Why is not giving your tithe stealing from God?

Why is not giving your tithe stealing from God?

Here is a beautiful story by: Bo Sanchez that explains it. 

The Story of A Generous Business Partner

One day, a very wealthy man was walking on the road. Along the way, he saw a beggar on the sidewalk. The rich man looks kindly on the beggar and asked, “How did you become a beggar?” 

The beggar said, “Sir, I’ve been applying for a job for a year now but haven’t found any. You look like a rich man. Sir, if you’ll give me a job, I’ll stop begging.” 

The rich man smiled and said, “I want to help you. But I won’t give you a job. I’ll do something better. I want you to be my business partner. Let’s start a business together.” 

The beggar blinked hard. He didn’t understand what the older man was saying. “What do you mean, Sir?” 

“I own a rice plantation. You could sell my rice in the market. I’ll provide you the sacks of rice. I’ll pay the rent for the market stall. I’ll even give you food allowance everyday for the next 30 days. All you’ll have to do is sell my rice. And at the end of the month, as Business Partners, we’ll share in the profits.” 

Tears of joy rolled down his cheeks. “Oh Sir,” he said, “You’re a gift from Heaven. You’re the answer to my prayers. Thank you, thank you, thank you!” He then paused and said, “Sir, how will we divide the profits? Do I keep 10% and you get the 90%? Do I keep 5% and you get the 95%? I’ll be happy with any arrangement.” 

The rich man shook his head and chuckled. “No, I want you to give me the 10%. And you keep the 90%.” 

For a moment, the beggar couldn’t speak. When he tried to speak, it was gibberish. “Uh, gee, uh, wow, I mean, huh?” He couldn’t believe his ears. The deal was too preposterous. 

The rich man laughed more loudly. He explained, “I don’t need the money, my friend. I’m already wealthy beyond what you can ever imagine. I want you to give me 10% of your profits so you grow in faithfulness and gratitude.” 

The beggar knelt down before his benefactor and said, “Yes Sir, I will do as you say. Even now, I’m so grateful for what you’ve done for me!” 

And so that was what happened… 

He Forgets Where The Blessings Came From 

Each day, the beggar—now dressed a little bit better—operated a store selling rice in the market. He worked very hard. He woke up early in the morning and slept late at night. And sales were brisk, also because the rice was of good quality. And after 30 days, the profits were astounding.  At the end of the month, as the ex-beggar was counting the money, and liking very much the feeling of money in his hands, an idea grew in his mind. He told himself, “Gee, why should I give 10% to my Business Partner? I didn't see him the whole month! I was the one who was working day and night for this business. I did all this work! I deserve the 100% profits!” 

A few minutes later, the rich man was knocking on the door to collect his 10% of the profits. The ex-beggar opened the door and said, “You don’t deserve the 10%. I worked hard for this. I deserve all of it!” And he slammed the door. 

If you were his Business Partner, how would you feel? 

Friend, this is exactly what happens to us…God Gave You Everything. 

I’ve got an announcement to make: God is your Business Partner.

And your Business Partner gave you everything. 

God gave you your life—every single moment, every single breath, every single second…

God gave your talents—your ability to talk, to create, to earn money…

God gave you your body—your eyes, your ears, your mouth, your hands, your feet, your heart…

God gave you your mind—your imagination, your emotions, your reasoning, your language… 

In the Old Testament, your Divine Business Partner only asks that you give 10% of your profits. 

But I’ve noticed that many don’t want to tithe. Because they feel they own everything they earn. 

Big mistake. 

Some Christians believe that they don’t need to tithe because it’s an Old Testament Law.

They say that in the New Testament, God tells us to give as the Spirit of God leads us to give. 

I totally agree. But does that mean we should give less than the Old Testament? 

The story I gave you above is the Old Testament Version. 

Let me share with you my second version… 

Here’s The New Testament Version 

In the New Testament version of my story, it begins in the same way. The rich guy tells the beggar that he wants to do business with him. And after the beggar gets flabbergasted, he asks, “Sir, how will we divide the profits? Do I keep 10% and you get 90%?” 

Instead of the rich man saying, “Just give me 10%,” he says, “You decide how much you want to give me. Give according how grateful you are.” 

Wow. Tell me. Will that guy just give 10%? 

Here’s my interpretation: Giving 10% is the starting point of grateful giving.  A lot of people think that 10% is the maximum. I don’t think so.  I believe 10% is kindergarten. 10% is like a kids bike with training wheels—it’s for someone who doesn’t know how to be generous yet but would like to learn. And as you learn to give 10%, God will teach you to give more generously. 

Do You Want Blessings To Flow? 

It’s easy to give once in a while. Even a selfish man can do that. But for happiness, life, blessings, and abundance to flow into your life, you need to give faithfully. 

There are three bodies of water in Israel and all three are connected to each other. The first is the Sea of Galilee, the second is the Jordan river and the third is the Dead Sea.

Both the Sea of Galilee and the Jordan River are filled with fish. But the Dead Sea is called dead because there’s no living thing in it. No fish. No shrimp. No plants. Even some bacteria have a hard time living in it. Because it’s 8.6 times saltier than any ocean in the world. 

Why so? 

Let me give you the difference between these three bodies of water. The Sea of Galilee gives water to the Jordan River. The Jordan River gives water to the Dead Sea. The Dead Sea gives water to… no one. 

All that water that it receives gets trapped—and the only way the water escapes it is through evaporation, leaving all the chemicals and salt in the Dead Sea. 

Here’s the lesson: If you don’t give, you die. 

What Kind Of Sea Are You? 

Friend, you can be the Sea of Galilee or Sea of Death. It’s your choice. 

The only way for blessings to flow in your life is if you give.

This is the law of God’s universe. This is how nature works. 

Do this experiment with me. For the next five minutes, inhale. Inhale as much as you want. And as many times as you want, but don’t exhale for 5 minutes. 

Cool? Try it. (Is your insurance policy up to date?) 

Here’s another experiment. For the next 7 days, eat. Eat anything you want. Eat as much as you want. But don’t visit the toilet. Just for 7 days.

What am I saying? 

The universe is designed for you to inhale and exhale, to earn money and to give money away.

3 Most Frequently Asked Questions 

People ask me about tithing a lot. 

Here are the 3 most frequently asked questions. 

Q1:             “Where Should I Give My Tithe?” 

Answer:    Give to the spiritual family that feeds you spiritually, Church, prayer meetings you attend, places where you go for a retreat, etc. etc. Think about it. You want to support the spiritual body that supports your spiritual life. You want to feed the spiritual community that feeds you spiritually. 

Q2:             “Should I Give Based On Gross Or Net?”

 Answer:     This is really up to you. How grateful are you? 

And let me answer this question with another question: How do you want to be blessed? Based on gross or based on net? But giving based on net is fine. If you’re a business person, give 10% based on your net profits. If you’re a salaried person, give 10% based on the cash that you receive each month. 

Q3:             “Can I Give My Tithe To My Poor Relatives?”

Answer:    We should help our poor relatives. I suggest you create an Alms Fund apart from your Tithes to do this noble work.

Let me tell you why: Imagine if every Christian will do that—give their tithes to poor relatives. Do you think the spiritual family that nourishes you spiritually will survive? Do you think it’ll be able to do God’s work of building His Kingdom on earth? I doubt it. 

Overcome Your Fear 

The Bible talks about giving the “first fruits” to God.

In other words, your tithe should be your first expense. That means the moment you receive your income, set aside your tithe and give it to God. Some people spend first and give to God whatever is left. Believe me, nothing will be left. 

Hey, I know it’s scary. If you’ve never tried tithing before, it’s terrifying. I heard one guy tell me, “Goodness Bo, if I tithe, will I have enough money at the end of the month?” 

When someone is tithing for the first time, I tell them, “Just try it out for six months. That’s what God says. The Bible says, “Test me”, says the Lord. So test Him! And see what will happen in the first three months. See how God will stretch your finances. See how He’ll cause promotions to happen. See how unexpected gifts and opportunities will come your way. 

Aspire For Greatness! 

Let me digress. 

Many people believe that to be a Christian, you have to think small, dream small, act small, live small. 

These are remnants of a wrong brand of faith given to us by Spanish colonial powers for 333 years. That foreign Government worked with the Church to teach us to be content with our small place in life—to be subservient—so that we won’t become an Andres Bonifacio or Jose Rizal. 

We need to throw these vestiges away, because God has a great plan for your life. He wants you to aspire for greatness!  Be the best that you can be. And earn as much money as you can. 

Why? Because it’s not for you! It’s to be given away. Earn as much as you can (in a fair and honest manner) so that you can give as much as you can. 

The Biggest Reason Why I Want To Earn More 

I started tithing ever since I was a 12-year old kid. After more than 30 years, I’m still tithing. For me, it’s the only way to live a happy and peaceful life. 

If you want to be happy, TITHE. 

Through the years, God has returned to me whatever I gave to Him, multiplied many times over. 

Today, God has blessed my businesses so much, I don’t need to earn anymore.  I can just shut down all my businesses and live on the interest of my investments. If I wanted to, I could just simply go around the world and live from beach to beach, but I don’t want to do that. 

First of all, I love my customers. I want to keep serving them.

Second, I want to give more. The ultimate purpose of wealth is to love. 

I’ve come to realize that the only money that you keep is the money that you give away. 

YOU CANNOT OUT GIVE GOD

The practice of tithing and offering has always been a controversial subject between the laity and the ministers. But, to the Chosen Seed of God, it is not so.

From the beginning of time, it has been God's plan that His people should offer to Him the best — their First Fruits. Most people do not even realize what the word TITHE means. TITHE means A TENTH, or 10% of one's increase or income.

Out of the 66 books in the Holy Scriptures, 34 of them deal in one way or another with the subject of giving and receiving. Out of 72 references to giving, 48 show God's unequivocal promise of His abundant blessings to the giver — "Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again" (Lk.6:38).

Can anyone accuse God of not keeping His promise? Believe that He more than keeps His Word. Also believe in proportionate giving, and that the minimum amount being one-tenth of one's earnings or income, or to use the Biblical expression, the tithe.

No one has really given to God until he has first paid his tithe.

Many Christians suffer materially, physically and spiritually because they have been misappropriating that which belongs to God. Hope you are not one of them.

WHY TITHE?

TWELVE REASONS FOR TITHING

1.     Tithing is scriptural — ordered and approved of God in the Old and New Testaments.

2.      Tithing teaches the true worshippers of the Lord Jesus Christ to put God and His work first.

3.      Tithing teaches us to recognize and acknowledge God's ownership of our lives.

4.      Tithing is an act of worship.

5.      Tithing gives us more confidence in our prayers to God.

6.      Tithing invokes God's blessings upon the tithe-giver.

7.      Tithing tends to increase the tithe-giver's ability to give more than just a tenth of his or her income.

8.    Tithing gives the tithe-givers an opportunity to receive from God His blessings as they give Him their tithes.

9.    Tithing creates a commanding position of stewardship in the lives of Christians.

10.  Tithing increases the tithe-giver's influence over others to follow his example to practise tithing.

11.  Tithing is giving in a systematic manner rather than an emotional or spasmodic giving.

12.   Tithing causes the tithe-giver to give freely and spontaneously rather than waiting until an appeal is made.

CHRISTIAN GIVING

Christian giving must be a free and spontaneous act which is guided by the leading of the Holy Spirit. This is one of the New Testament principles of giving. "For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not" (2 Cor.8:12). Giving is also a personal matter and should not be publicised. "When thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth" (Matt.6:3).

The Bible clearly shows us that our tithes and offerings must be brought to God's house and given to the Levites (the Ministers called of God to minister His Word). In other words, we are supposed to bring our tithes and offerings to our respective home church in which we are ministered the Word of the Lord. However, some of you may not have a home church. Or some of you may say that you are unwilling to give to the church you are attending because the ministers do not preach the Word of God. Let us first assume that you are correct in what you say, but let's find out why you give tithes of time and energy which are not used for God. In the land where you live there are many who do not believe that a true Prophet of God was sent to get God's people back to His Original Word. They do not believe that in this last day there is a true Church which is made up of true worshippers who are members of the Bride of Christ. They would rather believe that anyone who claims to be a Christian, whether a Methodist, Lutheran, Anglican, Charismatic, etc., is part of the Bride of Christ and will meet Christ in the coming Rapture of the Church. Unfortunately for them, Christ is not coming back for any "Tom, Dick or Harry" Christian. He is coming back for His very own.

Read Haggai 1:4-7 and learn a lesson from the passage. In particular, verse 6 shows us that all our efforts would be futile if we do not first consider the house and the work of the ONE true God. Some Christians believe that by giving their money to the poor, they have obeyed the commandments of God to bring their tithes and offerings into God's store-house. While the giving of money to the poor is a noble act it does not fulfill the commandments of God concerning tithing and freewill offerings. We read in Galatians 6:6, "Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things." In other words, you are supposed to give of your substance to the man of God who tends to your spiritual needs and feed you with fresh manna from heaven.

GOD OR SATAN

We are living at the end of all ages, and it behooves us to be careful where we give our tithes and offerings. There are many wolves in sheep's clothing who are roaming among the flock of God to seek (like their master --Satan) whom they may devour. We know by the Word of God that we cannot serve God and Satan; we must love one and hate the other or hold to the one and despise the other. It is true that we cannot take our money with us. However, we can "send it on ahead" as the old saying goes, which means that in God's eyes we could make worthy use of our money.

Wouldn't you hate to stand before God and find that you had been putting your tithes and offerings in bags with holes in them. Surely you would not want to stand before God to discover that you had been helping the Devil propagate his false doctrines and theologies instead of serving God as you had intended. So remember this well — if you are giving your gifts to a certain place where you know by the Scriptures that they are not being used for God then they are being used for Satan.

Avoid the curse that falls upon the robbers of God, and do not miss out on the blessings of God by being foolish with your tithes and offerings.

CONCLUSION

From the study of the Word of God we understand that:

a)       TITHING is a COMMAND OF THE LORD.

b)       It is ESSENTIAL TO THE CHRISTIAN EXPERIENCE.

c)       EVERY CHRISTIAN is duty bound to TITHE.

d)       THE TITHE of the Lord BELONGS TO GOD and not to us.

e)       A TENTH of the income of children of Israel went to the PRIEST. "Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar? Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel" (1 Cor.9:13-14).

f)       We are NOT to take GOD'S TITHE and GIVE TO THE WIDOWED OR THE POOR.

g)       TITHING is a New Testament Teaching.

h)      BLESSINGS OF GOD ARE UPON EVERYONE WHO TITHES.

i)      We are to BRING ALL THE TITHES INTO THE STOREHOUSE OF GOD, THE CHURCH, that there may be Spiritual Food in due season under the MINISTRY.

j)    Those who substitute some other things for tithings are under the influence of Enticing Spirits.

k)      Those who refuse to tithe are ROBBERS OF GOD.

l)     We are to PUT GOD FIRST. Whatever we owe, God comes FIRST, our family second and ourselves last.

m)   Abraham, gave TITHES. As his descendants we also should GIVE as WITNESSES THAT JESUS CHRIST LIVES.

May your dreams come true, 

Stay Blessed!

(Article collected from various sources)