This morning I cannot get away from the subject of tithing. I know that neither Jesus nor his disciples writing in the NT say anything about the commandment of tithing as in the OT. The Christian has been given the one law of love which is the motive for giving generously. However, I find, even now the dependence on money as the answer, as a competing law still operating in me. I know it is showing its ugly face because I become anxious and resentful. I even thought about reducing my tithe so I would have more money to spend on the new Blessing House Project.
For the Steward, tithing is a first step in training in trust. Malachi, the last book of the OT contains these words. 3:6 I, the Lord, do not change....ever since the time of your forefathers you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me and I will return to you....
But, you ask, "How are we to return?"
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 might be food in my house. Test me in this...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."
As a steward, I read this with great weeping because I know that in this simple clear directive, the church has had no faith or trust. I know all the arguments for and against....but, I am saying as a steward, this is a simple step in trusting the Master. If you cannot hear this and obey - when it is loud and clear - why do you think that you can hear his loving whisper as He speaks in your spirit about other things.
This is not a rule of salvation, but a good rule of life that stands up to the spirit of mamon, the god of this world, and slaps him in the face and says...the law of money as security and identity no longer operates in my life. It is the ruling passion of the day and all of government, business, and individuals bow to its power. And you can see how effective that is in a fruitful life.
The Steward that will not give up the tithe will hardly give up all else to serve the Master. Do you want to give up time, labor or goods instead of money? You have the choice. But, as for me, it is the money
because it is the mammon spirit that sidesteps the tithe of money in favor of something easier. The sacrificial life doesn't get to chose its altars.
God doesn't need my tithe - He is looking for the one in whom He can show Himself strong. The one who trusts in His love in obedience to His Word is the one He can trust with His Life Plan for the world.
Blessings to you Gail,
ReplyDeleteAs I have pondered on this very matter for quite a long time now, I find I would have a question to ask Mike Bickle or any other person who is following the Lord in their own ministry outreach to the lost, lonely, hurting, poor and the list could go on forever. That question would have to be... "When did your ministry become valuable enough to the Lord to recieve your own first fruit and that your tithing to other ministries ended and you began tithing to your own, as well as recieving tithes of other people, to grow your ministry"?
Gail, I would encourage you to really continue to press in to the Lord and wrestle with Him in it until you have that peace that passes all understanding one way or the other. I know beyond all shadow of doubt that your ministry is worthy of being tithed to.
In my observations and conclusions... The Blessing House Ministry touches many lives continually, even to the point of other ministies using The Blessing House to help in their own. You touch lives in a way that the churches can't even begin to touch them. You give so much of yourself and your home... you are literally "on-call" 24/7. I have never seen that demonstrated by any paid pastor anywhere... they seem to all have a second job or take a day off every week, and many are not available during the midnight hour. You Gail, you even sacrifice your family time for the Lord!!
If there is a lie or some lies from the enemy that have crept in to why your ministry is not worthy of a tithe, ask the Lord to reveal it to you. I must admit that maybe there is a legal matter in ministry tithing that I am not aware of... but if there is not, I know your ministry is well worth tithing to.
You are using your own finances to help the lost, lonely, hurting, poor and the rest of that list. The Lord, you and your ministry are changing lives in working together!!!!!!!! And it will become even greater when this new Blessing House project is complete.
I know for FACT that when all of the "churches" lights are turned off and the heat is almost turned off for the week the doors get locked up tight and the Pastor goes home... The Blessing House doors are open and welcoming, the candle light is on and the heat is warming the entire place, Gail is there and ready to greet those who need to come in.
So, Gail, I place that same serious question to you... "At what point is your ministry worth of your tithe,(your first fruit) and other peoples tithe?" As well as the fact that you can still continue to sow your own finances as you have been for so many years. Don't most tithes pay a Pastor's wage? Another differance... you would not be taking a wage from that tithe... it all would get turned back into ministry money.
I love you dearly Gail, and never want to misinturpret any thing from the Lord to you... keep it before the Lord and wait for His answer to that question. Debra
Blessings Gail,
ReplyDeleteI wrote a reply... it did not post, so I will try one more time.
As I have been pondering on this matter for quite a long time now, I have thought many times that if I could ask two questions of Mike Bickle or any other person who has a ministry of their own, it would be this: "At what point did you realize that your ministry became valuable and worthy enough to recieve your own first fruit, your tithe, as well as other people's tithe? And how did you know that it was time to stop tithing to another ministry. Their ministry touches the lost, lonely, hurting, poor and the list could go on for a long time.
As I have observed and concluded, The Blessing House Ministry is both worthy and valuable to the Lord. It touches the lost, lonely, hurting, poor and the rest of that same list. Yet there are also many atonishing and noticable differances in The Blessing House Ministry.
I know for FACT that when service is over... in most "churches" the heat goes down to just above freezing, the lights get turned off, the doors get locked up tight and the Pastor goes home for the week. The Pastor's wage and all that goes with it, comes from the people's tithe, he does not get a special offering to pay his wage. Then he/she usually works a second job and takes at least one day each week off to rest.
However, when I look at The Blessing House Ministry... the doors basically are always open 24/7, the candle is always burning in the midnight hour, the heat is turned up and the entire place is warm and cozy, and the Pastor is ready at any moment day or night to welcome anyone who needs to come in. At any time, she is ready to serve. She even sets aside family time to serve in any capacity before the Lord. And to top it off, the churches also utilize her ministry in many situations. The tithe would be put back in and used as ministry money as it was intended in the first place, that is the request of the Lord.
Now I may be wrong, there could possibly be some legal issue some where that says your ministry is not able to receive tithes... I do not know about that. But, your ministry is certainly worthy.
So Gail, I ask this serious to you... "When is The Blessing House worthy and valuable enough to the Lord to recieve your first friuts, your tithe as well as other people's tithes"? (You can give "gifts" elswhere or continue giving gifts in your own minstry as well).
I encourage you Gail, to remain in the place of the Lord and present Him this question, wrestle with Him over it, until you have the peace that passes all understanding either way. Quiet yourself before Him and wait for His answer.
When the new Blessing House projest is complete, the need will be even bigger as well as the number of lives touched will be increased greatly!! So will the blessings of the Lord!!!! I guarantee, the things that will not change,is this: when The Blessing House is going strong from early morning til late evening 7 days a week with people growing in Christ Jesus and being touched by the Master's hand... all the churches will be locked and dark.
God has given you everything you need to be a good steward. He has blessed you as a strange and unique women of God, with a strange and unique Blessing House Ministry. Thankfully, only strange to the view of what the world says that ministry should look like.
Have a blessed day, Debra
(I am prying that this post will actually get posted this time)