THE RICHES OF LIBERALITY
Suggested Reading: 2 Corinthians 8
Click scripture link to read online or HERE to listen online (then click the symbol of the audio speaker above the scripture portion).
Pella is an ancient Greek city located in the current Pella regional unit of Central Macedonia in Greece. It was the capital of the ancient kingdom of Macedonia.
GOOGLE MAPS – To see where the photo was taken, click HERE.
Key Verse: 2 Corinthians 8:9
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.
Today’s reading is all about giving. Jesus instructed a young person who had abundance to sell what he had and give it away (Matthew 19:16-26) and (Luke 18:18-27). I know of two families who did just that. God made sure that they never lacked any necessity, and in fact they have blessed many others since that time. One of these was Charles and Esther Mully. They owned and operated a large trucking firm in Nairobi, Kenya, sold everything, gave it all to the Lord, and then opened the Mully Children’s Family, which Crossroads Missions supports (click here for information). The other family is here in Canada and they want to remain anonymous. Paul may have done this himself as he was from a family of Jews who were also Roman citizens. For Roman citizenship they no doubt paid a large amount. Of course, he may have been disinherited when he confessed Jesus as Messiah and God. However, he does not ask the rest of us to give everything. He does, however, expect sacrificial giving of all who have received the riches of Christ.
PRAYER FOR TODAY:
Lord Jesus, You, most of all, gave everything to save me from sin and eternal loss. I pray for grace to give sacrificially. In Your giving Name I pray. Amen!
100 PERSONAL WORDS:
The 100 Huntley Street daily TV ministry had just begun when I received a letter from a lawyer telling me that a lady had left a sum of money in her will in support of the non- profit charity listed as Crossroads Christian Communications Inc. Shortly thereafter, the cheque arrived from the law firm. Then a letter from her son arrived. He was a tough union leader who objected and claimed that his mother had been manipulated in some way. I could never calculate the value of his soul in dollars, so I went to the treasurer who cut a cheque in the full amount of the bequest and sent it to the son. I started to pray fervently for him and about two years later, Crossroads received a cheque from him for double the amount of his mother’s bequest. He had started watching 100 Huntley Street, gave his life to Christ, and obviously repented of his actions towards his mom’s wishes. There are those who give in different ways. One comes to mind where a lady, who obviously wanted “Treasure in Heaven,” made the payments on a life insurance policy for which Crossroads was the beneficiary. We heard from her lawyer after her passing into her eternal reward. I have no administrative function at Crossroads, and I endorse fully Paul’s exhortation in 8:20-21: “Avoiding this: that anyone should blame us in this lavish gift which is administered by us – providing honourable things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men.” Crossroads is audited annually by PriceWaterhouseCoopers and has an excellent report “in the sight of men.” Norma-Jean and I trust the Board of Directors and the management completely, and we are monthly givers. We support other worthy ministries as well.
Yours for giving!
David
Mosaic floor among the ruins of the ancient Greek city of Pella.
Luke 12:34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Would you describe yourself as a cheerful and generous giver? Whether or not you would, I challenge you to ask the Lord,
My prayer is the same as yours David and the scripture David you wrote
is one I am thinking of.
Have a wonder full day in the Lord.
Lianne Hogg
Thanks for such a great message, this morning, David. “Give and so shall you receive.” So happy the son came to know God through the interactions that took place. When we put God at the center and don’t get drawn into the emotions of interpersonal relationships or being attached to money, His blessings for each and every one of us, shine through–salvation being the greatest gift of all. Our God is SO good!
Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than it is for a rich man to enter the gates to the kingdom of heaven (Mt 19:16-26). Anyone and everyone can be saved. The things which are impossible with men are possible with God (Lk 18:18-27). The deciding factor is that we believe. When we believe in Jesus, with all certainty, we begin to live by our faith; and anything, and everything, will be made possible. We need only trust in God to carry us through?and He surely will. All blessings will be abundant and will multiply in every direction, especially within, where we feel the love for others, grow in our hearts. We begin to live, like Jesus did, by sharing our love for God, with, and for, each other.
Praying for you David, to have rest and comfort through your chemo period, and that what is meant to expel from your body, does so quickly, and easily. My dear sister, Laura, endured the same. She enjoyed two full remission periods over a course of five years, from stage 4 metastatic breast cancer, after first being diagnosed. March 29th will mark 16 years of her passing. I am happy to say she spoke out loud on her last night of being at the tomb stone of Jesus, with Mary; according to my mom, who was there, with her.
Know that I was praying, with thankfulness, on my hands and knees for you at 5:30, this morning–that you will have restful sleep, today. And I will continue to do so, throughout the day. We love you so very much, David Mainse!
AMEN Beverlee!!! You stated it so well!
Thank you David and Norma-Jean!!!!!!
David, You and Norma-Jean have given so generously of yourselves to so many and have been a great example to us all. Thank you dear brother and sister!!! May The Lord bless you both with many more years of good health to continue in His name. You are both loved and appreciated by so many. And of course, you are floating in a sea of His love!!!!
Wisdom, integrity, honesty, prayerful, and of course, God- centered are a few adjectives that come to mind as I contemplate you- David Mainse.
GOD IN YOU- blesses me; blesses so many.
Thank you.
Thank you David for sharing the story of the young man who you released back the cheque from his mother. Your love for his soul over money is a blessed testimony .Oh what wonderful ministry it is to give to the Lord!
David I pray God will richly bless you today with His presence, love and as Isaiah 58:8 says “Your healing shall spring forth speedily,,” My love and prayers are continually with you and your wonderful family. HI to all fellow bloggers. I pray you all have a blessed day in our Lord., I love you all.
Amen!
Amen to all of the above. I’ve been so blessed by all the comments. Reading about your faith reminds me that we are all part of the same family and that we are one. He did say he would come when we are one united. David what you did with that money proves once again that God rewards obedience. So happy the son was saved through this. I am always challenged as to how I can be a light. My husband and I received a check in the mail of around 800$ from a huge clothing store. They said they owed us a credit. When we looked at our statement that wasn’t so and therefore we phoned them and told them it wasn’t our money. They insisted that it was and that we keep the cheque. My husband and I knew for certain that they had made a mistake so we sent back the cheque with a note explaining that we could not keep money that wasn’t ours. Never heard from them after that but we know that God will use this act of obedience to His glory. Many people told us to just keep the money. When we live in God’s kingdom we need to abide by his rules. Bless you all!
Amen, Lynne!
What inspiring blogs and pictures David and Reynold. Regarding giving, I remember when for a season we felt we couldn’t afford to give, only to learn through unexpected financial losses during that time, that we couldn’t afford NOT to give. It seems when you give freely, God multiplies it in unexpected ways. Thank you David for your example to all of us as to how to live a victorious life – you are so transparent and “real” in sharing your experiences with us. Only Jesus can give us that freedom and joy as we present our bodies to Him and depend on Him for wisdom and guidance. May God continue healing you and give you and your family His peace.
I thank you for the beautiful descriptions of events from your personal life, Pastor David. You do indeed have a gift for writing and may you continue on and on! Your 100(or so) Personal Words are always so inspiring and full of compassion, I can’t help but read them over and over again, on my work breaks, lunch and evening. As I am passing through some rough times, I cherish your transparency. And, I dedicate these verses to you, Lamentations 3:22-24!
What a wonderful provider we have and such a true Source of supply. We are stewards of the Divine who dwells within, owning everything and using all His gifts and goods wisely and constructively. Trust and believe Him, for everything must and will work together for our good.
Thanks for sharing that story David.
What wonderful and inspiring blogs, David and fellow bloggers. God always rewards honesty and faithfulness. Yes, thank you for your transparency, David. I am blessed tp be a part of this family of Bible readers and bloggers. God bless you all.