The Bible says, “Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously” (2 Corinthians 9:6). The Lord surprised us. You hear a lot of strange things about tithing. Some say it is a church tax, and they expect me to pay it and that is the end of it. Others say that when I give God one-tenth of my income, He blesses the nine-tenths that is left to the extent that the nine-tenths now goes as far as the whole thing used to go. This isn’t really true, is it? Suppose a farmer had 100 bushels of corn in the barn and he decides to plant 10 bushel in the ground. What multiplies? Is it the 90 bushels that he has left in the barn? Oh, no. All of us “farmers” know it is the 10 bushels you put in the ground that multiplies. Similarly, it is the 10 percent you give to God that multiplies.

 

Malachi 3:8-10 says, “Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. But you ask, “How do we rob you?” In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse—the whole nation of you—because you are robbing me. ” I have met a lot of Christians who have curses upon them because they are robbing God. But He goes on to say, “ ‘Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,’ says the Lord Almighty, ‘and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.’ ” Upon whom will God pour out so much blessing, the church? No. Upon you, the giver.

 

 

(From one of Stanley's testimonies...) One day I got enough courage to talk it over with her (his wife). I said, “Honey, God is talking to me about a covenant I made with Him. I feel that God would have us to make Him our Senior Partner, but if we do, this means at least 51 percent of the profits would go into the Lord’s work.” As we talked it over, I asked her what she thought. She looked at me and she said, “Stanley, whatever God tells you to do, obey God.” I think this is the best advice I ever received. They say the road to success is filled with women pushing their husbands along. Men, you ought to appreciate your (Godly) wives. They have something we men don’t have. They have intuition, and if you will listen to your wives, they will save you from a lot of problems in your lives.

 

I went to an attorney and said, “Sir, I have come today to make God my Senior Partner. I would like to have you make out a legal paper that says we are turning 51 percent of our business over to God.” He looked at me and said ...

http://www.generousgiving.org/articles/display.asp?id=162

Stanley Tam is a businessman in Lima, Ohio. He delivered this testimony at the annual Generous Giving Conference, Orlando, Fla., February 19-21, 2004.