The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the LORD of hosts.
The silver and the gold belong to the Lord of hosts as their owner, and the promise was spoken to comfort the builders of the second temple that its lesser outward splendor was no cause for sorrow, for its glory lay not in costly materials but in His presence and the peace He would give, fulfilled when Christ Himself came to the temple. All money, property, houses, lands and the fullness of the world are His, held in His treasury and lent to men for a time as entrusted stewards who must render a strict account, and even time, talents, powers, body and life itself are bought with a price to be returned to Him daily. Because His resources are unlimited He is not dependent on any man, so lack of money is no reason for despair or distrust, but His workers should ask Him for help, move forward in faith, and expect Him to open the way and move hearts to give at the right time. Giving to His work is therefore only returning what is already His, calling for self-denial, faithful tithe and generous sacrifice to send preachers, free His house from debt and advance His cause, rather than spending it on selfish indulgence, extravagance or hoarding while the world perishes. Yet even though all silver and gold are His, corruptible wealth could not purchase salvation, for the sinner could be redeemed only by the precious blood of the Son of God.
Temple Context and Glory
The declaration that silver and gold belong to the Lord of hosts was spoken to comfort the builders of the second temple, whose house was lesser in cost and outward splendor, that this was no reason for sorrow, since it was the Lord's presence and not costly materials that made the house glorious, and He who owned all could provide whatever was needed. Its splendor was not itself the Lord's glory, for the greater glory and blessing promised to the house would come through the Lord's presence and the peace He would give, not through wealth or outward display. That promise that the latter house would surpass the former in glory was fulfilled not by wealth or splendor but by the presence of Christ, when the Desire of all nations came into the temple, and in Christ alone the second temple exceeded the first, yet when Israel rejected Him its glory departed and it was left desolate.
The chapter that holds this promise applies its lessons to putting the building of a house of worship among the people's first concerns. Though all gold and silver belonged to Christ, so that He could have met every expense for great display and could have come accompanied by a retinue of angelic beings to impress minds and call people to repentance, He made no display. He laid aside His kingly crown and royal robes and His command in the heavenly courts, clothed His divinity with humanity, and came as a helpless babe to meet all human temptations and stand at the head of the fallen race.
Divine Ownership and Stewardship
The silver and the gold, every dollar, all money, property, houses, lands, and the abundance and fullness of the world belong to the Lord of hosts as owner, held in His treasury. Whatever wealth comes under human control is entrusted property lent temporarily, not personal ownership to use as people please, and those who hold it are accountable stewards who must use it faithfully for His work and to relieve human need. Money is a talent entrusted to His servants to advance His work, to meet needs and save souls, including relieving His institutions in Denmark and Norway from debt. Faithfulness to that ownership requires not drawing continually upon His treasury to add facilities where abundance already exists while needy portions of the field lack them, but thinking of needy places and working as zealously to provide for another place the facilities claimed as needed in one's own field.
Possession of wealth is not an independent achievement, and money and other abilities are entrusted gifts from God. Having them does not make a person greater in His sight, for He can take them away, and human worth and power come from dependence on God rather than from wealth or self-glorifying claims of ability. He keeps a strict account with every son and daughter of Adam of how His goods are appropriated, for they are entrusted only temporarily and their use tests character. Both principal and increase remain the Lord's, and stewards must use wealth faithfully and will answer to God for how they administer it, with misuse through greed and covetousness bringing accountability and the reward of the unfaithful servant.
That responsibility is not removed by failing to profess to serve Him. Using what belongs to Him for selfish worldly interests and burying it in worldly enterprises to advance selfish interests is still misuse and does not lessen guilt. His ownership includes all of a person's goods, physical and mental powers, time, talents, life itself, souls and bodies, the vineyard, and the whole cause east or west, north or south. He keeps every person alive day by day, hour by hour, minute by minute, supplying air for the lungs and making food a benefit rather than a minister of evil and death, so that one word from Him would still a person in death, and all time, talents and money have been bought with a price to be returned to Him daily as He tests and proves. He spares the life of the sinner until He sees the life will not be surrendered to Him, having an interest as Creator in the work of His hands, presenting before each person the peril of closing the heart against the Saviour and calling to turn from death. All means are His entrusted talents to be used without human restriction where the field is in greatest need, to build up His work, enter new fields and lift the standard of truth in new territories, while hiding means in a napkin, burying, embezzling, misappropriating, diverting into binding channels, and forbidding donations without managers' counsel bring His displeasure and curse, dishonor Him and hinder His work.
He is the source of every blessing, and offerings do not enrich Him who already owns all things. Returning a portion acknowledges that all comes from Him and expresses dependence, gratitude, love and devotion. He accepts humble willing gifts as evidence of grateful obedience, for the giver's good, to develop a benevolent unselfish character, but even an expensive offering is unacceptable without pure love. Means are entrusted not for hoarding or for exalting self or oppressing the poor, but for advancing His cause, glorifying His name, supporting His work and benefiting others. He could provide means directly, send them from heaven, or create abundance without asking any sacrifice, but He never works that way. Instead He entrusts people with means as stewards and channels of blessing so they become benevolent and unselfish and every soul may share the blessing of returning to the Lord what is His own, as when offerings were called for the sanctuary in the wilderness until the leaders said it was enough and to bring no more, a call now applied to freewill offerings to buy property for a school where youth are educated to go forth as missionaries, with money ready when the deed is presented.
Wealth held even by Gentiles, idolaters, the heathen, worldly men and men in high places with means and influence is still His provision, placed by Him in human hands so the hungry can be fed, the naked clothed and the homeless housed. He moves upon them to give of their abundance for His work, and if His people walk with Him in faith and remain a distinct people He will open the hearts of wealthy men who never professed religion to give voluntarily, without restrictions and without requiring control, because they are convinced His power is with His people. His people, while in the world but not of it, should become acquainted with them, travail of soul for them, bring truth before them and invite them to come, wisely give them opportunity to give and obtain advantages and privileges for the cause, receiving what they give with gratitude and using money given by unbelievers to honor God and advance His work, since taking them requires sacrificing no principle of truth. Yet they depart from Him when they bind themselves to worldly wisdom or conform to worldly standards to secure gifts, for between God and mammon there can be no union.
Wealth Cannot Redeem Sinners
The silver and gold belong to God, yet corruptible wealth could not purchase human salvation. If wealth could redeem the sinner, redemption would have been easily accomplished by Him from what is already His, since it could not be beyond His power to use. The transgressor can be redeemed only by the precious blood of the Son of God, of Christ, because salvation was established through sacrifice. Those who fail to appreciate that sacrifice and withhold themselves from Christ's service will perish in their selfishness.
God Able to Provide
All silver and gold belong to the Lord, whose resources are unlimited and include the cattle upon a thousand hills, so He is not dependent on any person or their resources to carry forward His work. By His own power He can accomplish whatever He wills, and people are only graciously given the privilege of cooperating with Him and relying on the strength He gives. His work must follow His order and reflect His purpose rather than human judgment. Because He owns the world and all its resources, lack of available money is no reason to lose faith or despair. Workers should not worry about finances, stay sad over discouraging financial reports, or fix their eyes on loss and lack of means, but be cheerful and let go of disappointment about money. They can ask Him to supply what is needed for temporal and spiritual help and move forward in faith rather than distrust, believing His work will not stand still or come to a standstill for lack of resources but He will open the way.
This ownership supported confidence to begin a meeting house when a 200-pound donation arrived bringing available funds to 300 pounds and the land was cleared for construction. It assures resources to provide suitable places for worship in Melbourne and other places where His people may obtain a place to worship Him, and to advance missionary work in Australia. America is to help establish the medical and gospel work in Australia, and means are assured for keeping missionaries in the field when expected help fails even when the mission field lacks means. In the matter of funding the sanitarium the same truth encourages confidence that the needed resources are ultimately His and will be available as faith is tested. It likewise assures means for buying land and establishing a school.
God supplies these needs by moving stewards by His Spirit and by moving people to give in financial emergencies, for the money needed to advance His work is already His entrusted to stewards who can be moved to provide it. When His people have fully done what they can for missionary work they should seek God's help rather than let the work stop, bringing matters of means to Him with living faith and prayer while relying on Him and doing the very best they can. Those who pray, believe, and act with living faith for the needs of missions can expect Him to send help at the right time to advance His work, for He is a prayer-hearing and prayer-answering God. His people and His work also belong to Him, so workers should ask Jesus for help and keep doing their best as laborers together with God, dedicating every power and faculty to His service.
Faithful Giving for Mission
The silver and the gold belong to the Lord, so money sent in for His work is already His, and giving is returning to Him what is His own. Money entrusted to people remains His, to be used as His cause requires. His people are therefore to deny themselves in personal spending and put what is saved into His treasury for the proclamation of the truth. Nothing is to be wasted on needless things such as candy, bows, ribbons, unnecessary dress, bicycles, and selfish gratification, but what is saved by self-denial and self-sacrifice is to be invested in His cause to bring souls to knowledge of the truth, to carry missionary work forward in different places and climes, to help educate, and to establish plain and simple schoolhouses and meetinghouses. Those baptized with the Holy Spirit will recognize that every dollar is the Lord's money lent to them, and will no longer keep means for worldly business lines and money-making schemes but will give it to carry on God's work. All are to wake up to a responsibility many have not realized and bring a faithful tithe into God's treasury so that it will not be empty, for robbing God in tithes and offerings is condemned since He has given life and all wealth.
Holding onto His money is wrong while the world is perishing in sins and iniquity when eternal life that measures with the life of God is offered to them. Every dollar of gold and silver is His money, even money kept in banks, and His people are to have a spirit of self-sacrifice and generosity and act their part with what they have in sending missionaries and converting souls. Means must be given now to send preachers so all can see and understand the truth, because people cannot hear without a preacher and preachers cannot preach unless they are sent, and the tithe gathered is not half enough for the need. The giving is urgent because only a few hours remain. Riches are His, not people's, and their possession calls for sacrifice and faithful giving.
Material wealth is held as stewardship of what is God's, and with time, strength, and abilities is to be willingly used to honor and serve Him, to advance His cause, glorify His name, and benefit others rather than exalting self or oppressing the poor. Money possessed is lent temporarily and is to be used for His glory, including support of His cause, and giving it for that purpose is not a loss. What is possessed is lent by God and should be used to promote His glory rather than hoarded or spent only for personal gratification. Giving willingly when God calls makes the gift a consecrated offering and lays up secure treasure in heaven.
Families and church members must not appropriate His means to selfish purposes while His house remains burdened with debt. Church debt continues not because freedom is impossible but because of selfish indulgence and neglect, and by this neglect God is dishonored. When He binds about resources it is the result of that neglect, and the churches must awaken from torpor and do their part with self-sacrifice and self-denial to lighten the debt on His house, to free church buildings from debt, and to keep God's house in the very best condition without taking means from the treasury to defray running expenses. Using that money for selfish purposes, to gratify ambition or pride or selfish indulgence, to embellish own houses and to spend on bicycles and various things for selfish gratification, dishonors God, leaves sacred things withered and neglected, brings the charge of slothful servants, and forfeits blessing. Neglect to help care for the house of worship and relieve its debt dishonors God, while uniting to provide the means needed to complete His enterprises enables them to serve effectively.
This stewardship calls Christians now to come up to His help as stewards and use the Master's entrusted goods in just such emergencies, with His treasures at hand lent in trust, to free His institutions in Denmark and Norway from debt so that no reproach rests on His cause, with angels cooperating in the helping work. Material resources held in trust are to advance His work, and money possessed for His work makes buildings erected with it remain His property. Funds for the work are the Lord's treasury, for every dollar belongs to God as owner of all silver and gold, and His ownership is to be recognized in the use and spending of money. They are God's property to be used with care and fairness across the whole field rather than concentrating resources in one place.
Continual drawing from the Lord's treasury to add facilities where abundance already exists, while needy portions of the field lack those same facilities, is rebuked, and faithfulness requires thinking of the needy places and working as zealously to provide for some other place the facilities claimed as needed in one's own field and to enter new fields. Human ownership is denied, no person is to claim control over the work or its resources, but plans and methods are to be shared with trust in God and following His guidance. All money that comes into the Lord's treasury is His to be distributed to needy enterprises carried forward in harmony with His instruction, without human restriction where the field is greatest in need. Workers doing God-appointed educational work though not under conference organization are just as entitled to a portion as others, and when in stress for means they are just as entitled to call upon God's people for what they need and to accept gifts and freewill offerings, and those who would forbid such appeals and tie their hands so they can hardly move in harmony with the Lord's bidding will be called to account.
Hiding means in a napkin, burying it, embezzling and misappropriating the Lord's goods, diverting means into binding channels away from the cause, and making selfish resolutions that forbid donations without managers' counsel bring God's displeasure and curse, will not be prospered, and dishonor Him and hinder His work of building up, advancing, entering new fields, and lifting the standard of truth in new territories east or west, north or south. Money pledged for a particular branch of His ordered work is a sacred offering and should be used for its intended purpose, not diverted by private judgment. Wealth set aside and unused is God's property and should help advance His work, including schools and care for the sick. Because the money, gold and silver handled by wealthy men and women belongs to the Lord, those who have means are to be directly invited and solicited by personal visit to donate it to advance and sustain sanitarium work for caring for the sick, including the present emergency need at Paradise Valley in San Diego, with physicians and ministers presenting the necessities of the sick so the suffering sick and the poor who cannot be turned away may receive attention. Though the gold and silver are His, He does not send angels to build churches but makes people His stewards and expects them to provide the means, including building a place of worship.
Warnings Against Misuse
The silver and the gold belong to God, and to spend His money on selfish desire, ambition, pride, vanity, appetite, indulgence and self-gratification dishonors Him. To enrich one's own home and embellish houses while neglecting His cause and His house leaves people without His blessing. Money is a sacred trust to be spent wisely according to His will and used faithfully for sacred purposes, including keeping the house of God in good condition, and unfaithfulness in this brings the charge of slothful servants.
Collecting and saving money must never become the chief consideration, and religious and spiritual interests must never be narrowed down and subordinated to building up means in the treasury so officers may stand high with a reputation as good financiers. The economy that makes the salvation of souls secondary, withholds sufficient salary from ministers, discourages laborers who should enter the field, and retards the work is an offense to God. He looks beneath the surface to the outcome and does not approve such financiering. The real work is the salvation of souls in a dark world waiting for gospel light, and when laborers work with truly converted hearts, zeal and sanctified ability to preach the Word, souls are converted and add tithes and offerings to supply revenue to His cause.
The silver and gold are the Lord's goods entrusted to men to advance His cause and the knowledge of the truth through His appointed agencies, and to spend them in extravagance in any line consumes what belongs to the Lord. Great outlay for daring balloon ascensions, automobiles and various other ways is forbidden by the want and suffering to be relieved and by the work to be carried forward in the cities in establishing sanitariums for the sick and hiring halls to give the last message of mercy to sinners. In the great day of reckoning all such extravagance will appear as it is.
Everything committed to men is simply entrusted to them as stewards, for there are no impossibilities with God because the riches of the earth and the cattle upon a thousand hills are His. They are to dedicate every power and faculty to His service, consecrate themselves and mind and body and all they have to His work, understand their value so the Master may meet with no loss, and carefully examine for whom they are putting out their talents and whether they are yielding usury for their rightful owner. At the second coming of Christ it will be made apparent whether they made wise use of the Lord's goods for the extension of His kingdom when He returns and reckons with His servants about the money entrusted to their care. God has not designed that thousands of pounds should be locked up in banks or in investments or spent needlessly to rob His treasury, but that they should be put to wise use at His command, including erecting a house of worship in Melbourne so those embracing unpopular truth may have a church home. Those who invest in that enterprise will see blessed results in this world, but will not fully know the consequences of their beneficence until the judgment shall sit and every man shall be rewarded according to his works.
Because He owns all the silver and gold He is able to provide for the needs of His servants, and those whom the Holy Spirit sends to do a certain work can believe the One who sends them will support them in that work even if conference support is discontinued. Conference presidents must not interpose themselves between God and His servants by permitting or forbidding where and how they labor or by threatening to cut off their support. When that man-ruling, controlling power is no longer exercised, workers will be directed to God and their faith in His power to lead, guide and provide will be revived.
The silver and the gold belong to the Lord of hosts as their owner, and the promise was spoken to comfort the builders of the second temple that its lesser outward splendor was no cause for sorrow, for its glory lay not in costly materials but in His presence and the peace He would give, fulfilled when Christ Himself came to the temple. All money, property, houses, lands and the fullness of the world are His, held in His treasury and lent to men for a time as entrusted stewards who must render a strict account, and even time, talents, powers, body and life itself are bought with a price to be returned to Him daily. Because His resources are unlimited He is not dependent on any man, so lack of money is no reason for despair or distrust, but His workers should ask Him for help, move forward in faith, and expect Him to open the way and move hearts to give at the right time. Giving to His work is therefore only returning what is already His, calling for self-denial, faithful tithe and generous sacrifice to send preachers, free His house from debt and advance His cause, rather than spending it on selfish indulgence, extravagance or hoarding while the world perishes. Yet even though all silver and gold are His, corruptible wealth could not purchase salvation, for the sinner could be redeemed only by the precious blood of the Son of God.
Temple Context and Glory
The declaration that silver and gold belong to the Lord of hosts was spoken to comfort the builders of the second temple, whose house was lesser in cost and outward splendor, that this was no reason for sorrow, since it was the Lord's presence and not costly materials that made the house glorious, and He who owned all could provide whatever was needed. Its splendor was not itself the Lord's glory, for the greater glory and blessing promised to the house would come through the Lord's presence and the peace He would give, not through wealth or outward display. That promise that the latter house would surpass the former in glory was fulfilled not by wealth or splendor but by the presence of Christ, when the Desire of all nations came into the temple, and in Christ alone the second temple exceeded the first, yet when Israel rejected Him its glory departed and it was left desolate.
The chapter that holds this promise applies its lessons to putting the building of a house of worship among the people's first concerns. Though all gold and silver belonged to Christ, so that He could have met every expense for great display and could have come accompanied by a retinue of angelic beings to impress minds and call people to repentance, He made no display. He laid aside His kingly crown and royal robes and His command in the heavenly courts, clothed His divinity with humanity, and came as a helpless babe to meet all human temptations and stand at the head of the fallen race.
Divine Ownership and Stewardship
The silver and the gold, every dollar, all money, property, houses, lands, and the abundance and fullness of the world belong to the Lord of hosts as owner, held in His treasury. Whatever wealth comes under human control is entrusted property lent temporarily, not personal ownership to use as people please, and those who hold it are accountable stewards who must use it faithfully for His work and to relieve human need. Money is a talent entrusted to His servants to advance His work, to meet needs and save souls, including relieving His institutions in Denmark and Norway from debt. Faithfulness to that ownership requires not drawing continually upon His treasury to add facilities where abundance already exists while needy portions of the field lack them, but thinking of needy places and working as zealously to provide for another place the facilities claimed as needed in one's own field.
Possession of wealth is not an independent achievement, and money and other abilities are entrusted gifts from God. Having them does not make a person greater in His sight, for He can take them away, and human worth and power come from dependence on God rather than from wealth or self-glorifying claims of ability. He keeps a strict account with every son and daughter of Adam of how His goods are appropriated, for they are entrusted only temporarily and their use tests character. Both principal and increase remain the Lord's, and stewards must use wealth faithfully and will answer to God for how they administer it, with misuse through greed and covetousness bringing accountability and the reward of the unfaithful servant.
That responsibility is not removed by failing to profess to serve Him. Using what belongs to Him for selfish worldly interests and burying it in worldly enterprises to advance selfish interests is still misuse and does not lessen guilt. His ownership includes all of a person's goods, physical and mental powers, time, talents, life itself, souls and bodies, the vineyard, and the whole cause east or west, north or south. He keeps every person alive day by day, hour by hour, minute by minute, supplying air for the lungs and making food a benefit rather than a minister of evil and death, so that one word from Him would still a person in death, and all time, talents and money have been bought with a price to be returned to Him daily as He tests and proves. He spares the life of the sinner until He sees the life will not be surrendered to Him, having an interest as Creator in the work of His hands, presenting before each person the peril of closing the heart against the Saviour and calling to turn from death. All means are His entrusted talents to be used without human restriction where the field is in greatest need, to build up His work, enter new fields and lift the standard of truth in new territories, while hiding means in a napkin, burying, embezzling, misappropriating, diverting into binding channels, and forbidding donations without managers' counsel bring His displeasure and curse, dishonor Him and hinder His work.
He is the source of every blessing, and offerings do not enrich Him who already owns all things. Returning a portion acknowledges that all comes from Him and expresses dependence, gratitude, love and devotion. He accepts humble willing gifts as evidence of grateful obedience, for the giver's good, to develop a benevolent unselfish character, but even an expensive offering is unacceptable without pure love. Means are entrusted not for hoarding or for exalting self or oppressing the poor, but for advancing His cause, glorifying His name, supporting His work and benefiting others. He could provide means directly, send them from heaven, or create abundance without asking any sacrifice, but He never works that way. Instead He entrusts people with means as stewards and channels of blessing so they become benevolent and unselfish and every soul may share the blessing of returning to the Lord what is His own, as when offerings were called for the sanctuary in the wilderness until the leaders said it was enough and to bring no more, a call now applied to freewill offerings to buy property for a school where youth are educated to go forth as missionaries, with money ready when the deed is presented.
Wealth held even by Gentiles, idolaters, the heathen, worldly men and men in high places with means and influence is still His provision, placed by Him in human hands so the hungry can be fed, the naked clothed and the homeless housed. He moves upon them to give of their abundance for His work, and if His people walk with Him in faith and remain a distinct people He will open the hearts of wealthy men who never professed religion to give voluntarily, without restrictions and without requiring control, because they are convinced His power is with His people. His people, while in the world but not of it, should become acquainted with them, travail of soul for them, bring truth before them and invite them to come, wisely give them opportunity to give and obtain advantages and privileges for the cause, receiving what they give with gratitude and using money given by unbelievers to honor God and advance His work, since taking them requires sacrificing no principle of truth. Yet they depart from Him when they bind themselves to worldly wisdom or conform to worldly standards to secure gifts, for between God and mammon there can be no union.
Wealth Cannot Redeem Sinners
The silver and gold belong to God, yet corruptible wealth could not purchase human salvation. If wealth could redeem the sinner, redemption would have been easily accomplished by Him from what is already His, since it could not be beyond His power to use. The transgressor can be redeemed only by the precious blood of the Son of God, of Christ, because salvation was established through sacrifice. Those who fail to appreciate that sacrifice and withhold themselves from Christ's service will perish in their selfishness.
God Able to Provide
All silver and gold belong to the Lord, whose resources are unlimited and include the cattle upon a thousand hills, so He is not dependent on any person or their resources to carry forward His work. By His own power He can accomplish whatever He wills, and people are only graciously given the privilege of cooperating with Him and relying on the strength He gives. His work must follow His order and reflect His purpose rather than human judgment. Because He owns the world and all its resources, lack of available money is no reason to lose faith or despair. Workers should not worry about finances, stay sad over discouraging financial reports, or fix their eyes on loss and lack of means, but be cheerful and let go of disappointment about money. They can ask Him to supply what is needed for temporal and spiritual help and move forward in faith rather than distrust, believing His work will not stand still or come to a standstill for lack of resources but He will open the way.
This ownership supported confidence to begin a meeting house when a 200-pound donation arrived bringing available funds to 300 pounds and the land was cleared for construction. It assures resources to provide suitable places for worship in Melbourne and other places where His people may obtain a place to worship Him, and to advance missionary work in Australia. America is to help establish the medical and gospel work in Australia, and means are assured for keeping missionaries in the field when expected help fails even when the mission field lacks means. In the matter of funding the sanitarium the same truth encourages confidence that the needed resources are ultimately His and will be available as faith is tested. It likewise assures means for buying land and establishing a school.
God supplies these needs by moving stewards by His Spirit and by moving people to give in financial emergencies, for the money needed to advance His work is already His entrusted to stewards who can be moved to provide it. When His people have fully done what they can for missionary work they should seek God's help rather than let the work stop, bringing matters of means to Him with living faith and prayer while relying on Him and doing the very best they can. Those who pray, believe, and act with living faith for the needs of missions can expect Him to send help at the right time to advance His work, for He is a prayer-hearing and prayer-answering God. His people and His work also belong to Him, so workers should ask Jesus for help and keep doing their best as laborers together with God, dedicating every power and faculty to His service.
Faithful Giving for Mission
The silver and the gold belong to the Lord, so money sent in for His work is already His, and giving is returning to Him what is His own. Money entrusted to people remains His, to be used as His cause requires. His people are therefore to deny themselves in personal spending and put what is saved into His treasury for the proclamation of the truth. Nothing is to be wasted on needless things such as candy, bows, ribbons, unnecessary dress, bicycles, and selfish gratification, but what is saved by self-denial and self-sacrifice is to be invested in His cause to bring souls to knowledge of the truth, to carry missionary work forward in different places and climes, to help educate, and to establish plain and simple schoolhouses and meetinghouses. Those baptized with the Holy Spirit will recognize that every dollar is the Lord's money lent to them, and will no longer keep means for worldly business lines and money-making schemes but will give it to carry on God's work. All are to wake up to a responsibility many have not realized and bring a faithful tithe into God's treasury so that it will not be empty, for robbing God in tithes and offerings is condemned since He has given life and all wealth.
Holding onto His money is wrong while the world is perishing in sins and iniquity when eternal life that measures with the life of God is offered to them. Every dollar of gold and silver is His money, even money kept in banks, and His people are to have a spirit of self-sacrifice and generosity and act their part with what they have in sending missionaries and converting souls. Means must be given now to send preachers so all can see and understand the truth, because people cannot hear without a preacher and preachers cannot preach unless they are sent, and the tithe gathered is not half enough for the need. The giving is urgent because only a few hours remain. Riches are His, not people's, and their possession calls for sacrifice and faithful giving.
Material wealth is held as stewardship of what is God's, and with time, strength, and abilities is to be willingly used to honor and serve Him, to advance His cause, glorify His name, and benefit others rather than exalting self or oppressing the poor. Money possessed is lent temporarily and is to be used for His glory, including support of His cause, and giving it for that purpose is not a loss. What is possessed is lent by God and should be used to promote His glory rather than hoarded or spent only for personal gratification. Giving willingly when God calls makes the gift a consecrated offering and lays up secure treasure in heaven.
Families and church members must not appropriate His means to selfish purposes while His house remains burdened with debt. Church debt continues not because freedom is impossible but because of selfish indulgence and neglect, and by this neglect God is dishonored. When He binds about resources it is the result of that neglect, and the churches must awaken from torpor and do their part with self-sacrifice and self-denial to lighten the debt on His house, to free church buildings from debt, and to keep God's house in the very best condition without taking means from the treasury to defray running expenses. Using that money for selfish purposes, to gratify ambition or pride or selfish indulgence, to embellish own houses and to spend on bicycles and various things for selfish gratification, dishonors God, leaves sacred things withered and neglected, brings the charge of slothful servants, and forfeits blessing. Neglect to help care for the house of worship and relieve its debt dishonors God, while uniting to provide the means needed to complete His enterprises enables them to serve effectively.
This stewardship calls Christians now to come up to His help as stewards and use the Master's entrusted goods in just such emergencies, with His treasures at hand lent in trust, to free His institutions in Denmark and Norway from debt so that no reproach rests on His cause, with angels cooperating in the helping work. Material resources held in trust are to advance His work, and money possessed for His work makes buildings erected with it remain His property. Funds for the work are the Lord's treasury, for every dollar belongs to God as owner of all silver and gold, and His ownership is to be recognized in the use and spending of money. They are God's property to be used with care and fairness across the whole field rather than concentrating resources in one place.
Continual drawing from the Lord's treasury to add facilities where abundance already exists, while needy portions of the field lack those same facilities, is rebuked, and faithfulness requires thinking of the needy places and working as zealously to provide for some other place the facilities claimed as needed in one's own field and to enter new fields. Human ownership is denied, no person is to claim control over the work or its resources, but plans and methods are to be shared with trust in God and following His guidance. All money that comes into the Lord's treasury is His to be distributed to needy enterprises carried forward in harmony with His instruction, without human restriction where the field is greatest in need. Workers doing God-appointed educational work though not under conference organization are just as entitled to a portion as others, and when in stress for means they are just as entitled to call upon God's people for what they need and to accept gifts and freewill offerings, and those who would forbid such appeals and tie their hands so they can hardly move in harmony with the Lord's bidding will be called to account.
Hiding means in a napkin, burying it, embezzling and misappropriating the Lord's goods, diverting means into binding channels away from the cause, and making selfish resolutions that forbid donations without managers' counsel bring God's displeasure and curse, will not be prospered, and dishonor Him and hinder His work of building up, advancing, entering new fields, and lifting the standard of truth in new territories east or west, north or south. Money pledged for a particular branch of His ordered work is a sacred offering and should be used for its intended purpose, not diverted by private judgment. Wealth set aside and unused is God's property and should help advance His work, including schools and care for the sick. Because the money, gold and silver handled by wealthy men and women belongs to the Lord, those who have means are to be directly invited and solicited by personal visit to donate it to advance and sustain sanitarium work for caring for the sick, including the present emergency need at Paradise Valley in San Diego, with physicians and ministers presenting the necessities of the sick so the suffering sick and the poor who cannot be turned away may receive attention. Though the gold and silver are His, He does not send angels to build churches but makes people His stewards and expects them to provide the means, including building a place of worship.
Warnings Against Misuse
The silver and the gold belong to God, and to spend His money on selfish desire, ambition, pride, vanity, appetite, indulgence and self-gratification dishonors Him. To enrich one's own home and embellish houses while neglecting His cause and His house leaves people without His blessing. Money is a sacred trust to be spent wisely according to His will and used faithfully for sacred purposes, including keeping the house of God in good condition, and unfaithfulness in this brings the charge of slothful servants.
Collecting and saving money must never become the chief consideration, and religious and spiritual interests must never be narrowed down and subordinated to building up means in the treasury so officers may stand high with a reputation as good financiers. The economy that makes the salvation of souls secondary, withholds sufficient salary from ministers, discourages laborers who should enter the field, and retards the work is an offense to God. He looks beneath the surface to the outcome and does not approve such financiering. The real work is the salvation of souls in a dark world waiting for gospel light, and when laborers work with truly converted hearts, zeal and sanctified ability to preach the Word, souls are converted and add tithes and offerings to supply revenue to His cause.
The silver and gold are the Lord's goods entrusted to men to advance His cause and the knowledge of the truth through His appointed agencies, and to spend them in extravagance in any line consumes what belongs to the Lord. Great outlay for daring balloon ascensions, automobiles and various other ways is forbidden by the want and suffering to be relieved and by the work to be carried forward in the cities in establishing sanitariums for the sick and hiring halls to give the last message of mercy to sinners. In the great day of reckoning all such extravagance will appear as it is.
Everything committed to men is simply entrusted to them as stewards, for there are no impossibilities with God because the riches of the earth and the cattle upon a thousand hills are His. They are to dedicate every power and faculty to His service, consecrate themselves and mind and body and all they have to His work, understand their value so the Master may meet with no loss, and carefully examine for whom they are putting out their talents and whether they are yielding usury for their rightful owner. At the second coming of Christ it will be made apparent whether they made wise use of the Lord's goods for the extension of His kingdom when He returns and reckons with His servants about the money entrusted to their care. God has not designed that thousands of pounds should be locked up in banks or in investments or spent needlessly to rob His treasury, but that they should be put to wise use at His command, including erecting a house of worship in Melbourne so those embracing unpopular truth may have a church home. Those who invest in that enterprise will see blessed results in this world, but will not fully know the consequences of their beneficence until the judgment shall sit and every man shall be rewarded according to his works.
Because He owns all the silver and gold He is able to provide for the needs of His servants, and those whom the Holy Spirit sends to do a certain work can believe the One who sends them will support them in that work even if conference support is discontinued. Conference presidents must not interpose themselves between God and His servants by permitting or forbidding where and how they labor or by threatening to cut off their support. When that man-ruling, controlling power is no longer exercised, workers will be directed to God and their faith in His power to lead, guide and provide will be revived.