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God's law of financing. We can' t a ll
be physically active in performing
the Work. But we can a ll participa te
with our prayers as well as our
money. There is a deep joy in know–
ing that
my
tithes and offerings a re
in part responsible for this magazine
you have in your hand, for the
Gar–
ner Ted A rmstrong
telecas t and
broadcast you and so many others
hear, for the many booklets and ar–
ticles that a re sent free to others who
ask for them, and for every facet of
this great Work ofGod worldwide!
There is a special feeling nobody
can deny you that you experience
from knowing that
your
tithes and
offerings have a direét part in fu lfill –
ing the commission Jesus Christ
gave His Church!
The Principie of Glvlng
Sharing in the responsibility of car–
rying the gospel to the world brings
us into harmony with God's way of
giving as opposed to the world's way
of getting. Paul quoted Jesus as
saying,
" lt
is more blessed to give
than to receive" (Acts 20:35). Tith–
ing teaches this principie.
Tithing is for the service of others.
Tithing is outgoing. Tithing weans
you quickly from the " !ove of
money" which is a " root of a ll evi l"
as Paul warns Timothy in
1
Timothy
6: 1O. You begin to think of how you
can give more so others can know
more of God's truth. You begin to
practice much more concern about
the Kingdom of God and God's
righteousness and much less con–
cero about clothing, food and she l–
ter as Matthew 6:24-34 teaches. Not
that these basics are ignored, but
they take on lesser importance. Be–
sides, once we turn our attention in
the right direction of giving, with a
right attitude, God comes through
with His promise that He gives in
this context: " ... All these things
shaU be added unto you" (Matt.
6:33).
Flnanclal Responslblllty
This world says, " Buy now, pay
later!" The "pay later" part is made
to sound like good news. People get
drawn into the credit syndrome to
such an extent that they are bound
in an interest arid fee-paying cycle
32
tha t seems impossible to break.
" Lust" is the guide word. "Get" is
the message. Ha rdly anyone seems
to realize that a person has only so
much money in a lifetime to spend.
lf he spends much of it on interest
and purchases that feed his vanity–
keeping up with the Joneses- he is
wasting a great amount of his buy–
ing capacity on a big, fat nothing!
Tithing helps teach you the prin–
cipie of self-control. It teaches you
to be responsíble with all that God
has given you financia lly.
It
teaches
you to be a good stewa rd. lt teaches
you budgeting.
It
teaches you to be
faithful with the little you have, so
that you may share in the greater
blessings of God later. It helps teach
you to plan and think ahead, to be
circumspect, not careless, to be real–
istic and not üve in a world of lust–
fantasy! (Jf you need help in these
particular phases of money manage–
ment, write for our free booklet en–
titled
Managing Your Personal
Finances.)
Put God First
God's tithe is the first tenth of your
income. When you pay it, you focus
your attention and interest on God
and away from self-interest. God
says: " Lay not up for yourselves
treasures upon earth, where moth
and rust doth corrupt, and where
thieves break through and steal: But
!ay up for yourselves treasures in
heaven, where neither moth nor rust
doth corrupt, and where thieves do
not break through nor steal : For
where your treasure is, there will
your
h~art
be also" (Matt. 6 : 19-2 1).
We aU too often put our trust in
things instead of God. Sorne put
trust in gold and sílver (money) to
see them through thei r trials, but
God warns that a time wiU come
soon when He will intervene in
mankínd's affairs. " In that day a
man shaU cast his idols of silver, and
his idols of gold [anything we trust
in and worship is an ido!], which
they made each one for himself to
worship, to the moles and to the
bats" (lsa. 2:20).
A man's money too easily be–
comes his god-or it comes between
him and his God. Money is close to
a man's heart , and when he freely
gives to God and to others through
God and His Work, his heart, inter–
est and direction of life all focus on
God!
And that's a very good reason to
tithe!
Eternal Partnershlp
Wlth God
At the beginning of this article 1
explained the concept of possession
and ownership. I explained how
God is the ultimate owner of all
things, the Possessor of Heaven and
Earth! When He calls you to under–
sta nd this, when you realize God
really does exist, that He has a mes–
sage for the world today and that
He's bringing His Kingdom soon,
then you are called to a partnership
with God!
God made all things, and you and
me. But God is not selfish. He has
invited you and me to share His
eternal glory with Him. He has
urged us to be partakers of the di–
vine nature, to share His mind, His
heart, His kingdom. He has given
us life. He has given us the earth
and the good things that come from
it. He wants to
give
us much
more!
" For ye have not received the
spirit of bondage again to fear; but
ye have received the Spirit of adop–
tion, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
The Spirit itself beareth witness
with our spirit, that we are the chil–
dren of God: and if children, then
he irs;
heirs of God,
and joint-heirs
with Christ; if so be that we suffer
with him, that we may be also glori–
fied together" (Rom. 8: 16-17). Can
you comprehend what this means?
God, the Father, is Possessor of
Heaven and Earth- He owns every–
thing! It is His to give. He has cho–
sen to give it all to His Son, Jesus
Christ, and He says we were born to
sha re that gift!
Tha t total partnership and shar–
ing in the eterna! possession of all
there is begins at the resurrection,
when we can be born into the very
family of God as His sons! But
knowing about it is possible now.
Beginning to live toward that goal
sta rts now.
1 tithe because 1 want to be God's
partner now and forever!
o
The
PLAIN TRUTH February 1978