Tithe, why you should!!

Haggai 1:1-11 NIV
"In the second year of King Darius, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest: This is what the Lord Almighty says: “These people say, ‘The time has not yet come to rebuild the Lord ’s house.’ ” Then the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai: “Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?” Now this is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways. You have planted much, but harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it.” This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways. Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build my house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored,” says the Lord. “You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why?” declares the Lord Almighty. “Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with your own house. Therefore, because of you the heavens have withheld their dew and the earth its crops. I called for a drought on the fields and the mountains, on the grain, the new wine, the olive oil and everything else the ground produces, on people and livestock, and on all the labor of your hands.”"

Give careful thought to your ways, the Lord says. How many times we pray for blessings, “God I need 200 dollars for this, I need a new house, I need a new job, I need a vacation, I want a new boat…..etc.”, we all have done this. It shows an immature believer. The concern is that many of us never continue on past this point. What is the next step in growth, understanding priority?

So many of us go to church expecting to be entertained and to participate in the activities, let our kids play with friends, we like the fact it is a “Moral Country Club”. And best of all we consider it free. We think we did a good thing if we toss a $20 in the offering. Here you go God this will cover the coffee and my kids snack, your welcome.

All things belong to God, he allows us to keep 90% and we provide back 10%. This is not an option. God’s word clearly states in the passages above, God will not bless our actions if we fail to take care of his house. This can be seen today, do you ever wonder why some people at your local church receive blessings, and are always at peace? Ever wonder why some struggle and experience turmoil?

When people tell me about their financial issues, I always ask do you tithe? If the answer is no, then that is the first thing you need to do, period. Nothing else will help until you get in right standing with God, the fruits of your labors will come back void if his house is not taken care of.

People will say but I dance, sing, clap, demonstrate, teach a class, and have all the outward signs. But do you tithe?? People hate it when it is mentioned but it is true. And some will say I can’t make all my bills if I give 10 percent, so I give what I can with what is left over. If this is you, you are outside the will of God. God is not pleased with leftovers. Cut back the cell phone, turn off the cable, stop eating out, buy some stuff at a thrift store, clip coupons, make the sacrifice you need to make to tithe and get back into the will of God.

When you give the God through his house, the rest of your finances will see a blessing. This does not mean that you will get rich, doesn’t mean you will see increase. It means that you will be able to rest in the peace and that God will take care of you.




- MZG