Hearing God’s call and following it Part 2: Giving

Written by Joseph Silverman

Good morning everyone. I hope that you all enjoyed your weekend. Time for another blog from me! I was reading a post on Facebook this morning from my friend Lisa Collins Contino who lives in Arizona. She is doing so amazingly well there. She started a “project” out there, feeding the homeless in Phoenix. It started out with 25 lunches and toiletries a month, now it has grown to around a 100 lunches a week, sometimes more. She clearly heard God’s call and is following it. I am NOT asking for you to help, but if you feel led to, please contact me and I will give you her information. She has some amazing friends and family that are helping her out there. I spoke with Lisa via email and here is her response:

“I hesitate to talk about the Hope Bag Project on Facebook because of that exact verse you included.  I don’t want people to think I’m saying, “Oh, look at me!  Look what I’ve done for the needy.”  Actually, it’s more like, “This is something that I started because I couldn’t stand to see people suffering one more day and kept wondering how this community could just ignore a huge need that was staring them squarely in the face.  Perhaps the challenge was too great or perhaps they’ve grown immune to it and it required a fresh pair of eyes to see it.  I want people to see just how easy it was to just do SOMETHING…..and look how easy YOU also can do something.  You can start SMALL and see what happens when God orchestrates things–you’ll be amazed!”  I made a promise to Him that I would continue doing it as long as I could afford to continue and as long as there was a need to help.  He’s made it clear that this is my purpose right now, because he continues to bring people to help me and also continues to provide items to hand out.  For example, a woman showed up with TEN cases of water on Friday night.  Such a blessing! “

I mentioned before that I helped the homeless in Camden as a service project for my Timothy Project from church. It is the most amazing thing to do. He truly called me to help those that need the help. Our church that my wife and I attend truly believes in helping others. The church has a benevolent center to help those in the area that truly need the help, whether it is financial, need some food, or spiritual help. The church does mission trips to help people all over the world. I am NOT trying to toot the horn of the church, but this is what we do, we hear God’s call and follow it. Just like we are expanding, “making room for you” at the church with a new 2,000 seat sanctuary. The church as a body heard God’s call to expand and that issanctuary2 what we are doing.

Here is a picture is a picture of the new sanctuary going up!! I am so proud of the church and being part of it. We are growing not to grow, but to have more people come to know our true Savior, and our Heavenly Father, and to be able to help more people who are in need of help.

I have been to several Bat/Bat Mitzvahs and each one has stated that they are taking some of their gifts that they receive and donating it to a charity. Professional Athletes donate their time and money to others that are in need. Whether they admit it or not, they are following God’s call, to help those that need the help. My brother and nephew do the city to shore ride for MS every year, and the proceeds of what they raise goes to MS. They are helping others through giving to the research for this disease. I am sure there are many more people who are helping out where they can. Where am I going with this, well we are called to help one another.

In Matthew, Jesus taught to give to the needy. He clearly speaks of giving, but to do it in private, not sounding your own horn to let others know. Here is what Jesus says about giving to the needy, the verse is from the ESV translation. Matthew 6:1-4 “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. 2 Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,  4 so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”  In the Old Testament, it also tells that God hears the cry of the poor man, and that God helps the poor man (Proverbs 34:6). There are more instances in the Old Testament about helping the needy. 

Giving to the needy is not just solely about giving money to those that need help. It is about giving of our time to those that may need our help. I was in need last fall to get the leaves raked up, I contacted the church, as we have ministry that helps with those things. Well, 3 men came out and in about an hour the yard was totally cleaned up!! I needed the help and received it, they truly heard God’s call and followed it.  It could also be spending time visiting with people who can not get out.

I just saw this great quote by Denzel Washington, and think it is so appropriate for what I am talking about today. “Put God first in everything that you do… Everything I have is by the grace of God. it’s a gift….I didn’t always stick with Him, but He stuck with me.”  So by helping others and giving to others whether it is time or finances, it is putting God first in what we do!!

The one piece of advice that i can give you is the following, and Thank you Stacey for sharing this on Facebook, it is a verse from the bible, Proverbs 3:6 “Listen for God’s voice in everything you do and everywhere you go, He is the one that will keep you on track”. Not sure what version this is from, but I do love it. Step out of your comfort zone and He will help you!!

I would like to thank Lisa Collins Contino for the help with this blog.  I also want to thank my wife Stacey for her input and encouragement and putting up with me when I hit a brick wall when writing these blogs.

His Love endures

Joe

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