It’s always a blessing for me when one of the Pastors comes in and says, “Hey, we just received a check.”  And one of the things that blesses me the most is it’s not like, “I’d like to bless my best friend.”  There’ll be a note that says something like, “Whoever in the fellowship might be able to use some help or need this, I just want to give some money,” praise God!  Isn’t that a blessing?  I love that spirit.  This is one area that we can become so creature conscious, the love of the creature, the worship of the creature more than the Creator.  We can become so creature conscious that we miss out on a lot of opportunity to lay up treasure in heaven.  I’ll tell you one thing; tithing is not laying up treasure in heaven.  That already belongs to God.  Amen?  You haven’t done anything out of a willing heart, a heart of love, a heart of benevolence.  You’ve been obedient.  And God blesses us.  Amen?  It says, as we’re faithful, He’ll “open the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing” that we can’t contain (Malachi 3:10).  Wouldn’t you love to be known as somebody that’s rich toward God?  You know, Cornelius, the guy that had the Holy Spirit poured out on the Gentiles.  One of the things he was known for—he was a man of prayer, and he gave; amen?  He was a giver to the needs and to the establishing of the covenant of God.  So, these are things that we want to admonish ourselves in, in these last days, and to realize, then, that, “Having food and raiment,” that heart attitude, “I’m content” (1 Timothy 6:8).

In 1 Timothy 6:17, the word “charge” is one of the strongest terms, in the Greek, for bringing admonition.  “Charge them [command, set this mandate] that are rich in this world, that they be not high minded, nor trust in uncertain riches” (1 Timothy 6:17a).  That’s a mouthful; isn’t it?  We all know that riches can take wings and fly away; it can be gone in a minute.  So, we’re not to trust in them whatsoever.  “But charge them,” as they’re living in the Spirit, “not to trust in riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy” (verse 17b).  Charge them “that they do good.”  Charge them “that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute” (verse 18).  That word “ready” in the Greek doesn’t just mean the timing of it, that I’m ready at this moment; it also means a preparation, a mindset of making ourselves ready and keeping ourselves ready to be used of God.  This whole thing is not speaking of a spontaneous reaction, but it’s something that’s a heart change that’s going on, and we’re looking and preparing for opportunities to meet needs.  Can you say that speaks of your heart; that this is the person you are?  And “willing to communicate” (verse 18).  This communication speaks toward a couple of different things.  It means to interact but it also has to do with giving.  One of the verses that is used is to communicate to those that are ministering, feeding you with the Word of God, bringing eternal life through the Scriptures to you to be ready to communicate, to give.  This passage here is speaking of that same willingness to care for and to minster to one another without prejudice.  It is, again, a spirit of the heart that says, “Whatever needs are here, I want to be a part of that, I want to be used.  God has blessed me with this.  Is there a way that I can honor God and be rich toward God as it pertains to the community?”