Still no answer to the question of: HOW MUCH? However, there is the issue of to whom or to what we should give the Lord’s money. Listed below are some of His suggestions. See if you can determine what His wishes are.
1 Tim 5:8-9 ___________________________________________
Gal 6:6 _______________________________________________
Num 18:21 ____________________________________________
Num 18:24 ____________________________________________
Math 25:34-46 _________________________________________
Math 10:5-10 __________________________________________
Luke 10:1-8 ___________________________________________
Deut 25:5 _____________________________________________
1 Cor 9:3-18 ___________________________________________
Acts 4:34-35 ___________________________________________
Job 22:9-10 ____________________________________________
Prov 22:9 _____________________________________________
One thing I have noticed is that the giving identified in the Bible seems to go through the local church (body of believers). I don’t read about para-church organizations receiving gifts or offerings, etc. The local church seems to be a clearing house for receiving offerings and distribution of same. While the local church receives and distributes gifts today, there are also a gazillion para-church organizations out there raising money for special ministries (Campus Crusade, Navigators, Gideons, BSF, Christian Women’s Clubs, Focus on the Family, Pacific Garden Mission, Salvation Army, etc.) Why have these other “para” organizations evolved? Many are certainly worthy ministries. What do you think? ____________________________________________________________
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So, after all this discussion, what’s in it for me. Don’t I get some benefit from all this giving? Yes you do! Take a look at these passages:
Prov 11:24 ________________________________________________________
Prov 11:25 ________________________________________________________
Prov 3:9-10 ________________________________________________________
Prov 22:9 __________________________________________________________
Gal 6:6-7 __________________________________________________________
Luke 6:38 _________________________________________________________
Math 6:20-21 _______________________________________________________
1 Tim 6:18-19 ______________________________________________________
Mal 3:10 ___________________________________________________________
Perhaps I am being a little too cynical. Perhaps I should be using the term “motivation”. What motivation is there for me/us to give. On the other hand we shouldn’t need motivation. This should be a strictly mechanical, logical management decision.
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1 Tim 5:8-9 But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith, and is worse than an unbeliever. 9 Let a widow be put on the list only if she is not less than sixty years old, having been the wife of one man, NASB
Gal 6:6 And let the one who is taught the word share all good things with him who teaches. NASB
Num 18:21 “And to the sons of Levi, behold, I have given all the tithe in Israel for an inheritance, in return for their service which they perform, the service of the tent of meeting. NASB
Num 18:24 For the tithe of the sons of Israel, which they offer as an offering to the Lord, I have given to the Levites for an inheritance; therefore I have said concerning them, ‘They shall have no inheritance among the sons of Israel.'” NASB
Matt 25:34-46 “Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 ‘For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; 36 naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.’ 37 “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You drink? 38 ‘And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? 39 ‘And when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ 40 “And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’ 41 “Then He will also say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels; 42 for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink; 43 I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.’ 44 “Then they themselves also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of You?’ 45 “Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ 46 “And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” NASB
Matt 10:5-9 These twelve Jesus sent out after instructing them, saying, “Do not go in the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter any city of the Samaritans; 6 but rather go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 “And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ 8 “Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons; freely you received, freely give. 9 “Do not acquire gold, or silver, or copper for your money belts, 10 or a bag for your journey, or even two tunics, or sandals, or a staff; for the worker is worthy of his support. NASB
Luke 10:1-8 Now after this the Lord appointed seventy others, and sent them two and two ahead of Him to every city and place where He Himself was going to come. 2 And He was saying to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. 3 “Go your ways; behold, I send you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. 4 “Carry no purse, no bag, no shoes; and greet no one on the way. 5 “And whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house.’ 6 “And if a man of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him; but if not, it will return to you. 7 “And stay in that house, eating and drinking what they give you; for the laborer is worthy of his wages. Do not keep moving from house to house. 8 “And whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat what is set before you; NASB
Deut 25:5 “When brothers live together and one of them dies and has no son, the wife of the deceased shall not be married outside the family to a strange man. Her husband’s brother shall go in to her and take her to himself as wife and perform the duty of a husband’s brother to her. NASB
1 Cor 9:3-18 My defense to those who examine me is this: 4 Do we not have a right to eat and drink? 5 Do we not have a right to take along a believing wife, even as the rest of the apostles, and the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas? 6 Or do only Barnabas and I not have a right to refrain from working? 7 Who at any time serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard, and does not eat the fruit of it? Or who tends a flock and does not use the milk of the flock? 8 I am not speaking these things according to human judgment, am I? Or does not the Law also say these things? 9 For it is written in the Law of Moses, “You shall not muzzle the ox while he is threshing.” God is not concerned about oxen, is He? 10 Or is He speaking altogether for our sake? Yes, for our sake it was written, because the plowman ought to plow in hope, and the thresher to thresh in hope of sharing the crops. 11 If we sowed spiritual things in you, is it too much if we should reap material things from you? 12 If others share the right over you, do we not more? Nevertheless, we did not use this right, but we endure all things, that we may cause no hindrance to the gospel of Christ. 13 Do you not know that those who perform sacred services eat the food of the temple, and those who attend regularly to the altar have their share with the altar? 14 So also the Lord directed those who proclaim the gospel to get their living from the gospel. 15 But I have used none of these things. And I am not writing these things that it may be done so in my case; for it would be better for me to die than have any man make my boast an empty one. 16 For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for I am under compulsion; for woe is me if I do not preach the gospel. 17 For if I do this voluntarily, I have a reward; but if against my will, I have a stewardship entrusted to me. 18 What then is my reward? That, when I preach the gospel, I may offer the gospel without charge, so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel. NASB
Acts 4:34-35 For there was not a needy person among them, for all who were owners of land or houses would sell them and bring the proceeds of the sales, 35 and lay them at the apostles’ feet; and they would be distributed to each, as any had need. NASB
Job 22:9-10 “You have sent widows away empty, And the strength of the orphans has been crushed. 10 “Therefore snares surround you, And sudden dread terrifies you, NASB
Prov 22:9 He who is generous will be blessed, For he gives some of his food to the poor. NASB
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Prov 11:24 There is one who scatters, yet increases all the more, And there is one who withholds what is justly due, but it results only in want. NAS
Prov 11:25 The generous man will be prosperous, And he who waters will himself be watered. NAS
Prov 3:9-10 Honor the LORD from your wealth, And from the first of all your produce; 10 So your barns will be filled with plenty, And your vats will overflow with new wine. NAS
Gal 6:6-7 And let the one who is taught the word share all good things with him who teaches. 7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. NAS
Luke 6:38 “Give, and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, they will pour into your lap. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.” NAS
Matt 6:20-21 “But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; 21 for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. NAS
1 Tim 6:18-19 Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, 19 storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed. NAS
Mal 3:10 “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test 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 a blessing until it overflows. NAS