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Ray Mileur Ministries Luke 6:38 Is Not a Prosperity Formula Elkville, IL By ray mileurLuke 6:38 is one of the most quoted verses in the Bible when it comes to giving:“Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”It is a beautiful verse. It is a powerful verse. It is also one of the most misused verses in modern Christianity.The prosperity gospel has often taken this passage and turned it into a financial formula: give money, and God will give you more money back. Sow a seed, and expect a harvest. Put something in the offering plate, and wait for heaven to multiply it.That may preach well in some circles, but it is not what Jesus was teaching.Luke 6:38 is not a blank check for greed. It is not a divine investment plan. It is not God’s way of saying, “Give Me ten dollars, and I will send you one hundred.”Jesus was not appealing to our desire for more. He was calling us to a different kind of heart.To understand Luke 6:38, we have to leave it where Jesus placed it. It comes in the middle of His teaching on mercy, judgment, forgiveness, and how we treat others.Just before this verse, Jesus says, “Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.”Then He says, “Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven.”Then comes, “Give, and it will be given to you.”That context matters.Jesus is not merely talking about money. He is talking about the measure we use toward others. The measure of mercy. The measure of forgiveness. The measure of kindness. The measure of grace. The measure of generosity.The prosperity gospel asks, “What can I get back?”Jesus asks, “What kind of heart are you giving from?”There is a world of difference between those two questions.The image Jesus uses is powerful: a good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, poured into your lap. In the marketplace of the ancient world, grain could be measured loosely or generously. A dishonest seller could short the buyer. A generous one could press the grain down, shake the container so it settled, fill it again, and let it overflow.Jesus uses that picture to show the abundance of God’s kingdom. But that abundance should not be reduced to financial return. It is the overflowing life that comes from living with the heart of the Father.When we give mercy, mercy matters.When we give forgiveness, forgiveness matters.When we give grace, grace matters.When we give kindness, kindness matters.When we give generously, not to manipulate God but to reflect Him, we are living according to the character of the kingdom.That does not mean God will never bless us materially. He can. He does. Every good gift comes from Him. But we must be careful not to turn God’s generosity into a transaction.God is not a slot machine.Faith is not a business deal.Giving is not a spiritual lottery ticket.The danger of the prosperity gospel is that it often dresses selfish ambition in religious language. It takes verses about surrender and turns them into strategies for gain. It takes the call to generosity and turns it into a promise of personal enrichment.But biblical generosity is not rooted in greed. It is rooted in love.We give because God has given to us.We forgive because God has forgiven us.We show mercy because God has been merciful to us.We extend grace because grace has already been poured over our lives in ways we could never earn and never repay.That is the heart of Luke 6:38.The measure we use reveals the heart we carry.If we live with a small, hard, condemning spirit, we should not be surprised when our lives become small, hard, and burdened by condemnation. But if we live with open hands, merciful hearts, and generous spirits, we begin to reflect the life of Christ in us.Jesus is teaching us that kingdom people do not live with clenched fists.We do not measure mercy with a teaspoon and expect grace by the barrel.We do not condemn others harshly and then expect gentleness when we stumble.We do not withhold forgiveness and then rejoice in the forgiveness of God as if the two are unrelated.The measure matters.And Jesus tells us plainly, “For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”That should sober us.It should also encourage us.Because the way of Jesus is not a stingy way. It is not a fearful way. It is not a greedy way. It is the way of mercy, grace, forgiveness, and generosity.The real issue in Luke 6:38 is not how to get more from God.The real issue is whether our lives look like we have already received everything we need in Him.A heart changed by Christ does not ask, “How little can I give and still be blessed?”A heart changed by Christ asks, “How much mercy have I received, and how can I now show that mercy to others?”That is the difference between prosperity religion and kingdom living.One uses God to get more.The other becomes more like Christ because God has already given Himself.Luke 6:38 is not a verse to exploit. It is a verse to obey.Give mercy.Give forgiveness.Give kindness.Give grace.Give generously.Not because you are trying to force God’s hand, but because God has already opened His hand toward you.And when we live that way, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, we discover something far better than prosperity.We discover the heart of Jesus.Walk in faith, rest in grace, and trust the One who walks beside you. In His love and grace, ray mileur“Helping believers walk closer to Jesus, one day at a time.” www.raymileurministries.com

Luke 6:38 Is Not a Prosperity Formula

Walking with Jesus — Day 28 Renewing Our Direction“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning.” Lamentations 3:22–23Each sunrise is a gentle invitation from God to begin again.Yesterday’s failures, no matter how heavy they may feel, do not diminish the grace God has placed before us today. The road behind us is closed. That chapter has already been written. But the road ahead remains open, and by the mercy of God, we are not required to carry yesterday’s burdens into today’s walk.The Lord does not run short on compassion. His mercy is not stale, tired, or used up. It is new every morning. That means today is not merely another day on the calendar. It is another opportunity to turn our hearts toward Him, renew our direction, and walk forward with grace.So let us move ahead with kindness toward ourselves and others. Let us walk with compassion, patience, and faith. The past may have shaped us, but it does not have to steer us. When we place our steps in the hands of Jesus, He renews not only our direction, but also our hearts. Let us pray.Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for Your mercies that are new each morning. Renew our hearts, guide our steps, and align our lives with Your love. Help us leave yesterday in Your hands and walk today in faith, grace, and obedience. In Jesus Christ’s name we pray. Amen.Walk in faith, rest in grace, and trust the One who walks beside you. In His love and grace, ray mileur“Helping believers walk closer to Jesus, one day at a time.” www.raymileurministries.com

Renewing Our Direction

When We Try to Correct the Bible Ray Mileur Ministries By ray mileurThere is a dangerous spirit moving through much of modern Christianity, and it does not always announce itself as unbelief.Sometimes it sounds thoughtful.Sometimes it sounds compassionate.Sometimes it sounds educated.Sometimes it even quotes Scripture.But beneath the surface is an old temptation wearing modern clothes: the belief that we are now wiser than the Word of God and more enlightened than every generation of believers who came before us.That is not progress.That is pride.For years, classic liberalism tried to weaken the Christian faith by saying, in one form or another, that the Bible was wrong. It questioned the miracles. It doubted the authority of Scripture. It treated the Word of God as a helpful religious document rather than the living, inspired truth of God.That approach did plenty of damage. It emptied pulpits of conviction, drained churches of spiritual power, and left many people with a faith that could no longer speak with authority.But that argument eventually ran out of road.So now the approach has shifted.The claim today is not always, “The Bible is wrong.”Now it is often, “The Bible is right, but everyone before us has read it wrong.”Everybody.The apostles misunderstood it. The early church misunderstood it. The Reformers misunderstood it. Generations of pastors, missionaries, martyrs, mothers, fathers, Sunday school teachers, and faithful saints somehow misunderstood it.But now, under the bright lights of modern culture, we have finally figured out what God really meant.That should trouble us.It should trouble us deeply.There is nothing wrong with studying Scripture carefully. There is nothing wrong with asking serious questions. There is nothing wrong with growing in our understanding of the Bible. In fact, every believer should want to handle the Word of God faithfully, humbly, and carefully.But there is a world of difference between being corrected by Scripture and trying to correct Scripture.One is discipleship.The other is rebellion.The danger we face today is not always open rejection of the Bible. That would be easier to spot. The greater danger is when people keep the language of faith while quietly removing the authority of faith.They still say “Bible.”They still say “Jesus.”They still say “love.”They still say “grace.”But the meaning of those words is slowly reshaped until they no longer confront sin, call for repentance, or require surrender. The sharp edges of Scripture are filed down until the Bible no longer pierces the heart. It merely pats us on the back.That is not the ministry of the Word.That is spiritual anesthesia.Many modern pseudo-theologians do not begin with the text and submit themselves to it. They begin with the conclusion they already want, usually one approved by the culture, and then work backward until they can bend Scripture in that direction.That is not exegesis.That is eisegesis.Exegesis draws the meaning out of the text.Eisegesis reads our meaning into the text.And when we start with culturally popular outcomes and then steer the Bible toward those outcomes, we are no longer listening to God. We are using religious language to baptize our own preferences.It would almost be comical if it were not so spiritually dangerous.The Bible does not need our help becoming relevant. It is already living and active. The Word of God has outlived empires, critics, tyrants, false teachers, arrogant scholars, corrupt institutions, and every passing cultural fad.The Bible is not fragile.God’s truth does not tremble because modern man has decided to sit in judgment over it.The real harm will not be done to Scripture.The harm will be done to the Church.The harm will be done to our witness.The harm will be done to families, congregations, and communities that desperately need the clear voice of biblical truth.When the Church becomes an echo of the culture, it loses its ability to speak prophetically to the culture. When we trade conviction for applause, we may gain temporary acceptance, but we lose eternal usefulness.Jesus did not call His people to be fashionable.He called us to be faithful.Salt that loses its savor is not more loving, more enlightened, or more useful. It is simply no longer doing what salt was created to do.The Church was never called to chase every cultural wind. We were called to stand on the unchanging Word of God. That does not mean we are harsh. It does not mean we are cruel. It does not mean we lack compassion.Quite the opposite.True compassion tells the truth.True love does not leave people lost.True grace does not deny sin; it leads sinners to the Savior.The world does not need a Church that has learned how to agree with it. The world needs a Church that loves it enough to tell the truth with humility, courage, and tears when necessary.Creating God in our own image has never ended well.It did not end well when Israel fashioned a golden calf in the wilderness. It did not end well when kings surrounded themselves with prophets who only told them what they wanted to hear. It does not end well now when modern voices attempt to reshape the holiness, commands, and character of God to make Him more acceptable to the age.God is not clay in our hands.We are clay in His.That is where humility must return to the Christian life.We do not come to the Bible as editors. We come as servants.We do not stand over Scripture. We stand under it.We do not open the Word of God looking for what needs to be fixed. We open it asking God to fix us.That is the posture of faith.And let me be clear: this does not mean we stop thinking. Biblical faith is not anti-intellectual. Christians should study deeply. We should read carefully. We should understand context, language, history, and doctrine. We should be serious students of Scripture.But study should lead us to submission, not superiority.The goal is not to become clever enough to explain away what God has said. The goal is to become humble enough to obey it.That is where I must begin with myself.My default position is simple: if the clear and consistent teaching of the Bible is in conflict with my way of thinking, then I am the one who stands in error.Not God.Not His Word.Me.If Scripture confronts my opinions, my emotions, my traditions, my politics, my desires, or my cultural assumptions, then I do not need to rescue the Bible from embarrassment. I need to repent.That may sound old-fashioned to some.So be it.The old paths have carried the saints a long way.The Christian life begins with surrender, and surrender includes the mind. We bring our thoughts captive to Christ. We allow the Word to correct us, rebuke us, train us, and restore us. We let Scripture shape our convictions, not the other way around.The Church does not need a Bible rewritten for the times.The Church needs courage to believe, preach, and live the Bible once delivered to the saints.The Word of God does not need to catch up with the world.The world needs to come back to the Word of God.And so do we.Walk in faith, rest in grace, and trust the One who walks beside you. In His love and grace, ray mileur “Helping believers walk closer to Jesus, one day at a time.” www.raymileurministries.com

When We Try to Correct the Bible

Walking with Jesus — Day 27 Walking in Humility“He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” — Micah 6:8Pride always wants to take the lead. It pushes, boasts, compares, and seeks to elevate self above others. But humility walks a different road. Humility does not demand the spotlight. It chooses grace. It listens before speaking. It serves without needing applause.As we grow closer to Jesus, we begin to understand that humility is not weakness. It is strength under control. It is the quiet confidence that comes from knowing who God is and remembering how much we need His grace.When we lower ourselves before the Lord, we are not diminishing our worth. We are making room for His strength to work through us. A humble heart becomes teachable. A humble spirit becomes useful. A humble life becomes a reflection of Christ.To walk with Jesus is to walk humbly — with gentle steps, open hands, and a heart ready to serve. Let us pray.Dear Heavenly Father, keep us humble before You. Let our steps be gentle, our hearts teachable, and our lives a reflection of Your amazing grace. Help us to walk in justice, love kindness, and serve others with the humility of Christ.In Jesus Christ’s name we pray, amen.Walk in faith, rest in grace, and trust the One who walks beside you.In His love and grace, ray mileur“Helping believers walk closer to Jesus, one day at a time.” www.raymileurministries.com

Walking in Humility

Walking with Jesus — Day 26&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Joy Along the Journey“Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!” — Philippians 4:4Joy is not dependent on our outward circumstances. It is rooted in our relationship with Christ.The Apostle Paul lived this truth. Even while confined in a dark prison cell, he found reason to rejoice. His joy rose above his immediate situation because it came from the abiding presence of the Lord, not from the comfort of freedom or the absence of trials.When the journey feels long, difficult, and uncertain, we are invited to make the deliberate choice to rejoice. This kind of rejoicing is more than an emotional response. It is a decision of faith. It is choosing to focus on the goodness of God, the promises of His Word, and the hope we have in Christ.Joy becomes strength for the road. It steadies us when life is hard. It reminds us that even in seasons of sorrow, weariness, or disappointment, the presence of Jesus gives us peace, perseverance, and hope that cannot be taken away.So today, whatever the road looks like, rejoice in the Lord. Not because everything is easy, but because He is near. And where Christ is present, joy is never out of reach. Let us prayDear Heavenly Father, teach us to rejoice in You no matter what kind of day we face. Let Your presence be the source of our unsinkable joy. Strengthen our hearts, steady our steps, and remind us that true joy is found in walking with Jesus. In Jesus Christ’s name we pray. Amen. Walk in faith, rest in grace, and trust the One who walks beside you.In His love and grace,ray mileur“Helping believers walk closer to Jesus, one day at a time.”

Joy Along the Journey

Walking with Jesus — Day 26 Weathering the Storms“And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, ‘Peace, be still.’ And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.” Mark 4:39–40Even the waves submit to His commanding voice, yielding to His authority as the Creator of all nature.Though storms may rage and turbulent winds may howl, Jesus remains steadfast in the boat, a constant presence amidst chaos and uncertainty.At times, He chooses to calm the storms, stilling the waters and restoring tranquility to the surroundings. Other times, His focus shifts to comforting His child and instilling inner peace and reassurance during life’s tempests.Regardless of the circumstances, His encompassing peace ultimately prevails, a testament to His unwavering love and power in our lives. Let us pray.Dear Heavenly Father, speak peace into our storms. Remind us that Your presence is stronger than any wind or wave we face.In Jesus’ name, amen.