* ABRAHAM
Let us begin with Abraham. He is the father of Faith and the first man.
He is the first person to pay tithes of all he possessed. So let us look at his story and life.
” Look to Abraham your father… for I called him alone and blessed him and increased him”
Abraham started with Tithes but he did not end with tithes. He ended with something higher and something bigger. This is the first fact we must all see. In the beginning he paid tithes; but at the end he gave all.
In the beginning he gave God 10%; Melchizedek was the pre-incarnate Christ in one of His multi-dimensions.
This was at the beginning of his ministry, if you like.
But towards the end God brought Abraham to the test. Tithes, giving God 10% is good because it brings you under a divine covenant with Jehovah which is good. Everywhere Abraham went he was covered and protected.
That is tithes and it would ensure that.
But there is a better way, a more excellent way. And finally God brought Abraham to it.
In Genesis 22 there is a story we are familiar with. Yet few people understand that story. The story of God requiring Abraham to sacrifice his only son on Mount Moriah.
This is asking Abraham to give 100% because Isaac is the only son and the heir of all he possessed,.in essence God was asking for his 100%. This is the ultimate test. Until you are able to do this you are not yet a disciple and you cannot be considered a Friend of God. You cannot enter into the Inner Circle of the Almighty and Glory.
It was painful for Abraham that night. The BOOK OF GENESIS did not capture the emotional turmoils Abraham and his wife Sarah went through but the BOOK OF JASHER vividly captured the troubles in Abraham’s house that night before he proceeded to Moriah to sacrifice Isaac.
That was the Test, the supreme test. Had Abraham flunked that test the story of the Bible would have been different today. God would have found Himself another person.
Now read that book further and the chapter, you will see where it says the angel of God spoke to Abraham the second time:
“By myself I have sworn that in blessing I will bless you, … And in you shall the families of the earth be blessed”
All the promises spoken in Genesis12 when he was called were now repeated. There is the Law of Second Mention with God. Every promise, undertaking, blessing must be repeated before fulfilment can follow. Just like you have the ceremony of Matriculation and Convocation in the university. But you are not considered a graduate until after Convocation.
It is like that.
It is after Heaven has confirmed the first pronouncement that fulfilment follows. Until then power does not attend your ministry and unction does not follow your life.
Just like when Jesus went into the Wilderness He was led of the Spirit; but when He came out of the Wilderness He was full of the power of the Spirit.
From that day Abraham became a new man. He still had Isaac, because God did not allow him to slay him. But God brought him to the point where he knew he was ready to give Him his All. That is why Jesus is said to be the son of Abraham and why he is called the father of Faith. He renounced all for God.
Here then is the principle: God is not interested in your possession but He is interested in where your heart lies.
From that day Abraham never saw Isaac as his son, but as God’s property. That experience brought him to the point where he renounced ALL FOR GOD.
His sense of possession was altered so that he never again saw anything as his own. In other words he surrendered everything for God even though he still has them. In other words he had all things but possessed nothing.
This is why in the New Testament dispensation we are called to go beyond tithes.
I now want to use deductive reasoning to address the remaining part of this essay so that you can see what I am saying.
* Under the Law of Moses they paid 10% as tithes. It was mandatory.
Now if the people under the Law paid 10%, should people under Grace give to God any less but higher?
Remember fornication under the Law must be actual performance between a man and a woman but under Grace it can even occur in the realm of thought.
Grace is always higher than Law not less.
* The Pharisees paid tithes of all and fasted twice a week. And Jesus said unless your righteousness EXCEED that of the scribes and the Pharisees you cannot enter the Kingdom of God. So if the Pharisees paid 10% should Christians too pay 10%?
How then do you exceed him?
Do you see why we are not seeing Kingdom power, kingdom authority in our days?
Even the Tithes how many pay it in our churches?
So do you see the trouble? And tithes is not the Ultimate; it is 100%. In the N.T He gave you His All, His Only begotten Son. God gave you all, you Cannot give Him any less
Tithe did not bring Abraham the fulfilment of the desired Promise, it was Total renunciation, 100% that brought the fulfillment.
That is the New Testament standards.
* Tithes and the New Testament.
You will notice that the New Testament never mentioned tithes except indirectly and as analogy. The Lord Jesus mentioned it in reference to the Jewish and Pharisaical teachings and practice showing they had reversed the Order.
Paul mentioned it in passing to show that the Melchizedek priesthood is higher than Aaronic priesthood. It was also to illustrate something not directly.
No apostle mentioned it.
It was not enjoined in any of the epistles.
Sure since as Jews they must keep the Law so they must pay tithes. However even in all the epistles to the Gentile Church no tithes was mentioned except in Hebrews by illustration.
Could all these have been an omission? No.
Also note this:
In all the instances it was recorded in the New Testament that they gave specifically in Acts, it was 100% they gave. Read Acts Chapter 2-5
Those who had land sold it and brought the money at the feet of the apostles. Barnabas too sold his land and brought it to the apostles…
Everyone gave all.
The only Couple who gave a part ( may be 10%) and kept a part was cut off from among the congregation. That was Ananias and Sapphira.
This is the only recorded account of giving among the Early Apostolic Church and it was 100%.
They understood this revelation that I am now sharing. Because they gave God All it was not difficult for God too to give them His All.
That was why they moved in the power of God.
You cannot enter into the Apostolic Realm and Covenant with giving God 10% or still thinking that 90% belonged to you. You must reach a stage that you don’t see anything belonging to you. That everything including you yourself belonged to God. You were a slave sold under sin to Satan and Christ redeemed you. He who has the slave has everything the slave owns. Did you hear me?
That your church has not preached or taught it doesn’t mean it is not true.
* When St. Francis of Assisi wanted to begin he sold and gave away all he has to the poor and the church. And he started the work in the 13th century that became the Franciscan Order which redirected and rejuvenated the Catholic Church in the medieval period.
* When Evan Roberts was about to start his work he gave everything he has to his church to build a chapel.
Then he became an instrument of revival, the notable Welsh Revival.
* John G.Lake gave all and disposed an estate and gave everything for God and His work. Everything. The last 5 dollars in his hands he gave a widow as he preached.
Then the call came to South Africa. Then the power of Ages followed him. What did they not witness in South Africa under the ministry of that man in just 5 years?
* Before Joseph Babalola started his ministry he gave the entire £28 he saved to his then spiritual father, Faphounda to build a house of worship. Everything, he gave. Then he went home. That was 1929. Then one year later he became world famous at Oke- Ooye, Ilesha.
What I am saying to you?
Tithes is the beginning but 100% is the ending. It means total consecration, total renunciation of every sense of possession and depending solely on God.
Until we reach this point we cannot touch the Apostolic Realm of signs and wonders and the Power of Ages cannot follow us.
DISTINGUISHINGS
What then does this some up to? How shall we then live? What does this mean?
If I give all I earn, how then do I pay my rent, buy foodstuffs to feed my children, pay school fees etc.
Good questions.
Your children are His children because He gave them to you. So feeding them is part of His work. Paying their school fees is also doing His job because they belong to Him. I am writing this today and writing books for Him because someone paid my school fees,because I had education. So training your children is also part of His work.
Paying your house rent is normal and it is part of His work because you must live somewhere to fulfill His purpose and because He has commanded never to owe any man anything.
Providing food for your wife and children is part of His work because to fail to do that is to deny the Faith and to be worse than infidels.
And evangelism, church etc.
So what are we saying then by giving 100%? It means to give yourself to Him first – spirit, soul and body. He must own you spirit, soul and body.
Then you must reach a stage that you never see anything you own as belonging to you but as His Who redeemed your life from the grave.
He owns all.
It is this sense of possession, this sense of attachments that hinder spiritual progress and spiritual power.
That is why there are no men of power again in our midst.
Everything must be renounced for Him and for His sake.
Once you have taken this step then it is over. If He asks you to divide your salary to two and give one part to a missionary somewhere it will not be difficult because it is not your money. You are only a custodian.
Once you reach this stage you enter into eternal freedom. You understand Mahatma Gandhi’s powerful truth: ” Renounce and enjoy”.
Until you renounce this world and sense of possession and attachment you will not enjoy Him and you will not taste of the power of the world to come.
That is the reason most of us do not see the higher gifts – working of miracles, discerning of spirits, healings etc.
You cannot enjoy His All until you too have given Him your All.
It is like that.
If you confess Him before men He too will confess you in heaven. If you deny Him with your material things He too will deny you with His supernatural things.
History supports that but there is no time.
SUMMARY
What then is the summary of all I am saying? Tithes is good if that is your level. He will bless you immensely. No tribe today has equalled the prosperity of Jews yet they gave only 10%. So even with tithe blessings are assured.
But you cannot possess Him with tithes. You cannot enter His Holiest with tithes. You cannot receive His All with tithes. Which is your heritage in the New Testament dispensation.
You cannot command the power of the Age to come with tithes.
Evan Roberts was transported to heaven and he spoke to God face to face like Moses at the peak of that great revival in Wales.
Babalola walked with angels and on one occasion an eyewitness told me he levitated in prayer going the Elijah way until they “arrested” him.
John G. Lake led South Africa into Pentecostal power just like the day of the apostles. So.much healings were wrought that the Church of England raised a commission to visit South Africa to investigate them. Today the whole church is shut because of corona virus. Who did this to us? Do you see why I weep. Do you see how far we have derailed and fallen from Apostolicity?
St. Francis spoke to birds, tamed wild beasts, cleanse lepers etc. ( Pentecostals talk and brag so much because they know very little history! )
Why could all these people do that? Because they GAVE ALL. And God too was duty bound to give them His All. This is the crux. Until we touch this we shall not touch the fringe of the Almighty.
So tithe is good but there is something better. Give all to Him. First by giving yourself, then regarding all you own as belonging to Him. That is Apostolic Christianity.
To him that is able to receive the teaching let him receive it. May His blessing rest upon such in Jesus Mighty Name.
© Moses Oludele Idowu
July, 2, 2020
All Rights Reserved
BEYOND TITHES : A MORE EXCELLENT WAY by Moses Oludele Idowu
Moses Oludele Idowu