THE BLESSINGS OF TITHING

The Bible instructs us to put God first in everything we do—first in our time, first with our money, and first in the way we live.

Proverbs 3:9 Honor the Lord with your possessions, and with the first fruits of all your increase.

Proverbs 3:9-10 Honor the Lord with your capital and sufficiency [from righteous labors], and with the first fruits of all your income...so shall your storage places be filled with plenty and your vats be overflowing with new wine (AMP).

It is important that we honor the Lord God with our substance and possessions. God’s word tells us that the first tenth of our income and increase belongs to God. This is the tithe.

Lev 27:30, 32 "And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lord’s. It is holy to the Lord...And concerning the tithe of the herd or the flock, of whatever passes under the rod, the tenth one shall be holy to the Lord."

Tithing is giving to God the first ten-percent portion of all our income, profits, and increase. The tithe is set apart to God. Lev 27:30, 32 tells us two key facts:

1. All the tithe is the Lord’s.

2. The tithe is holy to the Lord.

By giving tithes and offerings with the right spirit, we tap into God’s supernatural realm and we release His laws of increase and multiplication upon our finances.

Abraham tithed (Genesis 14:18-20). What was the result? Genesis 24:1, 34-35 Now Abraham was old, well advanced in age; and the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things...So he said, "I am Abraham’s servant. The Lord has blessed my master greatly, and he has become great; and He has given him flocks and herds, silver and gold, male and female servants, and camels and donkeys."

Isaac honored God with his substance and first fruits (Genesis 26:1-3, 12). What was the result?

Genesis 26:12-14 Then Isaac sowed in that land, and reaped in the same year a hundredfold; and the Lord blessed him. The man began to prosper, and continued prospering until he became very prosperous; for he had possessions of flocks and possessions of herds and a great number of servants. So the Philistines envied him.

Jacob tithed in obedience to the covenant (Genesis 28:20-22). What was the result?

Genesis 30:43 Thus the man (Jacob) became exceedingly prosperous, and had large flocks, female and male servants, and camels and donkeys.

Just as God prospered these three men who tithed, He wants to prosper us and meet all our needs. He will do it as we live in obedience to Him and His word. We should not tithe Out of legalism but out of a heart of love and appreciation for God and His goodness.

Tithing:

• Is the minimum amount of giving to God; our reasonable service

• Is a confession of our faith in the living God

• Is an expressive act of worship to the Most High God

• Shows God that we appreciate and love Him

• Acknowledges that we believe God is our source of supply

• Demonstrates that we know He is the creator and sustainer of life

• Reveals that we are good stewards before God

A steward is the manager or the guardian over the interests of his Lord. Stewardship is the responsible use of time, talents, and treasure before God.

God is the possessor of Heaven and earth, and He calls us to be wise stewards or the "managers" of the blessings that He has put into our hands. We are to be wise and faithful stewards before the Lord and not wasteful or slothful with the things He has given us—money, time, and talents.

Stewardship requires faithfulness to everything that God Puts into our hands.

As stewards of what God has entrusted us with, we should ask ourselves these questions

• "Am I faithful to the word of God?"

• "Am I faithful to the laws of God?"

• "Am I faithful with the tithe?"

• "Am I faithful with what God has blessed me with?"

Luke 16:10-11 "He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much. Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteousness mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?"

Tithing and faith are hand-and-hand because when we honor God with the tithe, it demonstrates that our trust is in God. We are showing God our faith (Hebrews 11:6).

Tithing is:

• Proof that we have a revelation of who God is

• Proof that God is our source

• Proof that we have conquered greed

• Evidence that our faith is in God

• Witness to God and the devil that God and His Kingdom take first prort in our life

• Declaration of our faith in the most high God who is the possessor of Heaven and earth

• Acknowledgment and appreciation of the prosperity, abilities, energy, and talents that God has blessed us with

THE CURSE OF NOT TITHING

Church statistics throughout the body of Christ show that eighteen to twenty percent of the average congregation carries eighty percent of the financial load. In other words, a small percentage of the congregation is financing the major portion of the Lord’s work.

Why? Because many Christians are tightfisted and don’t tithe. These are usually the people who don’t understand why they are having financial problems. They do not that God has set in place a divine spiritual law. Individuals, families, and business that steal from God and willfully withhold the tithe that rightfully belongs to God are under a curse (Mal3:6-11).

The Bible clearly warns us that stealing God’s money causes the devil to attack our finances.

How do we steal God’s money? Again, the word of God is very clear: Malachi 3:8 "Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me’ But you say, "In what way have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings."

When we withhold tithes, offerings, and gifts to the poor, we are robbing God. And it invariably leads to poverty.

Proverbs 11:24-25 There is one who scatters, yet increases more; and there is one who withholds more than is right, but it leads to poverty. The generous soul will be made rich, and he who waters will also be watered himself.

If we are mean, stingy, tightfisted, and unfaithful in giving to the work of God, it will release poverty, lack, and want into our lives. A stingy spirit will put us under a financial curse. What we hold back and keep in our hand will shrink, shrivel up, and waste away to nothing. Being stingy with God will shut the windows of Heaven in our life and cause our finances to be cursed!

If we are not tithing, we are living in disobedience to the word of God, and there is no point in praying for God to bless and prosper us! Tithing stops the devourer in our life and lifts the curse off our finances. When we tithe, the devil cannot stop or hinder our financial prosperity; that is a divine, unbreakable law.

The abundant life that Jesus talked about in John 10:10 means, among other blessings, having plenty of resources and no lack of finances. But the devil, who is a thief, comes to steal, kill, and destroy us. When we do not tithe, he is within his rights to curse our finances.

Israel as a covenant people and as a nation became unfaithful to the Lord in the ordinance of tithing—their disobedience in leaving God’s laws and God’s principles. This opened the door for the devil to bring the curse upon them (Malachi 3:6-14). Without God’s protection they became an open target for Satan to attack. The same thing happens in the lives of God’s people today.

A major reason why many of God’s people do not tithe is because of fear—fear of not having enough money for themselves. Not tithing is a sign of fear, and fear is the opposite of faith and trusting in God. Tithing shows that you are operating in faith and not fear.