EPISODE 142 – INCREASE IN THE GIVING-GRACE TO ADVANCE THE KINGDOM
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Tuesday 13th June, 2023
INCREASE IN THE GIVING-GRACE TO ADVANCE THE KINGDOM
” But just as you excel in everything, [and lead the way] in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in genuine concern, and in your love for us, see that you excel in this gracious work [of giving] also 2 Corinthians 8:7 (Amplified Bible)
As a saint in Christ you are made a steward of God. Your living is not unto yourself, but Christ.
Whatever you do, do as unto the Lord’s glory.
And there is nothing God tells you to do without supplying you with grace.
He makes His grace available for you, yours is to take hold of grace and increase in it.
One may have a lot of resources at his or her disposal and will not be a cheerful bountiful giver.
It takes grace to be a giver!!
It is one thing to know that whatever you have to give is from God, and it’s another thing to have the grace to give big.
Therefore, Paul, the apostle speaking to the Church in Corinth, he mentioned that they should excel or increase in the giving grace as well.
Read the opening verse above again.
I hope you just did that, right?
If not please go up to read again.
You see, in as much as the Church in Corinth:
– excelled in the grace to exercise and lead in faith
– excelled in utterance or speech.
– excelled in knowledge
– excelled in genuine passion
– excelled in love for the apostles and even in every gift
He admonished them to excel in the GIVING GRACE. (2 Corinthians 8:7).
Which means the brethren in Corinth didn’t lack grace for the various items mentioned; yet they did not excel in the grace to be great givers.
And for the apostle to get them to excel in this grace he has to teach them.
We grow in grace through the knowledge of our Lord Jesus (2 Peter 1:2). This knowledge is not just awareness, it is the acknowledgement and oneness into reality through the participation of that reality.
Which means as you acknowledge the wisdom of God in Christ concerning giving and you become a doer of this knowledge, you increase in giving-grace.
You don’t excel in the giving grace by “wishing to give”. You increase in this grace by giving consistently with joy. And as you continue to give, you stretch your faith to give beyond your ability. That is how you increase your capacity of grace.
Look at the testimony of the Churches in Macedonia:
” Beloved ones, we must tell you about the grace God poured out upon the churches of Macedonia. For even during a season of severe difficulty and tremendous suffering, they became even more filled with joy. From the depths of their extreme poverty, super-abundant joy overflowed into an act of extravagant generosity. For I can verify that they spontaneously gave, not only according to their means but far beyond what they could afford.” 2 Corinthians 8:1-3 (TPT).
You could see that, they didn’t give their surplus to support God’s work (which includes ministering to the saints), they extravagantly gave beyond their ability. This is fully the work of grace.
However, they didn’t just give extravagantly by grace, they first gave themselves to the Lord.
Just as David said,
“…because I have set my affection on the house of my God, I have given to the house of my God, over and above all that I have prepared…”
This is the kind of environment giving grace finds true expression. You have to first set your affection on the Lord and give yourself to Him; where you don’t live according to your self interest.
“Not only [did they give materially] as we had hoped, but first they gave themselves to the Lord and to us [as His representatives] by the will of God [disregarding their personal interests and giving as much as they possibly could]“ 2 Corinthians 8:5 (Amplified Bible).
Until you set your affection on the Lord you cannot give towards His work. And the giving grace will not find full expression to excel.
Where you put your money or your treasure (which includes your time, attention and valuable resources) is where your heart is.
Our Lord made it clear:
” Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.” Matthew 6:21 (NLT)
And when your heart gravitates towards the Kingdom, you activate the grace of God to do more in the Kingdom.
The time to increase in this giving grace is now. How do you see the Lord’s assignment?
How do you esteem the Lord’s work?
What is the direction of your desire, affection or interests?
God doesn’t just supply grace. More grace is given to the doers of the word.
How true?
Look at this:
” And God is able to make all grace [every favor and earthly blessing] come in abundance to you, so that you may always [under all circumstances, regardless of the need] have complete sufficiency in everything [being completely self-sufficient in Him], and have an abundance for every good work and act of charity.”
You know, people often shout “I receive it” and “Amen” when there is the declaration of the above gracious blessing.
However, most people don’t pay attention to the verse 7, before the verse 8.
In the verse 7, Paul gave an instruction to the brethren in Corinth:
” Let each one [give] as he has made up his own mind and purposed in his heart, not reluctantly or sorrowfully or under compulsion, for God loves (He takes pleasure in, prizes above other things, and is unwilling to abandon or to do without) a cheerful (joyous, “prompt to do it”) giver [whose heart is in his giving].” 2 Corinthians 9:7 (Amplified Bible, Classic Edition).
Is your heart in your giving?
Are you a cheerful giver?
Do you purpose in your heart to give according to the desires God has put in your heart?
Grace is supplied abundantly to a cheerful prompt to do it giver.
And God:
– takes pleasure in,
– prizes above other things
– and is unwilling to abandon or to do without) a cheerful (joyous, “prompt to do it”) giver [whose heart is in his giving].
BE AN EXTRAVAGANT, CHEERFUL, JOYOUS – PROMPT TO DO IT GIVER TODAY!
Shalom.
To be a part of the gospel financiers, send us a mail on info@christcommonwealth.org
DIG DEEPER:
(1 Chronicles 29:2-20; Luke 16:9-11; Proverbs 3:9-11; Deuteronomy 15:10; 2 Corinthians 8:1-15; 9:1-11)
WE PRAY:
– That as our desires have been stirred towards giving, we shall be cheerful prompt to do it givers.
– And that we shall increase in superabounding grace to extravagantly give ourselves and our resources to the expansion of the kingdom.
BIBLE READING:
DAY 132: 1 Chronicles 22-24
DECLARE THESE WORDS
– I am an extravagant giver.
– I don’t give grudgingly, I give cheerfully.
– I am a prompt to do it giver and my heart is in my giving.
– I give greatly into the Lord’s work.
– I am a son of consolation.
– Because of me the work of God is done with ease.
– I increase in the grace to give day by day.
– I don’t withhold my money. I give out joyously as the Lord inspires me.
– I have the heart and the mind of a giver.
– This week I give greatly into the Lord’s assignment.
– The Lord has engraced and enabled me to give more.
– I increase and abound in this giving grace massively.
Oh Hallelujah, Gloreeeey!!!
I increase in this grace by giving consistently with joy.
And as you continue to give, I stretch my faith to give beyong my ability.
That is how I increase my capacity of grace.
I set my affection on the Lord and His Work so I give beyond my capacity.
I Excel in Giving GRACE
Thank You Lord. I take hold of Grace. I give consistently and with joy. I set my affection towards the Lord. I increase and abound in this giving grace massively. Gloreeeeeeyyyy
I am a joyous giver, through me and by me the kingdom suffers not in finances. I have the heart of a giver and I am a SON OF CONSOLATION
Shabababa im a cheerful giver
I set my affections on the Lord and give to him of my own proper good
The lord and the advancement of his work is financed by me
Oh Glory to God
Thank you Sir for this verities
I am a prompt to do it giver and my heart is in my giving
Good, God bless you man of God
Thank you Apostle Sir
We give to expand the the Kingdom of the most high God????
Glory to God
I am cheerful and prompt to do it giver.
Hallelujah
I abound in this grace of giving also. I give not grudgingly but as a cheerful giver.
I increase in the grace to give extravagantly and cheerfully. I give greatly into the expansion of the Kingdom. I’m a Kingdom Financier
Hallelujah!
I am a cheerful Giver
Oh thank you sweet Jesus!
My heart is involved in giving towards God’s kingdom
Gloreeeey!!
Hahaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!
Glorey to the most high God!
I increase and abound in this giving grace massively.