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I have tried, up to this point, to use as few of MY words as possible, only God's Word. On this subject, however, that is not going to be possible. Some explaining must be done here, to bring to light the message of His thoughts on this subject...I will strive to prayerfully and accurately share with you what He shares with me on this VERY IMPORTANT subject. I believe that there is little difference between tithing and giving. One is to the traditional 'offering plate' at the church...but God's Word has so much more to say on GIVING, which includes sharing what you CAN, with those who are in need...including this generosity into the act of tithing, as you are led...

The LORD said to Moses:, “Speak to th Israelites and say to them: ‘When you enter the land I am going to give you and reap its harvest, bring to the priest a sheaf of the first grain you harvest...This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come...’” (Leviticus 23:9-10, 14) - Pretty simple, straight-forward...OFFER UP A PORTION of the income, the first fruits, of your labor.

“Be sure to set aside a tenth of all that your fields produce each year.” (Deut. 14:22)

“There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I COMMAND you to be openhanded toward your brothers and toward the poor and the needy in your land.” (Deut. 15:11)

“...take some of the firstfruits of all that you produce from the soil of the land the LORD your God is giving you and put them in a basket. Then go to the place the LORD your God will choose...” (Deut. 26:2)

Do not withhold good from those who deserve it, when it is in your power to act. Do not say to your neighbor, ‘Come back later; I'll give it tomorrow’ - when you now have it with you. (Proverbs 3:27-28)

One man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed. (Proverbs 11:24, 25)

“Will a man rob God? Yet you rob Me. But you ask, ‘How do we rob you?’ In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse - the whole nation of you - because you are robbing Me. Bring the WHOLE TITHE into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house. Test Me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of Heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.” (Malachi 3:8-12) Now here it's not totally clear what is going on, it IS one of two things: either some of the tithe was not making it to the storehouse where it belonged, OR the people weren't tithing ten percent, the tithe wasn't even making it to 'the plate.' One way or the other, SOMEBODY wasn't giving as they were supposed to. God says have faith in Me, trust in Me, DO AS I SAY and you will not go without...

“Be careful not to do your ‘acts of righteousness’ before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in Heaven. So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have recieved their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” (Matt. 6:1-3)

(Jesus sends out the 12 disciples) “FREELY you have recieved, freely give. Do not take along any gold or silver or copper in your belts; take no bag for the journey, or extra tunic, or sandals, or a staff; for the worker is worth his keep.”(Matt. 10:8-10) This one takes much prayer and insight, as it tends to lean a bit away from the original category a bit...or does it? For THEM, it was an act of faith....go, with only the clothes on your back, and preach the Kingdom of Heaven. For those who would hear it, though...support the ones who deliver to you the Word of God....Freely you have Recieved, Freely give.

Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came in and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny. Calling his disciples to Him, Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything - all she had to live on.” (Mark 12:41-44)

All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. (Acts 2:44-45)

All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had...there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need. (Acts 4:32-35)

Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. With his wife's full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself but brought the rest and laid it at the apostles' feet. Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and kept for yourself some of the money you recieved from the land? Didn't it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn't the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied to men, but to God.” When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died...about 3 hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. Peter asked her, “Tell me, is this the price you and Ananias got for the land?” “Yes,” she said, “that is the price.” Peter said to her, “How could you agree to test the Spirit of the Lord?”... At that moment she fell down at his feet and died. (Acts 5:1-11) DON'T GIVE TO BE SEEN, GIVE TO GOD ALONE.

Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its grapes? Who tends a flock and does not drink of the milk? Do I say this merely from a human point of view? Doesn't the Law say the same thing? For it is written in the Law of Moses: “Do not muzzle the ox while it is treading out the grain.” Is it about oxen that God is concerned? Surely He says this for us, doesn't He? Yes, this was written for us, because when the plowman plows and the thresher threshes, they ought to do so in the hope of sharing the harvest. If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much that we reap a material harvest from you? If others have this right of support from you, shouldn't we have it all the more?.....Don't you know that those who work in the temple get their food from the temple, and those who serve at the alter share in what is offered on the alter? In the same way, the Lord has COMMANDED that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel. (1 Corin. 9:7-14) Who will pay the church for the gospel? The world?? No, the believers....if the money doesn't come from us, there won't be any money. The world won't pay the ministers of God to preach and teach...GIVE a portion of your income. Freely you have recieved, freely GIVE.

Now about the collection for God's people: Do what I told the Galatian churches to do. On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income...(1 Corinth. 16:1-2)

And now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their EXTREME poverty welled up in RICH GENEROUSITY. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability....And they did not do as we expected, but they GAVE THEMSELVES FIRST TO THE Lord and then to us in keeping with God's will...But just as YOU excel in everything - in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us - see to it that you also EXCEL in this grace of giving. (2 Corin. 8:1-7) Notice HOW this happens, the order of it...first to give, you have to desire to give. Well, they DESIRED!! In EXTREME poverty, notice they first gave themselves fully to the Lord. Then, in keep in His will, they gave EVERYTHING. And look at the result in giving, out of extreme poverty...their OVERFLOWING JOY...GIVE to the Lord...first, your heart, FULLY, then your tithe...you won't starve and die for it, and YOU WON'T BE SORRY.

Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly, or under compulsion, for God LOVES a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work...Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion...(2 Corin. 9:6-10)

He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need. (Ephesians 4:28)