Teaching on the Tithe
Come out from under the curse. What curse you may be thinking? The curse of the law of sin and death. Sin is not believing in Jesus. Death is inevitable for us all. We spend MONEY on life insurance and car insurance and things that protect us and our families financially in case something happens. But after death comes the judgment. What you sow you will also reap. Are you sowing into eternal life? Or, are you sowing only into natural things? Things that don't benefit eternity.
The bible teaches that salvation is a free gift from God. It's nothing you can do to earn it but it is given from our Lord Jesus Christ. Our part is to receive God's salvation that has been prepared for us. The plan of God has been established since the foundation of the world. Rev. 13:8.
If you have been living in this world you have noticed that in the natural world things cost money. And, since God is aware of this and he has an enemy the devil. Don't you think it would be reasonable for God to place insurance on his own plan? The tithe is God's insurance premium that somebody would step in and do the work. The scripture says it this way; don't muzzle the ox that treads out the corn. Deut 25:4, is God only thinking about oxen? No he said it for our sakes.
He asked Isaiah, who will go for us? Isa 6:8 He is looking for workers for his vineyard.
In the Garden of Eden God set aside a guarantee that a bunch of sinners would not live forever in the natural world. He said in Genesis 2:15, the day you eat from that tree of the knowledge of good and evil you will surely die. The devil (sin) had access to the garden and God knew it, so he put something in place (insurance) in the natural world to make sure that Adam and Eve would not be eternal sinners. You shall surely die said God! God could not allow sin to go on forever and when Adam and Eve decided to listen to the serpent and eat the forbidden fruit. Death has been taking people out ever since. And, they sealed the fate of all of their offspring who would choose the path of doubting the Word of God. So, what does this have to do with the tithe and the curse? The first 10% of your increase is the forbidden fruit, it doesn't belong to you it belongs to the Lord to benefit God's righteous cause of spreading his Word. And, Malachi received that revelation from the Lord and cried in Mal 3:8, will a man rob God?
Jesus plainly declared that being born again was not an option in John 3:3. It is required to enter the Kingdom of God, but if you have people spending more time and money on things other than spreading the Word of God. What will happen to the lost souls? Those who need to hear the message of salvation. And, how can they hear without someone preaching to them? Romans 10:14 says the Apostle Paul.
Now doing good deeds like feeding the hungry and giving to the poor are all good. And, we should do these things. But the bible plainly states that man does not live on bread alone but by every word the proceeds out of the mouth of God. Cain thought the same thing; he thought if I bring a good offering like the fruit of the ground God will accept it. But he was sadly mistaken; God was interested in something that would remind him of his Son. And, Abel made the better offering. The fruit of Cains sweat and labor was not it. His good works was not enough. God was looking for a blood sacrifice that would remind him of the blood of Jesus Christ. Something that would remind him of the price he would have to pay in the blood of his only begotten Son. You see God's plan is an eternal plan with no beginning and no end.
The tithe is that offering, the first fruit that has been practiced by the people of God since the beginning and acceptable in the sight of God. Jesus said that it should not be neglected. Matthew 23:23. If Jesus is your master then you will give him your very best, not to earn his favor but to honor him with something that is near and dear to every person and completely personal. Money answers all things.Eccl 10:19
Are you serving money or God! Are you trying to devise your own plan of salvation or are you submitting to the revealed Word of God?
Peace and God Bless,
Pastor Coley
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