Givers

        “I have coveted no one’s silver or gold or clothes. You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my own needs and to the men who were with me. In everything I showed you that by working hard in this manner you must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive’” (Acts 20:33-35).

        As the apostle Paul says his final goodbyes to the elders of the church in Ephesus, he highlights how he had ministered among them. He wasn’t motivated by greed or financial gain. He worked hard. This commitment was evidenced by his willingness to support himself when necessary. Paul reveals that his sacrificial attitude was prompted by something he had heard from the Lord Jesus Himself: “It is more blessed to give than receive.” These were not empty words on the part of the Messiah. He Himself lived a life full of giving.

        He gave up the riches of heaven to come to earth. “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9).

        He gave up the comforts of earthly life. “Jesus *said to him, “The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head”” (Matthew 8:20).

        He gave up equality with God. “...who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men” (Philippians 2:6-7).

        He gave His life. “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).

        Jesus Christ was a giver. Those who claim to follow Him will seek to be givers as well.

God loves you! Mike

Did You Hear About That Church?

“We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints; because of the hope laid up for you in heaven, of which you previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel…” (Colossians 1:3-5).

Although it appears that the apostle Paul had never met any of the believers in Colossae (cf. 2:1), he had certainly heard about them.  As he begins his letter to this church, he mentions how grateful he is for their faith in Christ, their love for fellow disciples, and for the hope they shared due to their response to the gospel.  Were they perfect?  Of course not.  I’m sure they had their issues just like every church does.  But when the topic of the Colossian congregation came up, the problems weren’t the first thing that came to mind.  The good traits outweighed the not-so-good ones.

What about the group of disciples of which you are a part?  Wouldn’t it be great if every congregation of God’s people would be known for their faith, love, and hope?  Of course, you can’t always control the narrative.  Some “reporters” only focus on the problems and that’s all they want to talk about.  Apparently it's not as much fun to gossip about what is praiseworthy in a church.  How sad!

Is there anything you can do to influence what is being reported about your fellowship?  Yes!  First, you personally can live in such a way that makes it difficult for an observer to speak negatively about your congregation.  Jesus said it this way: “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).  Second, you can personally determine to speak positively to others about your group.  When you badmouth your church, it just encourages others to do so.  Positivity fosters positivity just as negativity fosters negativity.  Say good things about God’s people!

God loves you!

Mike