I received the following letter:
Dear Dr. Ollison,
Thank you for the Cutting Edge daily devotional. They are truly life changing. Each day I look forward to finding them in my mail box. I duplicate them and give them to my friends. Several times you have had a word in season that has spoken to my heart and solved a problem that I had that very day. Sometimes it seemed as though you knew exactly what I was dealing with and I thank you for your dedication. Please keep them coming.
However, today, I have a slight problem with your devotional. Although I agree that Christians should give, I do not believe in tithing and the number one reason I do not believe in tithing is this: If tithing was really as important as you say that it is, then certainly Jesus, Himself, would have said something either for it or against it. But since Jesus never addressed tithing, not even once, then it’s not important to me.
I do not mean this to be offensive. I highly respect you and all that you teach. You are one of my favorite teachers and I trust your understanding of the Word.”
I appreciate all the letters that I get, even the letters that don’t agree with my teaching because when I am challenged, it forces me to examine what I teach. Such is the case with the previous letter.
His reasoning would be correct except for the fact that his facts are not true. Jesus didn’t ignore talking about the tithe. In fact, when speaking to the scribes and Pharisees, he clearly spoke about the tithe. He told the scribes and Pharisees in Matthew 23:23, “. . . You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.” (NIV)
The man who wrote the letter said he did not tithe because Jesus never mentioned tithing. But as you can see, Jesus did. All too often people will take actions that can mean life or death based on an assumption that is not true. Jesus said in John 8:31-32 that the truth of His Word would set us free. Anything that does not align with the Word of God is false. The truth brings deliverance. Everything else brings destruction.
And the truth is this. There were things the religious leaders were not doing at the time of Jesus that they should have done. And Jesus corrected them on this, while at the same time reminding them to not neglect what they were already doing. He said very clearly that tithing was good and they should continue to do it.
So, with this in mind, using the same logic that was used in the letter to me, since Jesus did mention tithing and since He said it was a good thing to do and He told those He was talking to that they should continue to tithe, we should tithe.
What is a tithe? The word tithe means one-tenth. The tithe belongs to God. It is not ours. It never has been and it never will be. It should not be included in our budget, because it is not ours to decide what to do with it. To use the tithe for personal expenses is stealing from God and personally I don’t think that is a good thing to do.
Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, “ In what way have we robbed You?” In tithes and offerings.
(Mal. 3:8)
So what is the bottom line? Jesus said we should tithe and the Bible says if we don’t we are stealing from God. If you are a tither, I thank you for being obedient to God. If you are not, see Malachi 3:9.
Copyright © Larry Ollison Ministries
All rights reserved. Used by permission.
Dr. Larry Ollison is founder and Senior Pastor of Walk on the Water Faith Church and founder of Larry Ollison Ministries. With over forty years in the ministry, he is a very popular speaker nationally and internationally and ministers the Word of Faith through radio, television, Internet, and daily e-mail devotionals. As the author of twelve books (including The Power of Grace, The Practical Handbook for Christian Living, Breaking the Cycle of Offense, Life is in the Blood, and recently released The Paradise of God), he is in frequent demand for radio/TV interviews, book signings, and magazine publications.
Dr. Ollison was raised a Southern Baptist. While majoring in theology at Southwest Baptist University, he received the baptism of the Holy Spirit. For many years he traveled extensively speaking at Full Gospel Business Men's meetings and conventions. He later earned an M.A. in Theology and a Ph.D. and Th.D. from Life Christian University.
Currently President of International Convention of Faith Ministries (ICFM), Dr. Ollison is also Vice-President of Spirit FM Christian Radio Network, Missouri State Director of Christians United for Israel (CUFI), and a Trustee on the boards of several international ministries. He is also the host of The Cutting Edge Radio Broadcast and authors The Cutting Edge Daily Devotional.
As the owner of a marine dealership, his extensive business background brings a unique flavor to his teaching. He founded and served as chairman of the Missouri State Marine Board, President of the Marine Dealers’ Association, Vice-President of a bank holding company, along with holding several directorships in various corporations.
Dr. Ollison's strongest areas of teaching are the blood of Jesus, faith, relationships, the Hebrew language, the Holy Spirit, the end times, and heaven. During ministry, he operates freely in the gifts of the Holy Spirit. His use of humor and his ability to make a theological concept simple makes it enjoyable and easy for everyone to understand. Countless testimonies have been received from people who say their lives have been changed after experiencing Dr. Ollison's unique ministry.
Dr. Ollison is a pastor, pilot, teacher, and author. His number one goal is to meet the needs of the people through the teaching of faith in God's Word. He and his wife, Loretta, have two children and six grandchildren.