HOW TO CONDUCT ONESELF,
HOW TO DO THINGS, AND HOW TO WORK
Message Two
How to Do Things
Scripture Reading: Rom. 12:8, 13; 1 Cor. 15:58; 2 Cor. 8:2-4; 9:7-13; Phil. 4:15-16; 1 Tim .4:15
Ministry excerpts:
I. HOW TO MANAGE AFFAIRS
In order to be a worker of the Lord, the first thing we have to learn is to manage affairs in a proper way. Those who cannot manage affairs can never work for the Lord. Everyone who is good at the Lord’s work is also good at managing affairs. Beginners in the Lord’s work should learn in particular how to manage affairs properly. We will mention seven things in connection with the management of affairs.
A. Never Considering Business Affairs
to Be Something Unspiritual
Those who are involved in management of business must be clear first of all that this activity is by no means unspiritual. Even Peter and John were involved in the distribution of food at one time. Stephen, who was filled with the Holy Spirit, was also a server of tables. The proper management of affairs is a necessary lesson that a beginner in the Lord’s work must learn. If a man cannot manage affairs properly, he cannot work effectively. A young person must not offer himself simply “in prayer and in the ministry of the word.” In many cases this is an excuse for idleness under the name of “prayer and ministry of the word.” We have to uproot this. A person who is learning to serve the Lord should learn to “serve tables.” Otherwise, he will not be able to do anything except preach. A learner in the Lord’s work must learn to handle business properly, or else he will give ground to disdain and contempt. We must never consider the management of affairs as something unspiritual. It is something that a servant of the Lord must learn.
B. Thinking Things Over
Second, before we touch any matter, we have to know that it is God who has placed us there, and that we have to put our heart to the task. Those who are lazy with their hands are useless, and those who are lazy with their brain are also useless. Some people never give enough consideration to what they are about to do. It is harder to ask them to think about what they are going to do than to ask them to give up their lives. Such ones never accomplish anything. We have to consider carefully everything that pertains to the church. This does not mean that we must have an opinion about everything, but it does mean that we must be mindful of everything. Those who have not considered but who are quick to give opinions are counselors; they are not believers. Expressing an opinion means making proposals and having an instant reaction to matters. Being mindful of matters means to consider the causes and consequences of everything in a thorough way. Unless we think things over carefully, we will encounter many problems. In managing affairs, the more we think things over, the less problems we will face. Anything that we have considered well beforehand is handled judiciously. We should not be hasty in our opinions concerning any matter. We should not react lightly or propose quickly. Instead, we have to sit down and think things over carefully. No one should do anything without first considering and planning. Before a man builds a house, he must first sit down and plan. We have to be careful and sober in dealing with matters, and we should strive to glorify God in managing these affairs. Those who are careless in handling business affairs will be careless in preaching and studying the Scripture as well. The first thing we should do when we face a situation is to think the whole thing over. Those who are lazy in thinking are lazy in everything. In order to learn to serve God, we can never be lazy in our thinking.
C. Budgeting Time, Money, and Personnel
After we have thought over the whole matter, we have to make a plan and write this plan down. Thinking enables us to understand the problem at hand, and planning enables us to come up with a solution to deal with the problem. The first thing to plan is our time, next is money, and third is the manpower needed to do the work. Whenever a job comes to us, we have to budget the time, money, and number of people needed. For example, if a man wants to build a house, he has to calculate the time, money, and number of workers needed to finish the job. He must also factor in all the possible changes that may occur throughout the course of the project. This planning provides the necessary information for building his house.
D. Making Arrangements
Fourth, in addition to being mindful of possible problems that one may encounter and counting the cost, one has to make constant decisions. He has to be clear in his mind as to how he should place the right people in the right place, and what they should do. The previous point deals with gathering information; one estimates the time, money, and manpower necessary to do a job. All these are information. They give us an idea of the different kinds of problems that need to be solved before we can accomplish a task. We must write down these points one by one. For example, if we are going to leave the mountain now, we have to find out how many people need to leave on sedan chairs and how many chairs we now have. We need an accurate count of all these things. When all the facts are in place, we can go on to the fourth point, which is to make the proper arrangements. If the facts are wrong in the first place, it is impossible to make the right judgments. Therefore, before we can talk about a proper arrangement, we must have reliable facts. This means that there is the need for much thinking and deliberation. No one can accomplish anything without giving thought to his work. The Lord Jesus taught His disciples how to manage business affairs when He was on the earth. Once He asked them to distribute bread to five thousand people. Another time He asked them to distribute bread to four thousand people. This is the reason they were able to baptize three thousand and then five thousand people at Pentecost. In feeding the five thousand, the Lord asked them to arrange the crowd into rows; there was no confusion. At that time the crowd was hungry, and if the people had pressed against one another, it would have been chaos. The Lord asked them all to sit down so that there would not be any confusion. He made them sit down in groups of fifty and one hundred. There was no confusion, and there was no monotonous repetition; everything was in order. After the disciples learned this, they repeated the lesson again at a later time. This is the reason that there was no confusion at Pentecost, even though three thousand and later five thousand were baptized. They had a pattern to follow. The multiplication of the bread was a miracle, but the distribution and consumption of the bread depended on human arrangement. The Lord performed a miracle in the multiplication of the bread, but He did not perform a miracle in the distribution and consumption of it. He did not perform a miracle by dropping the bread into each person’s stomach directly. He trained the disciples to do things in the proper way.
In doing things we must first find out the facts in a detailed way and then make arrangements accordingly. When we face a task, the first thing we should do is think it over and then find the proper way. Only after we have taken these steps should we make the proper arrangements. Many people fail to get things done because they have never come up with the proper way. We must first think things over carefully and then do a detailed analysis. After we are clear about all the facts, we have to pray much. We have to ask the Lord what we should do with all the things that are laid before us. The Lord told the five thousand to sit down. Once they sat down, they became stationary. This was wisdom on the Lord’s part. The crowd was already trampling upon one another when they listened to the word. How much more would they have trampled each other if they had started squabbling for the bread! The Lord told them to sit down. Once they sat down, all the problems were solved. The Lord was very wise in making these arrangements. In making arrangements there is much need of prayer. We have to pray until we get wisdom. The Lord’s arrangement not only allowed the crowd to eat in an orderly fashion but also took care of all the crumbs expeditiously. Hence, in doing things we have to know how to make proper arrangements. We should never leave anything to chance, and it is not enough to exercise just our mouth. In finding the proper way of doing things, it is better to be as specific as possible; one should not be general in anything.
E. Executing Things Properly
and Giving Adequate Explanation
The fifth crucial thing to remember in doing things is that we need a good plan of execution. Before carrying out a job, we must first have enough information, and this information must be accurate and reliable. Our assignment of personnel must be suitable; everyone should have his or her own responsibility, and there must not be confusion of any kind. In building a house, we put one stone upon another. If one stone falls, all the ones attached to it will fall as well. Those making the arrangements should consider who is capable of doing each aspect. The arrangements should suit the capacity and aspiration of each person. It is important that in charging anyone to do anything, we have to speak to them ahead of time. Everyone should understand what they are supposed to do. We should not assume that others understand; we should explain with our own words. We should not be afraid of being repetitious. It is not a matter of how many times we repeat a statement, but a matter of how much the charged ones have understood. We should not wait until others encounter problems in the work before opening our mouth. Rather, we should clearly explain the method and the way ahead of time and then assign the jobs. Those who are giving orders are responsible for making perfectly clear what the charged ones are supposed to do. If the ones giving the orders are not explicit in their explanation, they bear the responsibility for any failure. If a leader does not have the assurance that he can take the lead, he should not be a leader in the first place.
F. Practicing
Explaining things clearly and making the assignments is not enough. We have to arrange for drills and practices. Others should not only understand what to do, but they must also be given the opportunity to practice and make trial runs. This is very important. A worker must not only be capable of working by himself but must also be able to direct others to the work. The work of “prayer and the ministry of the word” is not for everyone. Even Stephen had to remain a server of tables. Hence, every one of us has to practice doing things in the proper way. This is particularly true for doing things which are difficult, unfamiliar, and new; there is the need to have practice sessions ahead of time.
G. Dealing with Those
Who have Committed Mistakes
Some may ask, “What should we do with those who have committed mistakes?” There are two kinds of people who make mistakes. The first are the lazy ones; those who are lazy often make mistakes. The second are the proud ones; those who are proud also make mistakes easily. A lazy person is uncaring and unconcerned, while a proud person thinks that he can do everything. Those who are proud should be given some form of punishment when they make a mistake. They can be told that they will no longer be assigned such a responsibility. Everyone else will have an assignment in the service; they alone will be left out. They must humble themselves before they will be given another assignment. If a lazy person commits a mistake, he should be exhorted; he must not be allowed to give up. The more he wants to give up, the more we have to force him to do it. We have to perfect him. If he makes a mistake again, we have to go to him again. We have to force him to take up responsibilities; he cannot remain an uncaring and irresponsible person. The prouder a person is, the less he should be assigned responsibility, but the lazier a person is, the more he should be assigned work. It is a sign of laziness to refuse to work by using preaching as an excuse. More than half of the reason for neglect among the co-workers is laziness.
The above seven guidelines are principles of managing affairs. They are methods of doing things. If we follow these principles and carry them out properly, we will be of great use to the Lord’s work. There is always room for more learning in the church. (CWWN, Vol. 60: Contents Miscellaneous Records of the Kuling Training (2), ch. 41)
II. HOW TO KNOW MATTERS
In our contact with people we must discern matters. Although we cannot interfere in the matters that do not involve us, we should not neglect the matters that involve us. Hence, we must learn to discern matters. However, our learning should be gradual, not in haste.
A. Behind Every Matter Being A Person.
When the person is right, the matter is often right. For this reason, we should always know who is the source of a matter. We need to know the initiator, the sponsor, of the matter. If there is a problem with the source, there will be problems even if the matter appears right. We need to get to the bottom of every matter.
B. We Need to Know the Motive behind a Matter.
A person may donate ten thousand dollars to win the praise of others. Another person may give ten thousand dollars because others rebuked him for not giving. The motive is wrong in both situations. We should pay attention to people’s motives.
C. We also Need to Know if the Nature is Right.
This does not mean that everything is right when the motive is right. We also need to know if the nature is right. For example, a brother who desires something improper may receive help from another brother. Although the helping brother may be motivated by love, the object of his help is something that is improper.
D. We need to know if the Way of Carrying it Out is Right
Even if the nature is right, we need to know if the way of carrying it out is right. For instance, a brother who wants to make an offering of ten thousand dollars may simply present the money to us. We should help him to understand that this is not the right way. He should put the money in the offering box. We should teach him to pray in order to know the needs in the church. Then he will see that his offering is not for one individual or for one purpose. We teach him by fellowshipping with him. When he goes to the Lord, the church will be built up. On the one hand, we should not simply think that an offering of ten thousand dollars is wonderful; on the other hand, we should not casually reject him. We must learn the best way to take care of this matter and be aware of the result.
E. We Must Know What the Result of a Matter Will Be
We must know what the result of a matter will be. The way something is carried out may be good, but the effect might not be good. If the effect is not good, the matter should not be touched. This is only a brief sketch. The administration of the church, the ministry of the word, and the visiting of the saints should be carried out according to these considerations. If we practice this, it will be easy for us to discern matters. When we discern matters in this way, we will build up rather than damage the church. Therefore, we must learn to know the source and nature of a matter so that we can find an appropriate way to handle it for the building up of the church. (The Administration of the Church and the Ministry of the Word, ch. 8)
III. LABORING IN A PRACTICAL WAY,
HAVING NO OPINIONS,
AND TAKING THE BODY AS OUR GOAL
We must learn to focus on what we do, and we should not analyze whether or not we are able to accomplish a job. We should not give ourselves the excuse of saying that we do not understand what we are doing. We should simply work, and there will be a result…If our service is to clean the restrooms, we should clean the restrooms so that they are spotless. If we are on meal service, what we prepare should be delicious. When I was in Chefoo, I took the lead to clean the restrooms, and I cleaned them in such a way that everyone admired them and tried to keep them clean.
We should not think that it is easy to be successful in taking care of the church in Taipei. It might not be easy for even the apostle Paul to work in a church as large as the church in Taipei. Instead of trying to be successful, we simply need to work. If we are asked to speak concerning gospel truths, our speaking should be very clear, attracting, and inspiring. We should not complain and ask why others are asked to give messages to edify the saints, but we are assigned to speak concerning the truth of the gospel. We should learn to accept in submission and have no opinion concerning any arrangement made by the church. If the brothers ask us to speak concerning gospel truths, we should do it. If they tell us to clean the restrooms, we should clean the restrooms. If they assign us to hall one, we should go there. If every one of us serves in this way, the church will be blessed and strengthened.
We need an attitude of being willing to labor. For example, if the brothers tell us to sweep the floor of the meeting hall, we should sweep it thoroughly so that it is very clean. When I was in the church in Chefoo I took the lead to clean the hall. Even though it was an old house, it was kept spotless and attractive. Every guest room had a different color scheme. For example, for the white guest room, every item from the bedding to the decorations was white; for the yellow guest room, every item was yellow. At that time, those who were responsible for taking care of the guest rooms were perfected by me. We should always seek to improve so that there is an atmosphere of freshness. In Chefoo I designed the church’s meeting hall, the sisters’ prayer room, and the brothers’ prayer room. However, I would often rearrange the furniture in the meeting hall, because I always sought to make improvements. In this way, when people came into the hall, they would have a sense of newness and realize that we had made improvements. This is the proper way to administrate the church. (Crucial Words of Leading in the Lord’s Recovery, Book 3: The Future of the Lord’s Recovery and the Building Up of the Organic Service, ch. 6)
IV. HOW SHOULD WE MANAGE
THE FINANCIAL MATTERS
A. The Financial Matters in the Church
1. It is best for three People to Coordinate Together
When dealing with financial matters, it is best to have more than one or two people handling money. It is best for three people to coordinate together for the sake of the testimony. It is even easier to manage financial matters when there are six people on a team. If there are only two people on a team, a local brother or sister should be brought into the coordination. There must be three people present whenever the offering box is opened. In addition, we should have a formal ledger in which we record the date and amount of the general offerings and the designated offerings. Designated offerings include any offerings that need to be passed on to a locality or a saint. Every offering must be clearly recorded in a detailed way. We must also record the total amount of the offerings. Then the three saints responsible should sign under the total amount.
2. Concerning Designated Offerings
In relation to designated offerings, we must clearly record to whom the offering is designated and when it is delivered to him. If the offering is sent through postal money order, we must retain the money order receipt. A short letter of explanation and a receipt should be enclosed with the money order. The letter of explanation should ask the recipient to sign the receipt and mail it back to us when he receives the funds. The returned receipt and the money order receipt should be filed in our records. These are accounting procedures. In this way, if after three months the saint who made the offering is worried that the offering was not delivered, we can find the record of the offering and show the saint the receipt we received from the recipient. Without such procedures the church will suffer loss if we cannot give the saints a satisfactory answer regarding designated offerings.
3. Concerning Opening the Offering Box
We should never allow only one person to open the offering box, and there must be a proper place to keep the key to the offering box. We should never carry the key to the box on our person, nor should we allow someone to casually take the key. Of the twelve disciples of the Lord Jesus, Judas was a thief (John 12:4-6). This same problem has also occurred in the church life; therefore, we must be very careful when we deal with money so that we do not fall under suspicion. There must also be a proper record of when the money is deposited. The deposit slips and receipts should be kept as evidence.
4. How to Manage the Finances
The decisions on how to manage the finances of a public organization are quite important. The financial decisions in the new localities should be made by the co-workers on the team plus one or two of the more experienced local saints. They should discuss matters to decide how to use the offerings and then convey any decisions to the accountant. They must not give oral instructions concerning the dispersing of funds, whether by cash or check, to the accountant; rather, they should give the accountant a written record that is signed by two or three saints. The accountant must receive something in writing before he gives cash or writes a check, and he should always obtain a written receipt for every transaction. A petty cash box should also be prepared. The amount of money to be kept as petty cash should be decided by the saints responsible for financial matters. These funds should be given to one person. The amount used for petty cash must be recorded in the general ledger. There must also be an account book to record how the petty cash is spent. The miscellaneous weekly small expenses, which do not require an official approval from the saints responsible for finances, should be taken from the petty cash. For example, if there is a blackout, money can be taken from the petty cash to purchase candles for the meeting hall. It is best to obtain a receipt or a cash register slip for all such purchases. The owners of small shops may not automatically give us a receipt because this will make them liable to pay sales tax. Hence, we should be willing to spend a little more money for the sake of obtaining a receipt; as Christians, we need to be faithful.
5. Obeying the Law
We Christians must obey the law and pay taxes, not evade taxes. It is not proper for us to evade taxes in order to save money for the church. A few years ago there was a dispute in a certain locality concerning the funds used in building a meeting hall. After I came back to Taiwan in 1984, I met with the elders, bookkeepers, accountants, and the saints who were involved, and they all felt it was a complicated problem. Therefore, I said that in order to resolve the issue, the church should go through its records and ask a tax authority to assess our records. If we had not paid enough in taxes, we should pay what we owed, and we should gladly pay any fines for delinquent taxes. This suggestion resolved the problem.
If we are careless and do not pay enough in taxes, we must pay the delinquent taxes; we should also be responsible to pay any penalties incurred. In any event, we should not do anything illegal in order to save a few dollars. We must obtain a proper receipt or cash register slip that includes sales tax. This is our Christian testimony to people in the world. (Three Crucial Matters for the Increase and Building Up of the Church, ch. 20)
6. The Distribution of Finances
a. Normal Expenses
Regarding the question of money, I think it will be clearer if I speak in this way: The income of the local church is first, of course, for local expenses. A locality should not be in debt. In the local church there are many expenditures. First, there are the normal expenses of the church, such as the wine, the bread, electricity, water, and in some places, rent.
b. Taking Care of the Poor
Second, there are certain matters that the local churches need to devote more effort to. In the church God especially stresses that His children should take care of the needy, especially the needy brothers. Therefore, in the local church there is a major need of taking care of the needy brothers.
c. Taking Care of the Needs of the Responsible Brothers
Third, there is another thing that the local church can do. If a local responsible brother spends all of his time in the affairs of the church and it causes his own job or business to suffer, the church should give him financial help in a very careful way. You are aware that there are many brothers in the local church, especially responsible brothers, who, because of being busy with many church affairs, were unable to continue on with their business and lost their source of income. Due to being occupied with the church, they laid aside their work. This is the situation mentioned in the book of Timothy, where some are worthy of double honor. You should not just send money to the brothers who are workers and neglect the responsible brothers. For a responsible brother to spend all of his time in a church in his locality and suffer is not right. The local church should learn to take care of the needs of the responsible brothers.
d. Sending Financial Help to Other Local Churches for Their Use
In addition, a local church can also send money to other local churches for their use. Many local churches may have difficulties. Sometimes there are particular hardships, as in the case of Antioch sending money to Jerusalem. When the brothers in Jerusalem had difficulties, the brothers in Antioch sent money to Jerusalem. This is also something that a local church should do. We may hear of special circumstances in a church in a certain locality. As a consequence, we should send them money. The mutual supply among the churches is an important matter. Remember that in the beginning in Jerusalem, many brothers and sisters sold their lands and houses. During the time of famine, Antioch sent money through the hand of Barnabas and Paul. I am glad that the elders in Antioch did not ask, “We wonder whether they have spent all that money. Do the apostles still have anything left over from that sale?” This was not something the other churches did. What was done in Acts was very good. Antioch rose up and sent brothers to take money to Jerusalem to supply the need in Jerusalem. It was at this time that Barnabas came from Jerusalem to Antioch for the purpose of helping Antioch, and Antioch asked Barnabas to take the money and go and help Jerusalem. This is a very pleasant thing.
e. Giving to Individual Workers
There is another matter. When a local church receives income, there should be money given to individual workers. This is what Philippi did with Paul. When Paul was working in the region of Macedonia and in Thessalonica, the church in Philippi once and again sent money for his use. When we read the book of Philippians, we know that when Paul was in Macedonia and Thessalonica, all of his money came from Philippi. Otherwise, the work could not have gone on. Therefore, we need to help the brothers everywhere to see and help them to learn to give money to the brothers who are workers. The church in Corinth was a declining church; its spiritual condition before God was poor. With respect to the supplying of Paul, they only criticized. Nothing was given. They gave Paul nothing except criticism. Therefore, I think that the churches in various localities should pay attention to how to give money to those who serve the Lord. The churches should pay attention to the aspect of giving to individuals.
f. Giving to the Work in the Region
I want the brothers and sisters to pay attention to yet another need. The money from all the local churches should be sent not only to the individual workers, but also to the work in the entire region. If our view is not mistaken, the exhortation that Paul gave to the Corinthians was that he expected them to prepare the money to be sent to Jerusalem. At that time there was not just one church that sent money to Jerusalem; the churches in Galatia sent money as well. Galatia is a province, and there were many churches there. Paul exhorted the church in Corinth to gather their money and send it quickly to Jerusalem, just as the churches in Galatia had done. At that time not only was Jerusalem in famine, but Judea was as well. Hence, the money sent to Jerusalem was given not only for the local church in Jerusalem, but also for Judea, the entire region represented by Jerusalem. The money was sent to Jerusalem so that Jerusalem could send it to all of Judea. There is a principle here. Money can be given to a local church for their use. For example, if Foochow is in difficulty, we can give money to the local church in Foochow. If Wenchow has problems, we can send money to the local church in Wenchow. However, if that region has difficulties, then the money would not be given to the one locality of Foochow, but Foochow should be asked to make arrangements for distribution to the brothers and sisters in the entire region. Therefore, we should show the churches that with respect to the work among the churches, there is this matter of region. If a church in a region is having difficulties, the brothers should learn to give.
Even during normal times when the churches are not in difficulty and there are many co-workers in a region, everyone should learn before God to pay attention to the need of all of the co-workers in the region. The local churches need to learn to send the money to the co-workers in the region so that they can distribute it among the co-workers in that region.
I do not know if you are clear that these are things that a local church should do concerning money. What they have received, they need to use for local expenses, for needy brothers, for the responsible brothers, for brothers in the work in other cities, for the needs of other churches, and for the region. (Church Affairs, ch. 12)
B. PERSONAL FINANCES
1. The Christian Way of Financial Management
The Christian way of managing wealth is completely different from that of an unbeliever. The Christian way of financial management is the way of giving. The unbeliever’s way is the way of accumulating. The Christian way of managing money is not to hold on to money. The tighter you hold on to your money, the more it dies. The more you grasp it, the more it disappears; it will evaporate like vapor. But the more you give away, the more you will have. If God’s children would learn to give more, God would have many ways to work out His miracles. Keeping back money only makes God’s children poor. God will not entrust Himself to those who hold on to their money and who will not give. The more you give, the more God will give to you.
a. Sowing with One’s Money
Please read 2 Corinthians 9:6, which says, “He who sows sparingly shall also sparingly reap; and he who sows with blessings shall also with blessings reap.” This is also a scriptural principle of financial management. When Christians give, they are not throwing their money away; they are sowing. The Word does not say, “He who throws away his money sparingly shall also sparingly reap; and he who throws away his money with blessings shall also with blessings reap.” It says, “He who sows sparingly shall also sparingly reap; and he who sows with blessings shall also with blessings reap.” When you give, you are sowing. Do you want your money to grow? If you do, you need to sow. When you give your money away, it grows. When you do not give it away, it does not grow.
Brothers and sisters, can anyone be so foolish as to expect a harvest without sowing? How many times has God not answered your prayer for your needs? You are a “hard man,” trying to reap where you have not sown and gather where you have not winnowed. This is impossible. Why do you not sow some of your money? There are many brothers and sisters who are in difficulty. Why do you not sow money upon them so that you may reap when the reaping time comes? The more a person holds on to his money, the less he will have. In the above portion of the Word, we see a very beautiful picture. The Corinthians gave to those in Jerusalem, remembering their needs, and Paul said that it was a kind of sowing, not a kind of throwing away. Please remember that money can be our seeds. If you see a brother or sister in difficulty, and you remember him or her, God will cause that money to grow and harvest thirtyfold, sixtyfold, and even a hundredfold. I hope that more of your money will be sown.
A new believer should learn to sow, so that when he has needs, he can reap what he has sown. You cannot reap what you have not sown. There are many brothers who are getting poorer and poorer. If you eat what you have, of course, there will not be anything left. But if you keep half of your seed for sowing, you will have a harvest next year. If next year you also keep half for planting, you will have another harvest the following year. If you want to sow anything, you must not eat all that you have. Some people always eat and never sow. They also never receive anything when they are in need. Suppose some young brothers sow some money upon other brothers, praying as they sow, “O God, I have sown upon the brothers. When I have needs, I want to harvest.” If they do this, God will honor His own words.
b. Offering to God
This is not all. In the Old Testament, God said to the Israelites, “Bring the whole tithe to the storehouse that there may be food in My house; and prove Me, if you will, by this, says Jehovah of hosts, whether I will open to you the windows of heaven and pour out blessing for you until there is no room for it” (Mal. 3:10). Here we see the same principle.
At that time, the Israelites were in great poverty and difficulty. How could they carry out the words of Malachi 3:10? The Israelites might have asked, “If we cannot get by with ten loads of rice, how can we get by with nine? If ten bags of flour are insufficient, how can nine bags be sufficient?” These are words out of a carnal and foolish mouth. God reproached the people and told them that what is impossible with man is possible with God. He seemed to be saying, “Bring to My storehouse, and test Me if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing that there shall not be enough room to receive it.”
Ten loads are the reason for poverty, while nine loads are the cause for abundance. Man thinks that the more he has in his hand, the better off he will be. However, keeping things in one’s hand is the very cause for poverty, while offering things to God is the very cause for blessing. If I have an addi- tional load in my hands, it will become my curse. But if it is put in God’s storehouse, it becomes my blessing. The principle with the Israelites was poverty for those who tried to hold back what was due to God. When you hold something back, you end up in poverty.
c. Scattering Money
Now read Proverbs 11:24: “There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth;/and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty.” Many people have not scattered, and they are left with nothing. Many people have scattered, and they become prosperous. This is what God’s Word shows us. This is the Christian principle of managing finances.
d. Giving All for God
Consider another wonderful portion of the Word—Elijah’s prayer for rain on Mount Carmel (1 Kings 18). There was a drought, and it was so dry that even the king and his chamberlains had to go out to search for water. Elijah was repairing the altar on the mountain. He wanted to offer a sacrifice, and he asked men to pour water on the altar and the sacrifice.
How precious was water at that time! Even the king had to go out to look for water. But Elijah told the men to pour out the water. He told them to pour it three times until the water ran round about the altar like a river. Was it not a waste to pour out so much water before any rain came? Would it not have been a pity if no rain came after they poured out so much water? But Elijah told them to bring jars of water and pour them out. Next he knelt down and asked God to send fire to burn the sacrifice. God heard his prayer, received the sacrifice by fire, and sent the rain. We must first pour the water out before rain will come. The rain will not come if we are reluctant to pour out the water.
The problem of many people is that they hold on tightly to what they have and yet expect God to answer their prayers. Although God wanted to dispel the drought, man had to pour out the water first. The human thought is always to have some backup. If no rain came, at least there would be some jars of water. But those who count the jars of water on hand will never see rain. To see the rain, one must be like Elijah, willing to part with the water that is on hand. Everything has to go. If new believers are not delivered from the power and grip of money, the church will never be able to run a straight course. I hope that you will be a consecrated person and will offer up everything you have for God.
e. The Promise of Supply
Philippians 4:19 is a very special verse. The Corinthians were parsimonious in giving, while the Philippians were very generous. Paul received from the Philippians time and again. He told the Philippians, “My God will fill your every need according to His riches, in glory, in Christ Jesus.” Do you see something special in Philippians 4? Paul emphasized, “My God will fill your every need.” The God who receives the money and the gifts will supply the needs of the givers.
This is very clear. The Philippians had been caring for Paul again and again, and Paul’s God supplied their needs. God will never supply those who do not give. Today many people hold on to Philippians 4:19, but they do not really understand it, because God does not supply those who ask, but those who give. Only those who give can claim Philippians 4:19. Those who do not give cannot claim this promise. You must give before you can say, “O God, today supply all my needs according to Your riches in Christ Jesus.” God supplied all the needs for only the Philippians. God will only supply the needs of those who are practicing the principle of giving.
When your vessel is empty of flour and when your bottle is empty of oil, please remember that you must first make bread for Elijah with what little you have left. You must first feed God’s servant. Take the little oil and flour and make bread for the prophet first. After a while, this little flour and oil will feed you for three and a half years. Who has ever heard of a bottle of oil feeding a person for three and a half years? But let me tell you, if you take your little flour and oil and make bread for the prophet, you will find the bottle of oil feeding you for three and a half years (cf. Luke 4:25-26; 1 Kings 17:8-16). What one has may not be enough to feed him even once. But when it is given away, it becomes the means of one’s livelihood. This is the Christian way of financial management.
2. Letting Go of Our Money
Both the New Testament and the Old Testament teach us the same thing. The Christian way should not be the way of poverty. God does not want us to be poor. If there is poverty or want among us, it is because some people are holding back their money. The more you love yourself, the more you will go hungry. The more importance you attach to money, the poorer you will become. I may not be able to testify of other things, but I can surely testify of this one thing. The more one holds back his money, the more miserable and depleted he becomes. This is a sure principle. During the past twenty years, I have seen many such cases. I only wish that we could release our money and allow it to circulate around the earth, to work, and to become part of God’s miracles and answers to prayers. Then when we have needs, God will supply us.
Not only are we in God’s hands, but Satan is also in His hands. The cattle on a thousand hills and the sheep on ten thousand hills are His. Only foolish ones think that they have earned their own money. A new believer must see that tithing is our duty. We should give what we earn to take care of the poor saints. Do not be so foolish as to always receive. Do not try to save up your money or hide it away. The Christian way is the way of giving. Always give what you have, and you will find money becoming something living in the church. When you have any need, the birds in the air will work for you, and God will perform miracles for you.
Cast yourself upon the Word of God. Otherwise, God cannot carry out His word in you. First give yourself to God, and then give your money again and again. If you do this, God will have the opportunity to give to you. (CWWN, Vol. 49: Messages for Building Up New Believers (2), ch. 28)
3. Concerning Borrowing Money
The first unrighteous thing we have to deal with is money. Money easily brings us into unrighteousness. We cannot take someone else’s money as our own. Not a cent of others’ money can be ours, and we cannot borrow (that is, personal borrowing, not borrowing in business). With some people, borrowing is a habit. It is like drugs to them; they are addicted to it. Time and again they borrow. If you want to be a brother to them, you should not lend anything to them. If you lend to them, you should be ready to sacrifice your relationship with them. Borrowing and lending is a great temptation; they lead to unrighteousness. When others transgress against us, we can be compensated by God. But if we transgress against others, we will not receive blessing from God. We cannot be careless in the matter of money. (CWWN, Vol. 45: Conferences, Messages, and Fellowship (5), ch.148)
Two Western brothers, one of whom was a doctor, were among us for a period of time…. One day my wife and I went to visit the brother who was a doctor. On the way we saw a sister whose child had contracted tuberculosis and had been operated on twice by this brother. The sister felt that it was the Lord’s mercy that this brother had charged her only half the fees the first operation and performed the second without charging her. On the one hand, this brother was kind and took care of the poor. On the other hand, the ones he took care of were grateful to him but did not gain more Christ. Hence, it was not for the building up of the church. Furthermore, those whom he helped were not uplifted in their person; instead, they felt that they were inferior to this brother and to the responsible brothers. For this reason, what this brother did in love was actually a tearing down of the church, not a building up.
If this brother had a burden to help the saints materially, he could still accept medical fees and be led by the Lord to put something into the offering box. In this way the brothers and sisters would receive help directly from God’s hand. They would not have a feeling of being debased before men; they would not feel that they had received help from man or even from the church. They would simply feel that God had visited them. This would build them up with a noble character.
If our help causes the brothers and sisters to feel inferior or indebted to us, we are tearing down the church rather than building it up. Our help should not cause others to feel grateful to us. In other words, they should not feel inferior to us. They should not feel that they are our beneficiaries. If we give people such a feeling, we are a charitable organization, not the church. The saints should not merely feel grateful to us, the church, or the elders. We must lead them to Christ; only this results in the building of the church.
If we maintain an attitude of giving alms, showing pity, or assisting the poor saints, we are corrupting the Lord’s church. Although the sister whose son had contracted tuberculosis repeatedly thanked and praised the Lord, her entire being was corrupted. In her debasement, she became reliant on others and even subservient to them. Those who always receive help from others cannot be built up in their character, and the church cannot be built up. In this matter the two Western brothers truly needed our fellowship. However, we were unable to help them in this matter. This proves that we have no discernment concerning matters. Moreover, because of this, our work here cannot build up the church. (The Administration of the Church and the Ministry of the Word, ch. 8)
4. Teaching concerning the Management of Finances
Example 1: In the oversee propagation some saints would come from the denominations, and they, especially some pastors, may bring their finances of the denominations together with them. If it is such, on the one hand, we should tell them that we will not receive their finances, and on the other hand, we should teach them how to properly manage these finances.
Example 2: When some saints turning from the denominations want to participate in the offering, maybe they will give the money to us directly. At this moment we should definitely tell them that we hold to the principle of offering, that is, offering to the church. This is as the Bible says, “But you, when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.” In the denominations the pastors go to the saints with the money bag or box and let them “offer money” to the church; we are not like this. When we offer, it is better not to let others know whether we offer or how much we offer. Our Father will see everything in secret. It is as the Bible says, “So that your alms may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will repay you.”
