2 Corinthians 8:10-12 

¹⁰And here is my judgment about what is best for you in this matter. Last year you were the first not only to give but also to have the desire to do so. ¹¹Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means. ¹²For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what one does not have.

Sana All

         Have you ever said the phrase, “Sana all?” When you say “Sana all,” you wish everyone to have what others have. It also implies you are glad for those who have good things. For instance: You went fishing and your friend caught a huge walleye fish, you may wish, “Sana all!”

         You rejoice with your friend catching a huge walleye, and you wish also to catch similar huge walleye fish. Anyway, we don’t just wish for good things to happen in our life. We can also pray. God grants good things to happen also if it is within his plan. So, don’t just wish for it. Pray about it.

         How do you interpret what it declares in Psalm 146:8? ⁸The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down, the Lord loves the righteous.

         We bow down before the Lord in humility when we seek his help. The term bow down and the righteous are in the same sentence interestingly. To bow down before the Lord is righteous gesture he loves. Practically, when we bow down before God, it shows our sincerity when we pray for his help.

         It says, the Lord “loves” the righteous. The term “loves” is present tense. It suggests that the love of the Lord for us is on-going and will not stop, as long as we righteously bow down in humility before God.

         Normally as gesture of love to loved ones, we give the best gift we can afford, right? God loved us so much that he let his one and most precious Son Jesus Christ to be crucified for our sins. And in humility, we admit that we need Jesus Christ as Savior and trust him as our Lord.

         So, the Lord transports us from eternal torture to eternal heaven. And, how do we interpret and explain John 17:8-9? ⁸For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. ⁹I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours.

         How do we prove that we accepted God’s word? Christ mandated us to witness for him. We testify about our adventure with him and be active in making disciples. We trust and obey the words of God as practical proof we belong to him. And to make disciples is mandatory for disciples of Christ. So, judge if for yourselves if this advice is best for your spiritual maturity.

1.  Advice

     ¹⁰And here is my judgment about what is best for you in this matter. Last year you were the first not only to give but also to have the desire to do so. 

         Previously, Titus reported to Paul that the Corinthians have excelled in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in love. Paul advised that it’s best also for the Corinthians to excel in the grace of giving. As testing of their sincerity to give, he advised them to learn from the sacrificial giving exemplified by the Macedonian churches.

         The Macedonians sacrificially gave beyond their ability to give. They urgently pleaded for the privilege of sharing in this service to God’s people.

         Anyway, the Corinthians were the first to desire and contribute to the collection of relief goods that were sent to the needy believers in Judea. Paul reminded the Corinthians to finish their desire. Did they promise to give additional financial supports to churches in Judea? It seems like it.

         Seriously, let us reflect on what Christ warned in Matthew 5:34-37.

          ³⁴But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; ³⁵or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. ³⁶And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. ³⁷All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.

         The Lord instructed that we should not swear an oath at all. Yet, most of us are not aware of negative consequences of swearing publicly.

TMEC MEMBERSHIP COVENANT

         Church members accept and pledge for commitment to our TMEC Membership Covenant. TMEC Membership Covenant is designed to protect unity and avoid gossip, discord and rebellion in the church.

         Some obligations written in TMEC Membership Covenant remind us:

         That being led and enabled by the Holy Spirit, I will strive to protect the unity of the church by honoring and following our leaders, by refusing to gossip and stir up dissensions, and by serving together in Christian love.

         That I will not neglect the opportunities for public worship with my brothers and sisters in the Lord; That I will support the doctrines, Christian principles, ordinances and disciplines of the church. That according to my ability, I will participate in the ministry of the church by proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ here and throughout the world, by giving back to God his tithes and my offerings, by using my gifts and talents in service of the church, by living a godly life, and by discipling others to serve.

         Only by God’s grace we can fulfill our pledge. By inspiration of the Holy Spirit, we actively proclaim the good news of salvation in our Lord Jesus Christ. We gladly use our spiritual gifts and talents and serve God.

We faithfully return to his tithes and our offerings. We live a godly life and disciple others to serve the Lord and in the ministry of the church. Those are few pledges and commitments that TMEC members should remember.

         We are warned in James 5:12, ¹²Above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear—not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. All you need to say is a simple “Yes” or “No.” Otherwise you will be condemned.

         What’s the difference between a pledge and swear? “Pledge” is often ceremonial commitment, while “swear” is serious oath invoking high power.

         The church covenant is a pledge or commitment for church members. Be comfortable of saying “yes” or “no.” If we say “Yes” to the covenant, our reputation at stake and obligated to comply with the covenant. If you don’t agree with the church covenant, just say “No” and avoid obligation.

         The church is the body of Christ. Christ is the head of his church. Do you agree that Christ is the head of this church? If so, church members are part of Christ’s body. TMEC Membership Covenant is prayerfully written to helps us accomplish our obligation as active parts of the body of Christ.

 2.  Accomplish

            ¹¹Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be   matched by your completion of it, according to your means. 

         Apostle Paul advised the Corinthians to finish and accomplish their eager willingness to give. He reminded them of their desire to give. He challenged them to learn from the generosity of the Macedonian churches.

         The Macedonian church sacrificially gave beyond their ability to give. But Paul advised the Corinthians to give according to their means. They should give whatever they can give and accomplish what they promised.

         The Lord knows our financial status. God knows what we can offer. He knows our capabilities to give. Empty promises cannot impress God. He instructed Israel how to give offering in Exodus 25:1-2, ¹The Lord said to Moses, ²“Tell the Israelites to bring me an offering. You are to receive the offering for me from everyone whose heart prompts them to give.”

         The Lord is pleased with offering prompted by the heart. He did not force the Israelites to give offering for building the Tabernacle. Similarly, the offerings that our heart prompted us to give to his church are pleasant to the Lord. But anyone may argue, “Why then did God command to give his tithes or 10% of our income as his right portion?” What do you think?

         Tithes or 10% of our income as right portion of God are practical gesture of gratitude toward God. And we believe God blessed us materially.

 We can learn from Abraham how to respond about the right portion of God.

         Let’s reflect on what it declares in Hebrews 7:1-4 ¹Melchizedek was king of Salem and priest of God Most High. He met Abraham returning from the defeat of the kings and blessed him, ²and Abraham gave him a tenth of everything. First, the name Melchizedek means “king of righteousness”; then also, “king of Salem” means “king of peace.” ³Without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, resembling the Son of God, he remains a priest forever. ⁴Just think how great he was: Even the patriarch Abraham gave him a tenth of the plunder!

         Abraham practiced giving God’s tithes many centuries ago before the command of returning God’s right portion was given to Moses. Melchizedek the priest of God Most High resembled Jesus Christ the King of kings. He blessed Abraham, and Abraham gave him the tithes of God. Similarly, we return the right portion of God as our acknowledgment that he blessed us.

         God blesses us, and we return his right portion. And, we don’t worry about tomorrow as a result. Have you explored that reality, yet? Actually,

Christ advised us in Matthew 6:34: ³⁴“Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

         Christ implied that we focus on the present and address challenges of today without being burdened by future worries. How can we do that? If you faithfully returned the right portion of God, you won’t worry about tomorrow. God promised to open the gates of blessings, if we return his right portion.

         Naturally, we reject the promises of God. Of course, it’s grace of God that we trust and obey him. Many church members testify that God fulfills his promise to supply our needs when return the right portion of God. And by his grace, the Holy Spirit inspires us to gladly accept his promises.

3.  Accept

     ¹²For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what one does not have.

         God accepts gifts given willingly according to availability. So, we are not obligated, if we have nothing to give. We acknowledge that God has blessed us so that we can return his portion and our gift. If you think that God never gives anything, then he does not compel you to give his tithes.

         Let us take an example from everyday life like: paying of our taxes.

         Anyone who has job or livelihood is required to pay taxes. Even if you are self-employed, you are still obligated to pay taxes, right? Reflect on what it declares in Romans 13:6-7, ⁶This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. ⁷Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.

         Paying taxes is also godly virtue. God commands to pay taxes. There are consequences of not paying taxes. Additionally, we pay taxes because we trust government officials to use taxes for the betterment of our country.

         Similarly, we return the right portion of God because we believe that he faithfully sustains our needs for us not to worry about our future needs.

         We can learn from the Israelites in Exodus 35:21-22, ²¹Everyone who was willing and whose heart moved them came and brought an offering to the Lord for the work on the tent of meeting, for all its service, and for the sacred garments. ²²All who were willing, men and women alike, came and brought gold jewelry of all kinds: brooches, earrings, rings and ornaments. They all presented their gold as a wave offering to the Lord.

         “Everyone who was willing, and all who were willing” brought offering to the Lord. Were there people who were not willing to give? Probably, but not recorded. Why? God takes note of those who were willing to give and blessed them. Those who were not willing to give were not mention.

         The Lord blesses us when we obey him willingly. Learn from what King David testified in 1 Chronicle 29:14, ¹⁴Who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand.

         King David testified that God gave them everything. King David gave generously for the temple construction about 100 tons of gold and 235 tons of silver. Approximately, CDN$20 billion. Officials and family leaders gave about 170 tons of gold and 340 tons of silver. Roughly, CDN$33 billion.

         In the time of King David, Israel was never defeated by invaders, and they prospered until the reign of his son King Solomon. God exemplified his faithfulness and sustained the needs of the Israelites including safety, why? It was because they willingly gave their offering to God. Can you accept it?

         When God’s grace is active in us, we sense willingness to return his portion and our offerings. Don’t force yourselves when you give offering.

God only accepts offerings willingly given, and he blesses us even more. So, it’s best for us to willingly give the right portion of God and our offering.

><))’> ><))’> tmec\ltsii\2026 <‘((>< <‘((><