The Law still has a purpose today. It is a schoolmaster for those who do not know God (Galatians 3:24, 25).

The tithe is the tenth or 10% of our income.

After God helped Abraham win in battle, he willingly brought a tithe to Melchisedec, king of Salem, and priest of the Most High God (Genesis 14:18-23, Hebrews 7:1-14). Abraham knew by instinct to pay a tenth of his spoils to God. He knew it was impossible to win the battle without Him (Romans 2:14, 15, AMP).

Abraham brought his tithe to the high priest because he appreciated what God had done for Him. Melchisedec blessed Abraham. The blessing is empowerment (or enablement) to prosper.

Abraham’s descendants were also blessed because he paid tithes. Our descendants benefit from the blessing of tithing.

Under the law, a CURSE would come from failing to tithe. Now under GRACE, the CURSE has been removed by the Blood of Jesus but the BLESSING from tithing remains and you can expect the PROMISES of Malachi 3:10-12. Like Abraham, we bring our tithes out of love and appreciation.

Under GRACE, Jesus is our High Priest. There is a change in how we tithe and why we tithe. When we pay our tithes, we are ultimately bringing them to Jesus, who is our High Priest. God does not want us to feel obligated or pressured to tithe. He wants us to tithe because we love and honor Him. Our money represents the majority of our time and efforts. When we pay our tithes to honor God, He honors us in return.

We are freed from the curse of the Law, yet we still partake of the blessing of tithing (Malachi 3:10-12, Galatians 3:10). There is grace (divine power) released upon us when we give. We access this GRACE by faith. Even when we give with a willing heart, it is an act of faith. The covenant of tithing is God’s way of financing His Church here on earth to fulfill its mandate to preach the Gospel in all the world.

The truth is without the tithe and the generous support of the congregation the local Church cannot exist. For this reason, the blessing attached to tithing continues to this day but has actually been reinforced and enhanced because of the ‘Great Commission’ to proclaim the Gospel.

The New Testament gives wonderful teaching on the great and precious promises of giving. Now giving has been exalted from an act to a ministry. Read 2 Corinthians 9:6-15 and you will discover the powerful promises that the Bible says will occur when a person is generous in their giving to the things of God.

‘Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, SUPPLY and MULTIPLY the seed you have sown and INCREASE the fruits of your righteousness’.

I have been a ‘Born-Again’ Spirit-filled Christian for 26 years and I have consistently tithed every week a 10% of my earnings into the local Church. First, at the church, I was saved in and was a member for 8 years and now as the Senior Pastor of Awesome Church, my wife Lissa and I have covenanted with God through tithing.

I can honestly testify that the Lord has blessed us abundantly and has never failed to meet all of our needs and continues to empower us to be able to give even above and beyond our tithe. I have also observed in the past 26 years that those people who have made a covenant with the Lord through tithing seem to always move ahead in life financially and experience tremendous financial breakthroughs and increase.

Tithing takes away the struggle and toil of trying to get ahead financially. Though we are all blessed in Jesus and He promises to meet all of our needs the empowerment that tithing brings elevates you above and beyond needs, wants, and desires.

It’s great to be BLESSED to be a BLESSING to others! In this season of God’s almighty GRACE, my prayer is that you will no longer be led by Old Covenant Laws which only produce condemnation in a person’s heart but that from now on you will be led by the Holy Spirit that brings life and peace.

GRACE brings REST and FREEDOM from laws, regulations, and rules. Because of what Jesus Christ did on the Cross we are FREE from every curse. You are no longer a slave to sin but a SON and a DAUGHTER in God’s Kingdom.

Top financial advisers everywhere are telling us that this is not a good time to be in debt. This is the world’s economy functioning like a stranglehold on society.

The result is fear, anxiety and depression for millions of people trying to make ends meet. Man’s governance of wealth is dreadfully unfair with unequal distribution of wealth worldwide. This is the world’s system and it’s cursed.

That’s the bad news….and now the GOOD NEWS!

There is another economy which exists outside of the world’s economy. An economy which is far more superior and is not intimidated by the world’s system in any way. It’s God’s Economy, which is governed by God’s Word and the government of heaven.

The key to escaping the consequences of the spiralling global financial chaos is simply this: Are you in Covenant with God?

Deuteronomy 8:18
And you shall remember the Lord your God for it is He who gives you the power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant.

There are many important keys contained in this scripture.
We should REMEMBER the Lord.
It is He who gives you POWER to get wealth.
We are to GET WEALTH but He will empower us to do it.
He may ESTABLISH HIS COVENANT.
In other words, God is going to supernaturally give you the opportunities, talents, gifting, open doors and breakthroughs required to get wealth.

As a Christian, I am in covenant with the Most High God who loves me and cares for me. The Covenant with God is based on the fact that I have now died to self and I am available to God for whatever He pleases and because of this, He is bound to have to take care of me. A Covenant is a duel agreement which has mutual benefits for each party. My Covenant with God guarantees me provision. God’s Covenant with me guarantees Him service.

Within this Covenant, I have all the rights of a Kingdom person functioning with King Jesus as my supreme leader and authority. I am an ambassador for Christ. I represent the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords therefore my King and government is bound to meet all of my needs as I represent Him.

In the Kingdom of God, there is no buying & selling. This is the earthly system which requires a trade to take place. In the Kingdom of God, the economy operates on a far higher principle, the law of sowing & reaping. Attached to this principle is the dynamic power of the Blessing!

The keys which govern prosperity & abundance are simple spiritual kingdom laws which when activated work every time. For example…Through Tithing the Law of the Kingdom says that I will be blessed. That God will rebuke the devouring spirit from touching my provision and that the windows of heaven will be opened upon my life. This is found in Malachi Chapter 3.

Proverbs 10:22 “The BLESSING of the Lord makes one rich and He adds no sorrow with it.”

The Hebrew translation say’s ‘The Blessing of the Lord makes rich and hard work or toil adds nothing to it. Hard work and toil which is fatigue in body and mind in attempting to get ahead will not stand against the blessing!

Mankind is forced to have to toil for His provision because of the curse which exists as a result of the fall of Adam & Eve when they sinned. When Adam & Eve fell into sin they lost 3 things.
They lost their RELATIONSHIP with God.
They lost their ASSIGNMENT in God.
They lost their PROVISION in God.
Adam is now cast out of Eden which is the Garden of Plenty. He must now wander and survive outside of God’s favour. He must now toil to meet his needs. This is a perfect picture of man today. Lost, Alone & Toiling! This is the curse on mankind.

The Bible tells us in Galatians 3:13-14, that the curse is broken because of what Jesus Christ accomplished on the Cross, so that the Blessing may take effect.

Every person who is in Covenant with God through faith in Jesus Christ immediately receives the blessing of God. This blessing does 3 important things to the life of the Born-Again Christian.

The power to produce.
The covenant that overrides the curse.
The anointing of God by which divine favour flows.

Yes, when a person is born-again they have their sins forgiven and they receive eternal life with God but the Blessing also contains many more benefits. Hebrews 6:9 say’s that there are ‘better things’ which accompany salvation. Those better things pertain to your whole life – Spirit, Soul, Body, Relationship & Finances.

Now that the ‘Blessing’ is operating in your life you have full access to God’s Economy of Abundance.

Proverbs 8:17-21
I love those who love Me, and those who seek Me diligently will find ME.
Riches and honour are with Me, enduring riches and righteousness.
My fruit is better than gold, yes, than fine gold. And My revenue than choice silver.
I traverse the way of righteousness, In the midst of the paths of justice.
That I may cause those who love Me to inherit wealth, that I may fill their treasuries.

Let me encourage you to become a Covenant person with God today and allow the promises of God’s Word to be activated in your life.

One: I AM OBEDIENT TO YOUR WORD.

“Behold to obey is better than sacrifice” 1 Samuel 15:22. This is where the principle of tithing begins, with simple obedience to God’s Word. God is interested in us keeping His Word. Jesus said as recorded in the Gospel of John chapter 14 verse 23, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My Word”. Obeying the Word is not an option it is pivotal to our faith. It lays a foundation for our Christian walk.

“If you are willing and obedient you shall eat the good of the land” Isaiah 1:19. Once again the Word tells us that simple willingness and obedience will result in blessing. The promise is that we shall find favour and partake of the good of the land. We ‘will’ to obey. It’s our personal choice to say ‘yes’ or ‘no’. What will you do when you are faced with a command from God?

“Bring all the Tithes into the storehouse” Malachi 3:10. So here is a command! Bring all the tithe – all means the total tenth (10%) of what we receive from whatever we do. Giving less than a tenth is not a tithe but an offering but God’s Word say’s “all the tithe”.

I am now faced with a challenge and that is will I or won’t I. Now comes a test of my ‘willingness’ and ‘obedience’. Attached to the command is a promise from God. Read on in Malachi, “I will open the windows of heaven and pour out such blessing”, “I will rebuke the devourer”, “nations shall call you blessed”.

Obedience defines the seriousness of our faith in God’s Word.

The test is simple and a serious approach will be proven by how we act.
Obedience says no to compromise and yes to faithfulness.
A fifth, a seventh an eight is not a tenth. To tithe means sow a tenth.
Obedience say’s “I trust in the Lord, he will fulfil His Word in my life”.
To disobey the command say’s “I don’t really trust God to bless me”.

“The Lord our God we will serve and His voice we will obey” Joshua 24:24. This was the response of God’s people when Joshua gave the command to serve and bring tithes to the Lord. Uncompromising and sincere faith that recognizes God’s Word as being sovereign and His commands as the final authority for their lives.

Two: I AM GENEROUS IN MY GIVING.

Being generous is an attitude. “The generous soul will be made rich and he who waters will be watered himself”. Proverbs 11:25

Tithing reveals an obedient heart but also a generous spirit. God is generous and His blessings are limitless. A sign of good Christianity is generosity. That’s why it is so important that the Church leads the way in it’s giving. An attitude is a carefully thought out way of thinking and approaching life. Being generous says ‘I want to be like Jesus’.

Being generous leads to blessing. “He who has a generous eye will be blessed” Proverbs 22:9. “The foolish person will no longer be called generous nor the miser said to be bountiful” Isaiah 32:5. The opposite of a generous spirit is a miserly spirit. A person with this spirit is totally consumed with self! All they think about is self and how themselves can receive. I believe that a miserly spirit is inherited most often from our parents if they were misers. Being raised in an environment, not so much of lack but a spirit that wants to withhold. Many more rich people struggle with this than those who are less wealthy. It’s selfish and it is not the spirit of God.

I think it would be a terrible thing if my family & friends thought I was a miser. I care about what they think about me as a husband, father and pastor. I also care more importantly about what God thinks about me. Being generous devises ways of being more generous.

“But a generous man devises generous things and by generosity, he shall stand” Isaiah 32:8. Having a generous spirit and attitude will cause you not only to be blessed so that you can be an even bigger blessing to others but you will find yourself truly free in your giving. You will get into a flow of steady giving that will seem endless because of the supernatural supply that God will give you.

God is looking for people whom He can trust with heavenly riches to support His Church. Many businesses have experienced incredible blessing as they begin to give. This is the principal of the Kings & Priests. Kings were the ones who gave to support the Priests.

Three: I SUPPORT MY CHURCH.

“I will build My church and the gates of
hell shall not prevail against it” Matthew 16:18

The principle of “I will build My local Church” Can you say that? Do you have that confession about your Church? Are you truly able to say that, ‘I will build My Church’? Tithing is also the biblical way that God finances His Church. Tithing supports: The word ‘support’ means… to sustain, take the strain, carry through, to be faithful and loyal, to provide for, supplying with necessary things for existence.

This principle of supporting God’s House is a Biblical principle of passion. Many scriptures reveal the passion and enthusiasm as God’s people brought the tithes of everything. They understood the promises attached to giving and they knew that blessing was assured.

“So the assembly brought in sacrifices and thank offerings and as many as were of a willing heart brought burnt offerings” 2 Chronicles 29:31

“As soon as the commandment was circulated, the children of Israel brought in abundance the first-fruits of grain and wine, oil and honey and of all the produce of the field and they brought in abundantly the tithe of everything”. “And the children of Israel and Judah who dwelt in the cities of Judah brought the tithe of oxen and sheep also the tithe of holy things which were consecrated to the Lord their God they laid in heaps” 2 Chronicles 31:5-6

“Having land sold it and brought the money and laid it at the Apostles feet” Acts 4:37. The New Testament shows the willingness of the Christian Church to support the ministry of the Apostles. The truth is that great wealth is required to build a great Church. Building a sanctuary and promoting God’s Word and the individual ministries associated with the Church requires finances.

A churches influence and growth is either hindered or propelled by the willingness of people to give and to recognize their role in financing the Church.

Four: I WORSHIP YOU, LORD, WITH A TANGIBLE GIFT.

My definition of worship is… “Honouring, revering and expressing our love and adoration to God in a meaningful and heartfelt way that involves our lifestyle and abilities”

We express our adoration and love through worship.
Our lifestyle also reflects our worship.
We attach value to our worship.
Tithing is not just giving to an organization. It’s not supporting a charity. Tithing is a biblical, God-ordained principle that has value. I worship God with my expressions but tithing is a tangible gift that I can feel, see and release.

We attach value to gifts all the time. When we give gifts to people, the value of the gift is generally determined by the relationship that we have with them. I will always give a gift of greater value for instance to my wife or family then I will for a friend of an acquaintance. Why? Because they mean a lot to me and I want them to know just how much I appreciate and love them. I gain more satisfaction in giving to them and seeing them enjoy the fruit of my giving than anything else.

We determine in our hearts how valuable the person is to us and then we give accordingly. This is because I have an inbuilt value system that determines what I will give according to my relationship. When I go to church and it’s time to give, I have generally already made up my mind what I will give before I even get there.

The extent of my giving is directly proportional to the depth of the relationship that I have with God.

David understood this principle – 1 Chronicles 29:2, 22:14
The Widow with two mites – Luke 21:1-4
The woman with the alabaster jar of oil – Mark 14:3-5
Our value of God in our worship is proven by what we give to him. I am able to tithe and bring building fund offerings and support visiting minister’s because the strength and intimacy of my relationship with God empower me to do it. Great trust is developed between us and there is no fear or anxiety on giving because it’s all about an understanding that my relationship with God is just as important as His relationship with me. I find great pleasure in giving to what I love and cherish.

Five: I AM SOWING TOWARDS ETERNAL REWARDS.

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” Matthew 6:19-21

Giving towards earthly projects is only temporary but giving towards the House of God has eternal consequences, why? Because saved people have eternal life. The building of God’s Church has eternal consequences in that it’s not just an earthly organization but a spiritual family. Tithing supports builds and blesses a ministry to continue in its discipleship and evangelism programs.

Ministry to children, young people, marriages, families etc affect generations. The person who is set-free and has been discipled in the faith will live forever.

A Churches responsibility is to provide an environment for this discipleship to take place. Basically, it’s the job of the church to get you to heaven as a strong believer bearing much fruit for Jesus Christ.

Tithes & Offerings represent supernatural seed, you only reap where you have sown. When we give we should always pray and attach our faith to our giving. This is because money in your hand is natural but when you pray over it and give it in faith believing God’s Word and promises, it becomes a ‘seed’. That ‘seed’ which has been planted is going to grow whether you like it or not. By your giving, you have activated a powerful kingdom law.

No seed, no harvest – Galatians 6:6-10

The above scripture reveals a principal that is a kingdom law. No man can escape this law. “What a man sows he will also reap”. This kingdom law was established at the dawn of time. We read in Genesis chapter 8 verse 22 “While the earth remains, Seedtime and Harvest”

I cannot expect God to bless me financially if I have not activated the law of prosperity by firstly sowing a financial seed! You can sow love, prayer and worship and you will reap a harvest of spiritual and emotional blessing. But apples only come from apple seeds and a financial harvest can only come from a financial seed.

This is why it is so important to keep a steady flow of seed offerings to ensure an ongoing harvest. Once the seed is sown it’s time to water the seed with our faith, trust in the Lord by reflecting on His promises in His Word and then be patient in allowing the harvest to come.

Six: I RECOGNIZE THE TITHE IS YOUR LORD.

Ultimately, we must understand that the Tithe belongs to God. When we are ‘born-again’ we enter into a Covenant with God. We actually enter into and become members of His Kingdom. There are countless promises available to each and every member of His Kingdom but it’s up to us to discover what they are.

On earth and in this nation we pay tax which is used for the upkeep of the infrastructure of society. It is also used for our protection (Police, Fire, Ambulance, Hospitals, Military etc).

Now the Tithe is not a Tax but a Spiritual Offering that we can tangibly give. The Tithe or Tenth 10% is what we give to God for the building of His Church. In fact, once we are saved we enter into a covenant of blessing and prosperity and God increases us specifically so that we can be blessed and that we can be blessed to be a blessing.

He is counting on us to recognize this prosperity as His doing and in-turn we give back to His Church on earth what is rightfully His. “You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you the power to get wealth” Deuteronomy 8:18

In the same way that we receive the benefits from our Government, the Kingdom of Heaven also has benefits, Malachi 3 verse 11 says… “And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes”. Here is protection from the enemy. In the final analysis, withholding or spending the Tithe – Tenth – 10% is disobedience. The Bible says that it is actually “Robbing God” Malachi 3:8. This is serious and it violates the Seventh Commandment “You shall not steal”.

Many people struggle with this and convince themselves that Tithing is an Old Testament principle that is now abolished yet nowhere in scripture, Old or New Testament do we find a replacement for God’s way of financing His Ministry on earth. In fact, Jesus took tithing further, He said to give everything to God. Matthew 19:16-22

Withholding the tithe brings a curse – Malachi 3:8-9. The Tithe is God’s. We tithe because it liberates us from the love of money which so easily can become a snare of entrapment in our lives. It proves our trust in God. It develops a generous spirit and it honours God with something tangible and of value.

Malachi 3:10-12

The First Blessing God promises is that He will “open for you the windows of heaven”. Here God promises a revival in the life of every giver. Giving releases God’s power and abundance.

The Second Blessing He will “pour out for you such blessing”. The Lord promises prosperity to every person who sows in faith into His Kingdom. The Word of God states, Acts 4:34, that as the disciples of the early church gave, there were none among them that lacked. They truly experienced “divine prosperity” as God met every need.

The Third Blessing the devil is rebuked: “I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes”. The word “rebuke” here is the Hebrew word “cripple” or “paralyse”. The Word is describing God’s actions for you as crippling the devil! When you give in faith, He will stop satan from devouring your seed and destroying lives. Not only is the enemy crippled and paralysed when you and I obey the Lord, but the Word of God says in Psalm 112:9-10 that the enemy is tormented as he sees you obeying the Lord in this manner:

He has dispersed abroad, He has given to the poor; His righteousness endures forever; His horn will be exalted with honor. The wicked will see it and be grieved; He will gnash his teeth and melt away; The desire of the wicked shall perish.

I want to see the devil crippled, don’t you? Put God in action by your giving!

The Fourth Blessing “…..So that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground”. Here God promises that the enemy will not touch the fruit of your ground, eating your finances. When you sow in faith and live for Him, the Lord also promises in Deuteronomy 28:6-8 “Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out. “The LORD will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before your face; they shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways. “The LORD will command the blessing on you in your storehouses and in all to which you set your hand, and He will bless you in the land which the LORD your God is giving you.

The Fifth Blessing of God is: “Nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field,” The vine speaks of the family of God. Jesus said in John 15:5 “I am the vine you are the branches”. In other words, we’re a family. Even in the Old Testament, God refers to Israel as a “vine” Jeremiah 2:21. So the vine is symbolic of both the family of God and our families. This promise means that our families will never lack. Every time you sow seed into God’s Kingdom, God promises a harvest for you and your children. As Psalm 112:2-3 promises “His descendants will be mighty on earth; The generation of the upright will be blessed. Wealth and riches will be in his house, And his righteousness endures forever.”

The Sixth Blessing “All nations shall call you blessed”. When you sow seed in faith, God Almighty will so bless you that you’ll become a testimony to others, even as Jacob was in the Old Testament. As God began to bless him, the enemies noticed and saw God’s blessings on him and envied him because of this. God will make you a mighty testimony of His blessings as you give.

The Seventh Blessing “for you will be a delightful land”. The word “delight” means “highly desired” God will highly desire you, use you and anoint you for His service.

Every time you give in faith, you bring yourself and your family into a covenant of blessings with God to His work, God is obligated to bless us. That’s why he say’s “try me now”. It’s the only place in the Bible where God asks us to test Him!

As our wonderful Lord Jesus Himself said Luke 6:38 “Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”

We’re building a great church so let’s get excited about this wonderful opportunity to Bless this community and see God’s power manifested in our lives every day!