Tithing!!!! Let's really build

Now in creating this thread I ask two things, 1.) let's really build on this, not just posting Malachi 3 & leaving it at that. 2.) No sarcasm or bickering. Please this is very serious & I'm coming to my own conclusion as far as what to do, but I really want to ask some serious questions & want those who are and aren't tithers to really dig with me. With that said. Here is a insert from my journal.

Tithing- 4/6/08

I don't believe that anyone isi obligated to tithe. I don't believe that there is any curse associated with NOT tithing either. I do believe that tithing is a tradition, if you do, you do. I do believe that if you "tithe" to God that's more than just to a church. I do desire to know the truth. I used to tithe, but never 100%, but if I find that it should still be done today, I will 1.) Repent 2.) Tithe 3.) become a 100% tither besides just my general giving.


Ok now the fact that it says "I believe" shows that I am being transparent, which means there is room for error in my statement, thus a search for truth. Now again, we all know Malachi 3 & what it says, but does this apply to today? Now something I would like to bring light to is Deut. 14:22, this really had me baffled, because I see here that the tithe appeared to be for you & your household & that you were to share with the priest & the orphan & the widow. Now if I'm reading this right, we already have an error in the mindset of tithing. Let's not assume that anyone knows anything & take it from the top, that helps me. Anyways let's dig in.


Deuteronomy 14:22"You (K)shall surely tithe all the produce from what you sow, which comes out of the field every year.
23"You shall eat in the presence of the LORD your God, (L)at the place where He chooses to establish His name, the tithe of your grain, your new wine, your oil, and the firstborn of your herd and your flock, so that you may (M)learn to fear the LORD your God always.
24"If the distance is so great for you that you are not able to bring the tithe, since the place where the LORD your God chooses (N)to set His name is too far away from you when the LORD your God blesses you,
25then you shall exchange it for money, and bind the money in your hand and go to the place which the LORD your God chooses.
26"You may spend the money for whatever your heart desires: for oxen, or sheep, or wine, or strong drink, or whatever your heart desires; and (O)there you shall eat in the presence of the LORD your God and rejoice, you and your household.
27"Also you shall not neglect (P)the Levite who is in your town, (Q)for he has no portion or inheritance among you.
28"(R)At the end of every third year you shall bring out all the tithe of your produce in that year, and shall deposit it in your town. 29"The Levite, (S)because he has no portion or inheritance among you, and (T)the alien, the orphan and the widow who are in your town, shall come and (U)eat and be satisfied, in order that (V)the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hand which you do.

Also I'd like to bring to light the fact that Jesus condemned the religious pharisee which to me shows that if tithing is still for today, it's not as important as you walking in humility.
Luke 18:9And He also told this parable to some people who (A)trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and (B)viewed others with contempt:

10"Two men (C)went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.
11"The Pharisee (D)stood and was praying this to himself: 'God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.
12'I (E)fast twice a week; I (F)pay tithes of all that I get.'
13"But the tax collector, (G)standing some distance away, (H)was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but (I)was beating his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me, the sinner!' 14"I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other; (J)for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted."

Now here I'd also like to interject that tithing was also instituted before the Law given to Moses, so even though they were obligated to tithe, it didn't originate here.
Genesis 14:17Then after his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, (O)the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the valley of Shaveh (that is, (P)the King's Valley).

18And (Q)Melchizedek king of Salem brought out (R)bread and wine; now he was a (S)priest of God Most High. 19He blessed him and said,
"Blessed be Abram of God Most High,
(T)Possessor of heaven and earth;
20And blessed be God Most High,
Who has delivered your enemies into your hand."
(U)He gave him a tenth of all.

Hebrews 7:4Now observe how great this man was to whom Abraham, the (A)patriarch, (B)gave a tenth of the choicest spoils.

So let's talk about it.

Dre,

It does my heart good to see your humility in approaching the Scriptures. I don't think you'll get much disagreement here. I think most, if not all, of the folks already here may share your understanding. However, I won't assume everyone does.

Anyone disagree with Dre's assertion thus far?

*raises hand*

I'd disagree. I think the NT church would've seen the command to give a tenth of their income just as OT believers would have been. The difference is in the manner in which the income is now spent and the responsibilities.

Israels' multiple tithes took care of the whole nation. Today, we call that taxes.

But the rest for the priest to live off of and to maintain the business of the church....still applies.

We're doing standardized testing right now, so I'm not free to type up everything, but this is one of those things I've been meaning to get to.

I agree with Dre and I think the whole "tithe" thing is used to enslave people into coerced giving
$0.02

I think that vowing to give is what we should do. I'm all for supporting your local church, but they have to be actively reaching out to the community & the lost. My biggest thing with the teaching of "paying" tithes nowadays is the fact it's considered a bill, & not only that they say you're blessed because of it, if your blessed because of it, then you have to believe that you're cursed for not doing it, that's my whole beef. If people wanna give a tithe, do it out of obedience to the Spirit, not to man. If you give 20G's & God said give $10 no matter how much praise you get, you're in sin! & it's an issue wether you tithed or not. Also demanding the tithe is a direct violation of God's soverignty, no where did Job tithe or "sow a seed" yet he went through what looked like a "curse" but in the end was "blessed. But I don't have a problem giving because I believe we should give, but when you say I must OR.... then I have a problem. So that's what this was fueled on!

this is really old.. but i had to type this.. becuase for the first time that i can really remember i can rock my "I'm with Dre" shirt!

CHEA