The Million Dollar Life
By William M. Self, Sr.
If you are a believer
The Holy Spirit in your heart
Will speak “Be
Generous”
Saying Yes to Generosity
The Apostle Paul in writing to the
Corinthians addresses those in Achaia.
The believers in Achaia heard about
a great need and
wanted to help.
Like us hearing about a major calamity
such as a tornado,
hurricane or earth quake.
The immediate response from most
of us, is to support
in some way.
Paul is writing because some time has passed by
and with it the
possibility of second thoughts or
other things in life moving the need to a back burner.
I think all of us have been compelled by
some need that we felt we should respond to.
The chances of doing something about
that need at a later time decreases greatly.
There are times we need to think about our commitments.
But we need to be careful of not responding
to the promptings of the Holy Spirit.
God is generous and if He lives in your heart
you will be moved to act on the behalf of others.
God does not always look at how
much you have in your check book.
He looks at how much
He has in glory.
I am not saying write a check that will bounce.
If the Holy Spirit had placed a need on
your heart, He will supply the need.
You may have to exercise faith to meet that need.
The Holy Spirit does not want to make
you easy prey for
every cry for help.
Even Jesus said the
poor you will always have with you.
But every believer will be prompted
to give and be cheerful in doing so.
God is so generous that He gave His one and only Son.
He did that for anyone in the world…
The good, the bad and the ugly.
One of the biggest
challenges we as believers will have is…
Having such a giving
God dwelling in our hearts.
He gives as if He has an endless bank account.
Something you and I are not use to.
Paul sent help to Achaia to make
preparations for
their generosity.
You and I may need help to be the
generous people God wants to use.
Scripture Reading
18 I pray
also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in
order that
you may know the hope to which he has called you,
the riches of his glorious inheritance in the
saints,
2 Corinthians
9:1-10:1 NIV
9:1 There is
no need for me to write to you about this service to the saints. 2 For I know
your eagerness to help, and I have been boasting about it to the Macedonians,
telling them that since last year you in Achaia were ready to give; and your
enthusiasm has stirred most of them to action. 3 But I am sending the brothers
in order that our boasting about you in this matter should not prove hollow,
but that you may be ready, as I said you would be. 4 For if any Macedonians
come with me and find you unprepared, we — not to say anything about you —
would be ashamed of having been so confident. 5 So I thought it necessary to
urge the brothers to visit you in advance and finish the arrangements for the
generous gift you had promised. Then it will be ready as a generous gift, not
as one grudgingly given.
6 Remember
this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows
generously will also reap generously. 7 Each man should give what he has
decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God
loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so
that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in
every good work. 9 As it is written:
"He has
scattered abroad his gifts to the poor;
his
righteousness endures forever."
10 Now he
who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase
your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. 11 You
will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion,
and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.
12 This
service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God's people but is
also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. 13 Because of the
service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the
obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for
your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. 14 And in their
prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing
grace God has given you. 15 Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!
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