ENJOY HEAVEN ON EARTH...:

"It is more blessed to give than to receive" (Acts 20:35).

This text changed the whole life of John Rockefeller, the one who once owned the world's largest oil company. He became a multimillionaire when he was 35. But at the age of 50, he was dying of cancer. The doctors gave him only six weeks to live. While accumulating wealth he had also accumulated enemies, and had to have bodyguards to protect him, although he was nearing death.

Miserable, hopeless, depressed and dying, Rockefeeler came across the above verse. It was really an eye-opener to him. All his life all he had been doing was receiving and receiving, and the more he received the more greedy and unhappy he became. Now finally, he realized that, being one of the richest men in the world, he was one of the most miserable men as well.

Straightaway he started distributing money among the poor. He actually distributed dollar notes on the streets of New York. He gave away money in abundance to charities, hospitals, etc. To his great surprise and delight, he found the verse, "It is more blessed to give than to receive" to be true. The more he gave, the happier he became.

Finally, the man who was given only six weeks to live, (and that, when he was 50), lived upto the age of 90 or 92, enjoying happiness and good health. When he died at last, he was a happy man with no enemies but friends all over the world.

Heaven is a place of giving. "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and RICHES, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing" (Rev 5:12). In fact, giving to God is heaven and, selfishly keeping to oneself is virtually hell. How can those who have not learned to give their riches to the Lamb of God (Jesus) on earth, give in heaven!

May the Lord help us to give until we have no more to give - our body, our time, our talents, our money, and everything at our disposal, until we meet the Lord at the pearly gates to be greeted, "Well done, faithful servant, enter into the joy of thy Lord."

- Late Pastor T.U.Thomas, in "Morning Manna"