I have a story I would like to tell but before I do the following two verses need to be read:
I Corinthians 11:3 " I would have you to know that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God".
Malachai 3:10 "Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and prove 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 to receive it".
So keeping in mind these two verses here is the story:
Paul and Tammy are the type of people every church loves to have. Faithfully attending the services and dedicated to putting to use their gifts and talents. They serve in the Junior Church Department.
The old saying that opposites attract could not be more true than with Paul and Tammy. While Tammy comes from the old traditional Baptist church going back several generations, Paul has no church background. And while Tammy was raised in a devout Christian home where going to church was as common as tying ones shoes, Paul's memories since childhood are his parents waking on Sunday afternoon nursing their hangovers. Two very different backgrounds yet two very much in love. Their marriage is going on five years now and though they have had their differences like any couple - yet they worked them out. In the past six months Paul and Tammy have been overwhelmed with a very disturbing problem. While eating lunch with a Christian friend at work Tammy mentions the money problems she and Paul have. "Saturday we found out our furnace needs to be replaced. Last month it was the transmission. And the month before that it was the refrigerator. Its every month - some major expense just clobbers us!". Her friend remarked out several years ago they had the same thing happen to them. "And you know, I would say to the Lord, Lord Philippians 4:19 now says that You promised to meet all my needs - but you know Tam, the money problems just continued. It was like - boom - every month this huge expense. It wasn't until we started tithing every Sunday that our money problems disappeared. Oh, look at the time - I gotta go - but Tam read Malachai 3: 10, it has made a world of difference in our lives. So later that evening while dinner was cooking Tammy read Malachai 3:10. In a little while after Paul arrived and while at the dinner table he mentioned several prices for a new furnace. Tammy remarked that perhaps God is trying to tell us that we need to tithe. "I don't mean just, like this Sunday, but every Sunday, maybe like we could just put the tithe in our budget". Paul flately refused. They went back and forth on the subject of tithing. Tammy recounted what her friend at work told her and opened the Bible and showed Paul Malachai 3:10. Exasperated, Paul said, "Tammy we just can't operated our finances that way. We need more money not less!"
The next morning Tammy again opened her Bible to Malachai 3:10 and read the verse as a prayer. And this time she saw something she did not see before. "Prove me ~ it says Prove me". Suddenly Tammy got an idea. Waiting until her lunch break, she went to an ATM and withdrew the amount needed for their tithe. Then for the next couple days she just held onto the money waiting until Sunday. Then on Sunday morning while Paul was registering some visitors, Tammy slipped out and deposited the money into the offering plate. Tuesday Paul questioned Tammy about the shortage in their account. Tammy confessed everything but adding, "can't you see our problems are more than money? Our problems have to do with God, not money. We have these problems because God is not blessing us and won't until we obey Him. I know your angry now, but I just had to try and prove it to you how better off we would be when we tithe". Steamed, Paul opens the door as he is about to leave, he looks back, "you knew I would be mad ~ well your right I am. I am now going to the bank and remove your name from the account". End of story
Keeping in mind I Corinthians 11:3 " But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God". Who in the story is right, Paul or Tammy? Was Tammy right for trying to obey the Bible and practice tithing? Or perhaps you disagree with Tammy because Paul is the head of the home and citing I Cor.11:3 it was Paul's decision to tithe or not to tithe? I am just looking for input and insight. (Oh, this story is just fictious and I am not seeking a divorce from Tammy!)
I Corinthians 11:3 " I would have you to know that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God".
Malachai 3:10 "Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and prove 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 to receive it".
So keeping in mind these two verses here is the story:
Paul and Tammy are the type of people every church loves to have. Faithfully attending the services and dedicated to putting to use their gifts and talents. They serve in the Junior Church Department.
The old saying that opposites attract could not be more true than with Paul and Tammy. While Tammy comes from the old traditional Baptist church going back several generations, Paul has no church background. And while Tammy was raised in a devout Christian home where going to church was as common as tying ones shoes, Paul's memories since childhood are his parents waking on Sunday afternoon nursing their hangovers. Two very different backgrounds yet two very much in love. Their marriage is going on five years now and though they have had their differences like any couple - yet they worked them out. In the past six months Paul and Tammy have been overwhelmed with a very disturbing problem. While eating lunch with a Christian friend at work Tammy mentions the money problems she and Paul have. "Saturday we found out our furnace needs to be replaced. Last month it was the transmission. And the month before that it was the refrigerator. Its every month - some major expense just clobbers us!". Her friend remarked out several years ago they had the same thing happen to them. "And you know, I would say to the Lord, Lord Philippians 4:19 now says that You promised to meet all my needs - but you know Tam, the money problems just continued. It was like - boom - every month this huge expense. It wasn't until we started tithing every Sunday that our money problems disappeared. Oh, look at the time - I gotta go - but Tam read Malachai 3: 10, it has made a world of difference in our lives. So later that evening while dinner was cooking Tammy read Malachai 3:10. In a little while after Paul arrived and while at the dinner table he mentioned several prices for a new furnace. Tammy remarked that perhaps God is trying to tell us that we need to tithe. "I don't mean just, like this Sunday, but every Sunday, maybe like we could just put the tithe in our budget". Paul flately refused. They went back and forth on the subject of tithing. Tammy recounted what her friend at work told her and opened the Bible and showed Paul Malachai 3:10. Exasperated, Paul said, "Tammy we just can't operated our finances that way. We need more money not less!"
The next morning Tammy again opened her Bible to Malachai 3:10 and read the verse as a prayer. And this time she saw something she did not see before. "Prove me ~ it says Prove me". Suddenly Tammy got an idea. Waiting until her lunch break, she went to an ATM and withdrew the amount needed for their tithe. Then for the next couple days she just held onto the money waiting until Sunday. Then on Sunday morning while Paul was registering some visitors, Tammy slipped out and deposited the money into the offering plate. Tuesday Paul questioned Tammy about the shortage in their account. Tammy confessed everything but adding, "can't you see our problems are more than money? Our problems have to do with God, not money. We have these problems because God is not blessing us and won't until we obey Him. I know your angry now, but I just had to try and prove it to you how better off we would be when we tithe". Steamed, Paul opens the door as he is about to leave, he looks back, "you knew I would be mad ~ well your right I am. I am now going to the bank and remove your name from the account". End of story
Keeping in mind I Corinthians 11:3 " But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God". Who in the story is right, Paul or Tammy? Was Tammy right for trying to obey the Bible and practice tithing? Or perhaps you disagree with Tammy because Paul is the head of the home and citing I Cor.11:3 it was Paul's decision to tithe or not to tithe? I am just looking for input and insight. (Oh, this story is just fictious and I am not seeking a divorce from Tammy!)
