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Radical Faith

The King James Version (KJV) is mostly used in these lessons. Click here to access the KJV online.
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Paul praised the Philippians for their generosity in providing for him, stating that it was to their spiritual benefit, adding his assurance that Yahuwah, in turn, would provide for them.

Now ye Philippians know also, that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving, but ye only.

For even in Thessalonica ye sent once and again unto my necessity.

Not because I desire a gift: but I desire fruit that may abound to your account.

But I have all, and abound: I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, well-pleasing to Yahuwah.

But my G-d [Yahuwah] shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Yahushua. (Philippians 4:15-19, KJV)

Thus, the ancient Israelites and even the early Christians saw giving to the needy as an act of worship because in giving to the poor, you were encountering Yahuwah Himself. John Chrysostom, a fourth-century archbishop of Constantinople, taught that the poor could, in a real sense, be viewed as an altar for worshipping Yah. He wrote, “Whenever . . . you see a poor believer, imagine that you behold an altar. Whenever you meet a beggar, don’t insult him, but reverence him.” This may strike modern believers as a bit radical, but Christ himself taught this very thing in a powerful parable of the judgment.

When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:

And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:

And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.

Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:

Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.

Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?

When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?

Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?

And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:

I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.

Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?

Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.

And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal. (Matthew 25:31-46, KJV)

When we relieve the suffering of others in any way we can, we are in a very real way, relieving the suffering of the Father who feels everything they are feeling. Likewise, when we withhold help from those in need, we are withholding that from the Father Himself. Giving to others thus becomes a privilege and an act of worship.

The rich man in Yahushua’s parable was a fool, not because he was rich, or because he wanted to build bigger barns. He was a fool because his focus was on hoarding treasure on earth rather than using it to help others. This would have given him treasure in the record books of heaven.

The question we each need to ask ourselves is, what does my pattern of giving reveal about my faith in Yahuwah?
 


WLC Source: https://www.worldslastchance.com/practical-godliness/the-rich-rewards-of-radical-faith.html