TEXT GIVING
Leviticus 27:30,34
"All tithes on land, levied on the produce of the soil or on the fruit of trees, belong to Yahweh; they are consecrated to Yahweh.Such were the orders which Yahweh gave Moses on Mount Sinai for the Israelites.
How much should I be giving?
10% of your Income.
Tithing is a responsibility for all Christians and should be taken very seriously. However, there are legitimate exceptions to tithing such as family members living in poverty with very little money to cover their basic needs.
Jesus in Mark 12:41 gave us the example of the widow that tithe giving few pwnnies from what she had to live on.
with your 10% tithing you help the Church to:
Pay employes, keep the places clean, safe, and in good shape.
We pay bills (water, energy, oil, town inspections and permits, property insurance, office materials, catechesis resources for children and youth, etc).
Also you help the poor: in our food pantry we feed more than 600 households, annually we give over 150 turkey dinners for thanksgiving day, we help with scholarships to active members of our parish.
BEN SCOTT
WHY & HOW MUCH SHOULD I BE GIVING TO THE CHURCH, TO THE POOR
BY BEN SCOTT
THE FIRST PILLAR:
"THE GREAT COMMANDMENT"
Mark 12:28-31.
Loving the Lord your God with all your heart.
Do I love God in such a way that I will be able to do everything for Him?
Do I worship him as he deserves?
Do I participate in Church activities and attend regularly and reverently?
Do I try to learn more about Him and understand what He is asking of me by reading, studying and living the Bible?
God has created everything out of love. Great! Do I love Him en return for such a grace?
Loving God is the base of everything else in Church and in life.
Loving your Neighbor as yourself. I don't want anything bad or evil for myself, all I want is holiness and happiness. Well, that's what we should help others to achieve. How can I do this? share your time, your treasure and your talents.
THE SECOND PILLAR:
"THE LAST JUDGEMENT"
Matthew 25:31-46
In his love God reminds us of the responsibility that we have for one another as brothers and sisters. Jesus will recognize those who took care of the least ones of this world. But for those who neglected them will be eternal condemnation. It is not intimidation, every act has consecuences in life; if you choose to live this life in sin and death thats your choise and your destiny. But if you choose to live in light and in Jesus love, that's your destiny.
This two pilars put in shame the way we tithe. In a world with so much wealth, people dying by starvation, poor medical care, malnutrition, etc; it is just inconceivable.
Isaiah 58:10-11
10 if you deprive yourself for the hungry and satisfy the needs of the afflicted, your light will rise in the darkness, and your darkest hour will be like noon.
11 Yahweh will always guide you, will satisfy your needs in the scorched land; he will give strength to your bones and you will be like a watered garden, like a flowing spring whose waters never run dry.