The divine command to bless......and a film about the global flood that you should see!

Hello, folks.....

Genesis 12:2 describes God's call on Abraham's life. God blesses Abe & then Abe is promptly commissioned to bless. Now, this divine mandate has come down to us. Abundance is given so that we, as image bearers, may likewise bless...just like our Heavenly Father. 

This verse is first & foremost about spiritual blessings....because the spiritual world precedes the physical world in both time & preeminence. There's endless joy in blessing new arrivals (Leviticus 19:34), but the other 1/2 of our agenda is blessing American believers by bringing them into this joyful work. I love seeing others grab a piece of the action.....Many have stepped up w/new ideas which never even crossed my mind. It's so awesome seeing new facets of ministry sprouting up w/more spiritual Gifts being used. 

However, spiritual blessings aren't fully expressed until material blessings are woven in. Never mind what they told you...You CAN take it w/you (your $) to heaven. (No, not talking about the pukeworthy "Prosperity Gospel"....but an honorable calling to help drive redemptive history.) In 2 Corinthians 8:1-5, the Macedonians gave out of their poverty. Here, we see money, which historically carries a curse, transformed into the spiritual realm! So, if "the love of $ is the root of all evil" (1 Timothy 6:10), would it be a stretch to say that cheerful giving (2 Corinthians 9:7) launches it from death to life into its own "resurrection"? 

Our highest earthly calling is charity, not Church "buildings". While buildings aren't expressly forbidden, they're never commanded or even mentioned in Scripture.....However, Matthew 28:19 IS commanded & costs $.......Malachi 3:10 is often used to argue that believers should give 10% to their local Church. But, that is applying OT Law to the NT. Besides, the Levitical priesthood is obsolete, Churches don't have granaries & there's not even a Temple.....& if we were to give a true OT "tithe", it'd be 23%.....ON BALANCE, a well-paid full-time clergy IS legit (1 Corinthians 9:9-14)...& we are commanded to support them (Galatians 6:6). But, the truth remains: the Great Commission has been replaced by many "great traditions".....& they often distract from the divinely appointed tradition of our Abrahamic calling.  In the Perspectives Class, we learn that America (as a whole) spends more $ on Halloween costumes for PETS than goes for the GC to ALL unreached people groups combined. Upon hearing this stat, I was alarmed. Perspectives radicalized me. I took this & other concerns to the next level.

I don't claim to have ever yet given out of my poverty. However, for the last few years, my primary offering focus has strategically shifted from the local Church to fulfilling specific needs. Then, COVID fast-tracked my refocus as it became abundantly clear how quickly pandemics can render buildings useless....so, w/the same % that I used to put in the offering plate, I now help new arrivals w/their family members who are still stuck in various places. That amount, which isn't exceptional, is adequate to support a refugee family of 3 in a "10/40 Window" country every month......Periodic unexpected extra financial blessings have bought that same family passports & life saving meds for an elderly woman. It once cancelled someone's rapidly mounting debt & bought warm clothes for another. After the fast season is over, a friend in another city whose wife & little girls arrived just 2 weeks ago will be getting a special day out w/them at an amusement park! 

Even small amounts of $ can be spread more widely under hard conditions......As there is often a sense of shame attached to charity, I always emphasize to friends who receive gifts: GOD LOVES YOU! YOU ARE MY FRIEND! YOU ARE WORTH IT! Giving this way in lieu of conventional means brings more cheer to the whole blessing experience for me! 
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               Please go see this film! It will show in hundreds of theaters all over the country     
               ONLY on March 20 & 21!!!!! ​

https://noahsflood.com/
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​For carrying on Abe's tradition, going to the flood film and the nations.......
 
              Just another witness to His Glory.