Skip to main content

Giving and Receiving

Giving and Receiving
 
"Not that I am looking for a gift, but I am looking for what may be credited to your account" (Phil 4:17).

The apostle Paul had a tent-making business. However, over time, it was evident that more and more of his time was being given to vocational ministry activities. That required him to receive income from those to whom he invested his life. It became increasingly difficult to run a business and travel and minister.

His letter to the Philippians gives us a perspective on giving. Although Paul appreciated the support financially, his real joy came in the fact that their gift was being credited to their Heavenly account.

Yet it was good of you to share in my troubles. Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only; for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid again and again when I was in need. Not that I am looking for a gift, but I am looking for what may be credited to your account. I have received full payment and even more; I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God. And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus" (Phil 4:14-19 emphasis mine).

Paul had a confidence that God would always provide what he needed. Sometimes it came from his business. Sometimes it came through others. He was not overly concerned with where his provision would come from. His confidence was in God, his provider. So, his attitude was in affirming the benefit that came to the giver from a Kingdom perspective.

Paul learned that it wasn't a church or a business that was his provider. It was God. These were merely tools God used to support him.

 

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

apocalyptic ---->> Obama ???

Cardinal Says Future With Obama Is Gethsemane Affirms That Life Cannot be Controlled by Government WASHINGTON , D.C. , NOV. 19, 2008 ( Zenit.org ).- The decline in respect for human life has had “catastrophic effects” on the unity and integrity of the United States, which are evidenced by the presidential election, says a Vatican official. Baltimore-native Cardinal James Stafford, major penitentiary of the Apostolic Penitentiary, affirmed this in a lecture on "Humanae Vitae" last Thursday at the Catholic University of America. His lecture, “Pope Paul VI and Pope John Paul II: Being True in Body and Soul,” pointed out the need for Catholics to return to the true values of marriage and human dignity faced to the current challenges. “Because man is a sacred ! element of secular life,” the cardinal said, “[…] a person’s life cannot ultimately be controlled by government.” "On Nov. 4, 2008, America suffered ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Bird hit aircraft…But I had the Eagle’s wing to secure

Bird hit aircraft during take off and the Eagle's wing safety net…Trust in the Lord – the only mantra why I am alive to type this… What do I blame for today's (04 April 2011) eventful take off …the events that unfolded before the flight and look at it in a superstitious manner or should I thank God for the smart and wise pilot who brought the aircraft (Airbus 319 AI 507 TVM – MAA) to grounding halt by applying emergency breaks as he was speeding on the run way to take off. Will you call this a miracle or not. I would. It was just a small bird hit, which could have gone unnoticeable. However, he stopped for a quick check and then engineers declared the aircraft not fit for flight and grounded it. What a sound judgment on the pilot's part. The thoughts that ran in my mind and the reflection are what making me intriguing and make my heart adore the Eagle who bore the aircraft to safety – The Almighty Himself. The flight disaster that which was averted today would h...
1 comment
Read more

"Significant Common Ground" Found With Pentecostals (Zenit)

"Significant Common Ground" Found With Pentecostals 6th Round of Conversations Considers Gifts of Holy Spirit VATICAN CITY, JUNE 17, 2011 ( Zenit.org ).- The Vatican's ecumenism council initiated a sixth phase in conversation with Pentecostal groups, saying a final report should be ready by 2015. The Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity reported on a seven-day round of conversations that concluded Thursday. The Catholic-Pentecostal teams are considering Charisms in the Church: Their Spiritual Significance, Discernment, and Pastoral Implications. Dialogue between the Vatican and these Pentecostal groups began in 1972. The goal is not "structural unity," the Vatican statement clarified, but "to promote mutual respect and understanding in matters of faith and practice." Bishop Michael Burbidge of Raleigh, North Carolina, and Reverend Cecil Robeck, professor at Fuller Theological Seminary, Assemblies of God in Pasadena, Calif...
Post a Comment
Read more