Read for This Week’s Study: Gen. 6:5–14, Heb. 11:8–13, 2 Cor. 4:18, Gen. 13:10–12, Gen. 32:22–31, Heb. 11:24–29. Memory Text: “ ‘For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?’ ” (Mark 8:36, 37, NKJV). Jesus gave us the world’s best investment strategy when He said: “ ‘Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves tre...
Feb 05, 2023•6 min•Ep. 1652
Further Thought: The three-step process of debt elimination is actu- ally found on one page of Ellen G. White’s writings. Emphasis has been added to highlight the points. “Be determined never to incur another debt. Deny yourself a thousand things rather than run in debt. This has been the curse of your life, getting into debt. Avoid it as you would the smallpox. “Make a solemn covenant with God that by His blessing you will pay your debts and then owe no man anything if you live on porridge and ...
Feb 03, 2023•6 min•Ep. 1651
Term Limits and Borrowing Points Read Deuteronomy 15:1–5. What did the Lord require of His people as revealed in these verses? In harmony with other seven-year statutes (Exod. 21:2; Lev. 25:3, 4), not only were the slaves or servants and the land regulated but also the lenders. Because the lenders did not want to forgive any debts, the longest anyone could be in debt was seven years. Whatever else we can take from these verses, they do show that the Lord cares about these kinds of financial issu...
Feb 02, 2023•7 min•Ep. 1650
Surety and Get-Rich-Quick Schemes The Bible is very clear that God does not want His children to become responsible for the debt obligations of others. In the book of Proverbs, the Lord has warned us against surety—that is, cosigning or being guarantor for another person. Read Proverbs 6:1–5, Proverbs 17:18, and Proverbs 22:26. What is the message here? Surety usually occurs when a person with poor credit seeks a loan from a lending institution and does not qualify for the loan. The loan officer...
Feb 01, 2023•8 min•Ep. 1649
How to Get Out of Debt Read Proverbs 22:7. In what sense are we under bondage to the lender? What can be done to escape from this unfortunate phenomenon? If you are in debt, the following outline will help you begin a debt- elimination process. The plan is simple. It has a premise and three steps. The premise is a commitment to God to be faithful in returning His holy tithe to access His wisdom and blessing. He is eager to bless those who obey Him. Step 1 is to declare a moratorium on additiona...
Jan 31, 2023•8 min•Ep. 1648
Following Godly Counsel We are material beings, and we live in a material world, a world that, at times, can be very alluring. You’d have to be made out of steel and synthetic oil, not flesh and blood, not to feel, at times, the lure of mate- rial possessions and the desire for wealth. At one time or another, who hasn’t fantasized about being rich or winning the lottery? Though we all face it, and there is nothing wrong in and of itself in working hard to earn a good living or even being wealthy...
Jan 30, 2023•6 min•Ep. 1647
The Debt Problems Read Deuteronomy 28:1, 2, 12. What is God’s ideal for His children regarding debt? How can they attain this ideal? And though this context is very different from ours, what principles can we take away from it to apply to ourselves now? Studies show that there are three primary reasons that people get into financial difficulty. They are listed here in the order of greatest frequency. The first is ignorance. Many people, even the educated, are finan- cially illiterate. They were ...
Jan 29, 2023•8 min•Ep. 1646
Read for This Week’s Study: Deut. 28:1, 2, 12; Matt. 6:24; 1 John 2:15; Prov. 22:7; Prov. 6:1–5; Deut. 15:1–5. Memory Text: “The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender” (Proverbs 22:7, NKJV). One definition of debt is “living today on what you expect to earn in the future.” Today debt seems to be a way of life, but it should not be the norm for Christians. The Bible discourages debt. In the Scriptures there are at least 26 references to debt, and all are negative. Th...
Jan 29, 2023•9 min•Ep. 1645
Further Thought: The heavenly record book of remembrance also notes the financial faithfulness of God’s family members. “The record- ing angel makes a faithful record of every offering dedicated to God and put into the treasury, and also of the final result of the means thus bestowed. The eye of God takes cognizance of every farthing devoted to His cause, and of the willingness or reluctance of the giver. The motive in giving is also chronicled. Those self-sacrificing, consecrated ones who rende...
Jan 27, 2023•11 min•Ep. 1644
Special Projects: “Big Jar” Giving Research has shown that only about 9 percent of people’s assets are liquid and could be contributed as an offering on a moment’s notice. Cash, checking, savings, money market funds, and so on are generally considered liquid assets, at least for those possessing things like this. Most of our assets, about 91 percent, are “invested” in real estate, such as our homes, our livestock (if we are rural), or other nonliquid items. The differences in the percentages of ...
Jan 26, 2023•11 min•Ep. 1643
God Takes Note of Our Offerings Read Mark 12:41–44. Whether we are rich or not rich, what message can we take from this story? What’s the principle that this teaches us, and how can we apply it to our own worship experience? Jesus and His disciples were in the temple courtyard where the treasury chests were located, and He watched those who were bring- ing their gifts. He was close enough to see that a widow had given two copper coins. She had put in all that she had. “But Jesus understood her m...
Jan 25, 2023•9 min•Ep. 1642
Offerings and Worship The Bible does not give us an order of service for worship. But it appears that at least four things are present in worship services. In the New Testament this list includes study/preaching, prayer, music, and tithes and offerings. Three times each year, the men (and families) of Israel were all to appear before the Lord in Jerusalem. And “ ‘they shall not appear before the Lord empty-handed’ ” (Deut. 16:16, NKJV). In other words, part of the worship experience was the retu...
Jan 24, 2023•8 min•Ep. 1641
What Portion for Offerings? Read Deuteronomy 16:17. Rather than a percentage, what criterion does God give as the basis for the amount of our offerings? Our offerings are an acknowledgment and expression of our gratitude to God for His abundant gifts of life, redemption, sustenance, and con- stant blessings of many kinds. So, as we noted in the passage above, the amount of our offerings is based on what we have been blessed with. “ ‘For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be requi...
Jan 23, 2023•9 min•Ep. 1640
Motivation for Giving We love God because He first loved us. Our giving is in response to His amazing gift of Jesus to us. In fact, we are told, “The Lord does not need our offerings. We cannot enrich Him by our gifts. Says the psalmist: ‘All things come of Thee, and of Thine own have we given Thee.’ Yet God permits us to show our appreciation of His mercies by self-sacrificing efforts to extend the same to others. This is the only way in which it is possible for us to manifest our gratitude and...
Jan 23, 2023•11 min•Ep. 1639
Read for This Week’s Study: 2 Cor. 9:6, 7; Deut. 16:17; 1 Chron. 16:29; Ps. 116:12–18; Mark 12:41–44; Mark 14:3–9. Memory Text: “What shall I render to the L ord for all His benefits toward me? I will take up the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the L ord . I will pay my vows to the L ord now in the presence of all His people” (Psalm 116:12–14, NKJV). Besides tithing, there are offerings that come from the 90 percent that remains in our possession after our tithe is returned to God. T...
Jan 23, 2023•6 min•Ep. 1638
Further Thought: Read Ellen G. White’s most comprehensive tithe document in volume 9 of Testimonies for the Church, pp. 245–252. Study Section III of Counsels on Stewardship, pp. 65–107. “If all the tithes of our people flowed into the treasury of the Lord as they should, such blessings would be received that gifts and offer- ings for sacred purposes would be multiplied tenfold, and thus the channel between God and man would be kept open.”—Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church, vol. 4, p. 4...
Jan 20, 2023•6 min•Ep. 1637
An Honest or Faithful Tithe Read 1 Corinthians 4:1, 2. As children of God and stewards of His blessings, what kind of people are we asked to be? So, what does it mean to be faithful with our tithe? This week we have reviewed several of the constituent elements of the tithe: 1. The amount—which is a tenth, or 10 percent, of our income or increase. 2. Taken to the storehouse—the place from which the gospel minis- ters are paid. 3. Honoring God with the first part of our income. 4. Used for the rig...
Jan 19, 2023•14 min•Ep. 1636
Tithing on the Gross or the Net Income? We calculate our tithe on our “income” if we are paid by the hour or by a salary, and we pay on our “increase” or profit if we are self-employed and have our own business. In many countries, the government takes out taxes from the worker’s pay to cover the cost of services done for the people, such as security, roads and bridges, unemployment benefits, and so on. The question of gross or net primarily involves whether we return tithe on our income before o...
Jan 18, 2023•10 min•Ep. 1635
The Purpose of Tithing Read Leviticus 27:30 and Numbers 18:21, 24. What does God propose to do with the tithe? Because God is the owner of everything (Ps. 24:1), He obviously doesn’t need the money. But because the tithe is His, He tells us what to do with it, and that is to use His tithe for the support of the gospel ministry. And, therefore, the needs of the ministers are taken care of with God’s tithe. The tribe of Levi—the ministerial force in the Old Testament—was not given large properties...
Jan 17, 2023•7 min•Ep. 1634
Where Is the Storehouse? Read Malachi 3:10. What can we learn from this verse about where our tithe should go? Though specific directions are not given in the text, it is nevertheless evident that God’s people knew what He meant by the word “storehouse.” God does include in His directions, “ ‘that there may be food in My house’ ” (NKJV). His people understood that God’s house initially was the sanctuary—the elaborate tent that was built by specific direction given to Moses at Mount Sinai. Later...
Jan 16, 2023•9 min•Ep. 1633
Tithe Equals a Tenth Dictionaries define tithe as “a tenth part of something” or “10 percent.” This definition is likely taken from the Bible narrative. Tithe is simply returning 10 percent of our income, or increase, to God. We understand that all we have belongs to Him in the first place. The tithing legislation given to Israel at Mount Sinai points out that the tithe is holy and belongs to God (see Lev. 27:30, 32). God asks only for His 10 percent. Our offer- ings of gratitude are separate fr...
Jan 15, 2023•13 min•Ep. 1632
Read for This Week’s Study: Gen. 14:18–20; Mal. 3:10; Deut. 12:5–14; Lev. 27:30; 1 Kings 17:9–16; 1 Cor. 4:1, 2. Memory Text: “ ‘Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and try Me now in this,’ says the L ord of hosts, ‘if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it’ ” (Malachi 3:10, NKJV). In Genesis 14, Abram had returned from a successful hostage rescue mission in which ...
Jan 15, 2023•8 min•Ep. 1631
Further Thought: “Whenever God’s people, in any period of the world, have cheerfully and willingly carried out His plan in systematic benevolence [tithing] and in gifts and offerings, they have realized the standing promise that prosperity should attend all their labors just in proportion as they obeyed His requirements. When they acknowledged the claims of God and complied with His requirements, honoring Him with their substance, their barns were filled with plenty. But when they robbed God in ...
Jan 13, 2023•7 min•Ep. 1630
Seek Ye First It was said of Jesus that “the common people heard him gladly” (Mark 12:37). Most of the people in the large crowds who followed and listened to Jesus were members of this class, the common people. They were the ones who were fed on the mountainside and who heard the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus said to them, basically, I know you are concerned about providing for your families. You worry about the food and drink that you will need daily and the clothing that you need for warmth and ...
Jan 12, 2023•7 min•Ep. 1629
The Tithe Contract There is a close spiritual connection between the practice of tithing and our relationship to God. The Israelites prospered when they obeyed God and were faithful in tithing. In contrast, they fell on hard times when they didn’t. They seemed to follow a cycle of obedience and prosperity, and then disobedience and problems. It was during one of these periods of unfaithfulness that God, through the prophet Malachi, proposed a bilateral contract with His people. Read Malachi 3:7–...
Jan 11, 2023•8 min•Ep. 1628
Honor the Lord The book of Proverbs is not so much about right and wrong as it is about wisdom and foolishness. As one reads through the book, one will see the benefits of wisdom and the pitfalls of foolishness. Read Proverbs 3:1–10. What wonderful promises are given here? Also, what does “firstfruits of all your increase” mean? God asks us to put Him first in the management of our possessions as an acknowledgment of His ownership of all things and as a demonstra- tion of our faith in Him to pro...
Jan 10, 2023•10 min•Ep. 1627
To Hearken Diligently The book of Deuteronomy is the printed version of Moses’ farewell messages to the second generation of Israelites following the 40 years of wandering in the wilderness. These messages were given on the plains of Moab just east of Jericho. Deuteronomy has been appropri- ately called “The Book of Remembrance.” In this book, Moses reviews God’s faithful dealings with Israel. He recounts the travels from Mount Sinai to Kadesh Barnea on the edge of the Promised Land, as well as ...
Jan 09, 2023•12 min•Ep. 1626
The Salvation Covenant The death of Christ on Calvary made salvation possible for every person who has ever lived or who will ever live. Unlike the promise of the seasons, salvation is not unilateral—it is not given to everyone, regardless of what they do. The belief that everyone will be saved is called “universalism.” Instead, Jesus clearly taught that, though He died for all humanity, many people travel the broad way to destruction and eternal death (Matt. 7:13, 14). What do the following tex...
Jan 08, 2023•7 min•Ep. 1625
Read for This Week’s Study: Matt. 10:22, John 6:29, Deut. 28:1–14, Prov. 3:1–10, Mal. 3:7–11, Matt. 6:25–33. Memory Text: “ ‘Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the L ord your God, to observe carefully all His command- ments which I command you today, that the L ord your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the L ord your God’ ” (Deuteronomy 28:1, 2, NKJV). Amaz...
Jan 07, 2023•8 min•Ep. 1624
Further Thought: “The heart of God yearns over His earthly chil- dren with a love stronger than death. In giving up His Son, He has poured out to us all heaven in one gift. The Saviour’s life and death and interces- sion, the ministry of angels, the pleading of the Spirit, the Father working above and through all, the unceasing interest of heavenly beings,—all are enlisted in behalf of man’s redemption.”—Ellen G. White, Steps to Christ, p. 21. “If you have renounced self and given yourself to Ch...
Jan 06, 2023•10 min•Ep. 1623
