The Joy of Giving to the Lord
As a young Christian in the late 70’s and early 80’s, one of my influences was Edwin Louis Cole. He was the head of a ministry called Maximized Manhood. He had a view of giving that may still be revolutionary to some. My simple belief at that time was that all we have belongs to God and that we should walk by faith not by sight, though my giving at the time was more surely more sight based.
However, Mr. Cole taught that giving 10% from your weekly or monthly paycheck was Old Testament/Old Covenant thinking. He argued that we should ask God what He wanted us to give in faith, and then trust God to provide! I was just a normal blue-collar guy from Pittsburgh who received a paycheck each week from my employer. There was no chance that I would be able to increase my income by giving more, on the basis of faith, before I received it. Or was there?
Defying logic and acting on faith in the God of the Universe, I began to give according to what I believed God wanted me to give. And I did so with no consideration for my hourly wage or the size of my paycheck that week. And wouldn’t you know…. God was and always has been faithful. I have continued this faith-giving model to this day. If these statements sound like it is all about me…it’s really not. It’s all about Him and all about the need to give in faith, not on sight! I encourage you to hear from God and give accordingly. It will strengthen your faith and your relationship with our Christ.
Firstlight is a ministry that Janet and I adore, believe in and trust. We (Firstlight) need your faith, we need your prayers and we need your gifts. Dan, Deb and the board of directors covet your consistent prayers that the ministry would continue to make an impact for Christ on the lives of the Thai people. The work done by Dan, Deb and our Thai co-workers is greatly needed, genuine, sacrificial and most important…Godly. My prayer is that you would be so moved, by faith, to give a little more this month to support the work. Ultimately, it is important that you know how much we appreciate your prayer and financial support. Thank you!
~ Jay Deems
