What Can We Do Today to Apply Our Gospel Partnership with Jesus? Part 1

David W Palmer

1. Bring Your Tithe into the Storehouse

If you are part of a local church, you are already a partner with that ministry. The Old Testament book of Malachi encourages you to support it with your tithe (tenth); the benefits of tithing are incalculable:

(Malachi 3:10–11 NKJV) “Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this,” Says the LORD of hosts, “If I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it. {11} And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, so that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground, Nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field,” Says the LORD of hosts.

This obviously had an Old Testament application. For them, the windows of heaven were what God opened to begin rain on the earth at Noah’s flood. So, for the Old Testament saint, this meant physical rain to produce physical crops, etc. But for us under the New Testament, when we “bring all the tithe (meaning tenth) into the storehouse,” the following is what God promises to do:

Willingly be tested in this— “Try me now in this.”

“Open for you the windows of heaven.” This is like saying that he will pull back the veil into the spirit realm so we can see what he is showing us; and so that we can see the blessings and stored rewards that are available to us in his spiritual vault. Paul’s Holy Spirit-given prayer in Ephesians 1 is along this very line (See: Eph. 1:16–20).

“Pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it.” In the Old Testament, this referred to farm produce, etc.; but for us, we have to “see” it in the spirit realm (or someone interceding for us has to) before we can enjoy its materialization (See: Gen. 13:14–15, John 5:19–20, 1 Cor. 2:9–10). This is why it is so wonderful that God opens the “windows of heaven” when we tithe. The copious blessings are ours in Christ, but we have to “see” them before we can receive them into the physical realm. The Holy Spirit helps us in this process (See: 1 Cor. 2:9–12).

“Rebuke the devourer for your sakes.” This is the promise that motivates us to say: “After we tithe, the remaining 90% of our increase with God’s blessing and protection is far better than holding onto 100% that is still subject to the devourer and the curse”:

(Malachi 3:9–10 NKJV) You are cursed with a curse, For you have robbed Me, … {10} Bring all the tithes into the storehouse.

Some today would argue that tithing is under the Law of Moses, and that it doesn’t apply to us. However, tithing was well-established hundreds of years before Moses and the giving of the law:

(Genesis 14:18–20 MKJV) And Melchizedek the king of Salem brought forth bread and wine. And he was the priest of the most high God. {19} And he blessed him, and said, “Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of Heaven and earth. {20} And blessed be the most high God, who has delivered your enemies into your hand.” And he gave him tithes of all.

(Genesis 28:20–22 NKJV) Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me, and keep me in this way that I am going, and give me bread to eat and clothing to put on, {21} so that I come back to my father’s house in peace, then the LORD shall be my God. {22} And this stone which I have set as a pillar shall be God’s house, and of all that You give me I will surely give a tenth to You.”

What’s more, when we are looking at any Old Testament law or principle—even if it predates Moses—we should be able to see it in the New Testament, before we receive it as applying to us. Tithing is mentioned several times: Mat. 23:23, Luke 11:42; 18:12, Heb. 7:5, 6, 8, 9. Note in particular:

(Hebrews 7:6–8 NLT) But Melchizedek, who was not a descendant of Levi, collected a tenth from Abraham. And Melchizedek placed a blessing upon Abraham, the one who had already received the promises of God. {7} And without question, the person who has the power to give a blessing is greater than the one who is blessed. {8} The priests who collect tithes are men who die, so Melchizedek is greater than they are, because we are told that he lives on.

(The Holy Spirit is speaking in this passage of Melchizedek as a type of our eternal High Priest, Jesus—implying that the Levitical priesthood, who collected tithes, were a holding pattern after Melchizedek and until Jesus, the true High Priest, could be established in the heavenly sanctuary. Now Jesus collects the tithe through his church, as Melchizedek—his pre-Moses representative —did from Abraham. So, we could say that Jesus collected tithes well before and continues well after the law of Moses.)

(Malachi 3:10 NLT) “Bring all the tithes into the storehouse … Try it! Put me to the test!”

Although we would not say this about any other topic or promise; if you are still wondering if tithing is a good idea, God says you can test him in it. Do a simple experiment; bring your tithe to the storehouse and see if it makes any difference. If tithing still applies today, God will do as he promised above.

In truth, under the covenant Jesus set up, everything we have is his, not just the first 10%:

(1 Corinthians 3:23 NKJV) And you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s.

(1 Corinthians 6:20 NKJV) For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.

If we belong to Christ Jesus—he purchased us “at a price”—then all we have belongs to him as well. After all, “The earth is the Lord’s” (Psalm 24:1, 1 Cor. 10:26, 28). We are stewards or managers of what belongs to him. So under the New Testament, he owns it all. Let’s simply allow him to do what he wants to do with what is his. If he says bring 10% or more to the storehouse, why is that a problem? He is the owner, we are the stewards; let's do as he wants. His blessing and promised responses far outweigh any advantage we could possibly obtain by holding it by our own will-power—acting independently of him like we are its owners.

Today, I encourage you to simply obey God in this; bring in the whole tithe and expect his benefits: the blessing, open windows of heaven for “seeing” in the spirit realm, devourer rebuked, and increase. Remember that these open windows let light from heaven into our lives—showing us by the Holy Spirit what God has prepared for us—and they work together with the prayer of Eph. 1:

(1 Corinthians 2:9–10 NKJV) … “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” {10} But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. …

(Ephesians 1:15–19 NKJV) “Therefore I … do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: {17} that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, {18} the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, {19} and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power.”