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"Standing Together, Shoulder To Shoulder, As We Fight the Good Fight of Faith"

SHOULDER TO SHOULDER is a weekly letter of encouragement Bob has written since 1997, covering many topics selected to
motivate people to be strong students of the Word and courageous witnesses of Jesus Christ.  It is a personal letter of
encouragement to you, written solely to help "lift up hands that hang down".

    "The world will not be destroyed by those who do evil, but by those who watch them without doing anything." -- Albert Einstein

    “There is a common, worldly kind of Christianity in this day, which many have, and think they have -- a cheap Christianity which offends nobody,
and requires no sacrifice, which costs nothing, -- and is worth nothing.” – J. C. Ryle

Shoulder To Shoulder #1311 -- 10-3-22

Title:  "Ancient Paths -- The Pathway of Generous Compassion"

My Dear Friend and Pilgrim Partner:

Today I write from a sunny city of Yuma, AZ, where temps are at a comfy 90 degrees with the high to reach only 99.  You may exclaim, "Comfy!!!???", but when triple digits in the mid to upper teens is commonplace in July through September, an October 90 degree day is quite comfortable, especially in the shade.  There's almost always a breeze (sometimes wind), and as the natives say, "Yes, but it's a dry heat!" -- which is true.  Sometimes if you listen closely, you will hear an invisible "sucking" sound.  That's actually moisture being sucked out of the pores of your skin.

Jo Ann and I have been home in Yuma now for eight days and are trying to settle back in to "home" as we prepare for the start of our winter season at Chapel de Oro on November 6th.  We are beginning to be re-accustomed to the sounds of Marine helicopters, AV-8B Harrier IIs fighter jets, F-35B Lightning IIs, and V-22 Osprey's.  The base, MCAS Yuma, spreads out over 3,000 acres (mostly desolate desert) and is one of highest importance among the Marine Corps.  It is home base to Marine Aircraft Group 13 and the MAWTS 1 (Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron 1).  Not far away is the Barry Goldwater Firing Range to the east over the Gila Mountains and the U.S. Army Proving Ground about 15 miles to the north.

We have several very busy weeks ahead before services begin at Chapel de Oro on November 6th -- follow-up medical consultations, car repair (finally!), preparation for two cataract surgeries, etc.  In the mix is also the necessity of migrating our email service from our longtime friend, Glen Stewart, who has hosted our four e-letters since 1997 to a new service called, "gabby.mail".  So, hopefully today's "Shoulder To Shoulder" will actually come to you twice -- once from each service.  I've already transferred the mailing list to "Gabby", but am not positive yet if it works.

So, if you get two copies this time, you'll know why.

I cannot let this moment go by without my personal heart-felt "Thanks!" to Glen Stewart.  For some 30 years Glen has provided free bulk newsletter service to many ministries like ours.  If I recall correctly, at the peak of his ministry he was providing free service to as many as 250 or more e-mailers.  Some of them contained 10,000 or more subscribers each.  He has hosted four letters for us, including "Shoulder To Shoulder".

So, Thank You, Glen!  Your ministry has been the under-girding of many ministries like ours, and your sacrificial service of hardware, software, time, money, energy, and constant monitoring are contributions the rest of us could have never provided.  You have enabled us to "do what we do because you have done what you have done."  I, for one, will never forget -- and will always be grateful.

PREFACING TODAY'S STUDY:

One of these days this series on "Seeking The Ancient Paths" will come to an end -- probably after a few more letters.  But, for today I want to consider an "ancient path" that I believe is in some ways at the heart of it all -- "The Pathway of Generous Compassion".  The study is based on three key passages of scripture -- Deut 15:7-8, 10-11; II Cor 9:6-11; and I Kings 17:8-16.  As we continue our look at what the ancient paths of which God pleaded with His people to return, we find that His intent was that those paths included compassion and generosity toward anyone in need.  Scripture abounds in both instructions and examples of generosity that is compassionate and compassion that is generous.  Two quickly come to mind out of Jeremiah, which is the foundational book for this series: . . .

>  Jer 7:5-7 -- "For if you truly amend your ways and your deeds, if you truly practice justice between a man and his neighbor, if you do not oppress the alien, the orphan, or the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place, nor walk after other gods to your own ruin, then I will let you dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers forever and ever.”

>  Jer 22:3 – “'Thus says the LORD, "Do justice and righteousness, and deliver the one who has been robbed from the power of his oppressor. Also do not mistreat or do violence to the stranger, the orphan, or the widow; and do not shed innocent blood in this place.”

Not only is the concept strongly taught in the Old Testament, but virtually every part of Jesus’ teachings incorporated the idea that when you are a true follower of Christ, your life will be characterized by both compassion and obedience, just as God commanded the Children of Israel.  All one has to do is examine The Beatitudes, the Sermon on the Mount in general, and the examples of His own earthly ministry.  The principle is also found through the Book of Acts and many of the Epistles.

Today, and in our current culture, many Christians have fallen prey to that which John warned – loving “the world and the thing that are in the world” (I Jn 5:15-17) – and have become more obsessed with accumulating wealth, securing comfort, and preparing for their own survival than they are being obedient to Christ's commands.  Since "the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil" (II Tim 6:10), we can learn a very important lesson -- when our affection for material things is central in our lives, our sensitivity to the needs of others is dramatically reduced.

Even those people who do still give often do so for the wrong purpose – they are prone to give to “get” rather than just giving to “give”. If one is to life a life following the “Ancient Pathways”, it will include generous compassion – NOT just “pity”, but genuine Compassion.

When the Children of Israel traveled through the wilderness, God tried to teach them three things – 1) learn to live with “enough”,  2) don’t “hoard”, and  3) care for others (See Exod 16).  So, let's examine that passage more closely:

I.  GOD'S COMMAND IS VERY CLEAR:  (Deut 15:7-8, 10-11)

When God was laying out the journey that would lead the Children of Israel to the land God had promised their ancestors, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the laws and commands by which this new nation was to live covered the entirety of civil life.  Exodus, Leviticus, and Deuteronomy were the "law books" in which God recorded the codes they were to follow.  The fundamentals were spelled out distinctly in what we call "The Ten Commandments" but the principles were spelled out comprehensively in what we call "The Mosaic Law".

The Ten Commandments give us the "skeleton" and the Mosaic Law as a whole puts "meat on the bone".  The first four Commandments identified our relationship with God, and the last six point out or relationship with our fellow man.  The Mosaic Law then spells out in great detail exactly how that is to be carried out.  While wandering 40 years in the wilderness was because of Israel's refusal to trust God and enter quickly (after a three-month journey) into the land they had inherited, it appears that the real reason for the 40 years of elementary to university training was to run them through "the school of hard knocks" where they would come to understand the importance of the fundamentals by the implementation of the comprehensive.

I don't know if you've considered this before, but after 400 years of Egyptian culture permeating every pore of their being, it was going to take some hard training to prepare them for "the land flowing with milk and honey".  While they got out of Egypt in a few days, it was going to take 40 years to get Egypt out of them.

It is in the details of God's law code that we run into this particular "ancient path" -- how you treat people in need.  It strikes at the heart of selfishness and covetousness, one of the fundamental Ten Commandments, "You shall not covet . . . ."  And, here's what God had to say to Israel about the matter:

    7. "If there is a poor man with you, one of your brothers, in any of your towns in your land which the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart, nor close your hand from your poor brother;  8. but you shall freely open your hand to him, and shall generously lend him sufficient for his need in whatever he lacks.

10. "You shall generously give to him, and your heart shall not be grieved when you give to him, because for this thing the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in all your undertakings.  11. For the poor will never cease to be in the land; therefore I command you, saying, 'You shall freely open your hand to your brother, to your needy and poor in your land'." -- (Deut 15:7-8, 10-11)

Consider the seven specific things God tells Israel in this text.  Let's do it briefly and succinctly; you can put more meat on the bone yourself.

1.    Maintain a soft heart (7b). --  “you shall not harden your heart”  It is far too easy in this world to become hardened by the vastness of suffering people all around us.  Hearing the news reports that always seem to emphasize the wrongs, the evil, and the suffering instead of positive things only increases our dullness.

2.    Don’t be stingy; keep an open hand (7c). -- “. . . nor close your hand . . .”  Stinginess comes from a spirit of self-preservation and/or greed.  We too easily become like the man who declared, "My life's ambition is to get all I can, can all I get, sit on the lid, and poison the rest."

3.    Commit to sufficient generosity (8, 10a). -- “. . . shall freely open your hand . . .”(8); “. . . generously give . . .” (10a).  If one can break the chains of self-preservation, greed, and covetousness, that person will discover an entirely new way of utilizing the material possessions with which he has been blessed.  Acts 2:35 truly IS a life-changing declaration -- "In everything I showed you that by working hard in this manner you must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive'."

4.    Don’t begrudge the privilege (10b). -- “. . . your heart shall not be grieved . . ."  Because of all the homeless, panhandlers, and outright crooks we see around us, we tend to pull our giving hands back; and then when a real need arises, we can too easily resent the opportunity to help -- as if our convenience and comfort is more important than the need of the moment.

5.    Be willing to be blessed (10c). -- “God will bless you in . . . work . . . undertakings.”  Jo Ann and I have, in recent months, found this to be true both in the receiving and in the giving.  Our close ties to so many people in Ukraine certainly has played a role in maturing our understanding.  We are content to live frugally and wisely, and probably don't need a single thing.  It's so bad that neither of us wants to other to give us anything -- even at Christmas!  So, when we are suddenly overwhelmed, as we have been several times the past six months, we can't decide which blesses us most -- receiving what we've been given, or passing on to others in greater need most of that with which we have been blessed.

This past week is an example:  Because of how we had been personally blessed at the end of our season with Greer Chapel, and because of the unexpected generosity of others, we ended up with somewhere around $15,000 to $18,000 that we had not expected.  This past week we were able to give $2,000 to a ministry so they could buy coal or wood for elderly people in Ukraine living in outlying villages, $1,000 to a church in Ukraine for fuel for the winter, $1,000 to a former student in Ukraine who is trying to care for a number of refugee families in his area, $500 to a friend who ministers to children needing kidney transplants, $500 to a friend in need of money for food and staples, $5,000 to missionary friends who have been displaced and facing a serious financial crisis, $500 to a friend to help with business expenses, and some other similar situations I'll not mention.

The point is this -- and I say this knowing that we are far from being financially wealthy even in the most extreme stretch -- we had chosen years ago to own nothing because we understood it all belonged to God and we were just His managers.  As a result, we have been twice blessed over and over again -- we were blessed in receiving, and we were blessed even more in giving.  It's that simple.  But, we had to be willing to be blessed by, before any of this transpired, choosing to be generous and compassionate within the parameters of the Holy Spirit's direction.

6.    Recognize who “the poor” really are (7a,11)  -- “. . . in your land . . .” (7).  The word for "Poor" means much more than financially or materially lacking.  That's just one part.  The Hebrew word is = 'ebyôn, pronounced eb-yone'.  It is defined as being “in a sense of want”, “destitute”, “needy”.  It means far more than economic shortfall.  It has to do with virtually every kind of "poorness" or "poverty" -- economic, relational (such as loneliness), emotional, vocational, spiritual, . . . .   The bottom line is that "the poor" refers to any person with a specific need.  True, it means someone without the economic where with all to care for himself and his family, but it means far more as well.

7.    Understand there will always be a need (11a). -- “. . . the poor will never cease to be in the land.” (11)  The disciples Matthew, Mark, and John all three record Jesus' statement, "the poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have Me."  At first glance it sounds like Jesus is saying that we need to pay attention to Him because He won't be around all the time like the poor will be.  But, Mark records the entirety of what Jesus said, and seeing what He stated gives us a better understanding: --

"For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you wish you can do good to them; but you do not always have Me." (Mk 14:7).

The implication is pretty obvious -- there are always going to be needy people in our world.  We must recognize that, come to grips with the fact, and be prepared to respond to those needs as the Holy Spirit directs us.    And that leads us to an important principle:

II.  WE MUST BE CONVINCED THE NEED IS CRITICAL:

Have you studied recently all the different kinds of needy people Jesus told us would be present in our world?  What about . . .

1.    The hungry; The thirsty; The stranger; The naked; The sick; The imprisoned (Mt 25:31-46)?  Or . . .

2.    The orphans? And The widows (James 1:27)?  Or maybe . . .

3.   The military ( I Cor 9:7; II Tim 2:3-4; Num 31:27)?  Then you have . . .

4.    The poor (Mat 6:2-4)?  And especially . . .

5.    The stranger (Lev 19:10; Zech 7:10)?

Boy, does this ever strike at our politics!  Does it ever!  But, it strikes even more strongly at our spiritual maturity and our willingness to humbly be known as servants -- compassionate servants; and as stewards -- generous stewards.

The mature Christian recognizes that, contrary to what we often hear and see in media venues of all kinds, God wants to bless us so that we are blessed, NOT so we get rich.  And, God enables us to generate wealth not so we can keep it and store it like the rich young ruler, but He enables us to generate wealth so that we can generously give . . . compassionately give.

Clearly the devastating hurricane that hit the southeastern U.S., the nearly eight-month-long war in Ukraine, the homelessness pandemic and the invasion of our land by illegal aliens, drugs, and terrorists should all remind us of how needy man truly is.  He is an empty shell void of everything that has meaning.  It should also remind us of how our external needs are the result of deep spiritual needs that only Christ can satisfy.

What is it then, that keeps you and me going under such conditions?  I believe it's that . . .

III.  WE'RE CERTAIN THAT OUR NEEDS WILL BE MET:

Off the cuff, I think of four passages that assure us of such faithfulness which God bestows on us.  Take time to give them some serious thought:

1.    Matt 6:25-32 – Don’t worry!  If God cares for the birds and flowers, then He’ll take care of you.

2.    II Cor 8:1-7 – If the Macedonians, who “abounded in poverty” were able to give, then so will you.  I've never gotten over the idea that the Christians in Macedonia were "abundantly rich in poorness".  That's what the phrase means.  They overflowed with conditions of poverty, and yet they were generously compassionate to others, and compassionately generous in their giving.  More than once they blessed Paul richly -- even though they had nothing to give.  It is the epitome' of what walking this "ancient path" of Generous Compassion looks like.

Next, there is . . .

3.    II Cor 9:1-15 – God will enable us to give compassionately and generously.  "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; . . ."  (II Cor 9:8).  Among other truths in this text, we see that . . .
1)    You reap what you sow, where you sow, and where you sow. (6)
2)    God loves us to give “hilariously” (cheerfully). (7)
3)    God will provide all you need so you can give all you should. (8).
4)    God uses us to give to the “poor”. (9).
5)    If you are willing to give, God will supply what you need to sow (10).
6)    You will be richly blessed if you give to needs. (11).

And, finally, one of my favorites is . . .

4.    Phil 4:10-19 – "And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus." (Phil 4:19).  But, His meeting our needs hinges on . . .
1)    Gratefully receive what God provides you. (10).
2)    Be content with whatever God provides you.  (11).
3)    Learn to live joyfully in every situation. (12).
4)    Allow Christ to be your strength in everything. (13).
5)    Be faithful, compassionate, and generous (14-18).
6)    Be assured that God will also meet your need. (19).

IV.  WE'RE CONFIDENT THAT WE ARE CAPABLE:

6 . "Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.  7. Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

8. "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; 9. as it is written, "HE SCATTERED ABROAD, HE GAVE TO THE POOR, HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS ENDURES FOREVER."

10. "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; 11. you will be enriched in everything for all liberality, which through us is producing thanksgiving to God.

12. "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. 13. Because of the proof given by this ministry, they will glorify God for your obedience to your confession of the gospel of Christ and for the liberality of your contribution to them and to all, 14. while they also, by prayer on your behalf, yearn for you because of the surpassing grace of God in you.

15. "Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift! (II Cor 9:6-15)

It is this passage of scripture that assures me that I actually can be as compassionate as God can make me and as generous as God wants me to be.  He reminds me that I reap proportionately to how I sow.  It also tells me that God revels in His children being "hilarious" (that's what "cheerful" actually means) in their generosity.  He also promises that He will provide what I need to use and what I need to sow in others, and that He will multiply the seed and increase the harvest that shows that His righteousness has been poured out on me.

That truth is what assures me that . . .

1.  “I can do all things through Christ who is my strength.”  (Phil 4:13).

That being the case, then my one and only responsibility in the matter is to . . .

2.  “Seek first the kingdom of God, and all these ‘things” will be added to you. (Matt 6:33)

V.  WE'RE COURAGEOUS OVER CONCEPTS THAT WORK:

So, all of this being the truth from God's Word about walking this "ancient path" of Generous Compassion, maybe I can summarize it like this:

1.    God owns everything.  We possess some things, but own nothing.  If you ever take ownership of anything in your life, you usurp God's authority and right of ownership over everything.

2.    We are stewards – house managers/distributors -- of what God owns, responsible to distribute it for Him.  I have repeatedly told people that Jo Ann and I feel like dock workers on a shipping dock.  A truck comes in filled with His provision.  We unload it, store it if necessary, and then send it on its way to someone who needs it.

3.    Our stewardship reflects our faith.  The ability of a steward -- a "house distributor" or "house manager" -- depends entirely on how much he actually trusts the owner and master of the house.  Not only that we trust Him, but that we also trust the fact that He trusts us to do what is right -- what He wants done.

4.    Our stewardship reflects our generosity.  Your ability to part with what you possess reveals just how generous you really are in your heart.

5.    Our stewardship reflects our values.  It will show just how much we really value life, especially the lives of others.  It will also show where our values have been placed -- in possessions, or in people.

6.    Our generosity reveals our level of love/compassion.  The Bible says, "where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." (Matt 6:21).  Your favorite bank is going to be the one where you deposited your money.  You can say you love people unconditionally, but you betray yourself if you don't express it in practical ways.

7.    Our generosity also reveals our prejudices.  If we have prejudices against a certain ministry, skin color, or hygienic condition, it will show in when, to whom, and how we give.  You simply cannot hide your prejudices.  It always shows in how you spend your money.  Which store do you go to in order to buy?  Which store do you avoid?

8.    Generosity to others releases contentment in us.  Paul dealt with the issue of contentment in Philippians 4.  Because of the generosity of other believers, Paul was contented in their maturity and in his own condition.  At the same time, when Paul gave what he had -- in either word or in possessions -- he felt contented.  He lived with a sense of satisfaction that he had done right, and he had done well.

9.    Giving creates a sense of joy.  It's not that your joy comes from having given, but it comes from knowing those to whom you have given are being blessed and their needs are being met.

10.    Meeting the needs of others expresses true love.  Meeting another person's need is the ultimate practical expression of our love for and obedience to Christ.  Maybe this is because Jesus told us that if we really love Him, it will show by our obedience.  Since obedience includes ministering to others, then we can conclude, rightfully so, that in our giving or ministering to others, the love of Christ will be obvious.  The others may not recognize it at first, but it will eventually soak in.

SO! . . . . .

FINALLY:

When God called Israel out of Egypt, He gave them a “roadmap” through His commandments and ordinances.  Those commandments became “Ancient Paths” that were to be followed throughout all of life.  ll those “Ancient Paths” were followed, they led to joy, security, contentment, peace, and rest.  When those paths were abandoned, God’s blessings ceased and His wrath and judgment were released.

God’s principles always work – for everyone.  One of those “Ancient Paths” is the pathway of compassionate generosity.  When we ignore it, we suffer; when we follow it, we prosper.

Take it from me.  Take it from us -- Compassionate generosity and generous compassion work.  And the payback is breathtaking.

In His Bond, By His Grace, and for His Kingdom,

Bob Tolliver -- Romans 1:11

"Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness,
    examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so." -- Dr. Luke (Acts 17:11)

"A fire kept burning on the hearthstone of my heart, and I took up the burden of the day with fresh courage and hope." -- Charles F. McKoy

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Copyright October, 2022

"If Jesus had preached the same message that many ministers preach today, He would never have been crucified." -- Leonard Ravenhill

"The time will come when instead of shepherds feeding the sheep,  the Church will have clowns entertaining the goats." -- Charles H. Spurgeon

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