‘Tis the season for giving. My family and I have always celebrated this time of year as a family holiday, not a religious holy day. I enjoy the decorations, the weather, and the music of this season. But I especially enjoy the gifts. Somewhere along the way, probably about the time my children were born, I started to learn why it is more blessed to give than to receive. There is something special about watching someone open a gift that you carefully picked out for them. And there’s an even greater joy of hearing those three cherished words from the recipient: “Is that all?” It’s easy during this season to become so focused on what we are giving to others that we neglect giving to the Lord. When we do that, we rob ourselves of one of the greatest joys of life, regardless of the time of year. This giving is for every season. Both Mark and Luke record an event in the life of Jesus that would have been easy to overlook. It is only four verses in each gospel account, but Mark says that Jesus called His disciples to Him to point out what He saw. It involved “a poor widow” (Mark 12:42) and her gift that she put into the treasury. Through her mighty example, she still speaks about the joy of giving to the Lord. Giving is not just about the amount of money. Money is involved of course because money is a gift from God. He blesses us with jobs so that we can earn wages to support our families and provide the necessities of life. These funds also enable us to “have something to share with him who has need” (Eph. 4:28). When we return a portion of our money to the Lord, we are recognizing that “every good thing bestowed and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights” (James 1:17). But what if you don’t have a lot of money to give? Does that exclude you from this great joy? God forbid! Jesus saw “many rich people” putting in “large sums” of money into the treasury. He did not condemn them for doing such. But He also saw a poor widow put in “two small copper coins, which amount to a cent” (Mark 12:42). This coin, the Greek leptos, was the smallest denomination of money used by the Romans. Yet, Jesus said “she put in more than all the contributors” (12:43). It is not necessarily the monetary value of your gift that matters to God but the measure of your faith in Him. Giving is something everyone can do. In Jesus’ day, to be a widow was to be neglected. Just the verse before, the Lord warned about the scribes “who devour widows’ houses” (Mark 12:40). Most of them had no one to protect them or to represent them in court. And if you think being a widow was bad, what about a poor widow? What could she possibly have to offer? Still, Jesus said that she gave “out of her poverty” (Mark 12:44). From the youngest to the oldest, from the newborn babe in Christ to the seasoned saint, everyone has something they can contribute. You can give a handshake or hug. You can give an encouraging word. You can give a smile. You can give a warm welcome. You can give your time. You can give a lot. And when we THE EASTSIDE ENCOURAGER A publication of the Eastside church of Christ Shelbyville, TN 1803 Madison St. Shelbyville, TN 37160 www.churchateastside.com Dec, 31, 2017 do such things for one another, Jesus said, “to the extent you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me” (Matt. 25:40). Giving to your brethren is a way you give to the Lord. Giving involves the greatest gift of all: yourself. Jesus saw a difference in the rich people who were putting in large sums of money and the poor widow who put in two small copper coins. She “put in all she owned, all she had to live on” (Mark 12:44). The selfish keep what they have from themselves. The selfless give it up for a higher purpose. When we needed God the most, do you know what He gave? Himself. He so loved the world that He “gave His only begotten Son” (John 3:16). The Father did not withhold Him who was beloved and precious to Him. When we give to the Lord, we should not choose out of a pile of things we were going to get rid of anyway. We should not select from a surplus that we didn’t need in the first place. We should give the most valuable thing we possess: our whole heart and soul. Such is the response of those who first give “themselves to the Lord” (2 Cor. 8:5). Give to God what He wants most. It’s the only time you won’t have to worry with a gift receipt. ARE YOU FAITHFUL? As another year is approaching, it is a good time to stop and consider your spiritual condition. Why not be determined now to be a better servant of God in the future than you’ve been in the past? If God grants us a New Year may we strive to be better disciples here at Eastside in 2018 than we were in 2017. (MDR)

On four different occasions in the book of Deuteronomy, Moses summoned the people to receive instruction from the Lord by saying, "Hear, O Israel…" (5:1; 6:4; 9:1; 20:3). Someone has stated that it ought to be a matter of encouragement to every sane person that God has spoken to us. Just prior to fording the Jordan River into the Promised Land, "Moses and the priests spoke to all Israel, saying, 'Take heed and listen, O Israel; This day you have become the people of God. Therefore you shall obey the voice of the Lord your God, and observe His commandments and His statutes which I command you today'" (Deuteronomy 27:9). There is something significant about being called the people of God. While I write that I know none would dispute it though some by their teaching and practice make it void. What it meant to be the people of God is that they were to "take heed" to what God says. It is not merely acknowledging that God has spoken. It is not some mere exercise in the reading and recitation of some facts. It is to give one's self over to what God says for the sole purpose of obeying. One is not taking heed who argues, complains and becomes disgruntled with the message of God. A chief characteristic of the people of God is that they respond to God's word without questioning, rationalizing otherwise discounting the word to mean anything more or less than what it says. Furthermore, they do not allow circumstances, whether convenient or not, to determine whether or not they heed God's commands. It is interesting to note Moses tells Israel to "Take heed and listen." Why this order of "take heed" and "listen?" Moses had reminded Israel earlier that they were a special people to God (26:16-19) and with that comes not only privileges but solemn responsibilities which should be carried out with all their heart and soul. To listen then, is another mark of the people of God, it indicates their readiness and willingness to hear God whenever and wherever He speaks. Again someone has well noted that listening is the beginning of all understanding (James 1:19-20). Thus, to listen is an expression of dependence on God; as obedience (from the heart and soul) is an expression of gratitude toward God by those who are called the people of God. God speaks today through His Son Jesus Christ and it is contained in the New Testament (Hebrews 1:1-3; John 12:48-50). Can we do any less today, with respect to God's instructions through His Son, than "take heed and listen" if we truly desire to be the people of God? While Israel, the people of THE EASTSIDE ENCOURAGER A publication of the Eastside church of Christ Shelbyville, TN 1803 Madison St. Shelbyville, TN 37160 www.churchateastside.com Dec, 31, 2017 God, under the Old Testament received the earthly promised land, the Hebrew writer reminds those today under the New Covenant "There remains therefore a rest for the people of God" (Hebrews 4:9). Let us, "Take heed and listen."