Day 2 - Week 48 - 2 Corinthians 9:7 "Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. "

If we are truly wanting to be obedient to God, we cannot ignore the area of our finances. The Christian's view of their financial well-being and planning says very much about their faith and trust in God. 

So...do you think this verse relieves all Christians from the burden of the infamous 10% tithe?    Why did Paul feel the need (of course we know why, because of the Holy Spirit's direction) to advise believers that their giving was no longer to be determined by law, but by thier own individual determination ..."Each man should give what he has determined..."

In the Old Testament, the Jewish people had been instructed by Levitical law to give to God one-tenth of their gains, either in produce or livestock.  Malachi 3:10 is the most famous verse regarding tithing..."Bring all your tithes into the storehouse..." and then the promise that is often quoted to entice people to do so...."prove me now herewith, saith  the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it."

So are we to give in order to receive?  I believe that if we have a heart for giving, then, yes, that is the case.  When God knows our heart is set on distributing His blessings to those who we see in need, then He will continue to bless us in order for us to continue to be a blessing to others.  But if we think we can give to God and He is going to give back to us just for our own personal enjoyment and pleasure, that I don't believe.

So that brings us back to the debate of tithing (generally interpreted as giving 10% of your income back to God) or giving as we determine in our heart to give. 

Could it just be that, just as we talked about yesterday, as Christ-followers we are being asked to go beyond the letter of the law?  We no longer should be counting out our contribution to make sure that we are giving the required 10%...we should be looking for ways to gift others with the blessings that God has blesssed us with, not even keeping an account of how much that may be.  At times, maybe it's 10%...and then at other times maybe it's 50%, because we have seen a need that we are able to assist with and that the Holy Spirit is moving us to act on. 

Could it be that it's not so much the amount, as it is our heart in the giving of the gift...cheerfully, never regrettably or reluctantly.  Could it be that our giving might even be described as "joyful"?  Don't you think that pleases God?  When He sees His children truly giddy about being able to give to someone else what He has given them.  That kind of excitement comes from no where else than God Himself, living within us.

Day 1 - Week 48 - Still in obedience, but leaving Romans!

Our last four verses regarding obedience have come from Romans - this week we'll move to 2 Corinthians for our instruction.  It will be our 7th out of our 10 verses regarding obedience.  We tend to think of obedience as following the Ten Commandments.  But out of our six  verses so far, only the first two have even been in the Old Testament, and none of them have been any of the Ten Commandments.  While the Ten Commandments give God's broad law to us, the verses we have looked at so far deal much more with our hearts and attitudes.  It reminds me of Jesus' teaching----He took the letter of the law and then applied it to our hearts.  "You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.'  But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment."

So let's review and then discover this week's verse of obedience. It's time to drop off a section of verses from our review list, so you won't see the verses of assurance any more. 

Praise and Thanksgiving (4)

1 Peter 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. According to His great mercy He has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

Psalm 100:4 Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him and praise His name.

Psalm 100:5 For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Revelation 4:11 You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.

Promises of God (10)

Matthew 6:33 But seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. (ESV)

Romans 8:28 We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God: those who are called according to His purpose.

Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. (NIV)

1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to humanity. God is faithful and He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation He will provide a way of escape, so that you are able to bear it.

Psalm 55:22 Cast your burden on the Lord, and He will support you. He will never allow the righteous to be shaken.

1 Peter 5:7 Casting all your care upon Him, because He cares for you.

Obedience (10)
2 Chronicles 7:14 If my people who are called by My name humble themselves, pray and seek My face, and turn from their evil ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.
Lamentations 3:40 Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the Lord.
Romans 12:2 Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern the good, pleasing and perfect will of God.
Romans 12:11 Do not lack diligence; be fervent in spirit; serve the Lord.
Romans 12:12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in affliction, be persistent in prayer.
Romans 12:18 If possible, on your part, live at peace with everyone.

And this week's verse is
2 Corinthians 9:7   Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

Again, it is our hearts that are being instructed to obedience, isn't it?  This is verse that creates a lot of debate among those that hold on to the OT command of tithing.  But let's not automatically think that tithing is out the window once we grab on to this NT verse!  Looking forward to a week with you...schedule back on track after traveling...let's discuss giving!  Good time of year for that discussion, isn't it?  Budget plans being made and a new year to make good financial decisions.  Don't forget that giving needs to be included in your financial considerations.  Cheerfully included!

Day 7 - Week 47 - Romans 12:18 "If possible, on your part, live at peace with every one."

One final thought on Romans 12:18...as Christians, let's not ever be those who are looking for a fight. 

Sometimes it seems that we're just waiting for someone to say something contrary to what we believe, or have an opposite viewpoint than us on a subject, or a different political view.  We're just waiting so we can, with an air of superiority, let them know that they are wrong...and not only that they are wrong, but that God thinks they're wrong.  And we've got a Bible verse to back us up.

Sometimes we may be very right in our "rightness."  Sometimes we may not.  But either way, how far do you think these types of confrontations go in showing a person that we possess something that they should want?  How far does it go in showing them the love of Christ living within us and the gentleness that we have been called to demonstrate?  There is a reason that we have been given the verses that we looked at a few days ago exhorting us to correct with gentleness, humility and respect.  The reason is that's the attitude that will allow the other person to leave the conversation with dignity and with a regard for us that they will not have if we use the opportunity to degrade or humiliate them by showing their lack of knowledge or their error in interpretation. 
It's easy to allow Satan to persuade us to "show off", but deny him that chance to pull you away from the role that God has ready for you to play in someone else's life.  Be humble, be gentle, show respect and develop a relationship that can be used to bring both of you closer to our Father.

Day 4 - Week 47 - Romans 12:18 "If possible, on your part, live at peace with everyone."

Tonight I'm thinking about living in peace...with everyone.  While I think almost all of us would have that as our goal, I'm betting that there are very few of us that can honestly say our lives are 100% at peace with everyone we deal with.

We talked yesterday about the "if possible" and "on your part" caveats included in the verse, but tonight I just want to focus on the situations that are possible, and that may well depend on our part.  What is it that is keeping us from being at peace with those that we find ourselves in relationships that are less than harmonious?

I'm thinking about the things that come to my mind that may play a part...
pride, arrogance, insecurity, jealousy, rivalry...
not pretty words, are they?

But how often is it that relationships gone bad, relationships that once were important to us, but now are full of strife and angst, have become that way because of the characteristics mentioned above?

I would ask each of us tonight to examine those relationships that are not at peace in our lives and to ensure that on our part we are doing everything to eliminate on our part any of those negative mindsets.  If we take these relationships to God in prayer and ask Him to point out to us where we are failing both the relationship and Him (since He is the one calling us to peaceful living), I firmly believe we will start becoming aware of what it is in us that is causing some of the tension.  God is faithful to answer our prayers - we've learned that - and He is ready to show us where our hearts are dark and in need of repair.

Let's take seriously God's call to us to peaceful living.  Let's open our hearts to His examination and let's be ready to make some amends where amends need making.  We will be empowered to do so by His Spirit living within us - His Spirit of peace.

Psalm 129:33
Search me, O God, and know my heart: Try me, and know my thoughts.

Psalm 19:14
May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.

Day 3 - Week 47 - Romans 12:18, "If possible, on your part, live at peace with everyone."

I love the fact that God's Word is SO completely honest about our lives and what we face, and in it's instructions to us on how to handle the things we face.
For our verse does not simply state..."Live at peace with everyone."  I know that is what we would all love - to have lives completely without confrontation and in complete harmony with everyone around us.  But that's not real life, is it?  That's why God's Word says, "If possible, on your part...."

"If possible...."   When is it not possible to live at peace with everyone?  Well, there are people who blatantly behave in ways that are not in accordance with what God has called us to stand for, aren't there?  God does not ask us nor does He expect us to stand passively by when people are living in ways that are contrary to what He asks us to defend.

When people are being abused or taken advantage of, we cannot live at peace with their abusers.  We cannot and should not detach ourselves from those situations, ignoring the need for the defense of the weak or the powerless.  Sometimes we are forced to take an aggressive stand in order to show God's love for the disenfranchised and downtrodden. 

Psalm 82:3-4
Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed.  
Rescue the weak and needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.

Rescuing and delivering are not actions of passivity and require us to move out of a state of harmony and peacefulness...so sometimes it's not possible.

"On your part...."  God knows that we cannot control the attitudes and mindsets of others, only of ourselves, and we know that our attitudes and mindsets, as Christians, must be captive to the mindset of Christ Himself, through the Holy Spirit living within us. 

This is certainly not the case of those who have not come to an understanding of and surrender to God.  Non-believers may find many reasons to oppose us.  Sometimes they will oppose us simply because we stand for what they cannot understand---extending God's love, grace and mercy to all those around us.  Sometimes opposition comes from those who vehemently believe in other religions, religions who have such a strong non-tolerance for other beliefs that the extension of the hand of peace is something that they can never offer.  We cannot control others reaction to us...and God does not ask us to.

God asks us, on our part, to live at peace.  The Christian message has never been one of aggression or forcefulness.  Just because there have been times in history that the message of Christianity has been twisted or misconstrued by humans to accomplish human purposes, purposes that have resulted in death, abuse and cruelty, do not ever think that that is the message of Jesus Christ.

We are taught, as Christians, to present God's message with love, in kindness and gentleness.  And then, if possible, on our parts, to live at peace with all. 

Ephesians 4:1-3
I, therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, urge you to walk worthy of the calling you have received,   with all humility and gentleness, with patience, accepting one another in love, diligently keeping the unity of the Spirit with the peace that binds [us].

2 Timothy 2
And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness.

1 Peter 3:15
But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.

This is the picture of His believers that God wants the world to see.  Unfortunately, many other pictures have been portrayed throughout the ages.  From the Crusades to the current protests held by the Westboro, Kansas church, there have been actions under the guise of Christianity which portray anything but the peacefulness and gentleness that we are called to.

Remembering the fruit of the Spirit gives us the guidelines for a description of the lifestyle that we are to display for others to be able to see the message of the love of Christ....

Love - Joy - Peace - Patience - Kindness - Goodness - Faithfulness - Gentleness - Self-Control