TITHING: THE TRIGGER OF FAITH by Kong Hee

(Source: City Harvest Church news bulletin, November 1 - 2, 2014)

When the prophet Nehemiah returned to Jerusalem to rebuild the broken city walls, the first few things he did were to restore the teaching of God’s Word, the weekly worship and –TITHING (Nehemiah 10:37-39). Why was tithing so important when it came to rebuilding the city? In fact, further down in Neh. 13:10-12, the prophet said, “I also realized that the portions for the Levites had not been given them … So I contended with the rulers, and said, ”Why is the house of God forsaken?”

The word “tithing” means “1/10” or “10%” of your increase or your income. It is important for three reasons:

#1: Tithing expresses HONOR.
Tithing is a powerful way of honoring God. Prov. 3:9-10 says to “Honor the Lord with your possessions. And with the firstfruits of all your increase; So your barns will be filled with plenty, And your vats will overflow with new wine.” That’s the tithe! When we give to God our tithe (10%), we are telling God in no uncertain terms, “Lord, everything I have is Yours.”

#2: Tithing expresses GRATITUDE.
In Matt. 6:21, Jesus says, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” If we desire to stay connected to God’s house, we must put “a part of our treasure” – our tithe – in our church. Every month, when we work out our tithes, we are reminded of the faithfulness of God. When we give toward our church, it locks our hearts to our Lord Jesus and the vision He has given to City Harvest.

#3: Tithing expresses LOVE and WORSHIP.
The first time the word “love” and “worship” appear in the Bible, it has to do with Abraham’s giving (Gen. 22:1-5,12). Abraham was so willing to give his son Isaac to the Lord because in his heart, he loved and worshipped the Lord. God Himself demonstrated this same love to us – He gave us His only begotten Son. Like giving the tithe, God gave Jesus Christ to express His love and devotion for us.


Now, what happens to the tithe and offering that is collected in the house of God every week? The Bible spells out three uses of the tithe we bring to God:

In-reach (Manpower) Num. 18:21, 24 “the Sacred Tithe” – Tithes are used to pay the wages of the full-time workers in the house of God.

Up-reach (Ministry) Deut. 14:23 “the tithe for the feasts” – In our modern day context, the tithes provide for the ministry and events of the church that help people grow in their walk with God.

Out-reach (Mission) Deut. 14:28-29 “the tithe for the lost and needy” –This was also called the tithe for the lost and needy, in other words, for evangelism and missions.


When we are faithful to tithe as God’s people, we will trigger seven great blessings of God laid out in Mal. 3:10-12.

Bring in all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house (STRONG CHURCH);

If I will not open for you the windows of heaven (OPEN HEAVEN); 

And pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it (SUCCESS);

And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes (VICTORY);

So that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground (PRODUCTIVE CAREER);

Nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field (PROFITABLE INVESTMENTS); and

All nations will call you blessed, for you will be a delightful land (GLOBAL INFLUENCE & LEGACY).

To date, there are 77 churches in City Harvest’s network of affiliate and associate churches. Apart from these, we also have thousands of graduates from the School of Theology involved in the harvest fields of world. The message of the Great Commandment, the Great Commission and the Cultural Mandate is seeing contemporary churches sprouting all throughout Asia. Such influence and impact could only come about with financial resources. Without faithful tithers, the work of the kingdom could not have taken place on such a global stage.

City Harvest, let’s put God FIRST in our lives and let’s be MINDFUL of the work of the gospel. Make a decision to be a faithful tither and a generous giver!





Preaching the gospel of Christ in a way that’s both progressive and heartfelt, Dr. Kong Hee is a highly sought-after conference speaker worldwide, and his messages minister to millions of people around the world who are inspired to become true ambassadors for Christ wherever God has placed them. Kong is also the founder and senior pastor of City Harvest Church – a thriving, contemporary congregation in the heart of Singapore. His international TV program, Alive! With Kong, encourages millions around the world each week. For more information on Kong’s ministry and materials, please visit konghee.com. 


http://edition.konghee.com/

Book Review: Keys to Financial Excellence by Phil Pringle

In his book “Keys to Financial Excellence” by Phil Pringle, he provides us with clear insights on 52 keys to financial excellence and group them under the following 8 categories, namely:

A. Foundations of Abundant Living
B. Principles of Prosperity
C. Principles of Tithing
D. The Laws of Harvest Living
E. Principles of Productivity
F. Reasons to Give Sacrificial Offerings to God
G. Living in God’s Economy
H. Releasing Blessings to Others

Pastor Phil writes from a background of wide experience. As sourced from his blog, he is “the Founder and President of C3 Church International, a global movement of over 240 churches, and the Senior Minister of C3 Church in Sydney Australia. Phil and his wife, Christine, started C3 Church in 1980 and it is now one of the fastest growing, exciting and powerful churches in Australia. An entire global movement of vibrant churches has been birthed as a result of Phil’s leadership and vision as he maintains an uncompromised passion to see cities changed by a contemporary, relevant and anointed church. Phil’s dynamic and relevant preaching has made him a much sought after speaker in both Christian and secular contexts, particularly in the areas of faith, leadership, ministry of the Holy Spirit, church building and kingdom principles of finance and giving.”

In the Foreword of this book, Dr. Dick Bernal, Senior Minister of Jubliee Christian Center in San Jose, California, wrote: “Thank God there are some preachers like Phil Pringle who are prepared to step boldly and unapologetically into the fullness of what the Word of God has to say about money, prosperity, and the power of giving. His revelation of the abundance of God and how that is released through a willingness to give generously to God has become a hallmark of his increasingly influential ministry.”

The book is easy to read and unfolds like a personal sharing by the author with its readers; nothing preachy. There are waves after waves of biblical resources, anecdotes, stories and fresh insights shared generously across the pages of this authoritative guide.  

I have obtained much fresh manna through the revelation knowledge imparted through this book. For example, just when I thought I have learnt all there is to know concerning Malachi 3:10, this book taught me some more.

Consider, “Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house..”. All along I have thought that this meant the fulltime staff of the church would be taken care of financially as in “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain," and "The worker deserves his wages."

But, there is more, as Pastor Phil explains, “Sometimes, when I’m visiting other churches, people tell me they are going to leave because the pastor doesn’t “bring the food of the Word.” I find that, all too often, the problem is simply that these people have ceased tithing. Perhaps someone told them they didn’t think the church was spending its money properly. Maybe they didn’t like the spending levels shown in the church’s annual report. Or possibly they had been experiencing problems with their own cash flow and decided to stop tithing until things improved. Gradually, however, they feel a decrease of spiritual food coming to them in the church.”

Also, consider, “And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, so that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground, nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field,” says the Lord of hosts.” (Malachi 3:11; NKJV) My takeaway on this is that “Success is not just dependent on the brilliance of the plan or the idea, but on being right with God. This leads to His blessing on all that we do.” And, “When Jesus rebukes something it is gone!” This was a biggie for me as Pastor Phil recounted how: Jesus rebuked the wind, and it ceased. (Mark 4:39); Jesus rebuked the demon of deafness, and it left the boy (Mark 9:25); Jesus rebuked a self-destructive spirit out of a boy, and it left him. (Matthew 17:18); Jesus rebuked an unclean spirit out of a person in the synagogue, and it left him. (Mark 1:25); and Jesus rebuked the fever in Peter’s mother-in-law, and it left her. (Luke 4:39)

Then, there are memorable stories such as ERIC STORM TELLS HOW TO BE A MILLIONAIRE: “YOU JUST GIVE IT AWAY” by Peter Lalor (page 47) and “THE COOKIE THIEF” by Valerie Cox (page 8).

This book is worth a re-read for me. Thank you, Pastor Phil for your generous feeding. I have been well fed!