Month: July 2014

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Hard Work and Cheerfulness

2 Cor 9:7 God loves a cheerful giver.

I experience it. My children experienced it – the act of giving.

When I grew up and could buy and give a gift. I felt so good to buy my parents or Linda’s parents something for anniversaries, birthdays, and Christmas.

My children have felt the same joy with giving to us.

The ability to give comes with hard work and talent; the harder you work, the more you earn, the more you can give.

He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 2 Cor 9:6
In the world of agriculture it takes hard work to sow bountifully – to plant many seeds. It’s easy to plant one or two seeds and gather the harvest from them. It’s easy to keep the weeds away from one or two.

Plant an acre of seeds and it’s a totally different story. You will have to work hard to plant and to keep invasive predators and plants under control. You will work hard to gather the harvest but what a bountiful harvest you will have.

You have worked very hard and have more than you need. What a joy to give to someone else! You have become a cheerful giver.

And so it should be in church. You work hard to earn your pay but what a joy it is to give and see your church prosper and change the community. What joy to see your missionaries be blessed by your giving.

You become the cheerful giver.

Abba, though the sacrifice of Your Son has cost you much and it must have grieved You so – You must also have great joy at the response of sinners that have found the forgiveness in what was done. I for one thank You for giving. I pray I may do the same for others – give of myself. In Jesus’ name, YES&AMEN

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Unlimited Giving

Heb 7:1-2 For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, to whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all,

I admit that tithing was required under the Law of Moses but Abram and Jacob practiced it before the Law demanded it.

Giving to support the work of God is supported by God and by His people.

God doesn’t move backwards but forward; He doesn’t lower the standard but raises it. He didn’t move from the blood of bulls and goats down to the blood of chickens or squeezing blood from a turnip – He moved the standard up and gave the blood of HIS OWN SON!

So if God once demanded 10% from His people, do you think He would now be happy with 5% or 1%?

But you do how you feel led to do! The early church did and they did not limit themselves.
Acts 4:34-for all who were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold, 35 and laid them at the apostles’ feet; and they distributed to each as anyone had need.

But you do how you feel led to do!
2 Cor 9:7 So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.

Abba, I don’t want to give just 10%. In Jesus’ name, I want to give all I have for Your service. I want to do it cheerfully. I know Your blessings for me will far out-weigh any anything I can give back. YES&AMEN