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1 Corinthians 8:1-9

1 And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches.2 In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity.3 For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own,4 they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the Lord’s people.5 And they exceeded our expectations: They gave themselves first of all to the Lord, and then by the will of God also to us.6 So we urged Titus, just as he had earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completion this act of grace on your part.7 But since you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in yout—see that you also excel in this grace of giving.

8 I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others.9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.

(Principle 1 & 2 of 4)
Principle # 1: This kind of giving comes out of GRACE, not out of DUTY (8:1,6,7,9; 9:8,14)

-Two verses I love to lay side by side:
-8:9 “You know the GRACE of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.” (Verse about SALVATION!)
-9:8 “God is able to make ALL GRACE about to you, so that in ALL THINGS at ALL TIMES, having ALL THAT YOU NEED, you will abound in every good work.” (Verse about GIVING!)

-Both are permeated with grace!
-There is no other way to be saved except by grace.
-There is no other way to give (in the way God intends) expect by grace.
-Both (Paul would say) are driven by grace, sustained by grace!

Principle # 2: This kind of giving (so often) comes out of POVERTY, not out of PLENTY. (8:2.9)

-What hit me in a fresh way: Even God operates by this principle!
-Psalms 24:1 “The earth is the LORD’s and everything in it..”
-Psalms 50: 10,12 “Every animal of the forest in Mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills…If I were hungry I would not tell you, for the world is Mine, and all that is in it.”
-Yet when God set out to bless the world through His Son, it was not through abundancebut through poverty.
-8:9 “You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became POOR, so that you through HIS POVERTY might become rich.”

-If that’s the kind of giving God blessed in and through His Son, don’t you think it’s the kind of giving He wants to bless in and through you and me?!

-That’s what He did among the Macedonian Christians, Paul says.
-V2 ”Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity.”

-Look at those words! (Would you put them together?)

One one side                    On the other side
“sever trial”                     “overflowing joy”
“extreme poverty”          ”rich generosity”

-Isn’t it true?: What God loves to bless and multiply so often comes out of the need and sacrifice, not surplus and abundance.

I will add principle 3 & 4 in my next post.  Let me know what you think.

1 Corinthians 8:1-9

1 And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches.2 In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity.3 For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own,4 they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the Lord’s people.5 And they exceeded our expectations: They gave themselves first of all to the Lord, and then by the will of God also to us.6 So we urged Titus, just as he had earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completion this act of grace on your part.7 But since you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in yout—see that you also excel in this grace of giving.

8 I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others.9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.

At Faith Wesleyan Church our Pastor preached a few Sunday’s ago about “The Cycle Of New Testament Giving”. It goes like this…

(Imagine a circle that never ends)
THE FATHER—(The Father gives the Son)—>THE SON—(The Son gives the Spirit)—>THE HOLY SPIRIT—(The Spirit gives us life)—>CHRISTIANS—(We give as channels of God’s grace and love)—>OTHERS—(We all give many expressions of thanks to God)—>(THE FATHER)—>

-Through Jesus Christ God pours out the riches of His love and grace into us.
-By the power of His Spirit, we spill out those riches onto others (thru our giving).
- As the blessings of God’s giving flow through us (as channels), more and more people are blessed by the riches of His grace and join us in speaking out thanks to God for what He has given in Jesus Christ!
-The, it starts all over again!

How different from the “common concept of giving”.

GOD—->(strong command GIVE!!!)
CHRISTIAN—>(N0? Yes?)

The New Testament picture of giving is not like that at all.

• It’s not about pressure or demand!
• It’s not even about emotional appear—or the need!
• It’s about “getting in the flow of God’s giving” so that we become channels through which He sends His love and salvation to others!

Once we get this picture fixed in our hearts and minds, we’re able to grasp (and apply) the spiritual principles by which this kind of giving works and is kept alive.

I’ll share the 4 principles of giving in my next post.  So what are your thoughts?

If you can’t be a pine on the top of the hill,

Be a scrub in the valley — but be

The best little scrub by the side of the rill;
Be a bush if you can’t be a tree.

If you can’t be a bush, be a bit of the grass,

Doing something for somebody’s sake.

If you can’t be a muskie, then just be a bass –

But the livliest bass in the lake.

We can’t all be captains, some have to be crew,

There’s something for all of us here,

There’s big work, and little for people to do,

And the task we must do is the near.

If you can’t be the highway, then just be a trail,
If you can’t be the sun, be a star;
It isn’t by size that you win or you fail –
Be the best of whatever you are!

This was posted by Scott Rubin who is the Middle School Pastor at Willow Creek Community.  

Semper Paratus (Latin, “Always Ready”) is the motto for the Coast Guard. Do you think that might have been the motto of the 12 Disciples?

ALL 12 were “Always Ready” even at their death.

Simon Peter…crucified upside down
Andrew…crucified
James…beheaded
John(brother of James)…exiled, died of old age
Matthew…speared to death
Bartholomew(aka Nathanael)…beaten then crucified
Philip…crucified
Thomas…speared to death
Simon(the zealot)…crucified
James…stoned to death
Thaddaeus(aka Judas son of James)…stoned to death
Judas Iscariot…suicide by hanging (Matthias replaced Judas)

How bout you, if Jesus were to ask you if your ready, would you respond with “Semper Parautus”

On Saturday, June 17th, 2006 there was a reservation that had been made for Ruby Mae Gormong (my grandma, Pastor Dan’s mother) and her presence at the Wedding and reception of Scott Andrew Engrebretson & Hannah Beth Gormong.

Prior to the wedding Grandma Ruby spent many hours to find just the right dress.

She told my mother (Rita) that she was nervous that she might fall walking down the isle. (She wanted EVERYTHING to be just right!)

Every Tuesday, you could find Grandma Ruby at the Ladies Prayer Group.

Earlier that week she told my dad (Larry) that she wasn’t planning to attend the Ladies Prayer Group, she had some family coming to stay with her and she wanted to get the house ready and rest up for the wedding and reception.

Grandma Ruby wasn’t at Scott & Hannah’s Wedding. On Tuesday, June 13th, 2006 sometime that morning, she CONFIRMED her reservation at the marriage supper of the lamb.

(Rev 19:9) Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb”

Remember how nervous she was to walk down the isle, afraid she would trip?

Remember the dress she spent many hours looking for to make sure it was the right one for the wedding?

Revelation 3:4b & 3:5b (NIV)

4 They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy.

5 And I will acknowledge their name before my Father and his angels.

Can you see it…………..Father, Ruby Mae Gormong has arrived!

I follow Stephanie Caro who blogs at Small Church Youth Ministry. Today as I read through my Google Reader her post spoke to me and I wanted to pass it along.  You can click the link above to read more from her. Below is her post from today.

Today’s BIG news isn’t that a congressman tweeted pictures of his underwear or that Bentley was a jerk on The Bachelorette or even that Doug Fields has left Simply Youth Ministry behind and moved over to YS.

Today’s BIG news is that there’s a girl in my home town of Katy, TX, who is in a BAD way and headed down the wrong road. The BIG news is that a teenager in the LA area gave in and joined “the club”…and it ain’t the country club. The BIG news is that regular Joe’s and Jill’s leave work tired everyday, but still head to their church so they can hang out with teenagers. The BIG news is that youth workers EVERYWHERE are all too often dying “on the vine” desperate to connect again to “The Vine.”

Now that’s BIG news. Let’s get over ourselves, our youth ministry careers, the latest youth ministry gossip and get back to work, friends. There are some kids who just might not make it otherwise.
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I have similar stories that I could share as I am sure you could as well. Let’s focus on our students and invest in their lives!

This was my Life Application Study Bible Devotion for today.

Matthew 6:14-15  “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Jesus gives a startling warning about forgiveness: If we refuse to forgive others, God will also refuse to forgive us. Why? Because when we don’t forgive others, we are denying our common ground as sinners in need of God’s forgiveness. God’s forgiveness of sin is not the direct result of our forgiving others, but it is based on our realizing what forgiveness means. It is easy to ask God for forgiveness, but difficult to grant it to others. Whenever we ask God to forgive us for sin, we should ask ourselves, “Have I forgiven the people who have wronged me?”

Who do you need to forgive today or maybe you need to ask for it?