YOU ARE FREE FROM THE CURSE OF POVERTY
By Rev. Michael Benson Ajayi
Hebrews 7:4-10 “Consider then how great this Melchizedek was. Even Abraham, the great patriarch of Israel, recognized this by giving him a tenth of what he had taken in battle. Now the law of Moses required that the priests, who are descendants of Levi, must collect a tithe from the rest of the people of Israel, who are also descendants of Abraham. But Melchizedek, who was not a descendant of Levi, collected a tenth from Abraham. And Melchizedek placed a blessing upon Abraham, the one who had already received the promises of God. And without question, the person who has the power to give a blessing is greater than the one who is blessed. The priests who collect tithes are men who die, so Melchizedek is greater than they are, because we are told that he lives on. In addition, we might even say that these Levites—the ones who collect the tithe—paid a tithe to Melchizedek when their ancestor Abraham paid a tithe to him. For although Levi wasn't born yet, the seed from which he came was in Abraham's body when Melchizedek collected the tithe from him”
The believer in Jesus Christ is saved by the same principle of faith by which Prophet Abraham got saved. He existed before the law of Moses therefore, it was not by the observance of the laws of Moses ( Tithing inclusive ) that Abraham was saved . The believer in Jesus Christ was in the loins of Abraham when he was declared righteous by God , just as the Levites of the tribe of Levi were not yet born when Abraham demonstrated loyalty to God outside the laws of Moses by giving a tenth part of his wealth to Melchizedek . He received the blessing from God before he gave the tithe , therefore , it was not the tithe that brought about the blessing but the other way round .Tithe was a proof of his faith in the blessing for faith without work is dead .
We tithe as an acknowledgment of God’s ownership of our resources and His blessing upon us , it is also a demonstration of our love for his work on earth. We do not tithe as prescribed by Moses however ,the Apostle Paul by the leading of the Holy Spirit shows us how Abraham gave his tithe . The scriptures says 1 Cor 16:1-2 NLT “Now regarding your question about the money being collected for God's people .. You should follow the same procedure.. you should each put aside a portion of the money you have earned…” You determine how you give and it is not by compulsion but necessary. A church is only as obligated to a church member as much as they are obligated to the church; we should not expect so much from a ministry we do not help to build through our resources (Luke6:38) , everyone has something (time, money, skills etc) to give for the furtherance of the gospel.
ERROR IN THE INTERPRETATION OF MALACHI 3:8-10 . God did not place a curse on the people for not tithing: that will be contradicting himself , Gal.3:13 says we are redeemed from the curse of the law of Moses (tithing inclusive) . The original text reads Malachi 3:8 “ ye cursed with a curse for me you have robbed , the whole nation of you” meaning the issue about tithe leads to worshipers cursing each other as a result of the improper approach (read Malachi chapter1 ) to tithing .it was used as a means of robbery through threats by the clergy as it is today . Preachers have often used this scripture to extort money from worshipers and as a result many do not give cheerfully but under fear and compulsion, this should not be . The born again Christian was in the body of Abraham just like Levi when he gave tithes to Melchizedek , therefore , we already possess the blessing of tithing even when we fail to tithe . This is no excuse to be selfish ,the Lord is against stinginess , worshippers who habitually complain about giving are found to be selfish towards their immediate and extended families. This is a major reason behind marital failure. Ask the lord for the enablement to give as he prospers you ,wisely and cheerfully and not out of fear or compulsion or seeking praise from men. Ask your pastor to show you how to partake in the Abrahamic tithing also request prayers for divine assistance . This is a sure way to develop faithfulness in our relationships ( Deut.14:23)
Prayer :Heavenly Father , forgive me of my sins against you , I believe Jesus Christ died and was raised again for my salvation , I receive him as Lord and savior and a receive the Holy Spirit and grace to be a distributor of wealth in Jesus name.
+2348035536911 , +2348098536911michaelbensonajayi@gmail.
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