音频：

视频：

哥林多前书：16:1-4: 1论到为圣徒捐钱，我从前怎样吩咐加拉太的众教会，你们也当怎样行。2每逢七日的第一日，各人要照自己的进项抽出来留着，免得我来的时候现凑。3及至我来到了，你们写信举荐谁，我就打发他们，把你们的捐资送到耶路撒冷去。4若我也该去、他们可以和我同去。

       当我们有机会为一些特殊的原因进行特别捐献的时候，我们不应该感到烦恼。耶路撒冷的圣徒当时正在经历饥荒和逼迫。使徒们安排了一次救济性的奉献，由地中海沿岸新建立的各教会来筹集。对于哥林多教会如何进行这次捐献，保罗提出了一个简单的建议。每逢七日的第一日，各人照自己的进项抽出来留着，免得保罗来的时候现凑。

       这在当时是个不错的建议，在今天同样也是。为什么是每周的第一天？因为在你把钱花在自己身上之前，你可以首先决定去奉献。如果等到周末，上帝得到的钱只是你这一周里花剩下的。换句话说，在你手里还有钱可以奉献的时候，就应当奉献用于神的事工。当我们想到上帝是如何祝福我们的时候，我们里面的新人是多么的慷慨。当我们看到自己的钱包快空了的时候，我们的罪性会变得多么吝啬。

       我喜欢通过电子方式进行奉献，每个月的第一天都会奉献一定数目的钱给我的教会，和我选择想奉献的一项事工。如果我事先知道将会有一次特别奉献，在一周的第一天我会留出一笔钱来，这样就不会忍不住把钱花在自己身上。奉献是我们里面的新我对上帝每日丰盛的怜悯和祝福的回应。我会事先规划好奉献多少，什么时候奉献。这只会增加上帝赐给我的喜乐，因为是他慷慨的灵已经充满了我。祷告：仁慈的主啊，慷慨并不是源于我而是源于你。我常常在圣经中读到你丰盛的怜悯，每天早晨对我来说都是新的。求你也赐给我一颗慷慨的心，和一个忠心的灵，使定期的奉献成为喜乐。阿们。

1 Corinthians 16: Now concerning the collection for the saints, do as I directed the churches in Galatia to do. 2 On the first day of every week, each of you is to set something aside in keeping with whatever he gains, saving it up at home, so that when I come, no collections will need to be carried out. 3 When I arrive, those whom you approve will be provided with letters, and I will send these representatives to deliver your gracious gift to Jerusalem. 4 If it is appropriate for me to go also, they will go with me.  (EHV)

We shouldn’t be upset when we have the opportunity to make a special offering for a special purpose. The saints in Jerusalem were experiencing both famine and persecution. The Apostles had arranged a relief offering to be made from the congregations that had been planted around the Mediterranean world.  Paul had a simple suggestion on how to handle that offering in Corinth. Everyone should set aside a sum of money on the first day of the week so that when Paul came, no collections would have to be made.

        That was good advice then and is still good advice today. Why on the first day of the week? Because you could make that decision before you began to spend it on yourself. If you wait to the end of the week, then God gets the leftovers.  In other words, give to the Lord’s work when you still have it in your hand to give. It’s amazing how generous our new man can be when it considers how God has blessed us, and how stingy our sinful nature can be when we are looking at an almost empty purse!

        I enjoy giving electronically so that on the first of each month, a regular amount goes to my church and to a mission of choosing. And if I know that there is a special offering coming up, it’s still a good idea to set aside a sum of money on the first day of the week so that I will not be tempted to spend it on myself.  Giving is the response of my new self to God’s rich mercies and to his abundant blessings every day.  By planning how much and when I give, it only increases the joy that God has given me by filling me with his generous Spirit.

Prayer:   Gracious Lord, generosity does not begin with me, but with yourself. So often in the Bible I read about your abundant and overflowing mercies, which are new to me every morning. Give me a generous heart, too, and a faithful spirit that makes it a joy to give regularly. Amen.