george baily said:
So people that take this leading of faith and take money meant for bills and "seed" it to the needy, and don't recoup this funds from God what is your explaination to them (little faith?) seems to me they stepped out in faith by giving, not recouping is either not hearing the Holy Spirit correctly or God didn't want them to pay their bills
You failed to hold tight to a key thing she said. She said "so if God impresses upon my heart to give the $60.00 to a needy family..."
God quickening your spirit to move on this is different then going off of just faith. In all things wisdom has to be in the decision. If God tells you to do it, then there is a specific return. The return is not always monetary. It can be anything in which God knows you are in need of physically, mentally, emotionally, financially or spiritually.
Obedience is better than sacrifice and we don't know what one may have to sacrifice either spiritually or naturally due to disobedience. When God is asking something very specific of you, and you don't move... then what can one expect?
A faith offering is different then an express direction from God. I believe a faith offering is honored as well. But we have to be careful because if God didn't tell you to withhold from that and do this, then what we may expect to happen, may not be what we get. God is still going to bless it and the person. You just don't know how or when.
For example, if a seasoned child of God runs off and gets married to someone that God didn't ordain for them to marry and they begin to experience problems, they can't fault God for giving them strength, a sound mind and joy while they go through some long suffering. He is blessing them with those characteristics while He is yet working things out in the marriage. Marriage is still of God so we know He can honor it but He didn't direct that person to get married at that time or to that person.
So if by faith someone gives money instead of paying a bill and God didn't tell them to do it, they can't always expect a monetary return (not saying it won't happen). God may very well save a loved one that they have been praying for by them finally accepting Jesus Christ or bless them with a promotion at work or simply increase their faith.
I'm going to put a personal testimony out here. We were indebted to the IRS for earned overseas income. They ended up levying (garnishing) my husbands check in an attempt to have the debt paid off. When this occurred, I personally thought there is no way we are going to be able to sustain ourselves with the absence of his income so suddenly.
I completely stopped tithing and giving all together to be able to meet our basic needs. Times were tough while were fighting the IRS to lift the levy. I prayed, fasted, prayed and fasted until it seemed like that was all I could do.
I knew God was telling me that He never told me to stop giving or tithing but I did anyways because I felt that I couldn't give & tithe and pay ALL bills plus buy food and gas 2 vehicles. I was worried and anxious which was not of God.
We were in a waiting game with the IRS while they worked things out with our CPA and lawyer. It was a very long 5 months and each time I knew the Lord was urging me to tithe or give, I was disobedient.
Finally, while at a meeting, a Word was preached about tithing and giving. I felt convicted from the inside out. It seemed like every word was directed at me. Words that I had prayed, conversations I had with God were all coming at me. I settled it that day that the next pay period, no matter what bill did not get paid, I was going to tithe.
Next pay period, I tithed immediately. I needed to quickly do it before I reasoned myself out of it by what I was facing in the natural.
That was on a Wed (pay periods are Friday but our checks hit Wed morning) and on Friday, my CPA called me and said how quick can I sign my 2010 return documents because the IRS was faxing over a document to the payroll dept. that day to lift the levy but they needed my signed return!
I can't even put into words what type of praise, worship and just over all thanksgiving I was overcome with. I knew it was God because I literally had been disobedient when I knew what He was telling me all the while. I slowed up my own deliverance by not trusting God to be who He is and focusing on the natural and what "it looked like". I lost sight that God was yet in control of this and I needed to have the faith to know that He can and will work it out in our favor.
I believe in tithing and yet I stopped when the road got rough and did not do what I knew to do in Christ. When I returned back to my right mind and was obedient despite the difficulty, God moved.
I know that not everyone agrees with tithing but I do. My experience, testimony and faith has always been proved by God honoring His word. For that reason, I am not swayed by the discussions against tithing. I can't refrain from something that God has proven Himself to me in unless He desires for me to. At this point, I don't believe that He does.
~Jrs_Lovely1 {iPad}