Joseph Prince - The Truth About Tithing Under Grace
Hallelujah, how y'all doing today? All right, greet at least two or three persons around you, tell them something good, okay? Y'all know what is something good, right? Like, "You look kind of good", is not good. Say, "You look good", amen. Look at somebody else and say, "Something good is going to happen to you". Look at the one in front of you say, "God is good", amen.
We are a church and everyone that's gathered wherever you're watching this right now and you consider New Creation Church your church, every time we come together, feel that corporate anointing. There are some things you cannot do until you come together. There are some things, you know, by yourself, you know, we have this idea of a lone ranger. Even lone ranger got Tonto, okay? We got this idea of a solo Christian. You know, "It's me. I go to church to find out how to get my prayers answered. I go to church to learn how to be healthy and how to this, how to that, how to this".
You know, the thing is this, people, it is not about you. Number one, it's about the Lord. And everywhere we go, we teach pastors and leaders to have successful ministries. You gotta build your church on this three-footed tripod, so to speak. If you build your life, your church, your ministry on this tripod, you will not fail because God is behind this foundation. It's like building your house on the rock. First of all, the first tripod, the most important of all and the essence of them all is Christ, the Lord Jesus Christ, amen.
The Lord Jesus Christ has got to be first in your life. The Bible doesn't teach that husband, love your wife and find ways to love your wife. Wives, learn to adopt to your husband, learn to find what makes him tick and all that, all that is fine but the Bible doesn't teach that specifically. It teaches, "Husbands, love your wife as Christ loved the church". Now, that's big because the way Christ loved the church is like this on the cross, amen, love your wife in a self-sacrificial way. Some things you can lay aside like golf. Uh-oh, "Now pastor you stop preaching and went into meddling already", all right?
So, let's not meddle. Let's just put it straight that Jesus comes first and when you love your wife the way Christ, your eye is on Christ, not on your wife. And wives, submit yourself unto you husband is unto the Lord. You see Jesus. So, sometimes he's not very submissible. And sometimes she's not very lovable and that's the time you must see Jesus even more and love her.
So, the Bible says, number one, it's Jesus. Everything we do, we, why do we go to work? We say to get an income, amen, to put bread and butter on the table. Well, actually you go to work because you are serving the Lord. The Bible says not with eye service as man pleases, but unto the Lord. For from the Lord, or of the Lord, you shall receive the reward. Have you read that before in Colossians? All right, don't just serve your employers, amen, as if it is unto him alone, but as unto the Lord. Yes, the Lord is involved, even in the affairs of life, even you're working for a secular company, the Lord wants you to treat your employer as if you are submitting to the Lord, except for moral issues. If he tells you to do something that you know is immoral to lie, to cheat, or whatever, no, no, amen, because it's unto the Lord.
So, Jesus is always first. We are to be absorbed in his beauty, want to hear sermons about him, amen, his finished work, how he became sin for us, amen? He became sin with our sins at the cross that we might become righteous with his righteousness, the divine exchange at the cross. This is not religion, this is reality, amen? And it's not about trying harder, be more moral, be gooder, no, it is about accepting a free gift. Christ took our sins, he died for us, he was raised from the dead when we were declared righteous in him and today he's at the Father's right hand, amen? And he's our King. He's our Lord. So, everything centers around him.
Then number two is the church, the local church, amen? Now, the church expression, a lot of people says, "Church, church, I belong to the church", which church? "I belong to the church". No, so when you get married, who marries you? The universal church, the universal pastor. There's no such thing, amen? There's no such thing in terms of these expressions in the Bible. The Bible expresses the universal church in local bodies. Jesus addressed seven churches specifically. He could have one sermon for one church and then y'all share among yourself but instead he called out the church of Laodicea. He called out the church of Ephesus. He called out the church of Philadelphia. He recognizes local churches as illustrated by the lampstand in its various parts being the church as a whole, amen?
Then number three is Israel. Now, I don't think that we have a problem with that in our church. We love Jesus, we love Israel. Sometimes we emphasize Israel and then we gotta come back to Jesus, and then Jesus, Israel, but we have forgotten the church. We've forgotten the local church. In the local church, there's safety. Do you remember what the prodigal said about my father's house? My father's house, remember that? "My father's house, there's food enough and to spare". There's plenty in the father's house. When you come together, there's safety. There's an anointing. There is a dispensation of grace every time you come.
Every time you come, there is a favor on you you never had before. When you leave, you don't leave the same way you came. There is a law about the future temple of Ezekiel, there'll be a future temple in Jerusalem when Jesus returns, it's Ezekiel's temple, the Bible talks about Ezekiel prophesied about it so we call it Ezekiel's temple. It's the temple of the Lord but in that temple, it says that you cannot enter the same way as you go out. Sorry, you don't go out the same way you enter. All right, one way you enter, one way you must exit another way. So obviously, there's another exit on different sides and you are supposed, the idea is that in the temple of God, in the house of God that we are, God is building in these last days, when you come to God's house, you never leave the same.
Jesus is here because he's here. And you say that, "well, he's with me. He never leaves me nor forsake me". No, he's talking about being here where we're all gathered in his name, remember that? "Where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am in the midst of them". So, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together. There is safety. There is protection in the church. We send gift, and God raises people to bless the world, amen, to get souls saved, and then to feed them, to equip them, to train them. There is authority and submission in the body of Christ.
You know, somehow we have this idea that once you're saved, you know, it's "me, my, my son Jimmy and my wife, Kimmy, and we're all happy", you know? No, it's about, it's more than you. Life is frustrating and empty just living for yourself. There's authority in submission in the local church. Many people go, they're not sent. To be sent, there's authority that sends you. Just like the centurion says, I also, notice the word, "also". He told Jesus this, "You don't have to come to my house", his servant was sick. "You don't have to come to my house, you can speak the Word where you are right now and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man under authority", the centurion says, "and I have soldiers under me and I tell one go and he goes, I tell another one come and he comes. I also am a man".
The reason why I have authority to tell one to come and he will come, to tell another to got and he will go, is because I also am a man under authority. Are you listening, people? And when you are under authority, there is authority. There's authority in your words, there's authority in the thing that you do, and you don't have to scream and shout to show authority. Authority is realized in the impact. Your words don't fall to the ground. God creates platform for you to exert that influence that he has given you. In the body of Christ, there's a fivefold ministry.
So, you say that we are all teachers, but not everyone is a fivefold teacher. We're all called to pastor people, to shepherd them, but we are not all fivefold pastors. We are all called to prophecy, we're not all prophets. So, there's a greater anointing and you find this in the local church. Are you listening, people? And there's this idea the local church and people don't have to go to church, you know, don't have to assemble yourself, and the Bible says all the more you see the day approaching, Jesus is coming back, don't forsake the assembling of ourselves together. Amen, in 1 Peter 5 it tells you very clearly, "Likewise you younger people, submit yourself to your elders", not necessarily just young people in age, but people who are young spiritually. There's an elder in the church. There's a pastor.
In fact, the word "pastor" is the word elder, trustors, those elders, amen? And some of them are young elders as well, amen, like this one here, praise God. Yes, all of you, be submissive to one another, be clothed with humility. Now, first of all, submit. Then what happens? Be submissive, clothe yourself with humility, for God resists the proud but gives favor, gives favor, grace, to the humble. "Therefore humble yourself under the mighty hand of God that he may exalt you in due time". God doesn't want you to humble yourself, all right, to keep you suppressed. God wants to exalt you in due time, but God is observing us, amen?
You know, it's amazing that I, at one time, I had this revelation, never heard anyone share this, never preached, never heard anyone preach this, but I saw this years ago that when Jesus at 12 years old, he submitted to his parents, all right? He was 12 years and he was amazing. His understanding, they looked for him. They thought they lost him for three days and then they start looking for him. They found him on the third day, and he was at the temple and he was asking questions and answering questions that the doctors of the law and the so-called rabbis, and the Pharisees were asking him, and they were amazed at his understanding and answers at the age of 12.
The mother came, right, and he went back with them and the next verse says, he, and he was subject unto them. He was smarter than them at 12 years of age. You know what the next verse after that says? Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, in favor with God and man. Every time you submit, favor is released in your life, amen? Jesus, at 12, was smarter than Joseph and Mary and yet, he submit himself to them. People have this idea, "Unless you are smarter than me, you are more qualified, you're healthier than me, I won't submit to you", amen? But God is watching the attitude. God says, "Be humble", amen?
Clothe yourself with humility, amen. There's leadership in the church. Obey them, they to rule over you, let them do it with joy and not with grief, for it is unprofitable for you. But verses like this are all in the New Testament. Then there's authority in the government. The Bible says that in Romans that there's no power that be that, but they are ordained of God, what? You mean God, God raised the Roman Empire? If you study Daniel's prophecy, you'll find that is so, and God raised them because Israel failed. So, God calls this period the Gentile age, amen? Doesn't mean everything that's going on is of God, but every government is ordained, the Bible says, by God. And let every soul be subject to the higher powers, amen? For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil.
Honor the policemen. There's such an attitude right now in the body of Christ that, you know, people are just making fun of policemen, you know, in the movies, you know? They make fun of authority figures and all that. There's a breakdown, there's lawlessness in many, many, many places. People do like, and they think they're modern, actually they're going back to Bible times where everyone did what was right in their own sight, where there was no Joshua, there was no Moses, where there was no more judges and then you find that they always do whatever they want, everyone did what was right in their own eyes. Have you read that before? But there is authority and there's submission in the body of Christ, amen?
If your marriage is in trouble, go to someone, amen? "Well, pastor, I don't like that person". Put that aside. Go to that person, even Caiaphas the high priest, because he was the high priest and he was half-past-six high priest. He's a corrupted man but because of his position, he prophesied that one man should die for the nation then that whole nation perish. And the Bible says he said this because he was the high priest that year. In other words, God put prophecy in his mouth because of his position. Even though in character-wise, my goodness, amen? So, God, if you honor, honor the authority God has put, amen, and submit, God will release favor on you.
Esther, you know, when the time came and there was a beauty contest, Esther wanted nothing but what the king wanted, sorry, what the king's chamberlain, okay? You know that the king has a eunuch that takes care of all the women, right? The eunuch usually is eunuch, you know, all right? All I can say is poor chap. Anyway, this guy is called Haggai, and the Bible says when all the women came to be chosen as the next queen, all the women asked for this clothes, that clothes, that, you know, all kinds of expensive stuff and all that, and the king had everything at their disposal. But then Esther did not want anything but what this eunuch asked for, all the eunuch advice, she took, wisdom.
Now, she didn't say, "I'm not gonna submit to him. He's not even a real man". She didn't do that, all right? I mean, he didn't speak in a manly way, you know, but she submitted to him and he's not even a believer. But you know what happened? The next verse, Esther obtained favor. God resist the proud, but gives grace to the humble, amen? Ruth, Ruth submitted to her mother-in-law. Mother-in-law and daughter-in-law in famous stories nowadays, you know, it's the theme of shows and all that, but Ruth submitted to her mother-in-law and say that, "I'll go to the field and I'll work as a gleaner, the lowest menial task", amen? And what happened? It is there the most eligible bachelor was there at the same time and the Bible says she found favor in his eyes. God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Can I have a good amen?
Now, another area, my concern is that I think it's time for me to address some things that is happening all over the world, especially among some grace teachers. Now, many of them, many of them have been blessed because of my teaching, amen? They have found grace. They have found or rediscovered the gospel of Jesus Christ, but what they have not really discovered is the mystery hidden from the ages, which is the church of Jesus Christ, which is expressed in the local church. That's the only way it is can be expressed, in the local church whether it's love one another, forbear one another, all this, minister to one another, one another, one another, one another. It's a dynamic community.
A church is not a building. When you think of a church, what do you think of? The church is what the devil is afraid of. When he looks at the church, he's trying to disintegrate the church, so watch out for teaching that make you feel like you don't have to go to church anymore. You are the church, amen? No, friend, what does it mean? Obey them, they have to rule over you. Who has to rule over you? Amen, let them do it with joy and not with grief, for it will be unprofitable for you. I tell you something else that grace teaches, some of them take my teaching and they go berserk, amen. You know why? You know why they do that? They don't have a local church. They don't have a local church, or they don't respect the local church enough so they come against tithing, you know, and when they sin out there, they are not accountable to anybody.
Whereas in the church, you sin, we love you enough to help you through that sin. Having problem with your wife, your wife having problems with the husband whatever, we are here for you. And we are not just here in ourselves. We're not here in our capacity, limited capacity. We are here anointed by God and many a times we talk to you, God will put his words in our mouth. Can I have a good amen? You know, in church history, they understood this, that if someone is coming in the body, to hurt the body of Christ, to cheat or whatever, there's such an authority that sometimes when they speak, bad things happen to that person. They don't hire thugs, they don't hire gangsters. They just speak and that person can be blind, amen.
Another way is that when the church withdraws fellowship from that person, that person is, in essence, delivered to Satan for the destruction of the flesh. Such authority was in the local church to protect the church. If there's cancer in someone's body, what's the best thing you can do? In someone's body, what do you do? Wah, straightaway, cut it off. Hey, be patient now, I mean, you try to get it healed, all right? There's cancer, all right, on someone's body or skin cancer or whatever, you try to what? You try to get it healed, right, amen? Speaking naturally, you try to get it healed, correct? I hope that wasn't a doctor just now who say cut it off, amen?
Then if it refuses to get healed, it refuses to get healed, amen, what do you do? You cut it off, but you don't cut it off because you hate, it's because you love the body. You don't want it to spread. You understand? So, you deal with people who are living in destructive lifestyle, in immorality whatever, you deal with them, you get them healed, amen? And many of them do, praise God. But in rare chases there are those who refuse to, but they still want to continue in the church to harm people, amen, to influence people, to withdraw fellowship, bang, it's, in essence, delivered to Satan. No, these are things I don't like to talk about because I love to talk about God's love, amen.
And this is love by the way, it's discipline, love for the body of Christ, amen. It's tough love. I mean, God loves you enough, I'm so glad sometimes, you know, when I do something that's I remember those times that I do some things that are wrong, you know, it's almost like I cannot get away, you know? Something is gonna happen and when it happens, it came to a point where I felt like, boy, he really loves me, huh? Others can, but I can't. You will come to that place as well because you are special. You are set apart, all right? Stone can be among the dust and all that, but diamonds no, they're not found on the surface. God is keeping you. God is holding you in value until the right time you are to be displayed, amen? This is not real, amen?
So, another thing about the body of Christ, and these grace teachers, watch out for these vagabond preachers. There's no authority over them and they speak out of their own authority. And you can see that God doesn't sanction their ministry, doesn't go anywhere. And they will tell you that you don't have to tithe. Many of them, there are many, unfortunately, even grace teachers they will say you don't have to tithe.
Now, number one, God doesn't need your tithe. God doesn't want to tithe because God needs to be rich. And then there are voices out there in the world, you know, telling Christians, "Stay poor. Don't talk about rich, you talk about rich, we're gonna come against you, we're gonna blog about you, we're gonna write articles about you". So, there's a spirit of intimidation in America right now, amen? There's also coming here in the churches in Singapore. It's all over the world now, actually, a spirit of intimidation. You cannot even say prosperity, you cannot even say, "Wah, you are the prosperity gospel", and they themself have three, four houses, many of them have two, three cars, they're drawing a salary from their church who are preaching grace, you know, prosperity gospel and grace is, I mean, come on. Stop being a hypocrite and let God's people prosper, amen.
Now church, we got something better, amen. But every time you touch on it, "Whoa, he's touching, he wants your money". Keep your money. It's a revelation, amen? You know, God's dream for you is this, the devil doesn't want the church prosperous, you know why? Because a prosperous church can do a lot of thing. And does God want his church to prosper? Look at the nation of Israel, a type of the church in the Old Testament. And by the way, some grace teachers don't use the Old Testament the way I do it. I teach a lot from the Old Testament, amen.
So, in Israel, God said this, "To the point that there'll be no poor among you". Do you know that God said that in the Bible? And then God said this in Deuteronomy 8, God says, "When you have eaten", and this is from King James, Old King James, "and you are full, and you have built goodly houses, and dwelt therein and when". Say, "when", not is if, when. That means it's a matter of time. "And when your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and your gold is multiplied".
Now, someone says, "You know, Pastor Prince, you teach people this, then you're teaching people, you know, to be rich". Really, are we supposed to teach people to be rich? God wants you to be prosperous, not to be materialistic. That's what the problem is, not to love money. There are poor people who think of money all the time. They don't have money, they think of money all the time and they love it, amen. Listen, rich doesn't mean bad. Rich people create employment in a country. Rich people, you know, create things whereby others can prosper, prosper and build other businesses and their people can prosper. Rich doesn't mean bad. If rich is bad, then Abraham was bad. He was bad, man, bad, amen. David was bad. Church, God says this, when your silver and gold is multiplied, don't love it, love God. That's why he's warning them.
When your silver and gold because it will be multiplied. Church, it will be multiplied. "And all that you have is multiplied, your heart be lifted up, you forget the Lord". That's the problem, they forget the Lord, and God blesses them. Then you drop down, God says this, "And you say in your my power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth". Now, this is not a problem if wealth is not coming to God's people, amen? But it is a problem when it comes to God's people and they take credit for it, and God wants them to know, "Remember me".
Now, if the wealth is so spectacular it comes through a lottery, all right, there are millions and millions in America and then one person gets the top lottery, right? Now, that is spectacular, but most of the time, the wealth comes in in a very supernaturally natural way, that you have to remember it is the Lord. That break you got, that discount you got, that right place you heard about something that someone told you and then you got to that job, it's a better paying job, you think it's by chance. It's so supernaturally natural, but it is from the Lord. And God says, "Remember, you shall remember the Lord thy God, for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth".
Who gives you power to get wealth? Well, some people say, "Satan". No, Satan is trying to get it out of you. Now, when he find that he cannot stop you, you know what he does? He try to push you the other way. He's always pushing people to the ditches. He try to push you the other way. "Now, think about money all the time. Think about making money all the time. Think about making money all the time". Yes, he'll push you this way as well but if not, "No, no, no, those people down there, they are bad characters. To be rich is to be bad, all right? Stay down here, it's safe, holy and poor".
So, down through church history, that's what they believed for a long time, and the world wasn't touched, wasn't evangelized. So, when TV came in they say, "It's the devil, one-eyed devil. It's a form of a Pokemon". So, the church let go and the world took over, then the movies came. All right, the church say, "Now it's evil, it's evil". Then they let go and then, you know, the sinners took over. You know, it's like everything, any idea that God gives, even Internet and all that, all right, all the ideas is for the betterment of mankind. I'm referring to those that I spoke about just now. It's not to harm them, but depend on the content, what you put on it. It's for the gospel of Jesus Christ.
So now, now the church is waking up to realize, amen? Church, God says he will give you power to get wealth, and what's the purpose of getting this wealth? "Oh, it's for me, my wife Kimmy, and my son Jimmy", no. Give me, give me, give me, no. What is it for? To establish his covenant which is sworn to your fathers as it is this day, amen? So, the wealth is to establish his covenant, not the Sinaitic Covenant. Now, you must understand here it says, "Which he swore to fathers", which is Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, that were never under the law. The law came after them. So, the covenant is through grace covenant. God is talking about the grace covenant that he wants to establish in the world. It takes money.
You say, "Pastor, money is like you're saying". No, no, I'm just saying, people, that salvation is a free gift but for people to be saved just like you were saved, somebody told you the gospel. Now, no one can tell you the gospel if they're not sent, amen? They are sent because they heard the gospel somewhere, they come and tell you. How are they sent, amen? It takes money to send, amen? It takes money to do things, to print books, literature, gospel literature, gospel tracts, whatever it is, it takes money, amen? God wants his people to prosper. Now, listen carefully, this message is not because our church is not prospering or we need more tithers, okay? So, fasten your seatbelt, it's not about that.
Okay, you say, "I don't know if I can". Don't, all right? This message is, I'm just telling you, today is like correcting those areas, you know, Bible says preach, rebuke with all authority. There's strange people, they're strange. Grace teachers who take my teaching, many of them, they're impacted by my teachings and they go into a funny way. Now, by the way, the vast majority, I would say, all right, the 80% to 90% don't go crazy, they build great churches, amen? They are people who will invite me to a conference and to preach and all that. There are many conference I turn down because I want to stay here, all right, to preach. And then there are opportunities for me to travel or even to live in other countries, more glamorous with mountains and all that, amen? But I so far, so far, I still choose to stay here, all right? And I love to preach, amen?
Now, back to this again. It's vital, you know, Hebrews 5, please. Hebrews 5, so, it's to establish his covenant which he swore to your fathers as it is this day, okay? Now, "And having been perfected", talking about our Lord Jesus, "He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him, called by God as High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek". Now, this order of Melchizedek is a very interesting thing. It's a man who lived in the... I was gonna say Old Testament, but people get the idea of under the law. It was way back there in Genesis during the time of Abraham.
Now, some people believe he's a real man, some people believe he's pre-incarnate appearance of Christ. Doesn't matter, amen, as long as what he symbolized. The Bible says his priesthood is Jesus is the priesthood after the order of Melchizedek. No more Levite. Levite priesthood is you obey, God blesses you. You don't obey, God curses you, all right? That's the Levite ministry, or the priesthood of Melchizedek, the first thing out of his mouth is, "Blessed be Abraham", and then, "Blessed be the Most High God". He blessed both man and God, I should say, God and man, amen? There's no curse in his mouth. Are you listening?
So, I read this years ago, I read this and then I came to verse 11, "Of whom", this is Melchizedek, "we have much to say", Paul said by the Spirit. "We have much to say". Say, "Much to say". "And hard to explain since you have become dull of hearing". In other words, this guy Melchizedek, wah, I got so many things to tell you about him but hard for me to explain, not because it's hard for me, because of your dullness of hearing. The revelation is not there. If you keep on reading, it talks about you are people that need milk still and not strong meat. Your level of spiritual of growth is that, you know, you're not ready for strong meat.
So, when I saw this years ago, I started praying to the Lord and I say, "Lord, open my eyes to these many things that", I believe the Apostle Paul wrote this, Paul was not able to share, amen? The Word of God says, "many things". I want to know these many things, and that's when he brought me on this journey of the Lord's supper and then the tithing, you know? Let's go to that right now in Genesis 14, "Then Melchizedek, king of Salem". This is the story that happened. By the way, Melchizedek's name appears only twice in the Old Testament, okay? In the Book of Hebrews alone, we find that the phrase "according to the order of Melchizedek" appears about three times.
Now, this is very interesting because this man appeared only in this scene and then he disappeared. It's a type of Jesus, amen? He came from heaven. Now, he's back at the Father's right hand, amen. He's coming back, praise the Lord. Now, it says, "This Melchizedek", this is the only account we have, "king of Salem". Salem is the word we get shalom, which means king of wholeness, king of health, king of completeness, king of peace. Shalom is not just peace, it's completeness, amen? No disease, no defect, amen? He brought out bread and wine. What did he bring out. He brought out bread and wine.
Now, this is incident after the victory that God gave Abraham over the four kings that took away his nephew Lot, and he did it because, again, he had a heart of a church, right? The body of Christ. He didn't go to get wealth. He went to get his servant delivered. The servant, his nephew who was captured, kidnapped, amen, with all the wealth of Sodom. So, when he came back, he was victorious. He was tired. Battle weary. He met Melchizedek who brought out bread and wine, a picture of what? The Lord's supper, amen? Don't forget, Jesus is a high priest after the order of Melchizedek, right? So, he brought bread and wine. That's for your health. The bread and wine, the Lord's supper is to proclaim what? The Lord's death.
Look at Abraham, then he blessed Abraham. Notice the blessing I shared just now, "Blessed be Abram of God Most High". This is the first time the phrase "God Most High" appears. In the Hebrew, El Elyon, the Most High God, and he's always a possessor of heaven and earth, which means God can move circumstances. God can move events. God can move your future clients. God can move your position. God can move things and events in your life. He's the God Most High. It's the first time it appears and every time, you know, something like this appear, God's name appear for the first time, pay attention. I pay attention a lot on this story because Jesus is today the high priest after the order of Melchizedek. So, he brought out bread and wine. Jesus brings out bread and wine.
People say, "Pastor Prince, when people get bored or get legalistic taking Communion and all that". Now that, you say, "If they're doing Communion all the time, they get legalistic". Now, if you are doing Communion, yes. If you think of yourself it's your revelation. If you think you are doing Communion, it can get legalistic, it can get boring. But I'm not doing Communion, I'm receiving Communion. He brought out bread and wine. Notice, he brought out. Today, have you had your Communion? Have you received your Communion? That's my idea. "Joseph Prince, have you received your Communion today, amen? Have you received Communion this Sunday? Have you received Communion? Have you received Communion"?
That puts the whole thing out of legalism because he's always getting ready to give me more health, more wholeness. Every day, everyone's body needs repair. He brings the wine, a symbol of his blood to keep on, every day we need reminder that our sins are forgiven. He brings the bread and the wine. So, I always see him bringing. Even though I'm bringing out the elements, I prepare the elements, amen, I'm seeing it as him bringing it. I'm receiving, okay? So, watch this, "And blessed be God Most High". He blessed God Most High. "Who has delivered your enemies into your hand". And Abram gave him a what? A tithe. Say, "A tithe".
Now, this is before the Ten Commandments. This is before the law, before Sinai. And there are even grace teachers who come against that who say that, "well, one person says, it happened only one time. We see the record Abraham tithed". What do you want Abraham to do? What you want the writer to do? Every chapter of Abraham, "And Abraham offered his son. That night, he gave tithes. And then next month, by the way, he also gave tithes this month. And then next chapter, and his wife told him, by the way, after he quarrel with Sarah, he gave tithe", you know? Once you see this example and Jesus is the high priest after the order of Melchizedek, you know that we are supposed to be doing this.
Today, we don't bring the produce of the land or the firstling of the flock. We bring our income, amen? Even the Jews today bring their income. They don't bring anymore the produce. You know, the Jews today, they tithe, that's a power thing. So, when I asked God for this, "God, I don't want to be someone who numbered among the people that Paul was addressing by saying, you are dull of hearing. I want to be people who are ready to hear the secrets you have about this man, Melchizedek", amen? What I know I share with you.
So, if someone says, "I still don't get it", never mind. Keep on drinking milk, amen. That's why have you heard me say before, tithing and the Lord's supper even, it's not a revelation for everyone to really get it? Those who don't get it, "We don't believe in doing it regularly", don't do it, amen? If that's not your, you know, it takes revelation. It takes revelation. Abram gave a tithe and the word "tithe" is maaser. Look at this Hebrew word, "maaser", this Hebrew word "maaser". Mem, ayin, shin, resh, reading from right to left, maaser, makes it the tithe. Remove the first letter which is mem, makes it a noun. Remove the first letter and you find the word "aser". Aser means rich, wealth. So, the rich is in the tithe. Do you see that?
Now, this is what God showed me down through the years when I keep on asking him about Melchizedek, the wealth is in the tithe. The rich is in the tithe. You know, Jewish people, they have a proverb. Let me quote it accurately. It's very deep proverb so listen carefully, "Give tithes and grow rich". That's what Jewish people say, "Give tithes and grow rich", all right? I may miss it by pay tithes or give tithes, that's the only part, but grow rich. When you first read it, its feels so carnal. The word "rich". "Really, Pastor Prince, you want to teach people to be rich? Isn't that so carnal"?
Now, don't have this false pretension, okay? You know, one thing about some grace teachers is that they try to make it so pure. "I give to the Lord because I love the Lord". Hey, we also love the Lord. You know, if my wife, if I love my wife and I give her nothing, you see how much, amen, amen? I mean, her birthday and I all that and I give her nothing, amen, no dinner, nothing, nothing, you know? But, "I love you, baby", and it's perfect tense. It will last forever. I mean, you know, and people say, "All my money belongs to God", you know those who say that kind of thing. You check their giving, it's hardly even 10%, amen.
You know, if you tell your wife, "All my time belongs to you. No, baby, it's okay. I agree with your reasoning and all that, but just give me a Wednesday night". That's what women want, right, women? Don't give up on him. "Don't give up on him baby, He's worth one more chance". Okay? Never mind, amen. It's like all my money belongs to God, you know? And like someone say, "All my money belongs to God, I'm gonna throw all this up and whatever God takes, God takes, whatever comes down is mine, you know"?
Heard a Jewish guy share a version of that. I mean, this must be, you know? And like I said, you know that Jewish people are a minority race, but God has blessed them with the ability to get wealth, whoa. Had that not been true, there'll be a wipeout as a race because people hate them, and you know where that hatred comes from? From the devil. Jesus came as a Jew, but it seems like wherever he placed them, all right, they got the power to get wealth. And I can list, I can take the time to list down, but I'm not gonna do that. You know yourself how many of them today even, the founder of Facebook, the founder of this, the founder of that, so many of them, right, down through history as well are Jewish people. Minority race, but the power to get wealth. It seems like the Chinese also for some reason, you put them in any country, they have the power to get wealth. Maybe they are the missing race, the lost race of the ten tribes that never came back.
Okay, go back to the Genesis, 14. Okay, go down. "Now the king of Sodom said to Abram", a picture of the devil, king of Sodom, "give me the persons and take the goods for yourself". Abram said to the king of Sodom, "I have raised my hand to the Lord God Most High, the possessor of heaven and earth. I will take nothing from a thread to a sandal strap, and I'll not take anything that's yours, lest you should say I have made Abram rich", aser. Remember, aser just now, maaser? Remove the mem, you have aser in the same place.
Now, why was Abraham concerned that this man, an enemy of God, king of Sodom, doesn't want him to take the credit of making Abraham rich? Abram actually was concerned that somebody will take the credit of making him rich. If being rich is wrong, isn't his priorities even, I mean, this Abraham's priorities out of whack? We gotta stop this pretension that, "you know, I don't want to be rich, I just give because I love God". Hey, we all love God, don't have this kind of pretension that we don't love God. I love God. I love him very much, and I don't have to convince you because the one I need to impact in all that is God, right, with my love. But love is not love till you give it and the way God's language is that, "to acknowledge that you know that I'm the one behind your wealth, I am the one behind your, even your salary. I'm the one that have given you a job, air to breathe, health to work with, amen? And I'm the one giving you favor. You take 10% and you bring it back to me to show that I'm the source of your wealth".
Now, for those who cannot, they don't want to do it, don't do it. It's not a revelation for you, don't. No parter ask for 10%, especially a senior partner, the one supplying everything, God does. It's gotta be a revelation, amen? And those who say, "You know, we don't do things to become rich". Really, really, really? Is that what God, is that what Jesus... what did Jesus say? "Give and it will be given unto you, good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over shall man give into your bosom". "Jesus, stop encouraging me. You're encouraging my carnality. Just say give because you love me". Why you say give? And it's like last time when I was a young boy, I used to rake leaves, you know, in the garden, back in Malaysia. I'm a Singaporean born in Hospital and while my mother was being wheeled into the room, I came out already, praise God. I was in a hurry, amen, come on. Let's get things done here. All right, one can only be in darkness for so long, amen? I see the light in the end of the tunnel, so I came out, praise God.
And my father worked for eight years in Malaysia, and we were in Perak, and life was just like, you know, I know about husbandry, I know about farming, I know about that kind of thing. I raked leaves and I remember we were putting the leaves into the basket, a huge basket, those dry leaves and every time I press it down, it comes out but there's a lot more space. I gotta step on it, I gotta step on it, I gotta crush it, I gotta step on it, rake some more, all right, this is what it means, Jesus says, Give and it will be given unto you, good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, pressed down, shaken together, running over, pressed down, shaken together until you really get a lot of leaves in one basket. So, I understand the language.
"Jesus, why tell me all that, Lord? Just tell me give for the altruistic reason". So, let's not fake it. God tells you this. You know the Son of God? 2 Corinthians 8, verse 9. You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that though he was rich, for your sakes he became poor that you, through his poverty, might be, might be, might be, might be rich. "Don't tell us that, you make us carnal". No, God wants you to know. He became poor that you might be rich. Jesus became poor at the cross. 2 Corinthians 8:9, can write it down, all right? And he's talking about giving. The whole context of chapter 8 of 2 Corinthians chapter 9, the next chapter. And, by the way, why it says things in the next chapter things like even after you are rich, by the way, through the cross, amen? But the way you demonstrate anything in life is by faith, amen? And in the area of money, you demonstrate to your tithes and your offerings to the Lord.
The next chapter actually tells you this, "He who sows bountifully shall reap bountifully. God loves a cheerful giver. He who sows sparingly shall reap sparingly. He who sows bountifully shall reap bountifully". "God, why are you telling us he who sow bountifully? Just tell us to sow enough". God is not as pretentious as some people try to be. He tells you, he motivates you by saying, when you do it, you are generous in your giving. You'll be generous in your reaping. If you are stingy in your sowing, there'll be a stingy harvest. "God, I thought people criticize you, you know, they blog about you, you know, Lord? Don't write that".
See, some of you think we are more spiritual than God. What about, what about verses like Proverbs 3 please, Proverbs 3? "Honor the Lord with your possessions, your substance, and with the firstfruits of all your increase; so shall your barns be filled with plenty, and your vats overflow with new wine". What about this? The firstfruits is the tithe, amen. And what's the result? Your barns will be filled with plenty, not little, you know? "God, why you tell us that? After we become carnal, you know"? No, God says, "I want you to know, your barns will be filled with plenty, not little, and your wine vats". He's speaking in terms of husbandry language through farmers, right? And your wine vats will overflow, will burst out with new wine, overflow. You know what's overflow? "God, don't, don't talk about all that, Lord. People might blog about you, Lord".
I think he doesn't give a rip about people's opinion. I think God doesn't. He wants you to prosper. He wants you to be rich, yes. Number one, you are rich through the cross of Jesus Christ. Number two, now that you are rich, act like it, act like it just like you are now dead to sin and life to God, act like it. Act like a heavenly man, amen. Your language, your behavior, your, you know, and I'm telling you, people who don't give their money to the Lord, they'll give their money somewhere. Maybe they are people who love to play games, a lot of money to play games nowadays, and there are forces out there you will be like well, anyway, let me just read to you something. By the way, if people say things like, "This verse, oh, it's from the Old Testament", and all that, you mean the book of wisdom is not applicable for us today? It has 31 chapters. It's meant for us to be reading one a day for our 31 days in a month, amen?
Do you know the wisdom is amazing? It's the wisdom of King Solomon that's not his wisdom. It's the wisdom of God, and this is a applicable for us today. If you say it's not, I purposely put the last part there, "My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, Nor detest His correction; For whom the Lord loves He corrects, Just as a father the son in whom he delights". Now, familiar? This is taken from the New Testament, or rather, the New Testament took this from here. So, it was applicable for Hebrews 12, the first part is applicable for today because that's something that some grace teachers are saying, "Well, it's under the law. It's under the law. You know, tithing is under the law". No, it was way before the law. No one told Abraham to tithe.
I think someone did, God. I mean, no one, no human being. God taught him. He taught his Son. His Son taught, you know, even though it's not declared that Isaac tithed, we know that Isaac tithed because his grandson, Abraham's grandson tithed, Jacob tithed. Jacob says, "Of all that you give me", and it was only on the clothes on his back. He ran away from home and the staff in his hand. He say, "God, from now on, all that you give me, I'll give a tenth back to you". Why a tenth, not a ninth, not a 12th? A tenth back to you, why did he say that? He learned it from his grandfather who learned it from his father who learned it from his grandfather? Isaac sowed in famine, he reaped. And some people get so technical they say that, "well, he tithed from the spoils of the war, you know"? Don't get wield, amen?
And then there's another teaching like, "I don't bother to teach that because that is under the law". There is a tithing under the law. In fact, tithing under the law, there are three tithes under the law. We are not under the law. We're under Abrahamic tithe, amen? It's a mystery. Don't forget, many things about Melchizedek is a mystery, amen? But it's not a mystery for those that God reveals it to. Now, the three tithes is like this, is for the three Regalim, the three festivals which is Shavuot, Pentecost; Sukkot, Tabernacle; Pesach, Passover, and the three are the main festivals. They go to Jerusalem in the Old Testament. Every year they have to go to Jerusalem three times, at least three times, amen, to participate in this festival, okay?
So, there are three tithes and there's year of tithing also, all right? Now, let me tell you this, the first tithe is called maaser rishon, which is tithe that Abraham gave to the Lord. This is what we still have today. We practice that. Number two tithe is maaser sheni. Now, sheni is where you can eat your tithe. Let me show you, Deuteronomy 14. Now, let's say the journey is too far to go to Jerusalem or it's too, you know, because you stay up there in the north of Dan and all that, all right, or really extreme south. Sometimes it takes three days from the north or two days, your produce that you bring, the tithe, the tithe in those days they bring their produce, it will rot. So, they exchange it for money. That was the beginning of the temple shekel, all right?
"And then you shall exchange it for money, take the money in your hand, and go to the place which the Lord your God chooses. And you shall spend that money for whatever your heart desires: for oxen or sheep", all right, and you shall eat there. Notice, this is a tithe. "Before the Lord your God, and you shall rejoice, you and your household". Drop down, "You shall not forsake the Levite". At the end of every third year, so this is talking about the three tithes, okay? "You shall bring out the tithe of produce and store it up within your gates". Drop down, "The Levite, because he has no inheritance, the stranger, the fatherless and the widow who are within your gates will come and eat and be satisfied, that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hand which you do".
Now, look up here. There are those who say, "In the Old Testament, they tell you, your tithe, but then you eat your tithe". Now, that's confusing. Abram didn't east his tithe. They are confusing this with the first tithe, maaser rishon, which is the first tithe, which is given to the Lord and the Levites. The full-time people eat of it, it's used for today. By the way, some say, "You know, today, we don't have the house of God". They'll get technical about being specific. Like, for example, Paul can look at the Old Testament. Show them 1 Timothy for example real quick. "Elders who do their work well should be respected and paid well".
Here's where an amen is nice for the elders to hear. "Especially those who work hard at both preaching and teaching. For the Scripture says, 'You must not muzzle an ox to keep it from eating as it treads out the grain. And in another place, 'Those who work deserve their pay'"! You know something? This is what? This Scripture that says you must not muzzle the ox when it treads out the grain is only one verse. It's a law under Deuteronomy 25. You know something? Paul can look at this law and get a New Testament revelation, a New Covenant revelation. That's how you are to see the Old Testament or else you gotta throw away the Old Testament. No, the Old Testament is still valid today.
In fact, the teaching is in the new, but the details are in the old. In the old, it unveils Christ, number one. Number two, the details of how to get things done, how to love your wife and all that, is all there. In the Song of Songs it tells you, in the New Testament just says "Husbands, love your wife", Doesn't tell you how. In the New Testament, one day I'll teach on this. In the New Testament, it tells you in Song of Songs even, make love with your words. Tell her she's more beautiful than 10,000 women. "That's exaggerating". In your eyes, why not? So, it tells you how to make love with your words. I need some support here, ladies. And guys say, "I make love", full stop. No, God says make love with your words and many a times when you do that, you'll get what you want, guys. You don't like that, right? But it's true. Cannot just say, "Come here, baby".
Okay, let me just reserve this for another sermon, okay? Now, how it is that Paul can say... now, some of these grace teacher will say, number one, you must be an ox. Give me some horns, you know? And Paul really, number one, is treading out grain, not money okay, grain. But Paul is talking about money. He saw from this verse a type. God puts the type of full-time worker, amen, a man who is fivefold ministry usually, all right, who is working hard at preaching. Paul, by the anointing of the Lord, saw him as an ox treading out the grain. Grain is what? Produce is bread. Bread is what you eat with. The Word of God, today you don't eat bread.
When I say, you eat bread today, what does it mean? Eat the Word of God, right? As he's working to thresh out the Word of God, amen, take care of him. Don't cover his mouth. Let the ox eat. There'll be plenty left still, amen? You must not muzzle an ox to keep it from eating as it treads out the grain. Amazing, just one law. Paul saw a revelation of taking care of people in what they call Levitical ministry. Yes, we are all priests. We are not all fivefold. That's all Israel, not all our Levites. Yeah, some of you argue, "We are the royal priests today". We're all royal priesthood, but there's still elders. There's still authority and submission in the body of Christ.
"Know them which labor among you and are over you in the Lord, esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake", Thessalonians, New Testament Scripture. So, there are three tithes, number one, the first tithe is given straight to the Lord. All right, you bring it to the house of God and you give it to the Lord. Some people, "House of God, where's house of God today"? Well, its all depends. If you are in the time of Moses, the house of God was a tabernacle, Mishcon, the tabernacle of Moses. At the time Solomon, the house of God was the temple of Solomon. At the time of Jesus, the house of God was the temple of Herod, amen.
Today, the Bible says in the New Testament, "Whose house are we"? We are the church. The church is called the house God, amen. So, the principles apply to the house of God. Expression, in terms of expression, local church where there's accountability, and authority, and submission, where there's love, there's a people caring for you, watching over you. Now, I realize that in many circles, and I'm speaking to all the pastors right now, do not abuse the tithe. Do not abuse your lifestyle. Don't live in such a way that, you know, you live in such a way that people criticize you, amen? And the tithe is to distribute. It's for the gospel of Jesus Christ. It's to build the kingdom of God. It is for the glory of Jesus, amen? And don't do it just to, you know? I mean, some things you need to, I understand to get those things, but when you don't need it, don't need it.
I tell you something, that's the reason why I have such authority when I preach on this. Many years now, I don't take a salary from this church, all right? Is it wrong? No, I'm like the Apostle Paul. All right, show them 1 Corinthians 9, all right? Show them the context. Now, verse 9 says, "For it is written in the law of Moses, 'You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain.' Is it oxen God is concerned about? Or does God say it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written, that he who plows should plow in hope, and he who threshes in hope should be partaker of his hope". Do you see that, hmm?
Now, the context, "Is it only Barnabas", Paul is talking, "And I who have to work to support ourself? Are we not full-time ministers"? He's telling them, "You're supposed to take care of us but you don't, so we have to go to work". He says that, "What soldier has to pay his own expenses? What farmer plants a vineyard and doesn't have the right to eat some of its fruit? What shepherd cares for a flock of sheep and isn't allowed to drink some of the milk? Am I expressing merely a human opinion, or does the law say the same thing? The law of Moses says you must not muzzle an ox to keep it from eating".
We read this just now, was God thinking only God oxen when God said this, or was God actually speaking to us? "Yes, it was written for us so that the one who plows and the one who threshes the grain might both expect a share of the harvest. Since we have planted spiritual seed knowledge you, aren't we entitled to a harvest of physical food and drink? If you support others who preach to you, shouldn't we have an even greater right to be supported? But we have never used this right. We rather put up with anything than be an obstacle to the Good News about Christ".
That's the reason I don't want to use this right. I have a right to be paid. I think that kind of food I give could be a bit of one star Michelin maybe, all right? There are many cooks, there are many cooks. It's how you put the ingredients together, amen? And down through the years, you know people say, you know they can say, "Pastor, I got greater revelation". May God bless you. If you have a greater revelation, let God create the platform, let God give you the favor. I started somewhere, amen? I had no church one time, right? But I God saved, amen. Then we started very small. Let God create for you. If God doesn't let your words fall to the ground and God create opportunities and favor and all that, kudos to you, God bless you. May your revelation be shed far and wide. But if God doesn't, what can I say? If they're from God, they are words of God, God will help them up.
So, you know, kabod is something that God, weightiness is something that God gives. You can't beg for it. God gives it. I never asked to be famous. I'm very shy. I eat at Hawker centers still. Many of you see me there. I don't eat at, you know? But there is a difference, right? Even among Hawker centers, Hawker food, some got Michelin star. I bumped into someone the other day and they said, "Pastor Prince", and he has a Michelin star store. He's telling me his blessings and all that, amazing. Our church people in a Hawker center. So, ingredients are the same. Food is always the same. Ginger is ginger. Garlic is garlic, amen? Chicken is chicken, it's how you put together. That takes talent, that takes gift, amen? So, likewise in the kingdom of God, amen?
A lot of people, a lot of the grace teachers, they got my teaching and now they're using it to attack their local church. You know, at the end of my "Destined To Reign" book, I wrote this down, all these teachings about grace works best in the local church. I make sure that I always say that anywhere I go. You got no respect for the local church. You know what? You can go out there, you can think you're preaching and sharing the gospel. If you fail morally or you go to visit a prostitute, for example, who accounts for you? Who helps you up? Who is responsible over you? Who are you accountable to, amen? Okay, so there are three tithes. The first tithe is still unto today. We give to the Lord.
Number two tithe is called a vacation fund. That's what you read just now. The vacation fund is what you set aside for your three festivals. You set aside the tithe. It's from the tithe, all right, but it's second year of tithing. You set aside the tithe and then convert it to money if it's too far away, and then you bring it to the place of God that God ordained. In those days it's the temple, amen, today it's the church. And then you set aside money for your vacation fund and God says, eat it. You're eating literally the tithe, but it's a celebration tithe in the place that God chooses, you understand?
And then the third one, maaser ani, which is ani is for the poor, the afflicted, for the fatherless, the poor, the widows. You bring the tithe in the third year of tithing, the third year from the year of Shmita, the seventh year of rest. From that year, the third year, you bring your tithe, also extra tithe, and then that is for the widows, the fatherless, the poor. You pass it to the Levites to delegate it. It's a well-known fact. In fact, Josephus says this, Josephus is a Jewish historian, amen? And many scholars refer to him as the number-one Jewish historian, all right? And he says that he lived during the time of Jesus, by the way, just let you know. He was an officer in the Jewish army that fought against the Romans, then later on he was captured by the Romans, as well as the historian.
"Let there be taken out of your fruits a tenth, besides that which you have allotted to give to the priest and Levites". Notice, besides that which you have allotted. This is the second tithe. "This you may indeed sell in the country, but it's to be used in those feasts and sacrifices that have been celebrated in the holy city". All right, another one, he says, "Besides those two tithes, which I have already said you are to pay every year, the one for the Levites, the other for the festivals. The first tithe is for the Levites, second one is for the festivals. The third one, you are to bring every third year, a third tithe to be distributed those that want; to women also that are widows, and children that are orphans". Very clear. Do you see that? Are y'all learning, people?
And someone, you know, I just want to show you this, people, because there's a lot of things out there that's seeking to come into the church, amen? And they're trying to, you know, it's like, almost like, "I'm saved. I'm the righteousness of God in Christ. I close the Bible. There's nothing the Bible can teach me anymore 'cause I know the most important thing", amen? No, it's not. There are instructions here about how to love your wife, how to raise your children, how to conduct business affairs, and stealing business ideas is also wrong. It's still stealing, amen?
Cheating is still cheating. Lying is still lying. I mean, the Word of God unveils Christ and we become like him. You don't say, "Now I got Jesus". That's the error of a lot of people. "I got the Holy Spirit, he will teach me directly". You find that those who spend most time in the Word are the ones who are led accurately by the Spirit. If you're overseas and I send you letters, like in those days we send letters okay, okay, I send you messages. You don't answer my messages at all, and I know you don't answer. Finally, I see you face to face, you want to talk to me when others want to talk to me. I won't take time, right or not? If they don't even want to respond, right or not? You understand? So, you want God's direct voice, he does speak to us today, by the way. "Read my Book", he says, amen?
Luke 16 Jesus says, "He who is faithful in what is least", Jesus talking, "is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much". Jesus is talking here, okay? "Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? If you have not been faithful in what is another man's, who will give you what is your own"? Do you see that? Now, he's saying, look at verse 11, "Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches"? If and the Bible says faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much.
God considers money as a tool. It's least compared to souls, compared to lives. But God says if you're faithful in least, you're faithful also in much. It is not because you are preaching because you are caring for people, God will give you money. Doesn't say that. It says if you're faithful in money, you'll be faithful over people.
If you're faithful in the use of money, unrighteous mammon, God will trust you with the true riches which are souls, lives. There's certain equippings and talents, anointings, rewards, true riches that's from him. We have it the other way around. So, Jesus, when he positioned himself in the temple of Herod, you know where he sat down? At the treasury and he saw all the people... imagine Jesus sitting at the treasury. He sat at the treasury to see, and one widow drop in two mites and he call his disciples here. She gave everything, everything. He's observing people's giving.
By the way, I don't observe your giving. Until today, I do not know how to go through the account book, also. Okay, just let you know. So, I took econs and all that, but I'm not interested. It's very confusing. When I look at an account book, it's very confusing. So I'm not interested. Until now, I've never looked at people's accounts to see who is tithing, but we only check if there is someone we are considering as a leader, then... I don't check. There are people who are in this department that check, and then they tell, not me, the leaders first. The leaders that are considering these people. I really don't have time to know who's the next generation leader and all that because my job now is more like a rancher and these are the shepherds, amen?
And these are great leaders that pick out new leaders and one of the areas they can tell is to check the tithing. We only check for leaders. And it's amazing that many a times when people's even marriage break down or their business, you know, break down and all that, you can almost trace it back to the time they don't tithe. I was praying for one leader and I've been praying for this kind of thing for this leaders, these type of leaders, many, many, years down the through the years. I'm telling you, like a composite whole, okay? Usually I pray for a leader, I don't ask, are you tithing, I don't. I assume they are. So, he's got financial problem, I'm praying for him, I'm praying for him. I bind, I loose, I spit. I do all kind of things, you know? And I want him to have a breakthrough.
I love him, I want him to have a breakthrough, then his marriage break down. Then a number of months pass by and I'm thinking to myself, what is happening? I asked the Lord, there's no answer. Then finally one day that department came out because to check things and all that, and he's a leader. They say that he's not been tithing. I said, since when? And they point out to the months ago. I can point to the very month he had problems in his marriage, problems in his finances. He just stopped. I'm thinking to myself, I scratch my head. I feel so stupid? Waste my time. 'Cause I never assume, you know, that people are not tithing. I always feel like when I look at your face, I assume you're the best person in town, amen. I mean, I don't think evil.
I was telling someone the other day about someone who committed a failure, something like that, and I had to be reminded of the person's failure, a leader. 'Cause I don't remember, when I forgive, I forget. I have to be reminded. "Oh, you're like Jesus, Pastor Prince". Thank you, thank you, thank you. Okay so, all right, so this is an acid test, ladies, before you choose a potential husband, doesn't have to be rich, but is he faithful in the tithe, in the tithe? Is he faithful in the unrighteousness mammon? Or else God himself not trust him the true riches, and you are one of the true riches.
An eagle, before it finds a mate, a female eagle will take a log, all right, heavily enough log that she can carry. She flies really high and then there are a lot of other, other eagles, male eagles around. She will drop the log, all right? And then the eagle that can catch the log, the log that she dropped is the one that she'll mate with, and they mate for life, by the way, eagles. So, God likens us to Christian life to an eagle life. And you know something? If you're not strong enough to capture it when she's strong enough to hold it, you're not fit for her.
So guys say, "You know darling, I love you, I love you". Make love with words, make sure they got money also, huh? Doesn't have to be rich, but you know what? Observe that. If they're not faithful in the use of money, they are spending their money just on frivolous games and just spendthrift and all that, the latest gadget that comes, the latest gadget that comes and all that, you're in trouble. The characteristics are there, all right? I need security after this. Okay, make sure that, okay? If you're not faithful, okay, now, let's go to what Jesus says about the tithe. Would you like to hear that?
Let's finish with that towards the end. By the way, why did the Bible say, why did the Bible say, "Come, bring your tithes and offerings. Bring to me the tithes and offerings, Malachi. See if I'll not open you the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing there's not room enough to receive".
All right, let's look at that before we look at this. "Bring all the tithes in the storehouse that there may be food in my house. And try me, or in the Hebrew, test me now in this". It's the only place in the Bible now that God says "test me". "Test me. Bring your tithes and test me if I'll not do this. If I'll not open for you the windows of heaven and pour you out such a blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it. And I'll rebuke the devourer. I'll rebuke Satan. I'll rebuke the devourer for your sakes. He will not destroy the fruit of your ground, nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field. And all the nations", God is talking, "all the nations will call you blessed". "God again, God you're encouraging me too much, Lord. I become carnal. Why you tell me, you'll bless me in such a way that there's not room enough".
No, stop being pretentious. God is saying all this to encourage us to tithe. Yes, he's telling us the result, all right? Now, by the way, you're saying this Old Testament, do you know that Old Testament prophets like Malachi, Zechariah, even Isaiah, they prophesy way into our time as well as beyond our time? Do you know that? Do you know that? And is this our time or Zechariah or Malachi's time, or is it millennial? Look at this, is it our time? Go back to the chapter, chapter what? Chapter 3, right? This is verse 10, right? Go to verse 1, "Behold, I send My messenger, and he will prepare the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, Will suddenly come to His temple". The first coming, was it sudden? No. Second coming, "Behold, I come suddenly".
By the way, "I come quickly", a lot of people think, "Wah, quickly, he say that 2,000 years ago. But he said, I come quickly. He's not here yet". No, you misunderstand the word "quickly". The word quickly is suddenly. When he comes, it's the way he comes. He didn't come quickly in terms of time, in terms of suddenly, all right? So, this context is referring to our time, will suddenly come. That means the storehouse there is the church. It's an end time message, the context is very clear.
All right, keep on reading, you will find verse 2 telling us, who can endure the day of his coming? The first coming, everyone can endure. He came as a baby, but a second coming, he will come as a judge, right? So, that's the context. Look up here, people. Listen, God wants you blessed. He wants to give you the power to get wealth. Then comes this question, and I think I'll close with this. By the way, tithing will go into the future, okay, just to let you know. It will go right into the future. You know, there's a future when Jesus comes back, there's an Ezekiel's temple, all right? Because Prophet Ezekiel prophesied and all the dimensions and all that is mentioned in the Book of Ezekiel.
Look at Ezekiel, even in that temple, the best of all first fruits of any kind, that's the tithe. And every sacrifice of any kind shall be the priest. "Also, you shall give to the priest the first of your ground meal, to cause a blessing to rest on your house". So, even in the future, you'll still be tithing. We'll be in Israel and we'll still be tithing, amen? Are you listening, people? Look at the chapters 43, 42, it's talking about the temple, the new temple, all right? So people, we're not under the three tithes, don't worry. All right, I don't teach the three tithes because we are all under the law. The first one is the principle, rather I say Abrahamic tithing. Ours is under Abrahamic tithing. Can I have a good amen?
Okay, and then there's this teaching. Someone says, "You know if I... why must I tithe? If I take the money". By the way, notice that Jesus says, unrighteous mammon just now, is that a word? Have not been faithful in the use of unrighteous mammon. Do you know the default mode of money to God is unrighteous, it's filthy? I used to say things like many years ago, if a good man picks money, it becomes good money. A bad man picks money, it becomes bad money, but God says no, money is unrighteous. Money is unclean because as a whole, the way money has been used around the world is unrighteous. People are being deprived. People are being bullied. People are being, you know, manipulated and a lot of unrighteous money. Then God says the way you make the money holy, Romans 11, "If the firstfruit is holy, the lump is also holy; if the root is holy, so are the branches". Got it? If I take the first fruit, the rest become holy. And what is holy the devil cannot touch. Are you listening, people?
Now, Luke 11, "Rather give alms of such things as you have; and, behold, all things are clean unto you". Jesus said this, it's amazing that people say, "Take my revelation of Jesus touching the leper and the clean made the unclean clean, right"? You know what they say? "Why should I tithe, you know? If I take the money, I am clean. The money is unclean, it's now clean". That's warped. It's like let us sin more that grace may abound. I understand where that kind of reasoning come from.
Now, with your kind of warped reasoning, I can also say, "I go to Geylang, I'm clean, I touch a prostitute. She's unclean, now she's clean. I'm a drug addict, but I'm a Christian, amen? I'm clean, I take the drug, now I touch the drug, it's clean. I can". Don't get warped. Don't get warped. All this happened because a lack of church life. There's no one speaking into these people's lives. Are you listening, people, amen? Then Jesus say, give alms. There's some things you must do with money. Money is not part of you. You are clean, yes. You are righteous, yes, but money is unrighteous so you take the first fruit and now the rest becomes holy. What is holy thrice grows, multiplies. The devil cannot touch, amen?
Then Jesus talked about tithing here. "Woe unto you". Now, he gives you the right reasoning for tithing, all right? "Woe unto you, Pharisees! for you tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God". In other words, they tithed legalistically, all right, but they don't tithe with the love of God, with justice in mind, amen, to make sure that the fatherless, as soon as Jesus is saying that do it with the right motive, he's talking about the motive, not the tithe because you dare not say, "This ought you to have done and not to leave the other undone". What is the other? The tithe.
So, a lot of people read this and they say, "You know he's telling us. You see, it's not the tithe. It's your love, the love of God". No friend, he said do it with the right motive, but don't stop tithing. Don't leave the other undone. These are the words of Jesus, the same, yesterday, today and forever. Last verse, we'll close. Now, back to Hebrews 7. Show them Hebrews 7, verse 4. "Now consider how great this man Melchizedek was to whom even the patriarch Abraham gave a tenth of the spoils". Yeah, it's true the Book of Hebrews as I have taught, and many people have taken this teaching and run with it that the Book of Hebrews shows the first chapter, Jesus is greater than the angels. But they show him how he's greater, he rose from the dead, amen.
Then he talked about Jesus is greater than Moses. Moses is servant, Jesus is a Son. It showed clearly that he's the Son, he's greater. When it comes to Hebrews 7, Melchizedek's priesthood is greater than Levitical priesthood, yes, but show how is he greater, the tithe. Here's the answer, "Now consider how great this man was, to whom even the patriarch Abraham gave a tenth of the spoils". Whoever you tithe to, you are declaring that person is great. So, when Melchizedek brought the bread and wine, it's to proclaim Jesus's death. When you respond with a tithe, it's to respond he's alive. Drop down, "Here mortal men receive tithes". Now, mortal men, people, who die right, receive tithes. "But there, Jesus receives them, of whom it is witnessed that he lives".
Can you see it? Here, mortal men receive tithes, right? People who die receive tithes, amen, people who are mortal. But there, he receives your tithes. "Of whom it is witnessed that he lives". It's a witness. So, the bread and wine is to proclaim his death. The tithe is to proclaim he's alive. And people will see you're alive and they will see he's alive. Just like old Jacob, he didn't believe his sons when they say, "Joseph is alive. Joseph is alive". When he stepped out, he saw the wagons then he says, "Enough, my son is alive". People will see evidence of God's blessing on your life to the point that they will say, "God is alive, or Jesus is alive", amen? So, the Lord's Supper is to proclaim his death, the tithe is to proclaim he's alive in your life. And all the people said?
Now, I tell you something, okay? All the monies in the world cannot pay for what you just heard. John D. Rockefeller, yes, when he was asked, "Yes, I tithe". John D. Rockefeller is probably the richest man that ever lived besides King Solomon. King Solomon, if you adjust inflation and all that, he's probably 2.1 trillion worth today, today's money. John D. Rockefeller is worth, today's money, inflation adjusted, 340 billion. Even Bezos don't come close. Bezos money, because of his wife also, has come to 116 or 114 billion. Bill Gates, hundred billion. No one comes close to King Solomon and John D. Rockefeller.
Rockefeller said this when he was asked, "Yes, I tithe. I began work as a small boy to help support my mother. The first week I took my one and 50 cents dollars, one-and-a-half dollars home to my mother as she held it in her lap, she explained she'll be happy if I'll give a tenth of it to the Lord. I did and from that week to this day, I have tithed every dollar that God has entrusted to me. And I want to say to you that if I had not tithed the first dollar I made, I would not have tithed the first million dollars I made. Train your children, train the children to tithe and they will grow up faithful stewards of the Lord", John D. Rockefeller. Right, friend?
Young people, I wish you can learn this truth. Allowances that you get, whatever it is, start, when you start small, amen, you'll find the way God enlarges it. Those of you interested in watching the experiment done in the late, I forgot '30s or '40s, you know, or '50s, I forgot, but it's in black and white. It's called Dynamic Kernels Tithing Experiment. How Henry Ford, the manufacturer of automobiles, did an experiment with a small bushel of wheat and it grew and grew. Took the tenth, he gave to the church, it grew and grew. Give to the tenth, give to the church and it grew until you need so much help. The experiment was recorded back then. It's on YouTube called Dynamic Kernels Tithing Experiment, the kernel of wheat, okay? Dynamic kernels wheat.
So, it take time to take all these people. Church, look up. I want you to prosper because you are crucial to establishing his covenant in the earth, amen, the covenant of grace, amen? Praise God. You don't understand, never mind, okay? And don't worry, we don't check your tithe but only for leaders, amen, because you don't want a leader who is not tithing. You don't want a leader who is not faithful in that which is least, amen, to be in charge over you. We love you.
Lift your hands all across this place. If you believe that Christ died for our sins and rose again from the dead, like I said just now, he was made sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. That's what happened at the cross. And friend, if you want Jesus Christ to be a Savior and Lord, if not, you can't even begin to tithe yet. This is where it all starts. Just pray this prayer with me.
Heavenly Father, I thank you Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior. He died on the cross for all my sins, and I thank you he gave his life for me. I love you because you first loved me. Thank you for raising him from the dead. Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior. In Jesus's name, amen.
Friend, stand to your feet right now, praise the Lord. You are now a child of God, amen? Praise the Lord. Lift your hands all across this place.
Father, I thank you for every person under the sound of my voice. And Father, I thank you for the mysteries of Melchizedek that you have unveiled to us today. I thank you, Father, that you want your people to prosper. You want your people not to be bound by debt, by the worldly economy that fluctuates. You want them, Lord, to have their vision and their treasures in heaven. And Father, I know, Lord, that everyone under the sound of my voice, Lord, you love them dearly. Not even a hair falls from their head, Lord, without use knowing it, Lord. And Father, I thank you that you will prosper them, Lord, from this day forth. I pray, Father, you'll give them the power to get wealth, amen, for the establishing of your kingdom in the earth in the name of Jesus. And protect them all throughout this week, Lord, from all harm and danger and from all evil. In Jesus's name, and all the people said?