If they get answered somehow, anybody will come up with it. Actually, again, this is chapter 14, it's where I wanted to go. I'm going to start chapter 14, verse 18. Begin there if you will. In the following weeks, we're going to take a look at probably Isaac and Ishmael and Abraham. We're not going to do well on much. We've been through most of that. But this morning, we're going to take a brief look at milk today, and I'm not going to go into it real evenly, because that's not the subject this morning. But in verse 18, Genesis chapter 14 and Melchizedek, or Melchizedek, however you want to pronounce it doesn't matter to me, King of Salem brought forth bread and wine, and he was a priest in the Most High God, and he blessed him, and blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abraham, Abram, of the Most High God, possessor of heaven and earth, and blessed be the Most High God who have delivered the enemies in the thy hand, and he gave him, that is, aver hand, gave Melchizedek, Melchizedek, ties of all, of all, or rather, of all that he had. That's what we're going to discuss this morning, my tithing. And there are those who say that we need to tie the 10 percent. Well, that's not the new testament concept of tithing, and we're going to take a look at that. if you will in Numbers Chapter 18. We're going to take a look at the Old Testament writing. I don't know what made me decide to do this, but I did anyway. Numbers Chapter 18 20. Well, let's see here. Yeah, verse 20. Numbers Chapter 18 and the Lord spoke unto Aaron, thou shalt have no inheritance in the land. Neither shall thou have any part among them. I am thy part and thy inheritance among the children of Israel, and behold I have given the children of Levi all the tent in Israel for an inheritance, for their service which they serve, even the service of the Tabernacle of the congregation. Need of us the children of Israel henceforth come thy Tabernacle of the congregation, less they bear saying and die, but the Leviates shall do the service of the Tabernacle of the congregation, and they shall bear theiriquity, it shall be a statute forever, and so forth. Verse 24, but the ties of the children of Israel, which they offer as a heave offering unto the Lord, I have given to the Levites to inherit. Therefore, I have said unto them among the children of Israel, they shall have no inheritance. Now then, let me explain that. Probably wondering what it has to do with tithing, the testament concept of tithing, the Lord saved the donation of Israel out of the twelve tribes, the tribe of Levi, had no inheritance in the Promised Land. Even today it's the same way, it's the same. The children of Israel have a specific inheritance, unfortunately. Right now the Iranians have most of it, they have control the most of it, and they'd like to have all of it, and they'd like to have white Israel off the map. I hope Israel goes in there and just wipes 11 and off the map. I hope there isn't one stone the Israel doesn't unturned in Lebanon and destroy that wicked abomination nation. Destroy it. I'm going to get off of it. I heard someone complain about Israel killing innocent people. There are not. When it comes to Lebanon, you've got terrorist groups like Hezbollah, the PLO is a terrorist organization. people call the state, it's not, it's a terrorist organization. You get all these people surrounding Israel, wanting to destroy the nation of Israel. That's their only goal. They have no other goal. But Israel just wipes them off the mat. Every government in those nations supports the terrorist group. The government is supposed to protect the people. If they don't protect the people and they support the terrorist groups, you know what the people deserve to be killed. Some people that you could do and I consider innocent, they deserve to die. That sounds harsh, doesn't it? Some people, when a terror is hiding behind your home and fires at the enemy and uses you as a shield, and you don't complain about it and you hand you a gun, you deserve to die. That's all there is to it. You can say whatever they like. I was watching CNN the other day and they had one of their newsmen in a vehicle riding around with his father, knew who his father is, and all of these poor have given me a break. Give me a break. Anyhow, let me get back on the subject here. Let me get off this clinic. There are 12 tribes in the nation of Israel. God told them out of those 12 tribes, the tribe of Levi would not have inheritance. Instead God said that the tribe of Levi would be the priesthood. How they were supported and how they survived, well I'm talking about an entire nation. Twelve tribes, one entire tribe, the tribe of Levi's had no inheritance. So they couldn't go out and plant wheat, they couldn't go out and plant corn, they couldn't raise animals. The only way they survived was the rest of the nation of Israel gave the tribe of Levi a tent of everything they earned. a tenth of their, because they have to support the entire tribe of Levi, you know how many people that is? Probably millions of possibilities, because the tribe of Levi, God season in, not because you're not, as you're soul responsibility, you're soul duty. That's how that works. So God said, you get 10% now. Nature today says, well we have to get 10% now. It's an entirely different concept whatsoever, as you will see. Now, let's do, if you will, over to Nehemiah chapter, Nehemiah chapter 10. When Abraham gave a 10th percent to Melchizedek, remember now, there was no law in Israel. There was no priesthood, and there was no law in Israel yet Abraham gave one 10th to Melchizedek. Why did he do that? Because Melchizedek was a type of, the Old Testament priesthood. He was also a typo, and I think he was Jesus Christ, he's what we call a theopony, and I think we'll prove that within the next couple of weeks, but we're not going to take time to do that today. But Abraham was giving a typo, our tithing, he gave him health, is it at 10%, what does it mean to you and I? It means this, and we're going to see it shortly. It means that you and I have to support the gospel of Jesus Christ the Lord. That's our duty, our responsibility. However, God will always pay you back for what you do for Him. It's our duty and our responsibility to support the right message to the truth. It's not our duty and responsibility to support a life, by the way, but if it's the truth And you will always get your money. And these verses here was an incentive altogether. It's different for the church. So God doesn't tell you that whenever you get your paycheck, you have to get 10%. That's not the new customer concept. Although when I was working and I was getting paid from the nursing home, so I would get 10% right off the top and that's why I would give. But I didn't have to do it that way. You see, but I did. I could have got 20, 30, 40. any percent I wanted to take to give to see. Okay, need my a chapter 10, if you will. For 10 verse 39, we'll go all the way down here, cut the verse 38, if you will. Now we cut back all the way up and read the whole chapter which is not going to take time to do that. Verse 38, and a priest shall be with the Levites. When the Levites take tithes and the Levites shall bring up the tithe of the tithes unto the house of God, to the chambers and to the treasure house. For the children of Israel and the children of Levi shall bring the offering of the grain or the corn or whatever you actually, that should be grain. It probably says the victuals, which is another word for food, but whatever. Out the new wine and the oil and do the chambers, where are the vessels in the sanctuary and the priests who minister and the borders in the singers and we will not forsake the house of our God. So the offering that they brought, it had the same connotation, the same duty and the same responsibility that we have today. It supports the Lord or the work of the Lord. Now, let's make one thing very clear. The Lord does not need our money. He doesn't need us. He doesn't need you and I. He can eliminate me anytime he wants. He can eliminate anyone because he doesn't need my money. He doesn't need my offerings. I need to need my time, but even like for me to give, my time, my money, my efforts to him. So that was the concept that God set in the Old Testament, different in that way, it was the law. Part of the law, part of the Jewish law, you had to give ten percent. Now then, we're going to skip a few verses, we're going to go all the way over to Malachi, chapter three, if you want. Yes, ma'am. May I? Chapter 3. Okay, Chapter 3. You might want to write down me and my Chapter 13 also, verses 10 to 14, but that's entirely up to you. Chapter 3. Even from the days of your fathers, you are going away from my ordinances and have not kept them. Return unto me and I will return. I do you say it the Lord of hosts, but you said, how be it, or in what way shall we return? Will a man rob God, yet you have robbed me? you say in what way have we robbed the and God says in ties and offerings. Now what does he mean by that? He meant that when the nation of Israel stopped serving the Lord, stopped going into the sanctuary, stopped confessing, stopped doing, when they stopped obeying the law, they stopped giving money to the Levites. What was going to happen then to leave up the tribe of Levites would have to go take other measures in order to make a living. So in eighth place, every person in the nation of Israel would be breaking God's law. In other words, if they didn't give enough money to the Levi's, to support the Levi's, to do the work of the Lord, they wouldn't be able to do the work of the Lord. Everyone would get this illusion, and I see that happen all the time. And they wouldn't serve the Lord. They'd walk away, didn't serve the Lord. So God said, you're breaking the law. You're not giving what you're supposed to give. You're not giving yourself. You're not giving your time. And so I'm going to deal with you. Then he said in verse 9, but you are cursed with a curse. For you have robbed me even this whole nation. You see, he said the whole nation. Because you don't obey the law. Everything just goes all foul up. You don't obey the law. You're not given money. The lead lights aren't being supported. The whole ministry is going down the drain. Then he said in verse 10, bring all the ties into the storehouse that there may be meat in my house. And prove me now, here with, say, the Lord of hosts. Remember that word, prove me, concept of typing. It's called faith, trusting in the Lord. God said, prove me. And I mean times I've heard people say, oh, I can't give this week. I've got a build page. Or I didn't make it much as I usually do. I can't type normally. Or this, or that. Or I need a new pair of shoes. Or I need this, and so we don't type properly. And as you'll see, it's not a very wise thing to do. Prove me now here with, say at the Lord of hosts, if I will not open for you the windows of heaven. Remember how many times we talked about the verses in the New Testament to talk about the kingdom of God? The kingdom of God is everywhere. It's available at all times to every Christian. The kingdom of God is not in heaven alone. And it's always available. Here God calls it the windows of heaven. It's called blessings, the windows of heaven, and pour out for you a blessing. Can you think about that? Try to imagine that. Opening up a window and just blessings, just rolling out. It was a house that's full of blessings. God said, I will open, if I will not open for you, the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing, that there be not room enough to receive it. Imagine that. You cannot imagine that. You cannot imagine what God has to offer. You cannot imagine what God has in store. And if you keep your eyes open which most people don't do, you'll see the blessings. Oftentimes, we don't see it. And you'll notice also that a lot of people give that have less to give than others. It seems to me that they receive more of the blessings, but God said, if you do what I tell you to do and give to me, there will not be enough room to receive it. There shall not be room enough to—and then in verse 11, and then we'll go on to the New Testament. I will rebuke the devour for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruit of your ground. Neither shall your vine cast its fruit before the time of the field, set the Lord of So the devout word is Satan. So you see the concept God said, if you give properly the way you should, and he's not just talking about money, he's talking about your mental attitude, give of your mental attitude, give of your time, give of your efforts. We have some tracks in the front that were sent to me by a Kevin, and he belongs to a ministry in Georgia, and part of his ministry is he wrote the track back there. It's cold, but it's going to have an easy, I don't know if you've seen those back there. Well Kevin put that together and he wrote it and the ministry of these involved in Prince it and they pass it out all over the place and I guess they pass out thousands and thousands. And so he's not really giving money in that essence, although it does cost money to print him, but he gave his time and his effort and his studying and everything else. And that's what God's talking about, just give up yourself and you will be blessed. I don't know how many times I see Christians that don't even give a thought to Jesus Christ, except sometimes it won't sound any more. The rest of the way money can be thought or this little problem gets in the way. More than there's this little problem rises up and gets in the way. Always some little problem gets in the way of my service to the Lord Jesus Christ. But remember what he said, prove me. And if you do, though when those of heaven will be open with that in mind, let's go, if you will, to have a lot of places to go. But probably the best place since we're going about the time already. First Corinthians chapter 16. And you're going to see part of the New Testament concept right here in chapter 16 in the first two verses. Listen to Paul here as he said in verse 1 of chapter 16, now concerning the collection for the saints. what he's talking about. He's talking about serving the Lord Jesus Christ, those who serve, the collection for those who serve, for those who don't have a job and are still a teacher or in the ministry or center, etc. As I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye. Up on the first day of the week, Sunday, Sunday is the first day of the week. every one of you laid by him in store as God has prospered him, that there need be no gatherings when I come. Listen to the concept, this is Sunday morning. God said upon the first day of the week Sunday morning, gather together on Sunday morning, but don't gather on during the other part of the week. I don't want you to gather when I come, but He said when you gather, bring your offering on the first day of the week. In other words, that's what we do. When I go to church on Sunday morning we take out the offering, we take our ties and we put in the offering plate. That's what Paul said. He said, do it. And he said, if I don't want you together, when I come because I want the offering that he's talking about, to be already prepared, we take care of. Whoever you shall approve your letters, them will I send to bring you liberality, to bring your liberality unto Jerusalem. What What he's talking about is to bring your tidings unto Jerusalem before the church. So the ministry of the church can be moving forward, going out, going out into the world, you see. That's what he's talking about there. Now, go over to Second Corinthians chapter 8 and 9, if you will. We're running out of time here, so we're going to have to hurry along just a little. Now we should start in verse 7, but let me read verses 1 and 2 before we go in further. In chapter 8, Second Corinthians, more over brethren. We do you to whip up Oldfield Bible to the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia. How that in a great trial of affliction, the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality. That's pretty hard to understand, isn't it? Copyright doesn't. What he's saying is they were poor and they suffered affliction yet they gave abundantly And because of that, their poverty upfounded unto riches. He said, while they were rich, they got rich, no, no, no. All their needs met. But the riches that he's talking about is the riches of a good attitude. God has taken care of me. That's the concept. God said, when you give, then I'll provide. You give, I'll provide. The more you give, the more I'll provide. The more you give, the more I'll provide. Now, that doesn't mean that I want you to give your whole paycheck in the Lord, expecting to be rich. That's not the concept. You might not be rich in money, but if you really understand the Lord, you have a good attitude. You'll be rich in a lot of other things. Hold your place. Let's go over to Proverbs chapter 30 and we'll straighten something out real quick. Proverbs chapter 30 and we'll come right back here. Proverbs chapter 30 versus the verse 7. This is a proverb of a gr. In verse 7, two things have I required of thee. Do not them not to me before I die. His request is for the Lord." Now listen to what he says, "…Remove me far from vanity and lives." And then he says, "…Give me neither poverty nor riches. Feed me with food, convenient for me." In other words, give me what I need. But he says, listen what he says, I don't want to be rich and I don't want to be poor. Be rich, don't you? Would it be nice to be rich, huh? But he said, I don't want to be rich and I don't want to be poor. Here's the reason why. Now, this will give you a good attitude. Think about it. This is what we need to develop a good attitude. Why do I not want to be rich? Less I be full and deny being. In other words, if I'm rich and I have everything I need and everything provided for me and I go home every day and I don't have any needs, any desires, I have everything I want, I don't need Lord, right? That's what he's saying. If I have everything if I need, if I don't have any needs, then I'll deny the Lord. I don't need it. You know what? The Lord wants you to need it. And if he has to thrust you into despair to do that, he will do it. That's why it's better off the needy of every day of your life, folks, no matter what you have, no matter how much you have, no matter how good you think you are, you needy every day of your life. Less time before and deny thee and say, who is the Lord? I don't need. I have everything I need. You know, that's why the Lord said in Matthew 19, it's easier for a rich man. It's easier for a rich man or it's hard for a rich man to be saved. That's what he's trying to say. Because they don't need the Lord. The way he put it was, it's easier to go through something or other life or God yeah you're right yeah we are to go through the eye of an evil isn't it I can't even thread an evil how's that again how's that thank you that's it exactly you got it thank you very much yeah and then he says and then he says or less I be poor and steel and take the name of the of my God in vain so she God doesn't really want you to be rich, but he doesn't want you to be poor either. Because if you're poor, you'll steal or do whatever you do and take the name of the Lord and vain you see. God doesn't want you to really be either, but there are very few people that can handle riches. Very few people that can, I must be one of them, because I'm about to be poor and rich. In fact, it's for second credit, chapter 8 and 9, and we're going to try to have on this up this morning. Two chapters deal with the church and how we give and why we give and so forth and so forth. We're going to read the whole thing. We're going to look at verse 7. Therefore, as you abound in everything in faith and utterance and knowledge and in all diligence and in your love toward us, see that you abound in this grace also. And And he says, I speak not by commandment, by occasion of the forwardness of others and to prove the sincerity of your love. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that though He was rich yet for your sakes He became poor, that through His poverty, that ye, that ye through His poverty might be rich. Does that mean rich in money? That means rich in attitude and faith. If you got a bad attitude, all the money in the world won't straighten you out. Well, I see so much. Now they certainly have a bad attitude and most of them are rich too. Well, some of them, it's not the people in the country that's rich. It's the people that lead the country. Well, that's going down here we have to get to the bottom of this whole thing because we're running out of time. I don't know where the time went this morning. 1st, Chapter 9, Verse 1. For us, touching the ministering to the saints, It is superfluous for me to write to you, Paul is a big words to me, superfluous. For I know the willingness, or the forwardness, or readiness of your mind, for which I post a view to them about Macedonia, that Nakeda was ready a year ago for your zeal to have pertoped for both very many. And then he is talking about their timing, what they give, what their support for the church. and then he goes on down to verse 5. Therefore I voted necessary to exhort the brethren that then we go before you and make up beforehand your bounty of which you had noticed before, that the same might be ready as a matter of bounty and not as covetousness. And we don't have time to explain all of that. But he's talking about their giving. But this I say, verse 6, this is where we're heading to, this verse here. He that so sparingly shall reap also sparingly, but he that so thoughtably shall reap also thoughtably. Now I'm not giving this message to try to get you to get more money. It doesn't matter. I believe in one thing, the Lord will provide. Talking yesterday about the having the money to put the roof on this church, you know what? The Lord will provide. He'll see to it that the church that the roof will get put on the church. It'll be there. I don't know where the money will come from, but it will be there when he wants it done. It's that simple, folks. But what I'm trying to put across is the concept of, how much do I give? Well, you're going to see shortly that 10% doesn't enter really into the picture you will so. If I don't give my time, my devotion, a lot of people have went to Bible college to get a degree so that they can serve the Lord, and I know a lot of people that won't even go to church on Sunday morning or Wednesday night, just to learn the smallest bit about the Lord. You know what they're doing, reaping, despairingly. He's not just talking about my money, he's talking about my time. If you don't give yourself, you won't get anything from the Lord. If you don't tell anybody how to be saved any time in your Christian life, the Lord will not bless you. He will not bless you. He's not obligated to bless you because you are sewing sparingly. What is it you're sewing? The word of God. If you don't sew the word of God and you do that sparingly, then the rewards that God gives you back will also be sparingly. But he that so fouls bountifully shall reap and you look at another thing while we're on subject When you and I die we have to meet at the judgment seat of Christ I Wonder if I'm going to be at the back of the line when it comes to everyone there about that Maybe up towards the middle I know some people that are going to be up front probably not me Some people that are going to reap boundlessly when they stand before the death of Jesus Christ and that's nothing to do with money either. It has to do with effort My time my devotion On number seven every man according as he purposed in his heart So let him give that is the new testament concept of giving As you purpose in your heart If you think you're giving five dollars and that's what you think the Lord wants from you, give it and walk out of the church feeling good about it. If you think a dollar is what the Lord wants you to give, then give a dollar and walk out of the church feeling good about it. But you give according as you purpose in your heart. You don't have to give them. I know some churches actually ask their members to make a pledge. That is not even close to being a pivot. You will never hear me ask you to give any amount of money whatsoever, because a matter of fact, if you don't give it all, it's none of my business, I don't care. I know one thing, personal ministry, is between me and the Lord, what I give is between me and him or him and I. That's me. And if he wants his church to flourish, it'll flourish, no matter what I do, what you do, but whatever I do, I do according to the purpose in my new Testament concept of giving. So let him give. Every man, according as he perturbed in his heart, so let him give, not grudgingly, or of necessity, now pay attention to that. whole I have to give this much otherwise the Lord won't accept me or the preacher won't accept me or the church won't accept me so it's necessary that I give a certain amount and I have to get 10% out of my check because if I don't they find out about it they'll ostracize me there in that church and oh yeah not what you think is necessary and not grudgingly because if you think you have to give this amount or you think you have to give this amount or somebody He says, you have to give this, and you do it grudgingly. God will honor that. He just will honor that. He probably won't even honor the Church of Portia to think that way. For God will love it, a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work. These two verses right here, chapter 9, verses 7 and 8, the bottom line of the New Testament concept of giving my ties, my offering for the God is able to make all grace abound toward you that you always having all sufficiency. In other words, when you get to the Lord, whether it's money, time, effort, whatever you think you can give, whatever you can give, and you know what the Lord said to the nation He said, prove me, and I've heard on awful lot of stories. And I've done it myself. I remember church in Roman, I was put in an additional honor. We needed some money. And I was working, I was retired at the time. But I went to work at big locks. And there were times when I took my whole paycheck from now. And it was just a part-time job. But I was working sometimes. They were setting up a new store anyhow. I'd take the whole paycheck and put towards that structure on the building. And, you know, what? I never had a need for anything. I never had a need. All sufficiency and all things. And I have found we as a church may bound to every good work. You know, what you'll do when you give the proper offering out of the out of the abundance of your heart. Not once a play makes you feel guilty about what you want to give. And it's always God will always open up the windows of heaven and bless you for that. That's the New Testament concept of being blessed by the Lord. Not according to what I have to do, but what I said. Well Lord, I'm going to give you this month this week. This is what I feel like. I'm going to give my time this week. I'm going to do this. I'm going to do this. I'm going to make an effort to do this. And you know what? When I do that, I was the goodness of my heart. I said, Lord, this is what I want to do. I want to do this for you. He will bless you for all of your needs. It'll You may not be rich, but you will have a rich attitude. Boy, I don't know how many times over the years I have seen so many people walk out of church with a poor attitude. My opinion is the worst thing that a Christian can have. A poor boy got my feelings hurt. Somebody said this. You know what a boy is from? Having a poor attitude. It would fall sick, not grudgingly, but as you purpose in your heart, when you got the wrong purpose in your heart, You're going to walk through your entire life with a bad attitude. If you've got the wrong purpose in your heart, everything you do will be up with a bad and I'm going to do that and I don't know what you think between you and the Lord. And not just money, maybe you say, well, you know, I really shouldn't learn the Bible. You know what? Make the effort. Always try to tell our young people to take the Skullfield Bible course from Moody Bible Institute. It's an excellent Bible course. It's not a, you won't get a doctor in philosophy or theology from it, but you'll learn a lot about the Bible, and it keeps you in the Word, you know, stay in the Word, but when you stay in the Bible and you study the Word, you know what you're doing, giving to the Lord. And then one other thing I want to point out, whatever you give to the Lord, I'll have one goal in mind. Whether you give money, whether you give your time, whether you give your thoughts, your heart. Whatever it is you get to the Lord with one thing in mind, whatever I give goes towards somebody being saved. Whatever if I give a dollar, I want that to go towards somebody being saved. And if you've got a church that preaches the gospel and you're pastor or your deacons or whoever, and they go out and tell people how to be saved, support that church, support that ministry, doesn't matter if you just support it with your thoughts or with your deeds with your actions. We're not talking about money, we're just talking about support and proving God. I support God and God has always proved Himself. He's always open up to wonders of heaven, always blessed, and He always will, and that's the New Testament concept of just give out of your purpose of your heart. And like we said time and time again and I want to get this point across to you, it has nothing to do with money in the gospel for the woman gave one light and it was all she had, she had nothing to do with money that one might wouldn't have done anything more anyway. It was out of the purpose of her heart, her thought process. That's what she wanted to do. And the Lord will open up the windows of heaven. And I think you'll do that for this church. I think this church will go through some turmoil, just like every church, because Satan would like to have this little church destroy it, for what we saw back in Malkyre, he would love to destroy this church, you know how he's going to do it, he's going to make you feel like you're in a small church and it's not sitting there in nobody here, and that's one way. And then he's going to allow you to get your feeling served, that's another way. You know what the preacher said, oh, how many times up do you know what you said, well us too late. No, I said it. You know, I can't take it back. He's going to say there's no let you get your feeling hurt. He's going to tell you you're insignificant. That's another way you'll do it. Oh, I don't give enough money. Don't let that bother you. You're not insignificant because you don't give enough money. But the Lord really wants is this. That's what He really wants. He wants your time. He wants your thoughts. He wants you to think about it. We want you to put him first, before all the other problems in life, put him first. He wants you to have 100% think-thinning. Proving. How do you prove him? You have faith in him. Trust him. The Lord first. Proving. That's the best thing you'll have. That's the best offering you could give to the Lord and support your little church, support one another, support the decision you make, and then stick with it. That's how we're at Karemble. But dear Lord, I thank You for Jesus Christ the Lord who died on the cross for my sins. He died on the cross for the sins of the world, although most of them don't believe it. But everything I give, and everything I do, is in that direction that somebody will believe that Christ died on the cross form. That's my goal when I give. When I give my time, my effort, my thoughts, my money, will anybody be saved in it? everything I do in that direction will be my rewards in heaven. Dear Lord, we thank You for Christ who shed His blood on the cross that we might have eternal light. The world rejects you. please rise if you will, and we're going to sing one verse of the song.