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      In addition to balance, our giving should be sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit. If we wait patiently for Him, God will always direct us where, what, and when to give.

      Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the Lord your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads you by the way you should go” (Isaiah 48:17 NKJV).

      Before giving large sums of money, committing sizable chunks of time, or parting with major assets, it is vitally important that spouses be in agreement with one another. Financial matters cause more marital problems and conflict than any other single issue. For this reason, married couples should take time to pray and discuss matters together before making a sizable gift.

      Giving that honors God is more about attitude than amount. Whatever we give, and however much or little we give, we should give cheerfully.

      Let each one [give] as he has made up his own mind and purposed in his heart, not reluctantly or sorrowfully or under compulsion, for God loves (He takes pleasure in, prizes above other things, and is unwilling to abandon or to do without) a cheerful (joyous, “prompt to do it”) giver [whose heart is in his giving] (2 Corinthians 9:7 AMP).

      Then the people rejoiced, for they had offered willingly, because with a loyal heart they had offered willingly to the Lord; and King David also rejoiced greatly (1 Chronicles 29:9 NKJV).

      To Whom Should We Give?

      This is a valid question because of the enormous number of people, groups, institutions, and ministries that are always clamoring for our support. Some of them are worthy; many of them are not. We must exercise careful and prayerful discernment in deciding where to invest our gifts. Nevertheless, the Bible reveals three areas that should always take priority as targets of our giving.

      Churches and other godly organizations. It is important that we give to where God directs us to give. In Malachi 3:8-10, the Lord commands us to “bring all the tithes into the storehouse” (NKJV). Give according to how God directs you. I believe that if you give, not only will others be blessed because of your giving, but you, too, may go to a “storehouse” when times are hard and find provision.

      Mission agencies. We need to become world Christians, realizing that our giving to mission work is building the Kingdom of God and making it possible for the light of the Gospel to expose the works of darkness. In Haggai 1:7–2:9, the Lord says to build His house first, then He will bless the people.

      Make sure that the money you give to missions is actually getting to the mission field rather than being used to cover excessive administrative costs or support extravagant lifestyles of the leaders of the organization. Is the mission organization to which you are giving preaching the Word and actually building God’s Kingdom, or is it social-minded? Do some research before you give. Agencies with nothing to hide will hide nothing. They will be transparent in accounting for their use of the gifts they receive.

      Those in need. Needy people are all around us. All we have to do is look. The needs are far too numerous for any of us to meet them all, so we must ask God to show us the specific needs He wants us to target.

      He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord, and He will pay back what he has given (Proverbs 19:17 NKJV).

      The Kingdom of God is the opposite of the world’s system. As described in the verses above, we increase by decreasing. Kenneth Copeland teaches people who are in debt to begin to give to those around them who are in need. By giving to others, we become channels of God’s blessing to others.

      Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life (1 Timothy 6:17-19 NIV).

      What Happens When We Do Not Give?

      When we do not give, we cease to become a channel through which God can pour His blessings.

      He who gives to the poor will not lack, but he who hides his eyes will have many curses (Proverbs 28:27 NKJV).

      When we make little or no effort to help others, we subsequently become even more calloused to their needs.

      But if anyone has this world’s goods (resources for sustaining life) and sees his brother and fellow believer in need, yet closes his heart of compassion against him, how can the love of God live and remain in him? Little children, let us not love [merely] in theory or in speech but in deed and in truth (in practice and in sincerity) (1 John 3:17-18 AMP).

      Ignoring the needs of others will hinder our own prayers from being answered.

      Whoever shuts his ears to the cry of the poor will also cry himself and not be heard (Proverbs 21:13 NKJV).

      More Scripture on Giving

      Take heed not to forsake or neglect the Levite [God’s minister] as long as you live in your land (Deuteronomy 12:19 AMP).

      Tithing

      Tithing is the practice of giving a tenth of your income as an offering to God. Paying a tithe was commonly practiced throughout the nations of the ancient world. Abram tithed to Melchizedek even before the law. (Read Genesis 14:14-20 compared to Exodus 20); and Hebrews states that while Levi was in his loins, Abraham tithed. Even the heathens tithed in ancient days.

      When you tithe, you are simply honoring the One who has blessed you. All things come from God. Only a fool would not bless in return the One who has blessed and released finances to him. What you have does not come from your intellect, good luck, or by accident. The One who has blessed you is God.

      You must not eat in your own towns the tithe of your grain and new wine and oil, or the firstborn of your herds and flocks, or whatever you have vowed to give, or your freewill offerings or special gifts (Deuteronomy 12:17 NIV).

      Moreover, we will bring to the storerooms of the house of our God, to the priests, the first of our ground meal, of our grain offerings, of the fruit of all our trees and of our new wine and oil. And we will bring a tithe of our crops to the Levites, for it is the Levites who collect the tithes in all the towns where we work. A priest descended from Aaron is to accompany the Levites when they receive the tithes, and the Levites are to bring a tenth of the tithes up to the house of our God, to the storerooms of the treasury. The people of Israel, including the Levites, are to bring their contributions of grain, new wine and oil to the storerooms where the articles for the sanctuary are kept and where the ministering priests, the gatekeepers and the singers stay. “We will not neglect the house of our God” (Nehemiah 10:37-39 NIV).

      “Yet from the days of your fathers you have gone away from My ordinances and have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you,” says the Lord of hosts. “But you said, ‘In what way shall we return?’ Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed MeTh But you say, ‘In what way have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings. You are cursed with a curse, for you have robbed Me, even this whole nation. Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and try Me now in this,” says the Lord of hosts, “if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it” (Malachi 3:7-10 NKJV).

      Offerings

      Offerings are the money that

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