Gracious Gospel Giving (below)
Giving and Lordship (below)
Are You Living It?
“It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Acts 20:35
Do you truly desire and yearn for “more” of God and His blessedness? This should be the deep desire of every disciple. How do I get “more blessed”? Am I left to wonder what the answer to this important question is? Does holy writ reveal the answer to this question?
Yes. To get more “blessed,” I must “give” more of myself to my LORD. I must be willing to have the LORD increase in me as I decrease, so as to facilitate His expansion in my being.
WHEN we obey God by helping and praying for other of His saints, we are walking in the mind of Christ as we esteem others better than ourselves (Philippians 2:3-5).
WOULD any true Gospel work be lacking if those who claim to serve Christ put Him first in their hearts and therefore finances? (Matthew 6:19-21; Proverbs 3:9-10)
The LORD stated:
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn (grain, seed) of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth (continues) alone (unfruitful): but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.” John 12:24-26
In this sinful and perishing world system we dwell in, self and being served is king, but in the kingdom of God, self-less serving is the measure of greatness.
ARE YOU giving to the LORD out of that which HE alone allows you to bring in OR are you spending all on the god of self? Do you know and obey the Word of God given us in Proverbs 3:9-10? …. Are you freeloading? It’s quite amazing how people can and do spend money on everything under the sun except the furthering of the kingdom of Christ.
“He is no fool who gives up that which he cannot keep to gain that which he can never lose.” Jim Elliott
Instead of boasting that everything we have comes from the LORD, we’d better be spreading it around like He commanded. He’s watching! The way we thank Him for putting that supply in our hands is to give it where He’s told us to give it in His Word. What happened to the once “rich man” who didn’t spread around what he’d been given? He’s been irrevocably in hell for at least 2,000 years, right? Right! He’ll never escape the conscious torment, nor will he cease to feel the pain of it (Mark 9:43-50; Luke 16:19-31)
Serving is blessedness and is the great and perpetual prayer and desire of every true disciple. I must yearn for more of His presence, His holiness, His love and His grace. To follow on to know my Master deeper, I must pray the prayer John the Baptist prayed:
“He must increase, but I must decrease.” John 3:30
He is to increase and I decrease. That is, I must become less in control of my own life and will, and relinquish my right to myself. The self-emptying process must more fully take its course. For I have been bought with the price of His holy blood as the result of His infinitely merciful sacrifice, and no longer live unto myself, but unto Him who gave Himself for me (1 Corinthians 6:19-20; 2 Corinthians 5:15; Galatians 2:20. I get to love Him more than I love myself! LORD teach me each day to love You more and myself less.
NEVER pity those who are called out of Christ into His full-time ministry. Instead, pity those who sit there and contribute zilch to the work of the One who bled to save them, the very Once they claim to love, serve, and be saved by.
“And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.” 2 Corinthians 5:15
I must relinquish control of the reigns of my life and will to the One who is worthy of all my praise as long as He gives me the breath of life.
Do we not have this thing called life all wrong? Do we not need a complete transformation of thought? LORD, please have mercy upon us and change us. Amen.
“The One who is the Highest came to become the lowest. We who are the lowest, seek to be the highest.” unknown
Friend, there are no shortcuts – This is the true path to blessedness with God – putting Him first by giving Him and His people more of me daily. In fact, if I am not growing to “give” or serve more, I am not growing as a disciple of my LORD. The true measure of spiritual growth is seen in how much we give of ourselves to God and others.
Jesus taught to “Give” as did His apostle Paul – Mt 6:19-21; Lk 6:38; 2 Cor 9:6-11 etc… not a coerced tithe but giving out of what He gives us – Prov 3:9-10; 1 Chron 29:14, etc.
To the degree I am serving, my spirituality can be measured.
“But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.” Matthew 23:11
My humility, or lack thereof, is the true measure of my spiritual life with Christ.
The way humble serving plays out in my daily life could be as simple as smiling warmly at others (Matthew 5:44-48), gently encouraging another, visiting a sick person, instructing a child in the way of righteousness, planting a seed of love in someone’s heart by writing an encouraging note with Scripture, emailing or writing a letter to remind someone how much the LORD loves them, passing a Gospel tract to a lost soul who needs the refuge that only the Savior can give him…. (James 1:26-28).
GOD does not hold the world accountable for supporting His Great Commission He gave us but rather His own people – and He even set up an eternal investment fund for them to reap eternal rewards for doing so (Matthew 6:19-21; 2 Corinthians 9:6-11, etc.).
In our lives, May all things be done unto the building up of the saints/body of Christ and the reaching of those who do not yet know Him (John 17; Galatians 6:10).
“Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification.” Romans 15:2
“Let no man seek his own, but every man another’s wealth.” 1 Corinthians 10:24
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, May Your love fill this vessel, this whole being, increasingly and governing my every thought and action as I here this instant set myself to be conformed to Your holy image and will. LORD Jesus, not my will but Thine be done. Thank You for the privilege of serving others in this short life as unto Thee and by Your enabling grace. Jesus I know You are coming soon. May this life be crucified with You and these hands to be found upon the plow of doing Your work, Your will, by serving others as unto You. I love You Jesus and thank You for saving me into Your eternal family and setting my life apart for Your holy holy purposes. Please use us, Your people dear LORD. Even so, come quickly Lord Jesus. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
“Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 2:3-5
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Articles
JT with Todd Tomasella of SAFEGUARD YOURSOUL – Evangelism Encouragement [video]

Joe Telford and Todd Tomasella – Evangelism Encouragement
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Abiding
7 Ways to Forgive [podcast]
PRAY
“But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;” Matthew 5:44
LOVE AND DO GOOD TO THE OFFENDER
“Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.” Romans 12:9
REFUSE TO SPEAK EVIL OF THE OFFENDER
“Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not.” Romans 12:14
RELEASE THEM FROM YOUR PUNISHMENT
“Recompense (repay) to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. 18 If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. 19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.” Romans 12:17-19
DON’T CELEBRATE THEIR FAILURES
“Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth: 18 Lest the LORD see it, and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from him.” Proverbs 24:17-18
TREAT THEM THE WAY YOU WANT TO BE TREATED
“And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.” Luke 6:31
STOP DWELLING ON THE PAST
“Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old.” Isaiah 43:18
The blessedness of being merciful to others:
“Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.” Matthew 5:7
The only way to prevent holding a grudge, is to simply forgive them – as God freely forgave you through the infinite price Christ paid for your sins on the cross, of which you don’t deserve (Psalms 103:10).
“Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. 8 Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh. 9 Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door.” James 5:7-9
“And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: 32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” Ephesians 4:30-32
Being kind and forgiving towards others becomes simple as we look in the mirror and declare with Paul the apostle: “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing.” (Romans 7:18)
“He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.” Psalms 103:10
Forgiveness becomes easy when we look in the mirror to see the person (us, me) who needs God’s mercy more than any other person alive on the earth! Memorize Ephesians 4:32 now. KJB
“For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.” James 1:20
“Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; 13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. 14 And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.” Colossians 3:12-14
Forgiveness Quotes
Forgiveness is ultra important to God. If you don’t forgive all others, you are not forgiven of your own sin and are as sure for hell as if you were already there. If you refuse to forgive you damn your own soul, non-negotiably. irrevocably.
“Forgiveness does not mean what happened is okay. It means not letting what happened take any more of your happiness.” Michelle Maros
“There is no love without forgiveness, and there is no forgiveness without love.” Bryant McGill
“Love is an act of endless forgiveness. Forgiveness is me giving up my right to hurt you for hurting me. Forgiveness is the final act of love.” Reinhold Niebuhr
“Holding a grudge doesn’t make you strong; it makes you bitter. Forgiving doesn’t make you weak; it sets you free.” unknown
Forgiveness | Fresh Start with God | Making Peace with God


Abiding
Christ’s Non-Negotiable Original Gospel Imperative [podcast]

“He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad.” Matthew 12:30
It’s one thing to claim we are with Christ and He with us, and it’s another thing to prove we are with the Savior by adhering to His words. Jesus told us that those who are “of God” hear and obey His words (John 8:47).
If one chooses not to love Jesus enough to obey His stated terms, such a man has rejected the Son of God for the love of sinful self and will perish in his own corruption (Matthew 22:37-40; Luke 9:23-24; 14:33; 17:33; John 14:15; 1 John 2:3-6, etc.).
“Repentance is to TAKE SIDES with God against yourself. It is a CHANGE of attitude toward SELF, toward SIN, toward GOD, toward CHRIST that is so REAL that it RESULTS in a changed life. It is raising the WHITE FLAG in SURRENDER to God and turning to Christ as your only LORD and Savior. Repentance is NOT a work … works are the fruit of repentance (Ephesians 2:8-10).” Trent Austin
Only the counterfeit will get upset at this Gospel message because such a rebel wants nothing to do with taking personal responsibility for his sin, the denial of self, the crucified life to be set apart, holy, and having the Savior reign!
Notice how Jesus knits the denial of self, the daily cross, the putting off the deeds of the body, of keeping under the body (the iniquitous fallen nature) with the destiny of the eternal soul.
“And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. 24 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. 25 For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away?” Luke 9:23-25
Jesus made it clear here that the cross is an original Gospel essential, an absolute imperative to eternal glory with Him!
Each of us proves exactly who we love the most by the way we are living! – God or self!
Everything that is happening in your life now is being allowed by God in order to get you down low into the death and burial with Christ. Read 2 Corinthians 4.
“But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. 8 We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 9 Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; 10 Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. 11 For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. 12 So then death worketh in us, but life in you.” 2 Corinthians 4:7-12
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