Getting & Giving

There is a lot of pain and misery in our world today, especially in the Middle East where a power struggle is taking place in Iraq, Syria and Iran, where ISIS is trying to get control to enforce Sharia law and secure the oil revenues of those countries.

Russia is similarly getting control of parts of the Ukraine, the Crimea has yielded to insurgents, and other areas are being targeted to usurp authority and control natural gas supplies through the country. All these acts of war are leaving thousands of people dead, men, women and children falling to military powers of one persuasion or another, but each wanting to get something that they do not have by force. Some refugees will have nothing to go home to, their homes and livelihood has been decimated.

In many countries materialism is affecting many individual lives; this longing to have more possessions is sapping the quality of life in many households. In Western society the god, Mammon, has taken hold and lotteries, bingo and other forms of gambling encourage covetousness. Companies are encouraging their management teams to be more assertive, an aggression that holds no thought for the good of others but rather the promotion of self.

Jesus said in Mark 8.36 “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?”

King Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes 5:13 “There is a sore evil which I have seen under the sun, namely, riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt. But those riches perish by evil travail: and he begetteth a son, and there is nothing in his hand. As he came forth of his mother’s womb, naked shall he return to go as he came, and shall take nothing of his labour, which he may carry away in his hand. And this also is a sore evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go: and what profit hath he that hath laboured for the wind?” 

Both texts ask the question what profit? and teach us that we brought nothing into the world and our hands will be empty when we leave the world. What is the point of being the richest man in the cemetery? And where will your soul be then?

Some Charities run television advertisements appealing to people to give two pounds a month to supply water to African villages, or to save children from malnutrition or being cruelly abused. Each appeal might touch the heart but not the pockets of ‘Joe public’. Sceptics say that these problems should not have money thrown at them but be resolved at their source by eliminating corruption, greed and selfishness.

Man’s giving is often measured and looks for something in return, but God’s giving exceeds anything and everything, He "so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son", to die on a cross for bankrupt sinners like you and me. 

Romans 8:31 reads like this , “What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?”  

Many people do not believe that God created this Earth and the systems that sustain life. Even the breath of air that you just took into your lungs was provided by God. You didn’t have to think about it yet there is enough for the billions of lives on this planet, but uniquely the same provision does seem to be in place for other planets. Physical life requires water and sunlight and God gives abundant supplies of each for earth dwellers, but not a drop on other planets, despite the fact that scientists and atheistic governments spend billions of dollars on space research looking for water to prove their doctrine that life evolved from water.

Jesus said in John 10, “But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.”  

Physical life involves the body, spiritual life relates to the soul and spirit. The spirit of an unbeliever is dead in trespasses and sins and needs to be born again in order to receive eternal life. Five times in the New Testament we read that Christ “gave himself”. The first one in Galatians 1:3 says, “Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father.” God the Father gave His Son, God the Son gave Himself, He died on the cross on account of our sins. 

In the next chapter Paul said in Galatians 2:20, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” 

In 2 Corinthians 9:15 he said, “Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.” Paul had great appreciation for being saved and to know his sins forgiven but there was something more, he received Christ Himself and the Holy Spirit.

When the rich man Zacchaeus got saved, Luke ch.19 says, “And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold. And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” 

Salvation changes lives and this tax collector’s life was changed and his perspective of getting and giving was changed too. He had a new heart and a new outlook on life. What he had, money could not buy, but faith obtained it freely by God’s grace. Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”  God bless.

This blog was written for FTMP by a Guest Blogger

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Spectacular Events

In recent weeks there have been some spectacular events taking place in and around London. The Diamond Jubilee Anniversary of Queen Elizabeth 2^nd’ ascension to the throne were unforgettable days of pageantry and splendour. The four days of celebration began on Saturday 2^nd.June by the Queen and Prince Philip attending the Epsom Derby.

The Daily Mail reported on Sunday’s ‘Big Lunch’, The Queen and her family will attend a City of London Livery companies lunch at Westminster Hall - The Livery Companies of the City of London originated in medieval times as Guilds responsible for trade regulation, including checking the quality of goods, weights and measures and training…. Some 700 guests representing the companies’ abundant trades and professions, ranging from grocers and gunmakers to fruiterers and fishmongers, will join for the tribute.’ Afterwards there were a 1000 boats on the River Thames as a Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant, the Queen and her Consort were in the Royal Barge, forming the centre piece of the flotilla.

Monday was Day 3 and there was a concert outside the Palace, but the following day was the pinacle of celebration. The following are extracts from the Palace’s official website,’ Diamond Jubilee Weekend, Day 4: The Procession The final day of celebrations included a service at St Paul’s Cathedral, a Carriage Procession to Buckingham Palace where there was a Balcony appearance, Flypast, and Feu de Joie. The BBC reported that there were one and a half million people from all over the world, lining the Mall that runs from Admiralty Arch to Buckingham Palace, waving flags and cheering H.R.H. as she went passed.  In all it was a fitting expression of gratitude and affection by multitudes of people to Her Majesty for her long and faithful reign.

The Queen’s official birthday is celebrated with the Trooping of the Colour Parade in Horse Guards Parade. The Trooping of the Colour website provides the following information. ‘The custom of Trooping the Colour dates back to the time of Charles II in the 17th. Century when the Colours of a regiment were used as a rallying point in battle and were therefore trooped in front of the soldiers every day to make sure that every man could recognise those of his own regiment. In London, the Foot Guards used to do this as part of their daily Guard Mounting on Horse Guards and the ceremonial of the modern Trooping the Colour parade is along similar lines. The first traceable mention of The Sovereign's Birthday being 'kept' by the Grenadier Guards is in 1748 and again, after George III became King in 1760, it was ordered that parades should mark the King's Birthday. From the accession of George IV they became, with a few exceptions and notably the two World Wars, an annual event. This impressive display of pageantry is now held on the occasion of the Queen's Official Birthday. It takes place in June each year to celebrate the official Birthday of the Sovereign and is carried out by her personal troops, the Household Division, on Horse Guards Parade, with the Queen herself attending and taking the salute. Over 1400 officers and men are on parade, together with two hundred horses; over four hundred musicians from ten bands and corps of drums march and play as one. Some 113 words of command are given by the Officer in Command of the Parade. The parade route extends from Buckingham Palace along The Mall to Horse Guards Parade, Whitehall and back again.’ It is a splendid sight of colour, sound and precision.

The annual All England Tennis Club’s championship at Wimbledon is an event that attracts royalty and sporting stars to witness the skills and athleticism of men and women from across the globe, and is a foretaste of the imminent Olympic Games that will have its own pomp and ceremony.

Two spectacular events in the Bible that will soon take place are:

1.the imminent coming of the Lord Jesus Christ to the air to take His Church to Heaven and then seven years later
2.the return of the Lord Jesus Christ to earth, as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

When Christ comes to the air it will be a private coming, private in the sense that He will come alone and only those who are born again will respond to His call to meet Him in the air. Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians 4:16, “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” If you are not born again you will not participate in this spectacular event, nor will you see it.

When Christ returns to earth it will be public, every eye shall see Him coming with His saints. John said, in Rev.19, “And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.  His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.  And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”  Those participating in the first event will also be there at the second, with Christ in the outshining of His glory however any who have never believed in the Lord Jesus Christ will face the judgement of God which will be executed by His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

God bless you this week.

Written by Stan Burditt for Stephen G Baker

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