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Encouragement to Give Generously

8 We want you to know, brothers,1 about the grace of God that has been hgiven among the churches of Macedonia, 2 for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and itheir extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. 3 For they gave jaccording to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord, 4 begging us earnestly kfor the favor2 of taking part in lthe relief of the saints— 5 and this, not as we expected, but they mgave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us. 6 Accordingly, nwe urged Titus that as he had started, so he should complete among you othis act of grace. 7 But as pyou excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all earnestness, and in our love for you3—qsee that you excel in this act of grace also.

8 rI say this not as a command, but to prove by the earnestness of others that your love also is genuine. 9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that sthough he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.

3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him;

11  nHe will tend his flock like a shepherd;

ohe will gather the lambs in his arms;

phe will carry them in his bosom,

and gently lead those that are with young.


2 For you yourselves are fully aware that ythe day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.

10 For xgodly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas yworldly grief produces death.

10 Just so, I tell you, there is joy before lthe angels of God over one sinner who repents.”


Now there are others of you that have not yet put yourself on the ark. For a long while myself, I was clinging to the edge, but I still wanted to dabble my feet in the sinful waters of this world. I thought to myself, “Oh, I can play and splash around in the water until it gets to a certain level, and then I’ll pull myself up”. No! This is not the way with God. James 4:4 says “You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God”. Do not become an enemy of God, my brothers and sisters. There is a gnashing of teeth and roaring fires waiting for you in Hell. You have to choose.

Finally, there are those of you who have no interest in the Gospel. “It’s boring” or “It’s restricting”. “I can’t have fun…I have to go to church and read my Bible”. Hopefully, none of you see the Gospel as this way, because that is totally wrong. Being a Christian doesn’t entail a checklist of responsibilities that you have to follow. Being a Christian doesn’t mean that you have to work your way up a corporate ladder into heaven. By no means! “It is by grace that you have been saved, through faith- not by works”, as Ephesians 2 proclaims. Nothing that you have done or will do can get you into heaven. You don’t have to do all these things to work your way into favor with God. No. Rather, God is extending His saving Hand, welcoming you into the kingdom of heaven. He threw His son Jesus Christ off the ark and into the waters to save you. All you need to do is repent and grab the life vest that is floating in the water. The Lord wants you in His kingdom – will you reject that offer?

That’s the “evangelical” part – most of you have probably heard that story again and again and again. So what about those that are on the ark, whose salvation is secure? Well, one thing is certain – we are not commanded to sit about happily and twiddle our thumbs, waiting for the Lord to come. By no means! We are called to serve and love the Lord in all our actions.

This is where spiritual gifts come into play. Ephesians 2:10 says that “we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” We have been given gifts to advance the kingdom of God – 1 Corinthians 12 tells us about this.

So what is your gift? For some, they are given the gift of teaching. This includes pastors, preachers, teachers, and elders. It is there job to guide the ark, per se. They are to inform and continually teach the passengers – the body of Christ. 1 Peter 5:2 says “Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them.” This includes watching over those that are firmly secure in their faith, as well as those struggling in sin. Obviously, we all struggle with sin, but for those that are struggling to stay on the ark, this is where these men are called.

Then there are those who are called to dive headfirst into the waters: our missionaries. These take many different forms. Some may minister in a far off third world country, where Christianity is a banned religion. For others, this calling may take you to your local youth center. Spreading the Gospel is our calling, regardless of where it takes us.

Finally, there is everybody else. The majority – those who are not teachers or missionaries. But your role in no less important. 1 Corinthians 12 says “There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. Three are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.” It goes on later to say in verse 12 “just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ”. We all serve the same purpose, with the same goal in mind – serving the Lord.

For me, sometimes, I get frustrated being cooped up at college. I want to go out an evangelize; get involved with a ministry such as Harvest or WYAM. I want to be on the front lines for the Lord. But I am on the front line for the Lord already. Just because it isn’t as “glorious” does not take away from the Lord. In an army, you only see the work on the front line soldiers. But what army can function without its commanders, without its technology. In the same way, we are the army of the Lord.

In closing, let us remember who we serve. It is not for our own glory and praise that we spread the Gospel, but for the Lord. Christ is the anchor to our ark. Hebrews 6:19 says “we have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure”. We sail our ark through the rough waters of this world for the glory of God. The waters are rising, brothers and sisters. Hold fast – help is on the way. Our lives on earth will soon be over, and we will soon enter the glorious presence of God Almighty. But until, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfect of our faith.”

Here are six verses from a faith to grow on Bible #2
Phil 3:13 Forget things that are in the past.
Phil 4:13 I can do all things through Christ because He gives me strength.
Hebrews 10:25 You should meet together and encourage each others.
Psalm 106:1 Thank the Lord because He is good. His love continues forever.
Verse from Psalm God's words are true.
Verse from Roman Don't be lazy but work hard. Serve the Lord with your heart.
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Saturday, November 20, 2010

Verses from a faith to grow on bible #1

Here are three verses from a faith to grow on bible #1
Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the sky and the earth.
Phil 4:4 Be full 0f joy in the Lord always. I will again full of joy.
Colossians 4:2 Continue praying and keep alert.
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