Since God owns everything it's His money anyway. God is so faithful to give me discernment how much and where to give His money. A tithe is 10%, but He may want us to give more and if we give His money back begrudgingly is that really demonstrating faith and the fruit of the Spirit? God doesn't need our money, but He wants our heart. If we don't give it with joy and desire, then is it really the fruit of obedience? And God's blessings are not dependent upon our giving or not, but upon His desire and purpose for our lives. Praise His Name!!!

Love you devotions but take exception of the one on tithing. Please check the Bible about Abraham's tithing. All that is indicated that he tithed was that which belonged to others that he recovered after rescuing Lot and others thaken captive. Also, Jacob said If God blessed Him and if... but never indication after 18 years that he did in fact tithed. The N.T. teaching for the Church is different because we are not under law. We are to give in proportion to God's blessings and that could be more than 10%. God bless, david

What would God want with money?

You use Malachi 3:10 out of context. The New Covenant church was never commanded to tithe just as it was never commanded to kill disobedient children, kill those who try to worship God directly and forbid tithe-recipients from owning property. Galatians 3:10-13 effectively replaces Malachi 3:10 for Hebrews.
1. God NEVER chose the tithe to be a minimum standard for everybody. Tithes only applied to food producers who lived inside Israel. Although money was common even in Genesis and essential for sanctuary worship, money is never included in 16 texts which describe the contents of the tithe. Jesus, Peter and Paul did not qualify as tithe-payers and neither did the poor and those who lived outside Israel.

Pagans in Canaan tithed before the Law just as they also worshipped idols and sacrificed their children. Abraham and Jacob's tithes prove nothing because they were not biblical Law-tithes.

2. The tithe does NOT "acknowledge God’s ownership of all we have." This is an invented argument. God owned everything in the OT but only accepted tithes from food grown inside Israel.

3. The whole Law was a test --not merely tithing. Obey ALL to be blessed; break ONE to be cursed. Galatians 3:10-13 clearly replace Malachi 3:10; 4:4 and Neh 10:29.

4. Tithes were never the same as FIRSTFRUITS per Deu 26:1-4 and Neh 10:35-38. Firstfruits were only very small token offerings. Mal 3:10 was addressed to the dishonest priests of 1:6 and 2:1 because the people brought their tithes to the Levitical cities per Neh 10:37b.

5. Much better New Covenant giving principles replaced tithing. Christians are blessed according to what Christ purchased at Calvary --not by the Law.

If tithing worked then tens of thousands in the ghettos who have been faithfully tithing for generations would have long ago received overflowing blessings.

Russell Earl Kelly
www.tithing-russkelly.com

I've never quite understood why any christian would have a problem with giving at minimum 10% to the Lord's church. Everyone expects the church to help the needy, but no one thinks about how they'll do that if they don't get enough funds from church members and attenders. Not bragging by any means, but our church has a food bank & supply furniture & clothes for those in need. They also help with rent & utilities for some & work on vehicles. They try to help in whatever area is needed. The reason I mention all this is that in order to supplement funds for all this we have to run a thrift store. This wouldn't be necessary if everyone who attended our church tithed. In fact we wouldn't have to have abuilding campaign.Everything we have has been given to us by God to begin with and as far as I'm concerned belongs to Him. I think we need to remember that where our treasure is our heart is there also. I feel though that anyone not wishing to give shouldn't because they are not doing God any favors, because actually JCO has a point, in that God doesn't actually need the money, He just wants our willingness to give back and acknowledge how much he's done for us by this small offering back to Him. God bless

Say what you will, I've tested Him, and I will always tithe as a starting point for my giving.
As far as Jesus giving tithes, I don't find where He made anything to tithe on in the 3 years of His ministry.

I agree with tithing, and that 10% is a starting point, but I'm not sure about where it should be given, and personnally would love to see a biblical based response soon from Bryant.
Additionally I would like to add that my family has been ridiculously, and undeservedly blessed in the years since starting this obediance.

You should tithe at the church you attend. This is how the bills for the church are paid from the electric bill to the salary of the pastor. For those of you who think that tithing is obsolete because of the New Covenant, how will these things be funded without tithing?

It's easy to see why so many churches use this as a motivation for congregations to tithe. The fact of the matter is that the context of this scripture is that God was desiring repentence to restore relationship and the tithe was the tool he used. In the new testament it is the "kindness" of God that leads us to repentence. And as far as giving, 2 Cor. makes it clear "that every man should give what he has purposed in his heart not grudgingly or out of compulsion" and give cheerfully. Giving generously is part of the worship life of a believer and is not bound by 10% of our finances. Our lives are 100% His and includes my time, talents, etc... And the promise is that if I "sow generously I will reap generously"... why would a person want to be bound by 10%? The key is to start giving, blessing, encouraging, loving, etc... and don't be a glutton... It's all about sacrifice of self for the benefit of others, just as Christ did for us.

A Christian can be totally FOR gospel support and AGAINST tithing. Why is that so difficult to grasp? It is wrong to teach that the NT standard is higher than the OT standard "because" everybody in the OT began their level of giving at 10%." That is not true. It is mythology. It is a false assumption. Therefore the comparison is false! Biblical tithes were always only food from inside Israel. Not even Jesus, Peter and Paul qualified as tithe-payers. Christian giving is primarily sacrificial. That means much more than 10% but it does not ask the poor to do without medicine and food in order to tithe first.