“Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God (Heb. 13:16 ESV)

Helping those in need

In the story about Ebenezer Scrooge, usually told at Christmastime, he is asked to contribute to the needs of the poor. He angrily reacts to their request by saying, “Are there no prisons? Are there no workhouses?” It's easy to judge Scrooge for what he said, but he is like many today, even Christians, who think it’s the government’s responsibility to take care of the needs of the poor. But, God expects His children to take care of the needy. We are told many times in the Bible to help others in need on His behalf.

Show your faith by your actions

“What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well”—but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do? So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.” (James 2:14-17 NLT)

Value others above yourself

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.” (Phil. 2:3-4 NIV)

Open your heart to others in need

“But whoever has the world's goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him.” (1 John 3:17 NASB)

When you help others you are helping Jesus

“Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’” (Matt. 25:37-40 NASB)

You're Lending to God and He will repay you

“If you help the poor, you are lending to the LORD--and he will repay you!” (Prob. 19:17 NLT)

“In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you.” (John 14:2 NASB)

Heaven is a wonderful place!

The words to a song often sung at youth groups and camps are, “Heaven is a wonderful place, filled with glory and grace. I wanna see my Savior’s face, ‘cause Heaven is a wonderful place. I wanna go there!”*

In Heaven, we will have transformed bodies!

“But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.” (Phil. 3:20-21 ESV)

In Heaven all tears will be wiped away and there is no more death!

“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” (Rev. 21:4 ESV)

In Heaven the Glory of God gives it light, and the lamp is the Lamb!

“And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made of a single pearl, and the street of the city was pure gold, transparent as glass. And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there.” (Rev. 21:22-27 ESV)

In Heaven the righteous will shine like the sun!

“Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.” (Matt. 13:43 ESV)

In heaven we shall lift up our hearts to God

“Let us lift up our hearts and hands to God in heaven.” (Lam. 3:42 ESV)

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*Heaven is a wonderful place - © Words and music by O.A. Lambert Copyright 1958, 1964 SACRED SONGS (a div. of WORD INC.) All Rights Reserved. International Copyright Secured. 

“Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?” (Heb. 1:14 NIV)

He was there before I knew Him

When I was in Vietnam, I had many close calls. Bullets zipped past my ears without hitting me. A mortar exploded right next to me, knocking me into the air, but I was unhurt. The timing for missing extreme danger was often miraculous; I arrived to places right after they had been attacked, or I left shortly before they were blown up. I wasn’t a believer yet, and I didn’t understand anything about God being involved personally in human lives.

I was prayed for!

Shortly after arriving back home, the young son of a pastor said to me, “Boy am I glad to see you are back from Vietnam! I was sick of hearing my dad pray for you at every meal for a whole year!” I was shocked to hear that the pastor had been praying for me! A few months later I prayed to receive Christ and began to read and study the Bible. I found a verse that said, “Are not angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?” (Heb. 1:14) This verse clearly says that God’s angels are sent to serve those who WILL INHERIT salvation”. God sends His angels to serve those who aren’t saved yet, but who will eventually be! God knew in advance that I would in the future pray to receive Him (inherit salvation). Therefore, He assigned angels to help me BEFORE I had received Him as my savior! Wow! What an amazing, wonderful, all-knowing, sovereign God we serve!

God works out all things because we have obtained an inheritance

“In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will.” (Eph. 1:11 ESV)

Watch out, you may not recognize God’s angels when you see them!

“Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.” (Heb. 13:2 NIV)

 “So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith.” (Gal. 6:10 NASB)

A few months ago an old friend of mine came to my mind. I hadn’t thought of him or seen him in some time. I thought to myself, “I should look him up and see how he’s doing.” But, I got distracted by other things and didn’t get around to it. About a month later, I was shocked to read in the paper that he had died suddenly. I went to his funeral and heard from his family that he had been depressed and discouraged shortly before his death. I regretted deeply that I hadn’t gone to see him. I could have, if I’d just done so as soon as he had come to my mind.

Work opportunities while there is still time!

“We must work the works of Him who sent Me as long as it is day; night is coming when no one can work.” (John 9:4 NASB)

Opportunities come along unexpectedly, make the most of them

“But a Samaritan, who was on a journey, came upon him; and when he saw him, he felt compassion.” (Luke 10:33 NASB)

“Making the most of your time, because the days are evil.” (Eph. 5:16 NASB)

What should you do?

While reading today's post, did someone come to your mind that you know you should call or visit? If so, don't put it off! It may be a prompting to you from the Lord. 

“Lift up your eyes on high And see who has created these stars, The One who leads forth their host by number, He calls them all by name; Because of the greatness of His might and the strength of His power, Not one of them is missing.” (Isa. 40:26 NASB)

They were made by His Word

“By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, And by the breath of His mouth all their host.” (Psalm 33:6 NASB)

And they bow down to Him

“You alone are the LORD You have made the heavens, The heaven of heavens with all their host, The earth and all that is on it, The seas and all that is in them You give life to all of them And the heavenly host bows down before You.” (Neh  9:6 NASB)

You are on His mind and He cares for you!

“When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them? You have made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor.” (Psalms 8:3-5 NIV)

Give thanks to Him, for his loving kindness is everlasting!

“Give thanks to him who placed the earth among the waters. To Him who made the great lights, for His lovingkindness is everlasting: The sun to rule by day, For His lovingkindness is everlasting, The moon and stars to rule by night, For His lovingkindness is everlasting.” (Psalm 136:6-9 NASB)

“Complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.” (Phil. 2:2 ESV)

 Have unity of mind and a humble mind

 “Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind.” (1 Peter 3:8 ESV)

Have the same mind in you that was in Christ Jesus

“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” (Phil. 2:5-8 KJV)

Therefore, with one voice...

“That together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Rom. 15:6 ESV)

"We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” (2 Cor. 10:5 NIV)

Thoughts are like birds

Someone has said, “Birds may fly over your head, but you don’t have to let them build nests in your hair.” The same can be said about your thoughts! They may fly past you, but you don’t have to give them your attention.

You can control your thoughts 

You can choose what you allow yourself to think about. You can “take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” And you should!

Choose to think about excellent things

“And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” (Phil. 4:8 NLT)

Let the Spirit control your mind

“So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace.” (Rom. 8:6 NLT)

Because you are what you think about

“For as he thinks in his heart, so is he. (Prov. 23:7 NKJV)

“As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.” (1 Peter 4:10 NASB)

God gives several of them to each of us as He will

“But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.” (2 Cor. 12:11 KJV)

Do not neglect them!

“Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you…” (2 Tim. 4:14 NASB)

He never takes them back, so be sure to put them to work!

“For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.” (Rom. 11:29 ESV)

Fan them into flame with fresh enthusiasm!  

“For this reason I remind you to kindle afresh the gift of God which is in you...” (2 Tim. 1:6 NASB)

 “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word.” (Heb. 1:3 NIV)

In the beginning was the Word which was God

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (John 1:1 NIV)

The Word became Jesus, full of grace and truth

“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14 NIV)

The Word will never pass away but endures forever

“The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.” (Isa. 40:8 NIV)

“Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.” (Matt. 24:35 NIV)

Blessed are those who hear the Word and obey it!

“He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.” (Luke11:28 NIV)