FIRST. God Himself is the
original giver. "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only
begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have
everlasting life" John 3:16. Christ "loved us and gave Himself for us"
Galatians 2:20.
SECOND. "It is more blessed to
give than to receive" Acts 20:35. Why? Because God promises to open the
windows of heaven unto us, to pour out an overflowing blessing, to
rebuke the devourer, (Satan) for our sakes. Read Malachi 3:10-11. In
fact, God challenges us to "prove Him" just to see if He will actually
do what He promises!
THIRD. The firm
disapproval of God rests upon those who rob Him of tithes and offerings.
"Ye are cursed with a curse, for ye have robbed me in tithes and
offerings" Malachi 3. To withhold from God tends to poverty, materially
and spiritually (Proverbs 11:24). God also frowns upon giving
"grudgingly or of necessity" 2 Corinthians 9:7. Real giving is an act of
faith. Failure to give is rank unbelief, or disobedience.
FOURTH.
The devil says, "You are a fool for giving your money away. You
shouldn't pay tithes or give offerings. That's all unnecessary and
foolish." Speak boldly to Satan, "Get thee behind me, Satan. God says
that my giving honors Him (Proverbs 3:10), that I shall be rewarded now
and in heaven. Christ said that what I give shall be given unto me -
good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over. The Lord
is heaping up my blessings, for I am giving unto Him and His work!" Luke
6:38.
FIFTH. What is Bold Giving? It is
liberal giving (Proverbs 11:25); bountiful giving (2 Corinthians 9:6);
cheerful giving (2 Corinthians 9:7). Your giving is an INVESTMENT in
carrying forward the Lord's great work on earth: your local church,
world evangelism, radio broadcasting, literature programs and other
Gospel centered causes.
SIXTH. What is the
Blessing of Bold Giving? It is to "lay up treasures in heaven:" to have
an active share in sending forth the Gospel to meet people's needs,
spiritual and physical.
SEVENTH. Dare to
abandon yourself to God's promises in your giving! "But this I say, He
which sows sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which sows
bountifully shall reap also bountifully" 2 Corinthians 9:6.
NOTE:
Marie felt that the Lord would have us send the above out, and I agree.
Many of you reading this will be non-tithers. This then will be a
challenge to you. Both Marie and I over 57 years of married life have
proven this challenge of Don Gossett to be eminently true.
During
the first year of our married life we were students at Northern Baptist
Theological Seminary of Chicago. Our finances were extremely tight, and
I talked Marie into letting our tithing habit go, seeing we were
seminary students. Our situation then really bottomed out (1949). At the
bottom I asked God and my wife to forgive me, and we started tithing
again, and haven't stopped since. Within 6 months we were completely out
of debt. God gave me a job as caretaker and host at headquarters of the
Conservative Baptist Association, 352 N Wellington, Chicago, and then
almost immediately I received a call as Associate Pastor to Dr. D. A.
Scotchie McCall of Tabernacle Baptist Church of Chicago.
Our
life has been a steady stream of testing, deliverance and blessing ever
since. We can give testimony after testimony from the churches we have
pastored, always holding up this standard. Our church from February 1953
- February 1958 averaged not a tithe, but 30%! Over and above our
church tithe, in our faith missionary giving, every member including
babies gave an average of $150.00 a year to missions. Blessed? Every
member of our church testified to the blessing of obeying in tithes and
offerings. Not only that, but our membership read the Bible through each
year, fasted regularly, had up to 13 prayer meetings a week up to the
time revival broke out. We had 100 converts in 9 months, and all stuck!
We were the largest per capita giving missionary church in all of
Chicago. For our glory? Absolutely not! For HIS Glory ALONE, BECAUSE He
is eminently worthy. The Kostner Avenue Baptist Church of Chicago grew
from 16 to 800 members in 8 years, and continued as a tithes and
offerings church.
The Giver's Creed
I live to give for I "remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how He said, It is more blessed to give than to receive" Acts 20:35.
I live to give cheerfully unto the Lord. "Every man according as he
purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of
necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver" II Corinthians 9:7.
I live to give according to the measure of the blessing of the Lord I
have received. "Every man shall give as he is able, according to the
blessing of the Lord thy God which He hath given thee" Deuteronomy
16:17.
I live to give for this is the love way. "God so loved the world that He
gave . . . John 3:16. "Christ Jesus loved us and gave Himself for us"
Galatians 2:20.
I live to give tithes and offerings. The results are evident . . . the
open windows of heaven, overflowing blessings that there's not room
enough to contain, the rebuke of Satan for my sake plus other benefits. I
affirm with Jacob, "Of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give
the tenth unto thee" Genesis 28:22.
I live to give freely because the Lord has given so much to me. "Freely I have received, freely I give" Matthew 10:8.
Description:
I live to give for I "remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how He said, It is more blessed to give than to receive" Acts 20:35.
I live to give cheerfully unto the Lord. "Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver" II Corinthians 9:7.
I live to give according to the measure of the blessing of the Lord I have received. "Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the Lord thy God which He hath given thee" Deuteronomy 16:17.
I live to give for this is the love way. "God so loved the world that He gave . . . John 3:16. "Christ Jesus loved us and gave Himself for us" Galatians 2:20.
I live to give tithes and offerings. The results are evident . . . the open windows of heaven, overflowing blessings that there's not room enough to contain, the rebuke of Satan for my sake plus other benefits. I affirm with Jacob, "Of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee" Genesis 28:22.
I live to give freely because the Lord has given so much to me. "Freely I have received, freely I give" Matthew 10:8.