The price of gas is up—and giving to God’s work is down!
Gasoline prices continue to climb, costing $4 or more per gallon in many parts of the country. No big surprise there, as we knew this was coming; however, I was surprised at the findings of a recent survey about giving trends in America. The Barna Report polling of adults found that tithing in America has fallen from seven percent in 2010 to four percent in 2011. In addition, 24 percent of Americans have stopped giving to the church entirely and another 17 percent have reduced their giving by half.
When the economy gets difficult and uncertain, our natural tendency is to respond by tightening our belts financially. We often do this by cutting down on discretionary spending, and that’s not all bad. For the follower of Jesus, however, giving to Him needs to be separate from our discretionary file. I don’t give to the work of the Lord using the same consideration as when I contemplate buying an extra pair of socks or something I really don’t need. When it comes to my personal giving, I do not weigh the positives and negatives to see which one carries the most weight. If you do that when considering your giving, you will never give!
I give because it is a part of my worship; I know that it pleases God; I know that God has asked me to be a steward of the resources He has blessed me with. I also understand that God blesses a giving and generous spirit. I refuse to allow any taint of legalism to get into my giving. Carol and I give because He has asked us to, we want to, we have purposed to—and it is a joy! We are happy to testify of God’s faithfulness to bless because we are committed givers in good times and in bad times.
“There was a famine in the land…. Then the Lord appeared to him [Isaac] and said: ‘Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land of which I shall tell you. Dwell in this land, and I will be with you and bless you; for to you and your descendants I give all these lands, and I will perform the oath which I swore to Abraham your father….’ Then Isaac sowed in that land, and reaped in the same year a hundredfold; and the Lord blessed him” (Genesis 26:1-3, 12 NKJV).
Isaac sowed in the midst of a famine because he understood the law of sowing and reaping. “Whatever a man sows, that he will also reap” (Galatians 6:7b NKJV) and, “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously” (2 Corinthians 9:6 NIV).
So what do we do as the economy continues to falter and inflation begins to show its ugly face? What were God’s instructions to Isaac? “Don’t go back to Egypt.” In other words, don’t allow worldly principles to guide your decisions about giving. “Live in the land of which I shall tell you.” Stay firm in the faith and in the truth of God’s unwavering care for His children.
God’s promise to His children was really quite simple:
• Don’t stop living as a child of God and don’t stop giving because you are in a famine. If we give in to that line of thinking, there will always be a famine of one kind or another to stop us from giving to the Lord’s work. If you are not a giver, then you need to start giving right now, because you are missing the blessing of the Lord promised to givers. Giving is not going to affect your salvation and you are not cursed if you don’t give, but you will miss out on the blessing that God promises to the generous!
• Listen for the voice of the Lord and He will speak to you. God has been very direct and personal in speaking to Carol and me in the last few years about our lifestyle and some adjustments He has asked us to make. If God can talk to a hardhead like me, He can certainly talk to you—and He will. “Live in the land of which I shall tell you.”
• God promises to be with you. In a way, this is the best promise of all…to know that God is with us, right here, right now! God is with us! If that’s not security, then nothing can be! “…And I will be with you.”
• God promises to bless His obedient children. I believe in the law of sowing and reaping. In the natural, if you sow carrot seeds you don’t reap pumpkins. But in the spiritual world, when we sow our financial gifts as an act of worship, it is foolish to think that the only way we are going to reap is monetarily. When we give and release it to the Lord, then He promises to bless us and He will do it in the way that He knows will meet our needs and circumstances the best.“…And I will be with you and bless you.”
I feel bad for those who stop giving because of rising prices. Those who do stop are violating a fundamental principle of the law of “sowing and reaping.” They have gone back to Egypt (to worldly thinking) by eating their seed instead of planting it. “…Then Isaac sowed in that land, and reaped in the same year a hundredfold; and the LORD blessed him.” Isaac lived in the land that was stricken with famine but he sowed anyway and the Lord blessed him and gave him a hundredfold harvest. And God’s promise to us is as sure as His promise to Isaac!
Friday, May 27, 2011
Friday, May 20, 2011
IT PUTS FORTH POWER
Several times over the years, I have commented about how much I have learned to value the Word of God. I have found it extremely important to spend time “in the Word” every day, a valuable lesson I learned from my dad. When I was a teenager, I would get up at 5 o’clock for an early-morning paper route in Vancouver, B.C. After delivering the papers, I would return home around 7 o’clock to eat breakfast and get ready for school. Every morning when I got back to the house, Dad was sitting at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee and his Bible in front of him…getting ready for his day! I can still see my dad sitting there partaking of God’s Word. His example was one of the first to teach me to value the Word.
As I continue to learn about the Word and its value in my life, I have learned not to try to make the Word say what I want to hear or what I think will meet the needs in my life at that moment. I am learning to let the Word speak and bring its power, healing and guidance to me. Honestly, when I stop trying to “work the Word” and let it do its work its way, the results are fantastic. When I try and do it my way…not so good!
“And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe” (1 Thessalonians 2:13 NIV).
Are you ever guilty of trying to “steer” the Word to reach a conclusion that meets the need you have…or am I the only “sinner” on this issue? The word used here for “work” is the Greek word from which we get the word energy. The Greek word means “to put forth power” and it is speaking of supernatural power. We do not need to “work the Word” but instead we need to let the Word “work” in us and do so in faith. The energy/power of God’s Word will do so much more if we allow it to than we can through our manipulation.
“For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12 NIV).
The Word is alive and it will minister to you as an individual. What it says to you or me will not change in principle but will speak to me at my point of need and to you in a way that is meaningful for you. The Word is active—it is not static or stagnant. It is a catalyst that causes things to happen around it, just because it is there. Catalysts cause things to happen but they do not change themselves.
“He sent forth his word and healed them; he rescued them from the grave” (Psalm 107:20 NIV).
I believe that most healing and deliverance takes place because we get into the Word and get the Word into us. The power of the God-breathed Word brings healing to broken places in our lives and deliverance from the ravages of sin. If you are in need of healing in any area of your life, then here’s a tried and true prescription guaranteed to bring results…take a fifteen-minute dose of God’s Word every day and be astounded at the results.
“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path” (Psalm 119:105 NIV).
The Bible becomes the illumination that helps us to stay on the right path for our journey of faith. When we stay within the reach of the light, we know that we are staying on the path of faith that God has for us. The Word/lamp will not help you to see much more than a few steps at a time; that’s why our journey is called a “life of faith.”
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16 NIV).
The highest pursuit of every believer is to please the Lord and if the Word of God is God talking to us and laying out His plan for our lives, then in a way the Bible becomes the believer’s “Owner’s Manual.” To know how God wants things done, to please Him, we need to go to the “Owner’s Manual” and follow the instructions.
Let me recommend a book: “The Divine Mentor” by Wayne Cordeiro. This book provides a very fresh look at the value of daily/regular exposure to the Word. I have read this book several times and have learned a great deal. Thanks to my friend, Scott Ethridge, pastor of The Healing Place in Shreveport, LA, for bringing this author and his writing to my attention.
As I continue to learn about the Word and its value in my life, I have learned not to try to make the Word say what I want to hear or what I think will meet the needs in my life at that moment. I am learning to let the Word speak and bring its power, healing and guidance to me. Honestly, when I stop trying to “work the Word” and let it do its work its way, the results are fantastic. When I try and do it my way…not so good!
“And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe” (1 Thessalonians 2:13 NIV).
Are you ever guilty of trying to “steer” the Word to reach a conclusion that meets the need you have…or am I the only “sinner” on this issue? The word used here for “work” is the Greek word from which we get the word energy. The Greek word means “to put forth power” and it is speaking of supernatural power. We do not need to “work the Word” but instead we need to let the Word “work” in us and do so in faith. The energy/power of God’s Word will do so much more if we allow it to than we can through our manipulation.
“For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12 NIV).
The Word is alive and it will minister to you as an individual. What it says to you or me will not change in principle but will speak to me at my point of need and to you in a way that is meaningful for you. The Word is active—it is not static or stagnant. It is a catalyst that causes things to happen around it, just because it is there. Catalysts cause things to happen but they do not change themselves.
“He sent forth his word and healed them; he rescued them from the grave” (Psalm 107:20 NIV).
I believe that most healing and deliverance takes place because we get into the Word and get the Word into us. The power of the God-breathed Word brings healing to broken places in our lives and deliverance from the ravages of sin. If you are in need of healing in any area of your life, then here’s a tried and true prescription guaranteed to bring results…take a fifteen-minute dose of God’s Word every day and be astounded at the results.
“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path” (Psalm 119:105 NIV).
The Bible becomes the illumination that helps us to stay on the right path for our journey of faith. When we stay within the reach of the light, we know that we are staying on the path of faith that God has for us. The Word/lamp will not help you to see much more than a few steps at a time; that’s why our journey is called a “life of faith.”
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16 NIV).
The highest pursuit of every believer is to please the Lord and if the Word of God is God talking to us and laying out His plan for our lives, then in a way the Bible becomes the believer’s “Owner’s Manual.” To know how God wants things done, to please Him, we need to go to the “Owner’s Manual” and follow the instructions.
Let me recommend a book: “The Divine Mentor” by Wayne Cordeiro. This book provides a very fresh look at the value of daily/regular exposure to the Word. I have read this book several times and have learned a great deal. Thanks to my friend, Scott Ethridge, pastor of The Healing Place in Shreveport, LA, for bringing this author and his writing to my attention.
Friday, May 13, 2011
CONVENIENCE STORE CHRISTIANS
According to a recent news report, nearly fifty percent of children in the U.S. are overweight. The report talks about the healthcare crisis that will be created by this. Much of the blame for the startling increase in weight gain goes to two causes: first, the decreasing amount of exercise and second, the easy availability of so much “junk” food.
When I was a kid we did not have many fast-food restaurants or convenience stores—there were no 7-Elevens in the neighborhood. I remember going to a gas station when that was exactly what it was—a place where you bought gas or had your car repaired. If you were lucky, they might have a soda machine in the back somewhere and Cokes were a dime! There were large and small grocery stores and that was where you bought food and the occasional candy bar or packet of gum.
Today, gas stations sell everything from coffee to ice cream, from soda to beer, from hats and CD’s to every kind of candy bar, cookies and many kinds of hot food. It is one-stop shopping, and it has made America’s rush to get things done and go places so easy, so handy, that our desire for convenience has begun to have some unintended consequences.
Whoever thought that our desire to do things quicker, easier and cheaper would end up contributing to the decline of health in our country? As America struggles to know what to do with this impending health crisis, I see a crossover into the church world to what I call “convenience store Christianity.”
Many Christians today are victims of a type of convenience store thinking. They want to rush in, get something good, and get on their way—quickly. The church, the teaching of His Word, the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry was never intended to be a convenience store—it was intended to be like a well-balanced health food store that contributes to the overall well-being of a person.
A recent survey indicates that 20 million American evangelical Christians no longer attend church, one of the symptoms of the growth of “convenience store Christianity.” Allegedly these people have given up on the local church. I have to wonder how many of these dispirited believers have embraced the convenience store spirit.
Let me get this off my chest before we go further. I don’t have a problem with the “contemporary church” style that has developed in the last ten to fifteen years. While I may find it difficult at times to go to a sixty-minute church service that appears to be a copy of somebody else’s success pattern, with music that’s too loud and preaching that’s too short, I accept it for what it is—it’s the church style of today. There is nothing inherently righteous about long or short church services just as there is nothing unrighteous about preachers wearing or not wearing a tie. And there is nothing necessarily wrong with some of today’s boring music. The church of Jesus Christ is a living entity and what was wrong with the church of yesterday caused it to self-correct. Likewise, what is wrong with the church of today will be corrected by the life that is in the church. Instead of wasting time and energy getting upset at the church and wishing for the “good old days,” let’s focus on being the people God intends us to be…and now I can go on.
The greatest danger of the “convenience store spirit” is not for the church but for the believer. You may not like what I’m about to say but my going to church, which I faithfully do, is not the most important part of my spiritual life. I go to church because I know it is right; because I need to be with fellow believers; because I need to worship corporately; and because I am submitted to my pastor and his leadership. The largest contributor to my spiritual life and growth, however, is my personal devotional life and this is where the enemy will attack even the strongest with the spirit of “convenience store” thinking.
The whole weight of Scripture, from Genesis to Revelation, is that you cannot rush spiritual growth and formation; it takes time and we are taught to be patient and to grow. The natural world around us teaches us the same thing. There is a season for planting, a season for watering, a season for harvesting, and a season for renewal.
There are some times when all of us will “tweet” God with a request because of our circumstances, but that must not be the totality of our prayer life. We earn the right to have our “tweets” heard because we have developed a relationship with Him, we have learned to pray, we have learned to “go into our room and close the door” (Matthew 6:6), meaning we are spending time with Him.
“Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the Lord!” (Psalm 27:14 NKJV).
If Jesus is the lord of your life and your best friend then you need to have some quality time with Him daily. Don’t be a “convenience store Christian” when it comes to the time you spend with Him—the consequences are not healthy.
When I was a kid we did not have many fast-food restaurants or convenience stores—there were no 7-Elevens in the neighborhood. I remember going to a gas station when that was exactly what it was—a place where you bought gas or had your car repaired. If you were lucky, they might have a soda machine in the back somewhere and Cokes were a dime! There were large and small grocery stores and that was where you bought food and the occasional candy bar or packet of gum.
Today, gas stations sell everything from coffee to ice cream, from soda to beer, from hats and CD’s to every kind of candy bar, cookies and many kinds of hot food. It is one-stop shopping, and it has made America’s rush to get things done and go places so easy, so handy, that our desire for convenience has begun to have some unintended consequences.
Whoever thought that our desire to do things quicker, easier and cheaper would end up contributing to the decline of health in our country? As America struggles to know what to do with this impending health crisis, I see a crossover into the church world to what I call “convenience store Christianity.”
Many Christians today are victims of a type of convenience store thinking. They want to rush in, get something good, and get on their way—quickly. The church, the teaching of His Word, the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry was never intended to be a convenience store—it was intended to be like a well-balanced health food store that contributes to the overall well-being of a person.
A recent survey indicates that 20 million American evangelical Christians no longer attend church, one of the symptoms of the growth of “convenience store Christianity.” Allegedly these people have given up on the local church. I have to wonder how many of these dispirited believers have embraced the convenience store spirit.
Let me get this off my chest before we go further. I don’t have a problem with the “contemporary church” style that has developed in the last ten to fifteen years. While I may find it difficult at times to go to a sixty-minute church service that appears to be a copy of somebody else’s success pattern, with music that’s too loud and preaching that’s too short, I accept it for what it is—it’s the church style of today. There is nothing inherently righteous about long or short church services just as there is nothing unrighteous about preachers wearing or not wearing a tie. And there is nothing necessarily wrong with some of today’s boring music. The church of Jesus Christ is a living entity and what was wrong with the church of yesterday caused it to self-correct. Likewise, what is wrong with the church of today will be corrected by the life that is in the church. Instead of wasting time and energy getting upset at the church and wishing for the “good old days,” let’s focus on being the people God intends us to be…and now I can go on.
The greatest danger of the “convenience store spirit” is not for the church but for the believer. You may not like what I’m about to say but my going to church, which I faithfully do, is not the most important part of my spiritual life. I go to church because I know it is right; because I need to be with fellow believers; because I need to worship corporately; and because I am submitted to my pastor and his leadership. The largest contributor to my spiritual life and growth, however, is my personal devotional life and this is where the enemy will attack even the strongest with the spirit of “convenience store” thinking.
The whole weight of Scripture, from Genesis to Revelation, is that you cannot rush spiritual growth and formation; it takes time and we are taught to be patient and to grow. The natural world around us teaches us the same thing. There is a season for planting, a season for watering, a season for harvesting, and a season for renewal.
There are some times when all of us will “tweet” God with a request because of our circumstances, but that must not be the totality of our prayer life. We earn the right to have our “tweets” heard because we have developed a relationship with Him, we have learned to pray, we have learned to “go into our room and close the door” (Matthew 6:6), meaning we are spending time with Him.
“Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the Lord!” (Psalm 27:14 NKJV).
If Jesus is the lord of your life and your best friend then you need to have some quality time with Him daily. Don’t be a “convenience store Christian” when it comes to the time you spend with Him—the consequences are not healthy.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
SADNESS AND JOY
This has been an exhausting week. A little over a week ago, Carol and I received a phone call informing us of David Wilkerson’s death. Within the next couple of days we received calls from friends across the country and from as far away as Brazil, all asking the same question, “Is this true?” Their tone of disbelief conveyed, “Could this possibly be true?”
At first there definitely was a sense of disbelief that the man of God could be gone. When I first heard the news I was stunned, numb. I sat at my desk for a couple of hours trying to come to grips with the reality of the situation—and then came the sadness, sadness that an important voice had been silenced and profound sorrow that a treasured friend was gone.
But the sadness turned to joy as I began to reflect on the legacy of David Wilkerson, what his amazing faith and courage had brought forth—and there is a lot to that legacy. As my wife said, “This is a day of broken hearts…and joyful hope.”
On Monday, Carol, our daughters Barbara and Leslie, and I attended the private funeral of “Brother Dave” in Tyler, Texas, and it was truly a joyous time of tribute. Brother Dave would not have particularly liked the funeral service, I’m sure, because he would have been uncomfortable with all the nice things that were said about him.
It was so encouraging to hear Brother Dave’s sons, his sons-in-law, and grandsons share about the positive impact he had upon their lives.
Nicky Cruz gave a tribute to the man who led him to the Lord in 1958. Nicky’s blunt statement was, “If David Wilkerson had not come to New York and shared the love of Jesus with me, I would be in the pit of hell now.” But because Brother Dave did reach out, and Nicky responded to the love of God, Nicky went on to become one of the most effective evangelists of the last fifty years and conservatively speaking, hundreds of thousands of people have been brought into the kingdom of God through his witness.
It was not just the speakers on the platform but many sitting in the crowd that brought joy to the funeral. Victor Torres, one of the early converts of Teen Challenge who now pastors a church in Richmond, Virginia, was there. Likewise, Sonny Arguinzoni, the first heroin addict to be helped through Teen Challenge, who went from New York Teen Challenge to study at Bible college in California. He became the pastor/founder of the Victory Outreach movement that now has planted over 500 churches in troubled areas of big cities throughout the world. Sonny is a Christian leader today because David Wilkerson believed that God could set him free from heroin and stubbornly and compassionately would not give up on Sonny, even though he left Teen Challenge and went back to drugs several times before victory finally came. Not only is Teen Challenge reaching out around the world but so is Victory Outreach. Because Brother Dave reached out to Sonny, that ministry is reaching tens of thousands of ex-cons, drug addicts, gangbangers, prostitutes and street kids. Sonny’s ministry, Nicky’s ministry, Victor’s ministry and so many others all began because David Wilkerson listened to the voice of the Lord and obeyed. And because he obeyed, there was much celebration at the funeral.
A special moment for me at the service was listening to Dallas and Linda Holm as they led the congregation in worship. Toward the end of the service, with just his guitar accompanying him, Dallas sang his great song “Rise Again.”
This last week has been a time of sadness and joy but the sadness keeps getting pushed out of the way by the joy of knowing what one man with unlimited faith could accomplish.
On May 14 at 2:00 pm, a memorial service will be held at Times Square Church in New York City. People from all over the world will be coming for this service, so other sites are being secured in the city to accommodate the overflow. The service will be streamed live via the Internet. You can share in the service in your home, with friends, or perhaps have a viewing at your church. All you need to do is go to the Times Square Church website at www.tscnyc.org
Below is a photo of the original crusade team taken on Monday (May 2) after the funeral service. The handsome dude to the right is yours truly. I was the very first crusade team member in 1967. In the middle is Dallas Holm, who came to the team at the end of 1969. And on the left is Rich Schulz, who joined us in 1970 as our Business Administrator. We traveled many hundreds of thousands of miles together, laughed a lot, cried sometimes, and saw God’s power reach hundreds of thousands of souls all over the world.
As Brother David Wilkerson used to say, “The best is yet to come!”
At first there definitely was a sense of disbelief that the man of God could be gone. When I first heard the news I was stunned, numb. I sat at my desk for a couple of hours trying to come to grips with the reality of the situation—and then came the sadness, sadness that an important voice had been silenced and profound sorrow that a treasured friend was gone.
But the sadness turned to joy as I began to reflect on the legacy of David Wilkerson, what his amazing faith and courage had brought forth—and there is a lot to that legacy. As my wife said, “This is a day of broken hearts…and joyful hope.”
On Monday, Carol, our daughters Barbara and Leslie, and I attended the private funeral of “Brother Dave” in Tyler, Texas, and it was truly a joyous time of tribute. Brother Dave would not have particularly liked the funeral service, I’m sure, because he would have been uncomfortable with all the nice things that were said about him.
It was so encouraging to hear Brother Dave’s sons, his sons-in-law, and grandsons share about the positive impact he had upon their lives.
Nicky Cruz gave a tribute to the man who led him to the Lord in 1958. Nicky’s blunt statement was, “If David Wilkerson had not come to New York and shared the love of Jesus with me, I would be in the pit of hell now.” But because Brother Dave did reach out, and Nicky responded to the love of God, Nicky went on to become one of the most effective evangelists of the last fifty years and conservatively speaking, hundreds of thousands of people have been brought into the kingdom of God through his witness.
It was not just the speakers on the platform but many sitting in the crowd that brought joy to the funeral. Victor Torres, one of the early converts of Teen Challenge who now pastors a church in Richmond, Virginia, was there. Likewise, Sonny Arguinzoni, the first heroin addict to be helped through Teen Challenge, who went from New York Teen Challenge to study at Bible college in California. He became the pastor/founder of the Victory Outreach movement that now has planted over 500 churches in troubled areas of big cities throughout the world. Sonny is a Christian leader today because David Wilkerson believed that God could set him free from heroin and stubbornly and compassionately would not give up on Sonny, even though he left Teen Challenge and went back to drugs several times before victory finally came. Not only is Teen Challenge reaching out around the world but so is Victory Outreach. Because Brother Dave reached out to Sonny, that ministry is reaching tens of thousands of ex-cons, drug addicts, gangbangers, prostitutes and street kids. Sonny’s ministry, Nicky’s ministry, Victor’s ministry and so many others all began because David Wilkerson listened to the voice of the Lord and obeyed. And because he obeyed, there was much celebration at the funeral.
A special moment for me at the service was listening to Dallas and Linda Holm as they led the congregation in worship. Toward the end of the service, with just his guitar accompanying him, Dallas sang his great song “Rise Again.”
This last week has been a time of sadness and joy but the sadness keeps getting pushed out of the way by the joy of knowing what one man with unlimited faith could accomplish.
On May 14 at 2:00 pm, a memorial service will be held at Times Square Church in New York City. People from all over the world will be coming for this service, so other sites are being secured in the city to accommodate the overflow. The service will be streamed live via the Internet. You can share in the service in your home, with friends, or perhaps have a viewing at your church. All you need to do is go to the Times Square Church website at www.tscnyc.org
Below is a photo of the original crusade team taken on Monday (May 2) after the funeral service. The handsome dude to the right is yours truly. I was the very first crusade team member in 1967. In the middle is Dallas Holm, who came to the team at the end of 1969. And on the left is Rich Schulz, who joined us in 1970 as our Business Administrator. We traveled many hundreds of thousands of miles together, laughed a lot, cried sometimes, and saw God’s power reach hundreds of thousands of souls all over the world.
As Brother David Wilkerson used to say, “The best is yet to come!”
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
