THE GRACE OF GENEROSITY

2 Corinthians 8:7 (NIV), --But just as you EXCEL in everything – in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us – see that you also EXCEL in this GRACE of GIVING—(All capitals supplied)

(By William G. Johnnson. This selection is excerpted from his 2007 Devotional Book, Jesus, A Heart Full Of Grace, p. 266. All capitals and bold letters are supplied. Punctuation is changed where applicable to eliminate internet incompatibility. )

The love of MONEY has given Christianity a bad name. Many people today see themselves as post-Christian. They were brought up in a Christian framework but abandoned it because they found it wanting. Sometimes these post-Christians, still hungry for God, turn to New Age, Buddhism, or Hinduism. Again and again those who feel they have left Christianity behind associate it with an organization concerned primarily with grabbing money from people.

How the church in general and each of us as individual Christians RELATE to MONEY is of vital importance. To get the picture right, we have to START with Jesus of Nazareth, the heavenly borrower. Although He owned the wealth of the universe, He emptied himself. Born into poverty, He spent His time on earth as a poor man. Those (and there were many) who associate Christianity with raking in money have a problem, not with Jesus, but with so-called followers of the Man of Galilee.

And the problem is HUGE. Just as the medieval popes live in luxury on the backs of the peasants, so televangelists (not all, but some prominent ones) live in opulence from their appeals for funds. They build mansions, fly around in private jet planes, breaking their journeys to take the presidential suite in expensive hotels. What an affront to the life and message of Jesus Christ! What a turnoff to people who have their eyes open!

The other side of the coin is that the LIFE and MESSAGE of Jesus touches every aspect of our lives, including the very PRIVATE area of our POCKETBOOK. Grace, which is Jesus, is LAVISH, ABUNDANT, OVERFLOWING, SURPASSING expectations, GENEROUS beyond surprise. Viewed in crassly BUSINESS terms, the PRICE paid for our salvation was incredibly RECKLESS. But that is grace – RECKLESS LOVE.

As grace takes ROOT in our lives, as we YIELD to its influence day by day, it CHANGES us into those with the same RECKLESS, LOVING BEHAVIOR. We GIVE because we DELIGHT to give, because we HAVE to give – not by demand but by an INNER COMPULSION. This is the grace of which Paul wrote to the Corinthians – the grace of generosity. A stingy Christian is an oxymoron.

Lord, today grant me the GRACE of generosity.

Let-s pray: Eternal Father, as we remember our Lord’s life here on this dreadful world, He was a POOR man with no room at the inn, no roof over His wonderful head, and only stones for His pillow. And to die on that cruel cross as a criminal, stripped naked, alone, forsaken by all, shamed and taunted by the mass of humanity - how in the world could He have suffered thus just to save wretched individuals like us, we will never know!!! But we do thank Him forever for going through it all, just so we could have the ASSURANCE, the GUARANTY to live forever in glory and joy with Him. Please help us not to blow away this TITLE DEED (to heaven) that He gave us, by putting it off. Help us to determine to follow Him, wherever and whenever He leads us, confident that He loves us more than His life and WILLING and ABLE to take care of us for always. Please help us to understand that He doesn-t want us to give up our money, possessions, expensive cars, food at our table, or inheritance of our family and loved ones – to understand that He doesn-t want anything from us, because He owns everything. All He wants is for us to KNOW HIM EXPERIENTIALLY, and HOW LOVINGLY and DEEPLY He cares for us. And so we pray for Your WISDOM to understand clearly Your plan for us; for Your VISION so we can see ourselves and others through Your eyes; and for Your HEART so we can have compassion for all Your children (even the mean-spirited, hurtful, and unlovable of the world are Your children). Help us to be a blessing to others, because You have personally demonstrated to us that this is the only way to live. Help us to share Your blessings to those in our sphere of influence, especially to Your suffering children, the poor, the destitute, the precious souls not yet reached by Your gospel of grace, and our needy AUP working students, whose family are too poor, but have Your hope that You will provide. We humbly ask these things in the precious name of Your Eternal Son, who is WORTHY of our praise, laud, and honor forever. Amen.

A STRONG START ISN'T GOOD ENOUGH!

By Jose P. Orbe, Jr., joeorbe@adventist- pic.org

(From the homily delivered at PIC, June 15, 2007)

We all have come to church this day with one thing in common. Each of us—teacher, student, or even a parent, will START this month of June.

For freshmen, the month of June may mean new relationships: friends, roommates, etc.

Even for returning students, this month may mean a fresh start beginning with resolutions like, "I'll do it better this time." Among the optimistic parents, this month ushers hope when they wish that their students will do better this time. This church, PIC, is also off for a new start this month.

Books and records have to be closed to open new ones. But one thing that can't be separated from START is END. These two reckoning points are inseparable. Only God has been known to have no beginning and no end. From a human standpoint, everything that has beginnings must have endings.

My thoughts race. Is it possible to start right and end wrong? Or to start wrong and end right? Does it necessarily follow that when you start right, you would end right? Or when you start wrong you will end up wrong.

Have there been occasions in your life when you asked, "What happened, have I not started strong?" "Why did I end up this wretched way?" For lovers, "Where did I go wrong, what did I do to make her/him change mind?" What is even alarming is that even the Holy Book recorded men and women who "apparently" started right but ended wrong (cite examples).

Certainly, all starters want to end right. And the Scriptures have starting guides in order for men and women to finish right? Is it okay to do whatever one wishes to do after all the end justifies the mean? Do the Scriptures warrant this? What does the Bible have to offer? Are there indicators for a surefire great finish?

There are four (4) critical points we need to consider if we are to start and remain right with God. And all these four are anchored on the following biblical truths:
1. Only Jesus truly desires our happiness, and He is committed to perform or complete (finish) the good work He has started in us (Philippians 1.6).
2. Only by looking to Jesus can we start, endure, and finish the race that is set before us (Hebrews 12.1,2).

Often times it’s the look that makes the difference between failure and success. It’s not just how you would start this school year, it’s not how you will resolve to teach your students, and it’s not the ways you would apply to get your children achieve better in school, it’s not what you invest in a relationship or undertaking, a strong start isn’t enough to win the race.

Put on your thinking caps and consider this carefully. My finishing the race—my semester, my relationship, my undertaking, my work, my parenting, my job, etc… will be significantly dependent on my capability to keep my focus on Jesus. It’s in the “look unto Jesus” that will maintain my balance. Remember Peter who walked on the sea (relate the short story).

What does it mean to keep our eyes (our focus) on Jesus?

Study with me in Hebrews 12. There are four (4) critical points to consider.

To look unto Jesus means…
1. Recount the experiences of those of have completed the race ahead of us.
2. Resist the extraneous offers of this sinful world.
3. Run with endurance the race of life.
4. Reflect on the encouragements in the life of Jesus.

A prolific Christian writer once penned these words—
If you want to be distressed—look within
If you want to be defeated—look back
If you want to be distracted—look around
If you want to be dismayed—look ahead
If you want to be delivered—LOOK UP!

Think carefully. It’s not the strong start that will bring us to the finish line; it’s how we can keep our balance, our focus on Jesus. Remember, it’s Jesus who will complete the work He has begun. He is the Author and Finisher of our faith. He is the Alpha & Omega. Those who remain in Him shall make it to the finish line and have eternal life (1John 2.24, 25).