GOD'S ECONOMY

Are You Seeing Your Financial Opportunities?

By Dan Reany
The 700 Club

CBN.com - For more than 20 years, watermelons have been the source of success for Tony and Kathy Moore. They run a successful wholesale business together, but early on in their relationship, they wondered if they’d ever be able to get ahead.  Tony didn’t make much pastoring a small church with about 35 members.

“My first set salary was $200 a week,” says Tony.

Then with minimal medical insurance, they faced big bills after they had their first baby. 

“We came very close to getting public assistance,” says Tony. ‘But we just didn’t feel personally that I was supposed to do that.”

Instead, they tithed from their meager income, and relied on God.

“We just did the best we could,” says Kathy. “I always tried to be a frugal shopper, and thrifty, and use coupons, and just stretch the budget.”

“I can’t explain to you how the bills would be here, maybe, income here, but at the end of the month, it seemed that they would meet every single time,” remembers Tony.

Pastors of small churches often have second jobs. Tony was no exception.

“Back in the early 90’s, my step father who’s a farmer, he had 300 or 400 acres of melons he grew,” remembers Tony. “So I took an old Toyota pick up truck that I had and a trailer, and would pick up 100-200 watermelons at a time. And I started peddling them out.”

Tony did so much business out of the back of a pickup that other farmers took notice, and asked him to start selling their melons, too. As their business grew, they made sure their tithe kept up with their increasing income.

“Food Lion was our first corporate client,” says Tony. “It wasn’t that I got the call from them. They got the call from me, and then I kept pushing on it. You know, the Lord, when we pray for God to bless us, and to provide for us, …. God often times answers by putting the feet on ourselves. You know, he blesses us with the ability to do those things that need to be done.”

Soon, Tony was shipping out melons by the thousands.

“I remember that first year I sold ten tractor trailer loads and I thought I’d really done something,” says Tony. “And now, during the busy time of our year, we can do 20-25 tractor trailer loads in a day. And I remember one year sitting down doing my taxes and my giving that year had exceeded my adjusted gross income just a few years before. my thought was, I wonder how much I can top that by next year.”

On top of their tithe, the Moores give to a number of ministries, including CBN.

“CBN has really meant a lot to us over the years,” says Tony. “As we’ve watched the program and seen how God has blessed people, through the program itself, as well as Operation Blessing. Plus, CBN News, because I get to hear the news from a Christian perspective.”

Today, he pastors a considerably larger church, while Moore’s Produce brokers hundreds of truckloads of watermelons every summer.  Their kids help out with the business, and together they enjoy the side benefits as a family. They credit their success – to giving.

“We’ve always been tithers,” says Kathy. “We teach our children to tithe, and we’ve found that you can’t out give God.” 

“You know, it’s all about him,” says Tony. “And when we honor him, he indeed honors us.”

Being obedient to God's truth made an incredible difference for Tony and Kathy. They made themselves available for God's love to flow through them to others, and they are reaping a blessing themselves as well. Join them in partnering with CBN. You will make a difference in lives around the world, through medical missions, food and clothing programs, humanitarian outreaches and so much—all in the name of Jesus. Please join today.

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