8 And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches.²       In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity.      ³       For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own,      ⁴       they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the Lord’s people.      ⁵       And they exceeded our expectations: They gave themselves first of all to the Lord, and then by the will of God also to us.      ⁶       So we urged Titus, just as he had earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completion this act of grace on your part.      ⁷       But since you excel in everything —in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you             ^{[       a       ]}      —see that you also excel in this grace of giving.    

When the subject of money comes up, many people cringe. It probably has to do with the many inappropriate ways that money has been used in church and the manipulative sermons that have been preached to get people to give. There is much to be said on this issue, but I will save that for a later blog. The reality is that we can sit here and go back and forth about what the preacher did with the money in the natural and where their heart was, but I would rather focus on what God is supernaturally able to do with our giving because of where our heart is. When we give to God with the right attitude, motive and perspective, He gives us a grace to continue to give what we thought we did not have. The church at Macedonia was bottom of the barrel poor, but yet as the purposed to give, their barrel continued to be replenished to the point that they gave beyond their ability. Grace is to those that may not feel as if they can do a particular thing, but in faith make a decision to do something. Grace then becomes the supernatural favor that was not earned by your merit, but by your faith.

There is a main idea as to why this church had faith enough to give of their financial resources. The passage says that they gave themselves over to the Lord first. I always tell our congregation that sacrificial living and sacrificial giving go hand in hand. The more you give of your life unto the Lord, the more you won’t mind giving for the work of the kingdom. It’s the same faith! Ask yourself where you are in your relationship with the Lord and determine where you can do better so that you can get closer. As you in faith make a conscious effort to give yourself over to the Lord, you will willingly give to the work of the kingdom and watch the grace of God be upon your giving. Don’t look at what you don’t have, but look unto God and all that He does have. He will give you a grace for giving.

For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. 5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, 6  being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.

I remember working in the medical field and having to help treat various illnesses and diseases. Some were so contagious that when a patient was brought in that they were immediately put in an isolation room or quarantined so that whatever they had was confined to that room and wouldn’t affect anyone else. The doctors and nurses would go in and treat the patient, but the patient would not come out, they were quarantined until their condition responded to the treatment.

We cannot control the thoughts, ideas and reasonings that have come into our minds and become strongholds in our lives. However, we can quarantine them or as the scripture says, take them captive until it responds to the will of Christ. The choice weapon of our warfare to combat and treat these thoughts is the Word of God. We don’t allow the thought to come out and run rampant so that we fulfill its desires, but we allow the Word of God to go in and treat the mind, or as Romans 12:2 tells us to renew the mind. Ultimately a renewed mind is set on obeying the commands of God. Be free from your strongholds and quarantine those thoughts!!
Pastor Ian

When we look at the news, our schools, our communities and even our own households, it seems as though our children are unresponsive. They are unresponsive to love, discipline, God, parents, teachers and just to life in general. It is as if they are being carried away in a funeral procession by the spirits of homosexuality, teenage pregnancy, teenage homicide, bullying and crime. What do you do when you fell like you have lost your child, and you have tried everything? What does the believer do when society and the government has counted our children out only for them to be consumed and carried away never to be thought about again. There may not be much that you can do,and you may be at the end of your rope. However, it is when we are at the end of what we can do that marks the beginning of what God can do because what is not possible with man is possible with God.

The woman in the text is going to bury her son who is dead, because after all there is nothing she can do. But while she is leading her processional to the grave, Jesus and His faith filled disciples are coming toward them to bring life. When Jesus approaches the processional, he touches the coffin and they stop. You need to know that one touch from Jesus can stop the downward progression of your child. Jesus then speaks to the son and tells him to get up. If you are looking for your child to rise again, it is going to take hearing the voice of God through the Word of God. Before your child ever makes it to any church, they should be able to hear God’s voice through you. The son is resurrected and begins to speak and then Jesus sends him back to his mother. I can’t think of anything more beautiful then for a child that was dead to the community, society and even his/her own parents to go back home resurrected and restored, and being a living message that though they were counted out, God can still turn it around!

My final destination is not here on earth as I am nothing more than a pilgrim passing through on my journey to heaven. You may have though that this is it for you; that your life, what you have obtained, what you like to do and all that you enjoy so much is it. Well I am here to tell you that, the only reason you have life, have obtained anything, and have the health and ability to enjoy it is because of God. Do you realize that you can gain the whole world, but lose your soul? Without Christ you are destined for hell when you die and all of the things you enjoyed will be enjoyed by someone else; that’s a fact! Your final destination can change if you acknowledge God now, and say Lord remember me. Repent of your sins, ask for forgiveness, and believe that Jesus Christ died for your sins and that God raised Him from the dead and you will be saved. Jesus died to change your destiny. It’s not too late!

Luke 23:39-43

³⁹     One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!”    ⁴⁰     But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence?    ⁴¹   We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”    ⁴²     Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.  ⁴³     Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”