GOD SHOWS UP FOR THOSE WHO STAND FIRM FOR HIM!

EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SATURDAY NOVEMBER 23, 2018.

SUBJECT : GOD SHOWS UP FOR THOSE WHO STAND FIRM FOR HIM!

Memory verse: "For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame." (Romans 10 vs 11).

READ: Psalm 27 vs 1 - 5:

27:1: The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

27:2: When the wicked came against me, to eat up my flesh, my enemies and foes, they stumbled and fell.

27:3: Though an army may encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war may rise against me, in this I will be confident.

27:4: One thing I have desired of the LORD, that I will seek; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in His temple.

27:5: For in the time of trouble  He shall hide me in His pavilion; in the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock.

INTIMATION:

Standing firm is refusing to abandon one's opinion or belief. And you can only stand firm in what you trust, believe, and is convinced about, without any iota of doubt. When you stand firm for God, you will stand out before men and before God. Sometimes it may be painful, and may not always have a happy end here on earth, but the ultimate victory of eternal life with Him is assured. Your standing firm for God is essentially because you trust and believe in Him: Who He says He is, and what He says He can do. God is unfailing, unchanging, and absolutely faithful, and whoever believes on Him, will not be put to shame; He will always show up for you, and ensure your victory at the end.

No other scenario, perhaps, better buttresses this point than the stories of the three Hebrew young men: Shadrach, Meshach, Abed-Nego, and also Daniel in Daniel chapter 3 and 6. King Nebuchadnezzar had commanded thousands of people (the satraps, the administrators, the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces) to gather in Babylon for the dedication of the golden image: Ninety feet high and nine feet wide, the gigantic idol towered over the people. 

The King commanded all the peoples and nations of every language to fall down and worship the image of gold. Whoever did not fall down and worship would immediately be thrown into the furnace. Everyone worshiped the idol except for these three men who defiled the King’s order. They accepted the likely punishment of death gracefully and added, "If you throw us into the blazing flames, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and He will rescue us. But even if He doesn't, we would never serve your gods or worship the image of gold that you have built!" 

The King, enraged by the insolence of the men, commanded that they be thrown into the furnace. Despite the fact that the furnace was already hot enough to kill any living thing put inside, the king ordered that the furnace be made seven times hotter than usual!" He ordered his strongest soldiers to tie up the three condemned men standing before him, and throw them into the inferno. The soaring flames licked the air surrounding the furnace, and because it was so blazing hot, the flames incinerated the soldiers who had thrown the three men in.

While in the furnace, God showed up them. Then king got up on his feet! Frantically he asked his advisors, "Weren't there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire? Look! I see four men walking around, unbound, unharmed, and  the fourth looks like a son of the gods!" All the advisors, shocked with amazement, stared into the fire. Sure enough, not only were the three men walking around in the furnace, but there was a fourth man with them. When the King saw this, he ordered everyone to worship the awesome God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abrdnego.

In the same vein, Daniel refused to give up His convictions about his God and indulged in regular prayer to God as a habit. He put into practice his convictions, even when that meant being thrown into a den of hungry lions. When King Darius signed a law effectively making himself a god for 30days, and that no one should pray to anyone except the king, Daniel made no attempt to hide his daily prayer routine, even when he knew he would be disobeying the new law, and consequently he would be thrown into the lions’ den. When he was eventually thrown into the den, God showed up for him and shut up the lions’ mouth, and he was unhurt.

Are you ready to take a stand for God no matter what? Ordinarily, the young men referenced above, could have given any of the following excuses as reason to bow down to the statue and save their lives: “We will fall down but not actually worship the idol,” or “We won’t become idol worshippers but will worship it this one time, and then ask God for forgiveness,” or “The king has absolute power, and we must obey him, God will understand,” or “The King appointed us—we owe this to him,” or “This is a foreign land, so God will excuse us for following the customs of the land,” or “Our ancestors set up idols in God’s temple! This isn’t half as bad,” or “We’re not hurting anybody,” or “If we get ourselves killed and some pagans take our high positions, they won’t help our people in exile!”

Although all these excuses sound sensible at first, they are dangerous rationalizations. To fall down and worship the image would violate God’s command; “You shall have no other God’s before Me.” (Exodus 20 vs 3.) It will also erase their testimony for God forever. Never again should they talk about the power of their God above all other gods. What excuses do you use for not standing firm for Him? 

Prayer: Abba Father, in all circumstances You remain my only God, and ever will be. I am persuaded that You are ever faithful. Engrace me to stand firm for You all the days of my life, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

WHO GOD IS!

EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 22, 2019.

SUBJECT: WHO GOD IS!

Memory verse: "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the LORD, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” (Revelation 1 vs 8.) 

READ:  Read Isaiah 46 vs 5, 9 - 10:

46:5: “To whom will you liken Me, and make Me equal and compare Me, that we should be alike?

46:9: Remember the former things of old, for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me, 

46:10: Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure.’

INTIMATION:

The word ‘God,’ is a translation in the polytheism of the Greek word “Theos” denoting a deity. Hence the word was appropriated by Jews and retained by Christians to denote the one true God. He is an infinite Spirit (John 4 vs 24), and no one knows Him or has seen Him. The Bible declared in First John chapter 4 vs 12, “No one has seen God at any time.” Because no one knows Him or has seen Him, He is indescribable. We only exhibit some knowledge of God by understanding His attributes and characteristics as revealed in nature, and His Word.

In our memory verse, God calls Himself the “Alpha and Omega”. Alpha and Omega are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. The LORD God is the beginning and the end. He is the Eternal Lord and Ruler of the past, present, and future. He is the First and the Last; besides Him there is no God (Isaiah 44 vs 6). 

God reveals His divine Nature and Personal Qualities through nature (His creation). Nature shows us, in general revelation, a God of might, intelligence, and intricate detail; a God of order and beauty; a God who controls powerful forces. Through special revelation from the Bible and the coming of Jesus Christ, we learn about God’s love and forgiveness and the promise of eternal life. God has graciously given us many sources that we might know Him and come to believe in Him. 

It is interesting to note that the Bible did not start out trying to prove the existence of God. Instead, it states as a fact in the very first verse, the existence of God: "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth" (Genesis 1 vs 1). This clearly shows that the existence of God is a foregone conclusion and require no proves. He exists and is responsible for all creation and is not created. 

God didn't try to convince us He exists, because in nature, God has revealed and made plain what may be known about Him. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—His eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that  we are without excuse (Romans 1 vs 20). Look at yourself, and around you and appreciate nature—the whole of God's creation. Therefore, God has given us both an internal and external witness that He exists. And He holds us responsible for rightly responding to that knowledge, and desiring to know Him better.

God says that He is the Creator of everything that exists, He is Eternal, has all powers, is present everywhere, and has all knowledge which He uses with wisdom. In addition, the Bible declares Him to be Holy and Just, Majestic, and King of all, and Sovereign. "Holiness" expresses the sum total of all God is. "Sovereign" expresses the absolute rulership of God above everything and everyone else. He is under no external constraints.

God can only be known through His attributes and characteristics. Some of these attributes and characteristics are captured under the following broad heading; Holy Sovereign; Sacrificial Savior; Loving Father; Faithful Companion; Good Friend; and Intimate Friend. Understanding these attributes and characteristics help our knowledge of God and appreciating Him for who He is. 

Prayer: Abba Father, though no one has seen You and can see You, but You are revealed in Your nature, and creation. I adore You for Your ways are past finding out. You do great wonders without number. Great is Your faithfulness. What You cannot give me, let me never have it, and what You cannot do for me, let it remain undone forever, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

FELLOWSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST!

EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

THURSDAY NOVEMBER 21, 2019.

SUBJECT : FELLOWSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST!

Memory verse: "That which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ." (First John 1 vs 3.) 

READ: First John 1 vs 5 - 9: 

1:5: This is the message which we have heard from Him and declared to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. 

1:6: If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 

1:7: But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.

1:8: If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

1:9: If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

INTIMATION: 

Our fellowship in Jesus Christ is our bait to remain beneficiaries of God's divine nature. Our fellowship with Jesus is God's ordained plan; "God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord." (Corinthians 1 vs 9.) We were called into fellowship with His Son. This is a heavenly calling. We are living under grace (unmerited favor) of God. 

Committing sin breaks our fellowship with Christ and broken fellowship is one of the the saddest facts of human experience. Though broken fellowship does not break the relationship, but it mars it and robs that relationship of its richest blessings and benefits. The Holy Spirit has given us the way to restore broken fellowship in the epistle of John. This short epistle was written to tell us how to maintain our fellowship and how to restore it when it is broken.

God is light, and as long as you are in fellowship with Him, you are in light. But the instant your fellowship is broken, you go into the dark. As long as we walk in the light—as long as we are in fellowship with Him—the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses all the blunders and mistakes that we make. But if we sin, we are out of fellowship with Him and we are walking in darkness. 

The instant we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins, and cleans us from all unrighteousness. The broken fellowship is restored. Now we are to forgive ourselves and forget our sins and go on in love with Him. For you to continually remind yourself of your past errors and sins is to deny the efficacy of His forgiveness and the value of His Word.

In First John 2 vs 1 - 2, the Scriptures say, "My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but for the whole world." 

Jesus Christ is the righteous Advocate. He can go into the Father's presence when we are under condemnation, and shrink from meeting Him. He is always righteous, and can always plead our case. He has paid the ‘Supreme Price’ for our sins with His blood.  The instant we confess our sin, and ask the Father's forgiveness, Jesus takes up our case before the Father, reminding Him of the price He has already paid, and that moment our fellowship is restored.

There is no need walking in broken fellowship a minute after you have committed sin. The devil is the author of that sin. Then to walk on in broken fellowship, grieving over your blunder, is only adding joy and glory to the devil, giving him room to continue his accusation of you before the Father, and he might succeed in  inciting the Father against you.

The instant you have done wrong, and your fellowship is impaired, confess your sin to the Father and Jesus Christ, ask the Father's forgiveness. Jesus will save you from sin, and restore your fellowship with Him; “...He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them” (Hebrews 7 vs 25).

Prayer: Abba Father, thank You for our predestination as sons and daughters, and the privilege of our adoption as Your children in our Messiah Jesus Christ, Whose advocacy has always made us right with You. Endue me with the right spirit to always confess my sins, ask for Your forgiveness, and restore my fellowship with You, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

HELPING THE NEEDY!

EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 20, 2019.

SUBJECT : HELPING THE NEEDY! 

Memory verse: "He who gives to the poor will not lack, but He who hides his eyes will have many curses.” (Proverbs 28 vs 27.)

READ: Isaiah 58 vs 7 - 12: 

58:7: Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and that you bring to house the poor who are cast out; when you see the naked, that you cover him, and not hide yourself from your own flesh?
58:8: Then your light break forth like the morning, your healing shall spring forth speedily, and your righteousness shall go before you; the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.
58:9: Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer; you shalt cry, and He will say, “Here I am.” “If you take away the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness,
58:10: If you extend your soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then your light shall dawn in darkness, and your darkness shall be as the noonday.
58:11: The LORD will guide you continually, and satisfy your soul in drought, and strengthen your bones; you shall be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.
58:12: Those from among you shall build the old waste places; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; and you shalt be called the Repairer of the Breach, The Restorer of Streets to Dwell In.

INTIMATION:

God wants us to identify with the needy, not ignore them. The Scripture makes it clear that those who open their eyes to human need shall be blessed. The Scripture says, “There is one who scatters, yet increases more; and there is one who withholds more than is right, but it leads to poverty. The generous soul will be made rich, and he who waters will also be watered himself.” (Proverbs 11 vs 24 - 25). These two verses present a paradox: We become richer by being generous. The world says to hold on to as much as possible, but this verse says God blesses those who give freely their possessions, time, and energy. Remember, “He who gives to the poor will not lack.”

When we give, God supplies us with more so that we can give more. In addition, giving helps us gain a right perspective on our possessions. We realize they were never really ours to begin with, but were given to us by God to be used to help others. What then do we gain by giving? Freedom from enslavement to our possessions, the joy of helping others, and God’s approval. Paul promises that God will supply all our needs (Philippians 4 vs 19); He usually does this through other people. What can you do today to help God supply someone’s need? 

In the passage we read today, God demands our personal involvement in caring for others’ needs. Anyone who does not help God’s people is God’s enemy (Obadiah 1 vs 10 - 11). If you have withheld your help from someone in a time of need, this is sin. The Scripture says, “Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to Him it is sin“ (James 4 vs 17). Sin includes not only what we do, but also what we refuse to do. Don’t ignore or refuse to help those in need. When a Christian brother or sister suffers, we all suffer (First Corinthians 12 vs 26). We should help needy believers, not exploit them. Make it a practice to help those in need around you. 

God promises that those who care for the needy will be restored and the power of a new life shall break forth from them speedily, their rightness or right relationship with God shall go before them and conducting them to peace and prosperity, and the glory of the Lord shall be their rear guard. God will hear and answer them when they call on Him, and when they cry to Him, He will say, “Here I am.” Their light shall rise in darkness, and their obscurity and gloom become like the noonday. They are assured of God’s guidance continually, and His satisfying their needs in drought, and they shall be like a watered garden and like a spring of water that will never fail. Any ruins around them, no matter how old, will be rebuild, and they raise up foundation for new buildings. 

It is everyone’s responsibility to care for those less fortunate, and helping the poor is also an active part of religious life. God counts on believers to provide for the needy, and we should use what God has given us to aid those less fortunate. Look beyond your regular giving and think of ways to help the needy. This will help you show your regard for God as Creator of all people, share God’s goodness with others, and draw them to Him. It is a practical and essential way to make faith work in everyday life.

Many times we do nothing, not because we lack compassion, but because we are overwhelmed by the size of the problem and don’t know where to begin. God doesn’t expect you to eliminate poverty, nor does he expect you to neglect you family while providing for others. He does, however, expect that when you see an individual in need, you will reach out with whatever help you can offer, including hospitality. Some people are prejudiced against needy people or they cause them inconvenience. Instead of being annoyed, be aware of the opportunities that surround you, and make an effort to look for ways to minister to others. If your convictions don’t allow to help certain people, your convictions may not be in tune with God’s Word. It easy to ignore the poor or forget about those who have less than we do. But God desires generosity. 

Prayer: Abba Father, engrace me to extend helping hands to the needy according to the resources You have entrusted in my care, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

DESIRING TO BE RICH!

EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

TUESDAY NOVEMBER 19, 2019.

SUBJECT : DESIRING TO BE RICH!

Memory verse: "Do not overwork to be rich; because of your own understanding, cease!" (Proverbs 23 vs 4.) 

READ: First Timothy 6 vs 6 - 10:

6:6: Now godliness with contentment is great gain.

6:7: For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.

6:8: And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content.

6:9: But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drawn men in destruction and perdition.

6:10: For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. 

INTIMATION:

Having riches is being wealthy, having abundant resources. Desiring riches is having lust, passion or strong wish for it. The apostle Paul notes that such desire is ungodly and makes many to do all that is possible to obtain riches. In so doing, they fall into various temptations, and snares, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which consequently, draw them into destruction and perdition. Some people are so obsessed with money that they will change their God-given standards and lifestyle to get it. If money is a controlling force in your life, it must be curbed, or it will harm you, others and destroy your relationship with God. 

To many people money represents their pride of accomplishment and self-effort. Ironically, their attitude made them unable to keep the first commandment, to let nothing be more important than God (Exodus 20 vs 3). We have heard about people involving themselves in all kinds of evil; defrauding other people in various ways, their employers, their government, killing fellow humans, even their parents, for rituals, in their desire to get riches. Eventually, when the reality of the temporary nature of their sojourn on earth, as well as their riches, dawn on them, they are sorrowful; “piercing themselves through with many sorrows.” 

The apostle James clearly describes their situation, “But the rich in his humiliation, because as a flower of the field he will pass away. For no sooner has the sun risen with a burning heat than it withers the grass; it’s flowers falls, and it’s beautiful appearance perishes. So the rich man also will fade away in his pursuits.” (James 1 vs 10 - 11.) Prophet Jeremiah further describes them, “As a partridge that broods but does not hatch, so is he who gets riches, but not by right; it will leave him in the midst of his days, and at his end he will be a fool.” (Jeremiah 17 vs 11.)

Riches mean nothing to God because when He calls us home, we take nothing along with us. The only we present to Him as our true wealth is our relationship with our Him, not our financial assets. God is only interested in what is lasting (our souls), not in what is temporary (our riches). The Scripture in Ecclesiastes 5 vs 15 says: “As he came from his mother’s womb, naked shall he return, to go as he came; and he shall take nothing from his labor which he may carry away in his hand.” What we have in our hearts, not our bank accounts or possessions, matter to God and endure for eternity. 

Often the desire for more or better possessions is really a longing to fill an empty place in a person’s life. Being godly and contented with what you have is great gain because it is the key to spiritual growth and personal fulfillment, that is, honoring God and centering our desires on Him. How then do we honor God and center our desires on Him? Jesus gave the key in Matthew 6 vs 33; “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” 

To “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness” means to put God first in your life, to fill your thoughts with His desires, to take His character for your pattern, and to serve and obey Him in everything. Such persons God will honor and add all that the world is running after. The Bible tells us: “By humility and fear of the LORD are riches, and honor and life” (Proverbs 22 vs 4). “Riches and honor are with Me, enduring riches and righteousness” (Proverbs 8 vs 18). The choice is yours.

Prayer: Abba Father, in You I will put my trust. Help me Lord, to lead a life of steadfast pursuit of Your kingdom and its righteousness, trusting You to add to me all other things that are pleasing to You, in Jesus Name I prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

CAN WE BE PERFECT?

EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

MONDAY NOVEMBER 18, 2019.

SUBJECT : CAN WE BE PERFECT?

Memory verse: "Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.” (Matthew 5 vs 48.)

READ: First John 3 vs 2 - 3: 

3:2: Beloved, now we are the children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is.
3:3: And Everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.

INTIMATION:

Being perfect signifies wholeness and completeness; the highest level of maturity or morality. In the Scriptures, the word perfect means “mature or complete,” not “flawless.” The Apostle Paul wanted to see each believer mature spiritually. Like Paul, we must work wholeheartedly like an athlete, but we should not strive in our own strength alone. We have the power of God’s Spirit working in us. We can learn and grow daily, motivated by love and not fear or pride, knowing that God gives the energy to become mature. We can be perfect if our behavior is appropriate for our maturity level—perfect, yet with much room to grow. 

The Christian life is a process of becoming more and more like Christ (see Romans 8 vs 29). This process will not be complete until we see Christ face-to-face (First Corinthians 13 vs 12; Philippians 3 vs 21), but knowing that it is our ultimate destiny should motivate us to purify ourselves. To purify means to keep morally straight, free from the corruption of sin. God also purifies us, but there is action we must take to remain morally fit (see Timothy 5 vs 22; James 4 vs 8; First Peter 1 vs 22).

Our tendency to sin must never deter us from striving to be more like Christ. Christ calls all of His disciples to excel, to rise above mediocrity, and to mature in every area, becoming like Him. Those who strive to become perfect will one day be perfect, even as Christ is perfect. All phrases in perfection is grounded in our faith in Christ and what He has done, not what we can do for Him. We cannot perfect ourselves, only God can work in and through us. “He who has begun a good work in You will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1 vs 6.)

How can we be perfect? (1) In character: In this life we cannot be flawless, but we aspire to be as much like Christ as possible. (2) In holiness: Like the Pharisees, we are to separate ourselves from the world’s sinful values. But unlike the Pharisees we are to be devoted to God’s desires rather than our own and carry His love and mercy into the world. (3) In maturity: We can’t achieve Christlike character and holy living all at once, but we must grow toward maturity and wholeness. Just as we expect different behavior from a baby, a child, a teenager, and an adult, so God expects different behavior from us, depending on our stages of spiritual development. (4) In Love: We can seek to love others as completely as God loves us. 

Jesus is portrayed as haven lived a perfect life according to God’s plan. As a child, He was obedient to His parents and amazed the religious leaders in the temple. As an adult, He served God and others through preaching and healing, and finally as a condemned man, He suffered without complaint.

There are three stages of perfection for a child of God: (1) Perfect Relationship; We are perfect because of our eternal union with the infinitely perfect Christ. When we become His children, we are declared “not guilty” and thus righteous because of what Christ, God’s beloved Son, has done for us. The perfection is absolute and unchangeable, and it is this perfect relationship that guarantees that we will one day be “completely perfect” 

(2) Perfect Progress: We can grow and mature spiritually as we continue to trust Christ, learn more about Him, draw closer to Him, and obey Him. Our progress is changeable (in contrast to our relationships, above) because it depends on our daily walk—at times in life we mature more than at other times. But we are growing toward perfection if we “press on.” Our good deeds do not perfect us; rather, as God perfects us, we do good deeds for Him (See Philippians 3 vs 1 - 15.)

(3) Completely Perfect: When Christ returns to take us into His eternal kingdom, we will be glorified and made completely perfect (See Philippians 3 vs 20 - 21).

Prayer: Abba Father, my trust is You for I know that without You I can do nothing, and by my strength I cannot prevail. I am persuaded that You who have started the good work in me will perfect it, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

THE PRINCIPLES OF GIVING!

EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SUNDAY NOVEMBER 17, 2019.

SUBJECT : THE PRINCIPLES OF GIVING!

Memory verse: "So let each one give as He purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.” (Second Corinthians 9 vs 7.)

READ: Second Corinthians 8 vs 10 - 15: 

8:10: And in this I give advice: It is to your advantage not only to be doing what you began and were desiring to do a year ago;
8:11: but now you also must complete the doing of it; that as there was a readiness to desire it, so there also may be a completion out of that what you have.
8:12: For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to what one has, and not according to what he does not have.
8:13: For I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened:
8:14: but by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may be a supply their lack, that their abundance also may supply your lack—that there may be equality.
8:15: As it is written, “He who gathered much had nothing left over, and he who gathered little had no lack.”

INTIMATION:

Giving is an act of bestowing, providing, offering, conveying, granting, or designating. It is an act of worship—serving God and others with what He has blessed you with—in obedience to God. The grace of giving is what every believer should desire greatly to excel in because it is the greatest grace  that God can bestow on us. God demonstrated in Himself the greatness of this grace when He gave us His Son as a propitiation for our sins (John 3 vs 16). Too often, stewardship of money is given a different status than other aspects of discipleship. Most believers would not want growth in faith, knowledge, or love to stop at a certain level. Yet many decide a fixed percentage of their money to give and stay there for life. True discipleship includes growing in the mature use of all resources, so giving should expand as well. 

In the passage we read today, the apostle Paul urged the believers in the Corinthian rich church to give to the Jerusalem church according to their earlier plan a year ago (see First Corinthians 9 vs 2). He enumerated the principles of giving in his message to the church. They are (1) Your willingness to give enthusiastically is more important than the amount you give—a giving attitude is more important than the amount given; (2) you should give according to your financial ability—make up your mind on how much to give in proportion to how much God has given you; (3) you should strive to fulfill your financial commitments, ensuring we follow through on previous promises; (4) if you give to others in need, they will, in turn, help you when you are in need; (5); you should give as a response to Christ, not for anything you can get out of it; (6) you should give cheerfully out of a willing heart. God Himself is a cheerful giver. Consider all He has done for us. He is pleased when we who are created in His image give generously and joyfully. Having a difficult time letting your money go reflects your ungratefulness to God. How you give reflects your devotion to Christ. 

God gives us so that we can give to others; we should give of what we have, not what we don’t have. There is a “sacrificial giving” and it must be responsible. So many people will give sacrificially in order to reap according to their giving. Unfortunately it doesn’t work that way. Your giving should be out of response to God, not giving out of what you expect to get out of it. There is a true life story of a young man who paid his tithes and offerings to a church with the expectations to reap financial harvest in the near future, and when his expectations didn’t come through he went back to the church and demanded a refund of all he has paid in tiths and offerings.

Though we are encouraged to give generously out of love for God, but not to the extent that those who depend on the givers (their families, for example) must go without having their basic needs met. Give until it hurts, but don’t give so that it hurts your family and/or relatives who need your financial support. 

Prayer: Abba Father, give me the grace to serve You and others with the resources You my put in my care, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!