How I Learned To Give – Steve Martin, Love For His People Ministry
| March 20, 2023 Charlotte, North Carolina Greetings to my family and friends of Love For His People Ministry. As the Bible teacher Derek Prince used to say in his daily radio broadcast years ago, “It is good to be with you again.” Having not written for a few weeks, I wanted to “stop by” and give another greeting to you. This past weekend during our homegroup I shared a message on giving – our provisions, time, and talents as we have opportunities to. So I decided to share some of it with you, as follows. I trust you are winning the daily fight to keep the faith, as the world around us grows darker. Our trust in our Lord and Savior Jesus, Yeshua, must be built on His promises to keep us, and lead us, through the evil the enemy sends our way. Apart from the Lord in my life and yours, I do not know how we would make it personally. Have a good spring with resurrection and revival in our midst!  Ahava and shalom, Steve Martin Founder, Love For His People Ministry P.S. Again, thank you to those who respond with a word or two, and also who share their blessings as we bless families in Israel. Nine of our homegroup members travel to Israel in April to give big hugs to those who live in the Land. |
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| How I Learned To Give, Steve Martin “Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.” 2 Corinthians 9:6, NASU On rare occasions, I share a message in our homegroup, as I normally lead worship and David Peterman gives a message. But this time we switched roles, and I gave the message. After seeking the Lord during the three weeks preceding the homegroup, I settled peacefully on the topic of giving, and how the Lord had taught me over decades the discipline, even beginning in my youth. I recall sitting in the Roman Catholic church pew prior to the weaved basket at the end of the long pole being handed down our row – my dad had given me a dime or a quarter to put in it. Later I was given a box of 52 white, small envelopes distributed by the church at the beginning of the year, for the weekly giving moments during Mass. Being raised a Catholic I wasn’t familiar with “tithing”, but after working a few months in the Eagle grocery store stocking shelves my senior year of high school, alongside the new Baptist friend, I heard about it for the first time. I commenced the practice then and have continued since. My one and only year of college at the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, Iowa, I lived with several Christian brothers. No rent or other expenses were individually requested, but a glass jar served as the collection container, and each would put in funds as they “felt led”. Once when the jar became very low on provisions, the Lord had me privately put in my first $400, unbeknownst by the others. I was learning to hear the voice of the Lord in giving, in sharing what He had blessed me with in provision for the blessing of others. Laurie and I lived in common purse community for the first four months of marriage, in LaSalle/Peru, Illinois. Known as Victory Community, the concept was based on Acts 2, where the early church had “all things in common.” Each working member gave their entire paycheck to the elders each payday, who in turn divided it equally among all, for food, clothing, housing, and transportation expenses. It even included special events. So, when we got married, we were given $600 for our honeymoon (with the wedding expenses covered by Laurie’s parents.) Thus, we did also, until we became involved with the Discipleship/Shepherding Movement in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and moved to East Lansing, Michigan to further live as we believed. About half the community, 35-40 members) also did the move. Around 1983 the elders of Shiloh Fellowship, the church we were members of, felt it appropriate to ask each family household and single members to give a week’s paycheck so we could honor and bless the national teacher, Derek Prince, living in Jerusalem, Israel, in need of a large sum of funds to complete the building of his home. In faith, Laurie and I gave. It certainly was another teaching experience in giving, especially with two young boys and living paycheck to paycheck. It certainly was another teaching experience in giving, especially with two young boys and living paycheck to paycheck. All during this time the Lord was putting into my heart the Christian discipline of trusting Him to give beyond what I thought I could, believing Him when it says in Scripture, “Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed; as it is written, “HE SCATTERED ABROAD, HE GAVE TO THE POOR,HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS ENDURES FOREVER.” Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness; you will be enriched in everything for all liberality, which through us is producing thanksgiving to God. For the ministry of this service is not only fully supplying the needs of the saints, but is also overflowing through many thanksgivings to God.” 2 Corinthians 9:6-12, NASU Learning to give is a process. You start out giving as you can in faith, and then as you do, the Lord increases your faith with more increase resulting in more opportunities to give larger than before. One thing I also noted in my message was even though I have given 10% and much more through the years, I don’t limit it to one location or ministry. Our household gives much to those working in the land of Israel, knowing personally the households of the faith doing the work there to fulfill the prophetic words of the Lord as He brings the Jewish people back to their homeland. Love For His People Ministry focuses on this mission in ministry. I encourage you to honor the Lord foremost in your giving continually, and as you give thanks for the provision He gives you to share, you do so in increasingly stronger faith and evermore joy in your heart. Message #136 in this series – in the year of our Lord 03.20.23 – “How I Learned To Give” – Monday, 4:45 pm in Charlotte, North Carolina |
 Road We Walk – Ahava Moments With You, David Peterman and Steve Martin David and I share this video with you as we speak on our walk with Jesus. Take a few minutes to watch. Videos filmed and shared by Steve Martin, Founder, Love For His People Ministry in Charlotte, North Carolina, USA. |
THE PROMISE – JOURNEY OF A LIFETIME In 2004 I wrote an autobiography, sharing 40 years of life with ministries and the search for the Lord’s purposes.In January 2023, 19 years later, I added 114 photos. Click here: The Promise – Journey of a Lifetime – Hardcover $19.95 Paperback $12.95 |
| The Promise – Journey of a Lifetime(2023 Edited Version with 114 photos added!!) by Steve Martin (published Jan. 2023) Throughout our lives, God keeps His hand on our shoulders and nudges us on to more than what we could ever realize. I am excited to share how He did it this with me, and am confident mine will be a story you’ll be able to relate to. As I unveil my story, think back to those times when you knew there was something more but you just couldn’t put your finger on it. You knew deep down that life wasn’t what the TV sitcoms portrayed it to be. In our souls, there is the hope, the cry for more, that someday questions will be answered and promises fulfilled if we just kept plugging away at what we know to do. In The Promise, I share my first 40 years of journey with you and show you that dreams do come true. Though Peter Pan isn’t real, the Lord, the One Who created us, indeed is, and He has a plan in place for each one of us. When you are done reading this story, I pray that you too will know more of that good plan and His purpose for you. This edited version of the 2004 edition, written 19 years ago, now includes 114 photos! Steve Martin Charlotte, North Carolina To purchase on Amazon: The Promise – Journey of a Lifetime – Hardcover $19.95 Paperback $12.95 |
| Love For His People Ministry. is a charitable, USA humanitarian ministry started in 2010 to share the love of the Father in the nations, especially to and within Israel. If these letters minister to you, please consider sending a charitable gift of $5-$25 today, and maybe each month, to help us bless known families in Israel, whom we consistently help through our humanitarian ministry. Go here for safe ONLINE GIFT GIVING THROUGH OUR WEBSITE using major credit cards, Zelle, or PayPal Contribution checks can be sent to: Love For His People Ministry 12120 Woodside Falls Rd. Pineville, NC 28134Todah rabah! (Hebrew – Thank you very much.) Please share this encouraging message with your friends. Email: loveforhispeople@gmail.com martinlighthouse@gmail.com Full website: Love For His People Ministry YouTube: Steve Martin/Love For His People You can sign up for my email messages: Love For His People. The sign-up form is on our ministry website: ministry newsletter |
