Posts Tagged ‘stewardship’

Bible Verses on Spirit Led Giving

Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010

Because of my stand against the tithing mandate, many have asked me for bible verses that support Spirit led giving. So I’ve compiled a list of the more obvious bible verses that i believe support Spirit led giving as opposed to tithing. There are definitely other verses that may support Spirit Led giving in an indirect way, but i do not feel that they are as obvious as these bible verses below. I have included a monetary offer at the end to the best one who contributes an additional bible verse on Spirit led giving.

  1. Galatians 5:18
    But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
    Um, need i say more? Sure, because there are 10 more bible verses still to write about.
  2. Romans 12:6-8
    Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, [let us use them]: if prophecy, [let us] [prophesy] in proportion to our faith; or ministry, [let us use it] in [our] ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.
    This just plainly states that our giving is a Spiritual gift, not an action that is determined by a numerical calculation.
  3. Matthew 10:8
    Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, [fn] cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.
    With this verse in correlation with other spiritual gifts, such as healing, we should see that our freewill, spirit-led giving is a command and is a spiritual gift as well.
  4. Acts 1:8
    But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you;
    It is the law and sin that no longer has the authority and power over our lives, including our giving.
  5. Acts 5:3
    But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself
    In this passage Ananias disobeys the Spirit of God and convinces himself into believing a lie that he should keep back part of the price of land.  If the Holy Spirit was not responsible for instructing Ananias to give everything, then Ananias had no reason to hide part of the price. The guilty need no accusing. This is why i believe that Spirit led giving is not an easy way out of giving. There are direct consequences for disobeying the instructions of the Holy Spirit. With tithing in the Old Testament, you had some idea of what the consequences of not tithing were.  I would think that the worst part about some types of punishments is not knowing what the consequence would be.
  6. 1 Peter 4:10
    As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
    Many times we pray and plead for an opportunity to minister our gifts except when it comes time to minister our gifts of giving. It seems that we have the opportunity to bypass the intense pleading and praying part because the ministry of giving is calculated through tithing, not prayer.
  7. Acts 2:44-46
    Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need. So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart,
    This is not a verse that even mentions the Holy Spirit, but can we deny that the leading of the Holy Spirit is not upon them? Can we deny that the worries of possessions and materialism have faded into the gladness and simplicity of their communion?
  8. 2 Corinthians 8:1-9, 9:7
    Moreover, brethren, we make known to you the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia: that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded in the riches of their liberality. For I bear witness that according to their ability, yes, and beyond their ability, they were freely willing, imploring us with much urgency that we would receive the gift and the fellowship of the ministering to the saints. And not only as we had hoped, but they first gave themselves to the Lord, and then to us by the will of God.
    So we urged Titus, that as he had begun, so he would also complete this grace in you as well. But as you abound in everything–in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all diligence, and in your love for us–see that you abound in this grace also. I speak not by commandment, but I am testing the sincerity of your love by the diligence of others. 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.     . . .[So let] each one [give] as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity[law]; for God loves a cheerful giver.
    Yes, this is one of the more vague passages to support Spirit led giving, but in this whole passage about giving, i have underlined 2 phrases to summarize this passage on giving. After Paul’s admonishment on liberality and freewill giving, he states, “I speak not by commandment” and “not of necessity”. These phrases should strike a stake into the heart of all tithing supporters, and should make it clear that no standards or laws are a substitute for the Holy Spirit.
  9. Acts 11:28-30
    Then one of them, named Agabus, stood up and showed by the Spirit that there was going to be a great famine throughout all the world, which also happened in the days of Claudius Caesar. Then the disciples, each according to his ability, determined to send relief to the brethren dwelling in Judea. This they also did, and sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.
    Here we have a man/woman who revealed through the Holy Spirit that a great famine was going to come. And because of what the Holy Spirit had revealed, the early Church was able to prepare relief for those who would be most effected by this famine. The Spirit led gift of giving many times is not so much the ability to give, but more or less the ability for one to see a financial need that should be filled.
  10. Luke 4:1
    And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness.
    Do we see giving mentioned in here, no. But we do see the Holy Spirit as a leader, and a guide.
  11. John 16:13
    Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, [that] shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
    I think we need to realize that Holy Spirit isn’t just this being that puts a permanent smile on our face. Many people believe that Spirit led giving is just simply performing the action of being cheerful. This is not the truth. We not only should be Spirit filled with our giving, but also Spirit led. The Holy Spirit is an instructor, and brings revelation for our lives.
  12. 2 Corinthians 9:7
    [So let] each one [give] as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.

We need more verses that support Spirit led giving, SO PLEASE ADD SOME SPIRIT LED GIVING VERSES IN THE COMMENTS. I would definitely love old or new testament verses. There are lots of bible verses on giving in the new testament but it’s hard to really pinpoint that a spiritual gift is being used or that the Holy Spirit is guiding someone. So take that into consideration if you wish to add a verse. Also, please add your own little commentary to the verse as well, so i can add your explanation. I don’t want my voice to be the sole interpreter of scripture on this blog. I will send $15 through paypal to the best new verse and explanation of Spirit led giving.

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New Blog Design

Thursday, February 25th, 2010

No your eyes have not deceived you – we have a whole new look. We even tweaked the name and changed the logo! Here’s a list of changes we have made already this year for those who have not noticed them yet

  1. Changed the comment section so that comments are threaded so you can reply to specific people.
  2. Enlarged the width of the website to enable easier reading and cleaner space
  3. Added subscription buttons to both the google and yahoo groups
  4. Added a multi-language translator
  5. re-enabled commentluv so that your most recent posts are linked automatically inside your comment. Can’t say no to a little publicity for yourself.

I am always looking for ways to improve the blog. If there are any suggestions out there that you would like to input, i would greatly appreciate your advice. Thanks for all your support, and participation for this blog!

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Incompatible Systems: Tithing v. Holy Spirit

Friday, February 19th, 2010

Could you imagine if God told the Israelites to use the laws in the Roman tax code to pay for the Levitical service in the temple? I’m sure a lot of objections come to mind right now. here are a few of my objections:

  • The Roman law does not know how much resources are needed to run the temple operations
  • The Levites have no influence or authority over the Roman laws
  • Old Testament laws and the Roman laws have 2 different duties to fulfill
  • The two different statutes are just incompatible, so there would be no way to merge Roman law with the Levitical laws

Using the laws in the Roman tax code to pay for the services of the Jewish temple seems ludicrous. But, as bizarre as it may seem, the Church today is financing it’s ministries in this same bizarre fashion. We are using two separate statutes that are incompatible with one another to either govern or finance Church ministry. The Church body uses the Holy Spirit as our guide and our counsel. He is responsible for ordaining evangelists, teachers, apostles, and prophets; and yet we use a different tax code to pay for the service of these offices.

Instead of allowing the Holy Spirit to finance the same ministries that He governs, we use the tithing tax code to pay for them. Since the law used tithing to support the Levites and a type of priesthood that does not exist today; why do we use tithing to support ministries that have no connection with the law still? Here’s my objections:

The tithing law does not know how much resources are needed to run Spirit led operations.

Let me give a practical example. The U.S. Constitution delegates specific powers to our government. So naturally, our constitution delegates funding for it’s own operations. We couldn’t use the financial data from European laws to pay for U.S. government operations. So, how can we use tithing laws to finance the operations that the Holy Spirit has delegated? Tithing has no ability to predict the amount of resources that the Holy Spirit needs.

Also, what better way to confirm that a ministry was  called by the Holy Spirit, then by the same Spirit calling us to give to support it?

The Spirit led Church has no influence or authority over the tithing laws

Let’s just hypothetically say that in the Old Testament, Roman laws distributed a tithe proportionately to 10 levitical districts. What influence would the Levites have over these Roman laws if they felt a change in finances was necessary? The Levites do not have any authority over the Roman government, let alone any of the benefits of Roman citizenship. The needs of each levitical district varies year after year, but the Levites are stuck with the proportions delegated by the Roman laws.

Today, the Spirit led church has no influence over where their tithe must go. You may think that my claim is biased since the church leaders distribute the tithe and offerings after each Sunday. But I’m not talking about what Church leaders do with what others have given. I’m talking about what you do with what God has given you. You and I are the Church. Pastor Bob and his staff is not the entirety of Church operations.

According to most tithe teachers today, our tithe belongs in the local church storehouse. So, if we were to give our 10% anywhere else besides the local church, then we would be in danger of putting ourselves under the Malachi 3 curse. In some cases, our extended family could use some help with groceries this week, but choosing where our tithe can go is not our decision to make. We have no authority to change where the tithe must go, because neither the Holy Spirit, nor your ambitions have no authority to change it.

Even though Christians are to be led by the Spirit of God, what tithing really means is that once you’ve achievedthe minimum guidelines and standards, you are finally free to be Spirit led. Until then, you are under the authority of something other than the Holy Spirit.

Both the Old Covenant, and the New Covenant operations have different duties to fulfill

I’ve already stated that tithing was used to support the Levitical system and a type of priesthood that does not exist today. Tithing financed the duties of Levites in the Old Testament who held governmental positions, couldn’t own land, were guards, and also treasurers of the cities. The tithe in the Old Testament was their government welfare system and also funded multiple yearly festivals. The tithe did not pay for any salaries, nor did the tithe did not go towards any buildings or programs.

There is no way that tithing could have been integrated into a completely different New Testament system without any instructions in the bible on how to modify or migrate tithing into the Spirit led Church. The new testament Church is not the old testament system donning a new costume; so why should tithing be slipped under the cloak of the New Covenant legislation?

In the Old Testament, worship for the Israelites, Levites, and Priests was instructed through the Law. There was no question as to who was to serve, where you were to serve, and how long. This systematic worship, and governance made it quite simple to use a tithe to finance these straight-forward instructions. If the new covenant had laws that dictated who the ministerial class was going to be, as well as where and when they served; then i could see no problem with implementing a systematic way of financing that legalistic operation.

In the New Testament, because we all participate in the operations of priestly worship, our duties are not clear-cut for us. We are all given gifts that differ according to the delegations of the Holy Spirit. Since we all have duties of the priests, there is no Levitical class, there is no priestly portions. We do not have instructions written on who is to serve, how long, or where. The Holy Spirit is spontaneous, and radical. But please take note, that we have the responsibility to develop plans and create order. Spirit led giving is not the presence of anarchy and chaos.

The Holy Spirit and tithing are just incompatible

You cannot use water to fuel a combustion engine, and neither can we expect tithing to fuel the Spirit filled Church. The restrictions of tithing make it impossible to coordinate with the spontaneous and radical movements of the Holy Spirit. You cannot expect a dead, static law, such as tithing, to be fully compatible with a living, spiritual organism.

God’s children are born of the Spirit, so the letter of the law is dead. Nothing screams “letter” more loudly than prescribing a mathematical formula for our worship towards God. Seriously, what other aspect of our worship are we obligated to perform a minimum standard? Name me one – praying, serving, preaching, witnessing, attendance . . . ? Also, name me one spiritual gift, besides giving, where there is a minimum standard attached to it? Could tithing be any less discreet about it’s form of legalism? Tithing IS the definition of legalism! The letter and the Spirit do not mix.

Conclusion

Could you imagine if God told the Church to use the laws in the Roman tax code to pay for the ministries in His Church? It sounds ludicrous! So, stop trying to be a church that is governed by Julius Caesar and be a Church that is governed by the Holy Spirit and the Word of God – Jesus Christ.

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Is Church Marketing Right or Wrong?

Thursday, January 21st, 2010

In my opinion, Church advertising is one of those gray areas. depending on which angle you look at the way some churches advertise, you can make a case for unethical practices or just poor stewardship. The hard part is figuring out if there is a line to draw or even if there should be any boundaries at all. It’s hard for me to determine at what point do we treat the church like a business, or treat it like a family? I mention four questions below that i believe could help us determine some boundaries.

Do we rely on it too much?

How much is too much? Truthfully, I don’t know. I believe that God gave us resources to use as tools to reach people. So, I’m not one of those who believes that we shouldn’t advertise or build church buildings just because you can’t find a verse for it in the New Testament.

I am worried that we rely too much on our advertising to attract others to the city on the hill instead of using the light to attract. What i mean is that our actions should shine a light that reflects Jesus Christ onto the world. Advertising is not bad as long as those who come get some light when they show up. If you use advertising to bring people there, and promos to keep people there, then that’s when i believe we rely on it too much.

Wood, hay, and stubble make can make a lot of light when they are burned, but the fire only lasts for a few moments. On the other hand – gold, silver, & precious stones emit an everlasting glow, and do not decay. How much light would your fellowship have once the flare, and blazes of your promotions burned out? If i say it more directly. . . how much light does your fellowship once the flare of the Sunday performance ends?

Do we spend too much on it?

I realize there is no price limit on how much we should spend to gain 1 soul. But the opposing truth is that if all we had to do was spend money, then i think we would be a lot more successful then we have been. As stewards of God’s kingdom, i think there’s one word to sum up our role – investors. A steward is much more than a person who can keep his master’s possessions safe. A good steward uses wisdom to multiply his master’s wealth.

This is my opinion, but i believe we spend too much money on those who we think are going to deserve God’s grace. We love investing in the middle-class American. If we had to advertise to the poor, then our advertising would be most effective through charitable actions. Advertising to the poor takes a lot of humility, time, and has very little recursive benefits.

One of our struggles as humans is to see the potential that some earthly investments have over others in heaven. That’s why I think most of us are complacent with putting more  money in advertising dollars than in humanitarian efforts. The truth be told, if we wish to advertise Jesus the Christ, find out how Jesus asked us to advertise. And then advertise your advertisement. Make sense? :)

Is Marketing Evanglism?

I don’t think that advertisements need to have a gospel presentation embedded in it. So, maybe this is one of those gray areas. I think the bottom line with advertising is that we should be seeking the lost, or those who need Christian fellowship and accountability. It seems that some churches really lose site of that.

Some churches think their advertising campaign is a PR tool to promote their popularity. It says nothing about Jesus Christ, and when you go to their advertised events, still nothing is said about Jesus Christ. More or less, it’s either a self help seminar, a warm and fuzzy message, or a concert. I think my statement above applies well to this. Find out what Jesus asked us to advertise, then advertise that.

Maybe it’s OK that our goals are strictly for social reasons instead of Gospel reasons? Maybe we can advertise concerts just to break down social barriers – so that people know Christians can have fun as well? Must we always be on the offensive as Christians? I know I am asking a lot of questions, but like i said, there can be a lot of gray areas when it comes to this topic. I don’t think i have this all figured out yet.

What are the pros and cons?

The Pros

1. It spreads awareness – There’s nothing wrong with telling people – this is what we do, and this is where we stand.

2. It nags people – The consistent reminder here and there wouldn’t hurt.

3. You can focus on certain demographics – Targeting age groups and certain cultures is an effective way to communicate that visitors  will feel welcome and comfortable around those who are like them.

The Cons

1. It costs money – According to Center for Church Communication in 2005 “80% of churches spend less than $10,000 on marketing and promotions each year (includes bulletins, newsletters, web sites, mailings, etc.)”. That figure seems lower than i expected. Don’t know how they come up with their numbers.

2. It’s used as bait – Usually you are not going to advertise the penalty of sin, and that we all deserve to burn in hell. More than likely you are going to advertise a concert, some self help sermons, or a pot-luck dinner or something.

Conclusion

I don’t think I’ve come to any solid conclusions here. Like i said, i have questions, and i see a lot of gray areas. I think this is partly because i don’t believe that Church is an event that occurs on Sundays. So, why should we judge how we prepare for that day different than we would any other day. The important thing is that we are a family, but there’s no laws against using business techniques. Bottom line- Christians have a job to do,- we have the liberty to use resources to get the message out- and we should be wise stewards.

Do you have any Pros or Cons that you wish to add to churches spending money on marketing? Do you think i was wrong with my analysis anywhere?

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If Tithing Looks Like it & Acts Like It

Tuesday, December 29th, 2009

You’ve heard this statement before – “if it looks like it, if it acts like it, then it is it”. This statement comes to mind when i think of those who have trouble categorizing tithing under Old Testament law. One thing i need clarify is that when i mention the ‘law’, i am talking about Old Testament rituals that have no place within the New Covenant Church. Of course God has laws that are eternal. I would consider eternal laws principles that transcend the old and new testament.

Now that that’s past us, let’s look at a few key points that prove why looks like and acts like an Old Testament law.

Tithing is a precise command

Did you know that the gift of giving is the only Spiritual gift that has a minimum standard? What i don’t exactly comprehend is if tithing controls our giving, then why should something that isn’t defined by the Holy Spirit even be considered a Spiritual gift? Another thing to consider is if Israel gave offerings above the tithe without the Holy Spirit, then what would we need the Holy Spirit to guide our offerings for?

The Old Testament had laws that regulated how ministry was operated. For instance, only a certain tribe was called to serve, they only served the temple for 2 weeks out of the year, they could only serve for 25 years, and they had no inheritance of property. We could use these guidelines on how ministers should serve today; but we conveniently rely on the Holy Spirit to ordain and make up different guidelines for our ministers. Unfortunately, we don’t have the faith to believe that the Holy Spirit has the capability to ordain sacrificial givers to finance the Church. ATTENTION PASTORS & MINISTRY LEADERS: I don’t think it’s by mistake that we scour the Old Testament in search of regulations keeps money coming in; and yet you use the anonymity of the Holy Spirit to keep your power and position.

Some may think that my analysis of tithing is focusing on the letter of the law, and not the general spirit of the law. But what they fail to realize is Jesus himself condoned the Pharisees for their meticulous tithing habits. The truth is that Jesus lived under the regulations of the Old Testament laws. Jesus confirms the authority of the law earlier in the same passage here in Matthew 23:2-3 “Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat: All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, [that] observe and do . . .”

Tithing doesn’t bring perfection Hebrews 7:19, Hebrews 10:1

There’s no guarantee that 11% or even 12% is the overall amount that the Holy Spirit is asking you to give, so why should 10% be a rule? Tithing is not a teacher of new testament stewardship. It is like Galatians 3:24 states, it is a schoolmaster to bring us to Christ. A schoolmaster, is not a teacher, it is more like a babysitter. As Vine’s Expository Dictionary states, “The paidagogos[schoolmaster] was not the instructor of the child; he exercised a general supervision over him and was responsible for his moral and physical well-being”.

Our guide, our tutor, our helper is now the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the only tutor that understands our strengths and weaknesses, and can privately tutor us with custom stewardship lessons. Every child of God learns at a different pace. In the Old Testament tithing was fine because there was no access to a private tutor. The Israelites could not cross the Holy of Holies and be granted access to communicate with God.

Tithing can’t prove what’s in your heart

STOP, and SLOWLY think about this next question i’m about to ask . . . . . . . . Can you name me any other requirement, besides tithing, that the pharisees meticulously followed that is also required today? If you look at what the pharisees meticulously obeyed, it should give us a pretty solid answer as to what is NOT required today. For instance, circumcision, clean/unclean meats, work on the sabbath, washing hands, were the trophies of the pharisees and yet, we do not follow these guidelines. I can’t think of anything that the pharisees had bragging rights for that we can actually say is required today. For some reason, there’s one exception to that rule, and it’s – tithing. Even in the book of Matthew, Christ condones the pharisees for their meticulous tithing, but rebukes them in the same sentence for exclusion of justice, mercy, and faith.

I’m not saying that tithing shouldn’t be considered a sacrifice, or that you don’t have the right heart if you do tithe. But if we should serve in newness of spirit, and not [in] the oldness of the letter, what makes us believe that serving 10% is in the newness of the spirit?

Tithing was commanded under the Old Covenant

This is the most obvious reason tithing acts like an Old Testament law. The first argument that comes to the defense of tithing is that Abraham tithed before the Mosaic law. Tis true, but tithing was not a ‘requirement’ before the Mosaic law. If it had been a requirement, then Jacob in Genesis 28 could not have the opportunity to make a tithing vow. Most people believe that Jacob was just trying to fool God, and that God overlooked his foolishness, but as we see in Genesis 31:3 God did not overlook Jacob’s vow. This puts a big hole in the argument that tithing was required before the law.

Once you have biblical proof of tithing not being required prior to the Mosaic law, you can then look at historical records and see that Abraham was required to tithe because of a law in the land of Canaan that required a 10% tax on the spoils of war(1 pg 127)(2 pg 235-236).

Tithing is not commanded under the New Covenant

This is probably the second most obvious reason. Of all the bible verses recorded under the new covenant, you do not see a single reference to tithing along side any commands on giving. In Hebrews 7, tithing is mentioned, but it is not attached to a command on giving. Another important thing to remember is that Hebrews was written to the Jews, who would have been well aware of the practice of tithing anyway, but struggled with understanding  the purpose of the law. The gentiles, who knew the least about tithing, never received any instructions on tithing whatsoever.

Some principles found under the new covenant show that giving should be, ‘liberal’ 2 Corinthians 8:2, ‘free’ Romans 8:32, ’sacrificial’ Romans 12:1, and ‘cheerful’ 2 Corinthians 9:7. There are no hints to show our giving should have a starting point, or a minimum.

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Tithing Tactics

Thursday, November 5th, 2009

Need more tithers at your church? Here are some methods you can use to get more people to tithe.

1. Tithing chants

kenneth copeland had this brainwashing method to have the Church chant a tithing creed. here it is below

“The tithe guarantees financial favor.
“The tithe guarantees your covenant partnership with God.
“The tithe is proof of honor.
“The tithe is proof of obedience.
“The tithe silences the devourer in your life.
“The tithe guarantees consistent harvest on your seed.
“The tithe opens the windows of heaven …”

I want you to stare at the spiraling image and repeat this 50 times every day before you go to bed

“We are a cult and Kenneth Copeland is our leader”
“We are a cult and Kenneth Copeland is our leader”
“We are a cult and Kenneth Copeland is our leader”

2. Tithing pledge cards

hitlerI’ve been in church where i have seen two pledging materials  in the pocket of the seat in front of me. One pledge was on an offering envelope. Another pledge was on a commitment card. Was there a bible or a bulletin? No, just pledge cards, and two of them nonetheless as if one pledge card wasn’t enough.

I’m not counting the bulletin that was handed out when you came in the front door, because that was also asking you to commit money to the building fund as well.

I really don’t have anything against making pledges. Many times pledges are  committed at an emotional time in one’s life. We need to decipher if it’s the Holy Spirit convincing us, or if our emotions are clouding our judgment.

I’m not a fan of pep rally’s in churches that are focused on building campaigns. Look around you at your church’s next pep rally for the building project. See how big people’s eyes get when they show the 3-D models of  the new facility. The big eyes . . . um yeah. . . classic sign of the materialism pitfall. Last i checked, eyes only get that big when we see what we’re getting out of this deal, and not when our money is going to the mission center in downtown.

3. Tithing Challenge

**FINE PRINT
This is just some fine print that will tell you that you have done a very bad thing whenever you don’t read this. Just to let you know we are fooling you by making this very very small. Don’t worry your grandma can read this. All she needs is a big magnifying glass. If you were smart you would realize that the larger the print the least important it is. The smaller print is what’s important.

This is acclaimed as the “Win – Win” situation for both the giver and the receiver. Here’s the deal with this. Usually you commit to give the tithe over a 3 month period of time. If by the end of that period, you cannot pay your bills or if tithing has brought you debt, then the church will refund your tithe back to you.

That seems fair until you ask for the money back from the church. At that time they will want to probe into your finances and tell you how you spent too much money on going out to eat or buying starbucks. That’s when you realized that the small print at the bottom of the tithing challenge was actually important. Silly us, we thought it was the large print that was actually the most important. (sigh)

Another thing the church is relying on are those who actually have enough intestinal fortitude to ask for your money back. I mean come on. Who is gonna walk into a church and ask for their money back? It’s almost like stealing candy from a baby. Seriously, could you imagine the guilt trip for taking from a church? Not only that, what about the embarressment or humiliation of having to ask for your money back? I mean is the Church like a walmart? I doubt you’ll have long lines in the return aisle.

4. Tithing Testimonies

Harmless right? Not if the testimonies are one sided or in a twisted perspective. If you believe that your situation will play out just like the testimony you heard, then i feel bad for you.  Not that everyone believes their own story line will turn out exactly the way the other person’s has, but they do believe the results in the end will be the same.

For every good tithing testimony you hear, you can easily find a bad one. If you can’t seem to find a negative tithing testimony, then you probably have gotten used to those rose colored glasses you have on.

Look, i don’t want to just slam testimonies. I guess they have their place.

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5 Reasons Why we Need a Recession

Tuesday, October 13th, 2009

recession road sign

Can you think of anything positive about this recession we are in? I guess it’s kind of hard to have that “glass is half full” mentality when people are losing their jobs and losing their homes. Over the plenteous years, we’ve developed laziness, complacency, greed, and pride. It is due time for a good depression to detox our lives from the poisons that prosperity seems to bring. Here are five areas of our life that a good recession will help us with.

I. Creativity

In Family

I have seen with my own life that when times get tougher, my mind seems to work faster, clearer, and more creatively. I think of new, better, and creative ways to, save money, and help others.

One aspect of my life that involves my creativity is my family. I don’t have the money anymore to just throw at my family to make them happy. Now i  have to think of cheap and creative ways to do with things with my family. I come up with picnics, a walk on the beach, activities at the park, or even some time to sit and read a book.

If you are currently unemployed, and receiving unemployment, take this rare opportunity to bond with your family. Create memories that will last more than your unemployment check will. You will never regret this time.

In Business

Creativity also helps with new business ideas. Many people are receiving unemployment, but those benefits will run out one day. As the expiration date gets closer your mind begins thinking about business ideas that could make money. I started my own business when i was out of work. What better time will you have in the future? In the future, you won’t have this kind of time nor reason to think of ideas to start a business. Experts have always said, that the greatest time to start your own business is in a recession.

I could tell you, that it’s rough for any large or small business now. If you are employed take some extra time to start a side business as a safe guard against loosing your job. Maybe it will take off. . . maybe it won’t.

Psalms 104:24
“O Lord, how manifold are your works! In wisdom have you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures.”

II. Work Ethic

Your work ethic is the accomplishing force behind the creativity. Think of it as a basic survival instinct. Most unemployed realize that if you don’t do something soon, you are gonna be begging on the street. Some of you may not think that a work ethic applies to those who are only employed, well, i’d beg to differ. Now’s the time to get that honey do-list, or that tree house finished.You don’t have to have a job to exercise your work ethic.

With your job on the line or no job at all, we all learn to appreciate the ability we have to work. Before, we took our ability for granted. We had no drive to survive, no desire to prove your worth, but now that you have no job, or your job is on the line, you learn to appreciate the responsibility that God has given everyone.

I’m looking forward to retirement myself, not for a long time, but that’s besides the point. I don’t believe that true retirement is what God intended for us. Getting through this depression is not going to be easy. For some of us, working hard may mean getting out of debt.

Bottom line is that we’ve become lazy. The ninety’s were a prosperous time, but we’ve become lazy. it’s time for a depression to wake us out of our laziness, and back into a work ethic that made us strong to begin with. I’ve heard it said that stress is the fertilizer for creativity. So take your work ethic along with creativity and you’ll be using the most effective combo punch to get you through this round of the recession.

Proverbs 6:6-8
“Go to the ant, you sluggard! Consider her ways and be wise, which having no captain, overseer or ruler, provides her supplies in the summer, and gathers her food in the harvest.”

III. Humility

We’ve become cocky and selfish with our time and possessions. our prosperity for the past 15 years has boosted our ego so high that we’ve forgotten how we became prosperous in the first place. We need a dose of humility to bring us back to the level that God wants us at.

Because I live in the U.S., this point is especially true for Americans. The dollar is falling, the Chinese are buying all our debt; they even beat us in the Olympics. Our economy is no longer the superior driving force in the world. Not that this was all bad before, but it’s been bad for us because we’ve put ourselves on a pedastool that’s about to fall hard. We think America is indestructible. We think our creativity and work ethic is what has made America great. We forgot about God. More or less, it’s not that we’ve even forgot about Him because we’ve been literally pushing him out for quite some time.

America has lost the ability to acknowledge it’s weakness and see a need for God. Our pride is more devastating to this economy than laziness ever could be. Acquiring some humility is probably the fastest way that we can get through this depression. We are sorely mistaken if we think the value of the dollar, yen, or euro has more weight than the value of our spiritual heart.

Proverbs 16:18-19
“Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. Better to be lowly in spirit and among the oppressed than to share plunder with the proud.”

IV. Materialism

Plain and simple, we have too much. In the past we could no longer decipher between our needs and our wants. I tell you what, when you are going through your house looking for change to pay for groceries, you soon begin to realize the difference between ‘needs’ and ‘wants’.

I remember when our trash can in our house had cracked and we had to get a new one. Well, our house had stainless steel appliances, so i figured that nice stainless steel trash-can would compliment. When i went to the store, i found a nice stainless steel trash can for $100. Yes! $100. I was this close to buying a stinkin trashcan for $100. A TRASHCAN, are you kidding me!? Luckily, i settled for one for around $15. What was i thinking when i wanted a $100 trash-can?

If there’s one mental disorder that we have not diagnosed yet, i would say that it’s materialism. Our greed has become out of control. Most of us have heard of and seen poverty on TV, but most of us, it’s never hit home. Now, friends and family are filing for bankruptcy, losing their jobs and their homes. Once depravity hits close to us, we begin to see things in a new light. That new car doesn’t seem so fantastic when our friends and family can’t pay for a place to live, or even buy groceries.

It’s a sad thing to see when i look back at the things i have bought. I don’t know about you, but i need a new perspective on the things of this earth. I’ve been hearing that voice in my head more and more when i’m at the store, “do you really “NEED” that?”

A good depression is a fine cure for materialism.

Luke 12:15
“And He said to them, “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.”

V. Responsibility

This point is directed towards the Church. We have lost our responsibility toward God’s people. I don’t necessarily mean our spiritual responsibility.

It’s time for the Church to step up to the plate. Forget about trying to have the biggest TV, biggest performance, or flashy youth group. This is about survival. People have needs that need to be met. They don’t need a new drum set or big screen TV. The best way for us to reach others for Christ is to provide for their needs.

In a good economy, social problems used to be hard to find and therefore, easier to ignore. Now that they are more prevalent, it’s getting harder and harder to look the other way. This means that leaders are going to have to put aside the architectural plans, and break out the plans to invest in the community, and invest in those who need even the  basic necessities, such as food and shelter.

At one point, we might have pushed for government to take on more social responsibility. We think that they can provide schooling, healthcare, housing, and jobs. If government can provide all that, who need a local fellowship of believers to come in contact with? But, it seems that government is going broke as well, so we can’t rely on government to bail us out.

We’ve got small groups,  help groups,  and youth groups galore, so I think the Church has done a good job over the past decade to encourage  relational evangelism. But what about practical evangelism that will serve that cold cup of water? I agree that providing the venue to cultivate relationships in small group is a good mission for Church growth; but we cannot neglect the mission of the Church to train servants. The truth is that we’re afraid to “Go” into the world and serve.

Most of us feel safe giving our money to a good church that looks nice, has a nice white steeple, and has a pastor in a finely pressed suit and tie . The bizarre thing is that when we see someone without food, clothes and shelter we think that the nice church needs it more? That’s the problem when we stopped worrying about the soul and became concerned about the sanctuary. I’ve seen just as many souls touched by buying groceries and giving clothes as i have by hearing a month’s worth of sermons. Shouldn’t there be a red flag when it’s clearly our flesh that is reluctant to give anything to the bum on the street?

Mark 10:40-42
“He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me. He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward. And he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward. And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, assuredly, I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward.”

Conclusion

The poisons of prosperity have absorbed into our bloodstream like a bad drug addiction. Stop looking at the glass as half full and start rejoicing at the opportunity God gave us to rely on his grace.

James 1:2-4
“My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.”

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Testimony from Rory Moore

Saturday, September 5th, 2009

At times when i hear something good from others, i think it is great to publish it here on the blog. This testimony comes from Rory Moore, the author of “The Tithe That Binds”. His website is called, Prepare His Way. I have Rory’s book in my office and on my “to do” list, but here is a quote that i recently read from him. Thought he said some powerful things about Christian stewardship.

“As a former leader, assistant pastor, board member, I am all too familiar with the disregard and disrespect aimed at the “non-committed” brethren.

Too many times we saw people of success, business people, well-salaried people catered to, favored, and sought after for their membership and support.

We had one man who did especially well at offering time who was “gifted and anointed” to take up the weekly collection. We listened as pastors discussed the success or failure of the Sunday show and income at the mid-week staff meeting.

We saw and participated in leaders banquets, church-bought meals after service, and the entertaining of visiting ministers.

We saw the poor and down-trodden ignored and disdained. We saw them shuffled off to a benevolent fund minister or the food pantry minister.

We saw pastors family eat out virtually every day at least once and sometimes 3x a day.

We saw as people tithed big and who could care less about meeting the needs of the needy. They were well-trained to feed the offering plate rather than their brethren.

We saw the unpaid laborers of the church work and scramble to fundraise, sell all sorts of stuff to support the “ministry” of our church.

We were part of it for 24 years and even though we left 5 years ago, it still bothers me that we were such sorry excuses for Christians.”

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