THE END OF THE
TITHE
$$$

(When 10% is More than You Have)
Or
(When 10% is not Enough)

         While coaching at KingwoodHigh School, I had my first taste of spiritual freedom. It was so satisfying that I couldn’t wait to see others set free. Like a child, I felt I had all the answers, and in Christ Jesus, I did. It was His love that made me strong for the next desire in my life. He let me know as much as I needed to know at that time. To me, it seemed like enough. I felt like I had all truth at that time. It was His power working in me that gave me the confidence to do what He desired.
         The more we seek Him and search out His Truth, the more FREE we become. 
         The reason I mentioned KingwoodHigh School is because it was there that I saw myself in a type of spiritual dungeon. As I saw myself being freed from this worldly system, I began to cry out to God to show me how to free others who still remained in captivity to worldly chains, thoughts, and limits. I saw myself digging holes in their cement or mud type cells and helping them out one by one.
         I begged God to release me from that natural environment so I could have the freedom and opportunity to spend full time efforts on setting other free.
         Many years later…I can now see Him doing just that and I see the steps He has taken to bring this to pass.
         Forgive me if I seem to be talking too much about my own experiences…but I believe that is one of our teaching tools. You have yours, too, and have been taught through them.

WHY I HAVE THIS
BOLDNESS

         The Lord tested me at one special season in my life, to see if I would say what He asked me to say, no matter what my friends and family in the Lord, thought about me.
         Let it be enough to share with you at this point…that I know, that I know, that I know…that I passed that test. He told me I did, through His Word and by His Spirit.

GOOD NEWS

         The TRUTH shall set us FREE. God wants all His children to be Free.
         My mouth fell open and my eyes must have bugged out when this TRUTH connected with my knower (spirit).

THE TITHE IS NOT
WHAT
YOU THINK IT IS

         As I shared yesterday about “Balancing My Check Book” or “The Gift of Titus”, and the “Gift of Giving”; also called the “Gift of Grace.”…the Lord began to reveal the truth about tithing to me.
         We live by the Law of Grace and Love, not by the letter of the law which the Pharisees did. After Jesus came, He gave us a better law. His Law of Love and Grace. “…that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not by the oldness of the letter.” (Romans 7:6).
         The 10 Commandments found in Exodus 20, were given to make people aware of their sins. Jesus came to redeem us from those very sins.

THE STRUGGLE

         As I have watched young couples struggling to pay their “tithe”, I saw torment and guilt, and certainly, a lack of JOY in their giving. This represents the weight of the old law. Yet, these same couples received much joy in helping their neighbors whether financially, physically, emotionally, …as they followed their hearts for giving.
         Our Father said, “If ye have done it unto the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” (Matthew 25:40).
         Out of the abundance of our hearts, we give. Out of the overflow of what God has given us…we give.
         I have seen dedicated Christian women fight with their husbands over their desire to pay the tithe when their earthly husband said, “No.” Yet, this same husband would joyfully go out and bless his brother in need. Lots of pain was involved here because the wife was still trying to follow the Letter of the Law.
         Through LOVE, the old law will be fulfilled. Not by power, nor might, but by the Spirit of the Lord (Love and Cheerful Giving).

GOD LOVES A CHEERFUL
GIVER

         How can we be “cheerful givers” when being forced to give? There is a better way. I think we are arriving at the TRUTH that sets us FREE.
         All we have is God’s and all He has is ours. How can we limit our giving to 10%, which is a TAX that was levied on the church?
         He does not encourage us to give from what we don’t have, but from what we do have. (This is scriptural.) Out of the abundance of our heart…from the over-flow of our hearts and gifts; not Duty but from Desire.
         If we change the word “Tithe” to “Giving”, we will understand better the freedom God wants us to enjoy.
         Freely we receive…freely, let’s give.

ONLY TEN PERCENT? 

         My first thought was, “Lord, if people decide not to tithe, then how will all these big churches be supported? Some people wouldn’t give at all if they didn’t legalistically (a law term) feel obligated.
         I saw a smile on God’s face: a knowing smile. “If My people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves, search My Word, seek My Face, they will understand that I do not desire sacrifices. I seek abundant love for My family. I do not take from one to give to another. I ask them to share the abundance I give them with each other.
         “If people gave from their hearts, even to the local churches, it would be much more than 10% which is a tax leveled on the children of God, by man…not by Me.”
         Local churches are only one part of the Body of Christ, used in an organized way to reach the world with His Good News of FREEDOM. Why aren’t they teaching this more? 

IS GIVING (tithing) ALL ABOUT MONEY?
$$$$

         Definitely not!!! We also give freely of our time and natural gifts, to help each other or someone God has placed in our path or on our hearts to share with.
         When my son comes to my house and sees that my roof needs fixing, he fixes it because he has the ability. He does not charge me for the work. In a sense, his work was more than 10%...not only in money, but love and gratitude that he had the ability to help. He didn’t do it because he was forced to, or had to. It was his choice and came from his heart. He is a cheerful giver. My other son did not have the time, but he had to finances to help restore my home…so he did, cheerfully.
         I don’t think my young friend Bryan would mind me sharing his email response to yesterday’s message on The Gift of Titus.   It not only showed the confusion many people have about tithing but was also a confirmation that I should continue my search about the true meaning of tithing…because I had intentionally not talked about “tithes” in that message. The Holy Spirit had asked me not to. Here is what Bryan had to say, and I can vouch for his pure heart and the many things he does to help others…including me.
         Thank you, I have been dealing with the tithe thing lately, I either didn't have it or was putting bills before tithe because everything is so tight right now for me. But I also have a friend who (me and him) have become really close. He  has lost his truck and is trying to find a new one and a home. The Lord provided him with a new job and a company truck the day before his truck got taken. I have been picking him up for church on Sunday and taking him places on Friday and Saturday. So this message has hit home with me not only for me to give more to the Lord but to help friends when possible.

Thank you, Bryan
           I know that Bryan gives well over 10%.

                                                                              (I hope)

I’LL TRY TO STOP HERE
CHECK IT OUT
FOR YOURSELF!!                  

         That’s what I did. I went straight to the Lord, asking Him to make it simple. I didn’t want to accept a man’s word for it. I wanted to hear from God for myself.
         As a child I was brought up to believe the importance of giving our tithes. That wasn’t so bad because the Bible says the Law is our teacher. So I was trained and conditioned to give (tithe).
         But when I grew older, I found a higher form of giving.
         I recently received a 50 page study entitled: TITHING IS UNSCRIPTURAL UNDER THE NEW COVENANT, but I did not want to read it until I had searched my own heart and heard from the Lord for myself. (As of this moment I still have not read it.)
         That’s what “Fresh Bread” is about. Please search your own heart, the heart of God, and see if what you are hearing in your spirit lines up with God’s Word. Not legalistically, as the Pharisees who spent their whole time piously trying to Live by the Letter of the Law, forcing others to do the same, and never understanding the Law of Grace…much less, the “Gift of Giving.”
         “Such as I have, give I Thee.” Not what I don’t have. Let’s give out of our abundance. Not out of the law of works, but by the Law of Love and Grace.
         A great concordance you may like to use is: www.blueletterbible.com .
         God knows who this “Fresh Bread” will reach. I do not. But, if it is for you, I delight with you in the NEW FREEDOM you have found today, or will soon as you personally search the scriptures to learn for yourself the difference between Giving and Tithing.
         Jesus came to Set the Captives Free.  Do you Believe this? I DO!!!