Is it Wrong?

JSMencer said:

Is it wrong if you are in music ministry to Use your tithe to help make the music ministry in your church better, or help your own part in ministry grow? Like purchasing equipment you could really use to help your ministry grow?

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Yes, it is wrong your tithe is seperate it is what belongs to God and his church anything else is considered a donation.
If you tithe faithfully the Lord WILL provide what you need

Study the scriptures about tithing. We have a lot of rules in our heads about what tithes should be.

The original tithes were grain and other resources that members of the desert community brought into a storehouse --like a grain silo (remember Joseph's idea?) so that all members of the community would be provided for.

Meat sacrifices often went to feed the families of the priests, who were not allowed to own property as individuals (Numbers 18:24). Some sacrifices and offerings were eaten by the person who offered them. Offerings for festivals were like dish-to-pass gatherings, where rich people brought piles of good things and poor people brought what they could offer.

There was a lot of emphasis on community provision in the sacrifices. In some incidents, it was like addressing your tax bill to God, knowing that some of it would be used for social services and church payroll.

The tithes and offerings were a continual reminder that all we have is from God. The ceremony of giving offerings humbled the believers, and gave them a chance to thank God, yield their goals and intentions to Him, repent, express gratefulness for provision.

But the tithe was not completely intended to support the religious sector.

There's even a condition printed for borrowing from God against your tithe. I didn't make this up.
Le 27:31

Some scriptures speak of the whole tithe going to the Levites, but others show that it was eated by the giver, and shared among the people.


There you shall bring your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, the contribution of your hand, your votive offerings, your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herd and of your flock.

There also you and your households shall eat before the Lord your God, and rejoice in all your undertakings in which the Lord your God has blessed you.
Deut 12

The monetary substitute was introduced in Deut 14:22-27.

Ah, well... that doesn't answer your question, but I think it will help you think it through.

Ask your church leaders can you destinate it to the music program. Have you asked that your church give the music program a yearly budget for it's needs?

Right-- usually churches organize the budget so that certain funds come in as alms, general, missions and building fund. They can usually designate specifics... but then there's no guarantee your funds won't just fill already-alloted space.

I don't know if it's wrong. As with many things, it is your motivation that is key. If you approach the gift with the spirit of offering your money and knowledge to better the worship service for the Lord, then that seems reasonable.

But if you want to put your money into better equipment because *you* want to play on better stuff, then perhaps your motive needs some examination. In this case, and using heron's scripture as a reference, it would be like bringing choice foods for yourself to enjoy, not so much in the spirit of sharing with the community.

Just some thoughts. FWIW, I think about these kinds of questions too, as there are specific Christian ministries I wish to support outside of my church. I've decided to divvy up my tithe so that some supports the Christian ministries and the rest supports my church.

Jenster, that makes so much sense. It reminds me of the verse about approaching the Lord's supper (which appears to have been more like a festival meal then)-- keeping the internal focus on giving, not getting.

For there must also be factions among you, so that those who are approved may become evident among you. Therefore when you meet together, it is not to eat the Lord's Supper, for in your eating each one takes his own supper first; and one is hungry and another is drunk. What! Do you not have houses in which to eat and drink? Or do you despise the church of God and shame those who have nothing?
1Cor 11:19-22

I don't think it's wrong to designate funds, or to divide up your tithe to support various ministries. Since God is the one you're trying to please with the tithe, then keep the decision between you and Him.

The tithe isn't about supporting a ministry or where it is being used. It is simply about obedience and priorities. We are to obey and He is to be our priority with our lives. We work, which is renting out our time. Our time is simply a part of our life, therefore when we give our tithe we are giving that portion of our life to God.

When we give something to someone freely we do not specify what it is to be used for. That is control not responsibility. Control is usurpation of God's role in our lives. It is making oneself equal to God.

If you get into the intricacies of the Mosaic Law, you'll notice different tithes, offerings, and sacrifices for different occasions and purposes. Farmers also left the edges of their fields and remnants of their harvest for those who had no land to farm. They gave more than ten percent.

Much of it was about generosity to God and to man, and about humility before God, and gratefulness for what they could bring in, and repentance for sins. We recognize most of these things today, but lump it all into one pot, and let the church appropriate it.

We also pay taxes, where the Israelites out in the desert didn't need to. So I assume that some of the gifts applied similarly to civil funds.

The Levites carried out many of the community services that we pay money for now-- health inspectors, CDC (Lev 13-14), building inspectors (Le 14:34-53), doctors (Lev 13-14), counselors, mediators, judges (Lev 17:8)...

...So we don't even have a fair correlation for where the funds go.

When members *votes* in business meetings, they're really saying where they want the money they give, designated to go to. God knows our heart when we give. If a person gives with the wrong heart, that's what they're judge on. If you can do it, you can give a gift above your tithe to the music ministry also. I know God will bless you for it.

Jenster said:

I don't know if it's wrong. As with many things, it is your motivation that is key. If you approach the gift with the spirit of offering your money and knowledge to better the worship service for the Lord, then that seems reasonable.

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I totally agree with this, it is all about motivation, the Word even says that if your heart is not in the right place then He prefers you not to give... What I understand from that is that if I'm forced (I MUST OBEY!!!!) to give my tithing and my heart is really not in it at all, then I'm no different to a Pharisee and that is most definatly not what the Lord wants...

If you really want to have a clear consience about it, then speak to your Pastor and let him/her know what you feel in your heart and spirit stirred to do... I think that through that, your also submiting to your leadership, and that is honourable by God....

I pray that your heart beat will continue to be one with the Lords and that your heart will continue to go out to His people!!!

Other ways you could approach it...

1. Treat it as an offering (gift), rather than a tithe.

2. Purchase the equipment yourself, and loan it to the church.

3. Purchase the equipment, give the office your receipt, and ask if they would accept it as a gift to the church. If so, they would write a letter that shows you gave them the market value of the donation. You would attach this letter to your taxes. And work out the offering vs. tithe issue with God.

4. Start a donation fund within your worship team, for larger items.

But it sounds as though you're talking about the ethics of it, and God's stance on tithing. Since you're facing the God of the universe, who provided you with everything, then you do want to find out how He would react.

Look through the passages on furnishing the temple... see where the resources came from.

(J.S., are you still here?)

I feel giving to the offering is diffrent then getting things for praise and worship, getting a guitar for example is a added bonus god will give you the bless of getting these if you give, cheerfully and by faith he will bless you back, but dont expect to be bless, do it for selfishless purpose not vise versa..
god bless man

Wow there's so many interesting posts in this specific question. I'm amazed and I give thanks to the Lord for the wisdom of many of you.

I guess we all have it very clear that the tithe is not to support the church but more of an obbedience act.

However.. let's say you need more equipment in your church.. remember.. it's all about God and not us. God can definetly make a cheap guitar or amp sound like the most expensive instruments. I have witnessed that. If God's presence is there... its all you'll need. BUT... if God has put in your heart that you guys need more equipment.. maybe dividing your tithe is not the best option. I'm not saying it's wrong.. but there are other better options. First of all.. learn to be a team, a band. let's say you are 5 people.. and you all bring 5 dollars each every sunday(you only have to skip a mcdees lunch) This way you can save 1200 a year. This way, you all learn to work as a team.

Our worship team organizes car washes during the summer, and we invest all money in the worship team. We are presently in big need (PA, monitors, amps, speakers, cables, mics).. but like I mention earlier.. God's presence is more important than any fancy instrument. Our church bought the cheapest instruments available.. the bass amp is broken.. no guitar and amp.. but God has blessed me with a few amps an guitars and I'm more than happy to know they are working in the church instead of a club filled with smoke and beer.

God bless you all and thanks again for the great coments I've read.