GIVING, 1: THE GIFT

2 Corinthians 9 – “¹There is no need for me to write to you about this service to the saints. ²For I know your eagerness to help, and I have been boasting about it to the Macedonians, telling them that since last year you in Achaia were ready to give; and your enthusiasm has stirred most of them to action. ³But I am sending the brothers in order that our boasting about you in this matter should not prove hollow, but that you may be ready, as I said you would be. ⁴For if any Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared, we—not to say anything about you—would be ashamed of having been so confident. ⁵So I thought it necessary to urge the brothers to visit you in advance and finish the arrangements for the generous gift you had promised. Then it will be ready as a generous gift, not as one grudgingly given. ⁶Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. ⁷Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. ⁸And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. ⁹As it is written: “He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.” ¹⁰Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. ¹¹You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. ¹²This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. ¹³Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. ¹⁴And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. ¹⁵Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!

Second Corinthians 9 is about God-honoring giving.  For sake of clarity the topic starts at the end and moves to the beginning of the chapter.

The indescribable gift (V. 15)

According to the dictionary a gift is “something turned over to someone without exchange,” yet something always comes back in return. You give a gift to someone and the person becomes kinder. You give a gift and they are more receptive to you.

There is reaping in a gift and the greater the gift, the greater the reaping. Gifts of any size are appreciated but large gifts seem overwhelming and lead to greater responses. God gave the Ten Commandments and reaped a holy nation. He gave His Son and reaped multitudes of transformed lives from every nation. By giving His greatest gift, He is reaping the greatest results.

      Nothing compares to God giving eternal life to those who love and serve Him. Describing the magnitude of His gift is unimaginable. An incomprehensible gift!

What does this mean to your efforts at giving? Simply this: God is your standard-bearer. Your giving is never based solely on the request but is an expression of a meaningful relationship with Him. People who love much give much; people who love little give little.

Some give to impress others. In comparison to what God has done, no gift is impressive. The focus of giving is not the monetary amount. He has outdone anything you can possibly do.

Ananias and Sapphira gave to impress the church. (Act 4:36-5:11) The couple was fixated with the recognition Barnabas received. God saw their actions as “lying to the Holy Spirit,” costing them their lives. People are losing their soul over similar attempts. Those who give to impress others end up unhappy when the response does not meet their expectations.

God’s indescribable gift is the measurement of giving.

The obedient gift (V. 13)

 “Men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ.” Love’s expression is submission.

An obedient gift is seen in the Lord’s tithe, faithfully giving ten percent of your earnings. The Bible describes tithing as something owed to God, even adding twenty percent interest when borrowing from it. It is financially wiser to borrow from a bank than to fail giving the Lord’s tithe. Unfortunately some are only willing to give God credit for salvation and reluctant to give cash by obedience.

An obedient gift is a thanks gift. “Your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.” (V.11) Edwin A. Robinson wrote, “There are two kinds of gratitude: the sudden kind we feel for what we take and the larger kind we feel for what we give.”

Genesis 14 records Abram (Abraham) defeating King Kedorlaomer on a single occasion and expressing his gratitude to God by giving a tenth of the spoils. The enemy of your soul has been defeated forever at Mount Calvary and tithing expresses thanksgiving for the ongoing victory over sin.

Throughout numerous years of overseeing churches, I have noticed that moral failure does not normally happen by people who tithed. The obedient gift expresses a depth of satisfying love that upholds a divine standard for living.

The cheerful gift (V. 7)

People are generally obsessed with money, hoarding what little they have. This is consistent with the sinful nature. You never have to teach children to hoard but must always teach them to share. Genuine freedom occurs when not dominated by money. Giving frees people from a life of bondage.

One of the most critical positions in a church involves those who administer the assets. Financial administrators oversee funds and know giving-habits. Managing church accounts and knowing how people give can greatly impact their spiritual life. They can become overly possessive of church money, treating it as personal treasury, and overly cynical of the financial stewardship of people.

In a church where I served the Deacons wanted a sizable amount of money to go toward a much-needed project. The financial administrator, a great guy, became highly stressed over the decision. He was beside himself at what this would do to the church account, his personal treasury. The action of the board seemed to be leading to a personal stroke. As he privately and anxiously talked to me about the decision I looked at him and said, “Thus saith the Lord, let My money go.” He thought for a moment and laughed. The phrase became a regular part of his vocabulary and he became free from the stress of financial burdens.

The more you give, the more you live. There is nothing more exhilarating than giving. The word “exhilarating” comes from the root word, “hilarious.” The word hilarious is from the Greek word “hilarios,” translated in the Bible as “cheerful.” Cheerful giving lifts and frees your heart. God loves a hilarious giver, someone free from bondage.

The generous gift (V. 5)

The word “generous” is the Greek word for “blessing.” Giving is a blessing and is to bless others. Ephesians 4:8 states the purpose of employment includes helping others with their needs.

Some advocate giving to receive a blessing but Scripture states to give to be a blessing. Oswald Chambers wrote, “Have no other motive in giving than to please God. In modern philanthropy we are ‘egged on’ with other motives; it will do them good, they need the help, they deserve it. Jesus Christ never brings out that aspect in His teaching. He allows no other motive in giving than to please God.”

In various Chicago locations, during the Christmas season, the Salvation Army has received gold coins in their buckets without pretense; no tax-deductible receipt and no name recognition. The only motive was to bless, the nature of a generous gift. Give to be a blessing.

The most unblessed people on earth are misers.

Faithfully give

A gift is something turned over to someone without exchange. A gift is an expression of your heart condition. The reward of a gift is thankfulness, freedom and blessing. His indescribable gift is your standard, the obedient gift is your thanksgiving, the cheerful gift is your freedom and the generous gift is your blessing. Express love to God by giving.

The next article is exclusively devoted to the great principle stated in verse six: “Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.”

THE FAMILY, 2: THE HOME

Joshua 24:14-15 – ¹⁴“Now fear the LORD and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your forefathers worshiped beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. ¹⁵But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.”

The focus of the first family article was church relationships. Part two gives attention to the believer’s home.

Changes are happening in the home. The nucleus family is being redefined, now classified as traditional, single-parent or mixed.  Redefinition is continuing to broaden the landscape of home life. The future of family and child development is causing sincere concerns among professionals in the mental health community.

Job relocations are causing the extended family to not live in close proximity.  Many homes now exist without moral and emotional support of grandparents, uncles, aunts and cousins.

            My four children are grown and continue to have close ties with each other. They are genuine friends and guard each other’s wellbeing. For most of their lives they did not live near grandparents or cousins. Born in the first eleven years of our marriage, we moved numerous times and lived in six States. Brenda and I now live in our seventh State, close to some of our grandchildren.

My wife had a crucial role in our children’s wholesome development. We chose to have fewer possessions so she could stay home and provide a secure environment. She brought stability through every move. Although workdays were often long and tedious, my schedule was regularly filled with family and school activities.

Here are five things that strengthen the home.

Flexibility

“Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.” (Ephesians 5:21)

The home is in a constant flux of change, from babies, to small children, to pre-teens, to teenagers, to young adult and beyond. Each phase has its stresses and demands. Mixed with the aging process are crisis times (loss of job, death of family members, emergencies) and catastrophic times (natural disasters and accidents). Adjustment is a major activity of life. The structure of the home has to be flexible to handle every situation.

The Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco is built directly upon the fault zone of the San Andreas and is built to sway some twenty feet at the center of its one-mile suspension span. The secret to its durability is a flexibility that enables sway but there is more. By design every part of the bridge is related up through the vast cable system to two towers and two land anchor piers. The towers bear most of the weight and are deeply imbedded into the rock foundation beneath the sea. In other words, the bridge is totally preoccupied with flexibility and foundation.

Mom and dad are twin towers of strength, even if living apart, providing a foundation that occasionally bends to keep the family together. A wholesome family is not designed to suffocate individual expression and personal identity. Homes are to blend without consuming each member. Parents need to work together and be flexible.

Fairness

“Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.” (Ephesians 5:24-25)

These verses give attention to distinctive yet equal roles in marriage. The husband or wife can choose to be an irresponsible passive victim. Problems need to be solved together.

A woman from church went to a counselor to complain about her marriage. She repeatedly stated to the therapist, “He treats me like a baby.” Finally the counselor stopped her whining and responded, “Are you acting like one?” The wife realized she had grown comfortable being a passive victim. She even got additional attention from others.

In my home I could easily assess a problem, determine a solution and move to remedy. If my wife was not assertive in the decision process I naturally “left her in the dust.” Although this attribute has been seen as strength in the professional world, it is not fair to the family. Moving quickly toward solution is not wise. Give room for the spouse to contribute to a course of action.

Firmness

“Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right…. Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.” (Ephesians 6:1, 4)

Parents must be immovable with regards to morality. Not every issue is open for debate. Standards of morality, integrity and responsibility are non-negotiable. My wife and I continually emphasized requirements in attire, activities and amusements.

There is no getting around the Scripture that reads, “Avoid every kind of evil.” (1 Thessalonians 5:22) Parents often want for their child what other kids experience yet saying “No!” to unwholesome activities only deprives them of decadence, danger and damnation. God honors those who stand for what is right instead of popular.

Fun

“A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” (Proverbs 17:22)

Homes do not do well without laughter. The family dinner should be enjoyable, holidays should be filled with games, and outings should be great adventures.

Readers Digest published the following story: Sunday dinners with my mother Adah, my father Fred and my three siblings were always lively. On one occasion all of us except my mother were in a silly mood, and we began requesting in rhyme items at the table. “Please pass the meat, Pete.” “May I have a potatah, Adah?”  “I’d give you the moon for a spoon.” After several minutes of this my mother had heard enough. “Stop this nonsense right now!” she shouted. “It’s Sunday and I would like to enjoy my dinner with some good conversation, not this silly chatter.” Then she sat down still in a huff, turned to my father and snapped, “Pass the bread, Fred.”

Silliness is great behavior in a wholesome home.

Another great story reads:  A family in the East was planning a month’s vacation to the West Coast. At the last minute the father’s work prevented him from going but mom insisted she was capable of driving and that the family would go ahead. Dad got out the maps and planned the route and where the family should stop each night.

A couple weeks later, the father completed his extra work and decided to surprise his family. He flew to a West Coast city without calling them and took a taxi into the country on a highway that, according to his travel plan, the family should be driving on later that day. The taxi dropped him off on the side of the road and he waited until he saw the family car. He stuck out his thumb as a hitchhiker. As mom and the kids drove past, they did a double take. One of the kids said, “Hey wasn’t that Dad?” Mom screeched to a stop, backed up the car and the family had a great reunion. Later, a reporter asked the man why he did such a crazy thing. He responded, “After I die, I want my kids to be able to say, ‘Dad sure was fun, wasn’t he?’”

My own father was generally quiet and reserved. He gave the family clear direction but I mostly remember his contagious laugh. He had a silly side that suspended tension in the home.

Fun does not have to mean expensive. Branson shows and Silver Dollar City are great activities. The trails and scenes of the Ozark Mountains are much less costly. Many free and inexpensive activities are available in every part of the country.

Family fun adds a spark of enthusiasm to life.

Faith

“As for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.” (Joshua 24:15)

Family devotions and prayer have an important role in strengthening the family. If Jesus is number one in your life, He should naturally be number one in your home. The issue cannot be sidestepped nor minimized. Homes reflect the faith of every member.

Faithfulness to church is another critical activity. Everyone, regardless of age, should be involved in the cause of Christ. In a healthy relationship with God ministry is not optional.

Children can contribute in various ministry activities. A “sittin in the pew” kid struggles staying connected to the church later in life. They develop a mindset that the church should be providing for their spiritual obesity. Every age should be active in the church, keeping it spiritually vibrant and alive. Children are not the church of the future but the life source of today.

When it comes to church, make it happen instead of expect it to happen. The church is the only vehicle God has provided to announce salvation from sin. It is far better to contribute to its success than to criticize it.

Five things should be woven into the fabric of the family: flexibility in structure, fairness in rules, firmness in morality, fun in relationships and faith in God. Be imitators of God and walk in love.

Ten Commandments for the home

1.                  Acknowledge that your child is a gift from God.

2.                  Dedicate your child to the Lord and His service.

3.                  Make a personal commitment to God to be a godly parent.

4.                  Identify your values and convey them consistently in your behavior.

5.                  Express to your children love and acceptance.

6.                  View discipline as the ongoing process of helping children develop good habits.

7.                  Pray daily for each member of your family.

8.                  Maintain family worship and Bible study in your home.

9.                  Involve all family members in church activities.

           10.       Participate in church events that help establish followers of Jesus.

FAMILY, 1: THE CHURCH

Mark 6:7-10 – ⁷Calling the Twelve to him, he sent them out two by two and gave them authority over evil spirits. ⁸These were his instructions: “Take nothing for the journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in your belts. ⁹Wear sandals but not an extra tunic. ¹⁰Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that town.

The church family and the believer’s family are vitally important for a wholesome life. This family article gives attention to church relationships.

Civil government is rightfully concerned about street gangs but why do young people find them alluring? Could the loose association in home and church have anything to do with it? Even though done through intimidation and fear street gangs do a better job of gaining commitment from members than either home or church.

            Fifteen year old Keith Smith wanted to drop out of his street gang. The youth, a pastor’s son, decided he no longer wanted to take that route to being cool and popular, wearing colors forbidden to others and his cap tilted to the side. So he and his fellow gang members agreed on a freedom pact: Smith could become neutral if he accepted punishment from each gang member. Smith went to a park to meet six members of his gang and accept his punishment, authorities say. Police said Smith was punched and kicked over and over again, beaten so badly that he was knocked unconscious and his face disfigured. Smith now lies in a coma…. What lured Smith, who was not a dropout or the product of poverty or a troubled family, to join a street gang? Just as disturbing is the question of how a youth extracts himself from a group bent on intimidation and fear…. “Keith is a good kid,” said his father, Charles, during a telephone interview. “He drinks no booze and smokes no cigarettes. What happened? I don’t know.” So why did Smith join a gang?  Those who know him say he was a loner and just wanted some excitement. He was only a peripheral gang member, not hard-core. He did not go around stealing, selling drugs or killing. So why was he nearly beaten to death? Gangs are making it more difficult for members to defect. “It’s not like joining a club. You stop paying dues and you say, ‘I can get out.’ If they find out you told on anybody in the gang, the whole gang comes after you. It’s a penitentiary mentality.” (Chicago Tribune)

            Street gangs flourish because of one underlying truth: The human nature is designed to sense worth by what a person believes in and commits to. Our society needs to see believers homestead for Jesus and lay claim to His community.

Is the indictment true that church people are nothing more than “sprinkling” members? Are they mostly coming to church for three sprinklings – water, rice, dirt? Pastors have increasingly become instruments of baptisms, marriages and burials. Churches are becoming an institution for hatching, matching and dispatching.

Through a mutual bond in Christ, the church seeks to advance the development of meaningful relationships and lasting friendships. Achieving this is an admirable challenge. The leadership team continually measures the balance between crowd and community; both must co-exist yet community should tip the scales. Many attending church choose to not get involved. Living in a culture promoting individuality and independence is partially at fault for creating this unhealthy mindset. The risk of involvement must rage war against social trends.

            Mark 6:10 records Jesus instructing His disciples to not be a house rover. One commentary wrote, “This direction was given to them, lest, if they did, they might appear to be fickle and restless; or lest they might hurt the feelings of those with whom they had first lodged.”

            Could this also be said of a church rover? Do they broadcast fickleness and restlessness? Are they offending people who faithfully attend a local church?

            A home church does three things for a person, similar to a biological family.

A home church gives people identity

I was raised in a home committed to embracing the value of the family name. My parents regularly gave instruction on what a Maddox could and could not do. The family name had standards and responsibilities, regardless the values of friends or society.

Although not church goers we were expected to act responsibly. Family standards were high. We were rarely swayed by the whims and ways of others. Our name had personal value, helping us to stand strong in a waffling society. Similar values, from a more faith-based perspective, were emphasized to my own children.

Benefits associated with family standards include courage for convictions. Strength and stamina becomes instilled, worth and integrity becomes rooted, and a drive to fulfill purpose becomes passed on to everyone in the home.

What does a lack of identity to a local church broadcast to people?

Some say, “I am a Christian.” In parts of Europe the term is synonymous with politics, Catholic or Protestant. There is little identity in saying, “I am a Christian.”

Some say, “I am born-again.” The phrase is expressed in a variety of settings.  A contemporary ballet includes, “When I look in your eyes I’m born again.” Many hardened law-breakers profess being born again. There is no clear meaning in the phrase.

Some say, “I am Evangelical or Pentecostal.” These titles narrow the field but the average person is not sure what they mean.

If a person says, “I am a member of [name] church,” they have identity. “You mean the church with terrific worship, where people discover answers to life’s challenges, the one with a strong emphasis on children, the one with committed young people?”

People gain identity by connecting with a faith community. The home church makes the follower of Jesus somebody.

A home church gives people stability

A local church stabilizes your appearance. How do you appear to others?

Consider the church rover: They are spiritual moochers, attending just for themselves. A church member is a spiritual investor.

A church rover is a perpetual guest. A church member is part of the family.

A church rover is get motivated. A church member is give motivated.

A church rover is a freeloader feeding on the kindnesses of others. A church member is a servant manifesting the grace of God.

A person appears less comely as a church rover.

The local church stabilizes your appetite. When our children lived at home, my wife developed a weekly and monthly menu. She made her meal selections based on cost, variety, nutritional value and balance. She was concerned for the care and wellbeing of her family. We often ate at home to insure a consistent and properly proportioned diet.

Our oldest daughter, while attending college, toured with a choir for a few weeks after the spring semester. In every city she lodged with a different family. Afterwards she came home and said, “Please, no fried chicken or cold cuts for the rest of the summer.” She had it with certain foods, some being unhealthy.

Church rovers become spiritual junk food junkies, going to the easiest, most convenient spiritual fast-food promoter, leading to a sluggish and imbalanced outlook on life. Church members receive a carefully balanced diet, gaining vigor and spiritual strength.

The local church stabilizes your acceptance. Church leaders regularly hear, “I’m lonely…I need a friend…I need fellowship…why aren’t people accepting me?” Others complain, “Why isn’t the church doing something about the problem of loneliness?”

A church can always do more to help those feeling alone and most churches are trying their very best, but could the problem be that lonely, friendless people have not stabilized themselves as part of the family?”

People often complain about cliques in the church. Know the difference between a clique and a cluster. Cliques are exclusive while clusters are inclusive. People normally cluster around others with similar interest, having things in common. The church needs lots of clusters.

During family trips our four children often paired up at events. For some activities the sisters and brothers paired up separately. At other times, the oldest sister and youngest brother paired up and the middle sister and brother paired up. This is how family behaves! Within the home different activities produce different interest. Nothing becomes jeopardized when the family clusters, it simply makes for more meaningful times together.

Church members should search for groups they find interesting, instead of roving to another church. Find those within the church with something in common.

Do you want to be accepted? Be committed to your church.

A home church gives people credibility.

This country is product-conscious. A brand name speaks quality, generic brands are perceived inferior. Most people do not prefer discount store televisions but something reputable from an exclusive dealer. Most people do not purchase dilapidated, unrecognizable used cars from Honest Joe’s Used Car Lot but quality vehicles from a brand-name dealer. When people seek a church, they look for earnest followers of Jesus rather than generic believers.

Many people do not like wearing a “tag.” They perceive membership as being exclusive instead of connected. Some refuse becoming members because of once being offended. There is always risk when getting involved. Get over it! You are hurting yourself and your spiritual formation.

A home church gives outlet for ministry, a major doorway to discovering purpose and fulfillment. Members of a local church gain greater ministry because membership indicates someone is responsible and accountable. Involvement in ministry, even beyond the local church, is connected to church affiliation. Opportunities happen when a believer is credible.

Get connected

To clearly identify with Jesus, to be spiritually developing and advancing, to have an effective and lasting impact on others, you need identity, stability and credibility. Without these traits there is minimal influence and little impact for Jesus.

            Are you looking for purpose? Are you looking for spiritual advancement? Are you looking for meaningful relationships? Are you passionate for ministry? These are directly connected to living for Jesus through a local church, the divinely created Spirit-filled community.

Jesus is coming back for His bride (the church). Give testimony you are part of His family and ready for His return.