Tithing Blessings

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STORE PROSPERS AS A RESULT OF FAITHFUL TITHING

November, 1981

Dear Mr. Armstrong,

In early 1973, I learned that we are supposed to give God a tenth of our income; and so, in May of that year, I began to tithe. The results were simply astounding!

I was working as a clerk in a store owned by my father, who paid me a small salary as well as a percentage on sales. My monthly earnings were very low and barely sufficient for me, my wife, and three children to live on.

I paid my tithe at the beginning of May, and at the end of the month, when my father totalled up the sales, he was amazed. Never before in his many years as a storekeeper had he experienced such an extraordinary month!

"What a month!" he exclaimed. I did not want to tell him I was tithing because my father would never have believed that the month's sales were the result of God's blessing for tithing; and besides, if I had told him, he would have persecuted me because he wanted to have nothing to do with the Church of God.

The following month I again paid a tenth of my income to God, and we experienced another month of incredible sales. My father again commented: "What an extraordinary couple of months!" He was astounded--he couldn't understand it. Nevertheless, I realized that God was intervening as He promised in His Word.

In August--four months after I began tithing--my three brothers came to town for their vacation. They noticed the changes at the store immediately, commenting: "You're selling more than before." "You have more customers." And so forth.

I continued to tithe and saw clearly how God intervened in all our affairs. In November of 1975 I was baptized, and by then I owned the store. My father had sold it to me in January of that year, granting me easy repayment terms.

The first time I had to pay third tithe, it seemed impossible. I felt overwhelmed by the many payments I had to make for stocks, taxes, etc. I got down on my knees and prayed to God with all my might, imploring Him to help me set apart the three tithes that year--I really wanted to do it. God helped me in such an incredible way that not only my wife and I, but also my relatives were amazed! It was the greatest year we had ever witnessed!

My store sells footwear and gift items. During that third tithe year, I sold an incredible number of pairs of hiking boots, which is the costliest footwear item I stock. Something else that was unbelievable and had never happened before, either to me or to my father in his many years as a storekeeper--I sold more crockery and china that third tithe year than I had in several of the previous years put together! (Tableware is the most expensive item I have for sale and the one on which the greatest profit is made.) Both my wife and I were so amazed, we just could not figure out what was happening before our very eyes because we had never before sold so much tableware. It was something completely out of the ordinary. When I finished paying my third tithe, I also stopped selling china, sales of tableware went way down, and from then on they sold as they had always sold--very few and far between.

There were other third tithe blessings. The first year I faithfully paid my third tithe, my father gave me a considerable amount of money from a lottery prize he had won. During my second third tithe year, I received another sizeable sum from an inheritance.

With regard to the Sabbath, I could also mention many things but will just mention one. I live in a small town of some 4,000 people. When I first started to keep the Sabbath, there were three stores (including mine) which sold footwear, and everyone thought I would lose all my customers by closing on the busiest sales day of the week. Well, one of the shoe stores closed down about two years ago and the other one is about to follow suit; and we--the ones everybody believed would fail calamitously--are doing better than ever, with more and more customers all the time.

We have seen very clearly that God truly blesses those who trust in Him and put His precepts into practice.

G. E.

(Spain)

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GARDEN PROTECTED FROM HAIL

July 31, 1980

Dear Mr. Armstrong,

This year, we have worked hard on two large gardens. Recent weeks have been filled with terrible thunderstorms--bringing more than three inches of rain and leaving the ground completely soaked. Last Wednesday, another storm passed through sprinkling hail one and one-half inches in diameter. It was too muddy to go into the garden till Friday evening--and then I saw it! The soybeans in the fields around our garden had the leaves all chopped up and full of holes, but the hail had not damaged our garden things at all!! Our garden was skipped and the damage resumed on the other side!

Does God bless His people for tithing? Yes, in living ways that can't be counted in dollars.

H. K.

(Chandler, IN)

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DESPITE TRIALS, GOD PROVED A FAITHFUL BUSINESS PARTNER

October 21, 1974

Dear Sir,

We feel honored to give this special offering to the Work.

Last year, we took God up on His promises and made Him a 50/50 partner in our job. Since His half amounted to the largest offering we have ever made, we expected big returns. In fact, we joked about expecting manna from heaven!

Then a tragedy hit our family--a severe car accident during the Feast. We still had faith that our partner wouldn't let us down--and He didn't. Besides being saved alive from a death-defying wreck, we received full wages, two bonuses, and two raises (the first beginning the very day of the accident) during the months of pain and stress. Medical insurance paid off all the nearly $10,000 of doctor's bills. And most of all, our Father healed us so we are all leading completely normal lives. To the utter amazement of all, absolutely no surgery was needed to help our shattered bones and organs heal.

When we finally realized the severity of the injuries (13 days in intensive care) we had survived, we could only thank God and laugh at the fact that He still must have a lot more to teach us. Death would have been easy for me.

This experience has aged us ten years and has emotionally and spiritually matured us, which is the greatest blessing in itself. But as if healing and maturing weren't enough, we received more. Just three weeks before this year's Feast, God put the icing on the cake. He gave us, in the form of an insurance settlement, over 100 times what we gave to Him in our offerings last year. In fact, the settlement was to the penny what my wife had expected in faith from the beginning. Our faith was increased by seeing God give us exactly what we had prayed for.

We are certainly overjoyed with the financial blessing, but the responsibility of deciding its proper use has mellowed the joy. We know God expects us to share these blessings with others. So we are now forgetting the horrible trial of the accident and looking forward to sharing all we've learned and "earned."

We hope this account might inspire and encourage others to be a little bolder in their faith. There is no way to outgive our wonderful Father.

In Christian love,

R. S.

(Enid, OK)

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EXCELLENT NEW JOB PROVIDES FOR FINANCIAL NEEDS

June 13, 1980

Dear Mr. Armstrong,

In writing this note to go along with my tithe check to God's Work, I hope to be able to inspire and/or encourage someone.

Does tithing pay?

I found God's answer to this question in a very meaningful way a couple of weeks ago. For two years now, I have been making $10,000 per year--a very low salary in today's inflationary times. My wife is hostile toward God's Work and has harangued me constantly about "giving my money away." After a while this became like water off a duck's back, and I ignored it! However, with a baby to take care of, things were beginning to get tight. It came to the point where I felt that I had to change from a gross tithe to a net tithe, and this frustrated me a great deal.

Finally, in a humble but bold and straightforward way, I came before God in prayer. I told Him that I had organized a budget the best way I could to conserve what He had given me and just couldn't squeeze any more out. I also mentioned my desire to give to Him and to His Work. Then I sincerely asked Him for help, reminding Him of His promises to tithers and to His Church.

I now knew that God was aware of my needs and would fill them. Needless to say, He did!! I was hired for a new job at what I supposed was a salary of $2,500 more per year than my present one. The actual salary turned out to be $1,200 higher than that. Then, to cap things off, two other things happened! First, because of a re-classification procedure, they had to give me an extra $700 per year on top of that. Then, they decided that because my present job and the future one are both college grant jobs, I should be able to carry my leave over to the new job. This cancelled any problems I might have had in getting off for the Feast!

There are many factors I have not even listed. In my former job, I was the proverbial "square peg in the round hole" and stagnating. This new job opens up many other career possibilities for me. It will provide new challenges and opportunities. And, it fits right in with my former work with disabled students at college level.

On and on it goes!! All this was accomplished through the action of our mighty Father and Jesus Christ who love and want to help us.

In closing, I'm just thankful for God's blessings and grateful that I will now have a chance to give even more to God's great Work.

Sincerely,

P. K.

(Jacksonville, FL)

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BLESSED FOR TITHING DESPITE HARDSHIPS

Dear Mr. Armstrong,

Recently, I started tithing. The first week tithe just took a few dollars out of an ample check. The next week, I cashed my check and again bought a money order for the tithe. However, this time my freshly cashed ample check was stolen! But, I paid my tithe anyway. The following week's check was short. Apart from the tithe, I had to pay a bank loan, rent, and light bill. I just paid the tithe and rent and let everything else slide. Then, I was laid off work! One check had to last three weeks before I had a job again. To make a long story short, I had a $100 fine to pay plus my regular bills. That made that month a real struggle! Despite the crisis, I tithed on every check.

Now only two months later, my fine is paid off, the bank loan has been paid five months in advance, and I am moving out of my little apartment, where I had to pay $100 a month plus electricity, into a house where the rent is only $50 a month and all bills are paid.

To put it mildly, I have been blessed! Please take this money order--I can afford it.

S. B.

(Irving, TX)

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BLESSING FOLLOWS LESSON IN PATIENCE

June 15, 1980

Dear Mr. Armstrong,

I have enclosed my tithe and offering with this but had to take a minute to tell you about the wonderful blessing God gave me on Friday the 13th.

I had really been disheartened by our financial situation of late even though I had continued to tithe. I had even had to miss a few Sabbath services because I couldn't afford the gas to drive the more than 140-mile round trip. So finally I went boldly to God's throne and asked why I wasn't getting the blessings promised in His Word. The windows of heaven seemed shut to me. I asked Him to show me if there was something that I had left out or was doing wrong, so I could change and do what He wanted.

Well, God answered my prayer in a big way. On Friday the 13th, I received a check in the mail for $300 from the Reader's Digest for a filler I had submitted to their "Life in These United States." I had sent the piece to them in January and, after eight weeks, had given up on ever hearing from them.

What a thrill it was. After ten years of occasionally sending in contributions to various markets and ready to give up on my writing all together, I am again encouraged as well as elated.

Don't ever tell me Friday the 13th is unlucky or that tithing doesn't work. Anybody who did would be wrong on both counts. God does bless us when we work to obey Him and keep His commandments even though He may teach us a little patience in the interim.

God bless you and thank you for being His willing servant.

With love, in Christ's name,

P. Y.

(Lexington, NE)

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WOMAN IN DIRE FINANCIAL STRAITS CLAIMS GOD'S PROMISE OF MALACHI 3:5

Dear Mr. Armstrong,

Yesterday, I sent in my last money as a tithe. My husband left me months ago, and I had let the bills pile up as I had been working at a low-paying job. I had checked the want ads, the employment agency and an on-call work agency. Nothing!!

I have been tithing right along, except this week. The amount of money I had left was the exact amount of what the tithe should have been. I remembered Malachi and the widow in her penury (Malachi 3:5) and sent in my last money. Then I got on my knees and reminded God of His promise.

Today, I received a job offer at a 25% increase over what I'd been earning. Day shift, five days, weekends free--all the things I wanted. On top of it, I can pick up my pay at payroll three days before payday, which will enable me to take care of the phone bill before service is turned off. Also, I will be able to catch up on other bills threatening. In one month my finances will be straightened out. Thanks be to God! I am indeed grateful and humbled.

I am using my last stamp to send this, but there is a smile on my face.

D. H.

(Garden City, MI)

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CO-WORKERS LEARN THEY CANNOT AFFORD NOT TO TITHE

August 17, 1981

Dear Mr. Armstrong,

My husband and I were married in February of this year. Just before that I felt forced into quitting my job, so when we married, neither of us were working.

In March, we received our income tax return. We thanked God and immediately paid our tithes out of it. About a week later, we received another check for more than we expected. Again we paid our tithes and were thankful for God's blessings. In April, God gave my husband a job. An opportunity also arose to buy a mobile home. After praying about it, we decided to go ahead with the purchase. Here is where the story changes because of a stupid mistake on our part!

We reasoned that we could no longer afford to tithe because of having to make payments for the trailer, lot rent, and extra gas for my husband to get to and from work. We got away with withholding our tithes for three weeks. Then my husband lost his job!

After letting us wallow in self-pity for about four months, God showed us where we went wrong. Immediately we started correcting our mistake. This month we have started paying our tithes again, and already God has poured out blessing after blessing! Only this past week alone, my husband got his job back; some people we don't even know gave us a big bundle of almost new carpeting; my old boss called me to come in next week to talk about getting my old job back; and money has come in from people I have never dreamed of.

Believe me, from now on I am going to faithfully pay my tithes. I don't care if it is only 50 cents. That money belongs to God before anyone else! I used to say "I can't afford to pay my tithes." Now I say "I can't afford NOT to pay my tithes." So you see, God has taught me well!

May God bless you and keep you every day in this wonderful work you are doing.

J. W.

(Muncie, IN)

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CO-WORKER CELEBRATES BIRTHDAY BEFORE TITHING--BLESSINGS WITHHELD

December 28, 1981

Dear Mr. Armstrong,

I thought you might find this interesting. I received my pay December 24, which was also my birthday. However, instead of paying God's tithe first, as I have always done, I went with my mother shopping for holiday goodies and booze. I had to celebrate, you see!

Well, that very day I was dead broke! I had spent all my money buying a lot of things we didn't really need. Then my credit card wouldn't work in the machine, so I couldn't get any money out. Worse yet, the machine took my card and wouldn't give it back!

Also, I expected a friend from Texas to visit her two eldest children in this area, and was looking forward to seeing her. However, I still haven't heard from her....

I believe that at least part, if not all, of the above bad news is directly attributable to my not paying God's tithe first. I've always paid God first! This time I didn't. And I can't afford not to tithe as I am out of work--my job ended December 22. So enclosed find a small amount which includes an offering.

Bye for now. Take care.

Sincerely,

L. J.

(Manitou Springs, CO)

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GOD'S GOODNESS PROMPTS CO-WORKER TO RESUME FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR WORK

September 5, 1981

Dear Mr. Armstrong,

I must relate to you something about the generosity of God. I have read your magazine since 1961, but must confess I have been somewhat weak in trying to follow God's laws.

About ten years ago, I did try and send offerings to the Worldwide Church of God for about a year. I did this because I felt it was right and necessary, not because I expected something in return from God. I felt nothing happened (that is, no special gifts from God), and I guess my contributions just tapered off till I stopped sending them.

Looking back, I can see that God did bless me and my family beyond measure, even though I am an outsider of His Church. We are all healthy and have never had a financial crisis. There has never been lack of food in our house.

I must relate this next story because it is one of my greatest blessings. About four years ago, my wife and I started looking for land to build on. In the region where we were looking, land sold for $5000 to $6000 an acre. We expected to have to pay $25,000 to $30,000 for five acres. My wife found five acres at the end of an estate and the man sold it to us for only $5000! We were unbelievably happy. The price was one fifth of what land in the area sold for. In my mind that had to be a blessing.

About two years ago, we started building a house on the land. The blessings we received were incredible. We were able to get a construction loan for $50,000. The house went up without any major problems, and we had no materials taken. God must have been watching over us.

The house is now about 99.9 percent completed and we live there and thank God everytime we look at it. So many people compliment me on how I "pulled it off," but I couldn't have done it without God.

The bank recently evaluated the whole property at $190,000. That tells me that God has paid back my offering a thousand times over. My income isn't large and could have never accomplished this.

Enclosed is a start to my offerings. Its not much, but I intend to continue to send some, not because I expect something in return, but because I owe God so much. Maybe I can help His Church.

S. B.

(Duvall, WA)

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