Talk can be like cancer!

Avoid worthless, foolish talk that only leads to more godless behavior. This kind of talk spreads like cancer..

2 Timothy 2:16-17a

When little is a lot.

2 Corinthians 8:1-5 NLT

Now I want you to know, dear brothers and sisters, what God in his kindness has done through the churches in Macedonia. They are being tested by many troubles, and they are very poor. But they are also filled with abundant joy, which has overflowed in rich generosity. For I can testify that they gave not only what they could afford, but far more. And they did it of their own free will. They begged us again and again for the privilege of sharing in the gift for the believers in Jerusalem.  They even did more than we had hoped, for their first action was to give themselves to the Lord and to us, just as God wanted them to do.

------

Albanian Abundance

"Help if you can," is a common refrain you hear from people raising funds. But maybe it should be rephrased, "help if you want joy."

It's obvious from Paul's description of the Macedonians that they had a full plate. He says they are being tested by many troubles. Turning to Jesus had a huge impact on people then, it effected their employment, their relationship to the city leaders, their relationships with their families, and if the new anti-Christian witchhunters (like Paul himself had been) were in town then life could be very difficult indeed. Presumably the Macedonians were being stonewalled, hunted and taken advantage of. Imagine not being able to get work and the local real estate agents all colluding to keep you from getting a fair price for your property. Increasingly your whole church community is needy, jobless  ostracised, and afraid.
Into this pitiful situation the news that others you've never met are suffering  moves your church to have a whip around. They are poor, and their immediate future prospects are grim and yet they find joy in giving. And although the needy in question are in a very tight spot they in fact may have actually been people who had previously been well off. The Macedonians probably had been poor at best all along and before they became followers of Jesus, where as the Jewish Christians now suffering in Jerusalem by in large could most likely have been comfortable or better off back before the persecution and the huge influx of new believers.

The Macedonians in spite of their circumstances are filled with joy. And this joy manifested itself in generous giving. I've always thought (maybe influenced by loony toons) that if we only had one bean between the members of our family we'd make the bean slices a little smaller so we could get one more person at the table. The slice might be smaller but the joy would be greater. It is obvious that generosity is a by-product of joy. Joy was a by-product of faith. It is true that this new faith had landed them all in rather troubling a spot of bother. But that was only temporary (even if it lasted for years). The Macedonian believers were so confident that God would care for them that their problems didn't dash their absolute confidence in God's wonderful gift of salvation. Having received this ultimate gift they felt rich. So they had plenty to share. The giving was cathartic and addictive and spread like a virus until the whole church was giving spontaneously and sacrificially.

We live now in time where every one wants to get not give. Today the answer of the educated powerful is to throw money at poverty. The failure of every project is lack of funds. The solution of every need is better funding. But  the Macedonians should have been the recipients not the funders. And today most people would say that it was 'foolish' to endanger the church, and the family by short-changing yourself to help others. Paul commends them. He recognises that their generosity with stuff and money was not really the root of their generosity. Rather they had already given themselves to the Lord and to Paul. The Macedonians didn't own themselves so they didn't have to worry about taking care of themselves. They were God's. It was God's responsibility to take care of them. And they knew in Jesus they were secure so they are free to give everything away.
Wouldn't you like to be so free?

Another Take

Philippians 2:3-4 NLT

Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.

Another Take

When people get seriously difficult news from the doctor often friends will encourage them to "get another opinion."  In life we all recognise the value of a "fresh set of eyes." So when someone comes along and offers a new perspective based on some lateral thinking we're inclined to take notice. That's what I think Paul is offering the people of Philippi.

In most cultures of the world things haven't changed much, in fact even in the animal kingdom the tenancy is to look out for number one. It's a "dog eat dog" kind of a world. In fact just yesterday a quite selfless colleague of mine repeated that very motto. "You've got to look out for yourself because no one else is going to do it."

Self promotion is the heart of competition, grades, ranking, management levels, pay scales and dibs on "riding shotgun".

Here in Britain the culture highly values the "no queue jumping" sentiment but it is not humility that protects your position in the queue, its self preservation. We don't want some one at the front to begin letting a long string of late-comers into the queue ahead of them because that will put them all ahead of us.

So Paul's perspective is fresh because it counts on God's justice. The person who subscribes to the point of view found in today's verse-of-the-day can let everyone take his place because they are confident of God's advocacy on thier behalf.

Do you trust God to have your back? Can you prefer others over yourself? Are you willing to humble yourself and prefer others because God will promote you if you need to be promoted.

God will feed you, clothe you, save you, give you a home and a place at his table. Jesus humbled himself and his Father exalted him to position number one. Satan will tempt you to grasp it. Look where that got him. Jesus didn't travel the easy path of queue jumping when Satan tempted him to, instead Jesus trusted his Father's plan.

The way up is down

A Catch-Up Day Promise

I'm currently on day seven of a ten week plan to read through the first five books of the Bible written by Moses. Every week the plan has built in a catch-up day. Here's a bit about the reading plan and an invitation to join me. For today's Bible thought skip to the passage from 2 Timothy. On this catch-up day I decided to add in another reading plan and I have included information about it and have written today's note in response to it. I'll plan to read this plan once a week on the catch-up days if I'm not behind.
---------------
Info and invite
Old Testament – The Books of Moses

10 Weeks

This simple plan will lead you through the first five books of the Old Testament. With just a few chapters to read each day, this is a great plan for individual or group study.

This plan was created by YouVersion. For more information, visit: www.youversion.com

bible.us/r/3a Join me in reading Old Testament – The Books of Moses:

----------------

2TI 4:16-18 ESV

At my first defense no one came to stand by me, but all deserted me. May it not be charged against them! But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion's mouth. The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

Pray: God, connect with me here, as I seek you in your Word. Begin with focus and openness to see what God has for you.

Read: the selected section of Scripture slowly. Take note of intriguing words and phrases and read them a second time.
Reflect: on what strikes you as you read. Think through what God is communicating to you at this point in your life.

Respond: to the passage. Speak to God directly about what's on your mind and heart. Look for ways to live out what you've uncovered.

----------------
Info about the 7 Days of God's Promises plan below

God's Promises

7 Days

Friends and loved ones will occasionally let us down; nobody's perfect. But when others disappoint us, we can take comfort in knowing God never fails.

We would like to thank American Bible Society for their generosity in providing this Uncover the Word reading plan.
---------------------

William's thoughts on today's passage.
Paul is writing to encourage his young coworker in the gospel work, Timothy.

Both Timothy and Paul faced opposition from evil men who opposed the message about Jesus being talked about.
Any one who makes it thier aim to spread the good news about Jesus will have opposition from people like the ones opposing Paul and Timothy.
So you too should read these promises and find encouragement because it will happen to you.

Share it if it's good!

If you are a believer, you will be compelled by the Holy Spirit of God to tell others. It only makes sense. Who could keep it to themselves? Once I heard it is like one beggar telling the other beggars where he found free bread. I'm sure you are aware of the terrible wrath of God coming to this world and you can not let your friends, family members, neighbours and colleagues race headlong into such a hideous end if in fact you know how they can be saved. You wouldn't let a group of children walk around the corner and plunge into a fresh sinkhole leading to a volcanic pit of fire? You'd warn them. You'd offer to lead them to safety.

So the christian must tell about Jesus' being the way the truth and the life. But evil people will oppose you.

Paul says to Timothy here in the passage above, When you face opposition although people may fail you, Jesus will strengthen you. God will come to your aid.
You will be able to keep proclaiming the good news that Jesus saves us from the coming wrath of God. Jesus will stand by you strengthen you and rescue you so that you can keep telling others even when you are opposed or abandoned.

Jesus will save you too!

So keep telling unbelievers, keep telling each other, keep telling yourself, Jesus saves!