Month: October 2023

Generosity

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JESUS SPEAKING

“Forgive and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.” (Luke 6: 37 – 38)

INSPIRED THOUGHTS

Our relationship with God and our fellows is intimately intertwined. In fact, the blessings we receive from the Lord are dependent upon our treatment of others. If we display generosity, freely and liberally giving to those in need, then we will receive even more abundant blessings from the Lord. Our baskets will burst and our cups will overflow, as we experience the fullness of God’s mercies.

As the story goes, when Charlie Page was a young man he was broke, penniless and jobless. One day he stopped on the street to listen to the salvation army service. When the tambourine was passed to him for collection, he told the girl holding it that he would like to give something, but he had nothing; not even enough money to eat a meal. She gave him a dollar and told him, “Take this: put ten cents in the offering, and hereafter give a tenth of all you earn to God. Keep this up all your life and you’ll never be penniless again.” He followed her directions. After getting a job he began giving regularly. With every act of generosity his wealth grew, until he was giving away far more than a tenth. He became a lifelong philanthropist; building hospitals and helping to carry on the work of the Lord.

Like Charlie, all Christians today are called to be generous with their possessions; giving to those in need whenever possible. Whoever is willing to step out in faith and bless others will himself receive the blessings of God. Be generous and charitable and your charity will return to you in abundance. God remains faithful to all those who are faithful.

“Lord Heavenly Father, fill our hearts with compassion and generosity. May we choose to help those in need, and to treat others with dignity and respect. As we give, may we receive, that we may give all the more. Through our acts of charity, may others observe Your compassion, Your goodness, and Your generosity. We love You Father, we praise You, and we thank You; and we ask and pray all of these things, according to Your will, in Jesus Christ name. Amen.” God bless all of you!

Do Everything as Unto the Lord

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JESUS SPEAKING

“He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much, and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much. Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust true riches? And if you have not been faithful in what is another man’s, who will give you what is your own?” (Luke 16: 10 – 12)

INSPIRED THOUGHTS

The earthly possessions imparted to mankind by God ultimately serve an eternal purpose. Those who utilize their skills and talents to further the gospel and serve others in the present, will inherit eternal life; the ultimate reward for their faithfulness. Those who are unable to serve their families, their neighbors, and their earthly employers with passion, zeal, and diligence will never be permitted to serve God in His Kingdom. We read in Colossians, “And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men.”

As the story goes, a man once wandered the streets of Philidalphia searching for employment. A well-known business man named Mr. Girard offered him a day’s labor. The man was tasked with hauling a pile of bricks from one end of the yard to the other. The man showed up early and worked heartily without complaint. The next day he was hired to return the bricks to their original location. He was paid to repeat this mundane objective for over a week, until it was evident that he could be trusted to do exactly what he was told. Mr. Girard soon promoted him to a more lucrative position as a purchasing agent; granting him the authority to buy items on behalf of his employer.

Like this wayward man, we too have been given a task to accomplish; to serve others with divine passion and supernatural affection. To preach the gospel through our words and deeds, so that others might be drawn to Christ and receive salvation. We must obey our employers, serve our families, and do everything “as to the Lord.” Those who can be trusted to handle the smallest tasks, will enter God’s Kingdom, and be given eternal responsibilities.

“Lord Heavenly Father, may we serve our fellows in the same manner in which we serve You. May we be diligent to accomplish even the most menial of tasks with great zeal. Fill us with Your Holy Spirit, and guide our hearts and minds, so that the entire world might observe Your goodness in and through us. We love You Father, we praise You, and we thank You, and we ask and pray all of these things according to You will, in Jesus Christ’s name, amen.” God bless all of you!

Ownership

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JESUS SPEAKING

‘So they watched Him, and sent spies who pretended to be righteous, that they might seize on His words, in order to deliver Him to the power and the authority of the Governor. Then they asked Him, saying, “Teacher, we know that You say and teach rightly, and You do not show personal favoritism, but teach the way of God in truth: is it lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?” But He perceived their craftiness, and said to them, “Why do you test Me? Show Me a Denarius (Roman coin.) Whose image and inscription does it have?” They answered and said, “Caesar’s.” And He said to them, “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” But they could not catch him in His words in the presence of the people. And they marveled at His answer and kept silent.’ (Luke 20: 20 – 26.)

INSPIRED THOUGHTS

In the first century, Israel was conquered by the Roman empire. Thus the Jews were compelled by their occupiers to pay heavy taxes. When asked if paying taxes to the Romans was lawful, Jesus drew attention to a single Roman coin; which possessed Caesar’s image and inscription; so then returning what already belonged to the Emperor wasn’t evil. And yet like coins, human beings were created by God in His image and likeness (as revealed in the book of Genesis.) According to Jesus, these treacherous men who approached Him, were so fixated on rebelling against the Romans that they had failed to accomplish their most important purpose; to offer themselves up to God and live in submission to His will.

Children are a wonderful blessing and inheritance from God. When a parent holds a newborn baby in their arms for the first time, naturally they feel a sense of ownership; as if the child belongs to them. However, like every other valuable thing we possess, children belong to God. Parents then are simply stewards of what God has given them. And so the duty of every parent is to bring their children up “in the training and admonition of the Lord.” God must always be the primary focus of their lives. If God is first, then everything else will find its necessary place.

As human beings we are created in the sacred image of the Lord; and thus we belong to Him. Those who put God first in their lives and acknowledge His ownership, will become His precious possession. However, those who choose to rebel against His authority will continue serving the things which can never set them free. Follow God and know His ways; acknowledge Him and He will walk with you in fellowship, as a Father and a friend.

“Lord Heavenly Father, we desire to make You the priority in our lives. Provide us with the strength to abandon useless things, and to embrace Your ways with great enthusiasm. May we belong to You. May we be Your precious possessions, now, and forever. We love You Father, we praise You, and we thank You, and we ask and pray all of these things, according to Your will, in Jesus Christ’s name, amen.” God bless all of you!