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BIBLICAL MOTIVATION
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Treasures in Heaven
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:19-21, NIV)
The Parable of the Talents
“Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them.” (Matthew 25:14, NIV)
God Owns It Anyway
“for every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills.” (Psalm 50:10, NIV)
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Jesus was very interested that His followers placed their trust in heaven and not in their worldly possessions.
What is on your calendar and what is in your budget describes your priorities. Would you say that your priorities are on earth or in heaven by what is on these two documents?
But what if you only have a little? God can multiply that little to make it enough for His purpose. Just ask the lad in Matthew 14.
16 “Jesus replied, "They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat."
17 “We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered.
18 "Bring them here to me,” he said.
20 “They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.”
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GETTING LAUNCHED
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The following website has readings on the following topics and more:
Give With Joy
I would like to highlight and give comments on the first week’s readings.
God is the Owner of everything.
God is the Provider of every good thing in your life.
Your role is to be the trustee, manager and steward of 100% of what God entrusts to you during your lifetime.
Don’t become prideful about anything God has entrusted to you.
Even the poor are to give to God from what they have.
Set up a plan to faithfully give 10% OR MORE of your financial resources to the Lord’s work.
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God is the Owner of Everything
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We have heard many times that God is the owner of the cattle on a thousand hills (Psalm 50:10), but it is interesting to me that God had time to manage the affairs of two cows in a pagan country. Read 1 Samuel 6:7-7-12 to see how God directed these cows. So, if God can direct these two cows, how much more will He direct the things that pertain to you? In fact, read Ephesians 3:20 to find that He is more than able to accomplish everything that pertains to you. This thought should give you great comfort. |
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God is the Provider of every good thing in your life.
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Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights. James 1:16. What is praise is the rent we owe God for what we have? If that is the case, we should be thanking God, the Provider, for what we have. I would like to give an Old Testament and a New Testament Scripture to support this. God became known as Jehovah Jirah in Genesis 22:14 when He provided the lamb for Abraham. In Philippians 4: 19 we find that God will provide for all of our needs according to His riches in glory. |
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Your role is to be the trustee, manager and steward of 100% of what God entrusts to you during your lifetime.
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This responsibility started in the Garden of Eden at the Creation (Genesis 1:29-30) and extends today. We are the hands and feet of God and He uses us to accomplish His mission. When we live under our salary we can have funds to support God’s work. When our lifestyles exceed our salaries, we do not have any capability to support this important work. |
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Don’t become prideful about anything God has entrusted to you.
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God has blessed each one of us in many ways and we need to give him the glory and praise for each and every thing He has entrusted into our care. |
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Don’t become prideful about anything God has entrusted to you.
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God has blessed each one of us in many ways and we need to give him the glory and praise for each and every thing He has entrusted into our care. |
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Even the poor are to give to God from what they have.
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Jesus told a story in Luke 21:1-4 of a widow who gave out of her poverty and gave everything she had to live on to the temple treasury. 1 Kings 17 tells of how a widow with no means was able to feed Elijah for a long time. There are so many other stories of people being faithful and God providing for their needs. |
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Set up a plan to faithfully give 10% OR MORE of your financial resources to the Lord’s work.
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There are many Old Testament Scriptures that speak of the tithe. Four of the most quoted ones are listed.
Genesis 14:20B Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.
Abram did this out of his heart, with no written guidance.
Deuteronomy 14:22 Be sure to set aside a tenth of all that your fields produce
The purpose of tithing is to teach you always to put God first in your lives.
Exodus 22:29 Do not hold back offerings from your granaries or your vats.
You must be prompt in giving.
Malachi 3:8-11 “Will a man rob God? Surely not! And yet you have robbed me. “’What do you mean? When did we ever rob you?’ “You have robbed me of the tithes and offerings due to me. And so the awesome curse of God is cursing you…Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so that there will be food enough in my Temple; if you do, I will open up the windows of heaven for you and pour out a blessing so great you won’t have room enough to take it in! “Try it! Let me prove it to you! Your crops will be large, for I will guard them from insects and plagues. Your grapes won’t shrivel away before they ripen,” says the Lord Almighty.
However, many think that this applied to the Old Testament time only because Jesus said the following in Luke 11:42:
“Though you are careful to tithe even the smallest part of your income, you completely forget about justice and the love of God. You should "“Woe to you Pharisees, because you give God a tenth of your mint, rue and all other kinds of garden herbs, but you neglect justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without leaving the former undone." (Luke 11:42, NIV)
Jesus was equating justice and love of God with the tithe.
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10 BIBLICAL REASONS TO GIVE 10% OR MORE OF YOUR INCOME TO THE LORD’S WORK
By Brian Kluth, Pastor and founder of:
www.MaximumGenerosity.org, www.GenerousLife.info, www.GiveWithJoy.org
As materialism and consumerism have continually infiltrated our lives in recent decades, many people have drifted from any biblical moorings concerning their Christian giving. Here are 10 biblically-based reasons to make giving 10% or more of your income your highest financial priority in life.
- 1. It is a proven pattern of giving done by Christ followers for many generations.
In 1899, a bibliography was compiled of books related to systematic Christian giving. There were over 500 books listed in this bibliography from over 100 years ago, and yet many Christians today do not understand the importance of faithful giving.
Scriptures: Genesis 14:17-20, 28:16-22, Leviticus 27:30, Proverbs 3:9-10, Malachi 3:7-15, Matthew 23:23
- It will help you reverence God more in your life.
If you showed me your check book records, I would be able to quickly tell you who or what you feel is important. By giving the best of what you have been given to God, you are expressing your allegiance to Him and you will grow in your respect for the Lord and His working in your life.
Scriptures: Deuteronomy 14:23, Malachi 1:6-8
- It will bring God’s wisdom and order to your finances.
If I get dressed in the morning and get the first button out of place on my shirt, all the rest of the buttons will be messed up. When it comes to finances, the first button to get in place is your giving. When you get this area in order, everything else follows. Giving is also the only known antidote for “affluenza” (the desire for more things) that permeates our world today.
Scriptures: Matthew 6:19-21, 24-34; Luke 12:16-21, I Timothy 6:6-10, 17-19; Ecclesiastes 5:10
- It will serve as a practical reminder that God is the Owner of everything in your life.
By faithfully giving the Lord 10% or more of all you ever receive, you are actively acknowledging His ownership in your life. As someone once told me, “God owns it all and God loans it all. ” We are not owners, only temporary possessors and managers of what God entrusts to us during our lifetime.
Scriptures: I Chronicles 29:11-18, Psalm 24:1-2, 50:10-12, Haggai 2:8
- It will allow you to experience God’s creative provisions.
One of the most amazing things about learning to faithfully give to the Lord is the joy so many people have experienced in receiving unexpected blessings in their lives. When you acknowledge God’s ownership through your generous giving, you begin to experience His creative provisions in amazing ways.
Scriptures: I Kings 17, Proverbs 3:9-10, Malachi 3:7-15, Haggai 1:4-11, 2:15-19; Luke 6:38, Deuteronomy 28, Philippians 4:15-19, Mark 12:41-44
- It will encourage your spiritual growth and trust in God.
There will be times when you will decide to be a faithful giver of what is in your hand, even when you have no idea how you will make it through the coming day, week, or month. But by going ahead and giving to God, your trust in the Lord will grow and you will grow in your ability to see Him provide.
Scriptures: Deuteronomy 14:23, Proverbs 3:5-6, Malachi 3:8-10, Haggai 1:4-11, 2:15-19; 2 Corinthians 8:5
- It will ensure you of treasure in heaven.
Jesus encourages you to store up treasure in heaven. The only way to do this is to live generously now. Someone once said, “We can’t take it with us, but we can send it on ahead.”
Scriptures: I Timothy 6:18-19, Matthew 6:19-21, Hebrews 6:10, III John 8, I Samuel 30:22
- It will strengthen the work of your local church.
Many churches struggle for lack of finances. However, when people in a congregation gain a vision for being faithful givers to God at their local church, the whole spirit of a church begins to change – needs are met, people are cared for, more outreach begins to take place, and long-awaited improvements start to happen. God-given momentum builds as people honor the Lord through their giving at church.
Scriptures: Acts 2:42-47, 4:32; 2 Corinthians 9:12, 13
- It will help provide the means to keep your pastor(s) and missionaries in full-time Christian.
It has always been God’s plan that his servants are taken care of by his people. Across America and the world, many pastors and missionaries are struggling financially or are even leaving the ministry because of a lack of adequate finances. Your faithful giving can make sure this doesn’t happen among the pastors or missionaries you know.
Scriptures: I Corinthians 9:9-11,14; I Timothy 5:17-18, III John 5-8, Philemon 4:15-19, Galatians 6:6, Luke 8:3, II Kings 4:8-10
- It will help accomplish needed building projects and renovations.
Some of the most exciting times in the life of a church or ministry occur when facilities are being improved or expanded. But for building projects to succeed, large extraordinary gifts are needed. Building projects only happen well with special gifts that are “above and beyond” people’s normal giving.
Scriptures: 2 Chronicles 24:4-14, Exodus 35,36; II Kings 12:2-16, Ezra 1:4-6, I Chronicles 29:2-19
Copyright Brian Kluth GiveWithTruth: Used by permission
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What do I have to Offer?
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We have our very lives to offer as we are witnesses wherever we are. (Acts 1:8) However, to be more specific, we have time, our talents, and our tithes.
The time is important because everyone only has a certain amount of time and how we use our time is indicative of our priority. Do we have time for daily devotions and prayer? Is there time for volunteering to meet the needs of our community? Do we make time to attend church and church-related activities?
We all have a talent that can be used in the service of our Lord. We can help in the various areas of church from greeters to child care to helping maintain the facility. We can be part of the prayer teams and of the choir. The opportunities to serve are limitless.
The tithe and offering are very important. We can give of our resources to benefit the local and global programs of our church. Our giving shows that we put our service to God in an important role in our lives.
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What is my role and what is God’s role?
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In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said that where your treasures are, there is also your heart. We need to use our treasures and not hide them or store them in barns.
“Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’ “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’” (Luke 12:18-20, NIV)
Another role that we have is to be content in whatever circumstance we are in. (Philippians 4). If we can be content, then we can be in a position to receive more blessings. However, if we are complaining, we may rob God of the opportunity to bless us.
God has a responsibility as stated in John 10:10 to give us an abundant life. This means different things to different people, but an abundant life is definitely a life that is exciting to live. God has the responsibility of Philippians 4:19 to supply all of our needs according to his riches in glory.
Finally, we are more than conquerors through Christ Jesus (Romans 8:37). What a great series of things God will do for those who are called according to His purpose.
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SUGGESTION
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Jesus has promised that if you seek first His Kingdom and His Righteousness, that all other things will be added to you as well. What a great promise.
Always begin every budget or planning session with Prayer and invite the Holy Spirit to help you stay on track.
I have some practical tips that worked well for me in the military. We have a very steady paycheck and we are able to plan our income much more assuredly than can salesmen, farmers, and many other professions. In fact, when we budget, we make conscious decisions concerning where our money will be used. It becomes easier to live on 90% with God than on 100% without God.
- My wife and I made a tithe to be part of my salary early on in our marriage. Because of the unique funding of the chapel program, I did not give the entire tithe to the chapel, but funded other religious organizations. We tithed off of the gross paycheck. Some tithe off of the net salary. I do not think that it matters as long as you do it with your heart and not out of obligation.
- I gave the first fruits to the Lord. My first month’s pay raises was given as a first fruit offering. This is not necessary, but something that we wanted to do.
- In addition to my tithe, we gave offerings as required by the local body of believers.
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Summary
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Your calendar and your budget are very important indicators of how do serve the Lord and whom you love first. |
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CAUTION
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We have discussed many blessings of tithing. Yet, the Bible does not always guarantee that we will have physical blessings that accompany our tithes. |
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Here are a couple of thoughts concerning making God first even when the circumstances do not indicate great blessings. First, we worship God for Who He is and not what He gives. The verses in Habakkuk remind us of that. Second, God will redeem that which is lost if we are faithful. That might not happen tomorrow, but it will happen and the verses in Joel remind us of that fact. |
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1
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"Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior." (Habakkuk 3:17-18, NIV)
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2
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Joel 1:11describes a woeful situation for the farmers.
"Despair, you farmers, wail, you vine growers; grieve for the wheat and the barley, because the harvest of the field is destroyed." (Joel 1:11, NIV)
But Joel 2:25-27 describes how the Lord has redeemed the situation.
“I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten— the great locust and the young locust, the other locusts and the locust swarm— my great army that I sent among you. You will have plenty to eat, until you are full, and you will praise the name of the Lord your God, who has worked wonders for you; never again will my people be shamed. Then you will know that I am in Israel, that I am the Lord your God, and that there is no other; never again will my people be shamed.” (Joel 2:25-27, NIV)
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Hopefully this study has helped to understand your responsibility to be good stewards for the possessions God has given you. |
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CONTINUING FURTHER
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You have already been on the following website to read the first week’s readings:
Give With Joy
You can return to this for more detailed information on how to use God’s resources for His honor and glory.
Or go to this one for a different approach:
RefBible
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PRINTABLE VERSION
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Being God’s Steward (click here) |