Chapter 17: Myth—Giving 10% Is A Tithe

Page 61

Myth—Giving 10% Is A Tithe

God Doesn’t Need Your Money!

God doesn’t need your money to accomplish His goals and that is why Christ taught us to travel light and to accept free will offerings. The modern day church has forgotten that Christ made it clear that no one comes to him unless the Father calls. It is God’s responsibility to get the Word out into

the hearts of His people. He can do that with true believers who will travel light according to His Word.

When my family got back from California in late 1985 and returned to

Nowthen Alliance Church, we experience hard times. I remember groceries turning up at our doorstep at one point. I also remember how humbling that experience was because I knew that God was making a way where there was no way. He was teaching us to just trust in Him. Then another Sunday soon

came along in which I only had twenty dollars to my name. At the time, we were still a family of five. After some serious prayer, I decided to give the twenty dollars in the offering that morning. It emptied my pocket and I told God specifically that it could do more for Him than it could for my family.

When we got ready to leave the church and shook hands with Pastor Paul Frederick and his wife Lois, Paul handed me an unmarked envelope. He said that someone in the church had given him the envelope and told him

to pass it along as God directed. I still remember Paul telling me, “I believe God is telling me that I am suppose to give you this envelope.” Paul did not know what was in that envelope that day nor did he know what I had done in prayer during offering time. To this day, I have never told him the rest of

the story, which now brings tears to my eyes once again over its memory.

After Jackie and I left the church, I opened the envelope and found another twenty-dollar bill. I will never forget the message that God gave me

that day. “Edward, I do not need your money to accomplish My will, I need your faith. I need you to do what I ask of you. I will care for your family.” God has never failed to care for my family through our hard times. I tell you this because the tithe was a way to provide food for the needy and those who were destitute in Old Testament times. The tithe was always about food!