The conversation...
> Me;
"Pastor, can show me in the Bible, in God's word where a Christian required to hand over 10% of their monetary income, a "tithe," to the church or to some type of Christian ministry? Where is that in the Bible?"
> Pastor;
"Well, Anthony, tithing is something every Christian should do because the Bible says we should be faithful with our finances. By sacrificing 10% of our income, we learn to rely on God. While 10% might be a sizable part of some people's earnings, giving tithes means you trust that God will still provide you with enough food and wealth to live. Plus it makes us more aware of the needs of others too. In fact, supporting the needs of pastors and the work of the local church is one of the main purposes of tithing.
Also; God knows if we give back the first 10%, we've placed Him before money. Tithing tells God that He's number one in your life. Why is this so important? Very simple: God won't rest until He's number one in our lives! And, I believe that one of the great blessings of tithing is confidence in what the future holds. Whatever our circumstances may be, things will work out for the best. As we keep our promises, He will keep His. A feeling of peace is one of the great blessings of paying a full tithe.
And, this is important; Jesus endorses tithing – but expects His followers to exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees whom He encouraged to continue tithing. I think it is also important to realize that tithing increases our contentment, joy, and love for others; and scripture promises rewards in Heaven if not blessings on earth! I like to tell my church to pray like this when tithing; "Heavenly Father, our hearts are full of gratitude. We thank you that you are the source of all blessings. As we present our offerings and tithes, we remember your promise to open the floodgates of heaven when we honor you with our first fruits! Amen!!"
So, Anthony, does that answer your question? I hope I have!
> Me;
No, you said a lot, but didn't answer my question; let me ask again; in God's word where is a Christian required to hand over 10% of their monetary income, a "tithe" to the church or to some type of Christian ministry? I'm looking for chapter and verse, can you provide it? can you show me where I can read such a verse?
> Pastor;
Ummm, well, ahhhh, hang on, let me ahhhhh try to.................................................
FOOTNOTE; The statements made by the "pastor" above are taken from actual claims made online on websites promoting tithing. If you will notice, not one of them were based on any scriptural authority. On each website concerning each statement, there was no scripture cited to prove what was being stated.
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