My friends, do you know something about the Dead Sea? It is one of the world's saltiest bodies of water with 33.7% salinity. The Jordan River is the only major water source flowing into the Dead Sea and there are no outlet streams. The sea is called "dead" because its high salinity prevents macroscopic aquatic organisms, such as fish and aquatic plants, from living in it, though minuscule quantities of bacteria and microbial fungi are present (Source: wikipedia).
Again, God taught me something from this nature fact. "My son, do you know about the Dead Sea?" "No, Dad. Why?" "Look at it, son. It is dead, it has no fish, no aquatic plants, no macroscopic organisms. No life in it." Do you learn something, son? "No, Dad. Teach me!" "Listen, son. I don't want you to be like that. As dead sea always receive from other sources but never given out, then it became dead and no life in it. How many blessing you have received from me, son?" "A lot, Dad" "How many of those blessing have you shared with other people, especially to those who are needy?" "Hmm, not so many, Dad." "Do you want to be like the Dead Sea, son?" "Of course not, Dad. Please increase my faith."
"Son, I want you to have life, not dead, to have fruits inside you, not dead bones. Do you know what are those?" "Tell me, Dad" " Here they are, son. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23). I want you to have those qualities inside you so that you will not be like the Dead Sea. I want you to bear fruits, son. Remain in Me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me. Learn from me and follow my commandment and you will bear your fruits. Carry your own cross daily and don't worry about anything for my grace is sufficient; what you need to do is just start practicing it" "Oke, Dad. I will practice it now".
God is great. He always teaches me through something around me that I can easily understand. He asked me, "Son, do you know where every good and perfect gift come from?" "Dad, your Word said, 'It is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows (James 1:17)" "Good, you know it, son. If you have already acknowledged that is it I, Almighty God, who gives you everything, it is not because of your might, but because of my grace for you, now listen and obey me, son 'freely you have received, freely give' (Matthew 10:8) and it is more blessed to give than to receive (Acts 20:35)." "That's difficult, Dad."
"Do you want to be like the Dead Sea, son? Do you think I am a liar when I said "he who gives to the poor will lack nothing, but he who closes his eyes to them receives many curses (Proverbs 28:27)? Do you hear about my servant David? Do you know what he said? He said, "I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread (Psalm 37:25). He was the great king of Israel, son. I raised him up because He loved me with all his heart, he is the man after My heart. I want you to be like him. He proclaimed that never ever happened, even once, in his lifetime that I, God Almighty, am unfaithful. He himself testified about that. Would you still have doubt in Me, son? I am not unjust; I will not forget your work and the love you have shown Me as you have helped My people and continue to help them (Hebrews 6:10). Son, go and help the poor!"
"But how, Dad? I don't have any resources at all." "What is in your hand, son?" "Little cake, Dad" "Son, let me ask you something. I have a big cake for you in My hand. Actually I want to bless you even more with this big cake. But your hand is too tight in keeping what you already had, son. How can I give you?" "Yes, Dad. My hand is already full, I don't have enough space to have both. I can't receive more from you, Dad. I should give my little cake up first, I need to give it to somebody first, so my hand will be empty then I can receive from You." "That's exactly what I want you to do, son." "Give all you have to help My people. Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. The more you give to My people, the more I will bless you, son." "Ok, Dad. I will go and practice it. Guide my path, Dad." "I will, son. Keep moving, keep getting closer to Me, son. I want to see you grow. I am waiting for you in the finish line." "Thanks, Dad. You are so good to me."
Mark 10:29-30
"I tell you the truth," Jesus replied, "no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—and with them, persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life.
My friends, I have heard many testimonies about giving out and God bless them abundantly. I know a man who gave his precious Bible to his neighbour as God said to him "Why it is difficult to give your Bible to people who want to understand more about Me but it is easy for you to spend your money on your pleasure?" Then this man chose to obey what God commanded him to do and he bought the new Bible for $4.73. He said to me, "Alvin, God is great. Last 2 weeks I gave my precious Bible to somebody. Now I rejoice, it is not only because my neighbour start to read the Bible but also I have now a new pair of shoes. Somebody just give them to me. God bless me so much. I hope my neighbour will be touched by God and the person who gave me shoes will be blessed too by God.
He continued saying, "I joined in the Christian retreat for 3 days with my old shoes. Then somebody who sat next to me saw my shoes and she was touched to give me her husband's new shoes. She asked me about my size and she was the one who even rejoiced when she knew my feet size, "Wow, that's my husband's size. Brother, if you don't mind, would you wait for us here. We will go to our room and bring the shoes to you. Please take a look and if you like it, the shoes are yours". You know what, Alvin? I received the very good shoes. Praise God. He continued, "And you know what? Giving the Bible to people is now my new hobby. I have bought my Bible three times. The second time I gave my Bible to somebody, I got hand gloves from God again. I really need it for it is so cold here. I wish there is another person who need Bible". ^_^" This friend of mine is blessed by God so much. I am happy for him.
Another friend of mine gave me testimonies about his mother whose husband has lost his job for more than one year, she doesn't have any income at all but God sustain her family's life. Her faith is so strong, she believes in God and she even kept given out to those who are more needy than her and God blesses her and her family so much. They can continue living without begging any bread, God takes care all their needs. People just come from nowhere and help them. Bible has proven itself to be Word of God and God is faithful. Bible said that, "The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD; he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases (Proverbs 21:1)". God really direct people to help His children who love Him and obey His Commandment.
The last testimonies I heard from her is that she and her family are now allowed to stay in the rent house for free. Actually, she doesn't have much money left and she knows that she will be in trouble if until this end of month she can't pay the rent. But again, God is great. The owner of the house suddenly came to her and God touched his heart and instead of asking for rent, he allowed her to live in the house as long as they treat the house as their own house or in the future somebody want to buy that house. The owner promised to give her 2 months to look for house when that time comes. She just believe that God is involved and will always involve in every matter of life.
These people practice what the Bible said, not just understand it. For the Bible said, "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does (James 1:22-25).
My friend, do you know the secret to be blessed by God? Jesus said, "Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you (Matthew 6:1-4)."
There is a story in the Bible where Jesus saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. "I tell you the truth," he said, "this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on (Luke 21:1-4)."
My friends, stop making it about yourself, but about God. God will not look at your hypocrisy, but your heart. If you give to people or to God just because you want to be acknowledged by lots of people, you already get your reward, my friends. You will not receive God's blessing at all.
Actually, where your money comes from? Is it not from God? You owe your health, air to breath, time to life, sunlight to live, water and food to drink, etc to God. And what is your money for? Can it buy happiness, comfort, joy, etc? Recently, the world's 94th-richest person and Germany's fifth-wealthiest by Forbes magazine (2008), Adolf Merckle, committed suicide. He had $9.200.000.000 in his deposit but still committed suicide. What do you learn from this case, my friends?
Jesus said, "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also (Matthew 6:19-21)."
So, my friends, where is your heart? Heaven or earth? Naked a man comes from his mother's womb, and as he comes, so he departs. He takes nothing from his labor that he can carry in his hand (Ecclesiastes 5:15).
How to store up treasures in heaven? Love unconditionally. Many of us have tax collector's love, not divine love from God. Jesus said, "For if you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect (Matthew 5:46-48).
The more you are blessed by God, the more He demand something for you to share with others. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:3-11).
2 Corinthians 8:9
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.
God bless you
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