Living in Liberty

A Ministry of Bryce Lowance

Elder Bryce Lowrance

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Alms For The Poor

7 May 2015

"Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven. Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly." (Matthew 6:1-4)

Early on in my exercises of learning to preach the gospel, I was invited to speak at a large meeting away from my home church. After preaching one of the services, the congregation sang a song and came around to shake hands with me. Throughout the song, I felt like people were picking my pocket every time someone would shake my hand or hug my neck. Later, when I got back to my car, I realized that people were not trying to take things out of my pockets, they were actually putting checks and cash IN my pockets! When I asked one of the deacons about it, he, almost pridefully, said, "we are giving to you in secret just like Jesus said to do!"

I laughed along with him at the time, but I am quite certain that this is NOT what Jesus meant in Matthew 6.

First of all, giving alms is not the same as an offering given to the church or to the support of a preacher. That form of giving is also a vital act of worship and we ought to be giving regularly and generously. I believe that is part of the steadfast continuance of fellowship observed in Acts 2:42.

Alms giving is something totally separate from support of the church, its members, and pastors. Alms giving is helping the poor outside of the church that we meet during the course of the day.

Jesus said that the poor will always be with us. Therefore, we should prepare to help them as the Lord guides by His Spirit and provides the means. And we don't need to contact the local media to make sure everyone sees us doing this! If the Spirit moves you to help someone, help them.

I believe at least one way the Lord "rewards openly" when we do this is that He further blesses us with the monetary or physical means to help more people.

My Grandfather always told me, "you can't out give God!"

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Tags: alms, fellowship, giving, harmony_of_the_gospels, sermon_on_the_mount

Welcome

Brentwood Hills Primitive Baptist Church is a community of believers working together to transform our lives to the image of Jesus Christ. We believe it is our duty and privilege to live the gospel of the doctrines of grace in such a way as to edify the families within our church and other children of God in our community. Through regular worship based on strong Biblical principles, fellowship, admonishment, and outreach, we glory in the grace of the sovereign God working in our lives thereby showing the Spirit of God in the world.

Brentwood Hills was organized in 1906 in Fort Worth, Texas as Laodicea Primitive Baptist Church. You can find much of the history of the church, as well as other churches here: Primitive Baptist History Database

We identify ourselves as an old-line Primitive Baptist church. If you read our Articles of Faith, you’ll see that we hold to such doctrines as the inspiration and inerrancy of the Bible. We recognize the King James Version (KJV) as the only English translation worthy of being called the Bible. We believe in salvation solely by the grace of a sovereign God. We believe that Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, came to the earth to do the will of His Father, which was to deliver from the sentence of death all those the Father gave Him before the world began. We believe that Jesus fully satisfied the Father by atoning for all the sins of all His people. In time, we believe the Holy Spirit comes to each person that belongs to Jesus and regenerates them. Then (and only then) can anyone have faith, which is a fruit of the Spirit, by which you are able to believe the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ. Whether or not you ever hear the gospel, or believe it if you did hear it, or obey it if you did believe it, rest assured that Jesus will remain forever faithful to you because, if He died for you, He will never deny that you belong to Him.

We believe that everyone for whom Christ died will without fail be raised again from the dead to a glorified life. Even if we are alive when He returns to raise the dead, we shall be changed to a glorified life. All the Redeemed will meet the Lord in the air. Then He will take us to Heaven and there we shall forever be with the Lord. The wicked will be raised at the same time as the righteous, but the wicked shall go away into everlasting punishment along with Satan and his angels. Until that glorious day when Christ returns to raise the dead, He has provided a place for His people to find rest for their souls. This place is the Church. Jesus Christ set-up His church on this earth before His death on the Cross. The church is there for those of His people who have come to believe that God saved them by His Son, Jesus Christ. To believe that Christ “paid it all” gives believers the strongest motivation to serve Him. Once enlightened to this glorious truth, then the child of God should feel an obligation to become and remain an active member of the His church. To serve the Lord in His church makes for one of the great blessings to experience this side of Heaven. It fulfills you to serve in His church and it gives your life purpose and meaning.