- God’s blessings in our lives are NOT endpoints
- There must be outflow
- 2 Cor 1:1-15
Archive for the Giving Category
LTW: "Inflow-Outflow Equation, Part 2" **** not archived
Posted in Giving on January 23, 2008 by HarryTFL: "A Summary of Christian Duty, Part B" – no archive
Posted in Giving, Old Testament, Sacrifices on January 22, 2008 by Harry- OT ceremonies are no longer practical
- Selfless love, doing good are sacrifices which testify to God’s grace in our lives
- These are NOT ways we gain acceptance to God – that only comes through Jesus, but the incentive is that these practices please God
Ecclesiastical leadership:
- Spiritual leaders watch over us
- Spiritual leaders are accountable for us vs. to us
- We should obey our leaders and be submissive, yet always use your brain and refer to scripture to ensure what you are being taught is biblical
TFL: “A Summary of Christian Duty, Part A” ****
Posted in Discipleship, Giving, Love, Old Testament, Sacrifices with tags Praise, Worship on January 18, 2008 by Harry- Our duty as a Christian is a privilege
- 3 type of duties:
- Spiritual duty with respect to God
- Moral duty with respect to men
- Ecclesiastical (of or associated with a church – especially a Christian Church) duty with respect to Christian leadership
Spiritual Duty:
- In OT structure, Sacrifices not simply for sin, ie propitiatory or expiatory
- Expiation and propitiations are terms used in Christian theology that directly correlate and define the nature and effect of the atonement in relation to God and believers
- The terms have somewhat different meanings and are sometimes placed in opposition to each other by theologians, though it is also possible to see them as complementary
- Expiation speaks of the process by which sins are nullified or covered
- Propitiation, taking a personal object, speaks of the appeasement of an offended party , specifically God from wrath or anger
- Stott (The Cross of Christ) pg 166
- But also for offering dedicatory sacrifices to express thanksgiving to God
- In the same way Christians must continually offer sacrifice, ie ourselves – Romans 12
- 1Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual[a] act of worship. 2Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
- What is our duty?
- To bring daily our lives as an an offering to God in the same way a Jew brought a sheep in thanksgiving for everything for which God has done
- By prayer, singing, reading, etc.
- This sacrifice is only offered through Jesus, not saints, the virgin Mary, or anyone else
- They did not suffer in our place, only Jesus did
- We are not to seek access to God through any of these other methods, except through Jesus
- We must worship God in a way that engages our minds, stirs our hearts, and flows from our lips
- Praising God at all times is our responsibility, not just when it feels good
Moral Duty:
- Do good to others
- God did not give us everything we have so we could store it up, kick our legs back and congratulate ourselves on a job well done
TFL: "The Privelege of Disgrace" *****
Posted in * Favorites, Communion, Cross, Giving, Law, Old Testament with tags Forgiveness, Knowledge on January 17, 2008 by Harry- Hebrews 13
- How can we impact our world?
- Be contended
- When everyone else is complaining and griping, stay content
- Being content does not mean not trying to improve our circumstances and using all lawful means to do so
- It is not wrong to try to improve our lot
- We strive to do our best, be a hard worker and we leave in the hands of God what may emerge from that
- Rather than lusting for promotion, for advancement, for money for their own sakes
- Contentment does not trying to advance but means that whether or we advance or not, we stay content with our lot
- Ambition is okay, but we must stay content – whether we advance or not – with our lot
- What were the strange teachings referred to in the above scripture?
- Residual Judaism – that by maintaining strict adherence to externals we will come closer to God and the key to maintaining a close walk with God
- Spiritual growth and maturity does not come about by slavish observance to externals
- Gal 3:3: 3Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort? 4Have you suffered so much for nothing—if it really was for nothing? 5Does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you because you observe the law, or because you believe what you heard?
- Spiritual growth and maturity comes along the pathway of understanding, appreciating, receiving, and enjoying the grace of God
- Grace in the beginning, grace in the middle and grace in the end
- The gospel is the soul channel by which the grace of God is mediated to men and women
- We did not earn God’s favor, we can offer nothing
- Man made rigamarole is very dangerous
- Communion – The issue of redemption was settled on the cross – it was once for all and that is where our altar is, those who say there is a continuing sacrificial elements in order to receive grace, forgiveness, or anything else bar themselves from participation at the altar of Christ
- That is why there is no altar in church, our altar is at the cross
- What Jesus did on the cross was a once and for all sacrifice
- We celebrate holy communion as a symbolic recollection of what Jesus did on the cross, we have no more need to offer sacrifices as the ultimate sacrifice has already been offered
- There is only one mediator between God and man – Jesus
- There is no need to tell someone else your sins – you must tell Jesus only
- The cross was raised outside the city wall – God was reconciling men’s sins
- God did not count man’s sins against man, he counted them against His son
- He bore our sins
- 1Peter 2:24: 24: He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed
- Mark 15:34 (New International Version): 34And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?”—which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”[a] The answer from heaven would have been: “Because Jesus you stand in the place of sinners, you bear the guilt of sinners, you absorb the punishment of sinners, you bear My wrath.”
- The Justice of God which must punish sin and the love of God that makes a way of escape find its expression in a moment of time – on the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ
- There is no role for external rigamarole
- Jesus suffered to make us holy, not happy and that is why through many toils, dangers, and snares we have come because He is conforming us to the image of His son
- Bearing disgrace for Jesus is a privilege
- To the Jew everything in the camp is kosher and clean and everything outside is dirty
- We must go outside the camp because in Jesus all the values have been reversed and here we have no enduring city, but we are looking forward to the city to come, which cannot be shaken
- Pliable (from Pilgrim’s Progress) would have said I like my security and I am not going outside the camp to take my stand with Jesus
- “I believe in God, why do I have to follow Jesus” – because God has left us no other option
TFL: "A Christian Lifestyle, Part B" not archived
Posted in Giving, Lifestyle on January 17, 2008 by Harry- We must be committed to love one another
- We must show hospitality to strangers
- We must sympathize with prisoners
- We must stay pure in marriage
TFL: “Essentials of Christian Maturity” ****
Posted in Discipleship, Giving, Law, Old Testament, Temptation with tags Foundation, Growth on January 14, 2008 by Harry- Hebrews 12
- 1. Keep strong and keep straight
- Referring to Is 35:3 where the prophet describes holiness and peace
- 2. Pursue harmony and holiness
- Do not compromise holiness for harmony with others
- We must me different: There must be a change of heart so that people can say that this person is different and is not just the same as us with an interest in holy things
- 3. Grow in grace and not in bitterness
- We may miss the grace of God by the soil on our own souls, for example: bitterness, envy, etc.
- If we miss God’s grace, it is not because it is not accessible to us, it is that we are not availing ourselves to it (not taking the opportunity God has given us)
- Physical appetite meant more to Esau than his birthright so that he sold out in a moment for immediate pleasure
- Every inroad that sexual immorality would make into our hearts and minds is to be resisted; Not in order that God may accept us, but because we are aware that God in His grace has accepted us
- Just “see to it” that this garbage can of immorality is out of your life (analogy of kids being told to take the garbage out)
- We are not taken to heaven because of our see to list, we are taken to heaven on the basis of His son and we are “seeing to it” because that is what good sons and daughters do
- 4. Don’t quit
- Mt. Sinai: Represents the giving of the Law
- Legalism
- Mt. Zion
- Represents the coming of the gospel and Jesus Christ
- You were at Mt. Sinai before
- You were afraid of God
- You were doing all these things because you thought God would accept you for doing them
- You were trying to earn your own way to heaven
- When you came to Mt. Zion it suddenly made sense to you
- We do not have to earn our way to heaven
- Jesus died on the cross and we go to heaven on the strength of what he has done – this was radical for the readers of Hebrews
- You cannot do it on your own, we need Jesus
- You are right there – don’t quit – it is there available to you
- 5. “see to it that yo do not refuse him who speaks
- The prophets were ignored by people for ages because they did not tell people what they wanted to hear
- We want to go to church and have a nice time
- If God did what he did to those who did not receive the prophets what lays in store for those who do not accept His son
- 6. Worship God in awe
TFL: "Every Picture Tells A Story, Part B" *
Posted in Giving, Will - God's, Will - Our with tags Tolerance on January 5, 2008 by Harry- Genesis 50 – Joseph and his bones
- We cannot be friends of the world and a friend of God at the same time
- Your life would be a living contradiction
- Nothing but emptiness
LTW: "The Worlds Most Relevant Book, Part 2" **
Posted in Bible, Giving on January 4, 2008 by Harry“The word of God is a mirror.”
LTW: "The Resolution of Resolutions" not archived
Posted in Giving on January 1, 2008 by Harry
- Your personal budget is a statement of belief
- It is a statement of where your heart is
TFL: ” Portrait Gallery of Faith, Part 1, A” ***
Posted in Giving, Sacrifices, Works with tags Deeds on January 1, 2008 by Harry- Hebrews 11:1-7
- 1Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. 2This is what the ancients were commended for. 3By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. 4By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was commended as a righteous man, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith he still speaks, even though he is dead. 5By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death; he could not be found, because God had taken him away. For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. 6And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. 7By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.
- Examples of people who lived for God
- What does this have to do with me?
- Abel:
- Abel offered a better sacrifice than Cain
- The writer in Hebrews is not explaining why Abel’s sacrifice was better
- The sacrifice itself is not important, ie the material – what is important is that it is reflective of an open heart, an obedient heart
- Blood did point forward to the Cross, but this is not likely the point
- It is a theme of the old testament which ran into the new, that when it comes to making or offering sacrifices to God, God is not concerned first about material content, but is concerned that what is done will be the expression of a devoted heart
- Deeds from pagans vs. Christians
- Pagans do good deeds as well, what is the difference?
- For the Christian, deeds are an expression of acceptance vs. deeds are a means to acceptance
TFL: “How will this be? Part B” ***
Posted in Giving with tags Christmas, Knowledge on December 25, 2007 by Harry- Of the virgin birth being a myth:
- “People may die for a conviction, but I don’t see them dying for a concoction.”
- Peter put his life on the line for this
- There is no intellectual road to God
- There is no earthly explanation for the miracle of the virgin birth
- What a mystery! What an opportunity!!!!
TFL: “My Times Are In Your Hands, Part 1, B”
Posted in Giving with tags Philosophy on December 18, 2007 by Harry- Nehilism – no purpose to life
- Epicureans – get as much pleasure out of life as you can; 1960′s attitude
TFL: "What Is Your Life?" *** not archived
Posted in Giving on December 15, 2007 by Harry- Our life is brief
- Only what we do for Jesus will last
LTW: "The Detours to Discontent" not archived
Posted in Discontentment, Giving, Peace, Pride, Weaknesses on December 12, 2007 by Harry- Before beginning the discussion it should be noted that absolute peace cannot be had in this life
- 4 detours of contentment in our Christian life
- 1. Unwillingness to confront our weaknesses
- 2. Unawareness of the lie of a legalism
- 3. Underestimation of the pitfall of pride
- 4. Unfaithfulness in self-giving
- We all have weaknesses
- We have to apply the grace of God to our weaknesses
- If the grace of God is not sufficient for our weaknesses, then we are focusing on our weaknesses too much, or we are ignoring them altogether
- Either place is someplace we should not be
- The grace of God is sufficient for our weaknesses and until we apply God’s grace to our weaknesses then we will not have joy
- Legalism is the elevation to any man-made rule to the level of God or to the commandment of God
- We are only saved by the grace of God
- There is no saved by God + “something else” ; there is no “+” anything
- Underestimation of the pitfall of pride
- Pride is very, very,very deceitful
- Pride hinders our prayers
- Lack of generosity
- Has nothing to do with what you have and what you give, it comes down to making a sacrifice
- Ultimate contentment is not possible in this life, nonetheless we are given temporary peace and joy by God in this life
Manna: "When the Oil Stopped Flowing" ***
Posted in Faith, Giving on December 3, 2007 by Harry- Moses is the only OT prophet who did more miracles than Elijah
- Oil is the symbol for the favor of God: Symbol for prosperity, spiritual nourishment
- We all need more oil
- When we focus on what we don’t have, our faith leaks
- When you stop giving the oil stops flowing
LTW: "A Healing Spirituality, Part2" **** not archived
Posted in Giving with tags Submission on November 23, 2007 by Harry- Cannot expect God’s blessing when we give Him the leftovers
- We must give: time, energy, and money
- When we spend more time and money on our leisure activities than what we do for God – we offend God
- Harvesting of grapes analogy: The basket must always be open and be very close to the fruit cutter
- Spurgeon: “The Grace that does not change my life, will not save my soul.”
- Jesus:”unless you abide in Me, you will bear no fruit.”
- You cannot read and study enough to earn your blessing
- When we come to God with an open basket and receive His will for our lives, then we will be at our best
