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Thursday January 28, 2016

 

“I do not believe one can settle how much we ought to give. I am afraid the only safe rule is to give more than we can spare. In other words, if our expenditure on comforts, luxuries, amusement, etc., is up to the standard common among those with the same income as our own, we are probably giving away too little. If our giving does not at all pinch or hamper us, I should say it is too small. There ought to be things we should like to do and cannot because our commitment to giving excludes them.”  – CS Lewis

It was the summer of 1977. I was barely a teenager when my parents had to move from our comfortable home in the metropolitan area of San Juan, Puerto Rico to a mountain in San Sebastian. We joined two other families there and we all slept under a mango tree in sleeping bags. Our toilet was a cheap version of a “porta-potty” with a hole in the ground that was fashioned out of scrap wood. A single metal pipe tied to a tree that poured out cold water served as our shower. The interesting thing about this scenario is, while it sounds like we were on a camping trip, this was no camping trip. This mountain had become our new home. I believe you get the picture; we were poor.

Just a few months earlier, we were a wealthy family and so were the families that joined us on that mountain. So, what happened? Here is the short version of what happened. Roughly, two years earlier my dad became a Christian. He began to read in the Bible about trusting in God and about being generous. Therefore, whenever someone had a need be it an individual, church, or organization, he would give to them generously. I think you can see the big picture, that giving and not producing leads to poverty.

There are two sides to this coin however. I cannot recall another time apart from this time when our faith in God had grown so much. It was up on that mountain, on a daily basis, that we witnessed the miracle-working power of God in us and through us. Every single day, God provided for us everything we needed. And, every single day, someone with whom we had an encounter would give their life to Christ. Now, by no means am I suggesting that you go and give everything away and become homeless, that would be irresponsible. I am suggesting though, that you learn how to become generous. It is only when you truly decide to place your trust in God and not in your finances that your faith will experience big bursts of growth. Because, it is through generous giving that we experience in a tangible and undeniable way, God’s working power in and through our lives.

1 Timothy 6:17-19 NIV

Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.

Heavenly Father, I do not want my trust to be placed on what or how much I have. I want my trust to be placed squarely on you as my provider. Help my faith grow in you as I experience every day, through my generous giving, your power in a tangible way.

Amen!

 

 

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Nicky Cruz @ Casa De Alabanza Miami
Sunday, February 21 @ 11AM

 

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