We should always be careful to give to God the glory that is due to him.. and to give him the praise and the thanksgiving too! Sure give sincere thanks for the good work that he does in our lives. He doesn't quit early, but finishes the good work. That's the kind of person he is. Remember that time at Calvary when Jesus said.. It is finished. All that was a free gift for you and me.
I would rather have the right attitude and a biblical understanding in this giving stuff, and in relationship to other people as well. How about you? Been musing on what the Bible says on this...
But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work. As it is written: "He has dispersed abroad, He has given to the poor; His righteousness endures forever." ~ Paul (2 Cor. 9:9)
But where reap? Where or will we? Do we reap here or later on in heaven? Either. God promises to meet our needs, not our greeds and he knows where it's best for you to reap. It's a matter of trust.
Life here is to be about giving and freely receiving. It's to be about right relationships upwards and outwards (yes, true righteousness -- right living with God and people) and shouldn't be about possessions, greed or covetousness which can destroy.
The Father is concerned about you. He wants you not your money. He knows all the statistics about you and your needs. He is concerned about even the insignificant things about you because he SO loves you! He knows life will work as you allow Jesus to be Lord of all areas. God also loves his Church and he is the one who gives seed to the sower. It's for a purpose of life.
Sowing and reaping of course will happen these days and will happen in the future as well. Yes, you might be rewarded for obedience and reap up in the intermediate heaven on here after heaven comes down and becomes one with earth in the Millenium, believer.
Contrary to what so many false teachers teach (even within some so called Christian churches) you can’t really give your way into prosperity in this world for this life, but you can obey God when he leads you to give in this life for the next life. That could happen.
You can’t really use your credit card to give.. on into wealth for you here.. as many false teachers also teach. That’s moronic -- think about those high interest rates (I'm not saying don't ever give using your credit card, but paying it off each month is smart).
Do you ever ask.. God, why should I give to the point of lacking here (like say if you've planned ahead poorly instead of wisely), in order to just be rewarded up in heaven?
God is a giver. He gives life and so many blessings to us. Can't even count em all. He doesn't want you to lack, but does want us all to become cheerful givers (it doesn't have to be money only). He wants us to "be ready as a matter of generosity and not as a grudging obligation" (2 Cor. 9:5). We visit and listen to the needs of the people wherever we go, or to the needs of a church. We honestly pray for them, and ask God to use us to meet needs. We tell him what we need to and he meets our needs.
You've heard it said.. "The squeaky wheel gets the oil." Well, we look to and squeak to the Lord, not to man and he pours in the oil. It's a Christ-centered, and others-oriented kind of cheerful lifestyle!
I (personally am not supported by churches or by Christians), but really like God's idea of giving tithes and offerings because I love to see what he is doing in and through healthy local churches that are led by sound godly men (good examples) who walk after the Spirit (biblically) instead of after the world system or selfishly (fleshly). How else would sound Bible teaching Christian churches be able to keep their doors open, edify people, develop or wisely build?
May I ask.. Are you a cheerful giver (and I mean sometimes involving money). The Bible teaches us that God "is able (speaking of his power) to make all grace abound to you" (that's regarding the direction and that you’d abound as well.. for what?). For every good work (that’s the practical ministry of it).
May I ask you.. Do you have a low grade anger inside? Have you felt that when preachers are talking about giving? Got some church-hurt from the hypocrisy and false teachings? Have you suffered some spiritual abuse before? Many people have. I say get alone with Jesus who understands. Just pour out your heart to him so he can heal you of anger inside.
Have you heard some so called preachers say.. “You are to dig deep and sow a seed, and then God will give it back to you with more money?" (meaning you give to them, and then you get back more in this life). I've heard that many times and that's false -- that’s even manipulative. It greaves God who doesn't like the pressure on his people, like from lies (otherwise they’d be mortgaging their own houses to give more more now). Why do some preachers give such an overemphasis on the area of giving money when God in the Bible has so many important doctrines that they don't give an emphasis on? Like the Apostle Paul did, why don't they give you all the counsels of God teaching through the whole Bible? Would you pray something like...
God, thank you for giving your Son, Jesus. Thanks for the protection, the grace, the peace, the provision, and joy in Christ. Father, in love what would you have me do with what you have given to us? It's all yours and I want to please you -- yes, to be a faithful steward of your stuff. Please give wisdom, direction and a right motivation in this. What do you want me involved in to see change here, and not involved with for changing? Amen.
“In the Old Testament giving was required by God, but today it is not." ~ Erwin Lutzer
We are to pray and be cheerful in whatever giving we do. Yes, as a man or woman purposes in his or her heart to give, and God is indeed able to make all grace abound to us for every good work.
We Christians are free to obey the Lord in all the areas of life like with our finances -- with our investing of bucks, with our giving (even with money), with our spending, and our saving. Jesus set us totally free.
I'm even free to smoke and drink as much as I want to -- I just don't want to anymore.
By the power of the word the Holy Spirit within changes us..from the inside out. We now love what we used to loathe (going to church to worship, study the word and pray) and we loathe what we used to love (sins that destroy people). We are free to travel on purpose sharing the Good News of freedom. We are free to know the Lord well, and to make him well-known ..for all eternity! Come to..or come back to Jesus now! You don't need to clean yourself up to come to him. Ask him to forgive you and let him clean up your life. That's what the Fisher of men and women does -- catches and cleans us in that order.
So many around us are still lost and it often costs money to get the Gospel out far and wide.
So many Christians still need to biblically be discipled unto spiritual maturity in Jesus. Oftentimes believer can also be used in this work for free. Yet pastors who do this work to bless believers still need to pay the bills as well. That's being a good witness to the community.
I have found that if you give so that people can be saved (only Jesus does that), can be well-fed and developed for growth in the Lord.. yes, I mean if you invest in the lives of people guess what.. happy well-feed sheep become healthy and they will reproduce themselves.
God loves a cheerful giver with this in mind -- yes, he loves all givers of what's appropriate and good for people. It's cuz he loves sinners too and and is not willing that any perish but that all to come to the knowledge of the truth.
Stingy < Simply Following Jesus
Think about it. No pressure, but selfishness has never helped anyone. God really wants your heart more, but let Jesus be Lord of your pocketbook and other areas of life as well. He delights to bless.
Where God guides, God provides. Where he leads his kids, he feeds em, Where his finger points you believer, his hand of provision opens. Where he directs you to give ..whatever good (as well as with his Gospel), he blesses people. Read more on this...
How is faith promise giving different from tithing and or regular giving?
For many people why does giving money seem to be such a big deal in the Christian church?
To what extent are Christians to save money? Is it possible to be saving too much money?
Why is it sometimes unwise to lend money?
What does the Bible say about gambling? Is it always wrong to gamble, play the lottery / lotto?
Is money the problem, or is it only the love of money?
Who should control the money in a marriage?
Is that right or wrong? To what extent should a church seek to raise funds to support its ministries?
How can we be discerning in regards to those who don't have much and in giving to them?
Does the Bible instruct Christians to give alms offerings?
Is it biblical to sow a seed of faith unto the Lord and expect a miracle in this life here?
What are the keys to successful money / finance management?
Is it ever right to accept a bribe?
How should I decide how much to tithe? How much should Christians give in their financial offerings?
Is a raffle something a church can consider as part of an effort to raise money?
Articles with content related to you and money that're organized into subcategories.
How should a Christian respond to beggars and panhandling? There are so many of them. Is it better to give a beggar money.. or buy a beggar food and lovingly share the Gospel with them?
What is more important, to get out of debt, or to continue on in tithing?
Why does televangelism tend to lend itself to televangelists fleecing their flocks of money? Minister means servant right. Aren't they like good shepherds to feed the flock of God instead of fleece the flock? Yes.
Why did Martin Luther write the ninety five theses?
Is financial stability a requirement for marriage?
Should Christians put money into an IRA and/or 401k?
How can I trust God when I've been giving and then the economy goes bad, or really bad?
What principles should guide my decision making in regards to whom I give?
Practically, how should a Christian obey God and tithe?
Does giving to the storehouse mean?
What does the widow’s mite teach us about sacrificial giving?
Should a Christian tithe? Does a Christian always have to give 10% to the church?
Should Christians give away all they possess except for basic necessities? Does Jesus really want us to live without material possessions?
How do they together know regarding tithing, like on how much to give to God at church? Is a wife to submit to her husband in the area of tithing? What does God say on this?
What does charity mean in the King James Version of the Bible?
How is Christian socialism different from other forms of socialism? Is Christian socialism biblical?
How much should a church reveal about how it manages its finances?
Why is it a sin to be covetous? Can it destroy?
Why is it wrong to covet? Thou shalt not covet!
Why is Hollywood so strongly anti-Christian?
37. Do others around you have more stuff or money than you have? What is godly jealousy?
Is there such a thing as godly jealousy? How is godly jealousy different from selfish sinful jealousy?
What even is "mortification of sin and of our inner fleshly nature"? Is mortification really a biblical concept? (I don't mean that any of us are to kill our person made of flesh, or other babies and people).
Is there a clear distinction between being jealous and being envious?
Why did Jesus often speak using parables instead of teaching more clearly?
What does the Bible say about being envious? Is envy always sinful?
Is it God’s will for all Christians to be financially prosperous?
Do you ever gamble with the money you are to be a wise steward with? Should a Christian play lottery tickets, lotto, Powerball, Mega Millions, etc.?
Why is being a Christian so challenging sometimes?
Could this involve money, stuff, other people or power etc.? Other than bowing down to idols, what are some other forms of idolatry?
