It is important to have a proper perspective on money. If money takes on more importance than it should, we begin to desire money above all else. This desire can lead people to engage in foolish, and often illegal, actions to obtain more money. Many murderers, thieves, and embezzlers have been motivated by greed and the desire for wealth to commit their crimes. Failure to place a proper value on money will lead to poor money management and the inability to meet the needs of our family.
Solomon provides us with a proper perspective on how much money we truly need. He wrote in Proverbs 30:8, “Give me neither poverty or riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say “Who is the Lord?” Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.”
Money is a necessary and important aspect of modern life. We should desire to have enough money to meet the needs of our family and assist those less fortunate than us, without feeling pressured to engage in illegal activities. We should also desire to never have so much money that we feel independent and self-sufficient. God wants us to recognize that He is our provider. He gives us talents and the ability to work and earn money. We need to acknowledge His help and His gracious provisions for us.
How has God provided for your needs this week? How have you seen His provisions for you in the past?
I wanted to share this blog written by our long-time friend Mike Patz, pastor of First Assembly of God church in Gainesville, FL. Mike writes about what constitutes real, lasting love and provides words to inspire us all to love our spouses with the same commitment we love our children.
Before we can really consider how to honor God with our money, we need to consider the purpose of money.
Money serves to make transactions easier. Without money, we would have to barter for the things we need and want. Work is a form of barter. I go to work for you and give up my free time. While I am at work, I accomplish the tasks you assign to me. In exchange for my time and labor, you pay me an agreed upon sum. Without money, I would have to trade my services to you for products or services that I need and that you could supply. Money makes the whole process much simpler than a bartering system.
Most of us work hard to earn our money. We want to get the most for our money. We use money to meet our needs and to make life easier and more enjoyable.
Isaiah 55:2 provides a good framework for money management. It says “Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labors on what does not satisfy?
In this verse, bread signifies necessities of life–food, shelter, clothing, and other things we truly need. If we spend our money to buy the things we need, we feel satisfied and content. When we waste our money on things that we don’t need, we feel regret and discontent. All of us have purchased things we thought we really wanted, only to have them sit in a closet unused for years before we decided to get rid of them. Our natural tendency to purchase items we don’t need has led to the rise of yard sales and thrift stores.
I believe we would waste much less money if we would stop and ask ourselves two questions before making a purchase:
1) Do I truly need this item?
2) Am I willing to trade ______ hour(s) of my labor to obtain this item?
This week I encourage you to pause before making any discretionary purchases and consider these questions.
Yesterday a man was released from prison in California after a judge determined he had been falsely convicted. Daniel Larsen was sentenced to 27 years to life in 1999 under California’s “three strikes” law after being convicted of illegally carrying a concealed weapon. Larsen claimed that a knife found under a car at the scene of a fight was not his but was thrown under the car by another man. No one actually saw Larsen with the knife. Larsen served more than 13 years of his sentence before a judge ruled that Larsen is “actually innocent” of the charge, thus freeing him. For more detail on the story, please go to http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/20/daniel-larsen-freed_n_2916889.html
While Daniel Larsen was not guilty of the crime for which he was imprisoned, he is a twice convicted burglar. The previous convictions resulted in Larsen receiving a much harsher sentence than one would expect for a concealed weapons violation. Still, Larsen was not guilty of the crime he was charged with and I am thankful that he has been rightly released.
I have been thinking a lot about wrongful convictions in the past few weeks since I watched the movie ‘The Next Three Days.’ In this movie, Russell Crowe plays the husband of a woman convicted of murder on the basis of circumstantial evidence and sentenced to 20 years in prison. Crowe is absolutely convinced of his wife’s innocence and exhausts all his resources and legal options in an attempt to have her conviction overturned. When all his efforts fail, he decides to break her out of prison. I won’t reveal any spoilers–the movie description tells you everything I have mentioned. It’s an intense, dramatic movie, and I highly recommend it.
Watching ‘The Next Three Days’ got me wondering how I would cope if I were falsely convicted of a crime. I’m certain that I would not want to my loved ones to attempt to break me out of jail. Committing a crime and risking innocent lives is not the way to right a wrong. Of course, I would want my family to exhaust all legal options to secure my freedom, and I would pray that God would intervene on behalf. But, what would my atttitude be? I would hope that my attitude and my behavior would point others to Jesus Christ.
The Bible is full of examples of godly men who were imprisoned, enslaved, or murdered when they had done nothing to deserve those fates. Joseph comes to mind as an exemplary role model. Joseph was sold into slavery by his jealous brothers and later imprisoned after being falsely accused by his master’s wife of making inappropriate advances. Yet, Joseph honored God in prison. We read in Genesis 39:21 -23 “The Lord was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden. So the warden put Joseph in charge of all those held in the prison, and he was made responsible for all that was done there. The warden paid no attention to anything under Joseph’s care, because the Lord was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did.”
Because Joseph honored God, God honored Joseph. Eventually, Joseph was released from prison and elevated to the second highest position in the land. Joseph could look back later in his life and tell his brothers that he forgave them and that his imprisonment was part of God’s greater plan. “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” (Genesis 50:20)
Of course, I hope and pray to never have the experience of being falsely convicted of a crime and imprisoned. However, if it did happen, would have the faith and trust in God to view it as part of His larger plan? Would I use that time to share God’s message of mercy and His plan of salvation with other prisoners? Would I be able to focus my attention on heavenly goals, knowing that what happens on earth is but for a moment, but that which glorifies God has eternal value and significance?
I don’t know the answers to those questions, and I truly don’t want to find out. However, every day I have the opportunity to find myself in circumstances that are less than ideal. I need to view every circumstance as an opportunity to share the love of Christ with those whom God puts in my path. Whether I am confined to a jail cell or a hospital bed or a desk at a job I don’t like, I am free to be all that God has called me to be in my present circumstances.
I rejoice that Daniel Larsen has found earthly freedom. I pray that while he was in prison that he had a real encounter with Christ and that he experienced true freedom even while still incarcerated. Today we all have the opportunity to chose true freedom in Christ or bondage to sin. If we know Christ as our Savior, we have the opportunity to look at every circumstance as a chance to share Christ.
How do you think you would respond if you were falsely convicted of a crime?
Historically, charity has been the duty of the church, yet today much of that responsibility has been abdicated to the government. A large portion of the federal budget, and hence of the taxes we pay, is allocated to social programs, such as providing assistance to the poor. Yet, Jesus made it clear that caring for those in need is a primary responsibility of His church.
In Matthew 25: 31 – 46, Jesus talks about the end times. He tells His disciples that at the judgment He will separate the sheep and the goats. The sheep will be rewarded with eternal life and the goats will be condemned to eternal punishment. Who are the sheep? The sheep are described as those who have provided food and drink to the hungry and thirsty and clothing to those in need, those who extended invitations to strangers, those who cared for the sick, and those who have visited prisoners. The goats are the people who did not do these things.
This teaching taken by itself seems to indicate salvation by works. Yet, we know from a thorough reading of the Scriptures, that we cannot achieve salvation by our works. Salvation is a free gift bestowed on those who will accept it through belief in Jesus Christ’s redemptive work on the cross. We can never do enough good works to be ‘good enough’ for Heaven. Only if we acknowledge our sin and inadequacies and allow the blood of Jesus to pay the price for our sin can we be saved and receive the gift of eternal life.
Food pantry ministry
What then was Jesus trying to tell His disciples? I believe that He was emphasizing how serious it is for His church to carry out His work of ministering to those in need. As a church, the body of Christ must: (1) feed the hungry, (2) provide clothing to those in need, (3) reach out to strangers and make them feel welcome, (4) care for the sick and lonely, and (5) visit those who are incarcerated. These actions are not voluntary; Jesus mandated them as the primary work of His people.
Visiting the sick
Jesus came to minister to those in need. When the Pharisees criticized Jesus for eating with tax collectors and sinners, Jesus told them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” (Mark 2:17) Jesus went out of His way to interact with those who were in need, whether the need was physical, financial, or spiritual. After their immediate needs were met, they were receptive to Jesus’ message of grace and redemption.
The church should do no less than Jesus did. Charitable outreach cannot be something we do randomly or haphazardly. It must be done regularly and with a plan. To paraphrase a popular saying “no one cares what you believe until they believe you care.” We will only be able to reach the lost, the hurting, the lonely, and the needy if we reach out to them with the love of Jesus and minister first to their physical needs. If the church truly fulfills this mission, sinners will flock to churches and many, many people will receive salvation.
I am happy to be a part of a church that believes in ministering to those in need. We do this specifically by providing food to anyone who calls us and asks for help. Most of the people we assist do not attend our church. We are happy to share Christ’s love through providing food for them. It is our prayer that many of these people will want to fully experience Christ’s love and will seek out a Bible-believing church to attend. We also visit visit the sick and elderly in the hospital and nursing homes. And, of course, many other churches in our community do their part to fulfill Christ’s mandate to serve the poor and needy. Still, there is more that needs to be done.
Each church needs to step up and take primary responsibility for the needy in their communities. If they did, the government could reduce or eliminate many social programs and the church would have the influence it should rightly have in the world.
What are you and your church doing to share Christ’s love with those in need?
The phrase “let go and let God” has been popular in Christian circles for many years. It simply means give your problems, concerns, and worries to God and allow Him to take care of them for you. It’s a catchy phrase–easy to say and easy to remember. However, it’s very hard to put into practice. More times than not, I find myself praying about a situation and then spending many hours or days trying to work out a solution on my own. A beloved former pastor of mine calls that “picking the problem up again.”
Yesterday I read a great blog post by Pastor Tim Burton entitled “Get Rid of Self-Imposed Limitations.” (http://readfreshmanna.blogspot.com/ January 7, 2013) Pastor Tim addressed this very issue and his struggles with “letting go and letting God.” In this post, Pastor Tim described a situation in which a friend confided to him before the Sunday morning church service that he had been laid off from his job and asked Tim to pray for him to find a new job. Pastor Tim agreed to pray for his friend and provided him with the name of a contact who might be able to assist him.
Pastor Tim had been supportive and offered his friend useful information. His sole responsibility at this point was to pray for his friend. However, as he tried to worship, his mind kept trying to come up with solutions to assist his friend. I could relate to Pastor Tim’s experience. Too often, I ask God to handle a problem and then begin working out the ways God could best accomplish the task.
Pastor Tim reported that he had come up with three possible solutions when he felt God reprimand him with these words, “You are trying to solve what belongs to me. Can you see how limited your thinking is? Stop your limited thinking and turn this over to me! There are no limitations for me and you could not figure out how I will be directing his life.”
To his credit, Pastor Tim immediately stopped interfering and stepped back to allow God to work. This simple story illustrated to me that when I spend time trying to solve a problem that only God can solve, there are two unintended consequences: (1) I waste my time and (2) I put limits on God.
Isaiah 55:8 says, “’For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the Lord.” This tells me that God has plans for me, or my friends, that I could never fathom. If I will get out of the way and allow God to enact His plans, the results will be far better than any I could come up with on my own.
I believe that this illustration will help me to truly be faithful in letting go of the problems I bring to God and allowing God handle them in the way that He knows will be best for me and will bring Him glory.
Do you find yourself asking God to help you and then not allowing Him to work? If so, I hope that Pastor Tim’s inspired words will bless you and help you to let go and let God.
A number of years ago while teaching at a Christian high school, I was introduced to the concept of ‘life verses’. Basically, life verses are verses of Scripture that speak so powerfully to a person that the person’s life is impacted. The verses may supply encouragement, provoke a change of heart, bring correction, or provide instruction. I was already aware of Scripture verses that had impacted me in these ways, and I had written several of those verses in my journal. I had not, however, identified these verses as my ‘life verses.’
Since my introduction to the idea of life verses, I have made a habit of keeping my life verses close at hand. I write them on index cards and carry them in my purse, so they are handy when I need them. I read and ponder them frequently. One such verse is Jeremiah 29:11, “‘For I know the plans I have for you’, declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'” This verse sustained me during a difficult time several years ago as Steve and I considered a major change in our life. We were certain that God was leading us to make this change, yet nothing was working out. When I would become discouraged, I would recite this verse many times throughout each day. Eventually God set things in motion for us with results that were far better than if our earlier attempts had succeeded. God was teaching us to be patient and wait for His plan to be fulfilled.
Five years ago, God revealed to me that I should write a Christian novel. This idea seemed very foreign to me, given my background is in math and finance. Yet, God assured me that He would help me to accomplish the task if I would rely on Him. Two verses gave me the courage to step out in faith and undertake this task. I wrote them on index cards which I kept by my computer as I wrote. One was John 15:16, “You did not choose me; I chose you and gave you this work and I gave you this work to produce fruit.” This verse not only reminded me that writing a novel was God’s idea, but it also promised me that people would come to know God through reading the novel. The second verse was “If you see that the job is too big for you, that it’s something only God can do, and you trust Him to do it–you could never to it for yourself no matter how hard and long you worked–well, that trusting-him-to-do-it is what gets you set right with God, by God. Sheer gift.” (Romans 4:5, The Message) This verse encouraged me to continue to rely on God for the words to write. I was well aware that I was not up to the task on my own, and I needed to be reminded to trust God to do it in me and through me.
For the past few weeks, I have been pondering a word to choose as my ‘One Word’ for 2013. The One Word campaign encourages people to choose a word to focus on for the year, rather than making resolutions which are quickly broken. Last year my Word was ‘intentional’ and in 2011 I selected ‘delight’ as my word. This year I have not selected a word, but rather a new life verse. The verse that God keeps bringing to my mind is “Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labors on what does not satisfy?” (Isaiah 55:2)
This single verse encompasses important principles of money management and time management. We should spend our money on things that sustain and improve our life, and we should be our time in tasks that bring joy and satisfaction. I believe that if this verse is foremost in my thoughts this year, I will be less likely to waste my money or my time. I will not clutter my life with possessions I will discard in a few weeks or months and I won’t fritter away my time in meaningless activity. So rather than making resolutions or even choosing a word to focus on this year, I have chosen a verse that I believe will impact me and the way I live my life in 2013 in very positive ways.
What Scripture verses have most impacted your life? Do you have a verse you will focus on during this year?
I grew up in a Christian home and have attended church regularly all my life, yet I was not familiar with the term ‘proselytizing’ until I was in my thirties and then I only heard it used on rare occasions. In recent years I have heard the term used more and more frequently, often as a criticism. The term is bandied about so negatively that I found it hard to believe it was an action I could be guilty of committing, so I looked up its meaning. Webster defines proselytize as ‘the attempt to convert’.
Christians are instructed by Christ to ‘go and make disciples of all nations’ (Matthew 28:19), which certainly results in an attempt to convert those who don’t know Jesus Christ as their Savior to Christianity. We don’t use the term ‘proselytizing’, however. Rather we ‘share the gospel’ and ‘evangelize.’ In Christian circles, these are viewed as positive actions. We are attempting to lead people into a relationship with Jesus Christ, because we are convinced that salvation through Jesus Christ is the only access to eternal life.
Of course, many people have a different and negative opinion of evangelism. The Atheist Revolution recently published an article entitle ‘The Condescending Nature of Proselytizing.’ The unidentified author discusses his disdain for those of any religion who proselytize. He quotes Rick Levy who finds this practice “rude and condescending because of its implication that the adherent’s beliefs are superior to those of other people’s and thus they need to be saved from the error of their ways.”
Interesting. I make no apologies for Christians believing that salvation comes only through Jesus Christ. Christ himself said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:60) In Acts 4:12, Peter preached “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” There are no alternative beliefs for anyone who truly is a disciple of Christ.
What I object to is the assertion that sharing our faith makes Christians condescending. We are not trying to present ourselves as superior, but rather as sinners saved by grace who want to give others the opportunity to share in this wonderful gift. We desire that everyone would experience the peace and joy that comes from knowing Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.
Recently quotes from an interview given by Penn Jillette in 2008 have been making the rounds on the Internet. Jillette, of Penn and Teller fame, is a very vocal atheist, yet he states “I don’t respect people who don’t proselytize…How much do you have to hate somebody to not proselytize?” When I saw the video of this interview, it reminded me of the Seinfeld episode in which Elaine discovers that her boyfriend Putty is a Christian. She gets upset that he would let her go to hell rather than try to convert her.
Proselytizing, from a Christian’s point of view, is the attempt to share the most precious, valuable gift ever given to man–the gift of eternal life. Christianity is so wonderful that not sharing this good news is not an option.
If you don’t know Jesus as your Savior, I urge you to examine your heart. Do you have true peace? Do you know your sins are forgiven? Are you confident that you will spend eternity in Heaven? If not, you might want to open your heart and your mind the next time a Christian wants to share the gospel with you. You have nothing to lose and eternity to gain.
At this time of year, most people are in a generous mood. The Christmas spirit inspires us to share with those in need and we are bombarded with opportunities to give. From the Salvation Army’s red kettles to Toys for Tots drop boxes to food drives, there are ample choices for everyone to give to those needs that are most dear to their hearts. There are so many worthy charities that it is hard to decide which ones to support. Each year I struggle to balance the desire to give to every great cause while staying within my budget. So I want to share some steps that have helped me in making these tough decisions.
1) Ask God for wisdom in determining which charities to support each year. If we all followed God’s guidance with our giving, all the needs would be met.
2) Decide how much money you can afford to give and stick to your budget. I once read a definition of debt as “misguided charity.” Being overly generous can lead to financial difficulties just as surely as greed and selfish spending.
3) Support charities whose values line up with your own. As a Christian, I support charities sponsored by Christian organizations. While I recognize that the beneficiaries of charitable giving appreciate the assistance regardless of the source, I want to share the message of Christ’s love while blessing others.
The following are some of the charities that I have supported over the years.
1) Angel Tree–This ministry of Prison Fellowship provides gifts to children of prison inmates. They desire to reconcile prisoners with their families by delivering gifts to the children in the name of the incarcerated parent.
2) Operation Christmas Child–A ministry of Samaritan’s Purse, Operation Christmas Child has delivered nearly 100 million Christmas gifts in shoeboxes to children all over the world. Each box contains materials that share Christ’s love and plan of salvation with the recipient.
3) Salvation Army–Through their red buckets and their Angel gifts, the Salvation Army blesses needy children and senior citizens. The Salvation Army’s mission is to reach the lost, the last, and the least with the message of Christ’s love.
4) Toys for Tots–This toy drive is sponsored by the Marine Corps and Marine Corps reserves and provides toys to disadvantaged children. The mission of Toys for Tots is to provide a message of hope that will assist children in becoming responsible, productive, patriotic citizens.
5) Food banks. I donate to my church’s food ministry and our local food bank. It’s hard to share Christ’s love with people who are hungry. When we feed people, they know we care about them and it makes it easier for them to believe that Christ loves them.
That’s my list of favorite charitable organizations. What are some of yours? What other ways to you share Christ’s love at Christmas?
Christmas celebrates the beginning of Christ’s earthly journey and the hope that He brought to the world. As we give Christmas gifts to those less fortunate than us, we have an opportunity to share Christ’s love and the infinitely valuable gift He gave us when He left his home in Heaven to live among man and ultimately pay the price for our sins. Please pray and ask God to direct your giving this year. If we all give as God leads us, many needs will be met and many lives will be changed. The true message of Christmas is that Christ came to Earth to change lives.
Christmas is six weeks away, but it’s not too early to start getting in the Christmas spirit by blessing others. Like many churches around the country, my church is participating in Operation Shoebox, a ministry of Samaritan’s Purse.The girls in our Girls Ministries program filled shoeboxes with gifts to be given to a boy or girl in a foreign country. For many of these children, it will be the first Christmas gift they have ever received. Each of our seven classes filled one or two shoeboxes. A few of them are depicted below.
Shoeboxes to be sent to Samaritan’s Purse to distribute to children worldwide.
There is still time for you to participate in this important ministry. You can use your own shoebox or pick up a decorated box at your local Christian bookstore or Chick fil A restaurant. If you use your own, please wrap it in Christmas paper. Fill the box with some toys, personal hygiene products, school and art supplies, hard candies, or other small gifts. Use your imagination and ask God to give your ideas for your box.
When the box is ready, put a rubber band around it and indicate if it is for a boy or girl and the appropriate age range. Drop off the box at a local collection point. Go to http://www.samaritanspurse.org/index.php/OCC/Drop_Off_Locations/ to find the drop off location nearest you. For more information on the ministry of Samaritan’s Purse, go to www.samaritanspurse.com
Box collection started today and goes through next Monday, November 19. It’s not too late, but time is running out. If you are able to participate, you will bless a child and share with them the true spirit of Christ. And in doing so, you will be blessed in return.
Acts 20:35, “In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”
Susan's Reflections 
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