Words of Encouragement
This month, as promised, Tad will share what God used to turn things around in his restoration and also how to fight one of our worst enemies: Fear. We hope you took some time to look up every verse you can find on fear, and mark those that were really speaking to you.
We asked Tad to share about his journey when he was not tithing, and then when he began tithing again—which resulting in his marriage, once again, being restored since the devourer was rebuked. Axel speaks about tithing too, and now also has his wife, Kasey who has also joined our ministry team.
My Journey with Finances: Tithing and Offerings
I often used to come to the question why do I tithe? At times, I had done it robotically just by putting something in the offering plate, even when I went to Catholic Church. I assumed it was my sacrifice to the Lord. However, this was rarely my best fruit, rarely intentional, rarely did I sacrifice something, and it was soon quickly eroded when I was going through money troubles.
During my restoration Journey, this question became very serious because as I now had to live out my faith. As I have said before, I hardly ever read my bible before my marriage restoration journey, so once was seeking His face, after listening to preaching and being in God’s word—I can now tell you I tithes and give offerings because:
- I follow in the promises of Abraham; (Genesis 14)
- I want to be a doer of the Word not just a reader of it, (James 1:22)
- I seek God’s blessing with my tithe, (Malachi 3)
- I live in obedience to Him by doing it and, (Malachi 3)
- I close off any opportunity the evil one may use to attack me. (Malachi 3)
Romans 11:17
But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree.
Romans 4: 16 (ESV).
That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring—not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all.
Because I am following these words in my heart, I had to encourage myself not to stop tithing during hardships and also not tithe or give offerings optionally. My new understanding of what I had been doing then, by not tithing, in this area of finances is, I was not allowing the Lord into all my circumstances. It is as if I had put an “out of bounds” in my finances to the Lord. By not tithing, I was saying, “God You are not welcome into my finances and You’re not even part of my financial hardship.”
Mark 12:41-44 (ESV)
And He [Jesus] ]sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. And he called his disciples to him and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”
Now, I do the opposite of keeping God out, because to know that you are on a journey with the Lord, despite your circumstances, as was the widow— is a big comfort and blessing, because it means you are not alone! God notices your tithes and offerings!
We know from that the devil is always accusing us in high places (Job 1, Zechariah 3). So apart from welcoming the Lord into all your circumstances, including your financial life, you will close off a way for Him to help and allow the accuser to attack and devour your finances.
Malachi 3: 10-11 (NIV)
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. 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, saith the Lord of hosts.
As Christians, we can not pick and choose what we obey in his Word; rather we obey all of His Word. Being obedient even in difficulties develops our character and faith. I have, in my opinion, felt that tithing steers your heart and actions towards the Lord and helps you pray more out of faith and expectation (For where your treasure is, will be found your heart -Matt 6:21). Tithings are part of obedience and faith in action.
Today, I encourage you to participate in the sacrificial giving of the widow, the full-of-faith giving; full-of-trusting giving; and proportional giving.
Jesus referred to tithing as something that we should not neglect when He taught on it.
Matthew 23:23 (Luke 11:42)
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.
As a last encouragement to you this day, please stretch your faith: Give your tithe to your storehouse and give offerings to RMI. It’s is not about the amount, it is about your heart’s condition and your trust in the Lord. I have found that if we as a ministry do not bring this to your attention, we have failed in our discipleship of you. From my own experience, I found that tithings and offerings opened the way for the devil to accuse me and prevent my prayers during my journey.
Fear not.