When we’re told to “have faith” amidst our worry and anxiety, we’re really being told to seek first the kingdom of God. Keeping godly priorities is the only way to assure ourselves victory over fear and worry.
July 29, 2010
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July 28, 2010
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Car trouble happens either suddenly and unexpectedly or gradually and noticeably. So does trouble in your spiritual life.
July 26, 2010
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We are exhorted to treat and view others as though they were members of our family (1 Timothy 5:1-2). When we do this, we overcome selfishness in order to serve.
July 22, 2010
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In this 3.5 minute reflection, I encourage us to listen for the voice of the Holy Spirit, and when we hear his voice, to follow.
July 21, 2010
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Although we are taught from a young age to stay away from strangers, as we grow and mature we need to begin showing hospitality to strangers. Showing hospitality demonstrates the gospel in both attitude and action to others.
July 20, 2010
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In contrast to the “expert” who sought to minimize the category of “neighbor,” Jesus teaches us that our neighbors are anyone we encounter who needs mercy.
April 15, 2010
Leadership Note: Do You Lead “From Above” or “From Below”?
This is a continuation of my series about biblical church leadership. Read the most recent article, What is Oversight?, and follow the links to read the rest of the series.
In his book, The Myth of a Christian Nation, Gregory Boyd points out that the kingdoms of this world are built on power and control and that wherever a group of person exercises power over another, there the kingdom of the world is in operation.
[Caveat: He does not consider the exercise of power over others to be wrong at all times. Neither do I. But the danger exists for abuse.]
The kingdom of this world operates “from above,” from a position of power and control over others. Jesus, in contrast, represents the kingdom of God, and operates “from below,” in service.
Biblical leaders must be continually aware of the ways in which power can take hold in our ministries and lives. Do we look down on people? Do we press for “our way” in church services? Do we assume we know better than others? Do we teach and expect respect and obedience to us as leaders?
Or do we model a better way? a kingdom way?
Jesus repeatedly taught against power from above. In Mark 8-10, he corrected his disciples three times because they overreached for power and control. In one case, pride was in the way of true, genuine service (Mark 8:31-38). In another, they were arguing among themselves about which one had the highest degree of power with Jesus, who influenced him the most (Mark 9:30-37). On the third occasion, two of them bartered with Jesus for what they believed were the highest positions of honor with him; this later led to an argument among the disciples (Mark 10:35-45).
Jesus countered these power-grabs by reminding them that the path to greatness is a path that will never be understood that way by the world. It requires us to serve, to become last if we want to be first.
Biblical leaders will do well to continually remind ourselves to serve others, to operate “from below” them, rather than from above. True leadership follows first, and leads as others follow us in our imitation of Jesus.
What are your thoughts about this?
April 14, 2010
Bible Study: Giving
Learn what the bible teaches about why to give, how to give, and what happens with your money after you give.
1. “Benevolence”
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Benevolence has to do with acts of service, both monetary and non-monetary (see Acts 4:32-37 and 6:1-6).
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But the word itself rarely, if at all, appears in modern translations.
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Thus, it is probably better to talk about a theology of giving, what the church does with the money given, and how to give.
2. Theology of Giving (2 Cor 8-9)
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8:1-6. The Macedonians gave out of their extreme poverty so that what they gave was a “wealth of generosity.”
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The giving was an act of their own free will as a result of giving themselves first to the Lord. The chronology is very important.
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They even gave beyond their means.
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8:7. Giving is seen as an act of grace—God’s work within us.
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8:8. Giving is not a command but a way for us to evaluate our love for others—don’t give out of obligation, but think through it.
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8:12. Giving should be done according to your means. That is acceptable, Paul says. No one should place a hardship upon himself or herself by giving regularly beyond their means.
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8:13-15. Giving should be equitable. The principle is that you help others when they need it and they will help you when you need it.
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9:6, 10. Spiritual principles about giving.
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9:6. You reap what you sow. Jesus said something similar to this in Mark 4:24—“The measure you give will be the measure you get, and still more will be given you.” God rewards you based on your commitment to him.
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9:10. God will help you give. Paul says if you are good with the money you have God will give you more money to do good with!
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9:7. The attitude of giving.
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When you give, make up your own mind what is appropriate.
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Don’t give reluctantly because God loves your cheerfulness.
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9:11-15. Spiritual growth happens through giving.
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Giving refocuses us on what is really ours and what we are really about as Christians.
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Notice the interchange between the giver and the receiver—you give and the receiver prays for you in thanks.
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Through all this, God is glorified and many thanksgiving are offered to him.
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8:9. The theology of giving is wrapped up in Jesus and his gospel.
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Jesus completely gave us his riches and became poor to make us wealthy.
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What Jesus did for us completely refocuses us around what is really important.
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3. How to Give (1 Cor 16:1-2)
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This is a principle, not a command. Since Paul commanded this for a one-time collection, we can only draw a principle from it.
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It is most helpful for the church to continue this principle on a weekly basis, to take care of ongoing needs. That’s why we take up a collection each week.
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Paul teaches us to set some money relative to our income.
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Paul’s point is to take care of your needs first and then consider what you can give beyond your needs.
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The principle is this: You decide how much to give, within your means, and then give cheerfully.
4. What does the church do with the money that is given?
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We use the money to meet the needs of people in the church and of people who call the church with needs, to support missions and ministry, to pay a minister, and to maintain a building.
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Biblical teaching on how the church uses money.
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The church gave money to meet the needs of their own. (Acts 4:32-37; 2:42-47)
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Individuals gave money to the church.
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The money was distributed by the leaders (apostles).
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The church uses money to support ministry and missions.
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Acts 11:27-30. In this passage, the churches took up money to help the believers who were dealing with a famine.
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Phil 4:15-16. The church uses money to support missionaries, just like the Philippians supported Paul.
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The church uses money to support ministers and elders whose job it is to proclaim the gospel.
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1 Cor 9:1-14. Paul insists that those who sow spiritual good should expect to reap material benefits (a living). He even says the Lord commanded this (v. 14).
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Luke 10:7. In describing how the seventy missionaries are to be supported, Jesus says, “Stay there, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for workers deserve their wages.”
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1 Tim 5:17. Paul uses Luke 10:7 to teach that elders and teachers should be supported financially.
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The church also uses money to maintain our building. While there is no clear teaching about this in the Bible, the building does give us a place to meet to proclaim the gospel at.
April 13, 2010
Book Review: The Life You Can Save
You are immoral if you buy luxury and leisure items for yourself because that money could have saved lives and combated global, absolute poverty.
This is the logical extension of Peter Singer’s recent book, The Life You Can Save (sub-titled, “Acting Now to End World Poverty”). Building on principles of moral philosophy, Singer begins by discussing a moral problem: If you are walking to an appointment and see a child drowning in a pool, are you morally obligated to help that child? The obvious answer is “yes,” regardless of the time spent or the damage to our clothing that may result. Singer suggests that we are, then, morally obligated to aid other children around the world if we are able to.
To argue this more forcefully, he demonstrates a “logical argument from plausible premises.”
First premise: Suffering and death from lack of food, shelter, and medical care are bad.
Second premise: If it is in your power to prevent something bad from happening, without sacrificing anything nearly as important, it is wrong not to do so.
Third premise: By donating to aid agencies, you can prevent suffering and death from lack of food, shelter, and medical care, without sacrificing anything nearly as important.
Conclusion: Therefore, if you do not donate to aid agencies, you are doing something wrong. (pgs. 15-16)
Singer seeks to establish that each of us is under a moral obligation to help others as much as we can without sacrificing anything nearly as important. This means, unless we are withholding food, shelter, or care from our family members, we ought to give. The logical extension of this is that most, if not all, luxury and leisure activities and things must be seen as immoral pursuits that cause us to overlook our moral obligation to others.
As an example, Singer writes, “To buy good stereo equipment in order to further my worthwhile goal, or life-enhancing experience, of listening to music is to place more value on these enhancements to my life than on whether others live or die” (p. 149).
The book is filled in by discussions of aid, types of aid that may be given, and how to arrive at an appropriate amount to give. While advocating much more, Singer recognizes it is not realistic to expect people to give as much as he desires them to. Even he himself does not achieve that much giving.
He draws from the principle of fairness to suggest a modest goal. We can all chip in, and if we do our fair share, we will not become disgusted by those who are not doing their fair share. The alternative is to push people to give a lot, only to become frustrated when they see others not doing their part. He suggests that most of us can start at 5% of our annual income. (He does think the rich can and should give much more than 5%.)
I found this to be a fascinating book that caused me to really think through my giving and my lifestyle. In fact, I’m still thinking about it. I enjoyed the argument from moral philosophy and found him to go much deeper with his thinking than many Christian writers do. I recommend the book for anyone interested in the problems of poverty, service, and giving.
April 13, 2010
Psalms Reflections #4
From Psalms 63-68
Psalm 63
1. What is true hunger and thirst?
2. How are you truly fed?
Psalm 64
1. What will be the result of the prayer being answered by God?
2. What results do you typically pray for?
Psalm 65
1. What does this psalm see God as lord over?
2. What is seen as evidence of God’s lordship over people and creation?
Psalm 66
1. What are the signs of God’s deliverance?
2. How did God refine his people?
Psalm 67
1. Why should they praise God?
2. Why should God bless them?
Psalm 68
This psalm is a song of praise to God. How/why is God to be praised?
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