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BIBLE-BASED FINANCIAL GUIDANCE

Radical Giving Produces an Over-abundant Harvest

Part Two

by Jerry Dewey

 Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14 Part 15a

           In the first part of this article, I began a discussion of additional giving principles you could incorporate into the biblically based financial program you’ve been actively and faithfully practicing.  The only way these additional principles will produce an outpouring of blessings is by your implementation of these principles in addition to ALL of God’s financial principles.  If you’re tired of living paycheck-to-paycheck, you must change what you’ve been doing.  To reach the point where your harvests come faster and faster and in larger quantities than ever before, you must emulate what others have done or are doing to get different results.  The first half of this concept involves increasing the percentage of your giving up to 10 percent; as with Jacob, this establishes a generous measure of return from God.  When you apply the second half of this concept, which may be the most important, you will get God’s attention.

            From which portion of all new financial resources you give your offerings is very important.  Let’s examine Malachi 3:8: “Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.”  Did you notice that tithes and offerings are mentioned in the same sentence and in the same breath, only separated by the word AND?  Since God commands us to pay our tithes from the first ten percent of any increase, could it be He also expects us to give offerings from the first portion of our increase?  When it comes to giving an offering, I believe far too many church members are giving from what’s left over after paying all their bills and I don’t think God likes it very much.  If this isn't so, then where are the outpourings of blessings that are so great that the recipients do not have enough room to receive them?  You’ve been giving and you’ve been receiving, but you’re not seeing an appreciable increase in your financial resources; basically speaking, everything seems to balance itself out.

God watches every financial move you make.  Mark 12:41-44 says, “And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much.  And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing.  And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury: For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living.”  Jesus watched as the people were giving.  Did you notice that He was not impressed with the rich, who were throwing in huge wads of money (probably trying to see who could out-do the other)?  He was very impressed with the widow woman, not because of the amount she gave, but from the portion she gave; she gave from the first portion, with no regard to how much she was going to need to buy her basic necessities and pay her bills.  This was a huge contrast to how the rich were giving.  The NLT says, “For they gave a tiny part of their surplus.”  In other words, they gave out of their discretionary income, which is the portion that is left over after they had bought all their necessities and paid all their bills.  The widow woman got Jesus’ attention!

                    In the Old Testament, another widow woman got God’s attention: 1 Kings 17:8-13 “And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee [it doesn’t tell us when God commanded her or why He picked her.  I think He picked her because she had made herself available and He commanded her to do this when she had plenty of meal and oil; but, with the passage of time, her supply had dwindled down to the point of where it was at this time when Elijah finally shows up].  So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow woman was there gathering of sticks: and he called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink.  And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her, and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel in thine hand of bread [morsel means a bit, a crumb, a scrap, a piece, a fraction, so it’s not like Elijah was asking for a whole lot].  And she said, As the LORD thy God liveth, I have not a cake [notice, she starts off by telling Elijah what she DIDN’T have – folks, God isn’t interested in what you don’t have, He is only interested in what you do have.  What did God say to Moses when he started making excuses when God told him that He was going to send him to Pharaoh?  Go to Exodus 4:2, “And the LORD said unto him, ‘What is that in thine hand?’”  This is a very important point: God can cause miracles to happen with what you have, but you have to make them available to Him!  In Matthew 14:17-21, Jesus fed 5,000 men, plus women and children (this means, there could’ve been 10,000 to 15,000 or more people there), with only five loaves and two fishes; while that was a miracle in itself, the real miracle came after all had eaten their fill – they gathered TWELVE FULL BASKETS OF FRAGMENTS!!  Back to the widow woman: now she’s going to let Elijah know how bad off she is by telling him she only has just enough...I have] but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die [I’m living paycheck-to-paycheck and I only have enough to pay my tithes and my bills with a little left over to give as an offering].  And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son.”

                             Wait a minute; didn’t this widow woman just finish telling Elijah she only had enough ingredients to make one last meal for herself and her son?  Yet, here’s Elijah, seemingly unmoved by her plight, telling her to make and bring him a cake FIRST, then she could make a meal for herself and her son.  If she does as Elijah commands, based on what she said she had, she would only have enough left to make a meal for either herself or her son?  So why did Elijah tell her to bring him some food first?

                             Here’s the thought that came to me when I thought about the reason behind Elijah telling the widow woman to make and bring him a cake first.  It’s based upon, Matthew 6:33 “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you (the NLT says “…and he will give you everything you need.”).”  God does not want your leftovers, be it your time, your talent, and especially your money that you give as offerings.  I believe the statement Elijah makes here is the key to living an abundant life.  Notice, because she obeyed, did exactly as he commanded, not only was there enough ingredients to make her and her son a meal that day, but there was enough to make meals for all three of them every day until the rain came that ended the famine (1 Kings 17:15-16 “And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days.  And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by Elijah.”)

                    IF you are tired of living paycheck-to-paycheck or just barely getting by, you have to emulate what these two widow women did.  Instead of giving an offering from what’s left over after you have taken care of all your bills and other necessities of life, start blessing God first and do it without worrying about or wondering if you’ll have enough to pay your living expenses (don’t even give it any consideration).  When you thank God first for blessing you, you will get God’s attention.  Anytime God finds someone He can get money through, He finds a way to get the money to him or her.

                             2 Corinthians 9:6-11 (NLT) “Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop.  But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop.  You must each decide in your heart how much to give.  And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure.  ‘For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.’  And God will generously provide all you need.  Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others.  As the Scriptures say, ‘They share freely and give generously to the poor.  Their good deeds will be remembered forever.’  For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat.  In the same way, he will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity in you.  Yes, you will be enriched in every way so that you can always be generous…”

                             Paul goes on to say, “And when we take your gifts to those who need them, they will thank God.  So two good things will result from this ministry of giving—the needs of the believers in Jerusalem will be met, and they will joyfully express their thanks to God.  As a result of your ministry, they will give glory to God.  For your generosity to them and to all believers will prove that you are obedient to the Good News of Christ.  And they will pray for you with deep affection because of the overflowing grace God has given to you.”

                                       Surveys reveal that about nine percent of church members give an offering on a regular basis; very few give generously and bless God first because they’re afraid they won’t have enough money leftover to meet their own needs.  When you only give a little, please don’t expect to receive any more than a little (your harvest is proportional to the seed you sow).  So the question you must answer: which is greater, the fear of running out or the expectation and anticipation of running over.

                                       Another reason many church members hesitate to give generously and bless God first is because they do not fully understand the true meaning of Philippians 4:19, “…my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”  Because you are living paycheck-to-paycheck or just barely getting by, you think and probably believe that this verse means that God will make sure you have enough money to pay all your bills and other living expenses and that’s it; you have come to accept it as normal because it mirrors your financial situation.  Folks, it’s normal for the devil, but it’s not for God.  John 10:10 says, “The thief [that’s the devil, your enemy] cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy [the devil doesn’t want you to have what you’ve got and he will do everything he can to take it and make sure you have less and less of it; on the other hand, Jesus says]: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”

Look again at what Philippians 4:19 says; it says, “according to HIS RICHES”: God owns everything on, in, and above the earth; He is the God of abundance; He is the God of doing exceedingly abundantly above what you think; and, He is the God of superabundance and able to accomplish infinitely more than you might think.

Just to refresh your memory:

                                       Psalms 50:10-12 “For every beast of the forest is mine [the NLT says, “all the animals”], and the cattle upon a thousand hills [the Amplified adds “or upon the mountains where thousands are”].  I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are mine [the NLT says, “all the animals”]…for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof.”

                                       Psalms 47:2 “For the LORD most high is terrible; he is a great King over all the earth.”

                                       Psalms 47:7 “For God is the King of all the earth:”

                                       Haggai 2:8 “The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the LORD of hosts.”

                                       Ephesians 3:20 “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.”  Exceeding means: more than, beyond, over and above, greater than, and very great.  Abundantly means: plentiful, present in great quantities, well-supplied, providing more than a plentiful supply of something, in large quantities.

                                Ephesians 3:20 (NIV) “Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.”  Infinitely means: beyond measure, without any finite or measurable limits, very great in size.

                                Ephesians 3:20 (Amplified) “Now to Him Who, by (in consequence of) the [action of His] power that is at work within us, is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly, far over and above all that we [dare] ask or think [infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams].”  Superabundantly means: TOO numerous to count.

Do you now see that there isn’t any reason to think or accept the belief that God only provides just enough or just barely enough so you can pay all your bills and other living expenses?  This is not God’s nature nor is it His plan for His children.  As a child of God and a joint heir through Jesus Christ and a seed of Abraham, you have access to everything He owns.  Compare “only providing enough” to the following: 2 Corinthians 9:8 (NLT) “And God will generously provide all you need.  Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others.”  If God only provides enough for you to take care of your needs, then how can you share with others?  If you are going to give more to support His work, you are going to need more financial resources; but, the only way you are going to get more is by giving more.

                             Keep in mind, your attitude and your motivation are very important.  Your giving should be motivated by obedience only.  God will not honor your offerings if you are giving for the wrong reasons; for example, so you can become rich or some preacher says you need to give to keep their ministry afloat.  God expects you to reflect His nature and characteristics in your attitude and your actions.  Through and because of your obedience, God promises He will bless you.  As long as you remain faithful, God will fulfill His promise; as long as you do the will of God, blessings will come.  God wants to bless you so you can be a blessing to others.  When you bless others, with the love of God, it gives God a reason to bless you with more.

          Some of you are probably thinking you could never do this – seems too risky.  Others may be wondering if and why you should do this.  As a Christian, God expects you to support His work and His workers with your financial support; 3 John 7-8 (NLT) says, “For they are traveling for the Lord, and they accept nothing from people who are not believers.  So we ourselves should support them so that we can be their partners as they teach the truth [The Living Bible says “…they take neither food, clothing, shelter, nor money from those who are not Christians, even though they have preached to them.”].”  When you do, He does not forget.  The more you sow into God’s work, He will, in turn, give you even more to give; in other words, what you make happen for others, God will make happen for you.  Hebrews 6:10 says, “For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love, which you have showed toward His Name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister to them.”  As a Christian, Jesus Christ lives in you, therefore, you have the capacity within you to do whatever is needed to enhance and advance the Kingdom of God.  But, you have to put yourself in the position to be abundantly blessed, which means you have to take some risks.  To get beyond the constraints your financial resources are currently bound by, you must do what Jacob and the two widow women did.  Sounds crazy, but if you continue doing what you’re currently doing, you’re going to get the same results you’ve been getting.

          Before we listened to Wisdom and Money, we were faithfully giving around 5 or 6 percent each month, but typically, they weren't from the first portion of every increase.  We were only seeing break-even harvests, not overflowing, abundant harvests.  Once we reached our goal of blessing God with 10 percent out of the first portion of any increase, we have seen a dramatic increase in the size and frequency of our harvests: non-competitive promotions, bonuses, and literally, money off of trees.  Even though we have more financial resources now than we ever thought possible, we have not lost sight of the responsibility that this carries.  We give God all the glory and continue placing His Kingdom first in all our financial endeavors.  We have not abandoned God’s financial principles (which got us here in the first place) nor have we deviated to the left or the right from them.  We constantly strive to be the best stewards of the financial resources God places in our hands.  We don’t know where our actions will take us in the future, but we’re confident that God’s hand of protection will be over our financial situation as long as we observe and do all His commandments.

If it works for us, it WILL work for you (because God is no respecter of persons).  Recently, Pastor Jim Johns made the following statement (a slight variation of an Emeril Lagasse saying), “kick your giving up a notch.”  Folks, most financial experts agree that the current economic situation will get worse before things begin to turn around.  We’re already seeing things we haven’t seen in 20-30 years and some, we’ve never seen before: unemployment at 9.5 percent (in some states, the unemployment rate is greater than 14 percent; in some cities, the unemployment rate is greater than 18 percent), government take-over of private businesses, and unprecedented deficient spending (by our federal government and many state governments).  If this economic downturn plays out as long as some predict, which of the two groups of people described in Genesis 47:13-24 will you most likely become (before you answer, please read Leviticus 6:12-13.  Keeping the fire on the altar constantly burning is a major responsibility of a priest; your offerings are the fuel).

Amos 9:13 (Amplified) “Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, that the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him who sows the seed; and the mountains shall drop sweet wine and all the hills shall melt [that is, everything heretofore barren and unfruitful shall overflow with spiritual blessing].”

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