August, 1939
808
T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
Forward” Plan Appeals to Tithers
K EARLY everyone who contributes to the work of the Bible Institute of Los Angeles is either a Tither or a Propor tional Giver—that isr one who adopts some system in allotting a regular portion of his income to the Lord’s work. “Tithing stewardship,” says Julius Earl Crawford in his book, THE CALL TO CHRISTIAN STEWARDSHIP, “means the stewardship that is acknowledged and expressed by the pay ment of the tithe. . . A tithing steward is one who manifests his faith in God’s ownership and man’s stewardship by paying the tithe, as distinguished from another who, professing to be lieve in stewardship, says, ‘All 1 have is the Lord’s,’ but fails to evidence his sincerity by systematically setting aside a definite portion of his income.”
reveal His, attitude toward the tithe: (1) In the Sermon on the Mount, He said: ‘Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or'the pro phets : I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill.’ . . . He Himself was more than a tither; He was a steward. (2) In His rebuke to the Pharisees for passing over judgment, mercy, faith, and the love of God— though they scrupulously tithed even garden herbs— Jesus declared: ‘These ought ye to have done, and not to leave Ihe other undone.’ (Luke 11 :42 ; Matt. 2 3 :2 3 ).” AN INVITATION TO TITHERS The consistent tither almost always knows what he can give. He can plan far in advance for systematic support of the Lord’s work. To these tithing stewards the method of the Biola “Go Forward” Plan has special appeal. They find it easy to give according to a regular plan. The attractive “Financial Freedom Certifi cate,” sent to Institute donors under this plan, simplifies record-keeping immeasurably. Each certificate bears a numbered, dated coupon for each month’s pledge payment. Having clipped the monthly coupon and mailed it with his re mittance, the donor always knows at a glance exactly where he stands in relation -to his pledge. To learn how YOU may share in the joy of training young people for Christian leadership, please see the further explanation of the “Go Forward” Plan, found on the opposite page.
For the origin of the Biblical principle of the separated portion— the portion belonging to God—Mr. Crawford points to Genesis 2 :16 , 17. And the reference is to the divine command not to eat of the fruit of the forbidden tree. “It was partaking of the separated portion in violation of the divine command that brought the fall and the curse of God upon the human race,” adds Mr. Crawford. It is certain that Abraham believed in tith ing, for he gave Melchizedek “a tenth of all” (Gen, 14:20, R.V.). Isaac taught his son Jacob to tithe, for we find Jacob definitely pledging a tenth of his income to God in recognition of His care (Gen. 28 :20 -22 ). , The law of the holy tithe is proclaimed definitely for Israel in Leviticus 2 7 :80,32: “And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lord’s ; it is holy unto the Lord . . . And con cerning the tithe of the herd, or of the flock . . . the tenth shall be holy unto the Lord.” “This commandment,” says Mr. Crawford, “was a confirmation of a patriarchal practice, and one that existed from the beginning.” Mr. Crawford declares: “As the part is not the whole, so tithing is not the whole of stewardship. But as the whole includes the part, so STEWARDSHIP INCLUDES TITH ING.” The Attitude of Christ “There are some sayings of Christ which
Bible Institute of Los Angeles Incorporated
558 South Hope Street
Los Angeles, California
Made with FlippingBook Online newsletter