Kingdom Citizenship
Kingdom Citizenship 101
Tithing and Giving Offerings
We have consistently practiced tithing on our gross income since the mid-1980. Prayer, confessions of promises, praise, have not always been consistent. BUT, we have always paid the tithe. Even when Gil was on fourth pay, the tithe check was written before any of the bills were paid. We believe the success we have enjoyed and our improved health are the direct result of our obedience to our decision to tithe and give offerings.
Tithing, giving a tenth of your income, began before the Law was given to Moses. Abram gave tithes to Melchizedek, King of Salem, from the spoils of a great battle he had won.
Genesis 14:20 Amplified Bible (AMP)
And blessed, praised, and glorified be God Most High, Who has given your enemies into your hand.”
And Abram gave him a tenth of all [the treasure he had taken in battle].
In Hebrews 6:20 and 7:8, Jesus is described a high priest for ever after the order of Melchizedec.
The prophet Malachi gave a stinging rebuke to the nation of Israel which included the sons of Levi, the priests. These scriptures clearly show us how God feels about not properly giving tithes to Him.
Malachi 3:8-9 Amplified Bible (AMP)
“Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing Me! But you say, ‘In what way have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings [you have withheld]. 9 You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing Me, this whole nation!
This is a very strong word of judgment. You are cursed with a curse!!
In contrast to the curse, God makes a profound statement about the blessings that He will bring to the people when the tithe is given.
Malachi 3:10-12 Amplified Bible (AMP) Bring all the tithes (the tenth) into the [a]storehouse, so that there may be [b]food in My house, and test Me now in this,” says the LORD of hosts, “if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you [so great]
a blessing until there is no more room to receive it.
Then I will rebuke the [c] devourer (insects, plague) for your sake and he will not destroy the fruits of the ground, nor will your vine in the field drop its grapes [before harvest],” says the LORD of hosts.“All nations shall call you happy and blessed, for you shall be a land of delight,” says the LORD of hosts.
Nowhere else in scripture does God say to “test” him in any other way. He is putting His integrity on the line.
The blessings of the tithe are as follows:
1. There will be an open heaven for you.
2. Abundant blessings will be overflowing to you.
3. Satan will be rebuked off your land, business, and family.
4. You will have a guaranteed harvest.
5. You will enjoy an outstanding reputation among all nations.
6. Your land will be a blessed place, a land of delight.
Some people are of the opinion that tithing is not taught in the New Testament. Jesus did say in Matthew 23:23 that the Pharisees were not to neglect giving the tithe.
Matthew 23:23 Amplified Bible (AMP)
“Woe to you, [self-righteous] scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you give a tenth (tithe) of your mint and dill and cumin [focusing on minor matters], and have neglected the weightier [more important moral and spiritual] provisions of the Law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the [primary] things you ought to have done without neglecting the others.
Giving, whether it is 10% or 50%, is the result of your heart condition. It is a decision that is the result of what you think is the most important way to manage your money, time, or other resources.
In the early ‘80’s, we were taught about going from “duty, to discipline, to delight” in giving in any way or in any amount. A young child does not automatically obey you but through training and sometimes discipline, he
learns and finally does what is expected as a matter of habit, then because of understanding, and finally because he loves you and wants to please you. We are children when it comes to our relationship with God. There are parallels to be understood here.
The Principle of Seedtime and Harvest
When God created forages, He made them to reproduce themselves. He established the principle of seedtime and harvest. Seeds that are planted produce a harvest of the same kind of plant. Multiplication is within the seed. One kernel of corn planted in soil will produce between 700 and 800 kernels of corn. God planned for the entire creation to be one of increase.
After the great flood, God promised that He would never again destroy the earth with water. He spoke that seedtime and harvest would never stop.
Genesis 8:22 Amplified Bible (AMP)
“While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, winter and summer, and day and night shall not cease.”
Whatever is planted will be produced in the harvest.
The Principle of Sowing and Reaping
2 Corinthians 9:6-11 Amplified Bible (AMP)
Now [remember] this: he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows [a]generously [that blessings may come to others] will also reap [b]generously [and be blessed]. Let each one give [thoughtfully and with purpose] just as he has decided in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver [and delights in the one whose heart is in his gift]. And God is able to make all grace [every favor and earthly blessing] come in abundance to you, so that you may always [under all circumstances, regardless of the need] have complete sufficiency in everything [being completely self-sufficient in Him], and have an abundance for every good work and act of charity. As it is written and forever remains written,
“HE [the benevolent and generous person] SCATTERED ABROAD, HE GAVE TO THE POOR, HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS ENDURES FOREVER!”
Now He who provides seed for the sower and bread for food will provide and multiply your seed for sowing [that is, your resources] and increase the harvest of your righteousness [which shows itself in active goodness, kindness, and love]. You will be enriched in every way so that you may be generous, and this [generosity, administered] through us is producing thanksgiving to God [from those who benefit].
Luke 6:38 Amplified Bible (AMP)
Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure—pressed down, shaken together, and running over [with no space left for more]. For with the standard of measurement you use[when you do good to others], it will be measured to you in return.”
Proverbs 11:24-25 Amplified Bible (AMP)
There is the one who [generously] scatters [abroad], and yet increases all the more; And there is the one who withholds what is justly due, but it results only in want and poverty. The generous man [is a source of blessing and] shall be prosperous and enriched, And he who waters will himself be watered [reaping the generosity he has sown].
Blessings of Giving to the Poor
We don’t always realize that when we give to a person in need we are actually giving to the Lord. We are his hands and feet in the world to bring help and comfort in any way we can. For these acts of kindness, the Lord promises to repay, supply, and save us in the day of trouble.
Proverbs 19:17 Amplified Bible (AMP)
He who is gracious and lends a hand to the poor lends to the LORD, And the LORD will repay him for his good deed.
Proverbs 28:27 Amplified Bible (AMP)
He who gives to the poor will never want, But he who shuts his eyes [from their need] will have many curses.
Psalm 41:1-3 Amplified Bible (AMP)
Blessed [by God’s grace and compassion] is he who considers the helpless; The LORD will save him in the day of trouble. The LORD will protect him and keep him alive; And he will be called blessed in the land; You do not hand him over to the desire of his enemies. The LORD will sustain and strengthen him on his sickbed; In his illness, You will restore him to health.
The Apostle Paul expressed concern and commitment to help those who are in need.
Galatians 2:10 Amplified Bible (AMP)
They asked only [one thing], that we remember the poor, the very thing I was also eager to do.
Blessing Jerusalem
I have known about the blessing on Abraham and the declaration of blessing on those who bless Israel, his descendants. However, I was not sure about how to be a blessing to Israel other than to pray for peace in that country.
As I was seriously “seeking a way to invest in Israel”, Pastor Linda Cahill, who has been our mentor, told us about Maoz Israel. This organization has an all Hebrew Christian website that is available to the people in Israel. This was my answer. We began contributing to Maoz Israel.
Shortly after we sent our check to Maoz, we found out about a drought relief program that was offered for ranchers in our area. We filled out paperwork and applied for the money. We received almost $200,000.00 from the government for the drought relief. Once again, God proved that His Word is true. There truly is a blessing to those who bless Israel!
Psalm 122:6-7 Amplified Bible (AMP)
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May they prosper who love you [holy city]. “May peace be within your walls And prosperity within your palaces.”
What to do Between Sowing and Reaping
1. Maintain your faith in God’s word.
Matthew 9:29 Amplified Bible (AMP)
Then He touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith [your trust and confidence in My power and My ability to heal] it will be done to you.”
2. Guard your heart, your thoughts, and your words.
Matthew 12:34 King James Version (KJV)
O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.
3. Read Matthew 13:1-23 and decide to be “good ground”.
4. Be aware of the things that can steal your harvest.
5. Expect and thank God for your harvest.
Matthew 13:23 Amplified Bible (AMP)
And the one on whom seed was sown on the good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands and grasps it; he indeed bears fruit and yields, some a hundred times [as much as was sown], some sixty [times as much], and some thirty.”
Praise – A Pleasing Sacrifice to God
Of all the sermons I have heard in my life, the one Pastor Larry Lea gave at Church on the Rock has remained in my memory for over 30 years. He taught on the power of praise as an offensive weapon against Satan’s attacks. Satan goes about seeking people to devour. He plan is to steal, kill, and destroy. He tries to cause us to doubt, to fear, and to go into unbelief.
There have been several occasions when I have gone into a time of praise when we were faced with possible failure or physical harm. It was faith in
the power of praise to defeat circumstances that caused those circumstances to change and for defeat to be turned into victory and physical harm to be removed.
Psalm 149:5-9 Amplified Bible (AMP)
Let the godly ones exult in glory; Let them sing for joy on their beds. Let the high praises of God be in their throats,
And a two-edged sword in their hands, To execute vengeance on the nations And punishment on the peoples, To bind their kings with chains And their nobles with fetters of iron, To execute on them the judgment written. This is the honor for all His godly ones. Praise the LORD! (Hallelujah!)
There is a very dramatic example of the power of praise in the book of II Chronicles. There was a great army assembled and ready to fight against the Israelites and their king, Jehoshaphat. There seemed to be no way for them to escape defeat and great loss of life.
After fasting and praying, the King received direction from God as to how to conduct the battle. It was a most unusual battle plan but one that brought complete victory.
2 Chronicles 20:21-22 Amplified Bible (AMP)
When he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who sang to the LORD and those who praised Him in their holy (priestly) attire, as they went out before the army and said, “Praise and give thanks to the LORD, for His mercy and lovingkindness endure forever.” 22 When they began singing and praising, the LORD set ambushes against the sons of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; so they were struck down [in defeat].
There are many scriptures about praising God. Sometimes it is a sacrifice to give Him praise because the circumstances of life are oppressive and we doing “feel like” praising. It is at these times that it is even more critical to offer praise to God even if it is a sacrifice.
Psalm 50:23 Amplified Bible (AMP)
“He who offers a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving honors Me; And to him who orders his way rightly [who follows the way that I show him], I shall show the salvation of God.”
Philippians 4:4 Amplified Bible (AMP)
Rejoice in the Lord always [delight, take pleasure in Him]; again I will say, rejoice!
Written by Gil and Jane Burnett