Stewardship By Lois J. Stucky

Stewardship is not an appealing topic to many. We trust that if you are one of the “many,” you will not cast this issue aside. Rethinking your stewardship can add joy and peace and reward to your Christian life. To be reminded and to accept the fact that all that we are and all that we have, have come from God and belong to Him and that we are only stewards – takes away a driving spirit of competitiveness. We aren’t jealous of others who have more in the way of talents or possessions. We are content with what God has entrusted to us and we concentrate on making the best use of it. We don’t laboriously strive to keep up with others, but rather, we seek to be faithful to what God calls us to do. We aren’t discouraged and give up because of what we do not have, but are thankful for what God has given us and endeavor to use it the way He wants us to. These are attitudes that bring joy and peace into our lives. Rethinking our stewardship should cut from our lives carelessness and selfishness. And this has benefits that will reach far into eternity. We are accountable to God, whether we recognize and accept our stewardship or not. Better that we give it careful attention! Truly we are blessed to be able to commit our lives with all that we are and have to our God. He is infinitely wise and good. He places in our lives the “raw materials” we need for filling the place in life He has lovingly planned for us. If we faithfully develop and use what He gives, He will have gracious reward for us in the future, and in the present there is the reward of being useful. That is a fulfillment the human heart seeks. “Little is much if God is in it,” someone has said. The secret is in having God in our lives as fully as possible. “Be filled with the Spirit” (Eph. 5:17). Then a smile, a word of comfort, a cup of cold water – even the humblest things will carry blessing, as well as the larger ministries given to some. Stewardship of the Gospel Our stewardship is not only a good indication to our Lord of our devotion and our surrender to Him, but He has ordained that it play a vital part in the ongoing to His work on earth. Here is the great reason for our carefulness about stewardship. God’s people are stewards of the treasure of the Gospel. To think, we have been put in trust with the message that preaches eternal life and eternal damnation! Carefulness or carelessness here has exceedingly many souls. How faithful we need to be! If we think God asks much in asking for faithful stewardship, we should remember there are men and women around the world this hour who are making the supreme gift by laying down their lives for His sake. Who but the Lord can measure the worth of such a gift? Such giving should inspire us if ever we grow weary in our well doing. To Herald of His Coming Stewards Here at Herald of His Coming we cannot overstress how essential is the part you friends take as you sent your gifts for support of the ministry. There would not exist a Herald of His Coming if it were not for your taking the part God has ordained. We are grateful, but we can never thank you adequately. He who has called you to it will reward you for your faithfulness. We encourage you to never let your giving become routine for thoughtless. Take a moment before you slip your gift into the envelope, and ask God for His blessing upon it. Then it will do more than buy postage or help pay the printer’s bill. It will help send the messages around the world with the precious blessing of God upon them. God’s blessing makes all the difference in the world. With the power of God in the messages they will convict and awaken and exhort. They will instruct and encourage and comfort. Lives, homes, churches will be saved and transformed. We endeavor to be good stewards of your gifts. We ask God’s help to pack each Herald issue with significant, “meaty” messages that will substantially nourish the readers. We continue to print on lower-cost newsprint. We are encouraged by the trust you friends put in this ministry as evidenced by your support. And we are encouraged by the trust the Lord puts in this ministry as evidenced by the open doors He gives and the fruitfulness He bestows. We desire it to be much more in an hour of such opportunity as this, and so while we strive for faithfulness in that which He has given, we ask for increase. Join us in praying that where there is only a sprinkling of Heralds going, like to China, Muslim countries and Eastern Europe, they will reach key people and their ministry will be multiplied. In Luke 12:41-48 Jesus speaks about faithful and wise stewards left in charge of feeding the lord’s household while he was away. “Blessed is that servant,” the Lord says, “whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.” How applicable this is to us Christians in these days when our Lord is away and has left us to give spiritual food to those of His household around the world! Let’s be found faithfully, wisely doing our part when He returns! Praise God! *For the glorious Gospel with which God has put us in trust. *For all who join together in Herald of His Coming ministry to accomplish that which individually, non of us could do by himself Please Pray! *For the salvation of many Jewish people. Pray more friends will write us for copies of the Hear, O Israel salvation herald to share with unsaved Jewish people. *That God will keep alive in the hearts of His praying people the vision and burden for revival, and that He will help us to prevail and release a nation-saving revival! Pray for a restraining of the forces of evil flooding over the land.