KFLCC Kingdom Economics

C HAPTER 5

5 T HE S IGNIFICANCE OF THE G IVING L IFE

ometimes I am asked why it is necessary to tithe and give. Giving is necessary, first of all, to keep the gospel moving forward. It costs money to operate ministries and churches, since it is rare to find people who will work and provide goods and services for nothing. Churches and ministries have to pay employees, utility bills, and mortgages, while at the same time provide for missions, the needy and so on. S There are benefits to the giver as well for their obedience and generosity. For example, it keeps your faith in action. Being a giver keeps you from becoming greedy. Giving keeps the promises of God activated and releases Kingdom blessings in your life. A giver will live under an open heaven. Giving is one way that God rewards you in heaven. God’s dwelling place in heaven is a city that contains books and recordings of activities that occur on earth. Part of the record keeping system is linked with the financial tithing and giving of the righteous on earth. In Malachi 3:16, there is a book of remembrance which records the names of those who fear God, witness to others of His name, and give tithe and offerings (see Malachi 3:16). In Acts 10:1-4, the Italian centurion name Cornelius always prayed and gave money to the poor (called giving alms in the King James Version). An angel appeared and informed Cornelius that his prayers and giving had come up before God as a memorial (Acts 10:4). Notice that both his prayers and giving of alms gained the attention of God in His heavenly Temple. This concept is further explained in Hebrew 7:8 when the writer speaks of how tithe was received by the priest at the Temple in Jerusalem. It is written, “Here mortal men receive tithes, but there he receives them, of whom it is

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