NEWS
Bible Reading: 1 Timothy 6:18-19, Luke 16:9
Devotional: The Best Investment You’ll Ever Make
Generosity is an investment. Luke 16:9 says, “Use your worldly resources to benefit others” (NLT, second edition). I’ve said many times that you can’t take it with you. Did you know that mortuaries sell burial suits? They’re for people who want to be buried in a suit but don’t have one. Do you know what the difference is in a burial suit? There are no pockets in them! It’s true! You don’t need them, because you can’t take it with you. But you can send it on ahead.
How do you do that? By investing in people who are going there.
The Bible says in 1 Timothy 6:18-19, “Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and should give happily to those in need, always being ready to share with others whatever God has given them. By doing this they will be storing up real treasure for themselves in heaven — it is the only safe investment for eternity! And they will be living a fruitful Christian life down here as well” (TLB).
Every time you are generous with the poor, a friend, or a neighbor, God says you’re storing up treasure in the bank of Heaven. Your time on Earth is only about 80 and at the most 100 years. You’ll spend trillions of years in eternity. Where do you need to have the biggest account?
There’s no greater investment than the Kingdom of God. When you help other people with your time, your money, your resources — whatever you’ve got — you are actually making an investment in Heaven. Your investment is protected in Heaven. It pays good rates. It’s proven. There are great dividends and no risks.
You’re not going to get that kind of investment anywhere else!
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There’s no way you can be all God wants you to be and fulfill the purposes that you were put on this planet to fulfill without any help. We need each other, and we belong to each other in the Body o...September 19th, 5:30 am
Bible Reading: Acts 4:32, Matthew 6:21
Devotional: The Connection Between Generosity and Community
When we’re generous with each other, we draw closer to each other, and that creates community.
Someone from my church sent me a letter once that read: “My neighbor asked if he could borrow my ladder, and I said of course. I later learned that he already had one of his own. He didn’t need to borrow my ladder; he just used it as a way to build our relationship. When he borrowed my stuff, it made me feel that I was needed, and I liked that feeling. I’ve now learned to do the same thing with my other neighbors. Another neighbor has a shop vac, and I borrow it every Friday night to clean my car with my son. In fact, now Roger leaves it out for me. I told Roger recently that I could afford to buy my own shop vac, but I just like the interaction of borrowing his. Roger asked me to please not buy one for myself. He had learned to see the connection between generosity and community.”
The Bible says in Matthew 6:21, “Your heart will be where your treasure is” (NCV). In other words, whatever you put your time, money, and energy into is what’s going to attract you. So any time I’m generous with you or with the poor or with anybody, that’s where my heart tends to go. Every time I give to God, it draws my heart closer to God. And every time I give to you, it draws my heart closer to you.
The first Christians were famous for their generosity. Acts 4:32 tells us that “the congregation of those who believed were of one heart and soul … all things were common property to them” (NASB). They were a family. Their sharing was voluntary. It wasn’t communism. Communism says, “What’s yours is mine, and I’m going to take it.” Christianity says, “What’s mine is yours, and you can share it with me.”
As a parent, do you enjoy watching your kids share with each other? Of course you do. One of the primary lessons of life is learning how to share. When you see your kids being unselfish, you’re very happy about that.
God is the same way! When God looks down on us and sees us being generous with each other, he goes, “That’s my boy! That’s my girl! They’re doing what I want them to do,” because God is generous, and he wants us to become like him. Generosity creates community.
www.bible.com
There’s no way you can be all God wants you to be and fulfill the purposes that you were put on this planet to fulfill without any help. We need each other, and we belong to each other in the Body o...September 18th, 5:30 am
Pie, Borscht and Buns!! Support the work of MCC in Haiti by purchasing your Fall Fair goodies at www.westwoodchurch.bc.ca/shop/
Buy online (deadline is September 20) and pick up on Saturday, September 26th between 11 and 1 at Westwood Church.
September 17th, 1:00 pm
