Treasure Digest

• Beginning of Birth Pangs
• Recharge Daily
• The Big "Let Down"
• A Cave Lesson
• Overfocused Serving
• Jesus Christ: Why the Early Life Experiences?
• Is Thank You Enough?
• Deepening Conflicts
• Points for Enriching Your Fasts
• Turning the Hearts: "Honor Your Father and Your Mother"
• Be Ready to Give an Answer: Why Do You Believe in Tithing?
• Share your word treasures

Beginning of Birth Pangs

With the recent tsunami, the terrorist bombing of the World Trade Center and the war on terrorism, our attention is drawn to the prophecy in Matthew 24. Jesus said, "For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows" (Matthew 24:7-8).

According to Strong's Concordance, the word translated "sorrows" is defined as, "A pang or throe, especially of childbirth." So verse 8 could be translated, "All these are the beginning of the labor pains of childbirth."

This is very interesting when we realize that God compares the pain that man will experience during the last days just before Christ's return with the pain of childbirth.

In Isaiah 13:6-9 we read, "Wail, for the day of the LORD is at hand! It will come as destruction from the Almighty... Pangs and sorrows will take hold of them; they will be in pain as a woman in childbirth."

Knowing that God uses the example of the pain during childbirth to illustrate the pain experienced by those just before Christ's return, we may safely assume that the frequency and magnitude of the pain will increase as we get nearer to the end of this age.

The good news is that the entire earth, as well as the universe, is looking forward to that new birth. It is looking forward to the time when the children of God will be born into the family of God. Paul, writing about the future, said, "The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God... because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now" (Romans 8:18-22).

Even as a pregnant woman must experience the increasingly intense pains of childbirth and sometimes excruciating pain during delivery, once the baby is born and she holds it in her arms, it overshadows all the previous pain that she experienced. And so it will be for this world and everyone in it when the Kingdom of God is finally established.

—Bill Faith
St. Louis, Missouri, congregation

[ back to top ]

Recharge Daily

"Recharge daily" was the third point of Mitch Knapp's recent sermon on "Following Christ's Example."

Throughout the sermon, he gave examples of how Christ drew His strength from God to meet the demands of spreading the gospel and serving the needs of mankind by intense prayer, meditation and dwelling on the Word of God. These three elements seemed to be the preparation, indeed, the foundation necessary to live a powerful, victorious Christian life.

If Christ, the Son of God, needed those three elements for success in His ministry, how much more should we need to fit them into our daily routine, if we hope to make a difference for God?

I quickly recognized that my lack of attention to these important details of the Christian walk had sadly diminished my spiritual growth and rendered fairly ineffective my Christian witness.

Had I been content to "just get by" by having my spiritual senses "titillated" by inspiring messages on the Sabbath, only to return to daily life seemingly unaffected by what I'd heard? Was I the seed sown that heard the Word, grew for a short time, but then withered for lack of nourishment? In taking an honest look at myself, I had to respond, "Guilty as charged!"

I was without excuse. My cares were no greater than anyone else's. My day, too, consisted of 24 hours. Those 24 hours were filled with the activities I chose.

If I neglected the "weightier" things such as daily recharging through prayer, meditation and studying God's Word, God granted me the freedom to do so, and must have watched sadly as I denied His power to give me the best: power to discern and resist evil, power to meet whatever task came before me with confidence and wisdom, power to let His light for good, truth and righteousness shine through me to the world.

Will I act on the encouragement to pray, meditate and study, or will I forget about it and continue to deny God's power in my life? Will I make the best choices for my allotted 24 hours, or will I revert to the status quo?

I resolve to daily recharge by prayer, meditation and study of God's Word, fully confident that "He who has begun a good work in you will complete it" (Philippians 1:6).

— Claudia Brunick
Watertown, South Dakota, congregation

[ back to top ]

The Big "Let Down"

Our home is our refuge from the world. It is the place we go to put our feet up, let our hair down and be ourselves. So much of the time when we are at work, Church or other social events, we have to put our best foot forward and be on our best behavior. This is how it should be—we should be at our best to ensure we are treating others properly and being good examples. But at home, we can "let down" a little. We can relax and loosen up.

This can be good and bad. It is good that we are more comfortable at home. Our family members know us well, and we know them well. We are usually more open and candid with them than we are with others. However, if we are not careful, we can "let down" too much and end up treating others better than members of our own families.

We can sometimes not give our loved ones the care and consideration we should.

Show courtesy: Our families deserve our courtesy just like others do. When a family member does something we have asked them to do, or does something special for us, are we appreciative? Do we say "thank you"? By not showing appreciation, our mates and children can be left feeling like they can never please us, and resentments can start to grow.

Also, when we want one of our family members to do something for us, do we ask them in a courteous way? Do we show consideration for their time and not assume our needs are more important? Do we order them around, or do we use kindness and consideration when making requests?

Show respect: Our families also deserve our respect. Do we show honor in the way we talk to each member, or are we quick to criticize and nag? When there are problems and disagreements, are they handled in a proper way, or do we fly off the handle and use words that we later regret? Belittling and criticizing in front of others can be especially hurtful.

Our family members deserve our best, but sometimes end up seeing our worst. Let's remember to treat them with courtesy and respect so that we don't end up "letting down" the people who mean the most to us.

—Nancy Morgan
Huntsville, Alabama, congregation

[ back to top ]

A Cave Lesson

When my family and I were on a tour of Mammoth Cave, Kentucky, we found that losing the light can be devastating.

While we were deep in the cave, the lights were extinguished in one of its rooms so that we could experience the cave in its natural state. Instantly we fell into an abyss of darkness. All our senses were lost. Time and space did not exist.

Was this the darkness that was upon the earth in Genesis 1:1? Was this the same as the darkness poured out in Revelation 16:10, when the people would gnaw their tongues because of the pain? We feared to move, for literally you could not see your hand in front of your face.

Gradually people began to speak in reverently subdued voices. Then the lanterns were lit. The guides with lanterns led the way into a tunnel off the room. My daughter and I happened to be the last of the group. We took this opportunity to look back a moment in awe and wonder.

This was a moment too long! The people and the lanterns went around a bend in the tunnel. Once more we were in that impenetrable darkness. As we were about to panic, a light appeared a short distance away.

A voice said, "There you are. I had a feeling someone was left behind. It is a good thing I turned back."

"Thank you! Thank you!" we said together.

Our knees were weak as we walked gratefully to the light, and followed our rescuer closely.

Holding my hand, my daughter said, "Let's stay close all the way, Mom."

"Yes, we will for sure!" I answered.

For the rest of the tour we did just that.

Because of this experience, Psalm 119:105 is ever present with me. "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."

Jesus Christ is the light of the world; He is the Guide who will show the way, through the dark times on earth, into eternal life in His Kingdom (John 8:12).

— Phyllis Newton
Eau Claire, Wisconsin, congregation

[ back to top ]

Overfocused Serving

Service takes many forms, from the ministry to ushering, but in whatever form it takes, we must be careful of our attitude. When we do it to distraction, it can be a problem.

At the Feast years ago, my husband was in pain, so he went to the lobby. There he and a minister were talking, when an usher approached them and rudely said they should be quiet. The men thought that they'd been loud, so they apologized and whispered. A moment later the usher returned, only this time he threatened them. Insulted, both men said their good-byes and left the area.

The usher was trying to do a good job, but did he? He neglected the feelings of his brothers; the men weren't disturbing anyone. Had the usher kindly asked the men to move outside or offered an explanation, their feelings would have been spared.

I have often thought of this man and wondered why he was neglectful, until the day I was hurtful and overzealous in my duties.

I had been asked to serve on the church snack service. Anxious to help, I arrived early to set up. During preparation, another member approached me. He tried to explain that there was coffee left by the previous users of the hall, but I didn't let him finish. I told him that we used instant coffee. He again attempted to tell me about the urn full of coffee, free for our use, but again I cut him off.

I didn't hear until I shut my mouth and gave him time to explain. He ended with the comment: "Don't shoot the messenger!" I was apologetic, but I couldn't take back my rudeness or the poor impression I'd made.

I returned to my duties, but was still overly focused on them and at the end of the day someone said, "Wow you didn't even say hello to me today." That's when it hit me. I was that usher. I hadn't yelled, but I'd neglected even the simplest of courtesies.

We mustn't allow our diligence in serving to take our focus away from those we are serving. We may have to be about our business, but there's no reason we can't stop and say hello or take the time to listen.

—Lorelei Nettles
Phoenix East, Arizona, congregation

[ back to top ]

Jesus Christ: Why the Early Life Experiences?

When Jesus Christ started His ministry, He was 30 years of age. His public ministry only lasted three and a half years. If He came to preach the gospel and to offer salvation, why did He wait so long to begin His ministry? Why did He spend 30 years in relative obscurity when He had a major mission to accomplish?

Christ's early years were necessary to fulfill prophetic timing and to provide an opportunity to experience human existence similar to other people. The 70 weeks prophecy given to Daniel (Daniel 9:20-27), and other prophecies had to play out before He could begin His ministry (Mark 1:14-15; Isaiah 40:3; Luke 1:12-17).

Wrestling with problems and challenges that are common to us all, He became an understanding and sympathetic High Priest who knows what it is like to be human.

Jesus Christ was not a wandering vagabond without human ties or responsibilities. God made sure He had personal experience in a family environment. He had four brothers and at least two sisters. He experienced life as both the oldest son and the male leader of the family. Jesus learned firsthand the advantages and challenges of a close-knit family.

Additional experience was gained working in, and apparently eventually running, the family carpentry business in His hometown of Nazareth (Matthew 13:55; Mark 6:3). The carpentry profession at the time offered a large variety of trade and business experiences. The Greek word tekton had a far wider application than merely the term carpenter. It included much more than just the fabrication of wooden dwellings. Most of the homes were a combination of stone, mud and clay, hewn beams and lumber. Christ would have been proficient in the use of all these materials.

His stepfather Joseph would have instructed Jesus in the biblical principles of hard work and dedication to the job at hand (Ecclesiastes 9:10). Jesus made Himself of no reputation and took on the form of a servant (Philippians 2:7), providing for His family.

Through these family and business experiences, Jesus had the opportunity to apply God's way of life in the real world. These experiences became the foundation for some of His later teachings. Jesus could explain parables and principles with firsthand experience in mind. He could teach others to do as He had done, not just do what He said. He could talk about human duties and relationships in a practical way because He lived them Himself.

Today Christ is a more effective, understanding and sympathetic High Priest because of His early life experiences. "For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin" (Hebrews 4:15-16).

— Rod Hall
Spokane, Washington/Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, congregation

[ back to top ]

Is Thank You Enough?

Ingratitude may be considered one of the worst of crimes. It is prevalent in our age, indicating the decline of religion and belief in God.

A gift—be it small or great—deserves a simple, but effective, "thank you." Little things in life make a big difference.

Are we faithful in the little things, or are we poor in returning gratitude? Benjamin Franklin said, "Most people return small favors, acknowledge medium ones and repay greater ones—with ingratitude."

Everyone would agree that it is our duty to show gratitude to those who have given us a gift or performed a service. Through thankfulness we proclaim our faith and make clear to our neighbors how attentive we are to the little things.

Christ said that if we are faithful in the least little things, our reward will be much greater.

Unexpectedly hearing "thank you" can be most welcome and uplifting. Someone in Church some time ago thanked me. She explained that, somehow, I had encouraged her at a difficult time. Hearing that impressed me and encouraged me. A thank you for encouragement works.

What about when someone gives a gift of money, a gift of his or her talent in art or some craft or an invitation for a meal? Is a simple verbal "thank you" adequate?

Personally, I would think it insensitive of someone who received a physical or material gift or an act of service not to send a thank you note. And most ungrateful of all is one who forgets that a gift has been given. You may like to read a good illustration of the need for gratitude in Luke 17:11-19. Nine out of the 10 who were healed were "no-shows"—a poor display of gratitude. It seems we have many requests to make in life, but few think to return and give thanks.

God help us to be grateful for our blessings, then strive never to be guilty of the sin of ingratitude. We cannot send God thank-you notes, but we can have our supply of notes to send friends acceptable tokens of thanks, as we return love for love.

— Paul Dzing
Tucson, Arizona, congregation

[ back to top ]

Deepening Conflicts

Conflict is like a mountain stream. Along this stream are large and small obstacles to overcome —some are huge boulders, others are small pebbles. Further downstream, as gravity pulls the water toward the sea, deep cuts are made in the earth as it races toward its destiny.

The moral of this metaphor is that individuals need to take care of conflicts and misunderstandings in their initial stages while they are manageable. Refusal to do so produces deep wounds that may never heal, leading to a virtual sea of sorrow and unresolved problems that can last a lifetime (Proverbs 18:19; 15:1; 25:11; Matthew 18:15).

— Terry Hoffman
Phoenix East, Arizona, congregation

[ back to top ]

Points for Enriching Your Fasts

For years in the Church I heard that fasting, along with prayer, Bible study and meditation, were tools a Christian could use for spiritual growth. However, it took many years before I learned how to use this powerful tool. From personal experience and the input of others, I have found three aids that have been extremely helpful in each stage of a fast. They are planning, prayer and journaling.

When to plan a fast is a personal decision. Some people schedule them regularly and some according to need or motivation. As soon as a fast is scheduled is a good time to begin praying that God will bless the fast and will show you what He wants you to include in your fast day. It is beneficial to have a notebook or journal to record the dates and details of what you prayed about.

At this point, before the fast, you can begin to write down things that come to mind, such as the needs of the Church's work, prayer requests from family and brethren and points for personal growth and overcoming.

Leave space on the page to write in the answers to prayers and needs because they often come quickly! When it takes longer, it is helpful to have them written down because it is so encouraging to see that God remembered your requests!

On the day of the fast, after prayer and study, record what you learned and scriptures you found helpful, as well as goals for growth and change.

Once the fast is over, the going forward begins, and the prayers for God's help certainly continue. This is also a time for planning how to implement your goals, how to serve those in need and encourage others with perhaps a call or a card. In Isaiah 58:6-9 we're encouraged to reach out to others as part of our fasting.

As the days go by, the journal can be reviewed to see how far we've come. It becomes a record of God's intervention and help in His work and in our lives.

— Melania Nutzman
Beloit, Wisconsin, congregation

[ back to top ]

Turning the Hearts
"Honor Your Father and Your Mother"

"Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the LORD your God is giving you" (Exodus 20:12). One of the Ten Commandments concerns the relationships between parents and children. And that relationship will affect the lives of the children—whether they live "long" or not.

With Mother's Day last month and Father's Day in June, we are reminded of the need to honor our fathers and our mothers.

I know some have not had good experiences with either one or both parents. I'm truly sorry if you did not have a positive experience, but perhaps you may still be able to apply some of these points.

How may all of us "children" show honor and respect to our parents?

1. Listen to your parents. This is especially important for younger children still in the home. But even when we are on our own, it is still important to listen to the advice of our parents and then make our decisions. Remember, our parents have usually had more experiences with life than we have had. They also usually know us better than anyone else (Proverbs 1:8).

2. Ask your parents questions about themselves. Children would do well to ask their parents about how things were when they were younger so they can learn about times and circumstances in their parents' generation. This really helps children to relate to their parents (Exodus 12:26).

3. Think and thank. We can remember special occasions like their anniversary, Mother's Day, Father's Day and Thanksgiving with cards, gifts, flowers and words of how grateful we are to have parents like them. How thankful we should be to them for giving us physical life (John 11:41).

4. Determine to succeed. When we are successful in marriage, vocation, education and in life, we bring honor to our parents. I've sat with many parents and watched them "glow" as they told me how pleased they were with how their children were doing in life. If we determine to do the best we can in life, with God's help, we will honor our parents and our God (Proverbs 10:1).

5. Love our parents. Love requires action. It's not enough just to think nice thoughts about our parents. We need to let them know we love them with hugs, kisses and doing things for them. Remember, love is an outgoing concern for others and is important in both words and deeds. Parents know when they feel loved and cared for (Genesis 46:29; 47:12).

So let's remember to "turn our hearts" to honoring and respecting our parents, not only when reminded by Mother's or Father's Day, but regularly throughout the years (Malachi 4:6). Then may we be blessed with not only a long life in the flesh, but for all eternity.

— Gary Antion

[ back to top ]

Be Ready to Give an Answer:
Why Do You Believe in Tithing?

Our Fundamental Beliefs booklet puts it this way: We believe in tithing as a way of honoring God with our substance and as a means of serving Him in the preaching of the gospel, the care of the Church, attending the festivals and helping the needy (Proverbs 3:9-10; Genesis 14:17-20; 1 Corinthians 9:7-14; Numbers 18:21; Deuteronomy 14:22-29).

To "tithe" means to give a tenth of "all the increase" (Deuteronomy 14:22) derived from one's produce, property or income, for the support of a religious purpose. The motivation to tithe is a worshipful recognition of God as the Creator and Possessor of everything, including ourselves.

Although tithing became a written law under the covenant God made with Israel, it was practiced among those who were faithful to God before that covenant. Abraham, after his defeat of the four kings, tithed on the spoils of the war to Melchizedek, priest of God Most High (Genesis 14:18-22). Abraham obviously understood giving a tenth as the appropriate way to honor God with one's physical possessions. Note that Abraham gave the tenth to Melchizedek, a representative of the Creator.

Abraham recognized the underlying premise for giving a tithe to God: He is the actual "Possessor of heaven and earth" who made his victory, and all blessings, possible. God reminds us throughout the Bible, and people of God respectfully acknowledge, that everything belongs to God (Exodus 19:5; Job 41:11; Psalm 24:1; 50:12; Haggai 2:8). "And you shall remember the LORD your God," Moses told Israel, "for it is He who gives you power to get wealth" (Deuteronomy 8:18). Tithing is thus, first and foremost, an act of worshipful recognition of God as our source of existence, blessing and providence.

Jacob also followed the example of his grandfather Abraham. When God reconfirmed to him the promises He had made to Abraham, Jacob promised God, "Of all that You give me I will surely give a tenth [tithe] to You" (Genesis 28:20-22).

The practice of tithing was later incorporated into the covenant with Israel as a written law. The tribe of Levi, which was not given an inheritance of land from which they could derive increase (Numbers 18:23), was to receive the tithe of the agricultural produce in return for their service to the nation. The Levites, based on what they received in tithes from the people, in turn tithed to the priests (18:26-28).

As time passed, the tithe was carelessly neglected in postexilic Judah, for which God corrected the nation in the strongest of terms (Malachi 3:8-10). Failure to tithe, God said, was robbing Him, and the people were consequently cursed. Yet He also promised that renewed obedience in tithing would result in blessings from Him so abundant that "there [would] not be room enough to receive it."

Some centuries later, Jesus Himself clearly upheld the practice of tithing. "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone" (Matthew 23:23). Christ plainly confirmed His will that tithing should indeed be practiced, along with sincere adherence to other "weightier [spiritual] matters."

As tithes and offerings in Israel were given to the tribe of Levi for their livelihood and service to God, the Church in the New Testament provided financial support for the ministry to carry on their work. Instances of, and principles relating to, this practice are found in Luke 10:1, 7-8; 1 Corinthians 9:7-14; 2 Corinthians 11:7-9; Philippians 4:14-18 and Hebrews 7.

Today the United Church of God continues the teaching that tithing is a universal law and that one's willing obedience to this law reflects the unselfish, giving nature of our Creator and Provider.

Through tithing that springs from willing and cheerful giving (2 Corinthians 9:6-8), God has provided the perfect financial system to take care of the needs of His work (Matthew 24:14; 28:19-20), the personal need to attend His festivals and the need to care for the poor (Deuteronomy 14:22-27, 28-29).

For more information, see What Does the Bible Teach About Tithing?

[ back to top ]

Share Your Word Treasures!

Do you have any short items of biblical wisdom, humor or practical information that you would like to share in this section? Or if you have any suggestions, please contact United News, P.O. Box 541027, Cincinnati, OH 45254-1027 or mike_bennett@ucg.org