Kigoye Eriya

2 Corinthians 8:1-5 Moreover, brethren, we do you to wit of the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia; How that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality. For to [their] power, I bear record, yea, and beyond [their] power [they were] willing of themselves; Praying us with much intreaty that we would receive the gift, and [take upon us] the fellowship of the ministering to the saints. And [this they did], not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God. Paul had good things to say about the church of the Macedonia. Among those were that they were very generous. But what characteristics did that church have that we the present church should learn from or get established in if we are already doing the same. Firstly, they had a good response to relief, Acts 11:29. A famine had happened in Jerusalem and they were mobilised to send relief there. If you...

2 Samuel 6:13 And it was [so], that when they that bare the ark of the LORD had gone six paces, he sacrificed oxen and fatlings. Giver type 27; The extravagant giver or high capacity givers. Gives over and above the normal amount. David, Solomon and the Macedonians were good examples of this Giver type 28; The first-time giver. Someone newly inspired to share their resources, often moved by a specific vision or message.   Giver type 29; The Intentional giver. These are likened to a thoughtful giver who carefully evaluates their budget to ensure their financial priorities reflect their faith. Giver type 30; The surrendered giver. A person who is no longer attached to specific amounts or percentages; they joyfully hold nothing back from God and stretch their generosity to the max. Giver type 31; The legacy giver. Someone who thinks long-term about the impact of their lifetime and estate resources, leaving a lasting, multi-generational kingdom impact. Further scriptures   1 Kings...

Mark 12:41-44 And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much. And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing. And he called [unto him] his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury: For all [they] did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, [even] all her living. Giver type 21; The big little givers like the widow who gave all her living in Mark 12:41-44. This seems to be like a paradox. How can one give big yet little? On paper, although they give amounts which appear smaller than the rest, in the eyes of God they are actually giving more than the rest. This teaches us that God doesn't look at what is given but what is left after giving. What percentage of your earnings are you giving or not? Your 1% given may be higher...

Philippians 4:18 But I have all, and abound: I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things [which were sent] from you, an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, wellpleasing to God. Yesterday our types of givers list stopped on giver type 15. Giver type 16; Scented or perfumed givers, as shown in Philippians 4:18.  Giver type 17; Genuine or unpretentious givers, e.g Dorcas or Tabitha, Acts 9:39-40 Then Peter arose and went with them. When he was come, they brought him into the upper chamber: and all the widows stood by him weeping, and shewing the coats and garments which Dorcas made, while she was with them. But Peter put them all forth, and kneeled down, and prayed; and turning [him] to the body said, Tabitha, arise. And she opened her eyes: and when she saw Peter, she sat up. Giver type 18; Self inspired or self driven or voluntary givers like Zaccheaus in Luke 19:1-9. When Jesus visited Zaccheaus' house, he without any instruction from anyone gave freely to the...

2 Samuel 24:24 And the king said unto Araunah, Nay; but I will surely buy [it] of thee at a price: neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the LORD my God of that which doth cost me nothing. So David bought the threshingfloor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver. Last week we stopped at giver type six. Giver type seven: Limelight givers: They give primarily to look good to leadership. They seek the praise of others. They can also be referred to public relations givers. The Pharisees were known for this. They would give alms in full view of everyone so that they receive praise of men which is the reward they could get and not God's reward. Giver type Eight. Regular Givers: They give on a regular, planned basis. They support the church vision faithfully. They automate their giving so that they don't miss out on giving. They can also be called consistent givers. Giver type Nine; Separated givers: They give beyond their normal capacity. They prioritize God's work over per...

Matthew 5:42 Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away. There are different types of givers among us. We give differently. You may wonder where you fall but you definitely fall somewhere. I have tried to compile the different giver types from various online sources and these are some of my findings. First type of givers are conservative givers. They limit their giving to information they have receive via church announcements. They are normally slow at adjusting to modern ways of giving for example via Church lines or merchant codes and instead prefer to  envelopes and cash only. The good side to them is that they have high levels of trust. Second type of givers are emotion led givers. They are reactionary, seasonal givers. Their giving fluctuates with emotional appeals. When they are moved by compassion to help someone in need, that is when they act. They are also big givers when someone challenges them to give after a powerful sermon o...

Luke 6:38 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 mete withal it shall be measured to you again.   Yesterday we got to learn that there are eight degrees of giving charity. The first and highest according Moses Maimonides is empowerment giving.  Giving degree II: Anonymous Giving. Here the giver gives to a public fund, and the recipient receives help without either party ever knowing the other's identity. Moses Maimomides noted that this kind of giving is the second highest among the ranks of giving. Public funds màh  Giving degree III: Secret Giver: The donor knows the recipient, but the recipient does not know the identity of the person helping them. Giving degree IV: Secret Receiver. The recipient knows who the donor is, but the donor remains unaware of who is receiving their help. Giving degree V: Proactive Giving. Giving directly to a per...

Proverbs 19:17 He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the LORD; and that which he hath given will he pay him again. The perspective of the Jews differs from most people when it comes to giving charity or aid. Tzedakah, from the Word Zedek is a Hebrew word meaning justice or righteousness. Jews view charity as an obligation rooted in social justice. Others non Jews give out of love or pity for their fellow man.  But what do you always mean when you say that you are giving help to a needy person? What is your first instinct when someone requests money from you? In which ways do you help them and to what degree do you help them? Many years ago a Jewish scholar and philosopher named Moses Maimonides in the 12th century categorised charitable giving in eight stages or degrees. Chariatble degree 1: Empowerment giving which according to Moses Maimonides is the highest form of giving. This includes providing someone a means to earn money and become self reliant like connecting  ...

Deuteronomy 24:19-21 When thou cuttest down thine harvest in thy field, and hast forgot a sheaf in the field, thou shalt not go again to fetch it: it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the widow: that the LORD thy God may bless thee in all the work of thine hands. When thou beatest thine olive tree, thou shalt not go over the boughs again: it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the widow. When thou gatherest the grapes of thy vineyard, thou shalt not glean [it] afterward: it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the widow. We talk about giving but what do groups like the Jews Believe about Giving? We know they are a blessed group of people. If you didn't know how blessed they are, look up the statistics. 9% of Jews have been past winners of the Nobel peace prize, and have 25-35% representation on the Forbes richest people in the world year in year out. Most of the tech inventions you know of, biggest companies in the world etc...

Leviticus 19:9-10 And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not wholly reap the corners of thy field, neither shalt thou gather the gleanings of thy harvest. And thou shalt not glean thy vineyard, neither shalt thou gather [every] grape of thy vineyard; thou shalt leave them for the poor and stranger: I [am] the LORD your God. Giving rule 11: Give to charity as an obligation. In Judaism, charity is not just a generous act, but a matter of righteousness and fairness. To them charity giving is the right or fair thing to do. Giving rule 12: Do not give out of necessity or compulsion. Such giving is as a result of some external pressure or force applied or something one cannot afford not to do.  Guving rule 13: Maintain the dignity of the one you give to.  It is a sin to embarrass or shame someone when offering help. Giving rule 14: Have a portion for the poor of all you earn. Do not eat up all your earnings without leaving a potion for the poor.  Further scriptur...

2 Corinthians 9:6-7 But this [I say:] He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. [So let] each one [give] as he proposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. The 10th giving rule is, "Give as you have purposed in your heart." I heard a preacher say that they set a giving target every Sunday for themselves which they put in an envelope a day or two before the day of worship. Such is an example of one who purposes to give beforehand.  They are past giving out of emotions to giving by intentionality or purposeful giving. Such a one cannot give the Lord pocket change when the giving basket is passed neither can they forget to give. If its a fundraising drive held annually, you ought to set your target a year before the D-day. When your mind is set to a certain amount, your emotions won't feel like you are doing a crime or feel cheated after giving because you have already pre...

2 Corinthians 9:6-7 But this [I say:] He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. [So let] each one [give] as he proposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. Ninth rule of giving is "give bountifully." In otherwards give big, plentous, and spread out your giving.  There are a number of ministries who are touching lives. That is good ground for sowing. Support some more ministries as much as you can. If you sow little, you will reap little. If you sow much, you will reap much. The wise teacher in Ecclesiastes said as you invest, invest in seven or eight ventures for you never know which one shall survive or give you fruit. Even the seeds we sow, for them to give you good results, you ought to sow in abundance and expect a harvest. You are living on yesterday's seeds sown.  I have never seen a farmer who enters a place of "no more sowing," never. They keep sowing....

1 Corinthians 16:2 On the first [day] of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come. Rule Eight; Give regularly. Every week giving.  Annual giving e.g cheerful giving. If you ever give once in while, you should turn into a regular and a consistent giver.  Regular can be weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, or annual depending on the purpose and the rhythm of the giving. Weekly for example can work best for daily earners who at the end of the week should take a tithe of their earnings to their local church, biweekly in case you earn your wages every two weeks, monthly could be for salary workers who earn their salaries at the end of the month, while annually can work for those doing fundraising events which are calendared every year. In all these a discipline of consistent putting aside of a potion which is the Lord's is required so that it is not touched.  The mindset of givers should be that "God owns 1...

2 Corinthians 9:7 [So let] each one [give] as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. Rule six; give cheerfully.  This needs no much explanation. This rule simply means your giving should be done in with joy and gladness. Other versions say one who delights in his giving or gives gladly.  Rule seven; give with simplicity. As Romans 12:6-8 says Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, [let us prophesy] according to the proportion of faith; Or ministry, [let us wait] on [our] ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, [let him do it] with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness. Do not make your giving hard or complicated. Let it not be said of you that you that you are so hard to get, in order to fulfil your pledge. You may tell us, collect the pledge next week, and when that wee...

2 Corinthians 9:7 NLT You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don't give reluctantly or in response to pressure. "For God loves a person who gives cheerfully."  Rule five of giving is: Do not give reluctantly. Other versions use words like grudgingly, sorrowfully. This kind of giving is not God honouring at all.  Have you ever been in a meeting only to agree to disagree on a matter you don’t fully buy into? You fully know that if what within your power, you would do otherwise. That is how some behave when they give.  The reason why many don't realise the fruit of their giving is as they give, their hearts and actions are not one. God cannot be faked. He sees beyond actions. It is in humans to do jobs they don't like, marry people they dont love or do things they hate just to survive etc. They "just" accept to do things, nowonder they do the bare minimum. And sad enough they carry such mentality into the things of God. All you hear from t...

2 Corinthians 8:12 For if there be first a willing mind, [it is] accepted according to that a man hath, [and] not according to that he hath not.  According to the World Giving Index, 2025, people are known to be generous either directly to those in need, to a charitable organisation, or to a religious institution. They do this by either being helpful to a stranger, volunteering their time in an organisation, or by donating money.  The fourth underlying principle that governs giving is that one should give willingly and freely, not because they are under pressure. In otherwards, giving should be voluntarily done out of one's free will and without any grudging on their part. No one should be forced to give but can be encouraged to do so. Their giving should be from the heart.  About encouragement, I believe just like all other good mannerisms, giving can be taught because it is not natural to the fallen man, although the new man is by nature a giver. By the new man I mean t...

Matthew 6:1-4 “Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven. Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.   The third rule for giving is: give your alms in secret, or rather, give without showing off.    Alms giving is charitable giving to the poor. Except in fundraising drives, where accountability is required for who gives what and the amounts are read out openly, sometimes it is wise not to reveal the identity of the one who gave, so as to remain anonymous.  When one gives to...

1 Corinthians 16:2 On the first [day] of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come. The second rule of giving is you should give according to how God has blessed you. In the natural, there are people who have more than others. So they ought to give more. Don't try to give to match what others are giving because you won't get the blessing of the LORD. Instead you will get your reward here on earth and that is the praise of men. Many give to outcompete others but that is not right at all. Some give big out of excitement only to realise that they have nothing left to run the day to day affairs of life and then they come back to where they gave seeking aid. Since they gave their rent, capital, transport money to work, tuition, they tend to bother others with asking for loans to meet their needs which is not what God desires us to do. You should aim not to be burdensome to others because of your lack of w...

James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. This may not be a rule per say but it's a starting important to know it before all else; God is a giver.  In the beginning God...He began all things, has granted us this beautiful world to live in, He has given us life, He gave us salvation, He has given us families, an education, leaders, freedom, friends, good churches, great pastors, good jobs, children, spouses etc. Please don't ever think if you don't have any of these then it is God's will. I believe God's will is for you to have things richly to enjoy. Whatever reason you assume why you don't have any of these is not God's. It's your reasoning. Is it okay for us all to be rich, why not? For all of us to have children, YES, for us to drive, the default answer if YES. If that is not the starting point of your belief system then you have ...

1 Corinthians 14:40 Let all things be done decently and in order. The spiritual life is not lived by accident. There are rules or principles or laws or precepts that govern it so that there is order. It is similar to a house. For it to stand there are fundamental parts of it that must be in place before it does so. These parts ought to be strong enough for the house to stand otherwise the investment will ho to ruins. Some of those parts are what we call structural elements like the foundation, columns, beams, slabs and roof trusses.  You do well to know these fundamentals or essential parts thoroughly well so that you are a partaker of the blessing that come with practicing them well. This includes giving. If you happen to be new in a field or organisation, the first thing any wise person does is to know the rules that govern that field or organisation. If they are written down are are accessible to you, grab a hold of them amd immerser yourself in them. Sometimes there are unwritt...

Malachi 3:10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that [there shall] not [be room] enough [to receive it]. The fourth step to financial blessings is to pay your tithes and giving offerings. If you don't pay tithes you are not being thankful to God. It's similar to paying taxes. When you fulfil your tax obligations, you are in a way acknowledging that the government is giving you services like security, education, porable water etc. Only that there is a spirit of discontentment due to some evils done by some people  government but when you do the math, it takes a lot of money to build dams, ensure that the water that reaches your house is clean, get electricity, have security, build schools etc. And it is the taxes men give that those things are brought forth. If everyone was to get those services by themselv...

Matthew 6:30-34 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, [shall he] not much more [clothe] you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day [is] the evil thereof. Today I promised to tell you what you ought to seek rather than seeking money or riches. Seek the will of God to be done. Seek God and not money. To tell you good news, God has a plan for you to be rich so instead of spending your life seeking to be rich, seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness. This does not mean ...