GIVEN TO GOD
By
Phil Scovell
Copyright (C) 1997/2003
By Phil Scovell
All Rights Reserved
Reproduction of the following is granted by the copyright holder,
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it was given. It may not be reproduced and sold for financial
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Scovell. Electronic formats may be distributed freely but this
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CONTACT INFORMATION
Phil Scovell
840 South Sheridan Boulevard
Denver, Colorado 80226-8017
Toll Free: 888-936-0001
Voice: 303-936-2188
Fax: 303-936-1841
Email: Phil@RedWhiteAndBlue.ORG
Web: WWW.RedWhiteAndBlue.ORG
GIVEN TO GOD
By
Phil Scovell
Because of the burden of responsibility placed upon the man
of God, stewardship is often taught by pastors when the offerings
have fallen dramatically. In such cases, men are often
tempted to teach on the necessity of the Believer's faithfulness
to God in the matter of monies. Nearly every time this winds up
being a sermon on tithing (I.E., giving ten percent of one's
income to the Lord). Since I have written a booklet called
"Robbing God" on the subject of the unscriptural practice of New
Testament tithing, I will refrain from touching on that aspect of
giving/stewardship. I will, on the other hand, share on what I
believe God has revealed to me on giving.
1
Being raised Baptist, I learned about giving very young. I
began tithing as a youth because, I was taught, it was
Scriptural. Additionally, I was taught God wouldn't bless me
otherwise. I never felt cheated, though, in any way nor did I
give with a poor attitude. I, in fact, was happy to do so and
gave willingly. Many years later God began to reveal that giving
was not a burden God levied upon His people to bring about
suffering and consternation but, if handled properly, was
something for personal benefit.
The first thing I discovered deals with the sufficiency of
God. That is, God is without need. As I read the Scriptures one
day, Psalm 50:12 stood off the page.
If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world
is mine, and the fullness thereof.
I was humbled. My giving suddenly became embarrassingly
transparent. If God didn't need my money, why was I giving?
Didn't God need my money to operate His church? Well, maybe not
my money; I wasn't a millionaire. Surely God needed money
though. I was back to square #1. Why was I giving?
2
The second thing God revealed to me concerning giving was
everything I had belonged to God. Well, shoot, I always knew
that intellectually. I mean, God was the giver of all things and
whatever I had certainly was of God. I had no trouble with this
idea until God asked me to give away something very important.
For several years I did high speed cassette duplication for
churches and evangelists. I had a couple of high speed
duplicators and several cassette recorders used to construct
master tapes. Since one of my main mastering recorders was about
ready to give up the ghost, I looked at some very nice, high
quality, cassette recorders and decided to purchase a machine for
about $500. After mail ordering the unit, I anxiously
anticipated its arrival. Upon delivery, I quickly pulled it from
the shipping carton and installed it. The machine's usage
greatly enhanced my capabilities to improved old and warn
cassettes.
One day, while working in my office, I heard the Lord speak
to me in my heart. He told me to give that new tape recorder to
an assistant pastor for whom I had done some work in the past.
I, of course, immediately rebuke the evil spirit that was
afflicting me. It couldn't have been God asking me to do this
thing since I had just purchased it. Besides, I needed it and
God wouldn't ask me to give up something I needed. Days past.
That still small voice kept nudging me... "Give that tape
recorder to..." It was a strange feeling of awareness. I knew
it was God and I knew what He was saying. I had never
experienced such a clear impression of God before yet I rebelled.
Why? I wanted the recorder. Besides, I didn't even like this
guy; he was rude and inconsiderate. Furthermore, he was wrong on
some of his preaching. More than that, he was just a kid
preacher, too, and I didn't even like him. Finally, after a few
days, the pain finally dissipated and I forgot about giving my
precious machine to this knucklehead.
After only having the recorder for a few short months, it
broke. I suddenly remembered how God had encouraged me to give
that machine away. I, however, had stedfastly refused.
"Shoot," I thought. "If I had obeyed God, this dumb tape
recorder; this now busted tape recorder, would belong to that guy
and would be his problem; not mine." It still sits on my shelf,
inoperative; a silent reminder of my disobedience. Sure, I've
considered getting it repaired - to the tune over more than $150
- and giving it to him. I haven't, though, for two reasons.
First, God hasn't told me to do so, and second, it wouldn't be
the same.
From this lesson, I learned that everything I had belonged
to God. This means, of course, God has the right to anything I
have. Wow! That's hard. "What if God asks me to give..." You
fill in the blank. I agree. That makes me a little nervous,
too.
3
While trying to catch your breath, let me quickly touch on
the third thing I have learned. Not only does He not need what I
have and not only does everything I have belong to Him, but in
fact everything He has is mine. Boy, that's something. In fact,
I would suggest most people reading this article will immediately
begin spitting, rending their cloths, and casting dust into the
air over my statement. These, however, would be those unfamiliar
with our covenant relationship with God as Heavenly Father. My
statement, fortunately, is backed up by the Holy Spirit when He
inspired Paul to write Romans 8:16-17.
The Spirit Himself beareth witness with our spirit,
that we are the children of God: And if children, then
heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so
be that we suffer with him, that we may be also
glorified together.
As joint-heirs with Christ, we are possessors of all that
God has given His Son Jesus Christ. Jesus proclaimed that all
power in heaven and on earth had been given unto Him as He spoke
with His disciples just before ascending into Heaven (Matt.
28:16-18). This wasn't simply a reference to power in the sense
of spiritual force; it was absolute authority. In short, it
means we have the authority as heirs to obtain from God what we
need on earth. If you doubt what I've just said, explain what
Jesus really meant when He told the disciples to ask anything in
His name and they would receive it from His Father (John 16:23-
24). Try to explicate, if you can, what Jesus was talking about
when he said "Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." If
one will study covenants, especially Biblical covenants, it will
be clearly seen and understood that a covenant between two
parties includes personal possession of all things common. It
is, in another words, a living will...what I have is yours and
what you have is mine. It is indicative of a marriage
relationship.
CONCLUSION
What a relationship we are privileged to share with our
Heavenly Father through His Son Jesus Christ. God doesn't need
any thing we have. Everything we have belongs to Him; everything
He has belongs to us. Somehow, I have the feeling if we
understood and embraced these three aspects of the character of
stewardship, we wouldn't have so much trouble with money; not in
the church nor in our own personal lives as Bible Believers.
It's easier, I guess, just to drop ten percent into the offering
each Sunday because we, in that way, always know where we stand
with God. Perhaps we should change our sermon on stewardship
from "Giving To God" to "The Given To God." If we are given to
Him, we won't worry about the money. If God doesn't, why should
we.
End Of Document
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