Participants: John Bradshaw
Series Code: IIW
Program Code: IIW001391A
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00:06 It has stood the test of time.
00:10 God's book, the Bible. 00:15 Still relevant in today's complex world. 00:20 It Is Written. 00:23 Sharing hope around the globe. 00:35 I've come to eastern Tennessee today to speak with Ed Reid on 00:39 the subject of stewardship, Christian stewardship from 00:42 a biblical point of view. A moment ago, Ed, 00:45 we talked about tithing. That's the practice of taking a 00:47 tenth of one's income and giving it to the Lord in harmony with 00:51 what He has asked us to do in both the Old Testament 00:54 and the New Testament. But someone wanting to tithe 00:57 or thinking of tithing is going to ask the question 00:59 "Where do I put this money? To whom do I give the money?" 01:03 Where do we tithe? ER: A very good question 01:06 and it's a common question that people have. 01:08 There are three things, elements, that are involved in 01:11 an honest tithe and that is the percent, which everyone 01:14 pretty well agrees is a tenth. The second one is 01:16 the place to return it. And then the third one is 01:19 "What should it be used for?" So, the tithe is not like 01:24 an offering because it belongs to God. 01:26 And you know, Leviticus 27:30 says the tithe is holy and it 01:29 belongs to the Lord. So, God determines 01:32 what is done with it, not me. If I want to support a ministry 01:35 with my offering, I can do that but my tithe 01:37 is a different story. So, since we have Numbers 18:21 01:42 that God says he wants to support the preachers with his 01:44 tithe, he could take his tithe back to heaven if he wanted to 01:47 or he could do it like the they did to the sacrificial Lamb, 01:49 burn it up. It's his. 01:51 He could do whatever he wants to. 01:52 But he says, I've used it to@ support the ministry. 01:55 And it's a very, very interesting thing. 01:57 In the Bible, and in the Old Testament and the New Testament 02:00 there was a central storehouse to which the tithe is brought. 02:04 And it's a very interesting one and it's to show you how 02:06 important it is right over in the Book of Exodus, just two 02:10 chapters away from the Ten Commandments, 02:12 and this would be Exodus 23 and I'll point it out to you 02:17 as well so you can see it, Exodus 23:14-19, three times 02:24 every year all the males had to appear before the Lord in 02:27 Jerusalem and the real interesting thing about it, 02:30 this to me is a fascinating thing, 02:32 it's Pentecost, well, first Passover, 02:35 then Pentecost, then the Feast of the Tabernacles, 02:36 three times a year all the males, and verse 19 says the 02:40 first fruits of your land you shall bring to 02:42 the House of the Lord. In other words, part of that, 02:44 and you see it also over in Deuteronomy, the 12th chapter of 02:47 the law of the storehouse, three times a year 02:49 they brought their tithes to the storehouse. 02:52 Now this is an interesting situation because even though in 02:56 Israel, there were 48 cities given to the Levites. 02:59 So essentially, they were all over the place, including the 03:01 six cities of refuge - you know three were on 03:03 each side of the Jordan. JB: Right. 03:05 ER: Still, three times a year God asked them to come to the 03:07 central storehouse in Jerusalem to bring their tithes. 03:10 Then the Bible talks in the Book of Nehemiah and 2 Chronicles how 03:12 the Levites took it back out to their fellow Levites to pay 03:16 their salaries but there was this central storehouse, 03:18 I guess for accountability. In fact, when Jesus was 12 years 03:22 old in the temple, remember? Talking with the elders? 03:24 He was there because the Bible says it was Passover and his 03:27 family had a custom of going to Jerusalem on the Passover. 03:30 And there were lots of people. He got lost in the crowd. 03:32 They thought he was with him. You understand? 03:34 JB: That's right. ER: Because everybody came. 03:36 JB: Sure ER: This is a very important thing. 03:37 Here's a real interesting one. Three times a year-and two of 03:41 those feasts were eight days long so they're gone like a 03:45 whole month of the year, just traveling to Jerusalem 03:47 and being in those feasts. Well, you know there are 03:49 war-like tribes all around the Israelites and you would think, 03:51 well, somebody is going to take their land or come and ransack 03:53 their property, but God says in Exodus 34, when you come those 03:57 three times a year, I'm going to protect your place and nobody is 03:59 going to bother it. ER: Isn't that incredible? 04:01 JB: And that's what God did. ER: Oh yeah. 04:03 Amazing. JB: That's remarkable. 04:04 So tithing, then, to the central storehouse. 04:07 ER: So I would just say that that's what our church practices 04:10 but I will just tell you that you bring it to the church for 04:14 the salary of the pastors. This is not to pay parking lots 04:17 or buy choir robes. This is for pastors' salaries, 04:19 those salaries of church workers, 04:21 you know, throughout the Christian denomination. 04:23 So that's what you do with your tithe. 04:25 You take it to a central storehouse. 04:27 If you belong to a Christian denomination, you would take it 04:29 to that denomination to pay their pastors. 04:32 That is the Biblical model. JB: It requires a bit of faith, 04:35 doesn't it, on the part of the person to look at his or her 04:37 paycheck and say, I'm cutting 10% out of that 04:39 and taking that to the Lord. ER: Yes. 04:41 Oh yes, indeed. And it takes even more if you 04:43 don't think the church is doing the right thing. 04:45 JB: What do you do if you don't think the church is doing the 04:46 right thing? ER: Well, remember that the 04:48 people that handle the tithe, that's their responsibility 04:51 at that point. I've just done what God 04:52 has asked me to do. And God will hold them 04:54 responsible if it is mismanaged. And by the way, you read earlier 04:58 in our presentation here Malachi the third chapter. 05:01 JB: Yes. ER: Well that was given at a 05:03 time of great apostasy. You know, the tithe legislation 05:07 is back in Leviticus, Exodus and Deuteronomy. 05:10 But here you have in Malachi, the last book of the Old 05:12 Testament, a time of great apostasy right before that great 05:15 long period of quietness and no prophets for 400 years and God 05:18 is saying come back to me but they weren't tithing because of 05:21 problems in the church. But God said, 05:24 that's not your problem. That's my problem. 05:26 I'll deal with that. You do what I ask you to do. 05:28 JB: I notice that Jesus commended the lady who brought 05:30 the two mites. Now we are not told 05:31 it was tithe. It was that plus it was 05:34 all she had. ER: Yes. 05:35 JB: He commended her because she made a gift to a church 05:40 who was planning to kill him. ER: Yes indeed. 05:42 JB: Church can't get much worse than that. 05:43 ER: That's exactly right. JB: And Jesus still said this is 05:45 the right thing to do. ER: Yes. 05:46 JB: And in fact - let's talk about this briefly because@ 05:48 you're going to get the people who say, Oh, that's Jewish. 05:51 What I find is that if Christians don't want to do 05:53 something, they blame the Jews. That's a Jewish thing. 05:55 They do that about all kinds of different things. 05:56 ER: Yes. JB: How do we know that it's a 05:57 New Testament principle? ER: Well, it's really 05:59 interesting that you ask that. By the way, the Old Testament 06:03 was the only Bible that Jesus and the disciples had. 06:05 JB: Right. ER: That's where we believe in 06:07 the principles of the Old Testament. 06:09 But you have tithing clearly taught in the Old Testament. 06:11 Jesus in Matthew 23:23 talked about how detailed the leaders, 06:17 especially the Pharisees, were. You tithe the mint, the anise 06:20 and cumin... but he's not criticizing them. 06:22 He says this you ought to do but don't leave 06:24 the other things undone- justice and mercy and so on. 06:27 And then Paul, over in his writings, in Corinthians, 06:31 looks back at the Old Testament and says: 06:33 Those who preach the gospel should live of the gospel, 06:36 just like they did in the Old Testament. 06:38 JB: That's right. ER: So it's clearly there. 06:40 Plus over in Hebrews 7:10,@ where it talks about returning 06:44 tithe unto the Lord who is a priest forever 06:47 after the order of Melchizedec so it's clearly in 06:49 the New Testament as well. JB: That's right. 06:50 You have Jesus endorsing the system. 06:52 Paul endorsing the system. The writer to the Hebrews 06:55 endorsing the system. It can't get much more clearer 06:57 than that, can it? ER: That's true. 06:58 JB: No it can't. And what I'd like to do is as 07:00 we've spoken already, we're talking about tithing not 07:02 just as a well let's all pull together and pay the bills. 07:05 It's not just that. God has given this to us 07:08 as a spiritual exercise. As a step of faith and as 07:11 preparation for real challenges that are coming. 07:13 ER: You brought in the spiritual aspect of it and I am 100% 07:17 agreeable with that. But let me just tell you, 07:19 more than we think, Jesus tied our stewardship 07:22 to eternal life. Now this is amazing. 07:26 This is not a legalistic thing but it shows an attitude. 07:29 Let me give you an example. The rich young ruler 07:31 came to Jesus. And he said, "What can I do to 07:33 inherit eternal life?" Well Jesus first said, 07:35 "Keep the Commandments", and then he says 07:36 "which ones" so Jesus started quoting some of 07:38 the 10 commandments. He says I've been doing this 07:40 since I was a little kid. What do I lack yet? 07:42 And then this bombshell of the whole New Testament. 07:44 "Sell everything you have and give it to the poor. 07:47 Then you will have treasures in heaven and come and follow me. 07:49 Well, he went away sorrowful because he had great 07:51 possessions. But the interesting thing about 07:53 it when we see it because Matthew, Mark and Luke all talk 07:55 about this story. It's an amazing thing. 07:58 He was sincere when he asked, "what could I do?" 08:01 If Jesus said, "well, you know, 08:02 give a tithe, you know, or put some of you money 08:05 into an escrow account and give the interest to the 08:06 poor", he didn't say it. He asked him to give everything, 08:10 because he knew that man's problem was the money. 08:14 He doesn't you and he doesn't ask you or me to do that unless 08:16 that's our big problem. But remember his first question, 08:19 "What do I need to do to inherit eternal life?" Don't let money 08:21 get in the way, Jesus said. You come and follow me 08:23 and you'll be safe. So give everything. 08:26 But he lost eternal life over that. 08:28 JB: He let money get in the way. ER: Oh yes. 08:29 Isn't that incredible? Now another amazing one is this, 08:33 when Zacchaeus- tax collector, Jewish tax collector- 08:37 he decided he wanted to see Jesus. 08:39 Now this is amazing because when you want to see Jesus, 08:41 He wants to see you too. But when he came to the place 08:43 where Jesus was to pass, people were lined up already. 08:46 We know he was a rich man, he was a short man, 08:48 and he wanted to see Jesus. So, he ran ahead, 08:51 climbed up in a tree. Now he's an attorney or a CPA. 08:54 He's probably got a business suit on. 08:56 He climbed a tree. This is incredible. 08:58 JB: Wearing his best clothes. ER: Jesus walks under the tree, 09:00 looks up. This is incredible. 09:02 He calls him by name, though they have never met. 09:05 Now the story is he invited himself home for lunch. 09:08 And when Jesus, by the way, you can imagine what 09:11 Zacchaeus must have thought of because when you get Jesus, 09:13 you get 12 hungry disciples that don't get regular meals, 09:16 so 13 men are coming to lunch. But of course, 09:18 he's a wealthy man. At the end of the meal, 09:21 Zacchaeus stands up and says - this is after one encounter 09:24 with Jesus - "I am gonna do something now. 09:27 My life is going to be different. 09:29 Anything that I have taken from people I am going to restore it 09:31 fourfold and I am going to give half of what I have 09:33 to the poor." Jesus did not tell him 09:36 "good idea, that's a wonderful idea". 09:38 He said, "Today, salvation has come to your house. 09:42 The rich young ruler and Zachaeus both tie stewardship 09:44 to eternal life. JB: Because for very many people 09:48 their stewardship, or lack thereof, 09:50 or their stewardship practices reveal what is going on 09:52 in the heart. ER: Exactly. 09:54 Jesus' whole goal for us is to transform us from the inside out 09:58 through the Holy Spirit's power so that we can be fit to live in 10:01 the company of the holy beings in heaven. 10:03 And that's an amazing thing! No selfishness will be there. 10:08 JB: Great points. Back with more with Ed Reid and 10:11 stewardship principles in just a moment. 10:12 Don't go away. 10:14 ♪ [Gentle Melody] ♪ In Matthew 4:4, 10:17 the word of God says "It is written, 10:19 man shall not live by bread alone 10:21 but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God." 10:25 Every Word is a one-minute Bible-based daily devotional 10:28 presented by Pastor John Bradshaw 10:30 and designed especially for busy people like you. 10:33 Look for Every Word on selected networks or watch it online 10:37 everyday on our website: itiswritten.com. 10:40 Receive a daily spiritual boost. Watch Every Word. 10:44 You'll be glad you did. 10:49 ♪ [Rythmic Melody] ♪ 10:56 Thanks for stopping by. I read that one state lottery 10:59 had a prize of 1.2 million dollars 11:02 that went unclaimed. That means, someone had a 11:05 winning ticket - worth over a million dollars - and never came 11:07 forward to collect their prize. Now I'm not meaning to promote 11:10 gambling or endorse gambling, but I think you get my point . 11:13 Someone could have been very, very rich, except they never 11:15 came forward to get what was rightfully theirs. 11:18 You know, people lose out on much more than that 11:21 every single day. In Luke 11:13 it says that, 11:23 God will "give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him." 11:28 Having the Holy Spirit in your life would make you 11:30 a child of God, a joint-heir with Christ. 11:33 That would make you a spiritual multi-billionaire, or more. 11:37 Don't miss the spiritual riches God wants you to have. 11:40 Claim the Holy Spirit today, and God will fill you 11:43 with His presence. I'm John Bradshaw 11:45 for It Is Written. Let's live today by Every Word. 11:50 ♪ [Adventurous Theme] ♪ 12:05 Time for today's Bible question. 12:07 Here it is. Are there Bible verses 12:09 about gambling at a casino? Great question. 12:13 The short answer is, No, there are not Bible verses about 12:17 gambling at a casino, and that's for pretty obvious reasons: 12:19 there were no casinos in Bible times. 12:22 But what about the principle of gambling? 12:24 Now, let's consider a few Bible verses and see if we can 12:27 find the principles that speak to the subject. 12:29 In Proverbs 3:9 the Bible says this, 12:33 "Honour the Lord with thy substance, 12:35 and with the firstfruits of all thine increase." 12:37 That means what we have been given by God is to be used 12:40 in honoring Him. Keep this in mind. 12:42 Part of the everlasting gospel message in Revelation 14 12:46 is that we "fear God and give glory to Him." 12:49 It isn't easy to see how taking the money that God has 12:51 given us and then gambling it would be honoring Him. 12:56 1 Timothy 6:9 & 10 say, "Those who desire to be rich 12:59 fall into temptation and a snare, and into many 13:02 foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction 13:06 and perdition. For the love of money is a root 13:08 of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith 13:12 in their greediness, and pierced themselves through 13:15 with many sorrows." This is a lot like 13:17 Proverbs 28:22 which says, "He that hasteth to be rich 13:21 hath an evil eye." Not only in gambling 13:24 are you throwing away what God has given you to use 13:26 in honoring Him, but with any 13:29 get-rich-quick scheme, and that's what gambling is, 13:31 there's the desire to gain, to have more, 13:34 to get, get, get. In the Ten Commandments 13:36 God spoke to this, he said, "Thou shalt not covet." 13:40 Gambling is covetousness - God wants us to 13:42 keep away from that. Hebrews 13:5 says, 13:45 "Let your conduct be without covetousness." 13:49 And let me suggest this: when it comes to casinos 13:51 and other places where there is gambling, the activity 13:53 of gambling is almost always associated with vice 13:57 and sin of all kinds. Gambling brings a person into 14:00 association with all manner of things that God doesn't 14:03 want you tied up with. The lifestyle, the association, 14:07 the wasting of money - not for a believer in Jesus. 14:11 And yet you might say, "Oh, come on. 14:13 It's so little that I spend on my lottery tickets,". 14:16 Well, if it's little, then you probably won't miss 14:20 not doing it anymore. That's money that God could use 14:23 in much more productive ways. Instead of taking your money and 14:26 depositing it in Satan's bank, it is far better 14:30 to invest it in the bank of heaven for God's glory. 14:35 If you have a Bible question, please go to our website: 14:37 itiswritten.com and you can submit it there. 14:39 And I'll do what I can to answer your Bible question 14:42 in a future program. 14:45 ♪ [Adventurous theme] ♪ 14:52 ♪ [Thoughtful Theme] ♪ 14:59 "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost 15:03 is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in 15:06 Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the 15:10 uttermost part of the earth." 15:15 The uttermost part of the earth seems like an appropriate way to 15:19 describe Mongolia, sandwiched between China and Siberia. 15:25 About two and a half percent of Mongolians are Christians. 15:29 Or to put it another way, Mongolian is 97.5 percent 15:35 non-Christian. 15:38 Per capita there are less Christians in Mongolia today 15:43 than there are in Saudi Arabia. Official statistics say there 15:47 are more Christians in North Korea 15:49 than there are in Mongolia. 15:52 In 1989 there were four Christians in all of Mongolia. 15:58 There's simply very little knowledge of Christianity. 16:02 The church hasn't made real inroads here. 16:06 And according to the Bible, somehow or other, 16:09 Mongolians will all be given an opportunity to know Jesus. 16:15 It Is Written's Mission Mongolia is bringing the Good News of 16:19 Jesus Christ to the people@ of Mongolia. 16:22 People here must be reached, and they are being reached 16:25 with Mission Mongolia. People are having their health 16:29 needs met. Those who need clothing to 16:32 protect themselves against the brutally cold winter 16:35 are being helped also. Your support of Mission Mongolia 16:39 will make it possible for It Is Written 16:41 to send teams of missionaries to Mongolia, to share the Gospel 16:44 of Jesus Christ. Doctors, nurses 16:47 and other medical workers will minister to those needing 16:50 medical attention. 16:52 Bibles are needed in the Mongolian language. 16:55 And your help will make it possible for people to own their 16:58 very own Bible for the first time, and learn of Jesus. 17:03 Other humanitarian needs will also be met, as Mission Mongolia 17:07 provides for many people who are being left behind by a society 17:12 relentlessly rushing forward. 17:14 Don't leave Mongolians in the dark. 17:18 Your help will make it possible for Mission Mongolia 17:21 to introduce people to Jesus. Call now, 1-800-253-3000. 17:29 That's 1-800-253-3000, to support Mission Mongolia. 17:36 Or visit us online at www.itiswritten.com. 17:41 Or you can support this work or learn more about it by writing 17:44 to It Is Written, P O Box 6, Chattanooga, Tennessee 37401. 17:53 JB: Thank you for being with me today. 17:54 Today I am speaking with Ed Reid on the subject of 17:57 Christian stewardship. Ed, we have been speaking about 18:00 tithing and as you look at tithing in the Bible, well, 18:05 there's two things here: The Word of God says 18:08 in Malachi, particularly: Tithes and offerings. 18:13 We alluded to this a moment ago but let's briefly touch on the 18:16 difference between tithing and offering and how 18:19 both are important. ER: Well, the Bible is very 18:22 clear that God is the owner of everything. 18:23 Psalms 24:10, Genesis 1:1, etc. But the real bottom line is 18:28 God says I've reserved the tithe and made it holy 18:32 and you give that for the support of ministry but 18:34 tithe is almost always mentioned in conjunction with offerings as 18:38 well, our free will offerings, as we call it, and they are 18:41 special offerings like the building of the temple, 18:43 and so on, but a thank offering, 18:45 or a special regular offering that we give. 18:48 So the Bible specifies a percentage for tithe, a tenth 18:52 and I say only a tenth because who would be fool enough not to 18:56 have the Creator of the Universe not as a partner, 18:59 a 10th partner, running your whole business 19:01 for you. I mean this is incredible. 19:02 JB: Yea, it is. ER: But the offerings are not 19:04 given a percentage because they are at our discretion, 19:08 based on as the Bible says, as God has prospered you. 19:11 So I could say, my wife and I have been tithing on what we 19:15 call 10 plus 10 for many years. We do a 10th for tithe and a 19:19 10th for offering. But as we get older and our 19:21 children are educated and our debts are paid off, we can do 19:24 more than that and there are many people in their 19:26 professional life who make significant enough income that 19:29 once their tenth of their profit or their increase or their 19:33 income is taking away as the tithe then they could give away 19:37 huge portions as offerings to advance the cause of God that 19:39 they like and so that was not a percentage, it could even be 19:42 more than a tenth, maybe lots more. 19:44 JB: Which leads me to an important point. 19:46 You said some people may wish to do more. 19:49 Now some people approach tithing as (groan) What's 10 percent? 19:52 I'll get 10% and that's that. ER: Yeah. 19:56 JB: The idea of giving tithes and offerings shouldn't be 19:57 onerous to us. We should consider it 19:59 a huge blessing. ER: Look for opportunities. 20:02 JB: Yeah, opportunities. Now, what would you say to 20:04 someone who is kind of struggling with the whole 20:05 concept of tithing and maybe giving more in terms of 20:08 offering? ER: I would just say that 20:10 tithing is not an expression of gratitude or generosity. 20:13 It is a matter of simple honesty. 20:15 Once I get that part taken care of, then the gratitude comes in 20:17 with my offerings and I can just look at my life and say, "God 20:20 has blessed our family so much, I just want to say thank you." 20:23 And I want to say it on a regular basis because God 20:25 blesses me so much. That's what offerings are. 20:28 And I want to say, for example, I want to keep our church 20:31 looking nice, or paid off, whatever it is. 20:34 And I want to make contributions to that because the way our 20:36 church looks is a reflection of what I think about God. 20:40 I mean there's lots of things about that that are very 20:42 interesting and if I want to advance other ministries that 20:47 are, you know, maybe independent or supporting ministries, I can 20:49 do that with my offerings because they are discretionary. 20:52 Oh, and let me say another thing. 20:54 Since God is the owner of everything, 20:56 when I am done with it, what do I do with it? 20:59 JB: There's a good question. ER: Give it back to him. 21:01 Now once my needs are taken care of and my family's needs are 21:04 taken care of, then I return to God what I don't need and I make 21:07 provision to do that through my estate plan when I pass away. 21:11 And much of the ministry of It Is Written and other 21:13 organizations depend on estate planning and gifts of people 21:17 returning to God. Now these are considered 21:19 offerings, because I have already tithed it all along so 21:22 I have the discretion to what I do with that. 21:25 So I can give it for certain ministries that have attracted 21:28 my attention over the years. JB: So most people, they will 21:30 never have as much money to give, as they will have 21:34 when they die. ER: That's exactly right. 21:35 Sure. And I would say that if you do, 21:38 you're giving while you're living 21:39 then you're knowing where it's going. 21:40 So I would only save what I actually needed to keep, like 21:43 maybe the house I lived in but other assets I would return to 21:46 God so I am sure I can see the benefit of it, so that I can 21:49 send Godpods to Papua New Guinea, 21:51 or wherever. Do you see what I'm saying? 21:52 JB: Yeah, sure. ER: Or I can sponsor evangelism 21:55 in Las Vegas or wherever it might be. 21:57 I can see the good it will do right now, with my own eyes. 22:00 JB: Let's encourage people from the Bible. 22:02 What are the encouraging principles, thoughts, Bible 22:04 verses that will encourage people to be faithful stewards 22:08 to put God first, to have the courage to say, Lord, if belongs 22:10 to you I want to give it to you and if I've got more 22:12 I want to give it to you too. ER: Well, this is a good 22:14 question because in spite of the fact that tithes and offerings 22:17 are clearly taught in Scripture, they are almost always 22:20 accompanied with God's promised blessings. 22:23 He doesn't have to do that, I mean, it's just something we 22:25 should do. But he promises us to bless us. 22:27 I mean, you just think about it. From Malachi 3, I will open the 22:30 windows of heaven and pour out such blessings you don't have 22:32 enough room to receive it. JB: Right ER: You will have a 22:33 surplus and I love the part in verse 11 that you read: 22:36 I will rebuke the devourer for your sake. 22:38 Your old car is going to run longer. 22:40 Your tires will wear longer. You know, 22:42 things like that really happen. JB: Have you experienced that? 22:44 ER: Oh, I have indeed. JB: So have I. 22:45 ER: Yeah. This is incredible. 22:47 JB: The tires that you thought you were going to 22:49 have to replace. We were looking for something to 22:51 buy... well, let's wait a week... 22:52 Wow, look at that, we get it 75% off. 22:54 Where did that come from? I think it's a blessing 22:57 of God. ER: Yes, it is indeed. 22:58 JB: Oh, question. How about the person who says 23:01 I've just found me a get rich quick scheme. 23:03 I'll tithe and expect God to make me rich? 23:05 ER: Well the real interesting thing is if it is the chicken or 23:08 the egg question. Should we tithe to get blessings 23:10 or do we tithe the blessings we already have? 23:13 God says you be faithful with the blessings I've given you and 23:15 I'll keep the channel open. There will be more blessings@ 23:17 coming. JB: That's right. 23:18 I don't know that it's wise to be selfish about it. 23:21 Okay, if I do this, God is going to make me a rich man 23:23 or a rich woman. You know, that may happen 23:26 but that's really not the point, is it? 23:28 ER: Many people will lose their eternal life because of riches. 23:31 And so I will just tell you that as a young man, I told God in 23:33 prayer: You have my permission to do whatever it takes 23:35 to save me, and I really meant it. 23:38 But then I added please help me learn my lessons the easy way. 23:41 In other words, if it's not good for me to be wealthy, 23:43 I'll be happy with what you give me. 23:45 And I'll give your tenth to you, be honest and offerings as I am 23:48 able to do. JB: Biblically speaking, this is 23:50 a very important subject. ER: Oh yes. 23:52 JB: Tremendously important and God has proven time and time and 23:55 time again that he is faithful. Would you say one of the key 24:00 ideas undergirding this subject is simply ... it's a matter of 24:03 faith and trust in God. ER: Oh, it has to be. 24:06 Sure. It wouldn't make sense to a CPA 24:09 to say that you could live just as well on 90% as 10% 24:12 and when you add in offerings, say another 10% on 80%. 24:15 But some of the people who have done that, big people, like JC 24:18 Penny and La Turno, the big earth moving equipment, some of 24:21 these people lived on 10% and gave God 90% because they said, 24:25 you know, God has blessed me, it's his money and I'll use it 24:27 to advance His kingdom. JB: Friend, I want to encourage 24:30 you today to put God first and to be faithful. 24:32 Be faithful with your finances and the stewardship matters and 24:36 you can know that you can trust God. 24:39 He will never let you down. You can't outgive God. 24:42 You will never worse off because you followed biblical principles 24:45 when it comes to matters of finances and stewardship. 24:48 Ed, thank you. Thanks for joining me today. 24:50 This has been a blessing. ER: Well, we have had a good 24:52 time discussing a very fascinating topic. 24:54 JB: And an important subject. ER: Yes. 24:55 JB: I appreciate your time. Thanks you very much. 24:56 ER: Thank you. Friend, how about we pray 24:58 together and ask God to bless us as we step forward faithfully to 25:04 put the Lord first and to follow those Biblical principals he has 25:08 given us in terms of stewardship. 25:09 Ed, lets pray. ♪ [Gentle Melody] ♪ 25:11 Our father in heaven, we are thankful. 25:13 You have told us that we can trust you, we can give to you, 25:16 we can be faithful stewards, confident that you will never 25:21 let us down, you will never leave us high and dry. 25:23 We are not going to be worse off. 25:25 What a joy, Lord, to know that we can do our part financially 25:28 but then participate with Jesus in being faithful in walking 25:32 side-by-side with him and allowing your will to be done 25:35 in our finances. We need your wisdom. 25:37 We need your guidance but we are confident in your blessing. 25:41 Keep us now, we pray, in Jesus' name. 25:43 Amen. 25:47 ♪ [Gentle Musical Interlude] ♪ 26:00 ♪ [Thoughtful Melody] ♪ 26:07 Today, we've been talking about crucial financial 26:09 issues that affect all of us. Our goal at It Is Written is to 26:12 help you live a more satisfying and God-centered life. 26:15 So this week, our free offer is a helpful book on finance called 26:20 God Will Provide. It's a practical discussion on 26:23 how a faithful God has promised to provide for the needs of his 26:26 faithful children and includes a special section prepared by 26:29 Ed Reid, on Managing Finances 26:32 in Difficult Times. Please call or write us and this 26:35 free book will be on its way to you. 26:37 There is no cost and no obligation. 26:40 Just call 1 800 253 3000 and ask for the book God Will Provide. 26:46 You can call any time, day or night. 26:48 If the line is busy, please keep trying. 26:51 You can also request this free book by writing to 26:54 It is Written, P O Box 6, Chattanooga, 26:57 Tennessee 37401 and we will mail a copy 27:00 to your address in North America. 27:03 Please note this free book is limited to the supply on hand. 27:07 For immediate access, you can downlo a free, 27:10 electronic version of the book God Will Provide 27:12 from our website, itiswritten.com. 27:17 It is Written is a faith-based ministry made possible by 27:19 viewers like you. If you wish to help the 27:21 worldwide outreach of It Is Written and help us ensure 27:24 people continue to be blessed by solid Bible teaching, your tax 27:27 deductible gift may be sent to the same address 27:30 or you could make a gift on-line at itiswritten.com. 27:34 Thank you for your letters and your continued support. 27:36 Our toll free number is 1 800 253 3000 27:40 and our web address is itiswritten.com 27:45 [Majestic Theme Music] Until next time, 27:47 please remember, It is written, 27:50 man shall not live by bread alone 27:52 but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. 27:58 ♪ [Music Swells] ♪ |
Revised 2016-02-01