.
I am on SSDI, now, but still trusting in God's blessing to so guard our finances.

 

[Naomanos]

"...And [test] 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.
And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes,
So that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground,
Nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field,”
Says the Lord of hosts;..." Malachi 3:10-11 NKJV

With God's blessing, I raised ten kids on EBT, my wife's SSI and odd jobs.
I am on SSDI, now, but still trusting in God's blessing to so guard our finances.

Ahhh, the Malachi verse. A favorite amongst tithe pushing churches.

Please excuse me if I continue not to give an offering when it's a choice between food on the table or electricity to cook with and giving an offering. We are also to provide for our families, I cannot do that if I don't have enough money because the church gets an offering.

 

[Sabertooth]

Please excuse me if I continue not to give an offering when it's a choice between food on the table or electricity to cook with and giving an offering.

An offering is a different animal.
We have given offerings in the past, but cannot afford to, now.
Malachi 3 applies to tithes, not offerings.

(Also, we did not tithe off of SSI nor EBT because they are unearned; just wages & SSDI [a pension based on work].)

 

[Naomanos]

An offering is a different animal.
We have given offerings in the past, but cannot afford to, now.
Malachi 3 does not apply to offerings.

(Also, we did not tithe off of SSI nor EBT because they are unearned; just wages & SSDI [a pension based on work].)

I do not think tithing is for today, so then that verse doesn't apply.

 

[Sabertooth]

I do not think tithing is for today, so then that verse doesn't apply.

Its promise is not "judgment if you don't,"
it is "blessing if you do."

If you are happy with how your finances are currently going, you don't need to try anything different.

No one else, here, stands to gain anything from your decision, one way or another.

 

[Sabertooth]

After our bankruptcy in 2004, we started using a banking version of the "Envelopes" bookkeeping system.
We are still on the poverty line, but I have a credit score of 800+.

 

[Mayflower]

I don't. I was just curious how you felt about the situation.




I have heard this before, from churches that push tithing. I am not saying that is your motive, but I have heard this before. Please do not take offense if based on my experience I find that not always to be true.

And I want to be careful too, because I've never been in a situation myself like this when I was a tither. I've always been really blessed. I know faith can do great things, but I'd want to be very careful and listen to what God is telling me if that were to ever come up. I know at my last church people would tell me that they would tithe when they owed a bill or were in need, and God always came through for them.

 

[GaryAnderson]

Ahhh, the Malachi verse. A favorite amongst tithe pushing churches.

Please excuse me if I continue not to give an offering when it's a choice between food on the table or electricity to cook with and giving an offering. We are also to provide for our families, I cannot do that if I don't have enough money because the church gets an offering.

Wait, there’s a denomination that focuses on “Thithing”? Wow, this is why I’m in this forum, I’m learning so much. :)

 

[Naomanos]

Wait, there’s a denomination that focuses on “Thithing”? Wow, this is why I’m in this forum, I’m learning so much. :)

When I said churches, I didn't mean denomination, I meant churches as a singular entity. I have been in a few of them from different denominations.

 

[GaryAnderson]

When I said churches, I didn't mean denomination, I meant churches as a singular entity. I have been in a few of them from different denominations.

This is odd because at the churches I go to, no one has forced me to pay. Hey, this is all interesting to me which is why I hang around in this forum. :)

 

[Naomanos]

This is odd because at the churches I go to, no one has forced me to pay. Hey, this is all interesting to me which is why I hang around in this forum. :)

I think you are misinterpreting what I am saying. I don't think I said force. I believe that I said, tithe pushing churches. No one held a gun to my head. That just pushed hard using scripture such as the Malachi verse that states if you do not tithe you're under a curse.

At most it is coercion and guilt producing. Some fall for it, I didn't and it was the cause of some contention between my ex-wife and I. She did fall for it.

 

[Pearl]

I think tithing is limiting our generosity to 10%. I used to tithe - even from my £35 per week - but now I think tithing is the least we should do as there are so many verses in the bible about being generous. And generous is giving over and above a tenth.

Churches should not need to make rules about tithing.

And if you don't belong to a fellowship be generous in other places.