Category: Servitude

Jesus Continuously Sought Power in Prayer

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The Bible compares the man who lives in dependence on God to a tree that draws its sustenance from an underground river (Jeremiah 17:5-8). That is how Jesus lived – perpetually drawing His spiritual resources, as a man, from the Holy Spirit (the river of God).

Jesus’ victory over temptation, was not through human determination, but because He drew strength from the Father, moment-by-moment. The way of self-denial as exemplified and taught by Jesus is not one where the soul attempts to master itself. No. That is Buddhism and yoga and is as different from the teaching of Scripture as earth is from heaven.

“Jesus continuously sought for the power of God in prayer, and was never disappointed.”
Jesus taught that as human beings we do not have the power to live and serve God as we should. He said that we were like helpless branches entirely dependent on the sap supplied by the tree for fruitfulness. “Apart from Me,” He said, “you can do nothing” (John 15:5). And so, what we do manage to do, without the help of the Holy Spirit can be considered to be NOTHING. Herein lies the vital necessity to be “filled with the Spirit continuously” (Ephesians 5:18).

Jesus Himself was filled and anointed with the Holy Spirit (Luke 4:1, 18), and He lived and laboured for His Father in the Spirit’s power. But this was possible, only because as a man, He was poor in spirit.

Jesus was conscious of the weakness of the human frame that He had taken on. Therefore, He was perpetually looking for opportunities to get alone and pray. Someone has said that, as tourists look for good hotels and for important sights to be seen, when they enter a city, so Jesus looked for solitary places where He could pray.

He sought for power to overcome temptation and put His soul-power to death. No man was as conscious as Jesus was, of the utter weakness of the flesh, and so He sought the Father’s face in prayer for help, as no man ever did. He prayed with “loud crying and tears” in the days of His flesh. The result was that He was mightily strengthened by the Father, much more than any other man. Thus, Jesus never once sinned and never lived out from His soul (Hebrews 4:15; 5:7-9).

Is it not significant that 25 times in the gospels, the words “pray” or “prayer” are used in connection with Jesus? Therein lay the secret of His life and His labours.

Jesus not only prayed before the great events of His life, but also after some of His great achievements. After feeding the five thousand miraculously, He withdrew into the mountains to pray (Matthew 14:23). This was no doubt to guard against temptations to pride or complacency over the work accomplished, and to renew His strength by waiting on His Father (Isaiah 40:31). We usually pray only before we have some important task to do for the Lord. But if we would develop the habit that Jesus had, of waiting before the Father after we have finished our task, we would preserve ourselves from pride and thus be equipped to do greater things for the Lord.

The busier Jesus’ life became, the more He prayed. There were times when He did not have time to eat or even to rest (Mark 3:20; 6:31, 33, 46), but He always took time to pray. He knew when to sleep and when to pray, for He obeyed the promptings of the Spirit.

Poverty of spirit is a prerequisite for effective prayer. Prayer is the expression of human helplessness, and if it is to be meaningful and not a mere ritual, there must be a constant recognition of the inadequacy of human resources either to live the Christian life or to serve God.

Jesus continuously sought for the power of God in prayer and was never disappointed. Thus, He accomplished things through prayer, that even He could not have accomplished in any other way.

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**By Zac Poonen © Copyright – Zac Poonen. No changes whatsoever are to be made to the content of the article without written permission from the author. https://www.cfcindia.com/ / Photo by Antonie de Kok at Pexels

The Story of the Talents: Faithful Stewardship

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“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” – 1 Peter 4:10

Jesus teaches an important principle in Luke 16:10: “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much.” This truth reminds us that faithfulness in small matters leads to greater responsibility in God’s kingdom. Every good thing we possess—our time, talents, resources, and opportunities—comes from God’s grace and is meant to be used for His purposes.

The Parable of the Talents: A Call to Intentional Living

In Matthew 25:14–30, Jesus tells the story of a rich landowner who entrusts his servants with a measure of talents before embarking on a long journey. To one servant, he gives five talents; to another, two; and to the last, one. Each is given according to their ability, with the understanding that they are to invest and steward these resources wisely. Upon his return, the master rewards the two servants who doubled their talents but sternly rebukes the servant who buried his out of fear.

This story reminds us that living with intentionality is central to our calling as followers of Christ. We are all endowed with gifts from God—not just financial resources but talents, time, relationships, and other forms of capital. The question is: how are we investing what has been entrusted to us?

Stewardship: Using God’s Gifts Wisely

The Bible repeatedly emphasises that we are stewards, not owners, of the gifts God has entrusted to us. Whether our abilities are great or small, God calls us to use them to serve others. 1 Peter 4:10 urges us to be faithful stewards of God’s grace, recognising that He has uniquely gifted each of us for a purpose.

To neglect or misuse these gifts is to fail in our calling, as the parable of the talents warns us against burying our abilities out of fear or complacency. Instead, God expects us to invest them wisely for His glory and the benefit of others.

Moving with Purpose

Much like the analogy of steering a car, it’s impossible to make progress while standing still. Action is necessary to see God’s guidance in our lives. The servant who buried his talent was immobilised by fear—fear of failure, judgment, or inadequacy. But God calls us to step forward in faith, trusting that He will lead us as we move. Passivity is the enemy of growth and purpose.

When we hesitate, burying our gifts and opportunities, we risk losing the reward of seeing God’s power at work through our efforts. The Lord desires to bless our intentionality—not just with worldly success, but with eternal fruit that glorifies Him.

Faithful in the Little Things

Many desire great opportunities but overlook the significance of small, daily acts of obedience. However, Scripture shows that God often tests us in the little things before entrusting us with greater things.

• Joseph’s Faithfulness: Long before he became second-in-command over Egypt, Joseph remained faithful in obscurity — first in Potiphar’s house, then in prison. He lived with integrity and wisdom, even when no one else seemed to notice (Genesis 39–41).

• David’s Humility: David wasn’t called from the palace — he was found tending sheep. It was his faithful care of a small flock, done wholeheartedly, that prepared him for the weight of kingship (1 Samuel 16:11–13).

• Jesus’ Obedience: The Son of God Himself spent 30 years in quiet faithfulness — submitting to human authority, working as a carpenter, living in relative obscurity. Yet His Father declared, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17), before any miracles or public ministry. Later, He demonstrated servant leadership again by washing His disciples’ feet (John 13:12–17), showing that greatness in the kingdom of God begins with humility and service.

Entrusted with Greater Things

When we are faithful in the little things—showing kindness, using our gifts, managing our resources well—God sees and rewards our diligence. This does not always mean material blessings, but He will entrust us with greater spiritual responsibilities, deeper intimacy with Him, and more opportunities to impact others.

The Apostle Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 4:2: “Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.” As we steward God’s grace, He will use us for His glory, expanding our influence in ways we may not expect.

The Six Capitals of Life

God has gifted each of us with six forms of capital, which we are called to steward:

1. Financial Capital – Resources and wealth to be used wisely for the Kingdom.

2. Physical Capital – Our health and bodies, which we should maintain and strengthen.

3. Intellectual Capital – Our minds, which we should nurture to grow in wisdom and understanding.

4. Relational Capital – Relationships with others that reflect Christ’s love and foster unity.

5. Spiritual Capital – Our connection with God, the source of true life and purpose.

6. Time Capital – The equal gift of 24 hours a day given to all, to be used for His glory.

While some may have more financial or physical resources than others, everyone is equally entrusted with the gift of time. How we invest these capitals matters greatly.

Living as Faithful Stewards

To be faithful in the little things, we must:

1. Recognise Everything as God’s Gift – Our talents, finances, time, and opportunities are entrusted to us, not owned by us.

2. Serve Others with What We Have – Instead of waiting for bigger opportunities, we should use what is in our hands today to bless those around us.

3. Remain Humble and Obedient – Faithfulness in obscurity often precedes greater responsibilities in God’s kingdom.

4. Trust God’s Timing – He sees our faithfulness and will open doors when we are ready.

A Prayer for Faithful Stewardship

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for the gifts, resources, and opportunities You have entrusted to me. Help me to be a faithful steward of Your grace, using what I have to serve others and glorify You. Teach me to recognise the value of small acts of obedience and to trust that You see and reward faithfulness. Guard my heart from pride, fear, or complacency, and give me the wisdom to use everything You have given me for Your kingdom. Strengthen me to serve diligently, whether seen or unseen, knowing that all I do is for Your glory. May I be found faithful in the little things so that You can entrust me with greater things, according to Your perfect will. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Conclusion

Every gift we have is by God’s grace and meant to be used for His purpose. Being faithful in small things demonstrates our readiness for greater things. As we serve diligently, God will entrust us with more, shaping us into faithful stewards who reflect His grace to the world. Let us, therefore, embrace our calling with faithfulness, knowing that in God’s economy, no act of obedience is too small to matter.

Read the full story of the talents in Matthew 25:14–30, and allow Jesus’ words to stir your heart toward action.

Go after your life with intentionality. Let every resource, every relationship, every moment be an offering to God. For in the end, it is not about how much we’ve been given, but how faithfully we’ve invested in what truly matters.

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** Article based on Talk by Karl Martin at Streams Studio / Photo by RDNE at Pexels

Perseverance – An Overlooked Work

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Key Quotes

“I was also blessed to see the example of Job, that despite all his good works and outstandingly upright life, it wasn’t until he persevered in trial that Job brought maximum glory to God and became such a great witness of God that Satan’s mouth was shut.”

“Jesus said in John 6 that the work of God is to believe in Him and what greater opportunity to do this work than when we have to persevere in trial and trust in His Love, Wisdom and Power!”

“I know that whatever limitations/boundaries God may put forth for me in future, whether in health or finances or time, I can be a useful servant by bringing glory to His name and by being faithful while fighting any form of grumbling, complaining or discontentment. This can bring as much glory as (and even more) than someone who goes out from street to street each day to witness for the gospel or sells everything they have and goes as a missionary to another country.”

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A couple of months back, I was pondering about my future and wondering what life would be like if I had to relocate to another state or country without access to like-minded believers or a local community like NCCF. What if the opportunities to serve in my current capacity were no longer available? Would my life be wasting away?

I felt God open my eyes to see how narrow minded I was regarding what it means to serve God. My idea of real service and usefulness to God was mostly limited to things like helping out in the church, sharing God’s word during bible study, or sharing the gospel with an unbeliever. However God reminded me that the purpose of all true service should be to glorify Him (I Corinthians 10:31), and if so, He has many ways He desires to be glorified, and many of them may not be obvious to others, even fellow believers.

God is the one who appoints each of his servants to play a unique role in glorifying Him. One person may be called to glorify God through faithful preaching, another through sacrificial missionary work, another through faithful raising of children as a mom, another through facing constant threats from the government for their faith, yet another through joy and praise to God despite battling a difficult illness. All have equal opportunity to glorify God to the exact same degree, even though to us one may seem more noble or highly esteemed than the other. God is not only interested in me being a witness before other people, but even more so to angels and principalities, who also see my works and attitude in secret.

“My brethren, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of suffering and patience. Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord—that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.” – James 5:10-11 NKJV

I was also blessed to see the example of Job, that despite all his good works and outstandingly upright life (Job 1:8, Job 31:1-end), it wasn’t until he persevered in trial that Job brought maximum glory to God and became such a great witness of God that Satan’s mouth was shut.

‘Then they said to Him, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?” Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.”’ – John 6:28-29 NKJV

Jesus said in John 6 that the work of God is to believe in Him and what greater opportunity to do this work than when we have to persevere in trial and trust in His Love, Wisdom and Power!

Therefore, I need never fear the future, because I know that whatever limitations/boundaries God may put forth for me in future, whether in health or finances or time, I can be a useful servant by bringing glory to His name and by being faithful while fighting any form of grumbling, complaining or discontentment. This can bring as much glory as (and even more) than someone who goes out from street to street each day to witness for the gospel or sells everything they have and goes as a missionary to another country. I can bring glory to God just like Jesus did for the first 30 years of His life – every nail Jesus hit with His hammer was an act of service to God. It is not the servant’s place to tell his Master how his Master ought to be served. Rather, my duty is to be faithful to do all that that I have been allotted (1 Corinthians 4:2 TLB). 

May the Lord help us all to be found faithful regardless of what God calls each one to do. Amen!

“If we endure hardship, we will reign with him.” ‭‭- 2 Timothy‬ ‭2‬:‭12‬a ‭NLT‬‬

“I know your works, tribulation, and poverty (but you are rich)… Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer… Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.” – ‭‭Revelation‬ ‭2‬:‭9‬-‭10‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

‘This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, “Follow Me.”’ – ‭‭John‬ ‭21‬:‭19‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

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**By Shina Madamori © Copyright – Shina Madamori. No changes whatsoever are to be made to the content of the article without written permission from the author at NCCF Church

Our Earthly Life: A Disposable Cup

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Key Quotes

“There’s something valuable about remembering death, and thinking about it. When we think forward it urges us on to live a worthwhile life now. And when I stand before God, I’ll definitely at that time be thinking about how I wish I had lived. But the wise ones are the ones who consider that question now, and not just consider that question, but they do something about it”

“When I come to die (or the Lord returns first), will I say, “I wish I could have showed the Lord more how much He means to me.”

“One of my goals in this life is to gain the continual habit of gently turning my attention away from distraction and back to the Lord and His presence, throughout every day.”

“Our disposable life can be a cup full of devotion to Christ – devotion means : Christ is EVERYTHING to me. The disposable cup full of Christlikeness to live here and please the Lord not just outwardly, but inwardly from the heart with pure love and intentions flowing out of us. The disposable cup full of humility which lifts the Father and Jesus up, and is happy to go down and decrease because He is increasing. The disposable cup full of trust and faith which bows before God’s wisdom and love, in the midst of great pain and years of suffering – contently committing ourself to the Lord’s hand through it all to do as He will”

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One of the most challenging things Paul said was in Acts 20:24 “I consider my life worth nothing to me…” (NIV). I read mainly the NASB translation of the Bible today, but I learned this verse in the NIV and as a teenager I was so challenged by what Paul said there. What a challenge Paul gave us in his example.

We can tell a lot about ourself by what pops up in our phone apps and on our computers, in our web browsers – Recommended videos, and ads, etc. Companies spend billions to track our behavior and recommend us content they think we will consume. So in a sense I suppose at least some of what comes back to me is a reflection of myself – and my interests.

But I was surprised the other day that Youtube recommended me a really random video, I have no idea why. The video was a live stream of a memorial of a random lady who had recently passed away a day or two earlier. This was not a famous lady – it was an older woman who lived in the U.S. somewhere, and the funeral home where her service was had a Youtube channel which livestreamed the services. And for reasons unknown to me, it popped up in my recommended videos.

At first I was confused and ignored it, but then I was reminded of Ecclesiastes 7:2 : “It is better to go to a house of mourning Than to go to a house of feasting, Because that is the end of every man, And the living takes it to heart.” So I clicked on it and started watching.

There’s something valuable about remembering death, and thinking about it. When we think forward it urges us on to live a worthwhile life now. And when I stand before God, I’ll definitely at that time be thinking about how I wish I had lived. But the wise ones are the ones who consider that question now, and not just consider that question, but they do something about it (see the parable of the wise and foolish virgins in Matthew 25).

So I clicked on that live stream (which had been going on for a little while already – so I scanned through it), and I watched family members talk of this womans life – the challenges she went through, losing a husband who died somehow when the kids were young. Trying to raise her daughters in the right way, and be there as a support to her grandkids in the midst of everything.

But the thing that touched me most is what her granddaughter said. She said weeping, “I wish I could have told you more how much you mean to me.” And I thought of people that have passed away in my life, and how we definitely often have that thought: “If only I had one more day…”

But then I realized something even more important on the exact same lines, but not toward loved ones. Toward God: we have JUST this one life to show God how much He means to us.

And here’s the question: When I come to die (or the Lord returns first), will I say, “I wish I could have showed the Lord more how much He means to me.”

And it flips my perspective on everything when I think like that. How much more I wish I would have strove against sin harder in my inner life, to spend plain and simple time with Him – not with masterful professional prayers but just 2 friends alone with each other – Jesus and I. To love Jesus by loving others and showing them mercy and encouragement, to be content in all trials and suffering for His sake, to praise Him in them. To labor WITH God for salvation of others by praying for them and never giving up, to seek His presence always, and treasure Him above all. To despise the things of earth, and to consider everything of earth rubbish for His sake – to know Him and to please Him.

What a chance we have now. But we only have it now. 2 Cor 6:2 “… Behold, now is “THE ACCEPTABLE TIME,” behold, now is “THE DAY OF SALVATION”

I’ve heard it said, “A man is what the thinks about all day.” One of my goals in this life is to gain the continual habit of gently turning my attention away from distraction and back to the Lord and His presence, throughout every day. Not to fix my gaze on ‘other cares’. It’s not easy. I don’t think many Christians ever attain that type of closeness with the Lord. But the Lord put in my heart the desire for that life, and I believe that this is the way to keep doing everything for the love and glory of God (1 Cor 10:31) – to carry my cross with Jesus in my sights (Heb 12:2) and in my heart. Otherwise it’s like a wife who cooks and cleans the home, and doesn’t leave – but has no desire for her husband, no intention to love and be with him. It can be lifeless. I have to keep the Father and Jesus in my heart in the midst of all of this. I need the right life WITH the right motive.

The Lord gave me a picture one time: I like to drink coffee in disposable cups. I enjoy the coffee. But the cup is basically value-less except for what it holds for a temporary time. I throw it out after. And I saw – that is EXACTLY what our life is: Disposable. That’s what Paul said “my life is worth nothing to me.. if only I may finish my course” (Acts 20:24). The only value this life holds is what it can contain of Jesus in this passing moment that we are here. It’s disposable. It’s a disposable life – but can be full of treasure while it is here for a little time, before it’s thrown out.

Our disposable life can be a cup full of devotion to Christ – devotion means : Christ is EVERYTHING to me. That devotion is the valuable thing this disposable life can hold for a time.
The disposable cup full of Christlikeness to live here and please the Lord not just outwardly, but inwardly from the heart with pure love and intentions flowing out of us
The disposable cup full of humility which lifts the Father and Jesus up, and is happy to go down and decrease because He is increasing
The disposable cup full of trust and faith which bows before God’s wisdom and love, in the midst of great pain and years of suffering – contently committing ourself to the Lord’s hand through it all to do as He will

This is the eternal value which our disposable cup can hold for some time until we take it into eternity.

James 4:14 “…You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.”

And it is spiritually very helpful – thinking about the future and our end (even in the form of watching Youtube memorials of strangers!) – to meditate on: what will matter 1000 years from now? Or even 100 years from now? This helped me early on in my Christian life. And I’m working to try to teach my kids about this today.

Here’s a poem which also challenged me when I was younger and I heard it – to live more seriously for God now, and to fix my mind on things above (Colossians 3:2):

100 YEARS FROM NOW
It will not make much difference, friend,
A hundred years from now,
If you live in a stately mansion
Or on a floating river scow;
If the clothes you wear are tailor-made
Or pieced together somehow,
If you eat big steaks or beans and cake
A hundred years from now.

It won’t matter about your bank account
Or the make of car you drive,
For the grave will claim your riches and fame
And the things for which you strive.
There’s a deadline we all must meet
And no one will turn up late,
It won’t matter then all the places you’ve been,
Each one will keep that date.

We will only have in eternity
What we gave away on earth,
When we go to the grave we can only save
The things of eternal worth,
What matters, friend, the earthly gain
For which some men always bow?
For your destiny will be sealed, you see
A hundred years from now.

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**By Bobby McDonald © Copyright – Bobby McDonald. No changes whatsoever are to be made to the content of the article without written permission from the author. https://nccf.com/

Be A “2 Mite” Encourager

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A simple once-a-week action that will make this year a successful year.

The Bible instructs every one of us to be a fully functioning member of a local church, and to build up the Body of Christ (see Ephesians 4:12-16). This is not an optional command for some elite Christians. Rather, “until we all attain to the unity of the faith.. the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.”

So what does this building up the body of Christ by each individual part look like?

In my opinion, this true story best illustrates the non-negotiable ministry of every Christian: Mark 12:41-44 – 41 And He sat down opposite the treasury, and began observing how the people were putting money into the treasury; and many rich people were putting in large sums. 42 A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins (mites), which amount to a cent. 43 Calling His disciples to Him, He said to them, “Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the contributors to the treasury; 44 for they all put in out of their surplus, but she, out of her poverty, put in all she owned, all she had to live on.”

The Lord brought this story afresh to me as I attended a recent men’s meeting at RLCF. So I wanted to share a few things from this story as it relates to building the local church.

1. Building The Body of Christ = A Heart of Giving (Not Getting)

Building the body of Christ means a heart of giving.

Take a moment to think about the intent and purpose you had when attending recent church meetings. Fundamentally, was your heart desiring to give, or to get?

For many, many years, I attended church just to get. I wanted to get a word from the Lord, I wanted to hear something to pick me up, and so on. To be clear, there is nothing wrong in coming to the Lord and His church and seeking help. In fact, this is a necessary trait.

But our purpose in the Body of Christ is not to get and keep getting. And we cannot build up the body of Christ by getting, but only by giving. This is something that we all probably need to repeatedly remind ourselves of. I must make it a practice to remind myself as I join every single local church meeting, that the Lord wants me to bring something to give to others.

I missed this immense truth from Ephesians 4:11-16 for many years. And I don’t know if most Christians know (let alone seek to live out) that the whole body of Christ grows according to the proper working of each individual part. But we who now know this must seek to live it out too.

2. The church is not built up by money

What then should we give most of all to the New Covenant church? Is it money? No!

In the story, the woman gave money. But she lived in the Old Covenant, where giving money (known as the “tithe”) was required. Jesus lived in the intersection of the Old and New Covenant – at a time when the Old Covenant was still being observed, even as He was establishing the New Covenant first through His own life, and then for all of us through His blood and the Holy Spirit coming to live with us.

Tithing has now been completely dismantled in the New Covenant Church.  Sadly, most Christians are ignorant of this. Most Christians still genuinely believe that giving at least 10% of their income is the primary giving that Christians must do. And most Christians believe that (and even many Christian leaders behave as if) what churches need most to survive is money.

What a tragedy. This is a clear sign that an earthly (money-driven) mindset has infiltrated the church. That is also the reason why the church at large today is deeply lacking in Divine power. And the fault for this lies primarily with us shepherds and teachers who have not studied and understood and explained God’s New Covenant clearly.

Also, we see that the poor widow gave two mites, which amount to just one cent – and yet, Jesus proclaimed that she gave MORE than all the others combined. Take a moment to let the meaning of this sink in, as this is so contrary to what we see in Christendom today. To me, this is a CRYSTAL-CLEAR statement from Jesus that the quantity of money is unimportant to Jesus in His Kingdom. And everything I read about the New Covenant backs this up.

(See the additional note at the end about New Covenant Giving)

3. The church is built up by courage

So what builds up the church of Jesus Christ, and what can every single member give?

It is not money. Rather, it is the spirit of COURAGE. Christ’s body is in dire need of those who can sustain and supply it with courage.

That is what an encourager is (1 Corinthians 14:3) – one who gives courage to others. And a truly Spirit-filled church is one that is filled with the Spirit of courage (2 Timothy 1:7; the opposite of cowardice is courage).

Many churches focus on Biblical teaching. And many sincere Christians also look most for a church that has solid teaching. To be sure, every local church needs Spirit-guided Bible teaching to be protected from false doctrines. But solid teaching is not what causes the church to grow. The local church grows from the proper working of each individual part. And so, the local church is sustained and grows and thrives only where there is ongoing mutual encouragement.

The true strength of any local church is the number of consistent courage-givers that the church has, not the amount of financial giving or number of attendees or so on.

4. Just give 2 mites of courage

I also love that in this story, the poor widow gave 2 mites. I love it because at NCCF, we have local mid-week church meetings where anyone who is part of the NCCF church family can take 2 minutes to encourage others. That is, 2 minutes to give others courage to keep enduring in the faith. We need our eyes to be opened to the reality that these 2 minutes can be as invaluable as the 2 mites the poor widow gave.

Can you imagine if in our mid-week meetings of our local church, every single member in the NCCF church family brought just 2 minutes of courage with them. I believe such mid-week meetings would be as richly Spirit-filled (in authority and essence) as the Day of Pentecost (1 Corinthians 14:24-25).

We can very easily give into the thinking that 2 minutes of courage-giving is meaningless to the Lord. I’m sure the devil also tried to convince the poor widow that her two mites were meaningless to the Lord. But I’m glad she resisted that thought and is now an example to us.   And not only is such thinking wrong, we must increasingly view it as heresy!

May God’s truth trump over every bit of our human logic wisdom (Romans 3:4). We must be ruthless to tear down the lies of our feelings (2 Corinthians 10:5) by boldly opening our mouths to give courage to others. This is building God’s Body in the way HE has prescribed it. No matter what value we think or feel about it, God values it immensely. Jesus called His disciples specifically to point out the poor widow’s courageous statement in bringing her 2 mites to God.

5. Give to God from out of my poverty

Jesus also says that this poor widow for gave “out of her poverty.”

I do not know what this poor widow’s life must have been like (I’ve never been in any situation close to that; I’m sure it was an incredibly difficult time for her). But I do know what it feels like to come to the church meeting in total poverty. I have so often come to the church meeting feeling empty, with nothing really to give to others in the local church.

What can I give when I am feeling that way?

Two words (like two mites) if spoken sincerely and genuinely to God is enough: “Thank you!”

Think of the poor Samaritan leper who had just been healed of his leprosy in Luke 17:11-19. He alone (out of 10) came back to say thank you. Jesus had told all 10 lepers to show themselves to the priests. When these lepers got healed, all they needed now was the priest’s certificate to see their loved ones once again and to get on with the rest of their lives. So even though they were healed, their lives were still stuck until they got the signoff from the priests. The rest of their lives were wide-open once again as soon as the priests certified their healing.

But for this one Samaritan leper, his heart of gratitude trumped all of his dreams and hopes and plans for the future. He was willing to remain “stuck” for a while longer. He set aside ALL of his thoughts and dreams and immense feelings about his loved ones and his future, to first go to Jesus and say, “Thank you!”

This is what we too can do in the local church meeting, even in our poverty and when we’re feeling stuck. We must set aside all of our track records (good or bad), as well as all of our cares and worries and dreams of this world. And we must remind ourselves of what the Lord has done for us already.

The devil will be eager to remind us of all the things that we have NOT done for the Lord. But let us not fear – this just makes us poor. Let us nonetheless come to Jesus and at least give Him our two mites of “Thank you,” out of our poverty. God blesses any giving that comes out of a place of need. Christ’s strength is activated when we bring our weakness to Him. Not all weak people get supernatural strength. But any weak person who comes to Christ, will surely get His supernatural strength.

So especially in times of great spiritual poverty, we must set aside and turn away from all our track records, and look at the track record of Jesus Christ and His love for us. We must renew and refresh (make fresh) our minds to the truths of thew immense love and sacrifice of Jesus for us when we were His enemies (Romans 5:8-10).

The words “Thank you!” have no power in and of itself. But if we are willing to recognize the SIMPLE REALITY of who God is, who we were (and still are), and what God has already done for us as demonstrated on Calvary, then this heart expressed with our lips WILL result in our salvation. The act of the Samaritan leper coming back and saying thank you is what brought him salvation (Luke 17:19), and it is what will also surely bring salvation to us as well (Romans 10:10).

6. Give from what I have to live on

Jesus said that she gave out of what she had to live on.

God doesn’t want me to encourage others with theories. He wants me to give that which I have to live on. So many Christians give massive amounts to God, but it is out of their surplus – out of their own human intelligence and creativity, and seeking to impress others. And the whole world might be impressed by this, but Jesus isn’t.

Jesus looks favorably at those who give from what has proved essential to their lives – what they have to live on. Life-strengthening words, even if spoken through stammers and tears and broken sentences, will transmit Divine courage to others. Meanwhile, rah-rah speeches, emotional pleas, and fanciful presentations will not give others Divine courage. So let us choose to bring what we “live on” – the life that we draw from Christ.

And here are two distinctives about the life of Christ that I draw from Him:

a. It is ordinary, but it nourishes:

Jesus reminded the devil (and us) that we must live on God’s Words. He was quoting Deuteronomy 8:3 – He humbled you and let you be hungry, and fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you understand that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the LORD.

The manna that fed the Israelites every day for 40 years tasted the same – every single day. It didn’t come in various flavors (e.g. vanilla-flavored or chocolate-flavored manna). It was the same size and texture and taste every day for 40 years. But it was fresh every day, and that’s what mattered!

So also, God’s truth doesn’t have to be anything that appeals to my senses (that could be the dangerous fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil). But God’s truth must nourish and sustain my spiritual life with God.

b. It may be old but it is ever-fresh (never stale):
The life of Christ that I draw is not novel “new” ideas about Christ, but the ETERNAL truths about the good news of Jesus but which are fresh.

How can these “same old” truths remain fresh? The same way in which the manna in the Old Testament remained fresh. If the Israelites saved up manna for more than a day, it became stale. But that exact same manna that was in the Ark of the Covenant in the Most Holy Place of the tabernacle, remained fresh.

So also, God’s truths can remain fresh as I take them again and again into God’s presence and ask Him to bless it afresh. This is the only way for me to remain fresh and life-giving. Going to God with His truths and asking Him for freshness is absolutely essential transform the “same old” truths to “eternal” truths that will never fade away (John 5:39-40; Matthew 24:35).

Conclusion:

A new year has just begun. So we can begin now. If we do this once a week in a local church meeting (approximately 50 weeks), this year will be a year of rich anointing over our lives.

Wouldn’t we have loved to be there on the Day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit first came to live within 120 saints. I pray that the Lord will open our eyes to see that this very same visitation of authority and power is available to us now, and in every single church meeting.

 FOOTNOTE: Additional Note About New Covenant Giving:

We have felt that “the last thing that God wants folks to give to NCCF is money.” We do not say that God does not want our money at all, or that giving money to the church is bad. Not at all. But we personally feel that people should know that money is LAST in our priority at NCCF. In every single thing in this world, money is the first and top priority. But not in God’s church. God wants our lives and surrendered wills most of all (Romans 12:2). Then, as we seek to give every part of our lives (ambitions, plans, dreams, actions, etc), He will surely also direct us in how to use our money – primarily to care for those whom God has given us responsibility for and to help the poor around us (John 13:29). And each one obeys and gives to God here as He uniquely guides them.

Now if people use this guidance to keep the giant of “love of money” within themselves alive, they will only have themselves to blame. The New Covenant is clear about the deadly evil of the love of money (Matthew 6:24; 1 Timothy 6:6-10, 17-19).

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***By Sandeep Poonen © Copyright – Sandeep Poonen. No changes whatsoever are to be made to the content of the article without written permission from the author at NCCF Church