Tag Archives: Good works

Good Works

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There are nice things people do. The kind of things you see praised on the news every day. If this is what a man wants to be, there’s plenty of it to be had (both work and accolades). There is certainly a lot of suffering to mend.  
But if you want to rise above even these good things, if you want to become superhuman, you will need God to set you free and teach you his ways. The good works of man are only the good works of man. But there is something vastly more to be gained.  

See how the camera is used to incite people to good works. But the inspiration of a man of God will not be photographs. And if he is inspired by his fellow man, it is because his fellow man is speaking the words of the living God.  

The good works he does are not inspired by his fellow man. No, he is led and driven by the perfect good will of God. As God invisibly sustains all creation, even the wicked who hate him so desperately, so the man of God will work as if in the shadows. Such a man will be demeaned and misunderstood. Because the God who drives him is demeaned and misunderstood.  

If Christianity is a warm fuzzy, it is then misunderstood. Christianity is the family tradition of the one who voluntarily walked to his death on the cross. It is the family tradition of the one who was despised by all men, simply because he did the will of God.  

If Christianity is an easy and pleasant path, there’s every good chance it is the wrong path. The good works of man may be nice, but they are far short of what God can do in us.  

I have not accomplished hardly anything in Christ. Yet I find the path he has taking me to be thousands of miles above my ability. And as I do his will I am reminded of his glory in Christ Jesus. When I fail to listen to him, I revert to the man I used to be. I simply become a man who has done a few “good” things.  

Look at what Jesus said.  

16 Jesus answered, “My teaching is not my own. It comes from the one who sent me. 17 Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own. 18 Whoever speaks on their own does so to gain personal glory, but he who seeks the glory of the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him. 19 Has not Moses given you the law? Yet not one of you keeps the law. Why are you trying to kill me?”

God will give understanding to the one who asks earnestly. The way of God is light years beyond man’s ability to perceive. “you can do nothing without me”, The Lord said.  

The Summation of Charitable Giving

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The mantra of today is “Compassion to everyone”.  But compassion delivered without wisdom is no compassion at all.  How should someone know what to do and when?  The answer is to be wise.

If you want to understand charity, then understand this, Jesus is the answer folks.

People will think that they can listen to government and to social movements and know how to deliver compassion.  They will give their goods, money and time, to these organized establishments, thinking that someone else will do what is best.  “They are educated and devoted to delivering compassion.  Surely I can trust them.  Their advertisements are compelling, thus they must be right.”  So a great many say and do.  I will tell you by personal experience, there’s a lot of money to be made on the backs of the poor.

How many people see some apparent need and give without thinking?  Have they truly done God’s will?  Or have they just massage their conscience?  Have they truly understood the situation?  Or have they just wasted their resources on something false?  “I felt in my heart, it was a good thing to do.”

People will think they can read philosophy (That body of literature designed to teach social wisdom, the keeping of social order by logical restraint.)  and know what to do.  People will think that all kinds of charity is good, sound and best.  So they give and give without regard to wisdom. 

You cannot find the wisdom of God in the government, social movements, your own errant heart, or the philosophy of Man.

People will think they can look at history and know how to deliver what is pure and good today.  They look at how the poor and lame of yesterday were treated.  “We have created hospitals and charitable organizations we are far better than our ancestors!”  Really?

People may even read the words of the Bible and think that by these words they can decipher their own way through life.  “How much more the simple act of giving?”  What did the Lord say?  39 “You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, 40 yet you refuse to come to me to have life.” (John 5)

When will we learn that we can do nothing without him?  When will we understand that to deliver one aspect of God is not delivering the fullness of the Lord?  No, compassion without the wisdom of God is no compassion at all.  Such Things fall under the heading, “The works of Man’s hands”.  The good of Man it’s not the same as the Good of God.

Such attempts at Compassion actually deliver more damage than if we had done nothing at all.  But we feel good, don’t we? 

When will we stop being lazy?  When will we decide to reach out to the Living God, and remain his True servant?  When will we spend more time on our knees than praising ourselves for the good things we do?  A lot of activity is done, but uselessness is its fruit.  Look around.  With all the busyness of charity done today, is the world in any better position?  If you say yes, I suggest you look again.

We do some “good thing” and wander off into time thinking we are good people.  With a smile on our face we forget the one to whom we have shown compassion.  But we don’t see what happens when we leave.

But the good things that are done by a servant of the Living God’s Holy Son do not have that same affect.  If we ask him, wait patiently for the answer, then diligently deliver the things he gives, we can be sure that a true good has been done.

But Man is in a hurry to change his world.  He thinks that God moves too slowly.  He doubts that God will listen to his request.  Worse yet, comes the common understanding that man is expected to do all things good by himself.  (This is what you will find the Mormon Church, Jehovah’s Witnesses, often the Catholic Church, and more and more many branches of the Christian church, saying.)  Even so, the good he thinks he has delivered is no more than a javelin through the heart.

People follow the examples of other people.  But are their charitable heroes servants of the Living God’s Holy Son?

So when will people consider what he has said to us?  “You can do nothing without me.”  I will tell you when.  They will serve the Living God when they stop trying to drag him down to their level, and ask to be raised to His.

Harmful Kindness?

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Man’s righteousness is without knowledge.  Even though we often hear him boast of how many good things he can do.  In this he wrongfully thinks he is self sufficient

The Lord Jesus told us that without him we can do nothing.  May we open our ears to hear what the world calls righteousness.  May the Lord open our eyes to see our own pathetic state of affairs.

We are encouraged to do random acts of kindness.  Personally, I’m caused to ask why.  Without the Lord, all the good we do may well be harm. 

Here’s a song by Craig Morgan that showcases our inept attempts.

“Getting There”

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One afternoon, I turned a corner on the sidewalk.  I saw a great commotion.  The flavor of the people was excited and happy.  Curious, I ventured to the crowd.  I could see parts of a beautifully shiny convertible car sitting in the middle of the crowd.  Bold, as was my demeanor at the moment, I went through the crowd and asked the driver what all the hub bub was all about.  “I’m going to heaven!”  He answered.

It was a fast car, yes.  But tires need road.  In my perception, arrival in heaven needs more than a road and tires.  So I was curious about his means.  I didn’t say anything more.  I just stepped back to watch.

The driver waved at the crowd and started the engine.  The car purred with obvious power.  At the signal of his hand, eight strong men came toward the car.  Each one put his hands under the sides of the body and lifted the car.  They all turned their head toward the front of the car and began to carry the car!  All the while, the driver revved the engine up and down.  Everyone in the crowd was shouting with joy.  Applause went up from them like cracks from a large fire.

After a few steps, the men put the car back down.   The driver shut off the engine.  And stepped out of the car.  He was greeted with great enthusiasm.  The entire mass of men was full of great joy.

I was at a loss here.  My mind thought it must be some kind of circus act.  But they all looked to sincere.  I had to ask the driver what the deal was.

He looked at me with puzzling eyes.  “How is it that you don’t understand?  No one gets to heaven without friends to help him.   Accountability, boy!  It takes accountability to keep a man on the straight road.  These men carried me into dedication.  This is a sign of my vow to do what is good.  And by their testimony, I will be accounted as one who has faith.”

I just stood there speechless.  He was as serious as a spider bite.

Isn’t this what the social gospel promotes?  “If we just all get along, God will recognize our righteous intent.   If we do good for one another, God will surely praise our hearts.”  Yep.  That’s what it says.

“Wazzam Shazzam!”  We don’t need Jesus!”

It’s just too bad that Jesus was so amazingly mistaken.  He didn’t need to die on a cross to save our souls.  He didn’t need to suffer at the hands of men.  All he needed to do was praise our intentions.

Good Works Thief

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There are those who steal the good works of others.  They simply put their name in the place of the originator.  They look for reward from those who are able to give.  And they are determined to excel at any cost.  By this they prove they are weak and useless.

There are of course victims to this crime.  The hard work they have done is wasted on those who do not work. 

There is a word for both the perpetrator and the victim.

To the perpetrator it is said, “Those who do not work will not eat.”  You may eat well enough now, but there is a coming banquet from which you are not worthy to partake.  Either get busy and provide your own wealth, or humble yourself and accept your proper lowly position.

To the victim it is said, “Do good to those who hate you and spitefuly use you.  Bless them that they may receive.  If they are weak then bolster them with your strength.  Bless and do not curse.  Add to the Lord’s great bounty so many good works that their theft is unnoticed.”

May the name of the Lord God Almighty prosper in his Holy Son.  And may all the Lord’s people reach out to receive the strength of Eternity.

Reinventing God

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payitforward

 

“Pay it forward.”  It’s a great idea isn’t it.  The Lord thinks selfless giving is a great thing too.  Let’s get sneaky, wise and stealthy.   It does only a temporary good to announce our good deeds.  But deeds done in secret last forever.

If you’re worried that others won’t pick up the lesson of “pay it forward”, teach them privately and without the use of personal examples.  Every good deed you do that has an announcement after it becomes owned by you.  Every good deed you do without being detected is owned by The Father in Heaven who is undetectable.

“Loose lips sink ships.”

2  “So when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be honored by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. 3  “But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4  so that your giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.”  (Matthew 6)

I take note that “Pay it forward” is used by secularists now.   It seems to have become popular lately as people try to “reinvent the wheel” of righteousness.  Trying to escape Christianity, people are busy building a man based “religion” without Jesus.  The problem is, all the really good ideas belong to Jesus.  They have to get a bit crafty when they present their own rendition.

This “Pay it Forward” seems to have come from a play in Athens Greece around 317 BC.  Here’s the script that has been passed to us as having come from that play.

“I do not pretend to give such a deed; I only lend it to you. When you […] meet with another honest Man in similar Distress, you must pay me by lending this Sum to him; enjoining him to discharge the Debt by a like operation, when he shall be able, and shall meet with another opportunity. I hope it may thus go thro’ many hands, before it meets with a Knave that will stop its Progress. This is a trick of mine for doing a deal of good with a little money.”

Jesus said it better by doing it with His body.  And look how many have been granted access to heaven.  It is this granting that spawns all Christian giving.

Think about it.