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A TESTIMONY

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Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Feb 11, 1902

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 79, No. 6.

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A TESTIMONY.

By O. A. Johnson

ELDER O. A. JOHNSON.
Having many times been impressed to relate my experience in paying a second tithe as well as the first, I will now briefly state my reasons for so doing.

FIRST TITHE.

The duty to pay a tithe of our increase for the support of the gospel ministry has been clear to me for twenty-five or thirty years, and sweet peace of mind has filled my soul in the performance of this reasonable duty. Tithing for the support of the gospel ministry is so clearly set forth in the Scriptures that no honest, unprejudiced mind can set it aside.
Since the fall one point of controversy between God and Satan has been about the ownership of this world. By virtue of creation God claims this world and everything in it as belonging to Him. Gen. 14:19, 22; Ex. 19:5; Ps. 50:10–12. Satan, on the other hand, claims the world as his own, and that he therefore has the power to give it to whom he pleases. Matt. 4:8, 9; Luke 4:5–7. Now we are interested in this controversy and its outcome, and all will take one side or the other. All who truly believe that God is the rightful owner of this world will readily and cheerfully demonstrate their faith by works; namely, by paying the Lord the rent—tithe—He requires for the use of His property. Paying rental for use of property is in itself an evidence that we concede the right of ownership to the one receiving the rent. Hence as long as a man pays tithes, there can be no question on which side of this controverted point he stands. Lev. 27:30, 32.
Now should any one believe Satan to be the rightful owner of this world, then to be honest and just, rent, or tithes, should be paid him for the use of his property. Now if no rent is paid—no tithe given—for the use of earthly goods, then it is evident that such persons, to be consistent must claim all they possess as really their own, and that no superior being has any claim upon them whatever—a stand which no true Christian will take. No, every time we pay an honest tithe, we say to Satan: This is an evidence that I believe God and Christ own this world and everything in it. These tithes are not only a testimony that I stand on the side of Christ in this controversy, but this sacred money will be further used to teach others the same truth on this and other disputed points in this great controversy. There is truly a satisfaction and a blessing in paying tithes with this in mind.

SECOND TITHES.

Years ago while studying the underlying basis of primary and secondary truths or laws, etc., I learned that God required Israel to pay a second tithe, to be used in connection with their yearly gatherings. See Deut. 12:17–19; 14:22–27. Every third year a third tithe, it appears, was laid aside for the poor, etc. Deut. 14:28, 29. Now while the offering system has passed away, yet yearly gatherings and the expense connected with them still remain with us as well as with Israel. The duty to support the poor remains. Now while considering these things, it became clear to me that it would be pleasing to God for His children to lay aside regularly a second tithe for benevolent purposes, and for a number of years I have experienced a real blessing in doing so. Of course my wife is with me in this.
Just as soon as I receive my wages or any other income, we lay aside the first tenth—ten dollars out of one hundred—for the Conference treasury. Then we lay aside the second tenth,—the second ten dollars out of the one hundred. That leaves us only eighty dollars out of the one hundred.
The second tithe we put into a fund which we call “The Benevolent Fund.” This fund is kept by itself, and used at our discretion for various purposes, such as camp-meeting or other general meeting expenses, Sabbath-school donations, other contributions, including help for the poor, etc. As I am gone from home much of the time, I generally leave my wife a portion of this Benevolent Fund to be disposed of by her as she may deem best.
Now this fund has never been entirely emptied since we began to lay aside the second tithe. At times we have had several dollars in it, but soon a call would come, and we would be glad we had something to give. Here in Norway this fund is kept quite low all the time. We have found such a blessing in the laying aside of a second tenth for benevolent purposes that I now relate our experience, not boastfully, but for the honor of my Master, and for His glory who has blessed us so abundantly in many ways. (Special gifts or larger donations are not included in the first and second tithes.) We have found that eight per cent of our income is sufficient for our support and the education of our children. At times it has required self-denial, but the rich blessings make up for it all, and many times over.
It might be well to add that when money has been received from the Conference or from the school for teaching, or from other sources, such as garden vegetables, eggs, butter, milk, etc., the first thing was to lay aside the first tithe for the Church or Conference treasury, and then lay aside the second tithe in the Benevolent Fund, to be used by us as circumstances might demand. We aim to keep a faithful account of our income so it is not difficult to determine the amount of tithes to be paid. We also keep a faithful account of the income and expenses of this Benevolent Fund. We are so well satisfied with the plan of laying aside a second tenth for benevolent purposes that we would never think of abandoning it. Believing that the Spirit of God has impressed me to relate our experience in paying a second tithe, I have therefore briefly stated these facts. How thankful we ought to beeven in this life we may enjoy the sweet peace and blessing of heaven, the rich foretastes of greater blessings in the “sweet by and by.”