The Gift is Still Working

By Dr. Martin G Tharp PhD

When you invest money in real estate, the stock market or bonds, common sense would suggest that your investment should grow, accruing value over time. The precept of this book is based on the simple fact that an investment in the Kingdom of God is more secure than the wisest investment you can make on earth. Whatever you have given to God, you can expect that "The Gift is Still Working!"

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dr. Martin G Tharp PhD
• Release date: Mar 12, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301464616

Dr. Martin G Tharp PhD

Dr. Martin Tharp has been an avid student of the Bible for many years and holds a Bachelor, Master and eight Doctorates, one honorary and seven earned, including a Doctor. of Literature and two PhDs. He has been in full time ministry for over fifty-seven years and has authored forty-nine books to date, many of which are being used as curriculum in Bible colleges around the United States and abroad. He has also penned a number of gospel songs and recorded thirty-three albums as well as being actively involved in a school ministry to Northern Ireland in the United Kingdom for the past thirty-eight years, and Dr. Tharp has been honored twice by members of parliament in Ireland for their work in the Protestant and Catholic schools. He and his wife, Sharon, along with Maranda Howells, travel extensively across the USA and the whole of the British Isles holding evangelistic crusades in the churches of both countries.

Book preview

The Gift

Is Still Working!

By Martin G. Tharp, Ph.D.

Copyright 2013 Martin Tharp Ph.D.

Smashwords edition

Smashwords Edition, License Notes; This ebook is licensed for your own personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be resold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this ebook with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.. Scripture quotations identified KJV are from the Hebrew-Greek Key Word Study Bible, King James Version. Copyright 1984, 1991 by AMG International, INC and the Living Bible Copyright 1971, 1986 by Tyndale House Publishers INC

Table of Contents

Introduction

Chap. 1. Transformed by A Twenty-Dollar Bill1

Chap. 2. Principle

Chap. 3. Changed

Chap. 4. Just a Coincidence

Chap. 5. The Widow and The Prophet

Chap.6. A Dead Prophet, A Live Legacy

Chap.7. The Gift

Chap. 8. The Gift Is Still Working

Chap. 9 The Gift Is Still Working for Me!

Study Questions

Bibliography

About The Author

Introduction

The book that you now hold in your hand is my twenty eighth endeavor, and it is a slight departure from the lions’ share of the subject matter which dominates my efforts. Most of my publications are basically of a theological nature. For those who are called into the ministry of the Word, the books I have written serve as preaching material. They are an abstract reproduction of sermon series, which I have delivered to congregations all over America, and the United Kingdom.

As any prolific preacher can attest to, you cannot turn sermons you have preached into a book, but you can write a book about the sermons you preached! Sounds confusing doesn’t it? Let me explain; when God clearly spoke to my heart, instructing me to begin the process of putting down in book form, subjects which He had given me divine revelation on, I automatically assumed that meant I should transcribe the myriad series of sermons I had delivered to various congregations around the world and especially the subjects which churches demanded an encore on.

I quickly discovered that would not work! Preaching under the anointing offers a safe haven from recriminations in regard to verbal faux pas. Listening to myself or any other minister who preaches under a heavy anointing, is like catching a runaway train! You are in for an exciting ride until the train loses its momentum.

To try and capture on paper the excitement which is generated by anointed preaching, is a little like attempting to bungee jump off the curb into the gutter, the concept may be exciting, but the landing is anticlimactic! It simply loses something in the translation.

To begin the process of writing my first book, I had my wife transcribe the most popular series of sermons that several churches had insisted I preach more than once. Since every sermon I preached was recorded and offered in sets at the conclusion of each revival, it seemed to me it was only a matter of getting the words I spoke transliterated, and walla! I would have my first book! How utterly disappointing that idea turned out to be.

As I read the transcript of the first two tapes of a five tape series, I couldn’t help but marvel at how illiterate I appeared to be! After reading what I had preached word for word, I could not understand for the life of me why in the world anyone in their right mind would ever want to hear that load of waffle once! Much less a second time!

Then I made an amazing discovery! I listened to the tape while reading it transcribed at the same time. I quickly found myself on that runaway train as the anointing gripped me while I listened to myself preaching. The revelation was overwhelming as I found myself drawn into worship and completely lost in the inspiration of the Word of God as it was being expounded. It was crystal clear in my mind that I could not write down the revelation as I had preached it, but it was crystal clear that God had summoned, and empowered me to write about the revelation from which the sermon was formulated.

This book is an example of what I have been attempting to explain. You may not be able to preach the revelation as it is encapsulated in the chapters of this book, but it is my prayer and sincere desire that the revelation in each chapter will be transliterated into anointed sermon material.

Perhaps it would be advisable to explain the reason for the title to this book. If perchance you were to invest in real estate, or invest your money in stocks and bonds, or certificates of deposit, common sense would suggest that your investment should grow, accruing value over time.

The title, as well as the precept of this book is based on the simple fact that an investment in the Kingdom of God is more secure in the long run than the most prolific investment you will ever make. Whatever gift you have given to the Lord will still be accruing interest for you during the best or the worst times of your future. In other words; you have a perfect right to expect that;

The Gift Is Still Working!

Chapter 1

Transformed!

By A Twenty Dollar Bill

Now that you hold this book in your hand, you may well ask this question;

What is the reason for writing another book which deals exclusively with various aspects of giving? (See authors book; AHow To Survive In Times Of Economic Crisis.

Anyone who has been acquainted with us as individuals or with our ministry for any length of time can probably answer that question as succinctly as I. There should be no shadow of a doubt that we have a strong conviction about the responsibilities as well as the benefits of giving. Each year when we attempt to calculate our expenses in comparison to our income, we are always at a loss to come up with a credible explanation of how on earth we did it (that is in the natural) and still survived!

Let me begin this first chapter with a Scripture which actually precedes Luke 6:38 (which I will deal with in chapter two), a passage that has been used out of context, ignored or overlooked by a vast percentage of the church world, and yet it remains one of the most profound statements which was uttered by Jesus in the New Testament. I am personally convinced that the reason can be traced to the fact that the verses I am about to give you are ignored.

Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful. Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven (Luke 6:36-37; KJV).

The Living Bible puts it like this;

"Try to show as much compassion as your Father does. Never criticize or condemn or it will all come back on you. Go easy on others; then they will do the same for you"(Luke 6:36-37 TLB).

The entire concept of this book was conceived and predicated on a series of events in the course of our ministry where God has miraculously manifested Himself again and again. Since the very outset of my forty-eight years of active ministry, it has been my firm conviction that the average Christian does not really believe the infallible Word of God! Instead they are captivated by an assumption that many of the Biblical prerequisites are only offered for the purpose of giving us options, primarily in our Biblical obligations concerning tithes and offerings. However, the Word of God does not offer us preferences, but absolutes!

The Bible is filled with Scriptures which make positive statements in regard to Heavenly principles which were not designed to allow us the privilege of making a choice of whether we want to adhere to these standards or not, they are designed to test and challenge our integrity, and it is for our benefit. Obedience makes them truly life transforming if we are courageous enough to appropriate the benefits of those principles by our resolute compliance.

At Christmas time in 1998, the Atlanta Journal Newspaper carried an amazing story of a multimillionaire philanthropist who astounded hundreds of people by giving waitresses, salesclerk, taxi drivers, homeless beggars and rank strangers on the streets of the city crisp new one hundred dollar bills, wishing them a merry Christmas as he walked away from his startled recipients.

I thought that was an impressive story until I read the final installment of his personal testimony and the real reason why he made the decision to give away well over three million dollars during that particular holiday season.

When he was a young man trying to find his way in life in the late nineteen-forties, he found himself without a job and homeless during the Christmas season in the dead of winter in New York City. He had served in the army from 1942-1946, and like many former soldiers, he discovered that life could be very hard in a society which was still struggling to find its way in the two years following the devastation of war.

For months he had struggled to survive by doing odd jobs, but a harsh winter brought with it the cessation of the random employment with which he had managed to keep himself alive. After being evicted from the flea-bag hotel where he had been a tenant, he found himself on the streets, starving and in real danger of literally freezing to death!

Penny-less he was unable to beg enough money to feed himself even a meager fare. In desperation he walked into a small Café a few days before Christmas in1948 and ordered a meal without one cent to his name. Since it was the first food he had eaten in nearly two weeks, he was willing to go to jail if necessary, certain that he could go no further without food! When he had finished his meal, he stalled for as long as possible, basking in the warmth of the small Café. The waitress suspected that he was one of the homeless street-people, for in desperation he pretended to have lost a twenty dollar bill instead of just admitting that he was broke and homeless.

As he searched through his pockets for the nonexistent money, the owner of the Café came around behind him, reached down under his seat and faked finding a twenty dollar bill, he picked it up and asked him if that was it?

An astute judge of character, the owner of the Café had quickly sized up the situation and recognized that this man was not an ordinary street bum by choice, just a young man down on his luck. Although the tab for the meal