Tuesday, 12 July 2005 - 6:50 PM EDT
JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER - THE FIRST BILLIONAIRE: The very first person to reach the status of billionaire was a man who knew how to set goals and follow through. Rockefeller, a devout Baptist and one of our nation's first billionaires said, "I never would have been able to tithe the first million dollars I ever made if I had not tithed my first salary, which was $1.50 per week. "He believed that the ability to make money was a gift from God to be developed and used to the best of one's ability and for the good of mankind. At the age of 23, he had become a millionaire, by the age of 50 a billionaire. Every decision, attitude, and relationship was tailored to create his personal power and wealth. But three years later at the age of 53 he became ill. His entire body became racked with pain and he lost all the hair on his head. In complete agony, the world‘s only billionaire could buy anything he wanted, but he could only digest milk and crackers. An associate wrote, "He could not sleep, would not smile and nothing in life meant anything to him." His personal, highly skilled physicians predicted he would die within a year. That year passed agonizingly slow. As he approached death he awoke one morning with the vague remembrances of a dream. He could barely recall the dream but knew it had something to do with not being able to take any of his successes with him into the next world. The man who could control the business world suddenly realized he was not in in control of his own life. He was left with a choice. He called his attorneys, accountants, and managers and announced that he wanted to channel his assets to hospitals, research, and mission work. On that day John D. Rockefeller established his foundation. This new direction eventually led to the discovery of penicillin, cures for current strains of malaria, tuberculosis and diphtheria. The list of discoveries resulting from his choice is enormous. But perhaps the most amazing part of Rockefeller‘s story is that the moment he began to giveback a portion of all that he had earned, his body‘s chemistry was altered so significantly got better. It looked as if he would die at 53 but he lived to be 98. Rockefeller learned gratitude and gave back from his wealth. Doing so made him whole. It is one thing to be healed it is another to be made whole . He practiced what he preached...giving away more than $555 million during his lifetime. He gave a $1 million gift to get the Annuity Board started. But Rockefeller did not wait until he became rich to become generous. He gave a tithe of all he had from the time of his conversion. He believed he was a steward of all he had. He taught his family that what they inherited was theirs on a service basis. And, that money brought tremendous responsibility as well as opportunity.
David Rockefeller said that when he was seven years old the received on allowance of 50 cents a week. David was taught to save five cents and that the other five cents belonged to the Lord--it was his tithe to God. He said, "Our parents made us feel, from an early age, that we had to contribute, not just take."
Nelson Rockefeller said that his father's creed was, "Every right implies a responsibility; every opportunity, an obligation; every possession, a duty."
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When candy manufacturer John S. Huyler started out in business, he took Jacob's pledge: "...of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee" (Gen. 28:22).
Going to the bank, he opened a special account which he initialed "M.P." Into that fund he regularly entered a proportionate amount (more than the tithe) of his income. When anyone asked what the strange label meant, they were told that it stood for "My Partner." As he kept God uppermost in his mind in all his transactions, his industry grew at a phenomenal rate, and each week the "Lord's treasury" received increasingly large sums. His gifts to worthy causes and private individuals amazed his business associates. These contributions were always accompanied with the request that the donor should not receive any thanks or glory for his actions. He asked each church and recipient to offer praise to God alone, for he said, "After all, the money isn't mine; it's the Lord's!" See: Luke 6:38; 1 Cor 16:1-2; 2 Cor 9:7
God enabled him to become one of the great philanthropists of his day.
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J.L. KRAFT , head of the Kraft Cheese Corporation, who had given approximately 25% of his enormous income to Christian causes for many years, said, "The only investment I ever made which has paid consistently increasing dividends is the money I have given to the Lord."
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Anthony Rossi (Tropicana Orange Juice came to the US from Italy in the 19 20‘s as a young teenager, with nothing but the clothes on his back. A Christian couple befriended him and through their love he came to know Christ as his Savior and Lord. One Sunday in church, he prayed: "Lord, if you give me an idea for a business, I will be faithful to give a portion of everything I make back to Your work." That very morning, the idea of "Fresh squeezed orange juice" popped into his head - and the rest is history: founded the "Tropicana Co" and has been faithful to give God - not 10% of his income, as many faithful believers do, but 50% of his income, for the past 60 years! He also gave truckloads of FREE O.J. to Christian colleges throughout the country!
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Milton Hershey's life was ruled by the long-instilled Biblical maxim of doing unto others as you would have them do unto you. Hershey put his $60 million fortune in trust for the school. The bequest was held in confidence until 1923, when it was discovered and revealed by The New York Times. 25 years before he died, he give away all his money to strangers.
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The Bible says specifically "Whatever you do unto the least of these, you do unto me." (The Bible mentions many times that we are to help the poor and the widows. When we give our tithe to help the poor....isn't that doing it unto God?
Here is the group Brad Pitt and Bono are working with http://www.one.org/About.aspx (If you missed Brad talking to Diane Sawyer you missed a good interview....and I was not a Brad Pitt fan.)
