Archive for August, 2021

The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in Him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. And He is the head of the body, the church; He is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything He might have the supremacy. Colossians 1:15-18

Jesus matters. PT [Prosperity Theology] has dethroned Christ, it has removed Him from the right hand of God and has converted Him into a servant. He is not the Lord of the universe and the Head of the church anymore. He exists only to fulfill my dreams, to attend my needs, to grant my wishes. He has no other purpose than to be ready to take our orders and do exactly as we tell Him. For PT Christ is mostly an investment broker in charge of a celestial bank guaranteeing good profits to investors. But this is not the Christ of the Bible.

Argentinean Methodist theologian Jose Miguez said: “A reduced Christ will always result in a reduced Christianity and a rachitic witness.” PT’s Christology has left our people with a powerless Christ. PT proposes a faith that we control, a deity we manipulate. This is similar to animistic or pantheistic religions where the gods exist to give us what we want because we perform some rituals which are supposed to appease them and to convince them to act in our favor. But the Christ of the Bible is not such a little puppet. He is the sovereign Lord of the universe, the firstborn of all creation, His power is limitless, His actions do not depend in any shape or form upon us. He acts alone. We need to recover the majesty of Jesus Christ. Our only response to Him is to kneel down and confess that He is the Lord and by His grace we are His servants. PT has confused the roles in our relationship with Jesus. For PT He is our slave but for the Bible it is the other way around. The prayer should not be “Jesus, I am sowing this much and you better give me back 100% times more.” Rather, “Everything I have, everything I am, everything is yours, take it. Not my will but your will be done.”

José Miguez as cited by José Daniel Salinas in “How is Prosperity Theology Penetrating the Theology and Practice of Mainline Churches?” in Lausanne Movement post dated 30 September 2015.

In this article, Salinas notes that mainline churches have “lacked theological depth” which has opened the door for reducing Christ to become a servant who fulfills our dreams and takes our orders.

From there, this quote by Miguez alerts us to the implications of this faulty thinking. It results in a rachitic witness. I had to look up the word. In plain terms, it’s a sick or suffering witness. When we have bad theology our witness suffers. It’s sick.

But Miguez does not leave us there. He reminds us who Christ really is, quoting Paul in Colossians, and who we are, and maps the implications. This releases us from being slaves to our own greed to becoming generous living sacrifices for God.

What I am realizing afresh today is the importance of helping national workers have theological depth so they can articulate what is true from Scripture. This is why rather than give handouts that build dependencies we give a hand up to build disciples.

Turning this tide in Africa has been hard work for AfCAA, which I helped form 5 years ago. They just celebrated AfCAA@5. God provided a matching gift. It’s at $797 toward the goal of $5,000. Give today and help strengthen the witness of Christ in Africa.

If anyone is poor among your fellow Israelites in any of the towns of the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward them. Rather, be openhanded and freely lend them whatever they need. Deuteronomy 15:7-8

“What is striking about Old Testament law, Dewi Hughes notes, is that it recognizes the very strong human bias to self-interest and provides a legal framework to control it. Thus the law, he points out, focuses on putting limits on the rich and powerful ostensibly so that the poor and helpless are not exploited.

Jesus gave considerable attention to lepers, despised women, and other marginalized people and went to the extent of warning that those who do not give to those in need will experience eternal damnation (Matthew 25:31-46). In effect Jesus wanted his followers to give to the poor not take from them…

The teaching that people are poor because they do not give to God is an antithesis to Jesus’ saying that people should forgive even their enemies since God does not discriminate between the righteous and unrighteous in the provision of rain and sunshine (Matthew 5:45). In prosperity teaching, the problem is with the undue emphasis placed on material wealth.

In Jesus’ own words, ‘a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions’ (Luke 12:15; cf. 1 John 2:15-17; Proverbs 27:24; 22:28; Ecclesiastes 5:13; Psalm 62:10). The Christian church must therefore be wary of giving undue attention to material things as signifying God’s satisfaction with one’s Christianity.”

Kwabena Asamoah-Gyadu in “Prosperity and Poverty in the Bible: Search for Balance” in Lausanne Movement post dated 2 Oct 2015.

As I continue to read Lausanne global research on prosperity gospel, I am learning a lot, especially from authors like professor Kwabena, who sketches many good things in the whole piece, for example, that we need a good theology of both prosperity and poverty to find balance. Well said.

Kwabena adds that material blessings come from obedience but we must not allow them to make us materialistic. Elsewhere, this professor adds numerous times that we must not give undue emphasis on one text which causes us to assert ideas inconsistent with larger biblical themes.

He alerts us that throughout the Scriptures those with resources are to care for those in need. He reminds readers that the sun shines on the righteous and unrighteous and removes the manipulative message that people are poor because they do not give enough money to God.

Challenges like this are complex. I am finding that when I visit settings where it is prevalent, I must unpack the web of ideas, one by one, with Scripture. I can also support local workers promoting truth and help spread teaching that motivates God’s people to serve rather than prey on the poor.

Give us today our daily bread. Matthew 6:11

“The African concept of prosperity is significantly different from the American understanding of it. To Americans, prosperity means having a new vehicle or a larger house. To Africans, on the other hand, prosperity means having an adequate meal or access to basic medical care. As we can see from what Jesus taught about prayer, it is completely biblical to pray that God will meet our daily material needs. Therefore, we should resist the tendency to generalize about religious beliefs…”

Daewon Moon in “Pentacostalism in African Christianity” in Lausanne Global Analysis post dated January 2021, Volume 10, Issue 1.

As I prepare to minister online and onsite as travel allows in the days and months to come in places where prosperity gospel has been prevalent, I am trying to study it to learn more in advance. Related to Africa, one of the big things I am finding is a key point noted by Moon above. The American perspective of prosperity is far different than an African understanding. So, I have to resist the temptation to generalize.

In such contexts, many are praying to God for help with basic needs, which is the posture God wants us to take. Alternatively, in America, few appear to trust God for daily provision. Many stockpile surplus funds. What should each of us do? Everywhere, as we approach differences in practices, we must not judge but listen. And as we listen, we must resist the temptation to generalize. Instead, let’s call everyone to faithful stewardship.

This starts with each of us. It’s also what the work of GTP is about globally, and why we support efforts like AfCAA in Africa. Competing theologies like prosperity gospel don’t stand a chance against authentic Christianity when lived out faithfully by national workers in every nation. To support GTP capacity building efforts in Africa, please make a gift in support of AfCAA. We are at $486 toward a $5,000 goal in the next month.

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. Luke 6:34-35

“The point that Jesus makes in Luke 6 is not that disciples should never give with the expectation of reward; the point is that disciples should not lend to others expecting repayment from those to whom they lend, for in refusing to participate in this kind of reciprocal exchange, they will receive a reward in another exchange economy, not from other humans but from God.”

David J. Downs in “Giving for a Return in the Prosperity Gospel and the New Testament” Lausanne Movement post dated 3 Oct 2015.

Yesterday my attention turned to Lausanne Movement research so I lingered there.

Today’s meditation comes from another one of their posts. Advocates of the prosperity gospel are often attacked for seeking a return. In this article Downs rightly notes that it’s right to seek a return, but where the wrong turn is made is seeking material reward.

From our Scripture we learn that when we do good and give to the undeserving, we get a “great” reward, which is to be labeled as children of the Most High. So in our generosity, let’s seek our return not from people or in this life but from God. He blesses now in unexpected ways and in eternity it will be unfathomable.

Join me in supporting AfCAA to promote good stewardship in Africa.

And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. 2 Corinthians 9:8

“The message of prosperity resonates with traditional African religious ideas because of the belief in mystical causality. Prayer vigils and healing camps are viewed as the Christian equivalent of traditional shrines. Prayers, like offerings, become ritual actions that are supposed to make things happen. When prosperity is lacking, the explanation given is failure to pay a tithe to the church, or it may be linked to demonic forces, curses, and witchcraft perpetrated by envious family members…

God’s purpose in difficult situations is not always to take us out of them but to take us through them. In the words of the psalmist, ‘Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for you are with me’ (Psalm 23:4); and ‘My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever’ (Psalm 73:26). The Apostle Paul himself had a “thorn in the flesh” that was not taken away. He lived with it not by “naming and claiming,” but by grace.”

J. Kwabena Asamoah-Gyadu in “Did Jesus Wear Designer Robes?” Lausanne Movement post dated 1 Nov 2009.

Yesterday was special.

At GTP, we helped host the 5-year celebration of AfCAA, the peer accountability group like ECFA in USA, which serves pan-Africa. Last time I traveled to Africa I spoke on the difference between prosperity gospel and biblical generosity.

So, imagine my surprise when after the online event I opened my email box and saw this article from the Lausanne Movement.

It helped me understand why Africans are drawn to promises of blessing and then helped me get perspective on God’s purpose in challenging times (like the ones in which we find ourselves). We learn by experience that God’s grace is enough to navigate any situation.

Then it sunk in that Africans aren’t the only ones drawn to such ideas. We all are. We want God’s blessing but often forget the purpose of all He graciously supplies.

That’s where I am thankful that AfCAA is making a difference. They are building stewards and helping ministries follow standards. They grasp both the gift of God’s blessing and our purpose to serve as conduits of abundant generosity.

At GTP, we believe so much in what they are doing, we gave them a $5,000 USD match grant to build capacity. Join me in making a gift to celebrate five years.

I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. Romans 8:18

“No doubt pain as God’s megaphone is a terrible instrument; it may lead to final and unrepented rebellion. But it gives the only opportunity the bad man can have for amendment. It removes the veil; it plants the flag of truth within the fortress of a rebel soul.

If the first and lowest operation of pain shatters the illusion that all is well, the second shatters the illusion that what we have, whether good or bad in itself, is our own and enough for us. Everyone has noticed how hard it is to turn our thoughts to God when everything is going well with us. We “have all we want” is a terrible saying when “all” does not include God. We find God an interruption.

As St. Augustine says somewhere “God wants to give us something, but cannot, because our hands are full — there’s nowhere for Him to put it.” Or as a friend of mine said “we regard God as an airman regards his parachute; it’s there for emergencies but he hopes he’ll never have to use it.”

Now God, who has made us, knows what we are and that our happiness lies in Him. Yet we will not seek it in Him as long as He leaves us any other resort where it can even plausibly be looked for. While what we call “our own life” remains agreeable we will not surrender it to Him. What then can God do in our interests but make “our own life” less agreeable to us, and take away the plausible sources of false happiness?”

C.S. Lewis (1898-1963) in The Problem of Pain (Quebec City: Samizdat University Press, 2016) 59-60.

Today’s Scripture aims to give us perspective amid suffering. The professor adds to our knowledge. Only when we have the right perspective can we be generous in the times in which we find ourselves.

Those who pursue false happiness need the megaphone of pain to get their attention. God is at worst an “interruption” or at best to them “a parachute” when He wants to be the object of their happiness.

When happiness lies in Him, we surrender to His ways. When we have false happiness, we get frustrated when things are less “agreeable” to us. I am learning to examine my heart in frustrated moments.

What is the bigger plan God is unfolding? What may He be trying to teach me? When things do not go how I plan, can I remain agile to follow God’s leading? How might I choose generosity in crisis?

When we attune to God we actually realize the “worth” of the present sufferings. God is not to be questioned but rather to be thanked for helping us to find our happiness only in Him.

You were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies. 1 Corinthians 6:20

“Consider what is the aim of Providence in all the tender care it has manifested for you. Why does it protect you so assiduously, and suffer no evil to befall you? Is it not that you should employ your bodies for God, and cheerfully apply yourselves to that service He has called you to? Doubtless this is the end and goal of these mercies; or else to what purpose are they afforded you? Your bodies are a part of Christ’s purchase, as well as your souls (1 Cor. 6. 19). They are committed to the charge and tutelage of angels (Heb. 1. 14), who have performed many services for them. They are dedicated by yourselves to the Lord, and that upon the highest account (Rom. 12. 1). They have already been the subjects of many mercies in this world (Ps. 35. 10), and shall partake of singular glory and happiness in the world to come (Phil. 3. 21). And shall they not then be employed, yea, cheerfully worn out, in His service? How reasonable it is they should be so! Why are they so tenderly preserved by God, if they must not be used for God?”

John Flavel (c. 1627-1691) in The Mystery of Providence (Monergism Books) 84.

Like many of you, I have friends who are suffering, some related to Covid and others linked to other illnesses and challenges. On the days when our health is not right, we realize how faithful is God’s care for us, day in and day out.

In exploring Providence this morning and remembering what God has done for us, this idea that God purchased us for a purpose got my attention. That He deploys angels to minister to us moves me deeply. But why is this the case?

He wants us to honor Him with our bodies. He wants us to serve Him with every ounce of strength that we have. Our purpose as we age is not to increase our comfort but to be “cheerfully worn out” in His service.

What trajectory are you on? Would people say that your focus as you age is to work less, to pursue possessions and pleasures? Or would they say you are seeking not to be served but to serve?

I lift up my eyes to the mountains—where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.

He will not let your foot slip—He who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, He who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.

The Lord watches over you—the Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.

The Lord will keep you from all harm—He will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore. Psalm 121

“We must begin to correct the admittedly false picture of Providence which we have hitherto been using. That picture, you will remember, was false because it represented God and nature as inhabiting common time. But it is probable that nature is not really in time and almost certain that God is not.

Time is probably (like perspective) the mode of our perception. There is therefore in reality no question of God’s at one point in time (the moment of creation) adapting the material history of the universe in advance to free acts which you or I are to perform at a later point in time.

To Him all the physical events and all the human acts are present in an eternal now. The liberation of finite wills and the creation of the whole material history of the universe (related to the acts of those wills in all the necessary complexity) is to Him a single operation. In this sense, God did not create the universe long ago but creates it at this minute—at every minute.”

C. S. Lewis in Miracles in The Complete C.S. Lewis Signature Classics (New York: Harper One, 2002) 458-459.

In exploring the idea of Providence, I had to sit at the feet of the professor to get help. C.S. Lewis offers us the perspective we need. As I ponder what I read in his classic work, Miracles, I got what I needed, and what the whole world needs. Hang with me I will explain the connection to generosity.

When we look to the mountains, what do we see?

We see our Creator functioning outside of time and space in the “eternal now” always working for the good of all that He has made. This reminds us that He will never be early or late to come to our aid. He is always hearing, always caring, always working for our good.

The false picture we must jettison is that God is limited by time and space. If we retain it, it will limit generosity as we will not count on His care. Remember John 11:21 on this note: “Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died.

She thought Jesus and His capacity to do miracles was limited to time and space. He demonstrated otherwise and worked the miracle, the answer to her prayer, in a manner that would bring glory to God outside of time in the eternal now.

When I walk through the mountains and see the flowers, He whispers that He cares for these, so I can trust Him to care for me. When we trust in God’s providence, we find the peace the world needs. We also discover that we are here to reflect His generosity in the eternal now.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28

“With God, the more one seems to lose the more one gains. The more He strikes off of what is natural, the more He gives of what is supernatural. He is loved at first for His gifts, but when these are no longer perceptible He is at last loved for Himself. It is by the apparent withdrawal of these sensible gifts that He prepares the way for that great gift which is the most precious and the most extensive of all, since it embraces all others. Souls which have once for all submitted themselves to the divine action, ought to interpret everything favorably. Yes, everything! even the loss of the most excellent directors, and the want of confidence they cannot help feeling in those who offer themselves for that post.”

Jean-Pierrede Caussade (1675-1751) in Abandonment to Divine Providence (Grand Rapids, MI: CCEL) 92.

I shot the new header photo at Herman Creek on Saturday. It was so beautiful there. But to get to this spot required some steep unfavorable hiking.

Seeing how our Lord Jesus Christ cares for creation made me celebrate the gift of the outdoors and drew my heart to celebrate the Creator and Sustainer of all things.

This got me thinking about divine providence, which is why I read from Piper’s new book yesterday and Caussade’s classic today. I added links so you can read these books if you like.

Ponder this thought: “With God, the more one seems to lose the more one gains.” So true!

Related to generosity, this means there is never a sacrifice too great, for the One who bountifully gives us all things offers us Himself. And He cares for us in this life and for eternity.

The words “with God” touch me deeply as a friend who was a radiant reflection of the love of God, Brenda Jones, went home to be with the Lord yesterday. She is with God.

Caussade reminds us that even with the loss of special people we can “interpret everything favorably” because of the providence of God. What a blessed hope!

All who are in Christ and pass away experience beauty in glory greater than this photo. The outdoors are a reflection of the work of the Creator but nothing beats the glory of His presence.

May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. Galatians 6:14

“Every good gift in this world and the next (including innumerable wonders to enjoy in nature) was purchased by Christ for us at the cost of his life. Therefore, every sight, every sound, every fragrance, every texture, every taste in this world that is not sin is meant to intensify our admiration and love for Jesus (as Creator, Sustainer, Upholder, and Redeemer) and move us to “boast . . . in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Galatians 6:14). The theater of wonders that we call the natural world is through Christ and for Christ.”

John Piper in “the Loss and Recovery of a Theatre of Wonders” in Providence (Wheaton: Crossway, 2020) 231.

God’s providence in nature makes it a “theatre of wonders” as Piper puts it. It is a gift not to be worshipped but to cause us “intensify our admiration and love for Jesus Christ.”

Sammy collected me at 7:30am yesterday morning. We visited the drive-thru at McDonalds to get a pair of breakfast sandwiches for each of us. Then we ventured an hour up I-70 to the Herman Gulch Trail.

The parking lot was nearly full. The trail starts at 10,400 feet. Our aim was not to hike to the lake, but to get to about 11,200 feet where the trail parallels Herman Creek and start fly fishing for Greenback Cutthroats.

The trek was challenging for me. It seemed like it went straight up for the first 45 minutes. Of course, Sammy scurried up it like a bighorn sheep. And though there were many hikers, we saw no other anglers.

Over a mile or so of water, we landed 46 of these absolutely beautiful fish, which are only accessible a few months of the year. It was technical fishing for the Colorado state fish. Our Creator had fun designing them!

They are diminutive, which means admittedly small, but living at the treeline means their season without ice and snow is short. But Jesus sustains them. We witnessed it. He fed them with hatches of mayflies and caddis.

Of course when we offered them mayfly and caddis patterns they struck our flies. After snapping some photos of these protected fish, we celebrated the gift of time together in the “theatre of wonders.”

We say that catching a trout like this is God’s gift to us. Releasing it is our gift to the next angler. But that moment we enjoy it’s beauty and colors was made possible by Christ so we are filled with gratitude.

Get outside and enjoy the beauty of Creation. May “every sight, every sound, every fragrance, every texture, every taste” point your attention to our generous Savior and Sustainer, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Tomorrow’s header photo will celebrate the awesome scenery cared for by the Providence of God.