"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT BEING IN "DIRECTED SERVICE BY GOD"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT BEING IN "DIRECTED SERVICE BY GOD"

John 21:3 Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We are going with you also.” They went out and immediately got into the boat, and that night they caught nothing.

John 21:5 Then Jesus said to them, “Children, have you any food?” They answered Him, “No.”

John 21:6 And He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast, and now they were not able to draw it in because of the multitude of fish.

Some explanatory thoughts, application and a prayer:

1. Jesus had appeared to the disciples twice already since He was raised from the dead. And, He had begun to give them their marching orders as it were. Essentially, it was to "Be fishers's of men" and to go into all the world and preach the gospel. For reasons that are not given us here, about half of the group of 11, ( Judas was no longer with them ) decided after Peter's suggestion, to go fishing for actual fish not men. See John 21:3 above.

2. Peter's suggestion, could be placed in the realm of "peer pressure", he had been a very outspoken member of the group in the past, and it's fair to think that the other men would easily concede to his suggestions, which of course they did. So, what we have here is the group of disciples/apostles, doing something that Jesus did not call them to do. It was, "self-directed" service, rather then "God-directed" service. They were in today's parlance, "doing their own thing. 

3. After fishing all night, and catching nothing, they saw a man standing on the shore, (it was Jesus, but they did not recognize Him as such, the sun was just coming up) but, He asked them a question, which in the original greek text means, "you don't have any food do you" or, "you haven't caught anything have you" And, of course they were quick to answer, "No".  

4. Failure, frustration, and futility, is always what happens to God's people when they direct themselves, and forego, or neglect the direction of Jesus Christ. Jesus's simple instruction to all of His children, is to "Follow Me", not "do your own thing" So, this story is classic as to what not to do, and yet there is a lesson for us here. 

5. Please re-read this verse before we go on. John 21:6 And He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast, and now they were not able to draw it in because of the multitude of fish. Here we have "Jesus directing them", and we can see that the results were phenomenal. They were now doing what Jesus told them to do. They took the simple instruction from Jesus ( albeit they still did not know it was Him at this point ) nevertheless, it was the very Word of God telling them what to do, and you can see what happened. 

6. I call what happened here, the "One Step" program. It's one step to get back in step with God, and His will for your life. If by chance you are experiencing failure, frustration, and futility, because you have been going your own way for some time, you can by God's grace, simply turn around and get back on track with the Lord. Just repent of going your own way, and go the way that You last knew He had directed you in and to. Or, just ask Him, "Lord what do You want me to do?" And, He promises to give you wisdom. James 1:5  If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

7. Here's a familiar and wonderful promise from the Lord that kind of pulls all this together. It's a promise from our God who cannot lie. Let's take Him at His Word, and let Him direct our lives, that they may be fruitful and joyful, and successful in the sense that we are doing what our Lord has called us to do. 

Pro 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;
Pro 3:6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. 

A prayer:

Father, You love us even when we are doing our own thing. You love us even when we don't believe in You. You remain the same, even when we change. And, Father, we thank You that we can change, we can repent, we can turn back to You. You give the gift of repentance ( See James 1 ) Give it to us where it's needed today Lord. Thank You that You allow us to understand the error of our own ways, and that You do not punish us for going our own way, and You welcome us back when we turn to You, and You restore, and re-enlist us as it were in Your service. We love You Father, in Jesus name. 

Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT GOD'S DESIRE TO BLESS YOU"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT GOD'S DESIRE TO BLESS YOU"

Num 6:22 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying:

Num 6:23 “Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, ‘This is the way you shall bless the children of Israel. Say to them:

Num 6:24“The LORD bless you and keep you;

Num 6:25 The LORD make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you;

Num 6:26 The LORD lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace.”’

Num 6:27 “So they shall put My name on the children of Israel, and I will bless them.”

Some explanatory thoughts, application and a prayer:

1. Here is what the Lord said to Moses. He was to instruct Aaron, who was to instruct his sons. So, God was giving very specific commands to Moses, to be passed down to the High Priest, and then to his sons, who were in turn to deliver this message to the people of God.

God was telling Moses, Aaron, and his sons, that this was they way to bless the children of Israel. The blessing was to come through what was said to them. God was very specific, and very detailed, and very serious if you will about what He wanted communicated to His people.

2. So, here is what the priests were to tell the people when them would minister to them.

(1) The Lord bless you and keep you. The word bless means, to salute, to kneel, to be blessed. And, the word keep, has the idea of protecting you. In the NT, the word bless, or blessed, has the idea of being "fortunate" So, in the opening words, God wanted the people to know how fortunate they were, and He wanted them to understand this, and that part of their being fortunate, was, that He was going to protect them, and to preserve them. And, this is what God promises to do for each of us who have come to faith through Jesus Christ.

(2) Next, the Lord wanted the priests to say, "The LORD make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you;" This is partly easy to understand, and partly not. What does it mean, that the Lord would make "His face shine upon you?" It simply means to smile upon You.

What an interesting thought to think that God is smiling at you, and wants you to know that. God wanted His people to know that He was smiling upon them, and towards them. The word shine, literally means to become light, to be bright, to be illuminated, to become lighted up. God is light, and He is the Light of the World, and we live in darkness, but He wants to be the light of our lives, lighting our way, showing us how to walk, where to walk, and to give us the light of understanding about Him, about us, about the world around us, about all things that we need to know about.

The part that is a little easier to understand, is the "And be gracious to you;" part. Gracious means, mercy, merciful, favour, to direct His favour towards His people. To show His consideration to His people. Grace in the NT, means, God's undeserved favor and blessing. So, the Lord wanted to remind the people that He is the God of grace, that we do not earn His favor, but He gives it freely, to the undeserving. He is gracious, and He wanted His people to be constantly reminded of it. And, I might add, that He wants us to walk in graciousness towards people as well,

(3) Next here was what they were to say. "The LORD lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace.”’ Actually there are two things here. First of all, that God would lift up His countenance upon the people, and that He would give them peace. This is similar in meaning to what was just said about being gracious. It means, "May the LORD show you his favor and give you his "peace.’

Repetition is important. It helps us hear again what is being said, and thus, God was in a sense repeating Himself about His being gracious. He wanted to get this point across loud and clear. But, then He adds, "And give you peace" The word peace means, prosperity, to be safe, to be healthy, to be complete, sound, to enjoy rest and quietness, tranquility and contentment. God gives this to us. We can receive it.

In fact, Jesus said, John 14:27* “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

We can truly experience this peace as we trust God with our cares and our concerns and believe His Word and act upon it.

(4) Finally, God said, to tell them 'So they shall put My name on the children of Israel, and I will bless them.” This was more of an explanation to Moses, Aaron, and his sons, as to what the effect of their faithful ministry to the people would be. By telling the people what they were told to say, they would in fact, be doing two things.

One, putting God's name on the children of Israel, and two, that God would bless them. Putting His name upon them, means to communicate His person to them. To speak to the people about who God is, and how much He loves them, and cares for them, and wants to protect them. And, in their knowing this about Him, it would bring them peace. God wants His people to have peace.

Why? One main reason, is so we can enjoy concentrating our lives, our thoughts, our energies upon Him. When we are not at peace, we are frazzled and distracted and disturbed, but when we are at peace, we are more mindful of Him, and it's so much easier to enjoy thinking about God and fellowshipping with Him.

A prayer:

Father, this message from You to Moses, to give to Your people, and it's application in our lives is so wonderfully encouraging. Thank You for Your desire to bless us, to keep us, to take care of us. You are the LORD, and there is no one like You. We love You, and we exalt You today. May all of these truths become part of our lives, part of our understanding, and may we learn to receive Your Word, and to live it out, walking in it day by day.

Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE FOR THOSE WHO FEEL LIKE GIVING UP"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE FOR THOSE WHO FEEL LIKE GIVING UP"

2nd Cor 4:1 Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart.

Some explanatory thoughts, application, and a prayer:

1. Paul ( along with Timothy his fellow worker ) is addressing the subject of giving up. That's what he means towards the end of the verse when he says, "we do not lose heart" So, let's look at what he had to say, as to what kept him aflot as it were. 

2. He starts ( see the first part of the verse ) with what God has done, and was doing in his life. ( by the way, I've found, and I'll bet you have also, that so often when are so discouraged, and do feel like giving up, we realize how helpful it is to get our minds and hearts back on the Lord, and who He is, and what He has done, and what He is doing, and what He will do in the future. That is, as compared to staring right into the face of whatever the situation is, that has us in the place of discouragement. 

3. So, what does he actually say? Well, the Word therefore is a word that can be translated "since", or "because of", it's put in the scriptures to help us apply whatever had been said, to take the truth of God's Word to heart, and to put it into action. So, if we go back just one verse, to 3:18 "But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord." Now, here in 3:18, Paul had been talking about the fact, that God has brought you into an eternal relationship with Him, He has given you eternal life, and you know Him, and you have access to Him, and in that access to Him, He is changing you, as you behold Him.
Here's how that verse reads in the NLT, this might help in understanding the meaning. 

3:18 " And all of us have had that veil removed so that we can be mirrors that brightly reflect the glory of the Lord. And as the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like him and reflect his glory even more."

4. Please notice that Paul mentions the Spirit of the Lord working within us, and we becoming more and more like Him. That's speaks of the work God does in the life of the believer between their being saved, and their going to heaven. Or at least it speaks of the goal, the desire, the will, and the intention of God for His people, simply put, it means that God has brought us into His family, adopted, justified us, set us apart for His exclusive use, and is starting to work out His plan in our lives. The result of God working in our lives, is that we become reflectors of Him.

5. So, back to the original verse, and how it can be an encouragement to you, who may feel like giving up. Here's a little breakdown into three important truths that will help you.

(1) You also have received this ministry. God has not just done this for Paul, but for everyone of His children. He has given us a ministry, and that ministry is to know Him, and to reflect Him to others. It's so easy to lose sight of the main thing in our lives, when troubles come, and they seem to swamp us over and down. But, God loves You, and He has called You, to know Him, and to walk with Him, and to let Your life be used by Him to reflect that love and grace to others. So, don't give up, because, God has something for You do to. To put it as simply as I can, it's to use your life as You allow Him to change You. And, He will if You will let Him.

(2) You have received mercy. That's the second thing Paul says in 4:1 "as we have received mercy" That's what every person who has come to faith in Christ has received. God has been merciful to You, He has not judged You for your sins, but, rather, He has chosen to not give you what you deserve, which would be judgement, but rather, He gave that judgement, or He placed that judgement for sins upon His own Son, Jesus Christ. Remember, Christ died for Your sins, and God has extended mercy to You, not giving You what You deserve. 

(3) "We do not lose heart". That's the very last thing that Paul says in 4:1. Or we never give up. We don't faint spiritually and implode. Now, let's just re-examine this a little. How could he say, "we do not lose heart?" We do not give up? It's because of what he had said earlier, in his describing what God had done for him, i.e saving him, drawing him into a relationship with God, changing him as he walks with God, and then using him to show others about God, he had a sense of purpose when he said, "We have received this ministry" That's speaking of service to others, and service to God. He went on to talk about God having been merciful to him. Now I believe with all my heart, that if you take a few minutes to sit quietly with the Lord and prayerfully reflect on these truths from His Word, and believe what God who cannot lie has said, that You will will find Yourself being lifted up, and encouraged. 

A prayer:

Father, I thank You that Your Word is the truth. And, that You have given us faith to believe Your Word. And, that You reward those who believe in You, and diligently seek You. Thank You for being faithful, and always coming to our aid in our times of distress and discouragement. We pray, those of us reading this, for any of the folks we know, who are discouraged, that we might reach out to them and encourage them, and we pray for the discouraged person reading this, that these truths from Your Word might have an encouraging ministry to them. In Jesus name, amen.

Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT GOD'S PLAN AND DESIRE IS FOR YOU"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT GOD'S PLAN AND DESIRE IS FOR YOU"

2nd Cor 3:18  But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.

Some explanatory thoughts, application, and a prayer:

1. Paul tells us here, right off the bat, what is going on in the lives of those who have come to faith, and are following Jesus Christ.

He describes our faces, what we are able to see, and what God is doing in us, and how He is doing it. Please take another look at the verse  2nd Cor 3:18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.

2. Here is the same verse in the NLT 2nd Cor 3:18 And all of us have had that veil removed so that we can be mirrors that brightly reflect the glory of the Lord. And as the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like him and reflect his glory even more.

3. Let's break this down bit by bit, to see just exactly what the Lord is doing in our lives, and what He wants to do, and how He is doing it.

(1) But we all, is a reference to the NT believer, as compared to the OT believer. And, God has been saying through Paul that God has given us freedom, freedom from the guilt and the punishment of sin, and are now relating to God based on His grace, and not under, and through the law. And, that there is nothing between us and the glory of God.

We are not like the unbelieving Jews who cannot see or understand the Word of God. We can, and we do as we peer into the life giving, life changing Word of God, looking unto Jesus Christ. We have turned to God, believed in Jesus, and are now in a true union with Him, and have fellowship with Him.

(2) We also are beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord. What does this mean? We touched on it a little just above a minute ago. What it simply means, is that we are like a mirror that are brightly and clearly reflecting the glory of the Lord. When Moses was up on Mt Sinai, he was affected by God's glory, and when he came down his face shone very brightly.

But, the glory on his face began to fade away, so he put a veil over his face, so the people would not see the glory fading. Not so with us. that glory is not fading. Christ does shine in and through the lives of those who have been born again by the Spirit of God. God works in us and through us to reveal Himself to the world around us.

(3) We are not only beholding the Lord, ( we know Him, we are in fellowship with Him, we have access to Him etc, ) but, He is transforming our lives into the same image, that is the image of Christ, and He is doing this from Glory to Glory. Or we are becoming more like Him. We are bearing the fruit of the Spirit. This is what Christian maturity is all about, growing in the grace and the knowledge of Christ.

Being like Him, in His love, truth, grace, mercy and compassion for people, wanting them to know about the good news of Jesus Christ, and that they can be saved. Serving God, even as Christ served the Father by coming to the earth, and dying for our sins.

(4) " just as by the Spirit of the Lord." Here Paul is saying, that this transformation is not by the law, but by the Spirit. The Holy Spirit, dwells within us. And, we by faith, trusting in Jesus Christ, then become those whom the Holy Spirit, is working to make us become more and more like Him, and be reflectors of His Glory.

4. So, God's Holy Spirit is working in us to make us reflectors of the glory of God. We call this being witnesses, of Christ, being used of Christ, testifying of Christ, being living epistles of Christ, being the light of the world, being God's servants. All of those terms refer to the same thing.

That God through His Spirit, wants to show a dying world His love, and He wants to call a dying world to Himself, so that He can save them, and give them eternal life. Forgive their sins and rid them of guilt. Live within them, bless their lives with Himself, and the fruit of His Spirit, cause them to have His peace, and His joy, to rejoice in Hope of one day being with Him, etc, etc.

5. So, may we be all be the best and brightest reflectors of Jesus that we can be. When People see You, may they see Jesus Christ. In the way you talk, live out your life, use your time, resources, talents, finances, and the way you are a steward of the truth of the Gospel of Christ.

We could almost say, instead of saying, "God bless you today", we could say, "Good reflecting today" So, that's my wish and prayer for you today, "Be a good reflector of Jesus to the world around You"

A prayer:

Father, You have sent Your Son, we have received Your Son, and now You desire to use us to reflect Your Son. Truly Your Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ is the center of all things. He is the focus You call us to focus upon. He is the one that You are transforming us into, and He is the one You want us to reflect. It's not hard to be a reflector of what you are. You just are. Draw us close to You, and may we shine brightly. In Jesus name. Amen.

Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT THE HOLY SPIRIT'S WORK IN A BELIEVERS HEART"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT THE HOLY SPIRIT'S WORK IN A BELIEVERS HEART"

2nd Cor 3:3 Clearly, you are a letter from Christ prepared by us. It is written not with pen and ink, but with the Spirit of the living God. It is carved not on stone, but on human hearts. NLT

Some explanatory thoughts, application, and a prayer:

1. Paul was identifying what the Holy Spirit had done in the hearts of the believers in Corinth. ( Note, he was doing this because he was being accused of being a false apostle, not really sent from God ) But, this is an interesting way of describing the Holy Spirit's work in the lives of those who have come to faith in Christ.

2. He calls Christians, "A letter from Christ prepared by us" Isn't that interesting? Or as some have said, "Christians are living letters from God" What does one do with a letter? They read it. And, thus, God has sent you into the world, saved by Him, to be His living letter to others, so that they can hear what He has to say to them.

3. Now, what do you suppose is the message in the letters that He writes ( that is what is the message He is trying to convey through You, His living letter?.) Suppose you got a letter from the IRS. Usually, that's not a happy moment. You open it, hoping that it's not bad news, i.e, that you owe them money. Letters are meant to convey some type of message, and it's no different with God's living letters. He has a message.

4. In fact, God is the Postman if you will, and He delivers His letters not just to one person, but to many, and He delivers it day, after day, after day. He sends His letters out to scores and scores of people, over, and over, and over. He sends You, and again, what is the message in the letter? In a sense, overall if you will, it's "The good news, the glad tidings of the Gospel of Jesus Christ"
And, that good news is summed up in the next two verses.

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

John 3:17“For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

5. You see, your life shows what happens when someone puts their faith in Christ to be saved. He saves them, and then as you start to grow, the truth of God's good news, becomes more and more evident. Sometimes, God refers to us as the "light of the world" Indeed, the world is dark, and how it needs the light of the truth of God in it.

6. So, may I end this devotional by saying thank You to God, for making You a living letter, a light in this dark world. And, may I encourage you to remember, that people are reading you every time they see you, and may it be "A good read".

May they be able to see Jesus in you, and through your life, your words, your actions, your tone of voice, your love for God, and your love for them. May you use your talents, time, energy, resources to be the best letter you can be, and may you be a good letter of His truth.

A prayer:

Lord, thank You for the human letters we see each day. Thank You for the human letters that You used to speak to us about Yourself, and Your love for us, and how You wanted to save us from eternal separation from You. Thank You Lord. Now, please send us out this day, in Large Print as it were, easy to read, with a clarity of message. Your message Lord, Your message.
In Jesus name, amen

Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia.

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT FINDING THE SUFFICIENCY AND STRENGTH YOU NEED"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT FINDING THE SUFFICIENCY AND STRENGTH YOU NEED"

2nd Cor 3:5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God,

Some explanatory thoughts, application and a prayer:

1. First of all, Paul tells us where our sufficiency is not found. It's not found from within, or from ourselves. The word "sufficient"
means many, enough, sufficient in ability. So, Paul was saying, that he did find the ability he needed from himself. Nor do we.

2. Paul goes even further to say, "to think of anything as being from ourselves" In other words, Paul did not look to himself for anything that he needed. He did not live his life trusting in himself. He was not leaning to his own understanding. He was not depending on himself to do what God had for him to do. You don't have to either.

3. Paul then tells us where our sufficiency does come from. It's from God. "but our sufficiency is from God," How wonderful to know that God has what we need, and He is very willing to give it to us. He just wants us to not trust in ourselves, but rather to trust in Him. He has the ability we need. What a comfort to know this is true.

4. This truth that God is our helper, our strength, our ability giver is all through the Bible of course. Here are some verses that show this to us.

Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;
Proverbs 3:6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.

Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

2Sa 22:33 God is my strength and power, And He makes my way perfect.

Hab 3:19* The LORD God is my strength; He will make my feet like deer’s feet, And He will make me walk on my high hills. To the Chief Musician. With my stringed instruments.

Ps 35:2* Take hold of shield and buckler, And stand up for my help.

Ps 40:17 But I am poor and needy; Yet the LORD thinks upon me. You are my help and my deliverer; Do not delay, O my God.

Ps 63:7 Because You have been my help, Therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice.

Ps 70:5* But I am poor and needy; Make haste to me, O God! You are my help and my deliverer; O LORD, do not delay.

Ps 94:17* Unless the LORD had been my help, My soul would soon have settled in silence.

Ps 119:173 Let Your hand become my help, For I have chosen Your precepts.

Ps 121:1 <<A Song of Ascents.>> I will lift up my eyes to the hills-- From whence comes my help?

Ps 121:2* My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth.

A prayer:

Father, we would like to thank You. Please help us to take You at Your Word. You are the strength we need. You do not ask us to look to ourselves to be strong, but to find our strength and help in You. You delight in helping us. You even called the Holy Spirit, "the Helper" Lord, when You allow trials to come, they really help us to see our own weakness, and then we are inclined to turn to You and there You are, ready to help us. Thank You Father. We love You. In Jesus name.

Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT GOD'S GRACE AND GENEROSITY IN OUR LIVES"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT GOD'S GRACE AND GENEROSITY IN OUR LIVES"

2nd Cor 8:1 Moreover, brethren, we make known to you the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia:

2nd Cor 8:2 that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded in the riches of their liberality.

2nd Cor 8:3 For I bear witness that according to their ability, yes, and beyond their ability, they were freely willing,

2nd Cor 8:4 imploring us with much urgency that we would receive the gift and the fellowship of the ministering to the saints.

2nd Cor 8:5 And not only as we had hoped, but they first gave themselves to the Lord, and then to us by the will of God.

Some explanatory thoughts, application and a prayer:

1. Paul was actually speaking to the church in Corinth, telling them about God's grace in and upon the churches in Macedonia. That's an area of Greece. God had bestowed His grace, His unmerited favor upon them. And, it showed up in the way that Paul describes in the next few verses after verse 1.

2. Those Macedonian churches were in a "great trial of affliction", but they also had "the abundance of joy" and, they were in "deep poverty" yet, they "abounded in the riches of their liberality" Wow. That's a whole lot said about them. Paul was holding them up as an example to the Church of Corinth. An example to test the sincerity of the Corinthian Churches love and commitment to Christ.

3. Paul was bearing personal witness of them, that they were giving financially to help the poor saints in Jerusalem, "according to their ability, and beyond their ability, they were freely willing" So, they were in affliction, yet had joy, they were in deep poverty, yet they were freely giving, not only what they could, but in some way beyond what they could give.

Grace made them this way, that is what Paul was saying. They could not take the credit for being this way, except for the grace of God upon them.

4. The believers in Macedonian were imploring Paul or begging him with much urgency to take their gift, which Paul calls, " the fellowship of the ministering to the saints" They really wanted to give these funds to the other churches that needed it. They were actually urging Paul, "hey Paul, please hurry up, take this money and get it to the people there" kind of thing.

5. Here in this verses is the real secret of how God's grace works through people. 2nd Cor 8:5 And not only as we had hoped, but they first gave themselves to the Lord, and then to us by the will of God. Notice what they had done first, that is first before the giving of monies.

They had first given themselves to the Lord. They committed themselves to God. They were living sacrifices to God. They were disciples of Jesus Christ. They were "all in" as we like to say.

6. Do You know that God's grace can be bestowed upon you also? Do you know that you can give yourself to the Lord in the same way these people did? Do you know this truly what the Lord desire for you to do? And, do you know that when you do, that You become a vessel that God Himself can work through to touch other lives,

A prayer:

Lord, we are going to meet these people face to face someday in glory, when we get to heaven. Just hearing about them, elevates You as the one who worked in their lives, and it shows us how they did not take Your grace in vain, but responded to it, and look at the fruit it produced in their lives.

In fact Lord, we will meet the people in heaven who benefited from the monies that were given by these Macedonian Christians. Lord, may we follow the example given us here, and be like them in our day and age.

In Jesus name, amen

Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia.