“I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.” —Acts 20:35
The Apostle Paul reminds us in Acts 20:35 that Jesus taught it's more
blessed to give than to receive. In our American society today, people give
only with the expectation of receiving. That is so shallow. Jesus addressed
this selfishness in Luke 6:34, “And
if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for
sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again.” People never
change as a whole. It is the Lord Jesus Christ Who makes changes in an
individual believer. Groups never change; but rather, individuals are
changed one-by-one. Salvation is a personal matter between God and an
individual, not a group or institution.
If you want a true blessing, then go help someone who is unable to return the favor. Give to the homeless, those who are imprisoned, the sickly, and those who are disabled and unable to give anything back to you. Most people swap gifts during the holiday season knowing that they'll get something in return. Phooey on that type of phony living. People give birthday presents to family members, fully expecting a birthday gift in return on their birthday. This is the type of selfishness that Jesus discouraged. It's ok to give a birthday present, don't get me wrong; but if that's all we do is swap gifts with loved one's, friends, and co-workers, then we're not doing anything for anybody who is misfortunate.
There is no blessing in giving to family and friends who can return the favor. If you want a genuine blessing that will stand the test of time and be yours inn eternity, then you must reach out to the unreachable and befriend the poor, maimed, imprisoned, suffering, and unlovable, and the forgotten. Jesus encourages believers to reach out to THE LEAST OF THESE (Matthew 25:40,45).
Romans 12:14, “Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not.”
Jesus said... SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES!!!
Even the best church in the world can be your worse enemy if your place it above God's Word. Jesus never placed emphasis upon the church as a means of increasing our faith. Here is an excellent quote from the mighty evangelist and pastor, Dwight L. Moody...
"I prayed for faith, and thought that some day Faith would come down and strike me like lightning. But Faith did not seem to come...
One day I read in the tenth chapter of Romans, 'Now faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.' I had closed my Bible, and prayed for Faith. I now opened my Bible, and began to study, and Faith has been growing ever since." —Dwight L. Moody
The great soulwinner, D.L. Moody, had learned the hard way that faith comes from studying the Word of God. Oh that believers today would STUDY and SEARCH the Scriptures, instead of relying upon another human being to revive their faith and make them spiritual. I know people who go to church, but they are only playing a game of religion and self-righteousness. They live worldly the rest of the week, are self-willed, and yet "Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away" (2nd Timothy 3:5).
We are living in a time of apostasy, when many churches are becoming eerily silent concerning the disgusting sin of homosexuality. Abortion is now accepted in many of our churches, while the blood of millions of innocent children still cry out to God from the ground. We are living in a time of woeful heresy, where pastors either teach salvation without repentance, or pervert the meaning of “repent” to mean forsaking of one's sinful lifestyle as a prerequisite to be saved. Both are horribly wrong. We ought to look into the Scriptures and learn what the Bible has to say. Romans 3:19 plainly states that the purpose of God's Law is that men might “become guilty before God.” Biblical repentance is when we come to that place, and then turn to the Lord Jesus Christ for forgiveness of sin and salvation.
Jesus said... SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES!!!
A good church can be your worst enemy if you neglect to live in the Bible. David said he meditated upon the Scriptures DAY AND NIGHT (Psalm 1:2). Most professed Christians don't spend one minute a day reading their Bible, let alone thinking day and night about the meaning of the Scriptures, and how to apply It to their life. Phooey on all the so-called “Christian” magazines, books, articles, radio programs, television shows, music, interviews and videos. And yes, even a good church can become your worst enemy if you substitute it for the Scriptures.
Jesus said... SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES!!!
