Tag: Acts 20:35
Day 5–Bless as You Serve!
Scripture reading for March 20: Matthew 5:43-45 “”You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemy and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father Who is in heaven. For He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.””
Acts 20:35 “In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how He Himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.”
As we finish this week on being a servant of our Lord, it is good to be reminded of the words of Jesus Christ, the ultimate Servant/Leader. Normal human behavior is to love those who love us and to hate those who hate us. This creates a culture of division and strife that binds up those involved in it. Jesus taught His followers that God’s adopted children must change their own ways to accurately reflect their heavenly Father.
God is Love and His Love gives blessings to all, the just and the unjust, the good and the evil. He sends rain to all, showering them with blessings. The sunshine of His Love is rising on all mankind and His goodness leads people to repentance. (Romans 2:4) God’s Love for the world of lost mankind moved Him to sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to demonstrate that love by giving His life-blood to pay for our sins.
As first responders, we can apply these truths to our lives each day. We must be hard workers and help the weak, giving them aid and blessing them with goodness. Even if they may treat us with disrespect or appear as enemies, we can pray for them and bless them. Remember, hurting people often hurt others. Even Jesus was reviled by those He came to serve and save. It cost Him His life, but the reward of seeing lost souls come into God’s family was worth it to Him. (Hebrews 12:2)
Prayer: Father God, thank You for serving me, even when I was self-centered and rebellious to You and Your ways. What a blessing I have received in adoption into My Father’s forever family. Use me to help the weak and give blessing to the hurting. Amen.
Instructing the rich!
Scripture reading for October 1: 1 Timothy 6
“As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, Who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, this storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life. O Timothy, guard the deposit entrusted to you. Avoid the irreverent babble and contradictions of what is falsely called “knowledge,” for by professing it some have swerved from the faith.” 1 Timothy 6:17-21
It is easy for those that are blessed with financial and material riches to become proud and aloof from those of more humble means. The rich don’t have the worries or concerns of those that have to work each day to provide food and necessities. But God loves rich people too and wants them to view their riches as a gift from Him, which they actually are. To those who have been given much, much will be required. (Luke 12:48) God has given riches to those He chooses as a test of their character and to build their character. We are to gratefully acknowledge that and enjoy and steward what He provides.
Rich people were instructed to be generous and ready to share and to do ‘good works’. They were not to be greedy and clutch their riches tightly for greed is idolatry. This was Satan’s trap for many rich people or people aspiring to become rich. Paul instructed the rich that as they gave to help God’s work, they would change their worldly riches into eternal riches. Their present life would also be transformed as they would find joy and peace in giving. Jesus has said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” (Acts 20:35) Paul had used this saying of Jesus to promote working hard and having money to give to help the weak and hurting. Paul wanted the rich to avoid the traps of pride, slack living, and falling away from a dependence on Jesus to self-sufficiency and no need of faith. Paul practiced these truths, looking forward to eternity.
How would you evaluate your own world view in regard to riches and material things? By the world’s standards, would you consider yourself ‘rich’? (About 80% of the world live on less than ten dollars a day.) What are some ‘good works’ that you might do to lay up eternal riches?
Prayer: Father God, thank You for blessing me and my family with an abundance of material things and for meeting all our needs. You are all we really need! Help me to see the ‘good works’ that would further Your kingdom and transform the worldly riches into eternal riches through souls won to Jesus! Amen!
Giving by faith!
Scripture reading for August 8: 2 Corinthians 9
“The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all time, you may abound in ever good work. As it is written, “He has distributed freely, He has given to the poor; His righteousness endures forever.” 2 Corinthians 9:6-9
“For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin!” (Romans 14:23) Paul was encouraging the Corinthians in giving and the importance of willingness and cheerfulness when we give. Preachers can put pressure on the congregation to give through various types of manipulation. This causes feelings of compulsion and that brings a lack of joy or cheerfulness. Paul advocated for strong faith in the act of giving. He likened it to a farmer sowing seed. If there was reluctance and stinginess to sow, then the benefit of the harvest will also be sparing. But if sowing was done with an abundance of seed in faith of a grand harvest, then a bountiful reaping would bring joy.
Paul quoted Psalm 112:9 to encourage cheerful and abundant giving. God is pictured here freely and abundantly scattering His gifts to the poor. This produces an abundant harvest and great joy and thanksgiving. This faithful giving to those who cannot repay, reaps a reward of eternal righteousness. In the same way, God loves to see His children sowing abundantly. God will multiply our seed so we can continue to sow. God will multiply the harvest of souls through the sowing and many will be made righteous! Praise the Lord for the blessing of giving! (Acts 20:35)
Would you characterize your giving to God’s work as bountiful? Sparing? Willing? How does the concept given by Paul of sowing seed help you to have faith and cheerfulness? Is it difficult for you to give your money to God’s work?
Prayer: Father God, thank You for being a cheerful and willing giver of the most precious possession, Your only Son. Thank You for giving the abundant bounty of supply to all humans and animals. We can only say “Thank You Father!” Help me to be an abundant sower and a cheerful and willing giver. Amen.
Sunday rest: Blessed givers!
Dear Friends,
Welcome to another day of rest in Christ Jesus! Because of what He was willing to give to us, we can now rest secure in our salvation and live today in freedom from fear of punishment, guilt or shame! What a blessing to know that! Let’s take time today to reflect on this blessing of Jesus Christ and His gift to us!
“In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus Himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’“ Acts 20:35
This quote from the Lord Jesus is a truth that we can live by. Jesus lived to give His life blood for our salvation. He offered His body as a sacrifice for our sins and willingly laid down His life that we might have life. He always considered the needs of others above His own needs and readily gave His time and effort to meet their needs. He taught us that the blessed life is a life that is willing to give! If we give, we will be taken care of and our own needs will be met. What we sow we will reap!
I was talking to a person today who said that he had given away his electric dryer to someone who needed one because the rental house he moved into already had a dryer. When he recently moved here, he needed a dryer and told his wife that the Lord would meet their needs. After three days here, a person brought a dryer by his house and gave it to them! God blesses givers! The person that gave them the dryer will be blessed, too!
As you rest today, thank God for His generous heart towards you and ask Him to show you how you can bless someone by giving today. We are imitating our Lord when we give and His blessing will rest on us!
In His Love, Pastor John
The grace of giving!
Scripture reading for September 27th: 2nd Corinthians 8
Key Scriptures: 2nd Corinthians 8:1-5 “We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord, begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints–and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord, and then by the will of God to us.”
Paul now turns to boast on the churches in Macedonia and God’s amazing grace of giving that had caused them to respond with generosity. Giving is a gift of God’s grace. It is natural for worldly people to want to hold onto what they have, especially during hard times when the fears of poverty and need are strongest. But the believers in Macedonia exceeded Paul’s expectations and he noted the special grace of giving among them. The first had given themselves to the Lord and as a result of that, they could then give themselves to generosity to Paul and the ministry team. They were going through affliction and trials of poverty and persecution, but God had given them joy in abundance and a willingness to give that caused them to ask for the privilege of giving. If you want to be blessed, ask God to give you this ‘grace of giving’ and choose to excel in it!
2nd Corinthians 8:7 “But you excel in everything–in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all earnestness, and in our love for you–see that you excel in this act of grace also.”
Faith confession and prayer: Father God, thank You for being a generous and giving and loving Father to us Your children. Pass on to me and my children and brothers and sisters in Christ this amazing ‘grace of giving’. Help me to excel in it to bring glory to Your Son, Jesus Christ and be a blessing to Your Church and world mission.
Acts 20:35 “In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how He Himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.'”
Warning about idleness!
Scripture reading for October 15th: 2nd Thessalonians 3:1-18
God created man to work and work is honorable. One of the results of a wrong view of the second coming of Christ in Thessalonica was a number of the church members quitting their jobs and living off of others in the church. This created strife and hard feelings. Satan is always out to divide the church!
“In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you, brothers, to keep away from every brother who is idle and does not live according to the teaching you received from us. For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example. We were not idle when we were with you, nor did we eat anyone’s food without paying for it. On the contrary, we worked day and night, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you.” (2nd Thessalonians 3:6-8) Paul had set a godly example for these believers. He now warned them to stay away from those who were idle. Avoiding work was not proper for Christians. They were to work and provide for themselves and their families.
Paul had a rule that he always used and taught: “If a man will not work, he shall not eat.” (2nd Thessalonians 3:20) Laziness is a sin that displeases God and causes strife in the body. Idleness allows too much time to gossip and interfere with the business of others. Paul commanded those who were idle to settle down and work so this problem would be taken care of.
In dealing with those involved, believers were to not have fellowship with them. They were to warn them as brothers, but not go so far as to treat them like enemies. (2nd Thessalonians 3:14-15) In looking at Proverbs, there are more warnings against idleness and laziness that about drunkenness. (Proverbs 12:27, 13:4, 19:15, 24:30-34) Christians should set examples of hard work and financial propriety. They should be the best givers and not just takers. Jesus, Himself, taught that it was more blessed to give than receive! (Acts 20:35)
If we are lazy in our daily work, we often will lack diligence to seek the Lord as well. Spiritually luke-warm people make God want to spit! (Revelation 3:15-16) Let it not be said of any Christian that they are lazy! We all want to eat, physically and spiritually!