God will not forget you labor of love. Ask yourself, "How would Jesus react if He came to your house today? Would He remember your house today? Would He remember your past or would He look at you and love you?
Peter, who walked with Jesus, denied Him three times. After Jesus was resurrected, He was on the beach and Peter came on shore. Jesus looked at him.
He didn't say, "Peter, I will never trust you again. It will take at least a year to build My confidence back in you. You stabbed Me in the back. You let Me down in My darkest hour. Peter, I knew I could never trust you. I always knew that you would let Me down."
He never said any of those things. Instead, He looked at Peter and asked, "Peter, do you love Me?"
Don't you think that cut more than anything? Don't you think it was like a sharp sword going right in? And Peter said, "Lord, You know I love You."
"Peter, do you love me? Then feed My sheep."
If Jesus came to your house today, He wouldn't remember your past or bring any allegations against you. He would look at you with His loving eyes and say, "I love you." And He would put His arms around you and pull you to Himself.
When the religious leaders were brought to the woman who was caught in adultery, they carried stones and were ready to kill her. Jesus bent down and wrote in the sand with His finger.
I wonder what He wrote? I think I have some idea. Let's say the first man's name was Abe. Jesus wrote, "Who was that woman you were with last night, Abe?" And old Abe dropped his rock and walked away.
When He had finished writing the revelations in the sand—which we will never know until that say when we stand face to face before Him—every rock was on the ground and every man had walked away.
"Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her" (John 8:7b). Let's remember that love—for God and then for our neighbor—is God's primary commandment given to us under the New Covenant.
The last thing that Jesus did before He left the earth was to wash the disciples' feet. When you stand before Him on judgment day, it isn't how sanctimonious and self-righteous you are that counts.
It will not be whether you did this or that, but whether you loved your brothers and sisters and reached out to them with compassion and mercy.
The Church has to become more loving, more forgiving, and more giving. It begins with a commitment to your local church, the place where you are fed the Word of God.
I believe that God looks at people's hearts and motives when it concerns their giving. You can throw thousands of dollars in the offering bucket with the wrong motive but that is like planting dead seeds.
You will never reap from that offering. But you can give $5 with a pure and loving heart and see the blessings of God come into your life.
If you haven't been tithing, get with the program—give your tithe to your church. I believe God expects that from you. If you can't do this, don't come to the prayer line and expect to be blessed, because in God's eyes obedience is better than sacrifice.
Make a decision to tithe and give freely. Then get ready to experience God's goodness in Your life.
by Rodney Howard-Browne
Excerpt permission granted by R.H.E.B.A. Publishers
Rodney and Adonica Howard-Browne, married since October 1981, spent the early part of their ministry traveling across southern Africa.
