Revelation 3:7-8 “These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. 8 I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut.” 

College outreach and ministry is kind of a special thing for me for two reasons.

First of all, my mother became a Christian when she was in college. She was a very lost, lonely, and searching person, and it was through college ministry that she met Jesus, and it was through the love and support of the local church that she grew in him. And my dad soon began dating my mom again after a five or six year hiatus, and became a Christian because my mom became a Christian.

Without going into too much detail, I don’t know if either of them would be alive if they hadn’t become Christians. My five siblings and I certainly wouldn’t be here, that’s for sure. And my mom became a Christian because God used people (young and old) who had hearts for reaching young adults at a secular university, and went through that open door.

My second reason is from my own experience. By the time I went to college, I was kind of disillusioned with the institution of church and with fellowship, due to bad youth groups, judgment, and weird experiences in the church. But because it was important to my mom and my older sister, I went to the Christian college group at UMASS Lowell, and I met Melissa, who was the full time minister. Needless to say, she was a very special person: she was a friend to me, a counselor, someone who listened and reserved judgment. And she was this person to many people.

Melissa ended up going to Gordon Conwell and getting her master’s in divinity, and she later moved back south to work on another college campus. She saw open doors everywhere, and everywhere she went, God used her powerfully to reach college students.

This past Friday afternoon, Melissa went to be with Jesus after a five-month struggle with cancer. She was only thirty-three years old. And it seems really senseless to me. But my husband said that while it is senseless and very sad, God is taking care of her now, and she accomplished more in her short life than some people do after seventy or eighty years. Her facebook page is filled with messages from former students and friends, remembering her, thanking her, and thanking God for her and for using her the way that he did. Her impact and ministry continues, with me, and with all the other people who were touched by her.

And so the door for her ministry can’t be closed by death. It is still open. And it has opened hundreds of other doors.

The door is open. It always was open, it always is open, and it will stay open to us. We just need to go through. 

Check out Vince's sermon, God Says: "Hear Me, Share Me. I Have Left an Open Door" here. 

Sunday we examined giving primarily from an Old Testament perspective.  In that message, I briefly mentioned that NT giving surpasses OT giving.  In this blog I’d like to briefly examine one final principle of giving from the NT.

Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints.  2 Corinthians 8:3b-4

Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.  2 Corinthians 9:7

NT giving is joyful.  We don’t give reluctantly.  We don’t give under compulsion.  We freely choose to give.  Why?  We choose to freely extend the grace we ourselves have received.  Giving is a privilege.  It’s a joy to serve the saints with our giving.

We often start our giving journey out of simple obedience.  I did.  But I’ve found that what started as duty has turned to delight over time. And that’s my hope for us all.

Sunday we examined giving primarily from an Old Testament perspective.  In that message I briefly mentioned that NT giving surpasses OT giving.  In this blog I’d like to briefly examine one principle of giving from the NT.

And now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches.  Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity.  For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability.  2 Corinthians 8:1-3

In this passage, Paul is trying to get the Corinthian church to make good on their pledge to support the church back in Jerusalem.  Paul mentions the churches in Macedonia.  He wants the church at Corinth to follow their example.

How did the Macedonians give?  They gave sacrificially. 

We can give less than our ability.  We can give according to our ability.  In either case, we are fairly comfortable that our giving won’t hurt us in any way.  If God blesses our giving, that’s great.  If not, that is OK.  We have enough. 

Or we can give beyond our ability.  We can give sacrificially.  We can give in a way that costs us something.  We can give what we believe is beyond our ability.  We can give what we think we need ourselves in order to benefit others.

This is why I, and many other teachers, teach that a tithe is the floor to Christian giving, not the ceiling.  If you make 30,000 a year, a tithe is probably sacrificial giving.  It costs you.  You’ll have to make difficult lifestyle choices and go without.  But if you make 3,000,000 a year, a tithe is not sacrificial giving.  You will not have to make difficult lifestyle choices or go without.  It costs you nothing.

Those are easy examples.  Many of us probably make somewhere between 30 thousand and 3 million a year.  So how do we know if we’re giving sacrificially?

First, are we tithing?  I don’t think we can claim our giving is sacrificial if we’re not tithing.  God asks the agrarian poor living over two thousand years ago to tithe.  If they could do, it so can we.

Second, if we are already tithing, is our giving costing us something?  Are there things we’d like that we choose to go without in order to give more?  Are there vacations we pass up?  Are there purchases we do without?  Is there anything we deprive ourselves of so we can give?

Let me be clear: I’m not saying we should always deprive ourselves and all take up vows of voluntary poverty.  But I am saying that if we never deprive ourselves in order to give, then our giving is not yet sacrificial and we have some growing to do.

New Testament giving is sacrificial. Our giving costs us something. 

On Sunday we examined giving primarily from an Old Testament perspective. In that message I briefly mentioned that New Testament giving surpasses Old Testament giving.  In this blog I’d like to briefly examine two principles of giving from the NT.

Now about the collection for God’s people: Do what I told the Galatian churches to do. On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made.  1 Corinthians 16:1-2

Who is supposed to give according to the apostle Paul?  Everyone. Each one of you.  New Testament giving is inclusive—it includes everyone in the church.  This includes college students, high school students, and grade school students. Who should give?  Everyone.  The gifts may be of little consequence for the church (this is not a good fundraising strategy).   But these gifts will be of great consequence to the giver.  It’s never too early to start giving because it’s never too early to receive blessings from the Lord.

When are we supposed to give?  Regularly.  In this case Paul says weekly.  But the principle is regularly.  If you get paid weekly, give weekly.  If you get paid monthly, give monthly.  If you get paid on an irregular basis, give when you get paid.

Malachi and Paul agree: God blesses giving.  Materially and spiritually, God blesses giving.  Why?  That’s the subject of this post.

Generally, God blesses and rewards obedience.  A lot of folks are uncomfortable with this idea.  God is not.  All throughout the Scriptures, God blesses and rewards obedience.

Moreover, God is good.  He loves to give good gifts to his children.  We saw that in Jesus’ teaching on prayer from Matthew 7. 

But Paul gives one more reason in 2 Corinthians 9.  Why does God reward our giving?  It’s so we can abound in every good work (2 Cor 9:8).  It’s so we can be generous on every occasion (2 Cor 9:11). 

This is important.  Some Christians believe in a prosperity gospel.  They teach God wants his children rich, healthy, and prosperous. We are blessed by God so we can be blessed--end of story. And like many perversions of the gospel, there are elements of truth here.  God does reward faithfulness and God does want to bless his children simply because he loves them.

But let’s also remember we are children of Abraham.  God blessed Abraham.  Why?  So that Abraham would be a blessing to the nations.  God blessed Israel.  Why?  So that Israel would be a blessing to the nations.  And God blesses us.  Why?  So that we can be a blessing to God’s people everywhere, and we can be a blessing to all the nations.

We are blessed to be a blessing.  This was God’s plan for his people from the very beginning.  It starts with Abraham.  It continues with us.

God says, “Test Me.  Give.  I will bless your giving.” This is what God says to Israel, and this is also what God says to us.

Sunday we examined this teaching from the prophet Malachi.  In this blog I’d like to briefly examine this teaching from the apostle Paul.

Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that 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.”

Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanks.giving to God.

2 Corinthians 9: 6-11 

Like Malachi, Paul teaches that God blesses our giving materially.  God is able.  He makes grace abound.  In all things and at all times, God provides all we need. More than that, He also increases our store of seed. 

But Paul continues. In Malachi the blessings for giving are material.  In 2 Corinthians, the blessings for giving are material and spiritual.  God enlarges not just our store of seed (material) but also our harvest of righteousness (spiritual).  God makes us rich in every way.

Some of our small groups will be reviewing and applying Sunday's message each week in their study and discussion. This blog is for them. But even is your group is studying something else, you may want to ask yourselves these questions for your own benefit. This blog is for you, too.

Sermon Recap: God says, "Test me! Give. I'll provide for you financially, I'll protect you financially, and I'll bless you financially."

The first thing I'd suggest for groups to do is re-read Malachi 3:6-11. Next, read 2 Corinthians 9:6-11.

There are two suggested Content Related questions:

• Question One: In what ways does Paul affirm Malachi's teaching?
• Question Two: In what ways does Paul expand on Malachi's teaching?

Here are three suggested Application Related questions:

• Question One: Have you ever experienced a material blessing from God in response to your giving? Share with your group.
• Question Two: Have you ever experienced a spiritual blessing from God in response to your giving? Share wth your group.
• Question Three: What practical steps are you planning on taking to grow in the grace of giving? If you're unsure, ask others in the group for suggestions on what they've done.

I hope this helps. Enjoy your groups this week!

What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you?  You want something but don’t get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God.  When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.  James 4:1-3

Wrong motives.  Bad motives.  Selfish motives. These will hinder our prayers.

Let’s say I ask God to bless me financially. God may very well examine my motive for this prayer. Do I want more money so I can buy everything I’ve always wanted? That’s a bad motivation. Or do I want more money so I can be more generous? That’s a good motivation.

Why we ask God for something is as important as what we ask God for.

So when we’re feeling like our prayers are not getting answered with a yes, it’s good to question: Why am I asking God for this?  What are my motives? 

God is a good parent.  And like all good parents he doesn’t always give us what we ask for immediately. Sometimes he says wait. Sometimes he says no. That’s not because God doesn’t love us. It’s because he does.

Looking back, I’m glad God said no to some of my prayers. Why?  Often I was asking for the wrong things.  And often I was asking for the wrong reasons.  And if God had answered yes to those prayers, I’d be a worse human being today. 

So these days I spend more time asking God to extend his reign on earth.  I already know that he wants to do that, and so I know he’ll answer in the affirmative.

And these days I spend more time asking the Father to bring Jesus glory.  I already know that’s what he wants, so I know he’ll answer in the affirmative.

And remember: motives matter.  Why we ask God for something is as important as what we ask God for.  Poorly motivated prayers are not effective prayers. And that’s actually a very good thing.  We have a God who will disappoint his children’s selfish requests for their long term good; therefore, we have a good Heavenly Father.  

“Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. “I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”  Mark 11:22-25

In this passage Jesus agrees with James.  Pray.  Prayer works.  And pray with faith not doubt.  Doubtful prayers are not effective prayers.

But Jesus adds something else.  Forgive one another.  A lack of forgiveness hinders our prayers just like doubt.

It is a dangerous thing to withhold forgiveness.  It hinders our prayers in general.  And it specifically hinders our ability to ask for and receive forgiveness from God. 

When I’m feeling like my prayers are going nowhere, when I feel like my prayers are getting no response, and when I feel like my prayers are useless, the first thing I do is consider whether I’m withholding forgiveness.  And if I am, I forgive right then and there.  I suggest you do the same. 

A lack of forgiveness is a huge hindrance to effective prayer.  So forgive.  And then pray.

If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord.  James 1:5-7

James agrees with Jesus.  Ask and it will be given.  God gives generously to all without finding fault.  Prayer works.

But James adds a qualifier.  We must believe and not doubt.  Doubt hinders the effectiveness of our prayers.

But what does that mean?  What does it mean to say we should pray and not doubt?  That is the subject of this post.

Here’s what I think James means.  We should pray believing God can answer our prayers for help. And we should pray believing God wants to answer our prayers. We are to pray believing God is willing and able to help and therefore that help will come.

But as James warns us, if we pray doubting God is willing or able to help we should not expect help will come.  This is a sobering warning.  But it makes sense.  Insulting someone’s character and abilities and then asking that person for help doesn’t go over well with people. It doesn’t go over well with God either. But James does not say help will not come. He just says you can’t expect it. Our doubt negates the promise. But God can and has answered doubtful prayers. He is gracious. But if we want to claim the promise, we have to demonstrate the faith.

But before concluding this post I want to clarify what I mean. We are to pray believing God is willing and able to help and help will come.  What does that mean? 

It means remembering God is God. He’s smarter than us. The timing of his help is his business. Sometimes there’s a delay. If so, that’s because God has deemed it best for us not to answer immediately.

When we remember God is God, we remind ourselves that He’s wiser than us. The manner of his help is his business.  Sometimes the help comes in a manner we did not conceive of.  If so, that’s because God has deemed it best for us to send help in his own way.

So here’s how I pray. When I ask God for something, I always start by acknowledging his power and his goodness.  I start by confessing that I believe God is willing and able to answer my prayer for help.  And I continue in prayer by asking God to help in a specific manner at a specific time (usually right now!).  But I allow God to be God.  If God chooses to send help in a different way—that’s OK with me.  If God chooses to delay the help for some reason—that’s OK with me.  But I always believe help will come. 

So let’s pray. Prayer works. When we ask for help we are to believe help will come. The manner and the timing of the help is God’s business. But help will come. That’s how we pray in faith.