Hal Thomas: Some blessings from growing in Christian generosity

“My marriage is stronger since it’s not based on things of this world. My relationships are stronger since they’re not based on things. My walk with God is more real because we have seen Him use us to supply what others need. Nothing in this world can satisfy one’s desire more than to have God literally use you to build a church in a small village, bring food to an orphanage, or bring a doctor to a sick person. I have seen each of these happen. I have seen God working through me.”

Hal Thomas as recounted by Randy Alcorn in Money, Possessions, and Eternity (Wheaton: Tyndale, 2003) 206.

Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” Luke 6:38

“R.G. LeTourneau understood God’s purpose for blessing him financially. An inventor of earthmoving machines, LeTourneau reached the point of giving 90 percent of his income to the Lord. As he put it, “I shovel out the money, and God shovels it back—but God has a bigger shovel.”

R.G. LeTourneau as recounted by Randy Alcorn in Money, Possessions, and Eternity (Wheaton: Tyndale, 2003) 214.

“It is God himself who has brought our race to possession in common first of all by sharing himself, by sending his Word to all men alike, and by making all things for all. Therefore, everything is common, and the rich should not grasp the greater share.

The expression, then, “I own something, and have more than enough. Why should I not enjoy it?” is not worthy of a man and does not indicate any community feeling. The other expression does, however: “I have something, why should I not share it with those who have need if it?” Such a one is perfect, and fulfills the command: “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” (Matt. 19:19)…

I admit God has given us power to use our possessions, but only to the extent that it is necessary. He wishes them to be in common…How much more honorable it is to serve many than to live in wealth!…How much more useful to have friends as out adornment than lifeless decorations! Who can derive more benefit from lands than from practicing kindness?”

Clement of Alexandria (c. 190) in The Instructor, Book II, Chapter 13.

“In God’s sight, my giving is measured not by how much I have given, but by how much I could have given and much I had left over after I made my gift.” (cf. Philippians 2:5-11).

A.W. Tozer in That Incredible Christian (Harrisburg: Christian Publications, 1964) 105.

My wife, Jenni, returns home from Guatemala today! The morning she left, I read Philippians 2:5-11 and was moved by how Jesus “emptied himself” (v. 7), so I challenged her to “empty herself” and have nothing left over. She did!

Visit this link to hear about her week of doing VBS with the Treasures and providing biblical stewardship training for the teachers at Potter’s House. And at the bottom of the page, click to see the additional photos, too. They are precious:

http://www.pottershouse.org.gt/jennis-week-with-the-treasures/#.UKd_c6VQZaF

“Because we love something else more than this world, we love even this world better than those who know no other.

C.S. Lewis (1898-1963) in God in the Dock (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1970) 150.

“The Jews were constrained to a regular payment of tithes; Christians, who have received liberty, assign all their possessions to the Lord, bestowing freely not the lesser portions of their property, since they have the hope of greater things; as that poor widow acted who cast all her living into the treasury of God.”

Irenaeus of Lyons (130-202) in Against Heresies 4.18.2.

“Everything we do with our money and life itself must center on God. He purposely designed it that way, and every attempt to place our confidence in anyone or anything else will be ultimately thwarted and thrown down.”

Jim Armstrong, managing editor for “Do Well” a quarterly magazine from Crown in volume 2, issue 4, page 2.

And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. 2 Corinthians 8:1-2

“Generosity in the midst of poverty! Though being poor is often the reason why many of God’s people hold on to what they have and excuse themselves from giving, we ought to realize that it is possible for one to be poor and still be generous in giving…

Generosity is best measured not by the sum of what was given but by the sacrifice that comes with it. The Macedonian Christians were willing to forego of that little that they had for the sake of others, trusting the Lord to provide for them.”

Reggor Barazon Galarpe in “The Generosity of the Early Church” in volume 7, issue 6, article 5, page 15, of Bible Witness.

Today I invite you to join my me in praying for my wife, Jenni, who is in Guatemala City this week serving at Potter’s House.

Each morning, she is helping with Vacation Bible School for 1,000 Treasures: http://www.pottershouse.org.gt/vbs-for-1000-treasures/

Each afternoon, she is doing curriculum training, walking the teachers through the Scriptures to equip them to teach Christian generosity to the Treasures in 2013.

God, please bless this movement of Christian generosity in the poverty of the garbage dump of Guatemala City, for Your glory, Amen!

“Social justice is not an end. It is a means. For those of you who study history, you know that over the past few centuries the church that saw social justice as an end and not a means drifted from its original focus. It drifted from the unique saving work of Christ. It drifted from the spiritual lostness of sinners. It drifted from the authority of the Bible. It drifted from the imperative of world evangelism. We need to learn from history that we must love the world in word and deed, and in loving we shall not drift from our deeply held convictions.”

Barey Corey, president of Biola University in The Magazine of Biola University Fall 2012, 8.

“Let temporal things serve your use, but the eternal be the object of your desire.”

Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471) as cited by Randy Alcorn in the book In Light of Eternity: Perspectives on Heaven (Colorado Springs: Waterbrook, 1999) 146.