My Cup Overflows...I Need A Bigger Cup

[dave c]

HEALING SHELTER MINISTRIES #126f; Re-Written 27SEP08; http://groups.msn.com/AHealingShelter/welcome.msnw

My Cup Overflows— Part Six: ...I Need A Bigger Cup

by rev dave c

[Then Jesus said to His disciples], "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." And he told them this parable: "The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. He thought to himself, `What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.' "Then he said, `This is what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I'll say to myself, "You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry." "But God said to him, `You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?' "This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God" (Lu 12:15-21; NIV). If God should choose to bless my family with “a good crop” (increased income and resources), then I am probably going to get more stuff, so I’ll need more land, a bigger house, and storage facilities. There’s college for the kids, and it would be a good time to start socking away some significant savings for the future. We’ll have to have more and newer vehicles. Clothes are always good. I really like to travel...so we need an RV (not a big one)...and a boat. There’s this really cool digital camera that’s really expensive…. What else am I to do? If my cup overflows—obviously, I need a bigger cup...maybe even more cups.

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also (Mt 6:19-21; NIV). The secular world (the world that pretends that there is no God) has every excuse for multiplying and stockpiling possessions personally and as a society (what else do they have to admire and to seek after, for now and in the future?). We, however, as individual Christians and corporately as the Church, have full access to the truth of Christ’s teachings through His holy Word and through His divine example as the Son of Man. Of all people who have ever existed, we should recognize that all we behold is meaningless in and of itself, and very temporary. We should be living accordingly and not chasing after the wind. But if we’re not to spend it on ourselves, our families, and our individual fellowships, why would our good, and gracious, and generous God bless us with increased resources? Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. (2Co 9:10-11; NIV). That’s why.

God tells us in Isaiah 58: 6 "Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? 7 Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter-- when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? 8 Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard. 9 Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I. "If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk, 10 and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday. 11 The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail (NIV). If we spend ourselves in behalf of the hungry….

In the Gospel of Matthew we read: 19:16 Now a man came up to Jesus and asked, "Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?" 17 "Why do you ask me about what is good?" Jesus replied. "There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, obey the commandments." 18 "Which ones?" the man inquired. Jesus replied, "`Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, 19 honor your father and mother,' and `love your neighbor as yourself.'" 20 "All these I have kept," the young man said. "What do I still lack?" 21 Jesus answered, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." 22 When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth. 23 Then Jesus said to his disciples, "I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." 25 When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, "Who then can be saved?" 26 Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible" (NIV).

My friends, my good and Godly friends, we are the rich young man in these verses from Matthew. We are the People of God in Isaiah 58 who fast and pray as we determine...not as God desires. We are the Church at Corinth whom Paul exhorts toward a generosity of heart, head and hands. And we are the certain rich man who thanks the Lord for His overflowing abundance by building more and bigger barns. "Then he will say to those on his left, `Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.' "They also will answer, `Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?' "He will reply, `I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me' (Mt 25:41-46, NIV). I fear that what is intended by God to meet the needs of others becomes, instead, the excess of our wants. Lord, help us.