Grosey's Messages

2Co 9:1 Now it is superfluous for me to write to you about the ministry for the saints,

2Co 9:2 for I know your readiness, of which I boast about you to the people of Macedonia, saying that Achaia has been ready since last year. And your zeal has stirred up most of them.

2Co 9:3 But I am sending the brothers so that our boasting about you may not prove vain in this matter, so that you may be ready, as I said you would be.

2Co 9:4 Otherwise, if some Macedonians come with me and find that you are not ready, we would be humiliated--to say nothing of you--for being so confident.

2Co 9:5 So I thought it necessary to urge the brothers to go on ahead to you and arrange in advance for the gift you have promised, so that it may be ready as a willing gift, not as an exaction.

2Co 9:6 The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.

2Co 9:7 Each one must give as he has made up his mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

2Co 9:8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.

2Co 9:9 As it is written, "He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever."

2Co 9:10 He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness.

2Co 9:11 You will be enriched in every way for all your generosity, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God.

2Co 9:12 For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints, but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God.

2Co 9:13 By their approval of this service, they will glorify God because of your submission flowing from your confession of the gospel of Christ, and the generosity of your contribution for them and for all others,

2Co 9:14 while they long for you and pray for you, because of the surpassing grace of God upon you.

2Co 9:15 Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!

The Legend of Lassiter’s reef. Lassiter lost his life.

A friend’s brother spent his life searching for gold nuggets in the Simpson desert. He used a metal detector and one day found a $20,000 gold nugget. It only made things worse. He lost his family.

Matt 6: 19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: 20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: 21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
The Lord is talking to you and I about the Inflow of grace, the outflow of love, and the overflow of grace.

How does a person become a giving sort of person? This givingness is so opposite to the culture of our day. Popular Culture is concerned about the pursuit of Prosperity. The pursuit of the El Dorado is the theme of life in Australia today.

El Dorado (Spanish for "the gilded one") is a legend that began with the story of a South American tribal chief who covered himself with gold dust and would dive into a lake of pure mountain water.

The legend began in the 1530s, in the Andes of present-day Colombia, where conquistador Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada first found the Muisca, a nation in the modern day Cundinamarca and Boyacá highlands of Colombia, in 1537.

The story of Muisca rituals was brought to Quito by Sebastián de Belalcázar's men; mixed with other rumours, there arose the legend of 'El Dorado' (meaning the Golden Man rather than a place - 'el indio dorado', the golden Indian or 'El Rey Dorado', The Golden King).

Imagined as a place, El Dorado became a kingdom, an empire, the city of this legendary golden king. Deluded by a similar legend, Francisco Orellana and Gonzalo Pizarro would depart from Quito in 1541 in a famous and disastrous expedition towards the Amazon Basin; as a result of this, however, Orellana became the first person to navigate the Amazon River all the way to its mouth.

The legend of El Dorado and Francisco Orellana's expedition is featured in the 2008 film Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, where the city is more often referred to as "Akator". In the film, the "city of gold" turns out to be a mistranslation of the Mayan word for "treasure", as the city isn't actually made of gold.

Al of this speaks to the love of money and the things money buys that so grips our culture.

You can buy books cassettes and courses about how to be successful. How to have money. How to have the glitz and glamour that attracts wealth to you.

The Secret was made famous on The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Secret, was created by Australian Rhonda Byrne, and she says that if you follow its philosophy, you can create the life you want—whether that means getting out of debt, finding a more fulfilling job or even falling in love. Rhonda says she stumbled on what she calls The Secret at the end of 2004. At the time, everything in Rhonda's life had fallen apart—physically, emotionally and financially—and she was in "total despair." Then her father died suddenly, and she was worried about her grief-stricken mother. "I wept and wept and wept, and I didn't want my daughter to see me sobbing," Rhonda says.
That's when Rhonda's daughter gave her a copy of The Science of Getting Rich, a book written in 1910 by Wallace D. Wattles. "Something inside of me had me turn the pages one by one, and I can still remember my tears hitting the pages as I was reading it," Rhonda says. "It gave me a glimpse of The Secret. It was like a flame inside of my heart. And with every day since, it's just become a raging fire of wanting to share all of this with the world." The Secret reveals the most powerful law in the universe. The knowledge of this law has run like a golden thread through the lives and the teachings of all the prophets, seers, sages and saviors in the world's history, and through the lives of all truly great men and women. All that they have ever accomplished or attained has been done in full accordance with this most powerful law. Without exception, every human being has the ability to transform any weakness or suffering into strength, power, perfect peace, health, and abundance.

But, God’s Word says 1 Timothy 6:10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and by craving it, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains.

Richard Halverson, the chaplain of the U. S. Senate, pointed out something that bothers a lot of people and excites a few. He said, “Jesus Christ said more about money than about any other single thing because, when it comes to a man's real nature, money is of first importance. Money is an exact index to a man's true character. All through Scripture there is an intimate correlation between the development of a man's character and how he handles his money.”

How can you and I beat this inward desire for fulfilment by things? How can we stop ourselves from living on the Eldorado’s of this world? God’s Word tells us how.

2Co 9:6 The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 2Co 9:7 Each one must give as he has made up his mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 2Co 9:8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. 2Co 9:9 As it is written, "He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever."

This passage begins with grace and ends with grace. The inflow of grace, the outflow of love, the overflow of grace.

1. There Must Be The Inflow Of Grace

2 Corinthians 9:8&9 "And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all you need, you will abound in every good work. As it is written: 'He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.'"

Remember how Paul conceived of him as the one, "who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us" (Ephs. 3:20).

Paul tells the Romans that we are "more than conquerors through him that loved us."

Jeremiah reminds us “Is anything too difficult for the Lord?”

"I can do everything through him who gives me strength" (Phils. 4:13).

You need God’s help to beat the desire for money and things.

And God’s help is in the form of His love.

Victor Hugo Les Miserable’s Life’s greatest happiness is to be convinced we are loved.

Do you know that you are loved by God? Do you know you are loved by others?

That is your true riches.

Jer 31:3 The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Gal 2:20 the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

“Grace is the strength of God. It is not sentiment or affection or feeling. It is power. When God answered Paul's cry for deliverance from the thorn in the flesh he told him two things. First, that his grace was sufficient for Paul, and secondly, that his strength was made perfect in Paul's weakness. Grace is the power of God changing our circumstances, and cheering our distresses, enabling us to keep following the Lord in a way that honours him. Paul speaks in our text here of 'all' grace. He means all sorts of grace, all the resources of grace, of the invincible power and might and energy of divinity.” Alfred Place Baptist Church.

"All I have needed Thy hand hath provided. Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me."

God is most concerned about His glory and wants us to live for His glory. He wants us to overcome the love of this world, the love of riches the worldliness that grips and constricts the human soul.

God wants us to find our joy and satisfaction in Him.

If experiencing joy in God you cannot help but be a loving person.

2 Cor 8:1-4, 8 We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God granted to the churches of Macedonia: 2 during a severe testing by affliction, their abundance of joy and their deep poverty overflowed into the wealth of their generosity. 3 I testify that, on their own, according to their ability and beyond their ability, 4 they begged us insistently for the privilege of sharing in the ministry to the saints,

Paul writes to Corinth about amazing things that have happened in Macedonia. There had been a great calamity in Jerusalem Paul was collecting money for the poor in Jerusalem. He was now motivating the Corinthians to give generously. He mentions how wonderfully the Macedonians gave.

Paul referred to what the Macedonians had done in giving as being genuine love. Genuine love was giving.

The Love God wants originates in the grace of God v1 We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God granted to the churches of Macedonia:

It started with powerful grace doing something amazing inside them. A staggering change of heart in human beings.

We saw last week that Poverty and affliction has not gone away when they became Christian v2

Everything does not goes better – prosperity did not suddenly come. The Macedonians were being afflicted (not specified) – hard times. They Experienced extreme poverty

But then something happens – they discover an abundance of joy. Grace came down – it didn’t take away poverty & it even brought them affliction. But it also brought them a soaring joy – extreme joy. A Joy rooted deeply in Jesus. This joy overflowed in a wealth of love and a wealth of generosity.

It was a heart work first -they were a child of God, forgiven, accepted, heaven bound. And this deep joy in a full assurance of faith overwhelmed the sense of covetousness that says “me me me” and changed their outlook. They became enthused with a new joy and a new purpose, and like the One who gave Himself to them, they gave of themselves to others.

They gave according to their means and beyond – more than they should.

They became generous joyful givers. 2Cor 9:6 for God loves a cheerful giver. God loves a cheerful giver.

Paul calls this love v8

John Piper “What is love – A Definition: Love is the grace enabled impulse to expand your joy in God by extending it to others. It is the overflow of abundant joy in God that meets the needs of others.”

If we don’t have this joy in God then we can’t meet the needs of others in love.

Love is the overflow of joy in God that meets the needs of others.

There was a very wealthy man who had never been known for his generosity to the church. He had no desire to gain Christ, and no desire to reap generously. His story is a stark example of what Paul speaks of here, that those who sow sparingly will also reap sparingly. The church with whom he had some kind of connection was involved in a big expenditure and some of the deacons decided to pay him a visit. When they met with the man they explained that in view of his resources they hoped that he would like to make a contribution to this building programme.

"I see," he said, "so you have it all figured out have you? In the course of your investigation did you discover that I have a widowed mother who has no other means of support but me?" No, they responded, they did not know that. "Did you know that I have a sister who was left by a drunken husband with five children and no means to provide for them?" No, they said, we didn't know that either. "Well, gentlemen, did you know also that I have a brother who is crippled due to a car accident and can never work another day to support his wife and family?" Embarrassingly, they responded, no sir, we didn't know that either. "Well," he thundered triumphantly, "I've never given any of them a penny, so why should I give anything to you?" And he showed them to the door.

You understand, that man had never given of himself, therefore he never gave of his resources. Giving is an outgrowth. It is the inevitable result of the regenerate heart consumed with growing love for this Saviour who gave himself for us. As that love demands our souls, our lives, our all then we give not only ourselves but our goods also to Christ and to his church. But men have put the cart before the horse. They say in so many churches, "I give, therefore I'm a Christian." Men and women, it's just the reverse. It is because I am a follower of Christ that I give.

"To Thee, Thou dying Lamb, I all things owe; All that I have, and am, And all I know.
All that I have is now no longer mine And I am not my own; Lord, I am Thine.

How can I, Lord, withhold Life's brightest hour From Thee; or gathered gold, Or any power?
Why should I keep one precious thing from Thee, When Thou has given Thine own dear self for me?" (Charles E. Mudie).

2. The Outflow of Love

Life’s Greatest Happiness is to Love.

Love is self negating.

Love is ego denying.

Love is sacrificial of its own interests.

Love doesn’t even consider its own interests.

Bill Gaither “the answer to the nation's economic pressures is not a political solution but a spiritual solution based on God's people learning to "give it away." "I think it starts with us, and I think when the church of Jesus Christ gets organized, we've got the resources to do it, and we can do it when we put our heads together," He said he and his wife Gloria still live in the same house about 50 miles north of Indianapolis where they lived as schoolteachers during the first decade of their 45-year marriage. "We've tried to model for our three kids and now they're trying to model the same thing for their kids the joy of giving, and I'm convinced that when we find the joy of giving we will find the joy of living. It's built into the universe," Gaither said. "My granddad told me this years ago and my dad told me the same thing, 'Bill, you've got to make up your mind. There are two kinds of folks in the world, takers and givers,'" he added. The lyrics to the song Give It Away include: "If you want less lonely and a lot more fun and deep satisfaction when the day is done, throw your heart wide open and give it away. If you want more happy than your heart can hold, if you want to stand taller, if the truth were told, take whatever you have and give it away."
"You don't follow Jesus very long until you get into the area of giving. It's all about giving. In fact, He says, 'Come follow Me and die,'" Gaither said. "By the time we're done, we've given it all away. We've spent everything we've got. We've spent every bit of energy we've got, we've spent every bit of resources we've got, we've spent every bit of health we've got. "It's over, and we go home to be with Him," Gaither said. "That's the basis of it. That sounds rather tough, but in the long run it's the only way to joy and real happiness and total fulfillment." Gaither said he is grieved by what he called the tragic pursuit of happiness at all costs that is so evident in today's culture. Jesus, he noted, said anyone who wants to save his life must lose it. "That is total giving," Gaither said. "I think somehow we've got to start teaching our young kids at a very, very early age the importance of giving. We're not going to live until we learn how to give." "Giving is the Christian theology lived out at its fullest,"

1 Timothy 6:17-19 Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. 18 Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, 19 storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.

Life’s Greatest Happiness is to Give.

3. The Overflow of Grace

The heart of God is generous! Generosity is about "giving," not getting. "God so loved the world that He gave…" Jn. 3:16 We cannot enter a real relationship with Christ and then display a stingy heart! The paradox of being a generous giver is that you end up with far more than you ever give … but not necessarily in cash!

God’s grace overflows in meeting our needs

2Co 9:8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. 9 As it is written, "He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever." 10 He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness.

The boy in the Bible who gave up his loaves and fishes didn't have to go hungry.

Luke 6:38 (NIV) "Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."

Proverbs 11:24-25 "One man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.

God’s grace overflows in supplying the needs of the saints,

2Co 9:8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.

2Co 9:12 For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints,

God blesses us abundantly so we can bless others abundantly.

God’s grace overflows in producing thanksgiving to God.

2Co 9:12 For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints, but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God.

Have you ever had the privilege of giving and seeing God use that gift in a most amazing way that produced thanksgiving to God? Have you seen God take your gift when you have given it from a generous heart and use it to touch lives for all eternity? He wants our giving to be a blessing, a means of producing thanksgiving to God. "For the ministry of this service is not only fully supplying the needs of the saints, but is also overflowing through many thanksgivings to God" (v. 12). He takes your gift and uses it that His name will be glorified repeatedly. People see your gift and they offer up thanksgivings to God. Those who are recipients praise God and pray for you. Your gift keeps repeating itself in people's lives.

And it produces the Glorifying of God. 2Co 9:13 By their approval of this service, they will glorify God

God gets glory when his people give generously? Why? Doesn't the Giver get the glory? Exactly! The Giver gets the glory! And the people who sow most bountifully display most vividly that their God is an inexhaustible Giver.

Ray Boltz wrote a song that says "Thank you, for giving to the Lord. I am a life that was changed."

I dreamed I went to heaven And you were there with me;

We walked upon the streets of gold Beside the crystal sea.
We heard the angels singing Then someone called your name.

We turned and saw a young man running And he was smiling as he came.

And he said, “Friend you may not know me now.” And then he said, “But wait,
You used to teach my Sunday School When I was only eight.
And every week you would say a prayer Before the class would start.
And one day when you said that prayer, I asked Jesus in my heart.”

Thank you for giving to the Lord. I am a life that was changed.
Thank you for giving to the Lord. I am so glad you gave.

Then another man stood before you And said, “Remember the time
A missionary came to your church And his pictures made you cry.
You didn’t have much money, But you gave it anyway.
Jesus took the gift you gave And that’s why I’m here today.”

One by one they came Far as the eye could see.
Each life somehow touched By your generosity.
Little things that you had done, Sacrifices made,
Unnoticed on the earth In heaven, now proclaimed.

And I know up in heaven You’re not supposed to cry
But I am almost sure There were tears in your eyes.
As Jesus took your hand And you stood before the Lord.
He said, “My child, look around you. Great is your reward.”

Thank you for giving to the Lord. I am a life that was changed.
Thank you for giving to the Lord. I am so glad you gave.

God’s grace overflows in fellowship in grace 2Co 9:14 while they long for you and pray for you, because of the surpassing grace of God upon you.

The affection and love of God's people. It's mentioned in verse 14. The people who benefit from your sowing "long for you and pray for you, because of the surpassing grace of God in you." Everybody wants to be loved by other people. Everybody wants to be needed by other people. Everybody wants to be desired and longed for by other people. I want to be loved and needed and longed for and prayed for.

It all goes back to Life’s greatest happiness is to be convinced we are loved. Loved by the Lord, and loved by His people.

# posted by Groseys messages @ 9:18 AM

Jer 31:27 "Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man and the seed of beast.

Jer 31:28 And it shall come to pass that as I have watched over them to pluck up and break down, to overthrow, destroy, and bring harm, so I will watch over them to build and to plant, declares the LORD.

Jer 31:29 In those days they shall no longer say: "'The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge.'

Jer 31:30 But everyone shall die for his own sin. Each man who eats sour grapes, his teeth shall be set on edge.

Jer 31:31 "Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah,

Jer 31:32 not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the LORD.

Jer 31:33 But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

Jer 31:34 And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more."

Jer 31:35 Thus says the LORD, who gives the sun for light by day and the fixed order of the moon and the stars for light by night, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar-- the LORD of hosts is his name:

Jer 31:36 "If this fixed order departs from before me, declares the LORD, then shall the offspring of Israel cease from being a nation before me forever."

Jer 31:37 Thus says the LORD: "If the heavens above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth below can be explored, then I will cast off all the offspring of Israel for all that they have done, declares the LORD."

Jer 31:38 "Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when the city shall be rebuilt for the LORD from the tower of Hananel to the Corner Gate.

Jer 31:39 And the measuring line shall go out farther, straight to the hill Gareb, and shall then turn to Goah.

Jer 31:40 The whole valley of the dead bodies and the ashes, and all the fields as far as the brook Kidron, to the corner of the Horse Gate toward the east, shall be sacred to the LORD. It shall not be uprooted or overthrown anymore forever."

As Don Henley and Glen Frey wrote, Now it seems to me, some fine things Have been laid upon your table But you only want the ones that you can't get

Desperado, oh, you ain't gettin' no youger Your pain and your hunger, they're drivin' you home And freedom, oh freedom well, that's just some people talkin' Your prison is walking through this world all alone

Desperado, why don't you come to your senses? Come down from your fences, open the gate It may be rainin', but there's a rainbow above you You better let somebody love you, before it's too late

We stand on one of the greatest mountain peaks in the Old Testament. It is the only reference to a "New Covenant" in the Old Testament, and is no doubt the most significant of Jeremiah's sayings. The LORD God will write His law on the heart of the individual. It has been observed by many scholars that this is one of the most important passages in Jeremiah and contains "one of the deepest insights in the whole Old Testament."

The song triumphant.

SOME MAY CALL ME A PRISONER SINGER, WHAT IS A PRISONER SINGER ?

WELL IT’S SOMENONE WHO IS ALWAYS SINGING BEHIND A FEW BARS AND NEVER ABLE TO FIND THE RIGHT KEY.

The demonstration of love is the coming victory.

The refrain "Behold, the days are coming,”

Now, this passage easily divides itself into three sections. Each section begins with the words, “Behold days are coming…” (NAS) And you’ll find that in verse 27, verse 31 and verse 38. This means this is yet to come as far as Israel is concerned.

God is in the midst of destroying the cities of Judah and of Israel. It is a time of destruction. We just saw that God said He had good thoughts and good plans and it would have been hard for the people to believe that at that time! Because it looked as thought all God cared about was to destroy, because that’s what He was doing at that time.
But, He said that with the same intensity I have used to pluck up and to break down and to overthrow and to destroy and to bring disaster…with that same intensity I will watch over them to build and to plant! Now, that’s good news to a people who are in the midst of destruction and devastation…to a people whose present vision of God is one of judgment and to a people who when they look on the horizon of their life the see no sun rising…they only see it setting…they see no shadow of hope or a future dawning upon them. But, God says, Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. 12 Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. 13 And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. 14 And I will be found of you, saith the LORD: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations,

And now how is it going to be that the old cycle of sin, judgement repentance and restoration to God can be sorted out. What is there that can stop the Jews from winding up in the same old predicament that they were getting themselves into all the time. They would drift from God into idolatry. God would punish them. They would get up and then fail again and again and again.

Well the Lord introduces a new covenant. Listen to the terms He uses:

Jer 31:31 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: 32 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD:

1. This New Covenant would work because Of The Permanence Of The New Covenant.

God has made the old covenant with the children of Israel, when he "took them by the hand and led them out of Egypt."

The basis of this old covenant is clearly seen in the Exodus account (24.6-8): "Moses took half the blood of the animals and put it in bowls; and the other half he threw against the altar. Then he took the book of the covenant, in which the Lord's commands were written, and read it aloud to the people. They said, 'We will obey the Lord and do everything that he has commanded.' Then Moses took the blood in the bowls and threw it on the people. He said, 'This is the blood that seals the covenant which the Lord made with you when he gave all these commands'."

There were two sides to the covenant. On the one hand, God was promising to be their God, to prosper, protect and deliver them. In turn, they were to be his people, to obey him and keep his law at all times.

But it just didn’t happen. The old covenant was weak. It wasn’t weak because God made it weak. It was weak because man made it weak. The people of God would continually fall into sin, foul it up and make a mess of their lives.

Jeremiah characterises this covenant by the words - "Although I was like a husband to them, they did not keep that covenant" - more literally, "my covenant which they broke, though I was their husband, says the Lord". How true this was! By this covenant God was bringing the people into a close personal relationship with himself - so close that the marriage bond is a fitting symbol. Yet like an unfaithful wife they had broken their vows. Right at Mount Sinai where it was given they were breaking it. Together they came to Aaron and said, "We do not know what has happened to this man Moses, who led us out of Egypt; so make us a god to lead us" (Ex. 32.1). Countless times in the history of Israel this was the chief feature of the covenant - it was broken!

The old covenant failed. It failed because the people of God failed. And they failed continually. How could this mess be unravelled? Could they somehow get more enthusiastic and make it work? No, every time they got enthusiastic, it wasn’t long until their love for the Lord grew cold, and they failed again.

Hebrews 8:6-7. says the same thing : it speaks of “a more excellent ministry, by as much as He is also the mediator of a better covenant, which has been enacted on better promises. For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion sought for a second." The fault was with the nation of Israel who just wouldn’t keep the covenant with God.

SO the Lord introduced a new covenant. This time it was something that would work, because it wasn’t dependant upon His people keeping up appearances. It was something bigger and better.

Jer 31: 31 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: … 33 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.

Jesus had this passage in mind when He instituted the Lord's Supper (Matthew 26:28). The "new testament" literally means new covenant and is fulfilled only in the person and work of Jesus Christ (Luke 22:20; 1 Corinthians 11:25; 2 Corinthians 3:6ff; Hebrews 8:8-9:28; 10:16ff; Romans 11:25-26). Jesus was saying to His disciples that the new covenant predicted by Jeremiah was now being instituted. It describes His work of salvation.

The notable New Testament scholar F. F. Bruce writes, "All Israel, not a faithful remnant, but the nation as a whole, would see the salvation of God. If their temporary stumbling was foretold, so was their ultimate and permanent restoration (Isaiah 59:20f; Jeremiah 31:33; Romans 11:25, 26). The new covenant will not be complete until it embraces the people of the old covenant. Temporarily alienated for the advantage of the Gentiles, they are eternally objects of His promises, once made to the patriarchs, can never be revoked." F. B. Huey, Jr. says, "The preservation of the Jewish people to the present time is an affirmation of this promise." "Its first and peculiar application is to Israel, and to the fact that in the economy of God, the ideal of Israel will yet be realized," observed G. Campbell Morgan.

Huey writes of Jeremiah 31:35 Thus saith the LORD, which giveth the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, which divideth the sea when the waves thereof roar; The LORD of hosts is his name: 36 If those ordinances depart from before me, saith the LORD, then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before me for ever. 37 Thus saith the LORD; If heaven above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth searched out beneath, I will also cast off all the seed of Israel for all that they have done, saith the LORD.

Rom 8:38-39), Jeremiah stated there is as much chance of God's rejecting Israel as for the fixed order of nature to break down (cf. 33:20-26).82 Israel's existence as a nation, the Lord says, is as permanent as creation itself, and his promise is as sure as the greatness of his power and the faithfulness of his character (cL 32: 17-20; 33:2). The preservation of the Jewish people today is inexplicable apart from acknowledging that divine will has pre­served them. With further emphasis on the impossibility of his rejection of Israel (see Rom 9-11), God said he would do so only if the heavens above could be measured and the foundations of the earth below could be searched out, which in Jeremiah's day was impossible. W. Brueggemann notes that the clause "because of all they have done" means that "all of that evil cannot undo God's powerful choosing.

2. This New Covenant would work because Of The Provisions Of The New Covenant.

It is a covenant that is affected by God. It is strictly a work by God. Look at the “I will…I will…I will…” Compare this with the old covenant…the Ten Commandments… “thou shalt…thou shalt…thou shalt not…” But, in the new covenant God is saying, “I will…I will…I will…” In other words, these people never could keep the commandments.

Huey writes “The five "I wills" in the passage, together with references to "my cove­nant," "my law," and "my people," demonstrate clearly that as in the other major theological covenants, it would be God taking the initiative. Human history since the garden of Eden (Gen 3:8-10) has been the story of human­kind's flight from God and his pursuit of us. The God who speaks in these verses is a pursuing God, who refuses to leave his people alone to follow their own self-destructive paths. He is a God of new beginnings (v. 22; Isa 42:9; 43: 18-19; 48:6) who will never give up but will always do whatever is necessary to work out his hest in our lives (Rom 8:28).”

This new Covenant is not about what you can do for God, its about what God will do for you.

God’s dealings with us under the new covenant are not based on our worthiness.
God is saying that the nature of this new covenant is that “it is something that I will do!”

What does He do?

Jer 31:33 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34 And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.

It’s the Provision of a change of heart.

I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts;

The old covenant was outward, but the new covenant is inward.

Now, we still have some “shalt nots” in our lives, but they are not the basis of our salvation. The basis of our salvation is not what we have done, but what God has done! There is going to be an inward apprehension of the law of God. “I will put My law in their inward parts (KJV)…within them (NAS)…and write it on their heart…”
No man would have to say to his brother or his neighbour, “You ought to do this, and this and this…for every man shall know…for I have put it in their hearts.”
By the way, there is a difference between those two expressions “I will put my Law in their inward parts and write it on their hearts…” These verbs have different tenses. When He said, “I will put my Law in their inward parts” He means it will be done once and for all. But when He said, “I will write it on their hearts…” it means “ I will continually write it on their hearts.
In other words, not only is there that immediate apprehension of the will of God, but there is that growing understanding of the law and the will of God.

In John Saunder's Description to John Ham of Bathurst Street's Doctrinal Position (1847) he spoke of the moral law as a rule of life and conduct to all believers. But this moral law is now written on our hearts. It’s the working of the new birth by the Holy Spirit to write it there. If you see someone claim to be a Christian and live an immoral life, then know that they have not been born again, because the moral law has not been written on their hearts. God continues to write in our hearts so that we have a growing knowledge and appreciation of His will for our lives.

From the Kwasizabantu Mission to the Zulus, “I think back of a Zulu woman who came here to Kwasizabantu. She immediately accepted Christ and repented of her sins. A few days later she went home and not very long after that she returned. She asked me, "Pastor, does God not allow drinking?" I asked her what she meant by that. She answered that since she went back home she could not successfully keep down the alchohol brew which she and her family were used to. "Every time I tried it just came up again!", she said. It was a sign to her that the Lord who had entered her heart was calling the shots. He was in residence as her King and his laws were now written into her heart.”

It’s the provision of a change of relationship

I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

Psalm 90:1 Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations. 2 Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.

But is He your God? And are you His People?

It’s the Provision of a change of religion

34  they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD:

This is a personal knowledge that they have of God. He says that everyone shall know Him… It reaches out and embraces everybody! And He says, “They shall not teach each man his neighbour and each man his brother, saying ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know Me…” And this word translated “know” means “to know from experience.”

You know, under the old covenant, they would teach line upon line, precept upon precept and they’d go to the rabbi and they’d go to the law in order to find out what you ought to do and all of that. But, there’s something about when Jesus comes into your heart and the Holy Spirit takes up residence, you know Him personally. You have a personal relationship with Him. Isn’t that amazing? I know Him! Why? Because He has put that knowledge in my heart.
That is what the whole book of Jeremiah is about. Its about jettisoning phoney religion and religious stuff and coming to a real personal knowledge of God.

Jer 29:12 Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. 13 And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. 14 And I will be found of you, saith the LORD

Jeremiah 9:23 Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: 24 But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD.

Verse 34, tells us that each man will "know the LORD." The word "know" means an accurate first hand personal knowledge from observation. It will not be second hand knowledge, but an intimate personal experience of the LORD. Thompson notes, it "carries its most profound connotation, the intimate personal knowledge which arises between two persons who are committed wholly to one another in a relationship that touches mind, emotions and will. In such a relationship the past is forgiven and forgotten" (J. A. Thompson, NICOT, Jeremiah, p. 581).

Having the law written on one's heart is not so much a matter of imme­diate knowledge as transformed attitudes and behavior (22: 16). The result is said to be not just the knowledge of the law hut the knowledge of the Lord, i.e., a relationship with the Lord of the covenant hy faith, the goal of all the earlier covenants.75 Van Groningen writes, "As a bride knows her groom and his desires and will, so Yahweh will be known, loved, and honored.”

This is what the Lord wants for your life! He wants you to know Him. He doesn’t just want you to know about Him, He wants you to know Him, as your Lord, your Saviour, your God, your friend.

I love to think about the beautiful words of that hymn “How sweet the Name of Jesus Sounds..

How sweet the Name of Jesus sounds In a believer's ear!
It soothes his sorrow, heals his wounds, And drives away his fear.

2. It makes the wounded spirit whole, And calms the troubled breast;
'Tis manna to the hungry soul, And to the weary, rest.

3. Dear Name, the rock on which I build, My shield and hiding place,
My never failing treasury, filled With boundless stores of grace!

5. Jesus, my Shepherd, Brother, Friend, My Prophet, Priest, and King,
My Lord, my life, my way, my end, Accept the praise I bring.

It’s the provision of a change to redemption.

for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.

“For I will forgive their iniquity and their sin I will remember no more.”
The word “forgive” means “to forgive and keep on forgiving.” “…and I will remember their sin no more”…everlasting forgiveness, everlasting forgetfulness!
Acceptance with God is, therefore, final and complete. Under the new covenant the sins of the redeemed are not only forgiven, but forgotten; not only cancelled, but “blotted out as a morning

cloud” (Isaiah 44:22); not only removed from before his face, but “cast behind his back into the depths of the sea” (Micah 7:19). Under the Levitical priesthood, offering for sins had frequently to be made, being in itself powerless to take them away; but Christ’s sacrifice, being of absolute avail with God, would only have to be once offered in order “to perfect forever them that are sanctified” (Hebrews 10:14).

4. By Thee, my prayers acceptance gain, Although with sin defiled;

Satan accuses me in vain, And I am owned a child.

It’s the provision of security

Jer 31:35 Thus says the LORD, who gives the sun for light by day and the fixed order of the moon and the stars for light by night, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar-- the LORD of hosts is his name:

36 "If this fixed order departs from before me, declares the LORD, then shall the offspring of Israel cease from being a nation before me forever." 37 Thus says the LORD: "If the heavens above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth below can be explored, then I will cast off all the offspring of Israel for all that they have done, declares the LORD."

…as long as the ordinances of God…the ordinances of nature…as long as they exist they’ll be safe… “and when those ordinances disappear then I will cast you away.” See, what God is saying is this. I’m never going to cast you away because these things will never cease to exist. Every time the sun comes up each morning God is saying, “You’re saved! You’re still saved!”
It would be easier to keep the sun from rising than it would be to take my salvation from me. It would be easier to overrule the ordinances of God…to change all the rules of nature than it would be to take away one man’s salvation.
3. This New Covenant would work because Of The Person of The New Covenant

HEBREWS 9:14-15 How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? 15 And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.

Jer 31:31 "Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, 32 not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the LORD. 33 But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

This covenant is one made by the Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 11:23 For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: 24 And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. 25 After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. 26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come.

As Don Henley and Glen Frey wrote, Now it seems to me, some fine things Have been laid upon your table But you only want the ones that you can't get

Desperado, oh, you ain't gettin' no youger Your pain and your hunger, they're drivin' you home And freedom, oh freedom well, that's just some people talkin' Your prison is walking through this world all alone

Desperado, why don't you come to your senses? Come down from your fences, open the gate It may be rainin', but there's a rainbow above you You better let somebody love you, before it's too late

The New covenant begins for you today with these words.

Jer 31:3 The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.

He loves you.

It continues with a whole new covenant for you

Jer 31:31 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant

A new nature

After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.
34 And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.

Forgiveness of sins, and a new opportunity to truly know God.

Desperado..you’ve been away too long. Why don’t you return to Him now and find the peace you want and crave and need so much. He waits to shed His love on you.

# posted by Groseys messages @ 6:02 PM

We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God granted to the churches of Macedonia:
2 during a severe testing by affliction, their abundance of joy and their deep poverty overflowed into the wealth of their generosity.
3 I testify that, on their own, according to their ability and beyond their ability,
4 they begged us insistently for the privilege of sharing in the ministry to the saints,
5 and not just as we had hoped. Instead, they gave themselves especially to the Lord, then to us by God’s will.
6 So we urged Titus that, just as he had begun, so he should also complete this grace to you.
7 Now as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all diligence, and in your love for us—excel also in this grace.
8 I am not saying this as a command. Rather, by means of the diligence of others, I am testing the genuineness of your love.
9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ: although He was rich, for your sake He became poor, so that by His poverty you might become rich.
10 Now I am giving an opinion on this because it is profitable for you, who a year ago began not only to do something but also to desire it.
11 But now finish the task as well, that just as there was eagerness to desire it, so there may also be a completion from what you have.

* Illustrations and pieces are gathered from many, many unacknowledged sources*

Well as I looked at the passage for this week, I don’t know how many times I prayed, “O Lord do you have something ELSE for our folks today?” Couldn’t I preach on one of those wonderfully encouraging texts like Phil 4:13, I am able to do all things through Him who strengthens me.

Or Romans 8:37  No, in all these things we are more than victorious through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing will have the power to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord!

Lord we need encouraging… and you know how little I like to talk about money!”

Folks, I don’t like talking about money, I don’t like thinking about money… if there is one thing that sickens me, it is the continual drive for money present in our society, present in our purchases, present in so much of life.

If I can do something on the cheap I will. And friends, if I could preach to you for free, I surely would.

But, like it or not, I am an expository preacher. That means, when I preach, I go through a book of the Bible. We have gone through many, many books of the Bible here. I’ve preached through the whole New Testament Matthew through to Revelation except for 2 Timothy, Titus and 2 Corinthians, which we are reading through now. So, I guess we should look at this passage.

But then I thought to myself, “How will I start this message off?” It’s not easy talking about money.

Some pastors seem to have no problem about it. I know of a few who preach a 10 minute sermon before each offering, and then a 50 minute one after. I guess you can be thankful for some mercies.

Some years ago in a church setting I was rather worried at the poverty and need a church member was in. This lovely Christian lady was facing terrible financial hardship, yet each week very faithfully she would contribute to the church offering. I shared with the deacons of that church my concern. I am not wise now, I was less then. I went and told her of the concern of the deacons. I told her as graciously and as supportively as I knew how that she was relieved of the responsibility of giving. As I talked with her, tears trickled down her cheeks. She said quietly, "I want to tell you that you are taking away the last thing that gives my life dignity and meaning."

That is the spirit I want to have! It is the same spirit the Macedonians had. They weren't wealthy people. They couldn't afford to give. Many of them were probably people who lived on the streets yet it did not stop them from giving what they did have.

1. CHRISTIANS ARE TO GIVE THEMSELVES TO THE LORD FIRST.

There are a lot of people who don't enjoy giving because they give for they wrong reasons.

(a) SOME GIVE OUT OF DUTY. Duty is a marvellous virtue but it can be awfully joyless. Some churches require their deacons to tithe. It is their DUTY to do so. Can you imagine a prospective deacon---in the interview process---asked if he or she would be willing to tithe if elected. And he says "Well if I have to. I guess I will." Do you think he is going to have fun doing so? Of course not! He'll grind his teeth every week as he writes the check. Tithing out of DUTY is no fun.

(b) OTHERS GIVE BECAUSE THEY'RE AFRAID NOT TO. They're afraid of what God would do to them if they didn't give! It's like the man who parked his car outside a K Mart. A young boy who was watching, came up and said, "I'll watch your car for a dollar." The man said, "Why, it's right here outside the market. What could happen to it?" The boy said, "Well, somebody might put SAND in your petrol tank." The man said, "I had the feeling I was looking at that SOMEBODY so I gave him the dollar knowing it was nothing more than protection money." Wouldn't you hate to think that God is like some petty racketeer who's going to mug you if you don't kick in? Would it be fun to give to God if you thought of Him in that way?

(c) ANOTHER FALSE OR IMPROPER MOTIVE FOR GIVING IS GREED.

Some preachers peddle the idea that if you give, God will make you financially rich. I heard one say, "If you want to be a millionaire, give God $100,000---He can figure out what that is a tithe of." That sort of stuff is like making God some sort of big heavenly poker machine that's been fixed. No---to get any pleasure out of giving we have to have the right motives! Which leads me to my last point.

To enjoy giving, we must put it in the context of our love for Christ and our commitment to Him. This must be our motivation. Did you notice what Paul said about the Macedonians in verse 5 of chapter 8? Look it up. He said, "First they gave of THEMSELVES." And you know, that's what God really wants! He's more interested in your HEART and your MIND and your WILL than He is in your bank account. You see, there's a sense in which until you have surrendered yourself to GOD without any reservation, every request to give creates a spiritual crisis.

I heard about a man who was going to bob a dog's tail and he didn't want to hurt the dog, so he just cut off an inch at a time. There are lots of Christians who live and give like that. Every time they're called on to give or do anything, it creates another crisis. Well to get rid of all that we must SURRENDER OURSELVES TO GOD! Out of our love for Jesus, we must turn our whole life and every part of it --- over to HIM ... and in the giving of ourselves, everything else, including giving our money to His church, becomes nothing but an implementing of what we've already done! Now, on the surface LOVE seems like such a weak motivation compared to LAW or DUTY or FEAR. But only the gifts given out of LOVE enrich the giver.

Hebrews 10:32-34. I want you to see how the overflow of joyin the treasures of heaven produced love in the early Christians in the midst of severe persecution.

Recall the former days when after you were enlightened you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, sometimes being publicly exposed to abuse and affliction and sometimes being partners with those so treated. For you had compassion on the prisoners and you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one.

These Christians were motivated for prison ministry the same way the Macedonians (of 2 Cor. 8:1-8) were motivated to relieve the poor. Their joy in God overflowed in love for others. They looked at their own lives and said "The steadfast love of the Lord is better than life (Ps. 63:3)." They looked at all their possessions and said, "We have a possession in heaven that's better and that lasts longer than any of this." Then they looked at each other and said,

Let goods and kindred go, This mortal life also; The body they may kill, God's truth abideth still, His kingdom is forever.

Hudson Taylor's son records him as saying in later years, "I never made a sacrifice." And his son goes on to comment, "What he said was true, for the compensations were so real and lasting that he came to see that giving up is inevitably receiving when one is dealing heart to heart with God" (Hudson Taylor's Spiritual Secret, p. 30). And out of that heart of joy in God raised up a church of millions in China today.

1. Giving is not about Problems but Priorities (v.2).

What was the problem of these churches? "Deep poverty." If anyone had a reason not to give, it was them. They did not allow their poverty to keep them from their potential. We will always have problems and need. Our enemy will always supply us with a reason to be selfish. When our problems control our stewardship, we limit God’s ability to bless us. We are saying that His grace is not sufficient, that we no longer trust Him.

2. Giving is not about Wealth but Willingness (v.2).

Even in "deep poverty" they were "freely willing." Stewardship has nothing to do with how much you have but what you do with what you have. Remember the widow’s mite? Jesus said, "Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all; for all these out of their abundance have put in offerings for God, but she out of her poverty put in all the livelihood she had" (Lk.21:3-4). Some people say, "If I had a million dollars I would give a lot to the church." First, where are you going to get a million? The lottery? Please! Second, if you don’t give what you have now you would not give then even if you had a million dollars. V.2 says it was "in… their deep poverty" that they "abounded in the riches of their liberality."

3. Giving is not about Obligation but Opportunity (v.4). Paul said they were "imploring us with much urgency." They were literally begging him to take their gift. Amazing… poor people begging to give.

Did you hear about a pastor friend who stood up and said, "I have good news and bad news. The good news is, we have more than enough money to build our new education building and remodel the sanctuary." Follow hearty applause he continued, "The bad news is, it's still in your pockets."

4. Giving is not about Legalism but Lordship (v.5).

In v.5, we learn that "they first gave themselves to the Lord and then to us." First, they gave all they had to Jesus and then giving to help those in need was no problem.

If you don’t get anything else, get this: when Jesus becomes Lord over your life, you will be a good steward. Stewardship is not so much a financial issue as a Lordship issue. When you are surrendered to Him, you will give. When you’ve settled the Lordship issue, you stop quibbling about the small stuff. Some ask, "Should I tithe on the gross or on the net?" Please!!! That’s like saying, "Pastor, how many times should I say ‘Amen’ during your sermon?" or "Darling how many times must I say, ‘I love you’ each day, I’m keeping count." The Macedonians teach us that we should give because Jesus is Lord, not because we feel as though we have to. Note v.9, "though He was rich, for your sakes he became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich."

1,565 references to GIVING or STEWARDSHIP.

2. CHRISTIANS ARE TO GIVE SACRIFICIALLY.

Paul writes in verse 3: FOR I TESTIFY THAT THEY GAVE AS MUCH AS THEY WERE ABLE TO GIVE. He doesn't stop there though, does he? He goes on to say, AND EVEN BEYOND THEIR ABILITY. The Macedonians didn't just give as they were able to give. They gave more than they were able to give.

Billy Graham sometimes tells a story of a strong man who worked in the circus. One of his favourite tricks was to take an orange and squeeze every drop out of it. Then he would tell the audience that if anyone could squeeze just one drop more from the orange, he would give them one thousand dollars. No one ever challenged him, that is until he came to Southern California. Here, a wizened weakling of a man, weighing just 98 pounds, said he would take the challenge. Everyone laughed. The weakling got up, grabbed the orange and squeezed out six more drops of juice. The strong man was amazed. He asked how the man did that. "Oh," he replied, "that's easy. I am the treasurer down at the other church. We do this all the time!"

Once there was a Baptist. He had a very pious look.

He'd been totally immersed, except his pocketbook.

He'd drop a nickel in the plate. And then with might and main

He'd sing, "WHEN WE ASUNDER PART IT GIVES ME INWARD PAIN."

There are three kinds of givers - the flint, the sponge and the honeycomb. To get anything out of a flint you must hammer it. And then you get only chips and sparks. To get water out of a sponge you must squeeze it, and the more you use pressure, the more you will get. But the honeycomb just overflows with its own sweetness. Which kind of giver are you?

Years ago, Dr. Karl Menninger of the Menninger Clinic was asked, "If someone felt a nervous breakdown coming on, what would you suggest that he do?" If you feel a nervous breakdown coming on, I would urge you to find somebody else with a problem - a serious one - and get involved with that individual, helping him solve his problem." In helping him to solve his problem, then in reality your own problem is going to disappear. You're no longer thinking internally. You're no longer letting things gnaw at your stomach. You're no longer getting disturbed about yourself because you're not thinking about yourself. You're thinking about others. I don't know what your objective in life might be, but there is something each one of us can do.

John Wesley knew grinding poverty as a child. His father was the Anglican priest in one of England’s lowest-paying parishes. He had nine children to support and was rarely out of debt. Once John saw his father being marched off to debtor’s prison. When John became a teacher at Oxford University he was paid more than enough to live on. He spent his money on playing cards, tobacco and brandy.

While at Oxford, an incident changed his perspective on money. He had just finished paying for some pictures for his room when one of the chambermaids came to his door. It was a cold winter day, and he noticed that she had nothing to protect her except a thin linen gown. He reached into his pocket to give her some money to buy a coat but found he had too little left. Immediately the thought struck him that the Lord was not pleased with the way he had spent his money. He asked himself, “Will thy Master say, ‘Well done, good and faithful steward’? Thou hast adorned thy walls with the money which might have screened this poor creature form the cold! O justice! O mercy! – Are not these pictures the blood of this poor maid?”

John Wesley pushed the sensible formula on finances: Make all you can, save all you can, give all you can."

1. Gain all you can. Money can be used for good. But do not thereby damage yourself, others, or the environment.

2. Save all you can. Two reasons were not to waste money, and not to increase desires.

3. Give all you can. Giving begins, but does not end, with the tithe.

In 1744 Wesley wrote, “When I die if I leave behind me ten pounds… you and all mankind can bear witness against me, that I have lived and died a thief and a robber.” When he died in 1791, the only money mentioned in his will was the miscellaneous coins to be found in his pockets and dresser drawers. Most of the 30,000 pounds he had earned in his lifetime he had given away.

1. First, they gave out of great affliction(v.2). They were in "a great trial of affliction." "Trial" refers to the testing of metal. The NEB translates, "The troubles they have been through have tried them hard."

2. Second, they gave out of deep poverty (v.2). The words "deep poverty" literally read "poverty down deep." Not just slight poverty, but extreme poverty. The Romans had ravaged Macedonia's economy. These were hard times

3. Third, they gave beyond their ability (v.3). They gave "according to their ability, yes, and beyond their ability." This literally reads, "alongside their power." In other words, they gave all they could and then gave more!

4. Fourth, they gave freely and willingly (v.3). "They were freely willing." There were no high-pressure tactics. They gave of their own initiative, by the leading of the Spirit.

5. Fifth, they view giving as a privilege (v.4). Paul said they were "imploring us with much urgency" to receive their gift. They begged for the opportunity to give.

6. Sixth, they first gave themselves to God (v.5). They realized that God wanted them more than their money and that if He had them, He had their money.

Plenty of people are willing to give God credit, yet few are willing to give Him cash.

Three men had won the lottery and had split the money into 3 equal parts, but all of them wanted to give some of their money to the church. The first man said " I'm going to draw a circle on the ground & throw all my money up in the air, whatever lands in the circle I will keep & the rest I will give to the church."

The second man said " I will throw my money in the air, if it lands heads up, I will give it to the church & the rest I will keep for myself." The third man said " I will throw all of my money up in the air, the money

that stays up in the air, I will give to the church and the money that falls down to the ground, I will keep for myself."

There are two seas in Palestine. One is the fresh and fruitful Sea of Galilee. The other, the Dead Sea, bitter and barren. Why the difference? Galilee both takes and gives. The Dead Sea has no outlet.

# posted by Groseys messages @ 9:57 AM

Jeremiah 30:1 This is]the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord. 2 This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: “Write down on a scroll all the words that I have spoken to you, 3 for the days are certainly coming”—[this is]the Lord’s declaration—“when I will restore the fortunes of My people Israel and Judah”—the Lord’s declaration. “I will restore them to the land I gave to their ancestors and they will possess it.” 4 These are the words the Lord spoke to Israel and Judah. 5 Yes, this is what the Lord says: We have heard a cry of terror, of dread—there is no peace. 6 Ask and see whether a male can give birth. Why then do I see every man with his hands on his stomach like a woman in labor and every face turned pale? 7 How awful that day will be! There will be none like it! It will be a time of trouble for Jacob, but he will be delivered out of it. 8 “On that day”—[this is]the declaration of the Lord of • Hosts—“I will break his yoke from your neck and snap your fetters so strangers will never again enslave him. 9 They will serve the Lord their God and I will raise up David their king for them.” 12 For this is what the Lord says: Your injury is incurable; your wound most severe.13 No one takes up the case for your sores. You have nothing that can heal you. 14 All your lovers have forgotten you; they no longer look for you, for I have struck you like an enemy would, with the discipline of someone cruel, because of your enormous guilt and your innumerable sins. 17 But I will bring you health and will heal you of your wounds— [this is] the Lord’s declaration— for they call you The Outcast, that Zion no one cares about.

1 At the same time, saith the LORD, will I be the God of all the families of Israel, and they shall be my people. 2 Thus saith the LORD, The people which were left of the sword found grace in the wilderness; even Israel, when I went to cause him to rest. 3 The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.

7 For thus saith the LORD; Sing with gladness for Jacob, and shout among the chief of the nations: publish ye, praise ye, and say, O LORD, save thy people, the remnant of Israel. 8 Behold, I will bring them from the north country, and gather them from the coasts of the earth, and with them the blind and the lame, the woman with child and her that travaileth with child together: a great company shall return thither. 9 They shall come with weeping, and with supplications will I lead them: I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters in a straight way, wherein they shall not stumble: for I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn.

15 Thus saith the LORD; A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, and bitter weeping; Rachel weeping for her children refused to be comforted for her children, because they were not. 16 Thus saith the LORD; Refrain thy voice from weeping, and thine eyes from tears: for thy work shall be rewarded, saith the LORD; and they shall come again from the land of the enemy. 17 And there is hope in thine end, saith the LORD, that thy children shall come again to their own border.

18 I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus; Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised, as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke: turn thou me, and I shall be turned; for thou art the LORD my God. 19 Surely after that I was turned, I repented; and after that I was instructed, I smote upon my thigh: I was ashamed, yea, even confounded, because I did bear the reproach of my youth. 20 Is Ephraim my dear son? is he a pleasant child? for since I spake against him, I do earnestly remember him still: therefore my bowels are troubled for him; I will surely have mercy upon him, saith the LORD.

"The Song of Jeremiah", a beautiful section of hope and confidence in the midst of despair and distress.

Chapters 30-33 are a remarkable and unique section of this book. They constitute a trumpet note of hope and certainty arising out of the midst of deepest despair and distress.

This song really is a dream of Jeremiah, for in Chapter 31, Verse 26, a very strange statement is suddenly introduced. Jeremiah says, "Thereupon I awoke and looked, and my sleep was pleasant to me." Then he goes back again to the vision he is expounding. So this prophecy evidently came as a dream to Jeremiah in the night, a vision of the restoration and the glory God has promised his people.

“When judgement finally arrived, something remarkable happened. Jeremiah changed his tune. The next several chapters are filled with some of the most wonderful promises in all of Scripture. After twenty-eight chapters of gloom and doom, Jeremiah came bearing tidings of grace and glory.”

These four chapters emphasise the Future prospects of the people of Judah.

They would experience a new exodus (Jeremiah 30:1 – 31:26)

They would experience a new covenant (Jeremiah 31: 27-40)

The people of Judah would be restored to prosperity

“This is what the LORD says: ‘I will restore the fortunes of Jacob’s tents and have compassion on his dwellings; the city will be rebuilt on her ruins, and the palace will stand in its proper place.’” (Jeremiah 30:18)

The people of Judah would be restored to the Lord

“At that time,” declares the LORD, “I will be the God of all the clans of Israel, and they will be my people.” This is what the LORD says: “The people who survive the sword will find favour in the desert; I will come to give rest to Israel.” (Jeremiah 31:1-2)

The people of Judah would Return to their own land from the ends of the earth

“See, I will bring them from the land of the north and gather them from the ends of the earth. Among them will be the blind and the lame, expectant mothers and women in labour; a great throng will return. They will come with weeping; they will pray as I bring them back.” (Jeremiah 31:8-9)

In Dark days there is a song of comfort, a song of coming deliverance.

Jeremiah 30:1-3 Introduction [This is]the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord. 2 This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: “Write down on a scroll all the words that I have spoken to you, 3 for the days are certainly coming”—[this is]the Lord’s declaration—“when I will restore the fortunes of My people Israel and Judah”—the Lord’s declaration. “I will restore them to the land I gave to their ancestors and they will possess it.”

Everything is summed up in Jeremiah 31:3 the Lord appeared to him from far away. I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore, I have continued to extend faithful love to you.

3 The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.

John Ridley prayed about these words: GOLDEN words! Few more golden in the whole of the Old Testament. Best of all, these golden words were uttered by the Lord Himself. Oh, that Thou, Lord Jesus, wouldst repeat them again to my listening ear and longing heart. Yes, appear as "of old unto me," dear Lord, and whisper these golden words of grace to one who ever "thirsts and faints" to know "the greatness of redeeming love, the love of Christ to me."

Like the storm-tossed John Bunyan, I would pray, "0 Lord, I beseech Thee, show me that Thou hast loved me with everlasting love!" "I have loved Thee with an everlasting love." Then, when the tempter comes to me, as to "honest John Bunyan," to break my peace and blight my sense of God's everlasting love, bear me up with the same precious paraphrase as that granted to him - "I loved thee whilst thou wast sinning this sin, I loved thee before, I love thee still, and I will love thee for ever."

A Double Declaration.

The Declaration of Divine Love and The Declaration Of Divine Drawing.

The Declaration of Divine Love

I have loved thee with an everlasting love:

Love, this is the everyday Hebrew word for love,

The family relationship word.

Everlasting Love: the SCOPE of this love. Without Dimension.

As a father whose heart is tender toward his son--no matter how sharply he must reprimand him--so God is tender toward his people. And behind the darkness and the distress is the everlasting love of God. In this beautiful phrase, "I have loved you with an everlasting love," the word everlasting is one of those words which baffle us. We hardly know what it means. Even in the original language it is difficult to define. Everlasting connotes more than duration, means more than merely "eternal"; it has in it an element of mystery. That is, it refers literally to the "vanishing point." Let your mind run back into the past over all the years of history, and you come to a place where finally you just cannot think any further. Yet logic affirms that even beyond this point there has been existence and time, so this is the vanishing point. And this is what everlasting means. Let your mind run into the future, and you come to the same kind of haziness, a place where you no longer can comprehend what the ages mean, where times and durations seem meaningless. That, again, is the vanishing point in the future, beyond which lie experiences for God's people, but which we are unable to grasp. That is the mystery of this word, everlasting. It is a word which means "beyond dimension,» "greater than we can think." This is what Paul is expressing in Ephesians: ". . . that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have power to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge. . ." (Eph.3:17b-19a). 'With an everlasting love." Not the love of an hour, or a day, or a year, or a decade, or a lifetime. Nay! This is the love of an Eternity; the love of an Eternal Being; the love of "the high and lofty One that inhabiteth Eternity" (Isaiah 57; 15); the lave of Love Himself. It embraced me in the dateless past; it smiled on me in the mighty moment of my new birth; it covered me with its wings in days of war; it consoled me with its comfort in times of trouble; it carried me in its everlasting arms in hours of helplessness; it imparted pity to my poor soul in the pitfalls of sin; it will prevail over all life's perils, and present me at last a prodigy of everlasting love in "Love's own country." Bless the Lord, 0 my soul, for the benefits and blessings of everlasting love!

I have loved you The SOURCE of this love. Where does the love come from? Why, from the One Who is Love. "I have loved. I have opened the sluice-gate of My heart to permit the flood waters of My love to flow to thee."

I have loved YOU.. " TO ME? Yes, this poor sinner is the SUBJECT of this Sovereign Love. "I have loved thee!" Oh, my Lord, My Lord! how shall I ever repay Thee?

Faber: How canst Thou think so well of us yet be the God thou art, Is darkness to my intellect but sunshine to my heart.

Amazing Love How can It Be that Thou My God shouldst die for me.

It is His nature to love.

Faber “Yet Thou dost think so well of us Because of what Thou art; Thy love illumines our intellect Yet fills with fear our heart.”

Loved with everlasting love, Led by grace that love to know:

Spirit, breathing from above, Thou hast taught me it is so!

Oh this full and perfect peace! Oh this transport all divine!

In a love which cannot cease, I am His, and He is mine. W. Robinson

2. The Declaration Of Divine Drawing.

the STRENGTH of this love. 'With loving-kindness have I drawn thee." This magnetism then is the secret strength of that "Love that wilt not let me go." "I have drawn out continually My loving-kindness toward thee."

“Drawn” leading guiding developing.

Why are we afflicted O Lord? “with lovingkindness I have drawn you here”

Why are we mourning and downcast? “with lovingkindness I have drawn you here”

Why are we hemmed in by our enemies O Lord? “with lovingkindness I have drawn you here”

The people of Judah – the depths of despair

They experienced fear

“This is what the LORD says: “ ‘Cries of fear are heard – terror, not peace. Ask and see: Can a man bear children? Then why do I see every strong man with his hands on his stomach like a woman in labour, every face turned deathly pale?” (Jeremiah 30:5-6)

They experienced despair

“This is what the LORD says: ‘Your wound is incurable, your injury beyond healing. There is no-one to plead your cause, no remedy for your sore, no healing for you. All your allies have forgotten you; they care nothing for you.’” (Jeremiah 30:12-14)

They experienced grief

This is what the LORD says: “A voice is heard in Ramah, mourning and great weeping, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because her children are no more.” (Jeremiah 31:15)

Repentance Is Necessary before Restoration.

People are drawn to repentance.

A) Repentance is the work of God. Jer 31:18 I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus; Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised, as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke: turn thou me, and I shall be turned; for thou art the LORD my God. 19 Surely after that I was turned, I repented; and after that I was instructed, I smote upon my thigh: I was ashamed, yea, even confounded, because I did bear the reproach of my youth. 20 Is Ephraim my dear son? is he a pleasant child? for since I spake against him, I do earnestly remember him still: therefore my bowels are troubled for him; I will surely have mercy upon him, saith the LORD. 21 Set thee up waymarks, make thee high heaps: set thine heart toward the highway, even the way which thou wentest: turn again, O virgin of Israel, turn again to these thy cities.

turn thou me, and I shall be turned; for thou art the LORD my God.

2 Tim 2: 24 The Lord’s slave must not quarrel, but must be gentle to everyone, able to teach, and patient, 25 instructing his opponents with gentleness. Perhaps God will grant them repentance to know the truth. 26 Then they may come to their senses and escape the Devil’s trap, having been captured by him to do his will.

B. God uses means to get us to repent.

Jer 31:18 I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus; Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised, as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke:

Perhaps a disabling illness, perhaps the passing away of someone close to us. Perhaps an unfortunate accident. Perhaps it is the disciplining hand of God. Before we experienced it we were like an ox that would not go under the yoke. We were stubborn and resistant. But He humbles us.

C. Repentance involves mourning Over Sin.

Jer 31:18 I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus;

I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, cries the prodigal son.

I smote upon my thigh: I was ashamed, yea, even confounded, because I did bear the reproach of my youth.

2 Cor 7: He announced to us your deep longing, your sorrow, your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced even more. 8 For although I grieved you with my letter, I do not regret it—even though I did regret it since I saw that the letter grieved you, though only for a little while. 9 Now I am rejoicing, not because you were grieved, but because your grief led to repentance. For you were grieved as God willed, so that you didn’t experience any loss from us. 10 For godly grief produces a repentance not to be regretted and leading to salvation, but worldly grief produces death.

D. Genuine repentance includes Turning to God.

: turn thou me, and I shall be turned; for thou art the LORD my God. 19 Surely after that I was turned, I repented; and after that I was instructed,

1 Thess 1:9 For they themselves report about us what kind of reception we had from you: how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, 10 and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.

I will surely have mercy upon him, saith the LORD.

The place of darkness is the place of singing.

Acts 16:22 Then the mob joined in the attack against them, and the chief magistrates stripped off their clothes and ordered them to be beaten with rods. 23 After they had inflicted many blows on them, they threw them in jail, ordering the jailer to keep them securely guarded. 24 Receiving such an order, he put them into the inner prison and secured their feet in the stocks. 25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.

Job God gives songs in the night.

The source of our singing is the everlasting love of God.

# posted by Groseys messages @ 3:59 PM

3 I don’t say this to condemn you, for I have already said that you are in our hearts, to die together and to live together.
4 I have great confidence in you; I have great pride in you. I am filled with encouragement; I am overcome with joy in all our afflictions.
5 In fact, when we came into Macedonia, we had no rest. Instead, we were afflicted in every way: struggles on the outside, fears inside.
6 But God, who comforts the humble, comforted us by the coming of Titus,
7 and not only by his coming, but also by the comfort he received from you. He announced to us your deep longing, your sorrow, your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced even more.
8 For although I grieved you with my letter, I do not regret it—even though I did regret it since I saw that the letter grieved you, though only for a little while.
9 Now I am rejoicing, not because you were grieved, but because your grief led to repentance. For you were grieved as God willed, so that you didn’t experience any loss from us.
10 For godly grief produces a repentance not to be regretted and leading to salvation, but worldly grief produces death.
11 For consider how much diligence this very thing—this grieving as God wills—has produced in you: what a desire to clear yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what deep longing, what zeal, what justice! In every way you have commended yourselves to be pure in this matter.
12 So even though I wrote to you, it was not because of the one who did wrong, or because of the one who was wronged, but in order that your diligence for us might be made plain to you in the sight of God.
13 For this reason we have been comforted. In addition to our comfort, we were made to rejoice even more over the joy Titus had, because his spirit was refreshed by all of you.
14 For if I have made any boast to him about you, I have not been embarrassed; but as I have spoken everything to you in truth, so our boasting to Titus has also turned out to be the truth.
15 And his affection toward you is even greater as he remembers the obedience of all of you, and how you received him with fear and trembling.
16 I rejoice that I have complete confidence in you.

2 Corinthians 7:3-11 WHAT KIND OF PEOPLE SHOULD WE BE?

“Rainy Days and Mondays always get me down” Song by The Carpenters.

Psychiatrist Scott Peck wrote Life is difficult. This is a great truth, one of the greatest truths. It is a great truth because once we truly see this truth, we transcend it. Once we truly know that life is difficult - once we truly understand and accept it - then life is no longer difficult. Because once it is accepted, the fact that life is difficult no longer matters. We must attest to the fact that life was never meant to be easy, and that it is nothing but a battlefield of problems. We can either moan about them or solve them. It is here that the vital role of discipline assumes significance.

In this passage Paul gives us four disciplines that can help us move the difficulties of our problems.

A. Acknowledge Your Anguish

5 In fact, when we came into Macedonia, we had no rest. Instead, we were afflicted in every way: struggles on the outside, fears inside.

1. Physical fatigue Paul wrote, “This body of ours had no rest.” Are you suffering physically today? Paul’s body was wracked with pain from frequent beatings and lack of sleep.

Why can’t a bicycle stand up without a kickstand? Because it’s two-tired.

2. Personal attacks Paul wrote, “We were harassed at every turn” Everywhere Paul went there were those who publicly and viciously opposed him. Have you ever been the target of angry words? It hurts doesn’t it? Abraham Lincoln once had to respond to the charge that he was twofaced. Never known as a handsome man Lincoln replied, “If I were two faced, would I be wearing this one?” I love his quote in response to his critics. He wrote: “If I care to listen to every criticism, let alone act on them, then this shop may as well be closed for all other businesses. I have learned to do my best, and if the end result is good then I do not care for any criticism, but if the end result is not good, then even the praise of ten angels would not make the difference.”

3. Outward conflicts Paul mentioned “conflicts on the outside.” This phrase applies to troubling circumstances over which we have no control. There are only two kinds of circumstances in life: Those that we can do something about and those that we can’t.

4. Inward fears Paul also mentions, “fears within.” There were times when Paul feared for his own life. Fear can paralyze you.

B. Be Aware Of Your Boosters

1. Turn to God FIRST when you’re in trouble

6 But God, who comforts the humble,
6 Nevertheless God, that comforteth those that are cast down,

(AMP) But God, Who comforts and encourages and refreshes and cheers the depressed and the sinking, comforted and encouraged and refreshed and cheered us by the arrival of Titus.

(ESV) But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus,

Psalm 40: I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. 2 He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. 3 And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD. 4 Blessed is that man that maketh the LORD his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.

2. Look for joy IN the midst of trouble Phil 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice. 1 Thess 5: 16 Rejoice evermore. 17 Pray without ceasing. 18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

C. Commit To Church

1. Rely on Godly friends to strengthen you

When Paul was suffering, another way that God converted his trouble into joy was by sending his friend Titus to be with him. Paul wrote, “But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus.” (2 Corinthians 7:6) 6 But God, who comforts the humble, comforted us by the coming of Titus,

“A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” (Proverbs 18:24)

2. Stay connected to your church family

Even with all the problems Paul had with the congregation at Corinth, he wrote, “I have great confidence in you; I take great pride in you. I am greatly encouraged.” (2 Corinthians 7:4)

A Little Push and Pull

A little push when the road is steep May take one up the hill;

A little prayer when the clouds hang low May bring the soul a thrill;

A little lift when the load bears down May help one to succeed;

A little pull when the will slows down May help one gain his speed.

A little clasp from a hand that’s kind May lift from crushing care;

A little word from a voice that’s sweet May save one from despair;

A little smile when the heart is sad May bring a sunbeam in;

A loving word when the spirit droops May help one rise and win.

A little love for a soul that’s lost May help him seek God’s grace;

A little tear and a “God bless you” May brighten someone’s face;

A little deed from a Christian’s heart May bless a weary soul;

A little boost when the battle’s hard May take one to his goal. — Walter E. Isenhour

D. Deign To Be Disciplined

He announced to us your deep longing, your sorrow, your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced even more.
8 For although I grieved you with my letter, I do not regret it—even though I did regret it since I saw that the letter grieved you, though only for a little while.
9 Now I am rejoicing, not because you were grieved, but because your grief led to repentance. For you were grieved as God willed, so that you didn’t experience any loss from us.
10 For godly grief produces a repentance not to be regretted and leading to salvation, but worldly grief produces death.
The context of this passage is that Paul had written a harsh letter to the congregation at Corinth.

We don’t have this painful letter, but as a result of it, the members of the church repented.

How central a place in the Bible is the theme of repentance. Consider the Great Commission. It includes a command to preach repentance: "that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be preached in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem" (Lk. 24:47). John Miller pointed out that, "This is the age of the Spirit, and the age of the Spirit is the age of repentance. This new day was introduced by John the Baptist and Jesus (Mk.1:4, 14,15). The apostolic message to the unconverted is a testimony of 'repentance towards God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ' (Acts 20:21). At Athens the sophisticated Greeks are told that this is a very special time in which they live. By raising Jesus from the dead, God has served notice to all men everywhere to repent because he has fixed a day for judging the world by this same man (Acts 17:30-31). The Spirit has the same message for the churches of Asia Minor. 'Be zealous and repent,' says Christ and the Spirit (Rev. 3:19).

"But most important of all it is at Pentecost that the power of the new age descends. Here we discover that the new order does not begin with an invitation to seek the Spirit first of all. Rather, men are commanded to repent for what they have done with Jesus. Then they are assured that they, too, will be filled with the Spirit of promise. Peter says: 'Repent, and be baptised every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit' (Acts 2:38, see also 3:19&20) [C. John Miller, "Repentance and the Twentieth Century Man", CLC, 1975, p.13).

So repentance is about turning right around, changing one's mind so that one's views, values, goals, and ways are changed and one's whole life is lived differently. The change is radical, both inwardly and outwardly; mind and judgment, will and affection, behaviour and life-style, motives and purposes, are all involved. Repenting means going in a new direction and living a new life. I

St. Anselm once cried out "Oh! sinner that I have been, I will spend all the rest of my life in repenting of my whole life!" And Rowland Hill, whom I think I might call St. Rowland, when he was near death, said he had one regret, and that was that a dear friend who had lived with him for sixty years would have to leave him at the gate of heaven. "That dear friend," said he, "is repentance; repentance has been with me all my life, and I think I shall drop a tear," said the good man, "as I go through the gates, to think that I can repent no more."

Repentance is Admitting you have sinned;

"'I will to-morrow, that I will, I will be sure to do it';
To-morrow comes, to-morrow goes, And still thou art 'to do it';
Thus, then, repentance is deferred from one day to another,
Until the day of death is one, And judgment is the other."

Repentance is Being Sorry for your failure;

Sir Elton John, who said: “It’s sad, so sad; It’s a sad, sad situation; And it’s getting more and more absurd; It’s sad, so sad; Why can’t we talk it over; Oh it seems to me; That sorry seems to be the hardest word.”

James 4:8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. 9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.

“I walked a mile with Laughter; She chatted all the way; But I was none the wiser; For all she had to say. I walked a while with Sorrow; And not a word said she; But, oh, the things I learned; When Sorrow walked with me.”

Don’t confuse godly sorrow with the general sorrow that comes whenever we face the sadness

over the loss of someone or something we love.

Godly sorrow comes from internal realization of sin we have committed.

More than remorse.. Judas showed remorse but not repentance.. matt 27:1 When the morning was come, all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death: 2 And when they had bound him, they led him away, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the governor. 3 Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, 4 Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that. 5 And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself.

Esau shopwed remorse not repentance Hebrews 12 ¹⁴ Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: 15 Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; 16 Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. 17 For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.

Repentance is Changing your direction.

11 For consider how much diligence this very thing—this grieving as God wills—has produced in you: what a desire to clear yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what deep longing, what zeal, what justice! In every way you have commended yourselves to be pure in this matter. 12 So even though I wrote to you, it was not because of the one who did wrong, or because of the one who was wronged, but in order that your diligence for us might be made plain to you in the sight of God. 13 For this reason we have been comforted.

Repentance is to leave The sins we loved before; And show that we in earnest grieve, By doing so no more.

When we experience godly sorrow, it doesn’t just cause us grief, it creates in us a distaste and

hatred for our sin. The Bible says, “See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what

earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm ...” (2 Corinthians 7:11 NIV)

Just saying "I'm sorry" is not enough for God either. The leaders of Israel, in the face of trouble brought on by their sin, thought that merely returning to prescribed sacrificial offerings would solve their problems. But God rejected that kind of "repentance." It was as fleeting as "a morning cloud" and "the early dew" that fades away with the first rays of sunlight (Hosea 6:4).

Merely saying "I'm sorry" is no different than the empty rituals of the Israelites. God said, "I desire mercy and not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings" (v.6). He meant that repentance must result in a change of heart and a change in behavior. That's "godly sorrow"

Beyond grief over my sin and a hatred for my sin, godly sorrow also creates a desire in my heart to live a life of purity.

John Owen. In his book The Mortification of Sin in Believers he wrote: “Be killing sin; or sin will be killing you.” That’s still good advice today. Godly sorrow will not only make you grieve, it will make you hate sin, and it will create in you a desire to live a life of purity.

Luke 15:14 And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want. 15 And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. 17 And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, 19 And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. 20 And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. 21 And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. 22 But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: 23 And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: 24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.

You will be received. A model of this is found in a modern song.

Tie a Yellow Ribbon 'Round the Old Oak Tree"

Tie a yellow ribbon 'round the old oak tree It's been three long years. Do you still want me?
If I don't see a ribbon round the old oak tree I'll stay on the bus, forget about us, put the blame on me.
If I don't see a yellow ribbon round the old oak tree. Now the whole bus is cheering and I can't believe I see a hundred yellow ribbons 'round the old oak tree!"

The symbol became widely known in civilian life in the 1970s. It was the central theme of the popular song "Tie a Yellow Ribbon 'Round the Ole Oak Tree", Written by Irwin Levine and L. Russell Brown and recorded by Tony Orlando and Dawn among many others, as the sign a released convict requested from his wife or lover, to indicate that she still wanted him and that he would therefore be welcome to return home. He would be able to see it from the bus driving by their house, and would stay on the bus in the absence of the ribbon. He turned out to be very welcome: there were a hundred yellow ribbons. In October of 1971, newspaper columnist Pete Hamill wrote a piece for the New York Post called "Going Home." In it, college students on a bus trip to the beaches of Fort Lauderdale make friends with an ex-convict who is watching for a yellow handkerchief on a roadside oak.

# posted by Groseys messages @ 9:23 AM