Mike aka Tithehacker

June 9, 2018

Why John D. Rockefeller Could Teach Christian Millionaires?

It’s been said: If you’re a believer in Christ you need to shy away from the trappings of wealth and affluence. Christian millionaires or “Christian (gasp!) billionaires” are not good role models. And that is completely true.

Or is it?

Well”¦it turns out you can be a Christian millionaire (or billionaire), love God, and do great things in the world.

According to a study from the nonpartisan wealth research firm New World Wealth, of the 13.1 million millionaires in the world, 7.4 million, or 56.2%, identify themselves as Christian.

This is in contrast to:

6.5% who identified themselves as Muslim.
3.9% who identified themselves as Hindu.
1.7 % who identified themselves as Jewish.

In other words: IT IS possible to love God, do His work, AND be affluent.

And one person who exemplified that was John D. Rockefeller.

John D. Rockefeller became the the richest American ever

His wealth was 1.5% to 2% of the U.S’s GDP (his personal wealth $1.4 billion; the US GDP $92 billion)

Some historians will paint him as simply a ruthless, greedy businessman.

But the facts are this:

He was a devoted father.
A devoted husband.
His “monopoly” brought order to an industry full of discord.
He loved the Lord and his philanthropy was birthed out of that love.

In this post we’re going to delve into the lessons future Christian millionaires could learn from Rockefeller.

1. HE UNDERSTOOD THE IMPORTANCE OF MONEY

The Bible says,

“A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh merry: but money answereth all things.” (Ecclesiastes 10:19 KJV)

As a young man John D. Rockefeller had the financial “plan” for his life:

“I remember clearly when the financial plan–if I may call it so–of my life was formed. It was out in Ohio, under the ministration of a dear old minister, who preached, ‘Get money; get it honestly and then give it wisely.'”

Most people are taught that money is a necessary evil. They say,

“Yes we need it but it doesn’t have much importance in our lives.”

Yeah, ok!

That is completely wrong

Rockefeller wanted options for his life and the life of his family. He understood how money would give him those options.

2. HE LEARNED HOW TO BE A GIVER

Over time John D. Rockefeller’s philanthropy equated to hundreds of millions of dollars (billion adjusted for inflation)”¦

”¦ and he did this because he learned how to give at an early age.

His giving began with his first job as a clerk at age 16. By the time he was twenty, his giving exceeded 10% percent of his income. According to his biographer:

“During his first year on the job, the young clerk donated about 6% of his wages to charity, some weeks much more. ‘I have my earliest ledger and when I was making only a dollar a day I was giving five, ten, or twenty-five cents to all these object, ‘ he observed. He gave to the Five Points Mission in a notorious lower Manhattan slum, as well to ‘a poor man in church’ and a ‘poor woman in church.’ By 1859, when he was twenty, his charitable giving surpassed the 10 percent mark. Despite a pronounced tilt toward Baptist causes, he gave early hints of an ecumenical bent, contributing money to a black man in Cincinnati in 1859 so he could buy his wife out of slavery. The next year, he gave to a black church, a Methodist church, and a Catholic orphanage.”

Rockefeller was always under the belief his success was divinely inspired. He said, quite emphatically:

“God gave me my money.”

Why did God single John D. Rockefeller out for stupendous wealth? He believed it was because he was a good steward. In his seventies he said:

“It has seemed as if I was favored and got increase because the Lord knew I was going to turn it around and give it back.

There is enough statistical data that shows a correlation between tithing and wealth.

Now to be clear–I’m not suggesting that if you tithe:

someone is going to pay off your debt
a check is coming in the mail
or you’ll be a millionaire overnight

Not at all.

I AM saying that there is story after story of affluent people who loved God, who testify to the power of tithing and giving. So whether you are a millionaire or just starting out”¦learn to give now.

3. HE MADE MONEY HIS SLAVE

He knew from early on that money was important. But he also knew he wanted to be the master of money– not its servant.

By the time he was 12 he had saved $50, about $1400 in today’s money. He then loaned a farmer the $50 at 7% interest. At the end of the year he collected $3.50 with absolutely no work. He later said,

“The impression was gaining ground with me that it was a good thing to let the money be my slave and not make myself a slave to money.”

When Jesus spoke about good stewardship it wasn’t just about handling money”¦it was about multiplying money:

For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey. Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents. And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two.But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord’s money.” (Matthew 25:14-18 KJV)

Another translation says verse 16 like this:

he servant who had received five talents went and put them to work, and gained five more.” (Matthew 25:16 Berean study Bible)

Rockefeller was a hard worker. When he worked as a bookkeeper he would sometimes put in 12 hour days. But even while he was an ordinary laborer he would trade his own money in different futures and commodities.

In other words, he was always looking for ways to put his money to work.

Jesus also saidAnd he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, ‘Occupy till I come.'” (Luke 19:13 KJV)

And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, ‘Occupy till I come.'” (Luke 19:13 KJV)

That Greek word “occupy” is the Greek word “diapragmateuomai” (pronounced dee-ap-rag-mat-yoo’-om-ahee). It has different meanings:

“Gain by business trading.”
“Busily engaged in making trades.”
“Increase by trading.

It implies active, detailed trading that “buys right” and then knows just when to exchange.

Wow!

So in other words:

“Gain by business trading” till I come.
“Be busily engaged in making trades” till I come.
“Increase by trading till I come.

Selah.

Here’s the Next Step”¦

Now to turn it over to you:

Which of these Rockefeller lessons are you going to implement today?

Are you going to focus more on wealth?

Are you going to strengthen your never-ever-give-up muscles?

Or maybe you’re going to start tracking your money like John D. Rockefeller.

Either way let me know by leaving a comment below.

May 8, 2018

God’s Secret of Dealing With a Mean Boss

Before I knew this secret I dealt with mean bosses in one of these ways:

Arguing back.
Complaining about them to coworkers.
Finding ways to work less.
Quitting the job”¦only to find that they were in the next job in another person’s body!
And yes”¦indirectly telling them I would love to punch them in the face after work.

I’m not proud of this. But that was before I knew the secret. When I learned the secret, it revolutionized my life. This secret made every obnoxious boss putty in my hand. I will warn you: this secret will forever change you.

If you think you’re ready for it”¦keep reading.

Jesus Hinted at the Secret

Jesus knew how powerful the secret was”¦and yet He only glossed over it. He didn’t delve into it. He didn’t elaborate on it. He just threw it out in the middle of a conversation:

And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. (Matthew 5:41 NKJV)

He knew everybody wouldn’t want it – so He made it available to those that did.

Before I tell you more, please understand this: You can’t change your boss. You’re not supposed to. You’re supposed to change you, and as you change so will your boss. Until I understood that I could not find the secret and you won’t until you do.

So what is the secret?

It’s simple: going the extra mile.

When Jesus shared the secret, He related it to an oppressive custom of the day.

It originated with the Persian government and was later adopted by the Roman government. Under this custom, the king’s messengers had the power to take horses, camels, and men into service against their will. Couriers and messengers were staged in specific locations by the king; if someone were to pass the location the courier rushed out and “compelled” them into service.

Simone of Cyrene was later “compelled” into helping Jesus with His cross.

Rather than quarrel and complain about the treatment Jesus advised otherwise: don’t just comply with the request but exceed expectations in a spirit of love and service. And that’s what I did:

If she asked me to do four things I did eight
If she asked me to have something done by 1:30 pm I had it finished before lunch!
If she needed something done in 20 minutes I did it in 10!

And I did it all with a smile on my face!

Little by little her gruff exterior towards me (I can’t vouch for anyone else) softened, and my influence with her grew. I changed my response to the problem”¦and ended up changing the problem!

The Benefits of the Secret

You benefit by the law of comparison. Most people don’t go the extra mile. They go the first mile and complain all the way there! Some don’t even finish the first mile! When you go the extra mile the spotlight of attention shines favorably on you. And after a while, you soon become indispensable to those around you”¦especially superiors”¦and indispensable employees are always paid more than dispensable ones!

You develop greater leadership qualities. Going the extra develops the habit of the personal initiative–a trait necessary for ANY kind of leadership. As you employ the extra mile your brain looks for more ways to become helpful. Soon you stop waiting for people to tell you what to do–you just do it. You no longer wait for things to happen, you make them happen!

God makes sure you’re compensated fairly. At the end of the day whether we’re salaried or self-employed: we write our own checks! We do this with the service we give to a boss, company, or clients. But even though we write our checks, God is still the Boss. And if the Boss sees you going above and beyond, you can know that He’ll reward you fully.

What do you think? Are there any other benefits of using this secret? What has been your experience with it been?

April 29, 2018April 29, 2018

Can Tithing Make You Rich?

When people speak about tithing it is divisive. Some are for and some are against and usually, they’re both screaming at each other!

Most people would say it’s a con, a hoax, a joke etc. They say it’s no longer relevant and yet that wasn’t the case for me. When I was started tithing my life was in shambles. In desperation, I went to God for an answer. Sometime later the answer came back “start tithing.”

I’d like to say that I immediately took action, that I whipped out my checkbook and wrote my first check immediately.That I repented for my inactions. Nope.

I ignored the “answer” for some time. But after a while, I did start tithing. I did it as an experiment. I started tithing on unemployment checks and after some time I was tithing on a six-figure income.

The Benefits of Tithing

Now keep in mind I’m not going to tell you that if you tithe these things are going to happen:

Your debts are going to be paid.
Your mortgage is going to be forgiven.
Your car is going to transform into a brand new BMW.
The boss won’t be able to sleep until he gives you a raise.
The CEO of the company you’re working for will see your name and face in a dream, seek you out, and promote you to a position you have don’t the skills or experience for.

Not at all.

I will say that there are great benefits to tithing that cannot be ignored. But let’s start from a Biblical point of view…and no I don’t mean Malachi 3:10!

1. The Bible

When the Bible speaks about the tithe it uses the Hebrew word “maaser”(pronounced mah-as-ayr‘). It’s used 32 times in the Old Testament. (Note: English is read left to right, Hebrew is read right to left.) The Hebrew language is a language of root words. Prefixes and suffixes are added to build on the meaning of the root word. So in this word, the first letter mem (Ã—Å¾) conveys this meaning:

Changing a verb into the noun of that word:

For example: adding mem “to preach” (verb) turns it into “preacher” (noun).

Now taking away mem (Ã—Å¾) from “maaser” we’re left with “aser” which means rich.

So another way of interpreting this is:

The “rich” is in the tithe.

or with “maaser”:

“The one tithing becomes rich.”

Whoa! Crazy, isn’t it?

2. State of the Plate

Let’ss look at some other other numbers: According to the landmark State of the Plate research – a multi-year research that documented the giving habits of thousands of givers – Tithers were more financially stable than their counterparts:

According to the author:

“People that follow biblical principles of giving also are much more likely to be wiser and more careful in their spending”¦It is important in preaching and teaching on finances and generosity to help people realize that generosity leads to greater financial freedom and stability, while not giving frequently leads to greater indebtedness and financial bondage.”

Could it be possible that King Solomon – one of the wealthiest men who lived had a point when he said, “Honor the Lord with your possessions, And with the firstfruits of all your increase; So your barns will be filled with plenty, And your vats will overflow with new wine.” (Proverbs 3:9-10 NKJV) or “There is one who scatters, yet increases more; And there is one who withholds more than is right, But it leads to poverty. The generous soul will be made rich, And he who waters will also be watered himself.” (Proverbs 11:24-25 NKJV)?

3. Chantel Ray

But there are even greater case studies about tithing. Before Chantel Ray. was a multi-million dollar real estate entrepreneur, she was a youth pastor making $9/hr. She was also using credit cards to survive. After several years of this she was $10,000 in debt and her cards were maxed out. One day she heard about tithing. Like many of us she said, “Yeah right! I can’t do this right now. Maybe when I start making some money.” But after months of fighting things continued to get worse and she took the leap of faith. Her first tithe check was $30. The next day she received a refund check of $300. She continued to tithe and a close family member felt led to pay off her debt. She continued to tithe and within a few months, she got a better paying job. She continued to tithe, in fact, she increased the amount. She began a new career in real estate, was the best salesperson, and eventually started her own firm.

4. John D. Rockefeller

But let’s look at another case study: John D. Rockefeller! Before John D. Rockefeller became the richest American ever. Before his wealth was 1.5% to 2% of the U.S’s GDP (his personal wealth $1.4 billion; the US GDP $92 billion). Before his philanthropy equated to hundreds of millions of dollars (billion adjusted for inflation) he learned how to give at an early age. His giving began with his first job as a clerk at age 16, when he gave 6% of his earnings to charity. By the time he was twenty, his giving exceeded 10% percent of his income. Much of it going to church-related activities. Rockefeller, a devout Christian, was always under the belief his success was divinely inspired. He said, quite emphatically:

“God gave me my money.”

Why did God single him out for stupendous wealth? He believed it was because he was a good steward. In his seventies he said:

“It has seemed as if I was favored and got increase because the Lord knew I was going to turn it around and give it back.”

Conclusion

I do know this: no matter what I say the debate will always continue. There are always going to be people for tithing and people against tithing. I can live with that. But tithing helped change my life and I hope that one day you can “experiment” with it and see what happens to you. What have your experiences been with tithing?