tithing

Dear Musician,

I can tell you are really having a difficult time with this. Please remember that Jesus knows your heart. If you have no income, ask Him how He would have you bless Him and others, and remember the "widow's mite". Please give all of your heart to the Lord, and He will lead you into ways to serve Him. I would love to give you a more concrete answer, but only the Lord can lead you into the best way to glorify Him. However, I know that He will lead you, and also that He loves you, very much.

The most important thing we can give the Lord is our entire heart to love Him and serve Him--He will take care of the rest.

 

I know the tithing issue that was spoke of in the old testament can be a big issue in this day and age. I have beat myself up over and over about this myself trying to "figure it out" Like if the wife is saved and the husband is not then what?
The husband is of the mindset that "you have to take care of yourself before you can take care of others" and HIS money is not going to be handed over to someone demanding he give them 10 % of his money or he will go to hell.
10% of what? Gross income? net income. Saved and unsaved spouses combined income? 10% of the gross or net of that? What happens when the husband makes far more money than the wife? Does the wife need to work a second job to be able to pay the tithe on both their incomes and still feed their children and pay bills? Well GEEZE! Are we BUYING our way to salvation or what here!? Indeed is that what this has turned into?
Galatians 3:10 All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law."SO I knew "something" had to give here. I was certainly cursed by trying so desprately to "observe the law" and it seemed rather backwards. And it was. I had been brainwashed and God had to "undo" it. I was focused on the latter part of this verse rather than the first. If I CONTINUE to "rely on observing the "law" I would be cursed!
James 2:10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. Well for crying out loud! If I can't keep the 10% rule I may as well go out and commit adultery bow down to a golden calf and murder someone! It is all the same apparently! Or IS it?
Galations 5:3For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law. So this means that if you get 'hung up" on one of the ceremonial laws (like tithing and circumcision) you are hung by them ALL. You have taken away Jesus whole purpose and all His power and put your salvation right back in your own failing hands. Oh boy now THAT is a hopeless state of affairs isn't it?
Indeed Jesus DID follow the law perfectly. He did it so we wouldn't have to! It has to be breaking His heart when He sees us struggling with one of the very things He was crucified to save us from. He took the curse of following the letter of the law with him to be crucified on that cross WITH Him. Indeed there will not be one jot or tittle of the law removed.It is STILL there to convict those that won't accept Jesus saving grace to be set FREE from the law! WE are under grace! WE "live in a different country" than those under that set of laws. When we accepted Christ we "moved" from that "country" and it's governing laws to HIS country and governing GRACE.
Do NOT let satan steal your peace by trying to force you to take up that curse and carry it again. BEFORE you got saved tithing would have been one of the "requirements" to your "salvation" along with all the other laws of the Old Testament, circumcision, food laws, ceremonies, sadly animal sacrifice to cover your sin.........

Romans 6:14 For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.

Read the book of Romans and read it after you pray for the Lord to teach you and give you wisdom to understand what He is trying to teach you.

The "law of the prophets" that We are under are "Love God with all our hearts and loves others as we love ourselves.
Luke 10:27He answered: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"

 

The fact that you are volunteering is great; my pastor was talking about the types of sacrifices we make as Christians, and one of them referenced Paul saying we must sacrifice our time to God. It's especially important because time is the one thing we sacrifice that we do not get back in this life.

Also, you know that you are saved by the grace of the Lord, so it really is not about your performance. God is not grading you on how much you give, but rather he is pleased that you are thoroughly seeking ways to work for him even though you cannot tithe. If you truly feel compelled to tithe I pray that the Lord blesses you with a means of doing so

 

"income" or "increase" is the key word, and the focus is "get to tithe" not got to.
Like other posters-if you can not give willingly-look out. If there is 0 income, then 10% of Zero is Zero, but if you spent your money on other things & have Zero "left" that is another ballgame. God don't need your money, the idea is what emphasis do you place on it? God wants to be first priority in your life. Where a man puts his money is likely where his heart is.