TITHES AND O FFERINGS

BY

PASTOR JOHN D. CLARK, SR.

JULY 2009 EDITION

T ITHES AND O FFERINGS

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 are no 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 God has sent to help him in his work. You, our welcome visitors, will never be asked for a 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 that what you find here will bless you. Thank you for visiting, and please come back soon!

TITHES AND OFFERINGS 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 not trying to strike a deal with His people, demanding ten percent, but really hoping to get 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 used to dealing with people who dont really mean what they say in this world that it takes faith 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 dont have the faith to bring God all the tithe that belongs to Him, but they are ashamed to give nothing. So, they give just enough to mollify their aching conscience and maintain 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 give just 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 buck or two at our convenience. God is not a struggling waiter, forced to take whatever tip we choose to leave on the table. Some of us may pride ourselves on being bigger tippers than others, but if what we bring to God is not our tithes and offerings, we are still thieves, no matter how big a tip we leave. My friends, Jesus wants us either to be hot or cold. He would prefer that we either 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 sinful to 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 is unacceptable with God because He is not negotiating for five percent when He demands 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 our pity, and he has never expected that his servants live on the charity of disobedient, covetous saints.

TITHES AND OFFERINGS 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 their tithes and offerings to Him to be thieves. The prophet Malachi was sent with this holy complaint to Israel: Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me, saith the LORD! This statement was received with some skepticism by Gods people, and they responded, 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 His servants, then it would be acceptable to do something else, but God did issue that commandment, 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 and offerings to the Lord would be saved in the end, my father responded, Since God said that such a person is a thief, he will have as much of a chance to be saved in the end 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 construe that commandment to mean, Thou shalt not steal, except from the Lord? Of course not. 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 your possession is not rightfully yours, then it is stolen money. Listen to Jesus. Render unto 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 your increase, with the offerings that God demands, belong to God. We make ourselves thieves if we refuse to bring them to Him.

TITHES AND OFFERINGS 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 that God gives to us. What does increase include? Increase is everything that increases the value of earthly possessions that God places into our trust, whether it be earned income or unearned gifts. If, for one example, you own a business, your increase is what is called profit. It is the gross amount of money you have earned, minus all business deductions. You figure the tithe on that amount, your net earnings, before taxes are paid to the government. God comes first. A tenth of everything that is increase to us belongs to God in the form of tithes. And remember, 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 to them, 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 because they brought to God tithes of everything that was increase to them but because they only 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 some discretion as to the amount or number of offerings to bring. Their financial situation in life and the depth of their zeal for God determined their choices concerning offerings. 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 but was brought in from ones fields. It was a required offering, but the amount of firstfruits brought to God was never specified. The people had some discretion as to the amount, but to fail to bring any firstfruits from the ripening field was sin.

B.

The Firstborn. The firstborn of all female animals, clean or unclean animals, was automatically Gods. All that opens the matrix is mine, said the LORD (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 this offering to the LORD. The Firstborn Child. The firstborn child (son) in every family in Israel also automatically belonged to God. However, instead of bringing to the LORDs temple the firstborn child itself, the LORD required Israel to bring to Him a small amount of money for the firstborn child. It was sin not to do this. The Census Offering. Every male was required to offer a small offering of money 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 do this. The Three Feasts Offering. Every male in Israel was required to present himself before the LORD three times each year, at the three most holy Feasts of Israel. On each of these occasions, God required a specified small offering of those males in Israel when they presented themselves before Him at His temple. It was sin not to do this. Special Times. There were also offerings taken from the people for special occasions, such as for the erecting of the tabernacle (Ex. 25:1-9) or for the restoration of the temple during the days of Judahs king Joash (2Kgs. 12:412). No certain amount was specified, and if a person was unable to bring an offering on these occasions, it was not considered to be a sin. On these occasions, Gods people always responded with great generosity and joy, for the children of God are the most generous people on earth. When Moses let the people of Israel know that God wanted them to bring an offering of materials 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 was built and God required another offering for the dedication of it, God specified how much of an offering was to be brought by each tribe; otherwise, Moses may well have had another problem with too much being brought to the LORD! 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 express their gratitude by commanding His priests to receive a Thanksgiving Offering from those among His people who wanted to bring it to God.

C.

D.

E.

F.

G.

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 offerings were considered to be tithes; still, all the offerings belonged to God, and it was robbery not to bring them to Him when it was time to do so. THE PRIESTS PORTION From almost all of the sacrificial offerings on Gods altar, the priests and their families were given a large portion of the animal for their food. It was their portion from God. When cattle were offered, the individual priest who actually did the work of making the sacrifice was awarded the hide of the animal as part of his pay from God (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 Gods people 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 when they did that, Gods priests always had more than they needed for themselves and their families. Yes, we no longer bring animals to sacrifice to God. The physical forms that some 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 earthly family. But Gods ministers and their families still need earthly food, clothes, and shelter, and they still use earthly money to obtain those things. For that purpose, God still has ordained His system of tithes and offerings so that His ministers can have the means to support themselves and their families. Gods system of tithes and offerings is still vital for the spiritual health of His earthly family as a whole, not just the well-being of His ministers, and I have never seen anyone with a right spirit deny that truth or fail to walk in it.

TITHES AND OFFERINGS 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 of heaven, and pour you out a blessing that there shall not be room enough to receive it. And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, says the LORD of hosts (Mal. 3:10-11). These are the promises of God to His children who obey Him concerning tithes and offerings. But those promises are not made to those who bring Gods tithes and offerings 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 beginning of the Scripture quoted above, Bring all the tithe into the storehouse, that there might be food in MY house [that is, for MY servants]. The blessings that follow obedience to God concerning tithes and offerings are predicated on obedience to how God says to bring them, when God says to bring them, to whom God says to bring them, and where God says to bring them. Within himself, no man knows how to serve God. We must all listen to Him if we hope to please Him. The whole world has always worshiped God, but only a small percentage of that worship has ever been acceptable to Him because only a small percentage of the worlds worship has been offered to God according to His will. Paul said that his mission from God was to make the worship of the Gentiles acceptable to God, being sanctified by the holy Ghost (Rom. 15:16). Paul never had to persuade any Gentile anywhere that God should be worshiped. Everyone, everywhere, was already worshiping God, whether in Rome or on some remote island. 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 that God 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 storehouse controlled 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 their tithes 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, he has not truly released it. This is the problem with tithes and offerings being given to

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 a member, especially if he is an officer in that organization, how can he say that he has given 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 himself and to his fellow members? In the New Testament writings, there is no instance of God anointing an organization to receive His tithes and offerings. There are many people, especially the very wealthy, who refuse to give any money to any religious organization over which they have no control or influence as to how that money is spent. In other words, they never really bring tithes and offerings to God at all because they never really release the money. It is never really out 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, you have 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 it to 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 of His 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 are important 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 Gods tithes and offerings to the wrong person. Where do you bring Gods tithes and offerings that he has placed into your hands? To one of Christianitys clubs (denominations), where the people who give it control how it is spent? That is what most of Gods children in this culture do, but in 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 hiring those men not to hear from God. They are paying for their own poison. In such cases, the tithes and offerings of the saints are used to support ministers who are not sent from God, who do not know the truth, and who teach what they teach because they have been hired to teach it. That is the way of Christianity; it is not the way of Jesus. 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

is better to store up Gods money and wait on Him than it is to finance an enemy of your soul. WHY PAY FOR POISON? In the Old Testament, Gods heart was grieved very many times when His children 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 own destruction by financing the enemies of their souls. Here is just a part of one of His heart-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 both good and bad times for the servants of God. Through this great prophet, God pleaded with His people, whom He dearly loved, to explain to Him why they kept taking His tithes and offerings to other gods (Isa. 55:2-3). Why do you spend your money for that 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 and offerings of Gods people, watched the servants of other gods prosper with goods that should 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 that happened, 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 was zealously taught, and blessings from heaven were restored to the nation. Young King Hezekiahs first order of business when he became king was to restore 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 for which 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 werent enough 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

longer take Gods tithes and offerings to other gods but should bring them to Gods servants instead (2Chron. 31:4). The people responded by bringing so much to the temple of God that special chambers had to be prepared just to store all the wealth that 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, and oil, 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 history because there was a man on the throne who commanded the people of God to bring Gods 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 His offerings, 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 are throwing Gods money away, or worse yet, you are financing false teachers, the ones dividing 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 that wise 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 place that He has chosen. It is, after all, His money. In the Old Covenant, He anointed the temple 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 not anoint places; He anoints only people. This must mean that those who walk in faith bring Gods tithes and offerings to people, not to places, or institutions. There is no Scripture that indicates that God anoints institutions or religious sects. That being the case, then, it is sin to donate Gods tithes and offerings to a religious institution instead of bringing them to an anointed servant of God. Note: In this country, the government grants tax relief to those who bring Gods tithes and 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. This forces the children of God to have faith in God that He will do as He has promised and 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 Gods tithes and offerings to the wrong place.

TITHES AND OFFERINGS 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 from tithing 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 had been taught as a youth to tithe on all his increase, so he brought tithes from his drug money to my father. That young man was foolish to think that God would accept such money, and when my father discovered the source of those tithes, he refused them. God is not a beggar, eager to take whatever money men choose to bring to Him. It is an honor for us if God will accept our tithes; it is not an honor for Him if we offer them. Moses told the priests of Israel not to allow the money earned by harlots and sodomites to enter into Gods temple. He said, You shall not bring the price of a whore 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 give them, 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. The work of God does not depend upon money. A beloved elder, whom we called Uncle Joe 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, after all. But always remember that Jesus did just as much good for Gods people when he didnt even have a place in which to lay his head at night as he did when he owned a 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 the gospel. The holy Ghost can do just as much through a poor man as it can through a rich 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 with a disease or some other blemish, the Lord challenged them to offer those animals to the governors who ruled over them at that time, to see how pleased those men on earth would be with such sorry gifts. He said, If you offer the blind for sacrifice, is it 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 the condition of the heart that matters. The soul that brings tithes and offerings to the Lord in this New Covenant must bring them without any blemish of sin in his heart

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 if God 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 of the 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 to find 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 never came 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 reactions to my obedience to Christ is none of my business. Our business is to do the will of Him who took us from the trash can of sin and made us children of God. TITHE-BRINGERS OR BRIBE-BRINGERS? If your shepherd receives Gods tithes and offerings from you even when he knows that you are stubbornly living in sin, then what you are really doing is bribing him 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 phony mercy, and you are killing him with money stolen from God. Both of you should repent. You should stop putting Gods tithes into the hand of a fool, and he should stop 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 secret sin in his heart brings a curse, not a blessing. And when someone with secret sin drinks of the Spirit in the assembly of the saints, it is only to drink damnation into the soul (1Cor. 11:29). The Bible is very clear about these things. Then, why should we think that God, or any true servant of His, would accept money from a person with an unclean heart? The righteous life includes honoring God with His tithes and offerings because no godly person is content unless he is rendering to God what is His. When a wicked man brings money to the Lord, it cannot justly be called tithes because it is not of faith. It is more likely to be an attempted bribe. Unfortunately, it very often works with men who claim to be ministers of Christ. The preaching of the unadulterated word of God can be quieted by such bribes. Whom does a greedy minister dare to reprove for sinning? So, those who bring money to the Lord can be divided into two groups: tithebringers and bribe-bringers. The tithe-bringers are only doing what is their nature in

Christ to do. It is the nature of righteous people to bring to God what is His. Their obedience in tithing is laying up for them hope of a blessed resurrection. The bribebringers are doing what the world has always done: they are trying to mask a sinful heart 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. They would be better served to use that money to buy a new car than to try to appear righteous 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 you can 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.

TITHES AND OFFERINGS 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 Testament that is no longer in effect, but it is precisely because Gods system of tithes and offerings 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 him to 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 them to render to him Gods tithes and offerings, for he will be receiving them in Christs stead. Jesus bluntly called men hired as pastors, thieves and robbers (Jn. 10:1, 813). This is a hard saying, but Jesus said it, and it is true. Ministers who are hired by religious organizations are, as the Lord of heaven and earth said, thieves and robbers because what draws them into a religious career is not the call of God, but the call of money. Since Jesus came, Satan has had to transform himself into an angel 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 transformed themselves 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 a man 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 what do 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, Melchizedek appears only in four verses, so we know almost nothing about his background and life. One way, however, in which Jesus became a high priest like Melchizedek is that neither Jesus nor Melchizedek was from the tribe of Levi. Neither of them came from Israels 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

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 righteous people. Wouldnt it seem strange if Jesus, the high priest like Melchizedek, did not do the only two things in the Bible that Melchizedek ever did? HERE AND THERE Melchizedek was ordained by God to receive Abrahams tithes because Melchizedek was ordained by God. Gods anointing on the man Melchizedek meant that 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 New Testament. Here men that die receive tithes, and if those men are men of God, then there [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 to receive 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 wrong man 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 continue functioning in a position for which God has not equipped him, which means that it enables him to continue to mislead people who trust him. It can bring upon that man a 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 men with false doctrines against the tenderest truths of Christ. There just isnt an error that Gods people can make that has more potential for harm than to give Gods money 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 He can 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 care for 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, why would 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

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

TITHES AND OFFERINGS 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 have consistently 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 the money. They have difficulty admitting to themselves that Gods tithes and offerings really do belong to God. They consider Gods tithes to be their money. Instead of humbly 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. How foolish they are! When Israel was leaving Egypt, they had no idea what to expect from God at Mount 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 to sacrifice (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 to be 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 the Israelites 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 sacrifice every cow, goat, and sheep in their possession? God could justly demand that they surrender everything they own because He created all things, and everything Israel possessed was from His merciful hand. Everything belongs to the Creator. So, when the Israelites left Egypt, they left with everything they owned, just in case God demanded that they give it all to Him. When they came to the foot of fiery Mount Sinai, 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 required of them. Misinformation about the Old Testament has prevented this generation from realizing that Gods Old Testament people failed in their walk with God, not because God was so heavy-handed and demanding but because He required so little of them that they could not believe it was enough. Ironically, a main reason that Israel failed in 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 not enough for Israel. One simple altar and a few simple sacrifices were not enough to

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 than we 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 to demand. Their own greed makes them suspicious that the servant of God is scheming to take away their money. They cannot be happy bringing God His tenth, and yet they cant be happy stealing it. In time, they will fall away. Idolatry among Gods Old Testament people undermined the government of God 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 eventually destroyed as a result. Idolatry stole the hearts of Gods people and stole Gods money from 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 principal reason that many fail to obey God in tithes and offerings. Avoid it. Be thankful and rejoice 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 confess that there is government in the assembly of saints and that you are submitting yourself to it. To an unruly heart, that confession is difficult to make because Gods government 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. A proud, government-despising spirit cannot humble itself to do that. It is distasteful to 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 selfwill, some of them are of all people most deserving of Gods wrath. When Abraham brought to Melchizedek the tithe of all that he had recovered from the slaughter of the kings (Gen. 14), he was making a confession that Melchizedek was higher up on the spiritual ladder than he. The author of Hebrews points this out by reminding his readers that Melchizedek blessed Abraham, not viceversa, and without all contradiction, the less is blessed by the better (Heb. 7:7). My friends, if you are bringing your tithes and offerings to a man who is unable to bless you, 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

offerings to him? Store up your tithes and offerings until you find a man who is close enough to God to be able to bless you in the name of the Lord. Why would you do anything 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 He demands. There has never been a government on earth so stupid that it would tolerate its citizens refusing to pay their taxes. Every earthly government understands that citizens who withhold their taxes are undermining the government itself. Those people are, in fact, enemies within the house, using finances instead of swords or guns to bring down the government. No society on earth can have peace without having government, and no government on earth can exist without receiving taxes from its citizens. Those in the assembly of saints who refuse to bring to God His tithes and offerings make themselves the enemies of His kingdom and government. If earthly governments are wise enough to recognize that rebellion against taxation is a threat to the safety of the nation, shouldnt we assume that God is wise enough to recognize that 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 spirits that 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 saints refuses to obey that commandment can only be following an ungodly spirit.

TITHES AND OFFERINGS 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 faithful handler of Gods possessions. In the Old Testament, God gave permission to His people to bring gifts to Him that 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 anything that anyone decided to bring Him. Concerning such offerings, and almsgiving, Jesus said simply, Give. And then he promised that God would especially reward abundant 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 with the 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 the gift of giving mentioned in Romans 12. Though poor, they found ways of giving that richer people could not find. It was their gift from God, and how sweet it was to share this life with such souls! They gave unceasingly and in various ways, without thought or care, but even they, the most giving of all people, never out-gave God (not that they tried.) Concerning the opportunity to give beyond what was required, Paul told the saints 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). A MATTER OF THE HEART It is worthless to give with half a heart or with a double mind. In time, such a person 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 give when 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 much Jesus has done for them. Men who do that know they are pressuring people to give what they may not really want to give. And they know that they are embarrassing some 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 be further hardened against generosity.

Blessings follow obedience to Gods will concerning tithes and offerings, and of giving beyond that, but if it is not in a persons heart to do those things, then it is evil 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 of oppression, 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 simple basket by the door would suffice for that. Taking up a collection sprang from the covetous heart of some unknown man. That public display pressures people to give when 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 of God cheerfully bring Gods tithes and offerings to Him, without being asked, when they are well fed. I have never in all my years of serving God had any need to take up a collection, not because I am so wonderful but because Gods children are wonderful. Happy, well-fed children of God are the most generous creatures in all of 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. Jesus would not allow me to take what those people offered until they repented and made things 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 excited in 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 sometimes in our walk of faith. But He continually encourages us to trust Him. Often, it appears, He has more confidence in us than we have in Him. One of the challenges that 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!

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

TITHES AND OFFERINGS 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, an ancient figure of Christ (Ps. 110:4). Abrahams children live as Abraham lived, and give as Abraham gave. Tithing was not merely a commandment given under the Law. Abraham and Jacob lived hundreds of years before the Law was given, and they both offered their tithes 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). Such righteous men as Abraham and Jacob did not need the Law of Moses to tell them to bring God His tithes and offerings. They were a law unto themselves. Tithing is one of the principal means by which we obey Solomons admonition to 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 his young 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 to strive to be rich and to hoard up wealth. It teaches us to be like God, who gives liberally, 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 of Christianity does not allow its ministers to do as Moses did, when he said to the children 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 tithes and offerings, while others say they dont earn enough. Neither group is telling the truth. Nobody earns either too little or too much money to do the will of God.

Moses taught Israel that All the tithe of the land, whether of the seed or of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is the LORDs. It is holy unto the LORD. And concerning the tithe of the herd, or of the flock, even whatsoever passes under the rod, the tenth shall be holy unto the LORD. It is dangerous for an unauthorized person to touch what is holy unto the Lord. Uzzah touched the ark of God and was struck dead for his indiscretion. Korah and two hundred fifty of the princes in Israel were burned alive in Gods wrath for being where they ought not to have been in the holy precinct. And the otherwise good King Uzziah was stricken with leprosy when he entered into the temple to offer incense on Gods golden altar. None of these men were ordained to touch Gods holy things. Such stories teach us that a child of God will be in some serious trouble if he holds on to Gods tithes and offerings. They are, as Moses said, holy unto the Lord. It is also true that if someone gives Gods tithes and offerings into the hands of a minister not anointed by God to receive them, then he has placed that minister in a dangerous position. What is Gods must be given only to those whom God has anointed to receive it in His name. God only wants what is His. He does not want the money He has given to you (beyond tithes and offerings) so that you can meet the physical needs of your family and yourself. Thats your money, not His. He does not want you to give to any minister the money that He has given to you. He does not want you to borrow money to give to begging ministers. If you stay close to Jesus, He will protect you from ministers who would take what is yours. Jesus hates the work of men who steal from His children in His name. Of the money that God brings into your hand, all He demands is His tithes and offerings. That is not too much for anyone to give, though it will always seem to be too much to those who dont want to give it. Someone has said that the tithe is the basket in which God gives us the money we need, and if we fail to bring Him the tithes and offerings that are His, we have stolen the basket.

TITHES AND OFFERINGS Tithing and Prosperity From a sermon by Preacher Clark at Grandmas house in 1972 Sometimes, Preacher Clarks sermons could last two thrilling hours, covering a 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 the question today. What will this year mean to you? What have you done so far this year 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 as work for God; your offerings do count because your offerings are what you are giving, and tithes are what you owe. That [tithe] is not even yours. You cant give your tithes; you render tithes, and you give offerings. Especially is this made clear [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 what I 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 heres what I promise you: If youll pay your tithes and give your offerings and use wisdom with whats left, it will go further than the whole thing would have gone if you hadnt rendered 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 are in 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 them and 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 might be. You should never meet a person and nothing imparts from you to them.