Returns from Paying Tithing

Comments posted to another article written about the purpose of tithing caused me to do a search for the detractors for the modern House of Israel to pay tithes because of the view: Christ did away with the law of tithing because it is not expressly mentioned in the New Testament that Christians should live that law.

One of my fellow writers and Christians wrote an article to provide proof of the Lord not requiring Christians to live the law of tithing. The article did not provide any proof. It was an interpretation based on church politics. It was, however, valid under the premise that God no longer provides revelations to the world.

The comments attached to that article (one particularly so) involved a gross misinterpretation of the returns of tithing. Like the stock market, this poor commenter faulted the law of tithing because there was no monetary return. Money is not the only return that comes with living the law of tithing as this article will explain.

"Prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven..." King James Bible

"Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven...' Berean Study Bible

"And thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you " English Standard Version

"When ye have tried Me, now, with this, Said Jehovah of Hosts, Do not I open to you the windows of heaven?" Young's Literal Translation

This tithing relationship with God is not one-sided in nature. God expects us to show our devotion by giving back a tenth or ten percent of what He gives us annually. In return, He challenges us to test Him. He challenges us to let Him prove to us He is faithful in our support.

He first tells us that He will open the windows of heaven--revelation! He will reveal Himself unto us if we pay tithing! Now the Lord is no fool, and cannot be deceived. We must not disobey all the other commandments we know thinking that if we obey tithing alone it covers us for the rest. In addition to being a decent Christian, meaning following the life of service Christ exemplified, God will reveal things of importance to our lives and the lives of people for whom we have responsibility.

Call upon the Lord and he will speak to us in prayer, through scriptures, through the minister or bishop, by a sign on the road or a man on the street! He will speak to us in a way that will be apparent to us because He promises to do so--"Prove me now" He demands.

Now it makes more sense when Jesus teaches "...this is the tithing and the sacrifice which I, the Lord, require at [our] hands, that there may be a house built unto me for the salvation of Zion..." Doctrine & Covenants 97:12 He does not want these houses because He likes to have buildings dedicated to Him. He wants them so that He can come unto us while we are in them in the attitude of worshiping so that He can reveal His will to us individually--and we hear it.

The psychology behind it is brilliant.

God is so selfless that He gives us things, asks for a tenth of it back, and have us build sanctuaries only so He can give us MORE things!

Revelation through the Holy Spirit is the key. In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we believe in continuing revelation from God to prophets. In our scriptures, as quoted above, we are commanded by Jesus Christ to pay tithes.

Other Christians who follow this law testify that God fulfills the promises listed in the Bible. God never promised monetary riches due to living the law, NEVER! If a preacher or minister promises that to his or her congregation, it is not Biblical for one, and it is satanic.

God is no jinni. He is not a granter of wishes because a bottle's surface received a rub. That is a substitute of Satan's origin. God does not work like paganism.

The richness that comes from God is knowledge. God may help a businessperson's mind stay clear enough to put together an idea that may bring him or her much money, yes. That is one possibility. He may also tell that same person the best way to fix his or her marriage. The returns for paying tithing crosses a spectrum of possibility for those who love the Lord. God is not the stock exchange. He is much better.

"Pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it." King James Bible

"Pour out for you blessing without measure." Berean Study Bible

"Pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need." English Standard Version

"Yea, I have emptied on you a blessing till there is no space." Young's Literal Translation

There are multiple ways to view the blessing that the Lord will pour out to us for paying tithing. I remember as a young man I had a choice to pay my tithing or pay for a two-week mission trip with church. The importance of the mission trip to me at the time, seemed paramount because I could learn much in benefiting me to be a teacher of the Gospel. I did not see a problem with paying tithing late instead of on time--it was about $50 or so that I needed to pay for the mission trip. I had the same amount to pay in tithing--and I was already paying it late!

Choosing not to make God wait further, I gave up on going on the mission trip. In the mail came the blessing that God promises for paying tithing, at least, for that time. I received a check for $593 --12 times almost more than what I needed for the mission trip!

People, this may have been a coincidence, but I counted it as confirmation of tithe paying. I have had experience after experience over the last 20 years paying tithing with the same outcome in blessings. I have proven Him, and He is true. God delivers on time!

He wants to bless us. Anytime we service Him by working in our churches and paying our offerings He blesses us for our sacrifice. King Benjamin summed it up nicely when He said while giving a speech from a tower in the Temple at Zarahemla about God, "he doth require that ye should do as he hath commanded you; for which if ye do, he doth immediately bless you; and therefore he hath paid you. And ye are still indebted unto him, and are, and will be, forever and ever...." Mosiah 2: 24

God gives us all of our substance, asks for a tenth of it back, then gives it back to us with so much more we are not able to see all of the blessings at once! The blessings are not always valued monetarily or in wealth. I was not able to see it then, but the other benefit that I received from going on that mission trip changed my life and still has an impact on my relationships with God and others. I am still receiving blessing just from that one instance of tithing. Think about them all put together! I honestly cannot mentally wrap my thoughts around the many blessings--I do not have room enough to receive them all as they keep on coming.

With my experience and the millions of other tithe-payers' experience, what further witness should exist? One that comes directly from God.

If I only counted the times of monetary reward from paying tithing, I would be as upset as the commenters in the article that my colleague wrote. I am still poor. It is not God's fault that I don't know how to manage my money to take advantage of the great deals out there. God cannot bless me with something that I am not able to receive. By able to receive: I tend not to listen if I get a prompting to invest in a stock. I don't have money to invest, so why would I get that impression.

When I am ready to become a millionaire, He will bless me with the opportunity to earn it. Until then, He blesses me with what I have.

I do not want for food, clothing, a place to live, or family. I have all of these things in abundance--so much it is overwhelming. My kids have never gone hungry or without their needs because I have always paid tithing. I don't always get what I want from where I want it. I ALWAYS get what I need. It is my testimony that anyone who lives the law of tithing will get the same and more. Test God. He is faithful. Prove Him. He dares us to.