“A generous man devises generous things, And by generosity he shall stand” (Isaiah 32:8). “Generous Beyond” describes New Day’s outreach vision for missions. We’ve always been a generous church, and have benefited from that generosity in many ways. God has met and exceeded our needs as a church, and many of us can testify to His faithfulness.
We have an opportunity to help our sister church in Japan. Every Nation Izu, pastored by Dennis & Kaku Sager, needs to replace their commercial heating and air conditioning machines. This is crucial, as summers are unbearably hot and humid and winters are very cold. Even though they’ve been saving for emergency needs, the cost of $26,000 far exceeds the ability of this small congregation to meet. Though Japan is prosperous, this congregation is mostly made up of low-wage workers.
When we tithe to our church we benefit directly. We enjoy a heated and air-conditioned building every week. We have access to facilities for many activities, children’s rooms, sound systems, livestream equipment, and paid ministry that literally work to meet our needs. This is a New Testament application of the Old Testament law: "You shall eat in the presence of the LORD your God, at the place where He chooses to establish His name, the tithe of your grain, your new wine, your oil, and the firstborn of your herd and your flock, so that you may learn to fear the LORD your God always.” (Deuteronomy 14:23). Many OT sacrifices were eaten by those who brought them. Of course, no one could eat 10 percent of the harvest at one celebration. They ate of the tithe, not all the tithe. The majority went to support the priests and the Temple throughout the year. This principle teaches us the tithe belongs in the local church, whereas missions offerings are above and beyond our tithes. Scholars estimate that the OT offerings represented nearly 25% of a person's income, not merely a tithe (10%).
When we give to missions, we receive no benefit personally. It is 100% invested into the Kingdom. This means we are trusting God to give us a generous return both here and in the life to come. We are partnering with New Day SC and Vandalia to meet this need. But New Day SC is also raising money for their new building. And New Day Vandalia is a much smaller congregation. Saints, this challenge is mostly up to us—but I’ve seen our church come together and do much more many times.Would you please prayerfully give Generously Beyond to meet this challenge by Sunday May 28th? A sacrificial gift may be $5 for some and $5000 for others. The amount is between you and God. But the need is urgent. Give by indicating it on an offering envelope, online giving, or the memo area of a check or bank bill-pay transaction—just the word “Japan.” I love the promise of Isaiah 32:8, “By generosity we shall stand.” This means that our generosity empowers us to stand up to all that life assaults us with. Let’s stand together, generously.