Throughout recorded history, people of biblical faith, who believe in Jesus Christ, have recognized that life's journey has more to do with God's redemptive plan for us than about the circumstances or plight of our own human condition.
The biblical concept of inheritance, although symbolically tied to land, was really about God's presence among His creation and His plan to save mankind, the crown of creation, for an eternal relationship with Himself. The psalmist exclaimed more than once that the hidden truth in inheritance is God in Christ.
A review of the historical and cultural reality of wealth, as modern day symbols of value, betrays the various forms of importance in our lives, even idolatry. For where our treasure is, there our heart will be also. Does all this mean that passing our property and wealth to our family is against God's will in the landscape of today's church?
Absolutely not! God works in and through family lineages to transfer His blessings through the generations. Just as He worked in Israel to protect the linage or "root" of the Savior, so He also worked in the Christian Church throughout the ages to manifest the depth and miraculous nature of God's binding dedication to His Creation. Why should the future be any different?
As you plan gifts to your family, the intent of God's people has always been to "Bless" and not to "Curse." A well documented phenomenon is that the average inheritance now is spent in less than two years. This might give reason for reflection on our real intentions. It might cause us to ask for spiritual counsel in these areas to help us discover God's plan for our life.
God's Word reveals that He has given to each baptized Christian the promise of eternal life. Created to be His likeness, children of a giving God have this gift of generosity embedded in their heart at Creation and re-created at baptism.
A spiritual reality often overlooked, is that God has placed a "lifetime plan for giving" in each Christian's heart. God has planted this "grace" in order to reflect His own love, proved true through the decisions of our faith driven plans. In this reality, the objective is not about building bigger barns for ourselves or even for our own family's benefit. Rather Christians are called to build the kingdom of heaven.
This is done when we make our stewardship plans to transfer the Blessings of God's eternal love, so that others can also walk in newness of life, especially our own children and grandchildren. As the proverbs say, "A good person leaves an inheritance to his children's, children's children."
Your "Lifetime Plan for Giving" provides a "Storehouse" to change lives and to share your faith. The Bible gives godly people a calling to use their treasures to do God's work. The heritage of your faith can leave a lasting remembrance for your family and the ministries you care about. A legacy gift to Pioneer can make a lasting difference......an eternal difference.
If you are interested in how to create a "Lifetime Plan for Giving: Today, Tomorrow, and Forever" and include Pioneer's heritage ministry in those plans, please contact Pioneer's Development Director, Linda Gage, at (716) 549-1420, extension 20 or linda.gage@pioneercamp.org.
LINDA GAGE
SERVING EASTERN DISTRICT MINISTRIES AS
DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR, PIONEER
GIFT PLANNING COUNSELOR, LCMS FOUNDATION
Share|
The biblical concept of inheritance, although symbolically tied to land, was really about God's presence among His creation and His plan to save mankind, the crown of creation, for an eternal relationship with Himself. The psalmist exclaimed more than once that the hidden truth in inheritance is God in Christ.
A review of the historical and cultural reality of wealth, as modern day symbols of value, betrays the various forms of importance in our lives, even idolatry. For where our treasure is, there our heart will be also. Does all this mean that passing our property and wealth to our family is against God's will in the landscape of today's church?
Absolutely not! God works in and through family lineages to transfer His blessings through the generations. Just as He worked in Israel to protect the linage or "root" of the Savior, so He also worked in the Christian Church throughout the ages to manifest the depth and miraculous nature of God's binding dedication to His Creation. Why should the future be any different?
As you plan gifts to your family, the intent of God's people has always been to "Bless" and not to "Curse." A well documented phenomenon is that the average inheritance now is spent in less than two years. This might give reason for reflection on our real intentions. It might cause us to ask for spiritual counsel in these areas to help us discover God's plan for our life.
God's Word reveals that He has given to each baptized Christian the promise of eternal life. Created to be His likeness, children of a giving God have this gift of generosity embedded in their heart at Creation and re-created at baptism.
A spiritual reality often overlooked, is that God has placed a "lifetime plan for giving" in each Christian's heart. God has planted this "grace" in order to reflect His own love, proved true through the decisions of our faith driven plans. In this reality, the objective is not about building bigger barns for ourselves or even for our own family's benefit. Rather Christians are called to build the kingdom of heaven.
This is done when we make our stewardship plans to transfer the Blessings of God's eternal love, so that others can also walk in newness of life, especially our own children and grandchildren. As the proverbs say, "A good person leaves an inheritance to his children's, children's children."
Your "Lifetime Plan for Giving" provides a "Storehouse" to change lives and to share your faith. The Bible gives godly people a calling to use their treasures to do God's work. The heritage of your faith can leave a lasting remembrance for your family and the ministries you care about. A legacy gift to Pioneer can make a lasting difference......an eternal difference.
If you are interested in how to create a "Lifetime Plan for Giving: Today, Tomorrow, and Forever" and include Pioneer's heritage ministry in those plans, please contact Pioneer's Development Director, Linda Gage, at (716) 549-1420, extension 20 or linda.gage@pioneercamp.org.
LINDA GAGE
SERVING EASTERN DISTRICT MINISTRIES AS
DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR, PIONEER
GIFT PLANNING COUNSELOR, LCMS FOUNDATION
Share|
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Thank you for taking the time to visit The Pioneer Press Blog/Newsletter for Pioneer Camp & Retreat Center, or "A warm place in the SON..."
We hope you will visit us often online and even more so in person during the course of the year.
Please feel free to leave us a message to let us know how we're doing and how we might be able to make your time here at Pioneer even more spiritually rewarding the next time around.