It seems fair to ask, “God, do You really expect less of me – who has your Holy Spirit within and lives in the wealthiest society in human history – than You demanded of the poorest Israelite?”… The tithe is God's historical method to get us on the path of giving. In that sense, it can serve as a gateway to the joy of grace giving. It is unhealthy to view tithing as a place to stop, but it can be a good place to start… Tithing isn't the ceiling of giving; it's the floor. It's not the finish line of giving; it's just the starting blocks… True, some would be sacrificing more by giving 5% of their income than others would be by tithing or even giving 50 or 90%. Certainly the affluent should never “check off the box,” as if giving 10% automatically fulfills their obligation. The 90% belongs to God, too. He doesn't look at just what we give. He also looks at what we keep… When people tell me they can't afford to tithe, I ask them, “If your income was reduced by 10% would you die?” They say, “No.” And I say, “Then you've admitted that you can afford to tithe. It's just that you don't want to”… I have no problem with people who say “we're not under the tithe,” just as long as they're not using that as justification for giving less. But in my mind the current giving statistics among Christians clearly indicate most of us need a jump-start. If you find a gateway to giving that's better than the tithe, wonderful. But if not, why not start where God started His First Covenant children?

Randy Alcorn

CATEGORY	CUISINE	TAG	YIELD
Grains	Jewish	Canning	8	Servings

INGREDIENTS

1	ga	Cucumbers; medium-size, thinly sliced, unpared
6		Medium-sized onions; thinly sliced (up To 8)
2		Green peppers; chopped
1/3	c	Salt
4 1/2	c	Granulated sugar
2	tb	Mustard seed
1 1/2	ts	Turmeric
1 1/2	ts	Celery seed
4 1/2	c	Vinegar

INSTRUCTIONS

Gently mix together the cucumbers, onions, green peppers and salt. Cover
with crushed ice and let stand for 3 hours. Continue to add ice as it melts
so cucumbers become crisp and cold. Drain well. Meanwhile, combine sugar,
spices and vinegar in a large kettle and bring to a boil. Add drained
vegetables and heat to boiling point, but do not boil. Spoon into hot
steralized jars and seal. Makes 8 pints. The Best Of Amish Cooking by
Phyllis Pellman
Posted to JEWISH-FOOD digest by Nancy Berry <nlberry@prodigy.net> on Sep
25, 1998, converted by MM_Buster v2.0l.

A Message from our Provider:

“A thankful heart is one of the primary identifying characteristics of a believer. It stands in stark contrast to pride, selfishness, and worry. And it helps fortify the believer’s trust in the Lord and reliance of His provision, even in the toughest times. No matter how choppy the seas become, a believer’s heart is buoyed by constant praise and gratefulness to the Lord. #John MacArthur”