FOR THE LOVE OF GOD

Scripture Reference: 2 Corinthians 8:1-5

What an Arrangement

What is your arrangement with God, brothers and sisters? How much do you love God? If God blessed you in terms of how you invested your time, talents, and finances, would He have awakened you this morning? Would He have clothed you in your right mind? Would He have started you on your way? Would He have ordered your steps?

Many people in our churches claim that the preacher should teach more. However, the pulpit responds then by asking are you teachable? Have you a barrier to accepting the Holy and inspired Word of Scripture? Do you really believe that the Scripture is God’s Word? Do you really believe that the Bible is the authority for our faith and practice? Do you have a disciplined approach to the study of God’s Word? Can you say according to Psalm 119:105, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path”?

What the condition of your spirit? Are you open-minded and discerning in order to learn. You have to be openhearted if you want to grow. Is His Word your foundation and rock on which to build more knowledge? Who owns the most of you, does God? How much of your conscience does God own? How much of your talents, time and finances does God own. Who do you make your love contributions to, God or the world? Is your compassion controlled by the grace of God? When the Holy Spirit gives you new life in Christ gives you the grace to move forward, will you be able to proclaim, I surrender all of myself?

What a Warfare

We are in a war, and the question has to be asked, are we truly in the Lord’s army walking in God’s abundant grace or are we fooling ourselves by straddling the fence the world has put up around us? Whatever the answer deep in your heart, be aware that it is the Lord’s army that is going to win the war. The Lord’s army is going to march in the New Jerusalem, the Apostle John wrote about, and say, “All hail the power of Jesus’ name.” If you’re not sure whether you will be marching victoriously, I’d surrender while I still had time. There’s many things that can cause us to be in bondage, but there is only one way out of that self-made prison. That is surrender to Jesus Christ and all the grace of God the Father to lift you up to a victorious life.

Yes, I surrender all. Yes. I’m so glad I don’t have to fight my battles. I surrender. I put it in your hands , oh Lord! If you have a situation that seems unbearable, whether in relationships, or your career or job, I as a minister, a servant of God, can’t do anything about any of those problems. However, as a servant of the Lord, my advice to anyone, according to God’s holy Word, is to turn that problem, whatever it is, loose and give it to Jesus. Completely surrender it and yourself to Jesus. Learn to truly and completely lean on Jesus.

Do you know Him for yourself? What’s your arrangement with Him? You might have what appears to be a good arrangement for this time, but do you have a good arrangement with God for eternity? Let His grace assure you!

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture taken from the New King James Version®, NKJV © 1982 by Thomas Nelson.
Where noted, Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation®, NLT © 2015 by Tyndale House.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture Reference: 2 Corinthians 8:1-5

What a Grace – Continued

Unless you are aware of the reality of God, it truly is a waste of time to attend church. Jesus stated this in His Word, “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:24). Did you understand that is the reality of God? He is Spirit and He is Truth. You are not going to see Him with your natural eyes.

People join churches for many reasons but not enough of them truly experience the reality of God. Ask yourself, if you are aware of the reality of God at work in your own life. How aware are you of God’s reality in your own heart? What is God doing to expand your thinking? What is God doing to stretch your patience and your toleration? What is God doing to make you more compassionate and more merciful? What about the reality of God in your life? If you are aware of the reality of God in your heart, can you then move from reality to respect for God? When we respect God we believe His Word, and we try to obey His Word. When you respect God you try to please Him. Paul wrote, “For God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7). To be cheerful in your giving, means to do so without hesitation and with a heart of joy. Now there is both the reality of God and the Christian respect for God, but there is also the right relationship with God.

In Psalm 51:10 we’re taught to pray, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast [right, loyal and grounded] spirit within me.” A steadfast/right spirit has healing in it. A steadfast/right spirit is a loving spirit. A steadfast/right spirit is a merciful spirit. A steadfast/right spirit does not rejoice when a sister or brother has a bad time, or when a brother or sister makes a mistake. That’s the Word of God, not my words. If you were to have a problem with me, that’s not especially important. I can’t save you, my personal words outside of the Word of God can’t save you, but do you have a problem with what God said? God said “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy” (Matthew 5:7). You can’t give any mercy. You may be traveling high and mighty, but your day is going to come.

“Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me” (NLT). We can’t be loyal to one another if we haven’t been loyal to God, no matter how hard we try. I don’t know how to make it any more plain. Our awareness of God’s reality and who He is, our respect for God, our right relationship with God will teach us first to give ourselves to the Lord. Give yourself to Jesus. You don’t have much time. I said give yourself. We give ourselves to an office in the church. We give ourselves to a position in the church. We give ourselves to the membership in the church, but we are not going to be judged by any of that. Give yourself to God. Surrender your will, your self to Him. Sacrifice your all to Him. Share your gift for God’s purpose and God’s program.

To Be Continued

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture taken from the New King James Version®, NKJV © 1982 by Thomas Nelson.
Where noted, Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation®, NLT © 2015 by Tyndale House.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture Reference: 2 Corinthians 8:1-5

What a Secret – Continued

The Word lets us know that by nature, human beings are self-centered, narrow-minded, and greedy. Grace enables us, God’s grace and not ours, to say when it comes to giving generously, “I once was lost, on the issue of giving, but now I’ve found that God’s Word is true. Not because the preacher said so, but rather, because I have been touched by the grace of God.” God’s grace redeems. God’s grace saves. God’s grace converts. God’s grace changes the very heart. God’s grace helps Christians to behave as the Christians did in Macedonia. Arm twisting, sales promotions, Sunday morning pep talks, and pulpit pleadings, and even prosperity bribing, will not produce cheerful giving that pleases God. If the Word of God does not do it, if God’s grace doesn’t take the Word and convince, nurture, and change us, public relations nor false teachings won’t be able to do it, only, the Holy Spirit imparting grace to a surrendered heart can accomplish that which human nature says isn’t possible.

What a Grace

The grace of God must touch you. The grace of God must touch me. The grace of God must touch immature persons of little faith and convert us into understanding that God has called us to be servants. Many of us want positions, especially positions of assumed leadership, but it’s not the position, nor the title that makes the person. It’s the sacrifice that the person contributes in the position. It’s the willingness to serve others over ourselves. If God’s grace was at work in the churches of Macedonia, and if God’s grace was a partial answer for the motivation of the Macedonian Christians, what is the other answer for their generosity? Verse 5 tells us, “they FIRST gave themselves to the Lord” (Bold emphasis added). There are so many in numerous churches throughout the land, and I’m not picking on any specific churches, who are in church, for whatever their reasoning, but who have not given themselves fully and wholly to the Lord. It’s extremely sad and heart-breaking to say, but do you understand? We’re in the congregation, we’re taking part, in part. Good music brought us here. Good singing brought us here. A good organist brought us here. Good preaching and teaching brought us here. The reputation of the church brought us here. A friend brought us here. But I want to ask first and foremost, have we met the Lord? Did He bring us here?

I’m going to take my time and teach the simple Word of God. “They first gave themselves to the Lord, and then to us by the will of God.” What is this talk about first giving themselves to God? “Preacher, how do we accomplish first giving ourselves to God?” Well, church members, and especially church officers, those who serve in the congregations, must acknowledge the reality of God. For some, it can be hard to acknowledge the reality of a God we can’t see.

I can see this the computer screen in front of me. I can see my Bible next to me. In the church assembly, I can see you looking at me, and I can see those pews or chairs, and I can see the pulpit up front, but I can’t see God. However, because we come here Sunday after Sunday with only the physical eyes, we know what somebody else was wearing. We saw where somebody was sitting, we saw somebody usher, we saw somebody sing, but did we see God? Were we made aware of the reality of God?

To Be Continued

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture taken from the New King James Version®, NKJV © 1982 by Thomas Nelson.
Where noted, Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation®, NLT © 2015 by Tyndale House.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture Reference: 2 Corinthians 8:1-5

What a Contrast – Continued

An old expression goes, “I cried because I had no shoes until I met a man who had no feet.” There’s always somebody worse off than you. You may be feeling sorry for yourself, but there is somebody whose every breath is predicated on a machine doing the work of the human lungs. Each and every one of us ought to be saying, “Thank You, Jesus!” The Macedonian church taught us three stern realities: (1) they were poor; (2) they were severely tested by troubles, and (3) their joy was great. Because their joy was great they wanted to help the famine-stricken brothers and sisters in Jerusalem. Paul stated in the next couple of verses, “For I bear witness that according to their ability, yes, and beyond their ability, they were freely willing, imploring us with much urgency that we would receive the gift and the fellowship of the ministering to the saints.” When I reflect on those words of Holy Spirit inspired Scripture, I’m reminded of the fact that God does not expect you, and God does not expect me, to do it all. All He wants us to do is to have a part. He expects us, and He desires of us, to have a share. He expects us to make our contributions. Remember, verses 3 and 4 tell us that they begged Paul to let them have a part in this missionary endeavor.

The Christians of Macedonia were saying: “Yes, we’re very poor. Yes, we’re severely tested by trouble but, in spite of it all, God has been good to us. We want to have a share in helping the brothers and sisters in Judea.” Reason and logic are both cold and dispassionate. Reason and logic are not emotional. Reason and logic are very practical. So those of you with an argumentative nature, that grows out of the context of reason and logic, are saying as you hear this message. “How can very poor, severely troubled Christians be happy, and at the same time unselfish? How is it even remotely possible?”

What a Secret

What was their secret? What was the motivation for their behavior? How can I believe there were people who actually behaved as reported by Paul in this letter? Verse 1 gives us a partial answer. Paul explains it this way when he writes, “We make known to you the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia.” In other words, generosity in people is the work of God’s grace. By nature you and I are selfish. By nature we come here with our hands closed. By nature little children have closed fists. Spiritually, many of us are still little children.

I recently read of an illustration told of a time when a pastor was shaking hands with his parishioners as they were leaving the church. A little boy came by with his mother. He wanted to give that little boy a dollar, but the little boy wouldn’t open up his hands. The pastor explained that the mother had stated, “Well, the reason why he’s not opening his hand is that he has a quarter in it. He felt that if he shook your hand [the pastor’s], he would lose his quarter.” The Bible says that God loves a cheerful giver so much so that the Word says, “He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully” (2 Corinthians 9:6).

To Be Continued

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture taken from the New King James Version®, NKJV © 1982 by Thomas Nelson.
Where noted, Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation®, NLT © 2015 by Tyndale House.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture Reference: 2 Corinthians 8:1-5

The churches in Macedonia were far more generous than what seemed reasonable. That is what the Apostle Paul was writing to the Corinthian church. Not what he and his comrades expected, but more. In fact, much more than they could have hoped for. These churches in Macedonia were young in age and small in membership. Affliction and persecution were their daily companions. Poverty had touched their lives deeply. They knew what it was to be without, what it was to run short of having enough to make it because poverty had permeated their lives to the very core. Very few of their membership belonged to the business and professional class. In fact, biblical historians tell us that those who did have possessions had lost many of them as the result of an earthquake in Macedonia. Those who did not lose their possessions through the earthquake had been stripped of them by the Romans, since the people of Macedonia were occupied by oppressive colonial forces. Few of them had “bragging rights,” as it were. Yet these simple, Christ-loving, God-fearing, compassionate-feeling people were moved with merciful generosity when they learned that the apostle Paul was raising an offering for the famine-stricken churches of Jerusalem.

I’ve never been able to understand it in all my years of service. It’s a mystery to me how those who often are the most blessed seem to be the most selfish, whereas those who struggle seem to be willing to share their crust of bread with another beggar who’s begging. This is the way it was at the time Paul was writing the Corinthians. Listen to Paul tell us about the churches in Macedonia. Paul explains:

“Now I want you to know, dear brothers and sisters, what God in his kindness has done through the churches in Macedonia. They are being tested by many troubles, and they are very poor. But they are also filled with abundant joy, which has overflowed in rich generosity” (2 Corinthians 8:1-2 NLT).

What a Contrast

What a paradox, what a contrast, what an extreme! They were extremely poor because of their afflictions, because of their troubles. But, on the other hand, they were most joyful in the generosity of their giving. Simply put, they were very joyful in the generosity of their giving because they gave without complaining. That ought to be a message to us today, for the Bible says, “Serve the Lord with gladness” (Psalm 100:2). Serve the Lord, not with complaining, not with criticism, but “Serve the Lord with gladness.” They had been severely tested by trouble. Do you hear me? They had been knocked down on their backs, yet they had the joyous generosity of saying “Thank You, Jesus” by giving to somebody who was worse off than they.

To Be Continued

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture taken from the New King James Version®, NKJV © 1982 by Thomas Nelson.
Where noted, Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation®, NLT © 2015 by Tyndale House.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture Reference: Philippians 1:12-25

God Can Give Us Sufficient Courage for Every Situation We Face

Read Philippians 1:19-25 for insight into this section.

As you read this section of Paul’s letter, you see this is not the whimper of one who is defeated. Rather, it is the shout of someone victorious. Paul tells the Philippians that it matters little what the Romans do to him. Already much good has come from his sufferings. He also knows that Christ will give him strength and courage for every problem that lies ahead.

His release from prison is not his primary concern. His chief concern is “that in nothing shall I be ashamed.” He will be sustained in every trial through the prayers of the Philippians and “the supply [help]” that the Holy Spirit provides.

Glorifying Jesus is primary. It’s been rightly stated that: “Paul wants to meet his fate, whether life or death, with such dignity and spirit that all may see what Christ means to him.”

“For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain,” is one of Paul’s best-known statements. Christ had given meaning to Paul’s life. Death held no terror for Paul. Whether he lived or died was entirely up to Jesus Christ. God will give Paul courage and faith whichever way it goes.

Multitudes of Christians through the centuries have read these moving words of Paul and have found courage and new faith in them, for they are a resounding testimony to the God of sufficiency! When some problem has been almost too heavy to bear, or when some crisis or sorrow has all but squeezed the life out of us, many of us have read these words and have gone back to face life with fresh courage.

In conclusion, let me leave you with this: “I grow under the burden,” is the motto of one of the Scottish clans. Indeed! If we Christians learn the lessons darkness teaches, we shall continue to grow in Christlikeness. But if we don’t choose to learn, our lives will forever be spiritually stunted, for the truth is that much of life is spent in dark and shadowy places and it is only Christ Jesus who can bring us the light needed to grow!

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture taken from the New King James Version®, NKJV © 1982 by Thomas Nelson.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture Reference: Philippians 1:12-25

God Can Use Our Problems to Encourage Others – Continued

Read Philippians 1:14-18 for insight into this section.

The lesson here is clear: God often uses the problems that envelop us to encourage others in life’s struggles. Most assuredly, He uses the problems Christians face victoriously to encourage other Christians to live courageously and victoriously.

What we owe to the encouragement of others can never truly be calculated. All of us have been encouraged in some difficult experience of life, by the encouragement of others, to press on and not give up.

A. J. Cronin was one of these. Born in Scotland in 1896, he took his medical degree from the University of Glasgow and served as a surgeon in World War I. When Cronin was a medical student, his surgical skills were severely criticized by one of his professors. Because of the severity of being criticized Cronin had a hard time getting over it.

“You do not have the skills to become a surgeon,” the teacher told Cronin. “You would be well advised to give up the idea of being a surgeon and settle for being a general practitioner.”

Cronin believed what his professor said, and in discouragement he gave up the idea of becoming a surgeon. After completing medical school at Glasgow, he went to a remote village in the Highlands of Scotland and there, as the only doctor for many miles around, he opened his office.

Physician A. Dudley Dennison, Jr. wrote in his book Windows, Ladders, and Bridges, that one cold winter day a pastor in the area was seriously injured when a tree fell on him. Cronin knew that unless a delicate surgical procedure was done immediately, the pastor would be paralyzed. But he also remembered what his professor in medical school had told him: “You do not have the skills to be surgeon.”

Cronin wrestled with what he should do. He knew that one mistake could mean complete paralysis or maybe even instant death for the pastor. But the pastor encouraged the young doctor to perform the needed surgery. “I will pray as you operate,” the pastor said. Encouraged by the pastor, Cronin performed the surgery and the pastor recovered. It was the pastor’s encouragement that made the difference for Cronin, and his confidence was restored.

Often we have been encouraged by the way others have handled their problems. We have learned from them.

Napoleon’s military tactics have been studied for generations by military strategists. But Napoleon came from humble, poor people and his early years were a terrible struggle.

Millions have been encouraged by the struggles of fellow sufferers: Daniel Defoe wrote Robinson Crusoe while in prison. John Bunyan produced The Pilgrim’s Progress because of prison. Sir Walter Raleigh wrote The History of the World during thirteen years in jail. Luther translated the Bible while imprisoned in the castle at Wartburg. Dante wrote magnificently during his twenty years in prison, part of the time under a death sentence.

Who has not found encouragement in John Milton? Blind, sick, poor, he refused to give up. “Who best can suffer, best can do,” Milton said.

One of the lessons God teaches us when the darkness falls upon us is that He can use our problems to encourage others. Didn’t He greatly use Paul in that capacity?

To Be Continued

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture taken from the New King James Version®, NKJV © 1982 by Thomas Nelson.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.