Monday, January 01, 2007

Giving or Saving?

Acts 2:42-47,
"And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship,
and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.
And fear came upon every soul:
and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles.
And all that believed were together, and had all things common;
And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men,
as every man had need.
And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple,
and breaking bread from house to house,
did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,
Praising God, and having favour with all the people.
And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved."

Matthew 6:25-34,
"Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life,
what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink;
nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on.
Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?
Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns;
yet your heavenly Father feedeth them.
Are ye not much better than they?
Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?
And why take ye thought for raiment?
Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow;
they toil not, neither do they spin:
And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field,
which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven,
shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?
Therefore take no thought, saying,
What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek)
for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness;
and all these things shall be added unto you.
Take therefore no thought for the morrow:
for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself.
Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof."

Was the early church so full of faith in Jesus' words from the Sermon on the Mount that they didn't mind selling their possessions to feed the poor? Is this a type of behavior we, as Christians, should emulate? How much are we enslaved to "mammon"?

Philippians 4:18-19,
"But I have all, and abound: I am full,
having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you,
an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, wellpleasing to God.
But my God shall supply all your need
according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus."

To God be all glory.

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