2 Corinthians 8: .... Giving for God

I have been studying in 2 Corinthians for that last week or so. This morning I read chapter 8 and could barely contain myself to keep studying instead of starting this blog entry because of the good stuff I was reading.

This chapter was so beautifully written and composed so well to explain to us, as Christians, the importance of giving. What does it mean to give? Giving is giving of your time, your talents, your abundance, your love, your friendship, etc. God has blessed each of us so greatly and we tend to forget that quite often. The love in our heart, the extra time (no matter how little), the food on our table, the money in our bank accounts (no matter how big or small); it is all of and from God our Father. God is really good at giving us above and beyond in all areas of our lives. Check out these verses:

2 Corinthians 8 (King James Version)

Example of the Macedonians

The Macedonians were such an example for Paul to use for the Corinthians. They were taught by Paul and they actually "got it." In so many of our churches today, folks don't "get it." They think it is all about themselves and they have the "ME, ME, ME" syndrome. These folks understood the importance of the gospel and of giving. Who were these Macedonians? They were the churches in Thessalonica, Berea, and Philippi that Paul ministered to.

1Moreover, brethren, we do you to wit (make known to you) of the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia;

(This grace is in reference to Christian character. According to Col. 4:6
Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man. This tells us that we should demonstrate our Christian grace through the words of our mouths. We also see that we should demonstrate our Christian grace through our deeds. 2 Corinthians 9:8 - And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work: Lastly, we should demonstrate through our Christian life as a whole. 2 Peter 3:18- But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.)

2How that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality.

[This joy that is mentioned is the joy that goes along with giving. As stated in the "New Defender's Study Bible" commentary, "The grace of joy accompanies the grace of giving, especially when both are refined in the furnance of affliction and poverty. This is one of the paradoxes of the genuine Christian life. Like the widow and her mite (Mark 12:41-44), the Philippians 'first gave their owen selves to the Lord' (2 Corinthian 8:5), and then could share generously with others, since they naturally regarded their possessions also as belonging to the Lord. Thefore the apostle could promise them that God would 'supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus' (Philippians 4:19). ]

3For to their power, I bear record, yea, and beyond their power they were willing of themselves;

4Praying us with much intreaty that we would receive the gift, and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints.

5And this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God.

(How important! They first gave themselves to the Lord. If we first give ourselves to the Lord, we would then see as the Macedonians did, that everything we have belongs to Him as well.)

6Insomuch that we desired Titus, that as he had begun, so he would also finish in you the same grace also.

(Titus shared and gave of himself and all that he had. What an example for us to live by!)

Example of Christ

Who could be more of an example of giving than our Savior?! He gave of Himself so thoroughly just so that we might be Saved and have eternal life!

7Therefore, as ye abound in every thing, in faith, and utterance, and knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love to us, see that ye abound in this grace also.

8I speak not by commandment, but by occasion of the forwardness of others, and to prove the sincerity of your love.

9For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.

[How true! Can you imagine any of our world's rich folk doing this? Me either! No one else is like Christ. He gave up everything, not just a portion, but EVERYTHING just for you and I. From the "New Defender's Study Bible" commentary 'He was the Creator of the entire cosmos (Colossians 1:16), with all its infinite riches, yet He left it all to die a cruel death, utterly impoverished, with even His meager garments stripped away a s He was spiked to the cross. This great gift of grace is the standard against which our own practices of the grace of giving must always be compared.']

(Also, read this testimony found in Philippians 2:5-8, 5Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
6Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
7But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
8And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. )

10And herein I give my advice: for this is expedient for you, who have begun before, not only to do, but also to be forward a year ago.

11Now therefore perform the doing of it; that as there was a readiness to will, so there may be a performance also out of that which ye have.

12For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not.

13For I mean not that other men be eased, and ye burdened:

14But by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may be a supply for their want, that their abundance also may be a supply for your want: that there may be equality:

15As it is written, He that had gathered much had nothing over; and he that had gathered little had no lack.

(This comes from Exodus 16: 18. In this chapter of Exodus, the people were being preserved from hunger through God's manna or miraculous bread from Heaven. The people gathered and measured and all had exactly what they needed regardless of how great or how little they had actually gathered.)

Policies in Giving

16But thanks be to God, which put the same earnest care into the heart of Titus for you.

17For indeed he accepted the exhortation; but being more forward, of his own accord he went unto you.

18And we have sent with him the brother, whose praise is in the gospel throughout all the churches;

19And not that only, but who was also chosen of the churches to travel with us with this grace, which is administered by us to the glory of the same Lord, and declaration of your ready mind:

20Avoiding this, that no man should blame us in this abundance which is administered by us:

21Providing for honest things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men.

(From "The New Defender's Study Bible" commentary, 'In the work of Christ, the end does not justify the use of questionable means. Our testimony before men must be credible if we expect it to be effective for the Lord. See also Proverbs 3:4 - So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man. and 1 Peter 2:12- Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may be your good works, which hey shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation. )

22And we have sent with them our brother, whom we have oftentimes proved diligent in many things, but now much more diligent, upon the great confidence which I have in you.

23Whether any do enquire of Titus, he is my partner and fellowhelper concerning you: or our brethren be enquired of, they are the messengers of the churches, and the glory of Christ.

24Wherefore shew ye to them, and before the churches, the proof of your love (giving), and of our boasting on your behalf.

So what should this giving mean to us? It should mean that everyday, not just during this holiday season, we should give when God lays it on our hearts to do so. We should earnestly Pray and ask God for His guidance for the areas that are in need, whether it be a church, a needy family, a friend who is in need of spiritual guidance, etc. We should be willing to give of ourselves, our talents, our money, and anything that God has blessed us with. And we need to give for the right reasons above... for the reason of JOY, mentioned at the beginning of the chapter. It should give us Joy to give to others as God gives to us. We should never get so tied up in the gamble of giving as many ministries do. Don't worry about how much you will get back for what you give. Let God worry about what you need and you (and I) just continue to give.

Another Year........Another reason to say THANK U JESUS!

So here it is 9:49 pm on December 31st 2007. Hard to believe a whole year of life has flown by at unmeasurable speeds. 2007 had so many hopes and dreams, some of which are still in the making, but overall many were fulfilled. Early, early, early into the new year of 07, I was diagnosed with my gall bladder issues and had that fixed within the first month. I spent the next few months trying to get use to life without a gall bladder and am actually still doing so. Let me tell ya, there's more to it than you think, at least for some of us.

February showed up with a new little man who has really brought our family together and got my mind rolling about my own baby future. By April, I had decided that I was ready to start trying for a baby of our own. In May, I signed up on my insurance at work that deals with maternity leave and began trying. The summer brought on lots and lots of work stress and drama. All of which ended up coming to a close right as the new school year began.

September brought "pregnancy" excitement and twisted ankles, and exited with my still messed up, no baby in sight, and my mother falling ill and being flown via helicopter to Lexington, Ky for treatment. From then until now, it has been my mission to try to help my mother and my family even more so, while still trying to maintain my own home and trying to conceive adventure. And it all ends in about 2 hours so that it can resume in another time frame. Who knows what 2008 will hold? I sure don't. If I had have known this time last year, what 2007 would have brought, I am not sure I could have handled it. But ahhh our Precious Savior! He knows our frame and what we can withstand. He surely knows that we could not handle the stress of knowing what the next year would bring. He knows that it must come one day at a time. I am so thankful to Him for that.

I'll admit... as much as I love the holidays, they do sort of bring out a blue feeling in me. New Year's especially does that. I look back over all the past memories and I begin to miss the times, the people, and the situations that were once a huge part of my life. It is then I must turn and look unto Jesus and realize that our life is a vapor and in a short time it will vanish away. But those memories are eternal and the love I have shared with those who have gone on will never fade away. Actually, it gives us something to look forward to in our eternal future.
I could never thank God enough for all that He has done for me and continues to do in my life. I am so undeserving. I deserve nothing that He has done, yet He has done each and every thing. Instead of the plenty of whippings I deserve for disobedience, my Heavenly Father has shined his mercies and grace upon me and spared me again. I praise Him for all that He is and all that He always will be.



My prayer for those of you reading is this......... If you don't know Jesus, please don't waste another day without Him. You can't fix yourself enough to be ready to accept Him. Being Saved isn't about how perfect you can be. It's about realizing that this awesome, awesome King took the form of a human and came to this earth 2,00o years ago. He died a gruesome death upon the Cross just so that you could have eternal life. That's what salvation is about. Believe that truth, tell Jesus you believe it. Ask Him to forgive you of your sins and tell Him that you believe that He came to complete the Father's will and to provide salvation to ALL mankind. Tell Him you want Him to be your personal Savior. And you know what? He will do just that. He will come into your heart that simply and He will help you with each situation that you feel is not good enough to give to Him. Jesus didn't die for people who were sinless, perfect and without problems or issues. The Bible says that He died for all mankind........and do you honestly know anyone who fits the above standards? I don't. Please, please realize that this is the hour for you! Don't put off this decision that you have been wanting to make for so long. God knows who this post is for even if I am not positive who this is speaking to. Please, heed this calling and get saved before it's too late. Not too late even in the sense of dying, rather the sense of seeing this all powerful King come back to earth to claim His children, and you are left standing because technically you never became his blood bought child. One simple, loving gift and you didn't accept it. Please don't let that be the case!




Dear Heavenly Father,

God I come to you tonight with a heavy heart. Lord you know who this message is for. I have thoughts but you know each individual that will read it and that will be pricked in their hearts. Lord, let them let down there guard and resist satan's warfare of using excuses to keep them from you. Save their souls Jesus. Please Lord just save them before it is too late. Let them see that the time is at hand and that we will not dwell on this earth for much longer. Now is the time for the accepting of your perfect gift!

God I thank you for all of your many blessings this past year. Lord, through many of a trial, you have comforted my grieving heart. Oh Lord when I have been so overwhelmed I didn't know if I could make it, You lifted me and held me in your strong loving arms and rocked me. I am adult, but I am your baby. I still need you to rock me into sweet peace and I thank you for still doing that for me Jesus. Lord, thank you for the health and the lives that you have spared this year in my family. Thank you for the relationships that you have restored throughout my family and friends. Thank you for the advanced notices of situations that we have no control over that you have given us. Most importantly, thank you for Saving me 17 years ago and never "letting me alone." Thank you for my family's salvation now and for those that I know you will save. I thank you for the precious child that I know you are molding and creating even now and preparing to send our way. You are a faithful God! The Heavens proclaim your goodness!

God I pray for the lost in my family, friends, coworkers, and folks that I come in contact with. I pray for the lost throughout the entire nation and world Jesus. Please send a revival to their hearts and to the hearts of the Christians who are asleep. Lord, I pray for the continued safety, good health and well being of my parents, brother, husband, in-luvs, and friends. God I pray that you would touch my mom's heart even now and just continue to heal each artery, vein, and vessel. Heal her of each disease and issue that plagues her body. I pray for my dad's body and health and for that of my brother and husbands. Heal each of them physically. Heal each organ and each ailment. Lord, heal each of them spiritually, help them to continue to grow in grace and knowledge. Heal them emotionally. Lord, you know what may being looming ahead for them, Jesus heal them even now if it be possible in thy perfect will and use them for years to come to bring glory and honor to you as you have for so many years in the past. Use my little brother God to continue to point to You. Lord, I pray that each decision he makes will be guided by Your influence and fit perfectly into Your will. Use him in mighty ways to bring glory to You. I pray for each member of my extended family and my in-luvs and their health throughout 2008. I pray for each situation that may arise throughout our lives and for your guidance. Lord, I pray that you would just continue to bathe us in your wonderful blessings from on high and help us to recognize each of them and where they are from. And God, I Pray for that one special blessing that I know is on His/Her way even now. Lord, save my child's soul at an early age and just use him/her to bring You glory. Help Michael and I to be mindful of the parents we need to be and help us to continue to grow to be just that. I ask that you guide Michael and I in the year ahead to make correct decisions and good choices. Help us in all areas that we need help in. Most importantly, help us to totally surrender all to you. Lord, I also pray for the salvation of my precious cousin/nephew baby Gavy at an early age and for that of his precious parents soon. Lord just cover my family in your blessings and protection. Lord, bless my pastor and his family and our church and sister churches. God just continue to do mighty things with us. Bless us with more souls saved and more opportunities and help us to realize each opportunity that we have. I thank You for answering my end of 2006 prayer God and for blessing me so greatly with those answers. I thank You and I praise You for all that You are. I praise You for being a Constant in a world of change.
In Your Precious and Holy Name..... Amen.

ONE MORE THING... PLEASE READ THE LYRICS OF THIS SONG.........

IT IS SO TRUE...

While You Were Sleeping Lyrics
Artist(Band):Casting Crowns

Oh little town of Bethlehem
Looks like another silent night
Above your deep and dreamless sleep
A giant star lights up the sky
And while you’re lying in the dark
There shines an everlasting light
For the King has left His throne
And is sleeping in a manger tonight, tonight

Oh Bethlehem, what you have missed while you were sleeping
For God became a man
And stepped into your world today
Oh Bethlehem, you will go down in history
As a city with no room for its King
While you were sleeping
While you were sleeping

Oh little town of Jerusalem
Looks like another silent night
The Father gave His only Son
The Way, the Truth, the Life had come
But there was no room for Him in the world He came to save

Jerusalem, what you have missed while you were sleeping
The Savior of the world is dying on your cross today
Jerusalem, you will go down in history
As a city with no room for its King
While you were sleeping
While you were sleeping

United States of America Looks like another silent night As we’re sung to sleep by philosophies That save the trees and kill the children And while we’re lying in the dark There’s a shout heard ‘cross the eastern sky For the Bridegroom has returned And has carried His bride away in the night, in the night America, what will we miss while we are sleeping Will Jesus come again And leave us slumbering where we lay America, will we go down in history As a nation with no room for its King Will we be sleeping? Will we be sleeping? United States of America Looks like another silent night.

Thanksgiving... a few days late haha

Well... we had a wonderful Thanksgiving here and in Louisville. My mom guided me in the creation of my very first holiday cake. For those of you who know me, you know that I don't cook and rarely bake. It's ironic because I did more cooking/baking when I was younger than now. I am so tired now and get in so late that I just don't take the time and ignite the desire to create meals for just the two of us. Michael works wonders in the kitchen, so he is our chef and Subway is pretty nice, too. Anyway, here are some pics from Thanksgiving. (I didn't get any in Louisville because for some reason, I just didn't think to take out my camera.)

A plate of my momma's good cookin'

Pattern of momma's Vera Bradley... festive huh?

Good Food!

Banana Pudding... my favorite

Chopping Apples for the Carmel Apple Cake

Mixing the cake mix and the pudding

putting the apples in the mix

momma mixin'

the bunt pan

finished Carmel Apple Cake

Again

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

I ponder to thank God this morning for His many blessings upon my life. He is beyond magnificient! I think of all the things that I have been through this past year and I am amazed at the things God has brought me and my family through. I praise Him for that! I praise Him for letting me enjoy my family for another year and for comforting my heart when no one else could. I praise Him for the blessings I know are already on their way! Most importantly, I praise Jesus for dying on an old, rugged Cross for my sins... I deserved it... He didn't! How great is our wonderful, mercifiul Savior?!


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