the Tidings Currency of the Kingdom Inside this issue: Adult Education . . . . . . . 13 Care Ministries . . . . . . . 4-5 Children’s Ministry . . 22-25 Churchwide . . . . . . . . . . 5-8 College Ministry . . . . . . . 28 Elder Care . . . . . . . . . 14-15 Finance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Generosity . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 GUWF . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-12 Health & Wellness . . . . . 19 Hospitality . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Membership . . . . . . . . . . 19 Message from Pastors Tim . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Scott . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Mimi . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Missions . . . . . . . . . . . 20-21 Music . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-18 Older Adults. . . . . . . 16-17 OLEC . . . . . . . . . . . . 29-31 Youth . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26-27
Some years ago, upon returning from a trip to Israel, I inadvertently had left Israeli currency in my wallet among my dollars. Thinking it was one of my dollars, I gave it among other dollars to pay for something. It was quickly pointed out, to my embarrassment, that shekels from Israel are not acceptable currency in America.
In Luke 16, Jesus spoke to Pharisees who loved money. He said to them, “The thing highly prized among men is a hateful thing before God.”
Tim Carpenter Senior Pastor
Then, Jesus told a parable about a rich man, who made merry in luxury day by day. Outside his gate was an abandoned, poor, and lame man named Lazarus. The rich man had much more than all he needed, but he did not even share scraps with Lazarus. Dogs licked the sores of Lazarus, and, in so doing, were more compassionate to Lazarus than was the rich man. The rich man and Lazarus died the same day, and, in the afterlife, their situations were reversed. The beggar was escorted by angels to a banquet with Abraham in the kingdom. The rich man found himself in torment, separated by a great chasm from the banquet. The rich man begged for mercy, but Abraham explained that the great chasm kept this from happening. Besides, he said, “Child, remember that you fully received your good things in your lifetime, and Lazarus likewise the bad things. But now he is comforted, and you are suffering.” It is implied that compassion on the part of the rich man would have made a tremendous difference. What would the cost have been to provide for Lazarus and others like him? A few dollars? Yet, what was the cost for the rich man to close his eyes to the need at his gate? His soul. In closing his eyes to the obvious need, he demonstrated that his heart was not faithful to God’s spirit of mercy. He had, in fact, made an idol of his wealth. Deuteronomy 15:7 reminded Israel: “If anyone is poor among your fellow Israelites in any of the towns of the land the LORD your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward them.” In Luke 6:8, Jesus once said that the measure in which we give will be the measure by which we receive. As the old saying goes, “a closed hand cannot give, and neither can it receive.” A hand that cannot give grace cannot receive grace. Isaiah 58:6 proclaimed, "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?” Prosperity is not in possessing things, but it is in giving compassion. Giving out of compassion enriches the person who gives. As my shekel was worthless in America, our earthly possessions are worthless in the kingdom. In the final measure, compassion is the currency of the kingdom. We sadly bid farewell to Natalie Adkinson, our director of Children’s Ministry, and Caasi Grove, director of High School Ministry, as they both move to pursue other opportunities. Thankful for their work and accomplishments, we wish them well in their future endeavors and pray God’s blessing on their lives.