Giving Alms

First of all, do not confuse Alms giving with tithing. They are two totally different things. Don't confuse it with any offering taken in the worship service of the church. What we are doing this Sunday (Offering to Wycliffe) is not the giving of alms. Alms is secret giving to someone in need. The very first church I attempted to pastor was in West Limestone and the Sunday School director was a peculiar man. I think he was a Church of Christ attending a Baptist Church. One of the first things I did (didn't know any better) was to get them to give through Sunday School and the 8 Point record system. Of course, it involved an envelope that you sign and write on the outside the amount of your offering. Well my SS director protested; he said, "Jesus said, do not let your left hand know what the right is doing." I said, Jesus was talking about Alms, not the Sunday offering and the left hand does not need to be ashamed of what the right is doing. Needless to say, he refused to fill out an envelope because he was giving nothing.

So alms and the Sunday offering are two different things. When was the last time you did alms? Why should you do secret giving at all? Lewis Bayly gives us four reasons but I have enlarged the list. Reasons for giving alms….

It pleases and glorifies God. It is Christ-like. We are never more like Christ than when we give. It fights the greed that is in each of us. It meets another's need. It is loving your neighbor at its best. It validates your faith. Put a mouse in front of a cat and you'll find out if you have a real cat. Put a needy person in front of a Christian and you will find out if you have a real Christian. It is a positive witness for Christ. It is an expression of gratitude. The proper response to grace is gratitude. God has been extremely good to me, shouldn't I be good to others.

A brief word of testimony: I have never made enough money as a pastor to provide for my family or to cover my ministry expense, yet my family has never suffered great need and I have never been unable to go for lack of fuel or transportation. What made the difference? Alms! There has always been someone, sometimes someone I would have never expected, to give me secretly what I needed. By the way, every time you eat a donut at the POINT, thank God for the giving of alms.

Don't forget to pray for someone other than yourself today.

GOD'S WORD FOR ALL PEOPLE this Sunday September 13th. I am challenging every member to give $35 to translate a scripture verse so that people who have never had a bible in there language will have one. Our goal is to do the book of JAMES, 108 verses. I would be thrilled to reach our goal the first Sunday.

Slidder and Hotdog supper Wednesday night September 16. We will cook on the South porch and eat in the fellowship hall. Too hot to use the pavilion.

Monday October 26…we are hosting the MORGAN BAPTIST ANNUAL MEETING and feeding about 60 people, not including the 49ers. I am asking the 49er for help on preparing the meal. We will get the KFC, drinks and rolls but we need your help with the other things. Instead of having the 49er meal on Oct. 23, we are asking the 49ers to help us with the meal on Monday October 26. You do not have to attend the meeting just bring your food at lunch time and stay for lunch. It will work if we have a servant's heart!

October 28 is our Bill Smith Jambalaya Supper and our November Wednesday night meal falls on Veterans Day and we are having a stew and Joe is going to have us a video of our veterans at the round table. After the Stew in November, there will be no more Wednesday night suppers until Spring.

Have a great Thursday and thanks for reading the blog!!!!