Jan | 03 | Of Knee Bending and Cap Doffing

GIVE

Of Knee Bending and Cap Doffing

John 13:35
By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."

In the West, Christianity is become nothing but economic capitalism. Those folks with money are the Trustees of our local churches, and are sitting on all the boards of our para and meta church organisations. Money matters much.

The folks with money are the folks with power, for they are the real hirers and the firers of those they pay wages too. Money and the possession of it, you see, is seen as God’s blessing, as God’s affirmation of prudence, propriety, properness and presence. How these folks got the money is irrelevant. Providing they didn’t rob the people of the present, didn’t sell drugs, or sell their bodies to gain it, then that’s OK. If they inherited it, then the passing of time has sanctified any illicit getting thereof. If they played the stock market on trading shares that destroyed people and nations, then no matter, don’t ask don’t tell. It was a quick manipulative killing carried out by a dealer and sanctified by a broker priest standing in the gap. It matters not, for present money is present power, especially in what we call the Kingdom of God.

Thatcherism, (though dead...here legacy lives!) that selfish capitalistic policy, has intrinsically set the scene for the ‘haves and the have not’s’ to stare at each other across an ever widening chasm, the bottom of which is increasingly populated with an increasingly ignorant and very smelly underclass. Poor things, maybe we can help them? You know, throw them a crust or two, minister to their needs, allow them to glean at the edge of the field of Boaz. In England, we Christians seem happy to allow the clock to be put back a few thousand years.

Meanwhile, I wonder if our contextualised and focused demographic church planting might, oh so subtly, be reproducing the old Victorian separated churches of places for the rich and the mission halls for the poor, for you see, when money separates, cap doffing abounds. Watch for it. And when you see it increase among the saints. Worry. I am worried.

‘By refusing to take sides, the political agnostic shuns the virtue of justice and damns the good.’ I am not a political agnostic. ‘The political atheist does not take the sides of any party but steals the best and ignores the rest.’ I am not a political atheist. I am a Biblical activist and politically and therefore economically, that means two things:

First, we must take care of the saints, both first of all and above all. Yes, the church must become true ‘family’ to one another, and that means taking care of one another economically to further the release of individuals and vision as well as provide where necessary, economic emergency and even palliative care. This is not charity, this is command responsibility. This is Biblical. This is health. This is true prosperity. This is family. This is love.

Secondly, we cannot let the financially redeeming work of a thousand years slip back into economic feudalism of any kind. This kind of society might make a great Hollywood movie that lasts a couple of hours, but the reality makes a lifetime of misery for millions of people. A healthy society must provide the opportunity to realise desire, release the entrepreneur, and reflect the glory of God.

In a world where what you have and who you know will get you to the top of the pitiful pile, the church should be able to proclaim that “we have one another and we know Jesus and this is more than enough.” Maybe then, we shall have much more knee bending to the King of Kings and far less cap doffing to those with money.


Listen:- And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, "Be saved from this perverse generation." Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. 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, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church* daily those who were being saved. Acts 2:40-47 NKJV


Pray: -  Father, what signs and wonders await us, when Your people love one another in both word and deed. Help me do these things, selflessly and for your glory. Amen.

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Dec | 09 | Springs of Strawberry Jam

Key Word:- GIVE

Title:- Springs of Strawberry Jam

2 Kings 4:1  
A certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, saying, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared the LORD. And the creditor is coming to take my two sons to be his slaves.”
 
So here was once a wonderful and honourable, hard-working prophet. However, you might want to cut this situation up to examine it a little more. Let’s look now shall we? This man was God’s servant, a prophet, Godly and yet, he was dirt poor. More than that, it would appear that he lived out his calling in struggling debt. Many British Pastors and Evangelists especially, do exactly the same.
As someone who ‘fears the Lord’ we can assume that this prophet did not by any means lead a profligate lifestyle. Yet the Scriptures present us with an obedient man who never the less lived a life in financial lack and subsequently, died in debt, bequeathing to his wife nothing, except the forthcoming slavery of their two sons, which by the way, were her only source of income in her old age. What a mess!

King David may never have seen the righteous begging bread but here is a righteous family, fallen over the edge of disasters cliff, and plummeting to a most horrendous crash. Begging bread! Good grief, they are selling themselves! Interestingly, the side margin notes in the Geneva Bible on this verse say that he “did not fall into debt by carelessness or excess but by the hand of the Lord.” Now there’s an interesting thought. Maybe what Jesus said about the man born blind, who was thus so ill equipped to see in this world, to function in this world, is also true of this man and his family in this world? “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him.” John 9:3

At the beginning of the 21st Century, the British Governments national debt runs into the hundreds of billions! British personal debt has risen above the trillion barrier and rises ever still. Across the pond, the situation fairs little better for the national debt of the population of the USA rises in excess of nearly several billion dollars, per day! It’s obvious that the vast majority of people, are to some extent in financial crisis, even the whole global economy. It’s bust!

The answer to the problem of debt here in 2 Kings 4, was a miracle! As miraculous as if you were to discover springs of strawberry jam in Devon and the open mining of clotted cream in Cornwall! It’s a miracle as awesome as that! For the prophets widow was told to take her only asset of a jar of oil, then collect every single one of her neighbors empty jars, go into her house, close the doors and begin pouring and so she did and she poured and she poured and she poured, until she could pour no more.

All Christians in want should pour! Yes, we too should get on our knees and pray for a miracle, even go hunting for powerful Elisha’s, carrying nothing with us but a big empty jar and some desperate hope? Shouldn’t we do that?

Well, when in financial need, we should certainly hope and pray for a miracle. God is clearly showing us here, that it is not beyond Him to act in such a miraculous fashion. He’s done it before and He can do it again, and all God’s people said amen and amen! However, let’s be honest, it doesn’t happen like this often. In fact, I know of no instance of this particular kind of miracle occurring in my lifetime just yet, anywhere. Why Lord? I mean, good grief, there are hundreds of thousands of the righteous in need of such a miracle. Why can’t we have some costly and consumable, self-replenishing item that will fill up every empty jar that we can lay our hands on? Sure, it would wreck the economy, but Lord, it’s wrecked already! Indeed, many Christians are wrecked already as well, for despite the gobal crisis, despite nations becoming bankrupt, debt is still a dirty word among us Christians and still brings chaos and confusion into Christian lives, yes, it still breaks hearts and families. So, what can we do O Lord? What can we do?
Well like this widow woman, we can call the man. Only Jesus can help us out of our mess. Nations and individuals do need to get down on their knees and call on Jesus for help. This is the first step, it is the vital step; call the man. When you do this, with compassion and grace, yes that’s it GRACE! Jesus will look upon you and may I say, even if you have been like the prodigal son, profligate in all your financial dealings, then still, with compassion and grace He will look upon you and help you! Undoubtedly He will then speak to us about our assets. Be they ever so meager, ever so exhausted, He will speak to us about them for even the poorest among us have jars of clay, and in those jars are dreams, in those jars are desires, in those jars are talents, in those jars are gifts, abilities, propensities, yes, in those jars are possibilities. So, let me ask you today, in the name of Jesus, “what is in your Jar of clay dear friend?”
If you read the rest of the passage from 2 Kings 4, you will notice that once the jar of oil was utilized, it was then miraculously enabled to keep on coming up with the goods. Indeed, the capacity for filling ended without the ability to pour ever diminishing in the slightest! The end product then was much more than ‘jam today’, it was a full clearing of the debt with provision of more than enough for the whole family to live on for the rest of their days! It was jam for today and jam for tomorrow!
Let’s ask Jesus, to fully utilize our assets within His fiscally secure and enormously enabled economy today.

Listen:- Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6 

Pray: - Lord, bathe our steps with cream and pour out rivers of oil for us all, that all our debts would be stilled and all our families provided for, in Jesus name we pray, Amen. Job 29:6

 

Nov | 26 | Getters, Grabbers and Giving Kings

Key Word:- GIVE

Title:- Getters, Grabbers and Giving Kings

Job 1:21 
Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart.


The January sales in my home country of England often produces a great rush of activity and spending as children and teenagers, their Christmas cash hot and heavy in their itchy little hands, exchange it for ‘stuff’ in all it’s promised packaging of pleasure. Mom is also ‘off down the shops’ as well searching for as many bargains as she can find and dad is down the ‘Do it Yourself’ temple to buy another tool he’ll hardly get the time to use and then begin another project that his wife will nag him about for the next six months. Ah…..sales time! You can feel the bargain goose bumps, dry mouth and sore feet just thinking about it.

My goodness though! The ‘after Christmas sales’ pale into insignificance along side the ‘after Thanksgiving sale.’ Black Friday, they call it in America and it’s like a herd of wilder beast high on ‘Crystal Meth’ lining and looting the highly overstocked and under priced isles of slashed and bleeding merchandise. Even Christian Radio joins the fray insisting on playing Christmas Carols from now until the New Year, to get you in the gift hunting mood. God help us.
Yet we continue to acquire all of this ‘stuff’ despite it taking so much time to manage. You’ve got to work at a job you might not like, to pay for stuff you might not really need, to get some peace that you can’t really enjoy, because you’re worried about how you’re going to pay for the stuff you might not really be able to afford. Plus, when you get it home, you find it doesn’t work and needs a warranty exchange, and trying to get one of those done smoothly would turn Ghandi into Genghis Khan at the customer service desk, which is a misnomer anyway, because it’s just another sales outlet where they’re going to tell you that it’s not broken at all actually, but is incompatible with the equipment you’ve presently got but thank God!....for a little extra money you can purchase an upgrade, oh and while your at it, it’s highly recommended that you pay for an extended warranty on everything, including the batteries and the plastic bag your going to carry your treasure home in! Then whilst the fresh air and sunshine beckon us outside, we finally sit, surrounded by our stuff, staring into glass or plasma, or liquid crystal displays, with blaring speakers selling us more of the same stuff we’ve already got and don’t really enjoy. It is utter madness!

There is no question that we are part of a system that relies heavily on us continuing to consume. It is geared to perpetually entice us to do so and so enslave us to debt and the demands of plastic in all its various forms. This robs us. This kills us. This destroys us. Do you think this satanic system might just be distracting the church from it’s mission and it’s real family values? Real family values has little to do with stuff! Many of us have had a ‘hard time’ of it when it comes to our childhood and we certainly do not want our children to go through similar experiences of need, so we ensure they never have the need we had. However, we are blind to the fact that what we needed then was but one ten thousandth of what the system and our children’s influential and much influenced peers tell them they actually need today! So parents beware! For our careful and seemingly loving intentions often simply help us to feed the monster.

Those of us in the West are also exposed to an interesting twist of Gospel goodness from the health, wealth and glory boys, in the form of the ‘inquisition of acquisition’. After all, plenty is obviously a sign of the Masters pleasure! So get more, and make sure it’s bigger, shinier and sharper than the world has ever seen, then they and our neighboring churches shall also truly know that God is with us. Yeah right!
Despite perceiving a kind of hot and happy, spiritual 'keeping up with the Joneses' going on around me, when the gospel has to deck itself out with bulbous “bling bling” to justify its efficacy, it actually leaves me cold and makes me feel ever so guilty while I am sitting here in my own lack and in my own need. I wonder if this kind of 'Bling Bling Gospel' now gone the way of Balaam, this kind of “faithing it,” is in fact just faking it really and that this pursuance of the gospel of wealth, which is what it really is, might just in the end rob us, kills us, destroys us and distract us from our true mission?

The problem is that the big attraction of possessions is that they do carry with them an attractive aura of power and protection, after all if I have much, then when want arrives, I shall possess enough to carry me and my loved ones through! If I have much, then when persecution comes, when the stock market plunderers thunder across Wall Street once more, then me and mine shall be safe. Our nest egg shall hatch and the roof shall remain over our head. Our health insurance shall also stand tall, against any onslaught of sickness or desperate need of a psychiatrist? Do I need a psychiatrist? Maybe I do, because though this kind of Gospel thinking is all very enticing and seems so very wise. I wonder, yes I really do wonder, if this kind of Gospel is NO GOSPEL AT ALL but rather is in fact just a great big fat lie, to get us to get more of that all encumbering stuff?

Be honest with yourself today and ask yourself these three questions.

1) Despite all my stuff, am I happy?
2) What is my source of provision and protection and so what do I truly value?
3) Does God value what I value?

The choice is ours to be ‘wise kings seeking Jesus’, or be ‘greedy grabbing gentiles’. What are you doing today? Still trying to grab peace, provision and protection by the gentiles? Careful now, you might just lose your own right hand of peace provision and protection.

Listen:- 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For after all these things the Gentiles seek.

Pray: - Father, help me not to worry but to seek Your righteousness and Your kingdom. Show me how live so much more with so much less in Jesus name I pray. Amen.

 

Nov | 14 | Tattyfilarious!!

Key Word:- GIVE

Title:- Tattyfilarious!!

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.

When it comes to communication Ken Dodd is one of my mentors (yes you can have mentors without them knowing about it!). He is a long standing ‘stand up’ comedian who regularly is able to place audiences consistently at the edge of their seats, as they hang on to his every word for hours at a time. Over the years, using comic hyperbole, he has invented his own words to hyper express his feelings. Life or events, for him are not nice, pleasant, cheerful, happy, or even hilarious! No, they are way beyond those common descriptions, they are ‘tattyfilarius.’ Now, believe it or not, this is the attitude that God appreciates about us most when we offer Him our hard earned cash. Yes, God loves a ‘tattyfilarius’ giver!

Now I know that whenever we stray into areas of the wallet and the bank account, we step into some very troubled waters. So today friends, be gracious with me for in my present understanding of scripture, though I see tithing as Biblical, I do not see it as a New Testament practice.

I do believe that we New Testament Christians should give and should give regularly. Those in leadership do need to set budgets and do need to present the needs to whoever benefits from their ministry, and through those same people, should expect those reasonable needs to be met! However, having made sure the people who minister to us are more than well taken care of financially, that our premises are presentable, functional, welcoming and our bank accounts are in the black; then maybe it’s between us and the Lord where we give the rest of our money? ‘Liberalism,’ I hear you shout! Fiscal Disaster for the local church!

Well, it is a bit scary having to rely on God the Holy Spirit about where to give and how much to give isn’t it? Sometimes rules are far better, though friend they are very restrictive, and our lives shouldn’t be restricted, no, they should be ‘tattyfilarius’ , as should be our giving.

The Scriptures tell us that God loves a cheerful giver and it is from this Greek word so translated in the text that we derive our English word 'hilarious'. Now in my mind, even Webster fails to adequately describe the intent of this word hilarious when describing it as “high spirits that may be carried to the point of boisterous conviviality or merriment”. Good grief Charlie brown, no! This Biblical word is much more than that! It is an excessive word and without any restrictions, it’s boundless and even the English translated word ‘hilarious’ is just not large enough to communicate the original Greek words attitude of the both the giver and the giving! It’s excessive you see and therefore no wonder then that Ken Dodd had to invent a comedic word to express his own very excessive emotions. And I suppose now I have introduced two more stumbling words for some of you! Emotion and excessive.

Well, stumble ye not. This is marvelous freedom. God says give, but when you do, make sure you do it with hilarious abandon, being emotional and excessively grateful that I have prospered you with enough faith and means to do so. “I love that” says God. “I just love it!” And in this it is evident that God wants our giving to be a blessing to Him, to us, and to others.

I heave heard of 'reverse tithers.' You know, people who give 90% and keep 10%. That's quite a feat. However, if you are a multi-millionaire then keeping 10% of what you get is still a lot of money to live on isn’t it! Now reverse tithing sounds great, but I know a few billion folk who could live like kings on the retention of less than ½% of some of these salaried reverse tithers! I’m not knocking it folks, just offering some perspective here! It’s not just the mightily rich that can give more than 10%!

As for me, I have purposed to give more than 10% of my gross income to God and presently am by faith often able to do so, on a regular basis. By faith I say because sometimes my faith doesn’t even stretch to that magic figure of 10%! My goal, percentage wise, is to give a whole lot more than the Christian mandatory and yet quite culturally acceptabe 10% of what I get given, back to God. You can be impressed at this if you want or even angered at my openness or maybe even suspicious of my designs and purposes, and no doubt possibly even 'miffed' at my supposed arrogance. But you see, I don't care! This giving is between me and my God and I want to live ‘tattyfilariusly’ in this. I have to do this folks because I have so many reasons to hang on to my money that I am like an alcoholic with it. Once I get a little I want more, but the problem for me is that when I get more, I forget who I am.

Giving ‘tattyfilariusly’ then is not just protectionism on my part though, Oh no! Truth is I do find this a very happy challenge. Be sure that doing it earns us no more points with God and there's no pressure from Him in it, for there is no Biblical mandate for the amount we give this week or next, whatsoever, it's just something I personally purpose to do, it's a 'personal faith challenge' if you will. Hey, and if I never make it sometimes, then that's fine as well! My point is this, I want to live life in a ‘tattyfilarius’ kind of way. Happily abandoned to the grace of God, in this particular grace of giving. Why not join me today?

Listen:- What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Romans 8:31-33

Pray: - Lord, help me test You in this ‘tattyfilariusly’ way of giving and then make note to see if I can out give You. Each day I know, I shall ‘tattyfilariusly’ fail in trying to do this. In any event O Lord I want to make You happy in my giving. Yes I do, in Jesus name, amen.

 

Nov | 04 | The Antidote To Christian Cannibalism

Dream Word – GIVE

1 Samuel 1:9-11 So Hannah arose after they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat by the doorpost of the tabernacle of the Lord. And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed to the Lord and wept in anguish. Then she made a vow and said, "O Lord of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a male child, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall come upon his head." NKJV

The Anti-dote To Christian Cannibalism

Barren Hannah was desperate for a child and in her desperate prayer she promises to give the gift she hopes she shall receive, right back to God. Samuel is born and Hannah does indeed follow through on her vow.

All children are of course gifts from God and it does a person good to both realise this and act on it, for these good gifts are always kept longer and remain far fresher to us, when they are dedicated right back to Him. Please note tonight that ANY gift selfishly consumed by us will in the end corrupt us and I tell you, this is especially true if we eat our children, consuming them in our own desires and making them the cherished idols of our hearts. If you are doing this, you had best watch out, for cannibalised children always give the very worst of stomach aches.

So following the blessed example of the Holy Family and of Hannah, give back your gift to God! Dedicate them to the Lord and remember that this dedication means a letting go of and a laying hold of.

As to letting go, you must remember that this child is not yours. It shall grow and shall become and in all of its becoming the child shall decide on so many things for itself, including whether or not they shall follow the Lord. You must have faith in letting the child of your care be found by the God that you love. Do all you possibly can to help them develop into who they are and then, let them go as your prayerfully deliver them to God.

As to laying hold, well, you must lay hold of Your God and of yourself. It is imperative that you grow in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. As the child becomes and as the child decides, you must lay hold of God on their behalf. You must also lay hold of yourself, for you must become a model of Godliness before them, a mentor of graciousness and hope, a mother of love, prayer and care, a father of manly courage, wisdom, perseverance and provision. The child will become and will make its own decisions, you are not responsible for this. However, you are greatly responsible for laying hold of both God Himself and of you yourself!

So, whatever you do tonight, do not selfishly consume your kids, yes, you must not eat your children.

Listen: - "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. "And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. (Deuteronomy 6:4-9 NKJV)

Pray:- O Lord we cast down our idols, even if they are our most dearly beloved children. So help us to leave them with Your good discipline and Your love and Your care, yes, this we do tonight with both hope and faith in Your faithfulness. Now O Lord, we lay hold of Your goodness and lay hold of ourselves to walk with You, as models and mentors of the Christ-like life, lived before the gifts You have so graciously granted us. Amen and amen.

Sep | 12 | Saturn and The 7/11 Store

Key Word:- GIVE

Title:- Saturn and The 7/11 Store  

Matthew 26:11 For you have the poor with you always, but Me you do not have always

I was investigating an area for a possible church plant. One of my tasks was to try and look at the community from every possible angle. See it in all its different shades as it were and so that particular night I was out cruising with my camera.

The 7/11 Store was open, so out of the darkness I pulled into the parking lot in front of the store's bright and inviting lights and there was Fred. Off to the far right the leather skinned full-bearded and dirty castaway was skulking in the shadows. I stayed in the car and watched. As the people came and went, he would wait for a lull in the consumer traffic before walking out of the shadows like a feral cat towards the trash can where he would quickly claw and rummage through the surface layer of garbage, pick up some kind of morsel and then retreat into the shadows to examine it and eat it. He would do this until he was satisfied that the trash can had been fully trawled. Thus satisfied, he would move on to another store and another filth ridden trash bin.

Now, out of the car and in the store I saw Fred slip quietly off the scene and disappear into the shadows whilst I purchased a hot drink and some food for him. I came out and walked to the rear of the store and sure enough, there was Fred, now trawling the larger garbage bins.

After his initial suprise at somone following him around with a hot drink, with thanks, blessing and prayer, the food and drink were gratefully received. There wasn’t much conversation. Fred ‘crossed’ himself and looked up indicating at least some former contact with an orthodox church, for Fred was a former eastern block immigrant who didn’t speak much English and on top of that, it was evident that Fred was mentally ill. It was only a matter of time when someday soon, someone else would find Fred, but this time he would be dead.

In lands of plenty, the poor are still with us and the pain of it, the pitiful presence of it, still quietly lingers like the smell of sour meat, around trash cans late at night. I thoroughly believe that how a nation treats its ‘down and outs’ is indicative of its level of compassion. How we treat the one lost sheep is truly indicative of how we shall in the end treat the other ninety-nine. To me, there appears to be but four options for our rich nations regarding the pitifully poor.
1. Eradicate them,
2. Ignore them,
3. Hide them or
4. Help them.

The last one should be the only Christian option and the resources needed to do this will be enormous.

Maybe we should consider that the poor are God’s outrageous gift to the rest of humanity? Maybe they are a sad and ever present picture of the true spiritual state of every fat cat and comfortable kitten curled up in front of a warm fire or a cold air conditioning unit? Maybe they are there, to always call forth selflessness from our utterly inbred selfishness? Maybe they are there, to embarrass our wallets and cause us to examine our spending programmes, after all a few hundred billion dollars on a space programme and a few thousand smart bombs, means we can know and see exactly where we choose to rain down vengeance upon our enemies and then watch the destruction via satellite in glorious Technicolor! Ooh and while I am talking of satellites and talking of glorious Technicolor, let’s face it friends, most of us church-goer's know more of the conditions of Saturn’s rings rather than the conditions behind the 7/11 on Johnson Street, on any street, on your street.
Maybe the real mentally ill aren’t just trawling the trash cans of our major cities? Maybe many of them are in various positions of leadership? Now there’s a thought!

Listen:- He who gives to the poor will not lack, But he who hides his eyes will have many curses. Proverbs 28:27

Pray:- Lord the need is so great that alone we cannot help to meet it. Lord help us heap up blessings on ourselves, our communities and our nation by giving to the poor. In right ways, teach us how to do this O God, in Jesus name we pray, amen.

 

Sep | 05 | The Sacrifice of An Arm and a Leg

Key Word:- GIVE

Title:- The Sacrifice of An Arm & A Leg

1 Timothy 6:10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

“If you want good health care, reliable transport, wise insurance cover, temperate pension provision and a reasonable roof over your head, then people you need me. Truth is friend; I am all you really need!”

In this world, money counts itself as all mighty and is both vocal and voluptuous in its lying intent and presentation The problem is that we believe it and our actions are clear evidence of our adherence to this vile lie dressed as virtue and our fat bellies and fat wallets, are heavy judges to our adulterous embracing of this big money mouth, which speaks great things! Money has become our desire, money has become our hope, money has become our provider, money has become our rock of refuge, money has become our God!

The fragrant flower of triumphant capitalism is a particularly thorny one for the Christian in this new century, yet the conservative church seems to have ignored this flower festooned mastodon of more, sitting in her pews. Indeed, the keepers of many pulpits have become infamous zoo keepers of this elephantine and ancient seduction! Whatever your political persuasion, rightly or wrongly the popular mind has portrayed and personified the rise of personal possession and individual prosperity with ‘avarice riding a camel laden with gold,’ which still won't fit through the eye of any needle! Why then are we in the Western church still trying to squeeze it through? How has this dire and gigantic disease of eating avarice, seemingly and amazingly hidden itself among the Western community of the saints?

The answer is by flaunting itself as a sign of God’s blessing, of Christian prudence and loving wisdom that provides for its own. All very Biblical it would appear. Yet I wonder if our part-Biblical presentation is in fact two signs of a growing fear of financial failure and a frightening fear of soul gnawing need? If so, then this is a wide spread faithless disorder and such a faithless disorder presents the local spiritual medical practioners, those real curers of souls, those pastors of old, with three seeping symptoms.

Firstly, within the worshippers of the money god is a real need for power. That is, the need to possess and to influence; to impress, to flaunt and control; to direct and manipulate for the purpose of self-protection and self-propagation.

Secondly, within the worshippers of the money god is a festering fear: that is the driving fear that needs to provide against future disaster. The need to make safe our own vast bastions of full and fat forgetfulness.

Thirdly, within the worshippers of the money god is the need to possess simply for possession's sake.

In olden times such symptoms and enslavement to the objects of our own making was called idolatry, and those marked with such calamity were placed outside of the camp and marked as unclean. Today it would appear they dress in smart whistles and fine flutes and take the lead in a drooling dance of avarice, banging the drums of abundance all the way into the side of the dark mountains of more.

Is it too much to say that the only way to deal with avarice is to give all we have away? I wonder? If you will excuse my mix of metaphors, it’s time to look down and discover if we are sat on camels or elephants and then change horses!

Listen:- Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, "One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me." But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. Mark 10:21-22

Pray:- Two things I request of You (Deprive me not before I die): Remove falsehood and lies far from me; Give me neither poverty nor riches — Feed me with the food allotted to me; Lest I be full and deny You, And say, "Who is the LORD?" Or lest I be poor and steal, And profane the name of my God. Proverbs 30:7-9

Mar | 02 | Dealing With The Reverend, William Fold

Dream Word – GIVE

Deuteronomy 12:19 Take heed to yourself that you do not forsake the Levite as long as you live in your land. NKJV

Dealing With The Reverend, William Fold

The Levites had no inheritance in the land of promise! It can be truly said that the Levites served the spiritual needs of the people of God. This was their commission and their destiny. To help them fulfil that commission and achieve that destiny, God Almighty made it incumbent upon the people they ministered to that they not forget the material support of the Levites. If that were to happen, maybe some Levites would starve to death, but I tell you, most would go and find jobs with income elsewhere. In other words, of material necessity they would desert their calling and their destiny.

Allow me tonight then please, to now turn my attention to New Testament Ministers, where I believe there are two types of employed ministers.

First the Contractual Minister. There are those ministers who have been employed by congregations that can afford them and they have entered into a vocational and financial contract with one another. This is always a precarious position and I know of many a minister, who, once they stopped tickling the ears of their employers, have been financially starved by such congregations and to such an extent, that they became wrecks for many years thereafter both financially and otherwise. If you are employing a minister and you want to dismiss them, you want to move them on, you want to replace then, then just tell them! Don’t starve them and ruin them, tell them! Come to some financial arrangement with them if needs be, yes, dismiss them if you must, but don’t ruin them. Talk to them and at least give them some time to find a job elsewhere to contractually express their vocational callings. Yes, if there is a mismatch, tell them. If however, it is the faithfully preached word that’s getting to you, if you can’t stand the heat from the prophetic kitchen then please, next time go looking for a minister down at the cats protection league for there’s many a pussy cat out there simply looking for a bowl of milk. I assure you, you will not have to look far.

Second, The Relational Minister. There are other ministers who have not entered into contract with any congregation or ministerial or denominational affiliation, yet believe God has called them to a life of ministry in which they have to trust God for their material provision. You may enter into private verbal contracts with such folk and if you do, then stick to it. In addition, those of us who actually seek out and benefit from the ministry of such folk, should, when we can, give to their ministry and give to them. Remember to do this as YOU seek and utilise their ministry, not as they seek to impose their ministry and financial obligations upon you. However, this giving you enter into is not contractual or obligatory but rather, it is Holy Spirit and conscience driven. Even so, beware here, that your conscience is not manipulated by strong-arm giving tactics of any kind. You are under no contractual obligation to support such folk. If God has called them to a life of financial faith living, then God shall provide for them. The Holy Spirit and conscience may direct you, but you are under no legal contractual obligation at all!

There is now one other minister which I must refer to, who is most prevalent in our times. These are not New Testament ministers for sure, yet they do abound in and around the church. These are the Hucksters, the Hawkers, the Peddlers and the Sellers of various brands of good old fashioned snake oil. You shall recognize them easily, because they always have ‘product’ at hand which they will make you feel good about buying, especially if that product will do you no good at all! These folks are usually dressed in green-suited dollar bills and go by the name of Reverend William Fold. Unless you revel in plastic spirituality, avoid them like the plague and steer well clear, for strange fire is always swallowed up in the end. Always!

Concerning your giving then and your own bill fold tonight, may I encourage you to “man up” about it! Get wise, keep generous, but become intensely practical.

Listen: - You shall not forsake the Levite who is within your gates, for he has no part nor inheritance with you. Deuteronomy 14:27 NKJV

Pray:- Lord, help me to give generously and practically to those I have entered into contract with. For all the rest O Lord, guide and direct me, in my giving. Finally Lord, concerning Rev. Bill Fold, help me see that he is fat enough to burst and die already, and that I have far too much useless snake oil, already lining up my bookshelves. In Jesus name I pray, amen.