Generous Code of Law

9. August 2010 Global Nomad

THEN GOD spoke all these words:
2I am the Lord your God, Who has brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

3You shall have no other gods before or besides Me.

4You shall not make yourself any graven image [to worship it] or any likeness of anything that is in the heavens above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth;

5You shall not bow down yourself to them or serve them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate Me,

6But showing mercy and steadfast love to a thousand generations of those who love Me and keep My commandments.

7You shall not use or repeat the name of the Lord your God in vain [that is, lightly or frivolously, in false affirmations or profanely]; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.

8[Earnestly] remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy (withdrawn from common employment and dedicated to God).

9Six days you shall labor and do all your work,

10But the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, your daughter, your manservant, your maidservant, your domestic animals, or the sojourner within your gates.

11For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. That is why the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it [set it apart for His purposes].

12Regard (treat with honor, due obedience, and courtesy) your father and mother, that your days may be long in the land the Lord your God gives you.

13You shall not commit murder.

14You shall not commit [a]adultery.

15You shall not steal.

16You shall not witness falsely against your neighbor.

17You shall not covet your neighbor’s house, your neighbor’s wife, or his manservant, or his maidservant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.

Quoted from Bible gateway….http://www.biblegateway.com/

This amazing set of laws from the Hand of the Creator and fulfilled so wonderfully by the One Who sustains the Universe and so accurately expounded to us by the Eternal Legal Interpreter- the Spirit, surely deserves our full and constant attention. What incredible generosity embedded in these laws. They are comprehensive and un-negotiable, they are indeed special and fundamental to the well-being of the whole of mankind.

Give thanks for the inexaustable detail and care displayed here.

Global Nomad 09 August 2010

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Generous Business People

7. August 2010 Global Nomad

Throughout the world, business personnel are involved in generously sharing their time, energy and faith with scholars as well as management of hotels, prisons and even Cruise ships etc. Hundreds of thousands of copies of the Gideon pocket New Testaments are personally awarded to scholars, hotel personnel and prisoners alike. The stories of these distributions as well as the feedback from some of those whom they meet along the way are amazing and impacting.

“During 2009, the 60th Anniversary of The Gideons International in the British Isles, over 880,000 Bibles and Testaments were distributed in this country. An encouraging increase of 2.7% over 2008. We praise the Lord for His faithfulness over the past year.”

“Another great encouragement has been the number of Testaments presented to students at Fresher Fairs. Over 82,000 last year – the highest number since the Gideons started to present Testaments to students a few years ago.”

“In Vishakhapatnam, India, we gave out a total of 150,000 Scriptures. The other team in Chennai distributed 176,000. The results of all this? The Name of Jesus was made known, His salvation was proclaimed and men, women and young people accepted Jesus as Lord and Saviour. The glory is given to God as over 459,000 Scriptures were distributed.”

In the Dominican Republic a similar experience took place. The report said: “In the next few days we split up and visited smaller Universities and many schools. In almost all the schools, we visited every class with about 30 pupils in each. The talks lasted about ten to fifteen minutes and by the end of the week we ahd visited 128 schools and I must have spoken about 95 times. There were moving and emotional moments and many stories to tell. By the end of the week, we had distributed 199,904 Scriptures one at a time.”

These are just a few clippings from the many reports from around the world found in the Gideon News magazine each issue. You can read more about this generous ministry on their website: http://www.gideons.org.uk  

Global Nomad 07 August 2010

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Generous Promise

7. August 2010 Global Nomad

When asked by an international film crew how on earth he was going to realise the goal of freedom for 300 million Dalits, Dr Joseph D’Souza answered:

“One child at a time, one woman at a time, one man at a time, one school at a time, one church at a time, one just law at a time and then the inevitable “Tipping Point” which will bring massive chnages and freedoms in a very short ime.” Quoted in India Update.

The whole story of the increasing enablement and equipping of the Dalit communities in India is one worth studying and supporting.

“In 2001 at a meeting with Dalit leaders the coordinators of the Dalit Education Centres responded to their plea to educate the children by promising to start 100 schools. This year the 100th school will be opened”     A  generous promise that has been fulfilled.

Read more about these community changing projects on www.daliteducation.org  or emailing: dalit@uk.om.org

Global Nomad 06 August 2010

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Trio of Generosity

6. August 2010 Global Nomad

“The most significant thing that God can do for this itchy, acquisitive generation is to make them glad to be alive. That is why I believe with all my heart in the salvation that Jesus can bring.”

“May I suggest three practical things that you can do this very day in order to start you thinking about how glad you are to be alive?

The first: Stop for a moment before every meal. There’s no need to say a single word. Instead, look at what you are about to eat and drink, with all its contrasting colours and textures and anticipate the tastes that are on their way.

Think about whether you are grateful for this. If you are, who are you grateful to? What a world God has given us that has such delights in it!

The second: Practise focusing on what you enjoy about people, thanking God that friendship and pleasure are possible in His good world.

Of course, some relationships can be impossibly difficult – there is no point in pretending that you will never be hurt again. But if you stop and think about what it us about particular people that lifts you spirits, you will find yourself thinking that the world is a richer place because they are alive in it.

The third: Lie in bed at the end of the day reflecting on the good things that have happened and register that they are part of the fascinating world God has spread out before us.

If you practise doing these things day after day, God will make you a happier person.” Quoted from article by Peter Graystone in the Inspire Magazine from the book: “Be Happy: A 40 day journey to contentment” by Peter Graystone. http://www.inspiremagazine.org.uk

Global Nomad 6th August 2010

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God’s Generous Grace

6. August 2010 Global Nomad

 

200th Post

But God’s free gift is not at all to be compared to the trespass [His grace is out of all proportion to the fall of man]. For if many died through one man’s falling away (his lapse, his offense), much more profusely did God’s grace and the free gift [that comes] through the undeserved favor of the one Man Jesus Christ abound and overflow to and for [the benefit of] many. Romans 5: Amplified NT.

Thought it would be special for the 200th post on the Generosity-Alive site to celebrate with a focus on God’s Generous Grace. In the above amazing passage there are some special words: “out of all proportion” and  “much more profusely” “abound and overflow“  One begins to grasp the immensity of the Grace available – truly generous to the nth-degree. As we give thanks for the many thoughts and ideas shared on the site about generosity, this subject of Grace is so central and crucial.

May the posts which continue to be shared on the site resonate with the abundant pulse of such generous Grace.

Global Nomad 06 August 2010.

 

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Generous Dignity of Time

5. August 2010 Global Nomad

The antidote to rediscovering communication with our partner and children is not usually found in expensive holidays – what some call “quality time” – but in quite a lot of “ordinary time” spent doing ordinary things together – especially talking. I think now of a couple who led busy lives and who had somehow grown apart. They agreed that each Tuesday night they would spent some time together on their own.

Sometimes they went to the cinema, sometimes just for a walk and occasionally a meal out. It’s true they could afford babysitters but they were not wealthy by any means.

Did that evening every week save their marriage? Who knows. But I do know this: it became important to them. It wasn’t fancy, it wasn’t expensive but it did give to each of them the “dignity of time”.

Of course, it’s not just communication with our partner that is vital but communication with the whole family. This doesn’t have to be complicated. It could be just chatting as we do ordinary things together.

Research has shown that parental involvement has a huge effect on children’s performance at school. One of the most powerful elements of this is the time parents give to conversations about everyday events and activities.

When these conversations did not take place, it led not only to a lack of knowledge in the children but also to a lack of confidence.

Tips for family communications:

• Take the chance to talk while you’re doing ordinary things such as going for walks and washing up.
• Ask each others opinion – few things please children (or anyone else) more than being asked for their view. It doesn’t have to be about important issues.
• Make sure you really listen, even if you think you know what the other person is going to say.
• Never interrupt or finish someones sentence for them.
• Wherever possible, try to eat a “proper” family meal together.
• Plan regular one-to-one times with each member of your family.
• Don’t answer the phone if it gives the impression it’s more important than the conversation you’re having.

[Taken from "The Sixty Minute Family" by Rob Parsons as published in the Inspire Magazine http://wwwinspiremagazine.org.uk  ]

Global Hand 4th August 2010

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Meals with Generosity

3. August 2010 Global Nomad

“I will always treasure, for example, the memory of a Christian couple I met in the town of Nogales on the Mexican border. They had no regular income and yet they were feeding and clothing up to a hundred people daily.

The Lord continually supplied their needs. In fact they even had a “Jesus account” in a local store because the owner had discovered that Jesus always paid his bills!!!

Engaging in missions is always and invitation to discover the reality and relevance of the Living God.

[Quote from "You're part of God's Rescue mission" by Rob James as published in the INSPIRE magazine. www.inspiremagazine.org.uk  ]

Global Nomad 03 August 2010

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Generous Providence

2. August 2010 Global Nomad

It is the glory of autumn that the ripe gifts of providence are then abundantly bestowed; it is the mellow season of realization, whereas all before was but hope and expectation. Great is the joy of harvest. Happy are the reapers who fill their arms with the liberality of heaven. The Psalmist tells us that the harvest is the crowning of the year. Surely these crowning mercies call for crowning thanksgiving! Let us render it by the inward emotions of gratitude. Let our hearts be warmed; let our spirits remember, meditate, and think upon this goodness of the Lord. Then let us praise him with our lips, and laud and magnify his name from whose bounty all this goodness flows. Let us glorify God by yielding our gifts to his cause. A practical proof of our gratitude is a special thank-offering to the Lord of the harvest.

[Quote from Morning and Evening  by Charles Spurgeon http://www.biblegateway.com/]

Global Nomad  02 August 2010

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The Generous Girdle of Praise

1. August 2010 Global Nomad

God’s praise is constant in heaven, which is to be thy final dwelling-place, learn thou to practise the eternal hallelujah. Around the earth as the sun scatters his light, his beams awaken grateful believers to tune their morning hymn, so that by the priesthood of the saints perpetual praise is kept up at all hours, they swathe our globe in a mantle of thanksgiving, and girdle it with a golden belt of song.

The Lord always deserves to be praised for what he is in himself, for his works of creation and providence, for his goodness towards his creatures, and especially for the transcendent act of redemption, and all the marvellous blessing flowing therefrom. It is always beneficial to praise the Lord; it cheers the day and brightens the night; it lightens toil and softens sorrow; and over earthly gladness it sheds a sanctifying radiance which makes it less liable to blind us with its glare.

Have we not something to sing about at this moment? Can we not weave a song out of our present joys, or our past deliverances, or our future hopes? Earth yields her summer fruits: the hay is housed, the golden grain invites the sickle, and the sun tarrying long to shine upon a fruitful earth, shortens the interval of shade that we may lengthen the hours of devout worship. By the love of Jesus, let us be stirred up to close the day with a psalm of sanctified gladness.

[Taken from Morning and Evening by Charles Spurgeon provided by Biblegateway http://www.biblegateway.com/  ]

Global Nomad 01 August 2010

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Generous Education

31. July 2010 Global Nomad

You hear about these places but can’t really imagine them. Little villages standing empty because of death that has passed though them. No blood on the doorposts this time. No pre-warning system or sometimes simply ignorance. One by one they died here, week after week, month after month, until no one was left but a few orphaned children destined to follow soon unless someone come to their rescue. Once a village is emptied and the graves are full, very few people have the courage to go and live there again or even just entering it.

Superstition is in the order of the day, the Ancestors have spoken. Even us, with all our knowledge, find these places creepy and daring to hang around for too long. The translator by my side visibly not in a place of comfort. War and the diseases of Africa spare no one – Malaria, Cholera, Aids, Balacia, etc. Sometimes it is due to a lack of education with regards to ways preventing these deceases. Sometimes they know the truth but earmarked it as a foreigner’s disease or blame it on some curse while turning to their Traditional Healers for breaking these so called spells against their tribe.

We were blessed to be allowed to work alongside some Christian youth educating them and equipping them to do presentations to their own people in this regard.

Story from Jaco Leeuwner of Passage of Bahar http://www.lifeboat4.net

Global Nomad 31 July 2010

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