PO Box 79275, Fort Worth, TX 76179-0275, markg@freebibleemail.com

Visit us at: http://freebibleemail.com

Read This Article

Mark and Carla Gilbert

Imagine Donald Trump, his blond hair blowing in the wind, his silk suit shinning in the bright sunlight. Donald Trump is standing near a busy intersection with a cardboard sign that reads "Will work for lobster!" Think about Bill Gates with the sun reflecting off of his glasses, holding a sign that reads "Will work for Computers!" Bill Gates cries out "Alms for the rich!" Then Bill leans over towards you and says, "Hey buddy, could you spare twenty dollars?" This sounds silly, but sometimes Christians act like this.

Romans 8:16-17 New Living Translation (NLT)
16 For his Holy Spirit speaks to us deep in our hearts and tells us that we are God's children. 17 And since we are his children, we will share his treasures--for everything God gives to his Son, Christ, is ours, too. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.

"Alms for the Rich!" sounds silly because a rich person would not beg for what already belongs to him. You are a child of God, a joint-heir with Christ! You do not have to beg for what God has already given you. Everything that God gave to Jesus, God has also given to us. God gave Jesus healing and healing belongs to us. Jesus is walking in a city with streets made of gold. You have to be loaded to pave your streets with gold. In fact the Bible says that the earth is God's (1 Cor 10:26, Exo 9:29). The earth and all it contains is part of your inheritance. You are rich just like the prodigal son was.

Luke 15:14-16 New International Version (NIV)
14After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.

Once the prodigal son had used up everything he had he began to have a need. Notice that instead of going back to his father, the prodigal son tried to meet his needs with his own strength and abilities. When we rely only on ourselves, we quickly discover our limitations.

Even though the prodigal son was hungry, he was still an heir. His father was still rich. The prodigal son was a rich man living in poverty. He could have stood up in that pig pen and cried out "Alms for the rich! Alms for the rich!" Through his own foolishness the prodigal son became a rich man living in poverty. No matter what we are going through we are children of God. Nothing can change that fact. God is rich and so are we. A rich man living in poverty is temporary. Poverty is not a permanent situation for a rich man. This applies to you. As a Christian, you are rich, even if you may be living in poverty now. For a Christian poverty is a temporary condition.

We need to turn towards God to supply all of our needs. God has more than enough to supply our every need. All we need to do is seek God. Love the Lord your God with all of our heart, mind, and strength.

Matthew 6:33 Amplified Bible (AMP)
33 But seek (aim at and strive after) first of all His kingdom and His righteousness (His way of doing and being right), and then all these things taken together will be given you besides.

We don't have to seek after things. God has already promised to provide the "things" we need. When you seek first God's kingdom your life is focused on working for God. Kingdom business has to do with your local Church. Seeking first the Kingdom of God means that you will use your time and money to benefit the Kingdom of God. Volunteering and supporting your local Church is how you can benefit the Kingdom of God. It starts with your Church and then extends to other ministries. Seeking the Kingdom of God is striving and working for the benefit of other Christians.

Seeking or striving for righteousness is doing what's "right". The Bible is our standard for what is right. Striving for righteousness is learning what would God do and doing it. You can learn what God would do by reading the book of Proverbs and the four gospels. Proverbs is the book of wisdom and it will help you discern what is the "right" thing to do. In the gospels you will see and hear Jesus demonstrating the "right" thing to do.

Galatians 5:14 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
14 For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, "YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF."

Doing the "right" thing has to do with walking in love. The law teaches us what sin is (Rom 3:4, Rom 7:7, 1 John 3:4). Keeping the law is simply walking in love. In other words, sin is an unloving act towards God or towards your neighbor. If you are walking in the love of God then you are doing the "right" thing.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8 Amplified Bible (AMP)
4 I endure long and I am patient and kind; I am never envious nor boil over with jealousy, I am not boastful or vainglorious, I do not display myself haughtily.
5 I am not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride); I am not rude (unmannerly) and do not act unbecomingly. I (through God's love inside of me) do not insist on my own rights or my own way, for I am not self-seeking; I am not touchy or fretful or resentful; I take no account of the evil done to me [I pay no attention to a suffered wrong].
6 I do not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, but rejoice when right and truth prevail.
7 I bear up under anything and everything that comes, I am ever ready to believe the best of every person, my hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and I endure everything [without weakening].
8 I never fail...

I replaced the word "love" with the word "I" so that we could get specific on how to walk in love. As I read through this I noticed areas that I need to work on. You probably noticed a few you could do better at. As we develop these areas we will move up to the next level in God. Walking in love will set us free for victory! Walking in love opens the doors for God to bless us in every way. When we develop our love walk, we become more like God.

Romans 8:16-18 New International Version (NIV)
16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. 17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs--heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. 18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.

Let the glory of God be revealed in what you think, say, and do. Let the glory out by walking in love with your neighbor and you will never have to say "Alms for the Rich! Alms for the Rich!"