Money Cometh

This is something that was shared with me not that long ago and it was a blessing to receive, so I'm passing this along in the hopes that others may be blessed as I was.

These are some of the myths that are being taught as doctrines in some churches concerning tithes and offerings (I have heard almost all of these).

1.The ninety percent ten percent rule.                                                                                         

Give God ten percent and the ninety is yours. Anybody else ever heard that one? Give God His ten percent and He will bless the ninety percent that is yours keep. All He requires is His ten percent.

2. If you don't pay your tithes you are robbing God.

This one is usually coupled with the threat of a curse if you don't give. Some of the Scriptures often used to back these assertions up can be found in the book of Leviticus and Malachi.

Leviticus 27
30 And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is the LORD's: it is holy unto the LORD.

Leviticus 27
32 And concerning the tithe of the herd, or of the flock, even of whatsoever passeth under the rod, the tenth shall be holy unto the LORD.

Malachi
7 Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the LORD of hosts. But ye said, Wherein shall we return?
8 Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.
9 Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.

However, these laws are for those who have not received salvation. These were for those who would be saved by the fulfillment of the Law through the acts of the Levitical priests. In order for the people to receive forgiveness they had to go to the priests, and the priests had to perform the ceremonial acts of sacrifice because Christ had not come yet. The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ has elevated those that receive Him by the Holy Spirit, to a better covenant by which we become joint - heirs.

Romans 8
16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

Joint-heirs... This means co-ownership. This means that as joint-heirs (and heiresses) we share ownership with whatever our Lord Jesus owns. Therefore there is no ninety percent and ten percent, but it is one hundred percent and one hundred percent. We may be called upon to give more or less, but whatever we give must be purposed in our hearts. One hundred percent is ours and one hundred percent is His. How are we robbing God of what we both own together? Can we steal from ourselves? If we are truly joint-heirs then everything we own belongs to Him and everything He owns belongs to us... so I don't think it possible to rob God when it comes to tithes and offerings. I believe we are giving "with" God, not "to" God. We cannot rob God of what we jointly own.

3. Just try it and see the widows of Heaven open to you! I need people with one hundred dollars to stand up! Come on, just give one hundred dollars... just try it. Try it and see what will happen! The Lord will open up the windows of Heaven to bless you with blessings that you don't even have room enough to receive!

(sigh) God has already given us everything in our union with Christ by His Holy Ghost. We don't do things to earn from God. If we had to do things to earn our blessings no one would be blessed! Because the minute we messed up or made a mistake we would have to pay the penalty for sin which is what? Death. We cannot earn blessings, neither is there a curse upon us if we fall short. We are not bound by the works of the flesh to please God. It is by faith that we please Him. Faith by the Holy Spirit that rests upon the perfect works and person of Jesus Christ our Lord. When we fall, we can look to Jesus knowing that He suffered for this. We can confess to Him directly. Apologize to Him directly. Repent to Him directly. All by way of the Holy Spirit. This is the New Covenant. We earn nothing by giving a certain amount! I would submit that If blessings were earned by giving, the rich would have a distinct and unfair advantage over the poor. However, the Scriptures proclaim that the rich will scarcely make it into the Kingdom of Heaven.

Matthew 19
23 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.
24 And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.

4. When you tithe you rebuke the devourer! If you don't tithe then you leave yourself open to the locust and the canker worm. The devil will show up in your life and just start to devour all of your stuff, and you won't have anything! There will be holes in your pockets and you won't be able to save money or hang on to anything! That's the devourer!!

No, that's called being broke. That's called I need a better job. This is called the result of bad financial decisions, me being irresponsible with my money, or trying to live beyond my means. This sells the power of God short when we attach anything to do with Satan to our giving. Either we have power of Satan and all of the power of the enemy through the resurrection of Jesus Christ... or the enemy can come and get us if we don't tithe. Which one is it? Do we have power over Satan or do we have to pay him off?

Colossians 2
14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.

Jesus rebuked the devourer. He overpowered principalities and powers, including the locust and the canker worm. So you don't have to worry about opening up your purse or going to get your wallet only to find a locust chowing down on your money (nom nom nom)! You know, a lot of this can be traced all the way back to roots in Catholicism... You never heard the apostles speak like this. Twisting and bending the Word of God for financial gain.

Now I need to be clear here. I am not advocating that we withhold our tithes and offerings. That is not what I'm stating. We are commanded to give, and if we truly love Jesus then we will not withhold giving to His work through the Church. This is not a loophole that we can jump through to use as an excuse to withhold financially from the Church. The purpose of this post is to take a closer look at what's coming out of many of our pulpits as it pertains to our giving of tithes and offerings, in contrast to what the Scriptures proclaim.

5. God is going to get His so you may as well just give it! If you don't give ten percent, you're probably going to end up giving twenty percent!

Again, God does not own ten percent He owns it all, and we also are joint heirs with Christ. We don't have separate bank accounts therefore He will not take it back if you don't give it. God wants our giving to be our choice. The real blessings come when it is purposed in our hearts to give. Not because we're afraid God is going to take from us. We are not giving to keep a curse at bay. We give because we love the Heavenly Father, we desire to honor Jesus, and the Spirit has purposed it in our hearts. But we should never give because we feel that if we don't God will take it from us.

God is not pleased with any of this. These are the ways of men and they do not line up with the Word of God. A pastor asking Church members for a certain amount and then lifting up those that give that amount is never a good idea. Because it makes those that cannot afford that amount feel as though they are lesser than those that can. Financial prayers don't work. The Scriptures do not teach us to pray for money but to work for it. Jobs bring money. How fair would it be for someone to simply sit back, pray for money, and receive it will others have to work for it? We should pray that the Lord will bless the work of our hands since by law we must work to earn a living. God gives us all different abilities, gifts, and talents. Why not ask Him to bless us in that we may use some of those abilities, talents, and gifts to earn a living so that we may be a blessing to others through our tithes and offerings? Job was rich not because God rained wealth from heaven down upon him, but because He blessed the work of his hands.

Job 1
9 Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought?
10 Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.

Once we have increase, when we give of it to be a blessing we will be blessed of it.

Luke 6
38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.

However, in examining this passage we see that God is not the one giving money back to the givers... people are. God does not have money in Heaven. He is not an ATM that just rains wealth down from above.

Some are even taught to run up and through money at a pastor's feet if something is preached that really ministers to the hearer. In the days of the apostles there were those that sold belongings for money, and they laid that money at the apostle's feet. There was a reason for this though, and it is not what is being preached.

Acts 4
34 Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold,
35 And laid them down at the apostles' feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need.

People sold possessions and laid the money at the apostle's feet to be counted and distributed to all. The money was not just for the apostles. Someone read part of a Scripture and turned it into doctrine to be preached for financial gain. Some Churches even come up with their own penalties and punishments for those that don't tithe. "If you don't tithe you can't be a member here." You can't teach Sunday School if you're not a tither... you can't sit in certain seats, or participate in certain functions. Sure we should give to the work that we are part of, but it should not be forced. That isn't Scriptural. Some pastors bring in famous speakers and big name special guests to wring out money that they couldn't get out themselves.



Has anyone ever heard, "Bring an offering if you want a blessing!" or "You can't come to God's messenger empty handed." They're all lies and Scriptures taken out of context to get your money. Many of these speakers and so called prophets make their living by robbing the flock.

How about this one, "Favor ain't fair!" Some church leaders have believers feeling as if they should give to the favored of God.

"When you bless the favored of God that favor and anointing will come upon you. What was poured upon the head and dripped down the beard will get on you!"

(eeeewww... I don't want that stuff on me.) We associate favor with being on T.V. or having a large church. But just because one has money does not mean that one has God. The Scriptures warn against counting gain as godliness.

Favor is actually very fair... because we serve a just and fair Lord. We don't get favor by paying a certain amount to a preacher. So how do we get it? Well what do the Scriptures say about the matter? The richest and wisest king that ever reigned over Israel (Solomon) said this about favor. Men, if you want favor find a wife.

Proverbs 18
22 Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the LORD.

Another way to find favor with Lord is to find the truth.

Proverbs 3
3 Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart:
4 So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man.

Still another way to gain favor is to find wisdom.

Proverbs 8
33 Hear instruction, and be wise, and refuse it not.
34 Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors.
35 For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favour of the LORD.

I would submit that favor is indeed fair, and someone lied. Many modern day pastors have made money their God. Having spent millions to get on T.V. they expect the people of God to keep them there and pay for their lifestyles. They cause many a believer to lose faith in prayer, fasting, and living right because they are taught that they can basically buy their way into God's choicest blessings. Money will never bless spiritually, and we need to stay grounded in our spending, giving, and saving. Let us learn how to biblically give, and truly live in grace and favor which are freely given to all that make Jesus Christ their Lord and Savior.

I must confess that personally, I had mixed feelings about this. Because when I was out in the world it was preachers like these that the Lord used to draw me back. Through them, He answered many questions that I had about religion and spirituality. That being stated, I don't believe that every pastor or teacher that ends up this way started off intending to deceive people. Many of them are only preaching and teaching what they themselves were taught. And it sickness me sometimes to hear the hatred and venom that gets spewed from Christians at preachers that make a mistake. They simply throw them under the bus and act as if nothing they ever preached or taught was true... they act as if nothing they ever heard from these ministers ever helped them or blessed them. There is forgiveness with God, but no forgiveness with these Christians. I believe the teachings of these pastors and prophets needs to be confronted, exposed, and corrected... But this is to be done in meekness and out of love. These people need prayer in the same way that we all do. If they receive correction, are truly repentant, and seek forgiveness and some way to make amends they should be forgiven. I think this is why the Holy Spirit warned me a long time ago, not to make an idol of any man or woman that He would use to draw me back...

May the Spirit of the Lord be with you.