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RE Verse reading–1 Corinthians 16:1-4, 2 Corinthians 8:1-15, 9:6-15 (day seven)  “Because of the proof given by this ministry, they will glorify God for your obedience. . .(and) yearn for you”  (9:13-14)  Paul’s enthusiasm for an offering from the Greek churches for the struggling Jerusalem church came, partly, from his hope for unity.  The ancient world was torn to pieces by the prejudice between Greeks and Hebrews.  Paul believed that generosity from the Greeks would serve as proof (vs 13, dokima–“a test for authenticity”) that God was at work.  He also hoped that it would result in thanksgiving to God (vs 12) and a new, dramatic “yearning for friendship” (vs 14) in the hearts of the Jewish believers.  What better evidence that the Prince of peace had come than a bridge of friendship between former enemies?   Would it work today?. .  Between people who have a “history” of conflict and mistrust?  “Every man is a friend to him who gives gifts”  (Proverbs 19:6)  Simple wisdom.  Time-tested.  A path forward!

RE Verse reading–1 Corinthians 16:1-4, 2 Corinthians 8:1-15, 9:6-15 (day six)  “This is to your advantage who were the first to begin a year ago. . . to desire to do it.  But now finish doing it”  (8:10-11)  It has become a theme for me.  After 38 years in ministry, my concentration these days is on finishing.  It is easy (common) to start on a noble journey but become distracted, discouraged, fatigued or bored along the way.  The early excitement fades.  Paul knew that  certain forces work to keep us all from “finishing the race”(2 Timothy 4:7)  We get weary.  We get satisfied with some obedience but not all.  It is to our own advantage to defeat these promise-weakening pressures. (vs 10)  Part of the joy of the Christ comes from the satisfaction of having finished the task assigned to us by the Father.  Every Saturday of outreach, every morning in prayer, every sacrificial dollar. . . All that He wills!  All of our days.  Don’t drop out now.  Finish!

RE Verse reading–1 Corinthians 16:1-4, 2 Corinthians 8:1-15, 9:6-15 (day five)  “And this, not as we had expected, but they first gave themselves to the Lord and to us by the will of God” (8:5)  It was an unexpected kind of generosity.  Even in a miraculous age, the Spirit of God working in the Macedonian church was a surprise to Paul.  Affliction does not normally lead to joy.  Poverty doesn’t usually lead to liberality.  (see vs 2)  It is supernatural and, therefore,  exactly what we should expect.  If God is better than we imagine–“Now unto Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think” (Ephesians 3:20)–then people who are filled with His life should also be a regular surprise to us as well.  In patience, in generosity, in forgiveness, in joy. . .part of the Lord’s plan for this predictable world is to plant surprises in the midst of it. May the Lord use us to surprise someone today.

RE Verse reading–1 Corinthians 16: 1-4, 2 Corinthians 8:1-15, 9:6-15 (day four)  “On the first day of every week each one of you is to put aside and save. . .so that no collections be made when I come”  (16:2)  It is a radically simple concept.  Childlike.  Each one of us.  Every week.  Being generous, for Paul, was not something that happened on a pay cycle.  Deeper than that.  He imagined that every week (not just when we had new money, and not just when special persuasion was being applied) every Christian would sit down and consider how much he/she had (at that moment) and set some of it aside to give later.  Giving is not a bill to be paid.  It is a regular act of worship and gratitude, a moment every week to recognize how much we have and commit some of it to the good of others and the glory of God.  Imagine what could be accomplished.  Each one, every week, save something!

RE Verse reading–1 Corinthians 16:1-4, 2 Corinthians 8:1-15, 9:6-15 (day three)  “Now HE WHO SUPPLIES seed to the sower and bread for food will SUPPLY and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness”  (9:10)  It is His name.  More than what He does, it is who He is.  In 2 Corinthians 9, the Apostle Paul reveals a name for God that is often foreign to our thinking.  “HE WHO SUPPLIES!”  (Please say it out loud!)  If we meditate on it, this truth will change our lives.  Specifically, Paul has in mind the miracle of seed-planting and harvest.  How many seasons has God performed this miracle for a hungry world?  Thousands?  Millions? And for one who never changes, past is prediction and promise.  Generosity is part of His character.  Something we can count on.  It is His name.  “My God shall SUPPLY all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus”  (Philippians 4:19)  No fear! We serve “HIM WHO SUPPLIES”

RE Verse reading–1 Corinthians 16:1-4, 2 Corinthians 8:1-15, 9:6-15 (day two)  “I am not speaking this as a command, but as proving through the earnestness of others the sincerity of your love also” (8:8)  None of us are forced to be generous.  God loves “cheerful givers” (9:7) and therefore makes us free to give or not as a matter of personal choice.  We are not free, however, from the moral conclusions that may be drawn (must be) from our choices in this aspect of life.  Paul refers to “the earnestness of others”, the examples of generous, sacrificial service (Macedonia is only one) that are an undeniable part of the story of the church.  These examples, he claims, either confirm us as part of the family of faith or convict us as insincere pretenders.  To love Christ requires that we love others in sacrificial and generous ways.  The standard has been set!  Others have been generous!  Their lives are the true test of sincere faith.

RE Verse reading–1 Corinthians 16:1-4, 2 Corinthians 8:1-15, 9:6-15 (day one)  “On the first day of the week each of you is to put aside and save”  (1 Corinthians 16:1)  It is the will of God for every believer.  Freely you have received.  Freely give.  To do so, we must save.  The ancients meant something more specific than moderns do.  The Greek word for save is thesaurus.  It meant “treasury or store-house”.  In English, a thesaurus is a book (treasury) of words and synonyms stored up for greater usefulness.  In similar fashion, believers are to spend less than we make so that the overplus can be invested for the good of others and Kingdom service.  What a simple and profound principle!  Rich and poor alike, whether we have much or little, we are to save some of it (from ourselves) for others.  Saving the world is still the plan of God.  We take a giant step forward when we begin to save and give.

RE Verse reading–Acts 4:36-37, 11:19-26, 15:36-40 (day seven)  “And he left for Tarsus to look for Saul” (11:25)  Part of God’s generosity is poured out on us in the form of friendships.  This week as I have read the story of Barnabus (Son of Encouragement) and his protege Paul, I have thought back over the people who have discipled, inspired, corrected and shaped me.  Family, friends, professors, pastors. . .people who believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself.  A time or two, they came to find me in one place because I was needed in another.  Looking back, there are no words to express my gratitude for their influence.  Who knew?  When God wants to pour out His grace, He often uses a friend to deliver the needed strength.  “I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always offering prayer for joy in my every prayer for you all”  (Philippians 1:3-4)  You know who you are.  I am grateful.

RE Verse reading–Acts 4:36-37, 11:19-26, 15:36-40 (day six)  “Pick up Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for service” (2 Timothy 4:11)  It is possible to have a positive end to a difficult chapter.  Sometimes being “friends again” is better than being “friends the first time”.  No narrative is supplied to this encouraging story.  Barnabus is not mentioned.  Did he die?  Did he go on to an eternal place from which he could watch with satisfaction his two friends became friends again?  We don’t know.  What the Scripture does tell is that, eventually, Paul’s attitude toward John Mark changed.  Perhaps Mark just grew up and out of his early irresponsibility.  Perhaps Paul’s hard-drivenness softened some with age and wisdom.  Whatever the explanation, there is great hope here!  “Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you”  (Ephesians 4:2) When conflict happens, forgive and wait!  It is possible to be friends again.

RE Verse reading–Acts 4:36-37, 11:19-26, 15:36-40 (day five)  “And there occurred such a sharp disagreement that they separated from one another and Barnabus took Mark with him and sailed to Cyprus.  But Paul chose Silas and left, being committed by the brethren to the grace of the Lord”  (15:39-40)  Sometimes godly people disagree.  Sometimes strongly.  It is a mistake to minimize the conflict between Barnabus and Paul.  “Sharp disagreement” translates a single word that means” to stab from the side, to be betrayed by a trusted brother”.  I am grateful that both men knew to continue to serve Christ.  Conflict with a brother is often painful and always dangerous, but  it does not have to be fatal to the parties involved or the common mission of the church.  These things have a way of sorting themselves out over time.  Do not become resentful! Do not quit or harbor anger!  Continue to serve and leave the management of your brother to your Father.