Stewardship Insights from George

God's vote in the Primaries and Caucuses

2012-01-18T07:59:00.000-08:00

There has been plenty of chatter about the debates and the primaries and caucuses over the last few months. Most of us have our favorite candidate that we would like to see challenge the current President. Maybe your favorite is still in the running but then again maybe they have dropped out. Or perhaps you are comfortable with the job that President Obama is doing and have not even paid attention to the primaries.

Although I am very concerned about our country on so many fronts, right now I am most concerned about the totally irresponsible position financially we are in. I think that unless we quickly get our financial house in order the future of America is very dark.

So based on this I have my candidate picked out.

Each Sunday morning, after we get done talking about politics and sports over coffee and pastry our Sunday School class has been studying Daniel. I was a little concerned when we began studying Daniel, that it was an Old Testament book that we would have a hard time finding relevant to today. Once again I was so wrong on this front.

This week and last week we are studying Daniel 4. In this chapter, King Nebuchadnezzar had a dream that covers his 43 year reign as king of Babylon. For the most part, it was a good time for King Nebuchadnezzar and Babylon. But for Daniel it was a little different. First at age seventeen he was taken into captivity, then he was then told that if he did not interpret a dream in chapter 2 he would be torn limb from limb and then he was thrown into a Lion’s den. Besides that he watched his friends thrown into a fiery furnace. I am sure that there were many times that Daniel had cause to worry about the events of Babylon, like I am now worried about the events in America.

But the main theme in Daniel is clear and that is the sovereignty of God. His sovereignty includes nations, kings and presidents. Even though King Nebuchadnezzar is considered one of the most powerful men in Ancient History, it is very clear in Daniel that God was sovereign over his reign as king. Even King Nebuchadnezzar eventually understood this as Daniel is reflecting on Nebuchadnezzar’s reign in Daniel 5:21b: “…he (Nebuchadnezzar) acknowledged that the Most High God is sovereign over all kingdoms of earth and sets over them anyone He wishes.” Did you hear that!!?? God gives power to whoever He desires to give power. God is ultimately in control of who will be sworn in as President of the United States on January 21, 2013.

Over two thousand and five hundred years after Daniel’s time it is pretty easy to see the sovereignty of God in King Nebuchadnezzar’s reign over Babylon. I believe that as we move forward from history, it gets easier it is to see the sovereignty of God. I believe that is why in eternity, God’s ways will be made perfectly clear. Someday we will see God’s plan for America and understand why He chose the leaders He did.

So should I be concerned if my candidate is still running or if my candidate wins the election? Yes, very definitely we should be concerned, just like I am sure Daniel was concerned with the events of Babylon, we need to be concerned and even involved in political events of America.

But what a blessing and assurance we can take from the book of Daniel. God is in control and it was His choice of King that ruled Babylon just like it will be His choice of Presidential candidates that will win the election in November.

Forget the resolutions, try some First Steps

2012-01-03T12:34:00.000-08:00

I just Googled “New Year’s Resolutions” and the search returned over 42 million results. I then Googled “Broken New Year’s Resolutions” and the search returned over 76 million results. I am sure there are other reasons for this, but it does say something about the effectiveness of making these promises.

So instead of making resolutions this year, why not take some “first steps” on a path that will lead us in a positive direction. First steps sound so much more realistic and are much easier to accomplish. Here are some simple first steps to get (back) on track to living by God’s Economy.

Set up a budget and stick with it: Don’t worry if you have tried this before and have failed. Almost everyone that is living on a budget today tried at least one time and failed before they were successful. I know Joyce and I did. If you feel you need someone to come along side of you, here is a link to Crown’s website that will put you in touch with a trained volunteer Money Map Coach. In addition to being trained most of these coaches have the gift of encouragement. Either chat on line, or you can access Crown’s database of Money Map coaches to see if there is one in your area that you could set up an appointment and personally meet with. (Luke 14:28-30)

Start an emergency savings fund: Things break, including cars, jobs and our health. We call these broken things emergencies. We need to be prepared for these emergencies. The way we prepare is by building up an emergency fund. Even if you only have $100, put it aside and start to build it up on a regular basis. Set a first goal of $1000 and do whatever you have to do to get to this level. Statistics tell us that over 90% of all family emergencies cost less than $1000. What happens if we don’t have that emergency savings? Out comes the credit cards and we get deeper in the debt hole. Here is an article from Crown that not only reinforces the importance of the emergency savings but offers 12 practical ideas to fund the account. (Proverbs 27:12)

Begin an Accelerated Debt Payoff Strategy: Come up with a plan and start to eliminate debt. Arrange your debts, smallest to largest and start making extra payments on the smallest and work towards the largest. Not only will you feel the exhilaration when you pay off your first debt, but you will quickly build momentum and motivation to keep going. Before you know it you will have all your non-mortgage debts paid off. Statistics indicate that the average family can pay off their credit card debt in 18 months and all non-mortgage debt in 4 years with a solid Accelerated Debt Payoff Strategy. Here is a handy Accelerated Debt Payoff Calculator from Crown that will calculate how quickly you can become debt free. (Proverbs 22:7)

Be a generous giver: If you want adventure in your financial life, start on a Journey of Generosity. In addition to reaping eternal benefits (1 Timothy6:18-19) and assuring greater spiritual usefulness (Luke 16:11-12) our giving brings glory to God (2 Corinthians 9:13). Being created in the image of God, there is no better way to reflect the character of God who gave His son, than by our giving. Here is a link to a website to begin your Journey of Generosity.

At this point you are probably saying; Wait!! I can’t even pay my bills, so how can I build up savings, pay off debts and be a generous giver? Remember these are not those broken New Year’s resolutions, these are first steps. Create the budget and be content and thankful with what God has blessed you with. With a first step of contentment, and a solid commitment of living on a budget, savings, debt reduction and giving will come along as naturally as a piece of pumpkin pie follows a Thanksgiving dinner. Matthew 6:21

Exchange giving vs. Grace giving

2011-12-13T14:40:00.001-08:00

I must admit that I seem to have lost some of the joy of Christmas over the last twenty plus years of my life. Now don’t get me wrong, I still love the opportunity to get together with friends and family and take a break from the daily routine. But the overall celebration and specifically the gift buying and giving seems to have become terribly imbalanced. The stress that comes with the busyness and the pressure to get just the right gift is replacing the joy of celebrating God’s gift to the world.

Although I am still on this journey myself, here are three steps I have found helpful in regaining some of the lost joy that the celebration of the birth of our Savior should bring each year.

The first is to determine a reasonable amount that should be spent for Christmas gifts and stick to it. Another way of saying this is to set up a budget and live by it. Part of honoring Christ is being a good steward of the money He has entrusted us with and this includes our Christmas spending.

The second step is to commit to only using credit cards if the balance can be paid in full when the statement arrives. I believe that this is the most common first step to a family’s financial disaster. In a short sighted attempt to give at Christmas, we dig ourselves in a hole by putting more gifts than we can afford on our credit cards. It takes more than all of the following year to pay off the Christmas debt and then the debt snowball has begun to roll.

The third step is to give more attention to “grace” gifts than “exchange” gifts. I read a sermon by John MacArthur where he referred to a grace gift as one that is unrepayable. Exchange gifts are those gifts that we exchange with someone else. We give an exchange gift because we will get something in return. This may be a gift or even love or a service in return. As sad as it is, I think that many times Christmas is becoming a time to exchange generic gift cards with relatives and friends we are too busy to even get to know.

I recently was involved in a Bible study that covered the subject of our responsibility to the poor and less fortunate in the world. Listen to what Jesus says in Matthew 25:37-40:

"Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?' The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me”

There are many good charitable and nonprofit organizations that provide opportunities to meet the needs of those mentioned in Matthew 25:37-40. These gifts are truly grace gifts. Look in your church or even go into your community to look for opportunities to give grace gifts. These include the poor both in America and in other parts of the world, the unemployed, homeless, children of those in prison and the millions of people that are alone this Christmas.

Most surveys that I have read indicate that the average family will spend at least $1,000 on Christmas this year. Here is report from USA Today that says the average individual will spend $751 on “exchange” type gifts. Compare those numbers with how much we will spend on helping those in need that Christ referred to in Matthew 25.

If our Christmas giving is supposed to celebrate the Greatest Gift ever given to mankind by God the Father as the ultimate act of grace, shouldn’t we as followers of Jesus Christ dedicate more of our time and money to “grace” type giving this Christmas?

May each of you have a truly blessed Christmas as we remain focused on the birth of our Lord and Savior.

Penn State Shame and OWS (Different week same message)

2011-11-16T09:14:00.000-08:00

Last post was about the Occupy Wall Street movement. The more I read about this “movement” the more I am convinced that the conclusion of the last post is right on. Our society is placing its trust in the government instead of God. They want the government to provide for them and “teach” generosity to the “one percenters” or wealthy people. Someday every person in America and Europe will realize that our faith needs to be in God and not the government. We cannot replace God with government.

This week the news is filled with the incredibly horrific story out of Penn State about a suspected pedophile and the apparent massive cover up that took place over the last 13 years. As a Penn State fan, this is way too close to home and personal.

We need to be careful not to jump to too many conclusions until we know more information, but from where we sit right now there is a good chance that one sick individual caused a lot of harm on young boys. What makes this story so tragic is that it could have been avoided.

And from a Christian’s perspective the same mistake that OWS folks are making is what allowed the alleged horrific acts of one individual to spiral out of control and affect so many others. If Mr. Sandusky had been stopped and dealt with back in 1998 when the act was witnessed by Mike McQueary there never would have been the multitude of victims that followed “Victim #6”.

Why wasn’t he stopped? Just like the Occupy Wall Street movement, we have made the tragic mistake in America of trying to replace God with government and it does not work. Although the details still need to be verified, it appears as if Joe Paterno and Mike McQueary did what the law (government) required. But did they do enough? It appears as if they did by the law’s standard, but certainly not by God’s standards. They both reported the incident to their superiors and that is what the law requires.

Ephesians 5:11 says that we should have nothing to do with evil and we should expose it. This includes a prestigious institution like Penn State or the Catholic Church or a Baptist or Presbyterian or any other church for that matter. We need to expose and run from sin. Exposing many times means more than just telling one individual.

On a recent CNN News clip it was reported that a public University like PSU is exempt from Pennsylvanian’s Right to Know Law which means they can lawfully keep things from the public. John 3:20-21 says that evil deeds like this need to be seen for what they are and exposed by the Light.

And with our crazy society today who can blame Joe Paterno and Mike McQueary? Although I am not defending their actions, certainly some lawyer would have been all over their case claiming defamation of character for exposing this heinous act.

This is the same problem that the people associated with the OWS movement have. We need to trust God and not the government. We need to look to God to teach generosity and deal with greed. This is not a job of government as the OWS folks want us to believe.

And the dark cloud over PSU shouts the same message. We need to stop looking to the government to legislate morality and integrity. We need to look to God and His Word to direct us in moral and ethical situations like what took place at State College.

Will America ever learn that we cannot replace God with the government?

Occupy Wall Street (instead of our hearts?)

2011-11-08T08:51:00.000-08:00

It started as “Occupy Wall Street” and now it has expanded to over 250 locations according to this Wikipedia site. Every time you turn on the news, you hear more about OWS. But the odd thing is that no one can get a handle on exactly what they are protesting. Their demands seem to be all over the map. Some people are not taking them seriously. I think this is a mistake. Let’s examine three of their complaints that do seem to be consistent.

First they seem to be bothered by greed. The greedy corporations (“1%”) need to give more of their wealth to fund government programs to benefit everyone else (“99%”). On the surface this reflects our Christian values in which the Bible condemns greed. Luke 12:15 says we should beware of greed and greed certainly is a sin, but can we legislate it away? Are these protestors looking to the government to redistribute wealth and take the role of God? Is the real issue here envy and coveting? Which is worse, envy or greed?

The next issue that keeps coming up is the issue of the wealth gap. The protestors are looking to force the redistribution of wealth through taxation. Again there is a thread of truth in this point in that one of God’s principles is giving to the poor. But giving to the poor is a result of a change in heart as opposed to more taxes on the wealthy. There are over 100 verses in the Bible about giving to the poor. Matthew 25:35-45 is just one of the passages where Jesus uses strong words to condemn those that did not give to the poor.

The third issue is that the “little people” (“99%”) have no voice and no one is caring for them. Again there is a bit of gospel here that we need to take care of each other. Philippians 2:4 reminds us of the need to care for one another. But is the answer to look to the government to step in that role and take care of them? Once again they are confusing the government with our Heavenly Father. Hebrews 13:5 says that God will never leave us nor forsake us.

Occupy Wall Street is a very dangerous movement. Like so many other movements, Satan has taken threads of truth and twisted these threads into lies for his purposes. I personally believe that many people involved in this movement are confusing the government with God. The government will never eliminate greed, fill hearts with generosity or take care of us. This should not be the responsibility of the government and will not be accomplished by revising the tax code. Only God can change hearts.

Our society depends on government when we need to depend on God. We are quick to attack the speck in someone else’s eye before dealing with the log in our eye. We can occupy every town in America, but until God occupies our hearts there is no hope.

I believe that what we are seeing in Greece and throughout Europe today is a taste of what we will soon see in America. The dangerous combination of irresponsible and reckless spending by all levels and parties of government and the misplaced dependence on government instead of God is a lethal combination. The government is not God. Taxation, redistribution and a change in government is not the answer. A changed heart is the answer.

Jeremiah 17:9 says it best that the heart is more deceitful than all else and desperately sick. OWS is just one more evidence of this disturbing and fundamental truth. Romans 15:13 tells us that that hope, joy and peace will come as a result of putting our trust in God and not the government.

George Jefferson and “Movin’ on Up”!!

2011-10-17T13:46:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite shows growing up was the Jefferson’s. Remember George and his wife Louise? If you forget (or are too young to remember) here is a little clip that may refresh your memory.

The theme of the show was that George was a very successful business man. As a result of that success he was able to move to an upscale neighborhood to improve his standard of living. Do you ever wonder what the proper standard of living is for a Christian?

In America today our standard of living is determined by our paycheck or our credit limit. We select a house based on the largest mortgage the bank will give us. We buy the nicest car we can afford. And we decide where to go on vacation based on how much is in our vacation account (or available credit). It is all based on how much we think we can afford.

Did you ever think that instead of just looking at our paycheck or available credit to decide our standard of living, we should look at the Bible? I do believe that one of the ways that God tells us what neighborhood we should live in or what car we should drive is by what we can afford. But I also believe the Bible gives us a lot more guidelines for these decisions than just looking at our paychecks or available credit.

Here are a few principles that should help us determine a suitable standard of living:

Be content: In Philippians 4:11-13 Paul tells us to be content with what God has blessed us with. This hits pretty hard at the idea that we need to run our credit card limits up. If we are carry a balance on our credit cards, maybe we better do a little contentment self-analysis. 1 Timothy 6:8 says if we have food and clothing we should be content.

Avoid coveting: Exodus 20:17 is pretty clear that we shouldn’t covet, but so is Ephesians 5:5. Today we don’t call it coveting; we call it “keeping up with the Joneses”. It is not easy to watch everyone in church drive up in their shiny new BMW and we drive up in our 1998 Chevy clunker.

Simplify: 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 says that we should lead a quit life. Does this mean that we need to sell everything and live like the Amish or maybe even as a monk? Absolutely not, but the Bible is very clear that things can become so much a part of our lives that they can take our attention off God. 1 John 2:15 is pretty clear that we need to love God and not the stuff of this world.

Enjoy God’s blessings: God loves us and wants us to enjoy His blessings; however we must be sure that our enjoyment for the blessings does not replace our love for Him.1 Timothy 6:17b

So the next time we make decisions about the houses, cars and clothing we buy and the vacations we go on and where and if we go out to eat, we must look at lot deeper than just our checkbook and credit limit. We must look at the Word of God. If Jesus Christ is Lord of our lives and we live to please Him, how much money we make is just part of the formula in determining our standard of living. The Word of God should be the main source.

I can assure you we will have many more problems and issues than George and “Weezy” did if we as Christians just look at our bank account and available credit to determine our standard of living.

Honesty - God's standard

2011-09-27T08:37:00.000-07:00

Yesterday in Sunday School we discussed honesty and truthfulness. We looked at God’s standard for honesty. It is probably is no surprise to anyone who is reading this, but God’s standard is quite different from what is practiced in our society today.

A study done last year and reported in US News and World report said almost two thirds of high school students surveyed said they cheated on a test at least once in the past year. A recent Gallup Poll shows that 57% of Americans rate the honesty and ethical standard of members of Congress as low or very low. It sounded a little too much like Judges 17:6 when the Israelites had no king and everyone did what was right in his own eyes.

The Bible is pretty clear that God demands total honesty. Proverbs 20:23; Proverbs 12:22 and Proverbs 6:16-17 are just a few of the verses that are pretty specific that God detests cheating, dishonesty, and lying. Two of the Ten Commandments are devoted to not lying or stealing. God is obviously concerned about honesty.

But why is God so concerned about our honesty? I believe there are at least three reasons.

The first is because truthfulness is an attribute of God. John 14:6 says I am the way, the truth and the life. If we are going to emulate Christ (1 Corinthians 11:1), we too must be totally truthful and honest. (1 Peter 1:15,16).

The second reason is that it is the opposite of who Satan is. John 8:44 says he is a liar and the father of lies. It is no wonder that God demands total honesty of His children. If we are honest and truthful we reflect God’s character. When we are not, we reflect the character of Satan.

But I believe there is a third reason that God demands total honesty. We are instructed throughout the Bible to love our neighbor. (Leviticus 19:18; Matthew 19:19; Mark 12:31) The parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:30-37) is pretty clear that anyone is our neighbor. And then we read in Philippians 2:4 that we need to look out for the interest of others.

So if anyone is our neighbor and we must love them and look out for them, it is pretty hard to be dishonest on our income taxes (yes, the IRS is our neighbor). When we get undercharged on a bill or given too much change, remember it is your neighbor who is being short changed.

There are other reasons that God demands total honesty. It builds creditability for evangelism (Philippians 2:15) and confirms God’s direction (Proverbs 4:24-26) in our lives.

God’s standard for honesty is extremely high. We as followers of Jesus Christ are called to this high standard. Not only are we called to reflect Christ’s charter which is truth, but we must always be looking out for the good of others. Just remember the next time we are tempted to take a few bites from a salad bar that someone else is paying for or sharing a bottomless drink, it is God’s standard of honesty we follow, not the world’s.

Update – Cost of 4 year degree $900,000 plus

2011-09-05T11:21:00.000-07:00

I was doing a seminar and a young lady approached me in tears. She explained that she was about to graduate with an advanced degree in Psychology and she was the first person in her family to ever attain anything higher than a high school diploma. She said her family was very proud of her and had encouraged her every step of the way. Obviously, since these were not tears of joy, I was intrigued and had to probe just a bit deeper. She then explained that she had over $100,000 in student loans and was quickly coming to the realization that her education had narrowed so much that it was virtually impossible to find a job in her specific field. Quite frankly, she was at the point where she saw her future as very bleak and possibly in a hole she felt unable to climb out.

The $100,000 in debt is really just the tip of the iceberg. In reality, this young woman is in a much deeper hole than she realized. Don’t worry; I didn’t share that with her at the time, I can only handle so many tears at one time.

Recently I was preparing for a series I would be teaching that touched on student loans and I came across this article written by Jack Hough and published by MSNMoney.com. It is an eye opening article that I encourage you to follow the link and read in its entirety. There are a number of charts and a whole bunch of numbers but in summary here is what Mr. Hough said. He compares two hypothetical men (Bill and Ernie) on their financial journey from high school to retirement. While in high school they both saved $16,594 for college by working summers. (Good for them!!)

However their paths differ at this point since Bill goes to college and uses the $16,594 to pay for part of his four years of college. Since Ernie is not accepted at his favorite college he continues to work without a college degree and takes the $16,594 and invests it in the stock market in mutual funds that track the broader stock market averages. Ernie never does go to college and he continues to work until he retires at 65, adding 5% of his income each year to the $16,594 he had saved for college. When Ernie reaches 65 he has over $1.3 million dollars in his retirement account.

Bill on the other hand has a normal college experience which includes working, getting a few grants and receiving some help from his parents to pay for his education. But at the end of four years he has $17,450 in school loans (which is less than the national average). Bill, like Ernie, is a hard worker and now making more money than Ernie. However for 12 years Bill will need to take 5% of his income and pay off his student loans before beginning to build his retirement account. After 12 years of paying off his student loans he will then use the 5% of his income (like Ernie) to build his retirement nest egg.

As a result of starting later than Ernie with nothing in the bank and the need to pay off his student loans first, the net result is Bill will end up with less than $400,000 in his retirement account when he reaches 65. This takes into account that Bill will be making more money because he has a degree. Bill’s $400,000 retirement account is about $900,000 less than Ernie’s $1.3 million.

The Bible is clear in that although not a sin debt is very much discouraged. (Read Debt is not a sin!!) The cost of college is spiraling out of control to the point that it in many cases it does not make economic sense. There are many advantages to college other than the education, but please prayfully consider all options, especially the ramifications of college loans before making the decision to attend college or to send a child to college.

The Bible is full of wisdom and even when it does not match up with the world’s wisdom; it is the only option we as believers have to follow. Be very careful of all debt including student loans.

When Big things wobble

2011-08-16T06:02:00.000-07:00

On Friday August 5^th, Standard and Poor’s announced the downgrade of the U.S. Credit Rating for the first time ever from AAA to AA+. Although the AAA rating has withstood two World Wars, a Cold War, the Great Depression and 911, it could not withstand the recent irresponsible over-spending and over borrowing (14 trillion dollars) of the federal government. The Heritage Foundation projects that the federal government will spend over 1.5 trillion dollars more than they receive in 2011. This equates to about 3 ½ billion dollars each day or $1.60 for every $1.00 received. That is a LOT of money!! Is it any surprise why Standard and Poor’s lowered the rating?

I thought it was interesting, (although not surprising) that the political initial reaction was to blame everyone else for the downgrade. The Bible is clear in warning of the dangers of debt, and the path the US Government has embarked upon is simply unsustainable and irresponsible. It does not matter if it is an individual, business, church, ministry or “Most Powerful Economy in the World” God’s principles apply. It is a scary thing when the foundation of our economy and investments starts to wobble.

This may be a good time to review the principles laid out in the Word of God about money management, God’s Way.

Here are a few reminders from God’s Economy in the middle of the Economic Storm that the Credit Rating Downgrade has introduced.

God has told us that our trust must not be in anything other than Jesus Christ. 1 Timothy 6:17 says …”do not fix our hope on the uncertainty of riches, but only on God who richly provide with all things to enjoy”. If we are trusting in a social security check, disability check pension check or some other check and not the God that supplies those checks then our trust is misplaced. Use this opportunity to redirect our trust to where it belongs.
If we are in debt; get out as quickly as possible. About two years ago, we spent a bit of time in this blog discussing why God discourages debt. Here is a link to one of those postings if you need a quick refresher course. Although not forbidden in God’s word, debt certainly can be a tool that Satan will use to disrupt our fellowship with God. So if we are in debt, work to get out of it as quickly as possible.
Be content with a lifestyle you can afford. Philippians 4:11,12 and Hebrews 13:5 remind us to be content. Contentment is so contrary to the world’s economy that says live large and use your credit cards to get there.
Save for the future. Proverbs 21:20 and Proverbs 6:6-8 are two verses that encourage us to save. But also remember Ecclesiastes 5:13 which warns us that savings too much becomes hording. Many times God will bless us to meet someone else’s need or the need of a ministry.
Don’t forget to give. Give to others and give to the Lord’s work. Giving and specifically tithing is the starting point of living by God’s Economy. Luke 6:38 says give and it shall be given unto you.
Remember that God is faithful and He will take care of us. When the “world’s strongest economy” begins to wobble, it is reassuring to remember that our God (and not the government) is faithful and will provide for our needs (Philippians 4:19).

No matter what happens to the Credit Rating of the US Government, we as followers of Jesus Christ never have to concern ourselves with an eternal Credit Downgrade. Paul tells us in Romans 4: 20-25 that God will credit us righteousness (salvation) as a result of believing in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of our lives.

Isn’t it reassuring to know that while the credit worthiness of the “most powerful economy in the world” may wobble (and possibly even fail) the credit worthiness of the hope that our future and salvation in Jesus Christ is built upon cannot wobble or fail? Matthew 7:24-31

God's path to prosperity

2011-07-26T11:06:00.000-07:00

Recently we have been talking about things like investing, retirement, working and other subjects that might naturally bring us to the conclusion that the end result is to be rich or prosperity. Maybe we need to put a little pause in our thoughts and ask the question: Is it OK for a Christian to want to be rich? And if so does God outline a path to prosperity?

Psalm 35:27 says, “The Lord…delights in the prosperity of His servant.” 3 John 2 says, “Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers.” After reading these verses, it appears that God does desire us to prosper. So it must be OK for a Christian to want to prosper. But we must be careful that we understand God’s path to prosperity.

Many Bible characters were extremely wealthy (Abraham, Isaac, David, Solomon). The Bible never condemns wealth or riches, but rather warns against pursuing them and allowing the pursuit and desire for prosperity to replace our love for God. Hebrews 13:5 tells us to be free from the love of money. It does not say to be free from money. 1 Timothy 6:10 says the love of money (not having money) leads to all kinds of evil. And Jesus said in Luke 12:15 that a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions. Money is not wrong. The excessive focus on money and possessions or obtaining them is wrong.

Joshua spells out God’s path to riches in Joshua 1:8. “This book of the law shall not depart for your mouth, but you shall mediate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success.” According to this passage there are two requirements for prosperity: 1) Mediate on the Word of God and, 2) Do everything the Bible says. This is God’s simple plan for prosperity. It may not be easy to follow, but it is pretty simple to understand. Keep our focus and priorities on God and then we will prosper and have success. If we follow this simple two step formula, we can be assured we can handle prosperity.

Money and riches are not wrong, but they can be very dangerous. They can so easily divert our attention from God. Many passages in Proverbs and parables remind us of this truth. There is nothing wrong with becoming prosperous or desiring success. The key ingredient however, is to do it in the way that Joshua outlined, checking every motive and every desire against the Word of God.

Jesus is very clear in Matthew 6:24 when He said we cannot serve God and wealth. Joshua says the same thing is a little more practical way. If we study and mediate on the Word of God and love God with all our heart, our priorities will be with God and we will be serving God. On the other hand, if we are thinking about prosperity and becoming rich all the time, our priorities will be on money and becoming wealthy. God is a jealous God and does not want to compete for our attention with money.

So the answer to the question is it OK for a Christian to want to be rich becomes yes as long as our desires and life are consistent with God’s Word.

Retirement - Say What??!!

2011-07-05T11:39:00.000-07:00

I am a Baby Boomer. Since I was born between 1946 and 1964, I get that distinguished title. I don’t know how distinguished the title is since I share it with 75 million other Americans. But get ready because beginning January 1^st this year approximately 10,000 Baby Boomers will turn 65 each day for the next 19 years. That is a lot of “Boomers” retiring.

Boomers have dealt with a lot of issues over the last 50 years. We dealt with the Vietnam war, an assassinated President, Watergate, the Cold War, the introduction of email, texting, Woodstock and the Beatles. But of all the major issues, none is scarier than dealing with retirement.

Just like the host of other subjects we have covered in this blog, I believe the Bible gives us guidance on how a Christian should view retirement. The strongest counsel from God’s Word about ceasing all labor to pursue a life filled with leisure is the fact that nothing good is said about it. Read Proverbs and try to find a verse that encourages living a life of leisure. The closest word that I see in Proverbs to this type of lifestyle is “sluggard”.

The only place retirement is mentioned in the Bible is Numbers 8:24-26. This applies specifically to the Levites working in the tabernacle. Even in this reference retirement does not mean to cease from work, it means changing responsibilities.

Based on the absence of a direct reference to retirement and consistent call to be productive in both the Old and New Testament, I believe there is no scriptural basis for retiring to a life of leisure. Remember Moses, he was 80 years old when he began his 40-year adventure of leading the children of Israel.

The Bible implies that the type or intensity of work may change as we grow older. But even though we may retire from our vocation (even “full-time” Christian ministry), we should never retire from serving the Lord. Luke 2:25-38 is a good example of two elderly people who continue to serve the Lord faithfully.

Retirement years should not be spent solely in the pursuit of pleasure. Paul says that the widow who lives for pleasure is dead while she yet lives (1Timothy 5:6). As followers of Jesus Christ we are on the earth for a much higher purpose than earning money or pursuing pleasure. We are here for the purpose of Glorifying God and fulfilling the Great Commission.

We do have a responsibility to provide financially for our families needs (1Timothy 5:8). But someday, if we have been good stewards of the resources God has blessed us with; we will find ourselves in a position where we have fulfilled all of our earthly financial obligations.

At this point we have the privilege of devoting 100% of our energy and resources to fulfilling the Great Commission. Maybe this means serving in a foreign country as a missionary, or serving in your local church or in a ministry like Keswick as so many wonderful volunteers do. Maybe it means continuing in your career or trade and instead of giving 10% to the Lord’s work you contribute 100% of your income.

So how should those 10,000 Baby Boomers that turned 65 today view retirement? If they are Christians, certainly not with the anticipation of an empty pursuit of pleasure, but rather the excited opportunity to fulfill the Psalmist's prayer in Psalm 71:18. "Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, O God, till I declare your power to the next generation..."

Do real men seek counsel?

2011-06-13T11:41:00.000-07:00

I have always felt that real men never ask for advice. There are thousands of miles on my car that are a result of being too proud to ask for directions. I learned not to ask for advice or directions in Basic Manhood 101. But one day I stumbled across Proverbs 12:15 which says “The way of the fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man is he who listens to counsel”. Ouch! That hurt.

From that point, I did a little more digging in the Bible and came to the conclusion that not only does God want us to seek counsel, but He gives us pretty specific guidelines as to who to seek counsel from. I believe there are three guidelines concerning the ones from whom we should seek counsel.

Guideline one pertains to the highest level of human counsel. This is yoked counsel. This is a situation where we are obligated to adhere to the counsel we receive. A marriage, business partnership (with binding partnership agreement) and also debt (Proverbs 22:7) fall in this category. In any of these situations, counsel can be given that we are forced to abide by. Check any divorce settlement, partnership breakup or mortgage foreclosure and you will find one party most likely was subject to a verdict they did not like as a result of a yoking relationship. This is one reason I think it is unbiblical for a Bible believing church to borrow money from a secular bank. 2 Corinthians 6:14 warns us pretty sternly not to get into a situation where we are yoked with unbelievers and subsequently forced to take the counsel they give us.

The second guideline pertains to counsel we receive each day. We all go to doctors, accountants, lawyers and even car mechanics and receive advice. Does the source of this counsel have to be from Christians? I believe the answer is preferably yes, although sometimes it is not possible. Sometimes we need counsel in a very specific area that we do not know a Christian who is able to give such advice. Just like with any counsel, we need to weigh it against the Word of God (Psalm 119:105; Romans 15:4). If the counsel is not inconsistent with the Bible, then we receive it as good counsel, even if the one who gave it is not a Believer.

Level three is counsel to avoid. This is advice from the ungodly and wicked. Psalms 1:1-3 and Proverbs 12:5 tell us to stay away from this source of counsel. What is the difference between the counsel in the previous paragraph and this level? I believe in this level are the “counselors” that flagrantly and outwardly mock God and the principles of His Word. Leviticus 19:31 is pretty direct that we should run from fortune tellers and mediums. But I also believe this principle can be expanded to include doctors that continually promote and practice abortions and other ungodly practices or lawyers that promote and practice unethical behavior. Even the mechanic that is constantly taking the Lord’s name in vain, using vile language and displaying lewd pictures should be avoided.

So maybe I am a man, and “real men” never ask for advice, but more importantly, I am a follower of Jesus Christ. In His Word it is pretty clear that I need to seek Godly advice. My first source should be the Word of God (Psalms 119:24). But in addition to that I must look for others to help me understand the proper application of His Word to my life.

The Employee Handbook written by God

2011-05-24T07:48:00.000-07:00

In our last post we saw that our ability to work and our jobs are part of God’s blessing for our lives and not part of the curse. We also saw that God wants us to work and working is part of His plan to develop our character. He is central in each promotion and raise that we receive. So understanding that God cares very much about our jobs, brings us to the question of what does His Word say about how He expects us to act on our job?

The starting point is that we simply need to work hard. Colossians 3:23 tells us that we should work hard because we are working to please God and not to please our boss. No matter what type of job we have or field that we work in, the Bible is clear. We need to work with a passion to do our absolute best. Understanding that we work to please God and not a boss is key to understanding God’s requirement for workers. Would the Lord be pleased with our efforts today?

Another chapter in God’s Employee handbook instructs us to be content with our job. This might be a foreign concept since a recent Career Vision survey indicated that less than ½ of Americans are happy with their jobs. Being content with the job that God has given us is one of the main tenants of God’s economy and completely opposite of what we hear in man’s economy. Here is a report from the Bureau of Labor statistics that says that the average Baby Boomer will hold 11 jobs between the ages of 18 and 44. That doesn’t sound like too much job contentment.

King Solomon said in Ecclesiastes 5:18-19 “Then I realized that it is good and proper for a man to eat and drink and to find satisfaction in his toilsome labor…” If you are not satisfied with your job, first ask yourself why. Are you working for the money, or to please God? Are you viewing your job as a gift from God, or a daily drudgery? Pray and ask God to either change your heart or lead you to a job in which you can be content.

Another chapter in God’s Employee Handbook has to do with our responsibility as an employee to obey our employer. Although Ephesians 6:5-9 and 1 Peter 2:18 is written to slaves, the application to employees is valid and the truths of the passage are that we must sincerely obey our employers. 1 Peter 2:18 is clear that this responsibility includes both the good and bad bosses. This is a tough dose of medicine in a society focused on “Employee Rights”.

Remember that working in a secular job may be one of the greatest opportunities we have to share our faith. God’s standards are very high, and this includes our responsibilities as employees and workers. By obeying God’s standards our work will become different than those around us. This may be the open door to share our faith.

Many times we have been duped into believing that work is a totally secular activity and we view it as drudgery. This attitude leads to being disgruntled with our jobs and even resentful of others success. This attitude destroys one of our greatest areas of outreach and witness and opportunities to shine as a light in a very dark world.

Does God care about my job??

2011-05-03T14:50:00.000-07:00

In out last post we discussed how the Bible can be our financial advisor in making investment decisions. It is exciting to see how much practical information is available in God’s Word about how we should invest our money.

But how about our jobs? Does the Bible give us guidelines concerning the proper attitude we, as Christian workers should have towards our jobs and our employer? Does God care about my job and my performance in the workplace? Once again the answer is: absolutely!

First we need to understand God’s view towards work. Too many times we hear (incorrectly) that our work was part of the curse that resulted from the fall. This is wrong. Genesis 2:15 is clear that God created work before sin entered the world. So working has nothing to do with the fall. Work became more difficult as a result of sin (Genesis 3:17-19) but even in a sinless environment, like the Garden of Eden, God provided work for man’s benefit. We need to look at our ability to work and our jobs as part of God’s blessing and not part of the curse.

The second thing we must realize is that God wants us to work. This is part of His plan for our spiritual growth. Exodus 34:21a says “You shall work six days” and 2 Thessalonians 3:10b says “If anyone is not willing to work, then he is not to eat”. Many times God will use our work to develop our character. Sometime read the story of Joseph and see how his character was developed through his work. How many times have we heard of “spoiled rich kids” that never developed solid character traits because everything was handed to them on a silver spoon? God wants us to work so that He can develop our character.

Our jobs also give us the opportunity to put into practice spiritual principles that many times never get further than the Sunday School class where we first heard them. On a daily basis our jobs give us the opportunity to yield our rights and serve others. (Just ask a stay at home mom about this.) Our true Christian convictions can be demonstrated more vividly in the work environment than probably any other setting except family relationships.

God is central in our success and even our paychecks. Look once again at Joseph. Genesis 39:2-5 starts out by saying that “The Lord was with Joseph, so he became a successful man…” The passage goes on to list exactly how successful Joseph was. Psalms 75:6-7 and Deuteronomy 8:17-18 are pretty clear that promotions and raises come from God not from man. How often do we leave God out of our workplace only to realize it is He who is in control of our success?

A keen understanding of the fact that we work for God should eliminate being resentful about the success of others and hurt feeling because of the lack of recognition by our boss. Colossians 3:23 says “Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men…” This tells us we are working for God and not for man and this can have major implications. If Christ is our boss, shouldn’t that make us a better employee?

Yes, God cares about our jobs job very much. In the Bible times God used fishermen, doctors, shepherds, queens and kings to fulfill His plan on this earth. Today He wants to use stay at home moms, accountants, bricklayers, factory workers, sales people and any other occupation to fulfill His purposes today. Career Vision reports that less than ½ of workers say they are satisfied with their jobs. In light of this statistic, may I suggest that each day before we start to work, we pause and thank God for the privilege of working and ask Him to use our jobs to make us the person He wants us to be?

Investment advice from the Bible??

2011-04-18T10:58:00.000-07:00

We just finished Crown’s Ten week Biblical Financial Study in our church. If you have never taken the study, I would encourage you to do so. I believe it is one of the most effective tools available in understanding what God’s Economy is all about. The study goes into more depth than normal about financial issues. Many of these are areas you would not expect the Bible to address. One of these is investing.

But does the Bible include good investment advice? Absolutely! Our last post we talked about risk, and investments include risk. So what can we learn from God’s Word about managing this risk or being good stewards of our investments? Here are just a few passages to get us started.

Invest for the long term: Proverbs 21:5 says “The plans of the diligent lead surely to advantage, but everyone who is hasty comes surely to poverty”. Proverbs warns in many passages about a “Get Rich Quick” attitude (Proverbs 28:22; Proverbs 33:4-5). On December 12, 1914 the stock market dropped 24.4%. On October 19, 1987 it lost 22.7% and the first week in October in 2008 stocks fell over 22%. But yet overall from 1926 – 2010, the S&P 500 returned an average annual gain of 9.8%. (CNNMoney.com)

The Bible says invest for the long term. Starting early is always important, but it is never too late. When we invest, we must determine a goal (retirement, education etc.) and invest towards meeting that goal and not concern ourselves with the day to day fluctuations of our investments.

Incidentally this also is why I believe it is wrong for a Christian to play the lottery. The lottery is the ultimate “Get Rich Quick” scheme.

Avoid risky investments and know what you are investing in: Ecclesiastes 5:14 says in the New Living Translation “Money is put into risky investments that turn sour, and everything is lost…” We must be careful of the investments that promise those “unbelievable returns”. Remember the higher the return, the higher the risk. Ask those that invested in Bernie Madoff’s investments and lost 65 million dollars.

Proverbs 27:23-24 tells us to make sure we know what we are investing in and stay away from the excessively risky investments.

Don’t put all our eggs in one basket. Diversify!: Solomon tells us in Ecclesiastes 11:2 to diversify our investments. If all of our investments were in Japanese stocks we probably lost about 15% in March. If all of our investments were in US stocks we probably lost over 30% in 2008. It is important to remember that no investment comes with a guaranteed return. Even our homes have probably lost value over the last five years. Solomon could have been the wealthiest and possibly wisest man of all times and we should heed his advice about diversification.

It amazes me at how many areas of our financial life the Bible addresses. Luke 12:34 says that where our treasure is there our heart will be also. I believe this is why God has devoted more verses in the Bible to money and possessions than almost any other subject. God cares about our heart and how we handle our money, including our investments, is a good indication of what the priorities of our heart are.

God wants us to invest and to take reasonable risks. But we must remember to trust Him; not our investments or even the government or our insurance.

The Bible includes so many principles on how we, as His followers should handle the money He has given us to manage. This includes our investments. Make sure any investment advice we receive is consistent with God’s Word.

Is Stewardship Risky Business?

2011-03-28T14:40:00.000-07:00

Last evening someone talked to me about saving for their children’s college education. They were systematically putting away a small amount of money each week for the last seven years. They said they were putting it into a savings account that was FDIC insured and paying less than 1% interest. They explained that they wanted to avoid any risk because they wanted to be good stewards.

There were a lot of good things about that conversation. They understood that they were stewards and not owners (1 Corinthians 4:1-2). They understood that “He who gathers money little by little makes it grow” (Proverbs 13:11b NIV). But there was one thing that they were missing: God is not opposed to us taking risks.

All through the Old Testament, God encouraged taking risks. God told Abraham and Joshua to take risks. How about the risk that Jachobed took when she put Moses in the Nile at the place that Pharaoh’s daughter came to bathe each day? Remember the risk that Daniel’s three friends took by not bowing down to King Nebuchadnezzar. Queen Esther and Gideon certainly took risks.

Ecclesiastes 11:1-6 encourages risk taking in our business and with investments. In the New Testament, in the parable of the stewards, the Master chastised the steward who buried his talent. While the ones that invested them and took risks were commended for their efforts (Matthew 25:14-29)

Our Christian walk involves faith and part of faith is taking risks. Hebrews 11:1 describes faith as “the assurance of things hoped for and the conviction of things not seen”. Paul places an emphasis on the need to trust God, rather than relying on our physical senses and things that are certain. 2 Corinthians 5:7

Trusting God instead of what is certain and sure is what faith is all about. There is an element of risk in this.

So does this mean that with our money we should look for the most risky investment to get the highest return possible? Absolutely not. God’s Word is full of guidelines against this. We need to maintain a balance when we take on risk. Proverbs 27:23,24 tell us to know what we are getting into before we take risks. Luke 14:28-30 tells us to accurately identify the cost before investing. Proverbs 28:20,22 tell us to avoid a “get rich quick” attitude.

We need to check our motives before taking on risk. There are many cautions from God’s Word before we do take risks.

But 2 Corinthians 5:7 says that we “walk by faith and not by sight”. Risk is part of our lives and part of our faith. The Bible teaches that faith in God based on a relationship of trust can make uncertainty acceptable, especially where risk is involved.

James 4:13-16 cautions us about taking a risk without God’s involvement. Prayfully consider any investment and make sure it is part of God’s plan and your motives are honoring to Him. But remember our trust is in God and He is greater than any risk we may encounter. Don’t be afraid of risk.

Hold on as Loose as you can

2011-03-15T09:09:00.000-07:00

Over the last few weeks our church has gone through some difficult times. Like any church where God is working, Satan works all the harder to oppose His work. I am sure that if you have been in a church that preaches the Word of God, you have experienced something like this.

This Sunday we started a 10 week series in another local church on God’s Economy. Neither of these two events is that terribly unusual in themselves, but what was unusual to me, was how one connected with the other.

Since it was the first week in the God’s Economy study, we taught the first principle of living by God’s Economy. This is a basic understanding that God owns everything. Many passages in the Bible remind us of this fundamental truth, but if you need a quick refresher, meditate on 1 Chronicles 29:11-12. God owns everything; we are simply stewards or managers. (1 Corinthians 4:1-2)

Part of understanding that God owns our money is holding it with an open hand. When we hold our money too tightly we quickly lose sight that it is God’s and He has the right to do with it what He desires. This may include removing it from us.

But what really hit me this weekend, is that the principles of God’s Economy apply to more than just money. They apply to all areas of my life. My relationship with people in my church may change. God may even remove some of these relationships, but just like money, I must be willing to let them go and hold them loosely. They are God’s, not mine. I manage them and care about them, but just like money, I am simply the manager.

Once we recognize that God is the owner of everything (not just money) it really does become incredibly freeing. Our role as stewards or managers expands and also becomes much clearer. We are not the person in charge, but merely the steward of all that we have been given to manage. This includes our relationships, our time, our talents and so much more than just money.

Our desire to control our relationships, our money and our time, becomes secondary to God’s leading and ultimate control in these areas. As things change we must accept these changes and embrace the new opportunities God has presented to us. Our job is simply to be the best steward of what God has placed in our lives.

Once we have developed total trust in the One who is the owner and we are totally committed to being the best manager we can be, our journey though life becomes so much easier. Things will change but our responsibility to be a faithful steward of what has been entrusted to us does not change.

I need to understand and apply this lesson into my life and expand it to cover more than just money. I must learn to hold on tight to the relationship with the Owner and not the things and relationships that He has given me to manage. He will change those relationships and things, but I can rest assured that He has my well being and best interests in mind as He makes those changes.

It is hard for me to hold not only my money; but my relationship with my loved ones, my church, and my time with a loose grip. God is owner and I am just the manager. He may change what I am to manage, but what a blessing it is to know that God’s plans include welfare and not calamity and a future of hope for His children. Jeremiah 29:11-14

Levels 1,2,3 of Giving

2011-03-01T08:35:00.000-08:00

Someone recently asked why a Christian should give. Sure, it is a blessing to those who receive the gift. Missionaries appreciate the gifts given by church members. I can assure you that Keswick appreciates the many generous gifts that are given to them. The Bible also tells us that the giver is blessed even more than the one that receives the gift. (Acts 20:35) So yes there is very definitely a blessing received by both the gift-giver and the gift-receiver.

But God has given us the opportunity to grow closer to Him through giving. The Bible outlines three levels of giving and as we grow in our Christian walk we can experience all three. The deeper our walk with Christ, the higher the level of giving we experience.

The first level of giving is tithing. We call this Sharing from obedience. We talked about this level in the last few posts. It is the starting point for a Christian’s giving. 2 Corinthians 9:6 says that as we give God will bless us. This is the law of sowing and reaping. But this is just level one in our journey to grow through our giving.

Level two is Sharing from our abundance. One of the reasons that God will bless us is to meet someone else’s needs. This may be the needs of a ministry or church or individuals. Remember how Paul complimented the Macedonian believers in 2 Corinthians 8:12-15? He said “Your abundance being a supply for their need”. And the early church shared one with each other (Acts 2:44-45). When God blesses us with that unexpected tax refund, overtime or gift we have a big responsibility to determine the Holy Spirit’s leading for what we should do with that blessing.

1 John 3:17 says that when God blesses us and we ignore our brothers and sisters in need, that God’s love is not in us. Those are pretty strong words for Christians living in America who are in the top 20% of the wealthiest people in the world.

But once we grow through level two we look to level three on our giving growth chart. Level three is when start sharing sacrificially or giving when it costs us something. Maybe someone you know has lost their job and you decide to live on baked beans and hot dogs this month and give that family half of your food budget. Or perhaps we know of someone that is really struggling and we decide to forgo our vacation this year so they can pay their rent for a couple of months.

The purest example of sacrificial giving is Christ. Philippians 2:7 says that He emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant and being made in the likeness of men. Just for a minute think about what Christ sacrificed by giving up being the most Exalted Being in heaven to come and live among us as a homeless person (Matthew 8:20).

No matter where we might be on our journey of giving, we need to stretch to the next level. God has blessed us and with those blessings come responsibilities. (Luke 12:48b). Those responsibilities include growing in our walk with Christ though our giving.