Giving to the Lord Giving to the Lord By Rev. Joseph Crump A


s a small child, I was mesmerized and drawn to the beauty of worship in our church services and was enamored with being able to give some- thing in the offering plate as it passed by. I would often bum a dime or


quarter off of my father so that I could try and make a loud clank on the ancient offering plates. When the men had collected the plates and were standing in formation to bring them to the front of the sanctuary, the organ would build in strains of beautiful music, and we would begin singing, “All things come  during the service is an act of worship that demonstrates an acknowledgment of his provision.


All that we have is a gift from our heavenly Father, and our very lives are a part of his providence. When we enjoy the labors of our hands, it is because  When we give thanks to Jesus, it truly is because all that we are and have or ever will have or will be is a testimony to his grace. One of the ways to give thanks is through giving of ourselves in Tithing, Gifts, and Time. It has been from the days of creation to the present day that we give offerings to the Lord. 


of appreciation and thanksgiving for all that he is in a covenantal relationship with us. A covenant is an agreement between two or more persons with prom- ises and requirements. God has entered into a covenant with us, saying that we are his people and that he will watch over us and bless us. At Camp Joy one year, our memory verse was, “The Lord watches over those who put their trust  of all our needs. As it has been said, “The more we place things in his hands,


the more that we really see that they  and his kingdom is a matter of trust. It is trusting him above ourselves and our abilities and watching in faith as he works all things for his purposes. Jesus taught his disciples these


truths, and the church for centuries has followed this pattern of wor- ship, giving to the Lord in their com- munity of believers and using the funds for the ministry of the church. The Levites, temple workers, were the recipients of some of this Tithe, but they too were required to give a tithe of what they received. We, as a church, tithe from our church budget to the Associate Reformed Presbyte- rian Denominational Ministry Fun, supporting missionaries and minis- tries of our denomination.


In the mindset of giving, the apos- tle quotes the words of Jesus, “It is  (Acts 20:35). I have heard this all of my life as it was quoted to myself and all of my cousins by my grandmother. She was generous in spirit and with all of her worldly goods. Everyone was blessed by being in her presence, and you would never leave her home without being blessed with some to-  Even as a young man, I received a jar  being generous, as the Lord is gener- ous to us.


Reverend Joseph Crump is the  


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The Associate Reformed Presbyterian


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