Daily Caffeination 05/18/09

The Privilege of Giving

But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. —2 Corinthians 9:6

I heard the story of a Southern preacher who was speaking to his congregation and said, “We have to crawl before we can walk.”

The congregation responded in unison, “Let us crawl, Preacher. Let us crawl.”

Then the preacher said, “We have to walk before we can jog.”

“We have to walk, preacher, then. Let us walk,” came the reply.

The preacher continued, “We have to jog before we can run.”

“Let us jog, preacher. Let us jog,” they answered.

“But before we can run,” he told them, “we have to learn how to give.”

There was a moment of silence, followed by these words: “Let us crawl, preacher. Let us crawl.”

Any time a pastor raises the topic of finances, some people get a little uncomfortable. But the Bible certainly has a lot to say about money.

It is the main subject of nearly half the parables Jesus told. In addition, one out of every seven verses in the New Testament deals with this topic. Scripture offers 500 verses on prayer, fewer than 500 on faith, and more than 2,000 verses dealing with the subject of money.

One of the reasons we are uncomfortable with this topic is because of the abuse in this area on the part of some Christian leaders. This misrepresentation of God puts a bad taste in our mouths.

But let’s not go too far the other way and fail to recognize that the Bible does have a lot to say about giving, and there are many wonderful promises attached to it.

Yes, it is a responsibility. But it is more than that. It is a privilege as well.

Daily Caffeination 05/11/09

Giving Cheerfully

“Don't give reluctantly or in response to pressure. For God loves the person who gives cheerfully.” -2 Corinthians 9:7

I don’t know about you, but when Christmas rolls around, it seems as if there is always someone for whom I feel obligated to buy a gift. Although I don’t really enjoy the process, I do it out of duty. On the other hand, it is exciting to buy a gift for someone you really love, isn’t it? You look forward to it.

This is how God wants us to give to Him—not out of duty that says, “Oh, I had better give to God and help Him out.” Or, “I guess I should help in the Sunday School. After all, God needs my help with those kids.” Or, “I ought to go tell someone about Jesus, because God needs my help in getting the gospel out.”

If this is how we feel, then we should keep our money, our time, and our service, because God doesn’t want them. Our hearts and our attitudes matter more to Him than our “gifts.”

If you give your money, time, or anything out of duty, constraint, or an expectation of receiving something in return, then your motive is wrong and it won’t count for anything before God.

Your heart needs to be right first. Giving is a voluntary action. You don’t have to do it if you don’t want to.

Maybe you feel as though you don’t have much to offer. God can do a lot with a little. Just take what you have, present it to Him, and say, “Lord, it isn’t much, but here it is. It’s yours.”

Then watch what God can do and how He can bless the life that has been dedicated to Him with a willing heart.

Copyright © 2009 by Harvest Ministries

Daily Caffeination 05/09/09

The Key to Answered Prayer

“If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.”—John 15:7

How often have you felt that your prayers were hitting a glass ceiling—as though the Lord were saying no?

Maybe it is because you are praying outside of His will. Maybe it is because you were praying for something that God didn’t want you to have.

We need to remember the promise Jesus spoke of in John 15, which says, “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.” Another translation puts it this way: “If you maintain a living communion with Me and My words are at home with you, you can ask at once for yourself whatever your heart desires, and it is yours.”

I really like that translation—especially the part that tells us to ask at once whatever our hearts desire. But let’s remember the condition: “If you maintain a living communion with Me and My words are at home with you. . . . ”

If you are maintaining a living communion with God, and His words are at home with you, then your desires going to change. Your prayers will not necessarily be the same as they were before.

As you get in sync with the will of God, you’ll see that prayer is not getting God to do what you want Him to do, but that prayer is getting you to do what God wants you to do.

You will discover the important truth that prayer is not bending God our way—it is bending us His way. And then, you just may see your prayers being answered in the affirmative.

Copyright © 2009 by Harvest Ministries

Dialy Caffeination 05/08/09

But Why a Man?

He had to be made like His brethren.—Hebrews 2:17

Jesus went from the throne of heaven to a feeding trough. He went from the presence of angels into a stable filled with animals.

He who was larger than the universe became an embryo. He who sustains the world with a word chose to be dependent upon the nourishment of a young girl. The Almighty appeared on Earth as a helpless human baby, unable to do anything but lie and stare and wiggle and make noises. He needed to be fed, and yes, even changed, and taught to talk like any other child.

The more you think about it, the more staggering it gets: that God became a man, that God became a baby.

When you stop and think about it, no other way would have accomplished His goal. He could have appeared as a full grown man and said, “Here I am. I have arrived.”

But if He did it that way, He would appear unapproachable. He would not have seemed human. It would be hard for us to believe He was a man like us.

God picked the right way. It’s even the logical way. Jesus had to truly be a man, to live and suffer and be tempted as a man among people on Earth. This way, we could know that He understands our trials (see Hebrews 2:17–18).

So the next time you are tired, hungry, thirsty, or lonely, remember that you have a God who knows what it’s like to stand in your shoes. He is the only one who can truly say that He knows our sorrows and understands our grief.

No one else can say that with such accuracy. But God can.

Copyright © 2009 by Harvest Ministries

Daily Caffeination 05/01/09

Living in God's Freedom and Being Led By The Spirit - Galatians 5

1 So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law.

2 Listen! I, Paul, tell you this: If you are counting on circumcision to make you right with God, then Christ will be of no benefit to you. 3 I’ll say it again. If you are trying to find favor with God by being circumcised, you must obey every regulation in the whole law of Moses. 4 For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by keeping the law, you have been cut off from Christ! You have fallen away from God’s grace.

5 But we who live by the Spirit eagerly wait to receive by faith the righteousness God has promised to us. 6 For when we place our faith in Christ Jesus, there is no benefit in being circumcised or being uncircumcised. What is important is faith expressing itself in love.

7 You were running the race so well. Who has held you back from following the truth? 8 It certainly isn’t God, for he is the one who called you to freedom. 9 This false teaching is like a little yeast that spreads through the whole batch of dough! 10 I am trusting the Lord to keep you from believing false teachings. God will judge that person, whoever he is, who has been confusing you.

11 Dear brothers and sisters,if I were still preaching that you must be circumcised—as some say I do—why am I still being persecuted? If I were no longer preaching salvation through the cross of Christ, no one would be offended. 12 I just wish that those troublemakers who want to mutilate you by circumcision would mutilate themselves.

13 For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love. 14 For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 But if you are always biting and devouring one another, watch out! Beware of destroying one another.

16 So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. 17 The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. 18 But when you are directed by the Spirit, you are not under obligation to the law of Moses.

19 When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, 21 envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. 25 Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. 26 Let us not become conceited, or provoke one another, or be jealous of one another. - Galatians 5

Without trying to add anything to God's Word, His holy and infallible, the Word that has ALL AUTHORITY in my life. My faith, my calling, my work, my marriage, my family, my thoughts are Not exclusive of one of another. Everything is tied together I cannot separate these things in categories. Ultimately everything, everything flows from faith in God and my life is live under God's authority and rule. And because of this, I believe God has given me great freedom, true freedom...freedom not to have my rights, but freedom to live according to the SPIRIT.

Because my life is led by the SPIRIT, God has ultimate rule and AUTHORITY over my life, my family, my calling, my job, my thoughts, my marriage I can not and will not promote things that stand in contradiction to God's Word - When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, 21 envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these.

However, these are the things that I feel I will push for for, I will activate for, I stand up for, I will promote, these are the things that I am all about - 14 For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 But if you are always biting and devouring one another, watch out! Beware of destroying one another.
22 Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

Just in case you are still confused on my personal thoughts and where I stand -But we who live by the Spirit eagerly wait to receive by faith the righteousness God has promised to us.

let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves.

Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.