HOW TO GIVE by Charles Stalker

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Aug 7, 1901

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 27, No. 32.

HOW TO GIVE.

By Charles Stalker

WITHHOLDING causes fear, surrender brings faith. Practise giving—personal giving, proportionate giving, present giving.

Give from the heart to God—not to the missionary—not to temperance—but give to God. Let giving become as sacred and holy as prayer. Do not give as a joke, but as a privilege and a luxury.

God’s work should be self-supporting, and not go begging. Christianity should not be a pauper, but a millionaire; then the churches would receive large dividends in the salvation of souls, and not have the largest investments in tombstones and cemeteries.

Departure from the divine plan is a foundation for lying, as with Ananias and Sapphira. Giving all is the key to victory.

To give means to live; and to live means to give. The more giving becomes practical, the more people become spiritual.

That is not a healthy church in which two or three take all the financial responsibility. Personal giving will cause a new interest in the sermon and the minister, and a new desire to attend the missionary meeting.

By person, by money or otherwise, visit some foreign field. A new interest and zeal will be given to every department of church work when disposition of this subject is made according to the divine plan.

There is a personal blessing in personal giving that is obtained in no other way. There are thousands who testify to increased life and power, when money becomes a sacred trust, and holy as the hour of prayer.

Give to God His portion, at least one tenth. Follow the Holy Ghost in this as in other service. Do not wait until you are out of debt. Give now. Give money. Promises never sent the Gospel or started car wheels.

Give not what you think you can, but all God says you can.

There are promises that are never yours until you give all to God.—Charles Stalker.