MUST A CHRISTIAN PAY TITHES?

A lot of Christians are usually offended when the subject of tithes is raised. Another area of offence is when members of the Church are called to make free will donations to Church projects.

Some Christians see tithes as money that the priest or pastor is raising for his personal use. Such people therefore feel that payment of tithes is optional or that they are enriching the pastor or priest when they pay tithes.

Some others believe their income is too small to include tithes and so when they pay tithes, their income that could be used for some other expense is reduced by the tithe payment or freewill donation.

What is important to note here is that tithe is 10% OR a tenth of one's income as a salary earner OR a tenth of one's profits as a business person.

There are people who pay tithe when it is convenient for them, that is, when their expense for the month will accommodate tithe payment.

Some others who collect loans that they pay back monthly from their salaries calculate their tithe based on what is left after the loan is deducted and not on their total salary for the month.

There is a group of Christians who believe that paying of tithes is sacrosanct and so they diligently pay their tithes and even contribute to Church projects.

Dear friend, as you can see, there are many Christians groups with different views when it comes to tithes payment. Definitely, only one of these groups is doing the right thing with their belief and actions on tithes payment.

However, if you have been following my posts on this blog, by now you should have understood one thing - anyone who claims to be a Christian MUST know what God has said and MUST do what God has said.

As a Christian, you can find the entirety of God's Word in one place and one place ONLY - The Holy Bible. Since God's Word is final as you who follow my blog posts has come to understand, let us then examine what God's Word says on tithes and offerings.

God says in Malachi 3:8-12 "Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, 'In what way have we robbed You?' In tithes and offerings.

You are cursed with a curse, for you have robbed Me, even this whole nation. Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that they may be food in My house, and try Me now in this,' says the Lord of Hosts, if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it.

And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, so that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground, nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field, says the Lord of Hosts;

And all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a delightful land, says the Lord of hosts."

Dear friend, some people claim that tithes payment was in the Old testament and so it is no longer necessary under the Church age that we are presently in. God's Word here clearly tells us that those who refuse to pay tithes and offerings are robbing Him.

In fact, God says in Malachi 3:6a, "For I am the Lord, I do not change;" If God says He does not change, it means His Word is true forever and if God's Word is true forever, it means tithes payment is necessary till the end of the Church age when our Lord Christ Jesus will come very very soon to take away His bride, the Church, in Rapture.

God's Word says in Psalm 119:160 "The entirety of Your Word is truth, and every one of Your righteous judgements endures forever."

So the question now arises, why is it necessary for a Christian to pay tithes? I will give a few reasons to buttress the point:

(1) It is a decree from God that tithes MUST be paid. From when God gave the Israelites His laws in the wilderness, He commanded the priests to do no work and for the people to pay tithes to sustain the priests - Numbers 18:20-21.

The situation remains the same today as Men of God are to do God's work and the tithes to sustain them so they can focus on doing God's work of preaching the Gospel of Repentance and Salvation.

(2) In the Church age today, tithes are paid for the work of the Gospel to be done. Some missionaries travel to other lands to preach the Gospel to unbelievers and money is required to undertake these journeys and also sustain them in the mission work.

 Therefore, if tithes and offerings are not paid by Christians, the work of the Gospel suffers and this will surely displease God.

(3) When you pay tithes as a Christian, you acknowledge and honour God as the source of your income or wealth, and you tell Him that you depend solely on Him for your sustenance. God makes it clear that He is the One who gives us power to create wealth - Deuteronomy 8:18.

(4) God has made several promises to anyone who pays tithes and offerings. God cannot lie and since whatever He says is true, then God will always fulfill His Word and His promise to bless is sacrosanct (Numbers 23:19).

Dear friend, I do not need to belabour the point. God Almighty and Father of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ has the final say in ALL THINGS. What He has decreed MUST come to pass.

God has said clearly that a curse hangs on everyone who refuses to pay tithes and offerings (Malachi 3:9). The same God promises to block the devourer from touching the blessing of the person who pays tithes (Malachi 3:11).

Surely, everyone wants a blessing and not a curse. However, as far as this world is concerned, it is only those who DILIGENTLY obey God's commands in His Word, the Holy Bible, that are assured of blessing without sorrow (Proverbs 10:22) and eternity in heaven when they depart this world.

God is only asking for 10% while the remaining 90% is for you. I am not aware of any other benefactor who would give you life, opportunity and blessings and only ask for 10% in return. Dear friend, do you know any other such being other than God Almighty?

I will end with a testimony. In 2009, Our Lord Jesus Christ took a young Ecuadoran girl, Angelica Zambrano Mora to HELL FIRE to show souls that have died on earth and now suffering eternal torment there.

Amongst the suffering souls in hell was one who used to be a youth leader in his local church for 20 years who was crying for mercy to our Lord Jesus Christ and also saying he would not rob God.

Angelica was surprised to hear this comment and asked the Lord why the brother was saying that. Jesus told her that this brother refused to pay tithes while alive on earth because he believed the pastor would take the money for himself.

Now he had died and was now in hell FOREVER all because he had believed tithes payment was not for him.

The Lord Jesus Christ said His Word was very clear on tithes payment. Dear friend, when I read this testimony, I repented and asked the Lord to forgive me for the years I refused to pay tithes and I promised Him that I would pay for those years.

What I then did was to increase my tithes payment to about 15% of my income to cover for the years I foolishly robbed God and I will leave my tithe payment at this 15% so that I will not offend God in this area anymore.

Dear friend, I must tell you that it is important for Christians to study God's Word diligently to know what God has said and to practise it wholeheartedly.

A lot of people including Christians are dying every day and going to HELL FIRE FOREVER for reasons that are really shocking but when you read God's Word, you will see the truth because God will reveal it and you will save yourself from eternal damnation in hell.

If therefore, you have once believed that tithes payment is not for you, I beg you now in the name of God Almighty, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and the Most Holy Spirit to think again on this, repent sincerely, ask God for forgiveness and pay what you owe God.

It is God who sustains you as a Christian and therefore you must understand that and obey Him diligently by paying your tithes to fulfill His covenant and God will surely fulfill His covenant of blessing with you.

If God decides to end your life today, you cannot stop it so why are you refusing to honour Him by not paying your tithes?

Dear friend, today and NOW, is the time to decide, for tomorrow may be too late. May the good Lord bless you as you heed His Word today, act on it and share with others in Jesus' Most Holy Name, Amen.

Gabriel Ama.