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Posts Tagged ‘Matthew 25:40’

MONEY? NO. PARTNERSHIP? YES!

Posted in Movies & TV, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on December 18, 2024| 2 Comments »

Ah, Homer Simpson. That great thinker, philosopher, speaker of eloquent brilliance and general renaissance man has come up with another morsel of life-changing gold. Okay, maybe not. 😉

But this quote, from the long-running animated TV show, does open the door to exploring one of the contentious points often brought up by people opposed to God (and Jesus of Nazareth, who many people believe is God’s Son).

The creator and master of time, space and the universe is a money-grubbing ogre, these folks claim with mocking derision. So why would any thoughtful person bother with Him?

The answer is simple: God does NOT need money or anything else from His creation. He needs NOTHING. Zero. Squat. A cookie with a hole in the middle (i.e. 0).

For people like me, who regularly contribute to the ministries of my church and other Jesus-following charitable organizations, the idea of giving money is to partner with God.

God works through through these institutions – and, by extension, through ME – to reach out with physical and spiritual aid to suffering people. That’s exactly what my church does and what organizations like Samaritan’s Purse, LifeWater, World Renew and many more do every day.

Couldn’t God do all this on His own, without bothering with us quarrelsome, petty, self-centred human beings? Absolutely. But consider the parent who allows his/her three-year-old to help bake cookies. The parent could easily do it easier and faster without the “assistance”, but that’s not what it’s about. It’s about a love relationship that extends to almost every area of life. That’s why God partners with very imperfect people like ME.

This relationship also follows up on something Jesus told anyone willing to listen: “Whenever you saw a brother or sister hungry or cold, whatever you did to the least of these, so you did to Me.”

So, as Jesus followers act on His example of helping others, we show people who God is, what His Son is doing in this hurting world right now, and why it’s worth investigating what it means to follow Jesus.

You can get in on this action and partner with God anytime you like. Just decide, and then declare, that Jesus is your Lord, Saviour and best friend. Tell Him you’re sorry for the bad things you’ve done and the good things you’ve failed to do. Invite Him into your heart, mind and life, then get connected with other Jesus followers.

When you do that, God embarks on a life-long project to make you more like the person He created you to be. Even better, God sees you like He sees His Son: perfect in every way. And when this life ends, you’ll spend eternity with Him in Heaven.

Interested? Yes or no, post your thoughts below and let’s have a conversation.

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GIVING, NOT STEALING

Posted in Me & The World, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on November 14, 2020| 5 Comments »

When I saw this meme, I instantly thought about the church I attend and what it does in the community. Here are a few recent highlights:

  • Serves more than 1,500 free meals each month to people in need
  • Established a partnership with the Canadian Mental Health Association so it can better help people with mental issues
  • Created the Career Connection Network to help people find jobs
  • In partnership with the Calgary Food Bank, distributed almost 2,500 food hampers to hurting families during a one-year period.
  • Supports 250 families with special needs

I attend one of the largest churches in Canada; most are much, much smaller and don’t have the donor base to do this kind of work. But almost all of them are doing something – and doing it with less red tape and more efficiency than any government or business. The same applies to charities like Samaritan’s Purse and Compassion Canada.

Why is this happening? Because Jesus of Nazareth, who many people believe is the Son of God, tells everyone who follows Him that “anything you did for any of my people here [and Jesus came for ALL people], you also did for me.” He also said this: “The way you give to others is the way God will give to you.”

I can’t speak for religion, since that has very little to do with faith in Jesus. (In fact, religion is often a scourge on society and I explain it here: https://wp.me/p2wzRb-q1.)

But I can write about Jesus followers. So, to the creator of this meme, I ask: imagine what kind of world we’d be living in if Jesus followers weren’t obeying His directive and making life better for millions and millions of hurting people?

Sure, they may not be making gigantic financial contributions to science and medical research (that’s being covered quite nicely by taxpayers, foundations and wealthy philanthropists), but through their actions and donations, they are on the frontlines of the battle against misery and hopelessness.

That’s where Jesus – God’s perfect gift to everyone willing to accept Him – calls His followers to be. And if you’re willing to accept the gift of Jesus, two extraordinary things will happen:

  1. He will come into your life and start making you more of the person God designed you to be. That includes becoming more aware of the suffering around us and more willing to do something about it.
  2. God will no longer see any of the wrong things you’ve done or the right things you’ve failed to do. He’ll only see His Son’s perfection. And when this life ends, He’ll welcome you to spend all eternity with Him in Heaven.

Interested? Yes or no, post your thoughts below and let’s have a conversation.

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