'...Test me in this, says the Lord...' Malachi 3:10 NIV
It's estimated that less than one-tenth of all those who attend church give a tenth of their income to God's work, even though the Bible clearly teaches that the first tenth of all we earn belongs to God. 'A tithe of everything...is holy to the Lord.' (Leviticus 27:30 NIV) Today it is estimated that two-thirds of the church's income comes from people aged 69 or older. That's alarming! We need to teach our children the responsibility and rewards of tithing. Perhaps you think tithing only applied to those who lived under the Old Testament law, like the Pharisees. No, Jesus said, '...unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees... you will certainly not enter the Kingdom of Heaven.' (Matthew 5:20 NIV) The tithe is a minimum; your love and faith should determine the maximum. Abraham paid tithes 600 years before the law (Genesis 14:20), then Jesus endorsed it saying we 'ought' to tithe (Matthew 23:23), and the writer to the Hebrews confirmed that it is still God's plan. (Hebrews 7:4-5) As believers, we are the spiritual seed of Abraham, and as such, his blessings have been promised to us. (Galatians 3:14) But if you want what Abraham had, you've got to do what Abraham did and he was the first man in Scripture to tithe! Giving God the first tenth of your income makes Him number one in your priorities. His Word says, 'Bring the whole tithe... Test Me in this...and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of Heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.' (Malachi 3:10 NIV) Do you want to walk in God's blessings? Become a tither!
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