I WANT TO TELL YOU THE TRUTH. John 8:32 "And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." IT'S NOT the truth that sets you free, it's your knowledge of the truth THE #1 prayer request outside of salvation for loved ones, is PRAYER FOR FINANCES!! First, LET'S LOOK AT WHAT THE TITHE IS and who it belongs to: Leviticus 27:30 And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is the LORD'S: it is holy unto the LORD (SO THE TITHE IS HOLY AND BELONGS TO THE LORD, RIGHT?). CAN YOU PAY IT LATER? (Leviticus 27:31) And if a man will at all redeem ought of his tithes, he shall add thereto the fifth part thereof (IF YOU PAY YOUR TITHE LATE YOU'VE GOTTA ADD AN ADDITIONAL 20%!!). IS THE TITHE REALLY 10% (Leviticus 27:32) And concerning the tithe of the herd, or of the flock, even of whatsoever passeth under the rod, the tenth (10%) shall be holy unto the LORD. 10% OF WHAT? Deuteronomy 18:4, "The firstfruit also of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil, and the first of the fleece of thy sheep, shalt thou give him." THAT IS THE GROSS PAY. BEFORE PAY GOVERNMENT, BEFORE PAY THE STATE, BEFORE THE 401K!! As far as the Government is concerned, you made 25,000 last year. BUT as far as the church is concerned, you only made 19,000! EVERYBODY UNDERSTAND WHAT THE TITHE IS, NOW? GOOD. NOW LETS GO Back TO THE BOOK OF MALACHI, CHAPTER 3: Malachi 3:6 For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed. THE 1st THING THE LORD SAYS, is "I change not." Some people will say that the tithe is not for today. Right here, God says, I change not. "I'm the same today as I was yesterday." It has nothing to do with the "old law." Abraham paid tithes to Melchizedek before there was even a law -- before Moses came down with the tablets. Malachi 3:7 Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. HE SAYS, "YOU want to know why you're broke all the time? You haven't kept my ordances. You have violated my law!" GOD SAYS: "I want to bless your ministry -- BUT I CAN'T "I want to bless your business -- BUT I CAN'T "I want to bless your family -- BUT I CAN'T "BECAUSE YOU'VE VIOLATED MY LAW!!" But all that can stop right now, look what he says next in the same verse: Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the LORD of hosts. But ye said, Wherein shall we return? I like that. You ready to fight, I'm ready to fight. Draw nigh unto me and I'll draw nigh unto you. And that's good news, because some of us have messed up and we need to know how to get back! HE SAYS, Return unto me, and I will return unto you. LET'S KEEP GOING: Malachi 3:8 Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. He doesn't say anything about dancing and praising. He doesn't say anything about leaping and studying. He doesn't say anything about fasting and praying. Evidently they WERE doing all of that. BUT GOD SAID, "YOU'RE STILL ROBBING ME in Tithes and offerings" (9) Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. LET'S LOOK AT THIS CURSE. ZECH CHAPTER 5. Zechariah 5:1 Then I turned, and lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a flying roll. (2) And he said unto me, What seest thou? And I answered, I see a flying roll; the length thereof is twenty cubits, and the breadth thereof ten cubits. (3) Then said he unto me, This is the curse that goeth forth over the face of the whole earth: for every one that stealeth shall be cut off as on this side according to it; and every one that sweareth shall be cut off as on that side according to it. (4) I will bring it forth, saith the LORD of hosts, and it shall enter into the house of the thief, and into the house of him that sweareth falsely by my name: and it shall remain in the midst of his house, and shall consume it with the timber thereof and the stones thereof. I've heard this called, "THE CURSE OF THE FLYING SCROLL" "BUT I DON'T TITHE AND I'M NOT CURSED" YES YOU ARE. "I'M GIVING 2% AND I'M DOING OK" MAYBE YOU'RE A THOUSANDAIRE AND GOD WANTS YOU TO BE A MILLIONAIRE MAYBE THAT ILLNESS IN YOUR BODY WOULD FLEE MAYBE THERE'D BE MORE LOVE AND HARMONY IN YOUR HOME (10) Bring ye ALL the tithes (ALL MEANS 10%, NOT 7%, OR 8%) into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, MEAT IN WHOSE HOUSE? MY HOUSE! Not your sister's house. Non in Aunt Helen's house. Not cousin Betty's house. He didn't tell you to do that. I'M NOT SAYING YOU CAN'T HELP THEM, but not with your TITHES. Because then you become Lord over God's money by determining who gets helped and who doesn't. You become Lord over something that's not even yours. REMEMBER WHAT WE READ, THE TITHE BELONGS TO GOD. (10) Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me (OR PROVOKE ME, OR CHALLENGE ME, OR BACK ME IN A CORNER) now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. The implication is that HEAVEN HAS WINDOWS, that only open when you obey this Word. You may be dancing in front of closed windows. Leaping and jumping and falling out, slain on the floor, in front of closed windows. BECAUSE NONE OF THAT opens up the windows. OBEYING THIS WORD is what opens the windows, and God says, "I'm not going to change about that!" BECAUSE You have no right to demand a harvest where you have not planted a seed. IN FACT, God has promised to give seed to the sower (IS 55:10), and bread to the eater. GOD SAYS, "I will give more seed to the person who sows than I will to the person who hoards." He did not promise to give seed to the "SAVER." He promised to give seed to the sower. SELAH! He says that "(see) if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing..." I've taught before how God can give you one blessing, a blessing that will change your life. ONLY GOD CAN OPEN THAT WINDOW. He'll cause you to see it in yourself, and he'll cause others to see it in you. One meeting at the water cooler with the right person can change your life! AND YOU GET FRUSTRATED because you keep trying to open your own window. You're busting your butt working 2 and 3 jobs and getting nowhere! LOOK, I'M NOT TELLING YOU THAT IT'S GOD'S WILL for you to be rich - I don't know if its God's will for you to be rich or not. But I am saying that God will give you enough PROVISION to fulfill the VISION He has for your life. And if you need to be rich to accomplish what He's called you to do, He'll bless you so that money is not an issue. WHEN GOD BLESSES YOU LIKE that, you can move without hidden motives and agendas; it's such a freeing, liberating feeling not to be at the mercy of the peoples' moods. AND BESIDES, I don't want anybody else to bless me but God, because when others bless you, you owe them the rest of your life. When God blesses you, you don't have anybody to praise but the Lord! GOD'S NOT GOING TO LET ANYBODY CONTROL His blessing for you. Even if you worked for some body who thinks they control you, they don't control you; do you not know that the Bible says, "the heart of the king is in my hands (Ezra 6:22)." God said, "I can make them like you, I can make them hire you, I can make them give you the money.... I can turn it any way I want it because I'm God. I can turn it to your favor!" THAT'S A WONDERFUL FEELING. When the church takes hits and criticisms, it's generally over money. You don't see the CIRCUS taking hits over money. You don't see the STRIP CLUBS taking a hit over money... you don't even see the PIMP taking hits over money. But the systems of this world think that if you're walking with God, you should be walking around with ratty clothes, and looking all pitiful, hungry and destitute, while they EAT UP everything, OWN everything, and you've got to go to them and BORROW to HAVE anything. BUT THE BIBLE SAYS that the kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our God and of His Christ (Rev 11:15). That means that all of the systems of this world, God wants to bring them up under the authority of righteous people. That's why God is working on you, because he wants to raise you up. The Book says that you shall be the head and not the tail. THE BIBLE SAYS, Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. (3 John 1:2) THEN HE SAYS: Malachi 3:11 And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts. ALL THESE THINGS COME ABOUT AS the result of tithing. 1st: I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes. He'll stop things from eating up what you have. THAT'S A GREAT BLESSING if God didn't add another dime to what you have. A LOT OF TIMES God wouldn't have to add to your income if stuff would stop eating it up. 2nd: I won't let it destroy the fruit of your ground. I'll watch over it. I'll watch over your BUSINESS, I'll watch over your position; AINT nobody gonna get your job while you're on vacation!! You're not gonna have to constantly fight to prove yourself!! I'll Watch over your HOUSE, I'll watch over your HUSBAND, I'll watch over your WIFE. 3rd: GOD SAID, "I'll perfect your timing!" The right time to buy that house! The right interest rate. The right time to get in or out of the stock market. He says, "I'll show when to hold it, and when to fold it..." I'll show you how to market what you have... I'll show you what to wear on the interview. THESE ARE PROMISES TO PEOPLE WHO TITHE! He says, "Test Me in this!!" Let me show you one other thing: Turn to Philippians 4: Philippians 4:15, Now ye Philippians know also, that in the beginning of the Gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving, but ye only. (16) For even in Thessalonica ye sent once and again unto my necessity. (17) Not because I desire a gift: but I desire fruit that may abound to your account. (18) But I have all, and abound: I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice ("SACRIFICE") acceptable, wellpleasing to God. THEN AND ONLY THEN DOES VERSE 19 APPLY: (19) But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. THEY GAVE TO PAUL'S MISSIONARY EFFORTS AND then GOD SUPPLIED ALL THEIR NEEDS. EVEN THOUGH IT WAS A SACRIFICE. BUT PAUL SAID NOT TO WORRY!! (19) But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. IT'S A FAITH ISSUE. IT IS THE LAW. IT WORKS. GOD'S WAITING TO BLESS YOU. If MY CHURCH needs $100, God knows that if he gives me $1000, I'll give $100 to them. Instead of busting your tail to furnish your home or your ministry sanctuary, all you've got to do is tithe and God will do it! GOD WANTS to bless your business, but He can't unless you Tithe off of your gross profit. GOD WANTS to bless your home but He can't unless you Tithe your gross income. GOD WANTS to bless your ministry, but He can't unless you tithe out of your offerings. LOOK HERE: Nehemiah 10:38, "And the priest the son of Aaron 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 our God, to the chambers, into the treasure house." IF you have a ministry, you are to tithe off of the tithes your receive in the offering! Luke 6:38, "Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again." Acts 20:35, "I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive." God Bless You! Rev. John & Irene Kerns