The joy of giving comes from being like God - Why Give - Week 5 - Day 29

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Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians talks about the poorest of the New Testament churches being selected by God for a special treasure, the treasure of being able to give.  That reminded me of an experience that Gary and I shared a few years ago.  We have been volunteering for six or seven years now with the Texas Ramp project – a non-profit organization that provides wheelchair ramps for people who have the need but no means to provide it for themselves.  A few years ago, we had the privilege of building a very large, two story ramp for a family that lived in the country southeast of Austin.  The home was an old mobile home which sat on top of a hill.  The family had very, very little in the way of material wealth but we later found out that they were incredibly rich in love and generosity.

We demolished a couple of sets of rickety stairs and began the build – the largest we have ever done while working alongside one of the largest groups of volunteers that we have ever built with. It was hard work and we spent many hours in the sun and wind.  As we were finishing up late that afternoon, the little girl that needed the ramp came outside with her mother.  I don’t remember their names – it has been too many years.  But I certainly remember their story.  The little girl was born healthy and perfect.  While she was a tiny infant, a frustrated adult picked her up and shook her over and over.  This precious little infant went from perfect health to being a little girl who would grow up unable to walk, unable to speak, and unable to take care of herself.  She was placed in foster care and given to a woman who fell in love with her just as she was.  A woman who loved this little girl so much that she adopted her.  A woman who had cared for her for nine years, meeting all of her physical and emotional needs with tenderness, compassion and love.  A woman who needed the ramp because even though she carefully monitored her little girls diet and ensured that she remained at a healthy weight for her small stature was finding it increasingly difficult to carry her from the mobile home at the top of the hill to the long winding driveway where the school bus could pick her up each day.

This loving, compassionate lady is a Riverbed! She poured out love onto a little girl that will never really be able to reciprocate her love, a little girl that will remain in a body that will never heal and a little girl that will always require daily care giving for the most basic needs.  Gary and I helped give her family a ramp that day but we received so much more than we gave.  It was pure JOY to give back to this woman who humbled us by her example.  Our simple gift of being able to help build her ramp was so small in comparison to her unselfish gift of love and sacrifice.

Father, thank you for the incredible treasure of being able to give to others.  Help us to seek YOUR leading to those that we can bless through OUR giving.  Thank you for leading us to those who inspire us with THEIR giving. 

Amen

Kelly

God blesses rice bags - Why Give - Day 28

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A slave set free - Why Give - Day 27

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A small gift starts a family giving - Why Give - Day 26

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You don’t need much to start new rivers of giving - Why Give - Day25

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Day 25

You don’t need much to start new rivers of giving

Luke 10:4-7

⁴ Do not take a purse or bag or sandals; and do not greet anyone on the road.

⁵ “When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ ⁶ If someone who promotes peace is there, your peace will rest on them; if not, it will return to you. ⁷ Stay there, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages. Do not move around from house to house.

Wow it’s here already, Thanksgiving!   Time to take a step back and take stock of just how amply blessed we are.  All around folks are gathering with family or friends, breaking bread together and enjoying a day off work.  Some have contributed food, time, or money so that those having a hard time can also have a brief reprieve and enjoy a good hot meal.  Some will serve others in kitchens and look into the eyes of those with nowhere to be on this holiday and be thankful they are not on the receiving side of the serving line.  There will be those that we are glad to see and those that we will miss dearly.  There will be those that will see their first Thanksgiving ever and those who will be seeing their last.

What an absolutely wonderful season to do a study on giving.  I am struck by how much we have and how much having so much means to us.  In this series the elephant in the room is actually a mustard seed.  Everything about this series is about how little we have to give in order to let GOD be GOD.  A handful of flour and oil becomes a meal for three for the duration of a famine.  A few loaves of bread and a couple of fish feed thousands.  Some loose change gathered up by challenged and curious youth turns into enough to build a church that ultimately becomes a high-rise.

Time and time again nothing is turned into much more than enough.  The key is simple, but not easy.  I remember my brother teaching me to swim.  “Go ahead he said, I got you,” right before he let me go and my nostrils filled with water.  In this world, faith and trust are hard to come by.  But that is exactly what GOD expects.  “Do not take a purse a bag or sandals…”

A dear friend recently gave me a Thanksgiving gift in the form of a poem.  I can’t think of a better way to celebrate the day than to pass it on as a gift to you all.

Jim L

Are Not These the Times of Praise?

Falling down before His throne

Weight of glory keeps us prone

Crucified our Lord was raised

Are not these the times of praise?

The storm is here, the pressure on

We wait for hope and light and dawn

Night is long with hopeful gaze

Are not these the times of praise?

The victory is sweet indeed

The day is won - successful deeds

Harvest in - a glass is raised

Are not these the times of praise?

A moment plain there’s no remark

Mundane the task and low the spark

We could give in to bland malaise

But are these not too times of praise?

Never fear the unknown years

Never languish in your tears

If breath is found let worship blaze

For these are all the times of praise

A systematic measurable increase in giving - Why Give - Day 24

 

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Acts 5:14

 Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number.

A statement in Day 24 jumped out at me; “We must never stifle disciple making by misleading people to think that they must first be trained in order to witness.”  I think back to the verses in the Bible that describe the end of Jesus’ life, the few years that he spent “training” his disciples.  Was their “training” at the local synagogue, the local higher learning facility, the local community college?  No, it was listening and living with Jesus, following him.  The disciples witnessed His love and compassion for people, as he lived among them.  He taught by example.  He didn’t build a temple (church) and say, “Come listen to me…”  He traveled to God’s people, He found them and lived and worked among them.

I grew up thinking that before I could really be good at something, I only needed to study, and read about that subject, and be taught by an expert.  There IS wisdom in those steps, but I can see now (“hindsight is 20/20 vision”) that this kind of training can be a crutch, a hindrance… actually delaying the real action that needs to take place for true education… using, practicing, to gain knowledge.

The companion to practicing is being accountable, after practicing, for example, sharing with someone about the hope I have in Jesus death and resurrection.  The Merriam-Webster Dictionary says that being accountable is “subject to giving an account; answerable; explainable”.  Accountability for a perfectionist like me is scary.  What if I offend someone… What if they laugh at me when I tell them I love Jesus… What if I don’t use the right words… What if I don’t have answers to their questions… What a sneaky tool for the evil one to use to keep me from the action of sharing the gift of Jesus’ sacrificial love with the people in my daily life.  Accountability shines a light on the practicing of my sharing, so that it can be smoothed, honed, corrected, and true skills form.  Jesus knows I will never be perfect, so why do I try?  He is bigger than any mistake I might make.  Again, that “p” word is from this world, and from the evil one.

I suspect that Jesus is waiting for me to use the training he has already given me during my fifty-odd years on this earth and just practice it already – to His glory!  He has blessed me with family and friends who will guide, encourage, and lovingly hold me (yikes!) accountable, so that more and more people will believe in the Lord!  J

kristi

Our giving must make giving disciples - Why Give - Day 23

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“And anyone who does not take up his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.  Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”   (Matthew 10:38-39)

This chapter gets at the heart of what Jesus is calling us each to do.   First, follow him and be his disciple, and then go and make more disciples!

John Devries, writes, “When we “accept” the gift of salvation we are, according to our Savior’s own words, engaging in the ultimate exchange of value by giving up our life in return for his giving up his life for us.”  Also

“We not only give up our life for him but for each other. “

John 13:34 “As I have loved you, so you must love one another.”

Devries points out the “distorted modern Western church”,  and how it’s become a “welfare society of spiritual parasites”  because our relationship with God is being presented as a “one-way relationship with God”.

God gives to us,  we receive and are blessed and our life is good,  but today’s verse and John 13 tells us otherwise.

Our relationship with Jesus is suppose to be a two way, mutual relationship.   He loves us, we love him and by his love for us, we reach out and love others, and invite them into have their own relationship with God.

Another reason the modern church is distorted according to Devries, is we seem to give for our own benefit, and our own comfort.   The stats that he gives from The Encyclopedia of World Christianity are a real eye opener.   “97 cents of each dollar given to the church goes towards maintaining its own programs, not making new disciples”.  Really?

The first disciples gave up everything to follow Christ, and to continue his work to make more disciples.

Are we willing to do the same?  Are we willing to sacrifice some of our time, money, and resources to reach out to others who are searching for the truth or struggling with their faith.   Are we willing to go to a foreign land to share the gospel with the poorest of the world?   Are we willing to go across the street or down the road to help a neighbor in need?  Have we all gotten so comfortable in all our blessings that we don’t have time or even want to take the time to serve another to show the “love for one another” that we as Christians are suppose to be known for?

Devries writes in the last paragraph of the chapter, “Disciples are those who, in response to the love of Christ, are giving love to one another and to their neighbors.

So how much would your river increase if you measured your giving by the number of new rivers you had started?”

There is so much to think and pray about in this,  it is so much more than I ever realized.   To let our minds and hearts grow and expand, and to let our small ideas become God size ideas.   To be part of the flowing river of love through Jesus Christ is so amazing!

Our Lord God,

You are so great, and so good,  you show your love for us each day that we wake and each breath we take is a gift from you.   Help us Lord, to give our love back to you and together our overflowing love will reach out to those around us!

Amen

Patrice

We give in an equal exchange relationship - Why Give? - Day 22

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“Love is mutual dependency and mutual giving…God made us to be dependent on him and on each other…We are to create communities characterized by the statement, “”I don’t know what I would have done without you””

As I read today’s devotion, these were the phrases that spoke to me.  During today’s message, Delton talked about risk, about challenge, about faith.  Point of Grace took a risk – we committed to providing Thanksgiving dinner for 35 families in our community.  Out of God’s abundance to us, we committed to giving back to families in our community.  We stepped out in faith, trusting that God will provide for these families through us, his Church.  As I reflect upon these last couple of weeks – I see mutual dependency and mutual giving.  We depend upon our Father and upon our brothers and sisters in Christ in order to provide a riverbed to these families.  This is a challenge – the time, talents and treasure of many, many different people will be needed to make this a “mutual giving” from our church to these families.

I have had the privilege of working with the caring and compassionate social workers at our three local high schools – they have helped us direct the flow of our riverbed to 27 families who are in need of a Thanksgiving meal and Christmas gifts.  I don’t know what we would have done without them!

When we asked for volunteers to create a Gifts of Grace team – 7 beautiful ladies stepped up and have been working closely with each other, with me and with others within Point of Grace.  I don’t know what we would have done without them!

Our Missional Community Leaders volunteered to coordinate the organization and filling of the baskets for our 35 families.  They reached out to the brothers and sisters in their groups and encouraged them to volunteer to support this outpouring of love and blessing to the community.  I don’t know what we would have done without them!

When we asked Point of Grace to pray over Gifts of Grace, to bring food, to donate funds, to shop, to fill baskets, to bake pies, to deliver the baskets of food to the families – they rose to the challenge.  I don’t know what we would have done without them!

Jesus, thank you for these beautiful brothers and sisters who show their love for you and others by being riverbeds of provision to 35 families in our community.  Thank you for our mutual love and dependency upon each other.  We give because YOU first gave to us! We love because YOU first loved us! Help us to be a community of people who rise to the challenge of loving the community all around us.  Help us to be a community of people that makes such a difference in our community that they won’t know what they would have done without us.  Help us to show such compassion to others that they have no doubt that YOU are the stream of living water that flows from us to them. 

Amen

Kelly

Giving our all is all Christ desires - Why Give? - Day 21

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Welcome to the POG Blog!

Today is Sunday which means YOU get to start the discussion on today’s devotion and scripture!  What is it saying to you today?  How does it relate to your life right now?  Enjoy listening, reading, meditating, and sharing your thoughts with others today!

As he looked up, Jesus saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury.  He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins.  “I tell you the truth,” he said,“this poor widow has put in more than all the others.  All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”  (Luke 21:1-4)

We give God's power - Why Give? - Day 20

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Welcome to the POG Blog!

Today is Saturday which means YOU get to start the discussion on today’s devotion and scripture!  What is it saying to you today?  How does it relate to your life right now?  Enjoy listening, reading, meditating, and sharing your thoughts with others today!  

When [a crippled man] saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money.  Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, “Look at us!”  So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them.

Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.”  Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. (Acts 3:3-7)

Our gifts allow God to multiply His - Why Give - Day 19

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Mark 6:41-44 (NIV)

41 Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to his disciples to distribute to the people. He also divided the two fish among them all. 42 They all ate and were satisfied, 43 and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish. 44 The number of the men who had eaten was five thousand.

On the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee is a small church called the Church of the Multiplication.  Its altar is built on top of the rock where tradition holds that Jesus blessed the bread and fishes and proceeded to feed 5,000 men plus women and children.  A real place for a real event!  Following are couple observations that came to mind as I re-read the miracle story and Devries’ Day 19 chapter.

First, of all his miracles, this one physically impacted the most people in Jesus’ time and place.  I wonder … did those that gathered to hear Jesus speak that day realize what was happening?  Certainly, the disciples were aware of the miracle, but what about “the 5,000”?  Did they know that Jesus started the multiplication with only a small amount of fish and bread?  Were they too far away from the action or maybe it was getting too dark?  Did they even care about how it happened or were they simply happy to get some food to eat after a long day?  My human inclination is to believe that everyone knew … to get the most positive impact possible for the ministry.  However, given that Jesus downplayed some of his other miracles; he may have made no special effort to “advertise” what was happened that day.

Who showed the greatest faith in this miracle story?  The disciples certainly didn’t.  They were fully prepared to send (actually, they wanted Jesus to deliver the news) the crowd away to find food on their own.  Devries’ applauds the child-like faith of the young boy to give up his own dinner for the simple reason that Jesus asked for it.  The young boy may not have realized what Jesus was about to do with his gift, but he gave willingly.  The boy’s sacrificial gift, to give his last to the Lord, is reminiscent of the widow’s sacrifice for Elijah and in the New Testament, the poor widow’s gift of two small coins to the temple treasury.

While in these examples they were generous even in their own personal scarcity.  Should we not be generous back to the Lord in our abundance?  We can be confident that the Lord can and will multiply the impact of our small gifts many times over.

Blessings, John H

Our giving causes God to open the door - Why Give - Day 18

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Joshua 3:9,11,14-16

Joshua said to the Israelites, “Come here and listen to the words of the Lord your God… See, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth will go into the Jordan ahead of you…

So when the people broke camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carrying the ark of the covenant went ahead of them.   Now the Jordan is at flood stage all during harvest. Yet as soon as the priests who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water’s edge, the water from upstream stopped flowing.

The things that stood out to me the most today were:

“Their leaders were asked to do one thing and only one thing:  Get their feet wet.”

“God sees things differently than we do, He is always eager to teach us new lessons.”

… do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. (Joshua 1:9)

“God doesn’t call us to do it, only to let Him do it through our giving and expect the unexpected.”

“In spite of their total lack of resources, the Israelites had one thing to give – obedience.  They obeyed.  They went forward.  They got their feet wet”

“God did not ask the Israelites to get across by their own resources or by helping themselves.  He asked them to trust Him to get them across and to show that trust by taking the first step into that turbulent water before the water was parted!”

…when we give…we can “have faith that He in turn will provide for us in some unexpected way that reflects His means and not our effort!”

Well, I’m still processing all this…How about you?  Maybe we need to just “step out into the water!”

Blessings to you and yours,

jim

"Could it be that a gift is too big for God?" - Why Give - Day 17

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"Could it be that a gift is too big for God?"

Today’s devotion is a wonderful challenge for me to change the way I think about giving. Key quotes that popped off the pages to me are:

“Is it possible to have too many resources?” “Can our gift block others’ view of God by calling attention only to our human wealth and generosity?”

"Do our gifts point to us... or to God?"

I just returned from a trip to Brazil.  I work part-time for Brazil Mission Society and was honored to get to go there and see the Orphanage and the children and staff who live and work there with my own eyes.  I have written articles about the children and this place.  I have all of their photos in a notebook.  But now, I would get to see them face-to-face.  We would live in the home with them – not in a hotel.  We would eat with them, play with them, go to school with them, laugh and cry with them.

I traveled with 4 other women, and we were loaded down with baggage filled with arts and crafts, clothing, medicine, toys, school supplies, gifts, etc.  Over and over again our leader wisely cautioned us to be careful in the way we distributed all of our “presents.”  We did not want to arrive and be “Santa Claus.”  We wanted to shower them with the Love of Jesus - not the love of The Five Americans.

All of the “impressive Portuguese” I had learned prior to the trip lasted about 3 seconds.  I had my smart-phone with me with an amazingly helpful English-Portuguese app.  That helped a lot.  But it got in the way.  I quickly realized that the kids were hanging around me to play with my phone – and my head was so buried in the App trying to communicate with them in Portuguese, that I wasn’t even looking at the children in front of me!  So, I left my phone in my room and did a lot more giggling and pantomiming and hugging and hand-holding and staring into the eyes of these beautiful children instead of relying on my self-made, impressive American gadget.  After reading today’s devotion, I see how my Phone-App got in the way of what God wanted to do.  Instead of the children being amazed by the love of God through an American Woman, they were being amazed by the American Woman’s fancy phone.

“Is it possible to have too many resources?”  Yes.

“Can our gift block others’ view of God by calling attention only to our human wealth and generosity?”  Yes.

They enjoyed my phone.  They thought I was cool.  But God didn’t have much room to work until the phone was put away.  Then the relationships with Amanda, Felipe, and Leo really became precious.  We played Thumb-wars, and High Five Games.  I sat for hours teaching Gabriel how to use his new Spirograph - he speaks no English and I speak no Portuguese.  But we bonded over a Spirograph. We will be life-long friends in Christ.  I "hammed" up being from Texas and taught them how to say their names in “Texan!”  Instead of wanting to sit by me to see my PHONE, they wanted to sit by ME and get to know ME.  Instead of sitting by me and watching my fingers type English phrases into the Translator, we sat together and used our fingers to stroke each others faces, and to draw pictures with new Crayons, and to hold the hymnal together during devotions.  Without a phone in the way, our hands were free to hug, and give back rubs, to tossle their hair – all the things that a MOTHER would be doing – if they had one.

Now there was time to simply be together.  And even though we could not communicate with our words,  we communicated by the power of the Holy Spirit, through singing, and praying, and just “being” ourselves.

“Can our gift block others’ view of God?"  Yes.  And it almost did.  But thank You God for urging me to put away the phone.  I pray that they felt this overwhelming love of God through me and my hands while we were together.

“God, please let me remember this lesson.  Help me to realize that I don’t need fancy prayers, fancy presents, elaborate gifts, or huge financial resources in my “river-bed-ness.”  Help me not to get in Your way of loving people.  Help me just be me and to not block the view of You.  Amen.”

-dawn  (“Aurora” in Portuguese!)

God protects a nation through a shepherd's gift - Why Give - Day 16

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⁴⁸ As [Goliath] the Philistine moved closer to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him. ⁴⁹ Reaching into his bag and taking out a stone, he slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell facedown on the ground.

⁵⁰ So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him.

1 Samuel 17:48-50

What an amazing display of faith! David was so saddened and embarrassed that his fellow Israelites (including the Israelite soldiers) didn’t believe that they could beat Goliath, that he, the small shepherd boy, stood up to put God’s greatness and love on display! I’m so inspired and encouraged by this!

I can relate to David here. I’m not very tall (ok, honestly, I’m just plain short!) and I often thought that meant I wouldn’t be a great advocate for God. I mean, His kingdom is so big! How could “little ol’ me” make a difference in such a vast kingdom? But I have seen how little acts of surrender and belief can change things in a big way. We don’t have to do it all… God isn’t asking us to do it all! He is asking us to give what we can of ourselves so He can be glorified in a big way.

I keep thinking about how Delton mentioned the staff workers in Brazil wanting commentaries to help him as a Pastor and people started lining up to help donate or purchase the books that young Pastor would need! That’s such a SMALL thing to do… but to the receiver of that gift, it’s huge! It’s all about having the faith that God can (and WILL) do great things with the little we give.

The following excerpts really stuck out to me during this devotional, so I just ask that you look at these a couple of times and really grasp how these sentences can impact your heart and life:

“David did not see the giant. All he saw was the size of his infinite God”

“He knew that if he gave himself to God, God would give through him to protect not only him but the entire nation. Our giving opens the windows of heaven, enabling God to supernaturally multiply our gifts.”

Friends, I hope this devotional brought a new light to something in your world today. Little things can be really big things in God’s eyes!

Papa, thank You so much for your love and your mercy. I am in awe of how you use the experiences from the Bible to really speak words of wisdom where we need them most. Even making someone so small realize that their size cannot hinder Your great plans! I love you so much, Jesus. Amen

I leave you with this…

“David did not view giving in a horizontal way, in mere terms of his own strength, but rather he saw his gift vertically as that which would open the door for his God to act. Is that how we see what we give?”

Toni

The widow's gift gave God the opportunity to multiply. - Why Give - Week 3 - Day 15

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1 Kings 17:13, 15 (NIV)

¹³ Elijah said to [the widow], “Don’t be afraid. Go home and do as you have said… ^15 “She went away and did as Elijah had told her. So there was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family.

Today we begin the third week of our “Why Give?” journey.  John Devries’ focus today is the Old Testament story of Elijah and the widow.  In the middle of a devastating drought and famine, Elijah asks the widow to use the little remaining flour and olive oil she has to make a small loaf of bread for him.  Elijah tells her that the God of Israel says the jar of flour and jug of oil will not dry up until the Lord sends rain on the land.

Elijah is asking the widow to trust that God will provide for her and her son.  The petition “Give us this day our daily bread” comes to mind.  The widow desperately needs every bit of the flour and oil she has, but now God is asking her to give some of it to this man of God, Elijah.  I wonder what was going through the widow’s mind as she prepared the loaf of bread.  How confident was she that this was all going to turn out the way Elijah said it would?

This account of Elijah and the widow reminds me of thoughts I have had regarding giving.  The widow was essentially being asked to give away everything she had, even though there wasn’t much to start with.  There are other similar stories in the Bible; the account of Jesus’ encounter with the Rich Young Man is one of them.  Each time, the individual is asked to give everything away and trust God to provide.

This makes me think - would I do it?  Would I give away everything I have if I sensed God calling me to do that?  There are a number of things I own that would be easy to give away – I’ve been itching to have a giant garage sale for quite some time now.  But would I really give EVERYTHING away?  I believe that anything I would not be willing to give away is an idol.

The part that Devries speaks about – giving God the opportunity to multiply our gift – for me, that is all in God’s hands.  I tend to focus on my giving: What am I holding on to?  What is the condition of my heart toward giving?  What are the idols I am placing before God?

What about you?  Would you respond to Elijah the same way as the widow did?  Is there anything you are holding on to?  Are there any idols getting in the way of your love and trust in God?

May God grant us the strength and courage to trust Him the way the widow did!

Mark

We give the comfort of Christ's return - Why give? - Day 14

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Welcome to the POG Blog!

Today is Sunday which means YOU get to start the discussion on today’s devotion and scripture!  What is it saying to you today?  How does it relate to your life right now?  Enjoy listening, reading, meditating, and sharing your thoughts with others today!  

Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.   I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.   And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.   ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes.There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” (Revelation 21:1-4)

We give the comfort of Christ's eternal reign - Why give? - Day 13

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Welcome to the POG Blog!

Today is Saturday which means YOU get to start the discussion on today’s devotion and scripture!  What is it saying to you today?  How does it relate to your life right now?  Enjoy listening, reading, meditating, and sharing your thoughts with others today!  

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose...What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?  He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? (Romans 8:28, 31-32)

We Give Christ’s Resurrection – Why Give – Day 12

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John 11:25-26 (NIV)

25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; 26 and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

Today’s meditation points us to the promise, hope and comfort of Christ’s resurrection. It is the incredible gift each of us receives when, by the power of the Holy Spirit, we put our faith and trust in Jesus. It is a gift that each one of us has the privilege of giving to others.

I was touched by the two stories that were shared in today’s meditation. The faith of the little boy who was confident that his sister was in heaven and the dying Indian boy who was ready to occupy the ‘mansion’ that he knew awaited him after death, helped me to understand how God enables us share His resurrection gift.

The stories brought to mind an incident that Sally and I experienced when our son Tim was a small boy. He developed a rather severe case of pneumonia and the antibiotic prescribed was taking a long time to eradicate the bug. The doctor suggested that some inhalation therapy might be the boost needed to restore his health. We took his advice and scheduled a session for the following morning.

Sally was in tears as she drove Tim to the hospital for the treatment. As they approached the hospital Tim asked, “Are they going to do the treatment before or after I die?”

The incident came to mind this morning as I reflected on today’s meditation. Tim’s question helped me to understand two things about possessing and sharing the gift of resurrection. First, when the gift of the resurrection has been received it produces a peace about death. Tim was more concerned about the treatment than about dying. Second, when the gift of the resurrection has been received, sharing it with others is often an unconscious, spontaneous and effortless activity.

Lord, thank you for the gift of resurrection and for the peace that it gives. Provide us with opportunities to share your gift with others as we live out our lives. Amen

jhf

We give the gift of Christ's perfection - Why Give - Day 11

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Romans 3:21-22 Living Bible (TLB)

^21-22 But now God has shown us a different way to heaven^[a]—not by “being good enough” and trying to keep his laws, but by a new way (though not new, really, for the Scriptures told about it long ago). Now God says he will accept and acquit us—declare us “not guilty”—if we trust Jesus Christ to take away our sins. And we all can be saved in this same way, by coming to Christ, no matter who we are or what we have been like.

Unconditional Love!  Well, that is an interesting idea.  You mean I am supposed to love with no conditions?  I know Christ did.  But I am human!  Can I actually love without any questions, problems or requiring my needs to be met?  Again that is me being human.  It’s not about me!

I find that it is easy to forgive.  But it is really hard to forget.  When people ask me to forgive them for something they did, I say no problem, I forgive you!  But then I find myself thinking about what they did to me.  I might tell others what that person did or said to me & how I was offended.  I might even make snide comments to that person about what they had done or said to me.

So did I really forgive?  If I can’t forget then I really didn’t forgive despite what I may have said.  Yet Christ forgave me & all of my sins by His death on the cross.  He continues to forgive me daily without holding it against me or waiting for an opportune time to use it against me.  As the text says “He obliterates our (my) sin.”  The text even says through Romans 3:23-24 “yet now God declares us “not guilty” of offending him if we trust in Jesus Christ, who in his kindness freely takes away our sins.”

Christ clothes me in His Righteousness.  If HE can forgive me (no questions asked), then what a perfect gift!  I need to try harder at forgiving and forgetting.  I CAN FORGIVE and then allow GOD to restore that person (and me) to perfection.  What a Gift!  The gift is given freely to me, all that I need to do is accept it and offer my love and forgiveness to others and pray that they might receive God’s gift as well.

Lord please help me to forgive and FORGET.  Please remind me that your gift to me is my forgiveness and that I should freely give my forgiveness and forgetfulness.  Please help me to give my love unconditionally as You gave yourself unconditionally on the cross for me and continue to unconditionally forgive me and restore me to perfection   Amen

Jerry

We give Christ's provisions - Why Give - Day 10

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