SURPRISE IN DISGUISE… GIVING
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
Luke 12:15 And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.
I was told that Mary and Joseph had a little trouble getting baby Jesus to sleep. Baby Jesus was sleeping soundly when a little boy came up and said I am so sorry I missed the baby shower and I have nothing to give right now, so I brought my drum. The little boy started playing his drum for Jesus. My dad always said: YOUR FRIENDS CAN KILL YOU AS DEAD AS YOUR ENEMIES!
Matthew 6:3 But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: 4 That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.
MY PROMISE: GIVING WITHOUT ACCOLADES…
I was teaching school in Lee County Virginia. We always did Christmas at my Mom and Dad’s in Frankfort. I was not a dad, preacher or pastor at that time. My parents lived in the parsonage and had a little front room. As the tradition, my dad was in the big chair next to the door. Then the Christmas tree. Then my brother Tim. Then there was Nina and Jeff. Then my Mom was in her chair. I was in the floor of the hallway. Linda and Nina passed the presents to each individual. We all had a stack of wrapped gifts in front of us. We opened the presents and always thanked the giver. I always watched the others unwrap and open their gifts. I had more fun watching them. There were so many presents. As I looked around the room I thanked God for each person. I opened mine. God is so good.
I got to thinking, IT IS NOT MY BIRTHDAY. It is Jesus’ birthday. THERE WAS NOT ONE PRESENT, NOT ONE UNDER THE TREE FOR JESUS. I guess I never thought about it. I quietly moved away and pondered: Jesus, I had a present, Dad has one, Mom has one and zero for JESUS? I prayed and cried and said: NEVER AGAIN WILL I ALLOW CHRISTMAS TO COME AND GO AND NOT HAVE JESUS A GIFT. While I pondered I thought: GOD, I PROMISE IF I EVER BECOME A PASTOR, THE LAST SUNDAY IN NOVEMBER OR THE FIRST IN DECEMBER I WILL REMIND THE PEOPLE, JESUS’S BIRTHDAY IS DECEMBER 25 AND WE SHOULD GIVE SOMETHING, MAKE SOMETHING OR DO SOMETHING SPECIAL FOR JESUS.
I have now pastored about 44 years… I have kept my promise to tell others to not allow Christmas to come and go without a present for Jesus Christ the son of God. One year I read the New Testament through in December. One year I visited 10 times in jails or prisons and shared Jesus. One year I visited the rest home and old people 25 times.
Our boys were born and we always worked with them to give Jesus something special. One year while serving in missions in the mountains of east Kentucky we pooled our money together and bought a bushel of yellow apples. We wanted bananas but they cost more than we had. So we went to two rest homes. The boys wanted to eat a yellow apple, we explained we would be short apples. The old people have trouble biting apples. So Linda and I took paring knives. We peeled the apples and quartered them and the old people ate the apples. My sons ate the peelings. This was 40 years ago… I once overheard my adult sons say: DO YOU REMEMBER THE CHRISTMAS WE ATE THE APPLE PEELINGS AND THE OLD PEOPLE ATE THE APPLES? The lesson still is in their hearts.
One year we practiced a song for a month. We played the music and they each sang a verse solo. One year I read the whole Bible in the month of December. Several times we took old ladies for a ride. Once we took an old lady to a boat dock where she and her husband had a boat many years ago. We have found poor children and purchased gifts. I do not do the angel tree because often times people put their children on the tree and there is honestly not a real need. Then I have made fruit salad and delivered and visited families. Other times we have done a ham, turkey and a food basket.
Each time we are careful not to boast or tell anyone.
I have known people that gave special offerings or helped a missionary. I knew a lady that worked making lap quilts. Jesus’ birthday presents do not have to cost a lot of money. The gift needs to require EFFORT and PLANNING… don’t just give leftovers or accidental giving… give purposefully.
Matthew 6:21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Colossians 3:2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
DO WE HONESTLY BELIEVE… WHAT CAN I DO TO BE BLESSED? LOVE GIVES… LOVE GIFTS.
Acts 20:35 I have shewed you all things, how that so laboring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.
Jesus had a powerful lesson on the JOY OF GIVING… IF WE HAVE PURE MOTIVES AND INTENTIONS… Giving can bring JOY and PEACE.
I was pastoring in the mountains of east Kentucky. We asked everyone to bring a child’s gift, new or gently used… There were some nice gifts laid on the altar. We put them in the hands of needy kids. But one gift I will never forget. A little girl named SARA ROSE, (4 or 5) was crying when she walked in the doors of the church. She had a doll baby in her arms. Sara hugged the baby so tight and slowly walked to the altar. I knew this doll as Sara’s most cherished doll. (I think it was called Chatty Kathy?) It was new to Sara and she loved the doll so much. She never looked around her. She focused on the altar. I saw her dad, Jake crying sitting on the back pew. Sara never looked back. Sara laid her beloved doll on the altar next to the other toys there. She hugged the doll one last time and returned to her seat. She told me later in that service to find a little girl to love her baby like she did. I have not seen Sara Rose in 35 years, but her LOVE GIFT BRINGS TEARS TO MY EYES TODAY.
LOVE GIVING: GIVING REFLECTS GRATITUDE… GRATITUDE SAYS IT IS NOT WHAT I WANT… MATERIALISM… GRATITUDE SAYS HAPPINESS IS FOUND IN LOVE AND A CARING HEART.
What am I teaching? I PREACHED MY DAD’S FUNERAL THURSDAY BEFORE THANKSGIVING. My dad has pastored since 1955, 65 years. Dad asked me to preach his funeral with simple but clear instructions. Dad said, I DON’T WANT MY FUNERAL TO BE ABOUT ME… MAKE IT ALL ABOUT JESUS.
There was a story I wanted to tell about my dad, I did’t. I made it about Jesus. Listen to me. My dad’s goal in life was to own a “THE GIBSON, F5 MANDOLIN.” The Gibson F5 was always priced out of our range. Dad played on cheap copies. The dream was not ever possible. My family came to my house. I heard about a man that played the mandolin with Bill Monroe and famous Grand Old Opry individuals. We drove to this old man’s house and he was sitting on a swing in his yard. He was crying. My dad sat next to him. The old man said I was called to preach as a young man and I felt I could not make it financially. So I pursued music. The old man said: Now I am over 80 and I see I could have made it. The old man cried and said he had driven by his little boy church and it was closed. He paid for the repairs and reopened the church.
As we talked we started playing music. He went in his house and came out with THE F5 GIBSON. My dad about fell over. We played several hours and sang. Well the old man went in his house and came out with another THE GIBSON F5. He told us about who he played music with in his day. He had his wife bring out pictures of him with many famous people. Wow, we were impressed. The man brings out still another THE GIBSON F5… Dad would play one and then another.
Dad was 63 at the time and he could not believe this experience. The old man knew my dad had been a pastor many years. I just sat there and we all three cried. We prepared to leave and dad said: SIR, HAVE YOU EVER CONSIDERED SELLING ONE OF THE F5’S? The old man said, NO, NONE ARE FOR SELL. My dad prayed with the old man. We started to leave. The old man called us back. He told my dad, you can have your pick of one of these three out here today for $3,500.00. Cash! Today only! We never had that kind of money? We returned to my house. Us 4 brothers and sister were here. We raked up $3,500.00 between all of us and a few friends. We returned to the old man’s house to buy the F5. I said dad he does not know what that THE GIBSON F5 IS WORTH.
We returned to his house and paid the $3,500.00 asking price. We played more music and prayed. Dad picked the mandolin he wanted. As we walked out of the door the man told dad, you know what I have that mandolin insured for? He told dad it was insured for $35,000.00 BUT HE WANTED MY DAD TO HAVE IT…
Dad traveled many years playing that mandolin. I was playing with dad and he was playing on a $200 Woods? I said dad where is the F5, dad was near 80. He said son: OUR CHURCH RAN A FOOD BANK, THE HANDS FULL ON PURPOSE FOOD BANK WAS OUT OF MONEY AND OUT OF FOOD. Dad said: I SOLD THE GIBSON F5 AND GAVE EVERY PENNY TO THE FOOD BANK.
Dad said: PREACH JESUS. BUT I WANTED TO TELL EVERYONE ABOUT LOVE GIVING… I CARRIED OUT DAD’S WISH AND I SPOKE ON “THIS LITTLE LIGHT OF MINE.” LET IT SHINE… Dad was 90… he would wake up from unconsciousness and be praying for friends… GIVE…
I WANT MY LIFE TO BE AN ALTAR! Cheerful giving… THIS GIFT, THIS GIVING MIGHT JUST BE A BLESSING IN DISGUISE? THIS PROBLEM? THIS OBSTACLE?
THIS TEST IN GIVING MIGHT GROW MY GIVING…
Make a decision and give the best you can… widow’s mites? DON’T GIVE UNDER COMPULSION! Don’t give reluctantly…
2 Corinthians 9:6 But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. 7 Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:
WHAT WILL YOU GIVE? GOD GAVE HIS BEST:
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
HOW DO I MEASURE GIVING? DO YOU HAVE A STANDARD OF GIVING? DO I REALLY BELIEVE GIVING WILL RETURN AS BLESSINGS?
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 that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.
39 And he spake a parable unto them, Can the blind lead the blind? shall they not both fall into the ditch?
CONCLUSION: RARELY DOES ANYONE GIVE UNTIL THEY LOVE TO BECOME A GIVER… LIBERALLY.
Proverbs 11:24 There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty.
Few learn the beauty of giving… GOD IS GOOD… GENEROUS PEOPLE THRIVE… WITHHOLDING LOVE AND GIVING CAN BE DANGEROUS.
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
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