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Monday, August 9, 2010

Can I Give to the Local Christian Radio Station and Count It as Part of My Tithe?

I think Christian radio has a great ministry. It helps Christians worship and give them comfort. It is good clean entertainment. However, it is not the church.

Some will respond with, "No, but it helps the church. Doesn't it give the church free advertising?" The answer is "yes" and "no." If the church charges anything for an event, even if that charge is to break even with the expenses, Christian radio charges the church big bucks. As long as the church charges nothing for an event, Christian radio does not charge. Most events require churches to charge something.

Christian radio exclaims it is "listener supported." Guess what? So is the church!

On the other side, I appreciate that Christian radio is around. It provides a ministry that the church has not been able to provide. They pay a fee for playing each and every one of Christians' favorite songs. They take a chance in buying the equipment and securing the license. Christians should support them.

But can a Christian count their giving as part of their tithe? Before I answer this question I must ask whether or not you care what the Bible says. If not, do what you want to do. If you do, then read on.

The Bible tells us that God calls the failure to give Him the full tithe theft. He says that the people are stealing from Him when they fail to bring the full tithe into the storehouse. The question is: what is this storehouse? The Bible tells us that storerooms were built in the Temple. It must be that God was expecting people to bring a tenth of the fruit of their labors to the Temple.

It is clear that the Church represents the Temple of the Old Testament. It is the place where God's people worship. It is the body of Christ. It is His Bride. It is whom He is coming back for. There is nothing more precious to the Lord than His church.

Does God still expect a tithe? Jesus said that people should tithe. (Luke 11:42) I don't think we can get a higher authority than Him. Therefore, Christians must return a tithe to the Lord through His storehouse (the Temple and now the Church) as Jesus expected and see what God will do in blessing them.

Christians should give beyond the tithe. That is what an offering is. The offering may go to a Christian radio station or an evangelist or missions or any other Christian related ministry. It is something that is not require of the Christian but should be expected of the Christian who truly loves the Lord.

You know what to do if you want to do what the Bible says. Remember God loves a cheerful giver. I wish people would keep it if they won't give it cheerfully but that's not my call. God has blessings bigger than Christians can imagine but it takes faith to receive them. Tithe to your church for a month and see if I am not right.

Look up Malachi 3:10 and Luke 11:42 and see what they say.

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