Archive for November, 2018

Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. Romans 12:16

“So, the main cause of uneasiness in the hearts of many well-provided Christians today is that inadequate vision of the Kingdom of God that prevails in Christian circles and that produces anemic faith. But once, through adequate preaching and teaching, we vividly understand our relationship with the poor we will find there is much to be done and our anemic faith gets a healthy transfusion. Opportunities to serve people of impoverished and weakened conditions will come to us every day. The cup of cold water we’ll have always ready, for our vision of the Kingdom realities will make us much more sensitive to occasions to help and give. It may also lead us to make a point of discovering need, rather than always waiting for it to be thrust upon us… Remember, Jesus did not send help. He came among us. He was victorious under our conditions of existence. That makes all the difference. We continue on his incarnation model when we follow the apostle’s command to “associate with people of low position” by unassumingly walking with them in the path of their daily affairs, not just on special occasions created because of their need.”

Dallas Willard in The Spirit of the Disciplines: Understanding How God Changes Lives (New YorkL HarperCollins, 1988) 212-213.

As we draw near to Advent we start to envision a Messiah that comes to the poor. As Willard put it, “Jesus did not send help. He came among us.” Advent is the time we prepare for His coming. It begins on Sunday. We also realize our role to humble ourselves and to go to those who are in need. How will you do that this Advent and in the new year?

I must testify how an unnamed friend helped me yesterday. We had lunch and near the end he asked if I had any needs. I spoke of computer troubles. On the spot, he said, “Let’s go get you a computer.” I was stunned. We walked to the Apple store and he bought me a new computer. The best part, he said, “Don’t thank me, thank God.” See my post on Facebook.

This Advent the Lord has led me to go to Egypt to serve brothers and sisters there from 11-23 December 2018. God supplied an airline ticket, food, and lodging. Since I will spend about half of Advent there, the theme of my meditations this Advent will be: “Advent in Alexandria.” I will introduce you to early church fathers that God stationed there.

Where will you go this Advent? I urge you this Advent to “make a point of discovering need, rather than always waiting for it to be thrust upon us.” I will never forget how my friend helped meet my need. Let us leave our comfort zones, discern needs, and associate with people in need and serve them generously following the example of our Lord Jesus Christ who did precisely that for us.

Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. Mark 11:24

“Do you know why the mighty God of the universe chooses to answer prayer? It is because His children ask. God delights in our asking. He is pleased at our asking. His heart is warmed by our asking. When our asking is for ourselves it is called petition; when it is on behalf of others it is called intercession. Asking is at the heart of both experiences…

God desires authentic dialogue, and that as we speak what is on our hearts, we are sharing real information that God is deeply interested in… Just as we long for our own children to share with us the petty details of their day at school, so God longs to hear from us the smallest matters of our lives. It delights Him when we share.”

Richard J. Foster in Prayer: Finding the Heart’s True Home (New York: HarperCollins, 1992) 179-181.

It seems like the older I get the more I pray. In reading a chapter on petition and in Foster’s classic work on prayer, I was reminded of the generosity of God related to our asking and how He welcomes authentic dialogue.

When we need anything, big or small, God wants us to ask and wait patiently. That’s petition. When others are in need, we get to lift them up to the Father. That’s intercession. We get to engage in both and there is no limit to what we can request.

The irony is that our Heavenly Father knows what we need before we ask but wants the conversation with us. I can relate as I age as a father. The older I get, the more I cherish conversations with my grown son and daughter. Authentic dialogue is rich.

So what’s the lesson for us today related to generosity? Tell the Father what you need: wisdom for life’s challenges, provision for each day, strength for a task, relief from pain or suffering, or anything else. No request is too big or small.

Also, Jesus said to keep it simple and real (Matthew 6:7-8). Engage in authentic dialogue on big and small matters. That means share your joys, sorrows, frustrations, and exasperations. And, rest in the generosity of the God who longs to hear from us and care for us.

Whoever is faithful with very little will also be faithful with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. Luke 16:10

“Only he who gives thanks for little things receives the big things. We prevent God from giving us the great spiritual gifts He has in store for us, because we do not give thanks for daily gifts. We think we dare not be satisfied with the small measure of spiritual knowledge, experience, and love that has been given to us, and that we must constantly be looking forward eagerly for the highest good. Then we deplore the fact that we lack the deep certainty, the strong faith, and the rich experience that God has given to others, and we consider this lament to be pious. We pray for the big things and forget to give thanks for the ordinary, small (and yet really not small) gifts. How can God entrust great things to one who will not thankfully receive from Him the little things? If we do not give thanks daily for the Christian fellowship in which we have been placed, even where there is no great experience, no discoverable riches, but much weakness, small faith, and difficulty; if on the contrary we only keep complaining to God that everything is paltry and petty, so far from what we expected, then we hinder God from letting our fellowship grow according to the measure and riches which are there for all of us in Jesus Christ.”

Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945) in Life Together (New York: Harper & Row, 1954) 29.

Years ago I posted part of this quote as a meditation. I returned to it because Bonhoeffer came to mind and the full thought ministered to my soul. I pray it blesses you as well.

I find myself waiting on God for provision for big things, and yet that has distracted me from the little things He has already provided. Perhaps at times you have become similarly distracted? What can we do to maintain our focus?

Bonhoeffer points the way. We must give thanks daily for the little things. It’s how we got to the point we are at, but our gaze goes to the great things we can imagine rather than to the step-by-step journey that got us here.

So as you think about your generosity journey, don’t imagine all the things you will do for God if and when He supplies. Do great things for God with whatever He has supplied and He will continue to resource you.

That has been my experience, and hopefully yours as well. This is yet another one of those paradoxical components of the Christian faith that we only figure out as we live it out. Let us give thanks daily for the little things.

And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of His glory in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19

“17 January 1849. The time is now near when further steps are to be taken to fit up and furnish the house, as more than two thirds of the rooms are all but ready. Under these circumstances I have prayed the more earnestly, day by day, that the Lord would be pleased to give me the means which are yet needed; and as my heart has been assured from the beginning, and all through these three years and two months, since I first began to pray about this subject, that God would in every way help me in this work, so I have also been particularly satisfied that He would be pleased to provide the means which may be required to meet all the heavy expenses which yet remain to be met. Now, today I have had again a precious answer to my daily supplications with reference to this work; for I received this evening six hundred pounds, concerning which it were desired that brother Craik and myself should each take of it fifty pounds for ourselves; the remaining five hundred pounds was left entirely to my disposal; yet an especial reference was made to the heavy expenses connected with fitting up and furnishing the new Orphan House, towards which I might, either in part or entirely, take this sum.”

George Müller in The Life of Trust: Being a Narrative of the Lord’s Dealings with George Müller (Boston: Thomas Y. Crowell & Company, 1898) 343-344.

I’ve been waiting on the Lord for provision for ECFA to launch a global accountability effort to help guard trust and encourage greater generosity around the world. Waiting while remaining or abiding in Christ is hard so I felt inspired to read excerpts from Müller’s journal today. Three things about this post in particular ministered to me.

Firstly, George was not working with God in service to orphans alone. In biblical fashion working two-by-two, we see him working with a brother named Craik. I’ve been praying for a person to come alongside me and assist me as a Barnabas in this global work.

Secondly, George waited three years and two months for God to supply. That’s a long time. And I thought six months was a long time to wait. Notice that God was “pleased to supply” but it rarely comes exactly when we hope or expect it but when God knows we need it.

Thirdly, George and Craik used a small portion of the funds to cover their living expenses and expended the rest on God’s work. We see elsewhere that as God supplied, he did not hoard but put to to work.

If you are waiting on God for something, anything, remain in His love and trust Him to supply, and allow Him to mature you into a ready recipient. Work collaboratively with others, and when God supplies, live simply so you can put as much to work as possible for God.

I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in Me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in Me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to My Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be My disciples. John 15:5-8

“As God’s obedient child, you are in a love relationship with Him. In His timing, He will show you where He is working so you can join Him. Don’t be in a hurry to be constantly engaged in activities for God. He may spend years preparing your character or developing your love relationship with Him before He gives you a large assignment. Don’t get discouraged if the task or “call” does not come immediately. Remain faithful in what He has told you to do, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant it may appear. God knows what He is doing. Focus on deepening your communion with God, and out of that fellowship will inevitably flow effective service for God.”

Henry T. Blackaby in Experiencing God: Knowing and Doing the Will of God, revised and expanded with Richard Blackaby and Claude King (Nashville: B & H Publishing, 2008) 121. Thanks for your prayers. God worked powerfully at Bethel International Church in five services in NYC yesterday and I am flying back to Colorado this morning.

As we think about remaining in the love of Christ in preparation for Advent, we must remind ourselves that magnificent service with God in the future only flows out of mundane faithfulness in seemingly insignificant areas with God in the present. So, in plain terms, if we want our lives to exhibit greater Christian generosity during Advent, in 2019, and the years to come, it starts with communion, fellowship, and service with Him right where we are at today.

That can be hard for many of us to swallow, especially if we feel like we are in a transitional season and ready for the next assignment God has for us. This is where I find myself with regard to about half of my bandwidth. I think I am ready to be deployed for some new global tasks but He has not yet chosen to resource the way. So I wait, fast and pray. The answer is never to take matters into my own hands but to remain and ask following the pattern in today’s Scripture.

To make this point using the image of the vine, Jesus wants us to stay connected to Him, the vine, so the fruit on our branches can ripen and mature. That takes time. So, take a few minutes today to thank God for nourishing and sustaining your branch, then ask for what you desire in prayer, and acknowledge your trust in the Father to work in you so your life bears fruit and in so doing brings glory to the Father, who is the vinedresser. Hear our prayers, Father, in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Romans 12:9-10

“A happiness that is sought for ourselves alone can never be found: for a happiness that is diminish by being shared is not big enough to make us happy.

There is a false and momentary happiness in self-satisfaction, but it always leads to sorrow because it narrows and deadens our spirit. True happiness is found in unselfish love, a love which increases in proportion as it is shared. There is no end to the sharing of love, and, therefore, the potential happiness of such love is without limit.

Infinite sharing is the law of God’s inner life. He has made the sharing of ourselves the law of our own being, so that it is in loving others that we best love ourselves…”

Thomas Merton in No Man is An Island (New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 1983) 3.

To grow in Christian generosity is to understand that infinite sharing does not leave us lacking but rather points the way to abundant living. It’s unselfish. It honors others ahead of ourselves.

How do we grasp this, when it is so foreign and different from the world in which live? Thankfully Jesus answered this for us. We must remain (think: soak or marinate) in His love. Notice the repetition.

“As the Father has loved Me, so have I loved you. Now remain in My love. If you keep My commands, you will remain in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commands and remain in His love. I have told you this so that My joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.” John 15:9-12

To prepare our hearts for Advent, let’s remain (soak and marinate) in the love of Jesus this week. As I preach five times today (seemingly infinite sharing), I trust God to sustain me and pray He sustains you in your service too.

In fact, James, Peter, and John, who were known as pillars of the church, recognized the gift God had given me, and they accepted Barnabas and me [Paul] as their co-workers. They encouraged us to keep preaching to the Gentiles, while they continued their work with the Jews. Their only suggestion was that we keep on helping the poor, which I have always been eager to do. Galatians 2:9-10

“Like every human organization the Church is constantly in danger of corruption. As soon as power and wealth come into the Church, manipulation, exploitation, misuse of influence, and outright corruption are not far away.

How do we prevent corruption in the Church? The answer is clear: by focusing on the poor. The poor make the Church faithful to its vocation. When the Church is no longer a church for the poor, it loses its spiritual identity.

It gets caught up in disagreements, jealousy, power games, and pettiness… The poor are given to the Church so that the Church as the body of Christ can be and remain a place of mutual concern, love, and peace.”

Henri J. M. Nouwen in Bread for the Journey: A Daybook of Wisdom and Faith (New York: Harper San Francisco, 1985) reading for October 11.

Notice in today’s Scripture that Paul and Barnabas agreed to minister to the Gentiles while James, Peter, and John would serve the Jews, but don’t miss that both would “keep on helping the poor.”

Nouwen reminds us that such an aim helps us as the Church keep our focus and fulfill our calling. A church that loses sight of the poor will certainly cease to be generous.

What will your church do for the poor this Christmas season? I am flying to New York again today to preach five times at Bethel International Church tomorrow on “Generosity in the Gospels.”

I’ll urge this congregation to move toward the poor following the example of Jesus. Only when we realize that we — ordinary people — are the poor do we grasp how this helps us maintain our “spiritual identity.”

Keep on helping the poor!

For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 1 Timothy 6:7-8

“Nobody who gets enough food and clothing in a world where most are hungry and cold has any business to talk about misery.”

C.S. Lewis in The Letters of C.S. Lewis to Arthur Greeves (1914-1963) (Springfield: Collier, 1986) Letter Dated 31 January 1917.

It’s Black Friday in America, where the shopping deals may seem too good to pass up. We always buy 24 poinsettias for $24 to give away during Advent. But we are careful to draw the line. What line?

Draw the line between what we need and what we want. As a family, we have learned to say “no” to those “gotta have it or I will be miserable” deals on things we want but can live without.

We do, however, scoop up the stuff we need for low prices. Doing this leaves us with more margin for living, giving, serving and loving within our means.

Lewis would remind us to remember the poor rather than just think about ourselves. As most of the world is “hungry and cold,” go through your pantry and closet and share some food and clothing with a local shelter.

Also, evaluate your giving and be sure to support organizations that helps deliver people from the misery of poverty in the name of Jesus. We recommend ministries such as Potter’s House or Visions of Hope Foundation.

But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you. If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Luke 6:27-36

“Jesus introduced the time to realize the essence of the Sabbath and Jubilee expectation, namely uncalculating generosity. The realization of this promised reality confronted the greedy, ungrateful, and evil practices which thrived among the people. Jesus addresses problematic components of the reciprocity ethic and instructs His disciples to forego calculations of reciprocity in favor of following the realization of the Sabbath and Jubilee… Just as God promised to bless generous people by reciprocating their openhanded giving to each other (e.g. Deuteronomy 15:1-8; Leviticus 25:8-55), Jesus promises that God will bless those who do not evaluate the worthiness of recipients before being generous.”

Jonathan Marshall in Jesus, Patrons, and Benefactors: Roman Palestine and the Gospel of Luke (Eugene: Wipf & Stock, 2009) 243. I shot the header photo yesterday while walking through the national forest outside of Kremmling, Colorado, where we cut down our Christmas tree. It’s our tradition the day before Thanksgiving.

For readers in America, Happy Thanksgiving! For others around the world reading this, join us in pausing to give thanks to God for all His blessings to us. Today will mark my final post in the recent series on “Jubilee” as it relates to generosity. Marshall makes three statements that keenly sum up our recent study.

Firstly, Marshall rightly describes the realization of Jubilee as “uncalculating generosity.” With Jesus, this theme comes into view when our love for others does not keep score. When Peter asked Jesus how many times we should forgive others, remember He replied, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times” (Matthew 18:21-22).

Secondly, Marshall astutely alerts us that Jesus says to “forego calculations.” Think about it. Our generosity should look totally different from the culture. We are explicitly instructed to subvert cultural expectations regarding property as we join Jesus in proclaiming the radical ethic of Jubilee. God wants His stuff handled according to His instructions.

Thirdly, Marshall reminds us not to “evaluate the worthiness of recipients.” That’s what the world does! We must be kind to even the ungrateful and wicked. If you want to give thanks for anything today, give thanks that God extended His generosity to you when you were undeserving. Go and do likewise. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

There need be no poor people among you, for in the land the Lord your God is giving you to possess as your inheritance, He will richly bless you, if only you fully obey the Lord your God and are careful to follow all these commands I am giving you today. Deuteronomy 15:4-5

“Any Israelite who fell into debt had to be forgiven those debts every event year. Not only could creditors no longer demand payment, but they had to release the pledges of collateral taken for the debt. Collateral was usually a portion of land from which produce could have been used to repay the loan. This law of release and specific public policy aimed at removing one of the key factors causing poverty — long-term, burdensome debt…

The generosity extended to the poor could not be cut off until the poor person’s need was gone and until he reached a level of self-sufficiency. Now we can understand how the passage could say, “There need be no poor people among you.” God’s concern for the poor is so strong that He gave Israel a host of laws that, if practiced, would have virtually eliminated any permanent underclass…

Every seventh Sabbath year (every forty-ninth year) was declared a “Jubilee.” In that year not only were debts to be forgiven, but the land was to go back to its original tribal and family allotments made when the Israelites returned to the land out of Egypt. Over a fifty-year period some families would economically do better and acquire more land while others would fare more poorly and have to sell some of their land…

If we combine the requirements of radical generosity with the regulations on profit-taking and property use, were are not surprised that God could say, “There need be no poor people among you.” This does not mean that people would not continue to fall into poverty. But if Israel as an entire society had kept God’s laws perfectly with all their hearts, there would have been no permanent long-term poverty.”

Timothy Keller in Generous Justice: How God’s Grace Makes Us Just (New York: Dutton, 2010) 26-28.

As we draw near to the celebration of Thanksgiving in America, I want to give thanks for God’s generosity to everyone. For even the poorest of poor, He has Jubilee concern, which when lived out today really can change the world around us. Some read texts like this alongside comments like Keller’s and think that all this envisages an unattainable utopian society. This vision came to fruition in the early church and still happens today.

All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had. With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need. Acts 4:32-35

This only becomes possible when we preserve the unity of the Spirit which unites our heart with God’s heart. It can only be realized when no one claims to own anything but shares possessions freely. But that’s only possible when we obey the teachings of the apostles which came from Jesus. So, here’s my prayer for everyone reading this as we draw near to Thanksgiving and special times with loved ones, both family members and friends.

Father in heaven, unite our hearts by your Holy Spirit to use what we have to show others Your love and to reveal that we have taken hold of life in You, which is worth more than any earthly treasure. Help us remember that Jesus cry for “Jubilee” is backed by Your matchless care and concern for each of us. Give us that same Jubilee concern for others. Receive our gratitude for fueling our generosity. Hear our prayer in the name of Jesus. Amen.