Yeah. Proverbs 17, eight. A gift is as a precious stone in the eyes of him that hath it, whithersoever it turneth. it prospers. See, a gift is not something you just hold on to. A gift is something you use. That's why when you have gifts of the spirit, you're supposed to be using those for the Lord, and that's when you're blessing others. He gives you the gift of, we have guys who have skilled trades, and some of you have used those gifts right here and in my life, and I've seen you help others. That's the way it ought to be. It's not just money we're talking about here. It's everything. Have a giving spirit about you. So implication number one of that phrase, give and it shall be given unto you. If you give, you will then be given to abundantly. I've never met any giver who contradicted that. I've never met anybody who's a giver who says, I give all the time, but I never get anything back from God or anybody else. Know anybody like that? I've never met anybody like that. Everybody I know who's a giver loves to tell the stories, You know? That's actually, I believe Jesus is, this is, we're talking to Christians here right now and he's talking to Christians, but I've seen this out in the world. God has made it so that if you're a giver, people will be more apt to give to you. Be a giver and you will then be given to abundantly. The implication number two, if you don't give, don't expect to get. Some of the people who are always complaining, no one likes me, no one helps me, no one. They're also the people who are not a giver. They're not helping anybody else, they're not giving of their time. Some of what you give is in the privacy of your own home, praying for those people. You'll find people who don't even know why, they just feel compelled to help you out or do something for you, and you know it's somebody you've been praying for. It's happened to me over and over through the years. I'm telling you, all I can tell you is I've lived this. God's word says it and I've lived it. And you can take it or leave it, but this is the way it is. And this is not word of faith. This is about believers being generous. Word of faith is you give to get. So that seed of $1,000 and God will bless you. You heard that? and the seed ought to come into my garden, so my garden is located at PO Box 662. Yeah, that's how it's preached. Now, I will say this, and I'm saying this to everybody including people on live stream watching or those watching later on, wherever you're being ministered to, that's where you're giving to God ought to start. If you're online or whatever and you have a local church that is a Bible-believing local church with a good pastor, that's where your giving starts, not here. But if you are here or you're online and this is your church that you are being fed by, that's where your giving should start. And it's not Greg Miller, it's to Bible Believers Fellowship. And I have to say this, because people then say, yeah, you won't pay raise, whatever. I don't receive a salary for this ministry. And it all goes into paying the bills, and ministry, and all that. God's put us in a situation where we can do that, and we're doing it. That's all I want to say on that. As we move on in verse 38, after saying, given it shall be given unto you, he says, good measure, pressed down and shaken together and running over, shall men give unto your bosom. I use that thing about the suits. I mean, think about that. I was giving 10 percent right off the top of my paycheck every week. I was paid weekly. It wasn't very much folks. It wasn't very much. as 10 percent of what little I was making the job I was at. I'm going to tell you this and I'm going to sound like a TV preacher for a minute because I'm just going to brag on the Lord, but I'm going to tell you something. I've had people give me a car. I had people give me suits, like I just said, into the thousands. I have people giving me video collections, hundreds of dollars worth. I had people give me books to the tune of thousands of dollars. One year, I had stored a bunch of my books and things in a garage and there's a flood down, I was outside of Grove City. Really bad flood, I think it was 2002 or right in there, and I lost. I don't know how much it was worth, but I lost books and VHS tapes and all that kind of thing. I was really upset for a little while over it, and then I thought, you know what? I didn't buy those in the first place. That stuff was stuff people had given me. The Lord giveth, Lord taketh away, blessed be the name of the Lord. I said, well, Lord, if you want me to get those books back, I'll get them back. You know, starting the next week, little by little, people started giving me books. It just happened to be the ones that were destroyed in the flood. And I could tell you over and over, story after story. Yes. They make wonderful decorations on the wall. God wants to use you as he uses other men to minister to you. Now, see, to the world, that sounds bad. I don't want to be used. But if you're a spirit-filled Christian, you wake up every day saying, Lord, use me. Use me for your glory in spite of me. In spite of me. I don't really have anything God needs. But I ask you, just in spite of that, use me. Is that your attitude? The idea is that as you give, you get so you can give some more. It's kind of like the opposite of Amway. But you start out with this and if you're a stinge pot, that's where you're going to be stuck right there. But if you're a giver, then you'll start out with this much and then all of a sudden you realize, how did I get this? I'm going to give some of this away, and that keeps coming back and like, wait a minute. That's what it feels like. It's an amazing thing. This is Woody Hayes, quote, you can never pay back, so you should always try to pay forward. As Jenny has just mentioned, the world recognizes this, and some Christians are too stupid to recognize it. You understand that? Jesus said in, Jenny's got the baby so she can't look it up. Well, I was going to have you look something up. Children of the kingdom, Luke 16. Eight, and the Lord commended the unjust steward because he had done wisely. And he says, for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light. And if you are not a giver and you're a Christian, I don't doubt your salvation, but you're proving Jesus right. Because the children of this world, hey man, how do you think, talk about Ohio State University, how do you think Ohio State University has all those big buildings? Pixie dust? The children of this world gave because they have, now they'll say, some of them might be Christian by the way, but some of them will say things like, well, I believe in karma. What's karma? Karma is a pagan version of biblical truth. Satan counterfeits biblical truth all the time. How many of you heard The Secret? Back in the 90s, there was a big book show called The Secret. It was the secret to how to be rich and everything. You know how it was? You were to think, Think positive, think that you're rich, think and then you give. The positive vibes and the positive actions then come back to you. Well, they're close. That's real close. Thankfully, I'm glad about this. Jesus didn't say you had to think about it. He just said give. Because there's been times we do want to be a cheerful giver, but there have been times where I was cheerfully sad because I'm thinking, I don't know how I'm going to pay my bills. Well, actually most of the time it was, we're going to have to live on ramen noodles this week. You know what? If it came to that, so be it. Those things aren't that bad. So there's your example of the world doing what Christians just won't do. The end of the verse then says, this is a promise. For with the same measure that you meet with all, it shall be measured to you again. You get what you give and can only give from what you get. If you give like a tightwad, You're going to, you should expect only that to come back at you. And if it comes back any more than that, I just say, hmm, we'll see what happens in the next few weeks or months. But if you will be a giver, that's the bottom line, be a giver, you'll get, and people say, well, Jesus is talking to people under the law, so I don't care. Well, let's look at 2 Corinthians chapter nine. This is our dispensation, this is a letter to the Church of Corinth, 2 Corinthians chapter nine, beginning in verse six, and he basically is saying in verse six what we just read in the end of verse 38 in Luke six. If you're there, read it with me. But this I say, he which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly, and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. There's a fella that was a pretty wealthy businessman, he's Christian, that I knew some years ago. And I was talking to him and it was somebody in the church who was always hurting and never able to get by and all that. He's told me, he said, ''I have tried to tell them that if they would give the way they're supposed to, they would see things change.'' They look at me and they see I've got plenty of money now. He said, ''I admit that. I'm doing well off.'' He said, ''I'm always looking for ways to give. I'm always looking for people who need. I'm always giving to church and missions.'' He said, ''I tried to tell them when I first started out, I gave, at least 10 percent, sometimes 15, 20 percent. I showed him a picture of the house I lived in, and it was just a step up from a chicken coop. I was driving an old beater car, and it would break down all the time. But I kept giving, and kept giving, and kept giving, and it just all of a sudden, boom. God started blessing me like I couldn't contain it. And he said, I've tried to tell these people for 20 years, he's talking about people he's known that long. He said, they will not listen and they just stay miserable. And that's, you have it right here from the Apostle Paul. If you sow sparingly, you're gonna reap sparingly. Look at verse seven. Read that with me. Every man, according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give, not grudgingly or of necessity, for God loveth a cheerful giver. And as we said, it's cheerful. And what does that mean? That means you are so sure of your relationship with the Lord and you know he's gonna take care of your needs and then some, he always does, that you don't even have to think about it. You just give the way you're supposed to give and you know if you do what you're supposed to do, God will do what he's supposed to do. If not, stay where you are. Sparingly, sparingly. Keep sowing sparingly, keep reaping sparingly. That's your choice. This isn't about getting to heaven. This is about what you ought to be doing if you really, really do believe the Bible and heaven is in your future. Reality check, tight wads are in rebellion against God. Givers enjoy the perks. And Paul quotes Jesus in Acts, and I'm gonna show you that quote, and the exact words are not found in the Gospels. But look at, well, just look up here. Acts 20, 35. I have showed you all things, how that so laboring ye ought to support the weak and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, it is more blessed to give than to receive. You won't find those exact words in Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John. Why? Because I believe he's referring to Luke 6, 38. There are times where Paul will paraphrase something in other places in the Bible. And in this case, he had to be going on what he was told by one of the other apostles. And I believe he's referring to what we're reading right here. It is more blessed to give than to receive. And if you don't know what that's like, I'm telling you. When I receive, I'm blessed. And like I got the suits and somebody gave me a car, all that kind of thing. I mean, it's a blessing. I'm not gonna act like it's not a blessing. But man, it is so much better to be on the other side of that. I gave a car away once. You talk about something that felt real good. It felt better than getting the car. Not everybody's going to have quite that opportunity, but you never know. I believe Paul was referring to Luke 6.38, as I said. Paraphrasing, by the way, is not a sin unless you claim to be translating the words of God. Paraphrases, I believe, calling them a Bible, like the living Bible. They used to call it the living paraphrase. Not as big a problem, but then they started calling it a Bible, and it's not. It's Ken Taylor's words. And so I just want to throw that out there for those of you wondering. But going back then to Luke 638. In Luke 638, I want us to read it again after our discussion. If you're there, read it with me. Give, and it shall be given unto you. Good measure pressed down and shaken together and running over shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye meet with all, it shall be measured to you again. So this attitude of charity has been the driving force of Christian ministry for 2,000 years. When the Christian people at large are givers, you have the missionary movement. You have Bibles being sent all around the world. Right now, in America, it's starting to become a trickle compared to other countries. Other countries like in China, as Trump would say, China. In 1 Corinthians 16.2, this shows the pattern of Christian givings for 2,000 years. Upon the first day of the week, we call that Sunday in our pagan calendars, let every one of you lay by him in store as God hath prospered him. that there be no gatherings when I come. That's why I believe, by the way, that the 10th is the minimum. It's as God hath prospered you. So you should look at your bills and everything. Now, some of you may not see it this way or be able to see it, but when you get your paycheck, you think about what has to be paid and how much is left, and I'll guarantee you for most people, it's 20 or 30 percent that you have left over before you start buying the garbage you don't actually need. So it's easy for most people to take as God has prospered you from that 30 or so plus some people, 50 percent of their paycheck isn't going toward necessities. You can take 10 percent and that still leaves you 40 percent of your paycheck to spend on yourself and get your nails done or whatever. That's talking to the women by the way. I guess men do that too. So I wanna talk about this real quick, tithing. I already said this, I believe it's a minimum standard for the Christian giver. Tithing is not strictly law. You're happy to say, well, that's law. Well, it was in the Mosaic law, that's true, but it predates Mosaic law. Let's look at Genesis 14. Genesis 14, beginning verse 18. And verse 18, we're introduced to Melchizedek, king of Salem, king of peace. And Melchizedek, king of Salem, brought forth bread and wine, and he was the priest of the Most High God. And it says, and he blessed him and said, blessed be Abram of the Most High God, possessor of heaven and earth. Now read verse 20. And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand, and he gave him tithes of all. Now it may not be clear, but we're told elsewhere that Isaac and Jacob gave tithes to Melchizedek through Abraham in his loins. What does that mean? That means this is Abraham giving tithes to Melchizedek. This is Abraham, this is before the Mosaic law. And the standard among God's people was the 10th. And that was the beginning of the giving. That was the minimum. Now, jump over to Genesis 28. And verse 20 is where we start. And Jacob vowed a vow saying, if God will be with me and will keep me in this way that I go and will give me bread to eat and raiment to put on so that I come again to my father's house in peace, then shall the Lord be my God. Now that's not the attitude you should have, but this is Jacob, he didn't have a Bible. and the Holy Spirit indwelling him. And so you'll see things like Gideon's fleece and that sort of thing. But read verse 22 now with me. And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God's house, and of all that thou shalt give me, I will surely give the tenth unto thee. That was his permanent setting, tenth. That's how God's people give. If you're not giving like that, you're not acting like God's people, even if you are. I love you enough to tell you the truth. And if God's people gave the 10th, we could do so much, and I'm not talking about BBF, I mean all of Bible-believing Christianity, we could do so much more. But I'm here to tell you, I know a lot of Bible-believing pastors, I've met them by the dozens over the years, and very few of them have more than a small number in their church, local church, that actually give. Some churches, they say 10 percent of the people pay 100 percent of the bills. What a shame. Conclusion, number one, if you're not a giver, you are self-centered. It really is sad to think how many people sing, I surrender all. They won't even surrender a tenth. Amen. I surrender all, but I don't have time for you. I surrender all, haven't prayed for you in several months. I surrender all, I'll come to church once or twice a year. Okay, I'll stop. If you are not a giver, conclusion number two, you are carnal. You're so stuck in the flesh, you can't let go. That's just the reality. You got so much on your plate to do for you, you, you. You don't have time. You don't have time for the word of God. You don't have time for prayer. You don't have time. I mean, most churches, when they ever have any kind of visitation or anything like that, two or three people show up. I'm talking churches with two or 300 people in the congregation. Conclusion number three, if you're not a giver, you're a hypocrite. Why? Because a Christian is a giver. And if you're not a giver, you're claiming to be something you're not acting like being. A hypocrite's an actor. And an actor acts like, oh yeah, I love the Lord. Yes, oh yeah. I'll talk, talk, talk you to death, but don't ask me to give or do anything. That's most Christians right there I've known through 30 years. By the way, I'm not talking about this particular BBF. I just want you to understand when I say 30 years of ministry, most of the Christians have been like that. Conclusion number five, if you're not a giver, you are hurting yourself. Again, I can talk to I'm blue in the face, but unless you'll do what God's word says, nothing's going to change. Your life is going to change, your finances aren't going to change, And if you're not a giver, you're not only hurting yourself. Why? Because you could be helping other people, but you can't because you've tied your own hands because you're a taiwot, or you're self-centered. Amen. And if you're not a giver, you're going to be ashamed of yourself. Actually, right now, you should be ashamed of yourself, but there's coming a day when all is going to be revealed about your attitude and your works at the judgment seat of Christ if you're a Christian. You're not going to be judged for sins per se because they were under the cross, but you will be judged according to your works and your attitude. Like I said, you take somebody who makes a million dollars since the time they're Christian to the time they die, they make a million dollars. A $100,000 potentially to go to the ministry and some guys are going to have a 1,000, 2,000. It's going to be right there for everybody to see. I think one of the things Christians, if they would start taking the judgment seat of Christ seriously, it would change a lot of people. If you're not a giver, you can change that starting today. And I'm not just talking about money. I mean, go home today and don't do those other things that keep you out of the book. Don't do those things that keep you from praying. Don't do those things that make you not answer a phone call or get in your car and go help somebody. You see what I'm saying? You can start that today, but it does include your money. All you tightwads out there who want to send me the emails, keep them. I'm sick of watching Christians act like they love the Lord and act like they care about lost souls. Put your money where your mouth is. If you're unemployed right now, that means you don't have money to give. But somebody asked me about these checks that the government's sending out. I oppose this, by the way. But I want to tell you this, if you don't cash that check, you're not doing anything, but that money is not going to go back in the budget. So I tell Christians be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. If you get a check and you get something from the government, try it. Give 10 percent of it to your local church. and then take the rest of it and pay off, pay down some debts, or buy a gun and ammo, buy some non-perishable foods so that you can take care of yourself and not be a welfare case, and also might even be able to help somebody else when the chips fall, which they may. Amen? So our giving should be motivated by our love for the Lord and what he has done for us. We love him because he first loved us. And so don't go out here saying, well, I'm gonna do this just because the best great said so. That ain't the way to even do it. If you're gonna do what's right, you do what's right because you realize that Jesus Christ died on the cross to save your scrawny carcass from hell. That's why you do it. Why do I give? Why do I do anything? Hey man, I look at myself in the mirror and I know I should be rotting in hell right now. Greg Miller should be burning in hell right now. I'm talking to myself. And I say, shame on you for not laying down your life. Amen. You realize you should be that rich man in hell crying out for someone to dip the tip of their finger in water to wet my tongue. I'm in torment! And you're not because of Jesus. And you'll never be because of Jesus. And when you have that kind of attitude, man, it's giving stuff, it's a piece of cake. Much more could be said But those whose hearts are right before God have heard enough. Amen. Maybe you do give, but you just realize your attitude's wrong. Maybe you've been convinced by a TV preacher to give so you can get, and then, as James said, consume it upon your lusts. Maybe you give, and you make sure everybody in the building knows you gave. I told you this story about being at a camp meeting, and they're like, First of all, a guy gets up and lies to everybody. The Lord spoke to me today and said there are 10 people here who are going to give $1,000. I want to say, you liar. God didn't tell you that. But the suckers out there who wanted some attention, I'm not going to move forward with this service until the 10 people who are to give stand. And one after another, they stand up. And he denounced their name. Brother so-and-so is our first giver of $1,000. Who's next?