GIVING:

Your money can make you an overseas missionary without ever leaving your hometown, an
evangelist without ever mounting a platform, a broadcaster without ever entering a studio, a Bible
teacher without ever writing a book.

Are you giving God, what is right or what is left?

Anon

If you dont give away anything God wants you to give, you dont own it it owns you
Anon

In this world it is not what we take up but what we give up that makes us rich.
Henry Ward Beecher

It is possible to give without loving, but it is impossible to love without giving.

Richard Braunstein

From what curses and degradations should we be delivered if Christian people gave as the Scriptures
direct!
Samuel Chadwick

I am persuaded that there is nothing upon which the Christian conscience is so ill informed as the
subject of Christian giving.
Samuel Chadwick

What we spend in piety and charity is not tribute paid to a tyrant, but the response of gratitude to
our Redeemer.
James Denney

Labour hard, consume little, give much and all to Christ.

Anthony Groves

What ever we part with for Gods sake shall be made up to us in kind or kindness.
Matthew Henry

He gives twice who gives quickly.

Publius Mimus

If we would have God open His treasury, we must open ours.

Thomas V Moore

We ask how much a man gives; Christ asks how much he keeps.
Andrew Murray

I shall not value his prayers at all, be he never so earnest and frequent in them, who gives not alms
according to his ability.
John Owen

When we have given God all we have and are, we have simply given him his own.
William S Plumer

There are three kinds of giving: grudge giving, duty giving and thanksgiving. Grudge giving says, I
have to; duty giving says, I ought to, thanksgiving says, I want to.
Robert Rodenmayer

Grace does not make giving optional

Charles Caldwell Ryrie

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The only way to have more than enough to spare is to give to God more than you can spare.
Oswald J Smith

Many a man becomes empty-handed because he does not know the art of distribution.
C. H. Spurgeon.

If I leave more than 10, you and all mankind bear witness that I lived and died a thief and a robber.
John Wesley

Christian giving is always a response. The motive for our giving is that we have received. This
doesnt mean we try to pay god Back, for that is an impossibility. It does mean that our giving begins
in gratitude.
W.A Poovey, How to talk to Christians About Money, (Minneapolis: Augsburg Publishing House, 1982),
p.30.

The sixpenny piece tells its story: Im only a sixpence, a very small coin. I am not on speaking terms
with the butcher. I am too small to buy a pint of beer or even a lemon squash. I am not large enough
to purchase a quarter pound of chocolates. A permanent wave wont look at me. They wont even
let me in at the cinema show. I am hardly fit for a tip. But believe me, when I go to Church on
Sunday, I am considered some money. (Mal.3:8).

From the sale of books alone John Wesley gave away between 30,000 and 40,000. He told Samuel
Bradburn, one of his preachers, in 1787, that he never gave away anything less than 1,000 a year,
and yet , when he died, his personal estate amounted to only a few pounds. When earning 30 a
year, he lived on 28 and gave away the remaining to the Lord. Next year his salary was doubled.
He found that he lived comfortably on 28 a year, so instead of raising his standard of living, he
continued to live on 28 a year and gave the whole of his increase to God. So later God entrusted
him with larger and larger amounts.

There stood thirteen chests, each with a brazen, trumpet-shaped receiver into which the worshippers
dropped their offerings; nine of them were marked for Jehovah, and four for the poor. (In the
temple court of Jerusalem)
The widow would fain manifest her love to the Lord and to her neighbour as well. If she cast the mite
into His chest it will be known in heaven that one of the Lords lovers have been in the treasury that
day; if she casts it into the box marked for the poor it will show her care for her fellows, but will it
not seem to place human need above divine worship? The solution she adopts is both simple and
costly; she will balance the claims of heaven and earth, and drop two mites into separate chests.
With eager joy the Lord called attention of the twelve to her actions, and offers them a problem in
the arithmetic of heaven.
She loved god and her neighbour.- H St. John

If you want to be rich, give; if you want to be poor, grasp! If you want abundance,
scatter; if you want to be needy, hoard!

A man there was, and some did count him mad:

The more he gave away, the more he had.

A poor, blind woman in Paris put twenty-seven francs into a plate at a missionary
meeting. You can not afford so much said one. Yes, sir, I can, she answered.
On being pressed to explain, she said, I am blind, and I said to my fellow straw-
workers, How much money do you spend in a year for oil in your lamps when it is too
dark to work at nights? they replied, Twenty seven francs. So, said the poor
woman, I find I save so much in the year because I am blind and do not need a lamp.
I give this money to shed light to the dark, heathen lands. Prairie Overcomer.

What makes the Dead sea dead? It is all the time receiving and never giving out.

On a black cloudy day the late Queen Mary was out walking in the vicinity of Balmoral. She walked
in the vicinity of Balmoral. She walked rather far, and as the rain came down she stopped and a
cottage and asked for a loan of an umbrella. The woman did not know the Queen so decided to give

2
the stranger an old umbrella with a broken rib. Next morning a man in gold braid appeared at the
cottage door and said, the Queen asked me to thank you for lending her the umbrella. The woman
in the cottage was dumbfounded and with tears flowing down her cheeks she said, What an
opportunity I missed! Why did I not give the Queen the best umbrella I had? Let us make sure we
give God the best we can.

The sister of Nietzche tells that, when the thinker was a little boy, he and she decided on one
occasion to take each of them a toy to give to the Morvarian sisters in support of their missionary
enterprise. They carefully chose their toys and duly carried them to the sisters. But, when they
returned home, Nietzche was restless and unhappy. His sister asked what ailed him. I have done a
very wicked thing, the boy answered. My fine box of cavalry is my favourite toy, and my best. I
should have taken that, But do you think, his sister asked that god always wants our best?
Yes! replied the young philosopher, always, always! the lad was then, at least, following the right
course.

Pray about giving. The more we give, the more we have to give. I am as careful about investing
Gods money in a place where it will bring spiritual profits as I am in my own business investments. I
feel worse about a bad investment made with Gods money that with my own. God will hold us
responsible if we do not give or if we give praylessly. John Wellons

Charles page was a young man, broke, penniless and jobless. One day he stopped on the street to
listen to a Salvation Army service. When the tambourine was passed round for the collection, he
told the girl who held it out before him that he would like to give something but had nothing himself,
even for his food. She gave him a dollar saying , Take this: put ten cents in the offering, and
hereafter give a tenth of all you get to God. Keep this up all your life and youll never be penniless
again. He did so, got a job, and began giving his tenth
Regularly. By and by he became a millionaire, and gave much more than a tenth building Hospitals
and helping in many ways to carry the work of the Lord

A little Chinese boy who lived in Manila in the Philippine islands was saving up to buy a bicycle, but
when he had saved about three pounds he decided there was something he wanted even more than
a bicycle- and that something was to help the Chinese people who were suffering in their own
country so terribly because of the way Japan was smashing their homes and ruining their farms. He
knew that many of those poor folks were starving, and decided that he had better so something
about it. So he went to a bakery and spent all the money he had saved on sacks and sacks of bread.
Then he dragged the sacks to the offices of the Chinese Relief Committee. The people were very
surprised to see all this bread and wondered what in the world they were going to do with it. They
did not want to hurt the little chaps feelings by telling him that if they tried to send it to China it
would be stale and mouldy before it got there. So at last they decided to call it Patriotic Bread, and
sell it again to the Chinese people in Manila. It was amazing how quickly it was bought. At the end of
the day the boys three pounds had grown to ten.
This is a great idea, said the committee, and with ten pounds they bought more bread and tied
labels to it, telling that it was Patriotic Bread again. The Chinese women of Manila sold it outside
shops and theatres, and everyone rushed to buy it. After three days the three pounds had grown to
three hundred, and this large sum was sent to China in the boys name.
But the story is not finished yet. An American returned from manila to the United States and told
this story to a great many people. Among those who heard about it was Mr. Henry Ford, the motor
car manufacturer, and his wife felt sorry that because if his unselfishness the boy did not get his
bicycle for which he had worked so hard. She sent twenty dollars to Manila and asked the Chinese
Relief Committee to buy a bicycle for the boy.
They did so, and the wife of the American Commissioner presented it to him at a public ceremony
attended by all the important people of the town.
But, although he now had his bicycle, the boy still wanted to help the poor people in China, and so he
decided to hire out his bicycle for two shillings and hour and send all the money to the relief fund.
The bicycle is now supporting a Christian home in China for fifteen orphan boys. And every word of
this story is true.-
1200 Notes Quotes: and Anecdotes A. Naismith Marshall Pickering

If you want to give something very small to the Lord , give yourself.

All that we have comes from God, and we give it out of His hand

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1Chron 29:14b Dutch Paraphrase

Give All He Asks; tTake all He gives.

S D Gordon

Getters generally dont get happiness, givers get it. You simply give to others a bit of yourself:
A thoughtful act, a helpful idea,
A word of appreciation, a life over a rough spot,
A sense of understanding, a timely suggestion.
You take something out of your mind, garnish in kindness out of your heart, and put it into the other
fellows mind and heart.
Charles H Burr

All that we can hold in our dead hands is what we have given away.
Sanskrit Proverb

If you want to be rich, give, if you want to be poor, grasp; if you want abundance, scatter; if you want
to be needy, hoard!

God has been given two hands-one to receive with the other to give with. We are not cisterns made
for hoarding; we are channels made for sharing. If we fail to fulfil this divine duty and privilege we
have missed the meaning of Christianity.
Billy Graham

We lose what on ourselves we spend:

We have treasures without end,
Whatever, Lord, to Thee we lend
Who givest all.
What ever, Lord we lend to Thee,
Repaid a thousand-fold will be;
And gladly we give to Thee,
Who givest all.
Christopher Wordsworth

Giving to God

For Our Sakes

He did not even own a bed,
He had no place to lay His head;
A cattle stall, His crib at birth,
He had no bank account on earth.
He laid the wealth of heaven down
For earthly rags, and thorny crown.
He passed the praises of Angels by,
And came where men cried
Crucify!
He left a throne for you and me
And bore our sins upon a tree.
So strong His claim, so clear His call;
How dare I give Him less than all?
Barbara C.Ryburg

Let Your dollars Testify

An anxious father, fearful that his son had lost all interest in the church, asked the minister to speak
with the boy.
At the first opportunity the minister said to the boy, I should think you would want to keep your
interest in the church if for no other reason than that your father is interested.
You dont know my father, said the boy replied, adding, By the way, how much does Dad give to
the church each year?

4
The minister thought for a moment and said, I am not sure what he gives, but I know he is one of
our most generous members. I should say he gives $5.00 dollars a Sunday.
The boy figures a bit. That makes $260 a year. But it costs him $600 a year to belong to the
country club, and he gave $5,000.00 to help elect his friend as mayor. You say I ought to attend
church because Dad is so interested as you think. Go ask him to give $500 a year to the church and
then come and talk with me.
Arthur V Bond

No man is known by what he receives, but by what he gives.

He gives double who gives unmasked

The preacher wrote to some parishioners asking financial aid for the church. One man turned him
down with a curt note: So far as I can see, this Christian business is one continuous give, give,
give. The pastor meditated on that, then wrote the man again. thank you for the best definition of
the Christian life I have ever heard.

God requires our persons before He asks our purses.

Who gives to me teaches me to give.

Dutch Saying

The world will never be won to Christ with what people can conveniently spare.
Bernard Edinger

A Godly woman unexpectedly received a legacy of $5,000.00. True to her practice maintained in
poverty, she at once put $500.00 into her tenth box and it was used in Christs work. She never
mentioned the disposal of the tenth, but after her death there was found and entry in her diary the
day she received the legacy: Quick, quick, before my heart gets hard.

Let Me be a Giver

God, let me be a giver, and not one who only takes and takes unceasingly;
God, let me give so that not just my own, but others lives as well, may richer be.
Let me give out whatever I may hold Of what material things life may be heaping.
Let me give raiment, shelter, food or gold,
If these are, through Thy bounty, in my keeping.
But greater than such fleeting treasures, may I give my faith and hope and Cheerfulness,
Belief and dreams and joy and laughter Gay some lonely soul to bless.
Mary Davies.

It is strange, but very true giving just enriches you .

If you give a kindly deed you plant a friendship seed,
If you share a laugh or song, if your giving rights a wrong,
Then joy you feel and share makes more goodness everywhere.
It is strange but very true- giving just enriches you.

Give as you would an Angel

Awaited your gift at the door;
Give as you would if tomorrow
Found you where giving was oer.
Give as you would to the Master
If you met His loving look;
Give as you would of your substance
If His hand your offering took Author Unknown

Spender
The fountains flash across his lawn,
His yard is full of flowers.
His house has thirty rooms or moor

5
With half a dozen showers.
He slumbers in a massive bed,
Some king once owned it, it seems.
The table where he eats is long
And silver brightly gleams.
He drives a gleaming mammoth car
That has the latest shape,
He sits before a mighty desk
And reads a ticker tape.
He goes to church when Sunday comes,
He sits up very straight,
And with a pious look he drops
A dollar in the Plate!
Lon Woodrum

Let Me Give
I do not know how long Ill live,
But while I live, Lord, let me give,
Some comfort to someone in need,
By smile or nod, kind word or deed.
And let me do whateer I can
To ease things from my fellow man.
I want naught but to do my part
To lift a tired or weary heart,
To change folks frowns to smiles again.
Then I will not have lived in vain.
And Ill not care how long Ill live
If I can give-and give and give.
Author Unknown

What! Giving Again?

I asked in dismay,
And must I keep giving
And giving away?
Oh no, cried the Angel,
Piercing me through.
Just give til the Father Stops giving to you.
Author Unkown.

When the heart is converted the purse will be interested.

Numbers 7 is the longest chapter in the bible, containing nearly 2,000 words- all about giving.

If truth takes possession of a mans heart, it will direct his hand to his pocket book.

Seven Ways of Giving

1. The careless Way To give some-thing to every cause that is presented without inquiry into
its merits
2 The Impulsive Way To give from impulse, as much and as often as love and pity and
sensibility prompt
3 The Lazy Way- To make a special offer to earn money for benevolent objects by fairs, festivals
etc.
4 The Self Denying Way- To save the cost of luxuries and apply them for purposes of religion
and charity. This may lead to asceticism and self-complacence.
5 The Systematic Way To lay aside as an offering to God a definite portion of our gains: one
tenth, one-fifth, one third or one-half. This is adaptable if this method were generally
practiced.
6 The Equal Way To give to God and the needy just as much as we spend on ourselves,
balancing our personal expenditures by our gifts.
7 The Heroic Way To limit our own expenditures to a certain sum, and give away all the rest of
our income. This was John Wesleys Way

6
A T Pierson.

OFFERING:
A Dollar Birthday

The greatest surprise of Marys life was receiving a dollar on her fourth birthday. She carried the bill
about the house and was seen sitting on the stairs admiring it. What are you going to do with you r
dollar? her mother asked. Take it to Sunday School, she said promptly. To Show your teacher?
Mary shook her head. No, she said. Im going to give it to God. Hell be as surprised as I am to get
something besides pennies

See 2 Cor 9:7

Convenient Debts

A man received a sharp letter from one of his creditors demanding payment. He wrote back to the
firm and said. Dear Sir. Every month I take all the bills I have and put them on the table, shuffle
them, and pick out six, which I pay. Now, If I have more trouble out of you, next month youll be out
of the shuffle entirely. Have you shuffled God out of your giving?

See Mal 3:8

Do you see what we could do for the Lord if we were willing to give at least the tithe to God, who
really owns it?
And so the new treasurer had made his point.
- adapted from A Source for Stewardship Sermons, by James E Carter.

Index 2625-2636

Our church held a Sunday service patterned after those in Colonial America. The pastor dressed in a
long coat and knickers, and the congregation was divided by gender: men on the left side of the aisle
and women on the right.

At collection time, the pastor announced that this, too, would be done in the old way. He asked the
head of the house should to come forward and place the money on the altar. The men instantly
rose. To the amusement of the entire congregation, many of them crosses the aisle to get the
money from their wives.
- Readers Digest, June 1989.

Index 2625-2636
Bible Illustrator Parsons Technology computer program

Pay As You Go
A conductor on the Santa Fe was converted and united with the church. After he had been faithful in
his religious duties for some weeks, he was asked one Sunday morning to help take the offering. He
started down the aisle, and all went well until he came to a richly dressed woman. She allowed the
plate to go past her, whereupon the conductor unconsciously reached up for the bell rope to stop the
train, and said, Madam, if you dont pay, youll have to get off.
James S Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc, 1988) pp
269-270

Money
For the Christian the source of goals and objectives in financial planning is the Bible. In his tape
series Mastery of materialism, John MacArthur, pastor of Grace Community in panorama City,
California, said that sixteen out of thirty eight of Christs parables deal with money; more is said
about money than prayer, and where there are five hundred-plus verses on both prayer and faith,
there are over two thousand verses dealing with money and possessions. Obviously, the Bible has
much to say about money management.

7
 See Psalms 15: 4-5, Matthew 25:14-30, 1Timothy 6:10

There are three kinds of givers the flint, the sponge and the honeycomb. To get anything out of the
flint you must hammer it. And then you get only chips and sparks. To get anything out of a sponge
you must squeeze it, and the more you use pressure, the more you will get. But the honeycomb just
overflows with its own sweetness. Which kind are you?
2 Corinthians 9:7

The young boy was taken to a busy shopping centre to see Santa. After waiting in line for what
seemed like and eternity, it was his turn to sit on the fat mans knee. After the usual Ho ho hos
and what is your name questions, the boy was finally asked what it was that he wanted for
Christmas. I would like two toy trucks, replied the lad. And I want two teddy bears, two remote
control cars and two video games. Well, replied Santa, that certainly is a tall order to fill. Do you
mind telling me why you want two of everything? The little boy had obviously prepared himself for
this question, because he answered without hesitation, So I can share.

Tithes

Prisoners Practiced Tithing

Soviet Pastor Richard Wurmbrand, the author of Tortured for Christ, suffered terribly for the Lord. Yet
he said that even while in prison, he saw fellow Soviet believers practice generous giving. "When we
were given one slice of bread a week and dirty soap every day, we decided we would faithfully 'tithe'
even that. Every tenth week we took the slice of bread and gave it to the weaker brethren as our
'tithe' to the Master."

The Sevenfold Blessing of the Tithe

1. It blesses the heart by making it receptive to God's will.
2. It blesses the life by lifting it to a higher plane of grace.
3. It blesses the hands by making them willing to do God's work.
4. It blesses the mind by giving it the satisfaction of doing the right thing.
5. It blesses the nine-tenths that remains because God has been honoured.
6. It blesses the individual by giving him a part in God's worldwide program of work.
7. It blesses the church by enabling it to carry out a greater ministry.
See: 2 Cor 9:10-15

A Matter of Fact
I have never known a generous person to complain about how much money it takes to run a church.
Poor givers gripe about how much it takes; generous givers express concern that they don't do more.

I have never known a family who tithed for any length of time who quit.
I have never known a generous family that was not generally happy.
I have never known a stingy, miserly family that was not generally unhappy about many things.
I have never known a person who was critical of most things, mad about many things, who was
generous.
I have come to believe that most people who feel we talk too much about money, never really want
to talk about money at all. Generous people enjoy talking about it.
I have come to believe that there is a direct connection that exists between a person's faith and a
person's generosity. Those who give generously tend to become more faithful; and the reverse is true
in both instances.
See: Prov 11:24; Eccl 5:13; 2 Cor 9:7-8

Jacob's Pledge
When candy manufacturer John S. Huyler started out in business, he took Jacob's pledge: "...of all
that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee" (Gen. 28:22). Going to the bank, he
opened a special account which he initialled "M.P." Into that fund he regularly entered a
proportionate amount of his income. When anyone asked what the strange label meant, they were
told that it stood for "My Partner." As he kept God uppermost in his mind in all his transactions, his
industry grew at a phenomenal rate, and each week the "Lord's treasury" received increasingly large
sums. His gifts to worthy causes and private individuals amazed his business associates. These
contributions were always accompanied with the request that the donor should not receive any

8
thanks or glory for his actions. He asked each recipient to offer praise to God alone, for he said,
"After all, the money isn't mine; it's the Lord's!"
See: Luke 6:38; 1 Cor 16:1-2; 2 Cor 9:7

A Dollar Birthday
The greatest surprise of Mary's life was receiving a dollar on her fourth birthday. She carried the bill
about the house and was seen sitting on the stairs admiring it. "What are you going to do with your
dollar?" her mother asked. "Take it to Sunday School," said Mary promptly. "To show your teacher?"
Mary shook her head. "No," she said. "I'm going to give it to God. He'll be as surprised as I am to get
something besides pennies."
See: 2 Cor 9:7

Convenient Debts
A man received a sharp letter from one of his creditors demanding payment. He wrote back to the
firm and said, "Dear Sir. Every month I take all the bills I have and put them on the table, shuffle
them, and pick out six, which I pay. Now, if I have any more trouble out of you, next month you'll be
out of the shuffle entirely." Have you shuffled God out of your giving?
See: Mal 3:8

I'm Glad My Church Needs Money

I'M GLAD MY CHURCH NEEDS MONEY! If it didn't it would mean it wasn't supporting missionaries and
preaching the Gospel in other places and has no missionary zeal.
I'M GLAD MY CHURCH NEEDS MONEY! If it didn't, it would mean it wasn't doing anything to support
the homeless and needy and had no compassion.

I'M GLAD MY CHURCH NEEDS MONEY! If it didn't, it would mean it wasn't interested in providing
wholesome activities for our teenagers and had no concern.
I'M GLAD MY CHURCH NEEDS MONEY! If it didn't, it would mean it wasn't interested in teaching
children in those impressionable years and had no future.
See: Gal 6:6; 2 Cor 9:10-15; 1 Tim 5:17-18

The Devil's Reason for Not Tithing

In January because of Christmas bills due.
In February because of fuel bills and car upkeep.
In March because of income taxes.
In April because of clothes for Easter.
In May because too much rain threatens the crops.
In June because too little rain threatens the crops.
In July because of vacation expenses coming up.
In August because of vacation expenses to be paid.
In September because of the children's school needs.
In October because of winter clothes and doctor bills.
In November because of the Thanksgiving trip.
In December because of the Christmas shopping.
See: Mal 3:8; Col 3:2

Welfare Tithe
If every church member in the United States were to suddenly lose his/her job and went on welfare,
and yet were willing to tithe from the minimal amount received from public assistance, giving in the
nation's churches would immediately increase over 30%!
Love of the right use of money is the root of all good.
-- The Herald of the Covenant
See: 1 Cor 16:1-2; Titus 3:14

Tithing, And Didn't Know It

9
The day the church treasurer resigned the church asked the local grain elevator manager to take the
position. He agreed under two conditions. That no treasurer's report would be given for the first
year. That no questions be asked about finances during that year. The people were surprised but
finally agreed since most of them did business with him and he was a trusted man. At the end of the
year he gave his report:
The church indebtedness of $228,000 has been paid. The minister's salary had been increased by
8%. The Cooperative Program gifts has been paid 200%. There were no outstanding bills. There
was a cash balance of $11,252!
Immediately the shocked congregation asked, "How did you do it? Where did the money come
from?" He quietly answered: "Most of you bring your grain to my elevator. Throughout the year I
simply withheld ten percent on your behalf and gave it to the church in your name. You didn't even
miss it!" "Do you see what we could do for the Lord if we were all willing to give at least the tithe to
God, who really owns it?" So the new treasurer had made his point.
--James Carter

There Goes God's Nickel

Submitted by Rocci Hildrum
There was a young boy who lived with his elderly grandmother in a small town. Every Sunday the
grandmother would take the boy to Church and after they would go downtown and get an ice cream
cone, which was a special treat. On one particular Sunday, grandmother was not feeling well. She
told the boy that he would have to go to Church by himself today and she gave him two nickels, one
for the offering plate and one for an ice cream after Church.
Now as it happened the boy needed to cross an old wooden bridge in order to get to Church. As he
was crossing the bridge that Sunday, as boys wil do he was watching the river below, skipping,
hopping - generally not paying attention. All of a sudden he dropped on of the nickels. The nickel fell
to the bridge and as luck would have it found a small crack through which it fell into the river below.
The boy dropped down and put his eye to the crack. He watched helplessly as the nickely fell into the
river below. As the boy got up and put the other nickel in his pocket he said, to no one in particular,
oh well, there goes God's nickel.

GIVING

Where your pleasure is, there is your treasure; where your treasure is, there is your heart;
where your heart is, there is your happiness.
Augustine.

In Matthew, Mark, and Luke 1 out of every 6 verses deals with money. Of the 29 parables Christ told,
16 deal with a person and his money.
Unknown.

Henry Ford
The American industrialist, Henry Ford, was once asked to donate money for the construction of a
new medical facility. The billionaire pledged to donate $5,000. The next day in the newspaper, the
headline read, Henry Ford contributes $50,000 to the local hospital. The irate Ford was on the
phone immediately to complain to the fund-raiser that he had been misunderstood. The fund-raiser
replied that they would print a retraction in the paper the following day to read, Henry Ford reduces
his donation by $45,000. Realizing the poor publicity that would result, the industrialist agreed to
the $50,000 contribution in return for the following: That above the entrance to the hospital was to
be carved the biblical inscription: I came among you and you took me in.
Bits & Pieces, March 3, 1994, pp. 1-2

Cheerful Givers
A mother wanted to teach her daughter a moral lesson. She gave the little girl a quarter and a dollar
for church. Put whichever one you want in the collection plate and keep the other for yourself, she
told the girl. When they were coming out of church, the mother asked her daughter which amount
she had given. Well, said the little girl, I was going to give the dollar, but just before the collection
the man in the pulpit said that we should all be cheerful givers. I knew Id be a lot more cheerful if I
gave the quarter, so I did.
Bits & Pieces, February 4, 1993, p. 23

10
Charles Spurgeon
Charles Spurgeon and his wife, according to a story in the Chaplain magazine, would sell, but refused
to give away, the eggs their chickens laid. Even close relatives were told, "You may have them if you
pay for them." As a result some people labelled the Spurgeons greedy and grasping.
They accepted the criticisms without defending themselves, and only after Mrs. Spurgeon died was
the full story revealed. All the profits from the sale of eggs went to support two elderly widows.
Because the Spurgeons where unwilling to let their left hand know what the right hand was doing
(Matthew 6:3), they endured the attacks in silence.
Chaplain Magazine.

I have tried to keep things in my hands and lost them all, but what I have given into God's hands I
still possess.
Martin Luther.

"In Other Words," a publication of the Wycliffe Bible Translators, recently told a story about Sadie
Sieker, who served for many years as a house-parent for missionaries' children in the Philippines.
Sadie loved books. Though she gladly loaned out some, others she treasured in a footlocker under
her bed. Once, in the quiet of the night, Sadie heard a faint gnawing sound. After searching all
around her room, she discovered that the noise was coming from her footlocker. When she opened it,
she found nothing but an enormous pile of dust. All the books she had kept to herself had been lost
to termites. What we give away, we keep. What we hoard, we lose.
Larry Pennings.

He, who gives what he would as readily throw away, gives without generosity; for the essence of
generosity is in self-sacrifice.
Sir Henry Taylor, quoted in New Beginnings.

In the latter part of the 17th century, German preacher August H. Francke founded an orphanage to
care for the homeless children of Halle. One day when Francke desperately needed funds to carry on
his work, a destitute Christian widow came to his door begging for a ducat--a gold coin. Because of
his financial situation, he politely but regretfully told her he couldn't help her. Disheartened, the
woman began to weep. Moved by her tears, Francke asked her to wait while he went to his room to
pray. After seeking God's guidance, he felt that the Holy Spirit wanted him to change his mind. So,
trusting the Lord to meet his own needs, he gave her the money. Two mornings later, he received a
letter of thanks from the widow. She explained that because of his generosity she had asked the Lord
to shower the orphanage with gifts. That same day Francke received 12 ducats from a wealthy lady
and 2 more from a friend in Sweden. He thought he had been amply rewarded for helping the widow,
but he was soon informed that the orphanage was to receive 500 gold pieces from the estate of
Prince Lodewyk Van Wurtenburg. When he heard this, Francke wept in gratitude. In sacrificially
providing for that needy widow, he had been enriched, not impoverished.
Unknown.

Millionaires 1
J.L. Kraft, head of the Kraft Cheese Corporation, who had given approximately 25% of his enormous
income to Christian causes for many years, said, "The only investment I ever made which has paid
consistently increasing dividends is the money I have given to the Lord."

Millionaires 2
J.D. Rockefeller said, "I never would have been able to tithe the first million dollars I ever made if I
had not tithed my first salary, which was $1.50 per week."
W. A. Criswell, A Guidebook for Pastors, p. 154.

Give according to your income, lest God make your income according to your giving.
Peter Marshall.

Living Faith
In his book of sermons The Living Faith, Lloyd C. Douglas tells the story of Thomas Hearne, who, in
his journey to the mouth of the Coppermine River, wrote that a few days after they had started on
their expedition, a party of Indians stole most of their supplies. His comment on the apparent

11
misfortune was: "The weight of our baggage being so much lightened, our next day's journey was
more swift and pleasant."
Hearne was en route to something very interesting and important; and the loss of a few sides of
bacon and a couple of bags of flour meant nothing more than an easing of the load. Had Hearne
been holed in somewhere, in a cabin, resolved to spend his last days eking out an existence, and
living on capital previously collected, the loss of some of his stores by plunder would probably have
worried him almost to death. How we respond to "losing" some of our resources for God's work
depends upon whether we are on the move or waiting for our last stand.
Eugene L. Feagin.

W.A. Criswell tells of an ambitious young man who told his pastor he'd promised God a tithe of his
income. They prayed for God to bless his career. At that time he was making $40.00 per week and
tithing $4.00. In a few years his income increased and he was tithing $500.00 per week. He called on
the pastor to see if he could be released from his tithing promise, it was too costly now. The pastor
replied, "I don't see how you can be released from your promise, but we can ask God to reduce your
income to $40.00 a week, then you'd have no problem tithing $4.00."
W. A. Criswell, A Guidebook for Pastors, p. 156.

Venetian Blinds
A fellow in our office told us recently of a household incident of which he had been an innocent but
perplexed spectator. Our friend had called a Venetian-blind repairman to come pick up a faulty blind,
and the next morning, while the family was seated at the breakfast table, the doorbell rang. Our
friend's wife went to the door, and the man outside said, "I'm here for the Venetian blind." Excusing
herself in a preoccupied way, the wife went to the kitchen, fished a dollar from the food money,
pressed it into the repairman's hand, then gently closed the door and returned to the table.
"Somebody collecting," she explained, pouring the coffee.
Caskei Stinnett in Speaking of Holiday.

When God's work is done in God's way for God's glory, it will never lack God's supply.
J. Hudson Taylor.

SACRIFICE
It is said that Cyrus, the founder of the Persian Empire, once had captured a prince and his family.
When they came before him, the monarch asked the prisoner, "What will you give me if I release
you?" "The half of my wealth," was his reply. "And if I release your children?" "Everything I possess."
"And if I release your wife?" "Your Majesty, I will give myself." Cyrus was so moved by his devotion
that he freed them all. As they returned home, the prince said to his wife, "Wasn't Cyrus a handsome
man!" With a look of deep love for her husband, she said to him, "I didn't notice. I could only keep
my eyes on you- -the one who was willing to give himself for me."
Unknown.

Dr Paul White, the Jungle Doctor recently told a group of business men about two African lepers,
with hands so eaten away that they were just bandaged stumps, who wanted to help the
missionaries; so for weeks on end they worked in the deep saw-pit sawing logs into boards for a new
part of the bush hospital. When the job was done, each received the sum of thirty shillings. The
doctor noticed them dividing the little pile of silver into two parts, and asked why. When told that
one half was for the Lord, he said to them, But thats too much. God only asks for a tenth- three
shillings, not fifteen shillings.
But, Bwana, one of them quickly replied, We love Him far more than that.

At lunch one day in a hotel with her son Reggie and his new wife, Gloria, Alice Vanderbilt asked
whether Gloria had received her pearls. Reggie replied that he had not yet bought any because the
only pearls worthy of his bride were beyond his price. His mother then calmly ordered that a pair of
scissors be brought to her. When the scissors arrived, Mrs. Vanderbilt promptly cut off about one-
third of her own $70,000 pearl necklace and handed them to her new daughter-in-law. "There you
are, Gloria," she said. "All Vanderbilt women have pearls."
Today in the Word, September 18, 1993.

12
During his reign, King Frederick William III of Prussia found himself in trouble. Wars had been costly,
and in trying to build the nation, he was seriously short of finances. He couldn't disappoint his
people, and to capitulate to the enemy was unthinkable. After careful reflection, he decided to ask
the women of Prussia to bring their jewellery of gold and silver to be melted down for their country.
For each ornament received, he determined to exchange a decoration of bronze or iron as a symbol
of his gratitude. Each decoration would be inscribed, "I gave gold for iron, 1813." The response was
overwhelming. Even more important, these women prized their gifts from the king more highly than
their former jewellery. The reason, of course, is clear. The decorations were proof that they had
sacrificed for their king. Indeed, it became unfashionable to wear jewellery, and thus was established
the Order of the Iron Cross. Members wore no ornaments except a cross of iron for all to see. When
Christians come to their King, they too exchange the flourishes of their former life for a cross.
Lynn Jost.

It is said that on his retreat from Greece after his great military expedition there, King Xerxes
boarded a Phoenician ship along with a number of his Persian troops. But a fearful storm came up,
and the captain told Xerxes there was no hope unless the ship's load was substantially lightened. The
king turned to his fellow Persians on deck and said, "It is on you that my safety depends. Now let
some of you show your regard for your king." A number of the men bowed to Xerxes and threw
themselves overboard! Lightened of its load, the ship made it safely to harbour. Xerxes immediately
ordered that a golden crown be given to the pilot for preserving the king's life -- then ordered the
man beheaded for causing the loss of so many Persian lives!
Today in the Word, July 11, 1993.

Fifty-six men signed the Declaration of Independence. Their conviction resulted in untold sufferings
for themselves and their families. Of the 56 men, five were captured by the British and tortured
before they died. Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned. Two lost their sons in the
Revolutionary Army. Another had two sons captured. Nine of the fifty-six fought and died from
wounds or hardships of the war. Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and trader, saw his
ships sunk by the British navy. He sold his home and properties to pay his debts and died in poverty.
At the battle of Yorktown, the British General Cornwallis had taken over Thomas Nelson's home for
his headquarters. Nelson quietly ordered General George Washington to open fire on the Nelson
home. The home was destroyed and Nelson died bankrupt. John Hart was driven from his wife's
bedside as she was dying. Their thirteen children fled for their lives. His fields and mill were
destroyed. For over a year, he lived in forest and caves, returning home only to find his wife dead
and his children vanished. A few weeks later, he died from exhaustion.
Kenneth L. Dodge, Resource, Sept./ Oct., 1992, p. 5.

Sitting majestically atop the highest hill in Toledo, Spain, is the Alcazar, a 16th-century fortress. In
the civil war of the 1930s, the Alcazar became a battleground when the Loyalists tried to oust the
Nationalists, who held the fortress. During one dramatic episode of the war, the Nationalist leader
received a phone call while in his office at the Alcazar. It was from his son, who had been captured by
the Loyalists. The ultimatum: If the father didn't surrender the Alcazar to them, they would kill his
son. The father weighed his options. After a long pause and with a heavy heart, he said to his son,
"Then die like a man."
Daily Walk, April 16, 1992.

I went into church and sat on the velvet pew. I watched as the sun came shining through the stained
glass windows. The minister dressed in a velvet robe opened the golden gilded Bible, marked it with
a silk bookmark and said, "If any man will be my disciple, said Jesus, let him deny himself, take up
his cross, sell what he has, give it to the poor, and follow me."
Soren Kierkagaard, in "And I looked Around and Nobody was Laughing."

Boarding the SS Dorchester on a dreary winter day in 1943 were 903 troops and four chaplains,
including Moody alumnus Lt. George Fox. World War II was in full swing, and the ship was headed
across the icy North Atlantic where German U-boats lurked. At 12:00 on the morning of February 3, a
German torpedo ripped into the ship. "She's going down!" the men cried, scrambling for lifeboats.
A young GI crept up to one of the chaplains. "I've lost my life jacket," he said. "Take this," the
chaplain said, handing the soldier his jacket. Before the ship sank, each chaplain gave his life jacket
to another man. The heroic chaplains then linked arms and lifted their voices in prayer as the
Dorchester went down. Lt. Fox and his fellow pastors were awarded posthumously the Distinguished
Service Cross.

13
Today in the Word, April 1, 1992.

Ministry that costs nothing, accomplishes nothing.

John Henry Jowett.

Sometimes marriage to a great leader comes with a special price for his wife. Such was the case for
Mary Moffatt Livingstone, wife of Dr. David Livingstone, perhaps the most celebrated missionary in
the Western world. Mary was born in Africa as the daughter of Robert Moffatt, the missionary who
inspired Livingstone to go to Africa. The Livingstones were married in Africa in 1845, but the years
that followed were difficult for Mary. Finally, she and their six children returned to England so she
could recuperate as Livingstone plunged deeper into the African interior. Unfortunately, even in
England Mary lived in near poverty. The hardships and long separations took their toll on Mrs.
Livingstone, who died when she was just forty-two.
Today in the Word, MBI, January, 1990, p. 12.

Every year in Alaska, a 1000-mile dogsled race, run for prize money and prestige, commemorates an
original "race" run to save lives. Back in January of 1926, six-year-old Richard Stanley showed
symptoms of diphtheria, signalling the possibility of an outbreak in the small town of Nome. When
the boy passed away a day later, Dr. Curtis Welch began immunizing children and adults with an
experimental but effective anti-diphtheria serum. But it wasn't long before Dr. Welch's supply ran
out, and the nearest serum was in Nenana, Alaska--1000 miles of frozen wilderness away. Amazingly,
a group of trappers and prospectors volunteered to cover the distance with their dog teams!
Operating in relays from trading post to trapping station and beyond, one sled started out from
Nome while another, carrying the serum, started from Nenana. Oblivious to frostbite, fatigue, and
exhaustion, the teamsters mushed relentlessly until, after 144 hours in minus 50-degree winds, the
serum was delivered to Nome. As a result, only one other life was lost to the potential epidemic.
Their sacrifice had given an entire town the gift of life.
Unknown.

Why Give 10% or More of Your Income to the Lords Work

First: Christians of all income levels have experienced spiritual joy, supernatural grace and divine
help through the practice of making a specific commitment to GIVE 10% OR MORE of their resources
to the Lords work.
Second: The vast majority of pastors are reluctant to teach their congregations about money
matters and Christian giving.
This list of 10 reasons to give 10% or more to the Lords work was written to encourage laity and
clergy that this subject can be biblically and practically taught and caught! When believers are
taught to make it a priority to give to God first, it will ultimately bring greater financial freedom and
blessing into their personal lives and to the ministries they support.
1. It is a tried and proven pattern of giving by godly people throughout the ages
(regardless of cultures and income levels). Genesis 14:17-20, 28:16-22; Leviticus 27:30;
Proverbs 3:9, 10; Malachi 3:7-15; Matthew 23:23
2. It will help you revere God more in your life. Deuteronomy 14:23
3. It will bring Gods wisdom and order to your finances and will help you harness
the dragon of materialism. Matthew 6:19-21, 24-34; Luke 12:16-21; 1 Timothy 6:6-10,
17-19; Ecclesiastes 5:10
4. It will serve as a practical reminder that God is the Owner of everything you
have. 1 Chronicles 29:11-18; Psalm 24; 1,2; Psalm 59:10-12; Haggai 2:8
5. It will allow you to experience Gods creative care and provisions in ways you
would not otherwise experience. 1 Kings 17; Proverbs 3:9,10; Malachi 3:7-15; Haggai
1:4-11, 2:15-10; Luke 6:38; Deuteronomy 14:23; Proverbs 3:5,6; Malachi 3:8-10; Haggai
1:4-11, 2:15-19; 2 Corinthians 8:5
6. It will encourage your spiritual growth and trust in God. Deuteronomy 14:23;
Proverbs 3:5,6; Malachi 3:8-10; Haggai 1:4-11, 2:15-19; 2 Corinthians 8:5
7. It will ensure you of treasure in heaven. 1 Timothy 6:18, 19; Matthew 6:19021;
Hebrews 6:10; 3 John 8; 1 Samuel 30:22
8. It will strengthen the ministry, outreach, and stability of your local church. Acts
2:42-27, 4:32; 2 Corinthians 9:12,13

14
 9. It will help provide the means to keep your pastor and missionaries in full-time
Christian service. 1 Corinthians 9:9-11,14; 1 Timothy 5:17,18; 3 John 5-8; Philippians
4:15-19; Galatians 6:6; Luke 8:3; 2 Kings 4:8-10
10. It will help accomplish needed building projects and renovations. 2 Chronicles
24:4-14; Exodus 35, 36; 2 Kings 12:2-16; 1 Chronicles 29:2-10; Ezekiel 1:4-6
Brian Kluth, Dimensions, Vol. 20, Fall, 1997, pp. 1-2, reprint by permission: Christian Stewardship
Magazine

Three Levels of Giving

1. You have to (law)
2. You ought to (obligation)
3. You want to (grace)
- Waldo Weaning
Source unknown

Those Who Give Most

If youve ever heard someone vow, If I were rich, Id give away most of my money, dont bank on
it. The stats show that people with higher incomes give away a smaller percentage of their wealth.
INCOME % GIVEN AWAY
Under $10,000 3.6%
$10-19,999 3.4%
$20-29,999. 2.5%
$30-39,999.. 1.8%
$40-49,999.... 2.3%
$50-74,999... 2.0%
$75-99,999.. 1.9%
$100,000 and above. 2.5%
Ron Blue, Storm Shelter, Thomas Nelson Publ., quoted in New Man, March/April 1995, p. 16

Paderewski
Many years ago two young men were working their way through Stanford University. At one point
their money was almost gone, so they decided to engage the great pianist Paderewski for a concert
and use the profits for board and tuition. Paderewskis manager asked for a guarantee of $1,000. the
students worked hard to promote the concert, but they came up $400 short. After the performance,
they went to the musician, gave him all the money they had raised, and promised to pay the $400 as
soon as they could. It appeared that their college days were over. No, boys, that wont do, said the
pianist. Take out of this $1600 all your expenses, and keep for each of you 10 percent of the balance
for your work. Let me have the rest.
Years passed. Paderewski became premier of Poland following World War I. Thousands of his
countrymen were starving. Only one man could helpthe head of the U. S. Food and Relief Bureau.
Paderewskis appeal to him brought thousands of tons of food. Later he met the American statesman
to thank him. Thats all right, replied Herbert Hoover. Besides, you dont remember, but you
helped me once when I was a student in college.
The principle of liberality set forth in Proverbs 11:25 finds its origin in God. He is overflowing in His
goodness, lavish in His mercy, and abounding in His grace. How inconceivable that we His creatures,
especially His redeemed children, could be greedy and selfish! Remember, liberality is part of Gods
way of taking care of us. - D.J.D.
Our Daily Bread, April 10

Proper Motives
Proper motives are essential in Christian service. This is especially true in the giving of our money.
The Lord is more concerned with shy we give than with how much we give. We must have a right
heart attitude. Therefore we should never give in order to receive the praise of others, but because
we love God and desire to see His name honored and glorified.
An experience in the life of English preacher and theologian Andrew Fuller illustrates this truth. James
Duff, in Flashes of Truth, told of a time when Fuller went back to his hometown to collect money for
foreign missions. One of his contacts was an old friend. When presented with the need, the man said,
Well, Andrew, seeing its you, Ill give you five dollars. No, said Fuller, I cant take your money
for my cause, seeing it is for me, and he handed the money back. The man saw his point. Andrew,

15
you are right. Heres ten dollars, seeing it is for Jesus Christ. Duff concluded, Let us remember, it is
not the amount we give toward helping the Lords work; it is the motive He looks at.
When we have the opportunity to contribute to some worthy Christian cause, may we do so with the
right purpose in mind. We should never give just because we feel obligated to organizations or
persons, nor because we desire to receive selfish recognition or reward. The apostle Paul said, Every
man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give, not grudgingly, or of necessity; for God
loveth a cheerful giver (2 Cor. 9:7). We should honestly say, Its for the Lord! - R.W.D.
Our Daily Bread, August 15

John Wesleys Budget

John Wesley was eventually one of Englands most wealthy citizens. Yet, as his income sharply
increased, look at what happened to his spending habits:
Income Living To the Poor
Expenses
First year: 30 pounds 28 pounds 2 pounds (7%)
(93%)
Second 60 pounds 28 pounds 32 pounds (53%)
year: (47%)
Third year: 90 pounds 28 pounds 62 pounds (69%)
(31%)
Fourth 120 pounds 28 pounds 92 pounds (77%)
year: (23%)
Later: over 1,400 30 pounds over 1,400 pounds
pounds (2%) (98%)
From The Accountability Connection by Matt Friedman, Victor Books), New Man, JulyAugust 1994, p.
12.

The Miser
A notorious miser was called on by the chairman of the community charity. Sir, said the fund-raiser,
our records show that despite your wealth, youve never once given to our drive.
Do your records show that I have an elderly mother who was left penniless when my father died?
fumed the tightwad. Do your records show that I have a disabled brother who is unable to work? Do
your records show I have a widowed sister with small children who can barely make ends meet?
No, sir, replied the embarrassed volunteer. Our records dont show those things.
Well, I dont give to any of them, so why should I give anything to you?
Landon Parvin in Leaders, Readers Digest, May 1996, pp. 67-68.

The Lords Share

Martyn Lloyd-Jones told a story about a farmer who went into the house one day to tell his wife and
family some good news. The cow just gave birth to twin calves, one red and one white, he said.
He continued, We must dedicate one of these calves to the Lord. We will bring them up together,
and when the time comes, we will sell one and keep the proceeds and we will sell the other and give
the proceeds to the Lords work. His wife asked him which he was going to dedicate to the Lord.
Theres no need to bother about that now, he replied, well treat them both in the same way, and
when the time comes, well do as I say.
A few days later, he entered the kitchen looking unhappy. What happened? his wife asked. I have
bad news, he replied. The Lords calf is dead. Wait, said his wife, you didnt decide which calf
was to be the Lords. Yes, he said, I decided it was the white one, and the white one died. The
Lords calf is dead.
Morning Glory, January 17, 1994

Gifts to Charity
Percentage of personal income in America gave to charity last year:
Poorest households: 5.5 percent.
Wealthiest households: 2.9 percent.
Youthworker Update, quoted in Signs of the Times, March, 1993, p. 7

The Seed Grain

16
A sermon by missionary Del Tarr, who served fourteen years in West Africa with a mission agency, is
the base for the following article. His story points out the price some people pay to sow the seed of
the gospel in hard soil.
I was always perplexed by Psalm 126 until I went to the Sahel, that vast stretch of savanna more
than four thousand miles wide just under the Sahara Desert. In the Sahel, all the moisture comes in a
four month period: May, June, July, and August. After that, not a drop of rain falls for eight months.
The ground cracks from dryness, and so do your hands and feet. The winds of the Sahara pick up the
dust and throw it thousands of feet into the air. It then comes slowly drifting across West Africa as a
fine grit. It gets inside your mouth. It gets inside your watch and stops it. The years food, of course,
must all be grown in those four months. People grow sorghum or milo in small fields.
October and November...these are beautiful months. The granaries are fullthe harvest has come.
People sing and dance. They eat two meals a day. The sorghum is ground between two stones to
make flour and then a mush with the consistency of yesterdays Cream of Wheat. The sticky mush is
eaten hot; they roll it into little balls between their fingers, drop it into a bit of sauce and then pop it
into their mouths. The meal lies heavy on their stomachs so they can sleep.
December comes, and the granaries start to recede. Many families omit the morning meal. Certainly
by January not one family in fifty is still eating two meals a day.
By February, the evening meal diminishes. The meal shrinks even more during March and children
succumb to sickness. You dont stay well on half a meal a day.
April is the month that haunts my memory. In it you hear the babies crying in the twilight. Most of the
days are passed with only an evening cup of gruel. Then, inevitably, it happens. A six- or seven-year-
old boy comes running to his father one day with sudden excitement. Daddy! Daddy! Weve got
grain! he shouts. Son, you know we havent had grain for weeks. Yes, we have! the boy insists.
Out in the hut where we keep the goatstheres a leather sack hanging up on the wallI reached
up and put my hand down in thereDaddy, theres grain in there! Give it to Mommy so she can
make flour, and tonight our tummies can sleep!
The father stands motionless. Son, we cant do that, he softly explains. Thats next years seed
grain. Its the only thing between us and starvation. Were waiting for the rains, and then we must
use it.
The rains finally arrive in May, and when they do the young boy watches as his father takes the sack
from the wall and does the most unreasonable thing imaginable. Instead of feeding his desperately
weakened family, he goes to the field and with tears streaming down his face, he takes the precious
seed and throws it away. He scatters it in the dirt! Why? Because he believes in the harvest.
The seed is his; he owns it. He can do anything with it he wants. The act of sowing it hurts so much
that he cries. But as the African pastors say when they preach on Psalm 126, Brother and sisters,
this is Gods law of the harvest. Dont expect to rejoice later on unless you have been willing to sow
in tears. And I want to ask you: How much would it cost you to sow in tears? I dont mean just giving
God something from your abundance, but finding a way to say, I believe in the harvest, and
therefore I will give what makes no sense. The world would call me unreasonable to do thisbut I
must sow regardless, in order that I may someday celebrate with songs of joy.
Copyright Leadership, 1983

Church Dollars vs. Television Dollars

There is a recent study that seems to affirm the effectiveness of this priority system by
demonstrating that church dollars accomplish far more than television dollars.
Robert Polk, director of the Cooperative Program Promotion for the Baptist General Convention of
Texas, came to this conclusion after analysing the 1986 expenditures of leading TV ministries as
compared to the Southern Baptist Convention. First, he studied how the $684 million given to six
leading TV ministers was used. Beside paying for TV time, he discovered that the donations
supported 4 schools, 1 hospital, 3 churches, 2 ministries to needy children, 1 ministry to others in
need, and 1 home for unwed mothers.
He then studied how the $635 million given to the Southern Baptists was spent. The contrast is
startling! For the Baptist donations supported 52 childrens homes, 48 hospitals (including 23
overseas), 67 colleges and universities (enrolling over 200,000 students), and 33 nursing homes; it
also supported 3,756 foreign missionaries, 3,637 missionaries in the USA, and ministries to students
on 1,100 campuses. These funds also supported six seminaries (enrolling a fifth of this countrys
seminarians), and the ACTS television network carried on cable in many cities.
Source unknown

Statistics
The U.S. Department of Commerce has recently released statistics on American churches, clergy and
church schools.

17
Church Law & Tax Report give some interesting figures:
Number of U.S. congregations: 294,271
Churches with fewer than 100 members: 60,300
Churches with fewer than 500 members: 205,556
Churches with 1,000-1,999 members: 21,691
Churches with 2,000 or more members: 13,958
Last year churches received $49 billion in revenues, of which
$40 billion came from contributions,
$1.4 billion from wills and estates, and
$2.5 billion from fees or charges for services.
There are a total of 348,000 clergy employed in the United States, and they have served an average
of 15.8 years in each position.
Who is supporting these churches?
Persons 65-74 years of age donated the largest percentage of their income
(3.1 percent) and those 18-24 the least (0.6 percent).
Increasingly, those with lower incomes gave a higher proportion of their
income to charity than higher income individuals.
Persons with household incomes of under $10,000 gave 2.8 percent of their
total incomes, while those with incomes over $100,000 gave only 2.1 percent.
The average annual contribution to the church was $715 per household.
Pulpit Helps, August, 1992, p. 8

Leftovers
Leftovers are such humble things,
We would not serve to a guest,
And yet we serve them to our Lord
Who deserve the very best.
We give to Him leftover time,
Stray minutes here and there.
Leftover cash we give to Him,
Such few coins as we can spare.
We give our youth unto the world,
To hatred, lust and strife;
Then in declining years we give
To him the remnant of our life.
- Source unknown
Source unknown

Where Is Your Treasure?

Take a look at your own heart, and you will soon find out what has stuck to it and where your
treasure is. It is easy to determine whether hearing the Word of God, living according to it, and
achieving such a life gives you as much enjoyment and calls forth as much diligence from you as
does accumulating and saving money and property. - Martin Luther
Tales of the Neverending, Mark Littleton, Moody, 1990, p. 141

Charitable Giving Per Capita

1980: $214
1990: $490
U. S. charity that got the most private donations in 1990: The Salvation Army, $658
million.
Americans who never give to Salvation Army bell ringers at Christmas: 5%.
Those who always give: 23%.
Age group that gives the highest percent of income to charity:
Ages 65 to 74 is 4.4%.
The lowest: Ages 18 to 24 is 1.2%
Personal income Americans gave to charity last year:

18
 Poorest households: 5.5%.
Wealthiest households: 2.9%
Estimated value of time volunteers gave in 1989: $170 billion.
U. S. News and World Report, December, 1991

Termites
In Other Words, a publication of the Wycliffe Bible Translators, recently told a story about Sadie
Sieker, who served for many years as a house-parent for missionaries children in the Philippines.
Sadie loved books. Though she gladly loaned out some, others she treasured in a footlocker under
her bed. Once, in the quiet of the night, Sadie heard a faint gnawing sound. After searching all
around her room, she discovered that the noise was coming from her footlocker. When she opened it,
she found nothing but an enormous pile of dust. All the books she had kept to herself had been lost
to termites. What we give away, we keep. What we hoard, we lose. - Larry Pennings
From In Other Words, a publication of Wycliffe Bible Translators

Average Contribution
The average church member contributes between 1.5% and 2.5% of his total income specifically to
the Lords work.
Getting the Church on Target, Lloyd Perry, Moody, 1977

2 Corinthians 8-9
In II Cor. 8-9 giving was: and it:
Church centred (8:1) Blessed others (9:1-5)
From the heart (8:2-9) Blessed the giver (9:6-11)
Proportionate (8: 10-15) Glorified God (9:12-15)
Handled honestly (8:16-24)
Getting the Church on Target, Lloyd Perry, Moody, 1977

God Is No Fool
Once, a man said, If I had some extra money, Id give it to God, but I have just enough to support
myself and my family. And the same man said, If I had some extra time, Id give it to God, but
every minute is taken up with my job, my family, my clubs, and what have youevery single
minute. And the same man said, If I had a talent Id give it to God, but I have no lovely voice; I
have no special skill; Ive never been able to lead a group; I cant think cleverly or quickly, the way I
would like to.
And God was touched, and although it was unlike him, God gave that man money, time, and a
glorious talent. And then He waited, and waited, and waited ... And then after a while, He shrugged
His shoulders, and He took all those things right back from the man, the money, the time and the
glorious talent. After a while, the man sighed and said, If I only had some of that money back, Id
give it to God. If I only had some of that time, Id give it to God. If I could only rediscover that
glorious talent, Id give it to God.
And God said, Oh, shut up.
And the man told some of his friends, You know, Im not so sure that I believe in God anymore.
From God is No Fool, by Lois Cheney, 1969, Abindgon Press

Charity
In 11-11-86, on the radio program The Art of Family Living Ron Blue, a financial counsellor stated
that the average person in the U.S. gives 1.7% of his/her income to charity annually. The average
evangelical gives approximately 2.5%.
Source unknown

God Provides
In the latter part of the 17th century, German preacher August H. Francke founded an orphanage to
care for the homeless children of Halle. One day when Francke desperately needed funds to carry on

19
his work, a destitute Christian widow came to his door begging for a ducata gold coin. Because of
his financial situation, he politely but regretfully told her he couldnt help her.
Disheartened, the woman began to weep. Moved by her tears, Francke asked her to wait while he
went to his room to pray. After seeking Gods guidance, he felt that the Holy Spirit wanted him to
change his mind. So, trusting the Lord to meet his own needs, he gave her the money. Two mornings
later, he received a letter of thanks from the widow. She explained that because of his generosity she
had asked the Lord to shower the orphanage with gifts. That same day Francke received 12 ducats
from a wealthy lady and 2 more from a friend in Sweden. He thought he had been amply rewarded
for helping the widow, but he was soon informed that the orphanage was to receive 500 gold pieces
from the estate of Prince Lodewyk Van Wurtenburg.
When he heard this, Francke wept in gratitude. In sacrificially providing for that needy widow, he had
been enriched, not impoverished.
Source unknown

Statistics
In 1983 U.S. churchgoers donated $21.5 billion. But if churchgoers had donated 10% of income, they
would have given $134 billion. 80% of the money given paid the congregations expenses.
Source unknown

Quotes
When it comes to giving, some people will stop at nothing. - Jimmy Carter
I do not believe one can settle how much we ought to give. I am afraid the only safe rule is to
give more than we can spare. - C. S. Lewis
Do your giving while youre living so youre knowing where its going. - Anonymous
God judges what we give by what we keep. - G. Mueller
Its not what you do with the million if fortune should ere be your lot, but what are you doing
at present with the dollar and quarter you got. - Anonymous
The trouble is that too many people are spending money they havent yet earned for things
they dont need to impress people they dont like.
If you give what you do not need, it isnt giving - Mother Teresa
Sources unknown

I have never known a generous person to complain about how much money it takes to run a
church. poor givers gripe about how much it takes, generous givers express concern that
they dont do more.
I have never known a family who tithed for any length of time who quit
I have never known a generous family that was not generally happy
I have never known a stingy, miserable family that was not generally about many things.
I have never known a person who was critical of most things, mad about any things, who was
generous.
I have come to believe that most people who feel we talk too much about money, never really
want to talk about money at all. Generous people enjoy talking about it.
I have come to believe that there is a direct connection that exists between a persons faith
and a persons generosity. Those who give generously tend to become more faithful; and the
reverse is true in both instances.

The man who leaves money to charity in his will is only giving away what no longer belongs to
him. - Voltaire (1694-1778)

The test of generosity is not how much you give, but how much you have left.

Two mites, two drops (yet all her house and land),
Falls from a steady heart, though trembling hand;
The others wanton wealth foams hight, and brave,
The other cast away, she only gave.
The widows mite. - Richard Crashaw (C.1613-1649)

We are never like God than when we give. - Charles R Swindall (1934-)

20
 We make a living by what we get; we make a life by what er give. - -Sir Winston Churchill
(1874-1965)

What brings joy to the heart is not so much the friends gift as the friends love. - St Ailred of
Reievaulx (1109 1167)

What I kept, I lost; what I spent, I had; what I gave, I have. . - Persian Proverb.

What is a true gift? One for which nothing is expected in return. . - Chinese proverb.

When the hand ceases to scatter, the heart ceases to pray. - Irish Proverb.

When you give to God, you discover God gives to you.

When you give, take to yourself no credit for generosity unless you deny yourself something
in order that you may give. - Sir Henry Taylor (1800-1886)

You do not have to be rich to be generous. If he has the spirit of true generosity, a pauper
can live like a prince. - Corinne U. Wells

It was the day after Christmas and the man parked his car to pick up the morning paper. He
noticed a dirty, poorly dressed boy, looking at his car. Seeing the boy eyeing the car, he
reminded himself to be quick or he might be missing a hubcap when he returned. He came
out of the store with his paper under his arm and just as he opened the door to the car, the
boy asked, Mister, how much would a new car like this cost? Mr Greene responded , I really
dont know; my brother gave me this car as a gift. The ragged little boy looked unbelievingly
at the car and then, with a look of wonder in his eyes, said, Gee, I wish I could be a brother
like that . - Kaye Arvin, 1+1 =1

It costs nothing, but creates much.

It enriches those who receive without impoverishing those who give.
It happens in a flash, and the memory of it sometimes lasts forever.
None are so rich they can get along without it, and none so poor but are richer for its
benefits.

It creates happiness in the home, fosters goodwill in a business, and is the countersign of
friends

It is rest to the weary, daylight to the discouraged, sunshine to the sad, and natures best
antidote for trouble.

Yet it cannot be ought, begged, borrowed, or stolen, for it is something that is no earthly good
to anyone until it is given away.

And in the course of the day some of your friends should be too tired to you a smile, why
dont you give them one of yours?

For nobody needs a smile so much as those who have none left to give.

He that gives should never remember, he that receives should never forget. - Talmud

He who bestows his goods upon the poor, shall have as much again, and ten times more. -
John Bunyan (1628-1688)

If you loan your breeches, dont cut off your buttons. - Irish proverb

It is better to give one shilling than to lend a pound. - English proverb

Rich gifts prove poor when givers prove unkind. - William Shakespeare (1564-1616)

21
 Some kinds of charity are like that of a man who casts his bread upon the waters while he
was seasick.

That man may last, but never lives

Who much receives, but nothing gives;
Whom none can love, whom none can thank,
Creations blot, creations blank

The hand that gives, gathers. - English Proverb

A bit of fragrance always clings to the hand that gives you roses. - Chinese Proverb

A generous action is its own reward. - William Walsh (1663-1708)

A happy spirit takes the grind out of giving. The grease of gusto frees the gears of generosity.
- Charles R Swindoll (1934-)

Alms never make poor. - English Proverb

As the purse is empties, the heart is filled. - Victor Hugo (1802-1885)

Every gift which is given , even though small, is great if given with affection.

Give and spend, and God will send. - Henry George Bohn (1796-1884)

Give unto all, lest he whom thou denyst

May chance to be n other man but Christ. . - Robert Herrick (1591-1674)

Give what you have. To someone it may be better than you dare to think. - Henry Wadsworth
Longfellow (1807-1882)

Giving is the thermometer of love

God does not need our money. But you and I need the experience of giving it. - James C
Dobson (1936-)

Gods arithmetic: Love, joy and peace multiply when you divide with others.

He gives twice who gives quickly.

Source: Edythe Draper, Drapers Book of quotations for the Christian world (Wheaton: Tyndale House
Publishers, Inc. 1992)

Parables
In Matthew, Mark, and Luke 1 of 6 verses deals with money.
Of the 29 parables Christ told, 16 deal with a person and his money.
Sources unknown

Movie Set
According to a January 15, 1989 article in the Lexington Herald-Leader, the family living in a home in
West Palm Beach, Florida, told a film crew it was okay to use the front lawn as a set for an episode of
B. L. Stryker television series. They knew cars would be crashing violently in front of the house.
While the front yard was being blown up, the owner of the home was tipped off and called from New
York demanding to know what was happening to his house. It seems the people who were living in
the house were only tenants and had no right to allow the property to be destroyed as the cameras
rolled.
Many times we live our lives under the mistaken impression that they belong to us. Paul tells us we
were bought with a price. We must live as those who know God will call us to account for the ways
we have used this life entrusted to us.
- Bruce S. Bidwell
Source unknown

22
Living Faith
In his book of sermons The Living Faith, Lloyd C. Douglas tells the story of Thomas Hearne, who, in
his journey to the mouth of the Coppermine River, wrote that a few days after they had started on
their expedition, a party of Indians stole most of their supplies. His comment on the apparent
misfortune was: The weight of our baggage being so much lightened, our next days journey was
more swift and pleasant.
Hearne was in route to something very interesting and important; and the loss of a few sides of
bacon and a couple of bags of flour meant nothing more than an easing of the load. Had Hearne
been hole in somewhere, in a cabin, resolved to spend his last days eking out an existence, and
living on capital previously collected, the loss of some of his stores by plunder would probably have
worried him almost to death.
How we respond to losing some of our resources for Gods work depends upon whether we are on
the move or waiting for our last stand.
- Eugene L. Feagin
Living Faith by Lloyd C. Dougas

The outstanding Baptist preacher, Dr. George W. Truett, was helping a struggling congregation raise
money for their church building. They still needed $6500. Truett found the response weak. With only
$3000 pledged he said in exasperation, Do you expect me to give the other $3500 needed to reach
your goal? Im just a guest here today. Suddenly, a woman near the back stood. Looking at her
husband seated on the platform recording pledges, she said in a shaking voice, Charlie, I wonder if
you would be willing for us to give our little home? We were offered exactly $3500 cash for it
yesterday. If the Saviour gave His life for us, shouldnt we make this sacrifice for Him?
Truett reported that the fine husband responded with equal generosity. Yes, Jennie, I was thinking
the same thing. Turning to Truett, he said, Brother Truett, if its needed, well raise our pledge by
$3500. Silence reigned for a few moments. Then some of the folks began to sob. Those who fifteen
minutes earlier had refused to do more now either added their names to the list or increased their
donations. In a short time, their goal had been achieved, and Charlie and Jennie didnt have to forfeit
their home. Their willingness to sacrifice had stimulated others to similar generosity.
Leslie B. Flynn, in Resource, July/August, 1990

Selfishness
American church members may be getting more selfish as their incomes rise according to a recent
survey of 31 denominations. Funded by a grant from the Lilly Endowment, Inc., Empty Tomb, Inc., a
non-profit research and service organization in Champaign, Illinois, contrasted changes in per-
member giving patterns with changes in U. S. per-capita disposable income.

The report points out that although income after taxes and inflation increased 31 percent from 1968
to 1985, per-member giving as a percentage of disposable income was 8.5 percent less during that
same period.
People are objectively richer, but the wealth is not expanding the ministry of the church, said
Sylvia Ronsvalle, who founded Empty Tomb with her husband, John, in 1970. Their study further
reports that most of the money donated by members to their churches stays within the local
congregation. We may be seeing an accommodation to lifestyle expectations among evangelicals
that will rob them of their commitment to the church, said Ronsvalle. According to the survey, 24 of
the 31 denominations showed a decrease in giving as a percentage of disposable income.
Christianity Today, September 2, 1988, p. 47

Independent Study
The study found that households with incomes below $10,000 give away an average of 2.8% of their
income, while households with incomes between $50,000 and $100,000 give away only 1.5%. Nearly
half of the total contributions to charity in the U.S. comes from households with incomes below
$30,000. The average total giving to charity per household was $790.
(From Independent Sector, a Washington based non-profit organization that recently conducted a
study on giving to charity)
Reported in Feb, 1989, Confident Living, p. 20.

23
The Shovel
Captain Levy, a believer from Philadelphia, was once asked how he could give so much to the Lords
work and still possess great wealth. The Captain replied, Oh, as I shovel it out, He shovels it in, and
the Lord has a bigger shovel.
Today in the Word, July, 1990, p. 28.

Missionary Offering
A missionary, speaking of the need on the foreign fields, was to receive an offering to help out with
the work. A man was sitting next to the aisle about halfway up. He had folded his arms and sat with a
grim look, a scowl and a frown. He evidently didnt want to be there. Perhaps his wife had made him
come. When the usher held the plate in front of him, he just shook his head. The usher jiggled the
plate invitingly. Still the only response was the headshake. The usher leaned over and whispered,
Its for missions, you know. Still the scowl and a mumbled sentence, I dont believe in em. This
usher was a sharp man.
He leaned down and said, Then you take some out. Its for the heathen, anyway.
Source unknown

Million Dollar Inheritance

A man had a heart attack and was rushed to the hospital. He could receive little company and was
not to be excited. While in the hospital a rich uncle died and left him a million dollars. His family
wondered how to break the news to him with the least amount of excitement. It was decided to ask
the preacher if he would go and break the news quietly to the man. The preacher went, and
gradually led up to the question. The preacher asked the patient what he would do if he inherited a
million dollars. He said, I think I would give half of it to the church. The preacher dropped dead.
Source unknown

Abraham Lincoln
After Abraham Lincoln became president, before they days of civil service, office seekers besieged
him everywhere trying to get appointments to various jobs throughout the country. Once, confined to
bed with typhoid fever, exasperated, Lincoln declared to his secretary, Bring on the office seekers; I
now have something I can give to everybody.
Source unknown

Annual Check-up
When you go to a doctor for your annual check-up, he or she will often begin to poke, prod, and press
various places, all the while asking, Does this hurt? How about this? If you cry out in pain, one of
two things has happened. Either the doctor has pushed too hard, without the right sensitivity. Or,
more likely, theres something wrong, and the doctor will say, Wed better do some more tests. Its
not supposed to hurt there!
So it is when pastors preach on financial responsibility, and certain members cry out in discomfort,
criticizing the message and the messenger. Either the pastor has pushed too hard. Or perhaps
theres something wrong. In that case, I say, My friend, were in need of the Great Physician
because its not supposed to hurt there.
- Ben Rogers
Source unknown

Quote
When Gods work is done in Gods way for Gods glory, it will never lack Gods
supply.
- J. Hudson Taylor
Source unknown

PRIORITIES
In recent years a head coach divorced his wife of 26 years when he left coaching a college team to
become head coach in the National Football League. He said he needed a wife while coaching on the
college level for social functions and to show families that he would be looking out for their sons. In

24
pro football, however, she was an unnecessary accoutrement and a distraction to winning. He said
winning football was his number one priority and his two sons second. How tragic!
In contrast to this, Tom Landry, former coach of the Dallas cowboys said, "The thrill of knowing Jesus
is the greatest thing that ever happened to me ... I think God has put me in a very special place, and
He expects me to use it to His glory in everything I do ... whether coaching football or talking to the
press, I'm always a Christian ... Christ is first, family second and football third."
Source Unknown.

Jimmy Johnson, when coaching on the college level, had a wife and the appearance of a marriage
because it was expected of college football coaches. The wife and family was needed for social
occasions. The day he was named head coach of the Dallas Cowboys, he set about to rid himself of
this excess baggage. He threw her away like yesterday's newspaper. He didn't need her any more
and he didn't lose any time in losing her. He confessed that he never bought his boys birthday or
Christmas presents. He just didn't have the time, and they weren't a priority. So he single-mindedly
threw himself into his football team, and in January, 1993 he made it to the top, #1, they won the
Superbowl. So what's he going to do next year, and the year after that, and ...
Source Unknown.

A group of friends went deer hunting and paired off in twos for the day. That night one of the hunters
returned alone, staggering under an eight-point buck.
"Where's Harry?" he was asked.
"Harry had a stroke of some kind. He's a couple of miles back up the trail."
"You left Harry laying there, and carried the deer back?"
"Well," said the hunter, "I figured no one was going to steal Harry."
Bits & Pieces, March 3, 1994, p. 5.

Clovis Chappell, a minister from a century back, used to tell the story of two paddleboats. They left
Memphis about the same time, travelling down the Mississippi River to New Orleans. As they
travelled side-by-
side, sailors from one vessel made a few remarks about the snail's pace of the other.
Words were exchanged. Challenges were made. And the race began. Competition became vicious as
the two boats roared through the Deep South.
One boat began falling behind. Not enough fuel. There had been plenty of coal for the trip, but not
enough for a race. As the boat dropped back, an enterprising young sailor took some of the ship's
cargo and tossed it into the ovens. When the sailors saw that the supplies burned as well as the coal,
they fuelled their boat with the material they had been assigned to transport. They ended up winning
the race, but burned their cargo.
God has entrusted cargo to us, too: children, spouses, friends. Our job is to do our part in seeing that
this cargo reaches its destination. Yet when the program takes priority over people, people often
suffer. How much cargo do we sacrifice in order to achieve the number one slot? How many people
never reach the destination because of the aggressiveness of a competitive captain?
Max Lucado, In the Eye of the Storm, Word Publishing, 1991, pp. 97-98.

Elsa no longer remembers what the argument was about, but it began before breakfast one morning
and continued as Steve started off to work.
"How can you just go off like that?" cried Elsa. "We haven't settled a thing!"
Then Steve did what few men as ambitious and driven as Steve is could do: he turned around and
went to the phone and canceled all his appointments for that day, "saying to me, in effect, that our
relationship meant more than business meetings, saying that I'd married a man who would sacrifice
work for love."
Reader's Digest, August, 1982.

Soon after Angi and David's sixth anniversary, the couple's home burned to the ground. Angi's first
act, when they were allowed to hunt through the blackened remains, was to search for their photo
albums. When she went to tell David that the pictures had indeed survived, she found him carefully
placing in a box some charred, folded pieces of paper -- their courtship love letters.
"As I watched David kneeling there in the ashes," she says, "I was overcome with the certainty that
we were meant for each other. There, in the face of our greatest tragedy, our first thoughts were not

25
of our material loss but of the potential loss of these precious parts of our life together. As I knelt to
help him with the letters, I was certain that we hadn't lost anything that mattered after all."
Reader's Digest, August, 1982.

Haddon Robinson points out that one old recipe for rabbit started out with this injunction: "First catch
the rabbit." Says Robinson: "The writer knew how to put first things first. That's what we do when we
establish priorities -- we put the things that should be in first place in their proper order.
Source Unknown.

Over the triple doorways of the cathedral of Milan there are three inscriptions spanning the splendid
arches. Over one is carved a beautiful wreath of roses, and underneath it is the legend, "All that
which pleases is but for a moment."
Over the other is sculptured a cross, and there are the words, "All that which troubles us is but for a
moment."

But underneath the great central entrance to the main aisle is the inscription, "That only is important
which is eternal."
If we always realize these three truths, we will not let trifles trouble us, not be interested so much in
the passing pleasures of the hour. We should live for the permanent and the eternal.
Source Unknown.

In Berlin art gallery is a painting by German painter Adolf Menzel (1815-1905). Only partially finished.
Intended to show Fredrick the Great speaking with some of his generals. Menzel painted generals
and background, left king until last. Put outline of Fredrick in charcoal, but died prior to finishing.
Many Christians come to end of life without ever having put Christ into his proper place, center
stage.
Karl Laney, Marching Orders, p. 45.

We cannot decide whether or not we will live or die; we can only decide what we will die for.
Bob Pierce.

Someone once asked Tom Landry why he had been so successful as a football coach. He said, "In
1958, I did something everyone who has been successful must do, I determined my priorities for my
life God, family, and then football."
Unknown

That great missionary to India, William Carey, became deeply concerned about the attitude of his son
Felix. The young man, a professing Christian, had promised to become a missionary. But he broke his
vow when he was appointed ambassador to Burma.
Carey requested prayer for him: "Pray for Felix. He has degenerated into an ambassador of the
British government when he should be serving the King of kings."
Our Daily Bread.

Milt Rood worked for years and years in Spokane as a car salesman. He was also very active with the
Union Gospel Mission work with juvenile delinquents. Week by week he'd patiently teach the Word
and pray with young boys in trouble. One week Milt went into the Hospital for exploratory surgery.
The doctors found he was full of cancer. They sewed him up again and sent him home. He died within
a week. After the funeral, Ron Kinley remarked, "It's interesting that at the funeral no one ever asked
how many cars he had sold!"
Source Unknown.

Surprised to see an empty seat at the Super Bowl stadium, a diehard fan remarked about it to a
woman sitting nearby. "It was my husband's," the woman explained, "But he died." "I'm very sorry,"
said the man. "Yet I'm really surprised that another relative, or friend, didn't jump at the chance to
take the seat reserved for him." "Beats me," she said. "They all insisted on going to the funeral."
Coffee Break.

Someone has calculated how a typical lifespan of 70 years is spent. Here is the estimate:

26
Sleep...................23 years..............32.9%
Work....................16 years..............22.8%
TV........................8 years................11.4%
Eating..................6 years................8.6%
Travel..................6 years................8.6%
Leisure................4.5 years.............6.5%
Illness..................4 years................5.7%
Dressing..............2 years................2.8%
Religion...............0.5 years.............0.7%
Total....................70 years..............100%
Our Daily Bread, November 25, 1992.

A few years ago, the Harry S. Truman Library in Independence, MO made public 1,300 recently
discovered letters that the late President wrote to his wife, Bess, over the course of a half-century.
Mr. Truman had a lifelong rule of writing to his wife every day they were apart. He followed this rule
whenever he was away on official business or whenever Bess left Washington to visit her beloved
Independence.
Scholars are examining the letters for any new light they may throw on political and diplomatic
history. For our part, we were most impressed by the simple fact that every day he was away, the
President of the United States took time out from his dealing with the world's most powerful leaders
to sit down and write a letter to his wife.
Bits & Pieces, October 15, 1992, p. 15-16.

A group of friends went deer hunting and paired off in two's for the day. That night one of the hunters
returned alone, staggering under an eight point buck.
"Where's Harry?"
"Harry had a stroke of some kind. He's a couple of miles back up the trail."
"You left Harry laying there, and carried the deer back?"
"A tough call," nodded the hunter, "but I figured no one is going to steal Harry."
The Jokesmith, Christian Clippings, p. 27.

A lighthouse along a bleak coast was tended by a keeper who was given enough oil for one month
and told to keep the light burning every night. One day a woman asked for oil so that her children
could stay warm. Then a farmer came. His son needed oil for a lamp so he could read. Still another
needed some for an engine. The keeper saw each as a worthy request and measured out just enough
oil to satisfy all. Near the end of the month, the tank in the lighthouse ran dry. That night the beacon
was dark and three ships crashed on the rocks. More than 100 lives were lost.
When a government official investigated, the man explained what he had done and why. "You were
given one task alone," insisted the official. "It was to keep the light burning. Everything else was
secondary. There is no defence."
Source Unknown.

If your heart were to be buried in the place you loved most during life, where would it be? In your
pocketbook? In an appropriate space down at the office? Where is your heart? A number of years ago
I spent a summer teaching in Mexico. Both my children went with me. To pass the time as we drove,
my 3-year-old son Larry watched for license plates. The trip to Mexico netted him plates from 24
states, and while we were there he saw four more. So when we started back, he was over halfway to
having "collected" all 50.
Our return trip was during the peak vacation season, and to top it off, we went through Yellowstone
National Park -- a license-plate collector's paradise. By the morning of the second day there, he had
just one more state to go: Delaware. Larry became obsessed with finding a license plate from
Delaware. When we stopped to see Yellowstone's magnificent sights, he didn't glance at them. He
preferred to run up and down the parking lots, looking at license plates. Talk about stress! Talk about
anxiety! You would have thought that his whole life depended on finding a Delaware license plate!

When we stopped to eat in a cafeteria near Yellowstone Falls, my son begged me to let him look for
license plates. Please, I don't want to eat," Larry said. "Can't I just stay here in the parking Lot?"

27
"No," we told him, "you have to eat." So he went inside and ate as quickly as he could get the food
down and then headed out to the parking lot. No sooner had we finished our meal, however, than
Larry came bounding across the parking lot. "Come here! You've got to see it! You won't believe it if
you don't see it!" All of us went running out -- and there, just pulling out of a parking space, was a
blue Volkswagen bus with Delaware license plates. In fact, we got a picture, and even today, a
decade dater, when we look at our Yellowstone pictures, that's the picture that tells more about what
we did in Yellowstone than anything else.
Signs of the Times, August, 1992, p. 12.

Tom Peters is the co-author of two of the most widely read books on the subject of work in the
twentieth century. His second book, A Passion for Excellence, sets forth the mandates for excellence
in the work arena. He's emphatic about the need for prioritising the customer, backing up your
product with thorough service, and working from the strength of integrity. He draws his discussion of
excellence to a conclusion by talking about its cost. An honest but alarming statement appears in the
last page of the last chapter of the book. We are frequently asked if it is possible to "have it all" -- a
full and satisfying personal life and a full and satisfying, hard-working professional one. Our answer
is: No. The price of excellence is time, energy, attention and focus, at the very same time that
energy, attention and focus could have gone toward enjoying your daughter's soccer game.
Excellence is a high cost item.
As David Ogilvy observed in Confessions of an Advertising Man: "If you prefer to spend all your spare
time growing roses or playing with your children, I like you better, but do not complain that you are
not being promoted fast enough."
Tim Kimmel, Little House on the Freeway, p. 187.

In her book A Practical Guide to Prayer, Dorothy Haskins tells about a noted concert violinist who was
asked the secret of her mastery of the instrument. The woman answered the question with two
words: "Planned neglect." Then she explained. "There were many things that used to demand my
time. When I went to my room after breakfast, I made my bed, straightened the room, dusted, and
did whatever seemed necessary. When I finished my work, I turned to my violin practice. That system
prevented me from accomplishing what I should on the violin. So I reversed things. I deliberately
planned to neglect everything else until my practice period was complete. And that program of
planned neglect is the secret of my success."
Daily Bread.

There is an old legend of a swan and a crane. A beautiful swan alighted by the banks of the water in
which a crane was wading about seeking snails. For a few moments the crane viewed the swan in
stupid wonder and then inquired: "Where do you come from?"
"I come from heaven!" replied the swan.
"And where is heaven?" asked the crane.
"Heaven!" said the swan, "Heaven! have you never heard of heaven?" And the beautiful bird went on
to describe the grandeur of the Eternal City. She told of streets of gold, and the gates and walls made
of precious stones; of the river of life, pure as crystal, upon whose banks is the tree whose leaves
shall be for the healing of the nations. In eloquent terms the swan sought to describe the hosts who
live in the other world, but without arousing the slightest interest on the part of the crane.
Finally the crane asked: "Are there any snails there?"
"Snails!" repeated the swan; "no! Of course there are not."
"Then," said the crane, as it continued its search along the slimy banks of the pool, "you can have
your heaven. I want snails!"

This fable has a deep truth underlying it. How many a young person to whom God has granted the
advantages of a Christian home, has turned his back upon it and searched for snails! How many a
man will sacrifice his wife, his family, his all, for the snails of sin! How many a girl has deliberately
turned from the love of parents and home to learn too late that heaven has been forfeited for snails!
Moody's Anecdotes, pp. 125-126.

During the early days of the Salvation Army, William Booth and his associates were bitterly attacked
in the press by religious leaders and government leaders alike. Whenever his son, Bramwell, showed
Booth a newspaper attack, the General would reply, "Bramwell, fifty years hence it will matter very

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little indeed how these people treated us; it will matter a great deal how we dealt with the work of
God."
W. Wiersbe, The Wycliffe Handbook of Preaching & Preachers, p. 185.

It was in 1873, in Dublin that D.L. Moody heard British evangelist Henry Varley utter those life
changing words: "The world has yet to see what God can do with and for and through and in a man
who is fully and wholly consecrated to Him." It was after an all-night prayer meeting in Dublin, at the
home of Henry Bewley. Varley did not even remember making the statement when Moody reminded
him of it a year later. "As I crossed the wide Atlantic," Moody said, "the boards of the deck...were
engraved with them, and when I reached Chicago, the very paving stones seemed marked with
them." The result: Moody decided he was involved in too many ministries to be effective and
therefore began to concentrate on evangelism.
W. Wiersbe, The Wycliffe Handbook of Preaching & Preachers, p. 200.

A weakness of all human beings, " Henry Ford said, "is trying to do too many things at once. That
scatters effort and destroys direction. It makes for haste, and haste makes waste. So we do things all
the wrong ways possible before we come to the right one. Then we think it is the best way because it
works, and it was the only way left that we could see. Every now and then I wake up in the morning
headed toward that finality, with a dozen things I want to do. I know I can't do them all at once."
When asked what he did about that, Ford replied, "I go out and trot around the house. While I'm
running off the excess energy that wants to do too much, my mind clears and I see what can be done
and should be done first."
Bits and Pieces, September 19, 1991, p. 18.

Taking first things first often reduces the most complex human problem to a manageable proportion.
Dwight Eisenhower.

In his book Feminine Faces, Clovis Chappel wrote that when the Roman city of Pompeii was being
excavated, the body of a woman was found mummified by the volcanic ashes of Mount Vesuvius. Her
position told a tragic story. Her feet pointed toward the city gate, but her outstretched arms and
fingers were straining for something that lay behind her. The treasure for which she was grasping
was a bag of pearls. Chappel said, "Though death was hard at her heels, and life was beckoning to
her beyond the city gates, she could not shake off their spell...But it was not the eruption of Vesuvius
that made her love pearls more than life. It only froze her in this attitude of greed."
Clovis Chappel, Feminine Faces.

The founder of McDonald's, Ray Krock, was asked by a reporter what he believed in. "I believe in
God, my family and McDonald's," he said. Then he added, "When I get to the office, I reverse the
order."
Source Unknown.

The last thing one knows is what to put first.

Pascal.

Is reading the Bible a necessary part of your day or does it have a low priority in your life? George
Mueller, after having read the Bible through one hundred times with increasing delight, made this
statement: "I look upon it as a lost day when I have not had a good time over the Word of God.
Friends often say, 'I have so much to do, so many people to see, I cannot find time for Scripture
study.' Perhaps there are not many who have more to do than I.
For more than half a century I have never known one day when I had not more business than I could
get through. For 4 years I have had annually about 30,000 letters, and most of these have passed
through my own hands.
"Then, as pastor of a church with 1,200 believers, great has been by care. Besides, I have had charge
of five immense orphanages; also, at my publishing depot, the printing and circulating of millions of
tracts, books, and Bibles; but I have always made it a rule never to begin work until I have had a
good season with God and His Word. The blessing I have received has been wonderful."
Jay Carty, Counter Attack, Multnomah Press, 1988, p. 155ff.

A number of years ago a fascinating interview took place between Mr. Charles Schwab, then
president of Bethlehem Steel, and Ivy Lee, a self-styled management consultant. Lee was an
aggressive, self-confident man who by his perseverance had secured the interview with Mr. Schwab,

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who was no less self-assured, being one of the most powerful men in the world. During the
conversation, Mr. Lee asserted that if the management of Bethlehem Steel would follow his advice,
the company's operations would be improved and their profits increased.
Schwab responded, "If you can show us a way to get more things done, I'll be glad to listen; and if it
works, I'll pay you whatever you ask within reason."
Lee handed Schwab a blank piece of paper and said, "Write down the most important things you
have to do tomorrow." Mr. Schwab did so. "Now, " Lee continued, "Number them in order of
importance." Schwab did so. "Tomorrow morning start on number one, and stay with it until you have
completed it. Then go on to number two and number three and number four...Don't worry if you
haven't completed everything by the end of the day. At least you will have completed the most
important projects. Do this every day. After you have been convinced of the value of this system,
have your men try it. Try it as long as you like, and then send me your check for whatever you think
the advice is worth." The two men shook hands and Lee left the president's office. A few weeks later
Charles Schwab sent Ivy Lee a check for $25,000--an astronomical amount in the 1930s! He said it
was the most profitable lesson he had learned in his long business career.
K. Hughes, Liberating Ministry From The Success Syndrome, Tyndale, 1988, p. 54.

It was reported that eleven millionaires went down on the Titanic. Major A.H. Peuchen left $300,000
in money, jewelry, and securities in a box in his cabin. "The money seemed a mockery at that time,"
he later said. "I picked up three oranges instead."
Resource, July/August, 1990.

Fans of the American Wild West will find in a Deadwood, South Dakota museum this inscription left by
a beleaguered prospector:
"I lost my gun. I lost my horse. I am out of food. The Indians are after me. But I've got all the gold I
can carry!"
Today in the Word, March 1989, p. 34.

The story is told of a prosperous, young investment banker who was driving a new BMW sedan on a
mountain road during a snow storm. As he veered around one sharp turn, he lost control and began
sliding off the road toward a steep cliff. At the last moment he unbuckled his seat belt, flung open his
door, and leaped from the car, which then plummeted to the bottom of the ravine and burst into a
ball of flames. Although he had escaped with his life, the man suffered a ghastly injury. Somehow his
arm had been caught near the hinge of the door as he jumped and had been torn off at the shoulder.
A passing trucker saw the accident in his rearview mirror, pulled his rig to a halt and ran back to see
if he could help. When he arrived at the scene, he found the banker standing at the roadside, looking
down at the BMW burning in the ravine below. Incredibly the banker was oblivious to his injury and
moaned, My BMW! My new BMW! The trucker pointed at the bankers shoulder and said, Youve
got bigger problems than that car. Weve got to find your arm. Maybe the surgeons can sew it back
on!` The banker looked where his arm had been, paused a moment, and groaned, Oh no! My
Rolex! My new Rolex!
Unknown

Generosity
We are all here on earth to help others; what on earth the others are here for I don't know. -- W.H.
Auden
The more he cast away the more he had. -- John Bunyan
The only gift is a portion of thyself. -- Ralph Waldo Emerson
Generosity is giving more than you can, and pride is taking less than you need. -- Kahlil Gibran
All strangers and beggars are from Zeus, and a gift, though small, is precious. -- Homer
Be charitable and indulgent to everyone but thyself. -- Joseph Joubert
Teach us to give and not to count the cost. -- Ignatius Loyola
Generosity during life is a very different thing from generosity in the hour of death; one proceeds
from genuine liberality and benevolence, the other from pride or fear. -- Horace Mann
Gifts are hooks. -- Martial
We'd all like a reputation for generosity, and we'd all like to buy it cheap. -- Mignon McLaughlin

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What seems to be generosity is often no more than disguised ambition, which overlooks a small
interest in order to secure a great one. -- Franois de la Rochefoucauld
CONSECRATION
At a meeting of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Bobby Richardson, former New York Yankee
second baseman, offered a prayer that is a classic in brevity and poignancy: "Dear God, Your will,
nothing more, nothing less, nothing else. Amen."

Prayers of Consecration
May not a single moment of my life be spent outside the light, love, and joy of God's presence and
not a moment without the entire surrender of my self as a vessel for Him to fill full of His Spirit and
His love."
Andrew Murray.

Charles Spurgeon was saved on January 6, 1850, and on February 1 he wrote the following prayer of
consecration: O great and unsearchable God, who knowest my heart, and triest all my ways; with a
humble dependence upon the support of Thy Holy Spirit, I yield up myself to Thee; as Thy own
reasonable sacrifice, I return to Thee Thine own. I would be for ever, unreservedly, perpetually Thine;
whilst I am on earth, I would serve Thee; and may I enjoy Thee and praise Thee for ever! Amen.
Charles Spurgeon, Wycliffe Handbook of Preaching & Preachers, W. Wiersbe, p. 235.

Sacrifice
One-half of knowing what you want is knowing what you must give up before you get it. -- Sidney
Howard
No sacrifice short of individual liberty, individual self-respect, and individual enterprise is too great a
price to pay for permanent peace. -- Clark H. Minor
They never fail who die in a great cause. -- Lord Byron
We can offer up much in the large, but to make sacrifices in little things is what we are seldom equal
to.
-- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Good manners are made up of petty sacrifices. -- Ralph Waldo Emerson
The mice which helplessly find themselves between the cats' teeth acquire no merit from their
enforced sacrifice. -- Mahatma Gandhi
In this world it is not what we take up, but what we give up, that makes us rich. -- Henry Ward Beecher

Cross Symbol of Sacrifice.

The cross forces sacrifices into the heart of life. It condemns selfishness, the oldest idol in the world.
It reveals Gods method of dying in sacrifice, and being raised again in power as the process
through which the individual lives.
- Dr J Kelman

Self-knowledge
Other men's sins are before our eyes; our own are behind our backs. -- Seneca
Resolve to be thyself: and know, that he who finds himself, loses his misery. -- Matthew Arnold
We know what we are, but know not what we may be. -- William Shakespeare
He that knows himself, knows others; and he that is ignorant of himself, could not write a very
profound lecture on other men's heads. -- Charles Caleb Colton
To understand one's self is the classic form of consolation; to delude one's self is the romantic. --
George Santayana
It's not only the most difficult thing to know one's self, but the most inconvenient. -- Josh Billings
Trust not yourself, but your defects to know,
Make use of every friend and every foe. -- Alexander Pope

Missionary
The Premier of Australia said that, when the Great War broke out, the Australian commonwealth at
once offered to do what they could to back Great Britain. They asked what was the most useful thing
they could do, and the reply came- Build us ships: we ant ships.
The Australians do not build ships, so smiled and began to till the fields, sow the seed, and reap
harvests to send food to the mother-land. Grain was gathered, put into sacks , and brought down to
the waters edge to wait for the ships. But the ships never came. The mice got in, and then found

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their way into towns and villages and cities, carrying disease with them- a disease that attacked the
eyes of many and blinded some.
And all the time Great Britain said, Ships! ships! ships!
God is saying to His people today, Ships! Ships! Ships!
The mice of modernisation have crept in and blinded many in the churches of the saints. And so
missionary zeal has flagged. Still the Lord says-go ye and preach (Mark 16:15; Acts13.4)

Money- Definition of.

A prize was once offered for the best essay on Money, and the winners summing up of the subject
was as follows:
Money is a very useful commodity, and can purchase everything but happiness. It is a passport to
everywhere but Heaven.

Money Limitations of

Money will buy a bed but not sleep, books but not brains, food but not an appetite, finery but not
beauty, medicine but not health, luxury but not culture, amusement but not happiness, a crucifix
but not a Saviour, a temple of religion but not Heaven. Psalms 49. 6-8, Ecclesiastes 5:12

Money- Spending
Im feeling very rich today,
For Jesus holds my purse.
I need not count its scanty store
As all the assets at my door;
Behind it stands a wealthy name,
And vast resources I may claim
Since Jesus holds my purse

My Cashier never lets me want

Since He controls my course:
Debit and credit always meet.
I marvel at His counsel sweet
Concerning purchases I make,
Or money given for His dear sake
While he controls my purse.

Id face the world in great alarm

If Judas held my purse.
Hed call the gifts of humble love
Naught but a waste, treasure above
Uncertain quantity and poor.
My life would barren be, Im sure,
If Judas held my purse.

And thus I have a carefree life

For Jesus holds my purse.
Since money is a sacred thing,
Both joy and sorrow it may bring
According as we do His will,
Or find our hearts rebellious still.
Let Jesus hold your purse.

Has it Made You Happy

Charles Albertson once interviewed Cecil Rhodes, who built a vast empire in South Africa. In
congratulating Rhodes he said: You ought to be happy
Happy! No! I spent my life amassing a fortune only to find that I have spent half of it on doctors to
keep me out of the grave, and the other half on lawyers to keep me out of jail!

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 Bibliography

1000 Illustrations for preaching and teaching

G.Curtis Jones Broadman Press

A treasury of quotations for Christians Gathered Gold

John Blanchard Evangelical Press

1200 Notes Quotes and Anecdotes

A Naismith Pickering Paperbacks

The New Speakers Sourcebook

Eleanor Doan Zondervan Publishing.

Bible Illustrator
Parson Technology CD

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