What are you doing for others?

 What are you doing for others?

Jesus said,

"So in everything, 

do to others what you would have them do to you, 

for this sums up the Law and the Prophets" 

                                                                          Matthew 7:12

While I know the Talmud is a Jewish book and not Christian it presents an interesting scenario. It states,

"When a man appears before the Throne of Judgment, the first question he is asked is not,    "Have you believed in God?"  Or "Have you prayed and observed the ritual?  

"He is asked: "have you dealt honourably and faithfully in all your dealings with your fellow men?" The Talmud

The great American civil rights leader once said,

“Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?'” Martin Luther King, Jr.

So the question if you are a Christian becomes, what are you doing for others? At the very least are you doing what Jesus said,

"So in everything, 

do to others what you would have them do to you, 

for this sums up the Law and the Prophets" 

                                                                          Matthew 7:12.

Please think about it.

The great question

 The great question

The Psalmist writes,

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” Psalm 119:105.

Question, does Gods word really light your path?

What guides you through life?

The late American evangelist Billy Graham said,

“The great question of our time is, 'Will we be motivated by materialistic philosophy or by spiritual power?” Billy Graham.

We are surrounded on all sides by materialism. As such we must make the same choice Joshua gave the Israelites when he said,

"Now fear the LORD and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your forefathers worshipped beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD.  

But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD." Joshua 24:14,15.

Jesus made things clear when he said,

"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money." Matthew 6:24.

So who are you going to serve?

Think about it.

Your Acts of Charity

Your acts of Charity

In the book of acts we read,

"Now there was in Joppa a disciple named Tabitha, which, translated, means Dorcas. She was full of good works and acts of charity." Acts 9:36

In the book of Proverbs we read,

"Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward them for what they have done." Proverbs 19:17

In the book of James we read,

"What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food.

    If one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,' but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead." James 2:14-17.

Jesus said,

"Be careful not to do your ‘acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. 

"So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.  

But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” Matthew 6:1-4

With the above portions of scripture in mind, do you preform acts of charity the right way?

Please think about it.

As for me and my house

 As for me and my house

In the book of Isaiah we read,

“Give attention to me, my people, 

and give ear to me, my nation;

for a law will go out from me,

and I will set my justice for a light ot the peoples.

My righteousness draws near,

my salvation has gone out,

and my arms will judge the peoples;

the coastlands hope for me,

and for my arm they wait.

Lift up your eyes to the heavens,

and look at the earth beneath;

for the heavens vanish like smoke,

the earth will wear out like garments,

and they who dwell in it will die in like manner;

but my salvation will be forever,

and my righteousness will never be dismayed.”  

                                                                    Isaiah 51:4-6

One commentator I read said this about the above passage,

“...the truth of the Lord is going out to the nations with a saving power that will outlast the universe.”

The late American civil rights leader once said in a prayer,

“... help us to realize that man was created to shine like stars and live on through all eternity.” Martin Luther King jr. 

God has sent his word throughout the world. Thus everyone who hears the word must make a decision as to believe what God tells us in Bible or not.

This world will not last forever. We however are crated to last forever. As a result we must decide where we will spend eternity.

As for me personally I like what Joshua said,

"...as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD." Joshua 24:15b.

Will you serve the LORD?

Please think about it.

Live a life worthy of The Lord

 Live a life worthy of The Lord 

The apostle Paul writes,

“And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,” Colossians 1:10.

Do you live a life worthy of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ?

No believer is perfect. We all fall short of what God wants for our life from time to time. The key however is, if we’ve sinned or fallen short of Gods expectations for our life, is to pray and ask His forgiveness.

The other thing that is important is to pray and ask the Holy Spirit to help us live a life worthy of our Lord.

It is also important to pray for other believers. Every believer from your pastor, church leaders and teachers, to those believers sitting in the pews each Sunday.

Additionally it is important that we pray and study scripture so that we know just how to live a life worthy of our Lord.

Take a few minutes to take stock of your life. Ask yourself am I doing my best to live a life worthy of Christ Jesus?

Please think about it.

Continue to live in Christ

 Continue to live in Christ

In the book of Colossians we read,

“So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in Him, rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.” Colossians 2:6,7.

As believers we must remember to continue to live in Jesus. 

In this 24/7 world we live in with all its distractions it’s easy to fall away from Christ. It’s easy to combine teachings of the world with the teachings of the Bible. Quite often we do this without even noticing. The teachings of the world like drips from a tap mingle slowly with the teachings of the scriptures without us noticing diluting the true meaning of Gods word.

We should never mix worldly teaching with the Bible. Rather we should be teaching the Gospel message as pure as we know how to do.

In the book of Jude we read,

“But you must remember beloved the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ.

They said to you, "In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires."  

These are the men who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit. 

But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit.  

Keep yourselves in God's love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life. 

Be merciful to those who doubt;  snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh” Jude 1:17-23.

Please think about it.

You must be willing

 You must be willing

Jesus said,

"Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven.  

But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven. 

"Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.  

For I have come to turn " ‘a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law a man's enemies will be the members of his own household.' 

"Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.  

Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” Matthew 10:32-39.

This I believe is a statement everyone considering becoming a Christian should read and take to heart.

Simply put Jesus is saying if you are going to follow me you need to realize that it’s all or nothing. I must be first in your life. And you must be willing to give up everything for me. Not that, that will necessarily happen. But never the less you must be willing to give everything up for the cause of Christ.

The reward for doing so is eternal life in heaven with God.

Thus my question for you;

Are you willing to give up everything for the cause of Christ?

Please think about it.

On life support?

On life support?

In the book of Revelations we read,

"To the angel of the church in Sardis write: 

These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead.  

Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God.  

Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you. 

Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy.  

He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels.  

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. Revelations 3:1-6.

Here Jesus called to the church at Sardis to wake up. One commentary I read said they were in a deep “spiritual coma”

Jesus notes that they have a reputation for being alive, when in reality they are dead.

He notes their deeds there service to God is incomplete. Therefor they must repent and do God’s work.

At the same time there are people within Sardis who have not stopped working for God. They have not soiled their clothing. As a result they will receive a conquers reward.

Do you have a reputation for being alive when in fact you know you are spiritually dead?

Is the Church you attend truly alive or on life support?

Please think about it. 

The poor and The Christian

 The Poor and the Christian

In the book of James we read,

"What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?  

Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food.  

If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?  

In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. 

But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds." Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.  

What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?  

Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food.  

If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?  

In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. 

But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds." Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.  

You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. 

You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless?...  

As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead"James 2:14-20, 26.

The Jews have a concept known as “Tzedakah”. It is something I believe Christians need to at least consider. 

I got the following definition of Tzedakah from a Jewish website it states, 

"Tzedakah is the Hebrew word for acts that we call charity in English: giving assistance and money to the poor and needy or to other worthy causes. However the nature of tzedakah is very different from the idea of charity. The word "charity suggests benevolence and generosity, a magnanimous act by the wealthy and the powerful for the benefit of he poor and needy.

The word "tzedakah" is derived form the Hebrew root Tzadei-dalet-Qof, meaning righteousness, justice or fairness. In Judaism giving to the poor is not viewed as a generous, magnanimous act, it is simply and act of righteousness, performance of a duty giving the poor their due."

According to Jewish scholars there are various levels of Tzedakah,

Giving begrudgingly

Giving less than you should, but giving cheerfully,

Giving after being asked

Giving before being asked

Giving when you do not know the recipient's identity, but the recipient knows yours

Giving when you know and the recipient's identity, but the recipient doesn't know yours.

Giving when neither party knows the other's identity.

Enabling the recipient to become self-reliant. 

Another Jewish website, My Jewish learning 101 states,

Biblical prophets castigated the Israelites for neglecting and even exploiting the poor, insisting that God has particular concern for those in need. The rabbis of classical Judaism praised tzedakah, calling it, for example, "equal in value to all the other mitzvot [commandments] combined." They also praised those who practice it, saying that they attain the level of holiness of someone who brought sacrifices in the ancient Temple. The Rosh Hashanah liturgy lists tzedakah alongside repentance and prayer as a human act capable of averting a negative divine decree.

Jesus said,

"Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.  

For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in,  

I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.' 

"Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?  

When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?  

When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' 

"The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' 

"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.' 

"Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life." Matthew 25:34-36.

Please think about it.

Where do you rank?

  Where do you rank?

In the gospel of Mark we read,

“Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, "If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all." Mark 9:35.

Do you have a servants heart?

If you consider yourself a Christian, a true believer in Christ Jesus do you truly have a servants heart? Do you do your best to help those around you to the extent you are able?

How about the ministries, pastors, evangelist and even politicians you support, do they truly serve others?

One of the many ways a person shows they are a true believer in Christ Jesus is by being a servant. 

There are many in our world today who believe the greatest person is the wealthiest, or most successful in business or in politics. 

Jesus however makes it clear that,

"If anyone wants to be first, 

he must be the very last, 

and the servant of all." 

                                           Mark 9:35.

So are you first or last?

Please think about it.

An obligation to others

 An obligation to others

The apostle John wrote,

"If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?  

Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth." 1John 3:17,18.

This is telling me that we as believers in Christ Jesus have an obligation to those around us. If we see someone in need and can help we should.

Luke’s gospel tells us of a story Jesus told. It’s about Lazarus and the rich man. The rich man had everything he needed in this world. Poor Lazarus would have been happy with the scraps from the mans table. Yet the man had no compassion on him. Finally when they both past into the next world the rich man was suffering for his lack of action in this world, while Lazarus was no longer suffering.

Jesus made things clear when he said,

"So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets" Matthew 7:12.

We have an obligation to those around us. It is something many who would call themselves Christians forget about. Christians don’t have rights. We have obligations to our God, our family and to those around us.

Please think about it.

Are you a servant?

  Are you a Servant?

Jesus speaking to his disciples said,

“Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all.” Mark 9:35.

The world thinks he who comes first is the greatest. But Jesus turned that on its head. He told his disciples that if you want to be first you must be servant of all.

It takes a lot to be a servant. It means at times being looked down on.

I knew a caretaker once who worked at a major university. Students and some staff looked down on him and others like him as uneducated only capable of doing menial work. But this man was proud of what he did. 

Not only that what the students and others who looked down on him didn’t realize was because of his work they could come to school. With out him and others like him the toilets wouldn’t be cleaned. The desks would left dirty and sticky and the garbage not removed. The result of which would mean the department of health shutting the school down.

This is what Jesus meant. Without knowing it this caretaker was one of the most important people in the school.

As believers in Christ Jesus we must be willing to serve all those around us. No matter who they are.

Are you a servant?

Please think about it.

An Obligation to Serve

 An Obligation to Serve 

Jesus said,

"Jesus called them together and said, "You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them.  

Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all.  

For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." Mark 10:42-45.

This is an important part of scripture. Notice here Jesus dose not mention a Christians rights. Many Christians living here in North America tend to believe they have rights be in under the constitution or some law.

Jesus however never mentions having rights. 

Jesus here in Mark 10:42-45 is telling Christians you have obligations to serve others. Jesus make it clear the greatest among us is the one who serves. 

As I’ve grown as a Christian I’ve found that I have obligations,

To serve God,

To serve my wife and family

To serve those around me however I can.

Please think about it.

Are you full of good works?

  Are you full of Good works?

In the book of Acts we read,

“Now there was in Joppa a disciple named Tabitha, which, translated, means Dorcas. She was full of good works and acts of charity.” Acts 9:36.

So here is the question are you like Tabitha? Are you full of good works and charity?

Jesus said,

"So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets" Matthew 7:12.

Are you doing this?

If you consider yourself a Christian. A true follower of Christ Jesus you should be.

Please think about it.

A Servants Heart

  A servants heart

Jesus said,

“Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them.  

Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,  and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all.  

For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Mark 10:42-45.

This is the key to a true Christian life. To serve our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and those around us. Sadly many Christian leaders, pastors, teachers and evangelist, even men and women in the pew don’t follow this principle.

To many pastors, teachers and evangelist want to have big houses, fancy private jets instead of serving. They like to be the centre of attention.

“...Jesus told this parable:  

"Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.  

The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector.  

I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.' 

"But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.' 

"I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." Luke 18:9b-14.

As believers we need to remember we are called to be servants of God. Men and women who have the responsibility in word and deed to spread the gospel message and help whoever we can.

Francis of Assis wrote this prayer,

"Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace.

Where there is hatred, let me sow love,

Where there is injury, pardon;

Where there is doubt, faith;

Where there is despair, hope;

Where there is darkness, light;

And where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek

to be consoled as to console,

to be understood as to understand,

to be loved, as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive,

It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,

and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life." 

                                                                       Francis of Assisi.

Is this your prayer? Do you believe this is the prayer of the pastor, teacher or evangelist you follow?

Please think about it.

The Ultimate Battlefield

The ultimate Battlefield
The ultimate battlefield is not waged by the armies of this world in great conflagration on the ground, at sea or in the air. The ultimate battlefield is within the hearts of men.
The book of Joshua records,
“Now fear the LORD and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your forefathers worshiped beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD.  
But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.” Joshua 24: 14,15.
Jesus said,
“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. 
“The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light.  
But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! 
“No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.” Matthew 6:19-24.
Billy Graham the American evangelist said,
“The great question of our time is, 'Will we be motivated by materialistic philosophy or by spiritual power?” Billy Graham.
The choice is yours. From the moment you are born you start your inevitable journey toward eternity. I as a Christian believe that within that journey you must decide what you believe and whom you will serve.
The Atheist will state there is no God. Therefore we can do as we wish. Live for the now. As someone has said, “eat drink and be merry for tomorrow we die.”
Christians on the other hand believe there is more to life than this life. That we live on through eternity.  That there is a God. The writer of Ecclesiastes states,
“Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole  duty  of man. 
For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.” Ecclesiastes12:13,14. 
I Believe as we live the ultimate battle is taking place. The battle for a persons soul. That soul can either be won for God or lost for all eternity.
Each person whether they believe it or not is fighting that battle.
The world in which we live is like the battlefield it can be a confusing place, a cacophony of noise. Confusion and noise that we must decipher in order to win the battle. 
Each day we are bombarded with the ways of the world. We are offered by the world the latest, greatest thing that supposedly we absolutely need. Something that will make our life better.
Each day God is reaching out to each person saying I love you. The cry of Jesus to each and every person is,
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  
For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30.
The apostle John speaking of Jesus said,
“Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.” John 1:12,13. 
I and all Christians believe you have the choice here and now to become a child of God or to reject God. The choice is yours it is a choice that is with you until your dying breath. It is a choice only you can make. No one can make it for you.
If I am wrong you have nothing to fear. If I am right you at the very least have a great deal to think about.
C. S. Lewis said of Christianity and it’s message,
“Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important.” C. S. Lewis
Thus the choice is yours.
Please think about it.

service

Service

Sometime ago I came across this little story called the Rose Talked Back by Ben Zion Bokser.
The Rose Talked Back
The man sweeping the synagogue paused for a moment.  He looked at the flowers lying about in disorder, ‘What waste!’  He said too himself.  Those roses had adorned the pulpit at a wedding aan hour before.  Now all was over and they were waiting to be discarded.
The attendant leaning on his sweeper was lost in thought when suddenly he heard a strange sound.  One of the roses replied to him.
‘Do you call this a waste?” the flower protested, ‘What is life anyway, yours or mine, but a means of service?  My mission was to create some fragrance and beauty, and when I have fulfilled it my life has not been wasted.  And what greater privilege is there than to adorn a bride’s way to her beloved, what greater privilege than to help glorify the moment when aa bride and groom seal their faith in each other by entering the covenant of marriage?’
Our little flower paused for a moment too watch the man’s face, and then continued her discourse.
‘Roses are like people.  They live in deeds, not in time.  My glory was but for a brief hour, but you should have seen the joy in the bride’s eye.  I like to believe that I had something to do with it, by creating a suitable setting for the moment of her supreme happiness.  So don’t grieve for me.  My life has been worthwhile.
Having spoken her little piece, the rose was once more silent.  The attendant, startled from his reverie and a little wiser, pushed the sweeper again and continued with his work.
                                                                                                                       Ben Zion Bokser
Over the years I’ve met many men and women from all walks and strata of life. I have watched how rich and poor alike at the end of their life don’t think about the wealth they’ve acquired or the things they’ve accumulated. They, somehow, when one is on their death bed amount to nothing.
I like what the rose in Bokser’s story says,
“‘What is life anyway, yours or mine, but a means of service?”
It is when we realize that our lives are a means of service that life has meaning. We do live in our deeds.
Service is a way to show love. In serving you are giving of yourself to others.
Anne Frank a young Dutch girl hiding from the Nazi’s in occupied Holland wrote this in her diary,
“Give of yourself, give as much as you can?  And you can always, always give something, even if it is only kindness!  If everyone were to do this and not be as mean with a kindly word, then there would be much more justice and love in the world.  Give and you shall receive, much more than you would have ever thought possible.  Give, give again and again, don’t lose courage, keep it up and go on giving!  No one has ever become poor from giving!                                                                                                                                                         Anne Frank
Francis of Assisi wrote a truth that both Christian and none Christian can believe he said,
“O Divine Master, grant that I may not seek to be consoled, as to console. To be understood, as to understand. To be loved, as to love. For it is in giving that we receive. It is in pardoning that we are pardoned. It is in dying that we are born to eternal life.” 
                                                                                             Francis of Assisi
Serving people with one’s whole heart is a means of showing love.
The Apostle Paul wrote of love,
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  
It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  
It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 
Love never fails....
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”  
                                                                                                         1 Corinthians 13:4-8a,13.
Will you be remembered for your service and Love?
Think about it.