All posts tagged: giving

Do not let your good intensions grow stale

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But as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all earnestness, and in our love for you—see that you excel in this act of grace also. I say this not as a command, but to prove by the earnestness of others that your love also is genuine. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich. (2 Corinthians 8:7-9 ESV) The church in Corinth was a very dynamic yet dysfunctional church. They were experiencing the supernatural workings of God, and excelling in their ability to channel those supernatural workings of God to the benefit of the entire community. They had: 1. Faith to move mountains 2. Speech like the tongues of men and of angels, gifts of prophecy, 3. Knowledge to understand all mysteries 4. Earnestness to surrender their lives as martyrs for the kingdom At some time, they had made pledges to support the church in Jerusalem. Unfortunately, they …

Poor people can make you rich

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Psalm 41 Blessed is the one who considers the poor! In the day of trouble the LORD delivers him; the LORD protects him and keeps him alive; he is called blessed in the land; you do not give him up to the will of his enemies. The LORD sustains him on his sickbed; Blessed is the one who consider the poor! The word consider means to think carefully about (something or somebody), typically before making a decision. It is to think about and be drawn toward (a course of action). This course of action is not motivated by the rewards that will follow, but by the compassion that flows from the heart of the Father through the heart of him who considers the poor. However, there is always a reward for him who finds himself in trouble – like the scripture says, “In his day of trouble” 1. the LORD delivers him; 2. the LORD protects him 3. The LORD keeps him alive; 4. The LORD blesses him in the land 5. The LORD will …

5 Ways to use your tax return

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About a week ago we got our tax return in the mail. And every day for the past week, my wife has told me, “Walter we got to talk.” Well, she is right, last year we didn’t talk and the money vanished into thin air. In other words, we spent it carelessly. So, this year, we are considering five options. We are complete in accord with the first one – which for us, is non-negotiable. But the other four, we are still talking about. Please allow me to use these five suggestion to get you thinking about how you are going to use your tax return. Use the 10 percent and over and above principle. If you’ve been faithful paying your tithe throughout the year, you don’t have to give 10 percent this time around on your tax return. If you have paid your tithe correctly, on the gross and not the net, than you really don’t have to give 10 percent, you’re covered. However, there is the over and above principle. That means, you …

7 Habits of Highly Effective Christians

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Charles Nobles once said, “first we make our habits, then our habits make us.” We are what we repeatedly do. And if we ever want excellence in our lives, we need to remember that it “is not an act, but a habit.” Some habits are good, others very bad and still some are of no value or eternal significance. However, to effectively impact the people around us and leave a lasting impression, we must develop good habits and do everything in our power to unlearn bad ones. I would like to leave you with 7 Habits of highly effective christians. By their constant practice of 7 biblical principles they do not only excel in their knowledge of God, devotion to the Lord, ministry and calling, they also effectively inspire and challenge others to personal development and growth. They give cheerfully Their primary motivation is not what they will get out of their giving. They are more interested in being a blessing than receiving a blessing. They are kingdom driven and what ever promotes the work of …

Servant Leadership

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“A person who is worthy of being a leader wants power not for himself, but in order to be of service.” — J. Ervin, Jr. “Earn your success based on service to others, not at the expense of others.” — H. Jackson Brown, Jr. “Everybody can be great because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.” — Martin Luther King Jr “Men are governed only by serving them; the rule is without exception.” — V. Cousin “Servant-leadership is more than a concept, it is a fact. Any great leader, by which I also mean an ethical leader of any group, will see herself or himself as a servant of that group and will act accordingly.” — M. Scott Peck “The adventure of life is to learn. The purpose of life is to grow. The nature of life is to change. The challenge of life …

Hudson Taylor Part 2 (The matter of giving and receiving)

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I am not a pastor who encourages his congregation to give because of what they can get out of it. That does not mean they shouldn’t give. Having said that, the matter of giving is almost never just the matter of giving. According to Paul in Philippians 4:15, “Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only” – it is the matter of giving and receiving. You never ever hardly give and don’t receive – even though receiving is not the motivation here – there is always a receiving. And God determines that which is received. Here is a story in the life of Hudson Taylor that explains this: This is an excerpt from the biography of the life of Hudson Taylor In November, 1851, Hudson moved his lodging to a noisy suburb of Darinside, a neighborhood on the edge of town. Here he began a rigorous …

HUG Somebody

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The Nomination for HUG the Award I would like to thank my sister in Christ from Poetic Journey a blog that exudes compassion, hope, faith, friendship ect… Her journey has inspire many and continues to inspire many to hope, and dream and discover God’s best for them. May your giving become more and more contagious. What is the HUG Award The HUG Award© was initiated by Connie Wayne at A Hope for Today at http://ahopefortoday.com, which promotes hope, love, peace, equality, and unity for all people. The HUG Award© is for people with an expectant desire for the world, for which they: Hope for Love; Hope for Freedom; Hope for Peace; Hope for Equality; Hope for Unity; Hope for Joy and Happiness; Hope for Compassion and Mercy; Hope for Faith; Hope for Wholeness and Wellness; Hope for Prosperity; Hope for Ecological Preservation; Hope for Oneness “People do not have to give up or compromise their own religious, spiritual, or political beliefs to qualify for the Hope Unites Globally HUG Award©. They qualify for the HUG Award© when, without bias …