I heard back from some of you regarding the article on the Tithe. I was a bit surprised by the response I got. For some of you, my article was simply a confirmation of what God has already shown you. Thank you for your encouraging words. The message that I had hoped to get across clearly was the message that we are not under any obligation to pay tithes under the new covenant. However, for some, that is not the message that came across. In fact, I spoke to one who got from the message that she doesn't have to feel obligated to pay her tithes to the local church, but is free to pay them to whatever or whomever God directs. But, when pressed further, she admitted that she still feels that if she fails to pay her tithe, her finances will be cursed, and it sounded to me like fear of "bad luck" is what compels her to continue to pay tithes. This, she said, was due to years of indoctrination along those lines, mostly from her pastor.
I could see from my conversation with her that the indoctrination that many have received concerning the tithe and the curse that comes upon those who fail to pay (like the bad luck that comes on those who walk under a ladder or cross a black cat's path) is so ingrained that there's no way that one little article is going to undo it. It is a stronghold in the minds of many that must be torn down by the Spirit of God, and it is my prayer that the Lord will do just that for many of you.
For those of you who want to study the subject further, I can offer two good resources to you. One is the book (available online for free) The Tithe That Binds by Rory O Moore. This book is an excellent examination of the tradition of the tithe, and of New Testament giving. The other resource is an article by my Internet friend from South Africa, Christine Beadsworth. Her article is called Let The Whole Tithe Come In. I hope these resources will help you in your search for truth concerning the tithe.