Driving through Burleigh Heads one day, I noticed an antique shop was having a closing down sale. So I went in—and I bought a Royal Doulton display plate, at a discounted price. The picture on it was of a lion in repose, with nice colours of background scrubland. It was a collectors' item, belonging to the Africa series. I wasn't looking for such a thing, but it looked nice, and I liked it, so I bought it.
A few days later I was visiting a retired lady missionary-friend in her home. By then I'd already become fond of the plate; and I thought I mightn't easily come across such a beauty again any time soon for such a price—but I felt led to give the plate to her. After I offered it to her she told me that only that week she'd been desiring a picture of a lion, and that she'd always loved Royal Doulton. So she got both her desires in one! The next time I visited her townhouse, she had it nicely mounted on the wall in the hallway from the entrance.
Just a few days afterwards, my sister contacted me and told me that a friend of hers from Ipswich had visited her at the Coast and had left a box for me. So I went around—the box was full of plates, some of them collectible brands. A whole box full! I took the box to our church's Transformations rehabilitation/discipleship house, and let them take all the plates they could use; and some I took to a local auction house, which sold for more than what I'd spent on the original display plate.
And then after some time, I ended-up obtaining not only another Royal Doulton collectible display plate with the very same picture (of the lion), of the very same (Africa) series; but also a second Royal Doulton with another picture, a picture which I had always liked (of Murray River gums and reflections, in the style of artist Henry J. Johnstone). Now both plates are displayed on top of a nice cabinet in my late beloved father's study.
As our wonderful Lord JESUS said:
๐๐๐๐ ๐:๐๐
๐๐ ๐๐ข๐ฏ๐, ๐๐ง๐ ๐ข๐ญ ๐ฌ๐ก๐๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐๐ ๐ ๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ง ๐ฎ๐ง๐ญ๐จ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ; ๐ ๐จ๐จ๐ ๐ฆ๐๐๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ซ๐, ๐ฉ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐๐ ๐๐จ๐ฐ๐ง, ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฌ๐ก๐๐ค๐๐ง ๐ญ๐จ๐ ๐๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ, ๐๐ง๐ ๐ซ๐ฎ๐ง๐ง๐ข๐ง๐ ๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ซ, ๐ฌ๐ก๐๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ฆ๐๐ง ๐ ๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐จ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐๐จ๐ฌ๐จ๐ฆ. ๐ ๐จ๐ซ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ฆ๐ ๐ฆ๐๐๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ฒ๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ญ๐ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก๐๐ฅ ๐ข๐ญ ๐ฌ๐ก๐๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐๐ ๐ฆ๐๐๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐๐ ๐๐ข๐ง.
Running over. It really works!
Another time I was browsing in a large secondhand bookstore, and came across an old book. It was a title I'd heard about, so I was a bit thrilled with the discovery, and bought it. That day I was visiting my brother in Brisbane, and I felt to give the book to him. I thought he'd appreciate it even more than I.
Just a couple of days later a lady in our church invited me to come to her house and to take as many of her late-husband's books as I wanted. He had been a Uniting Church minister. She offered me so many books—I backed a ute up on her driveway, and came home with boxes full, a ute load! Many of the books were titles l liked even more than the book I'd given to Peter my brother. I literally didn't have room enough to receive it all. I had to try to find missionary organizations to send them to.
As the Scriptures said:
๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐:๐,๐๐
๐ ๐๐จ๐ง๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐ญ๐ก๐ฒ ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ง๐๐, ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ข๐ซ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ฎ๐ข๐ญ๐ฌ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ข๐ง๐๐ซ๐๐๐ฌ๐:
๐๐ ๐๐จ ๐ฌ๐ก๐๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ญ๐ก๐ฒ ๐๐๐ซ๐ง๐ฌ ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐, ๐๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ฒ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐ก๐๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐ง๐๐ฐ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ง๐.
๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐:๐๐
๐๐ ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ญ๐ข๐ญ๐ก๐๐ฌ ๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐จ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐จ๐ซ๐๐ก๐จ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐, ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ ๐ฆ๐๐๐ญ ๐ข๐ง ๐ฆ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ก๐จ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐, ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ฏ๐ ๐ฆ๐ ๐ง๐จ๐ฐ ๐ก๐๐ซ๐๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก, ๐ฌ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐จ๐ ๐ก๐จ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ฌ, ๐ข๐ ๐ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ง ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ง๐๐จ๐ฐ๐ฌ ๐จ๐ ๐ก๐๐๐ฏ๐๐ง, ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ข๐ง๐ , ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐.
Not room enough to receive it!
I've experienced that a return on giving nearly always comes pretty-much straightaway, usually within just two to three days, or a week at the most—always without having told anyone. It’s actually fun watching it happen.
Like, one time my dear mum had sore feet, so I helped her get into a new pair of supportive shoes. I think I went halves with her. Then that very week, someone approached me at church and said to me, "Come down to the car park—I've got some things to give you." She opened the boot, and had a box full of men's shoes, my size, and invited me to take not just one pair, but all I liked.
The longest I can remember it taking, is eight months. When I was leaving Malaysia, I left my guitar at the church staff-house there for the volunteers to use. It was my first guitar, it had a good tone, and it was a YAMAHA, though the action was a bit hard to play. When I was picked up at Brisbane Airport, the first thing my friend said to me was, "What have you given away?" Then one day eight months later when I was visiting Transformations, a resident named Jeromy owned a guitar, and he invited me to strum it. Then he said, "Have it". It had a built-in pickup and equalizer, and a nice case. And then a long time afterwards, a son of a very good friend in Ipswich also gave me a guitar—a Yamaha, with a nice tone, and a very easy action. And then soon after that, someone else offered me a guitar too. I said to him, "I already have a guitar'—but he insisted. Today I have seven guitars, each of them given to me. I've had to store them at different houses in different cities.
In Proverbs it says that he who gives to the poor, lends to the Lord, and He will repay Him.
When Jesus sat beside the Temple treasury, and watched how the people donated money, many who were rich threw-in a lot. And a certain poor widow came, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing. And he called His disciples to Him, and said to them:
"Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury: For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living".
The Lord sees.
“There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty.
The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself” (Proverbs 11:24,25).
The most precious thing we can give, is our lives to the Lord in service of others through the gospel:
๐๐๐๐ ๐๐:๐๐-๐๐
๐๐ ๐๐ก๐๐ง ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ง ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฌ๐๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ง๐ญ๐จ ๐ก๐ข๐ฆ, ๐๐จ, ๐ฐ๐ ๐ก๐๐ฏ๐ ๐ฅ๐๐๐ญ ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ, ๐๐ง๐ ๐ก๐๐ฏ๐ ๐๐จ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฐ๐๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐.
๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ฌ๐ฐ๐๐ซ๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ข๐, ๐๐๐ซ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ง๐ญ๐จ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ, ๐๐ก๐๐ซ๐ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ง๐จ ๐ฆ๐๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ก๐๐ญ๐ก ๐ฅ๐๐๐ญ ๐ก๐จ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐, ๐จ๐ซ ๐๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ก๐ซ๐๐ง, ๐จ๐ซ ๐ฌ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ฌ, ๐จ๐ซ ๐๐๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ, ๐จ๐ซ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ, ๐จ๐ซ ๐ฐ๐ข๐๐, ๐จ๐ซ ๐๐ก๐ข๐ฅ๐๐ซ๐๐ง, ๐จ๐ซ ๐ฅ๐๐ง๐๐ฌ, ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ฆ๐ฒ ๐ฌ๐๐ค๐, ๐๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ ๐จ๐ฌ๐ฉ๐๐ฅ'๐ฌ,
๐๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ง๐จ๐ฐ ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ข๐ฆ๐, ๐ก๐จ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐๐ฌ, ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ก๐ซ๐๐ง, ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฌ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ฌ, ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ๐ฌ, ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ก๐ข๐ฅ๐๐ซ๐๐ง, ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ง๐๐ฌ, ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐๐๐ฎ๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ; ๐๐ง๐ ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ซ๐ฅ๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ ๐๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ง๐๐ฅ ๐ฅ๐ข๐๐.
In Matthew’s account, Peter asked, “What shall we have therefore?” And Jesus promised that in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of His glory, they who had forsaken all and followed Him also shall sit upon twelve thrones.
Paul said it is the most blessed life-stlye:
๐๐๐๐ ๐๐:๐๐
๐๐ ๐ ๐ก๐๐ฏ๐ ๐ฌ๐ก๐๐ฐ๐๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฌ, ๐ก๐จ๐ฐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ฌ๐จ ๐ฅ๐๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฒ๐ ๐จ๐ฎ๐ ๐ก๐ญ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฉ๐ฉ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฐ๐๐๐ค, ๐๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ซ๐๐ฆ๐๐ฆ๐๐๐ซ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ซ๐๐ฌ ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐๐๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฌ, ๐ก๐จ๐ฐ ๐ก๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ข๐, ๐๐ญ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ ๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ง ๐ญ๐จ ๐ซ๐๐๐๐ข๐ฏ๐.
It is exemplified in the life, death and resurrection and ascension of Jesus to the Throne. One day, many of the Jews wanted to take Him and make Him a king. But He withdrew. Then some Greeks came, wanting to see JESUS. His disciples remarked, "All men are seeking for you". But He said that except a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone, but if it gets sown, it can become a harvest. Instead of seizing kingship over the world, He said that if He is instead lifted up on the cross, afterwards He would draw all men to Him. He became obedient to the point of death, even a cruel death on a cross. And now, how rich is His inheritance in the saints, which His Father has given Him! Of the increase of His government and peace, there is still no end!
No wonder the Psalm says, "I delight to do thy will O God; and to walk with thee is not grievous unto me, for I delight to do thy will."
He who saves his life shall lose it, but he who loses His life for His sake and the gospel's, shall find it, and shall keep it unto everlasting life, and He will raise Him up, Jesus said.
Godliness has promise and profit, not only in this life, but in the life to come, said Paul.
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