With no temple standing, it's not easy to determine just what we should do with a tithe. To further complicate that issue, I live an agrarian lifestyle, and Scripture is full of what's expected with first fruits, first of the flock, first and 10th, but I don't know where to give the offering, so I continue to seek and search out the matter.
I've got some pretty good solid foundational understandings, and I believe YHWH is blessing my seeking, but there is still the matter for all of us, as to how to give to YHWH or meet a need in His Name.
I'll begin with the obvious. The prosperity teaching is wrong. I do not believe YHWH will make sure you get 100 times whatever you donate to the preacher with a private jet and multi-million dollar, tax free mansion. I also know you don't "capture" the Holy Spirit leading all the latest books. That's not to say, books are not of value, as sometimes the author addresses the exact issue that has blocked our understanding, or opens the insight for a particular Scripture, but a book of eternal value gets us in the Word, and confirms the Word. I don't want to reap the harvest of judgement some of those prosperity folks are sowing.
The next area of consternation for me is the increasing number of people who are simply asking for money. Chances are they need it more than the group mentioned in the previous paragraph, but they may be in the place of "want" because they can't handle money properly. I try to make a point of taking along fruit and water and my latest book when I head to town. Then when I see someone with a "sign" at the corner, I can give them something to eat, something refreshing, and something to think about. I usually include a dollar or two, but that's my limit. I don't believe in giving someone something that could cause them to stumble. Money is not easy for most people to manage, and clearly someone who is begging has difficulty with money. I don't want to turn anyone away that might be hungry, but I also don't want to enable someone to buy something that I don't want to provide. I certainly don't want to help someone stay in addiction bondage, of any kind. I don't want to sow a harvest of addiction or poverty for myself or my children.
As I look in Scripture, for places to share and give, I of course know, I am to support the ministry of which I'm called with asking donations. I also read of widows, orphans, and visiting those in prison. That's the soil in which we're called to sow. Who knows what affect we may have on a child who doesn't have a strong G-dly influence, and we certainly need to stop assuming everyone who is old knows G-d. If that were the case, end of life medical treatments would not be so numerous.
When it comes to sowing into the kingdom, of course we use our earthly resources, as well as our time, but we must sow wisely in soil YHWH has prepared. I don't ever teach to give to receive, but we are called to be accountable in our giving.
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