Tithing

H.A.B.I.T.S. Plumbline Devotional Tithing

"The payment of tithing is a test of our faithfulness and loyalty." Henry D. Taylor

"The payment of tithing is a test of our faithfulness and loyalty." Henry D. Taylor

Feb 5 — Feb. 11, 2009

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The Beginning of the Tithe Last month I was present when a friend of mine relayed the story of sitting in church on Sunday morning. When the offering plate would pass by she would reach up to her mom or dad for some money to put in. Today she realizes that was a sacrifice for her parents, not for her. God wants us to put something in the plate that costs us something.

Read 2 Samuel 24:18-25

Why did David want to purchase the threshing floor?

Why did Araunah offer to give the items to David?

15 Exodus 25:28. They also brought spices and olive oil for the lightPage and for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense. 29. All the Israelite men and women who were willing brought to the LORD freewill offerings for all the work the LORD through Moses had commanded them to do. 30. Then Moses said to the Israelites, "See, the LORD has chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, 31. and he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts--32. to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, 33. to cut and set stones, to work in wood and to engage in all kinds of artistic craftsmanship. 34. And he has given both him and Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, the ability to teach others. 35. He has filled them with skill to do all kinds of work as craftsmen, designers, embroiderers in blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen, and weavers--all of them master craftsmen and designers.

2 Samuel 24: 18. On that day Gad went to David and said to him, "Go up and build an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite." 19. So David went up, as the LORD had commanded through Gad. 20. When Araunah looked and saw the king and his men coming toward him, he went out and bowed down before the king with his face to the ground. 21. Araunah said, "Why has my lord the king come to his servant?" "To buy your threshing floor," David answered, "so I can build an altar to the Lord, that the plague on the people may be stopped." 22. Araunah said to David, "Let my lord the king take whatever pleases him and offer it up. Here are oxen for the burnt offering, and here are threshing sledges and ox yokes for the wood. 23. O king, Araunah gives all this to the king." Araunah also said to him, "May the LORD your God accept you." 24. But the king replied to Araunah, "No, I insist on paying you for it. I will not sacrifice to the LORD my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing." So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen and paid fifty shekels of silver for them. 25. David built an altar to the LORD there and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. Then the LORD answered prayer in behalf of the land, and the plague on Israel was stopped.

Why did David refuse?

February 5, 2009 January 1, 2009

Dictionary

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Scripture References Exodus 35: 4. Moses said to the whole Israelite community, "This is what the LORD has commanded: 5. From what you have, take an offering for the Lord. Everyone who is willing is to bring to the LORD an offering of gold, silver and bronze; 6. blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen; goat hair; 7. ram skins dyed red and hides of sea cows; acacia wood; 8. olive oil for the light; spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense; 9. and onyx stones and other gems to be mounted on the ephod and breastpiece. 10. "All who are skilled among you are to come and make everything the LORD has commanded: 11. the tabernacle with its tent and its covering, clasps, frames, crossbars, posts and bases; 12. the ark with its poles and the atonement cover and the curtain that shields it; 13. the table with its poles and all its articles and the bread of the Presence; 14. the lampstand that is for light with its accessories, lamps and oil for the light; 15. the altar of incense with its poles, the anointing oil and the fragrant incense; the curtain for the doorway at the entrance to the tabernacle; 16. the altar of burnt offering with its bronze grating, its poles and all its utensils; the bronze basin with its stand; 17. the curtains of the courtyard with its posts and bases, and the curtain for the entrance to the courtyard; 18. the tent pegs for the tabernacle and for the courtyard, and their ropes; 19. the woven garments worn for ministering in the sanctuary--both the sacred garments for Aaron the priest and the garments for his sons when they serve as priests." 20. Then the whole Israelite community withdrew from Moses' presence, 21. and everyone who was willing and whose heart moved him came and brought an offering to the LORD for the work on the Tent of Meeting, for all its service, and for the sacred garments. 22. All who were willing, men and women alike, came and brought gold jewelry of all kinds: brooches, earrings, rings and ornaments. They all presented their gold as a wave offering to the Lord. 23. Everyone who had blue, purple or scarlet yarn or fine linen, or goat hair, ram skins dyed red or hides of sea cows brought them. 24. Those presenting an offering of silver or bronze brought it as an offering to the Lord, and everyone who had acacia wood for any part of the work brought it. 25. Every skilled woman spun with her hands and brought what she had spun--blue, purple or scarlet yarn or fine linen. 26. And all the women who were willing and had the skill spun the goat hair. 27. The leaders brought onyx stones and other gems to be mounted on the ephod and breastpiece.

Scripture References

Of the things in your life...what would be the most difficult for you to give up? People, places, things, time?

Why?

Sometimes it’s a great exercise to evaluate what we are hanging onto that God wants us to release to Him. Take some time to pray about what you value...is there something that God would have you turn over to Him?

Do you have the courage to obey?

“The world asks, ‘What does a man own?’ Christ asks, ‘How does he use it?’ ” — Andrew Murray

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Now take some time to pray over your budget and make some long term goals.

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Leaning this stuff now will make the future much easier to handle.

Tithing Treasure Treasure isn’t just the money we make from allowance or a job. It also means those things we keep locked up in our Read Exodus 35:4-27

What were the Israelites asked to give?

Just money?

God sometimes needs things other than our money. Sometimes he needs other treasure that we possess. For instance, friends of mine had an extra car and only two drivers. When my husband got in an accident that munched our car, they loaned us the extra one they had because they knew we had a need. What are you supposed to give from?

Right: From “What you have.” God isn’t asking you to go and purchase cloth so that you can give it to the church. He’s asking for you to give from what you have.

February 6, 2009

“What is the chief end of giving? To glorify God and enjoy him forever.” — Dennis Bakke

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Who was supposed to give?

Right. He who is willing (v. 5, 21, 22 ). It’s a command to give if you are willing. God doesn’t want to order you to give something, he wants you to give because you want to bless others.

Budgeting (check out http://www.usaweekend.com/classroom/ PDF_guides/guide_money99.pdf for more information)

Weekly Income: Allowance Lunch money Job Gifts Other

_____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____

Total

_____

Weekly Expenses: Savings Tithe Lunch Transportation School Trips Games/Books Entertainment Clothing Other

_____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____

Total

_____

What is something you have that you could give to the church or someone in need?

Was the first thing that jumped into your head something that you don’t like or use any more?

Is that what God asked of the Israelites?

Take some time and pray about how God would have you give out of what you have.

“We are rich only through what we give: and poor only payment tithing a test of through"The what we refuse andof keep.” — Anneis Swetchine

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Stewardship of the other 90%

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USA Today reports that 19% of Americans between the ages of 18-24 declared bankruptcy in 2001. That same year, according to Junior Achievement, more young adults filed bankruptcy than graduated college. Ouch. I also just talked to a friend with a family the same size as mine who makes $16,000 more a year than we do and can not meet her bills. Ouch!

Tithing Talent Read Exodus 35:10, 25-26, 31-35 What do all the people in these verses have in common?

Right. The skills necessary to do the task at hand. Last week we talked about Spiritual Gifts so you should have a little idea of what talents you have that you can use to edify the church.

Wealth management is very difficult in this day and age of instant gratification. Saving for college, saving for a car, saving for that new sweater seems so silly when you can just charge it. I advise you all to learn to budget now!! Ask your parents to help you open a checking account and learn to balance it. Start figuring out how much it costs to live and see how much you will have to earn to have your own apartment, car and food. It’s more than you think. Be a good steward of what you’ve been given. For he who is faithful with a little will be given more.

What are your gifts/talents/skills—spiritual and otherwise (list as many as you can think of):

See the list on the next page for some ideas...or go look at the website for the full list. February 9, 2009

“I never would have been able to tithe the first million dollars I ever made if I had not tithed "The my first salary, which wasof $1.50 per week.” —is John a D. Rockefeller, payment tithing test ofSr.

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Top 25 Accounta bili ty Ques tio ns

The Tough Questions Should I tithe if I just get an allowance and my parents already tithe on the money before they give it to me? Ideally, this will be the situation with every job you work. The company will pay tithe and pay you. You are responsible for the cash in your hand. Starting with your allowance is a great way to begin developing the discipline of tithing.

Should I tithe if I’m going to miss other bills?

administering programs, planning agendas/meetings, updating files advising people, planning organizational needs, setting up demonstrations, analyzing data, predicting futures, sketching charts or diagrams assembling apparatus, rehabilitating people , writing reports, auditing financial reports organizing tasks writing for publication budgeting expenses, prioritizing work, expressing feelings, calculating numerical data, creating new ideas, checking for accuracy, finding information, meeting people, classifying records, handling complaints, evaluating programs, coaching individuals, handling detail work, editing work, collecting money, imagining new solutions, tolerating interruptions, compiling statistics, interpreting languages, confronting other people, inventing new ideas, dispensing information, constructing buildings, proposing ideas, adapting new procedures, coping with deadlines, investigating problems, negotiating/arbitrating conflicts, promoting events, locating missing information, speaking to the public, raising funds … You can see this full list at: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/ resource/626/01/

I honestly can’t give a straight up yes or no to this one. It’s given me much to think about. In my heart I say put God first and if you trust he will provide what you need—sometimes in miraculous ways. But I also believe He wants us to meet our obligations to the world. You’d have to ask Him in your specific situation. Should I give out of my Net or Gross income? For those of you not related to tax accountants. Gross is the total amount you make before any taxes are taken out. Net is how much you take home. I used to think I should tithe out of my Net. That’s the money that is actually in my hand. A friend reminded me that I get services for all that Gross money that I don’t see. His recommendation is Gross and now I tend to agree.

Did you see anything that appeals to you there? It just makes sense that if we have accountants at our church that we should be letting them balance the books, or if we have PR people we should let them promote us. Now take some time and pray about how your skills might be of help to the church.

What does your tithe do? Pays for maintenance, upkeep and utilities on the church, pays our pastors, provides for needy members of the community...and much, much more. February 11, 2009

“Be charitable before wealth makes thee covetous.” — Sir Thomas Browne

"The payment of tithing is a test of

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An average work week is 40 hours. As a students you are probably putting in 40 hours at school, another 10 at home and then maybe working a job on the side. That doesn’t leave a whole lotta time for you to be just using your skills—again the words “he who is willing” crop up.

Tithing Time Tithing time may sound a lot like tithing talent for a little bit. Except that when you tithe time, it needn’t require any skill at all. This is devoting a portion of your valuable time to help another. No strings attached.

You know, like coming over and raking all the leaves that fall around the hollow log. No talent necessary. Just a willing spirit and time.

If you could devote the two hours you spend on Facebook to something that could either help someone else or benefit the church—without getting anything in return—what would it be? Feel free to invent something.

If an average work week is 40 hours, what do you think an appropriate tithe of time would be?

Trick question. There is no right answer because God asks us to give what we are willing. If you are willing to give four hours to help with Kid’s Club then great! If you are willing to give twenty minutes a week help fold bulletins, great.

February 10, 2009

Now go and do! Go talk to the person who could use your help, or go ask a pastor how you can use your time to help someone. Pray and act!

“I was happier when I was doing a mechanic’s job.” — Henry Ford "The payment of tithing is a test of