2nd Corinthians 9:7, “Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.”
I learned a philosophy decades ago when I was
much younger, that is, never let an offering plate pass in front of you
without putting something in it. NEVER!!! You want to get into the habit of
always giving. Even if it's just one dollar, ALWAYS put something into the
offering plate when it comes by. If you normally tithe on Sunday morning,
then just give a couple dollars Sunday and Wednesday evening when the
offering plate comes by. ANYONE can give a dollar!
There's nothing worse than seeing an empty offering plate. I was in a church on a Wednesday night for their weekly Bible study and prayer meeting. The offering plate passed in front of about 50 people and it was completely empty when it reached me in the back. I think I was the only one who dropped money in the offering plate that night. This is because I NEVER let an offering plate pass in front of me without giving. NEVER!
Now I'm not talking about how much you give. That's a separate matter entirely. I'm simply preaching in this article on getting into the habit of giving at all times. The Bible says in our text verse that God LOVETH A CHEERFUL GIVER!!! If you're giving to a ministry that is getting the job done for the Lord, then you should eagerly want to financially support that Church or work for the Lord. If it's a dead beat ministry, then why would you want to support it? I won't support a Church or ministry that uses corrupt modern Bible versions. I only support ministries who use the King James Bible!
Jesus said to always give when asked. Matthew 5:42, “Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.” Luke 6:30, “Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again.”
Children also, no matter how young, should get into the habit of giving. If they're old enough to reach out their hand and place money into an offering plate, then they should be taught to give. Even if it's a quarter, children ought to get into the habit of always giving as they are able to God's work.
Having said
that, I get frustrated when people support dead churches! You know if a
church is dead. Is the church making a difference in the local community for
the Lord? A godly congregation is indicative of a godly pastor. If the
pastor isn't a soul-winner, then neither will be the congregation. No
congregation can ever rise above the spirituality of the pastor. God pity
today's apostate preachers who spend half their sermons quoting
televangelists and the latest New York Times Bestseller books!
Preachers are dime-a-dozen these days, but a man who walks with God is rare!
A true pastor walks with God throughout the week and shares with his people
on Sunday what he learned.
The Word Of God Became Incarnate (Flesh) In Jesus The Man
Here is the strongest evidence from the Scriptures of Christ's deity...
John 1:1-3 and 14, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. ... And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”
Jesus is the Word incarnate. God's Word is not merely a book with white pages and black ink; but rather, God's Words are living, as we read in Hebrews 4:12, “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” God Words are alive (quickened) because God is alive. The Bible contains over 7,000 promises (many repeated for emphasis) from God, some unconditional and many conditional.
If a man authors a book and then dies, future readers may feel like they've personally known the author after reading his book. However, the author (Holy Spirit) of the Bible is alive forevermore!!! This is why Jesus said in John 6:63, “It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” There you have it... the Words of the Bible are spirit, that is, given by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit (2nd Timothy 3:16), and they are life!!!
Psalms 33:11, “The counsel of the LORD standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations.” That is precious to me, that is, the Bible is “THE THOUGHTS OF HIS HEART” to all generations. When we read, search, memorize and study the Bible, we are learning the thoughts of God our Creator. The next time you get discouraged, open your King James Bible and look for God's THOUGHTS on the matter, whatever your needs or problems may be. This is why we are commanded wonderfully in Philippians 4:5, “Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.” Jesus' mindset was that of continually thinking about others.
Many times when I go to buy a pizza or get some food for myself, I'll buy extra for someone else to be nice to them and brighten their day. That's part of being like Jesus. If there's a cab-driver waiting for me to get some food, then I always bring him some food too. If you buy a cold drink for yourself, look around and see if someone else looks like they might enjoy one too. God loves a cheerful giver (2nd Corinthians 9:7). Notice that the Bible doesn't say God loves a cheerful “tither,” but “giver”! When you tithe you give God what He expects, the bare minimum. That's the character mile, the first mile; but the second mile is the fun mile. Tithing is the character mile, but putting above and beyond for the work of God is the fun and joyful, the CHEERFUL mile!
You can never really keep anything in life until you give it away to OTHERS. I heard on the radio the other day that many wealthy people in America are greedily hording their money (they're not spending it), because it's their god and security in this temporal earthly world. Brother, if I have it I'm going to spend it on others and give it away generously. If you want to have real fun, give to the poor as if you were rich. Biblically, your generosity is measured by how much you keep, not how much you give away.
Jesus is the sweetest name I know,
And He’s just the same as His lovely Name,
And that’s the reason why I love Him so;
Oh, Jesus is the sweetest name I know.
There is no name in earth or Heav’n above,
That we should give such honor and such love
As the blessed Name, let us all acclaim,
That wondrous, glorious Name of Jesus.
JESUS IS GOD... ALMIGHTY GOD!!! The deity of Jesus Christ is the most denied doctrine in this world by unbelievers. They vehemently hate the very idea that Jesus was born upon the earth as God incarnate (in the flesh).
A “doctrine” is simply a teaching. Doctrines are composed of words. Thus words are critically important. The great theological battles and debates of our generation are being fought over the meaning of words, whether it be the word “repentance” or the word “inspired,” the spiritual battle is raging.
God deliver us from deeper-life theologians who can quote the Bible, dissect it and expound upon it, but they never share the gospel with their neighbors and let the world die and go to Hell. On my website ministry, I aim to encourage everyone to be a soul-winner. Proverbs 11:30 says, “He that winneth souls is wise.” That's one Scripture that you won't hear often from the intelligencia crowd.
John 1:1-2 and 14, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. ...And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”
Be Careful To Whom You Give Money
Personally, I am a firm believer in giving directly to the poor and homeless (in addition to tithes). I am against donating to ANY so-called charity that pays its CEO or chief administrator a 6-digit salary. I won't give to the Salvation Army because they pay their CEO over $175,000 a year. Although that's considered very reasonable amongst charities overall (Red Cross pays their CEO over $600,000 a year!), I still have a big problem giving to any group that is willing to pay 6-digit salaries to employees. Why can't a charity's CEO live on $50,000 a year?
By law, I think non-profit charities should be limited to a $50,000-a-year salary cap for it's top dog! They don't pay taxes! It's wrong and unethical. They don't pay taxes because they're considered a public service, i.e., a charity, while disgustingly paying themselves exorbitant $300,000 a year salaries. Most big charities pay around $350,000 per year to the top administrator. Fireman and policeman who risk their lives get paid $30,000 a year!
Oftentimes it is advisable to give of your time at a new church or ministry, until you see exactly how the money is being spent, or if the pastor is greedy. Oftentimes I'll buy some food for a homeless person instead of giving them money. Let me say a couple things about giving to the poor. First, I always give if someone asks. Albeit, it is unwise to open your wallet or your purse in the presence of a street person (because you may get robbed). It's wise (and I always do this) to keep some money in your pockets. Put a few dollars in each pocket so you always have a few dollars readily available. I advise against giving more than $20, because street people may become suspicious of your honest intentions.
While visiting
the states, a poor man in Nashville, Tennessee asked me for some spare
change as I exited a gas station. I gave him $20 and a gospel tract. He
smiled and humorously said, “I think I love you.” He was humbly reading the
gospel tract that I gave him as I drove away. That $20 was like $100 to him!
My pastor used to often say, “Be nice to everybody because everyone is
having a tough time.” God loves a cheerful giver, and that includes giving
to THE POOR.
Don't Forget To Support Missionaries
God wants us to support missionaries. Shame on churches who horde every penny and don't support any missionaries. The purpose of the church is to preach the gospel TO THE WORLD!!! Jesus commanded the Church to witness concerning Him to the world. Acts 1:8, “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” Every believer and church should have a LOCAL view and a WORLD view concerning the gospel.
As with everything else, be careful about which missionaries that you support. If you've ever noticed, each ministry ONLY supports it's own missionaries. This can be good or bad. A lot of dead churches are support dead missionaries, that is, they're promoting churchianity without Christianity!
May we all
develop a proper heart's attitude toward giving. This includes being careful
and wise with our money, because it's really God's money. Being a good
Christian doesn't mean just tithing. In fact, you're a poor Christian if you
financially support a dead ministry that keeps a lazy or apostate pastor
living high-on-the-hog. Christians ought to give directly to the poor,
generously. That is my belief. I also believe that we should financially
support soul-winning churches, that use the King James Bible and uplift the
name of Jesus Christ. Although not a requirement Biblically, a think it is
best for every believer to have a particular local New Testament church
where they regularly attend. Albeit, it's ok to visit different churches. I
would never give to a so-called church that doesn't preach the gospel.
God Doesn't Love A Foolish Giver
What's the benefit of giving cheerfully if you give foolishly to causes that don't help the cause of Christ? There are foolish people who think God will bless them because they support the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Foundation. Although during his life he was monitored by the FBI for presumed communist sympathies, King is now shamefully presented as a heroic leader in the history of modern American liberalism. Court documents and wiretaps relating to King's Communist involvement have been sealed until 2027. If the evidence weren't damning to his legacy, then the Illuminati wouldn't be trying so hard to hide the truth! King was an avowed Communist infiltrator!
Remember, God loves a cheerful giver, not a foolish giver! Sometimes generosity can be a bad thing. Many people financially support satanic cults like Mormon, Jehovah's Witness, Seventh Day Adventist, Church of Christ, Christian Science, Lutheran, Roman Catholic and Unitarian Universalist so-called “churches.” In Matthew 6:19-20 where Jesus spoke about “laying up treasures in Heaven,” the preceding Scriptures speak of GIVING alms to the poor, fasting and praying to God in our closet. America's perverse concept of churches operating as a profitable business is unscriptural. Notice that prayer, fasting and giving all require personal SACRIFICE!!! God is going to reward us in Heaven for our sacrifices here on earth for the gospel and the cause of Christ (all that we do in the name of Jesus).
It is a lot easier to give cheerfully if we give to legitimate Christ-honoring churches and ministries who are making a difference in Jesus' name for Heaven and eternity. We all have limited resources of time and money. May we use our time and money wisely, to maximize our impact for the Lord while here on earth, for our days are numbered.
