Need advice about finances as soon as possible please.

IndiaInk said:

Please help me with your advice. After 4 yrs of basically backsliding & leaving our church, my husband & I just started back one month ago. We accrued a lot of debt due to my husband's illness & him being out of work for 1 1/2 yrs. He's getting stronger & will be back at work soon. Our pastor feels we need to tithe now even though we can't meet our bills. I did a lot of research on line & it echos what he said. Any advice please. This was the first Sunday we were going to tithe (we never made it to church - the fuses blew in the car). I have the check made out & ready to mail. I'm having second thoughts because the electric is due tomorrow.

Please advise me.

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DEAR SISTER,

It sounds as if you already have enough advice upon which to make a decision--your Pastor and the research you did on the Internet.

i have always felt that tithing was an act of faith, even when i thought it would keep the bills from getting paid in a timely manner. However, the money always came through for the bills--sometimes out of the blue. THE LORD ALWAYS PROVIDES FOR THOSE WHO TRUST IN HIM TO DO SO!

If you tithe as an act of faith in the Lord's provision--as opposed to tithing because your Pastor wants you to or because you feel you should--i believe He will more than meet your needs to get your bills taken care of. Our God promises, " 'Bring all the tithes into My storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and try Me now in this,' says the Lord of hosts, 'IF I WILL NOT OPEN FOR YOU THE WINDOWS OF HEAVEN AND POUR OUT FOR YOU SUCH BLESSING THAT THERE WILL NOT BE ROOM ENOUGH FOR YOU TO RECEIVE IT.' "(Mal 3:10)

TRUST HIM TO KEEP HIS WORD!

IN CHRIST,
ephraim

Donations that the church receives should be used for church supplies, often to build a bigger and better church, to pay their bills, and also to help the families of their congregation that are going through a crisis. It sounds like you're going through a financial crisis right now, and perhaps they should be offering to help you instead of asking you for money you can't spare. Does he know about your situation?

"Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law." - Romans 13:8

You are in debt to the electric company, and to whomever else you are paying bills to. You have made a commitment to them. Ask your pastor to forgive you if you can't contribute at this time, and to pray for your situation so that you may be able to contrinbute more in the future.

Instead of contributing money which you can not afford, perhaps you can ask him if there is some way you can contribute your time to help the church? Any events that they need help organizing or running? Helping clean up after services? Etc.

IndiaInk said:

I work 5 days a week at the newspaper, & Saturday I clean timeshares 45 min. away from my home so I have no time at all to do that. Besides, he believes strongly that God will provide if we tithe.

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Well, it sounds like your mind is made up. If that is the case, then tithe and pray, and ask him to pray for you.

IndiaInk said:

Please help me with your advice. After 4 yrs of basically backsliding & leaving our church, my husband & I just started back one month ago. We accrued a lot of debt due to my husband's illness & him being out of work for 1 1/2 yrs. He's getting stronger & will be back at work soon. Our pastor feels we need to tithe now even though we can't meet our bills. I did a lot of research on line & it echos what he said. Any advice please. This was the first Sunday we were going to tithe (we never made it to church - the fuses blew in the car). I have the check made out & ready to mail. I'm having second thoughts because the electric is due tomorrow.

Please advise me.

Click to expand...

India...

I know the Bible very well and I don't agree with your pastor. God doesn't want us to be in debt either - read Proverbs plus the church isn't a bank.

Also, I have been where I had to choose between my tithes and my overdue bills. And the bills won - because God doesn't want us to have bad credit either.

Plus, when I started paying my tithes first my bills got very late and I prayed a lot about it.

I agree with snbunch - contribute time to the church instead or give away something you can't wear like shoes. Joyce Meyer suggested this.

Dear IndiaInk



You need to read the title post called: " Dept and Tithing ". YOU SHALL FIND A LOT OF TRUTH, WISDOM, UNDERSTANDING, and LOVE in this post.





DON'T BE MISLEAD AND REMEMBER:





X Even though you can't see him, GOD is there!!! O
( click on the x and drag to the O ) ( then see who is with you ) steven

We can go all day on this topic and have diverse opinions. I personally know tithing works even though it hurts...I think if you pray and you have received godly counsel, you should have an idea what God wants you to do financially.

Jan

IndiaInk said:

He knows about our situation, but insists that by us tithing we are putting our trust in God that he will provide.

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Your pastor is 100% correct!

I have been in situations where my eletric and/or water was going to be turned off, no food in the house for my daughter and I but I made up my mind to tithe no matter what and everytime - GOD MADE A WAY. (From people paying the utlities to being invited out for dinner or given free food, etc)

There were even times when the utilities got turned off and I still tithed and guess what - God made a way.

Tithing is about trusting God and putting Him first even when, especially when, we don't have enough for our bills. The money you do have is His and He has trusted you with what you do have, if you return to Him what He requires, He will bless you.

I know it's not easy when the bills are piling up and there is no way out other than a miracle, but if you trust God and be determined to tithe - no matter what God will reward your faithfulness and you will start to see Him work out your miracles faithfully.

There was one time when I even got evicted, yet I still tithed and you know what, I had to be out by Friday, the Monday evening before, I was given keys to a nice townhouse in a rich neighborhood, and the monthly cost was less than what I was currently trying to pay. That Tuesday, the Lord provided the moving truck and a friend to move me, by Wednesday all my furniture was out and all I had to do was get little items I had left behind. I didn't have to put any money down for my new place, just moved right in.

When you trust God at His word, He has to honor what He said He will do.

Trust God no matter what comes your way, no matter how hard your financial situation might seem or might become - TRUST HIM, He is setting you up for a miracle all you have to do is be obedient and faithful.

Also, when people try to say tithing is of the law and if you follow the law you have to follow everything else you die by the law, you need to be aware that tithing was established BEFORE the Levitical Law was in place. Abram gave tithes of all to Melchizedek. Christ came after the order of Melchizedek. We can't have the NT without the OT, the OT is types and shadows of the NT.

If you search on tithes in the bible, you will find references in the NT to people returning tithes - that within itself shows that tithing is for today.

Genesis 14:16-20
16And he brought back all the goods, and also brought again his brother Lot, and his goods, and the women also, and the people.

17And the king of Sodom went out to meet him after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer, and of the kings that were with him, at the valley of Shaveh, which is the king's dale.
18And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God.
19And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth: 20And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.

Bottom line - Regardless of what I say, your pastor says or anyone else on this board, you have to go to God and listen to Him.

God bless and continue to press!!!

Dear IndiaInk

Read all the posts that are included in the OP titled:

" Dept and Tithing "


You will find that even today there are the " LETTER OF THE LAW " folks.
Many mistake what the " LETTER OF THE LAW " is.


Remember JESUS is all about LOVE.


Do you really think JESUS would want to give that pastor a paycheck from folks that can not afford to give at that time???



IF YOU LIVE BY THE LAW YOU ARE JUDGED BY THE LAW!!!



WE ALL NEED TO REMEMBER:






X Even though you can't see him, GOD is there!!! O
( click on the x and drag to the O ) ( then see who is with you ) steven

Seek also a Christian financial counselor
As well as go to God in prayer
In what you should do
Praying for you to get back on track
With your finances!

Also, go to God in prayer as to what He would have you to do. Sometimes, He will allow us to work up to a tithe. But He will give you peace in your heart when you right that check to know that you are following His will and not anyone elses. I write this from experience.

Sennaria

IndiaInk said:

Please help me with your advice. After 4 yrs of basically backsliding & leaving our church, my husband & I just started back one month ago. We accrued a lot of debt due to my husband's illness & him being out of work for 1 1/2 yrs. He's getting stronger & will be back at work soon. Our pastor feels we need to tithe now even though we can't meet our bills. I did a lot of research on line & it echos what he said. Any advice please. This was the first Sunday we were going to tithe (we never made it to church - the fuses blew in the car). I have the check made out & ready to mail. I'm having second thoughts because the electric is due tomorrow.

Please advise me.

Click to expand...

Always remeber the Lord knows your situation & knows what you can give. If all you have is a $1 & someone else has $100 but only gives a $1, yours is greater in the eyes of the Lord.

This may have been said already, but I will say it again. It is not how much you give but why you give. The Lord wants a cheerful giver. I can totally realte, myWife & I are struggleing to pay bills month to month, even sometimes to put food on the table. I look at it like this, what I give to the Lord is between me & Him. If he is happy, that is all that matters.

God Bless & I hope this helps.

Dear CHRISTIANS


GOD'S WORD says:


" Chapter 9:7


" EVERY MAN ACCORDING AS HE PURPOSETH IN HIS HEART, SO LET HIM GIVE; NOT GRUDGINGLY, OR OF NECESSITY: FOR GOD LOVETH A CHEERFUL HEART "

That is the only guide in the NEW TESTAMENT.



Now to the OLD TESTAMENT:

" Galatians 3:24-25


"So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. {25} Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law." "


"

THE Church's TITHING LAW​

God, according to Malachi 3:8-10, commands Christians to pay 10% of their gross income to their local church. Christians must pay this 10% before any other financial obligations are met. Christians cannot be blessed by God unless this tithe has been paid.

I should point out that this tithing law as written comes from man not God. Note that this tithing law is not consistent with the tithing law of the Old Testament since more was involved with tithing at that time. There is also the matter of what was tithed and how. Right from the start we see a discrepancy between the Bible’s teaching and the teaching of the church. "



Now PLEASE use GOD'S WORD to prove this wrong.



Take off my BLINDERS if you can.



ALWAYS REMEMBER:






X Even though you can't see him, GOD is there!!! O
( click on the x and drag to the O ) ( then see who is with you ) steven

[bible]2 Corinthians 9:7[/bible]

IndiaInk said:

All of this information & the differences in opinion are so overwhelming. All I can do is pray about it.

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This is the best thing that you can do.

Heavenly Father,
We lift up IndiaInk to you, as she is coming before you for answers. I pray that You put a peace in her heart and direction as to how she can best give back to you what you have given her. Every man will have different advice, pastors, lay-christians, etc....but only You can truly touch her heart as to what she should do. So Lord, we know she has the knowledge, so we pray that You give her the wisdom she needs in order to move forward and the peace that comes with knowing she is in Your will, no one elses.

In Jesus Holy Name,
Amen!

I returned to college 2.5 years ago and during that time my husband and I have had times of true financial struggle. We foolishly stopped tithing because of the bills and things only got worse. About 1.5 months ago we decided that we had to stop our disobedience and stop robbing God. We made a commitment to tithe. In that month and a half God has been rebuking the devourer for our sakes.

My dish company reduced our bill by $10 per month for the next 6 months because a technician didn't show up on time. That's only $60, but it was a blessing.

Then we had to begin planning a memorial service for my stepson who is in the final stages of cancer. He has requested cremation, so the cost was $4500 for the memorial and an additional $3000 for other costs. Who ever thinks that a teenager needs life insurance? We didn't, so we found ourselves in a true bind. I told my husband the day that the plans for the memorial service were finalized that we weren't going to worry about the money because we were tithing and God is faithful. Almost immediately a local cancer foundation offered to pay the entire $7500 for the memorial. Within a week my father called and offered an additional $2500 for any other expenses that occur. (That was a TRUE miracle! My dad can pinch a penny so tight that you can hear it squeal to Timbuktu!)

Even though my husband has only been able to work a couple of days a week due to caring for his son, all of our bills are paid and we have even been able to help others.

Then today I received $800 that I hadn't been expecting.

I can tell you from my life that God is faithful to His word. Seek God first and He will supply all your needs. It can be frightening to step out on faith, but I made the decision that God was bigger than any circumstances in my life and I was going to take Him at His word. He's never failed me yet. Unfortunately, I've failed Him many times, but He's still faithful.