EXCEPTION TO TITHING? DO 1081 27/8/81
--(The underlines & parenthetical comments are Dad's:)
(FROM LYNN & BERNARDO:)
Dear Ones,
GOD BLESS YOU! I have been wanting to write you for some time now but it seems I never get around to it. Please forgive me. We do think of you often & feel very close to you through your Letters. We are very happy to hear that you have gone South & are now in safer territory. We pray the Lord will lead & guide you & protect you every step of the way.
WE WANT TO TELL YOU HOW MUCH WE ARE ENJOYING EACH OF THE NEW MAGAZINES! (Good!) GBY & all the faithful workers who work so hard to get it out. You are such samples of faithful givers. The last Mag was so beautiful with the testimonies of the prodigal musicians that have returned to their father's house, also the letters on Simon Peter & the MWM Show. It was very much needed, your counsel on being more appreciative of one another & also expressing it in word & deed. Everybody needs encouragement and praise, to feel you are a blessing to others. (Amen!)
BERNARDO & I ARE DOING WELL. Just think, it is more than five years since the Lord put us together! I am working every night in the restaurant with him so that we don't have to hire any more people. (That's what I saw long ago!) We work very good together & it helps me to understand him better, his trials & victories, as to much of his time & energy is put into the restaurant.
I SPECIFICALLY WANTED TO WRITE & ASK YOU SOMETHING that we need to get straight, as I personally am not sure. It is about our tithing on the restaurant. Well, I guess you know that the tourism had radically dropped off here the past few years, not only here but Worldwide.
WE WENT THROUGH AN ESPECIALLY BAD TIME WHEN ALL THE HOMES HERE SPLIT TO BE "SELAH". WE brought an apartment thinking we could pay it off quickly, but only got ourselves further & further into debt. Well, thank the Lord we sold the apartment & paid off our debts & began living in a Home once again. When all the tithing Letters came out we were losing money on the restaurant & Bernardo felt therefore that we shouldn't tithe on it,
(THAT'S THE SUREST WAY TO LOSE! GOD WON'T BLESS! When R.G. LeTourneau was bankrupt without money to pay his workers, he promised God he'd tithe his next order--& it was for $100,000!--Soon he was a millionaire giving 90% to the Lord's work!--It works!--Try it! I know!)
SOME MONTHS OF THE YEAR WE SEEM TO BREAK EVEN, & normally during the Summer we make a profit. But looking at the whole year we are losing money & have been for two-&-a-half years. Bernardo figures that we need to have money in the bank to pay our workers in case we should have to close for any reason. They have two-year contracts which would have to be paid off, plus merchandise which we always owe.
BERNARDO SAYS THAT UNTIL WE HAVE THAT MUCH IN THE BANK--we have a little more than half--we are not really making money & therefore feels we shouldn't tithe it. The people in our Home feel that he should tithe every month regardless of the money he needs in the bank. (Amen!) Right now we are tithing the money he gives every month to the Home plus all our other personal expenses.
BERNARDO SUGGESTED THAT HE PAY HIS TITHE ON THE RESTAURANT AT THE END OF EACH YEAR (1 Cor. 16:2: "First day of each week") because it is impossible to know exactly how much he is making without making a complete inventory of all the merchandise, as each item has a different price, for example a filet steak & a whisky. Actually there is more profit in the whiskey although the steak is much more expensive. I hope that I am making this clear, I don't have much of a mind for business, but I am trying to explain to your Bernardo's point of view. What do you think Dad? (--All I know is the Word & God's money laws & never failing promises for tithing!)
I KNOW YOU HAVE WRITTEN SO MUCH ON THE SUBJECT ALREADY, but this seems to be kind of a special case. (God makes no exceptions!) Bernardo says that if the Family were able to work in the restaurant which no one is able to for the moment--(Why?)--he would have no problems tithing as he would not have to be bound to System workers & System contracts like he is now. (--I'm very disappointed in the Family for not helping him!--I always envisioned the Family helping him & being a blessing & witness that way!--Why not?--But the labourer is worthy of his hire: Did he feed & support them well?--At least their rent & board & needs?)
SHOULD HE JUST GIVE BY FAITH TRUSTING THAT THE LORD WILL PROSPER HIS BUSINESS? (Ha: Of course!) He has so much faith in certain areas of his life, but when it comes to his business it seems very hard for him to just trust in the Lord. Working in the System can get to be a real bondage. Almost all of us when we joined the Family left our old jobs & every thing else, but Bernardo has carried on with the same job in the same place, only now with a different vision. TTL! (GHH!)
IT SEEMS RIGHT NOW THE RESTAURANT TAKES UP SO MUCH TIME & STRANGTH & HAS VERY FEW BENEFITS. At least for almost two years it was a big financial blessing to the Family here, & we hope that it still can be. I think Bernardo just keeps hanging on because he doesn't know what else to do & feels he is too old to start something new. I did also want to mention that he has started to sell pictures & furniture in the little spare time he has, & it looks like it could be very profitable. He personally doesn't need to invest anything but gets 15% on whatever he sells and he can do it whenever he has time. So we are praying everything will work out. We would really like to be able to help much more. (God won't bless anything you do if you don't obey His money laws! I know God would bless if he'd tithe!--And help local Family. Then they'd help him.)
PLEASE LET US KNOW IF THERE IS EVERY ANYTHING WE CAN DO FOR YOU. You have given us everything. (Tithe!--For your own sake & God's Work!--And I know God will bless you!) Bernardo loves & respects you so much. I know he will follow through on any counsel you give him. (Hope so!) I know how busy you are, but if you have time we would appreciate any suggestions. ("If ye love me, keep my commandments!"--Jn.14:15.) Please give our love to Alfredo, Sara, Davidito & Techi.
ALSO I AM KEEPING IN TOUCH WITH EVA (GBY! PTL! See FN Vol. 3 No. 6.) She always sends you much love. She will be coming for a visit this Summer. She has a three year old little boy, & the last time she was here she prayed with Bernardo to receive Jesus. (PTL! TYJ!) She has changed so much & writes us very sweet letters about how the Lord is helping her. (TTL!)--Much love, Lynn.
(PTL!--HALLELUJAH!--OUR LABOURS OF LOVE WERE NOT IN VAIN! TYJ!--And that's the way it is with tithing too!--You may not always see immediate results, as God tests us to see if we'll obey anyhow! But then He always bountifully blesses in the end.--I know He will!--It's as sure as the law of gravity!
(THE MORE WE GIVE, THE MORE HE GIVES US!--YOU JUST CAN'T OUTGIVE HIM!--This is a test of Bernardo's faith.--I hope he makes it!--And I know he will if he'll just trust God & put "God First".--Has he read that one? Read it again!--Amen. Our income now is 10 times what it was when there, so we give it nearly all away!--We are giving not 10% but 75% of our income to the Lord!--And the more we give, the more He gives us to give!
(--YOU CAN'T LOSE BY TITHING!--Try it! You'll love it!--It'll solve all your money problems & prosper you bountifully. PTL! GBY! So good to hear from you!--Thanks! So sorry about Bernardo's problems, but I know tithing faithfully is the solution!--Each week!--1Cor.16:2.--That's God's plan & money law!--And it never fails!--Try it!--You'll love it!--ILY!--D.)
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