Randy Green's Blog - Posts Tagged "giving"
Gifts and Givers - Part 1
For I testify that according to their ability, and beyond their ability, they gave of their own accord, begging us with much urging for the favor of participation in the support of the saints, and this, not as we had expected, but they first gave themselves to the Lord and to us by the will of God [2 Corinthians 8:3-5].
The Apostle Paul planted churches in Macedonia (i.e., northern Greece). He then moved southward and planted a church in Corinth (i.e., southern Greece). Well, the Corinthian church had a lot of problem children in it, stunting the growth of the church overall and prompting some of Paul’s most undesirable words.
The quotation with which we began has to do with the collection of money in the Gentile European churches. This money was to be sent to Jerusalem to aid the Jewish Christians there. The Jewish authorities rejected Jesus as the Messiah of Israel, and they used their considerable power to persecute Jews who did accept Jesus. This power included making life miserable for the Jewish Christians by means of jail, loss of jobs, and ostracism. Paul did the proper thing and helped his Jewish brethren in such tragic times: he took a collection from the Gentile churches to send to their Jewish brethren. The money could be used for food and housing and clothing.
Anyway, the Corinthian saints were a troubled bunch. They were downright carnal and walked in the flesh. Instead of learning from the Word of God and being controlled by the Holy Spirit, they envisioned themselves to be at the center of the universe and all else revolved around them individually. This carnal misbehavior applied in all areas, including with regard to the collection for the Jewish saints.
In chapter 8 of 2 Corinthians Paul pointed out what the Macedonian saints were doing about the collection of money for the Jerusalem brethren. This is the context we need to establish in our minds, as we read the words of our quotation. Paul pointed out how eager the Macedonian Christians were to contribute. Not only did they give, but they gave well beyond their ability. This means they couldn’t afford to give as much as they did, but they did so anyway…and begged Paul to let them!
Now here comes the crux of the principle, dear friends. The Macedonian Christians didn’t just give their money to God and Paul. They first gave themselves to God and Paul, and then the money followed. This is the essence of what Paul wanted the Corinthian saints to realize. It isn’t enough to merely give money to the church. If my heart isn’t in it, if I feel obligated to do it but don’t really want to, then it is not acceptable to God. And He knows my heart!
This was the message to be culled from the New Testament, but it originated in the Old. Malachi 1:6-10 is a case in point. The Israelites of Malachi’s day were so caught up in building their own houses and living for themselves, that they lost interest in the Lord and went through the motions with regard to the temple and worship. They brought gifts and offerings to the Lord at the temple, to be sure; but these consisted of their leftovers, rather than the first and the best they had. The Lord was insulted and wanted someone to close and lock the temple doors so the Israelites couldn’t bring Him any more of their junk! He would rather not have them come around and weary Him at all, than to come around and rile Him by playing church.
We will continue this topic in our next post. In the interim let us roll it over our tongues and see what we can learn from it.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Deuteronomy: Volume 5 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
The Apostle Paul planted churches in Macedonia (i.e., northern Greece). He then moved southward and planted a church in Corinth (i.e., southern Greece). Well, the Corinthian church had a lot of problem children in it, stunting the growth of the church overall and prompting some of Paul’s most undesirable words.
The quotation with which we began has to do with the collection of money in the Gentile European churches. This money was to be sent to Jerusalem to aid the Jewish Christians there. The Jewish authorities rejected Jesus as the Messiah of Israel, and they used their considerable power to persecute Jews who did accept Jesus. This power included making life miserable for the Jewish Christians by means of jail, loss of jobs, and ostracism. Paul did the proper thing and helped his Jewish brethren in such tragic times: he took a collection from the Gentile churches to send to their Jewish brethren. The money could be used for food and housing and clothing.
Anyway, the Corinthian saints were a troubled bunch. They were downright carnal and walked in the flesh. Instead of learning from the Word of God and being controlled by the Holy Spirit, they envisioned themselves to be at the center of the universe and all else revolved around them individually. This carnal misbehavior applied in all areas, including with regard to the collection for the Jewish saints.
In chapter 8 of 2 Corinthians Paul pointed out what the Macedonian saints were doing about the collection of money for the Jerusalem brethren. This is the context we need to establish in our minds, as we read the words of our quotation. Paul pointed out how eager the Macedonian Christians were to contribute. Not only did they give, but they gave well beyond their ability. This means they couldn’t afford to give as much as they did, but they did so anyway…and begged Paul to let them!
Now here comes the crux of the principle, dear friends. The Macedonian Christians didn’t just give their money to God and Paul. They first gave themselves to God and Paul, and then the money followed. This is the essence of what Paul wanted the Corinthian saints to realize. It isn’t enough to merely give money to the church. If my heart isn’t in it, if I feel obligated to do it but don’t really want to, then it is not acceptable to God. And He knows my heart!
This was the message to be culled from the New Testament, but it originated in the Old. Malachi 1:6-10 is a case in point. The Israelites of Malachi’s day were so caught up in building their own houses and living for themselves, that they lost interest in the Lord and went through the motions with regard to the temple and worship. They brought gifts and offerings to the Lord at the temple, to be sure; but these consisted of their leftovers, rather than the first and the best they had. The Lord was insulted and wanted someone to close and lock the temple doors so the Israelites couldn’t bring Him any more of their junk! He would rather not have them come around and weary Him at all, than to come around and rile Him by playing church.
We will continue this topic in our next post. In the interim let us roll it over our tongues and see what we can learn from it.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Deuteronomy: Volume 5 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
Gifts and Givers - Part 2
For I testify that according to their ability, and beyond their ability, they gave of their own accord, begging us with much urging for the favor of participation in the support of the saints, and this, not as we had expected, but they first gave themselves to the Lord and to us by the will of God [2 Corinthians 8:3-5].
You see, I cannot please the Lord by giving Him things. He already owns everything! The only way I can please Him is to first give Him my entire life, and then I will be inclined to give Him things from my life because I love Him and want to do so. This is the Biblical principle Paul wanted the Corinthian saints to learn, which means their giving was wrongly motivated. They gave to the sound of trumpets and the singing of their own praises. They acted like self-centered spiritual babies, carnal through and through. Their gifts were unacceptable.
How does this apply to you and me today? In every way! If a husband gives his wife a wedding anniversary gift but ignores her the rest of the year, I guarantee you she is not impressed and despises the gift. She would feel she was being treated like she was for sale. The same applies to a wife who gives her husband a wedding anniversary gift, but the rest of the year she runs around with everyone in town spreading defamatory gossip about her husband. No doubt about it. Hubby despises her gift. First hubby needs to give himself to his wife, and then she will appreciate his gift. The same applies to wifey.
Consider the parent-kid relationship. If Dad and Mom live at the job and let Nanny Nancy raise their kids, the birthday and Christmas presents will ring hollow at a very early age. I’ve seen it happen all too frequently. But let Dad and Mom often spend time with the kids doing things the kids like to do, and a cheapy toy means a lot to them!
Reversing the roles, let the kids treat their parents disrespectfully like they can readily learn on the street and on the TV, and any gift they give will not mean much to the parents. This is especially true when the kids grow up. There comes a time when our kids insist so strongly they are adults, that we have every right and expectation to expect them to relate to us as adults. If they are never around for us, especially in our need, then their once a year Christmas gift isn’t much consolation. Truth be told, I wouldn’t want to be bothered with it. They first must grow up enough to recognize the need to give themselves to me and be there for me, and then the gifts will follow.
This would be an apropos time for me to take inventory of my life. Am I first giving myself to those whom I love, or am I presuming I can buy them with gifts? Is my heart in it when I relate to them, or am I merely meeting an obligation or looking for some sort of recognition or reward? Hmm. Those are toughie questions. Think I’ll betake myself to the Lord. He can search me and help me to grow in this area.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Deuteronomy: Volume 5 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
You see, I cannot please the Lord by giving Him things. He already owns everything! The only way I can please Him is to first give Him my entire life, and then I will be inclined to give Him things from my life because I love Him and want to do so. This is the Biblical principle Paul wanted the Corinthian saints to learn, which means their giving was wrongly motivated. They gave to the sound of trumpets and the singing of their own praises. They acted like self-centered spiritual babies, carnal through and through. Their gifts were unacceptable.
How does this apply to you and me today? In every way! If a husband gives his wife a wedding anniversary gift but ignores her the rest of the year, I guarantee you she is not impressed and despises the gift. She would feel she was being treated like she was for sale. The same applies to a wife who gives her husband a wedding anniversary gift, but the rest of the year she runs around with everyone in town spreading defamatory gossip about her husband. No doubt about it. Hubby despises her gift. First hubby needs to give himself to his wife, and then she will appreciate his gift. The same applies to wifey.
Consider the parent-kid relationship. If Dad and Mom live at the job and let Nanny Nancy raise their kids, the birthday and Christmas presents will ring hollow at a very early age. I’ve seen it happen all too frequently. But let Dad and Mom often spend time with the kids doing things the kids like to do, and a cheapy toy means a lot to them!
Reversing the roles, let the kids treat their parents disrespectfully like they can readily learn on the street and on the TV, and any gift they give will not mean much to the parents. This is especially true when the kids grow up. There comes a time when our kids insist so strongly they are adults, that we have every right and expectation to expect them to relate to us as adults. If they are never around for us, especially in our need, then their once a year Christmas gift isn’t much consolation. Truth be told, I wouldn’t want to be bothered with it. They first must grow up enough to recognize the need to give themselves to me and be there for me, and then the gifts will follow.
This would be an apropos time for me to take inventory of my life. Am I first giving myself to those whom I love, or am I presuming I can buy them with gifts? Is my heart in it when I relate to them, or am I merely meeting an obligation or looking for some sort of recognition or reward? Hmm. Those are toughie questions. Think I’ll betake myself to the Lord. He can search me and help me to grow in this area.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Deuteronomy: Volume 5 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
Gifts and Givers – Part 1
For I testify that according to their ability, and beyond their ability, they gave of their own accord, begging us with much urging for the favor of participation in the support of the saints, and this, not as we had expected, but they first gave themselves to the Lord and to us by the will of God [2 Corinthians 8:3-5].
The Apostle Paul planted churches in Macedonia (i.e., northern Greece). He then moved southward and planted a church in Corinth (i.e., southern Greece). Well, the Corinthian church had a lot of problem children in it, stunting the growth of the church overall and prompting some of Paul’s most undesirable words.
The quotation with which we began has to do with the collection of money in the Gentile European churches. This money was to be sent to Jerusalem to aid the Jewish Christians there. The Jewish authorities rejected Jesus as the Messiah of Israel, and they used their considerable power to persecute Jews who did accept Jesus. This power included making life miserable for the Jewish Christians by means of jail, loss of jobs, and ostracism. Paul did the proper thing and helped his Jewish brethren in such tragic times: he took a collection from the Gentile churches to send to their Jewish brethren. The money could be used for food and housing and clothing.
Anyway, the Corinthian saints were a troubled bunch. They were downright carnal and walked in the flesh. Instead of learning from the Word of God and being controlled by the Holy Spirit, they envisioned themselves to be at the center of the universe and all else revolved around them individually. This carnal misbehavior applied in all areas, including with regard to the collection for the Jewish saints.
In chapter 8 of 2 Corinthians Paul pointed out what the Macedonian saints were doing about the collection of money for the Jerusalem brethren. This is the context we need to establish in our minds, as we read the words of our quotation. Paul pointed out how eager the Macedonian Christians were to contribute. Not only did they give, but they gave well beyond their ability. This means they couldn’t afford to give as much as they did, but they did so anyway…and begged Paul to let them!
Now here comes the crux of the principle, dear friends. The Macedonian Christians didn’t just give their money to God and Paul. They first gave themselves to God and Paul, and then the money followed. This is the essence of what Paul wanted the Corinthian saints to realize. It isn’t enough to merely give money to the church. If my heart isn’t in it, if I feel obligated to do it but don’t really want to, then it is not acceptable to God. And He knows my heart!
This was the message to be culled from the New Testament, but it originated in the Old. Malachi 1:6-10 is a case in point. The Israelites of Malachi’s day were so caught up in building their own houses and living for themselves, that they lost interest in the Lord and went through the motions with regard to the temple and worship. They brought gifts and offerings to the Lord at the temple, to be sure; but these consisted of their leftovers, rather than the first and the best they had. The Lord was insulted and wanted someone to close and lock the temple doors so the Israelites couldn’t bring Him any more of their junk! He would rather not have them come around and weary Him at all, than to come around and rile Him by playing church.
We will continue this topic in our next post. In the interim let us roll it over our tongues and see what we can learn from it.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Deuteronomy: Volume 5 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
The Apostle Paul planted churches in Macedonia (i.e., northern Greece). He then moved southward and planted a church in Corinth (i.e., southern Greece). Well, the Corinthian church had a lot of problem children in it, stunting the growth of the church overall and prompting some of Paul’s most undesirable words.
The quotation with which we began has to do with the collection of money in the Gentile European churches. This money was to be sent to Jerusalem to aid the Jewish Christians there. The Jewish authorities rejected Jesus as the Messiah of Israel, and they used their considerable power to persecute Jews who did accept Jesus. This power included making life miserable for the Jewish Christians by means of jail, loss of jobs, and ostracism. Paul did the proper thing and helped his Jewish brethren in such tragic times: he took a collection from the Gentile churches to send to their Jewish brethren. The money could be used for food and housing and clothing.
Anyway, the Corinthian saints were a troubled bunch. They were downright carnal and walked in the flesh. Instead of learning from the Word of God and being controlled by the Holy Spirit, they envisioned themselves to be at the center of the universe and all else revolved around them individually. This carnal misbehavior applied in all areas, including with regard to the collection for the Jewish saints.
In chapter 8 of 2 Corinthians Paul pointed out what the Macedonian saints were doing about the collection of money for the Jerusalem brethren. This is the context we need to establish in our minds, as we read the words of our quotation. Paul pointed out how eager the Macedonian Christians were to contribute. Not only did they give, but they gave well beyond their ability. This means they couldn’t afford to give as much as they did, but they did so anyway…and begged Paul to let them!
Now here comes the crux of the principle, dear friends. The Macedonian Christians didn’t just give their money to God and Paul. They first gave themselves to God and Paul, and then the money followed. This is the essence of what Paul wanted the Corinthian saints to realize. It isn’t enough to merely give money to the church. If my heart isn’t in it, if I feel obligated to do it but don’t really want to, then it is not acceptable to God. And He knows my heart!
This was the message to be culled from the New Testament, but it originated in the Old. Malachi 1:6-10 is a case in point. The Israelites of Malachi’s day were so caught up in building their own houses and living for themselves, that they lost interest in the Lord and went through the motions with regard to the temple and worship. They brought gifts and offerings to the Lord at the temple, to be sure; but these consisted of their leftovers, rather than the first and the best they had. The Lord was insulted and wanted someone to close and lock the temple doors so the Israelites couldn’t bring Him any more of their junk! He would rather not have them come around and weary Him at all, than to come around and rile Him by playing church.
We will continue this topic in our next post. In the interim let us roll it over our tongues and see what we can learn from it.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Deuteronomy: Volume 5 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
Gifts and Givers – Part 2
For I testify that according to their ability, and beyond their ability, they gave of their own accord, begging us with much urging for the favor of participation in the support of the saints, and this, not as we had expected, but they first gave themselves to the Lord and to us by the will of God [2 Corinthians 8:3-5].
You see, I cannot please the Lord by giving Him things. He already owns everything! The only way I can please Him is to first give Him my entire life, and then I will be inclined to give Him things from my life because I love Him and want to do so. This is the Biblical principle Paul wanted the Corinthian saints to learn, which means their giving was wrongly motivated. They gave to the sound of trumpets and the singing of their own praises. They acted like self-centered spiritual babies, carnal through and through. Their gifts were unacceptable.
How does this apply to you and me today? In every way! If a husband gives his wife a wedding anniversary gift but ignores her the rest of the year, I guarantee you she is not impressed and despises the gift. She would feel she was being treated like she was for sale. The same applies to a wife who gives her husband a wedding anniversary gift, but the rest of the year she runs around with everyone in town spreading defamatory gossip about her husband. No doubt about it. Hubby despises her gift. First hubby needs to give himself to his wife, and then she will appreciate his gift. The same applies to wifey.
Consider the parent-kid relationship. If Dad and Mom live at the job and let Nanny Nancy raise their kids, the birthday and Christmas presents will ring hollow at a very early age. I’ve seen it happen all too frequently. But let Dad and Mom often spend time with the kids doing things the kids like to do, and a cheapy toy means a lot to them!
Reversing the roles, let the kids treat their parents disrespectfully like they can readily learn on the street and on the TV, and any gift they give will not mean much to the parents. This is especially true when the kids grow up. There comes a time when our kids insist so strongly they are adults, that we have every right to expect them to relate to us as adults. If they are never around for us, especially in our need, then their once a year Christmas gift isn’t much consolation. Truth be told, I wouldn’t want to be bothered with it. They first must grow up enough to recognize the need to give themselves to me and be there for me, and then the gifts will follow.
This would be an apropos time for me to take inventory of my life. Am I first giving myself to those whom I love, or am I presuming I can buy them with gifts? Is my heart in it when I relate to them, or am I merely meeting an obligation or looking for some sort of recognition or reward? Hmm. Those are toughie questions. Think I’ll betake myself to the Lord. He can search me and help me to grow in this area.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Deuteronomy: Volume 5 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
You see, I cannot please the Lord by giving Him things. He already owns everything! The only way I can please Him is to first give Him my entire life, and then I will be inclined to give Him things from my life because I love Him and want to do so. This is the Biblical principle Paul wanted the Corinthian saints to learn, which means their giving was wrongly motivated. They gave to the sound of trumpets and the singing of their own praises. They acted like self-centered spiritual babies, carnal through and through. Their gifts were unacceptable.
How does this apply to you and me today? In every way! If a husband gives his wife a wedding anniversary gift but ignores her the rest of the year, I guarantee you she is not impressed and despises the gift. She would feel she was being treated like she was for sale. The same applies to a wife who gives her husband a wedding anniversary gift, but the rest of the year she runs around with everyone in town spreading defamatory gossip about her husband. No doubt about it. Hubby despises her gift. First hubby needs to give himself to his wife, and then she will appreciate his gift. The same applies to wifey.
Consider the parent-kid relationship. If Dad and Mom live at the job and let Nanny Nancy raise their kids, the birthday and Christmas presents will ring hollow at a very early age. I’ve seen it happen all too frequently. But let Dad and Mom often spend time with the kids doing things the kids like to do, and a cheapy toy means a lot to them!
Reversing the roles, let the kids treat their parents disrespectfully like they can readily learn on the street and on the TV, and any gift they give will not mean much to the parents. This is especially true when the kids grow up. There comes a time when our kids insist so strongly they are adults, that we have every right to expect them to relate to us as adults. If they are never around for us, especially in our need, then their once a year Christmas gift isn’t much consolation. Truth be told, I wouldn’t want to be bothered with it. They first must grow up enough to recognize the need to give themselves to me and be there for me, and then the gifts will follow.
This would be an apropos time for me to take inventory of my life. Am I first giving myself to those whom I love, or am I presuming I can buy them with gifts? Is my heart in it when I relate to them, or am I merely meeting an obligation or looking for some sort of recognition or reward? Hmm. Those are toughie questions. Think I’ll betake myself to the Lord. He can search me and help me to grow in this area.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Deuteronomy: Volume 5 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
Gifts and Givers – Part 1
For I testify that according to their ability, and beyond their ability, they gave of their own accord, begging us with much urging for the favor of participation in the support of the saints, and this, not as we had expected, but they first gave themselves to the Lord and to us by the will of God [2 Corinthians 8:3-5].
The Apostle Paul planted churches in Macedonia (i.e., northern Greece). He then moved southward and planted a church in Corinth (i.e., southern Greece). Well, the Corinthian church had a lot of problem children in it, stunting the growth of the church overall and prompting some of Paul’s most undesirable words.
The quotation with which we began has to do with the collection of money in the Gentile European churches. This money was to be sent to Jerusalem to aid the Jewish Christians there. The Jewish authorities rejected Jesus as the Messiah of Israel, and they used their considerable power to persecute Jews who did accept Jesus. This power included making life miserable for the Jewish Christians by means of jail, loss of jobs, and ostracism. Paul did the proper thing and helped his Jewish brethren in such tragic times: he took a collection from the Gentile churches to send to their Jewish brethren. The money could be used for food and housing and clothing.
Anyway, the Corinthian saints were a troubled bunch. They were downright carnal and walked in the flesh. Instead of learning from the Word of God and being controlled by the Holy Spirit, they envisioned themselves to be at the center of the universe and all else revolved around them individually. This carnal misbehavior applied in all areas, including with regard to the collection for the Jewish saints.
In chapter 8 of 2 Corinthians Paul pointed out what the Macedonian saints were doing about the collection of money for the Jerusalem brethren. That is the context we need to establish in our minds, as we read the words of our quotation. Paul pointed out how eager the Macedonian Christians were to contribute. Not only did they give, but they gave well beyond their ability. This means they couldn’t afford to give as much as they did, but they did so anyway…and begged Paul to let them!
Now here comes the crux of the principle, dear friends. The Macedonian Christians didn’t just give their money to God and Paul. They first gave themselves to God and Paul, and then the money followed. That is the essence of what Paul wanted the Corinthian saints to realize. It isn’t enough to merely give money to the church. If my heart isn’t in it, if I feel obligated to do it but don’t really want to, then it is not acceptable to God. And He knows my heart!
That was the message to be culled from the New Testament, but it originated in the Old. Malachi 1:6-10 is a case in point. The Israelites of Malachi’s day were so caught up in building their own houses and living for themselves, that they lost interest in the Lord and went through the motions with regard to the temple and worship. They brought gifts and offerings to the Lord at the temple, to be sure; but these consisted of their leftovers, rather than the first and the best they had. The Lord was insulted and wanted someone to close and lock the temple doors so the Israelites couldn’t bring Him any more of their junk! He would rather not have them come around and weary Him at all, than to come around and rile Him by playing church.
We will continue this topic in our next post. In the interim let us roll it over our tongues and see what we can learn from it.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Deuteronomy: Volume 5 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
The Apostle Paul planted churches in Macedonia (i.e., northern Greece). He then moved southward and planted a church in Corinth (i.e., southern Greece). Well, the Corinthian church had a lot of problem children in it, stunting the growth of the church overall and prompting some of Paul’s most undesirable words.
The quotation with which we began has to do with the collection of money in the Gentile European churches. This money was to be sent to Jerusalem to aid the Jewish Christians there. The Jewish authorities rejected Jesus as the Messiah of Israel, and they used their considerable power to persecute Jews who did accept Jesus. This power included making life miserable for the Jewish Christians by means of jail, loss of jobs, and ostracism. Paul did the proper thing and helped his Jewish brethren in such tragic times: he took a collection from the Gentile churches to send to their Jewish brethren. The money could be used for food and housing and clothing.
Anyway, the Corinthian saints were a troubled bunch. They were downright carnal and walked in the flesh. Instead of learning from the Word of God and being controlled by the Holy Spirit, they envisioned themselves to be at the center of the universe and all else revolved around them individually. This carnal misbehavior applied in all areas, including with regard to the collection for the Jewish saints.
In chapter 8 of 2 Corinthians Paul pointed out what the Macedonian saints were doing about the collection of money for the Jerusalem brethren. That is the context we need to establish in our minds, as we read the words of our quotation. Paul pointed out how eager the Macedonian Christians were to contribute. Not only did they give, but they gave well beyond their ability. This means they couldn’t afford to give as much as they did, but they did so anyway…and begged Paul to let them!
Now here comes the crux of the principle, dear friends. The Macedonian Christians didn’t just give their money to God and Paul. They first gave themselves to God and Paul, and then the money followed. That is the essence of what Paul wanted the Corinthian saints to realize. It isn’t enough to merely give money to the church. If my heart isn’t in it, if I feel obligated to do it but don’t really want to, then it is not acceptable to God. And He knows my heart!
That was the message to be culled from the New Testament, but it originated in the Old. Malachi 1:6-10 is a case in point. The Israelites of Malachi’s day were so caught up in building their own houses and living for themselves, that they lost interest in the Lord and went through the motions with regard to the temple and worship. They brought gifts and offerings to the Lord at the temple, to be sure; but these consisted of their leftovers, rather than the first and the best they had. The Lord was insulted and wanted someone to close and lock the temple doors so the Israelites couldn’t bring Him any more of their junk! He would rather not have them come around and weary Him at all, than to come around and rile Him by playing church.
We will continue this topic in our next post. In the interim let us roll it over our tongues and see what we can learn from it.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Deuteronomy: Volume 5 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
Gifts and Givers – Part 2
For I testify that according to their ability, and beyond their ability, they gave of their own accord, begging us with much urging for the favor of participation in the support of the saints, and this, not as we had expected, but they first gave themselves to the Lord and to us by the will of God [2 Corinthians 8:3-5].
You see, I cannot please the Lord by giving Him things. He already owns everything! The only way I can please Him is to first give Him my entire life, and then I will be inclined to give Him things from my life because I love Him and want to do so. This is the Biblical principle Paul wanted the Corinthian saints to learn, which means their giving was wrongly motivated. They gave to the sound of trumpets and the singing of their own praises. They acted like self-centered spiritual babies, carnal through and through. Their gifts were unacceptable.
How does this apply to you and me today? In every way! If a husband gives his wife a wedding anniversary gift but ignores her the rest of the year, I guarantee you she is not impressed and despises the gift. She would feel she was being treated like she was for sale. The same applies to a wife who gives her husband a wedding anniversary gift, but the rest of the year she runs around with everyone in town, spreading defamatory gossip about her husband. No doubt about it. Hubby despises her gift. First hubby needs to give himself to his wife, and then she will appreciate his gift. The same applies to wifey.
Consider the parent-kid relationship. If Dad and Mom live at the job and let Nanny Nancy raise their kids, the birthday and Christmas presents will ring hollow at a very early age. I’ve seen it happen all too frequently. But let Dad and Mom often spend time with the kids doing things the kids like to do, and a cheapy toy means a lot to them!
Reversing the roles, let the kids treat their parents disrespectfully like they can readily learn on the street and on the TV, and any gift they give will not mean much to the parents. This is especially true when the kids grow up. There comes a time when our kids insist so strongly they are adults, that we have every right to expect them to relate to us as adults. If they are never around for us, especially in our need, then their once a year Christmas gift isn’t much consolation. Truth be told, I wouldn’t want to be bothered with it. They first must grow up enough to recognize the need to give themselves to me and be there for me, and then the gifts will follow.
This would be an apropos time for me to take inventory of my life. Am I first giving myself to those whom I love, or am I presuming I can buy them with gifts? Is my heart in it when I relate to them, or am I merely meeting an obligation or looking for some sort of recognition or reward? Hmm. Those are toughie questions. Think I’ll betake myself to the Lord. He can search me and help me to grow in this area.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Deuteronomy: Volume 5 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
You see, I cannot please the Lord by giving Him things. He already owns everything! The only way I can please Him is to first give Him my entire life, and then I will be inclined to give Him things from my life because I love Him and want to do so. This is the Biblical principle Paul wanted the Corinthian saints to learn, which means their giving was wrongly motivated. They gave to the sound of trumpets and the singing of their own praises. They acted like self-centered spiritual babies, carnal through and through. Their gifts were unacceptable.
How does this apply to you and me today? In every way! If a husband gives his wife a wedding anniversary gift but ignores her the rest of the year, I guarantee you she is not impressed and despises the gift. She would feel she was being treated like she was for sale. The same applies to a wife who gives her husband a wedding anniversary gift, but the rest of the year she runs around with everyone in town, spreading defamatory gossip about her husband. No doubt about it. Hubby despises her gift. First hubby needs to give himself to his wife, and then she will appreciate his gift. The same applies to wifey.
Consider the parent-kid relationship. If Dad and Mom live at the job and let Nanny Nancy raise their kids, the birthday and Christmas presents will ring hollow at a very early age. I’ve seen it happen all too frequently. But let Dad and Mom often spend time with the kids doing things the kids like to do, and a cheapy toy means a lot to them!
Reversing the roles, let the kids treat their parents disrespectfully like they can readily learn on the street and on the TV, and any gift they give will not mean much to the parents. This is especially true when the kids grow up. There comes a time when our kids insist so strongly they are adults, that we have every right to expect them to relate to us as adults. If they are never around for us, especially in our need, then their once a year Christmas gift isn’t much consolation. Truth be told, I wouldn’t want to be bothered with it. They first must grow up enough to recognize the need to give themselves to me and be there for me, and then the gifts will follow.
This would be an apropos time for me to take inventory of my life. Am I first giving myself to those whom I love, or am I presuming I can buy them with gifts? Is my heart in it when I relate to them, or am I merely meeting an obligation or looking for some sort of recognition or reward? Hmm. Those are toughie questions. Think I’ll betake myself to the Lord. He can search me and help me to grow in this area.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Deuteronomy: Volume 5 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
