A.　Our material offerings should depend not on the need but on the burden and responsibility we have received.

B.　All the material things and enjoyment in our living apparently come from the uncertain riches, but they actually come from God’s giving; they are supplied to us from God’s rich giving; hence, we must not set our hope on deceitful and uncertain material riches, but on the very God who gives us all things for our enjoyment—1 Tim. 6:17.

II.　“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on the earth…but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven”—Matt. 6:19-20:

A.　We need to look at this word of the Lord from the viewpoint of laying up material riches; to lay up material riches is to save what is left of a man’s gain after the needs of his living have been met.

B.　Here, the Lord charges us not to lay up these surplus riches on the earth, but to lay them up in heaven, that is, to spend them on the heavenly Father, doing such things as helping those in need, thus making friends with them (Luke 16:9) and advancing His gospel (Phil. 1:5).

III.　“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will hold to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon”—Matt. 6:24:

A.　Mammon stands in opposition to God; for this reason, every child of God has to overcome the power of mammon; if anyone does not overcome its power, he will have no spiritual power—v. 24.

B.　Mammon is diametrically opposed to God; mammon can withstand God because it is the only thing that can unify all things; covetousness is not only a root of all evils (1 Tim. 6:10), it is the same as idolatry; riches are an idol; the Bible says that covetousness and idolatry are the same kind of sins (Eph. 5:5).

IV.　“Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also”—Matt. 6:21:

A.　Our God is a rich God. He does not need our money; the cattle of a thousand hills and the goats of ten thousand mountains are His. All the gold and silver are His; then why does He need our money; it is because where our treasure is, there will our heart be also—v. 21; Acts 14:15.

B.　Sometimes the best test of where a person stands is to consider his giving; a worker of the Lord must give at least one-tenth, because the Bible shows us that the Levites had to tithe the same way as the rest of the Israelites—Num. 18:25-29.

V.　A believer must learn to continually let go of his money; the unbeliever’s way is the way of accumulating; the Christian way of financial management is the way of giving:

A.　God has promised us that we will have no lack on earth; the birds of the air have no lack of food, and the flowers of the field have no lack of clothing; even so God’s children should have no lack of clothing and food.

B.　The Bible shows us a fundamental principle—one must give to become rich; whoever cares only for himself is destined to be in poverty.

VI.　If we will fully offer to God what belongs to Him that the church may be richly supplied, God will open the windows of heaven for us and pour out blessing for you until there is no room for it; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, they will give into our bosom.

Hymns 1255　We are for the Lord’s recovery

1

We are for the Lord’s recovery

Of the local church;

We are for the Lord’s recovery

Of the city and the earth.

Standing on the ground of oneness,

Oneness in the Lord,

We are building up the temple

Of our glorious Lord.

We are for the Lord’s,

We are for the Lord’s,

We are for the Lord’s recovery!

We are for the Lord’s,

We are for the Lord’s,

We are for the Lord’s recovery!

2

We are for the Lord’s recovery,

To our hearts so dear;

When we exercise our spirit,

Our vision is so clear.

Babylon the Great is fallen,

Satan is cast down,

And the local church is builded

On the local ground.

WEEK 1—DAY 1

1 Tim. 6:17　Charge those who are rich in the present age not to be high-minded, nor to set their hope on the uncertainty of riches but on God, who affords us all things richly for our enjoyment.

2 Cor. 8:15　As it is written, “He who gathered much had no excess, and he who gathered little had no lack.”

The requirement during the age of the law was that the offering of material possessions should be ten percent of a person’s increase. Now in the age of grace our giving should exceed the requirement in the age of the law so that there will be no lack in the Lord’s house and in His work. By observing the condition of the churches in every place, we have realized that we need to lead the brothers and sisters to manage their finances in a proper way. Our material offerings should depend not on the need but on the burden and responsibility we have received. If we have received grace to offer a certain amount, we should offer this much when there is the need, and we should still offer this much when there is no particular need. It is a matter not of need but of obligation. We are children of God, and we have received His grace and His care. Therefore, we ought to set aside a portion of what He has given to us and offer it to the church.

We should also train the saints to receive the Lord’s leading in the matter of material offerings and learn to have a proper arrangement for their offerings. The saints should first decide according to the proper principle to separate at least ten percent from their income for a fund to be offered to the Lord. Then they should pray earnestly concerning the fund and look to the Lord for His leading. If someone intends to offer four hundred dollars from his fund for the Lord, the Lord may give him the sense to give one hundred dollars of it for the expenses of the church where he is. If he puts the amount into the offering box of the church in his locality, it will be credited to the account of that local church. The Lord may then give him another clear burden to care for a certain elderly co-worker, and he will make an offering of another hundred dollars for that brother. After repeated prayers, he may still have another burden to offer one hundred fifty dollars for the care of a brother in another church, and he can offer according to the leading he has received. What shall he do with the remaining fifty dollars? He should pray again, and perhaps while he is praying, the Lord will remind him about an elderly sister who is widowed, sick, and lives alone, having no one to care for her. The Lord will then lead him to put the remaining money in an envelope with the sister’s name on it. If we all practice in this way, we will frequently see what God will do.

We should all learn to Jive in the Lord’s presence…. Another brother who has a monthly income of four thousand dollars may decide to give ten percent. Every month, then, he will set aside four hundred dollars. His giving may be different from the first brother. He may regularly set aside one-fourth of the fund for the regular expenses of the church for matters of a local nature. Concerning the remaining three-fourths, he will follow the Lord’s leading step by step through prayer. If we offer to this extent, all the problems related to the church’s distribution of funds will easily be solved. (CWWL, 1966, vol. 2, “Being Delivered from Religious Practices by the Exercise of the Spirit,” ch. 12)

The Epistles show us that the principle of offering is, “He who gathered much had no excess, and he who gathered little had no lack” (2 Cor. 8:15). Of course, God allows some to have lack so that the ones who have excess can be tested in their heart to see if they love the Lord and the brothers more than mammon. God’s test shows man what he is like. Such a test does not show God anything; otherwise, He would be lowered to the same level as man. God wants us, the person, not our things. Consecration is not mainly offering our possessions to God, but offering ourselves and our heart to God. This kind of consecration is acceptable and blessed by God.

As believers we should live on earth by looking to God for everything. Without God’s mercy, we cannot pass our days. The apostle told us not to trust in the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who affords us all things richly for our enjoyment (1 Tim. 6:17). Riches are uncertain. Only God who sits on the throne is eternally secure. It is true that we have problems, but we have the Lord, and He can take care of all our needs.

The Lord Jesus told us that since God can feed all the birds in the air, He can surely feed us. In His eyes we are more precious than the birds (Matt. 6:26). Except the Father wills it, a sparrow will not fall to the ground. We are more valuable than sparrows. Every hair of our head is numbered. God has marked each one by number. Not one will fall without His permission (10:29-31). We should do our best to offer up everything, and should not accumulate any excess. (CWWN, vol. 61, “Matured Leadings in the Lord’s Recovery (1),” msg. 6)

WEEK 1—DAY 2

Matt. 6:19　Do not store up for yourselves treasures on the earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves dig through and steal.

20　But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not dig through nor steal.

We should not lay up for ourselves treasures upon the earth (Matt. 6:19-21). You may ask: “Are not savings accounts the laying up of treasures on earth?” It depends on your motive. There is nothing wrong with making some preparation for next year or for your children’s education. In fact, in the Epistles we are told that parents should lay up something for their children (2 Cor. 12:14). We must educate them in a proper way, and this will be expensive. As parents, we are responsible to care for our children. This is not a matter of outward regulations. We all need to pray concerning these things. The Lord’s wisdom will then be with us, and we will be clear how much we should save for the future and for our children. If we are faithful to the Lord, He will show us what to do. The basic matter is to check our motive. The governing principle is that to lay up treasures on earth is against God’s economy and expresses a kind of unbelief in His mercy and care. May the Lord’s wisdom be with us in this matter.

“So shall you also offer a heave offering to Jehovah from all your tithes, which you take from the sons of Israel; and from it you shall give Jehovah’s heave offering to Aaron the priest” (v. 28). This verse tells us clearly that the heave offering offered by the Levites to Jehovah was to be given to Aaron the priest. The tithe from the people went to the Levites, and the tithe from the Levites went to Aaron the priest.

Why is the tithe of the tithe called a heave offering? We have pointed out that in typology the heave offering refers to the ascension of Christ, to the ascending of Christ to the heavens. This thought corresponds to the Lord’s word in Matthew 6:19 and 20, where we are told to “lay up treasures in heaven” rather than on earth. To lay up treasures in heaven is to “send” our money to heaven, and to do this is to “heave up” our money. According to typology, whatever is heaved to God becomes a type of the ascended Christ. For example, suppose a particular heave offering consisted of one hundred goats. These goats, which were heaved up to the heavens, became a type of Christ in ascension. Today, we, the children of God, should also offer some of the things God has given us. When we offer these things, we heave them up, lifting them up to the heavens. What we offer in this way becomes the ascended Christ. (Life-study of Numbers, msg. 27)

We should worship and thank the Lord for what He has done in the past, because He has been so rich to us and has taken care of all our needs. However, we still need to learn how to handle the Lord’s material supply. We are not here merely as Christians meeting together. We are here in a serious way for the Lord’s interest and His recovery. Thus, for the carrying out of the Lord’s recovery, there is the need for us to learn how to dispense the money and the material things that the Lord gives us. We need to realize that this is not a small matter, because it is for the Lord’s purpose. (CWWL, 1967, vol. 1, “The Service in the Church for the Expression of the Body,” ch. 3)

We need to look at this word of the Lord from the viewpoint of laying up material riches. To lay up material riches is to save what is left of a man’s gain after the needs of his living have been met. Here, the Lord charges us not to lay up these surplus riches on the earth, but to lay them up in heaven, that is, to spend them on the heavenly Father, doing such things as helping those in need, thus making friends with them (Luke 16:9) and advancing His gospel (Phil. 1:5). (Life Lesson, lsn. 24)

WEEK 1—DAY 3

Matt. 6:24　No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will hold to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

1 Tim. 6:10　For the love of money is a root of all evils, because of which some, aspiring after money, have been led away from the faith and pierced themselves through with many pains.

In Matt. 16:24 the Lord told us that we cannot serve two masters: “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will hold to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.” The word mammon is an Aramaic word signifying wealth, riches. Mammon stands in opposition to God, indicating that wealth, or riches, is the opponent of God, robbing God’s people of their service to Him. As people who live in the reality of the kingdom of the heavens, we should not let mammon replace God in our living. Instead of loving and serving riches, we should love and serve God. This is an aspect of living in the reality of the kingdom of the heavens.

What is consecration? It is serving Jehovah alone. A man cannot serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will hold to one and despise the other; he cannot serve both well. He cannot maintain such a balance. No one can serve the Lord on the one hand and serve mammon on the other hand. All those who try to serve two masters find out sooner or later that they love one and hate the other. We must either consecrate ourselves to the Lord absolutely, or we will serve mammon completely. The Lord said that the eye has to be single. This means that our service and our consecration must be single. Singleness of the eye signifies singleness of consecration. (CWWN, vol. 54, “How to Study the Bible & The Breaking of the Outer Man and the Release of the Spirit,” Chapter One)

Money is created by Satan for the purpose of unifying all things. All things can be reckoned in terms of money. The earth is created by God. Yet today man can reckon the price of land in terms of money. If it is possible, man would even reckon the price of the moon or the hydrogen in the sun with money. Today man can buy everything. He can buy time. He can even buy human souls. One brother worked in the post office for many years. The post office had bought his soul. Jacob’s wealth included cattle and sheep and the souls of men as well. Revelation 18 tells us that the human soul is a commodity that can be bought and sold (vv. 12-13). God has made from one all things. But Satan has unified all things into one.

When we gain God, we have all things. In the same way, when Satan takes hold of money, he has everything. Money is omnipotent; everything can be bought with money. In order to buy wood, stones, or any other things that we like, we need mammon. As a result, mammon becomes the power, the center, of man’s worship. Is man going to worship God or mammon? This is the controversy of the universe. The worship of God lies on one side of all things, and the worship of mammon lies on the other side of all things. Mammon is diametrically opposed to God. Mammon can withstand God because it is the only thing that can unify all things. Covetousness is not only a root of all evils (1 Tim. 6:10), it is the same as idolatry. Riches are an idol. The Bible says that covetousness and idolatry are the same kind of sins (Eph. 5:5). If a man has not dealt with his money in a clear way after he is saved, he is not yet fully saved.

In church history the Moravian church was the group that had the strongest mission. Its founder, Count Zinzendorf, gave up all his possessions for the Lord. Sister Eva also gave up all that she had. A few decades ago, seven Englishmen came to China to preach the gospel. They were known as the Cambridge Seven. Among them was C. T. Studd, who was a cricket champion. He had received an inheritance of two hundred fifty thousand pounds, which equals 1.2 million U.S. dollars, and he gave it all away. When he told the British Consulate that he was going to China, the Consulate General was shocked by his consecration and dared not accept his application. After a week Mr. Studd was still firm concerning his decision. God could use Mr. Studd in a great way because he had overcome mammon. Mammon stands in opposition to God. For this reason, every child of God has to overcome the power of mammon. If anyone does not overcome its power, he will have no spiritual power. (CWWN, vol. 57, “The Resumption of Watchman Nee’s Ministry,” msg. 14)

WEEK 1—DAY 4

Matt. 6:21　For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Num. 18:28　Thus you shall also offer a heave offering to Jehovah from all your tithes, which you receive from the children of Israel; and from it you shall give Jehovah’s heave offering to Aaron the priest.

Both the New Testament and the Old Testament teach us the same thing. The Christian way should not be the way of poverty. God does not want us to be poor. If there is poverty or want among us, it is because some people are holding back their money. The more you love yourself, the more you will go hungry. The more importance you attach to money, the poorer you will become. I may not be able to testify of other things, but I can surely testify of this one thing. The more one holds back his money, the more miserable and depleted he becomes. This is a sure principle. During the past twenty years, I have seen many such cases. I only wish that we could release our money and allow it to circulate around the earth, to work, and to become part of God’s miracles and answers to prayers. Then when we have needs, God will supply us.

Not only are we in God’s hands, but Satan is also in His hands. The cattle on a thousand hills and the sheep on ten thousand hills are His. Only foolish ones think that they have earned their own money. A new believer must see that tithing is our duty. We should give what we earn to take care of the poor saints. Do not be so foolish as to always receive. Do not try to save up your money or hide it away. The Christian way is the way of giving. Always give what you have, and you will find money becoming something living in the church. When you have any need, the birds in the air will work for you, and God will perform miracles for you.

Cast yourself upon the Word of God. Otherwise, God cannot carry out His word in you. First give yourself to God, and then give your money again and again. If you do this, God will have the opportunity to give to you. (CWWN, vol. 49, “Messages for Building Up New Believers (2),” msg. 28)

Money is a material thing that belongs to the earth. Yet the Bible puts God and mammon together. This proves that man’s heart is either touched by God or by money. God’s test of a man’s heart toward Him is in the way of man’s giving.

I started working for the Lord sixteen years ago in 1922. Although I cannot say that my work has been perfect, I can say that all the shortages have been covered under the blood. Sometimes I gave one-tenth, sometimes two-tenths, and sometimes five-tenths of what I received. Because there was never a steady flow of income, it was difficult to determine ahead of time how much I should give. But I can say that the times when I felt the pain of giving the most were the times that my thanksgivings and praises were the loudest. Many brothers and sisters can testify of the same thing. I despise anyone who says that he is living by faith, but who knows only how to receive but not to give. Sometimes the best test of where a person stands is to consider his giving. A worker of the Lord must give at least one-tenth, because the Bible shows us that the Levites had to tithe the same way as the rest of the Israelites (Num. 18:25-29). If a worker only expects to receive from others, and if he considers money as being such a big thing, it is better for him to not be a preacher at all. Rather, he should go to the world and take up a money-making profession.

Putting this matter in simpler terms, if we do not give, we are being unrighteous. The rent and utilities of the meeting hall all cost money. If we do not give, we are not doing our part, and others are paying for us to sit here. This is unrighteousness, and unrighteousness is sin. Do not think that others do not know and that we can cheat. God knows.

Paul said, “On the first day of the week each one of you should lay aside in store to himself whatever he may have been prospered.” This means that we should set aside portions of our income ahead of time. Of all the money that we receive, we should designate a portion which cannot be touched. Every time we receive anything, we should set aside a portion for giving. (CWWN, vol. 43, “Conferences, Messages, and Fellowship (3),” msg. 85)

WEEK 1—DAY 5

Prov. 11:24　There is one who scatters and increases yet more, And there is one who withholds what is appropriate but ends up only in want.

Deut. 12:11　Then to the place where Jehovah your God will choose to cause His name to dwell, there you shall bring all that I am commanding you, your burnt offerings and your sacrifices, your tithes and the heave offering of your hand and all your choice vows which you vow to Jehovah.

The Christian way of managing wealth is completely different from that of an unbeliever. The Christian way of financial management is the way of giving. The unbeliever’s way is the way of accumulating. Today we are concerned with how a Christian should live in order to be free from want. God has promised us that we will have no lack on earth. The birds of the air have no lack of food, and the flowers of the field have no lack of clothing. Even so God’s children should have no lack of clothing and food. If they have any lack, there must be a reason or cause for it. If a brother is financially hard-pressed, he is not managing his wealth according to God’s principle.

The Christian way of managing money is not to hold on to money. The tighter you hold on to your money, the more it dies. The more you grasp it, the more it disappears; it will evaporate like vapor. But the more you give away, the more you will have. If God’s children would learn to give more, God would have many ways to work out His miracles. Keeping back money only makes God’s children poor. God will not entrust Himself to those who hold on to their money and who will not give. The more you give, the more God will give to you.

After you have forsaken all of your possessions to follow the Lord, you should walk according to God’s principle. If you do not follow God’s principle, you will eventually end up in poverty. There is a great need for many of God’s children to learn to manage their wealth. If they do not learn to manage their wealth, they should expect nothing except hardship in the way ahead of them.

The Bible shows us a fundamental principle—one must give to become rich and one becomes poor by accumulating riches. Whoever cares only for himself is destined to be in poverty. Whoever learns to give is destined to have riches. God’s Word says it, and it is true. If we want to escape poverty, we have to give again and again. The more we give, the more God will give to us. Since we are willing to share our surplus with others, others will also be happy to share their surplus with us in the future. If we give one-twentieth to others, others will also give one-twentieth to us. If we give one-thousandth to others, others will also give one-thousandth to us.

With what measure we measure to others, with the same measure others will measure to us. In what capacity we treat our brothers and sisters, with the same capacity God will treat us. If we are willing to sacrifice our livelihood, others will also sacrifice their livelihood for us. If we only give others that which is totally useless, things which we never use, others will certainly give us totally useless and unusable things. Many people have problems with their income because they have problems with their giving. If a person has no problem with his giving, it is hard to imagine that he will have problems with his income. God’s Word is quite clear. If we give to others, the Lord will give to us. If we do not give to others, the Lord will not give to us. Most people only exercise faith when they ask God for money; they do not exercise faith in giving money. It is no wonder that they have no faith to receive anything from God.

Brothers, as soon as we become Christians, we have to learn the basic lesson of financial stewardship. Christians have a unique way of managing their wealth: What we receive depends on what we give. In other words, the Christian way of financial stewardship is to receive according to what we give. Worldly people give according to what they have have received, but we receive according to what we give. Our inflow depends on our outflow. Those who crave money and cling to it can never receive God’s money; they will never receive any supply from God. (CWWN, vol. 49, “Messages for Building Up New Believers (2),” msg. 28)

Based on the two-thousand-year history of Christianity, as long as believers in a group would offer their tithes, all the needs could be met. The elders in all the localities should lead the brothers and sisters to participate in material offerings. If all the brothers and sisters offer their tithes, there will be no lack in the building of meeting halls, the spreading of the gospel. (CWWL, 1984, vol. 5, “The Organic Service Needed for the Increase and Spread of the Church,” ch. 2)

WEEK 1—DAY 6

Luke 6:38　Give, and it will be given to you; a good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, they will give into your bosom. For with what measure you measure, it shall be measured to you in return.

Mal. 3:10　Bring the whole tithe to the storehouse that there may be food in My house; and prove Me, if you will, by this, says Jehovah of hosts, whether I will open to you the windows of heaven and pour out blessing for you until there is no room for it.

Throughout the centuries, every saint who gave one-tenth of their income, according to God’s word, was blessed by God. Eventually, some will even give two-tenths or three-tenths. The more we give, the more we want to give. Even if our earnings are barely enough to meet our needs, we still must give one-tenth to the Lord. Our income may be short a little, but we will see the Lord’s blessing.

In addition to the regular giving of one-tenth, in the Old Testament there is also the giving for special occasions. After giving one-tenth, some brothers and sisters who have a higher income will have more than enough left over. These saints should not consider what they give for the construction of a large meeting hall as part of their regular giving. Some saints may think that our God extorts high taxes, because there is the first kind of tithe, a second kind of tithe, and other tithes. A person could give a tithe during the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Pentecost, and the Feast of the Blowing of Trumpets. Malachi says, “Bring the whole tithe to the storehouse that there may be food in My house; and prove Me, if you will, by this, says Jehovah of hosts, whether I will open to you the windows of heaven and pour out blessing for you until there is no room for it” (3:10). What we give to the Lord is merely one-tenth of our income, but the Lord opens the windows of heaven and pours out manifold blessings on us. (CWWL, 1985, vol. 1, “Crucial Words of Leading in the Lord’s Recovery, Book 5: Concerning Various Aspects of Church Service,” ch. 11)

At that time, the Israelites were in great poverty and difficulty. How could they carry out the words of Malachi 3:10? The Israelites might have asked, “If we cannot get by with ten loads of rice, how can we get by with nine? If ten bags of flour are insufficient, how can nine bags be sufficient?” These are words out of a carnal and foolish mouth.

Ten loads are the reason for poverty, while nine loads are the cause for abundance. Man thinks that the more he has in his hand, the better off he will be. However, keeping things in one’s hand is the very cause for poverty, while offering things to God is the very cause for blessing. If I have an additional load in my hands, it will become my curse. But if it is put in God’s storehouse, it becomes my blessing. The principle with the Israelites was poverty for those who tried to hold back what was due to God. When you hold something back, you end up in poverty.

We should all look to the Lord for our needs, but God will supply the needs of only one type of people—those who give. The words good measure, which the Lord uses in Luke 6:38, are wonderful words. When God gives to man, He is never stingy. He is ever generous and overflowing. Our God is always generous. Our God’s cup is always running over. God is never petty. When He gives, He says that it will be a good measure, pressed down, and shaken together. Consider the way in which we buy rice. Most rice merchants will not let us shake the measure. They do not allow the rice to settle before pouring it out. But the Lord said, “Pressed down, shaken together.” Not only so, it is “running over.” Our God is such a generous God. He gives by pressing down, shaking together, heaping up, and running over. However, He also says that with what measure we measure to others, it will be measured to us in return. If we are shrewd and exact in giving to others, God will only touch others to give to us in a shrewd and exact way.

We must give first to others, before others will give to us. Most people never learn to give. They always want God to answer their prayers. We have to give first before we can receive. If we have not received anything recently, it means that we have a problem in giving. (CWWN, vol. 49, “Messages for Building Up New Believers (2),” msg. 28)