When you are "behind" on your tithe

[Tim]

For the last year, I have been going from church to church and have not yet settled on one (this has been discussed elsewhere).

I had been waiting until I settled at a church before I gave the money I had set aside for the Lord's work. But it has now been so long, I feel that I am "behind" on this. I feel like I have missed the "first-fruits" aspect of giving to the Lord.

All the while, I have maintained my membership at my home church in Canada.

Where should my money go? To my home church? Distributed equally to all the churches I have attended here in Cape Town? Should I wait until I settle at one church and then give it all to them?

 

[Davidius]

I would say to your home church in Canada.

 

[JonathanHunt]

Yes, rather than sit on it, send it home to God's glory.

 

[Scott1]

Tim,

I think the biblical principle is "tithe" where you are being fed. We could study this out scripturally and that would be worthwhile for us all.

Practically, I would suggest get in the habit of giving something wherever you are (unless the situation appears unbiblical), even if you are "visiting" another church. It is also a good testimony to give, even if you are only visiting.

 

[Honor]

I don't know if you'll like this idea but when my husband and I "church shopped" we wondered the same thing... so we prayed the Lord would show us what to do with the money... we bought and gave away stacks of free Bibles, we bought food for a week for a Katrina victims family (they lost everything and came to Ga with nothing but the husband their like 16 month old and she was due any day). We paid a few bills for people who expressed a dire (legit) need. it was amazing. To sit back and say "here God this is You money show us what to do with it".... it's was the coolest thing

 

[JBaldwin]

I don't know if you'll like this idea but when my husband and I "church shopped" we wondered the same thing... so we prayed the Lord would show us what to do with the money... we bought and gave away stacks of free Bibles, we bought food for a week for a Katrina victims family (they lost everything and came to Ga with nothing but the husband their like 16 month old and she was due any day). We paid a few bills for people who expressed a dire (legit) need. it was amazing. To sit back and say "here God this is You money show us what to do with it".... it's was the coolest thing

We did a similar thing when we were church shopping. At the time, there was no church around where we felt comfortable giving our money, so we gave money for Bibles to be sent into places where it is difficult to obtain Bibles. I have often looked back on that and wished we were in a financial situation to do it again.

 

[he beholds]

I don't know what the biblical stance is, but in my opinion, what Jessica and Leeanne did sound appropriate and so does what Scott suggested.
I also would like to see us "study this out scripturally," so I could see what is right!

 

[PresbyDane]

This is my own personal opinion not based on anything but my opinion I would wait and then give it to the church you find, the church that will be the one that will feed you in the future.

I know that now all of your options have be named and I am sorry.

 

[Cranmer1959]

Tithing

For the last year, I have been going from church to church and have not yet settled on one (this has been discussed elsewhere).

I had been waiting until I settled at a church before I gave the money I had set aside for the Lord's work. But it has now been so long, I feel that I am "behind" on this. I feel like I have missed the "first-fruits" aspect of giving to the Lord.

All the while, I have maintained my membership at my home church in Canada.

Where should my money go? To my home church? Distributed equally to all the churches I have attended here in Cape Town? Should I wait until I settle at one church and then give it all to them?

Where did you get the idea that the blessings of God can be bought with tithes? Tithing is what we do to support God's work through the local church. It is not a means to purchase God's blessings. We tithe out of gratitude to God for His many blessings and mercies already given to us, not out of a fear of judgment or curses. That has already been dealt with on the cross.

Furthermore, if you do not have a church you completely trust you should NOT tithe. That guilt trip junk about you gotta tithe you are cursed is another form of promoting the law as a means of justification before God or works righteousness. All the tithing in the world will not make you worthy of God's heaven. I would say that tithing to an apostate church or a church promoting a false gospel of works, such as seeker sensitive churches and charismatic/prosperity/health and wealth churches is a terrible misuse of God's resources. If you don't have a church, send an offering to a well known Reformed ministry or church in your area. Or you could use the money to start a Reformed church in your area. Either one would be acceptable in my opinion.

However, the bottom line is that we are not under the Old Covenant law. We give out of gratitude to God and to support the New Testament church in its efforts to preach the Gospel, not out of an obligation to civic or ceremonial law.

Just my opinion.

 

[Romans922]

1Ti 5:17-18
"Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching. For (Because)the Scripture says, 'You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain,' and, 'The laborer deserves his wages.'"

This would support what Scott says (wherever you go you should give to that congregation).

 

[lynnie]

We once looked around for a few months. Part of the OT tithe went to widows and orphans so we gave it away to a needy American widow and to two Romanian orphan Christian ministries.

In retrospect, in the book of Acts the people gave to the leaders and the leaders distributed it, and we didn't have the right as non church leaders to decide where to distribute it. But God is gracious to us all as we walk imperfectly, and it was so nice at the time to help out those who are desperate. Now we give our church leadership the right to decide where our tithes should go.

 

[KMK]

The Bible teaches that all who are 'church shopping' should send their tithe to Village Community Church in Wrightwood, CA. (See my signature for the address)

I can't seem to find the 'tongue in cheek' emoticon.

 

[Tim]

Where did you get the idea that the blessings of God can be bought with tithes? Tithing is what we do to support God's work through the local church. It is not a means to purchase God's blessings. We tithe out of gratitude to God for His many blessings and mercies already given to us, not out of a fear of judgment or curses. That has already been dealt with on the cross.

Furthermore, if you do not have a church you completely trust you should NOT tithe. That guilt trip junk about you gotta tithe you are cursed is another form of promoting the law as a means of justification before God or works righteousness. All the tithing in the world will not make you worthy of God's heaven. I would say that tithing to an apostate church or a church promoting a false gospel of works, such as seeker sensitive churches and charismatic/prosperity/health and wealth churches is a terrible misuse of God's resources. If you don't have a church, send an offering to a well known Reformed ministry or church in your area. Or you could use the money to start a Reformed church in your area. Either one would be acceptable in my opinion.

However, the bottom line is that we are not under the Old Covenant law. We give out of gratitude to God and to support the New Testament church in its efforts to preach the Gospel, not out of an obligation to civic or ceremonial law.

Just my opinion.

Sir, I am having trouble understanding the reason for some of your comments.

Where in my original post did I mention trying to buy blessings, justification, entrance into heaven, or that I was under a slavish obligation to law? I only want to serve God by giving financially to support His work, and am trying to do so in the most Biblical way I can.

We can leave the debates about the Law for another time.

 

[KMK]

Those who 'tithe' in the fullest sense believe that 10% of their increase already belongs to the Lord before it is rendered.

Lev 27:30 And all the tithe of the land, [whether] of the seed of the land, [or] of the fruit of the tree, [is] the LORD'S: [it is] holy unto the LORD.

They do not give 10% as an attempt to buy blessings, they give back to God what is already His.