Our Faithful Father of Multiplication
Tithing and giving with a pure heart is an unfailing path to blessings and plenty.
God is not a debtor to any man and He will not allow a pure heart that is liberal in giving to go without a Biblical return of their investment. It absolutely cannot happen or our God would become a falsehood. If there is one principal of the Bible that men defy and seek to bypass it is the truth of tithing and giving. Apostle Paul addresses the facts that love for money is the root of all destruction. He stated by the Holy Ghost “For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows” (1 Timothy 6:10). Open your pocketbook and the God of incalculable riches will open His treasures.
Listen to what the Lord of every saint says about the liberal soul. “The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself” (Proverbs 11:25). When you shut up your “bowels of compassion” you close the windows of heaven. One of the first great stories in the Book of Acts as the New Testament began its history was about a liberal “soul” that earned a spot in God’s revelation. His name was Barnabas and he was given the Bible name “son of consolation.” The Scripture records “And Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas, (which is, being interpreted, The son of consolation,) a Levite, and of the country of Cyprus, Having land, sold it, and brought the money, and laid it at the apostles’ feet” (Acts 4:36-37). His blessings spurred such envy that two careless church members tried to duplicate his liberality without giving in the same magnanimous fashion. They ended up lying to the Holy Ghost and died as a testimony to stinginess. I have often witnessed this same littleness among professing believers and watched in sadness their spiritual demise.
The Son of God left us no room to maneuver our way out of the Biblical truth of “tithing and giving.” Why under God’s marvelous mercy would anyone try to change the Biblical principals of this great truth? But it happens constantly in the very house of God. Listen to the Son of God during His historic “Sermon on the Mount.” He declares, “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled” (Matthew 5:17-18). I marvel at the way people deny the righteousness of the First Testament but love to quote the thousands of promises in the same. Jesus marked the great truth of First Testament righteousness beyond argument when He spoke of the Pharisees and their devotion to God’s laws. He stated, “Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:19-20).
At the beginning of the Christian walk “tithing and giving” is one of those areas where we deny ourselves and take up our cross and follow Him. Always remember how our cross will end if we are faithful. There is no such possibility of a cross-centered life that does not end in glory, both “here” and “over there.” The Lord’s infallible promise says, “Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God’s sake, Who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting” (Luke 18:29-30).
The church history is replete with a multitude of saints that were saved in obscurity–poor and almost hopeless–that gave up everything to seek the “pearl of great price.” A great company of these magnanimous souls touched the world for Christ, but also grew in statute, most often having far more of the world’s wealth than they ever needed or even desired for themselves.
A Godly and blessed person is always embarrassed by their blessings. The more they get the more they give. Mr. Penney, founder of J. C. Penney’s gave 90% of his income. Mr. Belk, founder of Belk’s department store would not build a new store in a new location until he built a new church. Each new store had to have a counterpart in a new church. America’s history is full of these stories.
The Biblical text that undergirds this great truth is found in Malachi. This prophet of God spoke by the Holy Ghost. If you call this a cultural teaching or an outdated Old Testament doctrine you have proven yourself an apostate. Listen to the Spirit speaking, “Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts” (Malachi 3:8-11).
To disobey such truth is to rob yourself as well as God. To obey with a true heart in sweet surrender is to do exactly what the Spirit said–you open the “windows of heaven” onto your life. If you do it selfishly there will be absolutely no reward. In fact it will turn on your head and your finances will dry up. If you give up all desires for things, riches, pleasures and wealth and seek His kingdom alone, then after He proves your love He will reward you with His blessings. The Psalmist David adds a beautiful addition to Malachi’s prophecy. These words of David have guided and inspired my life greatly. “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper” (Psalms 1:1-3).
Wealth and plenty can be a wonderful blessing or a horrible curse; that depends on you. It is an absolute fact that God has promised to supply all your needs, “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19). It is even a covenant from God that any man or woman with a liberal heart in giving to the cause of His Kingdom will be overrun with return increases in their possessions. God will so bless a magnanimous heart that they will need to look for places to give from their blessings. It has been said that God is not a debtor to any man.
A man or woman that only pays their tithes will be blessed, but very limited. In fact, to only pay your tithes leaves you in the realm of the Pharisees who strictly obeyed the law, but only the required and never beyond. It is a very limited realm to live by; however, this is where most Christians have justified themselves. Abraham, Moses, and King David were men that proved God to be a supernatural partner even in their possessions. All were wealthy and blessed beyond measure but with the fellowship of God at the forefront. Abraham was called a friend of God. David was a man after God’s own heart. Moses talked to God mouth-to-mouth. They were magnanimous souls without a stingy cell in their person.
By the Spirit James cried out concerning corrupted riches, “Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth eaten. Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days. Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth. Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter” (James 5:1-5). Riches can bless or riches can corrupt; you must decide. Years ago, I started giving 40-50% of my small salary and everything I had multiplied. My possessions are very limited, but they are blessed with a genuine feeling of being secure and satisfied.
Everything you own is “stored up self.” Whether you labored to earn it or inherited it, all you have that you have not sanctified by tithing and liberal giving is cursed and will not bring you any lasting satisfaction. God spoke by His Holy Spirit. “Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts. And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the LORD of hosts” (Malachi 3:8-12).
What powerful words – divine Words! The tithing principles that a Jewish person, who was living under the laws of Moses obeyed, was almost 30%. No one doubts that Jewish people have been among the wealthiest in the world even during nearly two thousand years of their dispersion. Why? It is because they have followed God’s principles in financial matters.
Do not wait to be wealthy so you can give and do not give to be wealthy. Tithe and give because you love God and love His Holy Word and because you want to live pleasing to Him. “For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him” (II Chronicles 16:9a).
Quit using your income, whether it is small or large, just to live to yourself and buy what you want. Make the Kingdom of Jesus Christ the center of your life. Live for the work of missions, reaching the unsaved, sharing your possessions with others that are in need, and blessing your church so that it can touch the world. Forsake everything and everyone that stands between you and the perfect will of God. Surrender to the point of total devotion to His Holy Word and divine truth. Remember His words, “Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days” (Ecclesiastes 11:1).
Your life will begin to explode when you begin to delight-find great joy-in living by the laws, commandments and truth of Holy Scripture. You have been set free from the old selfish self to live a magnanimous life. The most glaring Biblical test of a new life is our use of monies that pass through our hands.
Don’t Miss Our Live Streaming Broadcast of Open Bible Dialogue
Every Saturday at 1:00 pm Eastern ** Click Here **
SuperCounters
jaimie
Dear Pastor,
I do give, but not as much as instructed; but do give regularly, yet try to forget after giving because it is seems self serving to bring it back to memory. (we will work on this point though, to improve)
The Lord has blessed me when others are put first, this world is so self centered it easy to forget that we are here for such a short time. As you say, our compassion to others may be the only saving grace that begat the Lords compassion upon us.
The Lord has burdened my heart to better understand Jezebel better; that spirit is selfish, must control and is divisive. This is the spirit of our age that seems to rule every where.
God Bless
jaimie