Sizing people up

We are getting ready to start a three week series called "Fearless" at West Ridge Church.  This series is going to be teaching us how to live fearlessly when it comes to our finances and possessions.  One area that has hit me really hard this past week in regards to finances, has to do with whom I choose to give my time and resources.  Often our culture teaches us to "size people up" first before we help.

To size someone up is when you assess someone from a critical standpoint, or when you try to determine the character or potential of a particular person.  Typically when it comes to doing acts of service or giving our money to someone, we typically try to size up the person or organization to determine if we are making a wise investment of our time or money.  When it comes to our finances, we might withhold money from someone that says they have a financial need if we feel that they are not of good character or if we feel they are trying to take advantage of us or our generosity.

However, I believe that the as a follower of Christ we have a different motivation and approach to take when it comes to determining who we should or shouldn't show generosity.  Our motivation to give or help someone is not based on whether or not they can repay us or even their character or worthiness, but it is based totally on our desire to be more Christlike.  We give because Christ gave to us.  We aren't ever asked to size people up and determine the merit of whether or not we should help.  In fact we become more like God when we don't size people up before helping.  God gives to the ungrateful.  God send good things to people who never thank him or ackowledge him. 

Jesus said some interesting things regarding this in Matthew 5:

³⁹But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. ⁴⁰And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. ⁴¹If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. ⁴²Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you...He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. ⁴⁶If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? ⁴⁷And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others?

Honestly, this is a difficult teaching to live out.  It really is hard to show kindness, grace, and give of our finances to people who show no appreciation or even spit in our face for the help we have given.  However, I think we are more Christlike and get to experience God in a very real way when we practice this and choose to help people regardless of our perceived merit of the person.  Let's not size people up this holiday season and choose to be generous and to be more Christlike.  God may allow a circumstance or person to come across your path this holiday season asking for help.  Don't size them up but choose to help regardless of their perceived worthiness.  In fact, it may be better if you choose to help someone who is totally ungrateful and shows no appreciation.  Let's be fearless!

What is your thorn?

What is your "thorn in your flesh"?

The Apostle Paul shared in 2 Corinthians 12 that he was given a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment him. We don't really know for certain what the affliction was based on the text. Some have suggested malaria, epilepsy, or a disease of the eyes. Regardless of the nature of the affliction is the fact that it was a chronic and debilitating problem, which apparently kept him from working at times. Furthermore, the thorn was even a hindrance to his ministry and Paul prayed three times for God to remove it.

I think God's response was a surprise to Paul and many of us. God let Paul know that he wasn't going to answer yes to his prayer and remove the affliction. God told Paul, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." This response enabled Paul to proclaim, for Christ's sake, "I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties."

So what is your thorn? What weakness, insult, hardship, persecution, or difficulty is chronic and debilitating at times for you? We all have a weakness. It is our nature as fallen people and for people who fall short of the glory of God. When you recognize your weakness and your limitations, and allow yourself to depend on God, you are in a great position to be filled with God's power and are at a position to allow God's power to be made perfect in you. Notice that we are imperfect, but in our imperfection, God's power is made perfect. It is a paradox, but remember that, when you are weak, then you are strong. One writer describes it like this, "Human weakness provides the ideal opportunity for the display of divine power."

So, what is your thorn in the flesh? Whatever it is, delight in it. Remember that as you depend on Christ, that it is through your weakness that you are made strong and display God's power.

Celebrating the wins

In church life, sometimes it is difficult to measure success and wins.  One of the most visible and Scritpural ways of celebrating the wins in church is through baptism.  I often have wondered why God would choose baptism as the means of conveying outwardly an inward commitment.  But after watching 103 baptisms this past weekend at church I was quickly reminded of the incredible testimony and impact that baptism has on people and on churches.  I was literally moved to tears yesterday hearing the stories of life change and how people were surrendering to God's call and will for their lives and following him in obedience and faith. 

Baptisms are like touchdowns for football and home runs in baseball.  It is the way we measure the wins and celebrate the victories of God's working in people's lives.  Baptism represents eternal destinies that are forever changed.  Baptism is a reminder of the work Christ did over 2000 years ago and why God came to earth. Baptism represents the continuing work of Christ on the earth and a very visible display of the Holy Spirit's continued presence and work in the world.  Baptism represents a new life for people.   Seeing others baptized reenergizes our faith and passion for Christ.  Yesterday was a great day to celebrate the wins and ride the momentum of life change at West Ridge Church.  Awesome day and an awesome God.

Read some more of the great stories from this past Sunday at Brian's blog and Paul's blog.

We are a lot like cell phones

I have an iphone that can go about one day before it needs to be recharged. I have to connect it every night to make sure it has the power to fulfill its purpose. There is no battery that will last forever. It has to be reconnected continually to recharge the battery.

We are a lot like cell phones. We have to be connected to others to get charged and fulfill our purpose. There isn't a one time fix. It is an ongoing process we need in our life. If you stay disconnected, you will run out of power and energy like a phone. This is one of the main reasons I need a group, you need a group, and we all need a group. We need people in order to grow and experience the fullness of life God intended. Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend say it like this in "How People Grow"...

"People's most basic need in life is relationship. People connected to ther people thrive and grow, and those not connected wither and die. It is a medical fact, for example, that from infancy to old age, health depends on the amount of social connection people have.

Virtually every emotional and psychological problem, from addictions to depression, has alienation or emotional isolation at its core or close to it. Recovery from these problems always involves helping people to get more connected to each other at deeper and healthier levels than they are.

Ironically, one problem we often see in the Christian community is that people get more into religion and less into the connectedness the Bible prescribes, with the result that they get sicker. For the same reason, many people feel disconnected from God because they have not been connected to his Body. The clear teaching of the New Testament is that the Body of Christ is to be people deeply connected to each other, supporting each other and filling each other's hearts."

John Maxwell in his new upcoming book on connecting says "I believe that almost everything we become and all that we accomplish in life comes as a result of our interaction with others".  (You can actually read the chapters and comment as each proposed chapter is posted on his blog.)

Connection begins first with God but also involves being connected with other people who are following Christ. Just as a phone won't work without being charged regularly, we have to be connected to re charge and live the full life. Connect with God and others and recharge your batteries, join or rejoin a group!

Should pastors get paid?

Over the past few months, I have had several different people question the biblical basis for paying pastors or church staff.  Many of these questions have come from sincere church members who are trying to understand the church and finances.  I want to share some insight on this as well as my story. 

My story is that I worked for over 15 years in the business world. In fact I had a very good position as a Network Engineer with a large local company.  My decision to change vocations was simply out of a response to God's call.  It meant a smaller salary, more hours, and honestly more criticism.  I can honestly say that working as a pastor is much more demanding and more difficult than the job I left.  However, I am content because I am fulfilling the call God has on my life.  Sometimes, I think there is a view that pastoral work is easy and is for those that can't do anything else.  I think it is important to debunk that myth and to clarify the biblical justification for some people that are called to serve in God's kingdom full time vocationally just as Jesus and the apostles did.  See my blog post too on "Am I called to ministry".

I think Paul faced these same types of questions and defended his case as seen in 1 Corinthians 9:3-14:

This is my defense to those who sit in judgment on me. 4Don't we have the right to food and drink? 5Don't we have the right to take a believing wife along with us, as do the other apostles and the Lord's brothers and Cephas[a]? 6Or is it only I and Barnabas who must work for a living?

7Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its grapes? Who tends a flock and does not drink of the milk? 8Do I say this merely from a human point of view? Doesn't the Law say the same thing? 9For it is written in the Law of Moses: "Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain."[b] Is it about oxen that God is concerned? 10Surely he says this for us, doesn't he? Yes, this was written for us, because when the plowman plows and the thresher threshes, they ought to do so in the hope of sharing in the harvest. 11If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap a material harvest from you? 12If others have this right of support from you, shouldn't we have it all the more?

But we did not use this right. (note he refers to taking financial assistance as a right, but chose to forfeit his right for a new church plant) On the contrary, we put up with anything rather than hinder the gospel of Christ. 13Don't you know that those who work in the temple get their food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in what is offered on the altar? 14In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel.

Here is the response from a respected website called gotquestions.org:

A church should definitely provide for the financial needs of its pastor(s) and any other full-time ministers. 1 Timothy 5:17-18, “The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching. For the Scripture says, 'Do not muzzle the ox while it is treading out the grain,' and 'The worker deserves his wages.'” 1 Corinthians 9:14 declares, “In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel.” If a church is not able to provide sufficient finances for a pastor, then a pastor would have no other choice but to work outside the church to bring in the needed income. This is a regrettable, but sometimes necessary situation. It would be best for a pastor to be full-time so he can fully dedicate himself to the Lord’s work of ministering to and shepherding the congregation.

Bob Lugingill also gives a very comprehensive answer to this question:

1) Before the nation of Israel, the most prominent example we have is Melchizedek, a "priest of God most high", to whom Abraham gave a tenth of what he had won from his recent victory - a significant amount (Gen. 14; cf. also Gen.28:22).

2) in Israel, not only the priests, but also the Levites (i.e., everyone whose full-time job was serving God directly), were to be supported through a system of tithes, some given in the form of produce, some in the form of currency; the priests also received a portion of most of the offerings that were made to the Lord (see especially Lev.5:13; 7:6-10; Num.18:20-32; Deut.14:22-29; Amos 4:14; Lk.18:12).

3) in the Church, there is no tithing per se, but the principle of those who minister the Word of God for a living earning their living from their ministry is still applicable. In 1st Corinthians 9:1-14, Paul vigorously defends this right in great detail. Although he personally chose not to make use of it from the Corinthians (and worked also himself in support of his ministry), he did obtain financial support for that ministry from others as well, most notable the Philippians. Paul applauds their godly efforts in Philippians 4:14-19, and notes that such things are well-pleasing to God. In 1st Timothy 5:18, Paul makes the point in reference to support of ministers that "the workman is worthy of his wages" (repeating Christ's point that his apostles were to be supported: Matt.10:10; Luke 10:7). The clincher is Galatians 6:6: "Let anyone who receives instruction in the Word share of all good things with the one who instructs him."

4) Now the Church is much different from Israel. Rather than having a situation where a hereditary few are chosen to minister to God, all believers are given gifts to minister in some way to and for God (1Cor.12:7 etc.). However, ministering the Word is the one gift still operative in the Church which carries authority and so demands particular respect (1Thes.5:12-13), for it incurs a stricter judgment from God (Jas.3:1). In the Church of Jesus Christ, we all pull together for the goal and we all have equal access to the Father, but we cannot all devote the first-fruits of our time and energy to learning and teaching the Word of God (and learning those things necessary to learn and teach the Word of God: Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic, systematic theology, ancient history and culture, etc.). That is the job of the teacher (call him pastor or elder or pastor-teacher or whatever you will). Preparation for this job is long and arduous - if done correctly. It often involves eleven years of higher education and much work "off the academic clock".

8 things pride will do for you

Pride is a very sneaky and subtle enemy.  It tries to work it's way in our hearts and minds often without us realizing it.  It seeks and wants to plant its root in our lives.  It wants us to believe that God really doesn't have our best interest in mind and that we can really do better on our own.  It causes us to rely on self more than on God.  It causes us to see others as less important and eventually causes us to view others in light of what they can do for us.  It says look at what I have done and look at what I have accomplished and accumulated. 

We have to be on guard against its attempt to set up camp in our hearts.  It is a critical aspect of life to uproot pride and not let it have a foothold.  We know this because of how God views pride: "I hate pride and arrogance" - Prov 8:3.  To understand the implications of pride in our lives better, here is a short list of what pride will do for you and to you:

1. Pride will deceive you.  "The pride of your heart has deceived you." Obadiah 1:3.
2. Pride will bring you disgrace. "When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom." Proverbs 11:2.  "Before his downfall a man's heart is proud, but humility comes before honor."  Proverbs 18:12.
3. Pride will cause you to be humbled.  "A man's pride brings him low, but a man of lowly spirit gains honor." Proverbs 29:23.  "The eyes of the arrogant man will be humbled and the pride of men brought low." Isaiah 2:11.
4. Pride will bring the discipline and rebuke of God on your life.  The LORD tears down the proud man's house but he keeps the widow's boundaries intact."  Proverbs 15:25. 
5. Pride will cause God to oppose you.  "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble"  James 4:6.  "The LORD preserves the faithful, but the proud he pays back in full."  Psalm 31:23. 
6. Pride will cause fights and quarrels for you. "Pride only breeds quarrels, but wisdom is found in those who take advice." Proverbs 13:10.
7. Pride will cause you to forget God. "then your heart will become proud and you will forget the LORD your God" Deut 8:14.
8. Pride will destroy you.  "Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall." - Prov 16:18

We have to guard our hearts each day against the subtlety of pride and humble ourselves.  It all begins with recognizing who God is and that He is just.  It involves seeing ourselves through God's eyes and seeing others through His eyes.  It means having a realistic understanding of who we are and our place in God's story.  More importantly, it means exchanging our story for His story.  We no longer are the central character of our story but realize that we have a role to play and so do others in God's unfolding story.

Do you want to be bolder or nicer?

We often think that Christians should be nice more than bold.  It is interesting in Scripture to see how often people, when empowered by the Holy Spirit, became bold.  I don't think there is time that the person was made nicer or became more subdued.  To be empowered by the Holy Spirit means we receive power not timidity.  I tend to be a little timid and wrestle when I sense the Holy Spirit empowering me for boldness.  Often I have resisted this sense of boldness.  I have a dear friend that prays that I would not be so meek (Thank you for praying this prayer for me!).  I can relate to Timothy when Paul told him in 2 Timothy 1:6-7 - "For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline."

Consider some of these other passages in Scripture:

• Psalm 138:3 - "When I called, you answered me; you made me bold and stouthearted."
• Numbers 33:3 - "The Israelites set out from Rameses on the fifteenth day of the first month, the day after the Passover. They marched out boldly in full view of all the Egyptians"
• Proverbs 28:1 - "The wicked man flees though no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion."
• Mark 15:43 - "Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent member of the Council, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for Jesus' body."
• Acts 4:29 - "Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness."
• Acts 28:30 - For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him. Boldly and without hindrance he preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ"
• 2 Corinthians 3:12 - "Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold."

You get the point.  Not to mention that Samson empowered by the Holy Spirit killed a thousand men with the jawbone of a donkey, David defeated a giant with the boldness given by the Spirit, and the early disciples, after praying, were filled with the Holy Spirit and the place where they were meeting was shaken and they spoke the word of God boldly. 

This is not a boldness of pride or self promotion, but a boldness out of humility and love for God and people.  Allow the Spirit of God to fill you today and make you bold for his kindgom.