God's Blessing on 90 Percent of Your Income is Better than 100 Percent without the Blessing

I've heard it said many times that "God's blessing on 90 percent of your income is better than 100 percent without the blessing." In most cases, it's said by people who believe in tithing and are trying to make a case that if you tithe, God will bless the remainder of what you have, making it go farther, buy more, etc. But if you keep "your" money to yourself, you're taking your chances without God's blessing and you'll need all the help you can get.

The Bible contains many verses that follow this line of thinking -- that when you give God will bless what you have left over. A few examples from the NIV:

Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit," says the LORD Almighty. "Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land," says the LORD Almighty. Malachi 3:10-12

Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine. Proverbs 3:9-10

Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." Luke 6:38

Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 2 Corinthians 9:6

This is what I've seen in my life. It's a great mystery and it goes contrary to mathematical principles, but when I have given, my finances have improved. When I've given more, they've improved more. Now we don't know what would have happened in these situations if I hadn't given at all, but in my life, all the evidence seems to lean towards the finding that giving does actually make you wealthier. And how is this possible? Because God blesses the amount you have remaining.

I'd like to hear from other givers out there. If you have experience giving, let me know if your finances improved after you gave or whether they got worse. As for non-givers, I'm not really interested in speculation -- what you THINK would happen. I'm interested in what actually does happen. And I'm not really interested in "well, I heard of a friend who gave..." I want to hear about YOUR experiences. So if you're not a giver, why don't you try it out for awhile, then come back here and let us know what happened.

Comments

[Lynnae @ Being Frugal]

When my husband and I first got married, he insisted on tithing 10%. I didn't come from a family of tithers, and 10% seemed like a whole lot of money when our income was so small. Still, I agreed to give it a try.

Over the years we've definitely had periods of money being tight and periods of greater wealth, but I can say we have always had what we need. When I look back on some of those years, it doesn't make sense that we were able to keep up on our bills. And yet, God always provided. I'm definitely convinced that God blesses those who give.

[Ken]

First, I want to say how much I enjoy this site. I check in here several times a week. I do value it.

This is the first time I recall religion being brought up in a topic. Maybe there have been others, but I don't recall it.

It's a little disappointing actually. Usually good statistics or data is presented to support a point or discussion on this site, but this is merely anecdotal evidence. If you're going to bring faith into finance, you might as well start doing foolish things timing markets.

BTW, I'm not saying give or don't give, tithe or don't tithe. I'm all for charity. But saying God is actively determining your financial success is impossible to prove. Again, it comes down to faith. But it would be foolish to depend on faith as an investment strategy.

I just wanted to point out that I think you are entering dangerous territory here.

[Sheyenne]

I wholeheartedly believe in tithing. When my husband and I were first married, and struggling, we tithed faithfully. We were living in the country and had a cistern to hold our water. We got a large crack in the cistern and had no way to pay for it. Very shortly afterward, my husband received a bonus at work that had never been given to a first year employee before. It was just enough to cover the expense of fixing our cistern. We continued to tithe. Later on, my husband, who has no college degree, was offered a position in sales for a new company that normally a more highly educated person would be sought for. This was offered by a man in the church who knew my husband but had never been especially close with him, and it really was out of the blue. He received a fine salary, and we were able to buy a home, whereas we had been living in an old trailer home on its last legs. We continued to tithe. After 4 years this new company was struggling, and my husband was laid off. We didn't know what we would do to replace his income without him having schooling. After all, this position had been offered by someone he knew, and we didn't know anyone else with any good prospects. My husband collected unemployment while trying to find another job, and I got a job waiting tables to cover the rest of the bills. We tithed on my pay and also on his unemployment pay. After a few weeks my husband was offered a position with a company in another state, with even better pay than his previous job. We continued to tithe. When his new company was sold, my husband was kept on as an employee, when many others were let go. Our family has continued to prosper, and we will always pay our tithing, in good times or bad, and give extra as well. We have truly been blessed by the Lord in this regard.

[Teri]

We don't tithe and do quite well. I don't buy "giving to get ahead" at all. If I give would I get more? I don't know, but I don't need more.

However, we are very giving in spirit. We donate a lot of time, I am always there to help friends, we do give a little in cash. I agree somewhat in the philosophy that giving more gives you more. I just don't believe it has to be in cash. Or that is has to be a set amount (10%?). I do believe in karma and don't expect life would be so good if I never helped anyone else. But I don't find I have to give cash to do well financially. My experience and 2 cents. (My family was never big on giving cash but have done quite well as well. You would hardly meet anyone more giving in spirit though which I think is what it comes down to).

[dianefromPA]

I find it offensive that anyone would use charity or tithing as a means of getting ahead. Those who give for the love of mankind, as opposed to those who give because some book (the bible?) tells them god will reward them, are much better and more-genuine people. They are truly the kind of people I would like to know.
I read your blogs except usually your Sunday entries. I don't know if you really mean to suggest that I should give in order to get. But that is the way this entry reads to me.

diane

[Norma]

Awesome web site. Incidentally Ken, I found it by searching for "Christian finances". I have always tithed on my gross income. Last year my darling husband (DH)had fits when he saw how much we tithed. In order to honor his wishes I agreed that I would only tithe on our net income. In one year we would revisit our finances and giving. In that one year he is down over $20,000 in revenue from his business. He is selfemployed. We have made one absolute stupid land purchase. My dear 15 y-o bonus son is livign with us. His mom pays no child support. (She just remodeled her house.) I'm saying that not only are we seeing financial difficulties we are making some decisions that I never would have made before. I KNOW BETTER! I opened my Bible the other day. The scripture that was right in front of me was the wonderful passage from Malachi 3:8. Now I plan on tithing on my gross from my job, our rentals and any extra we receive. Prayfully my DH will see the results.

[Elena]

I agree with Diane.

I would't want to "buy" God's favors any more than I would want to "buy" my frieds's favors. If someonoe asks me for money, I usually try to help. Maybe not in a way they hoped (if my gambling friend asks for money to be able to keep gambling even if she has a bad night I will give her a ride home and means to eat for the next day, or help her find a job to pay off her gambling debts, but I won't give her money to buy more chips).

I donate monthly to a variety of organizations, and I don't expect to see a cent back. I don't need it. If my donation generates any money of itself, let it go to the people who were the intended recepients of my gift - the poor. I have enough, and they have nothing, let them have it.

I find this whole philosophy of "Give God 10% so you could get more and more money for myself" so fake it makes me cringe. I believe in doing good for the sake of others, not for the sake of yourself.

Love of money is the root of evel, sell EVERYTHING and give it to the poor, it is easier for a camel to jump through a needle than for a rich to enter the heaven... How about that, dear Christians? This whole blog is about how to get richier. People who got the most money are your heros, apparently, the very ones they ones who will have harder time than the camel?.... You want to be more like Jesus? Leave your family, travel the country without a cent in your poket, and ask people for donations. But if that is not your dream lifestyle, if you want money, more money, even more money, and, of course, tons of money, so you could pumper your beloved self with Europe vacations, custom-build house, cool new car, golf 5 times a week, etc, then say hi to those camels, and have fun.

(Note, I am not a Chrtistian, so please forgive me for any errors with Bible refernces, and feel free to give me more accurate quotes).

[rocketc]

I am a faithful giver and tither. God has promised to meet my needs, but not necessarily bless me financially. The verses you quote are promises to Israel under the law or the promise does not specifically mention financial blessing. I do not believe that "giving to get" is a proper motivation.

[Elena]

Is charity and thithing the same? Because it appears as if thithing is viewed more like an investment fund that pays you dividents at the end of the year, while charity is rather incidental and is more of an afterthought for the Christians who post here.

[plonkee]

I have found, that since I have started giving, I have wanted to give more. Giving money makes me happy, and as an atheist I don't ascribe this to the power of the divine.

[John]

I don't think he's saying "give to get". He's trying to dislodge the stumbling block that so many people have in our culture about tithing.

As per the repeated law vs grace excuse, Paul says in Heb 8:10:

10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.

God's law from any part of the Word should be in on your mind and in your heart.

I strongly believe your money goes further while tithing. It is the Word from Malachi in action. I believe a part of it also lies in that most people that tithe believe they are stewards of God's possession (including money) and must be responsible with everything they're given.

[bubba]

My Grandmother tithed faithfully her whole life. She died of cancer, young and penniless. Did she not give enough? Was she not sufficiently righteous?

Or maybe... Just maybe... Maybe it's all superstition. Maybe it's no different than believing in The Secret. Whoa, look at me. I'm a weirdo! I don't believe in (holy) ghosts. Someone lock me up.

[ChristianPF]

Well, I can't "prove" that tithing has caused me to be blessed, but I will just say that I have seen some timely and coincidental blessings come my way that I attribute to tithing. It is Faith, because God doesn't tell us, "hey, I am giving you this because you tithe," but I am convinced that my tithing has caused blessings (financial and non-financial) to come my way.

I don't think he was talking about "giving to get", but Luke 6:38 says "give and it shall be given to you..." so it is a biblical principle that if you give you will get a reward - just like if you are kind to someone, they are likely to be kind in return - are you being kind in order to get them to be kind to you or just to do the right thing?

When all is said and done, God is no dummy and He knows our heart. If we are giving with selfish motives, He sees it.

[dan]

I believe it has to do with one's state of mind. When you worry about not having enough, guess what? You don't. When you recognize that you have an abundance and share it, you receive because you now have a place to put it. Note that most successful people 'tithe' in some way, shape, or form. They support charities, groups, networks, etc. Without anticipating a return. It always works for me. If I forget the habit and run low on money, I give more, and soon right back to where I need to be. I don't give for that reason, but that is the natural result.

[joerzoe]

Nice information blog.Maybe we can have link exchange.I have added your link in my list

[Mary-Ann Johnson]

I've been reading your blog for a while now, and I'm getting a bit bored - don't you have anything new to say? Almost every week, you say "Give away 10% of your gross income and God will bless you richly." Is there nothing else you can say about a Christian approach to money? What about the other 90% of your money? Tell us about how you serve God with that for a change.

[rocketc]

Mary-Ann, FMF probably has a lot to say about that, but my answer is here:http://www.rocketfinance.net/2007/09/02/free-money-finance-post-on-tithing/

[Elena]

Christian PF,
You asked "are you being kind in order to get them to be kind to you or just to do the right thing?"

I am being kind to others because I enjoy it.

I had an interesting thought a few years back, I wrote it down, and since then I used it often. Here is it: "It does not matter what THEY will do. The main thing is what I want to do." Since then I have lived very selfishly, doing what I want to do, and care very little what others will do in responce to my action. If I feel like donating $100 at Petco for the homless pets, I will donate $100 because I care about homeless pets. If I feel like donating $1000 to CARE for some vaccines for African children, I will donate $1000. It stroke my fancy and I did it. I don't need any thank you notes from them, and I wish they would stop wasting money and paper on them. I also don't expect any of those homeless pets or any of those African children showing up on my doorstep to do something nice for me in return. I foster, donate, and volunteer, and I have no interest in getting anything but my own pleasure and satissfaction in return. Knowing that you made someone's life a little better for a little while is the best reward for me personally.

However, if I feel like not giving a cent to anyone that day, or week, or month, or year, I walk away even it will leave some people extremely dissapointed. I don't care.

No book, no god, no spirit, no little green men, and no fairies have any say in what I do or how much I give. I enjoy my freedom of conscience as much as I enjoy helping and giving to others.

[KarenD]

Is it okay to tithe to ministries on tv? I happen to watch 2 different ones and I started to tithe to their ministries.

[Jimmy B]

Great post- I feel that giving is empowering

[Isaac H]

Thank you FMF for consistantly proclaiming the truth even in the face of opposition. Let me tell you first about my experience with tithing, and secondly add my two cents about other comments on this post.

From the time I was a young child my father who happens to be a minister instilled in my family that tithing was important because it acknowledged God as the true source of all of our being and finances. When ever I would get an allowance my dad made sure that I tithed on it. As I got older my family began to struggle financially and as a result my parents stopped tithing. These struggles continued for many years. As I became an adult I began to tithe irregularly based on 'how' I was doing in the bank account department. However I noticed that when I gave I would do better than when I stopped giving. Long story short when I got engaged to my wife her giving convicted me because at the time i made a significant amount more than her but my giving and regular tithing was subpar in comparison. As result I committed that we would tithe on our gross income no matter what. Some tangible results we saw as a result of our giving included cars going long periods without the need for any major repairs and money being available when repairs were needed, 0 increase in our debts since marriage and significant decrease in those debts, my wife switched jobs unexpectedly and has since received several raises since then. In addition our checking balance has never gotten close to 0 despite increasing payments to reduce our debts and increased giving with each raise and with bonus income. We have also been able to extend our giving to help friends in need and seen the blessing extend to them. Additionally we have been able to save a significant amount of money in a short time towards a home down payment with little effect on our bottom line. The important thing to point out is not the amount that we give, but the heart behind it. Jesus told about this in Mark 12. The main point of tithing is not to 'buy' God's favor or blessing. The point is to demonstrate in a physical manner that your finances come from God and are subject to God's will. I remember a pastor once speaking on this and he said that he lived by the 80/20 principal in regards to his finances. This meant he tithed 10% to God, saved 10% for himself and family and lived on the other 80% (less taxes of course). His example is one thing which has spurred my belief in the tithe as well as my personal experience. On that note, my parents began tithing regularly again and have paid off all of their debts and continue to receive unexpected blessings as a result.

As to KarenD's comment about giving to TV ministries I would say this: You should tithe to your local church first and give offerings above that to TV ministries, unless you are not involved in the local church. For reason including the inability to attend a local church, then you could tithe to those ministries.

Additionally, if you are not religious you could give to a charity that you support, or to a local group. God does honor that type of generosity. There is a reason that Bill Gates and Warren Buffett continue to make money even in uncertain times. I feel that their generosity is truly heartfelt, that they want to help people rather than giving out of an obligation to give because of their enormous wealth.

[Elaine]

One should not tithe just to get something in return.

Tithing doesn't have to be solely to a church. There are many organizations that provide services that a church may not. I personally support Oxfam America.

Also - what about volunteering? Time is money. It's easy to write a check or provide a credit card number. Getting involved at a personal level by preparing and serving food, reading to the elderly, being a "big sister" to a young girl - are these actions not likewise worthy of God's grace? I have volunteered by serving meals to the needy on Thanksgiving Day and on Christmas. Why would God not find this acceptable in lieu of tithing?

[rocketc]

KarenD,
Are you serious? Most tv "preachers" are scam artists. I know that this viewpoint may not be the most popular in this venue, but I believe the Bible teaches that the primary focus of our giving should be the local church.

If you can't trust your church to handle finances, then find a new church.

[Minimum Wage]

How does that work, Dan? You give more and money appears mysteriously? I have no marketable skills so it's not as if I'm going to be able to earn it normally, so if money appeared, it would indeed be a mystery.

[FMF]

A few responses:

Ken -- I write about The Bible and Money every Sunday. I've done so for over a year now.

Elena -- FYI, if you want to look up the verses yourself, you can do so at Biblegateway.com (it's what I use when online.)

Many others -- Did I actually say that the reason for giving is to get? If so, I'd appreciate seeing the quote from the post where it says this.

What I did say (or at least try to) was that you can do more with 90% of your income and God's blessing than with 100% of your income without God. What is is about this topic that makes people so touchy and nit-picky? Sheesh. Read the article and either agree or disagree, but don't attempt to make me say something that I didn't.

[Ken]

FMF,

I guess I don't normally check this site on Sundays. I searched your site after I posted initially and found 103 topics referring to God. Mostly related to tithing.

That doesn't really address the concern though. It kind of compounds it.

Again, nothing against tithing here. People should tithe or give to charity anyway. But to proclaim that doing so will reward you financially and that God has a hand in that reward is impossible to prove.

And when a site that deals with finance suggests that people employ their money in ways that cannot offer directly verifiable returns on the premise that you will in fact get a return, it makes some people a bit uneasy.

I understand it comes down to faith, but faith is easily abused. I'm not saying you would do this, but I think a rational person could see how this topic is not far removed from someone suggesting that people buy Countrywide right now because 'God told me to.'

Again, it just seems like dangerous territory to make these claims.

[FMF]

Ken --

1. If I'm stuck to having to "prove" everything, I might as well shut down this site. For instance, I can't prove that a person who has a budget will do better than someone who doesn't, but that won't keep me from recommending it. I can't prove that having no debt will make your net worth grow faster than other options, but that's still what I advocate.

2. This is a personal blog. It's about what I do with my money and the issues I address in managing it. God is a big part of this process and hence I write about what I think He says on managing money.

3. I only write on the issue of The Bible and money on Sundays. If you don't like the topic, skip reading on that day.

4. Even if you want to cast religion aside, there's still a case many people (even those with no religious background) make for the fact that when you give more, you get more (see this post for details: http://www.freemoneyfinance.com/2007/08/does-giving-hel.html.) Of course, they can't prove that this works or doesn't work, but they do have opinions on the topic and it's worth discussing.

[LotharBot]

When God revealed Himself to Israel, the primary lesson He was teaching them was that He was in charge of the universe. He made a covenant with them that promised them physical and material blessing, and stated that the first tenth of their harvest/income/whatever belonged to Him. The entire concept of the tithe, and the promise in Malachi 3:6, are tied to the specific covenant with Israel. The "prayer of Jabez" from 1 Chronicles 4:10 actually makes sense within this specific covenant -- if God is in the process of demonstrating His power, the granting of material wealth makes perfect sense, and it is in fact what we see in the OT.

God does NOT promise his New Testament followers (the Church) the same sort of material blessing. Having established Himself as ruler of the universe, He makes a covenant with us that promises us eternal life and forgiveness of sins, and states that everything we have belongs to Him. The teaching advances from "God is all-powerful and can grant you blessings" to "God is deserving of your complete loyalty and you should give your very best to Him". There is no New Testament promise that, if we give 10%, God will make sure we end up with more earthly wealth than when we started. Rather, He warns us of the danger of seeking earthly wealth and tells us to seek His kingdom instead, and warns us that following Him will be costly for us in many ways. He promises that, if we seek His kingdom, He will provide for us -- but the promise seems to be of minimal provision, rather than of incredible material blessing like we saw in the OT. You don't see the believers in Acts giving all they have to the church (and thereby to the poor) and then stumbling across huge bags of money; you simply see them giving.

I have to agree with Ken and Elena -- relying on tithing as an earthly investment strategy doesn't make sense, not even from a Biblical perspective. The idea of giving to God with the expectation that He'll make your portfolio grow... that makes me cringe. Give to God -- 10%, 20%, 100%, or "as you feel led" -- and expect Him to bless you spiritually, but don't expect to become wealthy as a result. (This isn't an excuse to not give, or to give less. I personally tithe as a minimum, because it seems like a good baseline.) But I also have to agree with FMF -- don't hold back on giving to God because you're worried that you can't make it on what's left over after you give. Having 90%, or even 0%, and being within God's will is better than having 100% and being opposed to God. It might not be "comfortable" or "easy", but it's better overall.

Along these lines, I have a couple of stories that happened to close friends of mine:

1) One couple would pray separately about how much to give in offerings, and would regularly come to the same conclusion. Over the course of two weeks they end up giving basically all the money they had ("everything that's a 20" one week, "everything that's not a 20" the next), and rent was due 2 days after. His brother shows up and says "hey, do you still have that old chainsaw and [item I forget] in your attic?" and offers exactly the amount they were short on rent. God didn't make their portfolio grow, but He did provide for them.

2) Another man was driving home with a load of groceries he'd bought with the last of his money, and a couple weeks before the next paycheck. God told him to stop and give his groceries to the guy walking down the street. He drove on past and argued with God for a while. Eventually, he gave in, and God directed him to the house where the guy had gone (several blocks away). The guy said he'd been praying to be able to feed his family. Now my friend had a nice happy feeling, but was down to top ramen in the pantry. The next day he showed up at work and a coworker handed him an envelope with $200 in it, saying God told him to do it. My friend recounted the story from the previous day, and his coworker responded "I thought it was something like that." Again, my friend wasn't going to get rich through his coworker donating money after he gave away his groceries, but God did provide for him.

3) I don't personally know the guy, but the song "Good Measure" by Knowdaverbs (off of the Syllabus album), second verse, tells of God telling the artist to put his last $5 in the offering plate, while he's a few bucks short on rent and almost out of food. The next day he gets a check from the IRS.

In my own life, I've seen a similar pattern play out, though not always materially, and definitely not always regarding a "tithe" or 10% amount. When I give, whether to a local church or online ministry or homeless shelter or homeless friend, God seems to bless me with what I need. It usually hasn't been money ("making ends meet" was only an issue for one month out of my life; right now, we save close to 50% of our income) but God has often responded by sending me spiritual guidance, or even by sending me another challenge to meet. Conversely, when I haven't given, I've been depressed and fallen into all sorts of sins and such.

[Anitra]

I can't remember a time that I didn't tithe, so I can't say if my circumstances would be different if I wasn't giving money to God through the church. I don't expect God to "pay me back" just because I put 10% in the plate on Sundays. I simply feel that it is important to support our local church, and that giving my money is an act of worship to God. He already owns everything, and I'm just a steward of it, right?

[Eric]

Geez, how can everyone not see things from Elaine's point of view? She's clearly on to something. Look how happy and well-adjusted she is!

*cough*

[Eric]

Also, could you please stop posting all this God stuff on your personal blog. It clearly offends the athiests and they have rights, you know.

[thomas]

eemm, your not giving anything to "God",you are giving it to the church, very, very different.
Does "God" need money? The church needs money to continue supporting the delusional,non reality based.( that and to cover up and pay out on all the sexual abuse). Your money could better be put touse in charities.

[kristi mcallister]

well I'm 25 a graduate of high school...with no children and can't get by and I tithe with a happy heart...I just need to be blessed with 1500 hundred dollars to get myself back on my feet...I'm not asking to be rich..just get me back on my feet...folks with 3 and 7 kids with dads in the picture can get all the help in the world but there isn't any help for those who try....give me some answers

[Jonathan]

The following is evidence that most churches misrepresent what tithing meant to Israel or should mean to us today:

I am sending this to many people. May you be open to the truth of the scriptures, instead of just living in a comfort zone.

Enjoy.

Jonathan

The Truth About Tithing - F.A.C.T. vs. F.I.C.T.I.O.N.

1. Pre-law tithing was not routine and voluntary.

The 2 examples of pre-law tithing in Genesis were one time events, VOLUNTARY and involved more than money. Abraham's example was a one-time tithe of the spoils [profits] of war [Hebrews 7:2, Genesis 14:20]. Since Abraham had taken a vow not to personally take spoils [profits] of this war [Genesis 14:22-24], Abraham apparently tithed what belonged to others or would soon belong to others. There is nothing in scripture that says Abraham tithed his personal income or wealth at any time.

Abraham received a blessing and then gave a tithe, apparently out of social custom, without a God given commandment to do so. [Genesis 14 & Hebrews 7:1] Jacob's single example of tithing was promised IF God did something and scripture remains unclear if Jacob ever followed through. [Genesis 28:22] Either way, both examples make clear pre-law tithing was NOT commanded, but voluntary. Since scripture only records one-time incidents of pre-law tithing it is clear tithing was not a routine pre-law practice. Also, since Jacob conditionally promised to tithe what he already owned and earned [Meaning fully owned, non-credit or lien based goods], it can be said Jacob also intended to tithe profits. This is important and "profits" will be discussed later. Those seeking to make tithing strictly money based, mandatory and routine because tithing was "before the law" are not teaching what tithing was "before the law." Also take note of the following scriptures showing the voluntary nature of pre-law giving. [Exodus, 35:5, 21, 22, 24, 29]

Some mandated tithing teachers use scriptures that state one is to BRING the tithe rather than GIVE the tithe to prove that tithing is mandatory. As we shall soon see, law tithing was mandatory, but the scriptures that mention PRE-LAW tithing say the tithe was GIVEN. Also see part 16 - Some Thoughts on Melchizedek for further discussion of pre-law tithing.

2. Tithing was NOT money or income based; it was LAND based.

If two farmers had crops of 10 carrots each, they would both be obligated to tithe one carrot. Under the agrarian tithing system it didn't matter If one sold the other 9 carrots for $5 and the other sold his remaining 9 carrots for $10. The tithe of the harvest was unrelated to the income of the harvest. Plain and simple - THE TITHE WAS NOT 10% OF INCOME, it was 10% of the harvest. The Jews under the law were NOT obligated to give 10% of their incomes! This simple fact alone is enough to destroy the false doctrine that God DEMANDS you pay 10% of your income or be cursed.

Money was rarely, if ever, the thing tithed in the Bible. [Nehemiah 13:10-13] To be truly biblical, tithing was NOT based on your income or money AT ALL! [Deuteronomy 14:22-23, 18:1-5, 26:12, Nehemiah 10:38-39, 12:44, Leviticus 27:30-33, Joshua 13:14] Pre-law tithing was voluntary and profit based and law tithing was mandated and PRODUCTION based [i.e. agrarian]. Agrarian means "of the land," and agrarian tithing was based on what you were able to PRODUCE from the land, plants or livestock. God commanded people bring a tenth of what they produced from the land BEFORE they sold it. So Tithing was NOT based on the income of a given harvest. In fact, it was against the law to sell the tithe. One was to bring the PRODUCT, not what the product was worth. [Leviticus. 27:28] There are many references to tithing the "increase" [Example: Deuteronomy 14:22 using the Hebrew tbuw'ah] which literally means fruit or produce and in the tithing verses EATING the tithe is often referred to. Note in Nehemiah 13:10, the Levites went to THE FIELD to replace missing tithes. During the time of agrarian law tithing bartering was common but there were also MONEY SYSTEMS in place. [Genesis 23: 15-16 and 42:25, Jeremiah 32:9-11, Deuteronomy 14:25 and Malachi 3:5] Yet the tithe remained agrarian [land based].

According to the Douglas / Tenney NIV Bible Dictionary Leviticus. 27:31 makes clear a penalty of 20% of the tithe was exacted from one who redeemed his tithes and refused to use the money to pay for a substitute. Again, this shows the tithe was not income or money based.

God gave Israel's tithes to the Levites as an inheritance in lieu of land. [Joshua 13:14, Deuteronomy 10:6-9, 18:1-5, Numbers 18:21, 24] The Levites gave tithes and offerings out of the tithes to the priests [Nehemiah 10:38, Numbers 18], but they apparently didn't have to tithe the income from the sale of inherited property. [Deuteronomy 18:6-8] The Levites and priests were dependent on tithes for FOOD. God's house was a STOREHOUSE and DISTRIBUTION POINT for the sacrifices, Levites, priests and those in need. [Malachi 4:10 "Bring all the tithes into the STOREHOUSE that there may be FOOD in My House. [Nehemiah 13:10-13, 1 Samuel 8:15, 17, 2 Chronicles 31:11, Deuteronomy 12:6-7, 17-19, 14:22 - 23] There was one exception for converting a tithe into money that was allowed early in the law. According to many scholars, this exception was abolished later. Deuteronomy 14:24-27 gives this early exception proving money systems were in place without tithing being based on money. In this early exception one could sell the tithe given specific circumstances and spend the money on whatever one desired provided one shared what one bought with the local Levite. Also, these verses make clear, "if the distance was too long for you to CARRY YOUR TITHE" proving the tithe was NOT money based. The New Testament shows Pharisees tithing, not income or money, but what they OWNED and GREW. [Luke 18:12, Matthew 23:23 showing tithing was PROFIT and AGRARIAN based.]

3. Tithing was ALWAYS done to honor God. Tithing was NOT done to get something back or to be the equivalent of a Christian lottery.

None of the English words: "sacrifice," "offering," or "gift" quite corresponds to the Biblical words Korban, corban or qorban [see the word "gift" in Mark 7:11] which are derived from a verb that in one mood means to be near, and in another to bring near. In the one case it would refer to the offerings themselves, in the other to the givers, as brought near, the offerings bringing them near to God. Today the "giving to get" mentality is shamelessly touted while giving to honor or get closer to God is only mentioned as a formality.

Debt living was biblically frowned on and usury was illegal amongst Jews. The canceling of debts every seven years and Year of Jubilee every 50 years, which were LAW, are no longer in effect. [Deuteronomy 15, Leviticus 25] It is ALL of the law or none of it. In today's world, to owe someone for services or products already received or contracted for and NOT pay for it timely and appropriately or to be paying high interest and instead use money earned to pay "tithes" "to get out of debt" is foolhardy, deceitful and unscriptural. This equates "tithing" to a Christian lottery and Christians to "spirit filled gamblers."

I realize that we live in a debt culture and I am not saying that Christians should be 100% debt free BEFORE giving any money. I am speaking of MANDATED [law] giving when people are giving out of obligation, fear or improper motivation instead of properly addressing their legal responsibilities resulting in them giving disproportionately and going further into debt. Today's preachers rarely condemn debt giving and some shamelessly encourage debt giving calling it an act of faith. Unfortunately the reality is that many times the debt giving is a form of Christian gambling, a "roll of the dice", an act of desperation by one already overwhelmed by debt.

Referring to the Widow's mite, the same Christ that noted sacrificial over abundance giving said elsewhere, "Be financially responsible." Christ denounced giving to God while ignoring responsibilities. [Mark 12:41-44, Mark 7:10-13, Matthew 22:21, 17:25-27] Romans 13:7-8 says to owe no man anything but love. These days if you can't afford to give you will be told to use your credit card or obligate yourself by vowing. Where is debt giving ever encouraged in the Bible? The Bible speaks of people giving what they owned, NOT what was credit or lien based. I recently heard on Christian television that one should vow the amount of their debt to the Lord. It was taught they would receive a resulting windfall from the Lord to pay their real debts with. This is nothing but unscriptural "Christian" gambling.

4. Law tithing was based on an agrarian (land) system, theocratic government and an agricultural society.

Land was officially owned by God and "deeded" by the church with the Levites getting Israel's tithes instead of land. [Leviticus 25:23-24] This system is no longer in existence and that is why most Jews don't tithe any more. An argument could be made that a form of the agrarian system is still in place with the Government replacing the church. Now the Government "owns" the land and deeds it mandating real estate taxes. Everyone in America pays this "tithe" directly or indirectly to the Government via property taxes, rents, excise taxes, sewer fees etc.

The timing of obligatory tithing corresponds to the initial formation of the Jewish theocratic church/state government via the Mosaic Law, deeding of land by the church, the Levitical priesthood and the first Jewish temple - the Tent of Meeting. It is an important distinction that in a theocracy the church IS the government with all the responsibilities of government. Today the church does not deed land, run a court system, legislate and govern, maintain and run armed forces, police, tax, distribute public resources, act as the Board of Health, Welfare Department, Pension Board etc., and do all the other responsibilities of government. The theocratic Jewish church/state government did all this and more under the law. Here in the United States, the church and Government are SEPARATE and well over 10% of income is paid by the overwhelming majority for governmental functions no longer handled by the church. 25-35% of American's wages goes to a variety of causes, many if not most of which used to be handled by the church in a theocratic government. Today, pay deductions and other taxes also help cover tax exemptions for non-profits including churches.

Samuel had warned God's people that if they left the theocratic form of Government tithes would be exacted from the people causing them to cry out because of government demands. [1 Samuel 8: 2-22] History is replete with examples of excessive government demands and most Americans are triple "tithing" their income already for governmental functions formerly handled by the church in a Theocracy.

5. Under the agrarian tithing system the church had mandates regarding the handling and distribution of tithes. These mandates are no longer in effect.

The church under agrarian law tithing had specific social, communal responsibilities as a matter of law such as a percentage being used to meet needs of the poor. [Deuteronomy 14:28-29, 2 Chronicles 31:14-15, Nehemiah 13:12-13] The church also, in some cases, even gave pensions to certain members. [2 Chronicles 31:16-18] The communal use and distribution of tithes was for the Levites, priests, stranger, sojourner, fatherless and widows. [Deuteronomy. 26: 12 and 14:29] There are no such mandates for communal tithe distribution in the church today. Any Christian church that I have seen teach what is incorrectly called biblical tithing as law is not practicing tithing with the required oaths [Deuteronomy. 26: 12-15], communal responsibilities and resource distribution that came with the agrarian tithing system. Further evidence of the weight given by the early Church regarding the communal responsibilities and distribution of resources by the Church was evidenced in the Book of Acts. In the New Testament Church people sold what they had and gave the proceeds to the Church so no one had need of anything. [Acts 4: 34-35] It is important to note that under the law communal responsibilities were mandatory but this New Testament giving was VOLUNTARY and tithing was never mentioned. [Acts 4:34-35 and 5:4] Peter told Ananias that after his land was sold the money was at HIS disposal and under his control. [Acts 5:4] Peter never said, "You were only obliged to bring the tithe." Paul also encouraged this resource distribution system in 2 Corinthians 8: 13-15 and Romans 12:13. The Old and New Testament purpose for wealth was not to be rich or impress people but to do the work of God and share with those in need. [Deuteronomy 15, Leviticus 25, Matthew 19:21, Ephesians 4:28]

Today, a resource distribution system like the early New Testament church used would be difficult and appear cult-like. However, the principle of using one's surplus to meet the needs of others remains clear throughout the New Testament. Today, many people give "tithes" to already wealthy and successful people with little to no thought to those in need. The focus of giving has become getting instead of distributing resources to assist the needs of others. Christ taught to sell your possessions and to give donations to the poor. [Luke 12:33] God was impressed that Solomon did NOT make wealth a priority in his life. [2 Chronicles 1:7-12]

6. Tithing, as taught today, is modified and NOT the same as Biblical tithing.

God gave the tithes to the Levites as an inheritance in return for their service and to compensate them for having no personal inheritance of land. The Levites gave tithes to the Priests from the tithes they received. Christianity has no agrarian system, no Levites and every Christian is now a priest, the temple and co-workers with Christ. [2 Peter 2:5 & 9, Rev. 1:6, 5:10, 20:6] Every Jew was required by the Levitical law to pay three tithes of his property:
(1) one tithe for the Levites;
(2) one for the use of the temple and the great feasts; and
(3) one for the poor of the land. [Numbers 18, Deuteronomy 14]
Given the above, it is clear that any church mandating tithes should be spending AT LEAST ONE THIRD of their income on the poor since that is what was required under mandated law tithing. How many churches come close to this? I know of none. Yet it is not uncommon for some ministers to call their parishioners thieves if they don't tithe. It's all of the law or none of it.

The only two pre-law examples of tithing in Genesis were voluntary, non-routine and profit [ownership] based. Biblical law tithing was agrarian [land] based. Neither was income or money based as is usually taught today. People should not be "creatively constructing" doctrine, teaching that biblical tithing is giving 10% of their gross or net income, picking and choosing what part of the tithing law they will follow, mandating amounts or mixing law with Grace. The bible is clear on what pre and post law tithing was and how it was to be handled. A tithe is a tenth, but a tenth of what and how? If one wants to teach a tithe is 10% of gross or net income do NOT call it biblical tithing. It is YOUR plan for giving, NOT the biblical agrarian or pre-law plan. Since it is YOUR plan, be extra careful about putting stumbling blocks into people's path by purporting that your plan is God's law resulting in judgement if not followed.

Tithing CAN'T be practiced as it was in biblical times because the law, the agrarian system, the agricultural system, sacrifices, debt cancellation, Year of Jubilee and other interrelated factors are all abolished. Plus, today's churches have no "law" in place requiring them to fulfill the communal responsibilities and resource distribution of the agrarian law based tithing system.

Therefore, it would probably be best to do away with the word "tithing" entirely in this age of Grace to avoid the mixing of law and Grace that is common today. However, that may be difficult given the "tithemania" that has swept the land. Many will believe a "giving plan" will assist contributions and help people decide what is appropriate to give and we will discuss that shortly.

7. Control, greed or plain ignorance is the motivation behind many of today's "mandated tithing" messages.

The New Testament is clear on this; we are commanded to give. To be blessed we are to give generously, cheerfully, willingly, not out of necessity, according to our means, in faith, with love and in the right spirit. The New Testament is NOT at all clear on amounts and percentages. Paul does NOT say to give according to a percentage and he was certainly familiar with tithing. [1 Corinthians 16:2] Several times Paul compares voluntary giving to fruit and burnt offerings. Paul's use of Old Testament tithing terminology [i.e. fruit and burnt offerings] without the mention of tithing could NOT have been an oversight given Paul's Jewish background. [Philippians 4:17-18, Romans 15:26-28] The Bible teaches to give "as God has prospered us," and "according to our ability and means." [2 Corinthians 8: 11, 2 Corinthians 9: 5-13, Acts 11:29] The word for "means" is the Greek signifying possession and ownership. That means what you are giving is fully yours, not credit or lien based.

Faith-based Abrahamic Covenant Tithing [F.A.C.T.], discussed shortly, could be taught as a faith and grace based voluntary practice while avoiding all the controversy of the mutilated "tithing" doctrine taught today. Why isn't tithing taught this way? It is because of control, greed and sometimes ignorance. Ignorance is free and it is easier and more profitable to control people through guilt and obligation. Calling non-tithers thieves or to preach tithing with condemnation, obligation or fear regarding the specific amounts given without knowing the sacrifice, faith, vows [discussed later] and intent involved by the giver is preaching law. It is also a stumbling block, unscriptural and therefore sin. An obligatory BILL is not "giving." Whatsoever is not of faith is SIN, so let's end the F.I.C.T.I.O.N. [Fear Induced Condemnation That Is Oppressive & Negative]. Christ taught one man to "sell all that he had and give to the poor." Yet, Christ was pleased with another that gave only half of what he had to the poor while making restitution for his thievery. [Mark 10:21, Luke 19: 1-10] Clearly, specific amounts are unimportant to God.

The story of the Widow's mite makes crystal clear it is the relationship to money, the attitude of the giver and the sacrifice made that is important. Christ said the Widow gave MORE than the rich, despite the rich's large offerings. [Mark 12:41-44] Clearly Christ focused on the sacrifice made, NOT the amounts given. Mandated tithing teachers appear clueless to the fact that a wealthy person could tithe without feeling any sacrifice whatsoever due to their income level. For the wealthy to feel the same sacrifice as a poor person giving 10% of their income, a wealthy person would have to give perhaps 90% or more of their income. The Bible is filled with warnings against oppressing the poor. The convoluted mandated income based tithing doctrine around today is clearly NOT something God would author since it is oppressive to the poor. Remember mandated law tithing was NOT income based as Section 2 made clear. Christ was impressed with the sacrifice made in an offering, NOT the amounts given. If a rich person gives 10% and feels no sacrifice whatsoever, the same Christ that wasn't impressed with the large offerings in Mark 12:41-44 would not be impressed with the same offerings today.

Some teach "tithing" as law blatantly and without shame. Many use subtle mind twisters that go something like this, "No, tithing isn't mandatory, but if you’re a child of God you will want to give 10% of your income" or some similar obligation and guilt creating technique. Others may be told to direct their money, not to someone in need, but to the "ministry where the financial anointing is flowing." It will be "suggested" that they may not be blessed otherwise. Others cunningly use the, "I didn't say it, God did," canard when proclaiming misapplied scripture or the misapplied "Malachi Curse" discussed in Section 10. Others say, "All your money belongs to God." While everything does belong to God, remember that God also said, "The laborer is worthy of his hire." That scripture is true for all, not just those doing the work of God. Christ taught to sell what you own and donate to the poor showing a considerably different focus on money and giving than many of today's prosperity teachers. [Luke 12:33] Many church leaders today seem content with preaching a mixed message as to whether tithing is obligatory or not. The F.I.C.T.I.O.N. [Fear Induced Condemnation That Is Oppressive & Negative] must stop!

Some go so far as to teach that mandated tithing only "opens the window for blessing" and the giving over and above the tithe is what brings the "windfall" blessing through the window opened by tithing. So with the average American "tithing" 30-35% of their income to the Government for functions that the church no longer handles and "tithing" 10% to the temple PLUS offerings, Americans are expected to live off of about 50% of their income according to most mandated tithing teachers.

The old cliche, "You can't beat God giving" is factually correct. We could NEVER give more than God. But to make people believe that they can indiscriminately give their money away and always get their needs met miraculously is immature and not at all balanced with the scriptures that make clear that, by His Grace, we are to be responsible and self-supporting with some left over for others. This is NOT to say God doesn't bless sacrificial giving. HE DOES! I am talking about irresponsible, indiscriminate or manipulated giving or giving that is improperly motivated or coerced.

One minister stated, "We don't allow people to serve in the church who are not confirmed tithers." This is a MAN MADE edict, NOT in ANY way a scriptural one. Did Paul ever demand tithes for anyone who served in the church? Did the New Testament make tithing mandatory for ANY position of service? First this minister seems clueless that, for those choosing to tithe pursuant to true biblical teaching as taught in this document, ANYTHING could be tithed to the Lord such as giftings, talents, possessions, time etc. However, I wonder if this minister asked any of these people if they had ANY personal ministries of assisting the body of Christ or the poor and needy, or was his only concern what they were giving to the temple monetarily? The Hebrews under agrarian law tithing had to declare that they had honestly given the tithe, "...to the Levite, the stranger, the sojourner, the fatherless and to the widow..." [Deuteronomy 26:13-15]

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Do the proponents of mandated tithing consider or inquire as to whether a person is paying mandated tithes with corrupted seed such as neglecting other vows, going further into debt or not properly handling other obligations? ALL of these are biblical considerations which could result in God REJECTING the tithe. I don't believe I have ever heard one message on these biblical considerations. The reality is many mandated tithing teachers could care less how "corrupted" the seed is so long as they get it. God is much more impressed with HONEST giving and RESPONSIBLE living than he is with guilt or fear driven giving and big churches.

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Mandated law giving was usually always flexible. There are MANY biblical examples regarding mandated giving saying things like, "If one does not have a bull, one can use a pigeon, if one doesn't have a pigeon one can use a cup of flour etc." The law was more considerate of life's realities than many of today's prosperity preachers.

Imagine a situation where 2 people living separately each earn $400 per week. One has no living expenses and the other has living expenses plus 2 disabled people at home that they care for. Imagine another situation where two people earn $500 per week respectively. One lives at home with their parents rent free and the other has 3 children in a rented apartment with one of the children having special needs with no health coverage. Mandated tithing teaches ALL these people are to give the same or be "cursed." This is nonsense. The living expenses must be responsibly handled pursuant to Scripture and the money that one spends on the sick or needy is certainly part of "the work of Christ." Anyone who says otherwise is legalistic, inconsiderate, immature, or greedy. When you meet the needs of others you are doing it unto Christ. [Matthew 25: 31-46] Blind, inconsiderate RULES OF LAW regarding amounts is NOT what New Testament Giving is all about! When Paul spoke of giving he was always clear it wasn't a commandment or law. [2 Corinthians 8:8] Christ and Paul made clear the sacrifice was more important than the amounts. [Mark 12:42-44, 2 Corinthians 8:1-5, 12] Christ taught freedom from obligatory giving. [Matthew 17:24-27]

8. God is Sovereign and rewards may not be seen as expected in this life.

The story of Job can be summarized in two statements; First, don't question God because bad things can happen to good people and second; don't judge others going through hard times because the ways of God are beyond our ability to comprehend.

Job makes clear that many times circumstances of life can be completely unrelated to one's actions. Life can be cyclic and sometimes appear completely unfair and unjust. To teach that giving a certain way is going to guarantee a particular situation in life is immature and unscriptural. The Sovereign Lord can give and take away independent of a person's giving or spirituality. The story of Lazarus shows a man who both lived and died destitute yet was carried by angels to Abraham's bosom while a rich man went to hell. [Luke 16: 19-22] Financial circumstances of life do not necessarily reflect spiritual condition. The Bible is replete with warnings regarding the trappings of money.

Many teach that tithing is a form of "protection money" that will insure them against harm, accidents or other calamities of life. One preacher said, "If I didn't tithe, I would be afraid to cross the street." Another preacher said, "I believe I can avoid all calamities because I tithe." This preacher needs to learn two lessons. One lesson is on dealing with realities as taught in the story of Job. The second is on learning about the lives of the early Apostles and countless others who are suffering and have suffered throughout time for God, truth and the cause of Christ. All but one of the original Apostles was martyred. Most experienced beatings, stonings, shipwrecks and other hardships and problems. "Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord shall deliver them OUT OF them all." Also read Acts 14:22. Many of today's "cushioned" preachers are clueless. They go where they will be received, paid and applauded and consider any criticism, valid or invalid, as "persecution for the cause of Christ" as if the criticism equates to those who have REALLY suffered or are really suffering for the cause of Christ. Pollyanna style Christianity is immature and always leads to problems. The reality is most of us grow more from pain, trials and tribulation than we do from ease, comfort and still waters.

One must focus on ALL scripture, not just promises of prosperity that tickle the ears. Paul speaks of God blessing us to be abundant in all things WHILE speaking of taking an offering for needy Christians. Paul never suggested these Christians became needy because of improper giving, lack of faith or bad conduct. In fact Paul teaches that at another time it might be these giving Christians that might be needy with the now needy Christians, having been blessed, being able to rise to the occasion and bless them. Paul was clear life wasn't one financial blessing after another with one never having financial need. [2 Corinthians 9: 5-13, 2 Corinthians 8: 13-15] Are we to assume Peter was faithless or not living or giving right resulting in his not having any silver or gold for the beggar? [Acts 3:6] Was Mary not living right? She had to bring a poor person's offering to be purified. [Luke 2:22-24, Lev. 12:6-8] Frankly, I think if most Christians today had to live like the early church or the Apostles lived for a year, they would come apart at the seams. Christ taught giving to those who can not repay you and of being blessed for one's giving at the resurrection. [Luke 14: 12-14]

9. Christ did NOT teach giving 10% of ones income but the principle of supporting ministers and churches remains.

There was a well-established money system in place at the time of Christ. Yet, Christ's ONLY direct mention of tithing was to a JEW still under law and the tithing was HERBS [agrarian], NOT money or income from herbs. [Matthew 23:23, Luke 11:42] There was certainly a market for herbs and spices [John 12:5, Mark 14: 3-5, Matthew 26:7-9] yet the tithes mentioned by Jesus were clearly herbs, not income from herbs. So, are we to tell Christians today they must tithe herbs? Are we to make a totally unscriptural leap from herbs to 10% of income? Christ also ordered some to perform ceremonial cleansing, foot washing and Christ celebrated Jewish holy days and feasts. Why are these things not demanded of Christians today? It is ALL of the law or none of it. Even in teachings to Jews, Christ taught tithing was NOT a priority with God [Luke 18: 9-14] and that there were weightier matters that God was concerned about. [Matthew 23:23] In addition to the above, consider various translations regarding Jesus' mention of tithing and note how the meaning changes:

Darby Translation:
Matthew 23:23
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for ye pay tithes of mint and anise and cummin, and ye have left aside the weightier matters of the law, judgment and mercy and faith: these ye ought to have done and not have left those aside.
Luke 11:42
But woe unto you, Pharisees, for ye pay tithes of mint and rue and every herb, and pass by the judgment and the love of God: these ye ought to have done, and not have left those aside.

Youngs Translation:
Matthew 23:23
Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye give tithe of the mint, and the dill, and the cumin, and did neglect the weightier things of the Law; the judgment, and the kindness, and the faith; these it behoved [you] to do, and those not to neglect.
Luke 11:42
But woe to you, the Pharisees, because ye tithe the mint, and the rue, and every herb, and ye pass by the judgment, and the love of God; these things it behoveth to do, and those not to be neglecting.

So we see there are questions of interpretation, Jesus was talking to a Jew still under law, the tithe was agrarian [of the land - in this case herbs], the tithe was NOT money or income based and it was that which was fully owned - not credit or lien based. Additionally one could argue that Jesus said the agrarian tithe was something that "they ought to have done." This indicates a form of past tense. "You ought to have done something" implies you should have done something IN THE PAST. This would be correct UNDER THE LAW. However, as this document makes clear, any tithing OUTSIDE the law was voluntary.

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While mandates for tithing are NOT in the New Testament, the principle that the church and ministers can be supported by those they serve is an indisputable New Testament doctrine. [1 Corinthians 9:6-9, 13 & 14, Luke 10:7] It is noteworthy that Paul, at times, chose NOT to live off of donations when he felt the Lord was better served. [1 Corinthians 9: 13 -19]

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10. Malachi 3 is being used as "Christian witchcraft."

Malachi 3:8-12 is routinely taken out of context and used as a curse, a form of "Christian witchcraft" by the greedy, manipulators or sometimes by those just blindly following out of ignorance. Malachi was writing to an Israel that was under the law. The tithe was agrarian, NOT income based. Israel was completely backslidden, the Priests were NOT doing their jobs, the sacrifices were polluted and rejected by God and the people were completely neglecting proper marriage laws and the maintenance and restoration of the House of God. There was no acceptable sacrifices being given or sacrificed. To use Malachi 3 as a "curse" against saved people, who are trusting in God's Perfect Sacrifice, respecting marriage and are NOT neglecting the New Testament temple [their bodies and spiritual condition] or "the gathering of the Body together" is to misapply the word of God for financial gain. A best seller on mandated tithing states,

"Every Christian who isn't honoring the Lord with the tithe is guilty of robbing God, is living under a curse, and will remain in financial bondage until he or she obeys God's Word and begins to Tithe. Tithing breaks the curse!" - God's Financial Plan by Norman Robertson - page 61 #12.

This is what we tell everyone that becomes saved? The sacrifice of Christ isn't enough? Christ removed all but the "financial curse?" This is heretical FICTION [Fear Induced Condemnation That Is Oppressive & Negative]. That statement is mixing law with Grace, not rightly dividing the Word of Truth, a stumbling block, not of faith and is therefore sin.

I recently heard one minister extend the misappropriated Malachi curse to the church stating that he was tired of his church not receiving the full blessings of God because of the "thieves" that came to the church that didn't tithe and gave corrupted seed. Would this minister consider refusing all money from these "non-tithing thieves"? Why does he choose to participate in their "thievery" and "sin" by accepting "corrupted seed?" God doesn't accept corrupted seed, so why should the ministers accept it? [Malachi 1:10, Amos 5:22, 1 Cor. 13] Peter exposed those giving corrupted seed. [Acts 5:3, 8, 9] To make sure there would be no deceit under agrarian law tithing, each Hebrew was compelled to make a declaration of honesty before the Lord. [Deuteronomy 26:13-15] This mandated declaration also stated that you had honestly given the tithe, "...to the Levite, the stranger, the sojourner, the fatherless and to the widow..."

Oppress the poor
with the curse of the Law
and the judgement you see
is Matthew 7:23!

11. If you are wrong or give wrong, it doesn't profit you anything to give.

We have to rightly divide the Word of Truth. First Corinthians 13 makes clear that one can give everything including one's body to be burned but if they don't have Agape love, they profit NOTHING. I would suggest that giving for the purpose of getting is improperly motivated and NOT giving with Agape Love. One should give out of love and because it is right. Everything we get from God is by Grace through faith in Christ and Christ taught against becoming works based. [Luke 18:9-14] Scripture teaches that God doesn't accept offerings from people that are not right or do not give in the right spirit. [Malachi 1:10, Amos 5:22, 1 Cor. 13]

The New Testament fulfills [MATURES] the law. In the New Testament, the INTENT is more important than the RULE. As 1 Corinthians 13 makes clear, ANY THING given with the wrong intent profits the individual NOTHING. Promises of God give Faith and Hope but give without Agape Love and you profit NOTHING. One can believe and expect good from the Father without giving with the primary focus to receive. Otherwise, the focus of what you expect from God becomes works centered. Anything which takes away from the work of Christ is not of God. [Luke 18:9-14]

12. Pre-law or law tithing was NEVER the firstfruits offering.

Many mandated tithing teachers confuse tithing with the firstfruits offering. By not rightly dividing the word of truth, many scriptures regarding first fruits giving are misapplied to support the unbiblical mandated tithing doctrine. The firstfruits offering was when the Israelites brought a portion of the fruits that ripened first as an offering. These were looked on as a pledge of the coming harvest, which would then be tithed. The firstfruits offering was NEVER the pre-law or law tithe.

13. The work of Christ is not to see how successful and wealthy we can all become.

At this point I will insert a few comments from an interview with former PTL Preacher Jim Bakker after he repented and God resurrected his ministry:
On prosperity preaching: I began to read and write down every word as recorded in the Gospels. I wept that I could have been so wrong, preaching another gospel and another Jesus. Jesus called riches "deceitfulness of riches." He even said, "Woe unto the rich!" He was saying things like, "You can't serve God and money." He never cast wealth and riches into a good light. How could I have spent so much time emphasizing financial blessing?

I'd always quoted 3 John 2, saying, "Above all things God wants you to prosper."I loved that Scripture. It looks great on a TV screen when you're raising funds, and I interpreted it as God wants you to be rich. But when I got to the words of John, I said, "Now this don't make sense." So I took the word prosper apart in the Greek and found out it's made up of two words—the first word means good or well and the second road. It's a progressive word, so it's like a journey. So, here's John saying, basically, "Beloved, I want you to have a good journey through life as your soul has a good journey to heaven." It was a greeting! Building theology on that is like building the church on "Have a nice day."

I began to look up all the Scriptures used in prosperity teaching, such as "Give and it shall be given unto you." When I put that Scripture back into its context, I found Christ was teaching on forgiveness, not on money. He was teaching us that by the same measure that we forgive, we will be forgiven.

I had gotten my sermons from other people. The Bible warns about the shepherds who get their messages from each other. I think today the reason we have another gospel and another Jesus being preached is because men have gotten their sermons from each other and from motivational teaching. A lot of what's being taught today is simply motivational teaching with a few Scriptures put to it.

Sometimes modern day Christianity looks like nothing more than success coaching with a Christian wrapper. Many appear to sound like Christianity teaches "wealth equals Godliness" and "a lack of wealth is satanic." But read James 1:9-11. Many arrogant prosperity teachers look down on the poor and forget a good chunk of their money comes from the medium to low wage earner. This arrogance leads many in ministry to believe "God is always going where the money is flowing." Many caught up in the prosperity doctrine think, "But I am making more money, how can it NOT be God?"

God doesn't live in buildings anymore. PEOPLE are the House of God and the Body of Christ. With all of the "revelation" around today, the church still doesn't get it and many are still seeking the Old Testament glory of the temple. God's storehouse is now HIS PEOPLE. I know of one incident where a church spent thousands on electronic and computer gadgetry that they weren't using and they couldn't help out a needy Christian that, due to illness and hardship, needed a small sum to avoid a utility shut off. The "work of Christ" and Body of Christ is more than the church coffers and buildings. The "work of Christ" is meeting the needs of PEOPLE on MANY different levels WHEREVER we are. If one spends resources on a prison ministry; that is "unto Christ." If one feeds hungry neighbors; that is "unto Christ." While the local church certainly should not be neglected, there is no scripture that says all money given unto God has to go into church or minister's coffers. Many preachers and churches make it sound like the only giving that is "unto the Lord" is what is given to them. But Christ taught, "When you assist one of the least of these, my Brethren, you have done it unto me." Also read the Biblical story of the Good Samaritan. Too many Christians are "paying others" to do what many times is THEIR work. They pay others to minister IN PLACE OF them. Many tithing Christians will tithe out of fear of the misappropriated "Malachi Curse" while their neighbor is in need. These Christians are thinking that when they get their "windfall" from tithing, they will then help the needy.

Many churches today still seek the "glory of the temple" and give little to no thought to the glory of the New Testament Temple...the living, breathing body of Christ. I have seen examples of "confirmed tithers hesitant to give a small offering to a needy elderly couple because there would be no "record" of their giving; their giving would not be seen by the church. Yet Christ taught to give in secret. We now have countless huge edifices and all types of major Christian media networks etc. With all of this building of things, is Christianity better off? I recently had Christian TV on in my home and realized I would have to shut it off if an unsaved or new Christian walked into the room. The money huckstering was shameless. Many, but not all, times these things are done for the "glory of the temple" at the expense of the real temple, the living, breathing body of Christ.

The logic that the world won't listen to your salvation message unless you're wealthy or successful is nonsense. Christ didn't have a place to lay his head, yet the masses came. John the Baptist lived like a hermit, yet crowds flocked to him. Initially in the book of Acts many Christians owned NOTHING because they voluntarily sold what they had and gave it for distribution so no one would be lacking. Yet the message was wildly successful. To my knowledge none of the Apostles were known to be successful businessmen yet they got the message out just fine.

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The Bible teaches there is absolutely NOTHING wrong with properly obtained prosperity or success provided it is properly handled. I pray we all attain it via right living, faith, Grace and Love, NOT law, fear, condemnation, deceit or F.I.C.T.I.O.N.

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14. What is Faith-based Abrahamic Covenant Tithing [F.A.C.T.]?

The 2 pre-law examples of tithing in Genesis were voluntary, profit and faith based. Study Galatians 3, Ephesians 2:12 and Romans, particularly Romans 4, to see how Paul relates faith, righteousness and being a "true" Israelite back to pre-law faith and promise via Abraham. F.A.C.T. is based on this Abrahamic principle and the biblical principle that what is offered to God must be pure, fully owned and not credit or lien based. Melchizedek, King of Jerusalem, was a PRE-LAW type of Christ and he received voluntary tithes of profits. [That which is fully owned, non credit or lien based - Hebrews 7: 2-6, Genesis 14: 17-20] Also see part 16 - Some Thoughts on Melchizedek for further discussion of pre-law tithing. F.A.C.T. does NOT change law tithing into a mandated 10% of income and ignore the other demands of the law regarding tithing, which is routinely done today. There is NO alteration, twisting of scripture or mixing of law and Grace with the F.A.C.T. tithing system.

What is "profit" and why is Faith-based Abrahamic Covenant Tithing profit based?

PROFIT is what is left after paying necessary, obligatory expenses which are VOWS in one form or another. God doesn't want what is vowed to others so one can't vow to God what is vowed to others.

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You can't "put God first" by neglecting the poor and needy, vows, responsibilities or commitments. If that is what you're doing, it isn't because you are putting God first. It is because you're hoping God will be impressed enough with you to give you a windfall financial blessing. In other words, you're giving to get. You are thinking that THEN, after the windfall blessing, you will be responsible. This sort of thinking, fostered heavily by the prosperity doctrine, is immature, unscriptural and unethical. This self-deception is, in effect, "Christian Gambling" and a growing cancer in the body of Christ.

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Being paid wages daily was the law in Biblical times, so necessary production expenses [vows] were paid BEFORE the tithe was offered. [Leviticus 19:13, Deuteronomy 24:14-15] God expects us to be financially responsible, not foolhardy "spirit filled gamblers." [Romans 13:7-8] Christ said, "If anyone has any grievance against you, leave your gift at the altar and take care of it BEFORE presenting your gift." [Matthew 5:23-26] Many Christians don't view breaches of oral or written contract as requiring consideration before giving. Christ taught financial responsibility. Christ did NOT approve of giving to God while ignoring responsibilities. [Mark 7:10-13, Matthew 5:23-26] Our offerings to God are to be pure, not credit or lien based and untainted by improper conduct or motivation. One can't dedicate something to God that is already tainted or committed by vow, contract or other obligation. God doesn't want the money that you are withholding from others irresponsibly, wrongfully, unlawfully, in breach of oral or written contract or deceitfully. Offerings to God had to be the honestly acquired property of the donor. [2 Samuel 24:24] One rarely hears this from many of today's prosperity preachers.

Someone choosing the Faith-based Abrahamic Covenant Tithing [F.A.C.T.] method can figure out their PROFITS by deducting necessary, obligatory expenses [vows] from their take home pay. This will give people a good MINIMUM figure from which to start giving. Then they can give a "tithe" based on profit. Additional giving, which would be appropriate for most people, would be offerings.

Whenever I hear of a "tithe paying" business that is owned by Christians, the tithe is on the PROFITS of the business. I don't think I have ever heard of a business tithing every dollar that comes in regardless of what their expenses are. Businesses are taught to PAY THEIR BILLS and necessary expenses [vows] and then tithe on the profits. Yet this "courtesy" isn't granted the average wage earner by most mandated tithing teachers who say one must give 10 percent of income without consideration of bills or expenses [vows]. Mandated tithing teachers make it sound like you aren't "putting God first" if you consider your vows before tithing yet those same teachers will tell a business that is "right" to pay their vows [bills and expenses] first and tithe on the profits. But this issue is moot since tithing was never based on income in the first place and anyone teaching you that you have a God given commandment to give 10% of income is either unlearned, greedy or blatantly lying for financial gain at your expense.

Of course, if someone wishes to give 10, 20 or whatever percent of gross or net income that is their choice. But they must give generously, cheerfully, willingly, not out of necessity, according to their means, in faith, with love and in the right spirit. These, NOT percentages, are the New Testament requirements for giving if you want to receive a blessing. One should NEVER give out of F.I.C.T.I.O.N. meaning fear of a curse, condemnation, guilt, necessity or concerns of "being devoured by the enemy" or give with the primary focus of "what's in it for me?"

15. Warnings regarding distortions of modern day translations.

To show how the Word gets corrupted, get a King James Bible and The Living Bible Edition and look at Luke 11:42. The King James clearly talks of tithing herbs yet the Living Bible states, "...you are careful to tithe even the smallest part of your income..." This clearly is a perversion of the original text since the original makes clear they were tithing HERBS, not income from herbs. Also notice the King James verses The Living Bible in Luke 18:12 where the self-righteous Pharisee states he tithes all that he comes to possess which is the Greek signifying OWNERSHIP instead of income. Yet the Living Bible states, "...I give to God a tenth of everything I earn." This is a distortion since EARNING is not the same as OWNING. The Amplified Bible states in the same verse, "...I give tithes of all that I gain." This is a subtle perversion since most don't know that gain in the Bible refers to what one FULLY POSSESSES. The King James is clear that the Pharisee was tithing what he came to FULLY OWN. What one fully owns is a far cry from one's income since the average American's income is reduced by triple "tithes" to the Government and much of the remainder of their income is VOWED for other necessary expenses of life.

One can find distortions and sometimes outright errors in all translations; there are good and bad in all of them. I used the Living Bible only as an example. Overall I think it is a good translation but any serious student of scripture must be sure to get as close as possible to original text and meaning to avoid these types of errors.

16. Some Thoughts on Melchizedek

Much is made about the mysterious King of Salem [Jerusalem] in Genesis 14 by mandated tithing teachers. The reality is in Abraham's time tithing was predominately a pagan practice and a voluntary social custom of acknowledging a cherished ruler. To use the argument that tithes are mandated today because Abraham gave Melchizedek tithes is ludicrous for many reasons:

First, Abraham VOLUNTARILY tithed spoils of war, not his personal income or wealth.
Second, there was NO God given mandate to tithe at all. [Hebrews 7:2, Genesis 14:20, Genesis 14:22-24]
Third, Abraham had already received his blessing - the victory given by God. [Genesis 14:19-20] There is NOTHING in Scripture that says Abraham's blessing was contingent on his tithe.
Fourth, the tithing of Abraham was a single event.
The question of the Melchizedek priesthood is purely a Jewish one. It is NOT a Gentilian issue since Gentiles had nothing to do with the Levitical Priesthood at all. It was the Jews that were having problems accepting Christ as THE high priest because Christ was from the tribe of Judah, not the tribe of Levi where the Jews had been taught all their priests must come from. This is why Paul discussed it at length in the Jewish letter to the Hebrews. The Jews clearly couldn't understand the Priesthood of Christ and Paul attempted to explain it. Hebrews 7 is a difficult chapter to understand and I think the Amplified does a good job here. Remember, the Levites paid tithes out of the tithes to the priests. Paul tried to explain to the Jews that because the tribe of Levi was still unborn inside Abraham, they did, in fact, pay tithes to the eternal priesthood of Melchizedek which Christ belonged to thereby acknowledging the Melchizedek priesthood, however indirectly. Paul was trying to show the Jews that the Levitical Priesthood was inefficient and temporal and the Melchizedek Priesthood is eternal and better. The unborn Levites paying tithes through Abraham doesn't justify a doctrine for mandated tithing today because of the 4 points mentioned at the beginning of this section. It is difficult for Gentiles to understand these issues because they are basically irrelevant to the Gentiles acceptance of The Christ. Gentiles don't have to become Jews before becoming Christians and Paul made clear it is wrong to burden Gentiles with Jewish questions and mandates.

I assert THIS is the real meaning of Melchizedek's appearance in Genesis 14: Abraham had risked his life to rescue his nephew. This is the first account in the Bible of man trying to save man in a totally selfless act. Remember, Abraham could have taken spoils of the war but refused to do so. Abraham's only motivation was to save his Nephew. After this first recorded selfless act to save a brother, suddenly the Christ type, King of Jerusalem appears with bread and wine [communion]. Abraham had passed the test by being willing to sacrifice himself for another. Later he would be willing to sacrifice his son and the Christ type appears again in the form of a sacrifice and a promise. Doesn't this make much more Biblical sense than trying to twist scripture to make it look like Melchizedek's appearance was to teach mandated tithing, especially given the other issues discussed in this document?

17. Some Final Thoughts.

Study and pray regarding this issue thoroughly so you can be persuaded in your own mind. Don't allow yourself to come under condemnation unnecessarily. "To him who thinks something is sin, then to him it is sin" because one's conscience is not clear. Romans 14 and Matthew 6:2-4 will help you understand this and also help you deal with others regarding mandated law tithing. What I teach you in this document is FACT [Faith-based Abrahamic Covenant Tithing] not influenced by the prevailing wind. F.A.C.T. is a good, voluntary, biblical, grace and faith-based plan that could be taught without the heretical half-breed reconstruction of agrarian law tithing or the mixing of law with Grace.

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The F.A.C.T. giving plan is just that…A plan. The reality is if one is truly giving in obedience to God using the New Testament requirements detailed in this document then they are doing the right thing even if they don't figure percentages. Be led by the Spirit, be fair, and above all be GENEROUS like Christ COMMANDED. Don't use this document as an excuse to be stingy.

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Although I have heard terms like financial tithing, inspirational tithing, revelation tithing, etc., the Bible only taught voluntary pre-law profit-based tithing and agrarian production-based law tithing. While some who preach mandated tithing will claim I don't "have the revelation," many will see the truth in this document. Others who preach mandated tithing may see the truth in this document AFTER they fall from grace, calamity strikes, something happens that makes them less ego and goal driven or they are approaching death. Be assured I have been on BOTH sides of this issue and I believe in the blessings of God. I have personally experienced miracles of God's divine providence and provision. You may ask, "Why do I now hold this position?" I can say it in one word.....MATURITY.

Given the financial realities of today's world, if one believes they must teach a giving plan to facilitate giving, then teach the Faith-based Abrahamic Covenant Tithing [F.A.C.T.] that is described in this document. Freewill offerings can, and in many if not most cases should, supplement Faith-based Abrahamic Covenant Tithing.

Faith-based Abrahamic Covenant Tithing can be practiced in the faith that we are "true Israelites" that will rule with Christ and partake of the inheritance and the faith, NOT law based, Abrahamic Covenant. May the Church of God rightly divide the word, not go beyond what is written and NEVER make a practice or doctrine of mixing law with Grace.

The question now becomes, do today's preachers have the faith to teach F.A.C.T. [Faith-based Abrahamic Covenant Tithing] or will they continue to preach F.I.C.T.I.O.N. [Fear Induced Condemnation That Is Oppressive & Negative]? While some will continue out of ignorance or habit, other "faith" preachers will not have the faith or character to preach the truth in this document. They will prefer to justify mixing law with grace and using guilt, manipulation and control thereby deceiving themselves and others into thinking the "work of Christ" is better served.

You have been given the truth on tithing and set free from the mandated tithing doctrine. If you would like to contribute to help me promote this message, please Donate online NOW or mail to Box 1355, Coventry, Rhode Island 02816

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Some comments, reviews etc. from Rabbis and others on tithing and this document:

From Russell Kelly author of "Should the Church Teach Tithing?" I appreciate the article you wrote on tithing. We are about 95% in agreement which is fine with me. My book, Should the Church Teach Tithing?, was my Ph.D. dissertation of 364 pages and covers most of your points in detail..Check out the reviews on Amazon.com. My only disagreement is with your statements that Abraham's tithe was "faith based" and "voluntary." The Bible does NOT say these things, but most have assumed them to be true. My research on Genesis 14:21, not 14:20, leads me to conclude that Abraham most likely paid a spoils of war tithe because of MANDATORY CANAANITE TRADITION which can be proven to have existed throughout the world at his time. Since your "agrarian" definition of tithe is the only correct definition, then the word should not be used with another definition --- regardless of how sincere the person might be. I have much to share with you if you are interested. I spent over 10 years researching my book. Thanks again. Russell Kelly

Rabbi Robert Alpert: "Tithing, in the sense of crops, of course, is no longer done. Of course, Jews are encouraged to give charity [tzedakkah]. Whether they give 10 percent or more, is between them, God and their accountants."

Zola Levitt: Is tithing for the Christian today? Tithing was a part of the Law of Moses under the legal economy of Israel. It does not apply to the Church today, since we are under grace and not the law (Romans 6:14; 10:4). Therefore, we are obligated to give first our bodies and souls as living sacrifices in reasonable service to God (Romans 12:1-2). The New Testament teaches proportional giving according to what we have, not what we don't have (2 Cor. 8:12). If we can only give 5% as the Lord leads, so be it. It is not how much you give that matters to God, but the attitude and motive which you are giving from. This is the concern of the New Testament with regard to giving, rather than measuring the amount that is given (see 2 Cor. 8-9).

The King James Version of the Hebrew-Greek Key Word Study Bible: Keynote on Malachi 3:7-15 states, "This passage is often used by those who advocate "storehouse tithing"; that is, bringing the "tithe" into God's storehouse (the local church), rather than giving it anywhere else. They suggest that gifts to ministries other than the local church should be above the "tithe." Certainly the "storehouse" in Malachi represents the temple or a building in the temple complex. However, the OT "tithe" or "tenth" cannot be reasonably equated with ten percent of gross salary or wages which most people earn today. Above all, giving should be a matter between the Holy Spirit and the believer, not a regulation. The "tithe" may be an adequate guide for determining how much some people could give (indeed, for many in a prosperous society, it is probably an inadequate level), but the amount of giving must be a personal decision. The Apostle Paul wrote that God examines the motives for the giving, not the amount (2 Corinthians 9:7)

Despite the "amens" heard during messages about mandated tithing, it is clear that the overwhelming majority of believers are NOT persuaded by the doctrine:
From "Church Loses Financial ground in 2000" by Barna Research: “Tithing Is Rare” - One out of every six adults (17%) claims to tithe, but a comparison of the amount that people gave to churches and their household income revealed that just 6% actually donated one-tenth of their income (pre-tax or post-tax) to churches. The level of misreporting among born again Christians was just as prolific: 32% reported tithing, yet only 12% actually did so in 2000. Clearly much of this "misreporting" is LYING.
The Willow Creek Association, a group representing close to 5,000 evangelical churches said the average numbers of people actually giving 10% of their income is about 2.6%. They also said churches are spending increasing amounts of their budget on things such as theater seats and lavish sound systems while cutting back on funds for outreach programs. It is also noteworthy that many ministries refusing to volunteer for full financial accountability are the most ardent mandated tithing teachers.

From other researchers that have published on the internet regarding tithing: "Thank you for your interest in Tithing. We are grateful for the work you have done. However we make the following brief and succinct statement. We attempt to follow scripture. The Bible does not support ANY system of Tithing in the Christian Dispensation. Therefore your reasoning regarding Faith Based Abrahamic Covenant Tithing is unscriptural. Meanwhile we commend you for noting the wretched system of Mandated Law Tithing that is a gross criminal act. We suggest that you stay with scripture and realize that one is to give but it is not a Tithe."

Richard Wayne Garganta: "Many people criticize prosperity preachers calling them greedy money grabbers. The reality is the reason they exist is because of the greed of the masses who are tantalized by the "give to get" mentality. Also, there are faith preachers and there are confidence men. There is success coaching and there is the Gospel message. Readers would be well advised to learn the differences."

[M.V.Thomas]

I happened to run into this page where people have posted their opinions as to one should tithe or not. Many have quoted scriptures of Malachi and Luke 6:38 also. A few have almsot challenged that tithe is an old system and not correct etc. ..it caught my attention...

I am an Engineer, a Christian, who knew nothing about Tithe. I worked all around in many countries. I was never financially prosperous though I made always more than twice the amount of any person with my qualifications by getting ahead of them in my field of work. It was in 1990 that I realized that I do not have much, and am still living from paycheck to pay check. I had bad investments, loans and burdens that I did not know how to get rid of. It was at that time, I ran into this concept of Tithing - rather God brought me into it as I was praying to improve my situation. It took months of reserach, reading of several books on the topic, attending lectures on tithing etc etc, before I really started tithing. I am so garteful to God that He has created such a system to bless us, I always wonder why no one taught me this all these years ! Blessings started coming into my life right and left. My income in about 6-7 years became 10-12 times what it was. I had several ups and down and markets went down and up many times. But, my God always kept His promises. I am a man with a wife (home maker) and three daughters. We are so blessed that all of us today proclaim His glory and encourage ALL we come across, to tithe. My older daughter is a Master's in Compu Science ( married), second one is doing her Medicine, and the third is prepapring for her Business Management. I have a very successful business, and I boldly proclaim His principles of Tithing every where. I am boasting in the Lord who is the only strength I have.

ALL those who have doubted are those who have never tithed. They are trying to evaluate tithing without tithing. It is not going to work.

Tithing is one of the greatest principles given to mankind. It works mightly and supernaturally. You can use all your brain to figure out how it works; but will not know. It is His hands that will make it work. So, if any of you are struggling financially, I ask you, please do not delay. It is not worth carrying that burden on your own. You cannot make it on your own for all the time. Turn to Him and start tithing. You will be amazed seeing it's results.

It is God's blessings that make a person rich. There is absolutely no doubt. If you want to know more about it, sincerely, please email me. Humbly in Lord.