To tithe, or not to tithe. That is the question!

[BeforeThereWas]

Folks, some believe Jesus paid tithes, some DON'T believe He did, and some aren't sure.

This is why I encourage people to educate themselves about what the Bible REALLY says. The pro-tithing camp has said many times to me that Jesus paid tithes.

The TRUTH is that He did NOT pay tithes.

Read the record for yourselves. The Law clearly defined the tithe as the increase from producing fields, orchards, vineyards, flocks and herds.

Nowhere are we told Jesus owned such things. He was raised by a carpenter, and the Law at no time required carpenters to hand over every tenth chair, table, coat rack, et al, to the Levites. Fishermen were not required to hand over every tenth fish to the Levite. Tax collectors were not required to hand over a tenth of what was collected to the Levites. Wage earners were not required to hand over a tenth of their monetary wages to the Levites.

Oh, but much of modern churchianity teaches the continued necessity of tithing, even though they have no legitimate, biblical basis upon which to rest such a claim. Some go so far as to practice EISEGETICAL apologetics as their defense of such claims.

Dishonesty by any other name is still dishonesty.

Intentional ignorance is just another form of dishonesty.

I suggest those who aren't sure about what I'm saying educate themselves by reading their Bibles, and what's stated in regard to the tithe.

Never did the tithe touch the wages of monetary wage earners, contrary to what's taught today within institutional church organizations. Nowhere does scripture show anyone upholding the idea of Abraham having established a principle for tithing beyond his own lifetime, or even that event, and yet so many people are willing to parade the old-time lies of the tithe, hoping they can avoid rug burn when called out onto the carpet. They hope claims of uncertainty and/or ignorance on their part will shield them, regardless of their having pretended they knew what in reality they did not know.

Folks, Jesus had no regard for the pharasees and scribes who were dishonest. Many of them were perpetrators of falsehoods and hypocrisy. If anyone has doubts about the fact that wage earners were NOT required to hand over a tenth of their wages to the Levites, I encourage you to study it for yourselves. Don't just take mine or anyone else's word for it. See if you can find an instance of wage earners handing over a tithe to the Levites.

Wages are NOT a form of increase. Wages are an EXCHANGE of money for labor and skills. This isn't rocket science.

The INCREASE portrayed within scripture was provided by the Lord Himself, not mankind. Man did not create the mechanism whereby a seed produced many more seeds and fruit than what was planted. That mechanism is of God's making alone. It is THAT mechanism from which the increase arises.

Those who think they can gain INCREASE by way of their own labors are fooling only themselves through fleshly pride and vain conceit.

BTW

 

[jamadan]

Well stated BeforeThereWas. Problem is that most tithers I know act like they're brainwashed. You can point out Scripture after Scripture demonstrating what tithing was and (more importantly) what it wasn't, and they just tune it out and keep believing. I try to meet them half way and teach them what tithing actually was saying 'if you're going to tithe, at least do it according to Scripture' . . . even that falls on deaf ears. They just can't get the false teachings from their pastors, Copeland, Hagin and company out of their minds. This is a sacred cow that really needs to die.

 

[GaryArnold]

I am not sure what you mean by Christian generosity exceeds duty giving. statistics show that the average church goer only gives 2% of their income to nonprofit organizations.

Which , by the way , is a lower percentage than what those outside the church give to charity , on average.

If that is true, then my conclusion must be that those going to church services are being taught to give incorrectly. Seems that if church goers, who are being taught to tithe and give, give less than those who are NOT taught, something must be wrong with the teaching.

Could it be that those who don't go to church are just giving as they feel led to give, as the scriptures teach, while those going to church are being misled?

 

[Yitzchak]

If that is true, then my conclusion must be that those going to church services are being taught to give incorrectly. Seems that if church goers, who are being taught to tithe and give, give less than those who are NOT taught, something must be wrong with the teaching.

Could it be that those who don't go to church are just giving as they feel led to give, as the scriptures teach, while those going to church are being misled?

Charitable giving is done by non Christians and Christians alike. In the big picture , the church has done much over the centuries to help the poor and to give to non profit type activities.

My point is that in modern America , the effects of our culture influences how Christians handle money in a major way. In particular , the generation know as the " me generation " , lives in an extremely self centered way. In that environment , people who give according to what they feel led results in very low amounts of giving and extremely self centered lives. This is our culture. The real question is how much Christians in America are influenced by our culture ( what scripture would call love of the world or worldly values ) , or whether they are more influenced by their faith.

Unless Christians are taught and renew their minds about giving. Unless they repent of the normal worldly way of doing things and follow Christ instead , then there will not be much giving.

Obviously fear , duty and guilt induced giving is not God's highest goal for us. He desires for us to grow up and become mature. But the spiritual development mirrors natural development in this way.

Small children are told what to do and are motivated by various means of motivation. Pick up your toys , or no snack. Many parents use spanking or other forms of discipline. There is more structure with dos and do nots.

As children grow older , they need less structure and then begin to choose internal higher motivations for what they do.

What I was saying is that less structure for Christians who by their actions show them selves to be very immature , is a bad idea. It results in more self centered and less disciplined living. In that context , their giving matches that of the world because they are more influenced by the world than they are by Christ. As a Christian matures , they need less structure.


Bottom line. what it shows is that Christians in America as a group are very immature spiritually. The solution is more structure and discipline , not less. Proposing less structure is a naive perspective.

 

[GaryArnold]

I have always been a very generous giver, yet I was an atheist until I was in my forties. I was led, through my heart, to give to those less fortunate than myself. No one taught it to me. It was my nature. Once I became a born-again believer, and as I grew in the Lord, my giving increased.

I believe that IF someone has God's Spirit living within, they will want to give. They will want to help others. I don't believe many church goers have such a Spirit. They surely don't display it. They go through the action of accepting God, but I have to wonder if it is really in their heart. I can't judge their heart, but I certainly can judge their actions.

You can't teach someone to be a giver from the heart. But you can teach people to pray and seek the Spirit. Jesus taught by example. The worst teaching I have seen, by example, is in the organized church. Always asking for money. Never having enough money. Bad financial stewardship. Wasting money. Using money for decorations while people in the community have little food or warm clothing. I have attended many churches and have yet to find one where the church leaders showed good financial stewardship with the church funds. In fact, many of these "leaders" also show very poor stewardship with their own personal finances. How can you be a poor steward of the church funds and teach good stewardship to the congregation? Church leaders I know don't have a clue about good financial stewardship yet they are preaching tithing and giving while not able to pay their own bills. We have the blind leading the blind. Very sad.

I understand good financial stewardship and teach it. Tithing is for the weak who just does what he is told.

 

[BeforeThereWas]

Well stated BeforeThereWas.

Thanks, Jamadan. I praise the Lord for His unwavering word to us.

Problem is that most tithers I know act like they're brainwashed.

The power emotional warm fuzzies exercise over the thinking of those who have become addicted to them is indeed staggering.

You can point out Scripture after Scripture demonstrating what tithing was and (more importantly) what it wasn't, and they just tune it out and keep believing.

Yes indeed. Most consider their primary responsibility for giving should be directed at the church organization of which they've chosen to become a member, and that what's left over can go to "charitable giving."

That is so BACKWARDS to the priorities demonstrated to us within the pages of the NT. They have NO regard for the Bible when it goes against what they're taught from fancy pulpits and expensive PA systems.

One can become a member of a church organization, and then leave it while knocking the dust from their feet at the doorway, and STILL be "in the Church," never having left it. I was "in the Church" before I ever darkened the doorway of a dead facility called a "church."

How pathetic and cowardly for anyone to regard any one of those organizations and their facilities as being a higher priority than people. There's nothing at all sacred about church organizations. They can all pass away, and the Church will live on as the glorious, shining Light of Christ Jesus in this world.

Those who are stuck on the perception that organized religion is THE expression of the Church on this earth seriously lack spiritual vision and discernment.

No building or man-made organization will ever replace my responsibility for being the lighthouse from which shines the Light of Christ Jesus to the world. From all TRUE believers shines His Light, and WE are the ones who place the salt upon the tongues of an unbelieving world, and we sometimes must place it upon wounds to stop spiritual infections gained from a world filled with filth.

I try to meet them half way and teach them what tithing actually was saying 'if you're going to tithe, at least do it according to Scripture' . . . even that falls on deaf ears. They just can't get the false teachings from their pastors, Copeland, Hagin and company out of their minds. This is a sacred cow that really needs to die.

I don't see any of those men disappearing from our sight until the day comes when those men either cow-tow to the coming dictator of this country and preach ONLY the government sanctioned sermons, or this country economically collapses into a Mad Max style heap of renegades and third world poverty.

Come, Lord Jesus, come.

BTW

 

[mjere]

I have always been a very generous giver, yet I was an atheist until I was in my forties. I was led, through my heart, to give to those less fortunate than myself. No one taught it to me. It was my nature. Once I became a born-again believer, and as I grew in the Lord, my giving increased.

I believe that IF someone has God's Spirit living within, they will want to give. They will want to help others. I don't believe many church goers have such a Spirit. They surely don't display it. They go through the action of accepting God, but I have to wonder if it is really in their heart. I can't judge their heart, but I certainly can judge their actions.

You can't teach someone to be a giver from the heart. But you can teach people to pray and seek the Spirit. Jesus taught by example. The worst teaching I have seen, by example, is in the organized church. Always asking for money. Never having enough money. Bad financial stewardship. Wasting money. Using money for decorations while people in the community have little food or warm clothing. I have attended many churches and have yet to find one where the church leaders showed good financial stewardship with the church funds. In fact, many of these "leaders" also show very poor stewardship with their own personal finances. How can you be a poor steward of the church funds and teach good stewardship to the congregation? Church leaders I know don't have a clue about good financial stewardship yet they are preaching tithing and giving while not able to pay their own bills. We have the blind leading the blind. Very sad.

I understand good financial stewardship and teach it. Tithing is for the weak who just does what he is told.

I loved reading this.

It really is the answer, isn't it? To tithe or not to tithe really reveals the heart of a person.

What if you find out the tithe is a hoax and you don't have to give a dime if you don't want to? Would you? I believe this is how God sees such a topic, because it reveals the motive behind someone's gift. According to Luke 6:38 giving does warrant a return. Which is exciting, too! But 1 Corinthians 13:3, says your motivation behind your giving is more important than the gift itself.

It's so funny because I found out the very answer to this question over a year ago; and to my surprise, my giving went through the roof. At the time my income had decreased... real low. I gave more in freedom and poverty than I ever did in bondage, and I didn't miss a dime, nor did I go without.

For the past month or so my income went up, and began to get steadier. Slowly, I started trying to relate to God through the tithe. I have no idea why or when I started back down that road again, because my church does not preach tithe, nor do any of the evangelist I listen to. I simply looked at my finances, and took 10% out just so I didn't forget to give. It's so subtle.

It's not always the church that promotes this stuff. It's second nature to conditionally give hoping to get something back. We by observation, by nature relate to people conditionally. It's second nature to get caught up in servicing the Lord out of habit, out of tradition.

So I disagree about "teaching" someone to give from the heart. You can show a person the truth, you can illustrate what giving from the heart looks like, and maybe describe how it feels; but it's a by-product of relationship, and it can't go on auto-pilot.

 

[BeforeThereWas]

Many secular charities have done good toward those in need, so pointing at benevolent, community outreach work, whether it be a secular entity or a religious one, as some sort of barometer for biblical legitimacy is dishonest at best. Many people are mathematically challenged. For those suffering from that malady, here's a simplified scenario:

Group A is a group of 100 people not associated with a church organization.

Group B is a group of 100 people associated with First Church of the Religious.

Group A hands over $100 each to various families in need in their local community.

Group B hands over their $100 each to their church organization.

From Group A's giving, 100% went for the meeting of needs.

From Group B's giving, about 14% of their giving went for the meeting of needs.

That means all $10,000 of Group A's giving met needs, and only $1400 of Group B's giving actually met needs of fellow believers and those in the local community.

What this shows us is how pathetically puny it is to point at what little good organized religion did/does with what's entrusted to it. Trying to compare institutionalized church organizations with the apostles and what they took in (STRICTLY for the meeting of needs) is to dabble in the most base regions of intellectual dishonesty.

Additionally, the problem is in people's PRIORITIES. When the needs of PEOPLE take a back seat to the needs of a facility, professional staffing, programs, lawn care, etc., there's a problem.....a BIG problem.

Therefore, pointing at benevolent activities by organizations proves very little in the positive. It also shines a light upon church organization's traditional robbery of God by knowingly accepting people's primary, majority giving, and using only what's left for meeting needs.

Shameful.

The historicity of that shame doesn't make it look any better.

BTW

 

[BeforeThereWas]

To tithe or not to tithe really reveals the heart of a person.

Not necessarily.

What reveals the heart of the individual is WHERE they give, whether it's a tithe or otherwise. Those who hand over the primary, largest portion of their giving into something from which they reap direct benefit is suspect at best, and an outright robbery of God at worst.

BTW

 

[Optimax]

Well stated BeforeThereWas. Problem is that most tithers I know act like they're brainwashed. You can point out Scripture after Scripture demonstrating what tithing was and (more importantly) what it wasn't, and they just tune it out and keep believing. I try to meet them half way and teach them what tithing actually was saying 'if you're going to tithe, at least do it according to Scripture' . . . even that falls on deaf ears. They just can't get the false teachings from their pastors, Copeland, Hagin and company out of their minds. This is a sacred cow that really needs to die.

Perhaps all the "NON-Tithers" are so because they just do not want to feel obligated to give their money away.

Rather spend it on themselves.

O no, they say "I give as I am directed to".

But talk themselves out of it before they give it.

Then convinced themselves that it wasn't really God that wanted me to give that.

So they don't give feeling justified cause "it wasn't really God".

Others just give what they "feel like" and do give some. Is it even close to being even 10%?

I don't know about all but do some and it isn't.

That new movie or video game.

Therefore not making a quality decision to honor God with their money over a proven period of time never reap the benefits.

That then justifies all their disclaimers about tithing.

 

[K2K]

If that is true, then my conclusion must be that those going to church services are being taught to give incorrectly. Seems that if church goers, who are being taught to tithe and give, give less than those who are NOT taught, something must be wrong with the teaching.

Could it be that those who don't go to church are just giving as they feel led to give, as the scriptures teach, while those going to church are being misled?

So if they are taught incorrectly, who is to teach them? You - teachers at church, the pastor, or should we be preaching Jesus Christ instead.

There have been and are "teachers of the Law". You must have read about them at some point. I wonder how they would sound on the issue? Would they not say "listen to our teaching", "give us your money", and "the church goers don't give enough".

The tithe 'if that is what you want to call it' is due the Lord not the church. And the Lord is God. And God is ruler of all the heavens and the earth. They all belong to Him. So have you taken into account moneys given to those not in the church? NO_NO - the religious leaders and teachers of the Law act today like they always have. They say, "give me, give me", and not only teach the Law but preach it also, as if following the Law saves you.

Have you not heard the Lord tell you to give here and give there. Has He not told you to drive downt he street at the spur of the moment, and when you get to where He told you, He asks you to treat a homeless person to lunch. Are you indeed following the Lord?

The man that asked Jesus what He needed to do to get to heaven, was told to give all his money away to the poor, and follow Jesus. So how was that money taken into account by the teachers of the Law, who still desire the high seats in the meeting place, and stall want their prayers to be heard at the front.

Still, the Lord says that is His church, His people, and He will take care of them, and even if they are always says "give me, give me". So the church goes on, and the needs of the church 'his people' are met. And if He wants 2% to go to the maintaining of the buildings, then who are we to tell Him that He is wrong. Or is your faith in something other than the Lord?

And concerning those who feel lead by the Spirit; was it Jesus that took uip the position of high preist when He came to earth? Did He hang out at church 'Jerusalem' and tell everyone to give, or did He walk the land, help the people, and go where the Father told Him. Where and what did He give. Was it fish and bread on a mountain, or money in the temple? Maybe a bit of both?

Yeah, the Lord takes me here and there. So He had me give all. And He still has me give here and there. And I have help at the church, and I have helped on the street. But I don't live by the Law, but by the voice of the One whose first words to me were, "Read your Bible'. So read it, and do what it says! And in case you missed it, it says to follow the Lord, which has had a habbit of tell people to give all, not just 10%.

 

[Faulty]

Perhaps all the "NON-Tithers" are so because they just do not want to feel obligated to give their money away.

Rather spend it on themselves.

O no, they say "I give as I am directed to".

But talk themselves out of it before they give it.

Then convinced themselves that it wasn't really God that wanted me to give that.

So they don't give feeling justified cause "it wasn't really God".

Others just give what they "feel like" and do give some. Is it even close to being even 10%?

I don't know about all but do some and it isn't.

That new movie or video game.

Therefore not making a quality decision to honor God with their money over a proven period of time never reap the benefits.

That then justifies all their disclaimers about tithing.

There is no such thing as an actual tither anymore. There is no Temple and no Levitical priesthood to support, and no storehouse to take the tithes to.

And what I give, and to who I give it to, isn't anyone's business. Perhaps one could say about those who brag in their fictional "tithing" that they are doing so to look good before other people.

 

[Frogster]

if tithing guaranteed a big return the tithing church would all be billionaires by now.

sadly, they set up christians for despair, because they promise the innocent, unlearned scripturally sheep, that a giant blessing is coming, but when it does not come, the sheep think the bible is not true, when really the textual mutilation was the problem, from the pyramid scheme.

although...the sheep often have itching ears..so they are at fault sometimes too.

 

[Frogster]

Perhaps all the "NON-Tithers" are so because they just do not want to feel obligated to give their money away.

Rather spend it on themselves.

O no, they say "I give as I am directed to".

But talk themselves out of it before they give it.

Then convinced themselves that it wasn't really God that wanted me to give that.

So they don't give feeling justified cause "it wasn't really God".

Others just give what they "feel like" and do give some. Is it even close to being even 10%?

I don't know about all but do some and it isn't.

That new movie or video game.

Therefore not making a quality decision to honor God with their money over a proven period of time never reap the benefits.

That then justifies all their disclaimers about tithing.

opti..opti..opti...

i don't see a prvovision for the poor in your post, or any pastoral accusations here.

 

[GaryArnold]

While the pastor stands before the congregation and says give to God FIRST (he really means give to his church organization first), the scriptures, in 1 Timothy 5:8, tell us to take care of our family first.

While the pastor quotes from the Old Testament, Proverbs 3:9 (KJV) “Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase:”, when does the pastor ever quote the New Testament verse, 2 Timothy 2:6 (KJV) “The husbandman that laboureth must be first partaker of the fruits.”?

While the pastor tells you to give to the Lord FIRST, that God doesn't want your leftovers, the organized church takes the money received and pays all the bills, decorates the premises, etc. etc. etc. and then, if anything is left, gives the leftovers to the poor.

 

[WordofHisPower]

Giving a cheerful 10% to the Lord is a scriptural opportunity to bless others and be blessed of the Lord.

My fellowship uses the money to support missions, the poor, outreach.

I've cheerfully tithed to the Lord in faith when I couldn't afford it and the Lord came through for me with financial miracles.

If you're a big giver to the Lord you'll see big miracles. NT giving is cheerful. OT giving was an obligation like the other OT laws.

If you don't get excited about giving 10% to the Lord, you're missing an opportunity to see God pour out overflowing blessings. Malachi 3:10

Givers want to give. Faithful givers are given more to give. Matthew 25:21, Deuteronomy 8:18, Ecclesiastes 5:19, Proverbs 10:22

With the measure you give, the measure you'll receive. Luke 6:38

The Lord loves a cheerful giver. Romans 12:8, 2 Corinthians 9:7

It's more blessed to give than receive. Acts 20:35

Giving to the poor is lending to the Lord and He will repay you. Proverbs 19:17

10 % is holy to the Lord. Leviticus 27:30-32, Numbers 8:24-28, Deuteronomy 12:11, 14:23, 2 Chronicles 31:6

10% of all to the Lord. Genesis 28:22, 2 Chronicles 31:5-6, Deuteronomy 12:17, Matthew 23:23

10% of the spoils to the Lord. Hebrews 7:4

10% of all we have to the Lord. Luke 18:12

Giving to the Lord can't be legislated. You either have a desire to give or you don't. 10% is the only number found in scripture for giving to the Lord. There's no other number mentioned.

 

[Frogster]

Giving a cheerful 10% to the Lord is a scriptural opportunity to bless others and be blessed of the Lord.

My fellowship uses the money to support missions, the poor, outreach.

I've cheerfully tithed to the Lord in faith when I couldn't afford it and the Lord came through for me with financial miracles.

If you're a big giver to the Lord you'll see big miracles. NT giving is cheerful. OT giving was an obligation like the other OT laws.

If you don't get excited about giving 10% to the Lord, you're missing an opportunity to see God pour out overflowing blessings. Malachi 3:10

Givers want to give. Faithful givers are given more to give. Matthew 25:21, Deuteronomy 8:18, Ecclesiastes 5:19, Proverbs 10:22

With the measure you give, the measure you'll receive. Luke 6:38

The Lord loves a cheerful giver. Romans 12:8, 2 Corinthians 9:7

It's more blessed to give than receive. Acts 20:35

Giving to the poor is lending to the Lord and He will repay you. Proverbs 19:17

10 % is holy to the Lord. Leviticus 27:30-32, Numbers 8:24-28, Deuteronomy 12:11, 14:23, 2 Chronicles 31:6

10% of all to the Lord. Genesis 28:22, 2 Chronicles 31:5-6, Deuteronomy 12:17, Matthew 23:23

10% of the spoils to the Lord. Hebrews 7:4

10% of all we have to the Lord. Luke 18:12

Giving to the Lord can't be legislated. You either have a desire to give or you don't. 10% is the only number found in scripture for giving to the Lord. There's no other number mentioned.

yes, but the cheerful giver of 2 cor 9, was NOT UNDER COMPULSION!


heb 7, was about the spoils after slaughtering others, very very bloody.

acts 20, was paul telling ELDERS that they should WORK as he did, to give to the poor, they ned to get a job.

leviticus and Deut were directed to jews under temple law, there is no more temple.

malachi 3? oh, are we cursed if we eat shrimp, pork, lobster, crab or catifsh, which violate the same legal code you quote? Read Mal 1:1, TO ISRAEL...ISRAEL... it was written to them. Why are we cursed for just a tithing ordinance violation? It also talks about the poor in malachi 3:5 being oppressed, tithing oppresses the poor.

luv ya.....just showing u the text....

 

[GaryArnold]

@WordOfHisPower – you have misrepresented the scriptures.

First of all, giving a tenth of your income has nothing to do with the Biblical tithe.

You said, “10 % is holy to the Lord. Leviticus 27:30-32, Numbers 8:24-28, Deuteronomy 12:11, 14:23, 2 Chronicles 31:6”

That is not what those verses say. In Leviticus 27:30-32 God said that all the tithe OF THE LAND, whether the SEED OF THE LAND, or FRUIT OF THE TREE is Holy unto the Lord. And every tenth animal in herds and flocks shall be Holy unto the Lord.

Not a tenth of fish. Not a tenth of the land itself. Not a tenth of one’s possessions. Not a tenth of someone’s money. Not a tenth of one’s income.

Saying a tenth of your income is Holy unto the Lord is saying that YOU are equal to God. The tithe came FROM GOD’S miraculous increase – from God increasing the seed to fruit. From God increasing animals. NOT from man’s income or labor. The increase comes from God’s hand.

You seem to be stuck on the Old Testament tenth. You shouldn’t measure your giving by the Old Testament standard or law. That is a serious error in one’s thinking.

The New Testament talks about giving where there is a need. It talks about equality. Not percentages. You don't need the Holy Spirit to work out a percentage. The New Testament teaches generous, sacrificial giving, from the heart, according to our means, not according to percentages.

When church goers stop thinking about percentages and start thinking about a real relationship with the Lord, those who can afford it will give far more than a tenth.

 

[Faulty]

Giving to the Lord can't be legislated. You either have a desire to give or you don't. 10% is the only number found in scripture for giving to the Lord. There's no other number mentioned.

Your right. There is no number mentioned to the church. Thanks for confirming.



For you all who place yourselves under this rule of the Law, since the tithe goes to the storehouse of the Temple, where do you give it to, and what makes that place the Temple storehouse, biblically speaking?

 

[probinson]

Therefore not making a quality decision to honor God with their money over a proven period of time never reap the benefits.

For the first 3 decades of my life, I believed that tithing was a requirement by God. I gave 10% of my full gross income faithfully for my entire life. I tithed to the neglect of my mortgage payment. I tithed to the neglect of my car payments. I tithed to the neglect of our utility bills. I did this because I believed wholeheartedly that by "honoring God" with my finances, I would "reap the benefits", as you said.

No one can say that I didn't give sacrificially, or with right motives. My intent was to bless my church and "honor God" with my money. In doing so, I nearly lost my home to foreclosure, because I simply was not making enough money to pay my monthly obligations with 90% of what was left after I tithed.

Long story short; a series of events occurred that caused me to re-examine how I give. I wrote a paper that I've posted a few times on this forum that explains how God showed me some things about giving that has caused a paradigm shift in the way I approach our giving. I can post it again if anyone would like to see it, but that's not really the point of this post.

The point is, today, I do not believe in "tithing" as I did for the first 3 decades of my life. Today, I give cash in an unmarked envelope, as God directs my wife and I. I don't know how much it is. I don't want to know how much it is. I know it's $80 here, $100 there, $20 the next week... Sometimes I give the whole of the proceeds of a job from my extra-curricular computer repair business. We also support ministries that we believe in on a monthly basis. And we have finally been blessed to the point that we're now able to give to others when we see need.

Today, I am better off financially than I have ever been in my life. When I "tithed", I was always just scraping by, living paycheck to paycheck. We struggled financially, and I saw none of the "benefits" heavily promoted in the tithing message.

This year alone, in the midst of a flailing economy, I received a promotion, a 25% increase in salary, and I received word last Friday that there's another promotion (likely with another hefty pay increase) in my immediate future. On top of that, I was just awarded the largest computer job ever in my business on the side in being hired to set up a small network for a local dentist office. I've testified in the past on here about how God made a way for us to have $33,000 worth of home improvements done to our house... at no cost to us.

Now I credit all of this to 3 things; God's favor, good stewardship and good old-fashioned hard work. But remember that I haven't "tithed" since early 2009. IOW, the financial "benefits" that I have enjoyed have dramatically increased since I stopped tithing.

I'm not trying to draw a correlation and say that I've been blessed because I stopped "tithing", but I am saying that since I began giving as I determine in my heart (as per 2 Corinthians 9:7), I have been financially blessed pretty handily. The tithing message of today strongly insists that these "benefits" are available only to those who "tithe".

Despite all of that, I don't think it's my place to tell people whether they should or should not "tithe". That's entirely up to them. But I am a living testimony to the fact that "benefits" aren't contingent upon "tithing".