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Charity

Love Will Prove True

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THE WORD

1 Thessalonians 5:21 – Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

When it comes to having a strong walk with God there are qualities within you that will make you stand out as a person that possesses something amazing. These attributes of the Lord are given by the anointing that dwells within you! Some of the most anointed individuals that I have ever witnessed made a difference to the world around them through one thing: Love. For without love, our works for others are of none effect.

Churches do not produce successful outreach just by awesome praise and worship music, nor how eloquently organized the sermons may be. While these things make going to church from week to week worthwhile I feel that we are missing the greatest opportunities to help those in need with something more available than what we produce in the place of worship. God is much more powerful than a building and what we can produce from within it.  I encourage you to go and read about the qualities of charity and examine your life and see if the love that is coming forth from you is making a difference in every part of your life that people see.

As we continue to operate in the church in the ministry and as individuals in our personal everyday ministries, let us always remember to do all of our works with love. It will reach the coldest of hearts, go further than you ever thought possible, and will always break ground when you sow seeds of faith in that manner! Remember the love of God in your life!

PUT INTO PRACTICE

Take a moment to get someone on your mind that perhaps you have not spent very much time with lately. Think of a way that you can bring a smile to that persons face and make an effort to supply a spontaneous blessing. It does not have to be anything over the top; something simple will do. An example that I have performed was gathering addresses and sending Christmas cards to people I never have. The response I got back in return was overwhelming, further establishing to me that even a little of God’s love goes a long way!

The “Do Unto Others” Principle

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THE WORD

Luke 6:27-31  – But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you. And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloke forbid not to take thy coat also. Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again. And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

I could find a million reasons to be justified to take action upon others simply because they did wrong to me. The society that we live in teaches people that when they are attacked that their assailants should get what they deserve. As we read in the word of God we are instructed contrary to this worldly notion and are to do unto others as we would have them do unto us. If we take this text at face value we would know that we could do anything to people and would feel okay, right? Wrong! Let us take that scripture into a deeper meaning: Say that there are situations where I can control my anger and reactions in turn by doing something charitable. As instructed by God’s word I need to (actually) do unto them what I would want them to do unto me. Through this teaching we must learn to turn the other cheek and show love so people will observe the Godly witness that comes from your act of kindness. I also know that this is a tough subject to swallow. It always seems that there are people that will never change their attitudes and behave differently but just continue to try and cause issues. However, we have to set our standards to the word of God and live by it! We, with the mind of Christ and the love of God, have to begin to perform the unlikely acts of kindness in the midst of a hopeless world. Others must be led by your example!

PUT INTO PRACTICE

When a moment arises in affliction or confrontation, let yourself do for the other people that which you would have them do to you. Do it! Be amazed at the blessings that will follow your kind deed! This act of charity alone is what mostly defines people that are called for quality leadership in our churches, business and communities alike.

With Any Help Done In Love Comes Help From Above

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One of the toughest things to ever see or hear about are to do with people that are in need of help. We as children of the Lord have a calling to always be moving to the aid of the weak. I try to remind myself each day when I feel weak that there is someone out there feeling weaker than me, and that God needs me to be strong on their behalf. God needs the body of Christ to be strong in the days that we live in, and to definitely move in the gifts and acts of charity.

To me charity comes in many ways and forms. It can come in the form of a good or service, but at any rate is given in a selfless act from one to another. If you have a special calling or ability in your life that God has placed upon you, never hold back what it is that you have inside. People need you. If you happen to be having a good month financially, think of some way that you can lose a little so that others can gain. And if you don’t have a lot and feel like you are powerless, you can ALWAYS pray and stand in the gap for others. It’s a powerful thing!

Make it a goal in your day, week, month to do something that bears a significant impact that is completely selfless. Pray before you do it and dedicate your selflessness and service to God. And in all acts of kindness, shine a light to those that do not know Christ and lead them to a perfect salvation!

Receive Them Joyfully

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Luke 19:2-7

[2] And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich.
[3] And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature.
[4] And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way.
[5] And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for today I must abide at thy house.
[6] And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully.
[7] And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner.

We all know the story of Zaccheus. I’m sure that if you ever attended Sunday school at some point that you have heard it. For those that have not heard it, I will attempt to give an understandable version of it.

Zaccheus was the chief tax collector in Jericho. He was a rich man, and despised by those around him because he took not only the money for the Roman taxes but also kept for himself. In principle, the more money that one could get from the people, the more they could keep.  When he heard of Jesus’ arrival to Jericho, he wanted to see what all the fuss was about.  Being a man of small stature, Zaccheus was so determined to see Jesus that he dropped all he was doing and climbed a tree to try and get a view. Despite the crowd around him, Jesus saw up in the tree and told Zaccheus “Come down at once, for today I must stop at your house”. Being the person that he was, people all around were clearly upset, even by speaking that Christ was going to be a guest with a sinner.

A lot of messages focus on the fact that he was short and climbed up the tree to make the extra effort to get closer to Christ, but we want to take a deeper look into what happened in the before and after.

Zaccheus was a person who did not care to take from people that were poor for his own good. Therefore in essence he was in the wrong for some of his actions. The crowd around him even judged him by calling him a sinner. However, once he knew that Christ had acknowledged him, he came down quickly and received him JOYFULLY.

There will be many people that we come into contact with that may not be on our list of friends or even people that we dislike ourselves. But as Christ was demonstrating, he showed that it IS possible to look beyond the flaws of someone to try and show love to them. There are many people out there today that are “hanging up in the trees”, desperate for something to fill the void in their life. If we are not too careful, we’ll be as the crowd and pass judgment and not give a second thought to it. Don’t pass them by! God can inspire you with the words to say that will not only show compassion, but also a chance to lead them to salvation. This can go beyond friends into the very home that you live in. If you want to see your parents and relatives notice the light you shine, show them that same love that Jesus showed. Get along at home, practice forgiveness, and love them regardless. And in the process of all that, PRAY! He can change their lives! And you can be the light that leads them to deliverance!

Strength From Humility

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Before I begin, let me define my title:

Strength – the quality or state of being strong: capacity for exertion or endurance

Humility – a disposition to be humble; a lack of false pride

In the fast paced world that we exist in today, you rarely hear acts of true humility. More time is spent telling you about the stories of despair, tragedy, and destruction. Not that I am taking anything away from that, there (to me) has been such a loss of focus on the great acts that still take place every day.

Along with listening to constant negativity, I find it very hard to see anything good from anyone anymore. In fact, everything that comes to me in conversation is always about what they are going through, who they have a problem with, who doesn’t like them, what makes them upset, what drives them crazy, the list goes on and on. Here is the part that leaves me heavy hearted. There are all kinds of people out there, who stand in terrible need, and yet never get anything but the tough treatment and neglect from everyone. These kinds of people don’t have enough willpower within themselves anymore to be able to stand on one’s own and be able to handle is in front of them. They are desperate for help, and get passed on by. They are looking for humility from others so that they can receive something they don’t have within: Strength.

I know you think I’m going to take a laid back perspective, and say things that we should do, that no one actually will perform. Not only am I going to stray from that view, I will surprise you with this concept:

A self-centered personality can be easily lessened in one’s life by finding strength from humility.

If life is always about you, then you can’t possibly be of help to others. More boldly, if life is always about what you need, how can you ever hear God’s voice telling you to help the person right in front of you?

Let me give you 2 verses to support my following statement:

Proverbs 22:4

[4] By humility and the fear of the LORD are riches, and honour, and life.

1st Chronicles 16:27

[27] Glory and honour are in his presence; strength and gladness are in his place.

Here is the last part I will leave you with today. If we can take more moments in our life to not just worry about ourselves, but applying Godly humility to others: that is, leading them to a source that will last them far beyond just a little help from just you. And in that Godly humility that you show to someone else, not only will you get strength, but God will strengthen you, and add blessings upon blessings to your life. Just like the old adage, it’s always better to give then receive! And now it should all make sense, strength from humility! God Bless!

Embracing Your Family

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This goes against our normal form and fashion of how I normally post things, but I just wanted to share a thought that was on my mind. It took me a very long time to realize this, so please pay attention very closely.

A family is like a garden. Older plants give seed to new ones. A plant will birth, bloom, and wilt away ONLY ONCE. Some are different then others, but all have a very special purpose in their lifetime. Once a plant has existed its lifespan, then that’s it. We cannot rewind time. So always admire the good things of each family member; for we do not know when their blooming ends. And more then that, do it more than just 2 or 3 holidays a year. Life is too short to put it off anymore!

I came across a verse that literally broke my heart when i read it.

Proverbs 30:11 says, “There is a generation that curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother.”

Let’s not be as that generation that it talks about, let’s go above and beyond in showing our love for all that we have around us. Don’t wait, don’t wait, don’t wait!!!!

Today is the day you should call them, just to say that you love them. Today is the day you go and do something out of charity that you were not obligated to do. Today is the day you go and spend time with them just because.

2 Corinthians 6: 2 says: “For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.”

Why am I saying all of this? There are mothers and fathers out there who need God to perform a miracle in their life, who need to be healed from their diseases, but most of all, to have salvation applied in their life. Not only just mothers and fathers, but the rest of your family as well!

A person can be good by their deeds, but with God, can be good and blessed as well. Don’t give up on your prayers for them! Stay determined, and you will see them call out on the Lord. I believe that with all that is within me!

Only With Love

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Philippians 2:11-13

[11] And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
[12] Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
[13] For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

Matthew 7:1-2

[1] Judge not, that ye be not judged.
[2] For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

I have thought of a million ways to approach this topic, but I can only speak from my heart and tell you how I feel led to say what I am about to say. There were a lot of times in my own life where I felt like that people looked at me and condemned me before they ever knew me. Sure my lifestyle wasn’t the best at the time, and perhaps they may have been right. One thing that was not present though was a single person coming to me out of love to see if I needed help. They just assumed I was heading for destruction and did not want any part of helping me. Looking back on that now, it breaks my heart at the thought that out of all of my peers, no one really went above and beyond to show that true love of God. I did not say that to start ranting and raving about how no one cares anymore. I know that there are people that care about me, but sometimes me believing to myself that they do isn’t enough.

Where do we come in as Christians in all of this? As always, we need to apply ourselves in the word of God. If we begin to think about certain instances of the bible, there were several instances of people being upset about others receiving love while they thought they didn’t deserve the blessing they got. The story of the prodigal son showed that the brother that had been with his father the whole time was not pleased with the way that his father welcomed his other brother back after all he had done. The story of Zacchaeus also shows the people around him being upset that Christ chose to go to his house.

And as I think in the days we live in, I see this kind of attitude rise up every day in people that are supposed to be servants of the Lord. We live in a society where there is a system in place that judges people daily and gives them a sentence of how they must be punished for their actions. We as people of God work by a different system. We were not placed here to be the judge of anyone (Matthew 7:1-2). Everyone has their own price to pay for what they have done. How can we cast out others when we were first cast out? People will not think what you have inside of you is real unless love is wrapped all around it. Be that person that goes to someone in trouble and invites them to come to church, to pray, anything that would lead them to God!

People have to accept and admit that their lifestyle may be wrong in the eyes of God. As it says above, we are to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling. I can’t make someone live the way I want them to, this is something that God reveals to each individual about what needs to change. But we as a people who put on the mind of Christ that needs to love people beyond recognition. So what am I saying today?   I am saying that we need to put our gavels down, and open up our hands to lead people to have a better life through Christ. Remember this the next time you walk into a conversation where someone is making fun of someone else. Instead of joining them, say something positive through faith. Be the one that cares. Be the one that looks beyond their mistakes, for that is what God has done for you!

I’ll end this with a scripture; it says it better than I can:

Luke 6:35-38

[35] But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.
[36] Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.
[37] Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:
[38] Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.

Responsibility With Grace

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When you are a kid, you can’t stand it. When you are a teenager, you do it just because you are made to. When you are an adult, you do it and forget it when you leave at the end of the day. When you are an older adult, you retire to get away from it all.

What am I talking about? Work of course!

I know why we have to take care of our every day needs with work on your job and at home, but why must we do it with such grace? It seems easy to give no effort and to get by with the minimum. But as we all know, there is a lot of work involved in getting out there, being responsible, and taking care of business, with success in all of it as the goal.

In the midst of all the required responsibilities, I hope that I get you to see a couple thoughts from this. To try and bring my point out more, I will make this into two scenarios:

The first person does all the required work, but with an attitude and resent to everyone around them. They take on the essential “do what I have to” attitude, while having no concept of charity.

The second person realizes that while work is work, that work is not the boss of their life, and they can still enjoy life with love and laughter.

My question is, which person do you feel like you are drawn to? It could be both, or you might be somewhere in between, just disgusted with it all. I could talk more and more about natural responsibility, but that’s not what this ministry is all about. I’m talking about your responsibility to God and the church.

Responsibility is knowing and doing what both God and others are expecting from you:

Ephesians 6:5

“Servants, be obedient to them that are [your] masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ”

In hindsight, we need to remember that we are not here just for ourselves, despite popular opinion telling you alone to grab life by the horns, to live it up for yourself. That’s just not how it works. There are others that need you to be everything that you can be always. We do not have time to be anything otherwise!

Responsibility is realizing the importance of the task assigned to us:

Ephesians 6:6

“Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart”

In all of the things we do, remember who you are serving. I’m not working to serve money; it just happens to be a benefit of my responsibility. I don’t do what I do to earn the popular opinion; I’ll never win the hearts of everyone, being since I cannot make everyone like me all at the same time. I do what I do in my life in service to my God and the people that surround me. I want those around me to succeed, but I want God to be pleased with all that I do. Let God run the rule in your life, and he’ll make those things you need to work around you be successful!

Responsibility is having a clear conscience before God and man:

1 Corinthians 4:5

“Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.”

Each day we live, we are writing another page to our life book. That which we leave behind is all that will be remembered, if at all. If anything, the things that I want to be remembered for is being a friend of God and a Godly friend to you, showing love and compassion as God did to me. It’s not the objects you leave that make an impact, it’s by your example and the testimony of what impact you made to others.

Of course, I rambled over on this devotional, but remember this: that and who you are responsible for matters, and YOU matter! But God should matter most, and he’ll equip you with the provision you ask for!

God Bless You!!!