In this post I want to focus on chapter 9 particularly chapter 9 verse 7,

“Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” -2 Cor. 9:7

Oh how DISAPPOINTING that this verse has been used by some preachers as an excuse not to preach on giving and even more DISAPPOINTING this verse has almost been used by some to reject appeals to give.

The unwise preacher says, “People need to give based upon what is in their heart not because I am guilting them into it with a sermon.”

The preacher who makes such a statement obviously hasn’t read the all of chapter 9, they’ve only read the verse 7. Because the entirety of chapter 9 is an appeal sermon for a church to give. It starts off with the stated expectation that they will give in abundance. Then a recognition that they may not, but they should and that is why Paul is writing. Then there is the verse some preachers would never dare say because they don’t want anyone to give under compulsion,

“The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.” -2 Corinthians 9:6

Paul actually says, “The point is this if you’re cheap with God then you limit God’s blessing.” Wow!

Oh and the amusing perspective to me in regards to this text is that it is Paul’s text IMMEDIATELY before the text most preachers use to “NOT” preach or make appeals for money.

After then the text we all know, “…God loves a cheerful giver” Paul tells the people for the rest of the chapter why they should want to give and how their giving will help.

The unwise member says, “They (the church) shouldn’t ask me for money so I am not going to give so it is not under compulsion.”

Paul’s argument to that would be,

“Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!” -2 Corinthians 9:15

In other words “the compulsion of your heart should always be towards greater and still greater generosity because of Jesus inexpressible gift of salvation to all of us. PERIOD.

After all that I feel like I should make an appeal.

Seriously…

Jesus in the 20 years and nearly 1 month (April 26, 1996) since He came into my heart has never allowed me to forget how horrible life felt when I was pushing Him away and what peace there was when I stopped pushing/running/dodging/denying and finally accepted that He loved me with all His heart! Because of what Jesus did for me, I have dedicated my life to making Jesus better known and better loved in the heart of every person I have the potential to reach. We, the Spencerville Church, have an opportunity through the use of modern technology (the internet, ROKU, etc) and in partnership with the HOPE Channel, to share globally the love of Jesus. We are in the midst of a project to build at the Spencerville Church our own little media center (without effecting the aesthetics of our beautiful sanctuary that Jesus has blessed us to be able to worship in) but making it feasible for the Gospel to go far beyond our walls. I know there are millions of people in the world, I know there are friends and family of mine, friends and family of yours that need to know the peace that comes when they stop pushing/running/dodging/denying the love of Jesus! Maybe, through our media ministry we can reach some of those people. Maybe your family or friend maybe mine or maybe someone all the way on the other side of the world can learn more about Jesus and thus love Him more through this ministry. Would you be 1 of 600 people to commit a one time gift of $200 or maybe a gift of $200 spread out over several months to help us at Spencerville fulfill the God-given burden placed on my heart more than 20 years ago, to make Jesus better known and better loved. If so you can very easily and safely give here: spencerville.church

I hope your heart is compelled to help us in this endeavor…if not I pray it is compelled to serve Jesus with your means in one of His many other ministries!

So let us all give cheerfully because Jesus loves us with an everlasting unimaginable love!

Next Reading: Exodus 25-28

“Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile an account of the things accomplished among us, 2 just as they were handed down to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word, 3 it seemed fitting for me as well, having investigated everything carefully from the beginning, to write it out for you in consecutive order, most excellent Theophilus; 4 so that you may know the exact truth about the things you have been taught.” -Luke 1:1-4

I like the book of Luke because Luke was a historian. He compiled an account from eyewitnesses and servants of the word. He investigated everything carefully, he checked and double checked his sources. He wrote out the story in chronological order. The other gospels are written with primary audiences in mind, the Jews or the Greeks, and while Luke states who his audience of one is, Theophilus (also his audience for the writing of the book of Acts). Due to the style structure and development of Luke’s Gospel it is truly a Gospel for the masses. This does not devalue the other Gospels. Matthew is wonderful because it helps us to understand Messianic prophecy amongst other things, Mark’s gospel is wonderful because his was probably the first gospel and thus the primary source material for others. John’s gospel is wonderful because his gospel seems to be written with those that struggle with unbelief in mind. Often when I people ask me, “Which book of the Bible should I start with?” I say, “The Gospel of John.” But Luke’s rendition of Jesus’ life I love because it is written as history, in the style it seems of the Old Testament maybe. Inspirational history.

There seems to be a lack of fairness in the casual reading of the announcements of both John and Jesus’ conceptions. Zacharias asks a question (1:18) and it is treated as doubt and he is left mute for the next 9 months. Mary asks a question (1:34) and she is in no way chastised or “disciplined.”

Honestly this may have never even occurred to you in your reading of these stories, but it has always…yes always, bothered me…so this morning I examined the story more closely.

And here is what I have come up with.

When Gabriel announces to Zacharias the notice of his soon to be conceived son, he shares with him all the pertinent details including the one that assures him of why:

“This is in response to your petition”

Zacharias is now old, so this must have been a long ago petition. A reminder that God never forgets our prayer requests!

At the end of the description Zacharias asks a question. The wrong question,

“How will I know this for certain?” -Luke 1:18a

When Gabriel announces to Mary the notice of her soon to be conceived son, he also shares with her all the pertinent details including the one that assures her of why:

“Favored one The Lord is with You”

At the end of the description and all the pertinent details Mary asks,

“How can this be, since I am a virgin?” -Luke 1:34

The only thing I can see is that Mary was not asking for a sign she is asking about functionality. She knows what she is and she also knows what she is unwilling to do, loose her virginity prior to the appropriate time.

Asking, “How can I know for certain?” Is a question of doubt. So God gave him a sign, muteness.

Asking, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” Is a question of function. Method. It would be almost better stated, “I believe you, but can you let me know though how you’re going to make this possible? Because I haven’t had sex and I know you’re not going to ask me to break God’s moral law.”

That is how I understand the seemingly incongruent responses to two similar questions in Luke chapter 1.

Next Reading: 2 Corinthian 9 & 10

“So they went into the court to the king, having put the scroll in the chamber of Elishama the secretary, and they reported all the words to the king. 21 Then the king sent Jehudi to get the scroll, and he took it from the chamber of Elishama the secretary. And Jehudi read it to the king and all the officials who stood beside the king. 22 It was the ninth month, and the king was sitting in the winter house, and there was a fire burning in the fire pot before him. 23 As Jehudi read three or four columns, the king would cut them off with a knife and throw them into the fire in the fire pot, until the entire scroll was consumed in the fire that was in the fire pot.24 Yet neither the king nor any of his servants who heard all these words was afraid, nor did they tear their garments. 25 Even when Elnathan and Delaiah and Gemariah urged the king not to burn the scroll, he would not listen to them. 26 And the king commanded Jerahmeel the king’s son and Seraiah the son of Azriel and Shelemiah the son of Abdeel to seize Baruch the secretary and Jeremiah the prophet, but the Lord hid them.” -Jeremiah 36:20-26

This brazen attitude demonstrated by King Jehoiakim is, I feel, being repeated in our modern world and even by many leaders within our nation. Granted we are not a theocracy, I understand that, but the utter disregard to many of the clear teachings of scripture in our current culture by our governmental leaders who claim to follow God is a dangerous position. It would be better for them to say, “we know the Bible does not agree with us and we are not doing this based on a Christian worldview” than to make some of the decisions that are being made under the banner and the false assertion that we are a “Christian nation.”

Tonight we had a heartbreaking experience in our home and I realized something…

Our dog Bear, a beautiful and sweet girl, was hit by a car and died. I let her out in our back yard to go to the bathroom after I had fed her. After about 15 minutes the normal amount of time she usually likes to go out after this feeding to do her business I went to the back door and called for her. I was tired and wanted to have an early night and so I wanted to get her in her crate for the night and head to bed myself. I called, she didn’t come, so I went around to the front of the house and it was then that I heard a car door slam and a lady scream there were some kids out by the road and everyone seemed to be upset…then I saw something lying on the ground. I ran out there and it was our beautiful sweet Bear. The poor lady was heartbroken, she kept apologizing I hugged her not really even thinking about anything else…she had white hair like my mom and my heart hurt for her, but all the while I was looking at my dog that was sleeping so peacefully.

I picked-up Bear’s lifeless body and placed her in a bag and then carried her back to the house.

Telling my boys was the hardest part. Although Bear was only with us about 6 months I knew their hearts would break. Dayton and Landon were distraught Levi didn’t shed a tear at first his lower lip quivered and he just kept saying, “Daddy tell Jesus to make her alive! Daddy tell Jesus to make her come alive!” When Levi did see her in the bag though the tears broke loose, Bear truly was his best buddy.

I know this is a morbid tale, but I can’t sleep and I need to process it out.

I have often times joked in front of my church to pray for me because I don’t know what I was thinking getting a dog. Or I would joke about how I wanted to get rid of her, Christina and I would say to everyone that said she was cute, “Do you want her? You can have her!” We acted like we meant it, now we are both just so sad…And though I wouldn’t call us dog people…I would say this, I’ve lost cats before and been sad…but there is definitely something much different about losing a dog.

I still don’t know what I was thinking getting a dog and now I hate to think of what it will be like to not have Bear!

I will never again say to a dog person, “It is just a dog.”    

I decided to finish off the book of Job tonight. Since chapters 38-41 are all of a similar theme, God’s response.

I love God’s response to all the questions of “why?” in the book of Job. His answer, “you have spoken without understanding.” Then God delivers a laundry list of natures attributes that demonstrate His power and wonder. It is almost in a much probably firmer way than we are used to or we would like for God to speak to us, but to me I almost hear God saying, “You just have to trust me! Look at everything in nature, trust me I can handle your world!”

Three points that struck me in the last few verses of the final chapter:

1. Even though Job’s friends were very unsupportive during his crisis, he still prayed to God on their behalf and they were protected and blessed due to Job’s ministry unto them, even though they had encouraged Job just to give-up and die when he was in struggle.
2. Job left an inheritance to his daughters (Job 42:15). I don’t believe this verse is in there by accident. I believe it illustrates the abundant fairness of Job. Not due to him being just a good dad, but because he was righteous.
3. Job 42:17 = “And Job died, an old man and full of days.” The book ends with reality though. Even though Job’s health was restored and the rest of his life was a blessing, he at the end of it all still died. We all will have the same fate if the world lasts long enough. Death will eventually meet us all…and we like Job, because we are powerless against death, must trust in the God described in chapters 38 through 41. We must trust He who makes the dawn, He who stops the waves, He who does not fear the javelin, it is He who also gave us victory over the grave through His life, death, and resurrection.

Next Reading: Jeremiah 32-36

My margin notes from the Psalms:

The response to this:

Behold, God is my helper;
    the Lord is the upholder of my life.
5 He will return the evil to my enemies;
    in your faithfulness put an end to them. -Psalm 54:4, 5

and this,

For he has delivered me from every trouble,
    and my eye has looked in triumph on my enemies. -Psalm 54:7

Is this…

With a freewill offering I will sacrifice to you;
    I will give thanks to your name, O Lord, for it is good. -Psalm 54:6

Not TITHE–freewill offerings are our token of “thanks” to Jesus for everything!

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Bible even speaks to what it feels like to be betrayed by a friend…

For it is not an enemy who taunts me—
    then I could bear it;
it is not an adversary who deals insolently with me—
    then I could hide from him.
13 But it is you, a man, my equal,
    my companion, my familiar friend.
14 We used to take sweet counsel together;
    within God’s house we walked in the throng. -Psalm 55:12-14

What is the solution when this happens?

Cast your burden on the Lord,
    and he will sustain you;
he will never permit
    the righteous to be moved. -Psalm 55:22

Jesus is a friend that will not forsake even when other friends have!

Next Reading: Job 37 & 38