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The Principles of Giving: How Then Should We Give?
Adverbs Characterizing Biblical Giving
Last Harvest Fellowship
About the collection for God's people:
Do what the Paul told the Galatian churches to do. While we do not beg or manipulate for any gift, we
are not ashamed to provide you with the Biblical teaching on giving as presented in Scripture. What you give,
when you give, and what you give is between you and God. The reason to give belongs to God's will for you. Here
are the principles to consider.
(click here to send a gift) by PayPal.
Give Regularly
"On the first day of every week,
each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections
will have to be made. 3 Then, when I arrive, I will give letters of introduction to the men you approve and send them with
your gift to Jerusalem." (1 Corinthians 16:1-3 NIVUS)
By following this Bilbilcal concept, no ministry will ever be without the necessary funds to do the work of serving others freely.
By setting aside your gift at the start of every week, the ministry of Last Harvest will never be without the funds needed to
help those who come to us for help, to build up the Fellowship as God brings us new members, and as we send out ministers to
further the work of helping people practically.
Give Proportionally
Expectantly for a rotating period over a three year cycle.
"Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple.
If you do," says the LORD Almighty, "I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you
won't have enough room to take it in! Try it! Let me prove it to you!
Your crops will be abundant, for I will guard them from insects and disease.
Your grapes will not shrivel before they are ripe," says the LORD Almighty (Malachi 3:10-11 NLT)
To follow the Levitical model of tithing:
We refer you to Deuteronomy 14:22-29
- 22 "You shall truly tithe all the increase of your grain that the field produces year by year.
- 23 And you shall eat before the Lord your God, in the place where He chooses to make His name abide,
the tithe of your grain and your new wine and your oil, of the firstborn of your herds and your flocks,
that you may learn to fear the Lord your God always.
- 24 But if the journey is too long for you, so that you are not able to carry the tithe,
or if the place where the Lord your God chooses to put His name is too far from you,
when the Lord your God has blessed you,
- 25 then you shall exchange it for money, take the money in your hand, and go to the place which the Lord your God chooses.
- 26 And you shall spend that money for whatever your heart desires for oxen or sheep,
for wine or similar drink, for whatever your heart desires; you shall eat there before the Lord your God,
and you shall rejoice, you and your household.
- 27 You shall not forsake the Levite who is within your gates, for he has no part nor inheritance with you.
- 28 "At the end of every third year you shall bring out the tithe of your produce of that year and store it up within your gates.
- 29 And the Levite, because he has no portion nor inheritance with you, and the stranger and the fatherless and the widow
who are within your gates, may come and eat and be satisfied, that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of
your hand which you do.
THREE YEAR CYCLE OF GIVING COVERS ALL NEEDS
Notice, the Biblical model of giving provides for the church during the first two years, then during the third year for the
"Levite" who are within your gates. The reason for the Biblical outline for giving is important because so few churches follow its model.
If you give as the Bible instructs, notice that the church is taken care of not by manipulation or fund raising, but by the prepared giving
of every individual. However, notice also, that when you are away, unable to get your gift to the church, a provision is in place
to use it for your own hearts desires when used where the Lord chooses for you. Notice the emphasis there is upon the place where the Lord your God chooses, not yourself.
Finally, notice that every third year the focus of giving is to change. Not to the church or to yourself. But instead, to the local Levite, (men chosen for God's service who served the people not in the Temple)
Also, to the stranger, the fatherless and the widow in your midst. A good lesson in modern times is to either follow this pattern of giving or
in a more practical way, figure 10% is the established Biblical tithe. In another passage, the Bible speaks of not sowing to the corners of your fields.
In the olden times, the farmer would harvest a square lot leaving the corners to grow so that should a stranger pass by there would
be food for all. In other words, about 3% of your income today should be set aside as discrestiary funds that you will have in your pocket to help that person who is in your "space"
who has a need. If annually for a period of two years, you tithed 10% to the church for the work of the church, the church would have the funds it needs to carry out the programs of God's kingdom building on earth.
If every third year, you took that same amount and gave it to local ministries, non profits serving in your neighborhood such as local crisis centers, prison evangelists etc., then none of these ministries would ever have to
depend upon man's way of fund raising, begging or manipulating for funds. Additionally, if during these three years, just 3% of your income was set aside ready to be used when needed,
for the widow, the fatherless, the homeless, the person in crisis, then you would always have a fund for those in immediate "space."
If this model of giving was followed by every Christian, there would be no churches, no members, and no suffering public needing welfare.
Instead by obedience, God blesses the church, its ministers, its people, and the people at large. God says test me!
Joyfully
God loves the person who gives cheerfully.
(2 Corinthians 9:7 NLT)
Generously
Remember this a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop.
But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop.
(2 Corinthians 9:6 NLT)
And God will generously provide all you need.
Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others
As the Scriptures say,
"Godly people give generously to the poor. Their good deeds will never be forgotten."
(2 Corinthians 9: 8-9 NLT)
13 You will be glorifying God through your generous gifts. For your generosity to them will prove that you are obedient
to the Good News of Christ
(2 Corinthians 9:13 NLT)
Peacefully
- 12 If you are really eager to give, it isn't important how much you are able to give.
God wants you to give what you have, not what you don't have.
- 13 Of course, I don't mean you should give so much that you suffer from having too little.
I only mean that there should be some equality
(2 Corinthians 8:12-13 NLT)
With Integrity
"By traveling together we will guard against any suspicion, for we are anxious that no one should find fault with the way
we are handling this generous gift. We are careful to be honorable before the Lord, but we also want everyone else to
know we are honorable."
(2 Corinthians 8:20-21 NLT)
Worshipfully
" You will be glorifying God through your generous gifts.
For your generosity to them will prove that you are obedient to the Good News of Christ."
(2 Corinthians 9:13 NLT)
Willingly
For I can testify that they gave not only what they could afford but far more. And they did it of their own free will
(2 Corinthians 8:3 NLT)
Reciprocally
- 14 Right now you have plenty and can help them. Then at some other time they can share with you when you need it.
In this way, everyone's needs will be met.
- 15 Do you remember what the Scriptures say about this?
"Those who gathered a lot had nothing left over, and those who gathered only a little had enough."
(2 Corinthians 8:14-15 NLT)
Faithful Support to Gods Workman
- 7 What soldier has to pay his own expenses? And have you ever heard of a farmer who harvests his crop
and doesn't have the right to eat some of it?
What shepherd takes care of a flock of sheep and isnít allowed to drink some of the milk?
- 8 And this isn't merely human opinion. Doesn't God's law say the same thing?
- 9 For the law of Moses says, "Do not keep an ox from eating as it treads out the grain."
Do you suppose God was thinking only about oxen when he said this?
- 10 Wasn't he also speaking to us? Of course he was. Just as farm workers
who plow fields and thresh the grain expect a share of the harvest,
Christian workers should be paid by those they serve.
- 11 We have planted good spiritual seed among you. Is it too much to ask, in return, for mere food and clothing?
- 12 If you support others who preach to you, shouldnít we have an even greater right to be supported?
Yet we have never used this right. We would rather put up with anything than put an obstacle in the way of
the Good News about Christ.
- 13 Don't you know that those who work in the Temple get their meals from the food brought to the
Temple as offerings? And those who serve at the altar get a share of the sacrificial offerings.
- 14 In the same way, the Lord gave orders that those who preach the Good News should be supported
by those who benefit from it
(1 Corinthians 9:7-14 NLT)
Prayerfully
Best of all, they went beyond our highest hopes, for their first action was to dedicate themselves to the Lord
and to us for whatever directions God might give them(2 Corinthians 8:5 NLT)
Discreetly
Take care! Don't do your good deeds publicly, to be admired, because then you will lose the reward
from your Father in heaven. When you give a gift to someone in need, don't shout about it as the hypocrites
do, blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity!
I assure you, they have received all the reward they will ever get. But when you give to someone,
don't tell your left hand what your right hand is doing.
Give your gifts in secret, and your Father, who knows all secrets, will reward you
(Matthew 61ñ4 NLT)
Take care! AVOID VAIN GLORY
Don't do your good deeds publicly, to be admired, because then you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven.
When you give a gift to someone in need, don't shout about it as the hypocrites do, blowing trumpets in the synagogues
and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I assure you, they have received all the reward they will ever get.
But when you give to someone, don't tell your left hand what your right hand is doing.
Give your gifts in secret, and your Father, who knows all secrets, will reward you.
( Matthew 61:4 NLT)
Last Harvest Ministries, Inc. operates our organization in the above manners.
Every penny is accounted for with others who keep the books and do the taxes for us.
All transactions are prayed for and discusses amongst the board of directors.
Last Harvest Ministries, Inc. tithes to a local church for two years and every third year funds other local levite orgs.
In addition Last Harvest Ministries, Inc. maintains a separate minsitry fund equaling 3% of our income to be available as needed
for those we serve.
In other words we ask you do do nothing more than what we do in response to God's plan.
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