Hello, I'm Shelley Quinn.
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Welcome again to
Issues and Answers.
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Today our issue is Biblical
tithing, and the answer is going
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to come straight from the Bible.
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We're going to understand this
before the end of the programs,
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so please stay tuned.
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I want to share a scripture
with you because I have so many
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people who tell me, Well,
tithing was just for the Jews.
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Let me show you that it began
long before the Jewish nation.
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In Genesis 14:20; this
is the story of Melchizedek
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the king of Salem who Abram;
Abraham, he was sill Abram then,
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met along the
way in the journey.
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This is what it says: That
blessed, praise and glorified
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be God most high who has
given your foes into your hand.
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And Abram gave him,
Melchizedek, a tenth of all that
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he had taken.
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So the Biblical principle
of tithing has been around from
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the beginning, and we're
going to find out it's in the
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New Testament as well.
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And here to tell us
about it is G. Edward Reid.
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He's a Christian author.
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He's an attorney.
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He is a financial planner.
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But more than that, he is
a Bible student, and a Bible
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scholar I would even say.
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He is the Stewardship Director
for the North American Division
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of the
Seventh-day Adventist Church.
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Now how's that for
an introduction Ed?
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Wow!
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Well, thank you Shelley, and
thank you for having me today.
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I think we're going to have
a good time as we look through
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the Bible to see what
the Biblical principles
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of tithing are.
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I think there will be some
surprises for lots of people.
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I hope that we can make it
simple, and easy to understand,
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and therefore easy to practice.
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For those viewers who may
be tuning in who are saying,
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What is tithing?
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How would you explain a tithe?
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Well, this is a good question
and one that is foreign to
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a lot of people because
they hear it but they don't know
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the Biblical principles.
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Tithing is something that
was introduced in the first book
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of the Bible, and it goes
all the way through the Bible.
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The last mention is
in the book of Hebrews.
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It is simply in the Old
Testament the Hebrew word
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for tithe was the
same Hebrew word for tenth.
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So tithe is a tenth.
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In the New Testament, by the
way, which was written in the
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Greek language primarily,
the word for tithe and tenth
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is the same Greek word also,
which is very, very interesting.
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So most people don't have
any question about how much
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the tithe is.
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But the tithe, as we're going
to see in this presentation,
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is something that God
said, as followers of God,
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I want to
reserve the tithe for Me.
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The best way I can tell you
is this, when God placed man,
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Adam and Eve, in the garden
of Eden, He said, Of all you see
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you may freely eat.
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I'm only going to
ask you one thing.
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There's this one
tree; don't eat of it.
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That's all.
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In the same manner, God
has placed us in the abundance
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of this earth, and He
says, These things are for you.
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I'm only going to
ask you for the tenth.
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You take the tenth as a
follower, and that's Mine.
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And the very first verse that
talks about the law of the tithe
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is in Leviticus 27:30.
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That says, The tithe of the land
... is the Lord's: it is holy
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unto the Lord.
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This is very, very
important to understand.
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Remember that the tithe does
not pay the Pastor's salary.
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It doesn't go to the
church or the conference.
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It belongs to God.
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Now this is very, very amazing.
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But, see, God
doesn't need the money.
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I'll just ask a question.
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Since the tithe belongs to
God, what could He do with it
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if He wanted to?
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He can do anything He wants.
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That's the right answer.
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I was hoping you would say that.
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He can do anything He wanted to.
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He could take it
all back to heaven.
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Right?
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Yes.
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So as a Christian He says,
I'm only asking for a tenth.
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So He could
take it off with Him.
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Or, parish the thought, He
could do this if He wanted to,
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remember when the people
brought their lamb without
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spot or blemish?
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Guess what happened to it?
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It got burned up.
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It got killed
and then burned up.
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Now this is amazing.
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How would we like it if when
the deacons brought the tithe
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forward for the prayer on
Sabbath morning someone got a
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lighter and
burnt all the tithe up?
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We just
wouldn't conscience that.
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That's our money!
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But, see, the whole point
was the tithe belongs to God.
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Now this is very basic.
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That's the very
bottom line of all tithing.
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Excuse me, I was just going to
say, we don't give God a tithe.
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He entrusts everything to us as
a steward and we simply return
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a tithe to Him.
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Exactly right; this is very,
very important to understand.
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We're told that God does not,
with regard to the tithe now,
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appeal to our
gratitude or our generosity.
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It is a matter
of simple honesty.
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So we return
God's portion to Him.
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Then the most amazing thing is
He's promised to bless the rest.
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Now this is
really, really incredible.
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Now I want to give you a Bible
verse that's really interesting.
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It's Numbers, and we're
going to look at it in Numbers.
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It's chapter 18,
verse 21, I believe.
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But I'm going to look
at it in my Bible because
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everybody should actually
have this marked in their Bible.
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I believe I've got
the right one here, 18:21.
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Yes.
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Now God is speaking here.
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And remember I said He
could do anything He wanted to
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with the tithe?
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Yes.
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Well, what did He decide to do?
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He decided to pay the
preachers with the tithe.
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So He says,
Behold... I have given
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the children of Levi all
the tithes in Israel as an
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inheritance in return for
the work which they perform,
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the work of the
tabernacle of meeting.
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Amen.
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Now when you read the Bible
through there's lots in the
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Old Testament; you
wonder why it's in there.
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But here's one of them.
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When the Israelites went into
the promised land eleven of the
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tribes were given land to
farm, and to have their flocks,
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and herds, and so on.
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But the tribe of Levi was
supposed to be the religious
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leaders, and the
teachers, and so on.
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At any rate, they
were not given land.
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They were just given places to
stay with little garden plots.
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It's very simple in the Bible.
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You can see that.
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So God said, Your tithe will go
to support the Levites because
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they don't have the big farms,
and the cattle, and all that
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you have.
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But even the Levites tithed.
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We understand that
from the book of Nehemiah.
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Everyone tithes, but
they're supported by the others.
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So God said, I want to support
the preachers, if you please,
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with my tithe.
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So when I'm tithing, as an
individual, I'm tithing to God.
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Then God says, I'm
going to trust the Levites,
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or the religious leaders,
to use the tithe to support
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the ministry.
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Isn't that incredible?
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Amen.
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That's one of the amazing things
about the tithing that you find
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in the scriptures really.
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And, you know, there are certain
denominations out there that
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teach, or one of their
traditions is that they do
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not support those who
are their church leaders,
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or the preachers, per se,
and the Bible says that the
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workman is worthy of his hire.
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Yes, that's in Apostle Paul.
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And this same thing, I
mean, he's harking back to the
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Old Testament and bringing
that same principle across into
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the New Testament.
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It's very, very important.
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We'll talk about
that in a few minutes.
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Wonderful.
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Now what were the people
supposed to do with their tithe?
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Now this is a really, really
interesting question because
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people have questions about
this, so we want to address it
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right up front.
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The Bible says, and
probably one of the most famous
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well known tithe texts is
Malachi 3: Bring all the tithe
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to the storehouse...
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So tithing was
actually an act of worship.
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God had said twice in
Deuteronomy, Do not appear
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before the Lord empty handed.
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Come with your
tithes and your offerings.
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Now this is
really, really interesting.
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So it's part of our worship.
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We bring the
tithe to the storehouse.
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The interesting thing is when
you do that then there's money
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there, God's money, for
Him to do what He wants to do
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with His tithe.
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So it's really
an act of worship.
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We bring it to the storehouse.
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And the tithe was used for more
than just to pay the salaries
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of the pastors or the ministers.
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It was also used to make
sure that God's house had
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what it needed.
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Now that's an
interesting question.
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I'm going to try to
explain that to you.
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Okay.
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Sometimes people have been
told in churches that the tithe
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was anything they
did for religion at all.
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I mean it could even go to pay
your kids church school expenses
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or whatever.
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But the Bible says that
the tithe belongs to God
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and it's holy.
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We return it and then the
pastors are paid from that.
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But when there were building
projects, like when they built
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the tabernacle or they
built the temple, and so on,
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that was a separate fund
that they brought in for the
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building of it.
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We don't have any record in the
Bible that the tithe was ever
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used for anything but salaries.
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Now I think you're asking the
question for the this reason,
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so I'm going to
answer it this way.
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In the tribe of Levi
there were not just preachers,
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but there were also
teachers, the choir was there,
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the people who cleaned
the sanctuary were there,
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the security guards for
the sanctuary, so if you were a
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Levite you got
paid from the tithe.
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Okay.
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But the people that made
that decision were the priests
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and the leaders of the Levites.
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So we try to practice that in
the Adventist church by saying,
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When the tithe comes in we're
going to keep it as a holy fund
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that belongs to God.
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It's not the offering fund
that we're going to use to build
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buildings with.
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Right.
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Do you see what I'm saying?
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Right.
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But it's a special fund.
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But who actually gets the
tithe is an administrative
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decision that God has left
with the spiritual leaders.
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Do you see what I'm saying?
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That's the Biblical model.
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Okay, but doesn't it,
in the book of Deuteronomy,
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talk about using the tithe for
the poor and for social events?
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Oh, yes, indeed!
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And that's your real question.
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You're trying to get into
something that's very unusual.
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People who are perceptive
and read the Bible, find that
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there's sometimes counsel that
the tithe is to be used at home
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for entertaining the
poor, for social occasions,
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and entertaining
the Levites, and so on.
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You read that in Deuteronomy.
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Now something is
very, very interesting.
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I actually have written a paper
on that and it's on our website,
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but I will just tell you
a real quick answer to it.
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In the Bible, just like
there are more than one Sabbath,
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you know, like there's
the seventh-day Sabbath,
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there are also the ceremonial
Sabbaths in Leviticus 23.
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You're familiar with that.
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Well, there's also
two tithes in the Bible.
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There is the Lord's tithe, which
were talked about in Genesis,
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Exodus, Numbers, and Leviticus,
but the tithe that's talked
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about in Deuteronomy is
called the second tithe.
00:11:17.70\00:11:21.14
Okay.
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Not the Lord's tithe.
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And every third year that
tithe was to be kept at home
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to assist the poor, or
to entertain the traveling
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preachers, and to have
money for social, let's just say
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camp meeting.
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Okay.
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Do you see what I'm saying?
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Yes.
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For the festivals,
the religious festivals.
00:11:41.23\00:11:42.20
Now something really
interesting, I don't think it
00:11:42.21\00:11:44.13
would be appropriate to say
the name, but a few years ago a
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popular minister in America
wrote a book, The Kingdom of God
00:11:47.26\00:11:50.39
Is A Party.
00:11:50.42\00:11:51.48
In that book he stated that
preachers have no right to tell
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people to bring their tithes
to church, because when you read
00:11:55.88\00:11:58.70
it in Deuteronomy chapters 12
to 16, and so on, it's talking
00:11:58.71\00:12:02.41
about using it at home.
00:12:02.44\00:12:03.60
But when you read it it's very
clear that's the second tithe
00:12:03.63\00:12:07.37
not the Lord's tithe.
00:12:07.40\00:12:08.63
The first tithe, the holy tithe,
the Lord's tithe, always and
00:12:08.66\00:12:11.72
only goes to the storehouse
to be used to pay the preachers.
00:12:11.75\00:12:16.41
But the second tithe on
the third year was to be
00:12:16.44\00:12:19.05
used socially.
00:12:19.08\00:12:20.05
So we have all the
Bible verses and all that.
00:12:20.06\00:12:23.40
It's a free thing.
00:12:23.43\00:12:25.04
You can get on our website
and see the answer to that.
00:12:25.07\00:12:28.22
You know in Malachi 3:20...
00:12:28.25\00:12:31.53
I'm just sitting here and
you're talking about two tithes.
00:12:31.56\00:12:33.67
Some people have
trouble with one tithe.
00:12:33.71\00:12:35.80
Yes.
00:12:35.83\00:12:36.80
But the Biblical
principle for this is found in
00:12:36.81\00:12:39.19
Malachi 3:10, when God is
saying bring all the tithes,
00:12:39.22\00:12:44.51
the whole tenth of your income
into the storehouse that there
00:12:44.54\00:12:48.53
may be food in my house, and
prove me by this says the Lord
00:12:48.54\00:12:51.99
of hosts.
00:12:52.02\00:12:52.99
See if I will not open
the windows of heaven for you
00:12:53.00\00:12:55.80
and pour out a blessing so much
that you can't even contain it.
00:12:55.81\00:12:59.12
So there's a blessing
connected to the tithe
00:12:59.15\00:13:01.39
But, Ed, some people don't
really understand that when they
00:13:01.42\00:13:05.71
don't return the tithe, God
had begun this passage, if we go
00:13:05.74\00:13:09.91
back up a few verses, He
says, Will a man rob God?
00:13:09.92\00:13:15.66
Yet you rob me.
00:13:15.69\00:13:17.86
But you say, In
what way do we rob you?
00:13:17.89\00:13:20.48
And He says, because
you have withheld your tithe
00:13:20.51\00:13:24.23
and your offerings.
00:13:24.26\00:13:26.29
My question is, Is that second
tithe what we call offerings,
00:13:26.32\00:13:32.00
or is that something that...
00:13:32.03\00:13:34.94
Are we not tithing enough?
00:13:34.97\00:13:36.27
Yes, there really wouldn't
be a second Lord's tithe.
00:13:36.30\00:13:40.38
We would call
that offerings today.
00:13:40.39\00:13:42.67
Kathy and I have been
doing what we call ten plus ten
00:13:42.70\00:13:46.77
for many years.
00:13:46.78\00:13:48.04
That is our tenth tithe.
00:13:48.07\00:13:49.68
Then we set aside a
second tenth for offerings,
00:13:49.71\00:13:52.63
for various things, our local
church, our conference work,
00:13:52.66\00:13:55.53
and the worldwide work.
00:13:55.56\00:13:56.69
Then when we some supporting
ministry that we really like
00:13:56.72\00:14:00.53
we support them as well,
you see, but we do that our
00:14:00.56\00:14:03.67
offering tithe, the second one,
because it is discretionary.
00:14:03.70\00:14:07.24
But the Lord's tithe, you read
that correctly, with the proper
00:14:07.27\00:14:10.59
emphasis, bring all the tithe.
00:14:10.62\00:14:12.80
Many of the modern translations
say bring the whole tithe
00:14:12.83\00:14:15.35
to the Lord.
00:14:15.38\00:14:16.35
That's the Lord's
tithe, the first tenth.
00:14:16.36\00:14:18.15
And the reason God is calling
it robbery is because He set it
00:14:18.18\00:14:22.26
apart and sanctified
it, and He called it His.
00:14:22.29\00:14:24.90
So when we don't return
that which has been sanctified
00:14:24.93\00:14:29.01
to Him, set apart for His use,
we are actually robbing God.
00:14:29.04\00:14:33.69
Yeah, it even gets more
serious than that actually.
00:14:33.72\00:14:36.82
In the law we study criminal
law and criminal procedure.
00:14:36.85\00:14:40.70
There are different
levels of theft crimes.
00:14:40.73\00:14:43.91
If someone just steals something
from your yard they could be
00:14:43.94\00:14:46.24
arrested and tried for simple
petty theft, conversion of the
00:14:46.27\00:14:51.23
property, someone took it
without returning it, and so on.
00:14:51.26\00:14:54.03
But if they were to break into
your house and steal something
00:14:54.06\00:14:57.43
then it gets very, very serious.
00:14:57.46\00:14:59.66
In many jurisdictions,
like I know in Florida,
00:14:59.69\00:15:01.90
if you're convicted for breaking
and entering the property
00:15:01.91\00:15:04.10
of another, you'd
get six years in jail.
00:15:04.13\00:15:05.96
There's no questions asked.
00:15:05.99\00:15:06.96
It's very serious.
00:15:06.97\00:15:08.00
But still though we haven't
gotten to the level of robbery.
00:15:08.03\00:15:10.66
Robbery only occurs
when the owner is present.
00:15:10.69\00:15:14.30
Now this is very, very serious.
00:15:14.33\00:15:16.56
You know, give me
your keys or I'll kill you.
00:15:16.59\00:15:18.32
You understand those
kinds of things that people say.
00:15:18.35\00:15:20.21
They're robbers, you know.
00:15:20.24\00:15:21.31
Well, the fact is, how can God
call failure to tithe robbery?
00:15:21.34\00:15:25.50
Well, it's very clear in
the Bible, in many passages,
00:15:25.53\00:15:27.94
like Hebrews 4:13, you
know, Where can you flee from
00:15:27.97\00:15:30.67
his presence?
00:15:30.70\00:15:31.67
We must, you know, we're
all naked and appear before the
00:15:31.68\00:15:32.96
judgment bar of God, and so on.
00:15:32.99\00:15:34.33
He's there, and
He has plans for it.
00:15:34.36\00:15:36.83
He's not
willingly surrendering yet.
00:15:36.86\00:15:38.38
We're taking it from Him
and robbing Him of the ability
00:15:38.41\00:15:41.59
to see what good it
could do for the cause of God.
00:15:41.62\00:15:43.90
Do you see what I'm saying?
00:15:43.93\00:15:44.90
So that's why it's
a real serious thing.
00:15:44.91\00:15:47.01
And many people, I'm sure
you've had people tell you this,
00:15:47.04\00:15:51.28
they'll say, Well, that
was an Old Testament principle.
00:15:51.29\00:15:54.62
So what that Abraham
tithed before the Jewish nation?
00:15:54.65\00:15:57.54
Yeah.
00:15:57.57\00:15:58.54
Where do you find it
in the New Testament?
00:15:58.55\00:16:00.48
Well, I'm going to answer
it, the beginning and the end.
00:16:00.51\00:16:03.34
When you study the Bible, as in
any history book, there's a law
00:16:03.37\00:16:07.83
of first mention.
00:16:07.86\00:16:08.88
The first time something is
mentioned is really important,
00:16:08.91\00:16:11.31
and the law of last mention.
00:16:11.32\00:16:12.84
Both of them deal with,
Hebrews the 7th chapter,
00:16:12.87\00:16:16.45
deal with the experience
of Melchizedek, and that's the
00:16:16.48\00:16:20.30
first time
tithing was mentioned.
00:16:20.33\00:16:21.87
Now this is interesting.
00:16:21.90\00:16:23.16
And neither Melchizedek, or
Jesus as the new Melchizedek,
00:16:23.19\00:16:27.24
were members of
the tribe of Levi.
00:16:27.27\00:16:29.72
Jesus was, of course,
from the tribe of Judah.
00:16:29.75\00:16:31.87
And this is very interesting
that you have non-Levitical
00:16:31.90\00:16:35.85
priests asking for tithe.
00:16:35.88\00:16:37.59
The first time it's mentioned,
and the last time it's mentioned
00:16:37.62\00:16:40.50
in the Bible.
00:16:40.53\00:16:41.50
Now this is
really pretty amazing.
00:16:41.51\00:16:42.94
But even beyond that remember
that the Bible of Jesus and the
00:16:42.97\00:16:47.89
disciples, and all the Bible
writers, was always and only
00:16:47.92\00:16:51.15
in the Old Testament.
00:16:51.18\00:16:52.15
That was the Bible to them.
00:16:52.16\00:16:53.39
Study to show
yourselves approved unto God.
00:16:53.42\00:16:55.45
You don't just study the
New Testament, you study the
00:16:55.48\00:16:57.53
Old Testament.
00:16:57.56\00:16:58.53
And the principles of
scripture that you find in the
00:16:58.54\00:17:00.55
Old Testament are
just as valid for us today.
00:17:00.58\00:17:02.78
Do you see what I'm saying?
00:17:02.81\00:17:04.49
Yes.
00:17:04.52\00:17:05.49
Except those ceremonial things
that pointed forward to Christ,
00:17:05.50\00:17:07.46
you know in the
sacrificial system and so on,
00:17:07.49\00:17:10.66
since Jesus came
and became the reality,
00:17:10.69\00:17:14.14
those we don't practice.
00:17:14.17\00:17:15.50
But the other things like
the health laws, the civil laws,
00:17:15.53\00:17:18.67
the ten commandment
laws, and the law of the tithe,
00:17:18.70\00:17:21.31
and so on, given way
before the ten commandments,
00:17:21.34\00:17:23.25
those still would
apply to us today.
00:17:23.28\00:17:25.09
Amen.
00:17:25.10\00:17:26.07
Now, you know, I was thinking
of how Jesus said, talking to
00:17:26.08\00:17:30.56
the Pharisees, He said,
You give a tenth of your mint,
00:17:30.59\00:17:33.81
and you give a tenth of all
these herbs, and as He's going
00:17:33.84\00:17:36.65
on to correct them He
said what you should have done.
00:17:36.66\00:17:39.46
So Jesus is applauding them for
the tithing, but I hear people
00:17:39.47\00:17:44.34
talk about an honest tithe.
00:17:44.37\00:17:46.84
Yeah.
00:17:46.87\00:17:47.84
Giving an honest tithe.
00:17:47.85\00:17:48.87
Now first I wanted to say, I
knew I had another point in my
00:17:48.90\00:17:51.21
mind, was that we are really
not allowed by God to say,
00:17:51.24\00:17:57.49
Okay, I'm going to
set this tenth apart.
00:17:57.52\00:17:59.10
Now I'll decide where it goes.
00:17:59.13\00:18:00.83
We can't say, no, I'm not
going to give it to the church.
00:18:00.86\00:18:03.28
I'll give it over here or I'll
give it to my family and call
00:18:03.31\00:18:05.81
that my tithe, because He
has a purpose for the tithe
00:18:05.84\00:18:09.02
and that is holy.
00:18:09.05\00:18:10.02
You're very
perceptive about that.
00:18:10.03\00:18:11.68
According to the Bible the tithe
is non-discretionary neither
00:18:11.71\00:18:16.34
as to amount or to
what it's used for.
00:18:16.37\00:18:18.72
We don't have discretion.
00:18:18.75\00:18:20.02
We're only told to return
it to the religious leaders.
00:18:20.05\00:18:23.20
Now the fact is if I'm
a Seventh-day Adventist
00:18:23.23\00:18:27.38
the storehouse would
be the conference office,
00:18:27.41\00:18:29.84
the place from which
the pastors are paid.
00:18:29.87\00:18:31.21
But for the convenience of the
members we return it through our
00:18:31.24\00:18:33.71
local church, but it's sent
on to the conference office.
00:18:33.74\00:18:36.38
The pastors are
not paid at that level.
00:18:36.42\00:18:38.28
If I was a Baptist and I
was in a congregational church
00:18:38.31\00:18:40.97
then my tithe would
return there to the treasurer
00:18:41.00\00:18:43.18
who pays the pastor, and so on.
00:18:43.21\00:18:44.72
But the whole point is
where your denomination or
00:18:44.75\00:18:49.03
organization has decided,
that's the Biblical principal.
00:18:49.06\00:18:52.38
That's what you should follow.
00:18:52.41\00:18:53.38
That's what I would
encourage people to do.
00:18:53.39\00:18:55.07
But we're trying to follow the
Biblical model in the Adventist
00:18:55.10\00:18:57.75
church so we return our tithe.
00:18:57.78\00:18:59.05
We don't use it ourselves.
00:18:59.08\00:19:00.05
We don't send it off
to the mission field.
00:19:00.08\00:19:01.55
We return it to the storehouse
and the Lord's leaders can
00:19:01.58\00:19:05.05
decide what to do with
it; what's the best use of it
00:19:05.08\00:19:07.57
at that point.
00:19:07.60\00:19:08.57
Okay, now that brings
up another point though.
00:19:08.58\00:19:10.32
When you say the Lord's leaders
can determine what's the best
00:19:10.33\00:19:13.97
use of it.
00:19:14.00\00:19:14.97
I've heard people say, I
don't like the way the tithe's
00:19:14.98\00:19:17.69
being used.
00:19:17.72\00:19:18.69
Yeah.
00:19:18.70\00:19:19.67
But we still, it doesn't matter,
our duty is to return it.
00:19:19.68\00:19:24.15
It's God's tithe so that's
between God and His leaders.
00:19:24.18\00:19:28.14
That's exactly right, and
beyond that it's very serious.
00:19:28.17\00:19:31.01
We really hate to even go in
there, but the fact is the use
00:19:31.04\00:19:35.20
of the tithe by the leaders
is their responsibility to God
00:19:35.23\00:19:39.73
in that area, too, but it's not
my responsibility unless I'm one
00:19:39.74\00:19:43.14
of those people.
00:19:43.17\00:19:44.14
Do you see?
00:19:44.15\00:19:45.12
Yes.
00:19:45.13\00:19:46.10
So I return to the Lord and
God says you've done what I've
00:19:46.11\00:19:47.51
asked you to do.
00:19:47.54\00:19:48.51
Then there's an accountability
beyond that between the leaders
00:19:48.52\00:19:51.67
and God to use it wisely.
00:19:51.70\00:19:53.21
I mean, you know, embezzling
it, or there's many, many things
00:19:53.24\00:19:56.69
that we could say about
it, but we don't want to second
00:19:56.72\00:19:59.32
guess each other, you know,
in every little dime and nickel
00:19:59.35\00:20:02.82
about it.
00:20:02.85\00:20:03.82
But the fact is we would
like to see it used wisely,
00:20:03.83\00:20:06.35
and in fact we are encouraged to
contact the leaders if we feel
00:20:06.38\00:20:09.04
it isn't being used
wisely, but not to withhold it.
00:20:09.07\00:20:12.26
Okay.
00:20:12.29\00:20:13.26
Now let me come back
to calculating the tithe.
00:20:13.27\00:20:15.86
I have a dear friend
who owns her own business.
00:20:15.89\00:20:19.32
Let me say it this way, if
you are employed by another
00:20:19.35\00:20:24.45
it's easy to calculate the
tenth of your gross income.
00:20:24.46\00:20:27.45
If you're doing a salary or
by the hour it's very easy, yes.
00:20:27.48\00:20:31.13
Very easy, but now my friend,
what she was doing was whatever
00:20:31.14\00:20:36.00
money her business brought
in she was paying a tenth
00:20:36.03\00:20:38.47
of that out.
00:20:38.50\00:20:39.47
I sat down with her and
explained, No, you're to pay,
00:20:39.48\00:20:42.65
being self employed, God has
only asked you to pay a tenth
00:20:42.68\00:20:47.52
of the increase.
00:20:47.55\00:20:48.99
So this would be not your
gross profit, but minus the cost
00:20:49.02\00:20:54.27
of goods.
00:20:54.30\00:20:55.27
So it would be
on your net profit.
00:20:55.28\00:20:56.78
Am I answering her correctly?
00:20:56.81\00:20:59.11
Yes, I would say that in many
businesses they're happy if they
00:20:59.14\00:21:02.59
have an eight
percent profit margin.
00:21:02.62\00:21:04.66
You couldn't tithe on one
hundred percent or you would
00:21:04.69\00:21:06.94
go out of business.
00:21:06.97\00:21:07.94
Right.
00:21:07.95\00:21:08.92
So I have a real simple
formula that I tell people.
00:21:08.93\00:21:10.94
This is a common question,
one that deserves a good answer.
00:21:10.97\00:21:14.21
But it's a simple answer,
and it's like this: If I'm in
00:21:14.24\00:21:17.21
business for myself, and let's
just say that I take out $50,000
00:21:17.24\00:21:21.64
a year to live on
as living expenses.
00:21:21.67\00:21:24.32
Obviously at the time I
receive it I'll pay tithe on
00:21:24.36\00:21:26.90
that portion.
00:21:26.93\00:21:27.90
But let's just say that at
the end of the year when I do my
00:21:27.91\00:21:30.11
taxes that I actually made
$70,000 profit on my business,
00:21:30.14\00:21:33.75
and my business transactions.
00:21:33.78\00:21:35.02
Let's just say I'm a farmer.
00:21:35.05\00:21:37.37
After I've paid for my fuel,
fertilizer, seed, and the help
00:21:37.38\00:21:41.71
that I've had, and so on, so
that my net profit is $70,000.
00:21:41.74\00:21:45.57
Well, I've already taken
$50,000 of that to live on.
00:21:45.60\00:21:48.96
So then I would only have a
business tithe on the $20,000
00:21:48.99\00:21:52.35
remaining that I
hadn't tithed before.
00:21:52.36\00:21:54.50
So it's pretty simple.
00:21:54.53\00:21:55.63
In other words your net
profit would be the portion that
00:21:55.66\00:21:59.44
you would pay
taxes on typically.
00:21:59.47\00:22:01.05
Now it is possible, sometimes
I've had people say, Well,
00:22:01.08\00:22:04.08
you know I didn't make any money
last year so I didn't tithe.
00:22:04.11\00:22:06.77
But I would say,
Well, how did you eat?
00:22:06.80\00:22:08.89
Do you understand?
00:22:08.92\00:22:10.17
The fact is unless you took
it out of savings that's already
00:22:10.20\00:22:14.00
been tithed; if I have
money that I take, maybe there
00:22:14.03\00:22:17.54
wouldn't be a net
profit in the business side.
00:22:17.57\00:22:19.27
But if I take money out for
living expenses I should tithe
00:22:19.30\00:22:21.77
that portion.
00:22:21.80\00:22:22.77
And another thing is we
always need to remember that God
00:22:22.78\00:22:25.78
doesn't need the money.
00:22:25.81\00:22:26.78
He really wants to know where
is our heart in all of this.
00:22:26.79\00:22:28.81
So if I'm trying to do my best
by God surely He will make a
00:22:28.84\00:22:33.32
providential way
for me to understand it.
00:22:33.35\00:22:35.25
You know, you can actually
be to the point where you're not
00:22:35.28\00:22:38.08
taking money out for eating,
because I know when J. D. and I
00:22:38.11\00:22:40.78
first married we had a
business partner, and I won't go
00:22:40.81\00:22:42.78
into that, but we
ended with $250,000 of debt.
00:22:42.81\00:22:48.92
When we married that's
how far our business debt was.
00:22:48.95\00:22:52.21
Now we were making good money,
but it was all going to that
00:22:52.24\00:22:56.56
business debt in
the same business.
00:22:56.59\00:22:58.69
Basically if it hadn't
been for credit cards we would
00:22:58.87\00:23:01.52
not have existed.
00:23:01.55\00:23:02.52
So we were not tithing.
00:23:02.54\00:23:03.99
But I will say this, I
was taking out $100 a month
00:23:04.02\00:23:06.76
You couldn't put your groceries
on a credit card at that time.
00:23:06.80\00:23:12.01
So I'd take $100 a month
out, living in Dallas, Texas,
00:23:12.04\00:23:15.92
and we were living for
groceries, for hair supplies,
00:23:15.95\00:23:21.80
for personal items,
on that $100 a month.
00:23:21.83\00:23:24.79
I sat down with J. D. as we were
working out our plan to get out
00:23:24.82\00:23:28.52
of debt.
00:23:28.55\00:23:29.52
I sat down with him and I said,
Honey, I just really feel like
00:23:29.53\00:23:33.22
the Lord's speaking to
me that we need to be giving
00:23:33.25\00:23:35.49
to His work.
00:23:35.52\00:23:36.49
We made Him a covenant
to give Him $100 a month.
00:23:36.59\00:23:39.06
That's all we had to live on.
00:23:39.09\00:23:41.37
I cannot explain to you, nor
can I explain to our audience,
00:23:41.40\00:23:45.39
but the Malachi 3 principle came
into play because we started
00:23:45.42\00:23:50.80
giving that money, and all of
a sudden, at the end of the year
00:23:50.83\00:23:55.06
I'm trying to figure out
why we were so much better off
00:23:55.09\00:23:59.12
than we had been because our
business income was basically
00:23:59.15\00:24:02.56
the same, but God gave us such
favor in so many ways that when
00:24:02.59\00:24:07.06
we started giving it was coming
back to us in so many different
00:24:07.09\00:24:10.66
ways that we never noticed.
00:24:10.69\00:24:12.45
I mean it wasn't like we
were left without, we actually
00:24:12.48\00:24:16.02
were benefiting.
00:24:16.05\00:24:17.27
Let me just say in response
to your story, which I think
00:24:17.30\00:24:20.30
God has blessed you
and there's no question.
00:24:20.33\00:24:22.03
You feel it yourself.
00:24:22.06\00:24:23.21
Absolutely!
00:24:23.24\00:24:24.21
In the Bible, or in the practice
of our church, for example,
00:24:24.22\00:24:27.42
we never ask people to turn in
your W2 forms, your 1040 forms
00:24:27.45\00:24:31.59
or whatever.
00:24:31.62\00:24:32.59
That's between you and God.
00:24:32.60\00:24:33.57
We just teach the Biblical
principles and the people
00:24:33.58\00:24:37.26
apply them.
00:24:37.29\00:24:38.26
But if I knew that I was making
a profit and I wasn't tithing
00:24:38.27\00:24:41.65
there would be
a serious problem.
00:24:41.68\00:24:42.97
You understand?
00:24:43.00\00:24:43.97
So the whole point is God
allows us individually to be
00:24:43.98\00:24:46.81
responsible, and so on, but
we could make up all kinds of
00:24:46.84\00:24:51.18
excuses to why
we're not faithful.
00:24:51.22\00:24:53.07
Well, we need new this, we
need new that, or whatever.
00:24:53.10\00:24:55.33
Do you see what I'm saying?
00:24:55.36\00:24:56.33
But the bottom line is God
is looking for faithful people
00:24:56.36\00:24:59.82
because that's what it's going
to take to be saved at the end.
00:24:59.85\00:25:01.94
I want to give you a
couple of New Testament verses
00:25:01.97\00:25:05.11
because that's one of the
questions that people have
00:25:05.14\00:25:07.48
and that is did it really apply?
00:25:07.51\00:25:09.63
Remember the Old Testament
model is that everyone tithes
00:25:09.66\00:25:13.08
for support of the ministry.
00:25:13.09\00:25:14.40
Well, in the New Testament
Jesus, of course, as you said,
00:25:14.43\00:25:17.75
commended tithing.
00:25:17.78\00:25:19.11
That's in two places, Matthew
23 where He was giving the woes
00:25:19.14\00:25:23.61
and the Pharisees, and
then said all these bad things.
00:25:23.64\00:25:25.93
Then you're even so persnickety
and particular that you're
00:25:25.96\00:25:29.57
tithing these little herbs.
00:25:29.60\00:25:31.22
Then He said, You ought to
keep doing that, but don't leave
00:25:31.25\00:25:34.58
these other matters
undone; the justice and so on.
00:25:34.61\00:25:36.96
When Luke talks about it in the
synoptic gospel of Luke 11:42
00:25:36.99\00:25:43.42
he talks about, Don't
leave the other undone also.
00:25:43.45\00:25:46.68
And then, amazingly, the Apostle
Paul uses the same Old Testament
00:25:46.71\00:25:51.93
model that those who work in the
gospel should live of the gospel
00:25:51.94\00:25:54.91
and a workman is
worthy of his hire, and so on,
00:25:54.94\00:25:57.22
obviously harking back to the
same principle that we've talked
00:25:57.56\00:26:00.41
about from the Old Testament.
00:26:00.44\00:26:01.90
Do you see what I'm saying?
00:26:01.93\00:26:02.90
So the principles are there,
and since the Old Testament was
00:26:02.91\00:26:06.86
the Bible of Jesus and
the disciples there wasn't any
00:26:06.89\00:26:09.15
reason for them to have to
reinvent it and put everything
00:26:09.18\00:26:11.75
over into the New Testament...
00:26:11.78\00:26:12.87
Exactly.
00:26:13.07\00:26:14.04
because we have
the Bible as a whole.
00:26:14.05\00:26:15.02
Exactly, and Paul said that
the word of God was all inspired
00:26:15.03\00:26:19.67
by Him, written
for our instruction...
00:26:19.70\00:26:21.38
True.
00:26:21.41\00:26:22.38
...and for our edification.
00:26:22.39\00:26:23.61
You know, we only have just
about a minute left, so I know
00:26:23.64\00:26:26.44
I'm not going to get to
hear these wonderful stories,
00:26:26.45\00:26:28.34
but as a financial planner,
have you not seen people who
00:26:28.37\00:26:33.17
began tithing and then
they said, It doesn't add up.
00:26:33.20\00:26:36.18
A CPA couldn't explain it, but
we are blessed in our finances
00:26:36.21\00:26:39.41
because of this.
00:26:39.44\00:26:40.41
We asked people several
years ago to send us stories of
00:26:40.42\00:26:44.54
God's blessing and
providence in their life.
00:26:44.57\00:26:47.23
We got 150 stories in.
00:26:47.26\00:26:49.46
They were so awesome they
would bring tears to your eyes.
00:26:49.49\00:26:51.77
We printed them in a little
book called Over and Over Again.
00:26:51.80\00:26:53.77
Well, when people started
reading that book they said,
00:26:53.80\00:26:56.41
Well, you should hear
what God did for our family,
00:26:56.44\00:26:57.96
so we got 150 more spontaneously
and we've written two books,
00:26:57.99\00:27:01.46
volume 1 and volume 2.
00:27:01.49\00:27:02.46
I mean the incredible
things that God has done.
00:27:02.48\00:27:04.60
I could tell you stories;
you could tell me stories
00:27:04.63\00:27:06.62
of what God has
done for your family.
00:27:06.65\00:27:08.19
There's Biblical evidence,
and there's antidotal evidence,
00:27:08.23\00:27:12.03
that the principles are correct.
00:27:12.06\00:27:13.38
Amen.
00:27:13.41\00:27:14.38
Ed, thank you so much for
coming today and discussing
00:27:14.39\00:27:17.54
this with us.
00:27:17.57\00:27:18.54
I know that we're going
to get you to come back to do
00:27:18.55\00:27:20.53
another program.
00:27:20.56\00:27:21.53
You've been a real blessing.
00:27:21.54\00:27:22.61
Well, thank you.
00:27:22.64\00:27:23.61
It's been a blessing to be here.
00:27:23.62\00:27:24.59
This is always an interesting
topic, one for which we have
00:27:24.60\00:27:26.89
good information.
00:27:26.92\00:27:27.89
Absolutely, absolutely.
00:27:27.90\00:27:29.71
I hope that you've enjoyed
today, and I hope that you've
00:27:29.74\00:27:32.19
learned something.
00:27:32.22\00:27:33.19
If you're interested in getting
any of Ed's books you can
00:27:33.22\00:27:36.59
actually go to the 3ABN website.
00:27:36.62\00:27:38.46
We have a link to
Ed Reid's website.
00:27:38.49\00:27:42.12
Now, May the grace of our Lord
Jesus Christ, the love of the
00:27:42.15\00:27:45.59
Father, and the fellowship
of the Holy Spirit be with you.
00:27:45.62\00:27:49.31
Test God on this
tithing principle.
00:27:49.34\00:27:51.58
See what He does.
00:27:51.61\00:27:52.95
Thank you.
00:27:52.98\00:27:53.95