Pharaoh was the most powerful man on earth. At his word, individuals were honored or crushed. With his whims, fortunes could be bestowed or removed. Yet, this king’s dreams were troubling his spirit. He needed an answer. Now!
Enter a young man named Joseph.
Current residence: the main jail in the capital city.
Current occupation: prisoner-in-chief.
He was trusted by the jailer explicitly to run the inside operations. You know the rest of the story (or can read it in Genesis 40-41). Joseph was called to stand before Pharaoh. God gave Joseph the interpretation of the king’s dreams, including guidance for surviving the coming natural disaster. Impressed by the young man, Pharaoh commuted his jail sentence and put him in charge of the national famine survival plan. In minutes Joseph transitioned from prison garb to the finest garments of the era including gold jewelry and the king’s own signet ring –a symbol of the power of his office. Following the plan God revealed to him, Joseph instituted the ancient Egyptian version of the flat tax. 20% of all the produce of the land was stored safely in the king’s grain bins to meet the needs of the coming famine. I wonder what Egyptian farmers thought of this tax. Was it fair? Too high? Too low? Just right? Taxes seem always to be a topic of discussion, debate, and even dissension. What should be a Christian’s viewpoint toward paying taxes? As stewards seeking to live the giving life, we are obligated by conscience and Scripture to obey the tax laws of our land, as long as they do not cause us to disobey God.
In 2021 you can lawfully, and in good conscience, reduce your taxable income to zero by giving to charity. If you are interested in avoiding federal income tax through charitable giving this year, we would welcome a conversation about how this limited tax opportunity might work for you.
Download our Guide to 2021 Short-Term Giving Opportunities!
Or Contact Jeff Coon today- he’s giving you his cell phone # 317-675-7373 so you can speak to him or he will direct you to partnership experts at the CDF Foundation.