Recently in the “The Dallas Morning News”, I read an article titled A Dip in Donations.The article highlighted a number of seminaries that had cutbacks and shortages in their budgets: Perkins School of Theology at SMU, Dallas Theological, and Southwestern Baptist all had faced severe challenges.  Yet the majority of the churches in the DFW area had remained insulated from the economic downturn according to the article. Why, because attendance generally increases in hard-times and if there people are in the pews, they generally give, when they are able. My point to write blog, is to show what the Bible has to say about giving in Hard times.  Below are 5 principles that should guide our giving. [based from Paul’s message to the Corinthian church (2 Cor. 8) ].   

Grace is the bases of our gift! Until people have experienced the grace of God in their lives it is likely they will be unwilling to contribute to God’s work and his workers. Paul knew this, and reminded the church at Corinth this. (v.1)

Giving should overflow from Joy! Paul said, “Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity”(v.2). The Macedonian churches were the example church. They were joyful to give regardless of their circumstances! Paul later writes that giving should be planned (v12), indicating that joyful giving is not spontaneous rather planned.

Faith is expressed in our giving! There is no amount in giving that God counts as generous according to Paul. The least can be the greatest. People who make little, and give what they are able or even beyond their ability, have a tremendous amount of faith, people that do this should be careful in not trying to gamble with God. Pastors as well should never promise that God is going to give, as if God was obligated to give a financial reward back, nonetheless, Paul, highlights that givers are people of faith (v.3) and faith is expressed in giving.

Giving should be a privilege: Paul describes the best givers are those that see their giving as a privilege not a price. The people were supporting the service of the saints (v.4). When we think about it, if the gift is going towards someone who is truly God’s worker, you know this gift is going to God’s work. Giving is privilege to co-operate in God’s work here on earth.

Devotion to God, directs our giving! Paul has described to the Corinthian church other churches in Macedonia that were giving greatly, because they had experienced the grace of God and had first committed themselves to the Lord (v.5). This commitment to God would in turn guide and direct their giving. It’s hard to know where God wants us to invest if we don’t know God. Devotion to God will always direct our giving.

1. Provided us with power over demonic forces of evil (Col 2:15; Jn 12:31).
2. Removed the sins of those in the past (Ac 17:30; Ro 3:25).
3. Cleansed us from our sin (1 Jn 1:7).
4. Freed us from the Law we couldn’t keep (Ro 10:4; Col 2:14).
5. Gave us a sacrificial example to follow (Ro 6:11).
6. Provides a propitiation for us to God (1 John 2:2; 4:10)
7. Grants us reconciliation to God (2 Co 5:19).
8. Provides us with the redemption from our sin (1 Co 6:19–20)
9. Allowed for a substitution for our sin (Mt 20:28; Mk 10:45)

The missio dei (the mission of God ) shows that God can be found in his character and his nature to be of missions. Within the trinity, we see that God sent his son, (cf John 3:16). His son sends the spirit, (cf. John 14, and Acts 2). And shortly before his ascension we see that Jesus meets with his disciples to reveal their role to the nations (Cf. Mt 28). They are to be the sent people of God, just as he was to the world.

 In the imago dei (in the image of God) we see in Gen. 2 that man was created to rule and reign over all the created. God’s community of people through out earth failed to live up to what God had called them too. This is why Jesus is referred to as the Second Adam, in a sense he is coming to properly rule and reign over creation where Adam failed.

B/c man is made in the image of God he is destined also to fulfill the image of God in which we see that Israel failed to fulfill (Cf. Is 66). We also see a failure of Babylonians, as they were dispersed due to their idolatry and arrogant hearts. We see that God disperses them as a means to spread his message for the sake of the world, and themselves at the tower of Babel.  

I also see that Israel was the vehicle in which God chose for a time to reveal to the nations his love and light. (Cf. Gen. 12, Is 66, Ezk. 36, Ps. 67). Yet, because of their disobedience God creates a new means, a New Covenant, for there to be salvation by writing the law on their hearts. (Cf. Ezk 37).  In essence Israel did partially fulfill the role of missio Dei, in that there has always been a faithful remnant but they did in fact fail as a nation.                                                                             

The implications are that, we are the sent people of God; we are those who believe and bear his image. We are image bearers, of the eternal God, that is the imago Dei. We are to rule and reflect his glory! We are to manage, to lead, to love, to help, to govern and minister to those in need across the world. We like Israel, are sharing in the command to fulfill the missio dei, that is to call believers to engage in worship, educate them and evangelize to the lost. (cf. Is 66, Mt 28). Believers are the sent people of God

Paul Maconochie

Paul is the team leader at St Thomas' Philadelphia. Paul is a Baptist minister and has been involved at St Thomas' for 14 years. Paul studied at Northern College and he is married to Elly. They have two daughters. Before joining St Thomas' staff, Paul was a Chemistry teacher. -taken from website.

Contact: http://www.stthomaschurch.org.uk/

Podcast description: In this podcast you get to hear from Mick who is the Rector at Crookes and his primary role is to build up and encourage the church to seek first the Kingdom of God in their lives, and to then share that better life that Jesus gives with others.

St Thomas Crookes is a innovative church in the UK that is leading the way in emerging models and ministry. They take an innovative approach that is very much incarnational ministry. This church and it's partners are the flagships of church innovation in Europe. We Americans have much to learn from what God is doing there. 

Contact http://www.stthomascrookes.org/

Description: Mike Breen shares a little of his personal journey from the UK to the USA in this podcast. You will learn about his current ministry involvement with church planting, and leadership development. He is an author, pastor, speaker and an missiologist. His works can be found on Amazon.com, his 3dm's website and other Christian book stores.

Contact: You can email mike by visiting his website http://www.3dministries.com/

Podcast Series description: In this interview Miguel and I interview Bob Hopkins. Bob is a missiologists at heart and church planter by profession. He introduces the model and more so the Biblical philosophy of what I think is the essence of this missional movement. 

Contact: you can email Ryan at riceministry@gmail.com  for more details.Or you can email Bob at admin@acpi.org.uk

Podcast Series description: This is a new series that was captured from a church conference in the UK over the summer 2008. It is loaded with insight from top leaders in the missional movement in Europe.

Contact: you can email Ryan at riceministry@gmail.com  for more details.Or you can email Anders at andersmichael@ecpn.org

Podast description: This is a summary of the Spain Series. In this podcast you will hear from Ryan Rice the founder of Churchpod.org as he shares the highlights of this series.

Contact: For more information on how to get involved with churchpod email Ryan at riceministry@gmail.com

This was in a prayer Garden at Montserrat, a Benedictine Monastery.

check out some feedback on the loction here.

http://www.barcelona-tourist-guide.com/en/tour/montserrat-spain.html

The picture is Miguel Castillo whom was pointing to the city Barcelona. We stayed a few nights at a monastery to pray and share with each other ministry desires and our personal faith journey.

Along the way we met many and caught some unique insight including this one.