Samuel D. High
sdhigh@aristotle.net
-----Original Message-----
From: "Apostle Tom" <pressingon@hotmail.com>
Sent: Mon, 03 Sep 2007 05:34:18 -0500
To: pressingon@hotmail.com
Subject: Morning Manna (Sept. 4); BP: II Cor. 8:1-6; RBTTY: I Cor. 14:21-40; Ps. 143-145
September 4 “The Gift God Desires”
“For to their power, I bear record, yea, and beyond their power they were
willing of themselves—praying us with much entreaty that we would receive
the gift and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints.
And, this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the
Lord and unto us by the will of God.”
II Corinthians 8:3-5
It’s the one He’s been waiting for.
Have you noticed how subtly advertisers entice you to buy their
product? They make it sound like it’s the “best thing since sliced bread.”
And, then they “seal the deal” by offering you a “free gift.” Unbelievable!
Think about it, Pilgrim:
Say those oxymoron words once again: “Free gift.” Hmm. . .a bit
redundant, isn’t it? Assuredly so—for what is a gift if it isn’t free??
Gifts vary according to individuals and cultures. What may be greatly
desired by one may be disdained by another; however, today’s Manna tells us
of the gift that the Heavenly Father greatly longs for.
“And what might that be?” someone asks.
Well, just ask the poor, struggling, undergoing-persecution
Macedonians—they knew:
“Themselves.”
There’s no doubt they were poor and persecuted, for the Apostle Paul
said “That in a great trial of affliction (Grk. ‘thlipsis’—‘pressure,
anguish, burden, persecution, tribulation, etc.’) the abundance of their joy
and their deep poverty (Grk. ‘ptocheia’—‘beggary, indigence, etc.’) abounded
unto the riches of their liberality (Grk. ‘haplotes’—‘singleness, sincerity,
without dissimulation, bountifulness, etc.’)” (v.2).
Those Macedonian Christians weren’t your average Sunday-go-to-meeting
believers, were they? No, not hardly. Instead of getting down-in-the-mouth
and singing, “Nobody knows the trouble I’ve seen,” their worship was filled
with praise and thanksgiving. In spite of their opposition and persecution,
they still lifted up their voices with great exuberance, singing “Praise God
from Whom all blessings flow.”
Instead of getting them down, their “great trial of affliction”
produced within them “an abundance of joy and an abounding unto liberality.”
Simply put, instead of asking, “Do we HAVE to give, they BEGGED for an
opportunity to give!” Hallelujah!!
Oh, dear Pilgrim, what would happen if we possessed this same sincere,
single-minded devotion to Christ in our own lives and churches? Why, we’d
never see a budget-deficit in our church finances at the end of the year—and
we’d certainly hear less whining and complaining about how the money’s being
spent. Glory!! Why/how were those physically-impoverished, but
spiritually-rich early believers able to behave this way? Simply because
they “first gave themselves to the Lord,” which then led to their “giving
themselves to others.” Can the same be said of us?
_________________________________________________________________
Can you find the hidden words? Take a break and play Seekadoo!
http://club.live.com/seekadoo.aspx?icid=seek_hotmailtextlink1
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