Week Seventeen, 2025
Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward them for what they have done. Proverbs 19:1
We were in a foreign land, a Muslim country at that. As we walked along that narrow street, we passed by her…. an old lady with outstretched arms begging for alms. We looked back and my wife said we needed to help her, and we did.
God calls us to be charitable. The Bible tells us to be charitable. “In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” (Acts 20:35)
Religious people are much more likely than the non-religious to donate to charitable causes—including secular causes—and they give much more.
America is the world’s most charitable country. In 2022, Americans gave an incredible $499.33 billion to charity. To put that into perspective, it averages out to every individual in the United States donating $1,500.
We are called on to tithe to our local church, but God calls on us to do more. A series of studies found that neurons in the portion of the brain associated with a sense of satisfaction start firing when a person chooses to donate money. These results are a fascinating reminder of the intrinsic motivation that many people share to make the world a better place.
No one has ever become poor from giving. Happiness doesn’t result from what we get, but from what we give. Money is not the only commodity that is fun to give. We can give time, we can give our expertise, we can give our love or simply give a smile. What does that cost? The point is none of us can ever run out of something worthwhile to give.
Sometimes those who give the most are the ones with the least to spare. We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.
President George H.W. Bush said: “There should be no definition of a successful life that does not include service to others.”
President Abraham Lincoln ended his second inaugural address with these words: “With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation’s wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan ~ to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.”
Where is your measure of charitable giving?
Sometimes True Stories
Wicked star Cynthia Erivo will play Jesus in Jesus Christ Superstar at the Hollywood Bowl this summer. The musical is already offensive to many Christians as it suggests a romantic relationship between Christ and Mary Magdalene and puts Judas in a more sympathetic light than Scripture portrays.
Now our Savior will be played by a woman who came out as “queer” a few years ago. One fan called the decision for a female to play Christ “downright disrespectful,” adding that her opinion “has nothing to do with color, [it] has to do with the fact that the Son of God is a man.” The fan also stated, “If this was another religion, you would not do it out of respect.”
In news closer to home for me, the United Church of Christ Cathedral of Hope in Dallas hosted a service last Sunday dedicated to celebrating drag performers and transgender individuals. A “drag king”—a woman wearing a bedazzled beard and religious garments—was among the performers.
A “drag queen”—a man dressed to appear as a woman—performed at a fundraiser following the service. He proceeded to criticize Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a paraplegic, for approving conservative laws and recommended stopping him by taking away wheelchair ramps.
If Dallas is “the Buckle of the Bible belt,” the belt seems to be in disrepair.
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When the weather gets cold, porcupines, as do most animals, tend to gather together for warmth. As they get closer and closer, though, they prick each other with their quills. This results in their separating until they get cold again, resulting in their coming back together. Then they “needle” each other….and so on.
Christians are like porcupines. They join a church or Bible study or social group until someone “needles” them, and they go away looking for something better. And the process repeats itself.
God created us for relationships. He knows that we advance His kingdom when we associate with like minds. And we get strength and safety to boot. So, don’t be a needler or one easily offended by the least little thing. There is no perfect church.
Don’t be a porcupine. Rich Jensen
Quotes You Can Use
We tend to put God on the witness stand to prove himself. Edgar Aponte
Everyone is a Christian until it gets Biblical.
Tablets were replaced by scrolls and scrolls were replaced by books. Now we scroll through books on a tablet.
Can we control our thinking? The short answer is yes. Our thinking controls our attitude and our attitude controls our outcomes. Tony Ferguson
God’s Grace is truly all we need. Everything else in life is a bonus. Tony Ferguson
Focus on the step ahead of you, not the whole staircase.
Children are not objects to be molded, but are people to be unfolded. Jess Lair
A successful man is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks that others throw at him. David Brinkley
God gives us a choice whom we will serve all through the Bible. Serve Him by placing our trust in Jesus Christ, and He promises us a joyful life in the present and eternal life in His presence with no more sorrow or sin. Rich Jensen
God loves his people who have faith in His word. Once we put our faith in the Lord and accept His grace, our destiny becomes certain; it’s called the gift of eternal life. Tony Ferguson
Life on Earth is full of wonder, and it is full of tragedy. Be not afraid. Trust in God. Gary Bauer
Choose your friend wisely. The fastest way to become better is to surround yourself with better people.
Expect nothing, appreciate everything. Be grateful for the little things in life to find inner peace.
The word of the Lord has never been proven false, the only sin Jesus ever had was ours, and the only righteousness we can ever have is His. That is something we can believe in. Jesus’ provides healing for our bodies and strength for our souls. Tony Ferguson
Before we conclude that words will never hurt us, it would be a good idea to measure our own words before we speak when we think something is clever, but it may be hurtful. Dwight Short.
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