Give And You Shall Receive

Changes are standard fare among the ranks of mankind. Fashions change, mores change, governments change, the practice of medicine changes, scientific theories change, such as the theory of the age of the earth. Who are our supposed ancestors? What happened to the dinosaurs? Why are we here? What was once considered truth has fallen out of favor or has been, in many cases, flatly discredited. In stark contrast, isn’t it beautiful to know that God and His Word never change? Malachi, chapter 3, verse 6, “For I am the LORD, I change not;...” Of the Lord Jesus Christ, it is written in Hebrews, chapter 13, verse 8, “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.” God and His Christ never change, because truth never changes, and God is truth. NOW FOR TODAY’S SUBJECT.

GOD SAID, Proverbs 11:19:

As righteousness tendeth to life: so he that pursueth evil pursueth it to his own death.

GOD SAID, Psalms 41:1:

Blessed is he that considereth the poor: the LORD will deliver him in time of trouble.

GOD SAID, Acts 20:35:

I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.

MAN SAID: The Scriptures are the words of mere unsophisticated men; God didn’t author them because He does not exist.

Now THE RECORD. Isn’t it amazing that this much maligned book, this Holy Book whose antagonists claim was written by mere men and not a God (whom they also claim does not exist), would be found perfect in every way? Isn’t it amazing that after more than 6,000 years of feverish attacks by the world’s greatest carnal minds, the Masoretic and majority-text found in the Authorized King James Bible has remained undefeated? God has protected His Words and has given to us the fountain of life from which we can freely drink. But it only yields its perfect water to those who surrender completely to the Christ of Glory, Jesus Christ the only begotten Son of God. The first Scripture cited declares that “righteousness tendeth to life.” The definition of righteous is: “Just; accordant to the divine law.” The word righteousness, then, simply means walking according to the Words of God. This website has noted various times that all of God’s commandments have inherent within them a blessing or a curse. Because God’s commandments are true and given for man’s edification, disobeying them results in negative consequences. Conversely, obeying His commandments brings positive results. In other words, “righteousness tendeth to life.”

The veracity of this Holy Bible that is ridiculed by the rebellious is continually being certified by the research and discoveries of various forms of science (I am referring here to true science versus pseudo-science). This is not a verbal dodge. Remember, no true scientific discovery has ever disproved a principle of the Word of God.

Here we go! New research reported by WebMD on November 15, 2002, verifies the fidelity of the Scriptures one more time. The following is a direct quote from the article:

It really is better to give than to receive. Helping others—but not getting help from others—lowers the risk of death for elderly people. The finding comes from a University of Michigan study. Researchers Stephanie L. Brown, Ph.D., and colleagues looked at 423 married couples in which the husband was at least 65 years old. Over the five-year study period, 134 of these people died. Those who said they gave no emotional or financial support to relatives, neighbors, or friends were twice as likely to die. “Making a contribution to the lives of other people may help to extend our own lives,” Brown says in a news release.

Proverbs 10:16:

The labour of the righteous tendeth to life:...

Again from the article:

About three out of four people in the study said they gave at least some help to others without pay. These people tended to live longer. But getting help from others didn’t help people live longer.[End of quote]

Truly, “it is more blessed to give than receive.”

Finally, the article reports:

The study suggests that care for elderly people should shift from making them feel supported to supporting them in helping others. The findings are scheduled for publication in the journal Psychological Science. [End of quote]

In the February issue of The Lancet, a study appears that discusses the length of telomeres, which are the tips of chromosomes. Scientists from the University of Utah measured 143 people over age 60. By taking blood samples, they measured telomere length. Those measuring in the top half for telomere length lived four to five years longer than the bottom half. Those in the bottom half also had a 300% greater chance of dying from heart disease as well as a 900% higher risk of death as a result of infectious disease. Remember, God said that “the labour of the righteous tendeth to life.” I recommend that the researchers look for linkage between righteousness which includes the spirit of giving, and the length of the telomere. I highly suspect that they’ll find a serious cause-and-effect relationship.

Giving unto those who are in need and walking uprightly are, of course, Godlike traits. It should be no surprise that Godlikeness tendeth to life. Thousands of years before modern science knew the reason why, God in His perfect Word declares it. Luke 6:38:

Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.

GOD SAID, Proverbs 11:19:

As righteousness tendeth to life: so he that pursueth evil pursueth it to his own death.

GOD SAID, Psalms 41:1:

Blessed is he that considereth the poor: the LORD will deliver him in time of trouble.

GOD SAID, Acts 20:35:

I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.

MAN SAID: The Scriptures are the words of mere unsophisticated men; God didn’t author them because He does not exist.

Now you have THE RECORD.



References:

King James Bible

“Life Span Lives In Length of Chromosomes,” WebMD, 01/31/03

Nazario, B., M.D., “For Elderly, Giving Is Living,” WebMD Medical News, 11/15/02

Webster, Noah, American Dictionary of the English Language, 1828

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