How To Collect Tithes And Offerings Decently And Properly

By Pastor Boniface Amani Gichina (Read More Powerful Biblical Articles in this other blog: http://yourlivingbread.blogspot.com/)

Pastors and other ministers of the Gospel must consistently and strategically teach their congregation about tithing and offering. Minister who do not teach their congregation on this important and powerful mysteries in the body of Christ, are failing both God who have appointed them and the congregation which God has entrusted to them.

One of the major functions of a minister of the gospel is to feed people with knowledge and understanding.

And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding -Jeremiah 3:15

People serve God better when they do it with understanding.

I am thy servant; give me understanding, that I may know thy testimonies (laws) – Psalms 119:125

Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law; yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart – Psalms 119:34

Minister of the Gospel must feed their flock with fresh understanding to help them serve God better and to keep them from failures and crisis financially, socially and spiritually.

The book of proverbs gives us a insight of what happens when we lack wisdom.

The man that wandereth out of the way of understanding shall remain in the congregation of the dead – Proverbs 21:16

Let the ministers stop blaming their flock when they don’t pay their tithes or give their offerings regularly as expected. Let the ministers start interrogating themselves to see whether they are teaching their congregations properly and Biblically.

It is also to remind both the ministers and the readers that paying of tithes and giving offerings must be done from a willing heart. Never try to conjure or compel people to give.

Take ye from among you an offering unto the LORD: whosoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it, an offering of the LORD; gold, and silver, and brass – Exodus 35:5

God loves a cheerful giver.

Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver – 2 Corinthians 9:7

In view of this, I wish to propose the following to all ministers of the gospel

1.     Teach on the benefits and the power of tithes and offerings regularly

And thou shalt teach them ordinances and laws, and shalt shew them the way wherein they must walk, and the work that they must do – Exodus 18:20

And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also – 2 Timothy 2:2

2.     Lead by example. Set a righteous example by paying your tithes honestly and on time. Let your other personal offerings be “honourable” both in value and in presentation.

King David gave us a good example.

Moreover, because I have set my affection to the house of my God, I have of mine own proper good, of gold and silver, which I have given to the house of my God, over and above all that I have prepared for the holy house. Even three thousand talents of gold, of the gold of Ophir, and seven thousand talents of refined silver, to overlay the walls of the houses withal: The gold for things of gold, and the silver for things of silver, and for all manner of work to be made by the hands of artificers..- I Chronicles 29:3 – 5.

The same King David said he can give God  an offering which does not cost him.

And the king said unto Araunah, Nay; but I will surely buy it of thee at a price: neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the LORD my God of that which doth cost me nothing. So David bought the threshingfloor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver – 2 Samuel 24:24

3.      Never climb the alter to collect offering without your own offering in your hand. Asking people to give when you are not giving yourself is mockery of the whole exercise. Note also that your own blessings will depend on what you have given yourself and not what your congregation gives.

Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap – Galatians 6:7

4.     Read or quote relevant scriptures that support the offering you are collecting. The Word of God is the voice of God. It is powerful and able to convict the people to give their tithes and offerings with understanding.

The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is full of majesty – Psalms 29:4

I have included a few scriptures below to help the reader appreciate the use of scriptures while taking offerings.

5.     Let collection be done decently and orderly. We serve a decent and orderly God, and therefore we must serve Him decently and orderly.

Let all things be done decently and in order – I Corinthians 14:40

I will feel indebted to you if I don’t share some scriptures that you may read or quote while collecting tithes and offerings. These are just a few to help the reader appreciate the use of scriptures during offering. I will try to categorize to make it easier to apply. Remember this is not an exhaustive list.

1.     Normal or General Offering

Proverbs 3:9 - Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the first fruits of all thine increase:

2 Corinthians 9:6 – 7
But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.

Deuteronomy 8:18 - But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.

Deuteronomy 16:16 - Three times in a year shall all thy males appear before the LORD thy God in the place which he shall choose; in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles: and they shall not appear before the LORD empty:

Deuteronomy 16:17 - Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the LORD thy God which he hath given thee.

Genesis 26:12 – 13
Then Isaac sowed in that land, and received in the same year an hundredfold: and the LORD blessed him. And the man waxed great, and went forward, and grew until he became very great:

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.

Philippians 4:19 - But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

Galatians 6:7 - Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

Galatians 6:9 - And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

2 Corinthians 9:6 - 7
But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.

Psalms 96:8 - Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come into his courts.

Proverbs 18:16 - A man's gift maketh room for him, and bringeth him before great men.

Exodus 35:5 - Take ye from among you an offering unto the LORD: whosoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it, an offering of the LORD; gold, and silver, and brass,

Exodus 35:29 - The children of Israel brought a willing offering unto the LORD, every man and woman, whose heart made them willing to bring for all manner of work, which the LORD had commanded to be made by the hand of Moses.

2.     Tithe

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.

Malachi 3:10 – 12
Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me 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. 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. And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the LORD of hosts.

Proverbs 3:9 – 10
Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the first fruits of all thine increase: So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.

Genesis 28:20 – 22
And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on, So that I come again to my father's house in peace; then shall the LORD be my God: And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God's house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee.

Matthew 23:23 - Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.

Ezekiel 44:30 -  30 - And the first of all the first fruits of all things, and every oblation of all, of every sort of your oblations, shall be the priest's: ye shall also give unto the priest the first of your dough, that he may cause the blessing to rest in thine house.

3.     Welfare Offering

Proverbs 28:27 - He that giveth unto the poor shall not lack: but he that hideth his eyes shall have many a curse.

Proverbs 19:17 - He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the LORD; and that which he hath given will he pay him again.

Proverbs 21:13 - Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard.

Proverbs 22:9 - He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed; for he giveth of his bread to the poor

Psalms 41:1 - Blessed is he that considereth the poor: the LORD will deliver him in time of trouble.

Proverbs 29:7 - The righteous considereth the cause of the poor: but the wicked regardeth not to know it.

Proverbs 29:7 - The righteous considereth the cause of the poor: but the wicked regardeth not to know it.

Matthew 19:21- Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.

Luke 14:13 - But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind:

Isaiah 41:17 - When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the LORD will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them.

Exodus 23:11 - But the seventh year thou shalt let it rest and lie still; that the poor of thy people may eat: and what they leave the beasts of the field shall eat. In like manner thou shalt deal with thy vineyard, and with thy oliveyard.

Psalms 112:9 - He hath dispersed, he hath given to the poor; his righteousness endureth for ever; his horn shall be exalted with honour.

Proverbs 14:21 - He that despiseth his neighbour sinneth: but he that hath mercy on the poor, happy is he.

James 1: 27 - Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

4.     Thanksgiving offering

Leviticus 22:29 - And when ye will offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving unto the LORD, offer it at your own will.

Psalms 107:22 - And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare his works with rejoicing.

Psalms 116:17 - I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the LORD.

Amos 4:5 - And offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving with leaven, and proclaim and publish the free offerings: for this liketh you, O ye children of Israel, saith the Lord GOD.

Jonah 2:9 - But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the LORD.

5.     Project / Special Offering

Haggai 1:8 - Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the house; and I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified, saith the LORD.

1Chronicles 29:3 - Moreover, because I have set my affection to the house of my God, I have of mine own proper good, of gold and silver, which I have given to the house of my God, over and above all that I have prepared for the holy house,

Exodus 35:21 – And they came, every one whose heart stirred him up, and every one whom his spirit made willing, and they brought the LORD'S offering to the work of the tabernacle of the congregation, and for all his service, and for the holy garments.

Exodus 36:3 - And they received of Moses all the offering, which the children of Israel had brought for the work of the service of the sanctuary, to make it withal. And they brought yet unto him free offerings every morning.

Exodus 36:5 – 6
And they spake unto Moses, saying, The people bring much more than enough for the service of the work, which the LORD commanded to make. And Moses gave commandment, and they caused it to be proclaimed throughout the camp, saying, Let neither man nor woman make any more work for the offering of the sanctuary. So the people were restrained from bringing.

6.     Prophet Offering

Matthew 10:41 - He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward.

1Corinthians 9:11 - If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things?

Deuteronomy 12:19 - Take heed to thyself that thou forsake not the Levite as long as thou livest upon the earth

I Kings 18:4 - For it was so, when Jezebel cut off the prophets of the LORD, that Obadiah took an hundred prophets, and hid them by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water.)

I Kings 17:10 – 14
So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow woman was there gathering of sticks: and he called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel that I may drink. And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her, and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand. And she said, As the LORD thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die. And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son. For thus saith the LORD God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the LORD sendeth rain upon the earth