Inspired by Luke 11:42
"How terrible for you Pharisees! You give to God one tenth of the seasoning herbs such as mint and rue and all the other herbs, but you neglect justice and love for God. These you should practice, without neglecting the others."
When I attended the mass in Mount Carmel, I was elated that Fr. Arnie started talking about tithing and he explained that for the 10% tithe, we should give 5% to the parish or church we belong to and the remaining 5% to our charity of choice. And he commended the members of the basic ecclesial communities who are indigents for their practice of tithing. I think it is about time that tithing should be properly explained to all Christians especially Catholics. We are actually depriving ourselves of God's abundance by not making this practice known to many. This is one of the keys to prosperity and yet we are not propagating this practice.
It is clear from what Jesus said that tithing is an essential part of our spiritual life. Though it is not the be-all and end-all, it should be practiced along with the other Christian values. When he criticized the Pharisees, he did not say 'stop giving tithes,' instead He said, 'these you should practice, without neglecting the others --- love and justice'.
In the Book of Malachi 3:8-12 God says, "I ask you, is it right for a person to cheat God? Of course not, yet you are cheating me. 'How?' you ask. In the matter of tithes and offerings. A curse is on all of you because the whole nation is cheating me. Bring the full amount of your tithes to the Temple, so that there will be plenty of food there. Put me to the test and you will see that I will open the windows of heaven and pour out on you in abundance all kinds of good things. I will not let insects destroy your crops, and your grapevines will be loaded with grapes. Then the people of all nations will call you happy, because your land will be a good place to live."
This is the only verse in the bible wherein God allows His people to put Him to the test. And so when I started the practice of tithing, I did just that... put Him to the test. Every time I receive my professional fee, I automatically set aside 10% of that fee in an envelope marked tithing. That is where I get money for parish contributions, contributions to charitable institutions like UNICEF and the like, and contributions to people who are in need. It actually makes the act of giving easier because I know I have money in that tithing envelope to give to whoever needs the help. And God in His part fulfills His promise. Whenever I give a tithe, it comes back to me tenfold, even a hundredfold. So I force myself to tithe especially when I am most in need of money, so I can receive the fulfilment of His promise. And He never fails.
There were however instances when I felt I was not receiving the blessings that He promised. Then when I looked at the envelope, I realized that money had already accumulated in the envelope. I have failed to let go of the tithe. Then I realized that the sooner you give the tithe, the earlier you will be 'repaid' for it. As long as it is in your keeping, you are also keeping the gates of blessing from being poured on you.
I think it is about time that tithing should be properly explained to everyone in order to give everyone the chance to be financially blessed. Try it.
"How terrible for you Pharisees! You give to God one tenth of the seasoning herbs such as mint and rue and all the other herbs, but you neglect justice and love for God. These you should practice, without neglecting the others."
When I attended the mass in Mount Carmel, I was elated that Fr. Arnie started talking about tithing and he explained that for the 10% tithe, we should give 5% to the parish or church we belong to and the remaining 5% to our charity of choice. And he commended the members of the basic ecclesial communities who are indigents for their practice of tithing. I think it is about time that tithing should be properly explained to all Christians especially Catholics. We are actually depriving ourselves of God's abundance by not making this practice known to many. This is one of the keys to prosperity and yet we are not propagating this practice.
It is clear from what Jesus said that tithing is an essential part of our spiritual life. Though it is not the be-all and end-all, it should be practiced along with the other Christian values. When he criticized the Pharisees, he did not say 'stop giving tithes,' instead He said, 'these you should practice, without neglecting the others --- love and justice'.
In the Book of Malachi 3:8-12 God says, "I ask you, is it right for a person to cheat God? Of course not, yet you are cheating me. 'How?' you ask. In the matter of tithes and offerings. A curse is on all of you because the whole nation is cheating me. Bring the full amount of your tithes to the Temple, so that there will be plenty of food there. Put me to the test and you will see that I will open the windows of heaven and pour out on you in abundance all kinds of good things. I will not let insects destroy your crops, and your grapevines will be loaded with grapes. Then the people of all nations will call you happy, because your land will be a good place to live."
This is the only verse in the bible wherein God allows His people to put Him to the test. And so when I started the practice of tithing, I did just that... put Him to the test. Every time I receive my professional fee, I automatically set aside 10% of that fee in an envelope marked tithing. That is where I get money for parish contributions, contributions to charitable institutions like UNICEF and the like, and contributions to people who are in need. It actually makes the act of giving easier because I know I have money in that tithing envelope to give to whoever needs the help. And God in His part fulfills His promise. Whenever I give a tithe, it comes back to me tenfold, even a hundredfold. So I force myself to tithe especially when I am most in need of money, so I can receive the fulfilment of His promise. And He never fails.
There were however instances when I felt I was not receiving the blessings that He promised. Then when I looked at the envelope, I realized that money had already accumulated in the envelope. I have failed to let go of the tithe. Then I realized that the sooner you give the tithe, the earlier you will be 'repaid' for it. As long as it is in your keeping, you are also keeping the gates of blessing from being poured on you.
I think it is about time that tithing should be properly explained to everyone in order to give everyone the chance to be financially blessed. Try it.
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