Conference Calls Now Available on the Website!

A reminder be sure to tune in on Wednesday nights at 6:30 PM (PST) to participate in the teaching provided. We have been seeing so much breakthrough in people's lives for change. It's awesome. You can call (218) 486-1300 and use the access code 742492. Follow the prompts. The only cost to you is your phone call. Hope you can join us.

We also provide these on the Website! Simply click on the "Conference Call" link on the right side of the main page, and you are there! We just began recording Wed. May 30th - the teaching was on Trusting God. I hope you enjoy! The recordings will be made available by the following day.

What to say? by Linda

This is the second newsletter that I have not added a special article of revelation. The reason being is that they are coming at me so fast I just can't seem to get them down in writing fast enough. Then when I want to start, they are all globbed together! But, for now, if you want "hot off the press" teaching and revelation, be sure to tune in on Wednesday nights on the conference line - or listen from the website. I will have something for next month's article, be sure to visit us again. However, I have a good friend, Pete, who is faithful in providing articles for the newsletters. If you would like to share your revelations or teachings on this website, please send them to me and I'll be happy to add them!! Yep, you can be HEARD all over the world! Until next time... enjoy Pete's message.

THE TITHE by Pete Plitt

I believe most people understand that "tithe" means tenth. Probably more church goers give a tenth of their income, be it net or gross, than do not. It certainly simplifies the math for both the giver and the ones responsible for ministry costs. As a sermon taught, tithing usually waits it's turn with a plethora of other topics, yet it usually gets a weekly comment or verse just before the collection plate passes by. Because your giving is between you and the Almighty, this is not about dictating your future course of action as to giving, but it is to get us all to ask the question, "Why do I do what I do?" Preacher taught it and I bought it? Teacher said it so I spread it? This is not to impugn the ministries gifts, but to put the ultimate responsibility of study where it belongs, on the hearer.

In Acts 17:11, Paul commended the Bereans as noble because they not only received Paul's teaching, but went home and studied it for themselves. Paul knew from personal experience how one could, with a zeal for God, lock "heretics" up for following some new doctrine. He was fighting God and didn't even know it. Though it is rarely the intent of any minister to spiritually or mentally imprison a saint, it is one of the highest goals of the enemy, through stealth and guile, to cause shipwrecks of every kind at the hand of the trusted teacher. Teachers get their warning from James 3:1 to understand the complexities and potential dangers of the tongue in motion. For instance, what kind of creature is it that can take a well meaning, Spirit filled man of God like Jim Jones and turn him into a nut case? Why didn't the bulk of his followers see the error? We must be individually responsible to know the Word, to fast, pray in the spirit and in the understanding, to worship, lifting holy hands. This is not a witch hunt. Don't suspect your ministers of error, but rather pray for them.

If your tithe is based on the very popular teachings out of Malachi 3, then I encourage you to study the other 3 verses. It begins with the priests offering "polluted" offerings and just gets worse. Yet with all of the other violations against God in this book, the only part emphasized today is on the tithe. Under duress of a curse, parishioners are often taught that they had better tithe. Yet Galatians 3:13 says we've been redeemed from the curse of the law. The only way to get back under the curse is to try to keep the law and fail. If we mess up in even one area, we are guilty of all. Make no mistake, Malachi is instruction under the Old Covenant. Even the promise of God rebuking the devourer for our sakes is old school. In today's covenant, we are to resist the devil in the standing that Jesus gave us. [James 4:7] You will not be cursed if you don't tithe, nor will your Father withhold His blessings from you. Matthew 5: 45b says, "for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust." You can't give God a big enough reason to bless you because, "while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." [Romans 5:8]

In the Old Testament, the tithe was essentially a tax. The 11 tribes of Israel were to provide for the Levites who were both the religious and political leaders of that day. They had no inheritance in the land. The Levites in turn, provided a tenth to the priests, Aaron's family. The tithe also supported a welfare system [the widow, fatherless, homeless] and a special provision for feasting before the Lord at His chosen time and place. [see Leviticus 27, Numbers 18, Deuteronomy 12, 14 & 26, II Chronicles 31]. Technically, the tithe was taken only from the land, [no birds, fish, or even money], and it was presented only to the Levites, not just anyone who happened to ask for it. Again, this is not about what you do with your money. It's about why. Just as a point of interest, tithing was never practiced by the early church. It was around the beginning of the 9th century when this practice was reintroduced. [see Encyclopedia Britannica, "Tithes in Christendom"].

But what about Abraham and Jacob paying tithes before the law? [see Genesis 14 & 28] Doesn't that somehow validate tithing today? Again, I personally don't wish to meddle in how you've decided to further the Lord's work. I just don't want the enemy having an avenue to condemn you if you can't afford both groceries and tithes. Nor do I want you pushed into a conundrum when the Holy Spirit is trying to guide you towards another place to give. In every aspect of life, a new job, relocation, marriage, etc., our church leaders generally encourage one to do what it takes to clearly hear from God - pray, read the Word, listen.. But when it comes to giving - Ten percent off the gross, and we are the "storehouse" where it all needs to go. This is not sarcasm. This common counsel from both the local assemblies as well as the large organizations.

Again, technically speaking, Abraham gave a tenth to Melchisedec of spoil he had gathered when rescuing his nephew Lot. After giving this king and priest the tenth of this spoil, Abraham refused to keep any for himself. Jacob's proposal on giving a tithe to God was, if You take care of me, I'll give You a tenth. He didn't have to check his bank balance to make sure he could pay his bills and tithe. All of Jacobs needs were met first, then he tithed. Not exactly in keeping with today's teaching of tithing first and then paying your bills.

I find it very interesting that even though circumcision was also a "before the law" act, it gets little attention. Why is it never taught that since circumcision was before the law, we must observe it's practice just like tithing? The most obvious difference between the tithe and circumcision, or before the law burnt offerings for that matter, is that one can pay for the A/C and heating bills, and the others cannot. This is not an accusation, just a reality. In Galatians 2:11, Paul had to get in Peter's face about slipping back over to the requirements of the law, one of them being circumcision. Galatians 2:16 "Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified." Paul didn't say to Peter, "Go ahead with your circumcision doctrine because it was practiced before the law."

Another fallacy is that 10% belongs to God. No, 100% belongs to Him. We are but stewards of His goods and services. Luke 16:12 "And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man's, who shall give you that which is your own?" With this stewardship, if we decide on a certain percent as a starting point or as a discipline, fine! But most important, we must know what our covenant and the Holy Spirit are saying to us. For example, other than Hebrews 7 which recounts the Genesis 14 story of Abraham's tithe, nowhere is the word tenth or tithe found in the books following the Gospels. Yes, in Matthew 23 and Luke 11 Jesus told the Pharisees that the tithe was to be done, but Jesus was an Old Testament Prophet ushering in the New. Jesus said that the teachers of the law sat in the seat of Moses and that the people should do what was told them, just not follow the example of the leaders.

So how does one give in the New Testament? As to the support of the church, Romans 15:27 & I Corinthians 9:11 says if you are fed spiritually, its is your DUTY to minister back in material goods. I Timothy 5:18 says a laborer is worthy of his hire. Also, 1Corinthians 9:14 "Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel." As to the poor and hurting being cared for, Galatians 2:10 speaks to how the Church Leaders were all on the same page as to remembering the poor. James 1:27 says it this way, "Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world." Philippians 4 tells how the church provided for Paul even while he was on the mission field. II Corinthians 8 brings excellent balance to the runaway gravy train teaching of, "give until it hurts," or comments like, "reach into you neighbor's wallet and give like you've always wanted to."

II Corinthians 8:12-15 "For if there be first a willing mind, IT IS ACCEPTED ACCORDING TO THAT A MAN HATH, AND NOT ACCORDING TO THAT HE HATH NOT. FOR I MEAN NOT THAT OTHER MEN BE EASED, AND YE BURDENED: But by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may be a supply for their want, that their abundance also may be a supply for your want: that there may be equality: As it is written, He that had gathered much had nothing over; and he that had gathered little had no lack." Good common sense directions to meet needs by the ebb and flow of goods. Instead of giving to God to get back, He tells us that He, like any typical father, provides both our seed for sowing and for our bread. II Corinthians 9:7 & 10 "Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. Now he [God] that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;)"

There are more verses on New Testament giving, but the point is that God did not leave us without very specific guidelines on how to finance churches, missions, the poor, even each other. If we choose His way of giving, we will quickly find that our Heavenly Father is One amazing Financier and knows exactly how to orchestrate all facets of funding and provision. If 10% is your giving strategy, that's wonderful.. But if you are hard core stuck on tithing because it's what you've always been taught, or out of hidden fear of curses or calamities, or to the exclusion of Divine guidance, how does this "truth" make and keep you free? Incorporate whatever percent into your giving you wish, but know this, that just as circumcision of the flesh gains us nothing, neither does tithing by mandate. It is the circumcision [or tithing] of the heart that is acceptable. [Romans 2:29]

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