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Daily eMail Devotional
Saturday, March 06, 2010
II Corinthians 8:7-15 Therefore, as ye abound in every thing, in faith, and utterance, and knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love to us, see that ye abound in this grace also. I speak not by commandment, but by occasion of the forwardness of others, and to prove the sincerity of your love. For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich. And herein I give my advice: for this is expedient for you, who have begun before, not only to do, but also to be forward a year ago. Now therefore perform the doing of it; that as there was a readiness to will, so there may be a performance also out of that which ye have. For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not. For I mean not that other men be eased, and ye burdened: But by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may be a supply for their want, that their abundance also may be a supply for your want: that there may be equality: As it is written, He that had gathered much had nothing over; and he that had gathered little had no lack.I am going to take my devotion today from a flyer that I have that explains “Faith Promise Giving.”
Faith Promise…Trusting God to Provide
"For to their power, I bear record, yea, and beyond their power they were willing of themselves." II Corinthians 8:3
Imagine God entrusting you with additional finances this year to give specifically for world missions! Imagine how your faith can grow as you watch Him provide from current or surprising sources. Many of you may be familiar with the term Faith Promise. It is the
title of choice for mission’s offerings in countless churches across America. However, the nomenclature used is far less important than the fact that these gifts flow from the hearts of God’s people, through the church to various mission ministries around the globe. Here at Ohana Baptist, we will also use Faith Promise as the name for missions giving. In March, missions will be featured during our World Missions Month. This is the time of the year when we as a church will make our collective commitment of financial support of our missions program.
So, what exactly is a Faith Promise?
A Faith Promise is a financial commitment in support of work in missions, agreeing to give a specific amount as God provides, “to their power… yea, and beyond their power” A Faith Promise is a reaffirmation of our faith in the promises of God. Recounting His blessings in the past, you trust Him to enable you to meet your commitment. It is not designed to replace your normal giving, but to increase it and, in doing so, to expand your faith.
The Faith ... Trusting God
“Therefore, as ye abound in every thing, in faith, and utterance, and knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love to us, see that ye abound in this grace also.” II Corinthians 8:7
The Process…
The process begins with prayer, not asking what one should give, but asking, “How much does God want me to give?” “How much should I give?”. focuses on bank accounts, bills, and financial commitments. “How much does God want me to give?” directs the focus to Him. It might just be that He wants you to give more than you think. This is because giving has much more to do with our faith in God and less to do with immediate financial needs. He wants us to give more than we think, because He wants to stretch our faith far more than we can imagine. Faith Promise is not primarily faith in what God will give us, but it is faith that God will enable us to give. It is more important that you pray for a giving heart than for added income.
The Faith in Faith Promise…
“Therefore, as ye abound in every thing, in faith, and utterance, and knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love to us, see that ye abound in this grace also.” II Corinthians 8:7 This is excellent insight into the Christian life. You cannot expect to excel in one area if you are lacking in another. If we want to grow in giving, we must grow in faith; if we want to expand our faith, we must expand our giving. The one moves the other. An important outcome of Faith Promise is that it challenges us to exercise our faith in the very personal and practical area of our daily needs. Faith grows, as we trust God for our income, bank account, savings and even our retirement. Faith can hardly become any more real or practical than in these most personal aspects of our lives. Making a faith promise encourages us to remember that God alone is our provider.
The Promise … God’s gracious provision
“But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.” II Corinthians 9:6
The Promise in Faith Promise…
It is easy to have the wrong perspective on this assuming that the promise is ours rather than God’s. He promises to provide so we in turn can give generously to His kingdom. We need to understand that the promise is not to God, but from Him. Faith Promise provides the opportunity to pause and take careful account of how God has faithfully provided for us. Throughout Scripture He reminds His people of His faithfulness to their
forefathers. Therefore, they can be confident of His current care and provision. God’s resources are never limited. He gives us all we need and all He wants us to have, but we must give it away in order to gain it. Remember: “But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.” II Corinthians 9:6
Where will the money come from?
Keep in mind, Faith Promise is not primarily faith in what God will give you, but faith that God will enable you to give. Increased giving starts, not with increased income, but with God’s grace enlarging our hearts with the joy of giving. There are a number of sources for increased giving. Every year testimonies abound of commitments met from an unusual and unexpected source. God can provide as He sees fit and often delights in reminding us of that fact in dramatic ways. Others might meet their commitment through creative means. You might make an investment and dedicate all the proceeds to Faith
Promise or take on a second job for a few hours a week or use carpool income. You might make and sell crafts. The point is that if giving for missions becomes a priority, you can pray and think creatively of ways to have more money for this purpose. Many Faith Promise commitments are met with what some call “lifestyle giving.” Simply stated, it begins with better management of our finances, by changing our spending priorities or choosing to live more simply. The Macedonian Christians gave out of their
poverty and beyond their ability. Finally, there is giving from abundance. God allows us to save money, earn interest, and succeed in our occupations, all so we can give. As our resources grow, our giving should grow as well. When you ask, “Where will the money come from?” consider the advice of John Wesley: “Make all you can, save all you can, and then give all you can.”
How do I make a commitment?
• Pray, seeking God’s guidance in what He would have you give.
• Determine your annual commitment in support of missions through Ohana and indicate that intention by filling out a Faith Promise card.
Faith Promise Cards will be available in the free literature rack prior to and during our World Missions Month. Everyone should have received a card in your mail slot and the cards should be turned in by the end of the month. Your Faith Promise should include all planned giving through the church to missions for the entire year. It is not designed to replace your normal giving, but to increase it and, in doing so, to expand your faith So, we challenge you to join with other members of Ohana in supporting missionaries around the world as we endeavor to share the good news about Jesus with people of other cultures.
Aloha in Christ,
Pastor Wayne
Don't Forget -
