TITHING

God has a different view of tithing than is seen in the Old Testament when the Israelites were required to give ten percent of their income to the priests. God desires to have generosity flow through our veins. He wants us to give generously from the heart. Giving from the heart is very different from giving ten percent from the head. When we give from the head, we limit not only the giving but also the spiritual consequences of the gift. When we give from the heart, there is no limit to either the giving or the return on the gift. God's abundant flow overtakes us.

In regard to giving, God's stated ideal for those with sufficient income to make these divisions is as follows: 30% to keep for ourselves and to spend as we wish, 30% to care for God's people who have the indwelling Holy Spirit and need assistance of any kind (food, clothing, shelter), 30% in reserve to save for the coming Kingdom of God and to invest only as God directs, and 10% to distribute to ministers of the Gospel. Ministers of the Gospel are any individuals (whether or not they are members of your church), who minister the Gospel to you in a manner that is life transforming, that teaches you about the need to have the indwelling Holy Spirit, that enables you to receive the Holy Spirit, that seals you with the Holy Spirit of God and teaches you how to be cleansed and healed spiritually, physically and emotionally. If the minister to whom you tithe is not doing all of these things, then he or she is ministering a different Gospel from the Gospel of truth delivered by our Lord and Savior Jesus of Nazareth.

Whenever we come to a point in our history that requires a left or a right turn, our natural inclination is to move forward in the same direction. We don't like having to make turns because it slows us down and requires a degree of maneuvering. But there is no goal in life that can be achieved without having to make left, right or one hundred and eighty degree turns. Life requires us to be resilient and to do whatever needs to be done in order to achieve our stated goals. If your goal is to enter the Kingdom of God, then it is time for change; change that will be difficult but not impossible.

The time has come to make decisions about what you believe and why. It is no longer acceptable to exist on a spiritual treadmill in which you engage in various mindless tasks each week such as praying or attending church services or synagogue. You must know what you believe and why. You must challenge the status quo and demand answers to your questions. And most importantly, you must examine the Scriptures every day to see if what you are being taught is truth. If it is not, then you have an obligation to seek and pursue truth because only the truth can set you free.