Malachi 3:6 “I the Lord do not change. So you, the descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed. 7 Ever since the time of your ancestors you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you,” says the Lord Almighty.
“But you ask, ‘How are we to return?’
8 “Will a mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob me.
“But you ask, ‘How are we robbing you?’
“In tithes and offerings. 9 You are under a curse—your whole nation—because you are robbing me. 10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it. 11 I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not drop their fruit before it is ripe,” says the Lord Almighty. 12 “Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land,” says the Lord Almighty.
Miles Monroe said that one time he was invited to have a sit down with the king of Swaziland. On his arrival he met with the representative of Swaziland and they asked do you have a gift for your appearance before the king? Miles Monroe asked why he needed a gift and they said that is Kingdom protocol, no one see’s the king unless they come with a gift.
And the type of gift you present is a reflection on how you value the king.
Many times because we are raised in a democracy we serve God out of a Democratic opinion rather then a Kingdom Culture.
Democracy says everyone has the right to their own opinion and we can all vote on what we believe or don’t believe, but in a Kingdom the King sets the rules that we live by.
God the king of Kings has set a law in place for us the live by, if we live by that law or that principle we will experience the blessing of the principle but if we don’t then we will experience the consequence.
The principle is tithe and offering.
Why some people don’t practice the principle.
- They have never been taught.
Hosea 4:6 my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge.
Because of the many opinions developed throughout the years some preachers and some ministries shy away from teaching or preaching about the tithe.
The bible talks more about money then it does heaven or hell.
If the bible talks about money then we to should not shy away from the subject of money.
- They believe it is an old testament teaching.
Matt 5 17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.
- They can’t afford to give
Jesus never excused anyone from the principle of giving.
Luke 21 As Jesus looked up, he saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. 2 He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. 3 “Truly I tell you,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others. 4 All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”
- They simply refuse to give
My biggest battle with my kids while Chika is traveling is that they refuse to clean up after themselves. Its not that they don’t know they just refuse to do it.
the same with spiritual children sometimes they just refuse to do what they have been taught.
God has established a principle in His word that He desires you and I to live by, and when we live by this principle we partner with God in the advancement of His kingdom!
- Why we should give
- Because we understand that God is the owner of all things and we are just stewards.
- Because God commands us to tithe.
God gives us everything we have and challenges us to bring back to him 10% of everything that we receive.
Lev 27:30 “ ‘A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the Lord; it is holy to the Lord.
In malachi God was dealing with Israel because of their neglect when it came to the tithe.
Malachi 3:8 “Will a mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob me.“But you ask, ‘How are we robbing you?’“In tithes and offerings.
- God’s design to bless his people
God established the tithe because He wanted to be the one that would be personally responsible for the well-being of His people.
When a person is faithful in their tithe they are saying that God you are my source, my dependency is not on myself but my total dependency is on you.
Matt 6: 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
When we refuse to be obedient when it comes to the tithe we allow ourselves to fall under a spirit of poverty, but when we practice the principle of tithe, God will break the curse and allow us to step into the super natural blessing that He has designed for our lives.
Malachi 3:9 You are under a curse—your whole nation—because you are robbing me. 10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.
- God’s design to advance His kingdom
The last reason why you and I should be faithful with our tithe because this God’s design to take care of His house.
It has always been God’s design for God’s people to take care of His house.
We should never be dependent on outside resources to take care of God’s house but we as God’s people should have a conviction toward God’s house.
- Internationally we house about 10,000 men and women at 1 time.
- In South Africa we can have up to 200 men and women in our homes at 1 time.
We are not dependent on the government to take care of God’s house but we are dependent on God’s people to take care of God’s house.
- What we should give
Malachi 3: 10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house.
Here we see that God specifies the whole tithe.
The first time the tithe is recorded in scripture is when Abraham went to war to rescue his nephew lot, and after God gave him the victory Abraham brought the whole tithe to the high priest Melchizedek.
18 Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High, 19 and he blessed Abram, saying,
“Blessed be Abram by God Most High,
Creator of heaven and earth.
20 And praise be to God Most High,
who delivered your enemies into your hand.”
Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.
In order for Abraham to bring a tenth of everything he needed to take a clear look at all the riches he acquired. He didn’t give a loosely decided amount to the Lord, but he gave a calculated amount to the Lord.
Some people put tithe on their envelope or on their EFT, but because its not a calculated amount, its really not a tithe its an offering.
And in order to break the curse on our finances we need to bring a calculated tithe into the store house.
- The Blessing of giving
God’s deepest desire is that His people would walk in the abundance of His blessing.
Psalm 35:27 Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause: Yea, let them say continually, Let the Lord be magnified, Which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant.
There are so many benefits and promise connected to our obedience when it comes to tithe and offering.
10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it. 11 I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not drop their fruit before it is ripe,” says the Lord Almighty. 12 “Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land,” says the Lord Almighty.
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