Where the Rubber Meets the Road

Malachi 3:8 Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.


This verse from the book of Malachi leads into one of the most contentious areas in the Christians walk.  When it comes to the topic of money, you will get some of the toughest battles from Christians.  The topic gets into several major issues such as law versus grace, the prosperity gospel, the word of faith movement, televangelism, and many other topics that branch from the idea of giving money to the church.  Nothing stirs up more ire in an individual believer than when you ask him or her to open up their purses and wallets to help support their ministries. 


In this article I want to focus on giving to the church.  Is giving to the church mandatory?  How much should one give to the church?  Are we to give a tithe?  And I want to look at the bigger picture as well and take a peak at Biblical finances and how we can arrange our money handling to make the Lord and His work preeminent, and not just relegated to the leftovers.


This article I am writing for my own edification as well as the edification of other believers to help myself and other better understand the idea of giving in the context of the larger picture of Biblical finances and our personal walk in Jesus Christ and our relationship with the Father.  I ask the Holy spirit to guide me as I write this and that He open my eyes and the eyes of others to the truth found in scripture concerning giving to the church.


What is a tithe?  A tithe simply means tenth, or 10%.  The first time we run into the idea of tithing is in Genesis 14 when Abram pays a tithe to the Priest of Melchizedek.  This seems to hit right out of the blue as previously there seemed to be no mention of a tithe at all.  Just all of a sudden, there was Melchizedek and Abram paying tithes.  So Where did this come from?  I think we can see the beginnings back in the story of Cain and Abel and their offerings unto the Lord.  We did not get a lot of details about that either, but it was clear that there was some recognition that a portion of production was for the Lord. 


This idea was likely to have carried on orally as humankind spread and grew after the flood.  As families grew into communities and spread across the land, A form of taxation came into being to support the communities government and authorities which constituted mainly of religious leaders and their armies.  Do, Abram, upon leaving the Ur of the Chaldea was likely already familiar with the idea of the tithe as a means of support for religion and government which was at that time normally the same.  It would not have seemed odd at all for him to pay a tax to a religious and political leader of the region such as Melchizedek.


Years later as God people were delivered from slavery in Egypt, the mostly forgotten oral laws were given to Moses and written down.  The law given to Moses imposes a tithe or a tax upon the poeple for the support of the priests.  Leviticus 27 spells out that a tithe of what was grown or raised belonged to God. Being that most folks were farmers by nature, this was their incomes.  The principle of the tithe was God got his tithe first, and it was the best of.


In Deuteronomy 26:12 we get an idea of the purpose of the tithes.  It was for, " the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, that they may eat within thy gates, and be filled;"  The purpose for giving a tithe was to support the ministry of God, and to support the needy.   The levites were the priests, the equivalent of pastors, elders and other church personnel of today, who lived off of the tithe given by the nation, or congregants, of the community.  The tithe was the standard set by God, that He claimed for Himself to carry out His work through His ministers.


Does the tithe apply today? 


Many people make the argument that the law does not apply today and has been done away with.  These people like to point to 2 Corinthians 9:7 Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.  While it is true we are under no legal binding to give a tithe, the argument is often used to justify not giving at all, or giving very little.  But, if you truly love God, you should want to give, and you will cheerfully give at the standard God himself has set, the tithe.  You would do this not out of obligation, but out of love for God.  The tithe does not apply today as a legally binding tax as it did back then, but as a standard set by God himself that we can look towards as a guideline to our giving.  Our obedience to it should be something gladly done.  People only seem to see it as begrudging because they feel that they need it more that God does.


So really the answer to the question of whether the tithe applies today is yes and no.  Yes it still stands as a measure of what God wants and expects of us in our giving to support His church and for assisting the needy among us.  No it is not an enforceable law such as we have in taxation where we have to fear IRS audits and jail for not paying taxes.  The consequences could perhaps be much greater.  We will some day have to stand before our God and give account for ourselves.  Malachi 3:8 Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.


But I can't afford to tithe!


Many people say this when it comes to giving to church.  They look at their checkbooks and seem to barely have a dollar to spare when it comes to the end of the month.  They got their mortgage or rent, car payments, insurance, cell phone bill, cable bill, electric, heat, children to feed, alimony, and a million other things that seem to sap their wallets dry of every last dime.  Then when it comes to giving to the church or others, they are left with nothing to give.  Then they say they cannot tithe or give.


The problem in this case is that giving to the church is the least of their financial problems as it relates to biblical principles.  They have lived their life ignorant of, or ignoring the things the Bible has said concerning finances.  They have often also not connected the dots that the results of disobedience to God can often have financial consequences.  Tithing is only one small part of an entire financial outlook and lifestyle the bible prescribes for us to follow. 


What needs to be done in these cases is education.  One needs to take some time to learn and understand God's principles for life and set out to live those out.  They need to repent of the ways they have been living and submit themselves to the authority of scripture and take seriously what the Bible says to do.  Sacrifices will need to be made to restore personal and financial order to ones life.  Discipline will be needed to implement  these Biblical principles into your life.  this may shake you to the core of whether  or not you are truly serious about your faith, or whether you are only paying lip service.  This is where the rubber meets the road.


This is where grace comes into play.  God knows where you are at and you are not under legal obligation.  He does expect us to be obedient though.  We need to begin by giving just a little bit tp the ministry.  The principle is found in Matthew 25:21 His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.  As we begin to be obedient in giving, and are obedient getting the rest of our life in order, God will begin to bless us.  They are often not supernatural blessings, but rather they are consequential blessings based on truths promised in Gods word.  They are principles that when applied and stuck to will work every time.


To Whom should I give?


Obviously, if you are attending a church, that is the place where you should be giving.  Not everyone is attending a church though.  some people watch church on TV, or listening to the radio, through podcasts, or the internet.  Give to those places where you are hearing the word and are learning from, being diligent to search the scriptures to be sure what they are saying matches what the Bible says.  Give to those churches who are carrying out the great commissions of spreading the gospel to the world, or who are feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, etc... 


Some people try to argue that giving is not just of money, but also of time and talent.  While it is great to help in any way one can with their time and efforts, the entire concept if tithing is derived from first-fruits of our production.  In the old agrarian world that was what one grew or raised.  In modern times that would be the equivalent of money.  Money represents our labor and efforts of producing something of value.  god expects the first and best of those efforts.  Not too much to ask considering he gave us life.


I've heard people make the argument that they are not going to let their kids go hungry just so they can give a tithe to the church.  Family first, they say.  Well, above I already answered the problem of tight finances.  here I will talk about family.  Jesus put an interesting spin on family.  Matthew 12:50 For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.  Jesus says that the believers are our family.  So when we make the argument for family first, Jesus agrees.  other believers are your family.   Think of that the next time you bring up 1 Timothy 5:8  But if someone doesn’t provide for their own family, and especially for a member of their household, they have denied the faith. They are worse than those who have no faith.  Support your family.


Where the rubber meets the road is often in our finances.  Our finances encompass our entire lifestyle.  Where we spend our money will directly point to what we consider most important to us.  What we do with our money will show us directly who is most important to us.  Are we most important to ourselves? or is God preeminent in our lives?  Are we spending on earthly treasures where moth and rust corrupts?  Or are we investing in heavenly treasures?  Are we being obedient stewards?  Our budgets will tell the tale.

Be Prepared

This blog is going to be rather short and to the point.  Folks, be prepared.  

I went to the store this week just before a potential snowstorm.  I went at the last minute, even as the first flakes began falling.  I got off work at midnight and went to my local wal-mart to be sure i had some cat food so I would not run out and have the cat mad at me.  This is what I found.














This was just a simple snow storm.  People ravaged the store of supplies.  What happens if it is a far more serious crises.  Are you prepared for empty store shelves that won't be stocked any time soon?  I was shocked to see this in the midwest, a place known for snow storms.  It is like everyone panicked.  In a REAL national or regional emergency, this is what will happen.  There is no more than a 3 day supply of food connected to grocery stores.  If transport is cut off, there will be problems.  Be prepared.  Learn how to garden, forage naturally, hunt, fish.  Learn how not to be dependent on what a society provides.  Learn to be self sufficient, and in the right ways.  There will be enough marauding bands of starving people willing to take from others.

Dealing in Debt

There is a crushing weight weighing on the backs of every man woman and child in this country.  A weight so heavy that it has the potential to destroy us and our way of life.  It is a burden we loaded onto ourselves, voluntarily, both privately and publicly.  That heavy burden that we shoulder is debt.

If we look at our relationship with debt over the years, that relationship can be closely tied with the movement of the Christian faith from our public and private lives.  The Baby boom generation was the first in the nations history grown up (or saw it removed) without Bibles in school, prayer in school.  Without those Biblical guidelines being taught and even rejected, that generation became a me first generation, a generation where self gratification became the most important thing.

That generation enjoyed the good life, buying things on credit and paying for it later.  They unionized and got grand benefits and fabulous retirement plans.  Meanwhile, in Washington, that generation took power and began to spend.  Entitlements grew and expanded.  Bureaucracies increased since they felt they knew best how to do things (going back to the me attitude).  There never seemed to be a problem since they were all prospering tremendously.

We are now at a point where all of the greed and self interest is coming home to roost.  The lavish lifestyles our parents enjoyed was at the current generations expense and we are left to deal with the aftermath.  My generation is the first in the nations history that is not more prosperous than the previous.  Why?  Because they spent all the money and now we have to pay the price.

Had we not moved away from those Biblical principles, we would not be in the situation we are in.  What are those principles?  Many are probably unaware of them since they are no longer taught in any public venue. 

 Romans 13:8    Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.

Sounds simple enough, but is it practical in today's World?  Can one live not owing anything?  Sure, if you are willing to live with a simple car that runs, not the new Mustang convertible.  Sure, if you can be content in a smaller dwelling, not that 5000 sq ft mini mansion.  Sure, if you can be happy with tube steak (hot dogs) rather than filet Mignon.  It is a matter of learning to differentiate between needs and wants.  We need a car, but we want the Mustang.  We need shelter, but we want the fancy house.

"The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower becomes the lender's slave" (Proverbs 22:7)

Ain't that the truth.  When we owe money (car loans, mortgages) we are forced to continue to work to pay those debts off.  We are bound by those agreements and our freedom to do things is hampered.  When we sign a mortgage, we are basically signing our life away, enslaving ourselves for the next 30 years in order to finally at the end of our days (if we live that long) own a small piece of land.  We must always hold a job and continue working.  We have to take the abuse the job gives us because we know, to lose the job is to lose the house.

This works on a national level too.  Most of our debt is held by the Chinese.  If they really wanted us to do something, just the mere threat of calling in the loans is enough to make us comply as it would make our money valueless and destroy our economy (and thus our world strength).  Of course, it is already diminished with the fact that they hold this power over us.

"A good man leaves an inheritance to his children's children" (Proverbs 13:22)

What inheritance have we been given?  A debt which needs to be repaid and a lifestyle that is diminished because of it.  Is the 'greatest generation' so great in light of this scripture? How can we leave something for future generations if we have spent money like a drunken sailor and not stored away our resources for the future generations to partake in?

"The wise man saves for the future, but the foolish man spends whatever he gets" (Proverbs 21:20)

"Steady plodding brings prosperity" (Proverbs 21:5)

In this last generation of me first get it now pay later attitude, we have not followed this Godly principle.  It is hard work and dedication, attention to detail, being patient and waiting that allows for true wealth to grow.  Getting it now sucks away not just the money spent, but all the added interest further decreases potential wealth.  We need to learn again to look at the big picture and down the road and not be so hung up on having to have that 'thing' right now.

We in this country are going to have to make sacrifices, starting right now.  We have to be willing to give up all the perks and benefits.  We have to be willing to give up the entitlement programs.  We have to be willing to buckle down and be content with a little rather than a lot.  If we as individuals people and a nation are unwilling to make the future better for our children and our children's children, we will have for them nothing to give.
1 Timothy 5:8

But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.

Plan for the Poor

The other day I was driving around and I happened upon a couple sitting just off the roadside.  They were both older, and the lady was in a wheel chair.  She was holding a sign that said, homeless couple, God bless.  I did have an instinct to throw them a buck or two, but then realized, silver and gold had I none.  What I did have was…  well…  not much physically.  I said a prayer for them as I moved on.


I felt guilty a little bit, but what could I do?  I did not really feel pressed to do much of anything, honestly.  Would I not just be enabling them to continue on as they were for rewarding their begging?  Surely there was something they could do besides giving everyone a forlorn stare all day holding a sign.  I also know from experience, what they were doing could be quite lucrative.


I recall one day in the same town being approached by a man looking for a couple dollars so he could get some food.  I was in the same boat really, but willing to share my small amount I scrounged to help a fellow out.  Several hours later my friend and I stumbled across the same man again. He remembered us.  He didn’t need any more money though.  He had over $300 in his pocket just from panhandling.  If he hadn’t been a crackhead, he would have been living on a $100,000 a year gig just begging for money.  All of his money went to crack though and he would be broke again by morning.


Back in Biblical days, there were methods in place to deal with the poor.  The first line of defense was family.  Family was to take care of their own.  I Timothy 5:8 “But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.”  So where was this couples family and why were they not being of any help?  Kids?  Nephews?  Cousins?  It is rare to be devoid of any family, but it is not uncommon that family does not or is not able to take care of its own. 


The second line of defense against poverty, biblically, was the community.  As a rule, folks were to give to the needy.  Proverbs 19: ¹⁷ He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord; and that which he hath given will he pay him again.  The community at large had some responsibility in caring for the poor as well as the family.  2 Corinthians 9:7 Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.


A third line of defense in helping those in poverty lies with the poor person themselves.  A poor person could go gleen in the agricultural fields for what was left over.  Farmers were by rule not allowed to pick up all of the crop, but to leave that which had fallen.  It would then be the responsibility of the poor person to go out and collect what they could to feed themselves.  Leviticus 19: ⁹ And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not wholly reap the corners of thy field, neither shalt thou gather the gleanings of thy harvest.¹⁰ And thou shalt not glean thy vineyard, neither shalt thou gather every grape of thy vineyard; thou shalt leave them for the poor and stranger: I am the Lord your God.



Our society is not set up in such a way as to really be of help to the poor.  Our families have been split apart by self desires, divorces, changed roles, forced public education, etc. etc… Now-a-days, you might not even know who your family members are.  I was in youth group with someone for two years before I even knew they were my cousin.  Also, our society as a whole has a more selfish spirit.  Take care of number one and survival of the fittest has become our motto.  Let the poor clean up their act, get some education and get a job.  Lastly, where is any of our gleaning in our society?  We don’t set aside anything specifically for the poor.  Our first priority is the dollar and squeezing out every penny.  We have a responsibility to the shareholders.


While I do feel bad that I was not able to help the homeless couple in any meaningful way, I feel even worse for our society that has set itself up, not to be unable, but to be staunchly unwilling to do anything to assist the poor.  Yes, there are some that help, but not enough.  As our economy grows weaker even those few who can and do help are becoming fewer and fewer.  We have handed over the responsibility we should hold to government programs that are woefully inadequate, and inefficient in truly helping anyone, to the point where everyone is becoming equally poor.


We need to have a revival in this nation that brings us back to biblical principles.  Why should it be old fashioned and passé to do good by ones family, community, and country as individuals?  It isn’t just for ancient goat-herders to be kind to the poor and needy.  It isn’t a backwards people that takes care of its family, and I mean extended family, and their needs.  It isn’t just for primitive peoples to expect people to also take a little responsibility for themselves and do something besides being dependent. If we can return to these three biblical principles, we can beat poverty and won’t need any government programs to do it.

No More

At the end of June, I made an important life decision.  It was one that I had toyed with for some time, and even attempted a time or two without success.  The reason for the lack of success was mainly because I was only toying with the idea.  What did I do? I stopped smoking.  I just quit cold turkey, except that it really wasn’t I who quit this time.  Another reason for previous failure.  This time, it was God. 
This brings up the interesting and elusive question about how does one give something up to God, or how does one let God work in your life?  Those are tough questions I always seem to struggle with myself.  I think the first thing is to acknowledge that you need God’s help.  Previous attempts at will power failed or were temporary.  I’m pretty strong willed, so to admit that is a pretty big step for me, lol.
The second thing I did in this was to confess it to someone I trust in the Lord.  Where two or more are in agreement, God is in the midst.  Mathew 18:19 Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.  This does not say may be, or might be, it says shall be.  So, more so than having just an “accountability partner” as I hear so much in churches today, I have the word of God that promises that if we agree in Him, It is a done deal.
Has it been easy?  Nope.  As I sit here typing right now, I feel like I should be having a cigarette.  It comes across my mind at every juncture where I would smoke before.  My sleeping has gotten messed up and is only the last couple nights gotten a little more normal again.  Every time I stop at a gas station for a pop or fill up, I still want to ask for a pack of smokes.  Despite all of that, I already know that this is a done deal.  The bible tells me so.
My reasoning is pretty simple, really.  The Bible says we need to be wise stewards of what we have been given.  Luke 12:42 And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season?  This is one of several verses and parables that speaks on being wise stewards with our money.  Psalms 24:1 The earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.  We are only temporary caretakers here.
Just doing a bit of simple math, at current prices it costs almost $200 a month to smoke a pack a day.  That’s $2400 a year blown on essentially nothing.  If I put that aside; after 20 years I will have $75,000 in the bank.  And that is at low rates of return.  Just for fun I put rates at the 1970s levels of 18%.  That would yield nearly half a million.  With wise investment, ¼ million is not impossible.  All that just from not smoking.
There are of course the health benefits that everyone is told of.  Many of the attributed health issues attributed to smoking are also tied in to a myriad of other factors too, such as processed foods, pollutants in our ground and drinking water, chemical compounds in packaging, and a million other things.  The real benefits will come by getting off my keester and doing something, rather than sitting around inhaling smoke.
I sit and wonder though, will these little thoughts always be here with me?  10 years from now will I sit down and have the thought that it would be nice to have a smoke?  I’ll find out if, Lord willing, I get there. The bottom line though is that it is already finished.  I have the promise of God to stand on.  I don’t have to do what my body feels, or some random thoughts say.  I have been freed from the bondage that cigarettes held over me. 
John 8:36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.