Dedication to God

People are often dedicated to something, such as their job, their children, their wives, their husbands, their public service, or even to sports. Soldiers are dedicated to their profession. They give themselves wholly or chiefly to these objects of their devotion. But the Scriptures teach us to be dedicated to the Lord.

The Firstborn Belongs to the Lord
The Scriptures say that the firstborn belongs to the Lord, including both the firstborn child as well as the firstborn animals.

"The Lord said to Moses, 'Consecrate to me every firstborn male. The first offspring of every womb among the Israelites belongs to me, whether human or animal.'” (Ex 13:1-2, NIV).

Since the first fruits of every womb belong to the Lord, He requires that they be dedicated to Him.

Why should the firstborn belong to the Lord?

The Lord Always Gets the First Fruits
First of all, the firstborn belong to the Lord, because the Lord always gets the first fruits of everything. Just as tithing is required on our financial income, our crops, our livestock, and all our increase, and just as we give God the first day of each week and keep it holy to honor Him, we also give him the first fruits of the womb.

God Deserves Our Very Best
Secondly, the firstborn belong to the Lord, because God deserves our very best.

The apostle Paul wrote of Christ, "And He is the head of the body, the church; He is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything He might have the supremacy." (Col 1:18). Another version says, "...that in everything He might have first place."

Matthew Henry states: "God, who is the first and best, should have the first and best, and to him we should resign that which is most dear to us, and most valuable. The firstborn were the joy and hope of their families. Therefore they shall be mine, says God. By this it will appear that we love God best (as we ought) if we are willing to part with that to him which we love best in this world."

Since the firstborn child is the very best, the Lord requires that we dedicate it to Him.

Dedicate That Which God Has Spared
Another reason behind dedicating the firstborn child to the Lord is that we should dedicate that which God has spared. Remember how in the Lord's judgment on Egypt, He had sent the death angel to kill the firstborn of every household in Egypt (Ex 11), but because of the blood of the lamb on the homes of the Israelites during Passover (Ex 12), He spared the firstborn children of every Israelite household. Likewise, when God has spared, rescued, or saved someone, it is fitting to dedicate that person to Him. Matthew Henry states: "That which is by special distinguishing mercy spared to us should be in a peculiar manner dedicated to God's honour."

Children Dedicated to the Lord Obligated to Serve Him
One example from Scripture of someone dedicating their child to the Lord is Hannah, who dedicated her son Samuel to the Lord while she was barren, before he was conceived.

"She made a vow and said, 'O LORD of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a son, then I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life, and a razor shall never come on his head.'" (1Sa 1:11)

Later after the boy was born and weaned, she said, "For this boy I prayed, and the LORD has given me my petition which I asked of Him. So I have also dedicated him to the LORD; as long as he lives he is dedicated to the LORD." (1Sa 1:27-28)

"Then Elkanah went to his home at Ramah. But the boy ministered to the LORD before Eli the priest." (1Sa 2:11)

My wife and I dedicated every one of our five children to the Lord when they were babies. They belonged to God in the first place, and we were simply giving them back to Him. In doing so, we were committing our children to Him. Matthew Henry states: "Parents have a right to dedicate their children to God, as living sacrifices and spiritual priests; and an obligation is thereby laid upon them to serve God faithfully all the days of their life." Whenever someone dedicates a child to the Lord, it should not be taken lightly, because God takes us at our word and expects us to follow through on what we have solemnly promised Him in His presence.

The Apostles Were Dedicated to the Lord's Service
In the gospels we discover that the apostles left everything and dedicated themselves to the Lord's service.

"And [Jesus] said to them, 'Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.' Immediately they left their nets and followed Him. Going on from there He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and He called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him." (Mat 4:19-22)

Later on, He promised them great reward for leaving everything and dedicating their lives to Him.

"Peter began to say to Him, 'Behold, we have left everything and followed You.' Jesus said, 'Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or farms, for My sake and for the gospel's sake, but that he will receive a hundred times as much now in the present age, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and farms, along with persecutions; and in the age to come, eternal life.'" (Mar 10:28-30)

cf., Mat 19:27-29; Luke 18 28-30

The apostles remained steadfast in their dedication to the Lord, even after His death, burial, resurrection, and ascension into heaven. Their devotion became apparent when it was challenged by the need to deliver food to the widows in the community. Scripture says, "So the twelve summoned the congregation of the disciples and said, 'It is not desirable for us to neglect the word of God in order to serve tables....But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the Word.'" (Act 6:2,4). Being devoted in this way to prayer and the ministry of the Word is a great picture of dedication to God.

All Disciples of Christ Are Consecrated to the Lord
However, dedication is not just something we should do with our firstborn children, because all disciples of Christ are actually consecrated to the Lord.

All Those in Christ are Considered Firstborn
Since Christ is the firstborn and His disciples are in Him, then in essence all those in Christ are considered firstborn. Matthew Henry puts it this way: "It is the church of the firstborn that is sanctified to God, Heb 12:23. Christ is the firstborn among many brethren (Rom 8:29), and, by virtue of their union with him, all that are born again, and born from above, are accounted as firstborn. There is an excellency of dignity and power belonging to them; and, if children, then heirs."

We are Called to Holiness and Separated unto God 
Indeed dedication is not only for certain followers of Christ, but we are all called to holiness and separation unto God. For Paul wrote, "For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life." (1 Thes 4:7, NIV). Since we are called to live a holy life, and holiness is being set apart for God or consecrated to Him, then we are all called to a life of devotion to Him. Peter wrote, "But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do;" (1 Pet 1:15, NIV)

We Are to Live for the Lord, Not Ourselves
Moreover, we are all supposed to live for the Lord, not ourselves. Paul wrote, "And He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf." (2Co 5:15)

You Are Not Your Own
Scripture teaches that your life is not your own. Paul said, "Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body." (1Co 6:19-20)

Offer Your Body as a Living Sacrifice to God
We as followers of Christ are supposed to offer our bodies as living sacrifices to God. Paul said, "Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship." (Rom 12:1). As we know, any sacrifice that was laid upon the altar under the Law was left there until it was fully consumed. A sacrifice was not taken back by the one offering it, so when we offer our bodies to God as living sacrifices, they are dedicated to Him.

Putting it All Together
As we have seen from the Word of God dedication -- also known as devotion or consecration -- is an important aspect of our worship of God and service to Him. The first fruits of the womb belong to the Lord, so He expects us to dedicate the firstborn to Him, and that is what we should do. For He deserves our very best. Parents also have the right to dedicate not only their firstborn, but all of their children to the Lord, if they wish, which in turn obligates those children to faithfully serve the Lord.

The devotion of the apostles to the Word of God and prayer demonstrated their devotion to the Lord, which is an example for all of us who are called to be ministers of the New Covenant. Then we in turn become examples for every disciple of Christ we touch to also live a life of sincere and pure devotion to the Lord. For we are all called to live a holy life that is separated to God. Since we are all in Christ the firstborn, we are all coheirs with Him, sharing in all the rights and privileges that this affords, as if we, too, were the firstborn. But with that status comes the responsibility to live a life of holiness and separation to God, to live our lives for the Lord and not for ourselves, and to offer our bodies to God as living sacrifices, since our lives are not our own. Let it be a reminder to us all of the life of dedication to God, to which we have been called.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB copyright the Lockman Foundation, used by permission. Other Scriptures where noted as NIV, taken from the Holy Bible New International Version, copyright Zondervan, used by permission. Dedication to God image by Charity V. Lacroix, from A Brush with Life.
 
Author's note: You are invited to read Holy Living in a Perverted World, Separation from the World, The Straight and Narrow Path, Whatever You Do, Do All Like This, Walking in the Perfect Will of God, Aim for Perfection, Godly Attire and Adornment -- Seven Divine Revelations, Carrying Your Cross or Cross Dressing?, Tattoos and Body Piercing, Keeping Your Body Pure and Holy, Alcohol and Cigarettes -- Ten Divine Revelations, Rock, Rap, and Reggae Music -- Three Divine Revelations, The Forgotten Sin of Worldliness, and Called to be Blameless. You may access the Main Directory for this Seeking the Lord blog for more articles like this, as well as my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Where Should You Give Your Tithe?

“Tithing is the mechanism for funding the Gospel. Those who withhold tithes and offerings from the Lord are disobedient Christians, they won't be ready for His return. By their disobedience, they hinder the gospel from going out, costing souls. That Lord has warned the church, that anyone who loves money more than Him, will not see the Kingdom.” -- Robert Brownell, Little Lessons

 To read my previous post on tithing, key here.

Once you have become convinced from Scripture that the Lord expects Christians to tithe, then you must decide where to give the tithe. I once was asked the question, “Is giving tithes to the Lord necessarily giving to the local Church in the New Testament? Aren’t Christians free to give wherever the Spirit leads?” I have asked the Lord the same question myself.  "Lord, where should the tithe be given?  Can the tithe be given elsewhere besides the local church?"

Based on what I have read in the Word of God, my opinion is that we must support our local church.  What would it be like if nobody supported his or her local church this way?  How would any church operate?  It would be wrong for people to benefit in so many ways from the church (teaching, preaching, visitation, prayer, counsel, worship, fellowship, healing, deliverance, etc) and not share all good things with those in oversight.

The Storehouse is God’s House
A pastor told me about 20 yrs ago that if I choose where to give my tithes, then I become the Lord of the tithe.  It’s true.  The Lord instructed us through the prophet Malachi to bring the whole tithe into the "storehouse" so there may be food in "God's house."  "Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this," says the LORD of hosts, "if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows. (Mal 3:10).  In saying this, the Lord showed that the storehouse and His house are one and the same.

According to the Law, the people were to bring their tithes to the temple, so we know that was the storehouse, known as God’s house.  There are over two hundred references in the Old Testament to the “house of the Lord,” but one of those will suffice. King David said, “I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the LORD.’" (Psa 122:1)

Jesus also said of the temple, "My house will be called a house of prayer" (Mt 21:13). In that case, He was obviously referring to the temple in Jerusalem.  But He also told those same people, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." (Joh 2:19). In this case, He was not referring to the building.  The apostle John explained, “But He was speaking of the temple of His body.” (Joh 2:21). 

And the apostle Paul explained that the church of God is the Body of Christ, and we are His temple.  “Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” (1Co 3:16).  Just as Jesus referred to His physical body as the temple, His corporate Body on earth is also the temple.  So in the New Testament, we know that the Body of Christ is the house of God.  And this is how we must now apply the words of Jesus that His house would be called a house of prayer.

There are many more New Testament references to the house of God.  The apostle Paul said, “As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.” (Gal 6:10). The household of faith referred to the people of God, the church.  In Paul’s instructions about the qualifications for elders, he also said, “But if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?” (1Ti 3:5).  Here Paul made a direct correlation between a man’s ability to manage his own household and his ability to take care of God’s household, which is the church of God. 

So the temple in the Old Testament is now the Body of Christ, God’s household, a house of prayer, and the temple of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, it means that in the New Testament, you should give your tithes to the church. 

Some believe they are free to give their tithes directly to other believers, like strangers, widows, orphans, the oppressed, and the poor.  No doubt, those are important needs that are near to the Lord’s heart. However, I tend to think of giving to those needs as “offerings” given above and beyond the tithe, or “alms to the poor,” if given to the poor. 

On the other hand, if we maintain our interpretation of the "storehouse" as the local church, then we would give our tithes to the local church.  This would be in line with common sense, as well as the scripture about sharing with those who teach you. Paul said that, “The one who is taught the word is to share all good things with the one who teaches him.” (Gal 6:6). He also taught that we must not muzzle the ox, and the worker is worthy of his wages (1 Tim 5:18).  He was clear that this applies to ministers of the gospel who have dedicated their lives to preaching.  Would God be pleased if a disciple gives his tithe to a widow while his pastor and family go hungry and without proper clothes or shelter?  

In the New Testament, the disciples shared all good things with their elders, which were the apostles in Jerusalem.  They brought their gifts and laid them at the apostles feet (Act 4:35; Act 4:37; Act 5:2).  It was the apostles who then determined how those funds should be distributed, and to whom they should give them. Where there were widows in need, the apostles used the funds to ensure the widows received a distribution of food. And the apostles were not getting rich off this money either.  Peter and John told the lame beggar that they possessed neither silver nor gold! 

The collection Paul took for the poor disciples in Jerusalem was similar.  He wanted people to set aside a sum of money in keeping with their income each week, based on what each one had decided in his heart to give. He wrote to the Corinthians, “On the first day of every week each one of you is to put aside and save, as he may prosper, so that no collections be made when I come.” (1Co 16:2) Then when Paul came to Corinth, the local church overseers gave the money from the church members to Paul. “Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” (2Co 9:6-7).   In turn, Paul took the gifts and delivered them to the saints in Jerusalem.  This was a ministry to the saints (2 Co 9:1).

Old Testament Roots
If you want to really hear from God on where to give your tithes, then prayerfully read Numbers 16-18.  The instructions are very clear. 

First of all, we need to understand that the Lord chose Moses and Aaron to preside over all the tribes of Israel.  Yet Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, who were Levite, grumbled against them. They assembled together against Moses and Aaron, and said to them, "You have gone far enough, for all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the LORD is in their midst; so why do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the LORD?" When Moses heard this, he fell on his face; and he spoke to Korah and all his company, saying, "Tomorrow morning the LORD will show who is His, and who is holy, and will bring him near to Himself; even the one whom He will choose, He will bring near to Himself (Num 16:3-5).  Note that Moses said the Lord would show who is His, who is holy, and would bring near to Himself the one whom He will choose. 

Moses asked the Levites why it wasn’t enough for them that the Lord had separated them from the rest of the congregation to serve in the tabernacle.  He asked them if they also wanted the priesthood, too (Num 16:8-10). At Moses’ command, they took their censers, put fire in them, and lay incense in them in the presence of the Lord.  “Moses said, ‘By this you shall know that the LORD has sent me to do all these deeds; for this is not my doing. If these men die the death of all men or if they suffer the fate of all men, then the LORD has not sent me. But if the LORD brings about an entirely new thing and the ground opens its mouth and swallows them up with all that is theirs, and they descend alive into Sheol, then you will understand that these men have spurned the LORD.’ As he finished speaking all these words, the ground that was under them split open; and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, and their households, and all the men who belonged to Korah with their possessions.” (Num 16:28-32).

In this instance, God showed who was holy and who was not.  “So they and all that belonged to them went down alive to Sheol; and the earth closed over them, and they perished from the midst of the assembly. All Israel who were around them fled at their outcry, for they said, ‘The earth may swallow us up!’ Fire also came forth from the LORD and consumed the two hundred and fifty men who were offering the incense.” (Num 16:33-35).  In addition to Korah and his 250 men, a total of 14,700 people died that day in a plague from God on account of Korah.

Then the Lord went a step further.  He had the leader of each of the twelve tribes present their staff to Moses.  Aaron’s name was written on the staff that represented the tribe of Levi.  The Lord said that the staff that budded, blossomed, and produced almonds would indicate the man He had chosen.  “Now on the next day Moses went into the tent of the testimony; and behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi had sprouted and put forth buds and produced blossoms, and it bore ripe almonds.” (Num 17:8)

This proved that God does have a man whom He chooses.  “So the LORD said to Aaron, ‘You and your sons and your father's household with you shall bear the guilt in connection with the sanctuary, and you and your sons with you shall bear the guilt in connection with your priesthood. But bring with you also your brothers, the tribe of Levi, the tribe of your father, that they may be joined with you and serve you, while you and your sons with you are before the tent of the testimony. And they shall thus attend to your obligation and the obligation of all the tent, but they shall not come near to the furnishings of the sanctuary and the altar, or both they and you will die.” (Num 18:1-3)

From this passage we learn that the Lord gave the priesthood to Aaron as a gift to serve him while he and his sons were before the tent of testimony, but they did not have the right to come near the furnishing of the sanctuary and the altar.  God gave Aaron and his sons the responsibility to carry out the obligations of the sanctuary and the altar. He said, "So you shall attend to the obligations of the sanctuary and the obligations of the altar, so that there will no longer be wrath on the sons of Israel. Behold, I Myself have taken your fellow Levites from among the sons of Israel; they are a gift to you, dedicated to the LORD, to perform the service for the tent of meeting.” (Num 18:5-6)

Now the next part is key to understanding who gets the tithes.  “Then the LORD spoke to Aaron, ‘Now behold, I Myself have given you charge of My offerings, even all the holy gifts of the sons of Israel I have given them to you as a portion and to your sons as a perpetual allotment. This shall be yours from the most holy gifts reserved from the fire; every offering of theirs, even every grain offering and every sin offering and every guilt offering, which they shall render to Me, shall be most holy for you and for your sons.” (Num 18:8-9).  The Lord gave Aaron charge of His offerings that the sons of Israel gave as holy gifts to the Lord.  He gave them to Aaron and his sons as their portions and as a perpetual allotment.  All the gifts that were not put through the fire were for him and his sons.  The Lord continued in the following verses after this to detail all the kinds of gifts that would belong to Aaron and his sons. 

“Then the LORD said to Aaron, ‘You shall have no inheritance in their land nor own any portion among them; I am your portion and your inheritance among the sons of Israel. To the sons of Levi, behold, I have given all the tithe in Israel for an inheritance, in return for their service which they perform, the service of the tent of meeting.’” (Num 18:20-21).  Aaron did not inherit any portion of land among the Israelites, like the rest of them did.  The Lord said that He was Aaron’s portion and inheritance!  And the Lord gave all the tithe in Israel to the sons of Levi for an inheritance in return for their service to God.

"To the sons of Levi, behold, I have given all the tithe in Israel for an inheritance, in return for their service which they perform, the service of the tent of meeting. (Num 18:21)

And again, the Lord said, "For the tithe of the sons of Israel, which they offer as an offering to the LORD, I have given to the Levites for an inheritance; therefore I have said concerning them, 'They shall have no inheritance among the sons of Israel.'" (Num 18:24).  The Israelites offered their tithe as an offering to the Lord by presenting them to the Levites, and the Lord gave the tithe to the Levites. 

In the New Testament, the pastor stands in the role of Aaron and his fellow Levites.  The pastor receives the tithes that the rest of the people offer as an offering to the Lord.  The Lord has given the tithe to the pastor as an inheritance, since he has no other inheritance. The Lord is the pastor’s inheritance. 

Pastors Must Also Tithe
Just as the rest of the people must tithe to the Lord, the pastor also must tithe.  This is what the Lord said to Aaron and his fellow Levites. 

Here is how it worked. The Lord said to Aaron, "Moreover, you shall speak to the Levites and say to them, 'When you take from the sons of Israel the tithe which I have given you from them for your inheritance, then you shall present an offering from it to the LORD, a tithe of the tithe.’” (Num 18:26).  The Lord told Aaron to tell his fellow Levites to offer to the Lord a tithe of the tithe.  In other words, out of the tithe they received from the people, they were to offer a tithe of that to the Lord, the best part of what they received.  The Lord considered that best part to be the sacred part, or holy part.  It was dedicated or set apart.

He instructed Aaron to tell the Levites, “’So you shall also present an offering to the LORD from your tithes, which you receive from the sons of Israel; and from it you shall give the LORD'S offering to Aaron the priest. Out of all your gifts you shall present every offering due to the LORD, from all the best of them, the sacred part from them.' You shall say to them, 'When you have offered from it the best of it, then the rest shall be reckoned to the Levites as the product of the threshing floor, and as the product of the wine vat.’” (Num 18:28-30)  This meant that the Levites must give the LORD'S offering to Aaron the priest. This was to be the best part of the offerings they received from the Israelites.  After they gave this to Aaron, the rest of the tithes they received were to become theirs to eat and drink.

Putting it All Together
First of all, your tithe must be given to the Lord.  But as we have seen, there is the question of where on earth those funds should be given.

In the Old Testament, God gave Israel's tithes to the Levites as an inheritance in lieu of land.  This concept is in line with pastors today, and other full-time gospel ministers. 

The first apostles chose not to neglect the word of God to serve tables. “So the twelve summoned the congregation of the disciples and said, ‘It is not desirable for us to neglect the word of God in order to serve tables…But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.’" (Act 6:4).  The twelve apostles were functioning in a dedicated role, serving the congregation through their devotion to prayer and to the ministry of the Word.  It’s no different for pastors and other full-time ministers today, who have no other vocation. They have chosen not to make a living any other way, since they have dedicated themselves to their calling.   In a way, many such pastors have no other means to provide for their families, and they have no other inheritance. 

The same thing that applied to Aaron and the Levites applies to pastors today.  They should receive the tithes that the people offer to the Lord in the sanctuary.  And then they must offer to the Lord a tithe of the tithe.  The rest of what they receive is theirs to live on, after they have given the best part to the Lord. Obviously there are boundaries set by each church on how much the pastor can receive as salary, so I think those will apply in each situation.  Any issues with that need to be worked out with the church board.

The church of God is God’s household, the house of the Lord, also called the temple.  Just as the tithes were brought to the temple in the Old Testament, they should be brought to the church in the New Testament.  Therefore, I believe in supporting the local church with tithes, and then giving offerings elsewhere.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this article, you may also like "Is Tithing Required for Christians?" I also recommend The New Covenant, and Obedience by the Spirit. You may visit the Main Directory for Seeking the Lord, and also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Is Obedience Optional?

Many Christians today use the “grace card” as an excuse why they don’t need to concern themselves with obedience to God’s commandments.  In other words, they feel that since we are saved by grace through faith, and not by works, our works are not important.  But this could not be farther from the truth.

God places great importance on obedience in the life of the disciple.  This is what Jesus taught.

Condition for Eternal Life
The apostle Paul said that Jesus Christ is the source of salvation to all those who obey Him.  "Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered. And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation." (Heb 5:8-9). That's not my opinion, it's God's Word.

The apostle John said, “The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.” (1Jo 2:17).  If you do the will of God, you’ll live forever.  If not, you will pass away with the world and its lusts.

Jesus also said, "Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he will never see death." (Joh 8:51) This is a conditional sentence containing the word “if.”  It is only “if” you keep His word that you will never see death.  Surely we are saved by grace through faith in Jesus.  But once you are saved, the Lord expects you to keep His word. If you want to meet the conditions for eternal life, you must keep Jesus’ Word!

As John the Baptist said, "He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him." (Joh 3:36).  The wrath of God abides on the one who does not obey the Son, and he will not see life.

Loving Means Obeying
Jesus also said, "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” (Joh 14:15).  Many people say they love Jesus or they believe in Jesus. But they don’t do what He said.  They don’t keep His commandments.  They make excuses why they don’t need to give tithes and offerings or keep Sundays holy. They justify why it is ok for them to practice sexual immorality, occultism, or idolatry.  But their actions show the true condition of their heart.  A person can appear to be a true follower of Christ on the outside but God knows the heart. There are multitudes of churches on the Earth and many of the churches are filled with many people. However, most of them are not true Christians.

If you want to abide in Jesus' love, here is what you must do: you must keep His commandments!  He said, "If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love. (Joh 15:10).  Jesus set the example for us and kept His Father’s commandments, so we need to imitate Him.

He was obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross, not just a natural death.  Paul said, “Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus… Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” (Phi 2:5,8).  The Father expects that kind of obedience from disciples of Christ.

Hear and Act on Jesus’ words

Not everyone who believes in Jesus is going to heaven.  Not everyone who calls Him, “Lord” is going to be saved. 

Listen to what Jesus taught.  "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. "Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.' "Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. "And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. "Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. "The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell--and great was its fall." (Mat 7:21-27)

Your salvation is based on grace through faith in Christ.  But it ultimately depends on whether or not you hear and act on Jesus’ words.  Those who hear His words and act on them will be saved.  When the storms come, they will not be shaken.  But those who hear His words and do not act on them will not be saved.  Jesus will call them “you who practice lawlessness,” and command them to depart from Him. They will be destroyed like the house built on sand. 

Don’t build your house on the sand!  All your prophesying, working miracles, and casting out demons in Jesus’ name will not save you.  Those are good to do, but if you are not acting on the words of Jesus, keeping His commandments, you will be blown away.

Jesus’ True Family Does God’s Will
If you are truly Jesus’ brother, sister, or mother, you will do the will of the Heavenly Father.  Jesus said, "For whoever does the will of My Father who is in heaven, he is My brother and sister and mother." (Mat 12:50).  It doesn’t matter if you have prayed to ask Jesus into your heart and you go to church every week.  God is watching to see whether or not you will do His will. If you fail on some point, repent sincerely and ask forgiveness.  God is gracious and will forgive you.  But don’t keep walking in the same sin or you will eventually wind up in hell. 

Feeding on Obedience
When Jesus had once spoken to the woman at the well, His disciples asked if he wanted something to eat. Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work.” (Joh 4:34).  For Jesus it was nourishing to Him to do the will of God, and it is for every disciple of His who chooses to do God’s will. Man lives on every word that proceeds out of God’s mouth.

Sheep and Goats Judged on What They Did or Did Not Do
Jesus is coming back very soon.  At the final judgment, He will sit on His glorious throne.  Here is how He described it:

"But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. "All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left. "Then the King will say to those on His right, 'Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 'For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.' "Then the righteous will answer Him, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? 'And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? 'When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?' "The King will answer and say to them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.' "Then He will also say to those on His left, 'Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink; I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.' "Then they themselves also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of You?' "Then He will answer them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.' "These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." (Mat 25:31-46)

Jesus taught that what we do to His brethren, we do to Him.  Remember that He taught us His brethren are those who do God’s will.  So whatever you do to them you do to Jesus.  Whenever you feed His brethren who are hungry, visit those who are sick or imprisoned, clothe those who are naked, or invite those who are strangers into your home, you are doing it to Jesus Himself.  Conversely, whenever you neglect to do so, you neglect to do it unto Jesus. 

The sheep and goats will be judged on what they did and didn’t do.  Both the sheep and the goats will call Him “Lord.”  But only those who do God’s will, who act on Jesus’ words will inherit eternal life.  Those who do not will go away to eternal punishment.

The Word Will Condemn Those Who Don’t Keep It
This is the part people don’t like to talk about.  It doesn’t fit with their idea of grace and freedom.  But these are the words of Jesus our Savior.  He said, "If anyone hears My sayings and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. He who rejects Me and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day. For I did not speak on My own initiative, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me a commandment as to what to say and what to speak. I know that His commandment is eternal life; therefore the things I speak, I speak just as the Father has told Me." (Joh 12:47-50)

Jesus clearly taught that the word He has spoken will condemn anyone who hears His sayings and does not keep them.

Putting it All Together
Jesus Christ is the source of salvation for all who obey Him. If He is truly your Lord, then that means He is your Master.  It means you do whatever He says.  If you love Him, you will keep His commandments.  If you don't keep His commandments, then you don't really love Him.

In that final judgment, you won’t be able to pull out the “grace card” from your hand and claim that you are saved by grace alone.  You need to take care now that you are doing the will of God, keeping His commandments, hearing and acting on Jesus’ words, and feeding on obedience to the Lord. 

When you see one of Jesus’ brethren hungry, feed them.  Clothe those who are naked.  Invite those who are strangers into your home. Visit the ones who are sick or in prison. Listen to Jesus’ words.  Study the Bible.  Know what God has commanded, and do what He says.  Then you will prove that your faith is genuine.  Then you will be one of Jesus’ brothers or sisters.  Then you will prove yourself to be one of His true sheep, and you will inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

Christians, living under the New Covenant, are not under the Old Covenant law, but able to fulfill its intent through faith in Jesus Christ. Those who chose to ignore God's commandments and neglect the words of Jesus will die in their sin.  They will perish and go away to eternal punishment.


Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.

Author's note: This article is related to the following messages:
The Obedience of Faith
Doing What is Right
Righteous Deeds and White Robes 
The Law of Love in the New Testament
The Law Established Through Faith
The Law Fulfilled in Us
Faith Works!
Keeping Sundays Holy
Resting from Work
Is Tithing Required for Christians?
Salvation with Fear and Trembling
If -- A Picture Paints a Thousand Words

I invite you to read my daughter's poem, Overflowing Blessings. You can also find my complete collection of blogs at Writing for the Master.

Photo credit: Image is from a post by Dr. Michelle T. Johnson, called Obedience is the Antidote, on her Alabaster Woman blog. "Wise and Foolish Builders" painting © 2012 Danny Hahlbohm, all rights reserved by the artist.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Is Tithing Required for Christians?

It's quite common today for Christians not to tithe to the Lord. In fact, many believe it is an Old Testament practice that doesn't apply to Christians.  Statistics show that Christians give an average of 3% of their income to charity annually. And if you ask pastors, many of them will tell you that most people in their church don't tithe.  Amazingly, some pastors actually teach people that tithing is not required.

However, I want to show that this is very much still applicable to disciples of Christ.  In addition to the Biblical teaching on tithing for New Testament disciples, the Lord has given many divine revelations to His people to ensure we know that we are still expected to tithe.  First I will share some Scriptures about this and then some of those divine revelations.

Scriptural Teaching

First of all, tithing has been God’s kingdom way since the Old Testament. It means giving a percentage of your income off the top.  The most commonly understood percentage is ten percent, but twenty percent may be used also. And some people have been known to give ninety percent!

The prophet Malachi wrote: "Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing Me! But you say, 'How have we robbed You?' In tithes and offerings. "You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing Me, the whole nation of you! "Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this," says the LORD of hosts, "if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows. (Mal 3:8-10)

So the tenth verse of Malachi’s third chapter teaches us to bring the tenth of our increase into the storehouse, so that there may be food in God’s house.  Those who fail to do so are robbing from God.  Believe me, you don’t want to ever be found guilty of stealing from God.  But upon those who do tithe properly, God promises to pour out a blessing until it overflows. And for those who think this command to tithe is just for the Old Covenant people of Israel, God says in the immediate context of this passage, "I the Lord do not change." (Mal 3:6). Also see Remember the Eternal Law of God and Listen to Jesus.

The tenth verse of Proverbs 3 also teaches this principle.  Wise King Solomon wrote this under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit: “Honor the LORD from your wealth And from the first of all your produce; So your barns will be filled with plenty And your vats will overflow with new wine.” (Pro 3:9-10).  This goes contrary to logic, but it works this way in God’s kingdom.  If you will honor the Lord with your wealth, even the first part of all your increase, you’ll have plenty for yourself.  In fact, you’ll experience overflowing abundance.

Tithing is not something from the Law that comes from the Mosaic Covenant. Abraham, who lived before Moses, tithed (Gen 14:20; Heb 7:4).  And Jacob tithed, saying, "This stone, which I have set up as a pillar, will be God's house, and of all that You give me I will surely give a tenth to You." (Gen 28:22).

Jesus also taught us to give.  He said, "Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure--pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return." (Luk 6:38).  That sounds a lot like Malachi 3:10 and Proverbs 3:10, doesn’t it?  You give, and it will surely be given to you in return until it overflows with great abundance! You have Jesus’ word on it!

Jesus said, "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others." (Mat 23:23).  Notice they carefully tithed everything.  The Lord did not correct them or rebuke them for tithing, as some may think He did.  Instead, He said, "these are the things you should have done!"  The part He rebuked them for was their gross neglect of weightier matters of the Law, justice and mercy and faithfulness.  He said they should not have neglected these.

As with many other aspects of the Law, Jesus showed that the Lord expects more than we thought.  With regards to the commandment not to kill, people always thought that as long as they don't physically murder someone, they have not broken this commandment.  But the Lord showed that we break the commandment when we call someone a fool.  Likewise, regarding giving, Jesus taught that not just 10%, but all we have belongs to God. He said, "So then, none of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his own possessions." (Luk 14:33). 

The apostle Paul taught that we should give generously.  He wrote to the Corinthians, “Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” (2Co 9:6-7).  If you want to reap abundantly, then sow generously.  And be sure you give with a cheerful heart, because that’s the kind of giver God loves.  You need to be sure you are giving with love in your heart and genuine faith in God.

Paul went on to teach that God will multiply the seed you sow, so you will have plenty more later for every good deed.  “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed; as it is written, ‘HE SCATTERED ABROAD, HE GAVE TO THE POOR, HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS ENDURES FOREVER.’ Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness.” (2Co 9:8-10)

Paul also taught us to work hard and help the weak through our giving. "In everything I showed you that by working hard in this manner you must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'" (Act 20:35).  It truly is a greater blessing for the one who gives than the one who receives.  Part of the reason is the joy it brings when done in love. But the other part is the return the giver receives from the Lord in this life and in heaven.  When we give, we are storing up treasures in heaven.

Jesus said, "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Mat 6:19-21).

Jesus also said to give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's. (Lk 20:25). He paid taxes and taught His followers to do the same.  The government expects a certain amount of our income, and that is rightly due from us.  Likewise, we owe the obedient tithes of our income to God.

Paul made the same point when he wrote to the Romans about the biblical requirement to submit to the governing authorities and pay taxes. He said, "Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience. This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor." (Rom 13:5-7, NIV). Paul said that the reason we pay taxes to the authorities is that they are God's servants, who give their full time to governing.  The same reason applies to giving money to any authorities that are over you, including spiritual authorities.  His use of the term "honor" here in connection with payment of taxes infers any financial payment that is due to those in authority.

Where should we give our tithes?  Malachi says to bring it all into the storehouse.  The goal is so that there would be food in God’s house.  So who needs food?  First of all, the elders who are serving God full time as pastors and teachers need to receive an income for their work. How shall the Lord's ministers carry out the work of the gospel unless people give tithes and offerings?

Paul said, “The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching.  For the Scripture says, ‘Do not muzzle the ox while it is treading out the grain,’ and ‘The worker deserves his wages.’” (1 Tim 5:18).  By using the expression "double honor" in this passage, Paul is clearly referring to financial support, which he explicitly calls "wages" deserved by the worker.  This agrees completely with his use of the term "honor" in Romans 13:7, which I have already explained.

Paul said to be careful you don’t muzzle the ox, in other words, the one who is ministering to you by serving the Lord full time as a pastor, teacher, apostle, etc. He got this from the Law of Moses, where it says, “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.”  Deut. 25:4.  Paul said this clearly applies to minister’s of the Lord.  And he quoted Jesus, who said, “…for the worker deserves his wages.”  Luke 10:7.  Paul also taught that, “The one who is taught the word is to share all good things with the one who teaches him.” (Gal 6:6). 

In my opinion, these are God’s priorities in tithing.  But we must not be stingy and stop after giving the tithe.  Beyond our tithes, we should also give offerings for other purposes, such as helping the weak, the poor, the widows and orphans, as well as supporting missionaries.  We should support the Lord’s work of spreading the gospel around the world.

Now let’s look at some of the revelations given by the Spirit to people about tithing.

Brother Park Yong Gyu
During a tragic Near Death Experience, A conservative Presbyterian Pastor named Yong Park was taken to Heaven and Hell. When he stood before the throne of God, the Heavenly Father greeted him. He states: "I then heard the voice of God, 'My beloved Pastor Park, Yong Gyu, I welcome you. You have made a long journey here.' His voice was overflowing with love and tenderness. The Lord then asked me five questions."

He goes on to say what the five questions were.  But two of the questions the Father asked were: "Did you tithe properly?" and "How much did you give of offerings?"

As he was leaving heaven, the angel escorting him told him the seven things a disciple must do so that building materials will be provided in heaven to build their eternal mansion.  Of the seven essential things needed to earn rewards, two of them were "one’s offering to the Lord," and "their obedient tithes to God."  This shows the great importance of these Scriptural commandments of God.

He also visited hell.  He states: "I then saw many pastors, elders, and deacons in Hell. I asked the angel, 'I know them. They had served God faithfully while on the Earth. They had died some time ago. We all had thought they were in Heaven with God. But now, I see them all in Hell and they are crying out that it is so hot! Why are they here?' There were so many pastors, elders, deacons and all other lay believers."  When the angel told him the eight main reasons why these particular believers were in hell, one of those reasons was that they did not tithe properly.  Another one was that they did not keep Sundays holy.   This also shows the great importance of these Scriptural commandments of God.

You may read brother Park's testimony by keying here.

Emmanuel Agyarkos vision

In a vision in November 2011, Emmanuel Agyarko, of Ghana, had a vision of hell.  In the vision, he saw pastors who did not pay the tithe.  He writes: “I saw four pastors in hell, who were there because they did not pay their tithes. One was called Albert and another was Daniel, a pastor of Church of Christ and this church does not believe in tithing. Daniel said he told his congregation not to pay tithes as it was no longer necessary. He was in hell for basically two things: first of all, he was not paying tithes himself and secondly, because he also stopped others from paying it. For Albert, his church believed in paying tithe, but he thought it was meant for only the congregation and pastors were excluded from paying it. He wished he could come back to earth to start over again and pay his tithes. The other two pastors also did not pay, and one of them, thought simply he did not think he had to pay it even though he knew he should be paying it, and the other thought ministering before God is not working, so he thought there was no need to pay any tithes.”

You may read Emmanuel's vision by keying here.

Angelica Zambrano’s second visit to hell

On January 4, 2010, Angelica Zambrano visited hell for the second time with the Lord Jesus.  While she was there, she saw a pastor who had not properly tithed.  She says: I heard millions of people, some were saying, "Oh Lord, have mercy on me, help me please, Lord, give me another opportunity."

Among all those people, I heard someone saying, "I ask for your forgiveness now Lord, because I have stolen from you, forgive me for stealing, I stole from you Lord and I do not want to do it again." I asked, "Lord, who is he and why does he say he stole from You?" "My child I will show you who he is." We entered his cell and I saw a disfigured man. The flames opened up and I could see that he was being tormented.

All those people who are in hell have a plaque on their chest, and 666 on their forehead. This man extended his hand and said, "Lord forgive me." I asked, "Why are you here, why are you asking for forgiveness from the Lord, why? You say you have stolen from God, but nobody can steal from God? This is impossible, why do you say you have stolen from Him?" He replied, "I'll tell you my story...I was a Christian leader, for 20 years I had known Christ, but during the 20 years I said: all that money from my tithing and offerings were just to sustain the pastors, but now I regret it because I understand and I know that it wasn't for them, it was for the Lord, and that is why I say I have stolen from God ... At this very moment there are many people on Earth that are robbing the Lord like I did. When you return to Earth, tell all those people who don't want to give their offerings and tithes, not to steal from the Lord, otherwise, they’ll wind up in Hell, and no thief will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. I knew the Holy Word, now I regret it and realize I robbed the Lord." (Malachi 3:8) He said, "Tell the people when they give to God, give the Lord with true love." (2 Cor 9:7) This man kept pleading, "Lord forgive me", and the Lord replied, "It is too late, there is no opportunity for you."

I asked the man, "But why did you rob God, why? You knew very well we cannot steal God’s tithes and offerings." He answered, "Yes, I knew very well, but never did follow it, I never did because I was a very proud man."

Don’t ever steal from the Lord, give your tithes and offerings to God because what you and I give the Lord on Earth it is not for men. When we give to God with all our heart, it is for the King of kings and Lord of lords.

The Bible says that the Lord tests us, it is clearly written in Malachi 3:8-10 You are cursed with the curse, for you are robbing Me, even this whole nation. Bring all the tithes (the whole tenth of your income) into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and prove Me now by it, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.  If you want God to greatly bless your life and your family, then don’t ever steal from God. It’s time to bless God, so He can bless our lives.

You may read Angelica's testimony by keying here. 

Brother Daniel Ekechukwu

On November 30, 2001, a Nigerian pastor, named Daniel Ekechukwu died and visited heaven and hell.  He saw a pastor who had embezzled money from his own church and also lied about it. He said, "I only ate church money.  I am ready to return it." The former pastor pleaded that he would return the money if Daniel could help him escape hell.  Daniel was shocked to see a pastor there, and felt pity for him.  But there was nothing he could do for the man.  He was eternally damned.

When you fail to tithe properly, how are you any different from this pastor? You are robbing from God.

You may read Daniel's testimony by keying here.  

Choo Thomas

On January 19, 1996, the Lord Jesus first began bringing Choo Thomas to visit heaven and hell. She testifies to this in her best-selling book, "Heaven is so Real."  She says:

Very first time He only showed me His throne room. Then after that we came down from heaven, and then we were sitting on the sand on earthly beach. And then He began to talk. He said, "We just went to Kingdom of Heaven. The only one who will come there are obedient and pure hearted", and He said "Preaching gospel is very important" and He waited for awhile, and He said "those who don’t tithe, they are disobedient Christians."

You may read Choo's testimony by keying here.   

Brother Yong-Doo Kim

A Korean pastor, named Yong-Doo Kim, has visited heaven and hell.  In fact, since 2005 he has visited hell nearly every day.  In Book 5 of Baptized by Blazing Fire, a visitor to his church testifies of brother Kim preaching that many believers are ending up in hell, because they don’t tithe or keep the Lord’s day holy.

You may read about brother Kim by keying here.    

Shaini Muas 
A Christian convert from Buddhism, Shaini Muas was given a revelation of hell by the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord took Shaini to hell so that she might be able to better communicate His message to the Hmong people that hell is a real place.  She saw many people who were there because they did not tithe.  She was told that the tithe belongs to God, and that people who do not tithe are stealing from God. She was told that we must give to God what belongs to God.

You may listen to her testimony by keying here.

Putting it All Together

We can see from Scripture and revelation that the Lord expects Christians to tithe under the New Covenant. It was not something that comes from the Law, but was an act of worship practiced by the patriarchs Abraham and Jacob.

Don't let anyone deceive you.  The Lord has not revoked this requirement.  Instead He said to the Pharisees that they should have tithed properly without neglecting the weightier matters of the Law -- justice and mercy and faithfulness. In fact, Jesus taught that not just 10%, but all we have belongs to God. He said, "So then, none of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his own possessions." (Luk 14:33). 

It's true! Of the seven essential things needed to earn rewards, two of them were "one’s offering to the Lord," and "their obedient tithes to God."  And you will give an account to the Father about these.  If you are a pastor, you will also give an account for what you taught your congregation about these.  Many pastors, elders, deacons, and lay believers are in hell for not properly tithing.  It's that serious!

For those who think this is legalism, I challenge you to read my other posts, called the Law of Love in the New Testament and Faith Works!  If you are not tithing, then you don't love God, because Jesus said, "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments." (Joh 14:15)

After all, though Jesus was rich, He became poor for our sake, so that through Him we might become rich. We are to follow Him and imitate Him.  Our Lord Jesus did not give 3%, 6%, or even 10%.  He gave 100% for us.  And God the Father gave His only Son.  This is why it is such a great sin to be stingy toward God.  He wants a 100% commitment from His children, and the tithe is merely the first fruits.

Please take this teaching seriously.  If you are already cheerfully tithing with a loving heart, then you already know how wonderful it is, and are experiencing the blessings from it, provided you are tithing properly. Just be sure you are not being stingy and withholding offerings from the Lord above your tithes. If you are not tithing, then let this be a serious warning from the Lord to turn and make this right with Him.  For more study on where you should give your tithes, see here.

Let me close with some examples of Christians who gave generously and reaped a great blessing. The following examples come from the lives of JC Penny, Nancy McFarland, and Arthur Larson.  Click on the image of the text with the white background below to enlarge it, so you can read it more easily:

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. Most other Scriptures taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®, unless otherwise noted.

Author's note: If you liked this article, I also recommend Faith Works! and Where Should You Give Your Tithe?, as well as Pleasing the Lord. Please visit the Seeking the Lord Blog Directory for more selections. You may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.