MARCH 4 "WAIT, WHAT...WHAT PART BELONGS TO GOD?"

      Well,  JESUS may have answered the question for the Pharisees, but He left a question for us...."what belongs to God?"  "You mean part of my income belongs to God?"  And if part of my income belongs to God, how much of it belongs to God. I know I am required (and I don't like it either) to give to the Government but I have a hard time believing I also have to give to God. It is one thing throwing in a five or ten dollar bill in the plate as it comes by, but to feel I have to give? What if I want to go out to eat, what if there's something I want to buy, I shouldn't feel compelled to have to give, that's legalism! Jesus said to give "unto God what belongs to God", but the only reference to that is in the Old Testament, surely Jesus is not implying that we should still be Tithing? But what else "belongs to God, but The Tithe".  I was told Tithing was Old Testament and we weren't under The Law anymore and that I only had to give what I felt I could afford. I hate to admit it, but often I can't afford to give nothing because I've spent it all....and more! However if Jesus means what He says ( and I would assume He always does) than I'm in trouble, because I have been giving unto Caesar what belongs to Caesar (I don't need the I.R.S. knocking at my door) but I have not been giving to God what belongs to God. My Donations receipt last year was $150.00 for the whole year, but I gave when I had, most of the time.....How is it that others always seem to have to give but I don't? I just assumed they had more, but maybe it's because they're blessed and I'm not? Have I been spending God's money on myself? If Jesus is endorsing The Tithe is He also endorsing the blessing that comes along with those who Tithe and the cursing that comes against those who don't?"

     I call true giving to God, "The Last Great Frontier" in a person's walk with Christ. I have seen people get their "morals" in order, before they obey and give. It seems that the last great frontier is that "yes",.... God does require us to give of our most prized and cherished commodity, ie: our precious income. You will find that people who want to claim this as legalism and that they will give as they feel moved by the spirit, interestingly, the spirit never moves them to give more than to 2 percent of their income and sometimes less. I have 100 percent of the time seen a direct correlation in the spiritual growth of a new CHRISTIAN in relation to how they embrace or reject, the timeless principle of The giving of Tithes in the offering. If you say you BELIEVE this God can raise you from the dead, than I would assume that you also believe that the same God can do a lessor miracle of making sure you don't go broke, starve and die, because you give him a messily ten cents on every dollar you make. Sometimes we have to step back and ask ourselves, "what is really the issue, do I have a problem with money, do I lack true faith in God, why won't I give?" And we do play games with ourselves in our minds, but once you stop playing games and be honest with yourself you will know and admit, " you have money issues". You have always had money issues, your family has always had money issues, there has always been a fear in your heart of not having enough. Unfortunately you will never break that until you begin to give. "For there is one who gives yet increases; and there is one who withholds more than he ought and it tends to lead to poverty". A spirit of poverty and fear is not defeated by hoarding it's defeated and broken by giving, by giving unto God what belongs to him, a Tenth and offerings beside!

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