This week is collection week for millions of Operation Christmas Child boxes...some thoughts about them.....
Reminds me of song...
Song " thank you for giving to the Lord"
Thank You I dreamed I went to heaven And you were there with me We walked upon the streets of gold Beside the crystal sea We heard the angels singing Then someone called your name You turned and saw this young man And he was smiling as he came And he said friend you may not know me now And then he said but wait You used to teach my Sunday School When I was only eight And every week you would say a prayer Before the class would start And one day when you said that prayer I asked Jesus in my heart CHORUS Thank you for giving to the Lord I am a life that was changed Thank you for giving to the Lord I am so glad you gave Then another man stood before you And said remember the time A missionary came to your church And his pictures made you cry You didn't have much money But you gave it anyway Jesus took the gift you gave And that's why I'm here today CHORUS (repeat) One by one they came Far as the eyes could see Each life somehow touched By your generosity Little things that you had done Sacrifices made Unnoticed on the earth In heaven now proclaimed And I know that up in heaven You're not supposed to cry But I am almost sure There were tears in your eyes As Jesus took your hand And you stood before the Lord He said, my child look around you For great is your reward CHORUS (repeat) I am so glad you gave
Quote " you can't put a dollar value on generosity "
"What is Operation Christmas Child?
Operation Christmas Child is a project of Samaritan’s Purse, an international relief organization. Our mission is to provide local partners around the world with shoeboxes filled with small toys, hygiene items, and school supplies as a means of reaching out to children in their own communities with the Good News of Jesus Christ. We ship these simple gifts outside the United States to children affected by war, poverty, natural disaster, famine, and disease; and to children living on Native American reservations in the U.S.
Why shoebox gifts?
Shoebox gifts are a way to demonstrate God’s love in a tangible way to needy children around the world, and together with the local church worldwide, to share the Good News of Jesus Christ."
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Sometimes we may think a shoe box gift or gifts in shoe box are of little consequence ...we put in our balls, pencils, tablets, toys assembly line style from our abundance...but these are just temporal/tangible things...the heart of each box may be the intangible....
What can we possibly find in a shoe box?
1. Love....john 3:16. For God so loved...
2. Laughter....walking and keeping and praising God...
3. Wonder....amazement...
4. Sharing...giving In our abundance to those in need...
5. Playing.....fellowship...
6. A livelihood.....crafts, a screw driver, a fishing kit...
7. Help in schools with supplies...basic education supplies
8. Help for young women/ men in personal hygiene
9. The very Word of the Creator on the universe ....a chance to study God's Word...
10. A means to present the gospel
11. An invitation that has the power to change lives in generations for eternity
Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.
Romans 10:17
12. Church planting, a potential to start a fellowship in a new area of the world
13. Opportunity to bring people from various cultures together
14. The gift of giving which can change the givers life....A gift opens the way and ushers the giver into the presence of the great....Proverbs 18:16
15. Opportunity for all ages to give and receive...all ages can give and receive...
16. Touching someone's heart
17. The potential to build dreams
18. A new path in life...because of the gospel
19. A new song....He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear the Lord and put their trust in him. Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods. Many, Lord my God, are the wonders you have done, the things you planned for us. None can compare with you; were I to speak and tell of your deeds, they would be too many to declare.....Psalm 40:3-5
20. A new life
21. Desert to lushness...
22. Dry to water...fulfills a thirst
23. Hardness to brokenness and freedom through Christ...
24. Death to life...
25. Darkness to light...
26. Unknowing to knowing Christ...
27. Hopelessness to hope...
28. Anger to joy....
29. Neglect to care ....
30. Frowns to smiles...
31. Hate to love...
32. Bad to good...
33. Transformation of a soul, family, village, country....the world...from a small gift given in love...prayers guiding that gift to the heart of the receiver...
Jesus' prayer for believers to come...
20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— 23 I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. 24 “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. 25 “Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. 26 I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”
John 17:20-26
Paul's prayer for the Ephesians---
For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge —that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
Ephesians 3:14-21
Thank YOU for making such a difference in your world ....with a little shoe box....
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