Christianity Oasis Forum

[cimi]

November 1
Sunday


AN URGE TO BE
ANONYMOUS

READ:
Matthew 6:1-4
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When you do a
charitable deed, do not
let your left hand know
what your right hand
is doing, that your...
deed may be in secret.
__Matthew 6:3-4
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The urge to misbehave and the desire to be anonymous always visit me together. Like partners making a sales call, they do their best to convince me that I can afford to do something wrong because I won't have to pay.

Human nature tells us to use the cover of anonymity to avoid taking the blame for the bad things we do. God, however, tells us something else. He wants us to use anonymity to avoid taking credit for the good that we do (Matt. 6:4). Why is it that the urge to remain anonymous seldom accompanies my desire to do good!

The bible says we're not to let one hand know the good that the other is doing (vv. 3-4). In other words, within the body of Christ our deeds of charity should be done without calling attention to ourselves. This does not mean, however, that God wants good deeds to remain hidden; it just means that they should be done in a way that makes a good name for God, not ourselves (5:16).

When we volunteer our services or make donations to churches and organizations that do good work in the name of Jesus, we receive rewards from God, and God receives glory from others! 1 Peter 2:12).

__Julie Ackerman Link
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``````````God bless you and keep you and give you His love;````````
````````````God prosper your labor with help from above.```````````
````````Be His strength in your arm and His love in you soul,`````````
```````His smile your reward and His glory your goal. __Anon.````````
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When we serve in Jesus' name, He gets the glory.

************Today's Bible Reading __ Matthew 6:1-4***************

1 Take heed that you do
not do your charitable
deeds before men, to be
seen by them. Otherwise
you have no reward from
your Father in heaven.

2 Therefore, when you do a
charitable deed, do not
sound a trumpet before you
as the hypocrites do in the
synogogues and in the
streets, that they may have
glory from men. Assuredly,
I say to you, they have their
reward. 3 But when you do
a charitable deed, do not let
your left hand know what
your right hand is doing,

4 that your charitable deed
may be n secret; and your
Father who sees in secret
will Himself reward you
openly.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

As Jesus speaks about the inappropriateness of doing deeds just
to be seen and applauded by people, He uses a very strong word
to describe those who practice these things: hypocrites (v.2). The
Greek term here is hupokrites, which is the word for actor. IN
ancient Greece, actors wore masks to convey emotion, so the term
hupokrites was used to describe those who wear a mask, or who
pretend to be something they are not. Robertson's Word Pictures in
the New Testament says: "This is the hardest word that Jesus
has for any class of people and He employs it for these pious
pretenders who pose as perfect. They have received their reward."

__BILL CROWDER