Render&Unto&God!

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It!is!April!2014.!The!first!thing!that!usually!comes!to!mind!during!this!time!is!that!
it!is!tax!season.!!The!scripture!which!is!typically!used!to!encourage!us!to!be!truthful!in!
filing!our!taxes!is!Matthew!22:19B21!"Show!me!the!coin!used!for!paying!the!tax.!They!
brought!him!a!denarius,!and!he!asked!them,!Whose!image!is!this?!And!whose!
inscription?!Caesars,!they!replied.!Then!he!said!to!them,!So!give!back!to!Caesar!
what!is!Caesars,!and!to!God!what!is!Gods.!The!command!is!pretty!clear.!However,!
what!we!sometimes!fail!to!see!that!is!also!a!very!clear!command!is!the!second!part!of!
the!scripture!after!Caesar.!
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"So!give!back!to...God!what!is!God's".!So!what!is!the!part!I!am!to!give!back!to!
God?!How!can!I!give!anything!to!God!who!has!everything?!!He!does!not!seem!to!need!
anything,!especially!from!me.!Is!not!God!all!wisdom!and!has!not!he!made!the!whole!
earth?!Who!can!instruct!God!or!give!to!God?!
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I!would!say!that!on!the!surface!these!arguments!seem!to!have!validity.!However,!
I!would!say!they!are!suspicious!of!being!overflowing!with!false!humility.!What!I!mean!by!
that!is!some!Christians!hide!behind!such!statements!as!true!so!as!not!to!be!responsible!
to!act!or!to!be!involved!in!some!work!or!ministry.!Statements!as!"I!really!don't!know!
how"!or!"!Someone!else!might!be!better!at!it"!or!"If!God!calls!me!to!do!it!I'll!go,!but!I!
have!not!heard!a!clear!calling"!or!other!such!things.!!
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God!has!already!called!all!of!us!as!Ambassadors!to!the!world!to!be!his!hands!and!
feet!to!all!people.!(II!Corinthians!5:18FF)!He!has!called!us,!equipped!us,!sent!us!out,!and!
anointed!us!with!his!SpiritBBin!other!words!he!has!already!commissioned!us!to!do!his!
work!here!on!the!earth!until!his!return.!(Matthew!28:18B20)!In!Matthew!25:34B40!it!says!
"Then!the!King!will!say!to!those!on!his!right,!Come,!you!who!are!blessed!by!my!Father;!
take!your!inheritance,!the!kingdom!prepared!for!you!since!the!creation!of!the!world.!For!
I!was!hungry!and!you!gave!me!something!to!eat,!I!was!thirsty!and!you!gave!me!
something!to!drink,!I!was!a!stranger!and!you!invited!me!in,!I!needed!clothes!and!you!
clothed!me,!I!was!sick!and!you!looked!after!me,!I!was!in!prison!and!you!came!to!visit!
me.'!Then!the!righteous!will!answer!him,!Lord,!when!did!we!see!you!hungry!and!feed!
you,!or!thirst!and!give!you!something!to!drink?!When!did!we!see!you!a!stranger!and!
invite!you!in,!or!needing!clothes!and!clothe!you?!When!did!we!see!you!sick!or!in!prison!
and!go!to!visit!you?!The!King!will!reply,!Truly!I!tell!you,!whatever!you!did!for!one!of!the!
least!of!these!brothers!and!sisters!of!mine,!you!did!for!me.!
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This!work!of!God!can!be!done!by!all,!in!fact!God!limited!himself!in!this!age!to!
using!us!as!his!agentsBBso!that!we!in!our!weakness!would!depend!on!him.!Without!him!
we!can!do!nothing.!Philippians!4:13!"I!can!do!all!this!through!him!who!gives!me!
strength."!So,!some!give!physical!foodBBsome!spiritual!food,!some!give!physical!waterBB!
some!spiritual!water.!!We!all!have!our!part.!!!
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So,!just!say!'Yes'!to!whatever!God!had!called!you!toBBin!your!neighborhood,!city,!
nation,!or!world.!Then!he!will!strengthen!you!to!do!the!work!he!called!you!to!do.!!
!!!!!!!! !!!!Render!unto!God!what!is!God'sBByourself!to!his!service!!
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