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| covenant principles governing finance |
By:
moril deratus jr |
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The Letter to the Church concerning Covenant Principles governing Wealth
Tithing - First ten percent of your income.-
Giving - Anything beyond the tithe.
Giving to the Ministry
Giving to the Poor
Leaving things for the sake of Christ and the Gospel.
Tithing: The tithe belongs to the Lord. It’s the first ten percent of our income which we owe to him .The reason we tithe is that we are in covenant blessing with God thru Jesus Christ. As Abraham was in covenant with God, he tithed, so must we. Heb. 7:1-3; Gal 3:6, 13-14.
Giving to the Ministry: We give to the ministry and support the gospel because we desire to lay up treasure in heaven where it will not be corrupted nor can it stolen by thieves. By the way, not all thieves come with clubs and guns and break into your house. As important it is to invest in businesses to increase your wealth, there are such things as dishonest corporate executives, not to mention numberless gimmicks designed to take your money..Matt. 6:19-21.
Giving to the Poor: we give to the poor because that’s just in the sight of God. When the council of Jerusalem began to address the issue of accepting the gentiles in the faith, one their recommendation was that they should remember the poor. Apostle Paul in various times accepted collections for the sake of the poor. Giving the poor ir righteous in the sight of God, even more so to the brethren who may be experiencing lack. Nowadays, you have to qualify who is legitimately poor, not a person who tries to tell you a sad story at the gas station or the local supermarket. That type just tries to rob with words instead of using a weapon. Gal. 2:10
Leaving things for the sake of the Gospel: we leave things, relationship and wealth and personal advantages for the sake of the gospel as a matter of personal conviction and personal consecration to God. It is something that is between you and God. There is no set rules as to what God may ask a believer to sacrifice to follow him.
There were many rich men who follow Jesus and Jesus did not necessarily ask them to sell what they had and to give to the poor; for example Nicodemus. Yet , Jesus ask the rich young ruler to sell what he had and give it to the poor as a personal consecration to follow him. Mark 10:17-30
The benefits of these principles.
What about Tithing? The tithe belongs to the Lord; it is a sign of the covenant of blessing.
I have little patience for Christians one year or older who don’t tithe. When you don’t tithe, you are saying that “the earth is not the Lord’s and the fullness thereof. So, you don’t have to support his kingdom in the earth. The church does not have to come to her fullness so the rapture can take place. And the Lord will not return to reign on earth. Also, you are not in a covenant blessing with God. Everything you have, you have gain it by your own power and strength,”
If you believe that the Lord is the king of the earth then you ought to support his kingdom and see his kingdom come on the earth.
What about giving to the ministry? When we give to the ministry , we are laying up treasures in heaven. At this present time, we don’t necessarily receive more from God.
however, you will never have less than if you never gave because God will repay what you have given..
You have the satisfaction of helping someone else fulfill his purpose in life.
You receive the blessing of happiness in your work.
If you don’t know you calling, you will discover it; or if you know your calling or career, you will be able to make the transition to your calling; or if you are in you calling, you will prosper in your calling.
There is no monetary value on happiness in your work.
In the life to come?
Because you helped a specific ministry in the Body to fulfill its purpose, you will take part of its reward in the after-life for its accomplishments.
You will also be rewarded for fulfilling your own purpose. You can only be rewarded for works done for Christ according to his plan.
The additional benefit of giving is abounding in the grace of liberality. And anyone can abound in that grace. We are One body. What happens to one affects the whole body; let us walk together, let us help one another..
Giving to the poor?
“He that has pity on the poor lends to the Lord and that which he has given will he pay him again. ” Proverbs 19:17;
Again, the Lord will repay you at this time for giving to the poor and your goods works will follow you in the life to come.
Sacrifices for the sake of the gospel?
Be assure, whatever the sacrifice the Lord requires of you, you will receive hundredfold more in this lifetime.
Every Christian is asked to leave something or not to get involved in something legally advantageous for the sake of the gospel. The devil will make sure that you are presented or tempted with things that is outside of God’s will for your life. While the enemy means it for evil, God will allow for your good. Because when you make that sacrifice for God, you have just qualified yourself to receive hundred times more..
No, you will not have to look for things to sacrifice for the sake of the Gospel. The Christian life is full of sacrifices all along the way..
Lastly, there is the will of the Holy Spirit and the work of the Holy Spirit in the believer. He may challenge a person to be obedient in giving to test their will and to allow a special blessing to come upon their lives. And the blessing may be an immediate financial one. It depends on the will of the Spirit.
So, you have to be careful when someone testifies of a financial blessing not to just copy what they do. Rather go by the principles of the Word and the leading of the Holy Spirit.
Your are blessed and all things are yours in Christ. Amen
How do you give? God loves a cheerful giver.( Tithing and offering)
To the hard-headed I write: giving is the only place God challenges the giver to put him to the test- meaning you are not necessarily giving in faith, willingly or cheerfully.
“How have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Bring all the tithes into the storehouse that there may be food in my house, and test me now herewith says the Lord of hosts,”Mal. 3:8,10.
the Bible challenges every believer that does not practice tithing and offering to put the Lord to the test.
When you put this to practice, you cant just try it for a week, a month or a couple of months and say, ah this does not work. You must do it at least for a year; then see in that year if you don’t see the result I mentioned previously. I say a year because that is a full financial cycle. After you try it and see that the Lord is right, he expects you to change your attitudes and become a cheerful tither and giver.
How much do you give?
Let each one gives according to what he has and not what he does not have. When your income is spent or already tied to debt, the Holy Spirit will most likely not lead you to give because you don’t have anything. Unless, He is testing you, and he has a miracle waiting for you. Naturally speaking, when you are over your head in debt, you don’t have anything to give; your first obligation is to pay your debt. Spiritual example. The tithe belongs to the Lord. You have to tithe first before you can give offering. So, it is crucial that the believer exercise good financial stewardship and be as debt free as possible.
The benefits of giving, when do you see the result?
In all cases, including putting the Lord to the test, there is a level of trust involved that God would bring the blessing to you in the right way and at the right time. That is always left up to God.
What about borrowing money?
You can be in faith in borrowing money for consumer goods or depreciable assets if the money has zero interest attached to it. You can trust God to meet you future needs.
There may be an exception to the interest rule within reason if the asset is appreciable like real property or education.
The same principle that applies to personal life also applies to ministry.
The center of faith for financial wealth vs the experience.
The Faith - Jesus Christ for your sakes became poor that we might be rich. They parted his raiments and for his vesture did they cast lots. 2Cor. 8:9; John 19:23-24.
What belongs to Christ? All things belongs to him. All things were made by him and for him. The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof and they that dwell therein.
He has made of us his joint heirs. And so he says to us, all things are yours, whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours. And you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s.1Cor. 2:21-23.
The Experience - Since you have redeemed from poverty and are now part of the covenant blessing, you learned how to walk according to the covenant by applying these principles which we have mentioned earlier.
What is giving in faith?
You believe that Jesus took your poverty and gave you wealth, gave you everything. That is the center of giving in faith. You love God because he first loved you likewise you give to God because he first gave you everything through his perfect gift his Son Jesus Christ.
You were redeemed from lack and poverty by his precious blood. You were not redeemed with corruptible things like silver and gold.1Peter 1:18-19.
The believer should be careful not to look to the principles of wealth as a means of getting out of lack or poverty. When applying these principles, the believer should already have a good understanding of his redemption from poverty through the blood of Jesus.
The balance of wealth?
Who you belong vs. what belong to you?
It is primary to know who you belong to then to know what belong to you as a believer. The scripture says that all things are yours, you are Christ’s and Christ is God’s. All things are yours because you are Christ’s. The more Christ speaks to you about what belongs to you, the more you should make sure that all of you spirit, soul, and body belong to him. Belonging to Christ is the balance of wealth.
In speaking of financial wealth, we don’t intend to instill in the believer a desire to be rich. But simply to explain how God is rich toward all and how we can enjoy his benevolence.
The word warns us plainly against having a desire to be rich.” they that desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare and into many foolish and hurtful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. But thou o man of God flee these things...”1Timothy 6:9-11.
Being rich is a relative term. In America, I would define rich as a millionaire or higher.
Two common mistakes to avoid is studying God’s financial blessings ; it is not a licence to have a desire to be rich, and having a desire to be rich is not a prerequisite to become rich
the richest people in the Bible Abraham, Job and Solomon never indicated they had a desire to be rich. They never asked God to make them rich. God simply decided and told them he would make them rich.
Having a desire to be rich is not a prerequisite to become rich; it does not guarantee that you will become rich; and it is very dangerous to your personal faith.
So, becoming rich or millionaire should be left up to the Lord, if it be your will for my life not my will your will be done.
When you are a millionaire , you are not more important in the sight of God than before.
What happens when God makes you rich or a millionaire or higher?
“Charge them that are rich in this age that they be not high-minded, nor trust in uncertain riches but in the living God who gives us richly all things to enjoy; that they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to share, laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.”.1 Tim. 6_17-19.
Finally, my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Amen. Be faithful in tithing, in giving to the poor, to the ministry; follow the Holy Spirit, make every sacrifice necessary to follow Christ for you shall prosper in the land and be blessed. |
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