Greetings in the Strong Name of Jesus!!

I'm a little late this week as I was in Lubbock for the dedication of a new chapel for a ministry in which I am involved called, "Shepherds Hope"/"The Barn Ministry".  It is a ministry of encouragement and respite for Pastors and Church Leaders.  I didn't get home until last night so here we are on a Thursday.  I'll get back to regular schedule next week.

I am enjoying and appreciating the messages on Generosity from Pastor Wayne as they remind me of our generous God.

Generosity

II Corinthians 9:6 - “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.” NIV

Everyone of us has been to the gas pump over the last couple of years and to the grocery store as well.  Everyone of us has watched nearly everything we buy go up in price - in part because of rising fuel costs.  Whether all of this is really necessary or someone’s attempt to get rich through pushing up the price of oil is insignificant when it comes to the bank account at the end of the month.  The fact remains we have all had to change our driving and spending habits.  We have evaluated our purchases.  We have trimmed our mileage and trips.  We have looked at everything we have been accustomed to buying in the past and are making decisions about what we buy in the future.

However, as Christians, there is one place we should never be afraid to spend - building the Kingdom of God.  Our scripture today speaks to the issue of giving to the Lord.  Paul says very simply, if you give a little you will get a little.  I understand this very much. Much of my growing up years were spent in rural America on farms.  I remember the first time I learned to plow, rake hay, bale hay, harvest wheat and corn and many other things that make a farm work.  I never got the chance to run a planting machine but I often watched.  The farmer had to know how many rows he would get out of his planting machine so he could refill the hoppers with seed.  Unfortunately, you never really knew exactly when that would happen and you could see the results as the crop began to grow.  Right in the middle of the field you might have a place where the planter ran out of seed and the farmer didn’t stop in time to refill the hoppers.  The crop was growing wonderfully all around this one spot here or there that just didn’t get enough seed.  It was truly a perfect example of generous planting versus planting sparingly.

When we look at ourselves we need to ask the question - “Are we planting generously or sparingly?”  Do we have “spots” in our lives that represent sowing sparingly into the lives of others and Kingdom of God?  So much of what we experience in the way of success and happiness depends on what we plant.  If we generously plant joy in others lives we will reap happiness in return.  Why?  Because we have shifted the happiness of others before our own personal happiness and the return is multiplied.  When we generously help others succeed in their lives, success returns to us.  When we generously help others,  help is generously returned.  But, in this time of rising costs we tend to pull in and get a little less generous with our lives.  Let me encourage you - don’t stop being generous in building the Kingdom of God.  Pray generously, give generously, help generously - for God has so generously given to you.

You are “generously” loved,
Pastor Roger