When speaking of tithes, it can feel very confusing. It seems as if God is giving to us just to take some back. What’s the purpose of the tithe? Why does God demand to have a tenth of what we have made? Why does God need the tithe? Is God giving to us just so He can take away? Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he searches through Scripture to find the purpose of tithe in his message, Tithing Pt. 3: Receiving The Blessing.
Malachi 3:10–12 Matthew 6:19–21 Matthew 20:8–15 Luke 10:7 1 Corinthians 9:11 Philippians 4:15–17 Matthew 10:40–42 2 Corinthians 8:1–5 2 Corinthians 9:7–8
Tithing Pt. 3: Receiving The Blessing
How Do You Receive a Blessing From God?
What’s The Purpose of The Tithe?
10 Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. 11 I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the Lord of hosts. 12 Then all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight, says the Lord of hosts.
Malachi 3:10-12
When we give back to God, it’s an act of faith. It’s an act of trusting God and in return, God pours out even more blessings upon you. Tithing isn’t just so God can take away from us. Tithing is about faith and trust in the LORD God and His promises. It’s about putting God above yourself.
33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 34 Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
Matthew 6:33-34
So, how do you receive a blessing from God? You give to God. When we give to God, He gives to us. God has already done His side of the bargain. He paid the debt of all of mankind. It was now up to mankind to accept that gift and give back to God. It’s a relationship. God has given to us, now we give back to God, but it doesn’t stop there. God then repays your tithes and offerings with even more blessings from Heaven.
In part one, we defined tithing as, That which belongs to God. We can then understand that the tithe isn’t optional. Why? Because the tithe doesn’t belong to us. The tithe belongs to God. It’s God’s portion out of what He has blessed us with. He gives us all we need, and in return, we give back a portion to God that we might honor the blessings we have received. And when we refuse to give to God what belongs to Him, we put ourselves under a curse because by refusing to tithe, we rob God. Throughout Scripture, God demanded what belonged to Him. Whether it was a forbidden fruit (The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil) or a forbidden city (Jericho), God demanded the tithe then, and He still does now. Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he goes a little deeper into the importance of bringing God the tithe in his message, Tithing Pt. 2: The Forbidden City.
Malachi 3:10–12 Joshua 6:17–21
Tithing Pt. 2: The Forbidden City
What is Tithing?
The Definition of Tithing
That Which Belongs To God.
Tithing is that portion that God has set aside for Himself out of what He has given to us. For all good things from the Father of Lights (James 1:17). Therefore, to refuse to give the tithe to the LORD is to rob God.
Jericho and the Tithe
15 On the seventh day they rose early, at the dawn of day, and marched around the city in the same manner seven times. It was only on that day that they marched around the city seven times. 16 And at the seventh time, when the priests had blown the trumpets, Joshua said to the people, “Shout, for the Lord has given you the city. 17 And the city and all that is within it shall be devoted to the Lord for destruction. Only Rahab the prostitute and all who are with her in her house shall live, because she hid the messengers whom we sent. 18 But you, keep yourselves from the things devoted to destruction, lest when you have devoted them you take any of the devoted things and make the camp of Israel a thing for destruction and bring trouble upon it. 19 But all silver and gold, and every vessel of bronze and iron, are holy to the Lord; they shall go into the treasury of the Lord.”
Joshua 6:15-19
Achan’s Sin
10 The Lord said to Joshua, “Get up! Why have you fallen on your face? 11 Israel has sinned; they have transgressed my covenant that I commanded them; they have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen and lied and put them among their own belongings. 12 Therefore the people of Israel cannot stand before their enemies. They turn their backs before their enemies, because they have become devoted for destruction. I will be with you no more, unless you destroy the devoted things from among you. 13 Get up! Consecrate the people and say, ‘Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow; for thus says the Lord, God of Israel, “There are devoted things in your midst, O Israel. You cannot stand before your enemies until you take away the devoted things from among you.”
14 In the morning therefore you shall be brought near by your tribes. And the tribe that the Lord takes by lot shall come near by clans. And the clan that the Lord takes shall come near by households. And the household that the Lord takes shall come near man by man. 15 And he who is taken with the devoted things shall be burned with fire, he and all that he has, because he has transgressed the covenant of the Lord, and because he has done an outrageous thing in Israel.’”
Joshua 7:10-15
Jericho was not intended for the people of Israel. It was the first of the cities they had overcome in the land of Canaan and it was the city that the people of Israel were not allowed to gain from. Why? Because that was God’s portion. Jericho was the tithe.
When Jesus came, He came to bring a new and better covenant. Since then, we have no longer been under the Law given to the Jews by Moses, but now under the Law of Liberty, as James puts it. Because of this, many of us believe that tithing was only for the time of Law, but is this true? Do we no longer have to tithe because we are no longer under the Law? Can man no longer rob God? What is the tithe? Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he opens our eyes and lays a steady foundation for us to build on in his message, Tithing Pt. 1: The Knowledge Tree.
6 For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed. 7 From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from my statutes and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts. But you say, ‘How shall we return?’ 8 Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions. 9 You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you.
10 Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. 11 I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the Lord of hosts. 12 Then all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight, says the Lord of hosts.
Malachi 3:6-12
So, what is the tithe? Tithing is that which belongs to God. This changes the perspective of the tithe because the tithe isn’t just some random law that God gave to Moses. This now makes sense why to not give the tithe is to rob God.
Tithe Before The Law and After The Law
18 And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. (He was priest of God Most High.) 19 And he blessed him and said, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; 20 and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand!” And Abram gave him a tenth of everything.
Genesis 14:18-20
4 See how great this man was to whom Abraham the patriarch gave a tenth of the spoils! 5 And those descendants of Levi who receive the priestly office have a commandment in the law to take tithes from the people, that is, from their brothers, though these also are descended from Abraham. 6 But this man who does not have his descent from them received tithes from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises. 7 It is beyond dispute that the inferior is blessed by the superior. 8 In the one case tithes are received by mortal men, but in the other case, by one of whom it is testified that he lives. 9 One might even say that Levi himself, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham, 10 for he was still in the loins of his ancestor when Melchizedek met him.
Hebrews 7:4-10
Abraham paid a tithe to Melchizedek long before The Law of Moses because He understood that He had to pay God that which belongs to Him, through the High Priest of God. This continued during the Law of Moses, and it still continues to this day after the Law of Moses. The tithe still belongs to God; nothing has changed. Therefore, man can still rob God. So, give to God that which belongs to God.
The First Tithe
15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”
Genesis 2:15-17
The tithe was before the Law; it was actually from the Garden of Eden. The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil was forbidden for both Adam and Eve, as well as any of their descendants that would have been born in the Garden of Eden. The forbidden fruit was forbidden because that knowledge wasn’t for Adam and Eve or any of their descendants. That knowledge was only for God alone; that was Adam’s tithe to God. When they ate of the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, they stole from God. They robbed God of His tithe.
Hope seems to be a fleeting commodity that our young people have no access to it. Suicide rates have skyrocketed. Anxiety and depression plague the average young person. People are losing their jobs. Rights are being taken away. Families are constantly mourning and burying their loved ones. The world seems to be getting darker and darker as the light seems to dim all around us. The world feels completely hopeless. Where’s the hope? Where’s the light at the end of this seemingly never-ending dark tunnel? Is there even hope in our world anymore? Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he opens our eyes to the light that shines in the darkness all around us in his message, Is There Any Hope?
2 Timothy 3:1 Matthew 24:21–22 Hebrew 10:32–35 Matthew 9:36 Mark 5:25–26 1 Corinthians 3:21–23 1 Samuel 30:6
Is There Any Hope?
5 For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. 6 If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. 7 Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort.
8 For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. 9 Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. 10 He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again.
2 Corinthians 1:5-10
9 The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance. 10 For to this end we toil and strive,because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.
1 Timothy 4:9-10
There is light at the end of the dark tunnel. There is hope in our world. Our hope is in Christ Jesus, the Light of the World, who saves us from our sin and is coming back for us. One day He will rid the world of all of its sin and create a new earth just for us. There He will abide with us and we with Him forever and ever.
Throughout Scripture, the second coming of Jesus is prophesied. From the prophets of old to the apostles to Jesus Himself, there are prophecies after prophecies of the second coming of Jesus. We get closer and closer to His return with every generation, yet the Messiah hasn’t returned yet. So, is the return of Jesus Christ something to worry about; will it happen in our lifetime? or is the return of Jesus Christ something far off that won’t happen in our lifetime? Is Jesus even coming back? Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he opens our eyes to the promises of Jesus in his message, Hold Fast.
Revelation 3:11 1 Thessalonians 2:19-20 Philippians 4:1 Luke 16:16 Revelation 4:4 Revelation 4:9-10 Revelation 22:7 Matthew 22:37-40 (KJV) John 13:34-35 Revelation 22:12 Revelation 22:20 2 Peter 3:9-10 Revelation 22:17
Hold Fast
The Second Coming of Jesus Christ
What are the prophecies of Jesus’ second coming?
29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And He will send out His angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
Matthew 24:29-31
The Great Tribulation is initiated during the time of the Man of Lawlessness, which Paul confirms in the verse below. This is one of the biggest and most important signs of the second coming of Jesus Christ.
1 Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to Him, we ask you, brothers, 2 not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. 3 Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction,
2 Thessalonians 2:1-3
According to both Paul and Jesus Himself, the second coming of Jesus Christ will not come until after the Great Tribulation. This is one of the great signs that Jesus, the apostles, and the prophets of old have given us.
After Christmas Day, we tend to move on and forget the Birth of Christ because of the rush of cleaning up the mess of the presents/gifts and preparing for the coming new year. As the year moves on, we slowly forget more and more, until December 1st comes around again, then suddenly we are all about the Birth of Christ. But is this the way it should be? Is the day after Christmas as important as Christmas Day? Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he opens our eyes to the importance of the story of the Wise Men in his message, ‘Tis The Season: Twas The Day After Christmas.
Matthew 2:1–6 Matthew 2:11 (KJV) Matthew 2:16 (KJV) Daniel 5:10–12 Matthew 2:7 2 Timothy 3:5 2 Timothy 3:10–12 John 4:35–38
Twas The Day After Christmas
The Day After Christmas: The Story of the Wise Men
Many believe that the Wise Men came to find the baby Jesus wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger, but this isn’t actually the case. They arrived, if you will, the day after Christmas.
Their Encounter with King Herod
1 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is He who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw His star when it rose and have come to worship Him.” 3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; 4 and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.
5 They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet: 6 ‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’”
Matthew 2:1-6
Their Encounter with The Messiah
This is how we know for sure that the Wise Men encountered Jesus after He was grown a little. This had to be, if you will, the day after Christmas because Jesus was a child living in a house with His two parents.
7 Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found Him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship Him.” 9 After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was.
10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. 11 And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary His mother, and they fell down and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered Him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. 12 And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.
Matthew 2:7-12
Today is the day after Christmas, are you still seeking Him?
Happy Christmas Sunday! Christmas is about the promise of the Messiah being fulfilled. The prophets prophesied that the Messiah (Jesus) would receive an everlasting kingdom with eternal dominion. Every prophecy was tied into one, Immanuel. Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he explains biblical mysteries in his Christmas Message, ‘Tis The Season: O Little Town of Bethlehem.
Micah 5:2 Matthew 2:6 John 7:14 John 6:35 Joshua 19:14–16 John 1:5 John 8:12 Isaiah 9:6–7 Micah 4:8 Matthew 28:18b Genesis 49:10KJV Psalm 110:4 Hebrews 7:15–17 Exodus 28:31–32NIV Matthew 26:65 Isaiah 7:14
O Little Town of Bethlehem
Prophecy of Jesus’ in Bethlehem
2 But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.
Micah 5:2
This prophecy stirred the writing of the Christmas Carol, O Little Town of Bethlehem:
O little town of Bethlehem How still we see Thee lie Above Thy deep and dreamless sleep The silent stars go by
Yet in thy dark streets shineth The everlasting light The hopes and fears of all the years Are met in Thee tonight
Jesus’ Authority
Jesus, through His earthly ancestry, has the right to sit on David’s throne, and through His heavenly ancestry, that is His deity, He has the right to sit on the Father’s throne with Him. So, Jesus has inherited the former and the ever-present dominion.
Christmas is the season of hope and good news. The joy of the birth of the Son of God, but do we take the time to share the good news of Christ? Is it even important for us to share the good news of Christ? Isn’t it the pastor’s job to preach and teach the Gospel? Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he shares the importance of the Great Commission in his message, ‘Tis The Season: Our Christmas Mandate.
Luke 2:8–20 Luke 2:10b-12 Luke 2:15–16 Luke 2:17–18 John 1:35–42 Mark 16:15 Romans 10:14–15 Luke 2:12
Our Christmas Mandate
The Great Commission
16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17 And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Matthew 28:16-20
14 How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in Him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? 15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”
Romans 10:14-15
This is our Christmas mandate. For as the Shepherds were told of the good news of the birth of Jesus Christ and shared all they have seen and heard, so are we to go and share all we have seen and heard.
Christmas time has become a hectic time of shopping, lights, and decorating. Often times it’s easy to get caught up in the rush of everything that we forget the true meaning of Christmas. We forget that Christmas is the season of giving and rejoicing for Christ (our ultimate Christmas gift) came 2000 years ago to give us the hope of Salvation in Him. Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he dives deeper into the true meaning of the Christmas season in his message, ‘Tis The Season: Christmas is Giving.
Matthew 1:18–23 Isaiah 7:14 Isaiah 9:6–7 2 Corinthians 8:3–5 Proverbs 11:30b Luke 10:41b–42 John 3:16 John 10:27–30 Romans 8:31–39 1 Corinthians 13:4–8
Christmas is Giving
Why Do We Give At Christmas?
At Christmas time we give gifts because God gave the ultimate gift of His Son Jesus 2,000 years ago. The wise men continued this tradition when they brought the gifts of Frankincense, Gold, and Myrrh. We continue this tradition today by giving gifts to our loved ones.
16 For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:16
11 And going into the house, they (the wise men) saw the child with Mary His mother, and they fell down and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered Him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.
Matthew 2:11
The Gift of Christ
Jesus was the ultimate Christmas gift. God set the standard for giving when He gave His one and only Son that we might have Salvation in Him. This Christmas season, remember that giving is more than just physical gifts, for God gave more than just something bought in a store.
30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call His name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to Him the throne of His father David, 33 and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”
There is a way that seems right to us, but it leads to death. When we go based solely on our own feelings and on our own thoughts and opinions, instead of going based solely on Scripture, we veer off the path that God has set before us. We miss the Truth that sets us free. We miss the path to everlasting life. Sometimes preconceived ideas keep us from getting to the next level. We stop asking questions like: Are we called to be holy? Is God the only one who is holy? Can Christians be holy? How do I be a good Christian? What does it mean to be a Christian? Do I have to change for God? Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he opens our eyes to the Truth in his message, Striving For Holiness.
Are we called to be holy? Is God the only one who is holy? Can Christians be holy? How do I be a good Christian? What does it mean to be a Christian?
25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her, 26 that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 so that He might present the church to Himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. 28 In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.
Ephesians 5:25-28
13 Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, 15 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”
1 Peter 1:13-16
Do I have to change for God?
We are called to be a new creation in Christ Jesus that we might have the chance to strive for holiness as Christ is holy.
16 From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
2 Corinthians 5:16-17
15 For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation.
