"Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.'"
At the end of the Olivet Discourse, Jesus describes a time when the nations will be judged. The main criteria in this judgment will be how they (those nations) treated the Lord's brethren. Because the rapture will have occurred before the Great Tribulation, the Church will be gone, leaving the Jewish people here to represent the Lord's desires. This is not to say that there will not be tribulation saints from the nations. I'd believe in Jesus if I saw what they will no doubt see during that time.
This being the backdrop, we can say primarily, that the nations at the end of the tribulation will be judged for their actions toward the people of Israel.
But this section still draws us to resonate with the heart of God, who calls us to be His hands and feet in this world. How can we take responsibility for those that are within our reach who are indeed Christ's brethren today?
In the church, we know who our brethren are. It's easy to hear about opportunities to serve each other and it's easy to give to people that we trust will use the resources that are given to them with wisdom. It's a joy to be the one that steps in and helps another brother or sister in time of need, whether that assistance would be monetary, physical aid (moving refrigerators from a third story apartment comes to mind! :-) You know who you are!) or spiritual.
But then we see people with signs out in the world around us. How are we to respond? When I gave this message, our discussions afterward focused on this dilemma. It's hard to know who to trust. Are we giving money that's going to go to someone's drinking or drug problem? Am I being scammed?
I heard a Pastor tell a story about seeing a man with a "Will Work For Food" sign standing on the side of an offramp. The Pastor pulled over and offered to take the man to his church. The man asked him how much he would make, to which the Pastor answered, "About 8 to 10 an hour?" The man got honest and told the Pastor "I make 40 to 50 an hour just standing here and if I give up this spot, I might not get it back!"
So, a few words that will hopefully help you as you confront this issue. First, we understand that people begging for something may indeed be brothers and sisters who are in desperate need. We need to be sensitive to God's Holy Spirit who will speak to our hearts about whether or not to give. Ask Him for wisdom and He will give it liberally!
Second, notice that Jesus talks about meeting need, not giving money! They were hungry and they gave them food...not money, FOOD! They were thirsty and they gave them a drink, definitely a non-alcoholic concoction! "I need money for clothes." "What size do you wear? I'll go get something for you from the local mall!" Or, "Here: This jacket will fit you!"
Finally, if God has brought a desperate brother into your midst, understand that if He speaks to you about giving and if you do give toward a need, you are doing so to Him. None of us would have a problem giving to Jesus if He were in front of us. Do it unto Him! Even if you get rooked, look at it like this: You have lent to the Lord!
Proverbs 19:17: "He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord, and He will pay back what he has given."
A few more tidbits:
- Plan your generosity! Put it in your monthly budget.
- Purchase pre-paid cards to a few different places, grocery stores, restaurants, etc.
- Per Joe Block: You can put "No-Alcohol" on the back of pre-paid cards that you buy, which will be honored by the store.
Ok, I said finally, but this is the real finally: Only give if you can do so with joy in your heart! God doesn't need a begrudging attitude and He won't honor things done this way. If you feel compelled to give, do so with a heart that seeks to bless the Lord, give unto Him, and be blessed.
See you soon.
Blessings,
Frank
But then we see people with signs out in the world around us. How are we to respond? When I gave this message, our discussions afterward focused on this dilemma. It's hard to know who to trust. Are we giving money that's going to go to someone's drinking or drug problem? Am I being scammed?
I heard a Pastor tell a story about seeing a man with a "Will Work For Food" sign standing on the side of an offramp. The Pastor pulled over and offered to take the man to his church. The man asked him how much he would make, to which the Pastor answered, "About 8 to 10 an hour?" The man got honest and told the Pastor "I make 40 to 50 an hour just standing here and if I give up this spot, I might not get it back!"
So, a few words that will hopefully help you as you confront this issue. First, we understand that people begging for something may indeed be brothers and sisters who are in desperate need. We need to be sensitive to God's Holy Spirit who will speak to our hearts about whether or not to give. Ask Him for wisdom and He will give it liberally!
Second, notice that Jesus talks about meeting need, not giving money! They were hungry and they gave them food...not money, FOOD! They were thirsty and they gave them a drink, definitely a non-alcoholic concoction! "I need money for clothes." "What size do you wear? I'll go get something for you from the local mall!" Or, "Here: This jacket will fit you!"
Finally, if God has brought a desperate brother into your midst, understand that if He speaks to you about giving and if you do give toward a need, you are doing so to Him. None of us would have a problem giving to Jesus if He were in front of us. Do it unto Him! Even if you get rooked, look at it like this: You have lent to the Lord!
Proverbs 19:17: "He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord, and He will pay back what he has given."
A few more tidbits:
- Plan your generosity! Put it in your monthly budget.
- Purchase pre-paid cards to a few different places, grocery stores, restaurants, etc.
- Per Joe Block: You can put "No-Alcohol" on the back of pre-paid cards that you buy, which will be honored by the store.
Ok, I said finally, but this is the real finally: Only give if you can do so with joy in your heart! God doesn't need a begrudging attitude and He won't honor things done this way. If you feel compelled to give, do so with a heart that seeks to bless the Lord, give unto Him, and be blessed.
See you soon.
Blessings,
Frank
No comments:
Post a Comment