Category
108 Offering and Tithes
Think about this: Christ loved us so much that he gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering to God.1 He made the ultimate sacrifice for you on the cross, loving you to death and beyond. Even as time marches on, His love stays constant.
It's so important for you to grasp that the biggest sacrifice has already been made. But now, you get to be a pleasing offering to God, too. Let your service, your honor, and your giving be a delight to your Heavenly Father. Know that Jesus has given you everything, and anything you offer pales in comparison to His love.
Giving to God, supporting His work, it's an expression of love. Don't see it as a burden or an obligation, but as a response to God's love and Jesus' sacrifice. It's a way of saying "thank you" for everything Heaven has poured into your life.
1Ephesians 5:2
“And I won’t remember their sins ” “and their lawless behavior anymore.”
When there is forgiveness for these things, there is no longer an offering for sin.
He spoke these words while he was teaching in the temple area known as the treasury. No one arrested him, because his time hadn’t yet come.
Bring the whole tenth-part to the storage house so there might be food in my house. Please test me in this, says the LORD of heavenly forces. See whether I do not open all the windows of the heavens for you and empty out a blessing until there is enough.
Jesus said to him, “Don’t say anything to anyone. Instead, go and show yourself to the priest and offer the gift that Moses commanded. This will be a testimony to them.”
Live your life with love, following the example of Christ, who loved us and gave himself for us. He was a sacrificial offering that smelled sweet to God.
“His master replied, ‘Well done! You are a good and faithful servant. You’ve been faithful over a little. I’ll put you in charge of much. Come, celebrate with me.’
“Now the one who had received one valuable coin came and said, ‘Master, I knew that you are a hard man. You harvest grain where you haven’t sown. You gather crops where you haven’t spread seed.
Everyone should give whatever they have decided in their heart. They shouldn’t give with hesitation or because of pressure. God loves a cheerful giver.
Jesus sat across from the collection box for the temple treasury and observed how the crowd gave their money. Many rich people were throwing in lots of money.
One poor widow came forward and put in two small copper coins worth a penny.
Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I assure you that this poor widow has put in more than everyone who’s been putting money in the treasury.
All of them are giving out of their spare change. But she from her hopeless poverty has given everything she had, even what she needed to live on.”
Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the first of all your crops.
Then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will burst with wine.
All tenth-part gifts from the land, whether of seed from the ground or fruit from the trees, belong to the LORD; they are holy to the LORD.
But me, I will offer a sacrifice to you with a voice of thanks. That which I have promised, I will pay. Deliverance belongs to the LORD!”
He gave himself for us in order to rescue us from every kind of lawless behavior, and cleanse a special people for himself who are eager to do good actions.
He didn’t spare his own Son but gave him up for us all. Won’t he also freely give us all things with him?
Each one should have his gift in hand, in precise measure with the blessing the LORD your God gives you.
Give, and it will be given to you. A good portion—packed down, firmly shaken, and overflowing—will fall into your lap. The portion you give will determine the portion you receive in return.”
A gift is appreciated because of what a person can afford, not because of what that person can’t afford, if it’s apparent that it’s done willingly.
Collect gift offerings for the LORD from all of you. Whoever freely wants to give should bring the LORD’s gift offerings: gold, silver, and copper;
Who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly? Since everything comes from you, we have given you that which comes from your own hand.
So, brothers and sisters, because of God’s mercies, I encourage you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice that is holy and pleasing to God. This is your appropriate priestly service.
Don’t forget to do good and to share what you have because God is pleased with these kinds of sacrifices.
You must reserve a tenth part of whatever your fields produce each year.
Eat the tenth part of your grain, wine, oil, oldest offspring of your herds and flocks in the presence of the LORD your God in the location he selects for his name to reside so that you learn to fear the LORD your God at all times.
On the first day of the week, each of you should set aside whatever you can afford from what you earn so that the collection won’t be delayed until I come.
and he blessed him, “Bless Abram by El Elyon, creator of heaven and earth;
bless El Elyon, who gave you the victory over your enemies.” Abram gave Melchizedek one-tenth of everything.
Those who lend generously are good people— as are those who conduct their affairs with justice.
Those who give generously receive more, but those who are stingy with what is appropriate will grow needy.
Generous persons will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.
“How terrible it will be for you legal experts and Pharisees! Hypocrites! You give to God a tenth of mint, dill, and cumin, but you forget about the more important matters of the Law: justice, peace, and faith. You ought to give a tenth but without forgetting about those more important matters.
Looking up, Jesus saw rich people throwing their gifts into the collection box for the temple treasury.
He also saw a poor widow throw in two small copper coins worth a penny.
He said, “I assure you that this poor widow has put in more than them all.
All of them are giving out of their spare change. But she from her hopeless poverty has given everything she had to live on.”
the priests conscientiously brought in the contributions, the tenth-part gifts, and the dedicated things. Conaniah, a Levite, was put in charge, assisted by his brother Shimei,
In everything I have shown you that, by working hard, we must help the weak. In this way we remember the Lord Jesus’ words: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
I now have plenty and it is more than enough. I am full to overflowing because I received the gifts that you sent from Epaphroditus. Those gifts give off a fragrant aroma, an acceptable sacrifice that pleases God.
I assure you that everybody who gives even a cup of cold water to these little ones because they are my disciples will certainly be rewarded.”
Isn’t this the fast I choose: releasing wicked restraints, untying the ropes of a yoke, setting free the mistreated, and breaking every yoke?
Isn’t it sharing your bread with the hungry and bringing the homeless poor into your house, covering the naked when you see them, and not hiding from your own family?
Don’t withhold good from someone who deserves it, when it is in your power to do so.
Don’t say to your neighbor, “Go and come back; I’ll give it to you tomorrow,” when you have it.
Tell people who are rich at this time not to become egotistical and not to place their hope on their finances, which are uncertain. Instead, they need to hope in God, who richly provides everything for our enjoyment.
Tell them to do good, to be rich in the good things they do, to be generous, and to share with others.
When they do these things, they will save a treasure for themselves that is a good foundation for the future. That way they can take hold of what is truly life.
Tell the Israelites to collect gift offerings for me. Receive my gift offerings from everyone who freely wants to give.
Once you have entered the land the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, and you take possession of it and are settled there,
take some of the early produce of the fertile ground that you have harvested from the land the LORD your God is giving you, and put it in a basket. Then go to the location the LORD your God selects for his name to reside.
This Melchizedek, who was king of Salem and priest of the Most High God, met Abraham as he returned from the defeat of the kings, and Melchizedek blessed him.
Abraham gave a tenth of everything to him. His name means first “king of righteousness,” and then “king of Salem,” that is, “king of peace.”
The LORD can do whatever he wants in heaven or on earth, in the seas and in every ocean depth.
God forms clouds at the far corners of the earth. God makes lightning for the rain. God releases the wind from its storeroom.
In the same way, let your light shine before people, so they can see the good things you do and praise your Father who is in heaven.
God has the power to provide you with more than enough of every kind of grace. That way, you will have everything you need always and in everything to provide more than enough for every kind of good work.
Remember the LORD your God! He’s the one who gives you the strength to be prosperous in order to establish the covenant he made with your ancestors—and that’s how things stand right now.
Since I know, my God, that you examine the mind and take delight in honesty, I have freely given all these things with the highest of motives. And now I’ve been delighted to see your people here offering so willingly to you.
Sell your possessions and give to those in need. Make for yourselves wallets that don’t wear out—a treasure in heaven that never runs out. No thief comes near there, and no moth destroys.
Where your treasure is, there your heart will be too.
“Whenever you give to the poor, don’t blow your trumpet as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets so that they may get praise from people. I assure you, that’s the only reward they’ll get.
But when you give to the poor, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing
so that you may give to the poor in secret. Your Father who sees what you do in secret will reward you.
The treasure of the wicked won’t profit them, but righteousness rescues people from death.
This stone that I’ve set up as a sacred pillar will be God’s house, and of everything you give me I will give a tenth back to you.”
Macedonia and Achaia have been happy to make a contribution for the poor among God’s people in Jerusalem.
So Moses issued a command that was proclaimed throughout the camp: “Every man and woman should stop making gift offerings for the sanctuary project.” So the people stopped bringing anything more
because what they had already brought was more than enough to do all the work.
I will sacrifice to you freely; I will give thanks to your name, LORD, because it’s so good,
Don’t you know that those who serve in the temple get to eat food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar share part of what is sacrificed on the altar?
In the same way, the Lord commanded that those who preach the gospel should get their living from the gospel.
Jesus said, “If you want to be complete, go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor. Then you will have treasure in heaven. And come follow me.”
Some time later, Cain presented an offering to the LORD from the land’s crops
while Abel presented his flock’s oldest offspring with their fat. The LORD looked favorably on Abel and his sacrifice
but didn’t look favorably on Cain and his sacrifice. Cain became very angry and looked resentful.
Give to the LORD, all families of the nations— give to the LORD glory and power!
Give to the LORD the glory due his name! Bring gifts! Enter his courtyards!
Let those who go out, crying and carrying their seed, come home with joyful shouts, carrying bales of grain!
Those who acquire things unjustly gain trouble for their house, but those who hate bribes will live.
So let’s continually offer up a sacrifice of praise through him, which is the fruit from our lips that confess his name.
Bring the best of the early produce of your farmland to the LORD your God’s temple. Don’t boil a young goat in its mother’s milk.
Elders who lead well should be paid double, especially those who work with public speaking and teaching.
The scripture says, “Don’t put a muzzle on an ox while it treads grain”, and “Workers deserve their pay”.
Fraud and lies— keep far from me! Don’t give me either poverty or wealth; give me just the food I need.
Or I’ll be full and deny you, and say, “Who is the LORD?” Or I’ll be poor and steal, and dishonor my God’s name.
“Then the king will reply to them, ‘I assure you that when you have done it for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you have done it for me.’
Let’s not get tired of doing good, because in time we’ll have a harvest if we don’t give up.
So then, let’s work for the good of all whenever we have an opportunity, and especially for those in the household of faith.
You Philippians know from the time of my first mission work in Macedonia how no church shared in supporting my ministry except you.
You sent contributions repeatedly to take care of my needs even while I was in Thessalonica.
The LORD is my shepherd. I lack nothing.
He lets me rest in grassy meadows; he leads me to restful waters;
Those who give to the poor will lack nothing, but those who turn a blind eye will be greatly cursed.
What’s more, because of my delight in my God’s temple, I have dedicated my own private treasure of gold and silver to my God’s temple, in addition to all that I’ve provided for the holy temple:
if you open your heart to the hungry, and provide abundantly for those who are afflicted, your light will shine in the darkness, and your gloom will be like the noon.
Those who pay close attention to the poor are truly happy! The LORD rescues them during troubling times.
The LORD protects them and keeps them alive; they are widely regarded throughout the land as happy people. You won’t hand them over to the will of their enemies.
“Stop collecting treasures for your own benefit on earth, where moth and rust eat them and where thieves break in and steal them.
Instead, collect treasures for yourselves in heaven, where moth and rust don’t eat them and where thieves don’t break in and steal them.
Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
No, give generously to needy persons. Don’t resent giving to them because it is this very thing that will lead to the LORD your God’s blessing you in all you do and work at.
They give freely to those in need. Their righteousness stands forever. Their strength increases gloriously.
Brothers and sisters, we want to let you know about the grace of God that was given to the churches of Macedonia.
While they were being tested by many problems, their extra amount of happiness and their extreme poverty resulted in a surplus of rich generosity.
I assure you that they gave what they could afford and even more than they could afford, and they did it voluntarily.
They urgently begged us for the privilege of sharing in this service for the saints.
They even exceeded our expectations, because they gave themselves to the Lord first and to us, consistent with God’s will.
bless El Elyon, who gave you the victory over your enemies.” Abram gave Melchizedek one-tenth of everything.
The people rejoiced at this response, because they had presented their offerings to the LORD so willingly and wholeheartedly. King David also rejoiced greatly.
If your gift is encouragement, devote yourself to encouraging. The one giving should do it with no strings attached. The leader should lead with passion. The one showing mercy should be cheerful.
who gives justice to people who are oppressed, who gives bread to people who are starving! The LORD: who frees prisoners.
They asked only that we would remember the poor, which was certainly something I was willing to do.
Then when I get there, I’ll send whomever you approve to Jerusalem with letters of recommendation to bring your gift.
If it seems right for me to go too, they’ll travel with me.
I’m glad because of the way you have been my partners in the ministry of the gospel from the time you first believed it until now.
Those who are gracious to the poor lend to the LORD, and the Lord will fully repay them.
You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous in every way. Such generosity produces thanksgiving to God through us.
When you give it to them, they gather it up; when you open your hand, they are filled completely full!
The fruit of righteousness will be peace, and the outcome of righteousness, calm and security forever.
If you who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good things to those who ask him.
Love each other like the members of your family. Be the best at showing honor to each other.
“Cast your burden on the LORD— he will support you! God will never let the righteous be shaken!”
Tell them to do good, to be rich in the good things they do, to be generous, and to share with others.
God lifts up the poor from the dirt and raises up the needy from the garbage pile
to seat them with leaders— with the leaders of his own people!
See how great Melchizedek was! Abraham, the father of the people, gave him a tenth of everything he captured.