I do not receive a pastors salary, so I can share about giving without anyone thinking I am just wanting their money. I teach Biblical giving, not for my benefit or God’s for that matter. I don’t need your money and God sure doesn’t. The reason the Word of God teaches about the different kinds of giving, is for the benefit of mankind. Biblical principles are always for our good. Yes the Bible teaches that some will preach the gospel for money. It is our responsibility to make sure we place our money in good soil. Look at what the money produces. What are the fruit of our money — seeds? Let’s look at the three forms of Bible giving. “tithes,” “gifts” and “alms.”
Tithe: The devil fights this one with all he has. We choose the other two, but the tithe already belongs to the Lord. It is brought into the New Testament by the order of Melchizedek. [Heb. 6:20, Jesus being the priest of the New Testament. [Read Heb. 7]. Tithing is a part of the new covenant, [Luke 11:42]. Malachi three prophesied about Jesus coming as a refiner’s fire and fullers’ soap. That was manifested in Mark 9:3, seeing Jesus as priest of the New Testament. Malachi 3:6 says “For I am the Lord and I change not.” It tells how the people left God, then argued when He suggested they come back to Him. Then He said, “Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offering. Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me even this whole nation.
“Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of host, 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” [V.8]. Blessings come with tithing, He said let me prove it to you. And curses if we don’t tithe. “If a man hold back any of the tithe, he shall add one fifth to it. [Levi.27:30]. God charges 20 percent interest. Haggai 1:1-7 says, because they built fine houses for themselves and let the house of the Lord go — it would be as though they put their wages in bags with holes in them. That was likely, representing the 20 percent interest. Some say tithing is the law and not for us. Tithing was before the law was written, read it.
Giving: Giving is different from alms or tithing, giving is above the tithe. Giving is in every walk of life. Giving to ministries, tips to waitresses, helping grandchildren, bonuses to employees. “Give and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that you mete withal it shall be measured to you again: [Luke 6:38]. Give with a teaspoon and you will get back a packed overflowing teaspoon. Give with a barrel and you will get back a barrel shaken, pressed down and running over. The widow’s mite was like a barrel. It was all she had.
Alms: Alms is giving to the poor. So, let’s talk about the giving we all love to do. We all enjoy giving to the poor. “Whoever shuts his ears to the cry of the poor, will also cry himself, and not be heard” [Prov.21-13]. “He who has a bountiful eye will be blessed; for he gives of his bread to the poor” [Prov.22:9]. Bountiful also means Generous. “He that has pity on the poor lends to the Lord; and that he has given, God will pay him again” [Prov. 19:17]. God pays interest on what we give to the poor. There is so much in the Bible about giving, we have barely touched the surface on each category. God does not need our money but He knew we needed to give. Giving from the heart is a blessing. God loves a cheerful giver. [2 Cor. 9:7].
