I haven’t done so officially yet, but I was just thinking the other day about writing a testimony about how i came to my conclusion about tithing. I guess what prompted this was when I had mentioned to someone that i used to tithe. They asked me what reasons did I switch my views on tithing and if it had anything to do with the abuse of money in the church. Typically people ask questions like that because they wanted to see if my tithing stand was born out of ill conceit. Most people think that if your opposition sprouted from rebellion then they think that your argument is not legitimate. I’m sure there are many people out there today that believe in Spirit-led giving because they questioned abuse in the church. I’m sure some of them are still rebellious and bitter about it. But let’s not throw out the truths that we find even though they are found in the doubting moments of the church.
My tithing testimony doesn’t include a rebellious foundation. I grew up in a church that was very good with money. We had no debt, and we had great outreach. We didn’t have the bells and whistles, like coffee shops and stage lighting like most seeker-sensitive churches, but we still had more than what we needed. I remember the church going into debt only once because the school needed classrooms. It was a facility that cost only 1 million dollars and was well worth the cost for the students of a complete high school and church to constantly use.
So anyways back to my testimony, I got my first job at 16 at an ice cream shop. My very first paycheck I tithed on. I tithed from then all the way through the end of college. I didn’t question it. My parents had tithed all their lives and so I would as well. I really didn’t even know what verses that tithing was commanded from, but I tithed anyways. I am glad that I gave all that money, and there are no regrets there. The only thing I regret to tell you about my tithing testimony is that I was living by a law and I didn’t know why. It was automatic.
There’s been some controversy today about ATM tithing and automated debits for your offering. People are afraid that since the money is not physically placed in an offering plate that we will be out of tune with the heart of giving. But with how tithing is automated today, what difference does it make if you blindly press a button on the internet, or you just blindly sign a check? If there is no spiritual interaction involved it doesn’t matter if you have automatic withdrawals or you place cold hard cash in a gold offering plate as it passes by.
Let me tell you that one of the hardest things for me was to tithe my income when I was paying my way through college. Most people have it harder than I did, but I paid for my own gas, insurance, vehicle, entertainment, tuition, and books. My parents gave me a place to stay and eat for free, but they didn’t give me anything extra. Over one summer i had three jobs and was working about 70 hours a week. Regardless of how hard I worked I still had to take out some loans. Luckily it was only about 1 year’s worth of school debt
I mentioned that my parents had tithed all their lives, but let me just reassure you that God didn’t throw money out of the sky at our family. We probably just barely made it. I could honestly tell you that my parents probably had more credit cards than I actually get in offers in a year. They were extremely in debt! And managed to steal my credit and get me in debt as well, but that’s beside the point. The point I want to bring up is actually a question. Let’s say that my parents gave only 4% to the church, but were excellent in their finances and paid all their bills on time? How would God judge them? Of course, they did the opposite, but what do you think God judges more severely – not tithing or getting in debt? Hmmm, good question, but that’s not how God judges our stewardship. You see God doesn’t have a checklist of requirements that we need to meet before we’ve become acceptable to him. Remember the steward that was left in charge of 2 talents while his master was gone? He buried the talents and when his master returned, he gave 100% of the talents back. A good steward is an investor, not a giver, not a bill payer, not a returner.
This is essentially what I did with my money. I was a giver, not an investor. An investor is Spirit-led, but a giver follows directions from a dead law.
So as I was saying about my tithing testimony in college. At the end of college, I became involved in a fellowship that challenged and fed me. We did lots of ministries together. One day a friend confronted us about tithing. He said that tithing is not required of New Testament Christians. I immediately argued with him. Of course, I didn’t agree. I couldn’t have been wrong all these years. After all, tithing is commanded in the bible, right? After that i began to search the scriptures to prove him wrong. The more and more I studied, the more and more, I couldn’t prove him wrong. It was the craziest thing! I kept going over and over scriptures. I kept questioning my reasoning. There’s just no way that this much of the church has been wrong for so long about tithing. Then it hit me. What was the number one thing that Jesus talked about in the bible? It wasn’t heaven, hell, hatred, the tongue, lying, or satan. It was money.
Outside of the Holy Spirit and the Word, money is the most powerful and influential substance known to mankind. If there is anything that the church can be wrong about, it’s gotta be about money.
So I’ve been heavily studying and discussing tithing since 2005. I started a tithing website, started this blog, and started a tithing group in order to get the word out. Hopefully one day, I will write a book.
I cannot tell you the amount of growing and learning that God has given me over the past years. I wish I could just take a portion of my heart, soul, and mind and let you see the truths that God has spoken to me about Spirit-led giving. My passion on this subject is what keeps me writing about it so much. If this truth was not so alive in me I wouldn’t be able to write as much as I do. Right now, I believe there are over 180 blog articles that have been written here since 2006. Each day there are about 245 unique visitors, 3280 hits, and 175 google searches. That is another thing that keeps me motivated about this site. I know people are searching for the truth.
I am convinced that Spirit-led giving is what God intended for his Children under the New Covenant. Would I remain open to new evidence that tithing is required for us, well, sure! I have listened to hundreds of sermons and read dozens of books on tithing, so I’m not sure that much of anything new is out there to reveal, but an open mind is there, believe it or not. I hope my tithing testimony encourages some. Please share your testimony as well. It will encourage me and others.
A few things.
1. After becoming a Christian, I tithed for several years. Nothing changed. I stopped giving to the local church (this is where the tithe HAS to go, according to most tithe teachers) completely. Nothing changed.
2. No teacher will discuss this subject with me. That makes these “bold” teachers gutless cowards.
3. Recently, I heard a sermon from a family friend who is a senior pastor. He taught on Nehemiah. He omitted the verse that stated where the tithe had to go. He referred to verses, but didn’t quote them, and CHANGED THE WORDS OF GOD. Crops became wages.
Satan taught us to omit verses in order to teach a false teaching. As far as CHANGING the words of God, well…
The secret is believing. The secret is believing God completely when he says he will open up the windows of heaven and POUR out blessings that you cannot contain when you tithe. If you believe fully this tithe promise of God when you tithe, you will be blessed beyond your wildest dreams for tithing. This is what I found out from my research. If you believe that God will bless you tremendously exactly like he said in Malachi 3 in the Bible, then you will be blessed beyond your wildest dreams for tithing as you believed. If you don’t believe that God will keep his word and bless you tremendously for tithing, even if you tithe out of obedience, you will not be blessed the tithe blessings. That is the secret. You have to believe in big blessings when you tithe just like God said. God rewards you for believing what he says in the Bible…and also he rewards you for believing exactly how much he will bless you for tithing. Believe God for big blessings and tithe from your gross. Support my ministry. Send donations to Lan Kwon, 2106 Cobble Creek Dr., Houston, Texas 77073 and make checks out to Lan Kwon. When you get extremely blessed for tithing by believing God completely for huge blessings even in your finances, consider sending me monthly donations. My ministry is not nonprofit. Be incredibly blessed and spread your testimony to all your loved ones.
There are Churches in the New Testament. Can you mention one that tithed? The apostles had ministries, and the most needy Ministry was the Apostle Paul’s Ministry. Did he ask people to tithe?
All those pastors who ask for the tithe are just thieves. Those who tithe in the Church age do not understand the joy and freedom that came from Christ work at Calvary. Tithing in Christ’s Church is not scriptural and therefore man-made and fraudulent.
Reading alot of these comments and its made it abundantly clear that Tithing is a crucial part of the relationship with God. My summary of reading all this is this. Tithing is not about the amount or the tenth. The principle is simple who controls you God or money. God is not worried about the money He wants to see where our hearts lie. Giving to the Church or to strangers is irrelevant. Its the mere fact that you know that you can let go of the one thing you are afraid of money. I struggled with the concept until now after reading the comments.
1. God has ordained us to be Kings or Priests and the one cannot function without the other. How can Priests spread the Gospel without the Kings and how can the Kings bring to the store house without the Priests.
2. The Church you are planted in is not by accident. Once you are planted the money goes to God not the Church, the Holy Spirit is supposed to lead you and if you follow the Holy Spirit you will know that the money going to Church is not thChurches money and you must trust that the Holy Spirit is guiding the elders of the Church
Thank you all for your teachings and helping me realise that I have so wrong about the concept. God bless you all.
Tithing, I something I do not believe in, because I belive in the Bible not of man, tithing is for the Jews of the old testement, never for Gentiles,Christians. Only land owners tithed , no workers, produce from the land. Jesus nor the desiples tithed, because they was not Land owners
This is a greedy lie, pleasin Satan because of the lies they tell over tithes.
I don’t believe in divided Church of the world built from money for money with no Devine authority. John 10: calls all robbers, one has never passed though his gate. I consider my self a student of Christ and study all the time, so I know my Bible, don’t trust in man, Jesus didn’t nor should you.
So, I had stage 4 brain cancer with no medical help known to Man, 6 months to live. But God guides me on my studies and I blessed with Bibcal understanding. I ask the lord in the name of Jesus and I am healed completely. I do not believe in tithes or churches of the world where Satan lurks. Because the Bible tells me so.
Understand this, there only on Church of the Bible the Church of Christ by the faith greater than Abrhanms I belive. Choosing a Church other than the one is abomination, forsaking, adultery to the lord, take heed.
Grace is your gift, God love you And All from God is always free.
All else is humans stemming from pegan IDOLISM, the 2 and command, what part of anything you don’t understand.
Friend of the world (CHURCH) is a ememy of God, bring them and KILL them in front of me. LUK 19:27
Beliving in anything in the world is not Beliving in the lord, take heed
Away from me Satan, worship the lord you God only.
The authority of the world is under authority of Satan, what part of the world is a church free of the world? James 4:4, Matt 7.23, isa 55: bring no money,
Church detestibal is a 1:11, Eze 33:30 Jesus trust no man Joh 2:22
No man can lay a foundation 1 Cor 3:111 one body , is the church Eph 4:4
Psa 118:8 JER 17:5 trust no man 2Cor 4:4 Satan God of this world.
Many more biblical example take heed don’t loose grace with that of the word.
Church plain simply IDOLISM. Comand 2
Some trust in chariots and some in horses but we trust in name of the lord our God. Pam 20:7
Love ya had to tell ya. Please don’t trust in that of the world.
Have you studied Mathew 23:23 and carefully compare it with Hebrews 7.
Tithe originally came from God.
Melchizedek took tithe from Abraham
The Levites took tithes from Israelites their brethren
The priest received tithes from the Levites
Jesus said, this ye ought to do
Finally, it’s says in Hebrews 7 that
Hebrews 7:21 (For those priests were made without an oath; but this with an oath by him that said unto him, The Lord sware and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec:) 7:22 By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament. 7:23 And they truly were many priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death: 7:24 But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. 7:28 For the law maketh men high priests which have infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was since the law, maketh the Son, who is consecrated for evermore.
Think through the above and let God guide your hearts.
I have been tithing as a college student up till now.
No regret! I love Jesus and I want to continue to let him service my destiny by His Grace and power!
I am praying for the day I will rise up to tithing in millions of dollars because it’s my investment pack with God’s kingdom.
It’s your investment pack with God’s kingdom? Why then, would you stop at 10%?
There is no one today that can keep a biblical tithe. Tithing was part of the law, and thus, if you do not keep all of the law you have broken it.
Money could not be tithed. So, if you want to tithe the way God commanded, stop giving money!
Have you ever thought about the transaction pattern of the then world as it relates to your position on tithing with money?
Tithing is not the issue, it is the lack of revelation concerning God’s dealing with His kingdom folks. I tithe and will continue to tithe as long as I alive.
No, it is lack of the knowledge of the word of God and lack of understanding it. There is not a single person or church that tithed after Christ’s resurrection and during the 40 days when he gathered with his disciples and taught them. There was no tithing among those who received the Holy Spirit and no one taught or encouraged or practised tithing. There was no tithing in CHRIST’s Church and never will be. Please read the scriptures. Were the apostles wrong?
If your tithing money you’re being disobedient to God so white eyes 10% God wants your heart your mind your soul in your strength
All I am reading here on this post is written by people who obviously do not give to God, and do NOT want to give to God. They do not want to be a part of the New Testament commission to the church to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature…..How in the world is that going to happen without the local church being funded to do so…….
If that is what you are seeing, you are reading INTO the posts. Spirit-led giving is the plan for the NT church.
If you really think that the church can only survive by tithing, then where is your faith? Tithing is forced giving, rather than faith-giving. It is not taught in the OT or NT for the church and if you believe it is, you have been deceived or misinformed. Search the Scriptures and see the truth.
Tithing like the entire bible is a mystery. I have grossly been disobedient and ready to be faithful by His grace. Tithing is about what controls your heart. Money or God. I believe that statement as stated by someone here. Should we keep to tithing? The Spirit of God surely guides his children. Tithing is a way to teach us to depend on God. Did you tithe since college and saw no much difference? How much rooms more did you open for God to fill? Elijah asked the Shunamite woman to give her last meal. That sounds unreasonable but she never lacked after doing so. I am planning to start paying regularly and open more rooms to catch all the blessings from heaven. God is faithful and we have to prove him otherwise
This testimony is just long for nothing to say the least. The Church when it began had no reverends, no designated pastors, prophets, bishops, arch bishops, self proclaimed or man-made men of God. There were only believers simply assisted by elders or bishops and deacons picked from among themselves as they met the given qualities.
The Church survived very well through the Holy Spirit initiated love and oneness (Acts 2:41-46; 4:32-37). That was the spirit and practice of the Church that had just been established and lived that way without a tithe. Therefore, the tithe could not fit in such a setting. Moreover, since the tithe was to come from demarcated land in Israel, it was possible that many of the converts had no land to get the tithe from.
This propagated idea of a tithe in the form of money is nowhere near what God intended in the Old Testament. Aren’t you surprised that it is only the poor gentile pastors who grapple with the tithe which they don’t even understand. It is clear that the early local Churches, which we must treat as model churches, were not instructed or commanded or taught to tithe. Therefore, where do we get the idea that tithing must have a place in the New Testament?
Please, avoid putting your ideas into the scriptures where they don’t apply.
Biblical giving I have found is give to the poor, widowed, fatherless and stranger from within your gates.