Blessed by Giving - Praise

Greetings:

"If the world were a well-tuned instrument played in rhythm, I would not worship the instrument but him who made it and played it." Athenagoras

1 Peter 2:9 - "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of the One who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light."

Today let us worship the Maker and Creator who has called us out of darkness and into His great Light. Today, let us move our eyes off of the things around us and unto the One who is. Rejoice with me in the greatness of God.

Today - give God the glory He deserves, the praise and worship that is His alone. Be blessed by giving.

For Kingdom Education,
Doc

Blessed by Giving - Sharing

Greetings:

Today marks 17 out of 18 devotionals based on the concept of being blessed by giving. (I can hear it now, hurrah - only 1 more). I have spent this much time on this topic because in the Scriptures it is a vital topic - outranked by the Gospel itself. Jesus spoke often about our need for giving. Paul wrote about. Moses wrote about it. Today, Paul challenges the Corinthian believers to share by generously giving.

"For if the eagerness is there, it is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have. It is not that there may be relief for others and hardship for you, but it is a question of equality at the present time your surplus is [available] for their need, so that their abundance may also become [available] for your need, that there may be equality. As it has been written: The person who gathered much did not have too much, and the person who gathered little did not have too little." (2 Cor. 8: 12 - 15)

He reminds us that as we share with others in their need, others will share with us in our need. Today, seek to find ways to help others around you. Let us put into practice the challenges we have been receiving from God's Word this month.

For Kingdom Education,
Doc

Blessed by Giving - Sincerely

Greetings:

2 Corinthians 8: 8-9 - "I am not saying this as a command. Rather, by means of the diligence of others, I am testing the genuineness of your love. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ: although He was rich, for your sake He became poor, so that by His poverty you might become rich."

Sincerity. The word meaning in the original of sincerity is "without wax." A vase was considered genuine if it was sold "without wax." What this means is - when vases were cured and fired, often they would develop small cracks. A unscrupulous dealer would fill these cracks with wax to make it look whole and pure. However, when the vase was left in the sun or near heat, the wax would melt and the cracks become apparent. So - the best vases were - you got it - sincere.

Paul says he is testing the genuineness of the Corinthian Church's love for the Lord by their giving. Generous giving tells of how much we love our Lord - Jesus Christ. So - are you "without wax" in your generosity? Will the heat of the sun melt and reveal the real person?

Today, make plans (and then put them into practice) to be sincere in generous giving.

For Kingdom Education,
Doc

Blessed by Giving - Spiritually

Greetings:

2 Corinthians 8:7 -"Now as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all diligence, and in your love for us —excel also in this grace."

"Excel also in this grace." What grace was Paul speaking about? Giving. He equates giving generously with being a grace. Do we? Or, do we consider it a chore? How about a nasty little thing we have to do? Hey - hold on you say --

Yet, it is a spiritual act that we perform in worship to God. When we give generously we are honoring His name, giving Him first place, and extending His Kingdom. Giving is grace.

Today, seek ways to be full of grace to others - find ways that you can give generously.

For Kingdom Education,
Doc

Blessed by Giving - Systematically

Greetings:

2 Corinthians 8: 6 - "So we urged Titus that, just as he had begun, so he should also complete this grace to you...."

2 Corinthians 8 begins with Paul urging the Corinthian Church to complete the collection they had begun. God uses this to teach us to finish what we start in our generous giving. Paul urged Titus to be systematic in what he was doing.

It is important for us to systematic in all areas of our lives - including in the grace of giving. We must give in an orderly fashion of ourselves, our time, our talents, and our treasures. To do any less would not be honoring to God.

Today, if you have not developed a systematic plan for generous giving in all areas of your life - find some time and begin to chart out an organized plan of generous giving.

For Kingdom Education,
Doc

Blessed by Giving - Selflessly

Greetings:

2 Cor. 8:4 - "...they begged us insistently for the privilege of sharing in the ministry to the saints..."

OK quiz time. (Yeah, I am an educator).

When was the last time you begged to be allowed to give generously? (Jeopardy theme playing softly...) If you're waiting for an answer from me -- I asked you first.

These churches in Macedonia wanted to give so badly they begged Paul for the chance. Remember, they were going through adversity and poverty - yet they pleaded for the opportunity to give to others. That's the kind of church that God blesses. That's the kind of person God blesses.

To often today we pray and seek for ways for people to give to us. And God's plan is for us to give to others. Today, see how many times you can ask (plead, beg, conjole) others to let you give.

For Kingdom Education,
Doc

Blessed by Giving - Cheerfully

Greetings:

2 Corinthians 9:7 - "Each person should do as he has decided in his heart—not out of regret or out of necessity, for God loves a cheerful giver."

Sometimes we need to think through our pattern of giving. Are we doing it and not wanting to? Are we grumbling about what we give? Paul challenges the Corinthian believers to do it cheerfully. The Greek word here is the same from which we get our word hilarious.

Paul wants us to see that we know that it is an act of obedience to give to God, but, it should be an act of obedience that we take part in with good feelings, excitement, cheerfulness. When you give - is it the minimum? Is it the least you can do? Is it with grave grumblings of giving gripes? (Say that three times quickly). How do you give?

If you are seeking to be blessed by God, you must give generously and with a cheerful heart and attitude.

Today - get hilarious with your giving. Don't give 'til it hurts - find ways to give 'til it blesses.

For Kingdom Education,
Doc

Blessed by Giving - Sacrificially

Greetings:

We are blessed by giving generously when it is sacrificially given. Consider as Paul is challenging the church at Corinth to give - "We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God granted to the churches of Macedonia: during a severe testing by affliction, their abundance of joy and their deep poverty overflowed into the wealth of their generosity. I testify that, on their own, according to their ability and beyond their ability..." (8:1-3).

God gave blessings to the churches of Macedonia because they gave - not out of abundance, but out of the trials and and poverty that they were experiencing. God will bless any church who gives sacrificially.

And, God will bless those of us who give generously of our time, talent, and treasures to further His Kingdom work. The gospels share the story of the widow who gave her all vs. the rich. Notice who was noticed by God. Notice who was given the commendation by God. Notice who God was concerned for. The rich people, right? Wrong.

God will bless those who give generously and sacrificially. Do you fit that description?

For Kingdom Education,
Doc

Blessed by Giving - Extending God's Program

Greetings:

2 Corinthians 9:12 - "For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints, but is also overflowing in many acts of thanksgiving to God."

When we give generously, not only are we blessed, not only is God exalted, not only is His plan put into motion, but - we also see His Kingdom advanced. God can do anything without us, but in His economy He often does not work without us. That is why prayer is so important. That is why being evangelistic is important. That is why giving is so important. Our giving generously provides the means for the Kingdom to advance. Giving ourselves first, our time, our talents, our finances.

Paul is writing to the Corinthian believers and to their church as a whole. God's churches advance not only as the individuals give generously, but as the church gives generously we see the Kingdom advance. As church's give they can see the blessings that others receive and also the blessing they will receive in return.

Blessings come in direct proportion to the blessings given. The Kingdom advances in direct proportion to the generous giving of those seeking to see it advance.

Sooooo---- today let's see how far we can advance the Kingdom for the glory of God!

For Kingdom Education,
Doc

Blessed by Giving - Executing God's Plan

Greetings:

2 Corinthians 9:6 - 8 - "Remember this: the person who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the person who sows generously will also reap generously. Each person should do as he has decided in his heart—not out of regret or out of necessity, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make every grace overflow to you, so that in every way, always having everything you need, you may excel in every good work."

God has a plan for our lives. He has a plan - He works His plan - and His plan will succeed.

When it comes to being blessed - His plan is that we give generously to others. As we bless others we reap the blessings. To often we attempt to hoard all that we have - and then feel miserable. Consider what happened to Midas.

Give little - get little. Give a lot - get a lot. God's plan. Plain and simple. So ---

What are you doing to follow His plan today? Muse over the thought of how much you are going to be blessed by how much you have blessed others.

For Kingdom Education,
Doc

Blessed by Giving - Exalting God's Name

Greetings:

Proverbs 3:9 - "Honor the LORD with your possessions and with the first produce of your entire harvest..."

We are pondering the importance of giving generously. Generously of our time, talent, and treasures. We know that it is God's desire - and command that we do this. We have pondered that God will bless us personally, materially, and spiritually.

Let us stop to muse over the fact that when we as Christians give generously - we are exalting God. When we give generously, we are showing that we honor Him. He is first in our lives. He is able to provide for us. He is willing to meet our needs. He is all that we need. We are proclaiming to the world that we place our God in highest honor.

Today, look for ways to give generously as a way to show honor to our great and glorious God.

For Kingdom Education,
Doc

Blessed by Giving - Spiritual Blessings

Greetings:

Malachi 3: 12 - ""Then all the nations will consider you fortunate, for you will be a delightful land," says the LORD of Hosts."

The nation of Israel received this promise - that as they gave generously, they would have their needs met, and this would include being a blessing to others.

As Christians, as we give generously, God will bless us Spiritually. Someone once told me that we were not to be dams holding in reserve the blessings God gives us - we are to be channels to take those blessing to others. Many will remember the old hymn - "Channels of Blessing." There is much truth in the words of that old hymn.

When we obey and give generously - God blesses us personally, materially, and spiritually. Seek to be a recipient of those blessings.

For Kingdom Education,
Doc

Blessed by Giving - Material Blessings

Greetings:

Malachi 3: 11 - "I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not ruin the produce of your ground, and your vine in your field will not be barren," says the LORD of Hosts."

God speaking through the prophet gives us a little insight to Kingdom Economics. He says that if we give generously (verse 10) then we will have material blessings. Notice some things here -

(1) The people were expected to give generously first. (2) The people were expected to work for these blessings. (3) The blessing was to make their work fruitful.

This is not a "pray it and claim it" promise. It is based upon our following God's directions, and on our doing our part. God was also warning that the lack of generosity could be seen in the "devourer" taking away what they have. Ever struggle to get ahead only to suddenly have something happen to diminish what you have? Saving money when a pipe bursts and ruins you living room. Getting ahead financially and suddenly major repairs are needed on your house or car. Or, major medical bills.

Sometimes these are the results of just plain living in a sinful world. However, sometimes maybe God has lifted His Hand of protection because we are not obeying and being generous.

Today, ponder what God is calling you to give - your time, your talent, your finances? Then to have the blessings do it.

For Kingdom Education,
Doc

Blessed by Giving - Personal Blessings

Greetings:

Philippians 4:19 - "And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. "

We are talking about God's design and desire of our giving of ourselves. Over the week, I am planning to ponder the idea of being blessed personally, materially, and spiritually. And, no, I am not a prosperity preacher. So, don't look for that in these ideas.

Personal blessings. The above Scripture that we read states that God will provide everything we need. Now some have taken this as a guarantee that everything we ask for we get. Wrong. In fact, in context of the passage, Paul is commenting upon the Philippians generosity to him. He is telling them that as they are generous to others not to worry - God will meet their needs.

As we give to others, God will also meet our needs (we often need to learn the difference between needs and wants). This is true. A friend once told me that you can never out give God. And, in context of speaking to the church at Philippi - this is a truth for churches too. If they give generously to others, God will meet their needs. A stingy church is a starving church when it comes to God's blessings. A stingy person is a starving person when it comes to God's blessings.

Today, ponder the truth of never being able to out give God. And, after pondering - give generously.

For Kingdom Education,
Doc

Blessed by Giving - Experience God's Provision

Greetings:

Malachi 3: 11-12 states, "I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not ruin the produce of your ground, and your vine in your field will not be barren," says the LORD of Hosts. "Then all the nations will consider you fortunate, for you will be a delightful land," says the LORD of Hosts."

When we give as God directs, we show that He is the prime Being in our lives, we gather in His promise, and we share in His provision for us. He wants to bless us. Now, I'm not going the "Prosperity Gospel" route. I believe that anything that cannot be preached in a devastated third world country is not part of the gospel. However, God does make provision for us. He does bless us. Next week we will look at three ways that God can and will bless us as we give as He directs. We will consider how He blesses personally, materially, and spiritually.

Get the best that God has planned for your life. How? By giving the way that He directs. Today, give Him your best, give him your all, and experience His best plan for you.

For Kingdom Education,
Doc

Blessed by Giving - Embracing God's Promise

Greetings:

Well, what did you give God yesterday?

Malachi 3:10 - "Bring the full 10 percent into the storehouse so that there may be food in My house. Test Me in this way," says the LORD of Hosts. "See if I will not open the floodgates of heaven and pour out a blessing for you without measure."

Do you see the promise God makes? We give Him the FULL amount He asks for, and He will flood us with blessings. Do you know what is exciting? God loves to make promises to His people - and best of all - He keeps His promises. Do you want to collect on God's promises? Then give Him what is His. Don't hold out - do it to the max.

Today, give God your best, and give Him the max that you have. See if He won't fill up back up.

For Kingdom Education,
Doc

Blessed by Giving - Expressing God's Preeminence

Greetings:

Join me in considering what being a steward is all about. When we give, we show that God holds first place in our lives. Because, as we give, we are giving to Him. However, what we give speaks of how we view Him.

A father and his daughter went to church one Sunday morning. She watched as he placed something in the offering plate. After the service, the father was complaining about everything that took place. His little girl looked up and said, "Well, what did you expect to get for a dime?"

Do we give God the first part of ourselves, our time, our money? Or, do we give Him whatever we have left over? Consider what Malachi wrote: ""When you present a blind [animal] for sacrifice, is it not wrong? And when you present a lame or sick [animal], is it not wrong? Bring it to your governor! Would he be pleased with you or show you favor?" asks the LORD of Hosts....'The deceiver is cursed who has an [acceptable] male in his flock and makes a vow but sacrifices a defective [animal] to the Lord. For I am a great King,' says the LORD of Hosts, 'and My name will be feared among the nations." (1:8,14).

What are you giving God today?

For Kingdom Education,
Doc

Blessed by Giving - Stewards

Greetings:

Luke 16: 10-12 - "Whoever is faithful in very little is also faithful in much, and whoever is unrighteous in very little is also unrighteous in much. So if you have not been faithful with the unrighteous money, who will trust you with what is genuine? And if you have not been faithful with what belongs to someone else, who will give you what is your own?"

This month, I want us to be challenged to consider that God's plan to bless us is developed by our giving. Giving of ourselves, our time, our talents, and our finances. To often we come to God seeking to get - when His plan to bless us is tied to us giving. God has made each of us stewards of a part of His Kingdom. We are responsible to Him for what we do. Some of the material comes from information I have from Dr. David Jeremiah of Shadow Mountain Community Church in California.

The New International Webster's Pocket Dictionary - 2000 edition - defines a steward as: "1) A person entrusted with the affairs of others; 3) on shipboard, a person who waits on tables and takes care of passenger's rooms."

We seem to think of being a steward as being the one in charge. It's not. We are the servant of the One we represent. Stewardship is a priority of Scripture, a prerequisite for service, and a program for success. This month, let us contemplate what God calls us to do as stewards. Get ready as we seek to be Blessed by Giving.

For Kingdom Education,

Doc

George Meuller on knowing God's Will

Greetings:

George Meuller is known in Church History as a man of great faith and prayer. Here is quoted from Blackaby's work, Experiencing God, the manner in which Georg Meuller would find the Will of God in his life.

"I never remember a period that I ever sincerely and patiently sought to know the will of God by the teaching of the Holy Ghost, through the instrumentality of the Word of God, but I have been always directed rightly." Here is how George summed up the way he entered into a "heart" relationship with God and learned to discern God's voice:

1) "I seek at the beginning to get my heart into such a state that it has no will of its own in regard to a given matter.

2) Having done this, I do not leave the result to feeling or simple impression. If so, I make myself liable to great delusions.

3) I seek the will of the Spirit of God through, or in connection with, the Word of God. The Spirit and the Word must be combined.

4) Next, I take into account providential circumstances. These often plainly indicate God's will in connection with His Word and Spirit.

5) I ask God in prayer to reveal His will to me aright.

Thus, (1) through prayer to God, (2) the study of the Word, and (3) reflection, I come to a deliberate judgment according to the best of my ability and knowledge, and if my mind is thus at peace, and continues so after two or three more petitions, I proceed accordingly."*

Consider these five steps when discerning God's voice in your life.

For Kingdom Education,

Doc
*Henry Blackaby, Claude King, Experiencing God, Lifeway Press, Nashville, TN, p. 33,34