reading

Images

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

MDR Publishing books may be ordered through available booksellers and various ebook reader formats or by contacting:

MDR Publishing

A Division of MDRMinistries.com

4545 SW 60^th Avenue, #772166

Ocala, FL 34477

www.MDRMinistries.com

1-352-390-8996

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Photoxpress and iStock Photo are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Photoxpress and iStock Photo.

ISBN: 978-0-9905430-0-8 (sc)

ISBN: 978-0-9905430-1-5 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2014912048

Printed in the United States of America

Bible quotations are taken from the following versions of the Bible.

Common English Bible (CEB)

All Scriptures quoted are noted as bold and italicized.

Edited by Deborah Roberts.

Cover by Bookbaby Design

Dedication

Dedicated to the Holy Spirit

Thank you for taking up residence in my life and empowering me to step out in faith and receive the blessings through His Grace.

CONTENTS

Introduction

1. What is Mine is Mine.

2. The Ancient Laws of Tithes.

3. Shocking Statistics of Christian Stewardship.

4. Matters of the Heart.

5. Do Tithes apply now?

6. New Covenant Commands.

7. Cursed or Blessed.

8. The rewards of Generosity.

9. Who owns what?

Introduction

When I began to consider writing this book I knew from the onset that at some juncture a person, and most likely a Christian, will be on one of two sides of the choices I present in the following pages. The purpose of this book is not to confuse or criticize a person's choice as to their tithes or offerings. But it is a book that is meant to challenge a person as to where his or her heart lies and where they place God in their lives. From the outset, let me say this book is not meant to be a book of condemnation regarding your personal tithes and offerings. I am not your judge and neither are you mine. Many of the points I mention in this book are my beliefs which many other Christians share, and equally, many do not. But there lies the conundrum of this whole discussion. Surely there can be only one side? Or do we have a selection of choices?

By definition, offering is not the focus of the argument. What we do offer can be questioned if we are offering less than what we genuinely are able to offer. We must be careful not to be covetous in our thoughts and actions.

The focus of the argument is whether we should tithe, that is, give 10% of our income. The argument then spirals down to even a further layer of argument. Whether we should tithe 10% of our net income or gross income.

I often liken the giving of tithes, or rather the personal beliefs of an individual giving of tithes, to that of the Rapture. If you are of the Christian faith you will be aware that many believe in a Pre-Tribulation which is the term described as Christ's followers being raptured to heaven prior to the tribulation mentioned in Revelation. Then there are those who believe in Mid-Tribulation, which relates to the rapture occurring midway into the Tribulation, or three and one half years after the Tribulation has started. Then finally there are the Post-Tribulation believers who believe Christ will come for His bride at the end of the Tribulation period. There are actually many more thoughts and theories as to this timed event. I say "timed" because it is going to happen. However, this book is not a discussion of the Tribulation period. But it clearly highlights the point that, as Christians, we all have differing beliefs, thoughts or opinions on scripture, or indeed, how we interpret the word of God.

The Apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 14:33a, “For God is not a God of confusion but of peace” (ESV).

We could go into a whole discussion of the many disagreements within our churches as to those who believe in giving the first or tenth of everything they earn. On the other side of the argument are those who believe that the New Testament ushered in the New Covenant of Jesus Christ and therefore the Mosaic Law Covenant that detailed the giving of tithes was no longer valid. In other words, we can give whatever we choose to give or, for that matter, nothing at all.

It is my hope and prayer that after discussing this very important subject you will accept the decision that God puts into your heart as to your giving of tithes or offerings. I pray that you will ask God for guidance and direction.

We are not talking about God expecting someone to give his very last dollar and not provide for his family. Scripture does not, and never has, supported that view. Rather, we want to discuss what God expects of us. It is a fact that among churches today there is a wide disparity of giving in order to support one's local church or some other ministry in order to further the gospel of Christ. Both within and outside the church there is widespread criticism of the mega churches or televangelists constantly asking you for money to pay for something that requests such support. Reveal your email or postal address to such requests and you'll be bombarded with demands for money constantly!

Again, it is my hope that this book will be unbiased as to the observations and comments made. What I will strongly support is my own belief and why I support that belief based on God's word. That, I already know, will place me in opposition to those who may not share the points I suggest but are nonetheless the requirements God asks of us.

The ultimate point is this, irrespective of what side you fall on. God does not require your money. He does not need it. If He did, He could simply take it or withdraw it from your source long before you had it in the first place.

God isn't sitting in heaven with a ledger with our name written in the margin and writing down what we have given him each week or each month. But I would suggest, for many of us, we should be thankful He does not!

There were specific reasons why God commanded that His people in ancient times were to give of their worth and belongings. There was also provision under the Mosaic Law for hardship cases [the book of Ruth is a great example of this].

But our discussion, albeit drawing attention to the many laws set in the Old Testament, is centered primarily in what we should consider what God requires of us in our day. God's requirement isn't a money issue. It is an obedience issue.

Just like a household needing financial provision to pay for utilities and upkeep and repairs in the home, so too our churches need the same support. Many areas in the world do not have the privileges we take for granted in the Western world. Basic sanitation and protection from the elements are essential lifesaving requirements where missionaries work to further the gospel. Many times financial support is required to help those escape crime or sexual endangerment and for those who are easy prey to unscrupulous evil people looking to exploit the evil of human trafficking etc. Many ministries work hard to provide fresh water by installing basic wells to those who have never known what it is like to drink a clean, fresh cup of water, free of the contaminants that kill or infect so many.

Aside from this, many of the leaders and their teams engaged in serving as pastors, support staff and the like, do so full-time and should expect to receive a salary. After all, would you work a 40+ hour week for nothing? If not, then why would you expect your pastor and staff to work for nothing? How else are they to provide for their families and living costs?

We will discuss these and many more situations.

We will look into ancient attitudes and our own and see if what we do reflects the nature of God in our lives. We will consult many scriptures as to the ancient laws of tithes and offerings. Finally, we will discuss if our attitude toward tithing places us in God's blessing or whether we, in fact, may be acting in a way that we may be cursed. Yes, you read that correctly. We can actually be blessed or cursed by disobeying God and refusal of giving tithes was no different for God's people in ancient times as it is today. I know some of you may be thinking being "cursed" is too strong a term, but we will consult scripture in order to identify why God said it and where we stand before God on this issue. We will discuss and I will again concede, many may disagree as to whether tithing of our first tenth of all income is applicable in our day or not.

I would ask a person who may question or doubt such feelings of what they should provide, "Why are you thinking that way?"

If you are already questioning or wonder whether you give to the Lord sufficiently, I can testify that I know that feeling or thought. I heard those questions in my own conscious thoughts. I've justified the same thoughts and feelings of keeping "my" money. But after I chose to give what I believe scripture tells us to, not only did those nagging feelings and thoughts disappear, but my wife and I saw our finances improve. Many of us are trapped into the deceitful thinking of the devil when we hear ourselves say "I can't afford to give that amount each month to the church". But watch what God will do when you do tithe and you rely and surrender to God.

As you read through this book you may agree or perhaps disagree just as strongly to some of the points you will read in these pages. In reality, the argument or disagreement with regard to tithing stops at one singular point of difference. That point is whether a Christian should give the first ten percent of their income to God. When I started to study and research for this book I could obviously see the two differing arguments. But as you read on, my research explores far more than whether we should give a certain percentage. It wasn't until I was reflecting on this and other points that I suddenly realized the ultimate point all of us should face. When we acknowledge God's Grace and mercy in what He has done for us we are faced with an undeniable question.

Is God only worth 10%?

For everything that He has done for us now and what He will do for us in the future, does He deserve the arguments that occur in His church as to what we should honor Him with in our giving?

Would it not be better to give Him all that we can possibly afford without reservation?

This book isn't about whether we tithe or give ten percent of our net or gross income to God (although I strongly support the latter in such giving).

Rather, it is far more than any figure that we could argue over.

It is more about how much we love God, how much we trust in God, how much we are obedient to God and what we should do, or are compelled to do, in order to please Him out of our love for Him.

Ultimately tithing, by the very fact that we are born with a free will, is a personal decision. But with decision comes responsibility. With responsibility comes action. With action comes commitment. This book does not attempt to demand or even tell you what to do. It will offer suggestions as to what you and I should do, which I believe is contained for us in scripture. But again, the ultimate decision is left to the reader to choose as to their own conscience before God.

Martin Roberts - 2014

What is Mine is Mine.

The society in which we live today certainly shows a lack of love for one's fellow man. Many are caught up in a life devoid of even caring for family members. Certainly a father who is working away from home three or four days a week may in fact believe that he is providing for his family which, in a financial sense, he may well be. But what is lost during the time he isn't with his children or spouse?

It may surprise you to learn that in 19th century England the rich had no interest in helping their fellow man on the other end of the social scale, i.e. the poor. In fact, not only would the greater majority not help them, they believed that one who was poor was deserving of their circumstances in life. This wasn't due to any religious or Christian way of thinking because in 19th century England Christianity was at one of its lowest levels in history. It wasn't cool and it wasn't "hip" to even be associated with a Christian, let alone profess to be one. In his excellent book Amazing Grace, William Wilberforce and the Heroic Campaign to End Slavery, Eric Metaxas tells of a nation far removed from what is actually present today. England was quickly advancing towards their own French Revolution. Not only did Wilberforce work tirelessly to end slavery, but he was indeed one of, if not the most, significant social reformers in world history. More remarkable is the fact that, despite the open hostility toward Christianity [which Wilberforce did not directly challenge], he decided to follow God after inviting an old friend, Isaac Milner, to accompany him on a European vacation. However, the dilemma Wilberforce now faced was due to the fact that he was a leading force in English politics. Political circles were made up of many facets that included gentlemen's clubs and endless parties etc. Wilberforce was a member of no fewer than five such male establishments. Upon his return from Europe one of the first things he did was to submit his resignation to all five of them. Still, he was not yet ready to immediately broadcast to the world his new found faith which, it must be said, had originally been nurtured at a young age by John Newton. Upon Wilberforce's father dying while William was at a young age, his mother and grandfather sent him to his uncle and aunt who, unbeknown to his mother and grandfather, were practicing Methodists. Once they learned of this, his mother returned him home to her charge refusing to allow him to continue his walk in faith. Alone and without any church nearby, Wilberforce eventually found his faith wane to the point that he no longer had any interest. As a result of his mother's and grandfather's influence, Wilberforce became a skeptic.

But all that had changed due to Isaac Milner. Remembering John Newton, Wilberforce sought his advice in secret as to what he should now do. To his surprise, Newton actually encouraged Wilberforce to remain in politics. To understand the hostile nature Wilberforce was willing to enter, that of being a Christian and a politician in 19th century England, one needs to read the historical accounts of his day. One of the better choices, if one is interested in these specific events, is indeed Eric Metaxas' book Amazing Grace, William Wilberforce and the Heroic Campaign to End Slavery.

Wilberforce vowed that he would take his Christian faith into politics and serve God in his capacity of politician where he believed he could do more good. Two years later Wilberforce wrote in his diary that "God Almighty has set before me two great objects, the suppression of the Slave Trade and the Reformation of Manners." [1]

So what does all this have to do with tithing you might well ask?

Nothing, you may conclude on face value, until one realizes the bigger picture that faced England with regard to social reform. This, in turn, would make Christianity an acceptable form of worship that had been clearly lacking in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

Social reform included the rich helping the poor through the love of their fellow man and, by default, would eventually lead to offerings at church services.

When one looks at society back then it was self-evident that selfish desires of every kind strangled any thoughts or initial attempts to help each other. While the social stigma is not as self-evident [although it can exist] within our own era, we still see a wide variance of assistance in helping our fellow man.

You may cry foul to the fact that when times of natural disasters occur, such as hurricanes, tornadoes, floods or earthquakes, many people give and give generously to assist the victims of such tragedies.

But what about everyday occurrences where finances are required just to take care of daily essentials? Should they not also receive the same level of support, but on an ongoing basis?

I am of course talking about a person's giving to their church or sometimes more commonly described as tithing. Giving is probably the more modern term, but I would suggest that is due in part to a person's dislike of any reference to parting with a tenth of their earnings to the church. Tithes or tithing immediately invokes in many people's minds a mandatory figure that one must adhere to.

Many reading this book will perhaps disagree, some strongly, with regard to tithing as I have already pointed out. That is only to be expected and I am not shocked to admit that. I personally never tithed in my entire life until I listened and studied scripture that several pastors have shared in their sermons on the subject. Even when I began to tithe I realized the figure only amounted to 5% and not 10%. I know as soon as you read those percentages some of you will be whispering "Here we go, the 10% figure. That isn't mentioned in the New Testament".

Are you sure about that?

Later in this book I will not only answer that question, but I'll show from scripture that 10% is indeed referenced in the New Testament.

But before we delve into what is the correct figure [if indeed figures should come into play at all] we need to build the evidence of why many of us have a hard time deciding what we should give to the church.

If you're a parent, you have no doubt encountered a time when you hear your child screaming that something belonging to them is "Mine, mine, mine". When you investigate, it may be another sibling or playmate that is attempting to play with the child's toy. The screaming child [even though he/she may have been playing happily with something else] upon seeing one their toys being held by another, immediately centers their attention on the object that was of no consequence a few moments ago.

You see the same actions occur in a class of kindergarten children when a certain color pencil is wanted.

But why do I mention this scenario? It isn't to suggest our children are bad. Rather, it is to illustrate a point that if we are not careful, this same type of display can become evident in our lives as adults. That is when it is revealed as selfishness.

Selfishness is derived as placing oneself or one's own interests above the wellbeing of others. It is the opposite of altruism or selflessness [the principle or practice of concern for the welfare of others].

Many people have made comments regarding selfishness such as Aristotle, Seneca, Francis Bacon, Adam Smith, John Locke, and many more. Some even dared say that selfishness could be a virtue in society!

In Philippians 2:3-4 Paul wrote, "Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others" (NASB).

Here the scripture tells the Christian to have nothing to do with selfishness, but instead to show humility of mind, not looking for one's own interests.

Notice Paul also uses the phrase, "empty conceit". What did he mean by that?

Strong's Concordance 2754 for the word kenodoxos, in Greek Images ( Images , which see), means vain-glory, groundless self-esteem, empty pride.

Identifying several works of the flesh Paul writes in Galatians 5:19-21, "The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God" (NIV) [underline in scripture mine].

Likewise, James warned in James 3:16 saying, "For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind" (NLT).

We see in scripture that, despite all of what God did in taking care of the Israelites when He brought them out of Egypt, they still displayed an attitude of Selfishness. Psalm 78:18 says that, "They stubbornly tested God in their hearts, demanding the foods they craved" (NLT). Later on the scriptures say how willful their sin was, even saying that God could strike a rock to give them water but could not give them the food they wanted. How selfish and disrespectful after all that God had done for them!

"That was the last thing the young man expected to hear. And so, crestfallen, he walked away. He was holding on tight to a lot of things, and he couldn't bear to let go" (MSG).