When it comes to giving to the poor we always hear many excuses on why not to give such as, “They’re only going to use the money to buy drugs.” People would rather judge the poor and be stingy than help them.
People would rather waste money on ungodly things than helping someone in need. It is our duty to give. Giving is not only about money. You can give food, water, clothes, your time, etc.
My fellow Christian what sacrifices are you making? How are you making a difference? Have empathy for others and give cheerfully without expecting anything in return. Be an imitator of Christ who displayed a great amount of love and compassion for the poor.
1. Giving is pleasing to God.
Hebrews 13:16 Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.
2. Giving is being obedient to God.
Deuteronomy 15:11 For there will never cease to be poor in the land. Therefore I command you, “You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in your land.” 1 Corinthians 16:1-2 Now about the collection for the Lord’s people: Do what I told the Galatian churches to do. On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with your income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made.
3. You will be blessed.
Acts 20:35 And I have been a constant example of how you can help those in need by working hard. You should remember the words of the Lord Jesus: “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”
Psalm 112:5-6 Good will come to those who are generous and lend freely, who conduct their affairs with justice. Surely the righteous will never be shaken; they will be remembered forever.
Psalm 41:1 For the choir director: A psalm of David. Oh, the joys of those who are kind to the poor! The LORD rescues them when they are in trouble. Proverbs 11:25 A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.
4. When you give you are serving Christ.
Matthew 25:35-45 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’ “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’ “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’
5. To help the needy.
Romans 12:13 When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality.
Matthew 5:42 Give to those who ask and don’t turn away from those who want to borrow.
Luke 10:25-37 On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?” He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.” “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.” But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” In reply, Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’ “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”
6. To be a blessing to others.
Proverbs 11:25 Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered.
7. To discipline yourself so you never become greedy or start to give grudgingly.
Proverbs 21:26 Some people are always greedy for more, but the godly love to give.
Psalm 112:5 Good will come to those who are generous and lend freely, who conduct their affairs with justice.
Deuteronomy 15:10 Give generously to them and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this, the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to.
Luke 6:30 Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back.
8. Jesus commands us to love others.
John 13:34-35 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this, everyone will know that you are my disciples if you love one another.”
9. To lay up treasures in Heaven and reveal your heart.
Matthew 6:19-21 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.
But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
10. God does not like when we neglect the poor.
Proverbs 21:13 Whoever shuts their ears to the cry of the poor will also cry out and not be answered.
Proverbs 28:27 Those who give to the poor will lack nothing, but those who close their eyes to them receive many curses.
Proverbs 17:5 Whoever mocks the poor insults his Maker; he who is glad at calamity will not go unpunished.
11. As Christians we must make sacrifices.
Philippians 2:3-4 Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests but also to the interests of others.
12. Giving keeps you humble and grateful for the little things.
James 4:6 But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
1 Thessalonians 5:18 Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
13. You will become more like Christ and grow as a Christian.
1 Corinthians 11:1 Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.
Philippians 1:6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
14. Instead of doing worthless things with your time you are using it wisely.
Ephesians 5:15-16 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.
15. Wouldn’t you want someone to help you?
Matthew 7:12 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.
The early Christian church had no buildings, at least not in the sense of what we would consider church buildings today. First-century Christians were often persecuted and, as a result, often met in secret usually in homes. As the influence of Christianity spread, eventually, buildings dedicated to worship were established and became what we know today as churches. In this sense, then, the church consists of people, not buildings. Fellowship, worship, and ministry are all conducted by people, not buildings. Church structures facilitate the role of God’s people, but they do not fulfill them.
When speaking of the church, theologians often use terms such as the visible and local church as opposed to the invisible and universal church. The visible and local church is, of course, the physical churches that we see around us and around the world, as well as the members of those churches. The invisible and universal church, however, refers to all believers everywhere and is one church, united in Christ, not many physical churches. Everyone in the universal church is a true believer, but such is not necessarily the case with visible and local churches.
Why is it relevant to understand some basic differences between the visible and universal church? One key reason is so that we do not confuse what we sometimes see fallible churches doing with the reality of the universal church. Not only do visible and local churches often host nonbelievers but also the believers themselves are imperfect, resulting in challenges and tensions in every visible church.
The church is not a building, but a body of believers with a specific nature and purpose. These biblical roles or ministries of the church are foundational to it. What are these roles? They are many, but the key to any church are foundations in worship, edification, and evangelism. Worship is God-centered and Christ-centered. It is not about entertaining Christians with flashy displays or presentations, but about expressing our love by worshiping our Creator. We are to praise and glorify God in worship. As such, every Christian needs to be part of regular fellowship and worship. Edification is also the role of the church. It involves edifying believers, but also nurturing, building up or helping believers to mature in Christ. To this end, churches are tasked with a variety of ministries such as Bible study, continuing education in related areas, praying for one another, acts of genuine hospitality and more.
Evangelism is also a key role in the church. This means reaching out to a lost world with the Good News about Jesus. Since people often have questions or doubts about Christ and Christianity, knowing the truth and being able to defend it (apologetics) is also part of the role of the church. But beyond evangelism in the sense of reaching out with the gospel, the church must also express compassion and mercy tangibly by helping others.
In following Christ’s example to love others, the church, too, must seek to make a real difference in the world while not neglecting to share the message of Christ. If a church fails to fulfill any of these key roles – worship, edification, evangelism – then the church is not functioning as God intends. Granted, there are times when churches face challenges and struggle to one degree or another, but a healthy church seeks to overcome such challenges in a way that honors God and His intentions for His church.
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]]>Social support is no doubt part of the story. At the evangelical churches, I’ve studied as an anthropologist, people really did seem to look out for one another. They showed up with dinner when friends were sick and sat to talk with them when they were unhappy. The help was sometimes surprisingly concrete. Perhaps a third of the church members belonged to small groups that met weekly to talk about the Bible and their lives.
One evening, a young woman in a group I joined began to cry. Her dentist had told her that she needed a $1,500 procedure, and she didn’t have the money. To my amazement, our small group — most of the students — simply covered the cost, by anonymous donation. A study conducted in North Carolina found that frequent churchgoers had larger social networks, with more contact with, more affection for, and more kinds of social support from those people than their unchurched counterparts. And we know that social support is directly tied to better health.
Healthy behavior is no doubt another part. Certainly, many churchgoers struggle with behaviors they would like to change, but on average, regular church attendees drink less, smokeless, use fewer recreational drugs and are less sexually promiscuous than others.
That tallies with my own observations. At a church I studied in Southern California, the standard conversion story seemed to tell of finding God and never taking methamphetamine again. (One woman told me that while cooking her dose, she set off an explosion in her father’s apartment and blew out his sliding glass doors. She said to me, “I knew that God was trying to tell me I was going the wrong way.”) In my next church, I remember sitting in a house group listening to a woman talks about an addiction she could not break. I assumed that she was talking about her own struggle with methamphetamine. It turned out that she thought she read too many novels.
]]>Good or bad, habits require repetition. Once they become habitual, they become automatic: they no longer require extra thought—we simply do them. Embrace these 10 habits to really change your life!
I don’t know what it is exactly that makes getting out the door on Sunday feel so much harder. Maybe it’s because while our weekday routine is pretty set, our weekend schedule is far more relaxed. It’s our time to kick back and recuperate, without always having to DO something. Or maybe it’s that I want to look nice and make sure the girls are looking their best, which sometimes requires a little extra prep time–and effort that I don’t always feel like putting in. I’m guessing we’re not the only family that struggles to get to church sometimes.
For many families, scheduling and making time for the church in the middle of a jam-packed week can feel like a test in itself. Whether you go on Saturday evenings, Sunday mornings or even weekday afternoons, it can be hard to part with what we see as “free” time, especially when it conflicts with other things we really want to do.
But over the years, one thing I’ve realized is that when I get to a point where I feel like I just don’t have time for church, it is a pretty clear sign that I’m pushing myself too hard. And that usually means that I need to reevaluate my schedule and regain some sanity because, at the end of the day, I’ve never once regretted taking the time to attend church. There’s just something about being there that calms me down, makes me feel connected and whole, and simply allows me to breathe again.
And it’s not just me, apparently. Research shows that people who regularly attend church report stronger social support networks and less depression. They smoke less and lead healthier and even longer lives. In a very real and physical way, Church is literally good for your health.
Which means that if you haven’t been in a while, this might be a great time to start going back, or to find a new church home that fits your personality and your family—one where you click with those around you, make great friends, and feel a strong and welcoming sense of community.
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