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Tomorrou•
broadcast you and so
man~·
orhcrs
h~:ar.
for che manr booklers
and arriclcs rhar are senr
free
lo
other.r
who ask for rhem. for che classrooms
.10d faculrv on rhrcc Ambassador Col–
legc cam¡;uscs. and for cvcry f.-leer of
chis gr(<H Work of God
worldwide~
Therc i:-. a spccial fceling nobody
can den) you rhar you experience
from knowing rhac
yo11r
riches and of–
ferings havc a direu pare in fulfilling
che commission Jcsus Christ gave His
church!
T he Principie of G iving
Sharing in the respons ibil iry of car–
rying che Gospd ro che world brings
us into harmony wirh God's way of
git,ing
as opposcd ro che world's way
ofgelling.
Paul guorcd Jcsus as saying.
··re
is more blcssed ro give rhan ro re–
ccivc" (Acrs 20:.35). Tithing reaches
chis principie.
Tirhing is for che scrvice of orhers.
Tirhing is omgoing. · Tirhing weans
you <¡uickl) from rhe "love of
moncy" which is a "rooc of all C\'il''
as Paul warns Timochy in
1
Timorhy
6:10.
You bcgin ro rhink ofhow you
can give more so orhcrs can know
more of God's rrurh. You begin ro
pracricc much more concern abour
rhc Kingdom of God and God's righ–
reousness and much less concern
abouc clorhing, food and ·shelrer as
Marrhew 6:2-1-34 teaches. No r rhar
rhcse basics are ig nored, buc rhey r:t ke
on lesser imporcancc. Besides, once
we tll rn our arrenr ion in rhe rig ht di–
rccrion of giving, wich a righr arci–
cude. God comes through wirh His
promise rhar He gives in chis conrexr:
''AII rhesc rhings shall be added unro
you" (Marrhew 6:33).
Financia! Rcsponsibili ty
This world says, "Buy now, pay
larer:" The ··pay laccr" pare is made ro
sound like good news. People ger
drawn inro che credir syndrome ro
such an ex cene rhac rhey are bound in
an interese and fee-paying cycle rhar
seems impossiblc ro break. "Lust" is
rhe guide word. "Ger" is che message.
Hardly anyonc seems ro realize rhar a
40
person has onl)· so much money in a
liferime ro spend. If he spends much
of ir on interese and purchases rhat
feed his vaniry - k(.:cping up wirh
rhe Joneses - he is wasring a grear
amounr of his buying capacicy on a
big. fue norhing!
Tirhing hclps reach you che prin–
cipie of self-control. Ir ceache!> you ro
be responsible wirh all rhar God has
giYen you financiall).
1
r ceaches you
ro be a good sreward. Ir reachcs you
budgeting. Ir reaches you ro be fmrh–
ful wirh che li ttle you have, so rhac
you may share in che greacer bkssings
of God lacer. l e helps reach you to
plan :tnd rhink ahead, to be circum–
specr. nor carclcss, ro b<: rcalisric :tnd
nor live in a world of lusr-fanrasy! ( If
you need help in rhcse parricular
phases of moncy managemenr. wrirc
for our free booklec.
Almwging Your
Pers01wl Fif/(mces.)
Put God Firsc
God's rirhe is che
nRs·1
rcnrh of
your gross income. \XIhen you pay ir.
you focus your arrcntion and interese
on God and away from self-inreresc.
God
sa~·s,
"L1y nor up for yourselves
rreasures upon earrh. where morh :1nd
rusr dorh corrupr, and whcrc rhicvcs
break rhrough and sreal: Buc lay up
for yourselves rreasures in heaven,
where neirher rnoch nor rusr doth
corrupr, and where rhieves do nor
break rhroug h nor seca]: ' 'For
where
your
tmmtre
is.
there wi/1
yo11r
heart be
a/so"
(Mac thew 6:
l9-21).
We all roo ofccn pur our trust in
things
insread of God. Sorne pur rrust
in gold and si lver (money) ro sce
rhem rhrough rheir trials, bur God
warns rhar a rime will come soon
when He will inrervene in mankind's
affairs. "In rhar day a man shall casr
his idols of silver, and his idols of
gold [anyrhing we crusr in and wor–
ship is an ido!), which rhey made
each one for himself ro worship, ro
che moles and ro che bars" ( lsaiah
2:20).
A rnan's money roo easily becomes
his god - or ir comes berween hi m
and his God. Money is close ro a
man's hcarc, and when he freely gives
ro God and ro orhers chrough God
ancl His \'{fork, his hearr, interese and
direcrion of life all focus on God!
And rhac's a \'ery good reason ro
rirhe!
Eterna! Parmership W ith God
Ar che beginning of chis arricle
1
cxplained che concepr of possession
and ownership.
1
explained how God
is rhe ulrimare owner of all ch ings.
che Possessor of Heaven and Earrh!
When He calls
\'Ott
ro undersrand
rh is, when you real ize God reall y docs
exisr, cha r He has a message for che
world roday and rhar He's bringi ng
His Ki ngdom soon. rhen you are
callcd ro a parrnership wirh God
1
God made all rhings, and you and
me. Bur God is noc selfish. He has in–
vircd you and me ro share His eterna!
glor) wirh Him. He has urged us ro
be parrakers of che divine narure. ro
~hare
His mind. His hearc, His king–
dom. He has given us life. He has
given us che earrh and che good
rhings rhar come from ic. He wanrs
ro
gire
us much more!
··The Spirir irself bearerh wirness
wirh our spirir, rhar we are che chil–
dren of God: and if children, rhen
heirs;
heirs of God.
and joinr-heirs
wirh Chrisr; if so be rhar we suffer
wirh him, rhat we rnay be also glori –
fled rogerher" (Romans
8 :16-17).
Can
you comprehend whac chis means?
God, rhe Facher, is Possessor .of
Heaven and Earrh - He
owns euery–
thing.'
Ir is His ro
give.
He has chosen
ro give ir all ro His Son, Jesus Chrisr,
and He says
we were bom to share that
gift.'
(Read che arricle in chis issue ci–
rled "Why Were You Born?' ' or send
for ir in bookler form - free, of
course.)
Thac coral parrnership and sharing
in rhe eterna! possession of all rhere is
begins ac che resurrecrion when we
can be born inro che very Family of
God as His sons! Bur knowing about
ir is possible now. Beginning ro live
roward chat goal starrs
now.
1
tithe because I want ro be God's
parrner
now
and
FOREVER
1 •
PLAIN TRUTH July
1972