How I Learned To Give - Steve Martin

 

How I Learned To Give - Steve Martin

"Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.” 2 Corinthians 9:6, NASU

On rare occasions, I share a message in our homegroup, as I normally lead worship and another gives a message. But this time we switched roles, and I gave the message.

After seeking the Lord during the three weeks preceding the homegroup, I settled peacefully on the topic of giving, and how the Lord had taught me over decades the discipline, even beginning in my youth.

I recall sitting in the Roman Catholic church pew before the weaved basket at the end of the long pole being handed down our row – my dad had given me a dime or a quarter to put in it. Later I was given a box of 52 white, small envelopes distributed by the church at the beginning of the year, for the weekly giving moments during Mass.

Being raised a Catholic I wasn’t familiar with “tithing”, but after working a few months in the Eagle grocery store stocking shelves my senior year of high school, alongside the new Baptist friend, I heard about it for the first time. I commenced the practice then and have continued since.

During my one and only year of college at the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, Iowa, I lived with several Christian brothers. No rent or other expenses were individually requested, but a glass jar served as the collection container, and each would put in funds as they “felt led”. Once when the jar became very low on provisions, the Lord had me privately put in my first $400, unbeknownst by the others.

I was learning to hear the voice of the Lord in giving, in sharing what He had blessed me with in provision for the blessing of others.

My good wife Laurie and I lived in common purse community for the first four months of marriage, in LaSalle/Peru, Illinois. Known as Victory Community, the concept was based on Acts 2, where the early church had “all things in common.” Each working member gave their entire paycheck to the elders each payday, who in turn divided it equally among all, for food, clothing, housing, and transportation expenses.

It even included special events. So, when we got married (in October 1977) we were given $600 for our honeymoon (with the wedding expenses covered by Laurie’s parents.)

Thus, we did also, until we became involved with the Discipleship/Shepherding Movement in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and moved to East Lansing, Michigan to further live as we believed. About half the community, 35-40 members) also made the move.

Around 1983 the elders of Shiloh Fellowship, the church we were members of, felt it appropriate to ask each family household and single members to give a week’s paycheck so we could honor and bless the national teacher, Derek Prince, living in Jerusalem, Israel, in need of a large sum of funds to complete the building of his home. In faith, Laurie and I gave. It certainly was another teaching experience in giving, especially with two young boys and living paycheck to paycheck.

All during this time the Lord was putting into my heart the Christian discipline of trusting Him to give beyond what I thought I could, believing Him when it says in Scripture, “Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed; as it is written,

"HE SCATTERED ABROAD, HE GAVE TO THE POOR, HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS ENDURES FOREVER."

Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness; you will be enriched in everything for all liberality, which through us is producing thanksgiving to God. For the ministry of this service is not only fully supplying the needs of the saints, but is also overflowing through many thanksgivings to God.” 2 Corinthians 9:6-12, NASU

Learning to give is a process. You start out giving as you can in faith, and then as you do, the Lord increases your faith with more increase resulting in more opportunities to give larger than before.

One thing I also noted in my message was even though I have given 10% and much more through the years, I don’t limit it to one location or ministry. Our household gives much to those working in the land of Israel, knowing personally the households of the faith doing the work there to fulfill the prophetic words of the Lord as He brings the Jewish people back to their homeland. Love For His People Ministry focuses on this mission in ministry.

I encourage you to honor the Lord foremost in your giving continually, and as you give thanks for the provision He gives you to share, you do so in increasingly stronger faith and evermore joy in your heart.

Steve Martin, Founder

Love For His People Ministries 12120 Woodside Falls Rd. Pineville, NC 28134

loveforhispeople@gmail.com loveforhispeople.blogspot.com

The Great Falling Away - Steve Martin

 

The Great Falling Away - Steve Martin

“Adonai said to Gid‘on, “I will use the three hundred men who lapped the water to save you; I will hand Midyan over to you. Let all these others go back home.” (Judges 7:7-8 Complete Jewish Bible)

There is a great falling away coming from among those who once walked with the Lord. In fact, it has already started. For decades, it was “popular” to be a Christian. Not so anymore, especially when one considers the numbers who attend a weekly church service. Looking around any given Sunday morning gathering, and in most churches you will see mostly grey hairs; and they are dying off. Sure, there are those churches that are doing well among the youth, but that is an exception. We give thanks for them.

After a major crisis occurs in a nation, the pews do fill back up. But within a few months, or even weeks, the “Crisis Christians” no longer come around. It is back to normal as usual. (We may still have the “C & E” group – Christmas and Easter, but even those numbers are dwindling fast.)

The apostle Paul said that in the end of days there would be a great falling away. We are living in those times.

"Now we request you, brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, that you not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come.

Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God.

Do you not remember that while I was still with you, I was telling you these things? And you know what restrains him now, so that in his time he will be revealed. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way.

Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming; that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness.” (2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 NASU)

Lest you become fearful, and wonder what is going to happen when so many are gone, let me share a little insight with you. It will inspire you in faith, I believe.

The Lord seems to allow for the reduction of numbers when He has a job that needs to get done. Unlike humans, more is not always better. As my good wife Laurie likes to remind me on certain occasions, “Less is more.” My accounting mind doesn’t always see it that way, but it is true.

Let’s look at a few instances in the Word of God, and see how the Lord chooses to accomplish His purpose, and achieve the final victory.

Take what happened when the Lord decided to flood the earth. He saved a remnant, Noah’s family of eight (Noah, his wife, three sons and their wives) and repopulated the earth with those alone. Looks like that worked.

And what about Gideon’s army, when it came time to defeat the Mideonites? Gideon took as many warriors as he had available, starting with 32,000. By the time the Lord had set up a few tests, the number was finalized at 300. With those remaining, the job got done. Victory was won.

Yeshua (Jesus) chose only 12 who would walk with Him for a little more than three years. Then He released them (even knowing one would be replaced by another) into the world. Empowered by the Holy Spirit, those twelve apostles changed the world.

Jesus also fed the multitudes, with very little. “All we have with us,” they said, “is five loaves of bread and two fish.” He said, “Bring them here to me.” After instructing the crowds to sit down on the grass, he took the five loaves and the two fish and, looking up toward heaven, made a b’rakhah (Hebrew – i.e. gave thanks). Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the talmidim (Hebrew – i.e. disciples), who gave them to the crowds. They all ate as much as they wanted, and they took up twelve baskets full of the pieces left over. Those eating numbered about five thousand men, plus women and children.” (Matthew 14:17-21, Complete Jewish Bible)

The Creator of the Universe can get the job done with very few.

What about the 144,000 in Revelation of Jesus (Revelation 7:4)? That sure is something to consider.

“I heard the count of those who were sealed: 144,000! They were sealed out of every Tribe of Israel: 12,000 sealed from Judah, 12,000 from Reuben, 12,000 from Gad, 12,000 from Asher, 12,000 from Naphtali, 12,000 from Manasseh, 12,000 from Simeon, 12,000 from Levi, 12,000 from Issachar, 12,000 from Zebulun, 12,000 from Joseph, 12,000 sealed from Benjamin." (Revelations 7:4-8 THE MESSAGE)

There is a great falling away that is coming through the Christian ranks. It will remove the lukewarm as the Lord Himself is going to weed them out. I believe He will then emblaze the remnant with His Holy Ghost fire, and show the world Who is the King of kings and Lord of lords. In the process, millions during that time, yet to be saved for all of eternity, will come into His kingdom, gathered from all the nations.

Are you going to be one of the few? As the Marine’s would say in their motto, I pray you are.

By His grace you will keep committed and stay faithful to the end. It is going to be a battle, but He wins. Stay on His side.

Steve Martin, Founder

Love For His People Ministries 12120 Woodside Falls Rd. Pineville, NC 28134

loveforhispeople@gmail.com  loveforhispeople.blogspot.com

Catholic Chapel in Magdala, Israel -Walk With Me and see, Steve Martin, Love For His People Ministry

Catholic Chapel in Magdala, Israel -Walk With Me and see.

Steve Martin, Love For His People Ministry

Catholic Chapel in Migdal, Israel -Walk With Me and see, Steve Martin, Love For His People Ministry. Named after Mary Magdela April 25, 2023 in Magdala, Israel near Tiberias, Israel Videos filmed and shared by Steve Martin, Founder, Love For His People Ministry in Charlotte, North Carolina, USA.

 

Man Pleasers Don’t Need Courage - Steve Martin

 

Man Pleasers Don’t Need Courage

 

“Therefore, brothers, just as you learned from us how you had to live in order to please God, and just as you are living this way now, we ask you — indeed, united with the Lord Yeshua, we urge you — to keep doing so more and more.” 1 Thessalonians 4:1-2, Complete Jewish Bible

 

If you have ever been to China, which I am thankful for Derek Prince Ministries that my good wife Laurie and I did go in 2002, as we snuck in Mandarin Chinese Bibles and Derek’s Mandarin Chinese translated books, you will realize one thing.

Courage is not something you talk about. Courage is something you do.

For you English experts out there, I know that “courage” is a noun. Thank you, Sister Mary Matthew, for teaching me that subject in English while in 8th grade at St. Patrick’s Elementary School in Cedar Falls, Iowa. But in this case, I want to use it as a verb. An action word means to actually do something about something.

And to have courage, to “do” courage, you can’t be a man-pleaser.

High School for most of us was probably traumatic. In fact, now it begins in middle school, and even younger, when kids face opposition, ridicule, and meanness. Our grandsons and one sole granddaughter (Dylan Joy, a senior this year!) will most likely face that again, knowing this school year is about to start again for them here in North Carolina and Florida. Lord, protect them!

When I was in high school for the wonderful years of 1969-1973 at Columbus High School (Catholic) in Waterloo, Iowa, the Lord taught me one major lesson that I have used for my entire life.

If you are going to live for Him, you can’t be a man pleaser. And if the world is going one way, brother and sister, you can bet the Lord is going the other.

When kids wore the latest fashion to be “cool”, I never did.

When kids teased and ridiculed the “last one on the pecking pole”, I chose to be that one’s friend.

When talk at the school lunch table was of “what they did last Friday night with that girl” (yes, this was a Catholic high school), I did not participate.

No drinking for me. No carousing in the back seat. No disrespect to my parents and teachers.

Was I a “goody two shoes” as some would say? Or a “brown-nose” as was another common slur towards those who chose to do right?

No. The Lord had given me the courage to trust Him and let the others go their own way. I had already learned that you reap what you sow, and I could foresee what they would reap after all their “wild oats” sowing.

We have to at some point in our life choose to be “God-pleasers” and not seek the approval of men. They fade away. They die in their sin. But we who choose Him, and His ways will reap eternal life in heaven, while at the same time live a fruitful and victorious life while yet on this planet.

"If you decide that it's a bad thing to worship God, then choose a god you'd rather serve — and do it today. Choose one of the gods your ancestors worshiped from the country beyond The River, or one of the gods of the Amorites, on whose land you're now living. As for me and my family, we'll worship God."

The people answered, "We'd never forsake God! Never! We'd never leave God to worship other gods.

"God is our God! He brought up our ancestors from Egypt and from slave conditions. He did all those great signs while we watched. He has kept his eye on us all along the roads we've traveled and among the nations we've passed through. Just for us he drove out all the nations, Amorites and all, who lived in the land.

"Count us in: We too are going to worship God. He's our God." Joshua 24:15-18, THE MESSAGE

We need a whole lot of God pleasers today, men and women who will stand for righteousness, peace, and courageous enough to say something, write something, do something when it is necessary to do so.

A man pleaser doesn’t need courage. It is far too easy to not do anything about anything.

But you - have some courage! DO some courage today, in and around you.

Following Jesus Christ, Yeshua HaMashiach, is a hard road as we know it is at times. But when you keep focused on Him and His Word, it goes a whole lot better, along with the courage that He puts in your heart.

Ahava and shalom,

Steve Martin, Love For His People founder