TITHING AND GIVING

I, too, once faced unemployment..I was a faithful "tither", and I might add, a single parent Dad (3 children) who taught Sunday School...My small country church had $100,000 in the black. Pride stood in my way of asking for help, yet the Lord put me in that situation for his glory. My church gave us a food basket, and a $100. Later, I preached a sermon on this...because in my food basket was some old food the dogs wouln't even eat. My sermon point was that when you gave to the needy, give things you would eat. If you eat steak, give some steak..if you eat pork n beans, give some of those. I also pointed out that the church had a $100,000 (saving for a rainy day, I suppose), had given us $100 when we could have used $1000....yet the Lord provided for us, and made a way.

Later on, I had some extra money and asked the Lord who to give it to. He told me to ride down to the local dumpster...I did, and there, was an elderly lady digging through the trash. The Lord spoke to me, and said, "give her that money"...I did, and she broke out with praises to Jesus...you see, her son, whom she hadn't seen in several years, was coming home for Thanksgiving. She was trying to find something in the trash she could sell so she could buy a turkey and the trimmings for a good meal for him. I told this in a church, and the pastor said, "You was wrong! That money belonged to the church>" Well, I am sorry to say, that money belonged to God, and he wanted me to give it to that elderly woman.

By the way, I have been preaching for over 18 years at Nursing Homes...I once received a penny for an offering, and a few times received a soda cracker, a cookie, a sticker, or a piece of candy...Those people don't tithe, yet the LORD loves them greatly.

Everything, not just 10%, belongs to God.

My 2 cents worth.

Irvin L. Rozier, aka walkin2e