Are you giving God His dues?
3rd in 3 part series
By: Rev. Steven B. Smethers DD

In part one we learned that all we have comes from God. All we have therefor belongs to God. In part two we learned that we are to give to others and help them to be strong. We are to have a giving heart and that we are but stewards of God's holdings.
In this last part we will explore the final section of the law of sowing and reaping. It is a commandment from God. If we choose not to follow it's teachings, we will only be hurting ourselves. This law is for our benifit and it also "proves" our Faith.
I am sure that you know that we should not even think of testing God. However the bible provides us with one single test to prove God's Word.

Malachi 3:8-11
8 Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.
9 Ye [are] cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, [even] this whole nation.
10 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].
11 And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts.

Notice in Malachi 3:10 it says "and prove me now herewith" to PROVE something means to test it. It is the only time that God EVER said to "prove" or to test Him. In this verse God says that if we will have Faith in Him, He will "Prove" Himself to us. God is calling for our Faith and asking for our trust that He will make good His promise to "pour out a blessing upon us that will be more than we will have room to receive" God is speaking of a "Tithe" here and He says to bring it to the "storehouse". God's storehouse is the church of the Body of Christ; for a Christian this means your church or the ministry from which you are receiving Spiritual enrichment.

Solomon shared his wisdom about the spirit of giving when he wrote:

Proverbs 3:9-10
"Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine."

Tithing, or giving a tenth of everything, became a Law after Moses led Israel from 400 years of slavery toward the Promised Land.

Leviticus 27:30-34
30 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 unto the LORD.
31 And if a man will at all redeem [ought] of his tithes, he shall add thereto the fifth [part] thereof.
32 And concerning the tithe of the herd, or of the flock, [even] of whatsoever passeth under the rod, the tenth shall be holy unto the LORD.
33 He shall not search whether it be good or bad, neither shall he change it: and if he change it at all, then both it and the change thereof shall be holy; it shall not be redeemed.
34 These [are] the commandments, which the LORD commanded Moses for the children of Israel in mount Sinai.

"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...The entire tithe of the herd and flock--every TENTH animal that passes under the shepherd's rod--will be HOLY to the Lord...These are the commands the LORD gave Moses on Mount Sinai for the Israelites."

This was not a suggestion or recommendation. This was Law. Can you imagine God giving His people the "Ten Suggestions"? God gave them Laws that would govern and guide and protect them. God gave His people Laws that would bring them great success in their individual and corporate lives. Tithes and offerings were part of God's Program for His Household of Faith. Tithing played an important role in the upkeep of God's House and meeting the needs of God's ministers. You can read more about the Law of Tithes in Numbers 18, Deuteronomy 12, 14 and 26, and Nehemiah 10, 12 and 13.

A tithe is ten percent of your increase or income (Proverbs 3:9). Tithing allows God an avenue through which to bless us. However, if you have debts and obligations to fulfill with the money you have, you are already obligated to pay those bills. By not paying the bills in order to start tithing, would be robbing the people to whom you owe, so that would not be the solution. God looks at the heart and knows your desire to tithe. You can give offerings out of love for the furtherance of the Gospel (Luke 6:38), and God will honor your giving. Once an individual reaches a place in his financial standing where he is meeting his obligations and can tithe without using his bill or grocery money, then he should begin tithing and NEVER stop.

Jesus also spoke about the true spirit of tithing.

Matthew 23:23
"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of you spices--mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law--justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel."

Some will say tithing is under the Old Covenant. It is under the law. No, it is not. Tithing DID NOT originate with the Law of Moses. In Genesis 14:13-20, we are told that after Abraham rescued Lot and took back all the goods, he gave the priest Melchizedek "tithes of all." That was approximately 430 years before the Law of Moses was set down. God's financial plan has a twofold purpose. First, it is to provide our own material, physical, and financial needs. Second - and this is equally as important as the first - it is to finance the proclamation of the Gospel. Deuteronomy 8:18 tells us that God gives us power to get wealth, that we may establish His covenant. He wants us to prosper as individuals -- and in our prospering, the family of God will prosper.

1 Chronicles 16:29
Give unto the LORD the glory [due] unto his name: bring an OFFERING, and come before him: worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.

You see the law of sowing and reaping applies to us directly in God's order of Faith. If you are having to struggle with your financial affairs and it seems that you never have enough then maybe you need to pay God His dues. Faith in His Promise to receive His blessings is all that is required. Think of it this way. If you don't have enough as it is then giving your tithe can't possibly hurt you and God has promised that if you will "test" Him on this He will bless you abundantly.

I have told many the same message about tithing and that is: "You will never be so poor as you will be if you do not pay God His dues." Tithing will never "cost" you anything however NOT tithing will make you poor. Remember, all things are God's to begin with and He tells us that one tenth of all our profits are Holy to Him. He tells us to Tithe that ten percent to His ministry and that by doing so we will be blessed in His abundance. It is very hard to out give a giver especially if all things are His to start with. This law is a promise made to us by God Himself. Understand that God does not need wealth because He already has it all. We are the only ones to profit by this Law. Our trusting Faith "proves" us worthy of a greater blessing from God.

I will not tell you where you should place your tithe. That is your own personal decision. Your best choice will be to place your tithe with the ministry that provides you with the majority of your Spiritual enrichment and revelation in the word of God. You will be amazed at how your finances will be strengthened by giving God the tenth or tithe that He commanded. It will "Prove" both your Faith and God's Word of Promise.

Pay God His Dues! (it's only to your benifit)

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Written by: Rev. Steven B. Smethers DD
Senior Pastor / Administrator - UCMI