Giving Opens Doors

GIVING OPENS DOORS

By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr.

Kyfingers@aol.com

TEXT:

2 Cor. 9:7 Every man according as he has purposed in

his heart so let him

give, NOT GRUDGINGLY, not of necessity, for GOD

LOVES A CHEERFUL

GIVER.

1 John 3:15 Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer; and ye know that

no murderer; (unforgiven) hath eternal life abiding in him.

Luke 6:38 Give and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure you metewithal it shall be measured to you again.

Matthew 10:8 --- freely you have received, freely give.

1 Cor. 16:2 Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay up in store....

I ponder today, how life is a journey.

Life is a process --- it should be a progressive

process.

We are ever, gradually, changing.

We must steer this process that life’s results leads

us the way we want to go.

Life is a series of choices and actions.

We need an evaluation system to determine, am I

going the way I want to

go?

What is the value of what I determine in

significance and importance?

Life becomes the sum total of our menial daily

choices.

Get ready for blessings.

A great lesson in this journey toward blessing is

giving.

Most know what DOA means?

Dead on arrival.

But what about COA, Course of action.

What is your course of action?

We often quote, No one plans to fail, they fail to

plan.

We must determine what our course of action is?

Will our plan include the Bible?

The Bible, -- news you can use if you choose?

Will our plan include faithfulness to the church?

1. HATE CAN NEVER BEAT HATRED!

1 John 3:15 Whosoever hateth his brother is a

murderer; and ye know that

no murderer; (unforgiven) hath eternal life abiding

in him.

Hate can never cease hatred.

You cannot force someone to love you!

Anger will never produce good fruit.

Revenge is a poor motivation.

Hatred ceases by love and forgiveness.

This is a law of God. God is love. Love never fails.

2. WE MUST CREATE MEANING FROM SUFFERING.

Recently, I saw a TV program where a young beautiful

girl was killed in an

accident. The parents of the girl hated the person

responsible for the tragic

accident.

They ran across a motto that changed their life.

We must create meaning for suffering.

They started reaching out to teenagers and developed

a program to try and

stop this terrible drinking and driving problem.

Their attitude changed as they invested love and time

in others.

Instead of sitting in a dark room crying, they enter

the arena to arise and do

something. They have helped many. They created

meaning from suffering.

3. THERE ARE TWO SOURCES OF MOTIVATION!

A. I will do this because of fear and I am afraid of

punishment.

This attitude grows out of, "DO I HAVE TO ..."

How sad life has become when I have to do this

becomes our reasoning for motivation.

Fear is a good motivation, temporarily.

Then we forget the fear.

Many look forward to rewards and expect punishment,

but how sad each

day becomes.

B. I will do this because of love.

Love motivation is the greatest joy of life.

My attitude is ... "I DO THIS BECAUSE I WANT TO... "

Everything motivated and birthed in love and

investment should continue to

keep the love growing.

This makes life worth living.

Gifts of love are permanent in nature and do not

have to be applauded.

When love is involved, giving does not seem like a

painful sacrifice.

4. You can give and not love, but you can never love without giving!

Luke 6:38 Give and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure you metewithal it shall be measured to you again.

Giving and forgiving are good team members.

Giving means to share, to bear, to yield to another,

change possessions, to

commit to another’s trust, enter wholeheartedly into

an activity.

5.YOU DETERMINE THE MEASURE.

There is one sure way to stop getting, that is to

stop giving.

It is like a water hose that is pinched, there will

be no flow.

Luke 6:38 Give and it shall be given unto you, good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over shall men give unto your bosom. For with the same measure that you mete, it shall be measured to you again.

Some interpret this verse as a way to bribe God.

To give for return is not a proper attitude.

6. GIVE FREELY.

Matthew 10:8 --- freely you have received, freely