In the history of the church for more than two thousand years, we can see the temples of God built on earth everywhere. These temples are a witness. God asked his children to dedicate themselves to building them, so God won more glory.
God wants his children to contribute, so that we can be trained in faith, love and loyalty. Think about this temple. Seventeen years ago, you rented a building on a hillside for a party, with only a few dozen people, and now it has increased tenfold. Thank god, this growth. In the past, brothers and sisters could build an existing temple, but now it is not difficult to rebuild it bigger. I think through this belief, you can love your God and work faithfully for God. Everyone will come up with their own gifts, and you will succeed and become a witness of God again.
Today, I read the story of the poor widow's dedication, which is written in the Bible, especially to teach believers of all ages. Jesus told this story by calling his disciples first (see Mark 12: 43), because there were many lessons in this story. God saw the poor widow so focused. The Holy Spirit wrote it in the Bible and left us a standard example. We can see the following points:
First of all, seize the opportunity to make contributions.
There is a money Ku at the entrance of the temple. When the poor widow entered the temple, she immediately left all her things behind (see Kyle Gospel 12: 42). We don't wait for the future to give, but use the present. There is a picture depicting the poor widow who gave two pence in one hand. She had reason to wait until her son grew up, but she didn't. She has given everything now. There is a woman in Simon's house in Bethany. Before Jesus was crucified, she offered a bottle of perfume and poured it on the Lord's head. It is valuable to provide it when she is there. The Lord said, "What she did to me is a beautiful thing. 」
Second, don't feel inferior.
The poor widow wants to give it, and many rich people give it in front of her. They invested a lot (see Mk. 12: 4 1), but she didn't think that because rich people invested more and I invested less, they were dwarfed. Don't feel inferior. God looks at your heart. If you obey God's command, be loyal to God and contribute according to faith, love and loyalty, you should know how much you have contributed.
Third, willing to pay.
The poor widow's dedication was not forced. The Bible says, "Don't be demanding, don't be forced, because God loves those who are willing to give." (2 after the forest. 9.7). Dedication is not driven by people or pressure, but by conscience. It is acceptable for God to willingly give what is considered precious.
Fourth, do your best to contribute.
The poor widow gave two pence and did her best. There are rich, poor and decent people in the church. Who should I give it to? How much dedication? This is not casual, rich people have to negotiate with God to settle accounts; The poor should also have the responsibility to say to God, "How much should I donate?" This is to do our part, stand in your position and say to God, "How much should I donate?" This is not casual. If we do our duty and do our best, God will extend a hand of blessing and a new temple will appear. In John's Gospel 1 1, Jesus ordered people to remove the stone from Lazarus' grave. This is a human duty: as soon as the stone was removed, Jesus ordered Lazarus to come out.
I have worked in a poor church for 30 years, and I know a lot about the poor. When the lecture hall in Guangzhou, Henan Province was built, it cost tens of thousands of silver dollars, and most of its members were poor. At that time, it was very good to earn more than 10 yuan in January. How to achieve it? But they are determined to self-denial, and tens of thousands of dollars have done this. Today, you have more opportunities and abilities than them, and everyone can do their best to do this. A bigger temple will be built.
Verb (abbreviation for verb) dedication of confidence
The poor widow threw away all her health care (but 12: 44), and after she gave it, she would go on a hunger strike, which was a dedication of faith; We can offer more, not faith. This is where I am ashamed. I hope we can gradually learn to be confident and devote ourselves wholeheartedly. Faith dedication is the dedication of love, complete dedication, more than one-tenth dedication.
In chapter 17 of Kings, there is also a story about a widow who devoted herself to her faith. The widow is poor. She only has a handful of flour and a little oil. However, Elijah's prophet asked her to make bread for him first and then for her son. However, God promised her that there was no shortage of flour and oil in the jar. The widow did as Elijah said, so her dedication was no less than theirs.
Dear brothers and sisters, our God will never change. If we give, God won't want us. We often sing a poem "All Dedication". The tone is beautiful, but the mouth and heart are often wrong. I'm afraid only poor widows deserve this poem!
There is a brother who is learning all the dedication. He gives all the income from his business to the church every month, and allocates it to a school except the necessary expenses. This is all dedication.
The poor widow's dedication, the Lord saw, the Lord commented and the Lord praised; Can our dedication stand the eyes of the Lord, be judged by the Lord, and be praised by the Lord?