Yes, we can challenge God!

Malachi 3:10 reads "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." And this scripture is a key to harboring so much blessing in my life.

I. What is Tithing

It is giving the ten percent of what you have to the work of the Lord. It is generally accepted that tithe should be given to the organization which nurtures your spiritual life. To some extent the tithe is given directly to the head pastor. But in all these the principle reamins: since you are supporting these workers of the Lord, it is the Lord's obligation to throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have enough storage to contain them.


II. What to Tithe

Since we can give only what we have then we can tithe from three categories:

• Time - everyone of us have 24 hours in a day and as such 2.4 hours each day much have been offered to the work of the Lord - prayer, worship, evangelism, discipleship, etc...

• Treasure - financial gains from salaries, bonuses, profits, commissions, etc... WARNING: the economies of scale seem to drag us from tithing. Imagine you are earning ten thousand pesos a month, it would be easy to tithe one thousand. And God will bless you of course! Hence the next year you are earning fifty thousand pesos a month, would it be easy to tithe five thousand pesos? Of course! And God will bless you even more! So the next year you are earning one hundred thousand pesos per month? The ten thousand peso tithe would not worry you, right? How about God blessing your business with one million peso profit per month? It should not burden you to give one hundred thousand pesos each month to the work of the Lord.

• Talent - your unique abilities that provides help to the body of Christ. WARNING: almost all presume they have none but God is telling you otherwise.
  

III. Benefit of Tithing

When I tithe, I am spared of being accused of robbing God. Remember, tithing is NOT optional rather it is REQUIRED of God's people. It is really God's amusing way of getting us to riches/abundance/prosperity.

Imagine: God will throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that I will not have room enough for it! That is incredibly incredible!

Finally, this is the only act that God dares us to challenge Him. Funny isn't it? Yes we can challenge God!



Lord, thank you so much!