Truth About the Tithe
Today’s Focus: Religious Scare Tactics About the Tithe
Scripture: Haggai 1:2-6; Malachi 3:8-10
Greetings Kingdom Citizens
Haggai 1:2-6: Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts saying, This people say, the time is not come, the time that the Lord’s house should be built. Then came the word of the Lord by Haggai the prophet, saying, Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your ceiled houses, and this house lie waste? Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes
Now many preachers use this scripture to say that people need to pay tithes to support the building and the ministry and this is cannot be further from the truth. First, who is the Lord speaking to and about what is the question. First He is speaking to natural Israel and second the Lord was speaking through Haggai that it is time to build the Lord’s house. God was not talking about building your own church house. God ordained the temple at Jerusalem to be a type and shadow of the temple that He will truly dwell in. A scare tactic that these money preachers use is to convict the people through guilt about their lifestyle and the need for them to give to the building of the building or project of the church. These preachers preach that if the people do not give then a curse will be on them and they will not get rich because everytime they get money it will be like putting money in a bag with holes.
Another scare tactic is Malachi 3:8-10
Malachi 3:8-10: Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? IN TITHES AND OFFERINGS. Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.
Carnal preachers use this scripture to say if you do not pay tithes and offerings then you are robbing God and hence you are cursed. This is crazy. Once again, who is God speaking to and about what? God is speaking to the Levitical priest who were robbing God by not fulfilling their duties appropriately. In the last message we know that the storehouse are the rooms underneath the temple to keep livestock and food from the elements that were offered. The storehouse is not the church building. Second, if we are in Christ, Romans 8 says we are “joint-heirs with Christ” hence what Christ owns, we own. There is not 90/10 but 100/100. So how can you rob God of what is dually yours? Now this leads to one big topic and we will open this can of worms in the next message.
I understand some people pass down things that have been taught for years and assume them to be correct, but when God gives us clarity and revelation we are responsible to change and adhere to His revelation. Now why would people misuse and abuse scripture this way? They do this to support their own ambitions and desires. People are told that if they do not tithe the 10% there is a curse upon them and when something happens they think it is because they did not pay their tithes. This is foolishness. There is no curse if you do not pay your tithes! Am I saying that you should not? Absolutely not! But we as the sons of God should be cheerful givers and give what is purposed in our hearts to give. We are to never force or use scare tactics to get people to give. We should never use scare tactics to get people to get saved. There is once again no curse, the devil will not attack you and destroy your house if you do not pay your tithes.
In the next message we will look at the heart of these tactics and you will be surprised what it is.
At Our Father’s Service
Calvin Calhoun, Jr.
