But I found a place where u can get all the Naija entertainment news you need and more. The FAB Bella's website http://www.bellanaija.com/
For now I want to talk about something a little delicate. I try as much as possible to stay away from religious matters but I have to bring this up for discussion, 'cos it's been bugging me for a bit now. It's Tithe Offering.
Tithe Offerings involves giving a Tenth of all our produce, harvest, Earnings or income each month or year to our Almighty God as a humble gesture of honor, loyalty, faithfulness, reverence and respect to God
But the thing is; I've never done it because I don't believe in it.
Does that make me a bad person? Am I wrong not to believe in this?
What do you guys think about Tithe offering?
Thought of the day
Prayer is an open line to Heaven. No cards to use, no low bat problem, no error, no charging, always good signal, and all messages sent. Make prayer a habit.
Photo of the day
A little girl with cancer
Warning: It's not a good sight.
10 year old Rachel with brain cancer in her little body
And please don't ask to take it down. Every time you want to complain that your life is too hard, look at her and be grateful for what you have.
But beyond that, please pray for her.
See y'all later
Kisses
65 comments:
I don't buy the con, so I dont give
Hey Linda.
i 100% believe in it, let me just give u a little example from, last saturday i lost £250, the following sunday i got a ticket fine for parking on a doulble yellow line and monday i went through a no entry zon ewith all tcket and fine coming up to £180. all the people i told there was only one question they asked "are you paying your tithe?" and which i have not being paying for the last couple of months due to the credit cruch. so i believe in it and iif you hve the opportunity to do so, u should pay your tithe too, because god will repay it back in million time and more doors will also open for u.
Also can i say is what you are saying if you are a christian is you don't believe in bible or jesus, because it is the bible, that you should give 10% of you income and earnings.
that's all i have to say, its up to u to decide if you want to pay it or not.
Hi u, I strongly believe in the concept of tithing, it works and trust me it isnt a lie, even for those who dont really believe in God, tithing works. When i was in school and i would have this not too much allowance, i would still try to pay and i rarely lacked that period, it was crazy. and oops scary picture, we need to be grateful for life
Linda, i am not a Pastor but since you asked, i'm giving you my personal opinion as a Christian. I also used to struggle with tithing initially until i realised that if i died today, i'd be unable to even enjoy the mere 10% of the money that i was trying to protect in the first place.
God has instructed us to tithe, so we should. If we think deeply about it, God is only asking for 10% of our earnings so we have the other 90% to keep. He also said that if you tithe, He would open the windows of Heaven and bless you so much that you would not have enough room to take it in (Malachi 3:10-12). God cannot lie, so i believe Him.
Abraham tithed (Genesis 14:20) and God blessed him very much. He was one of the richest people in the bible (Genesis:13:2) and he still went to Heaven. So he was rich both on earth and now in Heaven.
I know there are people that argue that pastors use our money for personal gain yada yada...but my own stance is that i am giving my tithes and offerings to God, so as far as i am concerned, i have no business with what happens to the money after i have given it. God did not appoint me to investigate what pastors are doing with my money. We should let God be the judge of that.
Take care
tithe is God's commandment not an option, it does not matter if you beleive in it or not. if you do it He will prosper you more than you can imagine!! just 10% of your total earnings
:) Tithing is a requirement if one says one is a Christian i.e. a follower of Christ, because it is there in the bible, and one may say it is in the Old testament but there are cases in the new testatament where offerings (which i believe included tithes)were given..also
Tithing is an avenue of opening up the blessings of God.
Malachi 3:10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.
I guess it just all boils down to how much of the bible one believes or not.
No you are not a bad person but you are ignorant on spiritual principles. Let me show you a more excellent way.
Giving of Tithes (10% of your income or increase) and offerings are ways of showing God that you appreciate and honour Him for being your provider and life giver; that you also trust him to bless the remaining 90% of your income.
See Mal 3:10-12 (Please read). Paying tithes has its blessings
1. The windows of heaven (divine ideas, provisions) things that money can not buy are guaranteed to you.
2. The Lord will rebuke the devourer (such as sickness, unexpected/ unnecessary expenses, hole in pockets e.t.c) for your sake.
As a UK residence i pay my taxes and you can pay 14%, 17% or 25% depending on if you are a low income earner or a high earner.
In conclusion, just as much as taxes have their benefits(good roads, healthcare, good educational system etc, so paying tithes have its spiritual/ financial benefits as well. Try it and prove the Lord and he will show himself strong on your behalf.
To pay your tithes, make sure it is paid in your home church where you are being nourished spiritually.
I have been doing it since i was 16years old in Nigeria, i'm now 32yrs with my family in the UK and God has been faithfull over the years.
Regards,
Bukky
HI girl!
Do u believe in God? Do you understand how he works? Do you understand why the sun shines when it does and why He chose to bring you into the world when He did? many questions...The awesomeness of God is beyond human comprehension. When God says we should give our tithe, it is not because He needs ur money. Tithe is meant to cater for the needy and the fatherless in the church. Paying my tithe has brought numerous blessings on my life because i keyed into the promise of God that He would rebuke the destroyer for my sake if i paid my tithe (its in the book of Malachi). My belief is that everything i have comes from God so my tithe does not hurt my pocket. However, everything you do must be because U believe.
I forgot to add that u shd be open to God's Word. Research on the Scriptures URSELF. Go through scriptures that have to do with tithes. Bless you!
1. Post-Calvary Christian giving principles in Second Corinthians are superior to tithing. (1) Giving is a "grace.” (2) Give yourself to God first. (3) Give yourself to knowing God’s will. (4) Give in response to Christ’s gift. (5) Give out of a sincere desire. (6) Do not give because of any commandment (8:8, 10; 9:7). (7) Give beyond your ability. (8) Give to produce equality. (9) Give joyfully (8:2). (10) Give because you are growing spiritually. (11) Give to continue growing spiritually. (12) Give because you are hearing the gospel preached.
2. Abraham's tithed in Genesis 14 in obedience to pagan tradition. (1) He did not "freely" give. (2) His was NOT a holy tithe from God’s holy land by God’s holy people under God’s holy Covenant. (3) His was only from pagan spoils of war required in many nations. (4) In Num. 31, God required 1% of spoils. (5) His tithe to his priest-king was a one-time event. (6) Not from his personal property. (7) Kept nothing for himself. (8) Is not quoted to endorse tithing. (9) Most commentaries explain 14:21 as pagan Arab tradition, it is contradictory to explain the 90% of 14:21 as pagan, while insisting the 10% of 14:20 was obedience to God’s will. (10) If Abraham were an example for Christians to give 10%, he should also be an example for Christians to give the other 90% to Satan, or to the king of Sodom! (11) As priests, neither Abraham nor Jacob had a Levitical priesthood to support; they probably left food for the poor at their altars.
3. Although money was common and essential for worship for over 1500 years, biblical tithes were always only food increased by God from inside Israel (Lev. 27:30, 32; see site for all 16 texts).
4. Since only farmers and herdsmen tithed, there was no minimum standard requirement for most. Tradesmen such as carpenters (Jesus), Peter (fishermen) and Paul (tentmakers) did not qualify as tithe-payers. The poor and Gentiles did not tithe.
5. Tithing was only commanded to national Israel under the terms of the Old Covenant. Tithing was never commanded to the Church after Calvary (Ex 19:5-6; Lev 27:34; Mal 4:4; Mt 23:23 matters of the law).
6. Those who received the first whole tithe did not minister atonement (Num. 18:21-24; Neh10:37b). Priests only received 1% (a tenth of the tithe) (Num 18:25-28; Neh 10:38).
7. In exchange for receiving tithes, both Levites and priests forfeited all rights to permanent land inheritance inside Israel (Num. 18:20-26).
8. Firstfruits are not the same as tithes. Firstfruits were a very small token offering (Deu 26:1-4; Neh 10:35-37; Num 18:13-17). Tithes were the tenth and not the best; only 1% of the tithes included the best (Lev. 27:32, 33).
9. There were 4 O.T. tithes: (1) Government taxes (1 Sam 8:14-17). (2) Levitical (Num. 18:21-28; Neh. 10:37-39). (3) Festival (Deu 12:1-19; 14:22-26). (3) Poor tithe every 3rd year (Deu 14:28-29; 26:12-13).
10. Tithes were often taxes used to support Levite [politicians (1 Chron, chap 23 to 26; esp 23:2-5; 26:29-32; 27:5). Tithes never supported mission work (Ex 23:32; Heb 7:12-18).
11. OT Levitical tithes were brought first to the Levitical cities and not to the Temple (Num 18; Neh 10:37-39; 2 Chron 31:15-19). Most Levites required tithes in their Levitical cities where 98% stayed (Num 35, Josh 20, 21).
12. Malachi 3 is the most abused tithing text in the Bible. (1) Malachi is OT and is never quoted in the New Covenant to validate tithing. (2) Tithes are still only food. (3) His audience reaffirmed the OT curses (Neh.10:28-29). (4) The blessings and curses of tithing are identical to and inseparable from those of the entire Mosaic Law (Deu 28:12, 23-24; Gal 3:10/Deu 27:26). (5) “You” in Malachi refers to the dishonest priests and not the people (1:6-14; 2:1-10; 2:13 to 3:1-5). (6) The “whole” tithe never went to the Temple! (Neh 10:37b). (7) The Levitical cities must be included in a correct interpretation. (8) The 24 courses of Levites and priests must be included. (9) The “storehouse” in the Temple was only several rooms (Neh 13:5, 9). (9) “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse” only makes contextual sense if it is only commanding dishonest priests to replace the tithes they had removed from it or had failed to bring to it.
13. The OT Temple and priesthood have been replaced by the priesthood of every believer. NT elders and pastors more closely resemble OT prophets who were not supported by tithes.
14. Tithing was not legalized as a church law until AD 777. If was not introduced as a local regional law until the 6th century. See any reputable encyclopedia.
15. NT giving principles are: freewill, sacrificial, generous, joyful, not by commandment or percentage and motivated by love for God and lost souls.
From the book, Should the Church Teach Tithing?
www.tithing-russkelly.com russell-kelly@att.net
Hello Linda how r u?
ok first of, NO u r not a bad person for not paying thites lol,
d thing is if u believe in God or are a practicing xtian then u r expected to pay ur thites. there are sooooooo many verses in d bible that command us 2 pay our thites and if u believe in Gods word (i mean every word of it) then we hve to pay our thites
but i think we xtians (esp me lol) tend to do selective bible readin where we choose parts of the bible to follow that suit us or does not take us out of our comfort zone (u knw wat i mean abi) but we shouldnt do this
more so, if u really think about it at d end of d day everything we own belongs to God in d first place and HE is so kind that he asks us to keep 90% of his wealth and give him back only 10% and not only that HE goes on to add soooooo much more blessings to what we already have, malachi 3: 10 says "Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my temple. if u do says the Lord of Heavens army, I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you wont have room enough to contain it"
so put God to d test and encourage urself to thite..... cheerfully lol
mwah xxxxxxxxxxxx
Like you, I dont believe in giving tithes...God doesnt need anyone's money and I personally believe that he hasn't like the tax man, placed a percentage of one's earnings that he prefers for you to part with to show 'gratitude & reverence' to him...i think its good to give but not necessarily to the 'church'...loving your neighbour as urself and doing the best u can do for ppl in need is true service to God and man and not the imposed tax by the church on your earnings...even giving offering in church for me is unnecessary. i'ld rather feed the hungry and give the needy than put my money in 'offering' to God during a church service...its all fake and eye service if u ask me...not surprising that ppl think i'm nuts and i will go to 'hell'! as if money ever bought anyone a ticket to heaven! lol
I think it's a personal decision. What don't you believe in? You must have seen it in the bible. Or are you saying you don't understand why you should give up 10% of what's yours to God, when he doesnt really need the money?
The same bible says "give it shall be given unto u........"and all the rest it says.
Titles are used for the work of God. You dont expect God to send physical cash from heaven( drop like manna)to do stuff for the church do it. It's used for church repairs, payn church workers, printing booklets and most stuff d church will use money for.
Some pple think "oh that my red eyed(greed) pastor and his flashy wife will use my money to better themselves". I give and ask God to use for the advancement of his word.Whatever the church uses it for is their business. And God blesses me immeasurably whenever I pay tithes.
Wow,I made first!At first I didnt want to make my comment,wanted to come back on a latter bcos of the .."Tithe Offering"...
Anyways,as a Christian and believe so much in it,it is a must for everyone both christians and non-christians apart must take part,not everything,that's why He didnt ask of all of it(bcos He knows it will be difficult) but just one-tenth of it to say Thank You Lord for this month and for giving and providing me with this.
But as per you,I dont think u are wrong(dont have to judge u),since u dont believe in it but I advice u do bcos it's anoda way of thanking God and wat can we do that will be enuf for God,so ,think about it and start now and the funny thing is,There is Always a Reward for Paying Your Tithe.
Take care and keep doing wat u know how to do best,luv ya!
Oluwayemisi
Please take the picture down.
i believe in tithing...i think when you give, you receive. Even circular organizations are taping into that now...
it doesnt make u a bad person that u dont do it, but you can receive more if and when you do.
Its a miracle little Rachael still alive. But oh my..wat a gory sight! I'm tempted to ask u to have mercy and take it down, but i wont. I think i'll save it on my computer so that whenever i see it, i will seriously thank God for my life.Here i am complaining about the little headaches i have in the mornings, and the fact that my tummy has started coming out when a girl as little as that is going through so much suffering. Thank you father for my life, and i pray you visit Rach and do something 'bout her condition.
Now about tithes
I pay once in a while, but that dosen't mean i dont believe in it. Those few times i pay, God showers me with blessings, and i'm always aware that it's as a result of my tithe. My sister pays her tithe regularly, and i tell u the truth...Malachai 3:10&11 happens in her life....she dosen't have room anymore to recieve the blessings God pours out on her.
Infact, there's no need for long 'tory. Try it oneday and see u'll testify!
I don't believe in tithing either. The idea that you have to give exactly 10% every time regardless of your situation to a house of God is just something that the Holy men of those days just made up. Last month I gave a large sum of money to a friend to help her out, and the pastor still expects me to give him 10% of my salary, not happening. I think that you can give whatever amount you feel like giving, as long as it is from your heart, and it doesn't have to be to the church, it could be to a friend or family member in need.
Jesus said we should love others, treat them the way we want to be treated, and that is all that matters. Tithing is not a cardinal rule of mine
Tithe and offering is to one's own benefit, it doesn't make God any richer. The reason for it is for the running and upkeep of the church and to help the needy, and also for the well-being of church workers. Think about it, if no one pays their tithes and offering, how will church buildings be built/rent paid for?How will equipments, chairs etc be bought? who will pay the salary of full-time pastors? how will the needy in the church/society be catered for? etc....
Check Malachi:3:8-12....
Not giving ur tithe and offering is robbing God according to the scripture, and it also prevents u from fully maximizing ur potentials esp. financially. Personally, i have seen God's wonderous promises come to pass for me bcos i tithe and give offerings....some pple say they wont give bcos the funds r sometimes misused, well that is not my business to judge, lest i misjudge...let God judge them that do so, all thats important is that u've done ur own part, and u'll still receive ur blessings regardless. I cant count how many times God has mysteriously provided me money from nowhere wen i am in need of it....i'm talkn of serious money o!...and in really mysterious ways like money appearing in my account from nowhere even after verifying with the bank and proving that it wasn't a mistake on the bank's part...this has happened to me twice this yr...the first was $3,000 and the second $300....not to mention the numerous favor of God thru pple....I tell u, giving is to one's own benefit, it really opens up the windows of heaven in ur favor in a way u will not believe!..."give and it shall be given unto. Good measure; pressed down, shaken and runneth over shall men receive!"....The head and tail of the story is that if u take care of God(i.e. his ministry), he will take care of u too...even more!
PS: even my plane ticket to naija was a mystery on its own...i fasted and prayed, reminding God of my tithing and offering, challenging him to fulfill his promises, and that same day someone paid for it!...we're talkn $1,400 o!...this was at a time wen i had not even a shi-shi...totally broke.....God is not a joke, and his word is not either!
Nma
Thanks for your post Linda...your blog is a joy to follow. Anyway, I grew up tithing and have tried my best to tithe to the best of my ability. It is a Biblical principle that I think Christians should try and follow, I understand that some Churches take advantage of peoples tithes(that's why we should try to find a good Word based Church, so our tithes can be used to reach out to people, provide for communities and do things that the Church will have to do in place of the government).
In Malachi 3, it says " 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".
I don't tithe for reward sake but I promise you there have been times that all I had in my bank account was my tithe amount and I tithed(sp?) and God really showed up for me. This is just my opinion though like you asked, sorry I didn't mean to get preachy. God bless you and your magazine and all your future endeavors. Have a great day.
well, with regards to ur tithe offering, the truth is clear. the bible says it all-without faith, it is impossible to please God. i really dunno y u dnt believe in tithe offering, but ma dear, if u really believe in the bible and u believe in God, then i fink it should be d whole of it nd not part of it. ma dear, u cnt choose wat to believe in the bible nd wat not to believe-u r either in or out.and for ur best interest, i find you shld consider the benefits of tithe offering.the mistake we all make is we fink we are paying our tithe to God. He owns all things already. we are just giving Him back a 10th of wat He owns already as honour and thanksgiving.at the end of the day, its for our good cus den He opens the windows of heaven unto us. please do not make the mistake of limiting the blessings of tithe offering to monetary terms alone.think abt the spiritual battles dat are fought for us,the favour,unconditional love of God,grace,mercy,and even life itself. for all these, dnt you fink a 10th of wat u earn is even too small.
In regards to tithing, from my opinion it all depends on your faith.
Personally i tithe because it has made me understand that not only will i constantly receive uncommon blessings it also stops the enemy from interfering with my finances which could either be through poverty, hospital bills, business loss that involves huge sums of money.
Also tithing makes us learn how to be good givers and greatful to God. Some may argue this but like i initially said it depends on ur faith.
Linda read malachi 3: 8-12...all u need to know about tithing is stated clearly in that verse
wendu
hey Linda! on the issue of tithe and offering, that's a delicate issue n i think it depends on personal conviction and the belief each individual has about it.but one thing is that when we believe it or not, it's a principle in the bible that God says we should pay tithe with the promise that we should try him and see if He would not open the windows of heaven and rebuke the devourer for our sake.so for this reason i stive to pay my tithe and i pray with expectation on it, and i can happily say that i get results.that's my opinion.
i dont believe in it either and i'm like the most generous person u'll ever meet.
there's 2much corruption in the world and i'll be damned if my money is making some man of God cruising around in expensive cars, flying 1st class around d world and building mansions when people are suffering.
i'll gladly donate that money 2 charity and know where my money is going 4 real.
besides isn't that sumtn in the old testament?? Only in naija
oh and that lil kid pic is so sad. it's been circulating the net for months now.
Hey Linda, I don't have a problem with tithe, but I just have a problem with greedy pastors, who have manipulated and taken the bible out of context to get money from the congregation. I give not based on what any pastor says or any traditions, I give coming from my heart, doesn't even matter how much but I try to give HIM my best, bcos God deserves it all. All these pastors bother so much about how much people should give or how they should give etc and not even mention anything about how our lifestyle should be pleasing to God. Mehn, I've been going through so much, and I was so down today, crying, and even to the point of wishing I was dead or should die. But while all these thoughts was running through my mind, I kept hearing, be thankful and grateful that you have all your organs correct and you are still alive, because there are people out there who don't have, and are thankful to be alive. We are busy getting frustrated, angry, sad, depressed about what we don't have, and we forget to be thankful for what we have which is life, and been able to wake up every morning. The pic of the little just brought tears to my eyes, and I will definitely keep her in my prayers.
I'm sure u know whats the right thing to do.....i miss payin it sometimes which is bad....but not ti pay at all and not to believe in it is not right...
give God whats due him....
I don't mind giving out 10% of my earnings, I really dont mind. God has blessed me so much, but I'm not comfortable giving it to the church, they have too much already. Is it ok to give it to the needy? Is that not tithe?
hey linda! in response to ur comment.tithe is different from church offering and it's also different from what you give to charity.i do all those things.but the harder one for me to do is tithing,and i keep striving to do it but whenever i do it, God blesses me according to what i ask for and more.i used to think it wasn't fair for a student to be paying tithe, but since i tried it i think i prefer to pay than not to.the kind of rewards i get are not understandable and unexplainable.try it and see.don't even bother concerning urself with whether the church ahs enough or more already.just do it, and u can still continue to give to charity.it just means more blessings.there are certain and different rewards for each.trust me its important
Dearie,
I also don't want to preach however, God's commandment about tithe is explicit.Malachi 3:10 says it should be brought into his storehouse. I am sure your church has a welfare team who donates to the needy and the less priviledged. Anything you as a person gives to the needy is not tithe. Also like Gloria pointed out earlier, obey God and not bother yourself about whether the church needs it or not. You are givig it to God and not the church, it is God that rewards/blesses and not the church.
Linda dear, like I said before, like u, I dont believe in tithing.As we all know, God never came down to write the bible and it was written by ppl 'inspired' by God...as we also know, the bible was used as a political tool to control ppl and kings modified its contents to serve their personal goals...some ppl here are saying to withold tithe is 'wrong'! i hate it when religious apologists utter such drivel...who died and made them judge? nothing is this world is absolute except God thus there is nothing that is fundamentally wrong or right...that one believes in something doesn't make it 'right' or 'wrong'...
anyway, i digress...giving is always good...and no, it doesn't have to be to the church...left to me, the church shud be the last place money is given in charity...the church has even become more corrupt than most govt ministries in nigeria...giving with a happy heart, free from coercion and doing the best u can for ur fellow man (in both word,thought & deed -financially & otherwise) is IMO what God expects from us and not a mandatory 10% of ur earnings to be given to HIS church! BOLLOCKS!
at the end of the day, u must do what u are most comfortable with..and i admire the fact that u are one of the few born-christians that is not afraid to question biblical reasoning rather than swallow whatever is fed to by mr pastor hook, line and sinker...u are on the path to true spiritual greatness and would like u to know today that u intuition is GOD speaking to you (no, he didnt stop speaking directly to us after adam and eve! lol) and that my friend is more reliable than anything the bible can ever tell u (which altho hold some truth & wisdom, remains secondary information)
Bottomline; go with ur gut feeling! :)
Miss Linda, it seems my comments were not published. Anyways, Peronally, you can give to the needy if you do not want to give to the church.... It is all about the sincerity from your heart. Personally i have been giving my tithe to the less privilege, to those on the streets or even the blind people.
It all depends, my tithe often goes to the less privilege not the church.....In as much as its 10percent i believe its going out to God.
I give my tithe to the poor i do not see it as charity donation or offering, it is between myself and my God who sees indepthly that i have seperated the money uno him. And just like you feel Linda, i feel the same way about giving to he church personally because i feel there are those out there wo need money and they cannot afford it yet i believe my giving them my tithe would help alleviate their sufferings. In other words, i feel tithing should not be limited to church only. After alll in the Genesis, Abraham gave his one tenth offering otherwise known as tithe to MELCHIZEDEK AND Melchizedeck was a Priest.
Linda iike i said oooo, its the sincerity and genuineness of your heart of paying your tithe that matters, I hope this helps...Love always your blog fan.
Is that really a real picture? I'm in shock!
If you believe the Boble you have to believe in tithing as well. You may not do it but its a truth once its in the Bible. I give to others, church, orphanage, someone in need or so, i dont subject myself to paying every month but I do frequently throughout the year. One day I hope I can do it all the time.
May God bless that child and heal her according to his will.
Being frank, it is clear that God blesses in many ways, not strictly finance, so also tithing must not be strictly finance and must not always go to your local church, give your time, effort to charity, help the needy, be your neighbours keeper. Those are what each will be judged on, not by the 10% each contributes to church.
I know people who are these things and are blessed in the true sense, again it saddens to note that Nigerians particularly associate blessing with money.
Tithe as your soul guides you,not according to the interpretation and dictates of 'hungry' Pastors
Pete
i would like to add one thing, i think the issues of 'fake pastors' , chuch spending money, most esp.in Nigeria are over exaggerated and generalized.if u read passages in the bible that discuss tithing, i believe they were pretty precise and straight to the point.there are also other parts of the bible that discuss offerings,charity donations.charity giving, offering n tithe are different thns.pls do not interpret the bible in ways that would fit ONLY ur thinking and mentality.there r some parts in the bible that u can interpret in multiple ways, but i believe the one about tithe was precise enough for anyone to read n know that it should be paid directly to church as tithe!do not obsessively or overly concern urself with wat is being done with the tithe, cos thats when a wrong spirit starts giving u stupid ideas and suggestions on y u shouldnt pay tithe, remember the enemy enemy wants to deny u of ur blessings as much as possible.i;m not sayn u shouldnt be concerned on how ur tithe is being spent, but pls do no try to reason for God.pay tithe to the church where u r constantly being groomed n nourished spiritually n if ur pastor does the wrong thing with ur tithe, i believe God is powerful enough to deal with such pastor and still bless u!remember Tithe is a covenant that attracts covenant blessings!
Hi Linda, i have another question to add to yours. I don't know if this is the same in other countries, but here in Canada, when you pay tithes, offering or whatever, u are supposed to put it in an envelope with ur name and address on the envelope, so that u can get a tax receipt from the church to file for income tax purposes. Is it okay to do this and if u do get some money back from the govt, are u still paying 10%? People who give to charity actually get a tax break for this, which is why SOME of them do.
Interesting how every1 who pays tithes talks abt the rewards they get afterwards.
is that why ur paying it in the first instance? 2 receive more??
Not judging or anything because hey! 4 all i know, i may be wrong and u may be right.
however, most Churches like someone mentioned do what is called "building principles based on selective quotes from the bible."
That is why we have variety of churches under the same christian ideology. Meanwhile, i don't think it's the same in Islam.
As i was saying, they (d churches) tend to pick quotes that benefits them the most or represents their principles more and focus immensely on that portion of the bible. While most times, taking it out of context.
i know a man whose Big church organization is built on the principle that there is no such thing as sin and trust me he gets his quotes from the same bible.
In naija, u have 2 tie a scarf and not wear pants and all that stuff 2 go 2 church. Here in d states, they say, Jesus said come as you are.
i remember a certain time the popular Father Mbaka came here and i was expecting him 2 chase everyone out of the church since we were all there in pants and no head-ties. lol. I still ask...WHY D DOUBLE STANDARD??
Why are some things utterly wrong in Naija but seems okay here??
If u tell me that culture does not play a part in the building of a church then i'll show u a Liar. lol
I'm sorry, i tend 2 go with what my instincts tell me on pretty much anything in this life.
And someone mentioned other non-christian organizations following suit to the tithe rule??
Gee! y do u think?? b'cos MONEY (d root of evil) is INVOLVED! duhhhh Why else??
like i said b4, i'll gladly give 2 a charity or even a church that appears 2 be in need of it and not as a LAW that i should abide by.
Now when it comes to offerings, i dont bat an eye lid...maybe with exception 2 those churches that go all d way up to 7 collection..lol
when it comes 2 matters of religious beliefs, i try 2 stay clear b'cos i dont like 2 judge any1 and i don't like any1 judging me either. Do what feels right in ur heart.
like the saying goes..CHURCHIANITY IS NOT CHRISTIANITY. Paying tithes does not necessarily make u a wonderful christian or person.
Why do i feel like this tithe issue is mainly practiced in developing countries?? there are not many churches in d western world that still practice it.
Afterall, Christianity did originate from the West......
im michelle...nd i do think its a thing that must be done i mean paying tithes.......its an honour to god.if god gives u without being worthy of it we shud at the same time give him: one tenth of it,i mean that aint to much.........except we are tryna rob god. lets do as the bible tells us yall we got nothing to loose especially when it comes to GIVING!!!!!
well...i'll tell you that tithing is entirely your own option it does not make God richer BUT if you want God to open the heavens and keep out the devourer then my dear TIHTHE.....SIMPLE!
It is a personal choice. As for the bible, it is a compilation of people's words as led by God (or so they believed)however let us be mindful that during the period the bible was compiled to the changes made by King James, there was not much seperation between church and state. So religion was used as a means of control as well as finacial gain by the church as well as the state. So to quote the bible just because...does not really reflect spirituality.
As for owing God, sentiments. When your father gave you allowee as a student, were you expected to give 10% back to him?
i stopped paying tite when my pastor acquired a JET. i dont drive a car
i stopped paying tite when my pastor acquired a JET. i dont drive a car
Others have said tithes go to church maintenance and administrative expenses. I go to a church that does a lot of community work and am happy to contribute towards those efforts through my tithes. Hardly does my church ask for offerings for special projects - in fact in the last 6 months they've taken offerings for projects just once.
I also noticed that periods when I "had" and didn't tithe, somehow I lost money - unforeseen expenses, accidents, theft, damages, etc. There was a period that I'll never forget I was dead broke - had enough to pay bills and that was it. I paid my tithe in coins and believe me God blessed me tremendously I got the gift of a job and since then I try to pay my tithes religiously. I just do it in faith.
I have no qualms paying tithes to other churches when I'm away from my home church but when I feel this pastor is one kind I save my money and pay it to my home church.
I challenge ppl who say they would rather see their money put to good use than to some pastor's extravagance to go to another church. If u don't trust a pastor don't put ur money and more importantly ur spiritual life under his/her tutelage.
Ultimate clarity and direction on all things spiritual comes from God sha.
Disclaimer: I'm a work in progres Christian but this issue has impacted my life.
Goodluck
@ Paris I live in the "Western world" and the churches I have attended do "practice this" - oh and they are not naija churches
Girl I believe..though i'm not a regular tither..im working on it.. No aplologies..let the pastor but the jet or SUV-whatever, he answers to God on that one. You just pay so you wont be on the losing end at the end of the day...cos for real the day's gonna end.
Thank God you brought this issue up ,I have been thinking about it for a while. I don't believe in tithe and offreing reason is 10percent is not really huge to give to God but this money does not go to God ohhhhhhhhhhh it goes to a man, who will use my money to do as he wishes. I know they say dont worry where it goes, just give but that is blind faith which i dont and will not do.
Most of all these people shouting the lord the lord ,let me ask you a question .if all you had was your 10 percent tithe in your hand and you where on your way to church, and you just saw a friend who's child is very sick and she needs that exact amount to save the childs life what do you do?
I asked someone and she said she will still go to church and that some how the person will be taken care of. I was in shock!It is said in the Bible what so ever you do to the least of my brothers you do unto me.Why not use this money and help someone you see in need buy things take it to a shelter, motherless babies home do something !!!!
I am a proud Catholic , i don't go every single sunday to mass but i can beat my chest and say the little offering we give you can see where it goes to, to help the homeless, go to prisons,visit the sick , the list goes on.
When was the FIRST /last time your chuch had a collecting to feed the poor ? and i don't mean during your once a year thanks giving oh!
but with these BIG churches who collect 10percent of your cash it is untracable can you say you know where your money goes ?please don't say upkeep of the church.Because the catholic church have been here for ages and without the 10percent they have been doing fine !
Bill Gates who never goes to church, does not tithe, but has a massive charity foundation that contributes to international society more than any other African Government, has his barns so full he cannot contain the money he makes.
I guess God forgot to shut his window of blessing. Tithers- Keep living in a dream world.
Take a child who has abilities but cannot support himself through college, sponsor that child and you would see wonders in your life, that to me is tithing.
John Obi
I believe in tithing. I have seen many miracles right from my youth when my family practiced tithing. On a personal level, it has been quite a challenge sometimes. You just made this money, you promised to tithe and then something comes up and you direct your tithe money for something else. At some point, I also started giving my tithe money to charity. I did so because I felt the Church did not need it a I could not say whether the needy in the Church were getting it or whether it was just being applied to the Pastor's salary.
But, like many have said, I realized that God knew there was charity but still specifically required tithing from us.
I also try not to believe what I feel most of us are indoctrinated with growing up. The idea that God is this mean person that will punish you every moment he gets if you mess up. For example because you have not tithe as one commenter seemed to imply, is why you are broke or bad things happen to you. I believe God is merciful and while there are consequences for actions, he is not out to punish us because we don't tithe.
Anyway, it is an area I need to get much better and stronger at. I am glad you raised the issue out in the open.
Cheers,
--Uduak
Pastors and so many religuous folks have exploited the Bible for personal gain, and its really sad. Its complicated. I don't believe in when pastors say give a certain money so you can be blessed or have more money. All the verses in the Bible relating to tithe has been taken out of context, and has just confused too many people. I was discussing the same topic with my mama, and she told me not to worry too much about it, what I should be worried about is doing what I need to do as a born again christian not based on what the pastor says or anybody but based on the word of God. I don't believe that people give to God, bcos you are expecting something from HIM. We should freely give to God to appreciate Him. You don't have to give directly to church bcos the money is usually for the pastor to expand his extravagant lifestyle. There are so many charities out there, that are really doing what they promise, so you can give to any of those charities. Fortunately, I attend a small church that are really using the church money to do something. CHECK OUT P4CM.COM
I give tithe in my home church ECWA because I know it would be used for God's work (missionaries, build schools, churches, charities etc)
I don't tithe in pentecostal churches when I'm in london because I don't really trust the pastors. Instead, I donate 10% to a fund raiser of a worthy cause.
I think you should tithing to God might not necessarily be increasing the pastors luxuries but giving to Godly cause like orphanages, missions, etc.
When you give you receive.
i give what i can afford simple
Linda,
Really exciting views on this issue...i took my time to read everyones point of view...i guess everyone is entitled to his or her own opinion but however,what the bible says about tithing is clear..what ur pastor does with ur money is his own cross...just do ur bit...i'm catholic...does it mean if my priest sins..i would not collect communion from him...i believe i am not receivin it from him but from God,cos thats what he instructed...ow r u sure ur pastor has not prayed for u on a particular day he wasnt in Good terms with God...does it mean if ur needs are real, God will not answer u because of the sins of your pastor?
Linda, please keep supporting charity, get an estimate of how much u earn a month and pay ur tithe..
Since you asked not to tell you to take the picture down, then I won't.
However, I have never believed that one can appreciate one's own fortunes by reminding oneself of another's misfortune.
I think its extremely sad that a little girl's illness should be the one to remind anybody of just how lucky he/she is.
Very sad.
I forgot to add that my church mails an equivalent of an income statement to all members and it reflects how much they spent on what and how much they received. They also send an account of how much the member paid in tithes and offerings (I guess for those who choose to take tax deductions) - I know not all churches do this but tithing is a form of charitable contribution and why not give to an organization (the church that can reach more people than I can).
Tithing is an issue of covenant and not laws...if u claim to be in a covenant with God thereby accessing the privileges of the covenant, by all means do tithe. If not, dont! You'll still go to heaven if you're born again! Whn you get to heaven, then ask God for his thoughts.
This is in response to the question asked by someone about writing your name and address on your offering envelope. I personally do not write my name or address on my tithe offering and if i use my check, I indicate on it that I don't want a record of it for tax break. The reason for me is that i think it is does not serve the purpose God's instructed us to tithe.
Linda, U can give your 10% to the needy if you will comfortable and do it is sincerely. One of my closest friend's husband does that just for same reason you gave and he is blessed abundantly. Our God is a sincere God and He knows your heart. He is an understanding God.
I personally don't care what my church does with the money, I care about my part and that is what I can control.
i was tithing regularly until i had to give £200K as tithe. i reasoned why would the church get the money?what would they do with it? wont they now know i am that rich? all the questions i never knew i could ask were flowing. i sat with the wife and discussed the matter. she said just obey God because God is bigger than the church. i gave it as bank draft so they never know who gave it.from then it was easier. God owns it all.i can say tithe is a blessing because God is only asking for what He has given not what he has not given. by His grace we have never have to use more than 1% of the rest 90%. we need to be grateful. dont go give the homeless thinking that is tithe. you are no priest. you dont have the right to use God's money the way you see fit. it is His portion and honour.
@ annon -November 20, 2008 6:14 PM
"Our God is a sincere God and He knows your heart. He is an understanding God.
I personally don't care what my church does with the money, I care about my part and that is what I can control."
God will never change His word for nobody. it is better to obey His word than do sacrifices. i ma blessed too and like your friends we use drafts that is just because we want to be left alone to live our lives as anonymous as posible.we had to leave our church five yrs ago because we felt we were being taken advantage of. having learnt our lesson we adjusted
I'm late but just had to comment on this issue cos its one i have very strong vioews on.
I DO NOT believe in Tithing at all. The whole Tithing concept is part of the Jewish Tradition. Its not Christian at all.
Christianity means following in the footsteps of Christ and his teachings.
The only place Christ talked about giving in the gospel was when he commented on the widow that gave all she had. He said it was her who had really given out of all teh people thay brought their offerings.
You know why?
Because the others had brought out of teh excess they had(10% fron 100%) but she had given her 100%.
Why give only 10% each month? Why not 20% or 50%??
Christians I ask you!
Anyway, not to take up much space dear,
I believe the sole reason most of the pentecostal churches dwell so much on the Tithe thing is because it has to do with money and most of them survive/expand on these monies.
Another question who should ask is this:
There are so many laws/commandments given in the old testament which we christians dont practice today. Why is the Tithe thing different?
It's all about the money and greed of man!
I dont have anything against giving freely to the church or those in need but why do we put a percentage to it???
I could go on and on but i have to stop here.
Linda i am glad you brought up this topic cos i am going thru few issues right now which i believe is a result of my failure to pay my tithes.
I have been struggling financially due to my debt acquired as a student and inorder to ensure i make compulsory payments- i decided to stop paying my tithes (which is my hubby's happiness as he is not a christian and thinks that if i dnt give then we can save) but you know what itz been the opposite for me
I have been so unlucky like joke ... Tmobile charged me £126 for a phone i didnt use - apparently my phone mistakenly dialled naija and was on for over 50 mins ( can you just imagine) anywayz i had to pay .. then to make matters worse- i got down from my property today ready to drive to work .. only to discover that my car had been clamped and that i had to pay £80 ..honestly, i was so unhappy ..i cried and was very upset with God and my question to him was WHY LORD....
he replied saying..
why not ..
Do i think i am exempted from his law?
He said i am self-fish and that all i do is take , take , take never give...
I was so speechless and felt lost ....
all the people i spoke to ... asked me if i was paying my tithes and i said NO .... they too accused me and advised me to read the bible re: tithes
That despite all i go thru financially,I must pay 10% to God ....very very important ..
so yes ooo- i believe dear ..
we must pay our tithes..
Tithing is a matter of the heart. If we can't give God 10% of our "income" what makes you think we can give God our lives? The bible says in II Corinthians 9:6-8 that God prizes a cheerful giver. What we work for, our income, is like our livelyhood, and God only requires just 10% of it! Now, if God just required us to give 10% of our income without blessing us, He would be so justified in doing so...but He's also promised to bless us (open up windows of heaven) and rebuke the enemy for our sakes. :D
Let me tell you this, it is a matter of the heart! Even if God were to not require tithing of us, I'd STILL DO IT! He's just worth it! He's done so much for me, that I've made it an absolute point that ANYONE who tells me that blessing my God or blessing others is unbiblical or I shouldn't believe in it, that I wouldn't believe them, period!
If you love someone, you'd give them anything they want, without a second thought to it. You love your kids, right? or your boyfriend? Would you give them the best? Why not God? Unless of course, you really don't "believe" in giving Him your best. ;)
Tithing ALWAYS went to the priest to make Atonement for Sins. Those who tell you to tithe are denying the atonement made by the Son of God, once and for all time. A Christian gives because he has been given. No set amount, no compulsion, but freely.
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