4 Things You Must Do Every Time You Give - The Crosswalk Devotional - June 21

PLUS...10 Steps to Healing from Spiritual Trauma  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ &zwnj [Crosswalk.com Logo]( The Crosswalk Devotional  [Devotionals](        [Newsletters](        [e-Cards](      [The Crosswalk Devotional]( 4 Things You Must Do Every Time You Give By Clarence L. Haynes Jr. “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” - [2 Corinthians 9:6-7]( I went to a church of a man who carries the title of prophet. A friend of mine invited me. During the service, he asked ten people in the congregation to make a $1000 vow. He said something to the effect that the Lord told him there were ten people in the room tonight who needed to make this $1000 vow, and if you are one of those ten, please stand up. After making this statement, only four people stood up. This did not please “the prophet,” so he repeated his declaration that ten people here needed to do this. As he waited for more people to stand, I believe only one more stood up, so now five people were standing. You could see this disturbed him, but he remained determined to get to his number of ten people. After a few moments of waiting, no one else stood up, so he made this statement, and I am paraphrasing it. “I know there are ten people in here who need to give $1000 tonight. You know who you are. Don’t let me get a word of knowledge and call you out.” After making this statement, five more people stood up, and he had his ten people. After seeing this disgusting display of manipulation, I left that church and never returned. The Problem with the Approach The problem here is obvious. This type of manipulation violates all the heart and spirit of giving. By the way, if you ever see something like that in your church, don’t wait until the service's end. Run and run quickly. Giving is an important part of our lives as Christians, but it is not just about how much we give but the heart we do it with. As you think about your giving today, please remember these four things about the attitude of giving and make sure they are present in every gift you give.  [CONTINUE READING →](            You May Also Like:        [10 Steps to Healing from Spiritual Trauma](  Jolene Underwood Spiritual trauma leaves unseen wounds that shake up the core of how we see ourselves, God, and the world around us. If you’ve been spiritually abused or oppressed, not only have you been harmed, but your foundations for life and God were twisted up. You may experience a realm of emotions and intense reactions, or you may feel defeated and want to give up. Whatever you’re experiencing today, there is hope for healing, even when it feels too difficult to trust again. It’s not my job to tell you what you must do to heal. However, as a trauma and abuse-informed therapist, and someone who has experienced healing from a variety of damaging situations, I can offer tips that may be helpful as you undo the harm and move toward healing. You get to choose what’s helpful today, and you can come back to the article later if you’re interested in more. Many of the people I work with believe in God but feel torn up inside by how authoritative people distorted who God is and how God works. They feel unsure about faith and God. Something in them holds hope for connecting to a real God who is unlike the distorted version they’ve come to know. Whether this describes you or not, I hope these tips are helpful. Photo Credit: ©Megan Allen/Unsplash  [CONTINUE READING →](       [Why Do We Need Jesus Every Hour?](  Kelly-Jayne McGlynn So why do we need Jesus every hour? And why is this a beautiful thing?  [CONTINUE READING →](            [Trio Of Women Singing Chilling Rendition Of ‘Hallelujah’](  GodTube.com Three women put their stunning voices on full display during a terrific performance of a beloved song from the 1980s.  [WATCH NOW →](        [Father's Day Prayers and Blessings](  Matt Haviland Lord, we pray for fathers across our land. Your Word clearly instructs fathers to bring up their children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.  [CONTINUE READING →](                            Bible Trivia Question of the Day                                           What did John the Baptist say upon seeing Jesus coming toward him? A. behold the son of God B. behold my cousin C. behold the Messiah D. behold the Lamb of God [ANSWER THE QUESTION →](     [Crosswalk.com Logo](  [Read about Salem Web Network](  |  [Unsubscribe](   [Email Preference Center](  |  [View in Browser](   © 2023 Salem Web Network. All rights reserved. 111 Virginia Street, Suite 200, Richmond, VA 23219. This email is never sent unsolicited. You are receiving this email because your email address, {EMAIL}, is signed up to receive newsletters, updates, and special offers from Crosswalk. Â