Have you seen people and families that are blessed and wondered how and why?  Their families have been blessed from generation to generation, for instance, the Rockefellers; they are one of the wealthiest families in the United States.  Their wealth has continued for generations and is still multiplying to this day.  Then I look at Kenneth and Gloria Copeland and their family, and I see the same thing.  Their children, grandchildren and probably great-grandchildren are blessed as well.    I asked the Lord, what do they know that I don’t know and what did they do to get to where they are?  The answer; biblical giving.

What is the key to their increase?  The Lord answered and said giving is the key to their increase.  He said they give and if you give you can have abundance also.   You are blessed to be a blessing.    I’m not saying you have to give all your wealth away but when you give it is given back to you.  Plus you have to watch how and where you give.   So I began to research giving in the Bible, and this is what I found.  I found that there are four types of giving (tithe, firstfruits, alms, and seed) and each has a different rate of return and each one meets our need differently.

Tithes

Let’s begin with the tithe.  The tithe is giving to God the first of all our increase.  It is holy unto God and is found in Leviticus 27:30-34 and Malachi 3:10-12.  He only asks for the first 10%.  So if you pay your tithe out of obedience to God, He blesses the remaining 90%.   Tithing also connects you to the blessing in Genesis 1:28.

Genesis 1:28 (KJV)
²⁸ Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

After God created Adam and Eve, He blessed them.  Beng fruitful means to always produce, multiply means to always increase.  Replenish is to use it, refill it and use it again. Subdue is to bring under control the earth and not let the earth control you for you have dominion.

Tithing places you under an open heaven, which is your rate of return.  It is a shield against recession, depression, and mishaps.  Lastly, tithing holds God to His promise to rebuke the devourer for your sake.  God is obligated to protect your harvest because of your obedience to His command.

Firstfruits

The next form of giving is firstfruits.  It is found in Proverbs 3:9-10.

Proverbs 3:9-10
⁹ Honor the Lord with your possessions, And with the firstfruits of all your increase;
¹⁰ So your barns will be filled with plenty, And your vats will overflow with new wine.

Firstfruits offerings, another type of biblical giving, are donations taken from the first installment of your annual income.  You decide what the amount to give, and either your pastor or your local church should be the recipient.  It is only given once a year.  By giving firstfruit, you are showing God your gratitude for the extra blessings you receive from Him.  It proves to Him you are not controlled by money and expresses your love for God and His word.  Firstfruit is a gratitude offering, and your rate of return is an increase from God because He can trust you with money.

Alms

Alms giving are the next form of giving, and it is giving to the needy.   Matthew 6:1-4 is a scripture reference for alms.

Matthew 6:1-4 (KJV)
 “Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven. ² Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. ³ But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, ⁴ that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.

When you give alms, it should be given in secret to protect the dignity of the person on the receiving end.  Alms giving is done out of compassion.  Alms is the only donation that is given to mankind and not to God.  God will not reward you if you tell others about your alms donations you give.  When you give alms, God reimburses you 100% of what you have given.

Seed

The final form of giving is seed sowing or offering. Seed sowing can be found in Mark 4:8.

Mark 4:8 (KJV)
⁸ But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced: some thirtyfold, some sixty and some a hundred.”

Seed sowing causes returns of thirty, sixty, and a hundred-fold.   A hundred-fold is the best possible harvest, not a 100% increase like most people think.  For example, take the seed from a single orange and plant it.   A harvest of 100% proportions would yield one additional single orange.  A hundred-fold harvest yield thousands of oranges for multiple years over the lifetime of the tree.

Seed offerings given out of faith is one of the surest ways to stop poverty in your life.   It is also one of the quickest ways to get out of debt and the only way to receive the 30, 60 and hundred-fold yields.    However, you must be mindful as to where you plant; your seed must sprout within good soil as defined in Mark 4:1-20.

So if you follow the biblical giving guidelines according to God’s word your increase will come.  You can’t deviate in any way, or you change the rate of return on your donations.  For example, if you decide to sow a part of your tithe as alms you change the benefits of your tithe.  God can’t protect you from the devourer because you used part of His tithe as alms.  Improper offerings open the door for Satan to steal from us by deceiving us into thinking it’s okay to do that.    No, it’s not!  He doesn’t want you to tithe so, God won’t rebuke him, and he can keep stealing from you.    God said the tithe is holy and it assures His protection from the devourer.  Never deviate,  always follow God’s guidelines, and you will receive your increase.

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By Gwen Mosbey, Co-founder of Kingdom’s Life Support

Founded in 2017, Kingdom’s Life Support is the Christian personal finance brand of eLearn Life Skills, LLC.  ELearn Life Skills’ mission is to develop and distribute e-learning and classroom education that empowers students to enjoy a higher quality of life and increased business success.

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