Thanksgiving Day has passed. Leftovers. Turkey and ham. Noodles. Corn and green beans. Holiday bread and rolls. Pumpkin and pecan pie. Not bad for a day or two, but I’m ready for a cheeseburger and fries...or pizza. Leftovers are ok, but they’re…well, they’re leftovers. I have to wonder if God gets tired of leftovers...our leftovers. For a day or two, maybe for a few weeks, perhaps (if we’re extreme) for as long as a month we strive to be thankful for the abundant life of this culture in this time and place, thankful for each other, and thankful for all of God’s blessings—but eventually we face the temptation to surrender to the routine of daily habit, and real gratitude becomes lost to the mundane. “Thank You, Lord, for that which we are about to receive.�?“God is great, God is good, and we thank You for this�?�?“Good food, good meat; good�?�?/P>

Now when [Jesus] had spoken, a Pharisee asked Him to have lunch with him; and He went in, and reclined at the table. 38 When the Pharisee saw it, he was surprised that He had not first ceremonially washed before the meal. 39 But the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and of the platter; but inside of you, you are full of robbery and wickedness. 40 “You foolish ones, did not He who made the outside make the inside also? 41 “But give that which is [inside the cup] as charity [alms], and then all things are clean for you. 42 “But woe to you Pharisees! For you pay tithe of mint and rue and every kind of garden herb, and yet disregard justice and the love of God; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others (Lu 11:37; NAS). I don’t think Jesus meant for us to be generous in our giving thanks to Him by sharing with others once or twice, or even three times, a year. I’m pretty sure it is supposed to be 24/7/365.

The word that is translated charity, or alms, in Luke 11:41, is eleemosune (Strong's #1654), which means, compassion, i.e. (as exercised towards the poor) beneficence, or (concretely) a benefaction�?I>deeds. The message that is being spoken in these verses is painfully direct. To be clean on the inside is to give from within at least what is suggested by the outside. Our munificent giving to those in need should be at least equal to our dedication to maintaining the structures of our religion. This generosity includes our time and our interest, as well as our finances, and it should draw from all of our resources. If we are to take up our cross and follow Jesus outside “the gates of our city�?we must be offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ in the form of Obedience�?B>Sharing�?B>Giving as we pursue RIGHTEOUS LIVING�?B>THANKFUL PRAISE�?B>GOOD DEEDS (Ro 12:1; He 13: 15&16). We must give from inside our cup, not just from outward existence.

God asks of us a commitment to freely give a portion of our resources to the Kingdom. This giving is to include not just our money, but also our stuff, our talents, and our time. In Second Corinthians 8:6&7, Paul admonishes us, Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver (NIV). Prayerfully listen to Christ’s exhortation to all believers: If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear." "Consider carefully what you hear," he continued. "With the measure you use, it will be measured to you--and even more. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him" (Mk 4:23-25; NIV).

Is God faithful in His promise to honor materially the believer who is a cheerful giver? Ask any Christian who has developed the habit of regular giving. I am not advocating a “name it and claim it�?faith, far from it, but this I know: There is an inordinate number of “coincidences�?that seem to follow the routine giver regarding the meeting of worldly needs. Don’t believe me? God, Himself, says, "Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. "But you ask, `How do we rob you?' "In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse--the whole nation of you--because you are robbing me. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit," says the LORD Almighty. "Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land," says the LORD Almighty (Ma 3:8-10; NIV). Something else I have learned: If you do not give to God His portion, that portion will not serve you well. Unexpected expenses and/or foolish expenditures will eat it up. Here we are entering the realm of addictions and the nature of the Devil.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life (Jn 3:16; NIV). Ironically, Pilate, and all the Roman and Jewish leadership, assumed that the inside of Christ’s tomb would be full of “dead man’s bones�?as a natural consequence of the outside circumstances of death. But the inside of the tomb was “clean�?because God the Father gave the best from inside His cup to all the world’s poor, broken, and suffering; to those in jail and in hospitals; to the hungry and all who need clothing and shelter—to all who are dead in their sins (Co 2:13). God the Father poured out that which was most dear to His heart, His beloved Son, Jesus, upon the Earth so that we might have life, and life abundant (Jn 10:10). The cross is empty. The tomb is empty—but heaven and our hearts are full to overflowing with His presence through the Holy Spirit. Christ is risen...Jesus lives! Thank You, Father, for the gift of eternal life and love. Amen.