Elijah Receiving Bread from the Widow of Zarephath 1 Kings 17:8-16

Giovanni Lanfranco (1621-1625)

“Give to the one who asks you, and don’t turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.” Matthew 5:42 CSB

I would like to start this blog post on the topic of “giving” from an unexpected angle, so please bear with me as I make my point!

Let’s begin by discussing the word “salvation.” Salvation is more than just a destination after death; it is a journey of knowing, walking with, and being transformed by Jesus, whose Hebrew name, יְשׁוּעָה (Yeshua), means salvation or deliverance. [1] The concept of salvation is often closely connected with life and death/destruction. In Matthew 7:13-14, Jesus speaks of two roads: the wide gate that leads to destruction and the narrow gate that leads to life. This idea aligns with the directive given to the Israelites in Deuteronomy 30:19: “I have set before you life and death, blessing and a curse; choose life so that you and your descendants may live.” Therefore, salvation is deliverance from the path of death and the sin that leads to it, guiding us toward the path of life and righteousness that ultimately leads to God.

Now that we understand salvation, we should also explore the narrow road and how we can navigate it. You may find some answers by examining the context of Matthew 7:13-14, which is part of the Sermon on the Mount and serves as Jesus’s guide to living in the Kingdom of life. This leads us to another important question: How can we truly follow the perfect commands of Jesus, and to what extent do our obedience or disobedience influence our salvation or destruction? Some commands, like Matthew 5:42 mentioned earlier, can be particularly challenging to obey.

This is where grace comes into play. As Ephesians 2:8 reminds us, “For by grace, you have been saved through faith.”

In Last week’s blog on fasting, I defined grace, and I believe it is important to repeat: “it doesn’t mean what many people think. It isn’t simply unmerited favor or forgiveness, nor is it another term for mercy…. It’s the very presence and power of the Holy Spirit who enables us to believe, love, and serve God.” [2]

Without grace, we cannot truly believe, love, or serve the Father. We are also unable to perfectly obey Jesus’s commands or experience the fruits of the Spirit. However, when we choose to obey the Word of the Lord in faith, even if we don’t feel it at the moment, we are met with grace that empowers us to follow His commands. This includes even the hardest ones, such as “give to those who ask you” and “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”

Should I really give to anyone who asks? Herein lies the need for discernment from the Holy Spirit.

The other day, a homeless man asked me for some money to buy food. There was a store right next to us, so I stopped and said, “Come with me, and I’ll buy you food right now.” He looked at me, thought about it for a moment, and then said, “Nah, never mind. Have a great day.”

 We should be wise in our giving, but we must also follow Jesus’s command. He says in Matthew 25:

“‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited me in; I needed clothes, and you clothed me; I was sick, and you looked after me; I was in prison, and you came to visit me.’

Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ 

The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’”

I am deeply moved by Jesus’s compassionate and sacrificial heart. Giving involves sacrifice, but it greatly pleases the heart of the Father as we strive to emulate our Savior, who gave His entire life to save us from the path of sin and death. Remember that He has blessed us with the Holy Spirit to empower us to wholeheartedly follow His way of salvation. This empowering grace and all blessings come from the Lord. Freely you have received, so freely give.

[1] https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h3444/kjv/wlc/0-1/

[2] https://www.mitchmarmelstein.com/fasting

If you’re looking for an opportunity to give:

This year, I am fully committing myself to a transformative journey of serving the Lord, and I am thrilled to share my vision for planting house churches in Oceanside, Mexico, and Costa Rica. I believe that a revival is on the horizon in 2025—a powerful wave of grace that I’m eager to ride, and I want to invite as many people as possible to join me in this mission of discipleship.

As I step into my role as an Operations Associate with CANOPI, our Central American ministry, I will have the incredible opportunity to equip the church and reach the lost through street evangelism. Our work will focus on fostering genuine connections within communities, providing spiritual nourishment, and encouraging local believers to share their faith boldly.

However, this mission cannot be accomplished alone. It’s only through the generosity of supporters like you that we can make this vision a reality. I am reaching out for monthly support to help fund this initiative, ensuring we can impact lives and grow the church in meaningful ways.

If you feel led to partner with me in this important work, please take a moment to click the link below for more information on how you can help. Together, we can be instruments of change and heralds of hope in these vibrant communities. Thank you for considering this opportunity to support the mission ahead!