Biblical Truth: Tithes and Offerings

8/4/2019 Biblical Truth: Tithes and Offerings

1/25

TITHES AND OFFERINGS

BYPASTORJOHN D.CLARK,SR.

JULY 2009EDITION


Introduction

Questions always arise about how money for any religious work is handled.Hopefully, the following articles will answer the questions that you may have. If not,

please feel free to write us.One issue not specifically mentioned in the articles included here concerns

donations to Pastor Johns ministry. You will notice that on this web site, there areno requests made for donations, or provision made to receive any. That is because

Pastor John accepts no money from anyone except the group of believers whom Godhas sent to help him in his work. You, our welcome visitors, will never be asked fora contribution, nor will any money from you be accepted if it is sent.

We hope that you feel the love of God that we have from God for you and thatwhat you find here will bless you. Thank you for visiting, and please come backsoon!


2/25


Tipping God

God commanded His people to support financially those whom He anoints to

minister to them. When He revealed to His people that ten percent of their increase(the tithe) was His and must be given to His servants, along with the several

offerings that He required as well, He was not negotiating a position. He was nottrying to strike a deal with His people, demanding ten percent, but really hoping toget His people to agree to donate five percent of their increase. Gods words are

pure and true. He means exactly what He says, no more and no less. We are so usedto dealing with people who dont really mean what they say in this world that it takesfaith to believe that God means exactly what He says.

Some of Gods children do what Jesus said that God hates most. They try to

find some middle ground between obeying God and disobeying God. They donthave the faith to bring God all the tithe that belongs to Him, but they are ashamed togive nothing. So, they give just enough to mollify their aching conscience andmaintain appearances. But that middle ground is the worst of all choices. It would

be better if they simply refused to obey God and gave nothing than for them to givejust a part of what He has commanded. That amounts to nothing more than tipping

God, as if He were our servant and we are doing Him a favor by flipping Him a buckor two at our convenience. God is not a struggling waiter, forced to take whatever tipwe choose to leave on the table. Some of us may pride ourselves on being biggertippers than others, but if what we bring to God is not our tithes and offerings, we arestill thieves, no matter how big a tip we leave.

My friends, Jesus wants us either to be hot or cold. He would prefer that weeither obey Gods commandment and bring Him all our tithes and offerings, or just

admit to ourselves that we are sinners and go away and leave Him alone. It is sinfulto give Gods anointed servants a contribution now and then. It is sin to bring God$300.00 when our tithe is $600.00. It is stubbornness and rebellion, and it isunacceptable with God because He is not negotiating for five percent when Hedemands the tenth part of our increase.

Do not be foolish. If you will not bring God all His tithes and offerings, please

dont insult Him by donating some money to His work. Jesus doesnt need ourpity, and he has never expected that his servants live on the charity of disobedient,covetous saints.


3/25


Thievery

God is so serious about the tithe (a word that means a tenth part) and the

offerings that He requires, that He considers His children who fail to render theirtithes and offerings to Him to be thieves.

The prophet Malachi was sent with this holy complaint to Israel: Will a manrob God? Yet you have robbed Me, saith the LORD!

This statement was received with some skepticism by Gods people, and theyresponded, How have we robbed God?

In tithes and offerings came the terse reply.You cannot trust the people who steal from God. If he would steal from God,

there is nothing that he would not do to any human being. If a man would steal from

God, he would murder his own mother, under the right circumstances.Tithing is a commandment, not a suggestion. When one young man asked

Jesus what he must do in order to obtain eternal life, Jesus told him, You know the

commandments. If God had never commanded His people to bring their tithes to Hisservants, then it would be acceptable to do something else, but God did issue thatcommandment, and the saints are required to obey it. Many years ago, when someone

asked my father whether or not a child of God who refused to bring tithes andofferings to the Lord would be saved in the end, my father responded, Since Godsaid that such a person is a thief, he will have as much of a chance to be saved in theend as a thief will have. Whatever chance a thief has, he will have.

One of the Ten Commandments is: Thou shalt not steal. Should we construethat commandment to mean, Thou shalt not steal, except from the Lord? Of coursenot. We should be more afraid to steal from God than to steal from anyone else.

Besides, stealing is stealing, no matter who the victim is. If the money in yourpossession is not rightfully yours, then it is stolen money. Listen to Jesus. Renderunto Caesar the things that are Caesars, and unto God the things that are Gods .Taxes rightfully belong to earthly governments (Caesar), and the tithe of yourincrease, with the offerings that God demands, belong to God. We make ourselvesthieves if we refuse to bring them to Him.


4/25


The Difference Between Tithes and Offerings

Tithes and offerings are mentioned separately throughout the Bible, and the

Lord required both to be brought to Him. The tithe is the tenth of all the increase thatGod gives to us. What does increase include? Increase is everything that

increases the value of earthly possessions that God places into our trust, whether itbe earned income or unearned gifts. If, for one example, you own a business, yourincrease is what is called profit. It is the gross amount of money you haveearned, minus all business deductions. You figure the tithe on that amount, your netearnings, before taxes are paid to the government. God comes first. A tenth ofeverything that is increase to us belongs to God in the form of tithes. Andremember, the tithe of our increase is not ours to give to God; it is Gods for us to

bring to Him.Listen carefully to Jesus rebuke of the Pharisees, for it is very easily

misunderstood: Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe

of mint and anise and cummin [names of spices], and have omitted the weightier

matters of the Law: judgment, mercy, and faith (Mt. 23:23).Those words of Jesus have at times been misconstrued to mean that Israels

religious leaders were doing wrong by bringing God tithes of all that was increase tothem, even tithing the spices that came into their homes. But doing that was not what

they were doing wrong, for Jesus goes on to say, these things you ought to have

done, and not to leave the other undone. Those Pharisees were evil, not becausethey brought to God tithes of everything that was increase to them but because theyonly did that, and neglected the righteousness, mercy, and truth of God.

OFFERINGS

Offerings are gifts brought to God beyond the tithe. The tithe was always ten percent of ones increase, but with many offerings, God gave His people somediscretion as to the amount or number of offerings to bring. Their financial situationin life and the depth of their zeal for God determined their choices concerningofferings. Here are some of the offerings that God instituted in Israel for the people

to bring to His high priest:

A. Firstfruits. This was a very small offering taken from among the earliest of

ones ripening crops. This offering was typically not in the form of money butwas brought in from ones fields. It was a required offering, but the amount offirstfruits brought to God was never specified. The people had somediscretion as to the amount, but to fail to bring any firstfruits from theripening field was sin.


5/25

B. The Firstborn. The firstborn of all female animals, clean or uncleananimals, was automatically Gods. All that opens the matrix is mine, said theLORD (Ex. 34:19). If the newborn animal belonged in the category of unclean

animals, it was not offered on Gods altar, but it still was His, and it was

brought to His priest to do with as he saw fit. It was sin not to bring thisoffering to the LORD.

C. The Firstborn Child. The firstborn child (son) in every family in Israel alsoautomatically belonged to God. However, instead of bringing to the LORDstemple the firstborn child itself, the LORD required Israel to bring to Him asmall amount of money for the firstborn child. It was sin not to do this.

D. The Census Offering. Every male was required to offer a small offering ofmoney for himself whenever the rulers of Israel took a census. The poor could

not offer less, and the rich could not offer more than that small amount (Ex.

30:14-15). A census was rarely taken in Israel, but whenever one was taken,each male was required to bring this offering to the Lord. It was sin not to dothis.

E. The Three Feasts Offering. Every male in Israel was required to presenthimself before the LORD three times each year, at the three most holy Feasts ofIsrael. On each of these occasions, God required a specified small offering of

those males in Israel when they presented themselves before Him at Histemple. It was sin not to do this.

F. Special Times. There were also offerings taken from the people for specialoccasions, such as for the erecting of the tabernacle (Ex. 25:1-9) or for therestoration of the temple during the days of Judahs king Joash (2Kgs. 12:4-12). No certain amount was specified, and if a person was unable to bring anoffering on these occasions, it was not considered to be a sin. On theseoccasions, Gods people always responded with great generosity and joy, for

the children of God are the most generous people on earth. When Moses letthe people of Israel know that God wanted them to bring an offering ofmaterials for erecting a tabernacle for Him, the people brought so much that

Moses had to tell them to stop (Ex. 36:5-7). Later, after the tabernacle wasbuilt and God required another offering for the dedication of it, God specifiedhow much of an offering was to be brought by each tribe; otherwise, Mosesmay well have had another problem with too much being brought to the LORD!

G. Thanksgiving Offering. For His children who were especially happy to

belong to God and have a part in His covenant, God provided a way to expresstheir gratitude by commanding His priests to receive a Thanksgiving Offeringfrom those among His people who wanted to bring it to God.


6/25

These are the offerings mentioned in the Bible that come to mind as I write this.There may be one or two more that I cannot recall right now. None of these offeringswere considered to be tithes; still, all the offerings belonged to God, and it wasrobbery not to bring them to Him when it was time to do so.

THE PRIESTSPORTION

From almost all of the sacrificial offerings on Gods altar, the priests and theirfamilies were given a large portion of the animal for their food. It was their portionfrom God. When cattle were offered, the individual priest who actually did the workof making the sacrifice was awarded the hide of the animal as part of his pay fromGod (Lev. 7:8). From this, we see that offerings of animals brought to be sacrificed

to the LORD were part of Gods system of support for His servants. As long as Godspeople were obedient, they were happy and blessed, and as long as they were happy

and blessed, they freely brought their tithes and offerings to the LORD. And whenthey did that, Gods priests always had more than they needed for themselves andtheir families.

Yes, we no longer bring animals to sacrifice to God. The physical forms thatsome of Gods offerings took in the Old Testament no longer exist. For example,

Jesus never has told his New Testament ministers to take a census of Gods earthlyfamily. But Gods ministers and their families still need earthly food, clothes, andshelter, and they still use earthly money to obtain those things. For that purpose, Godstill has ordained His system of tithes and offerings so that His ministers can have themeans to support themselves and their families.

Gods system of tithes and offerings is still vital for the spiritual health of Hisearthly family as a whole, not just the well-being of His ministers, and I have neverseen anyone with a right spirit deny that truth or fail to walk in it.


7/25


Where to Bring Gods Tithes

Bring all the tithe into the storehouse, that there may be meat in my house,

and prove me with this, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows ofheaven, 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, says

the LORD of hosts (Mal. 3:10-11).

These are the promises of God to His children who obey Him concerning tithesand offerings. But those promises are not made to those who bring Gods tithes andofferings to just anywhere. The promises belong to those who bring Gods tithes and

offerings to the place He has chosen. Notice, please, that God said in the beginningof the Scripture quoted above, Bring all the tithe into the storehouse, that theremight be food in MY house [that is, for MY servants]. The blessings that followobedience to God concerning tithes and offerings are predicated on obedience to howGod says to bring them, when God says to bring them, to whom God says to bringthem, and where God says to bring them.

Within himself, no man knows how to serve God. We must all listen to Himif we hope to please Him. The whole world has always worshiped God, but only asmall percentage of that worship has ever been acceptable to Him because only asmall percentage of the worlds worship has been offered to God according to Hiswill. Paul said that his mission from God was to make the worship of the Gentilesacceptable to God, being sanctified by the holy Ghost (Rom. 15:16). Paul neverhad to persuade any Gentile anywhere that God should be worshiped. Everyone,

everywhere, was already worshiping God, whether in Rome or on some remoteisland. Pauls challenge, then, was to persuade Gentiles everywhere of the right way

to worship.In the verse from Malachi above, God challenged His people to bring their

tithes to the storehouse. This was not just any storehouse; it was the storehouse thatGod had ordained to be built for the tithes and offerings that belonged to Him. It was

the storehouse from which were fed the families of His priests. It was the storehousecontrolled by the High Priest of Israel, not by the people who brought the tithes.

CONTROL

In the New Testament, just as in the Old, once the children of God bring theirtithes and offerings to God, they have completed their duty and have no more control

over them. As long as a man exercises control over the money he brings to God, hehas not truly released it. This is the problem with tithes and offerings being given to


8/25

a religious organization rather than being given directly to a man anointed of God.If a man brings his tithes and offerings to a religious organization of which he is amember, especially if he is an officer in that organization, how can he say that he hasgiven it to God? If he brings his tithes and offerings to a religious organization of

which he is a member, then hasnt he really given his tithes and offerings to himselfand to his fellow members? In the New Testament writings, there is no instance ofGod anointing an organization to receive His tithes and offerings.

There are many people, especially the very wealthy, who refuse to give anymoney to any religious organization over which they have no control or influence asto how that money is spent. In other words, they never really bring tithes andofferings to God at all because they never really release the money. It is never reallyout of their control, and if it is still under their control, then in fact, they still have it!

Child of God, when you have brought Gods tithes and offerings to Him, youhave done your part. You are free to rejoice with a clear conscience before the Lord.

What happens with Gods tithes and offerings beyond the point of your bringing itto His minister is no longer your responsibility. If you have brought it to the right

place, if that minister is truly ordained by God to receive the tithes and offerings ofHis children, then it does not concern you how that man of God uses the money you

bring. Besides, he has something to fear far more terrifying than your displeasure,should he ever misuse the money given to him by Gods precious people.

FINANCING THE ENEMY

It is critical that you bring Gods tithes to a man who is truly anointed by God,

not to a man who claims to be of God but is not. This is your first responsibility,when it comes to bringing your money to God. Gods tithes that are in your hand areimportant to the work of God on earth. It is your first responsibility, then, to make

certain that you bring them to a man whom God has anointed. It is sin to bring Godstithes and offerings to the wrong person.

Where do you bring Gods tithes and offerings that he has placed into yourhands? To one of Christianitys clubs (denominations), where the people who giveit control how it is spent? That is what most of Gods children in this culture do, butin doing so, they are financing their own worst enemy. By using that money to hire

men to teach them what that particular club thinks he should teach, they are hiringthose men not to hear from God. They are paying for their own poison. In suchcases, the tithes and offerings of the saints are used to support ministers who are notsent from God, who do not know the truth, and who teach what they teach becausethey have been hired to teach it. That is the way of Christianity; it is not the way ofJesus.

If you do not know a man who has truly been anointed by God to feed Gods

children, then store up your tithes and offerings in a safe place until you find one. It


9/25

is better to store up Gods money and wait on Him than it is to finance an enemy ofyour soul.

WHY PAY FORPOISON?

In the Old Testament, Gods heart was grieved very many times when Hischildren carried His tithes and offerings to other gods. He was not grieved with them

because He needed the money, but because they were sowing seeds for their owndestruction by financing the enemies of their souls. Here is just a part of one of Hisheart-rending cries, this time through Ezekiel (16:17-19):

And you have taken your fair jewels of my gold and my silver, which I had given you, and made for yourself images of men . . . and took your broidered

garments and covered them, and you have set my oil and my incense before them. My

meat also which I gave you, fine flour, and oil, and honey, wherewith I fed you, you

have even set it before them for a sweet savor . . .

Isaiah, who labored for the Lord through the reigns of several kings, saw bothgood and bad times for the servants of God. Through this great prophet, God pleadedwith His people, whom He dearly loved, to explain to Him why they kept taking Histithes and offerings to other gods (Isa. 55:2-3). Why do you spend your money forthat which is not bread? and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen to

me, and [I will feed you with] that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in

fatness. Incline your ear, and come to me, and your soul shall live!Gods children had been persuaded to hire the priests of Baal and of Astarte

and of Molech, and priests of a hundred other gods, to teach them. Meanwhile Gods

servants, instead of being encouraged in the work of the Lord by the tithes andofferings of Gods people, watched the servants of other gods prosper with goods thatshould have been theirs. Once in a while, a wise and godly king would arise in Israel

and would protect Gods children by enforcing Gods judgments. When thathappened, when the people were directed to bring Gods tithes and offerings to the

proper place, Gods priests were encouraged in their work, the truth of the Law waszealously taught, and blessings from heaven were restored to the nation.

Young King Hezekiahs first order of business when he became king was torestore the knowledge of Gods Law to the nation. He gathered Gods priests and

other servants together and spoke kindly to them, exhorting them to do the work forwhich they were anointed by God (2Chron. 29:1-11): The LORD has chosen you,he said, to stand before Him, to serve Him, and that you should minister unto Him,and burn incense. That done, he commanded the people to come worship their God.They responded by bringing so many sacrifices to the temple that there werentenough priests to offer them all. Their helpers, the Levites, had to fill in for them(2Chron. 29:32-36). Then Hezekiah issued an order that Gods people should no


10/25

longer take Gods tithes and offerings to other gods but should bring them to Godsservants instead (2Chron. 31:4). The people responded by bringing so much to thetemple of God that special chambers had to be prepared just to store all the wealththat was brought. 2Chronicles 31:5 tells us that as soon as the commandment came

abroad, the children of Israel brought in abundance the firstfruits of corn, wine, andoil, and honey, and of the increase of the field. And the tithe of all things brought

they in abundantly.

Thus began a happy and blessed time in Israels long and difficult historybecause there was a man on the throne who commanded the people of God to bringGods tithes and offering to the right place.

WHERE IS THE ANOINTING OF GODS SPIRIT?

When you learn that it is Gods will to render to Him His tithes and Hisofferings, your next obligation is to find out where God wants you to bring them. If

you bring them to a place or to a person not ordained of God to receive them, you arethrowing Gods money away, or worse yet, you are financing false teachers, the onesdividing and confusing the children of God. It is your responsibility, and yours alone,to determine where to carry Gods tithes and offerings, and it is an obligation thatwise men take seriously. No wise man wants to waste his money.

The only place acceptable to God to bring His tithes and offerings is the placethat He has chosen. It is, after all, His money. In the Old Covenant, He anointed thetemple as the place to which His people should bring His tithes and offerings for His

priests. In the New Testament writings, I have found no place anointed by God for

any reason. This is important for us to know. In this New Covenant, God does notanoint places; He anoints only people. This must mean that those who walk in faith

bring Gods tithes and offerings topeople, not to places, or institutions. There is no

Scripture that indicates that God anoints institutions or religious sects. That being thecase, then, it is sin to donate Gods tithes and offerings to a religious institutioninstead of bringing them to an anointed servant of God.

Note: In this country, the government grants tax relief to those who bring Gods tithesand offerings to an institution instead of to an anointed men of God. By law, Gods

tithes and offerings are not tax deductible if they are given directly to a person. Thisforces the children of God to have faith in God that He will do as He has promisedand bless them for obeying Him in bringing His tithes and offerings to an anointed

person rather than looking for tax relief from the government for bringing Godstithes and offerings to the wrong place.


11/25


Part of a Holy Life

Tithing is no gimmick. You cannot use it to force God to bless you. Tithing

is acceptable to God only as part of a godly lifestyle. The blessings that come fromtithing come because of the kind of life lived, not because of the money given. I

knew one young man in college who made money by selling illegal drugs. He hadbeen taught as a youth to tithe on all his increase, so he brought tithes from his drugmoney to my father. That young man was foolish to think that God would acceptsuch money, and when my father discovered the source of those tithes, he refusedthem. God is not a beggar, eager to take whatever money men choose to bring toHim. It is an honor for us if God will accept our tithes; it is not an honor for Him ifwe offer them.

Moses told the priests of Israel not to allow the money earned by harlots andsodomites to enter into Gods temple. He said, You shall not bring the price of awhore or the price of a dog into the house of the LORD you God for any vow, for these

both are an abomination unto the LORD your God (Dt. 23:18). God is not a beggar.He is not like so many ministers today who beg for all the money anyone will givethem, as if the kingdom of God is about to collapse because of a lack of money.

If a mans ministry depends on money, then money is that mans god. Thework of God does not depend upon money. A beloved elder, whom we called UncleJoe once said to me that to hear Christian ministers beg for money, pleading with

people to help save their ministry, one would think that the devil is about to win, afterall. But always remember that Jesus did just as much good for Gods people whenhe didnt even have a place in which to lay his head at night as he did when he owneda house in Capernaum. Earthly possessions do not make a man able to minister the

gospel, nor does a lack of money prevent a true minister of God from preaching thegospel. The holy Ghost can do just as much through a poor man as it can through arich man, and most of the time, it can use a poor man more easily.

WORTHY TO BRING HIS TITHES

One of the fundamental rules concerning animal sacrifices in the Old

Testament was that the animal had to be without any physical blemish (e.g., Lev. 1:3).When the people brought to God animals with missing eyes or broken legs, or witha disease or some other blemish, the Lord challenged them to offer those animals tothe governors who ruled over them at that time, to see how pleased those men onearth would be with such sorry gifts. He said, If you offer the blind for sacrifice, isit not evil? And if you offer the lame and sick, is it not evil? Offer it now to your

governor. Will he be pleased with you? (Mal. 1:8). In this New Testament, it is thecondition of the heart that matters. The soul that brings tithes and offerings to theLord in this New Covenant must bring them without any blemish of sin in his heart


12/25

if he wants God to accept what he brings. Allow me to repeat: God is not a beggar,eager to take whatever money men choose to bring to Him. It is an honor for us ifGod accepts our tithes; it is not an honor for Him if we offer them.

There have been a number of people over the years whose money the Lord

would not allow me to receive when they brought it. Their lives were unworthy ofthe Lord, and they were not able with their money to blind God to their iniquity.Money is no substitute for righteousness. Apparently, they thought that God would

receive their money even though their lives were a disgrace; they were surprised tofind out they were wrong. Some became angry when I refused their money; others

behaved as though they had been mistreated; still others just went away and nevercame back. All of them had the option of repenting and making their gifts acceptable,

but chose another way. There is nothing I can do about that. Other peoples reactionsto my obedience to Christ is none of my business. Our business is to do the will ofHim who took us from the trash can of sin and made us children of God.

TITHE-BRINGERS ORBRIBE-BRINGERS?

If your shepherd receives Gods tithes and offerings from you even when heknows that you are stubbornly living in sin, then what you are really doing is bribinghim to keep his mouth shut. He is on the take, and you are hiding from Gods

conviction under the shadow of a dying tree. That man is killing you with phonymercy, and you are killing him with money stolen from God. Both of you shouldrepent. You should stop putting Gods tithes into the hand of a fool, and he shouldstop receiving Gods tithes from the hand of another one.

God demands purity of those who worship Him. When a person with a crafty,evil heart sings hymns, God considers that singing to be a sin. Solomon said that the

prayer of the wicked is an abomination. Praises offered to God by a stubborn,

rebellious person disgust Him. For one to rejoice with the saints when there is secretsin in his heart brings a curse, not a blessing. And when someone with secret sindrinks of the Spirit in the assembly of the saints, it is only to drink damnation into thesoul (1Cor. 11:29). The Bible is very clear about these things. Then, why should wethink that God, or any true servant of His, would accept money from a person withan unclean heart?

The righteous life includes honoring God with His tithes and offerings becauseno godly person is content unless he is rendering to God what is His. When a wickedman brings money to the Lord, it cannot justly be called tithes because it is not offaith. It is more likely to be an attempted bribe. Unfortunately, it very often workswith men who claim to be ministers of Christ. The preaching of the unadulteratedword of God can be quieted by such bribes. Whom does a greedy minister dare toreprove for sinning?

So, those who bring money to the Lord can be divided into two groups: tithe-bringers and bribe-bringers. The tithe-bringers are only doing what is their nature in


13/25

Christ to do. It is the nature of righteous people to bring to God what is His. Theirobedience in tithing is laying up for them hope of a blessed resurrection. The bribe-

bringers are doing what the world has always done: they are trying to mask a sinfulheart with deeds that appear to be upright but are not. Their giving is a crime, and it

would be better for them not to give at all than to give with a sin-stained heart. Theywould be better served to use that money to buy a new car than to try to appearrighteous with it. They dont know yet that God is not mocked.

Ask Jesus to help you take a look at your heart from his perspective so that youcan make certain that what you bring to God, you are bringing out of a sincere heart.Otherwise, it is worse than a waste of your money to bring it to the man of God.


14/25


Here, men that die receive them.

In this New Covenant, Gods system of tithes and offerings as a means of

providing for His servants earthly needs is still in force. This is what Paul was

referring to when he said, They that preach the gospel should live of the gospel.Some argue that rendering tithes and offerings was an element of the Old Testamentthat is no longer in effect, but it is precisely because Gods system of tithes andofferings is still in effect that Christianity came to exist. Satan is after the glory that

belongs only to the true God, and his ministers are after the wealth that belongs only

to Gods true servants.Paul wrote to one assembly of saints, We beseech you in Christs stead. If

a man is really speaking in Christs stead, it is only be because Christ has sent himto do so. And if Jesus sends a man to speak in his stead, then that man is safe for

Gods children to follow. And if he is safe for them to follow, then it is safe for themto render to him Gods tithes and offerings, for he will be receiving them in Christsstead.

Jesus bluntly called men hired as pastors, thieves and robbers (Jn. 10:1, 8-13). This is a hard saying, but Jesus said it, and it is true. Ministers who are hired byreligious organizations are, as the Lord of heaven and earth said, thieves androbbers because what draws them into a religious career is not the call of God, butthe call of money. Since Jesus came, Satan has had to transform himself into anangel of light in order to deceive the children of God (2Cor. 11:14), and men who

have the same spirit of envy that Satan has, have followed his lead and transformedthemselves into ministers of righteousness (2Cor. 11:15).

Its for the money.LIKE MELCHIZEDEK

We are told in the Bible that God made Jesus a priest just as He once made aman called Melchizedek a priest (Heb. 6:20). A thousand years before Jesus came,

the Bible foretold that he would be a priest like Melchizedek (Ps. 110:4). But whatdo we know about Melchizedek, and what great deeds did he do, so that Jesus would

be like him? First of all, throughout the history recorded in the Bible, Melchizedekappears only in four verses, so we know almost nothing about his background andlife. One way, however, in which Jesus became a high priest like Melchizedek is thatneither Jesus nor Melchizedek was from the tribe of Levi. Neither of them came fromIsraels family of priests. Both were simply chosen and anointed by God to be who

they were and to do what they did.The only two deeds that we know Melchizedek performed are (1) he received

tithes from Abraham and (2) he blessed Abraham. Thats all Melchizedek ever did,as far as the Biblical record is concerned. Jesus, the prophet said, would be a priest


15/25

forever like Melchizedek (Ps. 110:4).Now, if Jesus is a high priest like Melchizedek, doesnt it seem reasonable

that Jesus should (1) receive tithes from righteous people and (2) bless righteouspeople. Wouldnt it seem strange if Jesus, the high priest like Melchizedek, did notdo the only two things in the Bible that Melchizedek ever did?

HERE AND THERE

Melchizedek was ordained by God to receive Abrahams tithes becauseMelchizedek was ordained by God. Gods anointing on the man Melchizedek meantthat whenever Melchizedek, a mortal man, received tithes on earth, those tithes were

received in heaven by God who anointed him. The same is true in this NewTestament. Here men that die receive tithes, and if those men are men of God, thenthere [i.e. in heaven] he [Jesus] receives them, of whom it is witnessed that he lives(Heb. 7:8).

This is the reason I stress so much that we should make certain that the hand

into which we place Gods money is the hand of a man whom God has ordained toreceive it. Otherwise, we are merely subsidizing the lifestyle of a thief and a robber

and financing our own confusion. Bringing Gods tithes and offerings to the wrongman not only hurts those who bring them; it also hurts the man who receives them,for it encourages him to believe that he is what he is not. It enables him to continuefunctioning in a position for which God has not equipped him, which means that itenables him to continue to mislead people who trust him. It can bring upon that mana curse for putting his hands upon holy things that do not belong to him. When Gods

tithes and offerings are given to a man whom God has not sent, that money is used

to the hurt of everybody. It can even be used by Satan to poison the hearts of menwith false doctrines against the tenderest truths of Christ. There just isnt an errorthat Gods people can make that has more potential for harm than to give Godsmoney to the wrong man.

ONLY ANOINTED HANDS

Please do not think that simply because you have been tithing, God is pleased.He may, in fact, be broken-hearted. Our heavenly Father loves us so much that Hecan only be pleased with our tithes and offerings when we have brought them to a

place that is safe for us to bring them; that is, to men whom He has anointed to carefor the flock of God, men whom God has ordained to receive His tithes and offerings

in Christs stead. If a man has not heard from God, if he has no power with God,if God has not sent him to do what he is doing and to say what he is saying, whywould we even want to give him Gods money? On what basis does it belong to him?By virtue of his holding a title given to him by an institution or by other men?

To whom have you been giving Gods tithes and offerings? If to an


16/25

organization called a church, then it is promoting division among the saints. If toa man not ordained by God, then it is puffing up a mere human against Christ. Ineither case, you should cease immediately and wait for the Spirit to guide you in thismatter. Gods money belongs to God. It is to be brought only to where His Spirit hassanctified an earthly vessel to receive it in His name. That way, it is also received in

heaven.


17/25


Two Evils

There are two principle evils that, above all others, prevent people from

bringing to God His tithes and offerings. Of course, excuses for disobedience in this

matter have varied widely, but when all is said and done, two fundamental evils haveconsistently stand out.

The first of the two evils that most often prevent people from obeying God in

tithes and offerings is covetousness. Covetous people just dont want to part with themoney. They have difficulty admitting to themselves that Gods tithes and offeringsreally do belong to God. They consider Gods tithes to be their money. Instead ofhumbly considering the many blessings from God that fill their lives, they can only

envision the things they could buy for themselves if they kept Gods portion. Howfoolish they are!

When Israel was leaving Egypt, they had no idea what to expect from God atMount Sinai, where they would finally meet with Him. While in Pharaohs palace,Moses told Pharaoh that he did not know what God would require the Israelites tosacrifice (Ex. 10:24-26). The gods of the nations, including Egypts gods, could be

brutal in their oppressive demands of people, even demanding that they sacrifice their

children in the flames. Israel did not know whether or not Jehovah would prove tobe the same. They had to be ready to offer Him all that was theirs.

Facing this unknown, Moses could not agree to Pharaohs demand that theIsraelites leave their herds behind while they went to meet with Jehovah. What if,Moses wondered, when Israel arrived at Mount Sinai, God required them to sacrificeevery cow, goat, and sheep in their possession? God could justly demand that theysurrender everything they own because He created all things, and everything Israel

possessed was from His merciful hand. Everything belongs to the Creator. So, whenthe Israelites left Egypt, they left with everything they owned, just in case Goddemanded that they give it all to Him. When they came to the foot of fiery MountSinai, the mountain of God, they came trembling. Fear shook Moses himself to the

bone (Heb. 12:21).When the terrified Israelites heard Gods commandments at Mount Sinai, they

must have been astonished at how little He demanded of them. A tithe a tenth of

all their increase, and then some offerings at certain times, was all that God requiredof them. Misinformation about the Old Testament has prevented this generation fromrealizing that Gods Old Testament people failed in their walk with God, not becauseGod was so heavy-handed and demanding but because He required so little of themthat they could not believe it was enough. Ironically, a main reason that Israel failedin her walk of faith was that she was more religious than God was. One simple place

of worship was not good enough for the Israelites. One God, as it turned out, was notenough for Israel. One simple altar and a few simple sacrifices were not enough to


18/25

satisfy Israels superstitious fear. She never understood how good God was.What if God required of His people one half of all our increase instead of a

tenth? That would still be merciful of Him. That would still be more gracious thanwe deserve. But the Creator of the universe, who holds our next breath in His hands,demands that we honor Him with just a tenth part of all our increase. In spite of that,

the heart of the covetous among Gods children feel that the tenth is too much todemand. Their own greed makes them suspicious that the servant of God is schemingto take away their money. They cannot be happy bringing God His tenth, and yet theycant be happy stealing it. In time, they will fall away.

Idolatry among Gods Old Testament people undermined the government ofGod within the borders of Israel. Idolatrous priests took from Gods people the goods

that should have been taken to Gods servants, and the nation was eventuallydestroyed as a result. Idolatry stole the hearts of Gods people and stole Gods moneyfrom Gods servants. Paul said that covetousness is the spirit of idolatry (Col. 3:5)

because the reason idolatry exist is to steal Gods money from Gods people.

Covetousness is kin to the spirit of Satan, the rebel cherub, and it is a principalreason that many fail to obey God in tithes and offerings. Avoid it. Be thankful andrejoice for what God gives you and do not envy what belongs to another, whether it

belongs to God or anyone else.

The second evil that prevents people from rendering to God His tithes and

offerings is a proud, rebellious spirit. To bring tithes to a man of God is to confessthat there is government in the assembly of saints and that you are submitting yourselfto it. To an unruly heart, that confession is difficult to make because Godsgovernment is a who not a what. The saints are always to render tithes to those who

are over you in the Lord, to men who by Gods choice rule among the saints. Aproud, government-despising spirit cannot humble itself to do that. It is distastefulto a rebellious man to confess, You are over me in the Lord, by bringing tithes to

a man of God because pride and stubbornness reign in his heart instead of Christ.Those children of God who despise the government that God has instituted

among His people will be the first to receive damnation, for judgment begins at the

house of God (1Pet. 4:17). Having been washed of sins by the blood of Christ,believers are the most blessed of all people, and yet because of ingratitude and self-will, some of them are of all people most deserving of Gods wrath.

When Abraham brought to Melchizedek the tithe of all that he had recoveredfrom the slaughter of the kings (Gen. 14), he was making a confession thatMelchizedek was higher up on the spiritual ladder than he. The author of Hebrews

points this out by reminding his readers thatMelchizedekblessedAbraham, not vice-versa, and without all contradiction, the less is blessed by the better (Heb. 7:7). Myfriends, if you are bringing your tithes and offerings to a man who is unable to blessyou, then you are bringing them to the wrong person. If a man is not able to bless you

with something from God, why would you even consider bringing Gods tithes and


19/25

offerings to him? Store up your tithes and offerings until you find a man who is closeenough to God to be able to bless you in the name of the Lord. Why would you doanything else with Gods money?

Jesus said to render to Caesar (earthly government) the things that are Caesars(taxes) and to God the things that are Gods. One of the things that is Gods is the

tenth of all your increase with which He has blessed you, along with offerings that Hedemands. There has never been a government on earth so stupid that it would tolerateits citizens refusing to pay their taxes. Every earthly government understands thatcitizens who withhold their taxes are undermining the government itself. Those

people are, in fact, enemies within the house, using finances instead of swords orguns to bring down the government. No society on earth can have peace without

having government, and no government on earth can exist without receiving taxesfrom its citizens.

Those in the assembly of saints who refuse to bring to God His tithes andofferings make themselves the enemies of His kingdom and government. If earthly

governments are wise enough to recognize that rebellion against taxation is a threatto the safety of the nation, shouldnt we assume that God is wise enough to recognizethat those who refuse to render tithes are a threat to the peace and security of His

people?

------------------------------

Covetousness and rebelliousness. These are the two principal unclean spiritsthat cause people to fail to bring to God what belongs to Him. If there is another

reason that I have overlooked, it too, is evil. It is the will of God that His people

bring His tithes and offerings to His anointed servants, and whoever among the saintsrefuses to obey that commandment can only be following an ungodly spirit.


20/25


Giving

When we have brought to God His tithes and offerings, we have not given God

anything. The tithes and offerings are already His, and in bringing them to God, we

are merely doing our duty, for it is only to be expected that we should be a faithfulhandler of Gods possessions.

In the Old Testament, God gave permission to His people to bring gifts to Himthat were beyond the requirement of tithes and offerings. If someone among His

people did want to bring a gift to God beyond what was required, God allowed it, in

the main. Even so, however, God set the standard; He never accepted just anythingthat anyone decided to bring Him. Concerning such offerings, and almsgiving, Jesussaid simply, Give. And then he promised that God would especially rewardabundant giving: Give, and it shall be given to you. Good measure, pressed down,

and shaken together, and running over, shall men give unto your bosom. For withthe same measure with which you measure shall it be measured back to you (Lk.6:38).

We will never out-give God. I have known saints who were anointed with thegift of giving mentioned in Romans 12. Though poor, they found ways of giving thatricher people could not find. It was their gift from God, and how sweet it was toshare this life with such souls! They gave unceasingly and in various ways, withoutthought or care, but even they, the most giving of all people, never out-gave God (notthat they tried.)

Concerning the opportunity to give beyond what was required, Paul told thesaints in Corinth, But remember this: He who sows sparingly will also reap

sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Let each one give

as he has determined in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves

a cheerful giver (2Cor. 9:6-7).

AMATTER OF THE HEART

It is worthless to give with half a heart or with a double mind. In time, such aperson will most likely regret that he gave, and there is no reward from God for that.It is also worthless to give because one is afraid not to, or out of a sense of guilt if one

does not give. There are many ways by which religious men pressure people to givewhen they really do not want to give. One example of this is the Christian tradition

of publicly taking up a collection all the while reminding the people of how muchJesus has done for them. Men who do that know they are pressuring people to givewhat they may not really want to give. And they know that they are embarrassingsome people for their past failure to give. When people are pressured by such tactics,they may afterward regret yielding to the pressure, and their hearts will then befurther hardened against generosity.


21/25

Blessings follow obedience to Gods will concerning tithes and offerings, andof giving beyond that, but if it is not in a persons heart to do those things, then it isevil to pressure him to do so. Gifts are not acceptable to God if the person bringing

the money doesnt really want to give it. It is a matter of the heart! Only the heart!

Always the heart! Where is your heart concerning God and money? That is the only

real issue.BEING WORTHY TO GIVE

The Christian tradition of taking up a collection is nothing but a tool ofoppression, and it is of the devil. That godless tradition is not designed simply to

provide Gods saints with an opportunity to bring their tithes and offerings; a simplebasket by the door would suffice for that. Taking up a collection sprang from thecovetous heart of some unknown man. That public display pressures people to givewhen they otherwise might not give.

Besides that, the ritual of taking up a collection would be completely

unnecessary if a minister would simply feed Gods people the truth. The children ofGod cheerfully bring Gods tithes and offerings to Him, without being asked, whenthey are well fed. I have never in all my years of serving God had any need to takeup a collection, not because I am so wonderful but because Gods children arewonderful. Happy, well-fed children of God are the most generous creatures in allof Gods creation. By their example, Gods children teach the very angels about

giving.On occasion, I have had to refuse a persons tithes and offerings. Sometimes,

it has been because the person bringing the money was living an ungodly life and was

not worthy to mingle his or her money with that of upright saints of God. Jesuswould not allow me to take what those people offered until they repented and madethings right with him. At other times, I could not take the money because it was

being offered by precious saints who were too zealous for their own good. They were

wanting to give more than what was good for them to give. They were overly excitedin the Lord and hadnt yet learned how to express such feelings of thanksgiving and

joy with temperance and discretion.

BELIEVE GOD

The Lord knows us, that we are made of dust and that we stagger sometimesin our walk of faith. But He continually encourages us to trust Him. Often, itappears, He has more confidence in us than we have in Him. One of the challengesthat He believes we can meet is the one He issued to His children through Malachi:Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in my house, and

prove Me with this, says he LORD of hosts, if I will not open to you the windows of

heaven, and pour you out a blessing that there shall not be room enough to receive.God invites us to put Him to the test!


22/25

Do not fear, little flock, to obey Jesus commandment to give. The sameFather who provided what you have to give will also cause you to reap what you havesown in sincerity, from the heart. Believe God. He has promised that He will carefor us forever if we will trust Him now.


23/25


Final Thoughts

Here are some scattered, final thoughts on the issue of tithes and offerings that

will conclude this series of thoughts on the subject:

Jesus said, If Abraham were your father, you would do the works of

Abraham. One of the works of Abraham was to render tithes to Melchizedek, anancient figure of Christ (Ps. 110:4). Abrahams children live as Abraham lived, andgive as Abraham gave.

Tithing was not merely a commandment given under the Law. Abraham andJacob lived hundreds of years before the Law was given, and they both offered theirtithes to God. The righteous have always sensed what was right, and have done it.

Paul said it this way: The Law was not made for a righteous man (1Tim. 1:9). Suchrighteous men as Abraham and Jacob did not need the Law of Moses to tell them tobring God His tithes and offerings. They were a law unto themselves.

Tithing is one of the principal means by which we obey Solomons admonitionto his son, In all your ways acknowledge God, and He will direct your paths. Be not

wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and depart from evil. It shall be health to your

navel and marrow to your bones (Prov. 3:6-8). In hope that God would bless hisyoung sons life, the wise king earnestly admonished his son with these words:

Honor the LORD with your substance, and with the first fruits of all your increase.So shall your barns be filled with plenty, and your presses shall burst out with new

wine (Prov. 3:9-10).

Gods system of tithes and offerings works against the fleshs natural desire tostrive to be rich and to hoard up wealth. It teaches us to be like God, who givesliberally, in that we learn not to think of the wealth God gives us as something

intended only for ourselves.

Those who beg for money from Gods people are never satisfied. They never

seem to have money sufficient to fulfill their grand schemes. The covetous spirit ofChristianity does not allow its ministers to do as Moses did, when he said to thechildren of God, Bring no more offerings now. You have given enough.

Some people claim that they earn too much money to render to God His tithesand offerings, while others say they dont earn enough. Neither group is telling thetruth. Nobody earns either too little or too much money to do the will of God.


24/25


25/25


Tithing and Prosperity

From a sermon by Preacher Clark at Grandmas house in 1972

Sometimes, Preacher Clarks sermons could last two thrilling hours, coveringa host of different topics. The following is a short excerpt from a sermon by the

seventy-one-year-old Preacher when he was talking about spiritual laziness but then

drifted to the matters of rendering tithes to God and prosperity.

Im not looking for a place to shout. I am looking for a place to work.Gods children are losing out [with God] for being idle. [He then went on

to say that you can be busy with many things and yet be idle in the things of God.]Then he said, Where are we? And, Where do we go from here? Thats thequestion today. What will this year mean to you? What have you done so far thisyear for God? Or are you just idling your time? We should be fishers of men.

[Then, referring to tithes and offerings, he said], Your tithes dont count aswork for God; your offerings do count because your offerings are what you aregiving, and tithes are what you owe. That [tithe] is not even yours. You cantgive

your tithes; you render tithes, and you give offerings. Especially is this madeclear [by the laws concerning sacrifices].

A preacher promised people they would prosper if they paid tithes. Thats

terrible. I wont promise you to prosper one bit for paying tithes. Ill tell you whatI will promise: I promise that you wont prosper if you dont pay them. Youre going

to be sick. Youre going to be in need, and youre not going to be happy. But hereswhat I promise you: If youll pay your tithes and give your offerings and use wisdomwith whats left, it will go further than the whole thing would have gone if you hadntrendered your tithes and given your offerings.

Under this anointing, you walk down the street and you are imparting

something to someone. You need to give every one you meet something. If they arein need financially, give them a shilling or something. If they dont need any money,give them a smile. If they ask you directions, give them directions. Walk by themand raise your hand and smile to them. They will soon inquire, Who is he, and what

does he have? So, every person you meet, give them something, whatever it mightbe. You should never meet a person and nothing imparts from you to them.

Documents

Biblical Truth: Tithes and Offerings