Giving with Faith
an Exhortation by Frances C. Fabila
13 June 2010
I like it when it’s “Promise Verse” Tuesday at prayer meeting… it is fun looking for bible verses that contain God’s promises to His children…
Psalm 37 is packed with promises from God – and my favorite promise is found in this chapter… psalm 37:25… I was young and now I am old,
yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken
or their children begging bread.
Finances affect every area of our lives. In the past year or two, the economy has spawned controversy and confusion, not to mention loss of jobs, homes, and dignity. National and personal debt levels have spiraled beyond imagination. The newspapers and the personal finance section on Yahoo! show articles that give you fear and anxiety about your financial future. We complained about gas prices, rising interest rates on credit cards and loans, prices of food and important commodities also went up – the worst part of it all is, our employers stopped giving raises… no more bonuses and salary adjustments. We’re like… how in the world are we going to meet my budget now? And 90% of the time, when we have to adjust our budget, what’s the one item that gets cut or gets affected? --- our CHURCH TITHES! Ahh… God will understand. Maybe, if God gives me a better paying job, then I can pay my tithes.
This is backwards thinking… we don’t justify not giving our tithes to church because we don’t have a job that can help pay our tithes… it’s the other way around! We put our faith in God by surrendering our all to him through giving to church… and MAYBE… He will bless us with a good job to support our financial needs.
In the tough times that we are in these days, the promise of God written in the book of Psalms gives me comfort all the time. It reminds of His faithfulness… that His provision defies the economy. His promises are our greatest asset.
Jesus taught: “Do not worry saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things…before you ask Him.”
When we feel anxious about our finances, I challenge you to recall how God has met your needs in the past. Rehearse the wonderful stories in your heart. As you do this, you will receive hope as you pray for God’s provision one more time, and you will foster trust in a great big God who promises to care for His children. If we take time to really look for them, we will discover wonderful blessings that God has given us in each of our lives. We take so many of them for granted that we forget to truly thank Him for all that He does for us.
There’s an old story told about a seamstress in 19th century France who happened to be blind. One day her church was trying to raise some money for a mission and she handed over 20 francs. In those days that was a lot of money and her seamstress friends around her wondered how she could give so much to the church.
“What does it cost you,” she asked them, “to pay for kerosene to light your lamps, so that you can work at night?”
“About 20 francs a year,” they replied.
“Therefore, because I am blind,” the seamstress explained, “the Lord saves me 20 francs per year. I want to give it back to Him, so that this mission can bring the light of the Gospel to other lands.”
It’s a beautiful story and a reminder that even in these trying financial times, the Lord’s work carries on throughout the world. So let us all take this lesson to heart and make an intentional effort to continue to excel in this grace of giving, even in these trying times. Take time to peek into the back seat of your memory, and remember God’s blessings and never-changing faithfulness.
As we each try to budget because of high gas prices and the soaring cost of food, let’s not forget the blessings that God sustains us with each day. Even in the midst of an economic recession, God never holds back or diminishes His blessings to us… so let us not hold back in supporting His ministry as well…
Because as Paul also wrote in his letter to the Corinthians in
2 Corinthians 8:7 But just as you excel in everything-in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us-see that you also excel in this grace of giving.
Thursday, August 26. 2010
Exhortation on Giving with Faith
Wednesday, August 25. 2010
Sermon 22August2010
Remain In Me
Psalm 71:1-6
John 15:1-8
August 22, 2010
Rev. Sam Fabila
NAPA valley is a very good place to go if you want to see grape plantation or vineyard. There you could see many kinds of factories that produce good wine. As Jesus and His disciples walked from the upper room to the Mount of Olives, they may have passed many vineyard – grape plantation. Perhaps it was at one of those that Jesus stopped and – pointing at the vine offered is one of the best teachings on discipleship recorded by John in chapter 15 verses 1-8. From this story let us learn important things relating to our Christian discipleship and see its nature and expectations. What is it to be follower of Christ?
The analogy (verse 1)
- Jesus is the vine
The Lord said, “I am the vine. . . .” This is the last of the seven I am he mentioned about him recorded by John. Here Jesus again confirms the claim that he is God. In the book of Genesis, when Moses asked Yahweh about His name so that he can also tell the people about it so that they will believe Moses, Yahweh replied “I AM who I Am thus you shall say to your people I Am who I am has sent me to you” (Exodus 3:14). Jesus has the authority to say I Am because He God incarnate.
The vine is the one that holds all the branches together. It is through the vine where the nutrients from the soil pass going to the branches and leaves. When Jesus said, “I am the vine.” He was also saying that I am the only one that can hold you together. I am the only one that can provide you the power and strength you need even as you produce the kind of fruit expected of you as Christians. Without me , you can not do anything. It is the vine that is directly connected to the ground and through its root gets the resources needed for the growth of the whole plant. The Father gave to Jesus all the power. We can only have power through Him. Jesus is the only vine that holds the church (branches) together.
- We are the branches
For the vine to produce more must have more branches. As branches we are many but all connected in one vine. Branches are expected to bear fruit. Branches could only bear fruit if it is connected to the vine. If we are not producing fruit and the kind of fruit expected of the us, where are we connected? Good tree produces good fruit. What kind of fruit can we expect from bad tree? We are just branches. We have no power to take care of our needs. Ours is to produce good fruit. The power and resources are from God. Remember the fable of the Monkey and the Turtle? A life connected to the Lord is assured of producing fruit.
- The Father is the gardener
We are not the gardener in the vineyard. There is one greater than us who cause the vine to grow and produce much fruit. God is the one that manages the vineyard. It is in his desire that the vineyard shall grow and produce. God did not bring us into his place of ministry left to fend for ourselves. Provisions are always there for us to appropriate. God is the Jehovah Jireh who provides our needs. In His words we find the nourishment we need that would keep us strong as face the challenge of life. God delights in a productive life.
The teaching (verse 2-4)
As we read this simile, it seems that the message is enough for us to understand what he meant. But the Lord added some things for us to remember as we look at ourselves as branches connected to the vine. There are two kinds of branches, the fruitful and the unfruitful one.
- The unfruitful are cut off. They cut off and thrown away. They are as good as nothing except to be used as firewood, charcoal or be thrown into the thrash because it produces nothing.
- The fruitful are pruned. In order to for the branch to keep producing fruit. It must be pruned. Twigs of timidity must be taken away so that a bud of courage is sprout. Leaves of pride must be cut off so that new leaf forgiveness will develop.
- The pruning is through God’s word
It is in the Bible where we find that Timidity and pride have no place in the heart of a believer.
- The fruit comes as we remain connected to the vine
To be connected does not only mean you know the Lord. To be connected is to show the same nature and character of the Lord.
The warning (verses 5-6)
- Those who remain connected to Jesus will bear much fruit
To say that you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ is not enough. To follow Him is what matters. If we hear and do not obey, we would be like those who build there house in sand. It could easily be destroy by storms because it has no solid foundation. But those who hear and obey are like those who build their house in the rock. No storms of life can destroy is because it is built on a solid foundation.
Staying connected with the Lord is living a life that seeks to follow and obey God’s will and command.
- Those who do not remain connected to Jesus will be thrown away, wither and burn. In fact some of these branches need not be cut off because ultimately they will be separated from the vine. Little by little they will find themselves far from the Lord. As days go by they are slowly shying away from the Lord and enjoying the things of the world.
The Promise (verses 7-8)
How is God at work pruning me? Have I become unfruitful? Have I become disconnected? How might I revitalize my relationship with Jesus?
Psalm 71:1-6
John 15:1-8
August 22, 2010
Rev. Sam Fabila
NAPA valley is a very good place to go if you want to see grape plantation or vineyard. There you could see many kinds of factories that produce good wine. As Jesus and His disciples walked from the upper room to the Mount of Olives, they may have passed many vineyard – grape plantation. Perhaps it was at one of those that Jesus stopped and – pointing at the vine offered is one of the best teachings on discipleship recorded by John in chapter 15 verses 1-8. From this story let us learn important things relating to our Christian discipleship and see its nature and expectations. What is it to be follower of Christ?
The analogy (verse 1)
- Jesus is the vine
The Lord said, “I am the vine. . . .” This is the last of the seven I am he mentioned about him recorded by John. Here Jesus again confirms the claim that he is God. In the book of Genesis, when Moses asked Yahweh about His name so that he can also tell the people about it so that they will believe Moses, Yahweh replied “I AM who I Am thus you shall say to your people I Am who I am has sent me to you” (Exodus 3:14). Jesus has the authority to say I Am because He God incarnate.
The vine is the one that holds all the branches together. It is through the vine where the nutrients from the soil pass going to the branches and leaves. When Jesus said, “I am the vine.” He was also saying that I am the only one that can hold you together. I am the only one that can provide you the power and strength you need even as you produce the kind of fruit expected of you as Christians. Without me , you can not do anything. It is the vine that is directly connected to the ground and through its root gets the resources needed for the growth of the whole plant. The Father gave to Jesus all the power. We can only have power through Him. Jesus is the only vine that holds the church (branches) together.
- We are the branches
For the vine to produce more must have more branches. As branches we are many but all connected in one vine. Branches are expected to bear fruit. Branches could only bear fruit if it is connected to the vine. If we are not producing fruit and the kind of fruit expected of the us, where are we connected? Good tree produces good fruit. What kind of fruit can we expect from bad tree? We are just branches. We have no power to take care of our needs. Ours is to produce good fruit. The power and resources are from God. Remember the fable of the Monkey and the Turtle? A life connected to the Lord is assured of producing fruit.
- The Father is the gardener
We are not the gardener in the vineyard. There is one greater than us who cause the vine to grow and produce much fruit. God is the one that manages the vineyard. It is in his desire that the vineyard shall grow and produce. God did not bring us into his place of ministry left to fend for ourselves. Provisions are always there for us to appropriate. God is the Jehovah Jireh who provides our needs. In His words we find the nourishment we need that would keep us strong as face the challenge of life. God delights in a productive life.
The teaching (verse 2-4)
As we read this simile, it seems that the message is enough for us to understand what he meant. But the Lord added some things for us to remember as we look at ourselves as branches connected to the vine. There are two kinds of branches, the fruitful and the unfruitful one.
- The unfruitful are cut off. They cut off and thrown away. They are as good as nothing except to be used as firewood, charcoal or be thrown into the thrash because it produces nothing.
- The fruitful are pruned. In order to for the branch to keep producing fruit. It must be pruned. Twigs of timidity must be taken away so that a bud of courage is sprout. Leaves of pride must be cut off so that new leaf forgiveness will develop.
- The pruning is through God’s word
It is in the Bible where we find that Timidity and pride have no place in the heart of a believer.
- The fruit comes as we remain connected to the vine
To be connected does not only mean you know the Lord. To be connected is to show the same nature and character of the Lord.
The warning (verses 5-6)
- Those who remain connected to Jesus will bear much fruit
To say that you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ is not enough. To follow Him is what matters. If we hear and do not obey, we would be like those who build there house in sand. It could easily be destroy by storms because it has no solid foundation. But those who hear and obey are like those who build their house in the rock. No storms of life can destroy is because it is built on a solid foundation.
Staying connected with the Lord is living a life that seeks to follow and obey God’s will and command.
- Those who do not remain connected to Jesus will be thrown away, wither and burn. In fact some of these branches need not be cut off because ultimately they will be separated from the vine. Little by little they will find themselves far from the Lord. As days go by they are slowly shying away from the Lord and enjoying the things of the world.
The Promise (verses 7-8)
How is God at work pruning me? Have I become unfruitful? Have I become disconnected? How might I revitalize my relationship with Jesus?
