I am the one who asked you about titheing.My husband wants to know if you can tell him somewhere in the Bible it talks about going to church, titheing in the church etc. We want to be better chritians but we are confused when it comes to the church aspect of it. There are so many different churches, When do you know that the right one is calling you? His parents are Church of Christ and we went there for a while but the love when you walk into a church I could not feel.It was cold. My parents were Baptist,the church that my daughter is a member of wanted to see my pay stub and that years's tax papers,is this right? I am so confused,would you please help me answer these questions and please pray for my husband and I to find a home.

[This message was edited by Steve T. on November 13, 2002 at 08:31 AM.]

I avoid talking about any particular church. The main reason is that I have found wonderful Christians in just about every denomination; and within every denomination I have found dead churches.

However, I will be glad to talk about particular doctrinal issues. I have many good Christian friends who belong to the Church of Christ. I will be glad to discuss my thoughts on baptism if you get that far in your search.

Please take the search for a church very seriously and pray for God's Spirit to guide you where He desires you to be.

With all that said..... I would absolutely avoid any church that required my financial statements in order to be a member. I can't think of any good reason for doing this.

Many blessings in your search!

The issue of tithing causes sore spots with many of us Christians. There is something in us that makes us want to hold on to what we believe that we rightly earned and of course, satan wants you to believe that you can't get by if you give to God. The bible talks about tithing and the first time it is mentioned specifically is Genesis 14:20 but I think a good illustration is Cain and Able. Although it is called an offering, Able's was of his "firstlings" and was accepted while Cain's was rejected. I find it interesting and have often wondered, What could Cain have offered? I mean, he was doing his God intended job by tilling the ground and broughthis offering but his was rejected. I've heard many explanations for that, maybe it was pride maybe it had something to do with the blood sacrifice, maybe it wasn't of his "firstlings", whatever it was, I'm not sure, but the bible makes it known that Able's was of his "firstlings" and that is where our tithes are supposed to come from.
Deuteronomy 8:18 says "But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: For it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers. as it is this day." God wants us to give of our best and to give of our firstlings. To show he is number one in our lives and that we have no God's before him.
If you have a concordance you can look up Tithes and tithing and see how it is referred to. It is an interesting subject. In the New Testament, a particular amount isn't actually stated but the bible says in 2nd Corinthians 9:7 "Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give: not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. Man! I can't tell you how many times satan has attacked me on this front! No sooner than I give, he is there waiting. telling me how stupid I was for giving! I am sure that happens to a lot of us. It is interesting that 2nd Corinthians 9:6 says the "He that soweth sparingly shall also reap sparingly: and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Just be prepared for the enemy's attacks when you give cause he will surely try to make you doubt.
Church attendance is another area that satan will try to get you to doubt. Hebrews 10:25 says, "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another; and so much the more, as you see the day approaching. I have tried the "lone wolf" method of being a Christian. It doesn't work. I experienced spiritual rejection from a cold church after being born again and thought that if this is what Christians are, I don't need to be around them. I had heard from listening to radio preachers about this wonderful "Relationship" with Jesus and all this love that was suposed to go along with it that when I stepped into a church I was shaken by seeing the opposite. I stayed away for a long time but continued to pray for a church home. Through circumstances, I met a young man working at a Burger King who just seemed to be different. He was full of life and happy. You could tell that there was something alive in him. I saw him many times over the course of months but the issue of church never came up until we started discussing music. I heard him mention a few christian groups and I asked where he went to church. Well, to make a long story short, let me say that the Holy Spirit led me through this young man to a place where there is love and Jesus is preached as absolute and it is a place that you want to be every time the doors are opened. Sadly though, we are small and not many show up for all services. Ask God to direct you to a church home and be on guard for a gentle push. It isn't hard to find the place God wants you to be but you have to be sensitive to his leading. Keep pressing on, you'll heap a reward if you don't give up (Galatians 6:9)
As for the Church asking for your tax statements, I'd be skeptical and stay away! To me it sounds like an area of mistrust. Which is the wrong foot to get started on. How readily are they willing for you to be their accountant. They don't know areas that you may be giving in so I would be on guard with that place.
One sure thing about tithing is that you can NEVER out give God!

[This message was edited by Ragmanrob on November 12, 2002 at 01:42 PM.]

Thank you so much for responding. Pray for me to be still and listen for us to find a good church home somewhere. You have really made my day. I have so many questions, I am thankful that there are people willing to help me. I want to be a good and obedient Christian.

What do you think about the Proverbs 31 woman compared to today's woman?

I gave your post a lot of thought after I had submitted my first reply. I couldn't help but think that satan really doesn't mind if we go to church. He just doesn't want us to go to the "Right" church. One where the members demonstrate love and kindness. Not just for God but to the other members and to the lost as well. For that matter, satan really doesn't care a whole lot about what we believe as long as he can keep us from practicing it. Churches are full of "professing" believers but what we need are more "Possessing" believers. One thing is for sure. There is no such thing as "Perfect" churches because they are made up of imperfect people, like me.
Consider this; The fact that you are looking for a church home and that your husband has questions about tithing. Isn't it like satan, that the church that you are inquiring about requests to see pay stubs and tax information? Surely that would be a stumbling block (not just for your husband but myself as well!) and would lead to disputes and more than likely a falling away. Not just from that particular church but maybe even from the Lord. After all, it seems to me, to be legalism and, a standard that they will hold you to. Legalism removes the joy of giving and serving because it then becomes your duty not your desire. After I was saved, I felt a desire to attend church. My experience almost turned me away from church altogether. So hang in there. Keep praying and listening and keep searching. You will find the "Right" church home if you don't give up. I will remember you in my prayers, For God to direct your path and lead you as to where you should be.
Also interesting as well is Acts Chapter 5. In that chapter the believers were selling their property and pooling it for the benefit of all. A husband and a wife sold some land but held back a portion of the money then lied about it. They were told that they didn't lie to men but to God. Then they dropped dead! Don't let "man" be your standard. I stand convicted as I write this of not tithing as I always should. I suppose your letter helped expose this area to me! Let God be the one that dictates your standards. He knows what we are giving and always remember, Satan will throw every thing at you to make you feel that you can't give and if you do give, he will try to make you feel dumb for doing it. The word tithing means 1/10 so tha is where the standard comes from. However, you can't out give God.
I married a proverbs 31 woman I am happy to say. We have our 25th anniversary this November. They seem to be few and far between! What do you think? Thank you for your encouraging letter.

[This message was edited by Ragmanrob on November 13, 2002 at 06:55 AM.]

[This message was edited by Ragmanrob on November 13, 2002 at 07:05 AM.]

Praise The Lord, Maxine!

I have to say that I am very happy, and blessed, to have my pastor as my spiritual leader. Although I attend a very big church (over 15,000 members), my pastor will take the time to sit down with any of the members of his flock to go over questions you have about the Bible. He is a Bible Scholar, and he loves God's Word. I feel the need to speak with such gratitude about my pastor because I find the thought of spiritually dead churches to be frightening.

At my church, when new members are accepted, they attend classes which teach you about tithing, Christian Stewardship (your service to the Lord), Bible study, and there are two other classes that I can't think of off hand. But, right at the beginning of your new relationship with the Lord, you are taught these things and the importance of them. And, everything they teach you is backed up with Scripture references.

So, here is what I learned about tithing:

The Lord requires a tenth of whatever we earn. That's all. If we feel led to give more, by all means. But that tenth should go to our church home first, and it is solely for the purpose of continuing God's work through different ministry auxillaries (ie. homeless ministry, prison ministry, etc). I have a favorite website that I visit when I want to look up scriptures. The address is:

http://bible.gospelcom.net/

I looked up TITHE,TENTH and received 5 scripture references as a result. They are: Leviticus 27:32, Numbers 18:26, Deuteronomy 14:22, Deuteronomy 26:12, and Nehemiah 10:38.

Deuteronomy 14:22
BE SURE TO SET ASIDE A TENTH OF ALL THAT YOUR FIELDS PRODUCE EACH YEAR.

A tenth is really not a lot to ask, either. Especially when you consider how much Uncle Sam gets.

I can vouch for the fact that the Lord will bless you when you are an obedient and cheerful giver. After I had attended the tithing class at my church, I immediately embraced this fact from the Lord. I prayed and asked the Lord to bless me so that I would stop bouncing checks. I asked the Lord to help to straighten out my finances. Not long after this, I had received a check in the mail for $19.38 from my auto insurance company. I had no idea what this check was for, but I didn't question it. I felt strongly inside that the right thing to do was to put it in my checking account and don't touch it, although I did feel the need to go and spend it. However, I was obedient. Not long after this, a check went through on my checking account. Thanks to that small check from my insurance company, that last check that went through on my account did not bounce. I was left with less than a dollar, but I smiled and gave the Lord much praise because I trusted Him and He answered my prayer.

As for a church home, I would suggest fasting and prayer. Also, ask the Lord if there's anything YOU can do like volunteer your services anywhere, that would help you to find a church home. Maybe the Lord can use you and your husband to light someone else's path. You might be a new saint, but don't doubt. Anything is possible with our Lord and Saviour!

Also, the Lord has led me to let you know that, in the words that He gave me, this morning:

"The best way to guard against Satan is to keep our eyes on the Lord."

Don't give Satan so much power by acknowledging him in every wrong thing that happens. Instead put all of your trust in the Lord, so that He can help you in all situations in your life.

May the Lord bless you mightily as you continue your search. In Jesus' Mighty Name, Amen!

What a testimony, thank you so much, I hope that I find a church home soon, every time I go by a church I ask myself is this the one? That sounds silly doesn't it?
I appreciate all the scripture on titheing.I appreciate and I am very grateful that there are people such as you and others who have answered my questions. May the Lord continue to bless you.

My wife and I were talking just today about how blessed we are to have been led to our church home. We must have passed this particular church hundreds, maybe thousands of times without ever considering if it could be the one. My experience with that young man, who attends this church, that I told you about in my earlier post was an answer to my prayers. I have to say this though, Had I not had my wife, I probably would not have had the courage to go by myself. I'm kinda funny about stuff like that. So, no, I don't consider it silly at all that you wonder if this or that church is the one for you. I think it is great that you desire to grow and be placed in the body of believers that you can belong to. That;s one of the way's that the Holy Spirit works. But hey, grab that husband of yours and start checking them out, meet the others and relax!!! God has a place for each of us.

Praise The Lord, Maxine!

I have to say that the Holy Spirit has led me to feel that it's good for us to question whether or not a church is right. Whenever I visit someone else's church, the question always pops into my mind:

"Is the Holy Spirit in this place?"

And we SHOULD want to know that for two reasons:

1) The Bible, in the book of 1 John [especially], tells us to beware of false teachings.

and

2)The place that the Holy Spirit helps us to find as our church home is essential to our spiritual growth.

So, don't feel silly about it. Ask the Lord to show you if each house of worship you step into is going to help you grow in the Lord.

Maxine

May the Lord reveal much of his will. His will is not Hidden; it is revealed and written! First John 5:14-15 promises that god will give us whatever we ask so we may do his will. This includes God's wisdom (James 1:5) and His strength(Isaiah 40:29-31). I pray that the Holy Spirit gives you the complete guidance and that as you seek him first he will supply you with a home of worship. Just remember you are a vessel of Gods Love and I know his intervention is working as we speak!

God is on his throne!
Brother in Christ
John Trevino

John Trevino

This is a good topic and the responses are interesting & helpful too. I should visit the gospelcom.net to get good answers there. If I may ask, CAN I TITHE A LOAN? WHAT ABOUT AN OFFER FOR SOMETHING? Say I have sold land or any property? I need clear answeres on this Please reply.

My understanding from the Word is that we are to tithe our "increase." That is, anything that increases our wealth. Someone in business may make $50,000 on a deal. However, if expenses are $40,000 of that amount, the increase is only $10,000. That is the amount that is to be tithed. Similarly, if you make a loan and it must be paid back, you have not increased your wealth, only your debt. When selling property, consider if you have gained by the sale. If the money you used to buy the property was tithed when it was earned, you only need to tithe the amount that you realized above your costs for purchasing of the property. If the money to purchase has not been tithed, then tithe should be paid on all the proceeds of the sale. This is how I understand the tithe principle. Does anyone have further clarification?

http://www.christiananswers.net/#

you might find some answers there. See, you ARE GROWING IN KNOWLEDGE because you are SEEKING OF GOD FOR SPECIFIC ANSWERS IN YOUR DESIRE TO OBEY HIS WORD.