WEST KENYA UNION CONFERENCE

STEWARDSHIP FEBRUARY 2024 WEEK OF PRAYER PROGRAM

Theme: Christ’s love compels us (2 Corinthians 5:14-15).

Welcome to the week of Stewardship Revival 2024. We thank the Lord for His sacrificial and
unconditional love for us and especially for the privilege we have of being called God’s
children and being entrusted as His stewards.

Love is the foundation for stewardship. As Robert L. Stevenson said, "You can give without
loving, but you can never love without giving.” In John 3:16 NIV, the Bible says: “For God
so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not
perish but have eternal life.” God loved us and gave us His only Son to die for us. You cannot
separate loving and giving because true love always leads to giving. Hence, stewardship
begins with loving God and not with giving.

We have been loved by God before the foundation of the world and the lamb of God was
slain for us Revelation 13:8. This unconditional and infinite love of God compels us to love
Him supremely and serve Him joyfully and willingly because He first loved us. Truly
speaking, a giving heart only starts as we comprehend fully God’s great love for the fallen
humanity, and the high price our heavenly Father paid for our redemption.

In this stewardship week of prayer, we will be amazed by some examples of people who
loved God and gave Him cheerfully as a response to what God gave them in the wonderful
gift of Christ. Definitely, giving our resources to the work of God in gratitude for all God has
given us in Christ is a wonderful privilege and joyous experience in the life of a believer.

May this week of stewardship revival draw us closer to God, the Father who emptied heaven
by giving the most essential resource we will ever need: Jesus Christ, and help us to surrender
our life and our treasures fully to His service as we prepare for the soon second coming of
Jesus Christ, our Lord, and Savior. AMEN

God bless you!

Edison NSENGIYUMVA
Stewardship Ministries Director
East-Central Africa Division
DAY 1: SABBATH DIVINE SERVICE

A MEMORIAL ERECTED FOR MARY’S ACT OF GRATITUDE

By Edison NSENGIYUMVA
Stewardship Ministries Director
East-Central Africa Division

We all like to commemorate some important events in our life such as our birthdates,
wedding anniversaries, and independence dates of our countries and sometimes we even erect
memorials to some important places to keep in our minds the events behind them.

Today we are going to reflect on the gift of Mary of Bethany to Jesus and to the memorial
erected by Jesus for her memory.

Spending time sitting at Jesus’ feet ought to be our main priority.

It is significant that every time we encounter Mary of Bethany in the Gospels; she is at Jesus’
feet. She is learning from Jesus at His feet, in Luke 10:39. When Jesus comes to Bethany
after Lazarus died, Mary falls at His feet (John 11:32). Now in John 12, she is once again at
our Lord’s feet anointing Him with her expensive perfume. Nothing was as important in her
whole life as sitting at the feet of Jesus and listening to His words. When you love someone
truly you feel good when you spend enough time with them. You like spending time listening
to him and talking to him.

Ellen G. White shares with us some reasons that motivated Mary to be always at Jesus’ feet
in her book, Desire of Ages, p. 558:

"Mary was earnestly listening to every word from the lips of Jesus. In His mercy, Jesus had
pardoned her sins. He had called forth her beloved brother from the grave and Mary's heart
was filled with gratitude."

“It was He who had lifted her from despair and ruin. Seven times she had heard His rebuke of
the demons that controlled her heart and mind. She had heard His strong cries to the Father in
her behalf. She knew how offensive is sin to His unsullied purity and in His strength, she had
overcome." Desire of Ages, pp. 568

Mary had three reasons to express her gratitude to Jesus

1) Jesus had raised his brother Lazarus from the grave.
2) Jesus had forgiven her sins.
3) Jesus had freed her from seven demons that controlled her heart and mind.

The one whose mind had been the abode of demons for many years became the daughter of
our heavenly Father through God’s abundant and amazing grace. Mary of Bethany was
grateful and wanted to say” thanks” to Jesus in public and in action.

The Bible says, “Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of
Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the
oil.” John 12: 3-4, NKJV “But when His disciple saw it, they were indignant, saying, “Why
this waste? For this fragrant oil might have been sold for much and given to the poor?”
Matthew 26:8-9, NKJV.
Mary felt compelled to give to Jesus her costly and best gift because she appreciated how
much she had been forgiven. She washed his feet with her tears and poured the whole content
of the Alabaster’s jar of perfume on His feet because she wanted to show her unbridled love
for Jesus and her sincere gratefulness.

Brothers and sisters, how do we respond to God’s sacrificial and amazing love that saved us
from sin and its penalty by faith? Is my giving to God and yours a token of our appreciation
of that love? Jeremiah Ingalis in his hymn “ I love thee”, he said, I love thee, I love thee, my
Lord; and my actions will show.

ILLUSTRATION

There is a story of an elderly couple who had been married for over 50 years. The wife had
developed Alzheimer’s disease and was placed in a nursing home. Every day her husband
would go to the nursing home and spend the entire day by her side, even though she no
longer knew who he was. He did this for years. Their children finally came to him and asked,
“Dad, Mom doesn’t even know who you are, so why do you come here every day and spend
the entire day with her?” He looked down with a smile and said, “I come every day because I
still know who she is.”

This man continued to come to spend time with her lovely wife because of his love for her.
She was the love of his life. She had given birth to his children, he knew who she was.
Likewise, Mary of Bethany decided to bring Jesus an expensive Alabaster’s jar of perfume
because she knew who Jesus was for her. It was not a waste! She had nothing to spare from
Jesus because she loved Him and she wanted Jesus to sense it.

Just like Mary, we have many reasons to thank the Lord, especially for the gift of eternal life
imparted to anyone who believes in Jesus Christ through faith. We were all like Mary without
hope and salvation, but Jesus lifted us up from despair and eternal ruin.
Do we take time to sit at Jesus' feet and learn of Jesus like Mary? Brothers and sisters,
spending time sitting at Jesus' feet ought to be our main priority.

In recognition of what Jesus has done for her, Mary gave Him a gift worth a year’s salary. It
was her way to express her great love for Jesus. When you really love, no sacrifice is too
great.

“In the gift of Jesus, God gave all heaven. From a human point of view, such a sacrifice was a
wanton waste. To human reasoning, the whole plan of salvation is a waste of mercies and
resources. Self-denial and wholehearted sacrifice meet us everywhere. Well may the
heavenly host look with amazement upon the human family who refuses to be uplifted and
enriched with the boundless love expressed in Christ. Well may they exclaim, “Why this
great waste?” But the atonement for a lost world was to be full, abundant, and complete.
Christ's offering was exceedingly abundant to reach every soul that God had created. It could
not be restricted so as not to exceed the number who would accept the great Gift. All men are
not saved, yet the plan of redemption is not a waste because it does not accomplish all that its
liberality has provided for. There must be enough to spare.” Desire of Ages, p. 566-567

A memorial was erected by Jesus to the memory of Mary’s act of gratitude

ILLUSTRATION:
There’s a story about a rice farmer who saved his entire village. From his hilltop farm, he felt
the quake and saw the ocean swiftly crouch back from the shoreline, ready to leap into a tidal
wave. Down below he saw his neighbors working the fields that would soon be flooded.
What could he do? There was not much time.

Taking a torch, he set his rice barn, his bountiful harvest, on fire. Seeing the smoke on top of
the hill, the neighbors below ran up to help him. Then from their safety perch, they saw the
tidal wave’s sweeping force flood the fields they had just left. Instantly they knew not only
who had saved them, but also what their salvation had cost their benefactor. The village later
erected a memorial to the memory of the farmer on the hilltop. It said, “He gave us all he had,
and he gave it gladly.”

Should heaven decide to build a monument of your giving today, what would it say? By
Fylvia Fowler Kline. Tithe and Offerings Readings 2002 (March 2, 2002), p. 17. General
Conference Stewardship Ministries.

Jesus erected a memorial to the memory of Mary of Bethany’s sacrificial giving. It said:
“Truly I tell you, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done
will also be told, in memory of her.” Matthew 26: 13, NIV

“And as far as the gospel extended, Mary’s gift would shed its fragrance and hearts would be
blessed through her unstudied act. Kingdoms would rise and fall; the names of monarchs and
conquerors would be forgotten, but this woman’s deed would be immortalized upon the pages
of sacred history. Until time should be no more that broken alabaster box would tell the story
of the love of God for a fallen race. Desire of Ages, pp. 563

Mary surrendered fully her life to Jesus she loved that she stood beside the cross and
followed Him to the sepulcher. Mary was first at the tomb after Jesus’ resurrection. It was
Mary who first proclaimed a risen Savior. She loved much because she was forgiven much
Luke 7:47.

Brothers and Sisters in Christ, we need to bring our alabaster boxes to Jesus today as Mary
did. Let us bring the full tithe and freewill offerings to Him as a token of our gratitude and
willingness to serve Him as our Lord and Savior. Let us all ask the Lord to help us renew our
consecration to Him and break our alabaster jars of perfume at Jesus’ feet today. In Jesus’
name. AMEN
DAY 2: SUNDAY

SERMON: WRITTEN DOWN AS A WARNING AND INSTRUCTION FOR US

By Edison NSENGIYUMVA
Stewardship Ministries Director
East-Central Africa Division

ILLUSTRATION:

A certain man wanted to sell his house for $2,000. Another man wanted to buy it badly, but
he couldn't afford the full price because he was poor. After much bargaining, the owner
agreed to sell the house for half the original price with just one stipulation: He would retain
ownership of one small nail protruding from just over the door.

After several years, the original owner wanted the house back, but the new owner was
unwilling to sell. So the first owner went out, found the carcass of a dead dog, and hung it on
the single nail he still owned. Soon the house became unlivable, and the family was forced to
sell the house to the owner of the nail.

"If we leave the Devil with even one small peg in our life, he will return to hang his rotting
garbage on it, making it unfit for Christ's habitation.” Written by Dale A. Hays, Leadership,
Vol. X, No. 3 (Summer, 1989), p. 35.

Today we are going to reflect on the story of a man who left the devil with one small peg in
his life and unfortunately, this cost him not only his life but also jeopardized the life of his
family members. Achan was not a poor man. He was richly blessed by God with sons and
daughters and even with material possessions such as cattle, donkeys, and sheep. But by his
covetous sin, he proved to himself that he was not better than the people of Canaan who
perished because of their unrepentant spirit, and as a result, he and his family died like God’s
enemies.

The sadness of Achan’s story lies in the fact that he allowed the devil to hang his rotting
garbage of covetousness on the small peg in his life. His hidden sin grew up to such an extent
that it became an unpardonable sin because it was confessed after probation time after God
Himself had put the finger on him. He did not love God because he failed to keep His
commandments even though he was among the people who were privileged to march seven
times around Jericho by faith.

God’s command was clear:

Joshua 6:17-19 NIV, “The city and all that is in it are to be devoted to the Lord. Only Rahab
the prostitute and all who are with her in her house shall be spared because she hid the spies
we sent. But keep away from the devoted things, so that you will not bring about your own
destruction by taking any of them. Otherwise, you will make the camp of Israel liable to
destruction and bring trouble to it. All the silver and gold and the articles of bronze and iron
are sacred to the Lord and must go into his treasury."
No one was to give an excuse for not knowing God’s instructions. Everyone and everything
in Jericho were to be completely destroyed except Rahab and her family. In fact, God in his
long-suffering, had given the Canaanites over four hundred years to repent, but now their
iniquity had become full Genesis 15:16.

But surprisingly, the Bible says in Joshua 7:1 NIV “But the Israelites were unfaithful in
regard to the devoted things; Achan son of Karmi, the son of Zimri, the son of Zerah, of the
tribe of Judah, took some of them. So the LORD’s anger burned against Israel.”

Sin is a mysterious evil

All Israelites obeyed God's command except Achan and “the Lord’s anger burned against
Israel". The whole nation was considered guilty because of the sin of one individual and
thirty-six innocent men lost their lives on the battlefield. The sin of one person in the church
can bring a curse and God's disapproval if it is not dealt with by church leaders.

Joshua 7:4-5, NIV “So about three thousand went up; but they were routed by the men of
Ai, who killed about thirty-six of them. They chased the Israelites from the city gate as far as
the stone quarries and struck them down on the slopes. At this, the hearts of the people
melted in fear and became like water.

The defeat at Ai was something unexpected because Ai was a small city compared to Jericho.
Therefore, everyone and even Joshua got demoralized. The Bible says "So, the hearts of the
people melted and became as water" v.5. Joshua started blaming God for His lack of
intervention on behalf of His people. He tore his clothes and fell facedown to the ground
before the ark of the Lord, remaining there till evening "and the elders of Israel did the same,
and sprinkled dust on their heads" v 6-9.

Never blame God whatever the circumstances. Blaming God is never the right answer for
God’s people in a time of stress and trouble. God requested Joshua to stand up and deal with
sin. He also informed Joshua of the reason for the defeat. Joshua 7:11 NIV “Israel has
sinned; they have violated my covenant, which I commanded them to keep. They have taken
some of the devoted things; they have stolen, they have lied, they have put them with their
own possessions.

God is to be first in whatever we do

God was to receive the first fruits of the land as the Owner of everything and the source of all
blessings received by the children of Israel including the promised land of Canaan. All the
silver and gold and the articles of bronze and iron were sacred to Him and ought to go into
His treasury.

Achan did not steal from man but from God. He robbed God of the first fruits of the land of
Canaan and when we keep tithe and offerings we are taking from God's treasury. God
watched Achan hiding what belonged to Him because nothing escaped the omniscience of
God (Psalm 139:1).

“God reads the covetous thought in every heart that purposes to withhold from Him. Those
who are selfishly neglectful in paying their tithes and bringing their gifts and offerings to the
treasury, God sees. The Lord Jehovah understands it all. As a book of remembrance is written
before Him of then that fear the Lord, and that things upon His name, so there is a record kept
of all who are appropriating to themselves the gifts which God entrusted to them to use for
the salvation of souls.” Counsels on Stewardship, p. 87-88

What’s done in darkness will come to light

Proverbs 28:13, NIV “Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who
confesses and renounces them finds mercy.

God said, “There are devoted things among you, Israel, you cannot stand against your
enemies until you remove them.” Joshua 7:13b. NIV.

Today the church is spiritually weakened by its church members who withhold the devoted
things among them. It does not have enough resources to finish God’s work and
consequently, many people are still in the darkness of sin because of God’s tithes and
offerings that are withheld by church members. Brothers and sisters, this is the time to
remove the devoted things among us and bring all the “holy things” to the treasury of God.

The discovery of Achan began with Israel and was narrowed down to the tribes of Judah,
then to the clans of the Zerahites, then to the families of that clan up to the family of Zimri,
and then from that family to Achan. He was still hiding his sin even when the investigation
process was ongoing. God knew who was guilty but he did not tell him immediately to
Joshua because he was giving Achan time to repent and confess his sin. As the people
consecrated themselves before the Lord, Achan could confess his sin and plead for
forgiveness. Unfortunately, he kept quiet until he was caught by God’s mighty hand, he
confessed when God put a finger on him through investigation.

Joshua 7: 19, NIV, “Then Joshua said to Achan, “My son, give glory to the LORD, the God of
Israel, and honor him. Tell me what you have done; do not hide it from me.”

Achan confessed but it was too late

Joshua 7:20-21, NIV, “Achan replied, “It is true! I have sinned against the LORD, the God of
Israel. This is what I have done: 21 When I saw in the plunder a beautiful robe from
Babylonia, two hundred shekels of silver, and a bar of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted
them and took. They are hidden in the ground inside my tent, with the silver underneath."

Achan brought a curse and death not only to himself but also to his family. Sin has bad
consequences even for innocent people.

Joshua 7:22-26, NIV “ 22 So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent, and there it was,
hidden in his tent, with the silver underneath. 23 They took the things from the tent, brought
them to Joshua and all the Israelites, and spread them out before the LORD.
24
Then Joshua, together with all Israel, took Achan, son of Zerah, the silver, the robe, the
gold bar, his sons and daughters, his cattle, donkeys and sheep, his tent and all that he had, to
the Valley of Achor. 25 Joshua said, “Why have you brought this trouble on us?
The LORD will bring trouble on you today.”
Then all of Israel stoned him, and after they had stoned the rest, they burned them. 26 Over
Achan they heaped up a large pile of rocks, which remains to this day. Then the LORD turned
from his fierce anger. Therefore that place has been called the Valley of Achor ever since.

Hebrews 10:31, NIV, “It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”

What happened to Achan and his family was recorded for our warning and instruction

1 Corinthians 10:11-13 ESV, “Now these things happened to them as an example, but they
were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come.” The stones
piled on Achan’s body, his family and possessions were to serve for the children of Israel as a
memorial of Achan’s sin, its punishment and serve as a warning about disobeying God’s
covenant.

The question is: how do we take seriously God’s command about the holy things? Do not we
tend to take God’s Word as of less value and sin towards God like Achan?

Psalm 50:21NIV, “These things you have done, and I kept silent; You thought that I was
altogether like you; But I will rebuke you, And set them in order before your eyes.

Ellen White recognizes that: “Among church members “in good and regular standing” there
are many Achans.” Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 497. Will a man rob God? Yet you have
robbed me? Malachi 3:8

“To defraud God is the greatest crime of which man can be guilty and yet this sin is deep and
widespread.” The Review and Herald, October 13, 1896.

Illustration:

"Several years ago, construction workers were laying a foundation for a building outside the
city of Pompei. They found the corpse of a woman who must have been fleeing from the
eruption of the nearby volcano but was caught in the rain of hot ashes. The woman's hands
clutched costly jewels, which were preserved in excellent condition. She had costly jewels
but had lost her life. To rob God or covet the things of this world is foolish because we
cannot take them with us when we die. “ From David J. Riggs, The Sin of Achan

To rob God or covet the things of this world is foolish because we cannot take them with us
when we die.

2 Corinthians 13:5, NIV, “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test
yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you, unless, of course, you fail the test.

Brothers and sisters, we have to examine ourselves and see whether we have not robbed God
in tithes and offerings and resolve to bring back what we have withheld that belongs to Him.

May the Lord help us to be faithful in tithes and offerings and to overcome unconfessed and
hidden sins in our lives. In Jesus's name. AMEN
DAY 3: MONDAY

SERMON: A MOTHER WHO GAVE GOD HER FIRST CHILD

By Edison NSENGIYUMVA
Stewardship Ministries Director
East-Central Africa Division

The story of Hannah is a very well-known story and it has been a source of encouragement
and hope for many people in the time of discouragement, despair, and rejection. This story is
found in 1 Samuel chapter one and two.

Who was Hannah?

The name of Hannah is a beautiful name which means grace or mercy. Hannah was a Jewish
woman who lived with her husband Elkanah and her rival Peninnah. She was childless while
Peninnah had children. Even though Hannah was a prayerful and God-fearing woman, she
had no inner peace given by God. She lived a miserable life full of sorrow and pain. Her
husband Elkanah showed her much love whether at home or in public, but this was not
enough to give her the joy of being a mother. Her rival Peninnah endlessly provoked her to
make her angry and treated her as not a woman like her because of her barrenness.

Hannah had a problem that neither she nor any other person could fix
God for His own reasons had closed her womb and the Bible repeats it twice that” The Lord
had closed her womb” (Samuel 1:5,6). She was married but her husband had absolutely no
control over giving her the child for which she so desperately needed. No medical doctor
could solve her problem of infertility even Eli the priest. Her only hope was in God and God
alone.

Hannah could have become angry at God and blamed Him for closing her womb. In the midst
of her pain and harassment, she did not abandon her faith nor blame God but turned to God in
prayer.

She prayed making a vow to the Lord as we all do when we are facing trials and
afflictions of life.

She said: “O Lord of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and
remember me and not forget Your Maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a male child,
then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall come upon his
head.” (1 Samuel 1:11).
Her prayer came from the depths of her soul. It contained all her grief, her hurt, and her
bitterness. She not only wept but wept bitterly before the Lord.

Her prayer was specific: she prayed for a male child and not for a girl. In Hannah’s time,
male children were greatly desired by couples for the purpose of the perpetuation of the
husband’s lineage and for the land inheritance.

Hannah’s prayer was persistent. In 1 Samuel 1:12-14 NIV, it reads: “As she kept on
praying to the LORD, Eli observed her mouth. Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips
were moving but her voice was not heard. Eli thought she was drunk and said to her, “How
long are you going to stay drunk? Put away your wine.” Hannah assured Eli she was not
drunk at all, but that she was pouring out her soul before the Lord (Verse 15) and Eli assured
Hannah that God would grant her petitions and bless her. V. 17.

Take it to the Lord in prayer.

I like to sing the song which is entitled “What a friend we have in Jesus.” Its third stanza
says: Are we weak and heavy-laden, cumbered with a load of care? Precious Savior, still our
refuge-Take it to the Lord in prayer.

She prayed in faith that God would grant her what she had asked for
After pouring out her sorrow and casting her burdens upon the Lord in prayer, Hannah was
not burdened anymore. She had a strong conviction and faith that the Lord had already heard
her prayer and “went away and ate, and her face was no longer sad.” V. 18. What a great faith
she has!

She came to the house of the Lord weeping and burdened but went home her face radiating
with joy instead of sorrow. The house of the Lord should be a place where we cast our
burdens and worries upon Jesus and come out uplifted.

1 Peter 5:7 NIV says “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”

God hears and answers our prayers more abundantly than we asked

God answered her prayer and gave her a son whom she named Samuel, saying, ”Because I
have asked for him from the Lord.” v. 20

She received the gift of a male child she had earnestly longed for and prayed for. Her heart
was filled with joy, praise, and gratitude. 1 Samuel 2:1-2 “Then Hannah prayed and said:
“My heart rejoices in the LORD; in the LORD, my horn[a] is lifted high. My mouth boasts over
my enemies, for I delight in your deliverance. There is no one holy like the LORD; there is no
one besides you; there is no Rock like our God.”

God did not only give Hannah one child. The Bible says in Samuel 2:21 NIV, “And
the LORD was gracious to Hannah; she gave birth to three sons and two daughters.”

Hannah gave her child back to God as she vowed

Hannah’s faithfulness stands out as an epitome for every follower of Christ to emulate. We
can choose to be faithful even amid bitterness and afflictions of life. She paid her vow and
gave her child to God.
1 Samuel 1:26-28 NIV, “ and she said to him, “Pardon me, my lord. As surely as you live, I
am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the LORD. I prayed for this child, and
the LORD has granted me what I asked of him. So now I give him to the LORD. For his whole
life, he will be given over to the LORD.” And he worshiped the LORD there.”

The question is: how do we keep our vows? As Adventists, we can remember the following
baptismal vow:” Do you believe in church organization? Is it your purpose to worship God
and to support the church through tithe and offerings and by your personal effort and
influence?” Those of us who have made this vow to God through His church are held
accountable for fulfilling it.

Hannah was able to give back her son Samuel to God and keep her vow because God granted
her what she asked for. What a privilege we have to worship and adore a such wonderful God
who cares for us all.

ILLUSTRATION:

“One day a little girl shopping with her mother saw the most beautiful doll. She wanted it so
badly, but they just couldn’t afford it. Her daddy had been sick and out of work for several
months. Trying not to sound too disappointed, she said, “ I know, Mama, I know…but isn’t
she beautiful?” Every time they went into that store, the girl would gaze fondly at that doll.

Some months passed. Things got better for the family. The little girl had almost forgotten her
dream wish when, to her utter surprise, she got that doll as a birthday gift. From then on, she
and the doll were inseparable. It became, as she put it, her “favorite treasure.”

One day, while sitting with her parents in church, she listened as the pastor spoke of how
much Jesus loved us- how He left His beautiful home in heaven and came down here to die
for our sins. All week long the little girl thought about how much Jesus loved her and she
wished she could do something to show Him that she loved Him, too. But she only had one
penny.

The next worship day, her father and mother couldn't believe it when they saw her take her
treasured doll and put it in the offering plate. Some stared and some chuckled as they saw the
doll in the offering plate, not realizing the costly sacrifice it represented. Every day the little
girl missed her, especially at bedtime. She would get tears in her eyes, but then she would
think about Jesus and it would be all right again.

One evening the pastor dropped by, just for a social call, he said with the doll tucked under
his arm. He smiled warmly and said, "I brought your doll back to you. "The little girl seemed
transfixed at the sight of that doll. She didn't move. "Go ahead, take her." The pastor said,"
I'm giving her back to you."

Only the look in her eyes betrayed how much she wanted to take that doll back in her arms.
But, brushing away a tear, she said, “ I can’t… I can’t take her.” But, why?” asked the
startled pastor. “B-e-e-because…. I didn’t give her to you.” She had given her doll to the
Lord.” Taken from Steven J. Cole, 2000. In Lesson 95; Giving That Pleases the Lord (Luke
21:1-4). Bible.org
The little girl loved this doll so much and wanted to keep it even close to herself on her bed.
She could not sleep well without it, but the love she had for Jesus was supreme, and she
wanted Jesus to sense it. This is what motivated her to give her precious doll to Jesus. The
question is: How do we love Jesus? Do we give Him sacrificially and cheerfully like this little
girl? Do we give Him the best like Hannah?

Hannah has longed for a male child and God has given it to her. She loved Samuel very much
but her love for God was greater than the love she had for Samuel and she showed it by
letting go of him.

May the Lord help us to put God first and keep our vows as Hannah did, in Jesus’ name I
pray. AMEN
DAY 4: TUESDAY

SERMON: COMMITTED TO OBEDIENCE

By Roberto Herrera, Stewardship Ministries Director
for the Inter-American Division

A conscientious review of the Bible clearly shows that the key to a final triumph of God's
church and of any particular human being is based strictly on faithful obedience to the Lord's
instructions. The same review shows that, without exception, each time God's word has not
been adhered to, defeat and failure have been the result.

The Bible teaches that when God speaks, He acts; when He promises, He makes good
(Numbers 23:19), His word sustains the universe, and therefore God cannot permit being
disrespected or ignored. Such would put the salvation of all humanity at risk.
God's word relates an incident that, even at first glance, could make someone doubt God's
fairness, goodness, and love. But when well understood, this story shows that, because God
loves His children, He provides a sure way to success through holiness and obedience.

The story took place during the first years that God had secured David on Israel's throne.
David had moved the capital of his kingdom to Jerusalem, had accomplished important
defeats of the Philistines, and thus had earned respect for God's people and his kingdom in
the entire region. During this same period, David thought the time had come to fulfill a dream
he had cherished for a long time. The ark of the covenant, a symbol of divine presence amid
Israel, had been in Kirjath-jearim since the Philistines, who had captured it, sent it back to
Israel on a cart that no man guided, prompted by a series of strange events that they blamed
on the presence of the sacred object in their midst.

David thought that the national symbol of God’s presence should be in the country’s capital,
near his seat of government. So, plans were made to move the ark. The king figured it should
be an occasion of great celebration and holy rejoicing. So he gathered thirty thousand men,
who came to the place where the ark was to celebrate its move to Jerusalem, about 18 miles
(30km) away. When they arrived at Aminadab’s house, where the sacred ark was, they
loaded the ark on a new cart pulled by oxen. Two of Aminadab’s sons, Uzzah and Ahio,
guided the new cart. The Bible says that Ahio was in front of the cart (2 Samuel 6:4), so we
can deduce that Uzzah walked along behind, evidently watching that nothing strange should
happen. In the meantime, David and all of Israel, represented by the thirty thousand chosen,
were dancing before the Lord and singing to the accompaniment of all kinds of instruments,
in an unprecedented celebration.

The tragedy occurred when they reached a place that the Bible identifies as Nachon’s
threshing floor. The oxen stumbled, which severely jolted the cart on which the ark was
riding. At that moment Uzzah reached out his hand toward God’s ark to steady it, thinking
that otherwise it would fall off. Immediately the fury of Jehovah fell over him, destroying
him in front of all present and turning the celebration into grief. The impact was so strong
that even David thought the divine judgement had been excessive. He immediately suspended
the ceremony and decided not to take the ark to Jerusalem for fear that his own sins would
bring about the same fate as had befallen Uzzah. They chose the house of Obed-Edom as a
place to leave the ark, where it stayed for the next three months.
What was it that made God act that way at a time when the people were celebrating in His
honor? What was behind this strange incident? Are there any lessons in it for us today?
In order to answer these questions, there are several things we should know first:
1. David and the people did not follow God’s instructions for moving the ark of
God to Jerusalem.
Without a doubt, the ark was the holiest object in the sanctuary. It was never to be seen by
anyone except the high priest, and then only once a year when he entered into the Most Holy
Place. On top of the ark was the mercy seat, where the Shekinah glory, a symbol of God's
presence, shone. The Lord had given very detailed instructions about how it was to be treated.
He had also clearly warned that any disobedience to these instructions would mean death for
those who disobeyed, even for the people who ministered in the sanctuary itself.

One of the things that God had specified was that any time the ark of God needed to be
moved, only the Kohathites, who had been designated to move the holiest things, should
carry it (Numbers 4:1-15). The instructions were clear that no one should touch any of these
objects or they would die, and interestingly enough, He clearly indicated that these pieces,
including the ark, should not be moved in oxcarts, but on the shoulders of the men designated
to move them (Numbers 7:1-9).

When they started moving the ark from Kirjath-jearim to Jerusalem, they overlooked all of
God's instructions. David had good intentions, David organized a great spiritual celebration,
and David was doing everything for God's glory. But David forgot one detail: He forgot
about God's word, and that was dangerous for him and his people. He made all his plans
without asking himself if they reflected God's will. He forgot that those who have God's
instructions are expected to behave accordingly.

2. Uzzah died because of his terrible sin of presumption

Uzzah knew, as did all Israel, that God had said that whoever touched these objects would
die. Uzzah knew, as did all Israel, that God had chosen the people who could carry these
objects. Uzzah had arrived at the conclusion that God would excuse his audacity in
disobeying and touching the ark. He thought that God would do nothing, even though he was
doing a job that he was not authorized to do. He gave more importance to what he could do to
keep God's ark from falling than to explicitly follow God's instructions. The result was
immediate. By punishing Uzzah in this way, God clearly showed that our success as a church
or as individuals does not lie in what we ourselves can do, but only in faithfully following
God's word. There are several practical lessons in this for us today.

Lesson # 1: God’s plan does not need fixing.

When it has to do with a “Thus saith the Lord,” the only option we have is to obey. When
God has said we should carry it with rods on our shoulders, we should not use oxcarts, even if
it seems faster and more comfortable. When God has said, “Don’t touch,” then don’t touch,
even if it looks like something is going to fall. We need to remember that God is big enough
to resolve any situation that comes up. There is no circumstance that excuses disobedience.
In the same way, God has said that the Sabbath is a day of rest, that we should keep it from
sunset to sunset, and that during the Sabbath hours, we should avoid speaking our own words,
following our own ways, and doing our own will (Isaiah 58:13, 14). In spite of this, many
like Uzzah, rashly disrespect the parameters of the Sabbath, and during this day run the risk
of doing, speaking, or thinking anything but what they should. But God's word is the same,
and Uzzah's example is there so that everyone can know that God will not ignore
disobedience of His holy commands.
God has also said that He wants all of us to return the tenth part of all our income; that we
should be honest, systematic, and strictly comply with this instruction. He has said that we
should bring the tithes into the storehouse, which is the church, so that they may be used to
maintain evangelistic ministry. Still, there are some who, as Uzzah did in the past, run the
risk of not returning tithes, or only returning a part of it. Others decide that their desire to see
some specific part of God's work prosper is a good excuse for presumptuously using their
tithe for something different than what God specified. For all of these people, the story of
Uzzah is an eternal reminder that as long as the Bible exists, God will not overlook
disobedience to His precepts and commandments.

Lesson # 2: Enthusiasm and effort are not a substitute for obedience

The only thing Uzzah could wield as an argument for God overlooking his audacity would be
the effort he made to keep the ark from falling and his enthusiasm for anything to do with
God. But even these qualities, if they are not preceded by an attitude of obedience and respect
for God’s word, are never acceptable before God.

The story of Uzzah reminds us that even if God's church looks weak and needy, is sure to
triumph in Christ Jesus. It also reminds us that God is not looking for people enthusiastic and
willing to do His business they forget His instructions. It reminds us that we do not come to
church to invent how the church should fulfill its mission but rather to commit ourselves to
explicitly following God's plan, which brings certain and absolute triumph to His people.

Lesson #3: The first duty of church leaders is to reveal God’s plan.
Uzzah died partly because neither David, the king, nor the priests had made sure that the
ceremony was conducted in accordance with God's teachings. However it is true that Uzzah
himself would not have sinned if the leaders had done things right in the first place. Many
times we are anxious to do something for the church, to achieve something for God, but this
desire should not make us do things incorrectly or place others' salvation at risk.

Finally, brothers and sisters, all that is left is to ask ourselves how we want to live:
Completely trusting God’s word or following our own feelings and doing our own will?
Our appeal today is to all those who wish to say to the Lord, “ I ask You to help me always
depend on You and to follow the plan in Your Word in every circumstance." May God bless
you. AMEN
DAY 5: WEDNESDAY

SERMON: INVESTING IN GOD’S KINGDOM

By Edison NSENGIYUMVA
Stewardship Ministries Director
East-Central Africa Division

During the famous Sermon on the Mount, Jesus talked about the kingdom of God and invited
his hearers to seek it first in these words: Matthew 6:33 NIV, “But seek first his kingdom and
his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”He also emphasized the
necessity of laying up treasures in heaven. In Matthew 6:19-21 NIV, He said:

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and
where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where
moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where
your treasure is, there your heart will be also”

Jesus here calls us to be heavenly-minded. Temporary treasure can get stolen, lost, and
destroyed but the eternal treasures of God can never be stolen, lost, or destroyed.

How do we invest our treasures in heaven?

In the early church, first Christians loved the poor, they helped the widows, served the
orphans, and provided for the needy (Acts 2:45). Jesus told a story in the parable of the
banquet about inviting "the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind" to a feast and said that
"you will be blessed because they cannot repay you" (Luke 14:13-14). The Lord sees what
we do for him and we will be repaid at the “resurrection of the just “verse 14.

You lay your treasures in heaven when you return tithes to God and give free-will offerings
and gifts to God to support the gospel ministry.

God makes a promise in Proverbs 3:9-10: “Honor the Lord by giving him the first part of all
your income, and he will fill your barns with wheat and barley and overflow your wine vats
with the finest wines” (TLB).

Ellen G. White, talking about the importance of storing up our treasures in heaven, said:
“This work of transferring your possessions to the world above is worthy of all your best
energies. It is of the highest importance and involves your eternal interests. That which you
bestow in the cause of God is not lost. All that is given for the salvation of souls and the glory
of God is invested in the most successful enterprise in this life and in the life to come. ” That I
may Know Him, p. 223
Illustration:
The story is told of a dying girl whose only hope was to receive blood from someone who
had recovered from a disease like hers. When the physician found the family he explained the
situation and knelt by the girl's little brother. He said, "Son, you recovered from this disease
several years ago and now your sister needs your kind of blood to make her well. Would you
be willing to give your blood so she can live"? The family stood quietly around the little boy
waiting for his answer. After a few moments of thought, he swallowed past the lump in his
throat and said he would give his blood. The nurses placed the boy on a bed and began taking
blood from his arm. For some time he said nothing, just lying quietly and watching the blood
flow from his body. Finally, he looked up at his parents and asked: "Well, when do I die?"
That's when the family realized the extent of the boy's sacrifice. In his little mind, he was
willing to die so his sister could live! And, oh, how this touched the hearts of his parents!
From Ann Lammot. Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life. Anchor Book, 1994

The boy was willing to sacrifice everything for his sister even his life because he loved her.
How do we love God and His cause? Can we sacrifice whatever we cherish to support His
work? We should always remember what Jesus did for us. He did not only shed his blood for
us but died for us so that we can have eternal life. How do we respond to His great love?

We are not of this world and our kingdom is not of this world

Philippians 3:20 NIV: “But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from
there, the Lord Jesus Christ.”

We have a citizenship in the kingdom of God and it is there where we have to invest our
treasures and make sacrifices to support the kingdom where eternal joy and peace await us.
But the question is: how much do we have on our heavenly account? All our predecessors in
faith made God first and His kingdom. They invested their treasures in heaven by supporting
God's cause and helping others especially the needy. Their example has to be emulated:

1. Noah could have spent his time and resources building a home for himself, but he
chose to spend 120 years of that life following the call of God to build the ark. "All
that he possessed he invested in the ark." Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 951.
2. Job, one of the wealthiest men of the Bible declares:
“If I have denied the desires of the poor or let the eyes of the widow grow weary, if I have
kept my bread to myself, not sharing it with the fatherless—
but from my youth I reared them as a father would, and from my birth, I guided the widow—
if I have seen anyone perishing for lack of clothing or the needy without garments,
and their hearts did not bless me for warming them with the fleece from my sheep, If I have
put my trust in gold or said to pure gold, ‘You are my security,’
if I have rejoiced over my great wealth, the fortune my hands had gained,” (Job 31:16-20,
24-25 NIV)

3. Abraham,

“He possessed great substance, and he used it to the glory of God and the good of his
fellow men, but he did not look upon this world as his home. The Lord had called him
to leave his idolatrous countrymen, with the promise of the land of Canaan as an
everlasting possession; yet neither he nor his son nor his son's son received it. When
Abraham desired a burial place for his dead, he had to buy it from the Canaanites. His
sole possession in the Land of Promise was that rock-hewn tomb in the cave of
Machpelah." —Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 169

There are only two places where we can place our treasures
Jesus told us that we have only two places where we can invest our money: in this world or in
heaven. Ellen White also supports that idea in these words: “There are only two places in the
universe where we can place our treasures, in God’s storehouse or in Satan’s; and all that is
not devoted to God’s service is counted on Satan’s side, and goes to strengthen his cause.”
Counsels on Stewardship, p. 35

Where is our treasure? Our hearts are where our treasures are. If we want our hearts to be in
the world to come, we need to store up our treasures in heaven, where we await patiently our
Savior Jesus Christ to come back from. Philippians 3:20

The temptation to lay up treasures in the earth is a real temptation that we all face in life:
we often think that we can have the best of both worlds, this world in which we live and the
world to come. But Jesus clearly said that it is impossible to serve two Masters: God and
Money (Matthew 6:24).

Only what we possess is really ours when it is placed in God’s hands to support His
cause on Earth

“That which we give to the cause of God becomes our own forever. Says Christ. ”Lay up for
yourselves treasures in heaven.” These alone of all that we possess are really ours. All that we
lay up on earth we must leave at last. It is only what we give for Christ that we can take with
us into the eternal world.” Review and Herald, December 6, 1887.

“I have held many things in my hands, and I have lost them all; but whatever I have placed in
God's hands, that I still possess.” Martin Luther

“The only investment I ever made which has paid consistently increasing dividends is the
money I have given to the Lord.”—J. L. Kraft

In Luke 12:13-21, Jesus told us a parable of the rich fool who has laid all his treasures on
earth. He has yielded a great crop and decided to tear down his old barns and build newer,
bigger barns. He thought in his mind that he had stored up enough for many years and could
sit down now, relax, and enjoy his fortune. God calls him a fool and says that his life is
required of him that day. Jesus completes this parable by saying, “ So is he who lays up
treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.” V. 21

The rich man was ruled by his wealth. He did not support God's cause nor help the poor and
others. He lived a self-centered life, a life without God. His security was in his wealth rather
than in God. He thought that his life consisted of the abundance of things he possessed and
failed to realize the shortness of life.

This is what Jesus wanted to teach us, that being a good steward is the way to living a
successful life. One day we will have to leave this world and what we have stored up in it, but
what we have stored up in the heavenly kingdom we will keep it forever. When the rich fool
died, he was not able to take his wealth with him. His wealth was squandered and split up.

ILLUSTRATION:
Not too long ago, James Gordon Gilkey, one of the Christian leaders in Portland, Oregon,
was told by his physician that he had fallen victim to an incurable disease. There was no
possible way by which death could be averted, or even long delayed. When this man heard
the news, what did he do? Here is his own account of the hours that followed: “ I walked out
to my home five miles from the center of the city. There I looked at the river and the
mountain that I loved, and then – as the twilight deepened, at the stars glimmering in the sky.
I said to them, I may not see you many times more. But, river, I shall be alive when you have
ceased your running to the sea. Mountain, I shall be alive when you have sunk down into the
plain. Stars, I shall be alive when you have fallen to the sea.” James S. Hewett, Illustrations
Unlimited (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. 1988) p. 143.

As Ellen White said: “We are homeward bound. He who loved us so much as to die for us
hath built for us a city. The New Jerusalem is our place of rest. There will be no sadness in
the city of God. No wail of sorrow, no dirge of crushed hopes and buried affections will
evermore be heard….Those whose lives have been hidden with Christ, those who on this
earth have fought the good fight of faith, will shine forth with the Redeemer’s glory in the
kingdom of God.” The Advent Home, pp. 541-543

May the Lord help us to be heavenly-minded and lay our treasures in the New Jerusalem
where we will live with Jesus in joy and peace forever and ever. AMEN
DAY 6: THURSDAY

SERMON: IT WAS LITTLE IN MEN’S EYES BUT MUCH IN GOD’S EYES

By Edison NSENGIYUMVA
Stewardship Ministries Director
East-Central Africa Division

The story of the widow's two mites recorded in Mark 12:41-44 is one of the most amazing
stories about sacrificial giving in the Bible. The Bible does not mention the name of that
widow nor give us information about the children she had to take care of, but it only tells us
that she was very poor. She did not live in a good house nor had anyone to take care of her.
She only depended on God for her survival. Despite her extreme poverty she loved God and
His cause and attended the church regularly with a thankful heart and worshipful spirit.

One day she came to worship the Lord on the Sabbath day and when the time came for
worshipping the Lord through offerings, while other rich people were put in much in the
offering box, she only put in two mites which in the time of Jesus was a very small and
insignificant offering. It was little in man's eyes, but it was a lot in God's because she gave
"all she had" (Mark 12.44).

Commendable giving is a sacrificial giving

“You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that
you truly give.” Kahlil Gibran.

“Heaven is interested only in the amount of love and devotion the gift represents, not its
monetary value.” The SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 5, p. 649.

Ellen White further comments:

“The poor widow counted giving to God as a blessing and a privilege, she did not have
anything significant gift to give to the one who loved her first. She wanted to express her
great love for God and His work because "she believed the service of the temple to be of
God's appointment and she was anxious to do her utmost to sustain it. She did what she could
and her act was to be a monument to her memory through all time and her joy in eternity. Her
heart went with her gift. Its value was estimated not by the worth of the coin but by the love
of God and the interest in His work that had prompted the deed." WM 203.

Brothers and sisters, how do we respond to God's great love in our giving? To what extent do
we love the cause of God? What kind of monuments can be erected to our memory today in
supporting God's work?

Commendable giving is an expression of faith in God’s providential care for us

The poor widow’s offering was not motivated by self-recognition but based on faith and trust
in God to provide for her daily needs. By her offering, she acknowledged that God was the
only one to depend on for her survival. God was all for her and she had a strong faith in
God’s providential care for her. Ellen G. White commenting on her generosity, she said:
“And she did it in faith, believing that her heavenly Father would not overlook her great
need.” Counsels on Stewardship, p.176
She knew very well whom she was giving and her motive was more important than her
offering.

Our giving is to model itself after divine giving. Compared to what God and Jesus gave, we
give very little. The Bible encourages us to give generously to God as He has given to us. In
John 3:16, NIV, the Bible tells us about the giving of God, the Father in these beautiful
words: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever
believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

In 2 Corinthians 8:9, NKJV, we are told of the giving of God, the Son: “For you know the
grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor,
that you through his poverty might become rich". Selfishness taints the giving and makes it
unacceptable to God.

ILLUSTRATION:

A farmer, one day reported to his wife with great joy that his best cow had given birth to twin
calves, one red and one white. He said, "You know, I have been led by the Lord to dedicate
one of the calves to him. We will raise them together. Then when the time comes to sell
them, we will keep the proceeds that come from one calf and we will give the proceeds that
come from the other to the Lord's work." His wife asked which calf he was going to dedicate
to the Lord, but he answered that there was no need to decide that then. "We will treat them
both in the same way, "he said, "and when that time comes we will sell them as I have said.”
Several months later the man entered the kitchen looking very sad and miserable. When his
wife asked what was troubling him, he said, “I have bad news for you. The Lord’s calf is
dead.” “But, “his wife remonstrated, “you had not yet decided which was to be the Lord’s
calf.” “Oh, yes. “He said. “I had always determined that it was to be the white one, and it is
the white calf that has died.” D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Studies in the Sermon on the Mount
(Grand Rapids, Michigan: Eerdmans Publishers, 1971), vol. 2, p. 95-96

We are selfish by our nature and it is always the Lord's calf that dies not ours. Whenever we
face financial difficulties, we tend to look only at ourselves and our families' needs rather
than prioritizing the cause of God and the needs of other people surrounding us. In our
giving, we tend to give God the leftovers after we have made all expenses and meet our
personal needs. Truly speaking, we need the power of the Holy Spirit to come into our lives
and transform us into generous givers. We need to pray for God’s sacrificial love to fill our
hearts and to have great faith in Him so that our love for Him and for His cause be
demonstrated in our giving.

In our churches today, many church members come to worship the Lord empty-handed as if
the Lord has not blessed them during the week. But the Bible encourages us in Psalm 96:8,
NKJV to come to the house of God with an offering in these words: “ Give to the Lord the
glory due His name, Bring an offering and come into His courts.” Even poorer members have
to cultivate a habit of coming to worship the Creator of the universe with thanksgiving and
free-will offerings and give joyfully to the Lord according to their abilities.

Even poorer church members have to support the cause of God according to their
abilities
“ The poor are not excluded from the privilege of giving. They as well as the wealthy may act
a part in this work. The lesson that Christ gave in regard to the widow's two mites shows us
that the smallest willing offerings of the poor if given from a heart of love are as acceptable
as the largest donations of the rich. In the balances of the sanctuary, the gifts of the poor
made from the love of Christ are estimated not according to the amount given but according
to the love which prompts the sacrifice." The Review and Herald, October 10, 1907.

Brothers and Sisters, there is no little offering in the sight of God, but a little heart, an
unloving heart. Poverty is not an excuse for not loving God and His work. God loves all His
children and provides for them.

The poor widow’s deed was immortalized upon the pages of Sacred history as a monument to
her memory so that we can learn from her great love for God and His work despite her
extreme poverty. Let us humbly ask God to have the kind of faith and trust in God she had
and acknowledge God as the source and the owner of what we have, much or little, and use it
for His glory.

ILLUSTRATION
A young woman in England many years ago had a golden locket that she would not allow
anyone to open or look into, and everyone thought there must be some romance connected
with that locket and that in that locket must be the picture of the one she loved. The young
woman died at an early age, and after her death the locket was opened, everyone wondering
whose face they would find within. And in the locket was found simply a little slip of paper
with these words written upon it, “Whom having not seen, I love.” Her Lord Jesus was the
only lover she knew and the only lover she longed for. RA. Torrey.

What a joy it will be to see Jesus, whom we have not seen, and meet with Him on the clouds
of heaven at his second appearance! What joy it will be to see what our eyes have never seen
and what our ears have never heard?

Let us continue to be faithful and support the cause of God because Jesus is coming soon.
May the Lord richly bless you. AMEN
DAY 7: FRIDAY

SERMON: FIRST MAKE ONE FOR ME!

By Roberto Herrera, Stewardship Ministries Director
for the Inter-American Division

The situation was very difficult in all of Israel when the events occurred which are narrated in
chapter 17 of 1 Kings. Under the rule of Ahab, the children of Israel had reached an
extremely critical moment. The wicked king had done more than any other king before him to
provoke Jehovah's wrath. Besides this, his marriage to Jezabel, a foreigner who had made
Baal worship the center of her life, had induced the king to worship the same god, in whose
honor he had erected a temple in Samaria.

About this time, God called Elijah His prophet to announce to the idolatrous king that serious
consequences would come upon the people because they had abandoned the ways of God. As
proof of this, Elijah announced that it would not rain until he himself ordered rain to fall from
heaven. Jehovah had thus ordained, and the message was given in His name. The decree was
terrible, and if it was fulfilled, would mean a terrible drought, famine, and other calamities.
Of course, when these things began to happen, King Ahab searched everywhere for Elijah to
kill him, since he had proclaimed himself the only one who could change the situation.

Due to this danger, God instructed the prophet to flee and hide in a place God had chosen,
and in which he had made provision for the most urgent needs of His servant. The place was
the brook Cherith, close to the river Jordan, where he had a sure supply of water. Ravens
were commissioned by God’s order to bring him food every morning and evening. Naturally,
after it had not rained for some time, the brook dried up, making it impossible for Elijah to
stay there any longer. It was a safe place, and up to that moment, he had not lacked anything.
Even though Ahab had searched in all the neighboring countries and every corner of Israel,
the prophet had been safe up to this point.

New instructions came immediately from the Lord: Elijah should leave his hideout and go to
Zarephath, a village belonging to the Sidonians. There, God told him, he would find a widow
to whom God had given instructions to care for the prophet. Accustomed as he was to seeing
extraordinary interventions from God, the prophet immediately left his hideout and went
toward Zarephath. When he arrived, he saw the woman at the gate to the city. She was
obviously a widow and was collecting firewood. He called to her and begged for a cup of
water to drink. The woman said nothing, but she was going to get the water when the
prophet’s voice stopped her again. Now the stranger had a new request: “Bring me, I pray
thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand” (1 Kings 17:11).

At this point in the story, the woman could no longer be quiet. Her faith was being tried to the
maximum at that moment. In case the prophet did not know, the truth was that the home of
this woman had been struck by poverty. He was asking for food from someone who was
starving. Things were not going well in the home of the woman being bothered by the
prophet with one request after another. She immediately responded: “As the LORD thy God
lived I have not a cake, but a handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and,
behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we
may eat it, and die” (1 Kings 17:12).
When Ellen G. White comments about this incident she says: “The coming of Elijah on the
very day when the widow feared that she must give up the struggle to sustain life, tested to
the utmost her faith in the power of the living God to provide for her necessities” (Counsels
on Stewardship, 173).

FEAR NOT

Elijah told her: “Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first,
and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son” (1 Kings 17:13).
Certainly, the woman's face must have reflected the fear in her heart. Humanly speaking,
there were plenty of reasons: she was a widow; she had to support herself and her son. The
food in the house was barely enough for one more meal, and it is evident that she did not
have anyone to turn to or depend on because her thoughts all turned toward letting
themselves die after cooking the last handful of flour. Yes, she was afraid. Afraid of dying,
afraid of her son dying; afraid of poverty, afraid of hunger, afraid of being deceived in her
generosity to a stranger, and afraid to give that stranger the only thing she had left to feed
herself and her son. Fear not! They were words that touched the poor woman's heart because
it was precisely fear that she struggled with in that moment of faith-testing. It was God who
was speaking to His faithful daughter through the prophet. The God who understands a
human heart and who knows how much damage paralyzing fear can cause. This type of fear
does not let us go forward, does not let us believe nor depend on God’s promises. It is the
type of fear that makes us see only closed doors, that makes us believe we have only one
more meal, and that the only thing left is to let ourselves die.

Fear is behind many of the mistakes made, behind the common attitude of unfaithfulness. It is
one of the weapons the enemy uses most. Undoubtedly, that is why God’s Word insists on
this message: “Do not fear. Do not be afraid.” The reason given for not fearing is not that
everything will be OK, not that our finances will get better, not that our health will never be
damaged, not that our marriage will always be happy; the reasons given for not fearing are: “I
am the Lord your God who is always with you I will sustain you with the right hand of My
righteousness”; “I will be with you always, even to the ends of the earth”.” I am your strength
and your fortress, a very present help in trouble”.

Many people do not return tithes to the Lord because they are afraid they will not have
enough for all they want or need. Others give, but not as God has commanded because they
are afraid that God’s plan will not work in their lives. There are people who never give
anything because they are paralyzed by fear. In the name of Jesus, I invite you to not allow
fear to carry you into unbelief and stubbornness. I invite you to not let fear close the door to
the overabundant blessings God has for you. I invite you to not let fear prevent you from
being generous with God and your fellow man. I invite you to not let fear keep you from
seeing that the Lord is with you and will always keep you. That is exactly what Elijah said to
assure the woman:

“For thus saith the Lord God of Israel, the barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the
cruse of oil fail, until the day that the Lord sent rain upon the earth.”( 1 Kings 17:14). The
widow did not ask where the flour would come from, what would happen so the oil did not
run out. The Bible says, " And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she,
and he, and her house, did eat many days" (1 Kings 17:15). So then, what did God do? What
He always does: fulfill His promise. “And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse
of oil fail, according to the word of the LORD, which he spoke by Elijah” (1 Kings 17:16).
There are many lessons that can be derived from this story but we will only emphasize a few
of them.

1. This story makes it clear that even in poverty and in the middle of great need God
expects us to be faithful and generous
Elijah told the widow, “Feed me first.” Does this remind you that we should take out
God’s portion (the tithe of our increase and offerings) first of all?
“Let God’s portion be first set apart. We are not to consecrate to Him what remains of
our income after all our real or imaginary wants are satisfied; but before any portion is
consumed, we should set apart that which God has specified as His.” (Counsels on
Stewardship, p. 81

2. Our security lies in doing things according to God’s plan. The Bible says that the
widow went and did as Elijah had said.
Many times it will seem that we have a better idea than God’s plan, other times we
will be tempted to try to rearrange the divine plan. Today we can be tempted to
commit the same sin that Saul committed when God ordered him to destroy the city of
Amalek and all of its inhabitants (1 Samuel 15). King Saul thought he had better
ideas than God and did not act according to “Thus saith the LORD.” If there is one
constant in the Bible, it is that God will prosper those who are faithful to His word.

3. Lastly, it should be clear to us from the experience of the widow of Zarephath that
generosity shown to others for God’s love will always be rewarded.
If there is any virtue that never lacks compensation in this world, it is generosity;
because God has designated life in such a way that according to how much we are a
blessing to others, we ourselves are blessed.

The story of the widow of Zarephath and her generosity to God’s servant, even while in
extreme necessity has been preserved so that we may never again doubt being faithful and
generous with God’s work and with those around us. There is no doubt that generosity is the
door of access to great divine rewards.

Appeal: How many have decided to put God in first place in every circumstance of your life?
How many promise your heartfelt support to God’s plan for your life and for the church,
obeying Him faithfully? Who wishes to ask God for a portion of the same faith and
generosity that were shown by the woman of Zarephath?
DAY 8: SATURDAY

SERMON: HE FOUND TREASURES THAT THE WORLD COULD NOT AFFORD

HIM
BY EDISON NSENGIYUMVA
STEWARDSHIP MINISTRIES DIRECTOR
EAST-CENTRAL AFRICA DIVISION

The story of Zacchaeus is a story that shows what the grace of God can do in the heart of a
repenting sinner. It is found in the Gospel according to Luke 19:1-10 and demonstrates what
genuine repentance is in God's eyes when a heart is wholly surrendered to God. Zacchaeus
chose to have Jesus rather than having anything this world affords today and found in Him
the wealth that he had never possessed.

Zacchaeus had everything in life but he felt a spiritual emptiness that only Jesus could
fill
He was the chief tax collector and a short man who lived with his family in the city of
Jericho. Unfortunately, He was the most hated person in the city because of cheating people
in the tax collection. He overexploited his own people by asking them to pay more taxes than
required by the Roman laws for his own profit. He had become a very wealthy man in
fraudulent ways.

Luke 19:1-4,NKJV says that “The Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. Now behold,
there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich. And he
sought to see who was Jesus, but could not because of the crowds, for he was of short stature.
So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass
that way.”

He had certainly heard of Jesus and wanted badly to see him. The Bible does not precise if he
wanted to see Jesus by simple curiosity or not. But what is sure is that his spiritual emptiness
could not be filled by money or anything else or someone else except Jesus. He had a sincere
desire to see Jesus and was determined to overcome any obstacle in his way that could
prevent him from seeing Jesus.

With no doubt, Zacchaeus had heard of Jesus’ wondrous and unconditional love, a love for
undeserved sinners like him. He had heard how Jesus received sinners and tax collectors with
love and kindness and wanted to pay any price to see Him.

There were two major obstacles for Zacchaeus to see Jesus: the crowd and his shortness of
stature. But he wanted to see Jesus so badly that he decided to do what other Jewish males
would not do. He ran and climbed the sycamore tree which was behind the road. In Jewish
culture in the time of Jesus, men did not run nor climb trees. It was shameful and humiliating
to see a man running or climbing trees, but Zacchaeus did it regardless of what others
thought.

How badly do we want to see Him? Who is Jesus in your life and my life? Jesus was more
valuable than silver and gold for Zacchaeus and was willing to shame himself by climbing a
tree and giving away anything including his wealth fraudulently to make Jesus the Lord of his
life. He was like a deer yarning for streams of water described in Psalm 42:1 NIV, “As the
deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. My soul thirsts for God,
for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?

And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, “Zacchaeus,
make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house.” Luke 19:5, NKJV. What is
striking here is that it is not Zacchaeus who invited Jesus to come to his house. But Jesus
invited himself to Zacchaeus' home, the home of a known sinner and cheater, the worst and
most hated man in the town of Jericho. We are marveled by his response to Jesus’ love, the
Bible says, in Luke 19:6 NIV, "So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.”

Jesus was more valuable than everything Zacchaeus possessed

Zacchaeus became like that man told by Jesus in the parable of hidden treasure who after
finding hidden treasure in the field, “hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had
and bought that field” Matthew 13:44. He found in Jesus the treasure that cheating had never
afforded him, the treasure that his hungering spirit needed. He would rather have Jesus than
silver and gold as said Rhea F. Miller in the song "I'd Rather Have Jesus".

Zacchaeus became like Moses who chose the heavenly treasure rather than the treasures of
Egypt for the sake of Jesus.

Hebrews 11:24-26 NIV says: “By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known
as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God
rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ
as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt because he was looking ahead to his reward.”

He received Jesus at home joyfully and promised to make restitution for his thievery and give
half of his possessions to the poor.

The Bible says in Luke 19:8 NIV, “But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look,
Lord! Here and now, I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody
out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”

Zacchaeus, the greediest man in Jericho, turned into the most generous inhabitant of the city.
There is always a change of heart and true conversion when a person encounters Jesus Christ
and understands how great and deep is His love for Him. An encounter with Jesus gives a
new meaning to my life and enables me to live according to God’s will and to right my
wrongs.

Zacchaeus promised to pay back four times the amount to every person whom he had cheated
and gave half of his possessions to the poor as a sign of repentance. What a genuine
repentance! There was a dramatic change in his life. Instead of the passion to get, he now had
a passion to give.

Sometimes I wonder how much wealth Zacchaeus remained with after giving half of his
treasures to the poor and making such an extreme repayment! This definitely became the
breaking news in the all newspapers of the city of Jericho. It was an extravagant giving
indeed!
No repentance is genuine that does not work reformation

Ellen G. White commenting on this said: "No repentance is genuine that does not work
reformation. The righteousness of Christ is not a cloak to cover unconfessed and unforsaken
sin." Desire of Ages, p. 555. Zacchaeus after accepting Jesus as his Savior and Lord, took
another step toward making restitution of what he had stolen from people and making it right
with them.

"Withholding for whatever reason is very serious. Ellen G. White in Counsels on Stewardship
p. 87 puts it this way, “ To defraud God is the greatest crime of which man can be guilty; and
ye this sin is deep and widespread.” “ All that is withheld of that which God claims a tenth of
the increase is recorded in the books of heaven against the withholders as robbery"
Testimony Treasures, vol. 1, p. 373

The Bible is not silent regarding what to do with stolen items or withheld tithe. Ezekiel 33:15,
16 establishes the principle of restitution: "If the wicked restore the pledge, give again that he
had robbed, walk in the statutes of life, without committing iniquity…none of his sins that he
hath committed shall be mentioned unto him…He shall surely live."

Like Zacchaeus let us search our past and make restitution because the Lord will not overlook
any action of tithe withheld nor dishonest in our dealings with others. We will meet the
records in the final judgement. Thank the Lord for His offer of forgiveness when we confess
our sins.

Jesus told him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of
Abraham, for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:9-
10, NKJV).

ILLUSTRATION:

Confessing a Bank Robbery

In May of 1948 three men robbed a bank in Hot Kansas, getting away with $ 1,000. Shortly
thereafter two men were killed in a car wreck, and police thought they were the robbers and
the case was closed. Four years later, however, something unusual happened. On a Sunday
morning at the Seward Avenue Baptist Church, a young man named Al Johnson stepped to
the pulpit and revealed to the congregation that the day before he had gone to the district
attorney and confessed his role in the crime.

Johnson also revealed that he had borrowed the money to repay the bank his share of the
stolen funds. He also agreed to help the authorities locate the other two men, who had not
been, as was previously believed, the men involved in the car accident. Source: Lewiston
Evening Journal, May 5, 1952.

No one had seen him being involved in a bank robbery nor suspected him, but his own
conscience troubled him, and he felt guilty. He took a great risk of confessing his
involvement in the robbery and was ready to pay the consequences.

Brothers and Sisters, we need to acknowledge our sins before God before the door of mercy
is closed. If we have robbed God in tithes and offerings or robbed our neighbors in our
dealings with them, then this is the right time to right our wrongs and confess our sins before
God and before our neighbors, and make restitution if possible.

Proverbs 28:13 NKJV, He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and
forsakes them will have mercy.

May the Lord help us to make restitution with Him and with our fellow human beings so that
we can be faithful stewards as God expects us to be. AMEN