I Will Give My Tithe Series

Malachi 3:10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

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About a 100 plus years ago a young MAN HAD TO LEAVE HOME BECAUSE HIS FAMILY COULD NOT AFFORD TO FEED AND HOUSE HIM. ON HIS WAY TO HIS FUTURE HE MET AN OLD FRIEND WHO WAS CAPTAIN OF A CANAL BOAT. THE CAPTAIN ASKED WHERE HE WAS OFF TO. HE REPLIED, “I DON’T KNOW.” HE TOLD HIM IT WAS GOOD TO BE ON HIS OWN BUT HE HAD TO START OUT RIGHT AND IF HE DID THAT HE WOULD BE FINE. THE YOUNG MAN RESPONDED THAT THE ONLY TRADE HE KNEW WAS SOAP AND CANDLE MAKING. THE CANAL CAPTAIN SAID THAT’S ENOUGH “LETS PRAY AND ASK THE LORD TO GIVE YOU WISDOM AND INSIGHT AND THEN OFF YOU WILL GO.” SO THEY PRAYED AND THE CAPTAIN PRAYED THAT WILLIAM WOULD BE THE LEADING SOAP MAKER IN NEW YORK.” THE BOY WAS EXCITED; THE CAPTAIN TOLD GAVE HIM SOME MORE ADVICE. HE TOLD HIM TO GIVE HIS LIFE TO CHRIST AND MAKE SURE HE GAVE THE LORD ALL THAT BELONGED TO HIM. HE EXPLAINED TO HIM ABOUT TITHES AND OFFERINGS AND THEN EXHORTED HIM TO MAKE AN HONEST SOAP AND HAVE INTEGRITY. HE VENTURED OF TO NEW YORK FOUND EMPLOYMENT WITH ANOTHER MAN IN SOAP MAKING AND SOON AFTER YEARS OF HARD WORK BECAME A PARTNER WITH THE MAN. THE MAN PASSED ON AND HE BECAME THE SOLE OWNER OF THE BUSINESS. HE ALWAYS REMEMBERED TO GIVE TEN CENTS OF EVERY DOLLAR TO THE LORD FROM THE FIRST DOLLAR HE MADE. WHEN HE BECAME MORE AND MORE WEALTHY HE INSTRUCTED HIS BOOK KEEPER TO KEEP A LINE ITEM ACCOUNT WHERE HIS TEN PERCENT OF HIS GROSS ALWAYS WENT TO THE “ACCOUNT WITH THE LORD” THIS MONEY ALWAYS WENT TO THE LORD’S WORK. HE PROSPERED QUICKER THAN HE COULD HAVE EVER IMAGINED. HE THEN INSTRUCTED HIS BOOKKEEPER TO GIVE THE LORD’S ACCOUNT 20%, THEN 30%, THEN 40%, THEN 50%. HE EDUCATED HIS FAMILY ON GIVING TO THE LORD, HE TOLD EVERYONE THE REASON HE WAS A SUCCESS WAS BECAUSE HE HONORED GOD FIRST. HE ACCOMPLISHED ALL HIS PLANS FOR HIS LIFE. HE CONTINUED PROSPERING SO MUCH THAT EVENTUALLY HE GAVE MOST OF HIS INCOME TO THE LORD’S WORK. HE ENDED UP TOWARD THE END OF HIS LIFE GIVING AWAY MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO THE LORD’S WORK. HIS NAME BECAME FAMOUS ALL OVER THE WORLD AND HE GAVE GOD THE GLORY. HIS NAME WAS WILLIAM COLGATE.

III. Our Supply

a. The security of this supply “But my God…”

Romans 8:32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

WHO WILL PROVIDE?

A young woman brought her fiancé home to meet her parents for thanksgiving dinner. After dinner, her mother told her father to find out about the young man. The father invited the fiancé to his study for a talk.

"So what are your plans?" the father asked the young man. "I am a biblical scholar," he replied.

"A Biblical scholar. Hmmm," the father said. "Admirable, but what will you do to provide a nice house for my daughter to live in?"