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When I went to work for Kenneth Copeland back in 1971, I only had one suit. A lady who lived next door to us went to a rummage sale and bought me a suit for $15. I came to work for Brother Copeland in the middle of the summer with that one suit and it was 100 percent wool. I sweated like a hog all summer in that one suit. I wore it to every meeting.

I believed God for ties so I could have a different look. Then one day I got another pair of slacks that I could wear with the suit coat, and I got a different look. I made 15 changes out of that one suit. One day, I said, "God, I'm in the ministry. I'm going to be a preacher. I need suits."

Brother Copeland and I went to Odessa, Texas, for a meeting. When Brother Copeland finished preaching, he had me so fired up I couldn't wait for the next meeting, so I went to the streets and started preaching in the streets everything I heard him preach in the meeting.

One day, I went out into the streets in Odessa, and I found a young Mexican boy. He couldn't have been over 14 years old. I started preaching to him. He couldn't understand a word I said because he couldn't speak any English. Somehow I was able to convince him that I wanted to give him my only suit. He was less fortunate than I was. His clothes were rags. I said, "God, I'm going to sow this suit into this young boy's life." I gave him my only suit. It was the best that I had.

Later, I noticed a men's department store on Main Street in Odessa. It had a big sign in the window that read: "Men's suits half price." It wouldn't have made any difference if they were $1.50, I couldn't have bought one. I stood there and looked at that sign and thought, "O God, they're half price." I felt really strong about going in there and looking at them even though I didn't have a dime.

I walked in the store, and the gentleman asked me if he could help me. I said, "I'm just looking." I asked, "Where are your suits for half price?"

He showed me all these suits. He said, "What size do you wear?"

I told him my size, and he put this suit on me that fit me perfect! Oh, it looked good on me. He put another one on. It looked good too!

He said, "You want me to write it up?"

I said, "No, no. I can't buy anything today." I started to walk out and the Spirit of God spoke to me and He said, "Tell him to hold them for you." I turned around and I said, "Sir, would you hold those suits for me?"

He said, "Why?"

I said, "Well, I just believe somehow, some way, God's going to give me the money before I leave this town, and I'm going to buy those suits. Would you hold them for me for 24 hours?"

He said, "I will."

I went back to my hotel. I walked up and down that floor. I prayed in the spirit, and I did everything I knew to do. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. I opened the door, and it was A.W. Copeland, Brother Copeland's father. He said, "Jerry, where have you been?"

I said, "I've been out in the street preaching."

He said, "I've been looking for you all morning."

I said, "Why?"

He said, "Well, last night in the offering somebody gave me an envelope and told me to give it to you. In fact, on the front of this envelope it said 'Give this to the little boy that works for Brother Copeland."'

I said, "What is it, Granddad?"

He said, "I don't know. It just says give it to you." I opened it, and it was the exact amount of money that those suits were going to cost at that store.

I ran over to the store, and when I walked in, I couldn't even talk in English. I walked in speaking in tongues.

He said, "What happened to you?"

I said, "I told you that God was going to give me the money." I said, "The money was waiting for me, and I didn't even know it." I said, "Sir, we've got a meeting tonight. Can you alter my suits? I've got to wear one of these tonight."

Then I took my money out of the envelope, and I laid it up on the counter. He took half of it, and he gave me the other half back. I said, "No sir, there's exactly the amount you quoted me in this envelope. Here."

He said, "Since you left, those suits went down from half to another half." He said, "Those suits are now half of half price." He said, "Now son, it's cold out there." He said, "Do you have a top coat?" I didn't even know what a top coat was. He said, "Well you know what, I just happen to have a winter coat that costs exactly what you've got left." That man blessed me.

From that moment, I have never been able to wear all the suits God has given me. I've had people chase me down to give me a suit. I've had people buy me suits everywhere I go.

I learned that I may not always have what I need, but I am never without the seed that will produce it.

Proverbs 11:24 says, "There is he that scattereth, and yet increaseth."

One translation says, "It is possible to give it all away and yet become richer."

"Honour the Lord with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase" (Prov. 3:9).

Honor the Lord with your substance and your tithe. Don't stop with the tithe. Honor God with your own personal belongings. Why? God wants you to be a seed sower so that He can multiply your resources for sowing.

Malachi 3:10 says, "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."

What's the promise to the person who obeys this command? "And I," God says, "I, personally will rebuke the seed-eater for your sake."

I looked in Webster's Dictionary for the definition of the word rebuke, and it means: to address in a sharp and severe disapproval; to reprimand, to force back and to command to stop. The reason you need to be a tither is so God can get involved with you in driving the seedeater away with force. When you honor God with the firstfruits of your increase, then God personally gets involved in driving the seed-eater away. He says, "Stop it! That's enough!"

You will find that when you drive the seed-eater away and you bring your tithe to God, you can live far greater on the 90 percent that's left than you could on the 100 percent. That 90 percent will stretch far, far greater than the 100 percent you keep.

Just like Abram, the birds of prey are swooping down attempting to consume your seed, and it's time to drive them away. Use some force. Don't allow Satan to consume your seed. Make God's offering the number one priority in your life and everything else second. Now watch how God will bless you like never before.

Source: Take Charge Of Your Financial Destiny by Jerry Savelle
Excerpt permission granted by Jerry Savelle Ministries International

Author Biography

Jerry Savelle
Web site: Jerry Savelle Ministries International
 
Dr. Jerry Savelle was an average, blue-collar man who was struggling and needed God's help. While he considered himself a "nobody," when he became a believer God told him not to worry about it because He was a master at making champions out of nobodies. God has since taken Dr. Savelle from being a constant quitter to a man who knows how to stand on the Word of God until victory is experienced. Because of the life-changing combination of God's faithfulness and Dr. Savelle's "no quit" attitude, his life is totally different than it was thirty-eight years ago.
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