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Here is a link to show exactly where the Space Station is over earth right now: Click Here
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Re: First Quarter 2018 - Stewardship - Motives of the Heart
[Re: Daryl]
#185998
02/11/18 07:53 PM
02/11/18 07:53 PM
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Global Moderator Supporting Member 2022
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Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 6,440
Canada
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Lesson 7 - Honesty With God
Luke 16:10 If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities. NLT
Can we "fool" God?
We might fool ourselves and we tend to do so much of the time; because it arises from our "deceitful hearts". We may even fool others, but we can never fool God.
The lesson asks "what is an honest heart?"
Is it someone who has good intentions? No, of ourselves we just have a carnal heart, which scripture says is "deceitful above all things".
There is only one way to obtain a truly honest heart and that is a heart fully given to Christ, for Him to cleanse and to ingrain His law and righteousness within it.
One of our biggest problems with "dishonesty" is that we have a deceitful heart, and are very good at deceiving ourselves, and rationalizing away truth. Until Christ gets hold of us and exposes the deceptions in our hearts and opens our eyes to His righteousness and truth and the huge contrast between our "honesty" and His honesty, we will not be completely honest.
But Christ leads us into the paths of righteousness for His name sake. He can make us like the 144,000 in whom was found no guile (deceitfulness) because they follow the Lamb everywhere He leads.
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Here is the link to this week's Sabbath School Lesson Study and Discussion Material: Click Here
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Re: First Quarter 2018 - Stewardship - Motives of the Heart
[Re: Daryl]
#186001
02/11/18 11:36 PM
02/11/18 11:36 PM
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God, though, knows just how easily we can be dishonest, especially when it comes to the things that we possess. Hence, He has given us a powerful antidote to dishonesty and selfishness, at least when it comes to material possessions.
Malachi 3:8 Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.
Malachi 3:10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.
Statistics show that many SDAs do not pay an honest tithe.
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Re: First Quarter 2018 - Stewardship - Motives of the Heart
[Re: Daryl]
#186015
02/14/18 09:55 PM
02/14/18 09:55 PM
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SDA Active Member 2024
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Posts: 6,429
Midland
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Statistics show that many SDAs do not pay an honest tithe.
Seems like an absolute objective thing. I wonder how one determines that? 'Please turn in a copy of your tax forms with your offerings'
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Re: First Quarter 2018 - Stewardship - Motives of the Heart
[Re: kland]
#186017
02/15/18 10:18 PM
02/15/18 10:18 PM
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Statistics show that many SDAs do not pay an honest tithe.
Seems like an absolute objective thing. I wonder how one determines that? 'Please turn in a copy of your tax forms with your offerings' That is actually a good question! How does one determine that??? Need to try and do some research regarding that.
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Re: First Quarter 2018 - Stewardship - Motives of the Heart
[Re: dedication]
#186043
02/20/18 05:12 PM
02/20/18 05:12 PM
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For example -- A farmer sells his crop at the end of the season and receives XXXX number of dollars. Does he pay tithe on the total amount then received, or has he kept record of the expenses it took to produce the crop -- (money spent on seed, fertilizer, hauling expenses, equipment expenses, etc. etc. and deducts that from the total amount received for the crop, then pays his tithe on the "increase"?
Then the question arises == what about the working mother. If she earns $2000 a month but has to pay 600 of that to the child care -- can she deduct that expense from her "increase" before paying tithe on the "increase"? But then it can go further -- what about the gas to drive to work? Or what about the car itself?
I think you are stretching things a little bit. From what I understood "gross" and "net" to refer to is before or after taxes. Suppose a farmer puts $4K of fertilizer on his field and makes $2K off of selling. What do you suggest? As far as the mother and babysitting, uhmmmm.... I think the IRS does allow some things, but as far as if running a business, only business expenses are allowed. Too many people are accepting utility companies deceitful and devious practices. They charge extra fees, environmental fees, federal recovery fees (which aren't taxes), lighting fees, everything which should be part of their main charges, but add them extra. So now, people are of the opinion that we can subtract babysitting costs, fuel costs, insurance costs, housing costs, all from our paycheck and then say we don't need to give tithe. Back to the farmer. Or other business owner. Suppose someone sells widgets for $100. But it costs $90 for the raw materials and labor to produce it. What does he give tithe on? I say the increase. Num 18:28 Thus ye also shall offer an heave offering unto the Lord of all your tithes, which ye receive of the children of Israel; and ye shall give thereof the Lord’s heave offering to Aaron the priest. Num 18:29 Out of all your gifts ye shall offer every heave offering of the Lord, of all the best thereof, even the hallowed part thereof out of it. * Num 18:30 Therefore thou shalt say unto them, When ye have heaved the best thereof from it, then it shall be counted unto the Levites as the increase of the threshingfloor, and as the increase of the winepress.
Do they give tithe on the seed they planted? Deut 14:22 Thou shalt truly tithe all the increase of thy seed, that the field bringeth forth year by year.
What does it mean to you?
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Re: First Quarter 2018 - Stewardship - Motives of the Heart
[Re: Daryl]
#186044
02/20/18 05:21 PM
02/20/18 05:21 PM
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SDA Active Member 2024
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Posts: 6,429
Midland
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Tuesday: God’s tithing system is His chosen means for supporting the ministry, and it has been in use throughout salvation history. Supporting such laborers with tithe, then, is foundational and fundamental to God’s work.Tithe is to be used for a particular purpose and must remain so. “The tithe is set apart for a special use. It is not to be regarded as a poor fund. It is to be especially devoted to the support of those who are bearing God’s message to the world; and it should not be diverted from this purpose.” - Ellen G. White, Counsels on Stewardship, p. 103. https://www.adventist.org/en/information/official-statements/guidelines/article/go/-/use-of-tithe/4) The support of functions which are considered essential to the evangelistic outreach and nurturing ministries of the church. a. Elementary Schools b. Academies c. Colleges/Universities Agree or disagree that there's a match or mismatch?
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