Tag Archives: Tithing

How to calculate the tithe I must pay to the Lord

Response to a student

  • The peace of the LORD, pastor, should I specifically separate the consecrated from my salary and from particular jobs only? You know, pastor, I ask you this because sometimes I receive money from another person. For example, I get a tip or I get too much when I do a job.

    • Brother, you are going to answer that question, and when you have the answer you share it with me.

  • The LORD is my provider all comes from Him.

Ministers, I thought it appropriate to share with you the answer I gave to a brother who asked what to include in the tithe calculation.

Brother, I wanted you to exercise your discernment regarding the question you asked, because the process of training demands that the student learn to exercise the Revelation he is receiving from God, as the Word says, that strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil (Hebrews 5:14); so, the answer you have given is according to the Revelation of the Spirit. Very well.

I’m taking this opportunity for you to understand what tithing means. Tithing is not an obligation, it is not a commandment, not even a responsibility before the Lord; whoever learns to define tithing in these terms sooner or later ends up seeing the tithe as a heavy burden from which he will seek to escape.

The tithe is the realization that the Lord is my provider,

8And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together. 9And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood. 10And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son. 11And the angel of the Lord called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I. 12And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou anything unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me. 13And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son. 14And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-Jireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen. Genesis 22:8-14

The tithe is the realization that the Lord is my sustainer;

The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup: thou maintainest my lot. Psalm 16:5

And as for me, thou upholdest me in mine integrity, and settest me before thy face for ever. Psalm 41:12

The tithe is the testimony of Truth that I do not depend on money to subsist on this earth.

But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money. Acts 8:20

The tithe is the gratitude of one who has understood the great things that God has done for him and for his house;

and blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all. Genesis 14:20

and this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God’s house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee. Genesis 28:22

Tithing is the satisfaction of knowing that we work for Him;

But the tithes of the children of Israel, which they offer as a heave offering unto the Lord, I have given to the Levites to inherit: therefore I have said unto them, Among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance. Numbers 18:24

Tithing is the joy of understanding that He dwells among us;

then there shall be a place which the Lord your God shall choose to cause his name to dwell there; thither shall ye bring all that I command you; your burnt offerings, and your sacrifices, your tithes, and the heave offering of your hand, and all your choice vows which ye vow unto the Lord: Deuteronomy 12:11

The tithe is God’s promise that we shall not want. Every time we tithe, we testify that the Lord is Faithful,

4Moreover he commanded the people that dwelt in Jerusalem to give the portion of the priests and the Levites, that they might be encouraged in the law of the Lord. 5And as soon as the commandment came abroad, the children of Israel brought in abundance the first fruits of corn, wine, and oil, and honey, and of all the increase of the field; and the tithe of all things brought they in abundantly. 6 And concerning the children of Israel and Judah, that dwelt in the cities of Judah, they also brought in the tithe of oxen and sheep, and the tithe of holy things which were consecrated unto the Lord their God, and laid them by heaps. 2 Chronicles 31:4-6

Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. Malachi 3:10

If you see well, brother, you will see that the tithe is Revelation and understanding and does not consist in separating only ten percent of what comes into the house; the tithe is not reduced to a deducted amount, we do not ask if it is ten percent of what I receive as salary, if I include tips, we do not ask if it is ten percent of the net or of the gross, or if I have to deduct it also from what I am given. The tithe is the evidence that we have grown in maturity and discernment; it is the evidence that we do not live by the flesh but by the Spirit; the tithe is the evidence that we have no mean heart for the Lord; the tithe is the fruit of the Spirit.

Next time, don’t define how much you should give according to what you have received for your work; don’t excuse yourself behind a mathematical definition, don’t surrender pettiness to the Lord.

6But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. 7Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. 8And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work: 2nd. Corinthians 9:6-8

 

For the edification of the saints!

 

All biblical quotations are taken from the King James Version.

 

Pastor Pedro Montoya

Twitter: @pastormontoya

https://earthenwarevessels.com