Biblical Prosperity

Occasionally I will get in a discussion with someone who doesn’t believe in tithing. They seem to take the perspective that they are “free” to give as the Lord leads them, again mistakenly thinking that tithing is a “law” instead of principle for the Christian to apply. So I sometimes would ask them how much they give. Since they love to talk about their “freedom” to give, I would assume they give a lot more than 10% away. So I ask is it 13%? 15%? Or even 20%? The most common response is silence. Because the truth is in their “freedom”, they don’t even give 10%. Yup…just what I thought.

So…about the difference between tithing and giving. Tithes are the first 10% of our income given into the storehouse to provide finances to help support those who are equipping and giving spiritual leadership to the Christians in the local church. When we give, over and beyond our tithes, then we are giving an offering. We are responsible to give offerings to the poor and needy (Proverbs 28:27). Of course there are many worthy missionaries and ministries that we give to after our tithe. There it is…simple, easy to apply, practical and true.

Another common question is, “Should we tithe on the net (wages I receive after my taxes are paid) or the gross (wages I receive before the taxes are paid)?” I don’t honestly know which works better because we have always tithed on our gross income. As Christians, we should desire to give everything we possibly can back to God because of what Jesus Christ has done for us. Tithing demonstrates God’s ownership of everything.

See…God does not need our tithe check or direct deposit. He is not nervously, laying off angels because we are not tithing. No…the tithe benefits us. It is a privilege to return to God what is already His, and man do we benefit. According to Malachi chapter 3:10, the tithe benefits us. The windows of heaven are opened on us to the point of overflow!

Sometimes Christians wrongly believe that tithing is simply an Old Testament doctrine leftover from the law. This is not a Biblical view. The tithe is a biblical principle found throughout the Bible. Abraham tithed before the law, it was included in the law and Jesus affirmed it after he replaced the law. Jesus confirmed the Old Testament principle of tithing in Matthew 23:23. However, He does not want us to tithe religously with the attitude of the scribes and Pharisees. Let’s read it.

The Lord sharply rebuked their attitudes about tithing. Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.

The religious Pharisees appeared spiritual and godly, but they were not in right standing with God. They tithed right down to the last tiny mint leaf, but their hearts were full of selfish ambition. Jesus specifically affirmed we should tithe today, but He is concerned about our attitudes as we give to Him. Since the New Testament, we should tithe because the Lord has changed our hearts. It is a privilege to return the tithe back to Him. We tithe as an act of love for our God and also from a place of faith. Tithe in faith that God will open the windows of heaven as he promised in Malachi.

My wife and I have tithed in faith all of our adult life. God’s finacial blessing has been on us. However occasionally it has seemed like the windows of heaven were not open and I have had to open the Bible to Malachi 3:8-12 and take up the Lord on his request to “test me in this”. So there I am with my Bible open, activating my faith in this Biblical principle of tithing, and praying “Father you said in your word we should test you in this, so here I am believing your word and expecting our tithes to open the windows of heaven as you have promised.” And sure enough the breakthrough soon follows in our finances. True story.

Some people say, “I can’t afford to tithe.” The truth is—they cannot afford to withhold the tithe. A tithe is money set apart for God. If we don’t give it to God, the devourer will consume it. Let’s read again what God says in His Word about rebuking the devourer when we give tithes and offerings into His storehouse. It is found in Malichi 3:10-11.

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 will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit,” says the Lord Almighty. 

The Lord has promised us that if we obey Him and bring all of our tithes into the storehouse, He will open the windows of heaven, pour out a blessing on us, and “rebuke the devourer.” Many people are struggling financially because the devil has been robbing and devouring them. The enemy has not been rebuked by the Lord, because they are not paying tithes into the storehouse.

The word devour in the original Hebrew text means to eat, burn up or consume. During the days of Malachi, God’s people were experiencing famine, scarcity, unseasonable weather, and insects that ate up the fruits of the earth. According to the above scripture, the enemy will devour our blessings when we choose to not obey God’s principles.

Larry Kreider says, “I’ve known some people who have said when they initially began to tithe, the enemy attacked them, and they found themselves worse off financially than ever before. The enemy may test us when we obey the Word of God. When Jesus was baptized, the heavens opened, and the Lord said, “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.” During the next forty days of His life, Jesus was tested by the enemy. Tests will always come; however, if we hold on, we will receive the financial blessing that comes from obedience. God’s promises always prove to be true!”

If we give God his 10%, the remaining 90% seems to be multiplied.

In Old Testament history, some of the Israelites were robbing God by selfishly holding onto money that belonged to God. They were required to give at least one/tenth of the livestock, the land’s produce and their income to the Lord. Malachi 3: 8-12 speaks to this…

Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. But you ask, “How do we rob you?”

“In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse-the whole nation of you—because you are robbing me. 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 will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit,” says the Lord Almighty. “Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land,” says the Lord Almighty (Malachi 3:8-12).

God cannot bless someone who is a robber! He is a God of covenant.

In Winds of Change, Rick Joyner says: Abraham the father of faith, paid tithes hundreds of years before the Law, which is noted in the New Testament (see Hebrews 7:8-9) because the writer of this book was reminding Christians of this…If this was not more clearly spelled out, it is only because it was so obvious that it did not need to be.

Bible teacher Jack Deere relates the story of how a local businessman in a church he once lead reacted to his teaching on tithing: First he went to every other pastor in the town (over 30 of them) and asked them if they believed that tithing was required by the New Testament. All thirty said that they did not believe that it was. This was more than a little curious to him, but being an astute businessman he noted that every one of these pastors and their churches were in financial trouble. This caused him to determine to at least try it. His net income from his business rose 75 percent the first year that he began tithing.

Harold Eberle relates that as a local church pastor he spent four weeks teaching every Sunday on the principle of tithing. He instructed everyone to write their current income inside their Bible cover. At the end of four months of tithing, 80% of the congregation saw an increase in their income or some kind of financial breakthrough.

Jerry Stoltzfoos is a friend who is an Assembly of God church planter and senior pastor from Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. He has planted multiple churches. He teaches on tithing and actually guarantees that the church will pay back a person’s tithe if the giver does not see a significant blessing or turn around in finances after starting to tithe. Gerry has been doing this for many years and has not paid back any tithes to date.

Simply stated, I am recommending that the number one building block of your personal financial budget should be the giving of a 10 percent tithe to God. The truth is 100% belongs to God. If you get involved in giving God 10 percent, he will get involved in multiplying the remaining 90 percent. There it is…Biblical, practical and true. The tithe is the doorway to prosperity and blessing.

Abraham gave Melchizedek a tithe before the Old Testament law had ever been written. Abraham was honoring the Lord and Melchizedek as the priest of the Most High God with ten percent of that which the Lord had given to him.

At the end of every month a Christian will face a stack of bills they need to pay. One of these bills is their bill to God. It is called a tithe. This tithe reminds us that everything we have belongs to Him. We can joyfully return 10% to the Lord. After all, Jesus has given to us 100% of Himself through His death on the cross. We are eternally grateful!

The Lord gives us the responsibility to manage the resources He gives to us. He has set up a system to constantly remind us of His ownership in everything. This systematic way to give back to God is a first step to allowing our resources to be used for God’s kingdom. It is called the tithe. 

The word tithe is first mentioned in Genesis 14:18-20. Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High, and he blessed Abram, saying, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. And blessed be God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand.” Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything. 

Note that it was after a victory…after God had delivered Abram’s enemies in to his hands that he tithed. So pay attention if you want victory in your finances. Sometimes Christians think the tithe is an old testament legalism, but no, Abram tithed to Melchizedek before the law was instituted and Jesus affirmed tithing, even after he replace the law.  It is a biblical principle that will allow you to prosper.

This principle was included in the law. The Israelites were required to give one-tenth of all their income to the Lord. The Hebrew word for tithe means a tenth part. This tithe (10%) opens up a way for God to pour out His blessings on us. Every time we give our tithes, we are reminded that all of our money and earthly possessions belong to God. We are simply stewards responsible for what the Lord has given us.

Alan Vincent gives the example of someone who came to him saying, “I can’t afford to tithe and make my house payments. Alan told him to tithe in faith and if he couldn’t pay his house payment then Alan would cover it. The young man started to tithe and he never came back to Alan because he couldn’t make the payment. In fact, Alan observed that he received a promotion and a new car. God still wants us to tithe today.

Did you know God associates our ability to handle spiritual matters with our ability to handle money? One day Jesus made some amazing statements regarding this principle.

Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own? No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money (Luke 16:10-13).

Money, in terms of true value, is a “little” thing. However, faithfulness in little things (money) indicates our faithfulness in big things (spiritual values). Jesus said that those who are not trustworthy in the use of their worldly wealth will be the same with spiritual things. Jesus said that we cannot serve two masters—God and materialism. It is impossible to hold allegiance to two masters at the same time. God has given us a responsibility as managers of His wealth. It all belongs to Him. We should stop thinking like owners, and start thinking like managers.

Everything belongs to God. First and foremost, we must realize that everything we have belongs to God. We are merely stewards (managers) of any material goods we possess. God owns everything we have, but He makes us managers of it.

Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful. And what do you have that you did not receive…? (1 Corinthians 4:1-2,7b NKJ).

When I was elected to the Manheim Central School board, the money we were using was not our own; we were simply managing it. It belonged to the tax payers of the community. It is like someone who works at a bank. A bank teller understood that even though they handle massive amounts of money daily, the money is not theirs. It belongs to the bank. The teller understands they are a steward. I am a manager of the Lord’s money. In reality, the money in my wallet is not mine; it is God’s. Some Christians believe that ten percent of the money they receive is God’s and the other ninety percent belongs exclusively to them. They are mistaken. It all belongs to God.

We need to recognize His ownership in everything we have. This gives us a proper perspective on everything.

The Bible declares that Job maintained his integrity  and perseverance throughout this time of testing. At one point even his wife said, “Are you still maintaining your integrity? Curse God and die!” (Job 2:9). Wow….am I  ever glad my wife is a woman of faith and encouragement! Job had tasted of God’s goodness and he wouldn’t settle for less. He was holding out for the 140 years of God’s blessing and prosperity. As My friend Kevin Kazemi says, “This is an amazing truth that we often fail to see in the book of Job. James 5:11 says, You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the END intended by the Lord—that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.” The END  was the 140 years.

Sometimes it seems like Christians walk in the fear of materialism. They fear If they are blessed financially it will cause them to backslide. Why should we be scared that God’s blessing will corrupt or contaminate us? Financial blessing did not corrupt Job. He is a great Biblical example of someone who didn’t allow his financial status in life, good or bad, to affect his character and integrity. There are a long list of others in the Bible as well. So if you do not feel you have received all that God has in store for you….hang in there…persevere for the END as Job did.

The entire book of Job is about a brief season in his life. Although the Bible doesn’t specifically say, most Bible scholars believe the whole book covers a time span of between three and eighteen months. In the first few chapters, it talks about the day his cattle and servants were lost. While he was still listening to that report another messenger came in stating his sheep were lost and the shepherds killed. And while he was listening to the sheep report, another messenger came and told him his camels were lost. Finally, while Job was listening to the camel report another messenger came and informed Job that his sons and daughters had been killed. All of this in the same day! And we think we have had some bad days?

His situation grew even worse. The next day, Job himself was physically attacked with sickness. All of this transpired in only two days. I am following the timeline of Job’s losses day by day to underline my point that the time of testing for him was a relatively short period of his life, and it affected more than his finances.

If we look at the end of Job it states that he lived 140 years enjoying the blessings of God in every way. The Bible teaches that Job lived most of his life full of prosperity and God’s financial provision. Perhaps this is a new way of looking at this Biblical story for you. Actually looking at the scripture will help us to see this point more clearly.

After Job had prayed for his friends, the Lord made him prosperous again and gave him twice as much as he had before. All his brothers and sisters and everyone who had known him before came and ate with him in his house. They comforted and consoled him over all the trouble the Lord had brought upon him, and each one gave him a piece of silver and a gold ring. The Lord blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the first. He had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen and a thousand donkeys. And he also had seven sons and three daughters. The first daughter he named Jemimah, the second Keziah and the third Keren-Happuch. Nowhere in all the land were there found women as beautiful as Job’s daughters, and their father granted them an inheritance along with their brothers. After this, Job lived a hundred and forty years; he saw his children and their children to the fourth generation. And so he died, old and full of years (Job 42:10-17).

Notice Job did not experience 140 years of having boils, poverty, despair and everything going wrong. No, it was a short season of his life in which he learned many valuable lessons. Job’s story allows the Christian today to learn many theological and doctrinal lessons about the nature and character of God. His actual time of testing was much like the occasional drought that causes the birds of the air to experience insufficient food supplies. The practical example of Job’s perseverance is one we can all honor and duplicate. More to come…