{"id":1499,"date":"2026-01-26T14:07:34","date_gmt":"2026-01-26T14:07:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/drkevinbaird.com\/wp\/?p=1499"},"modified":"2026-02-12T16:18:04","modified_gmt":"2026-02-12T16:18:04","slug":"7-tithing-principles-which-have-made-a-difference-in-my-life-principle-5","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/drkevinbaird.com\/wp\/2026\/01\/26\/7-tithing-principles-which-have-made-a-difference-in-my-life-principle-5\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Tithing Principles which have made a difference in my life (Principle 5)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sorry for the tardiness in posting. We\u2019ve been on the road ministering and preaching and even now I am catching up in a hotel room to get these posts out. Please be sure to catch up on the previous 4 posts.<\/span><\/p>\n

Principle #5 is prefaced by stating that the devil\u2019s job description is to \u201csteal, kill, and destroy\u201d. The adversary is quite pleased when you struggle, face lack, and live impoverished. He is pleased when your finances are depleted and seem to evaporate before the next payday. In much the same way the Lord has the ability to stretch the purchasing power of a dollar, the enemy can also shrink your finances creating scenarios where you are constantly trying to figure out how you can make more money. Haggai 1:6 states, \u201cYou have sown much, and bring in little; You eat, but do not have enough; You drink, but you are not filled with drink; You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; And he who earns wages, Earns wages to put into a bag with holes.\u201d This is where principle 5 is derived:<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The tithe breaks the spirit of mammon off your resources. It is a weapon of spiritual warfare.<\/span><\/p>\n

Some scholars cite Mammon as the name of a Syrian and Chaldean god, similar to the Greek god of wealth, Plutus. Jesus presented it not just as currency, but as an idol of greed and a rival to God’s authority. HE personified it. Just as Wisdom is personified in Proverbs 1:21-33, Mammon is personified in Matthew 6:24 and Luke 16:13. Why is that important? Because your money is under the control and influence of an evil spirit. <\/span><\/p>\n

The Lord tells us that the return of the tithe has a spiritual force associated with it. Malachi 3:9 states, withholding the tithe unleashes a \u201ccurse\u201d. While the concept of curse has several implications, it is frequently seen as a “natural consequence of spiritual origin” of breaking a covenant principle with God\u2014a transition from divine covering to being exposed to evil. In this case, the spirit of mammon.<\/span><\/p>\n

The return of the tithe is the acknowledgment and an act of worship to God. It is an act of honor and in that act the spirit of mammon is broken off one\u2019s finances. The result according to Malachi 3:10-11,<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. The windows of heaven are opened (favor).<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. The outpouring of unusual blessing (prosperity).<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. The devouring of your resources is rebuked (abundance).<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    This is why, in my opinion, the 90% has more financial favor and extends further in my life than if I retained all 100%. So, before any check is written or bill is paid, I separate the tithe to honor God. Yes, I tithe on the gross amount I am enlarged or profited. Again, as I mentioned in earlier posts, this is not done begrudgingly or out of some dutiful obligation, but honest joy in acknowledging His ownership over everything.<\/span><\/p>\n

    May I also offer another observation. I have found that after 40+ years of vocational pastoral experience that I don\u2019t remember a single tithing individual or family that needed the church\u2019s financial assistance. There may have been exceptions to my memory and I will quite willingly stipulate that those who tithe may face personal financial challenges. I know in our own household that raising kids and putting them through Christian school and college will challenge the budget and stretch your faith. But invariably God sent favor and blessing. And my overwhelming experience is that God honored hundreds of others who practiced the tithe. I just never found myself as a pastor needing to assist this group. (And to be clear, the churches I pastored assisted innumerable people in financial hardship.)<\/span><\/p>\n

    So to recap, tithing is an act of spiritual warfare. It frees me and positions me for favor and God\u2019s blessing. <\/span><\/p>\n

    Stay tuned\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

    2 more installments upcoming.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Sorry for the tardiness in posting. We\u2019ve been on the road ministering and preaching and even now I am catching up in a hotel room to get these posts out. Please be sure to catch up on the previous 4 posts. Principle #5 is prefaced by stating that the devil\u2019s job description is to \u201csteal,…<\/span><\/p>\n

    Continue Reading<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1499","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/drkevinbaird.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1499","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/drkevinbaird.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/drkevinbaird.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/drkevinbaird.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/drkevinbaird.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1499"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/drkevinbaird.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1499\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1521,"href":"http:\/\/drkevinbaird.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1499\/revisions\/1521"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/drkevinbaird.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1499"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/drkevinbaird.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1499"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/drkevinbaird.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1499"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}