The recent uproars about tithes from both within and outside the Church on the statement credited to Pastor Ceffro Dollar where he regretted his teachings on tithing show that many are gradually departing from the faith that Jesus Christ brought to humanity. What is ten percent of our income that we are struggling with?
Some nations are putting down billions of dollars, individuals are donating their entire wealth and riches to spread their religious ideology and we Christians are struggling with whether to pay ten percent of our income for the spread of the gospel or not.
Let us now look at what God said directly on the issue of tithing. God Almighty said in Malachi 3:8-12 thus: “Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.
Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts. And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the LORD of hosts.”
Therefore, Tithes and offerings are part of the structures that God laid down so that the Kingdom of God on earth from the time of Abraham as documented in the Bible till the time of Moses and even in the era of Jesus Christ is run effectively.
Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour never condemned the giving of tithes but only stressed that as people give tithes they should also get involved in other weightier matters. Jesus said in Matthew 23:23 thus “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.”
Associations on earth fix dues to be paid by members to sustain the financial inflow of the association. Committed members of such associations also go out of their way to donate generously to the financial growth of the association when the need arises.
Yes, proceeds from tithes and offerings may have been wrongly used in some quarters, but that does not take paying tithes away from the expectations of God for our lives.
On whether there is any form of gain in tithing, it should be known that any obedience to the Word of God has gains. God said if we tithe our harvest/income, the windows of Heaven will be opened to us and devourers will be chased away. That is the Word of God and as long as God did not change His Word or gave new laws to replace the old, His laws stand.
In the beginning, Adam and Eve were not permitted to eat meat but God only approved fruits and vegetables for them as food. So, those who have resolved to follow the original food for man, are still giving great testimonies of improvement in their health.
Please, note that every Word of God is powerful once God utters it as a commandment, the gains if we obey and the punishments if we disobey, are established forever. Every word of God is backed by the power of God to fulfil it. So, whatever God promised in His Word will surely come to pass, hence if you pay your tithes, the blessings of God will surely follow, so don’t allow anybody to discourage you from paying your tithe.
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Paying tithes and offerings is entering into partnership with God on earth to prosper His Kingdom, and God rewards such partnership.
Our Lord Jesus Christ stated clearly in Matthew 5:17 that He did not come to destroy the laws of the old testament completely, but He came to fulfil them and anyone that will not obey the laws of the old testament and teaches men to also disobey them will be called least in the Kingdom of God while those who obey the laws and teach men to obey them will be called great in the Kingdom of God.
God said that we should love Him with all our hearts and all our souls and might. That means God expects us to show the love we have for Him by respecting His laws and abiding by them in all circumstances. Hence, if you decide not to obey God’s laws, especially in tithing and in giving offerings because we know that as long as we are on earth, every organization needs money to carry out its activities, then we have become an enemy to the spread of the Kingdom of God.
I feel something has gone wrong with many of us as Christians and the love of God in us is not as deep as it should be. Meshach, Shadrach and Abednego were ready to die to show their love and commitment to the Word of God and ordinary tithes from the money God blessed us with is now a problem and some people are jubilating with what Ceffro Dollar said about tithing.
Dollar is not God or Jesus, we should always be wise to guide ourselves with the Word of God and not the words of men. Even a Pastor can make a mistake and that is the reason every Christian should always search the scriptures. The devil and his agents have mapped out plans to disorganise the Church of God financially and we must guild against it.
Never stop paying your tithes because the benefits are still potent and will remain potent till the end of this Adamic world. God bless us in Jesus Name.
Pastor ESANEROVO TRINITY AGBODO is a Contributing Editor with The Trumpet Newspaper and can be reached on eagbodo@gmail.com or 08075504012( WhatsApp)
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