Showing posts with label Giving. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Giving. Show all posts

We Gave Each Other Something That Day

Many years ago on a bus, I sat down beside a 40-ish, clean-cut, well-spoken man who offered me his neatly folded newspaper. 

I brightly replied, “Thank you. I need this today!” I am a woman of color and he was white. This is only significant in that I am always grateful for cross-cultural friendliness where ever I find it because there is so much hatred and prejudice still being practiced and promoted.

After I accepted the paper with a smile, he replied, “I picked it up at TCC.”

“Do you want some change for it,” I offered.

“No,” he replied. “They set them out for free.” After a pause, he humorously said, “I can always use a little change. No just kidding.”

I laughed and said, “We can all use a little change, sometimes. You take classes at TCC,” I inquired, assuming that he was enrolled in some MBA-type program or something.

“No, I stay at the Union Mission,” he quietly replied.

“Oh,” I said, thinking how sad but restful his spirit seemed.

“I work two part-time jobs,” I confessed. “They are both minimum wage and it’s difficult to get on my feet.”

“It’s hard for everyone isn’t it?” he empathized.

I began to dig in my purse for change, because not only have I had a desire to help others from my teenaged years but also because I’ve been in various types of financial and employment struggles. I have empathy for others who are struggling.

He said quickly and quietly, “Oh, you don’t have to do that,” as he waved his hand from side to side.

“But will you accept it anyway,” I quietly pleaded.

“Yes,” he said with purpose.
I grabbed as much change as my hand could hold.
The bus was slowing for my stop and I grasped as much change as my fingers could touch. It felt like a lot of quarters and I was glad. 

As I warmly placed them in his open hand, I felt his spirit soar as he looked down at his palm. He seemed so happy about that handful of change and I felt the angels singing.

When he said “God bless you,” I really felt the blessings of God being bestowed upon me. I just felt it, and spoke the same blessing to him.
I really needed the newspaper that morning.
 As I got up, I said, “See you around.”

“Certainly,” he said, or something like that.

As I walked to the McDonald’s to get my cup of coffee, I was happy to have the paper to read. I reflected on how much I seemed to have in the eyes of that man. I actually had not just one job but two compared to his none. They were both retail and didn’t even make up 35 hours a week but how blessed I must have seemed to him.

Suddenly, I thought I probably don't have enough for the cup of coffee I was so looking forward to. I had given him a lot of my change and was not thinking about my coffee. When I got inside, I found that I still had enough change for the coffee and then some. I had not even considered the amount that I was giving him when I dug into my purse. I just wanted him to have it. In doing so, I was provided for.

Amazingly, I still had enough change to buy my coffee.
My situation must really have seemed almost like paradise to him. To be finished with the job search process. To be done with standing in line with five-hundred and fifty other people for a handful of positions. To have the interviews behind me. To actually have some funds coming in. To have already received a paycheck. He had a bed for an extended but limited period of time in a residential shelter. There are so many others who don't even have that.

Just think about all of the others who don't have a bed in a shelter. Think about those who want a better life but can't get into the right position at the right time to make it work. Think about the mentally-challenged who would not hurt anyone but who are wandering the streets without anyone to assist them because not enough people are helping. Think about all of those who fall through the cracks, because not enough people are helping. Think about the elderly on the streets.

Think about those who are hungry and want something to eat but no one gives them a dollar because they decide that the person just wants a drink of wine. Think about those who were cheated and mistreated and are now living homeless as a result of it. Think about the veterans who are homeless and the mothers with children who don't have anywhere to sleep at night. Think about the children who are absolutely alone on the streets everywhere in the world...


Remember those who are struggling and who are less fortunate than you. The numbers are exploding and most of them don't want to be homeless and jobless. Reach out today. Help someone. If you can help one person one time in your life, you have done a lot.
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Giving Is A Choice In Freedom

The practice of tithing was under the Law of Moses. Christians today don't have to fearfully practice it because we don't have to do anything to be accepted by God after we accept his Son Jesus as our Savior. The tithing principle, however, is a good guideline for those who need structure in giving. 

While tithing required 10%, the scriptures teach that it is good to give more than that when we feel free to do so. However freely we give it will be freely given back to us (Matthew 7:2). This is a statement on how much we can expect back, not on how much we need to give. 

Today, it's not about tithing. It's about giving abundantly to others out of our own feeling of abundance. It's giving in freedom. The type and amount of that free-spirited giving varies from Christian to Christian. Our Father wants us to give from the heart, in the amounts and the frequency that we feel comfortable to do. Give how, when, in what way, in what amount and to where you are inspired to give.

If anyone attempts to make us feel ashamed because of our monetary giving or the lack of, their spirit is not of God. If you are not giving today but would like to, don't despair. God sees your heart and he will surely help you to get to your goal. He works with us, not against us. He does not push us, he understands us. Giving is a choice in freedom. Be comfortable and at rest in your freedom in Christ Jesus.



Secret Faithfulness To God = Outward Reward

Public or outward acknowledgement is the reward that Christians who are secretly faithful receive from God.

One way or another, our private devotion to God will show outwardly. We don't have to try, we don't have to uplift ourselves to others, we don't have to beg people to believe that we know God through Jesus Christ.

When we are faithful in seeking God's face and drawing nigh to him, his power will emanate from us. When we pray, fast and give from our secret closet, God will reward us outwardly. 

We will receive some type of open acknowledgement, from God, for our secret faithfulness.

Matthew 6:6

Matthew 6:17-18

Matthew 6:3-4








Giving Through A Pure Heart

 


God wants you to begin a tithes and offerings process when you are happy to give. If you are afraid to release your funds in this way or begrudge tithing and offering for any reason, then you should wait. If you are already giving and want to increase your donations, rather than force yourself beyond your faith, you should ask God to help you to advance in that area.

If you want to tithe and offer but have not begun yet, don't fear that you will never begin to give. It just means that you need more faith and reliance upon God to be able to give through a pure and fearless heart. If you feel that it would be unwise to give at this time, it is more harmful than useful to succumb to hounding from other Christians. They may mean well but it does little good to pressure and shame others by declaring that we can't afford not to give, that we will never prosper if we don't give, that God is angry because we don't give.

You may be burdened with bills and debts, have a large family for which to make ends meet or be struggling to build up your life on a very low income. The platitudes spoken by others, while they may be based in truth, do not inspire faith. Faith is built by feeding the Word into our spirits each day and by consistent and fervent prayer. These faithful, daily practices are an indication that we are asking Our Father for help and that we are serious about growing into giving. 

If you allow yourself to be coerced, intimidated and shamed into giving, you will do so from a fearful, resentful heart. Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1-11), for whatever their reasons were, begrudged giving a certain amount and they kept part of it back for their own use. Keeping some of it back was not the problem. We know that everything belongs to God but when their deceit was discovered, they were told that the money was theirs to give (or keep). In other words, it was up to Ananias and Sapphira to decide how much to give, if anything. All money belongs to God but it's ours to decide how to use.

It was not necessary for Ananias and Sapphira to lie and embellish the amount that they had given. The problem was not how much they had given but that they lied about the amount that they did give. They led others to believe that they had given more than they had, therefore they stole from God through lying. Dishonesty was the problem.

The bottom line is honesty with ourselves and honesty with God is of the utmost importance. If we give through fear, anxiety and faithlessness, it is similar to keeping some back but pretending to be all in. We didn't really want to give what we gave. Maybe we feel that we just can't afford to give at this time. We feel bullied but are afraid to admit it to ourselves and to God. Because of this, we step out before we are ready and for the wrong reasons. On the other hand, when we are honest with ourselves and God, we can begin to grow. God can help us to do it the right way.

The perfect time to start giving will never come, just like with anything else that you need to stretch to do. You'll never have enough money because that money will seem to always be needed for something else. Even so, you have to start somewhere. It's better, though, to grow into giving or to increase giving through pure and fearless hearts. God can and will establish it in you as you continue in prayer, Bible study and occasional fasting. The keys are honesty and to not be ashamed of that honesty, and faith.

When you come into the blessed peace of giving from a pure heart, you will always have this assurance:

Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you. (Luke 6:38)



Helping The Poor With Clean Water

Charity: Water A Good Way To Help Others

I know that our drinking water is not perfect and probably has pollutants in it despite municipal filtering. The purity of even bottled water has been called into question. Though the water that we have may still be contaminated in some ways, I can't imagine drinking cloudy water every day in desperation. I can't imagine scooping water out of dirty creeks and streams and from polluted waterways because of burning thirst. 

Clean Water Is The Right Of Every Human

I started my week by giving to Charity:Water, who provides clean, safe drinking water in 29 countries. They don't just send bottled water, they implement long-range projects for good health. 

They partner with experienced local organizations who build sustainable, community-owned water projects around the world. Their local partners select water point locations based on a variety of factors like:

  • geography,
  • assessment of need,
  • community participation,
  • and long-term sustainability.

Give To Charity:Water For The Good  Health Of Others
In addition to the construction process, local partners spend months establishing community buy-in, promoting safe hygiene practices and building water committee capacity to manage projects.

To ensure that water continues to flow for years to come, the local partners empower local leaders, use strong operations and maintenance structures, collect data on specific WASH indicators, and implement innovative sensor technology.

Help Others To Have Clean Water Through Charity:Water
Existing water sources, terrain, and population are taken into account when choosing a water solution. From household BioSand filters to piped systems that stretch for miles, Charity:Water and their local partners and leaders work to make sure they’re funding the most appropriate solution for each community.

A person can survive only about 3 days without water. It's wonderful to be a part of bringing safe drinking water to others. The Lord wants us to reach out and help those who are poor and less fortunate than we are. There are many ways to give but for some reason the need for clean water in many places seems to pull at my heart.

I give regularly by selecting an amount when I purchase through Paypal and by making my Amazon purchases through Amazon's Smile program, which costs me nothing extra. I'm thankful to be a part of providing clean drinking water to those who are dying of thirst.

Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward them for what they have done. Proverbs 19:17

Those who give to the poor will lack nothing, but those who close their eyes to them receive many curses. Proverbs 28:27




 

To Do Good And Share With Others

 

Whoever Gives To The Poor Will Not Want

Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom.

Luke 6:38

Whoever gives to the poor will not want, but he who hides his eyes will get many a curse.

Proverbs 28:27

She opens her hand to the poor and reaches out her hands to the needy.

Proverbs 31:20

If you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday.

Isaiah 58:10

Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Philippians 2:4

Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.

Hebrews 13:16

You Have To Do What Is In Your Heart And What Is Between You And God
I had gotten to a place where I could tithe again and the savings had grown to a few hundred dollars because I was deducting it from my income but accumulating it. In the past, I've tithed to any local church where I was heavily involved. I've done it the traditional way, giving hundreds of dollars, over time, off the top and faithfully to churches, even though I could not financially afford to.

I have also given to various TV and online ministries through which I enjoy learning, even though they operate with millions of dollars and always feel like they need to grow more. During the times that I struggled financially, barely being able to pay bills and often not being able to pay them at all, my tithing fell by the wayside. In my heart, I always carried a desire to begin a tithing program again.

In this new, retirement-era of my life, I talked to God about it often and chose to wait until I got to a point where my leftover funds after bill paying were 10% of my income. Some Christians would say that I am doing it backwards and that I should have been taking the 10% off first, like I used to. I don't believe that I should take bill money and give it away. My heart does not condemn me in this. I talk to God about it all of the time. You have to do according to what is in your heart. That is between you and God.

Maybe God Wants Us To Give Away Our Vacation Money Sometimes

I believe that we are to be good stewards of our money and manage our financial affairs with the utmost care. That means paying bills on time, not over spending and not living beyond our means. That means not giving away money that should go towards bills and then expecting God to make it up when the bills are due. I know this is totally against what some teach and preach. It is hard to think like this. You don't have to. This is for those who are of the same mind and did not think there was anyone else who understood.

Last week, Joyce Meyer said something to this effect, that God does not necessarily want you to give money that you won't miss. Maybe he wants you to give away your vacation money sometimes. It's the second part of what she said that illustrates my belief about tithing and giving. If a person donates their vacation money, that means that their bills are paid. They wouldn't be able to save for vacation if their bills were not paid first. To give away money that you have earmarked for yourself is truly a holy sacrifice.

Each Of Us Must Give As We Have Decided In Our Hearts
I understand that tithing and donating are different. The only real difference, however, is the amount and the order. Tithing is generally a set % and giving is anything beyond that amount. Some Christians don't bother with a tithed %. They are happy to give whatever amount they want to give. The Bible teaches, "Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." 2 Corinthians 9:7  Whether it is tithed or donated, giving is giving. Whether it is given before or after our life needs are taken care of, it is giving that is honored by God.

I distribute my tithes how and where I see fit and I give a little above the 10% that I choose to honor. I don't feel that I need to give my funds to any one place or any certain place. As long as it is not used on myself, I consider that I've given it for the work of God, because it is given to the needs of others. I've always had a heart for homeless people and those who are struggling financially. I don't hand out on the street anymore, because it has become so dangerous. God wants us to be generous, not foolhardy and unaware.

Give With A Heart That Is Comfortable With The Giving
I didn't want my tithes to continue accumulating because it becomes more challenging to not spend them. I began to ask God to show me people online to give to because I am retired and spend most of my day online doing many creative things. I wanted to be led to people in need, struggling, homeless, hopeless and unhappy. I'd always been impressed by GoFundMe campaigns, so I started looking there. I am happy to say that so far I've given to 7+ campaigns. I searched in certain states and cities, which narrowed the number of campaigns I found that I wanted to give to. 

Though I may give to some of them a 2nd time, I can expand my search area to find more suitable causes to which to give. In addition to homeless, ministries and churches, I also searched for struggling single mothers raising a son. I struggled so much raising my son and working and so many times I wished someone would reach out and help me with just $5. I promised myself that if I ever got to the position that I would reach out and help others.

Find Persons And Causes To Give To
I am thrilled to be giving at GoFundMe! It's a dream come true. I like using my tithes and giving in this way because I'm giving directly to the person. There are too many times when people can't get the immediate financial help that they need from organizations and funds. I prefer to give direct, personal help, for the most part. I divide my funds out and decide who gets what, as the Holy Spirit leads. Here are some of the campaigns that I've given to:

  • A homeless woman who obtained a tiny shed house and put it on the land of a kind person who offered her the space for free and the city is going to condemn her house if she does not come up with hundreds of $$$ to install utilities on the undeveloped plot.
  • A homeless man who wants to buy a fixer upper home and who recently was able to get a mobile home fairly cheap because a tree had fallen on it and has been doing his best to keep dry.
  • A homeless woman who is living in her car.
  • A non-profit, mobile services organization that reaches out to provide hair cuts, manicures, personal products and other to senior citizens, homeless, low income persons and veteran communities, also aiding churches, schools and small businesses.  
  • A man and his fiance who want to buy 3 buildings to house at-risk homeless and runaway children and who have been helping people living on the streets and under bridges for several years now.
  • A young lady who is collecting $250 to get food, socks, gloves and beanies hats for the homeless and who wants to do this because "growing up me and my brothers didn't have much but we always had a roof over our heads....as i got older i realized how blessed we were to have a place to call home that was warm....and when i look around it saddens me how so many people are walking around in this weather without even that."
  • A man, when going to the barber shop, noticed a homeless man sitting outside in the freezing weather who looked like he hadn't eaten in days and, who gave him warm clothes, a hotel room and food.
  • A woman with her son trying to get on her feet after being stabbed in the neck and chest when leaving work from an upscale, 4-star hotel and who was so traumatized that she lost everything and lost all friends when she became homeless, who has been painting houses and stands outside Home Depot or Lowe's trying to get work but is not often picked.

God gives us a lot of flexibility in this life, flexibility that too many Christians don't take advantage of. Don't feel bound, constricted and secretly miserable about what you feel you have to do. Don't allow other Christians to impose their fears and restrictions upon you. Study, pray and learn about the freedoms in Christ Jesus that are available to you today.

I'm so grateful to God that he has led me to a place where I can regularly give to the needs of others in the way that I've always wanted to. It has made a tremendous difference in my life and I'm not doing it to be blessed. I'm doing it because it's the right thing to do and because I finally can. I always pray that the Lord will increase to the recipient what I give to them and I plan to consistently increase my giving, in Jesus' name.



Tithing With Wisdom & Faith

Are you tithing out of desperate need?
I believe giving 10% of all funds that we receive is a good point from which to start tithing. We can always give more or less. Additional offerings can also be given. I don't believe that tithing should be done if a Christian has only enough money or less to pay the bills. To be faithful, some Christians give part of their bill money in tithes, believing for an immediate return from God. When God does not make it up by bill time, the person is in a worse situation than before.  Oftentimes, they have given into ministries where the ministers and staff are doing much better economically than they are.
 
I am not begrudging ministers for prospering. The Bible teaches that we should not muzzle the mouth of the oxen. (I Corinthians 9:9) I am asking you to examine your faith if you've been struggling to tithe or give because you observe the recipients prospering, but you do not do any better financially.

I know many Christians believe that in order for our financial status to grow we have to give out of our lack. They often use the widow's mite Biblical story as an example. (Luke 21:1-4) I agree to a certain extent. I like tithing and giving into God's work. I think, however, that people who are struggling financially are often coerced to give and they do it because they need an immediate return. Their intention is sincere, but they can't afford to give and wait on a return that may not come until who knows when. It may come tomorrow but often it does not.
 
If a Christian has a spouse and family and is tithing and giving significant portions of their finances away when they are barely making ends meet, it is poor money management. If God instructs a person to do it though, he/she should follow the lead of the Holy Spirit. The question is whether or not the Spirit is truly leading. We all make decisions and choose to believe that God is leading us when he is not. He did not put us into the situation and it was never his desire for us to suffer like we did. We were misguided in our desire to be faithful.
Is your tithing equal to poor money management?
More people than ever are in precarious financial situations today and our economy has been crippled for some time. Tithing and giving should be tailored to each individual who desires to do it. I do believe that the widow's mite example can inspire faith in a clear mind and a pure heart. I once gave 5 cents in offering, all that I had but I was not thinking about that Bible story.
 
I was visiting a cramped, bedraggled, storefront church and felt the desire to give it, but then drew back in my spirit. It was all that I had and I was putting a penny a day into the Lion's Club bubblegum machine to get 3 little square pieces of gum. This was my daily encouragement as I went to the library to use the computer to search for work. If I gave these 5 pennies, I wouldn't have that little bubblegum encouragement anymore.
 
For some reason, my desire to give was stronger so I placed the coppers into the offering basket. The youth who was helping gawked at my 5 pennies and my face felt hot with shame and embarrassment at my paltry offering. If it had been an adult who gawked, I would not have cared. It was something about that youth  not understanding that made me feel like I was being a poor example. I so wanted to explain to him but I just dropped my head in humbleness.
Are you tithing because you need an immediate return?
The next day a stranger with a black dog that I met gave me $50 for no reason other than that we started talking in the park. I only needed $6 to get where I needed to go, but had not even thought about that impending trip when I gave the pennies the day before. I gave all that I had, like the widow did. Note that my return was 1000 times what I gave. Wasn't that magnificent! The 5 pennies could not pay any bills and I had no dependents so I did not hurt anything or anyone by giving all that I had. It was a personal sacrifice that God honored.
 
The return was swift, coming the very next day! It was showered on me, pressed down, shaken together and running over. I have given up 15 pieces of gum and I was then able to buy all of the Chiclets that I wanted and more. I was so grateful that I made that $50 last me for weeks. Most importantly, I was able to travel to where I needed to go so that I could accept help to begin rebuilding my life. It was weeks before I connected my church donation with that astounding blessing.

If you want to tithe but you are struggling financially, maybe you should consider this. Pray to God to help you get your finances in order so that you can begin to tithe. If you have dependents and you barely have food, your lights are about to be turned off for the nth time and your rent or mortgage is behind, consider this. If you give a large sum of your funds in tithes, assuming that God will make up the difference by the time the bills are due or by the time dinnertime arrives, you and your family just may suffer more than you already are.
 
Assuming and presumption are types of faith but they don't produce faith-filled results. God wants us to develop and practice good money-management skills. If you take money and give it away, to ministries or to anyone, and your dependents suffer more than they are suffering now, what type of witness for God is that? What type of example would you be to your children, your spouse? How would you be representing the Kingdom of God?
Do you need your tithes to pay off by a certain date?
How can I sacrifice if I don't give what I can't afford to give, you ask? Well, tithing is always a sacrifice whether we are financially sound or not. When we are financially stable, the tithe could be used for something else, so it is a sacrifice to be obedient. A greater sacrifice is when we give above and beyond our tithes, when we occasionally give away money that we were going to use on ourselves. Work with God and get to the point financially where you can tithe regularly, then start to give above that and watch your cup overflow!
Is your tithing equal to gambling?
You do what you feel is best according to your relationship with God. If you feel that you can release some funds, just not 10% at this time, do that. Just remember that to give money for God's work while expecting a needed return by a certain time is unwise. Some may call it give and name it/claim it. Some may call it great faith. It can, on the other hand, be gambling and that is not something that our Heavenly Father wants us to be involved with.
 
He wants us to give from a pure heart. To do that, we have to give not needing an immediate return. The Bible tells us that we will receive when we give but we should give being happy if we never, ever receive a return. It's best to be in a position to kiss the tithes goodbye and forget about them, in Jesus' name. 



Charity From The Heart & Soul



Today I decided to read my old favorite scripture passage, I Corin 13. I think it is one of the most beautiful passages in the Bible. It opens like a great play or an outstanding opera, a magnificent pronouncement that swiftly reprimands and then immediately elevates. I can't read it without feeling lofty and so uplifted and inspired, with a new desire to feel and exude God's type of love towards self and others.

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I give all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profits me nothing.

Charity suffers long, and is kind; charity envies not; charity vaunts not itself, is not puffed up, does not behave itself unseemly, seeks not her own, is not easily provoked, thinks no evil; rejoices not in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes in all things, endures all things. Charity never fails: but where there are prophecies, they shall fail; where there are tongues, they shall cease; where there is knowledge, it shall vanish away.

We think of charity as the cutesy little song "Have faith, hope and charity. That's the way you live successfully. How do I know the Bible tells me so, the Bible tells me so!" Then we learn that charity means love. Maybe that is why organizations that help those in need are called charities. How can you reach out and give to others of yourself, your time and your money without having love for the recipients?


The Merriam-Webster online dictionary  shows the well-known meanings of charity:
  • generosity and helpfulness especially toward the needy or suffering,
  • aid given to those in need,
  • benevolent goodwill toward or love of humanity.
The definition shown there that I think is most significant, and upon which the others are able to operate, is this:
  • lenient judgment of others.
In order to reach out and give to others we begin by choosing to think favorably upon their situations, their behaviors and their lives. We develop a considerate and forgiving spirit towards any offenses from them. We choose to believe that no matter who they are, what they are or how they arrived at where they are, they are worthy of our ministrations. They may not have taken our routes in life or think and believe like us, but they are worthy of our charity.

We should do better at remembering ourselves, as well. Often we strive to learn to love others unconditionally, but forget about ourselves. We should remember that true, pure, God-centered love is an outpouring of what is inside and a reflection of how we feel about ourselves. That other well-known saying that most of us have grown up on is charity begins at home.

Our first home is our heart and soul, that inner dwelling from which all thoughts and actions originate. We are worthy of our own charity, first of all. When we work with God to turn charity inwards, what we give will be untainted by unreliable, fleshly origins. It will be pure, true and long-lasting, and overflow and spill over to all in our paths, like rivers of living waters.

If you would like to give to yourself the greatest charity that exists, which is to be sure that you are Saved, say this simple prayer:

Jesus, I believe that you are the Son of God, and the only Savior. Come into my heart, and save me. I was born in sin and you died for me so that I can know God and not be blamed anymore. Thank you for my new life. Show me the way to understand and turn away from bad things. I don't have to fear death anymore, and thank you for Eternal Life. Amen 







Sources:
Bible scriptures: KJV paraphrased (old English endings on words have been dropped)
Word definitions:  Merriam-Webster online dictionary


Sister Betty Jo On Receiving & Giving Blessings

"So the blessings that you receive, let me tell you they are all from God, and with no strings attached."


 Receive Your Blessings, And Give Them As Well

Praise the Lord everyone!! You are a blessing whether you know it are not. There are many who do not know that they are blessings to people. They didn’t even think they could be. This title came to me in a positive way, Receive Your Blessings, And Give Them As Well. I don’t know about you, but I’m thankful and grateful for (all) my blessings; and knowing that the blessings that I have received during my journey, have been a teaching given from Jesus Christ Himself.

When I sit and think about John 3:16, For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life, I realize that I have read that scripture just as I have read many others, over and over again. This time, I went so deep into it that I said to myself, This God has done something that no other would have done for me.

He gave me a blessing, and I didn’t even know that was what it was. I asked myself why would He do such? Did He not know that I didn’t love Him, or how I was living, and how I cared only to please others? The answers to these questions that I was asking were a mystery. He came back with the answer in John 3:17, For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.

He wanted me to know that I was blessed by a gift called Salvation. And He wanted me to take this Word of blessing, and give it to others. Whether they accepted the blessing or rejected it was not to concern me. You still keep sharing it, is what He said.

So the blessings that you receive, let me tell you they are all from God, and with no strings attached.

He does what he does because He Loves us (all). You may hate Him…He still Loves you…You may use His name in vain…He still Loves you…You may be ashamed to speak of Him to your friends…He still Loves you. You may try to stop Him, but you can’t…He still Loves You.

His blessings are still spreading, and spreading. And those who are receiving them, are spreading and spreading them to people who do not know that they are to become blessings also. That man, that woman, that boy and girl do not yet know that they are to become blessings in return. Praise the LORD!!

So, receive your blessings, and give them as well. Those of you who have testimonies of what Jesus Christ has done in your life, tell It! Keep it real! Don’t allow the devil to stop you…his a liar, deceitful, and a hater. There is no love in him.

Jesus Christ Is Agape, A Blessing!



Sister Betty Jo is a strong woman of God who loves sharing her relationship with The Father, and what Christ has done for her. She lives in TX, and enjoys spending time with her daughter and granddaughters. She is a crafter and folk art painter, and likes cooking, especially trying new recipes.

This is what she has to say about her relationship with the Lord,

" My Life Has Not Been The Same since I Was Diagnosed With Lupus Some Years Ago. My Life Has Changed Quite A Bit, But Lupus Does Not Define Who I Am. I'm Blessed To Have Jesus Christ as my Savior. Also Loved One's & Friends Are My Blessings.

I Am A Bible Believing Christian. I don't like religion. I'm in love with Jesus Christ, whom I have a relationship with. I will Follow Jesus Christ, and not man. He will direct my feet into the right path. It isn't about how good I think I am, or what I think I can do for Him. I cannot work my way to Heaven, nor pay Him to take me. I'm blessed through SURRENDERING my all to Him. He has forgiven me of my nasty Sins.  

I am in a Intimate Relationship with a man who gave His life for me. He loved me that much that He laid His life on a cross that was put together by man. My life has not been the same after I gave Him my heart, and my life. That is True and Honest Love.


No matter what I looked like, or the life-style that I was living that wasn't pleasing to Him, He still accepted me with open arms. He said to me at that moment..."your sins have been forgiven." That was a Promise that He has kept ever since. Halleujah!! My first and Only Love!! His name by the way is Jesus Christ. Amen!! Don't Give Up! Push On! Amen!! "

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Draw Nigh To  Hope

Maybe It Was An Angel Who Walked By



I was in my 20's, walking from the bus stop when I noticed a nurse trudging slowly towards me.  She stopped and asked if I had some money to give her for bus fare.  She seemed to be in her 30-40's.  Though I wasn't sure of her age, I knew she was considerably older than me.

She looked so incredibly dejected and depressed.  I recognized it because I've been incredibly depressed at times.  Being as young as I was though, I was very disconcerted by her request.  I couldn't imagine someone in a nurse's uniform asking me for a handout.  It felt too bizarre for me to even consider stopping to talk with her, and to try to help.  I shook my head and mouthed "no," and hurried on in my discomfort. 

It wasn't that I would not have wanted to help her, because I've needed help often in my life.  The truth is that I probably didn't have a nickle to give her, but I was not thinking about that.  It startled me so much for an older, professional person to humble herself enough to ask a younger person like me, on the street and in jeans and a t-shirt, for monetary help.

I never forgot that incident.  It comes back to me regularly.  Why?  Because it reminds me of the saying, Maybe we are entertaining angels unaware.   I wish so much that it could have happened now, when I'm much more experienced and mature, and cannot be surprised by the needs of different types of "others."   Was she an angel?  I don't know.  I do know that at that time, I was not capable of responding differently.

Since then I have helped a lot of people.  I have been an instrument through which God has blessed others in different ways.  I have also been blessed by the obedience and generosity of others.  Everyday I welcome opportunities to help others.

Let each man give according as he has determined in his heart; not grudgingly, or under compulsion; for God loves a cheerful giver. 
(2 Corinthians 9:7 World English Bible)

Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly , or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.  
 (2 Corinthians 9:7 King James Version)

Not only does God love a cheerful giver, but we feel good when we give what we want to and feel that we can give.  Peace comes in this way, rather than when we feel forced or coerced.  If more, or even less, needs to be done, we can trust God to let us know.  He will also give us the resources to honor his wishes.
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Image Credit: James Blunt Photography