<html><head></head><body><div><div><div><div><br></div>Philippians 4:14-20<div><br></div><div><b>14. &nbsp;Yet it was kind of you to share my trouble.</b></div><div><b>15. &nbsp;And you Philippians yourselves know that in the beginning of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church entered into partnership with me in giving and receiving except you only;</b></div><div><b>16. &nbsp;for even in Thessalonica you sent me help once and again.</b></div><div><b>17. &nbsp;Not that I seek the gift; but I seek the fruit which increases to your credit.</b></div><div><b>18. &nbsp;I have received full payment, and more; I am filled having received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God.</b></div><div><b>19. &nbsp;And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.</b></div><div><b>20. &nbsp;To our&nbsp;God and Father be glory for ever and ever. &nbsp;</b></div><div><b><br></b></div><div><span>Charitable giving to those in need, especially those who labor for us in the Lord, is giving to God.</span></div><div><b><br></b></div><div><span>Paul calls the gifts he received from the&nbsp;church</span><b>&nbsp;</b><span>in Philippi, <i>“a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable to God.” &nbsp;</i>As Jesus said, <i>“And the King will answer them </i>(the sheep), <i>‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.’ &nbsp;</i>(Matthew 25:40)<i></i></span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>I used to have a pastor who liked to say concerning money; “You can’t take it with you, BUT, you <u>can</u>&nbsp;send it on ahead.” &nbsp; Then he would remind us of Jesus’ words to the rich young ruler, <i>“If you would&nbsp;be perfect, go, sell what you&nbsp;possess&nbsp;and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and&nbsp;come, follow me.” &nbsp;</i>(Matthew 19;21)</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>Giving to the Lord in support of our local church is not the only way we can give to God. &nbsp;Giving directly&nbsp;to those who are in need is also giving to God. &nbsp;The former is necessary and needful, the latter is truly a cause for personal joy.&nbsp;</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>The true motive for getting our finances in order and getting ahead in our budgets,&nbsp;is not just so that we can accumulate wealth. &nbsp;Loving money is the root of all evil. &nbsp;The correct&nbsp;reason for gaining wealth, it’s that we can give it,&nbsp;and use&nbsp;it to glorify God, a <i>“fragrant offering and an acceptable sacrifice.”</i></span></div><div><span><i><br></i></span></div><div><span>Jesus means it when he commands and&nbsp;promises us, <i>“Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. &nbsp;Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. &nbsp;For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.” &nbsp;</i>(Luke 6;37&amp;38)</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>This is not limited to giving generous&nbsp;forgiveness to others, but it truly applies to all giving.</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>Money is not our source of life, peace, or joy, God is. &nbsp;That is why we are commanded to love God first above all things, to fear and trust in Him…not wealth. &nbsp;This Commandment is the key to everything.</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>Loving money makes us the brethren of Judas Iscariot, (John 12;6)&nbsp;and ranks us with the Pharisees. (Luke 16;14)</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>Generosity and sacrificial giving do not empty us, the fill us.</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>Prayer: &nbsp;Merciful Father, your love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit given to us,</span></div><div><span>Deliver us from quenching the Spirit with fear for You indeed supply all our needs. &nbsp;In Jesus we pray, Amen.</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>Love,</span></div><div><span>Dad/Baba/Eric</span></div><div><span>Grandpa Pickle Pastor</span></div><div><span>“A chapter a day, everyday, progressively, be transformed, ‘soak’ in the living Word. &nbsp;God’s Word is our habitation, and we are His.”</span></div><div><br><br><div><a href="https://mail.onelink.me/107872968?pid=nativeplacement&amp;c=Global_Acquisition_YMktg_315_Internal_EmailSignature&amp;af_sub1=Acquisition&amp;af_sub2=Global_YMktg&amp;af_sub3=&amp;af_sub4=100000604&amp;af_sub5=EmailSignature__Static_" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a><br></div></div></div></div></div></body></html>


Philippians 4:14-20
14.  Yet it was kind of you to share my trouble.15.  And you Philippians yourselves know that in the beginning of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church entered into partnership with me in giving and receiving except you only;16.  for even in Thessalonica you sent me help once and again.17.  Not that I seek the gift; but I seek the fruit which increases to your credit.18.  I have received full payment, and more; I am filled having received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God.19.  And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.20.  To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever.  
Charitable giving to those in need, especially those who labor for us in the Lord, is giving to God.
Paul calls the gifts he received from the church in Philippi, “a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable to God.”  As Jesus said, “And the King will answer them (the sheep), ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.’  (Matthew 25:40)
I used to have a pastor who liked to say concerning money; “You can’t take it with you, BUT, you can send it on ahead.”   Then he would remind us of Jesus’ words to the rich young ruler, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”  (Matthew 19;21)
Giving to the Lord in support of our local church is not the only way we can give to God.  Giving directly to those who are in need is also giving to God.  The former is necessary and needful, the latter is truly a cause for personal joy. 
The true motive for getting our finances in order and getting ahead in our budgets, is not just so that we can accumulate wealth.  Loving money is the root of all evil.  The correct reason for gaining wealth, it’s that we can give it, and use it to glorify God, a “fragrant offering and an acceptable sacrifice.”
Jesus means it when he commands and promises us, “Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you.  Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap.  For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”  (Luke 6;37&38)
This is not limited to giving generous forgiveness to others, but it truly applies to all giving.
Money is not our source of life, peace, or joy, God is.  That is why we are commanded to love God first above all things, to fear and trust in Him…not wealth.  This Commandment is the key to everything.
Loving money makes us the brethren of Judas Iscariot, (John 12;6) and ranks us with the Pharisees. (Luke 16;14)
Generosity and sacrificial giving do not empty us, the fill us.
Prayer:  Merciful Father, your love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit given to us,Deliver us from quenching the Spirit with fear for You indeed supply all our needs.  In Jesus we pray, Amen.
Love,Dad/Baba/EricGrandpa Pickle Pastor“A chapter a day, everyday, progressively, be transformed, ‘soak’ in the living Word.  God’s Word is our habitation, and we are His.”

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