Praise the Lord
for all His blessings and for His gifts and all His benefits. After I shared
yesterday that have started listening to classical Christmas music, one of our
friends wrote back saying she has started listening to glorious Christmas music.
It has been balmy and beautiful. Though the colors of Autumn are slowly fading
the joy of it all still lingering. Here we are just over two months away from
Christmas. Praise the Lord that we can come to the end of year through All
saints Day and Thanksgiving, for giving is one very important way to maintain a
heart of gratitude. Giving back to the Lord is recognition of his provision for
us. It is worship in every sense.
The First Phase
of new addition to or church building here in Union Center
is complete. It looks very spacious and magnificent. The changes keep coming and the work keeps rolling onward. We are grateful to Jesus.
King David and his people were presenting an offering to the LORD for building a place of worship. When the people had sacrificed and brought precious items, gold, silver and other useful things, he offered a prayer of thanks to God. We find this prayer in 1 Chronicles 29:11-14. That last verse is really profound. Who are we that we should be able to give as generously as this? It is a humble confession that God is the source and we can only give to God what he has given to us.
Yes, what the people gave in offerings went into a temple that they would each benefit from. Yes, it was a physical token of a spiritual blessing. Yet, in their hearts it was a humble sacrifice of praise.
When the people of God were in need, the Apostle Paul went to the Corinthian church for an offering. He knew that this was a church that was exceptional in its spiritual giftedness, but he challenged them further. He said, “But just as you excel in everything – in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us – see that you also excel in this grace of giving” (2 Corinthians 8:7). He added that he was not commanding them to do this but appealed to their love for Christ. “For 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” (2 Corinthians 8:9). Paul appealed to the example of Jesus as our motivation to give, in this case to brothers and sisters in need.. His appeal is still relevant today, perhaps to those who are proclaiming Jesus. If we become poor through our giving it would be a pale imitation of the generosity of our wonderful Lord. Jesus said, “Freely you have received, freely give” (Matthew 10:8).
is complete. It looks very spacious and magnificent. The changes keep coming and the work keeps rolling onward. We are grateful to Jesus.
King David and his people were presenting an offering to the LORD for building a place of worship. When the people had sacrificed and brought precious items, gold, silver and other useful things, he offered a prayer of thanks to God. We find this prayer in 1 Chronicles 29:11-14. That last verse is really profound. Who are we that we should be able to give as generously as this? It is a humble confession that God is the source and we can only give to God what he has given to us.
Yes, what the people gave in offerings went into a temple that they would each benefit from. Yes, it was a physical token of a spiritual blessing. Yet, in their hearts it was a humble sacrifice of praise.
When the people of God were in need, the Apostle Paul went to the Corinthian church for an offering. He knew that this was a church that was exceptional in its spiritual giftedness, but he challenged them further. He said, “But just as you excel in everything – in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us – see that you also excel in this grace of giving” (2 Corinthians 8:7). He added that he was not commanding them to do this but appealed to their love for Christ. “For 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” (2 Corinthians 8:9). Paul appealed to the example of Jesus as our motivation to give, in this case to brothers and sisters in need.. His appeal is still relevant today, perhaps to those who are proclaiming Jesus. If we become poor through our giving it would be a pale imitation of the generosity of our wonderful Lord. Jesus said, “Freely you have received, freely give” (Matthew 10:8).
I heard a story
shared by Tony Campolo in January, 1979. Tony Campolo told of being invited to
speak at a ladies meeting. There were 300 women there. Before he spoke the
president of the organization read a letter from a missionary. It was a very
moving letter. In the letter the missionary expressed a need for $4,000 to take
care of an emergency that had cropped up. So the president of the organization
said, "We need to pray that God will provide the resources to meet the need of
this missionary. Brother Campolo will you please pray for us?"
Tony Campolo, who is very outspoken said, "No."
Tony Campolo, who is very outspoken said, "No."
Startled, she said,
"I beg your pardon."
He said, "No, I won’t pray for that." He said, "I believe that God has already provided the resources and that all we need to do is give. Tell you what I’m going to do. I’m going to step up to this table and give every bit of cash I have in my pocket. And if all of you will do the same thing, I think God has already provided the resources."
The president of the organization chuckled a little bit and said, "Well, I guess we get the point. He is trying to teach us that we all need to give sacrificially."
He said, "No, that is not what I am trying to teach you. I’m trying to teach you that God has already provided for this missionary. All we need to do is give it. Here, I’m going to put down all of my money I have with me."
He wrote, "I only had $15 in my pocket so I wasn’t too worried about that." So he put down his $15 and then looked at the president of the organization. Reluctantly, she opened her purse and took out all of her money, which was about $40, and put it on the table. One by one the rest of the ladies filed by and put their money on the table, too. When the money was counted they had collected more than $4,000."
Tony Campolo said, "Now, here’s the lesson. God always supplies for our needs, and He supplied for this missionary, too. The only problem was we were keeping it for ourselves. Now let’s pray and thank God for His provision."
The laws of nature show us that when there is an inflow it is beneficial to have an outflow. God has given us all that we possess including our lives. How does it flow out of our selves?
He said, "No, I won’t pray for that." He said, "I believe that God has already provided the resources and that all we need to do is give. Tell you what I’m going to do. I’m going to step up to this table and give every bit of cash I have in my pocket. And if all of you will do the same thing, I think God has already provided the resources."
The president of the organization chuckled a little bit and said, "Well, I guess we get the point. He is trying to teach us that we all need to give sacrificially."
He said, "No, that is not what I am trying to teach you. I’m trying to teach you that God has already provided for this missionary. All we need to do is give it. Here, I’m going to put down all of my money I have with me."
He wrote, "I only had $15 in my pocket so I wasn’t too worried about that." So he put down his $15 and then looked at the president of the organization. Reluctantly, she opened her purse and took out all of her money, which was about $40, and put it on the table. One by one the rest of the ladies filed by and put their money on the table, too. When the money was counted they had collected more than $4,000."
Tony Campolo said, "Now, here’s the lesson. God always supplies for our needs, and He supplied for this missionary, too. The only problem was we were keeping it for ourselves. Now let’s pray and thank God for His provision."
The laws of nature show us that when there is an inflow it is beneficial to have an outflow. God has given us all that we possess including our lives. How does it flow out of our selves?
Jeff Jacoby
wrote, “If you never give a moment’s thought to the fact that your health is
good, that your children are well-fed, that your home is comfortable, if you
assume that the good things in your life are normal and to be expected, you
diminish the happiness they can bring you. By contrast, if you train yourself to
reflect on how much worse off you could be, if you develop the custom of
counting your blessings and being grateful for them, you will fill your life
with cheer.”
In
Christ,
Brown
A Special
Thanksgiving Worship;
Saturday, November
17, 2012
Location: First
United Methodist Church, 53 McKinley Ave., Endicott
Sponsored by: Union
Center United Methodist Church
Speaker: Dr. Dino
Pedrone,
President, Davis
College, Binghamton,
Special Music :
Worship Band of Davis College,
Organist : Yancey
Moore
Pianist: Aric
Phinney
All are welcome. For
Information call: 607-748-6329
or
607-748-1358
