60 Seconds on Giving

I have been asked to give a 60 second exhortation tomorrow at Church for the offering. What do you say in 60 seconds on the subject of giving when you have experienced so much of God’s faithfulness in this area? How do you distill this to 60 seconds?

I have thought about this 60 seconds a lot today.

If I were to sum it up – it would be this: God’s Economy Works. The UK economy is in recession. It is official. Not since the 80s has it been this bad. America is in the toilet. So with the exception of China, the world economy is bad.

The press peddles this. The politicians argue over who is to blame, and very real people are suffering very real pain as a result of the UK economy.

As a Christian though, I am in this world, but not of it. The UK economy may be in need of some help, but God’s economy is as stable as it has ever been. Yes I am affected by the UK economy but I live according to God’s economy.

And God’s economy is based on love. The UK economy, at the moment at least, is based on fear – bucket loads of fear. If you listen to the news and politicians they will scare you silly. But God’s economy is based on love – not fear. And what does love do? It gives.

For God so loved the world that He gave…

It is a simple message. Fear stops you giving, love makes giving a cheerful experience. In a time of panic and fear – you can make yourself cheerful by giving when you base it on love. The world has retail therapy. Christians have giving therapy.

That doesn’t mean that we are not affected by what is happening. I have been greatly affected by it. And I wouldn’t advise you don’t pay your bills (telling British Gas that you are not paying for your gas because you are living according to God’s economy and not theirs will cause them to cut your gas off). Sure we are affected. But what makes us difference in these circumstances? What causes us to stand out?

If we are to be light to this world, then does this mean that we should do this so long as an economic crisis isn’t happening? Of course not.

So how do we be light to the world – by living according to God’s economy! And that is about giving.
At this time, my challenge would be that we become known for our generosity and our giving.

A friend of mine who is self employed told me earlier this week that his goal was not about getting enough money in to pay the bills, but to give a certain amount this month. He focused on giving. Do you know what? By the end of the week that friend was telling me about a contract he got this week that will give him a year’s salary in 3 months.

That’s how God’s economy works, when we give we put ourselves in a position to receive from God (and He loves to give!).

Sometimes it might not be such a quick response, but my friend knew to focus on giving.

We might not always be able to give money either, so look for other ways to give. Another friend felt he should give his coat away last year.  God showed him who to give it to, and he did. He didn’t have the money to give, but he had a generous attitude that caused him to give his coat away.

The coat was a great coat that kept out the wind and rain better than most. He gave it to a person that couldn’t afford that level of protection from the elements.

This week (a year later), this guy was telling me how he had some back doors at his house that didn’t work too well. They let in the elements. Someone though has purchased for them a new set of doors.

Is there a link? The coat and the new doors both keep out the wind and the rain, so I think so – but I’ll leave it for you to make up your mind.

I have had times where I had no money to give that I have given pens, watches and stereos. I also give time (the most precious thing that I have). Generosity is not just about writing a check, but it is about giving. That can include buying groceries for your neighbour.

So to recap, God’s economy works. It is based on love, which compels us to give. Generosity is the hallmark of someone that lives in God’s economy. In this time of turbulence don’t get sucked into fear, but rather act in love – and give. For me, I want this to be my most generous year yet.

Now to get this down to 60 seconds…

Cardboard Testimonies

This is a great video as it touches a number of my passions: I love to hear people’s stories, especially those that tell of God’s amazing ability to intervene in human circumstance and change it – and the other is that of presentation. This simple method of presentation is incredibly powerful, much better than having each of them talk – it adds much more impact.

Have a look: http://www.rhchurch.org/pages/cardboard-testimonies/

Mark 5:29 – Part 1: Immediately

Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and
she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction.

Now we get to see the results of her faith. I am trying to picture what is happening here. The lady has reached out and touched the hem of Jesus’ garment. Immediately she is made well. You can be assured that she is crouching down when reaching for the garment. I think that as she felt the healing power of God going through her she almost became suspended in time, looking at her hand. The crowd around her kept moving, and quickly – she was hidden by them, so when Jesus looked around – He couldn’t see her, she had to come forth.
Imagine it – imagine immediately. You have spent ages dreaming, building your faith. You take action, push through and do all you know how to do – and then what you have spent 12 years dreaming for happens immediately. Not only does it happen immediately, but you feel it immediately.

What does that say about the grace of our God? I am all for miracles that occur over a period of time, but sometimes it is OK to see things immediately! I serve the God of the immediately! We need to build our faith and start believing for things to happen immediately. When you are in a lot of pain, you want out immediately, you don’t want to wait!

If you look at all the miracles that were conducted under the ministry of Jesus – you’ll see how many of them were immediately. Peter and John pulled up the lame man, and he walked immediately.

God is the God of the immediately.

I don’t know about you, but my mind has a hard time coping with this word immediately, especially when I think about God acting on my behalf immediately. I can imagine God doing things for me in the future and over a period of time. I can cope with that. If I dare to let my mind think immediately, fear comes and says, “yeah, but what if it doesn’t happen immediately?” And that fear in failure can, for me, often be greater than the faith of success.

The thing of it is, why should I worry about whether or not it happens immediately? That really is not my problem. I don’t have to make sure that it happens – that’s God’s job. Besides if I am always questioning what will happen if God doesn’t answer – that is a sure sign that I am not in faith for it to happen immediately anyway – so therefore it will not happen immediately.

There is an overriding law that governs human existence that I am totally convinced works all the time, and that is the law of you will have whatever you believe for. If you believe for immediately, you can have immediately – this woman proved that. If you believe for the future, that is when you will receive: in the future.

Let’s dare to believe that we can see the immediately happen – and see it happen for us. God is for you, immediately.