Grace Roots

Sin Taken Away - Living With a Consciousness of Righteousness

2008-10-05T13:00:00.000-05:00

Latest Growing in Grace program is available for download. In Christ we've received the righteousness of God as a gift. The Old Testament sacrifices ("the blood of bulls and goats") could never take away sin. In fact, the book of Hebrews says that all they really did was to bring a reminder of sin. This week Mike and Joel talk about how the once-for-all, far-superior sacrifice of Christ has taken sin away, and how we can live with a consciousness of righteousness rather than a consciousness of sin. Let your heart and mind be set free as the truth from scripture reminds you of your true standing with God in Christ!

gigcast.graceroots.org

Sea of Love

2008-10-04T18:30:00.000-05:00

The Honeydrippers' remake of Phil Phillips' Sea of Love.

Lighten up - I love you!

2008-10-04T18:00:00.000-05:00

Ever notice how you can go months or even years without hearing a Robert Plant song, and then suddenly you hear two within a couple of hours?!?!

I didn't think so. ;)

Well anyway, it happened to me today.

The former Led Zeppelin front-man did some solo work as well as some work with a band called The Honeydrippers (which also consisted of other former Zep members Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page). Today on the radio I heard Tall Cool One by Plant, as well as Sea of Love by the Honeydrippers. I've always loved those songs.

What stuck out to me in Tall Cool One as I listened to it today was the phrase that's repeated throughout the song, "Lighten up baby, I'm in love with you!" How many of us really just need to lighten up - relax, take a load off - and just love God and be loved by Him!

Robert Plant - Tall Cool One (song doesn't start till about :26)

What we need, not what we deserve

2008-10-02T19:00:00.000-05:00

The story below happened after midnight on this day twenty years ago (October 2, 1988 - approximately half my life ago). It's not exactly a "prodigal son returns home and is thrown a party" story, but it is a true happening in my life that would eventually play a part in helping me to understand the grace and love of God.

(I first posted this here).

-------------------------

It’s a Saturday night in October of 1988. I’m 19 years old, and I’m ready to go have some fun! I’m grabbing some friends and we’re going road-tripping down the highways and back roads surrounding my hometown of Waverly. But what kind of fun would it be without a case of beer and a two bottles of Mad Dog 20/20? It seemed like the perfect touch to an evening of fun and laughter – until…

Our fun and laughter ended up in fear and screaming after my inattentive eyes missed a “curve ahead” road sign on the gravel road. Amazingly - and thankfully - this part of the story ends with no one getting seriously hurt. In fact, as all our friends drove by the following day to view my totaled car which had been towed from the ditch in which it had landed upside down, they marveled that we were alive at all.

But the most amazing part of this story is yet to come. Something which has impacted me in a far greater way. And it all centers around grace. Back up to the previous year. My pastor-dad and mom had gone beyond their means to purchase this car for me so I would have wheels while I was 100 miles away at college. When I dropped out after only 4 months my parents were undoubtedly disappointed but they graciously welcomed me back home and granted me the continued use of the car and all the other benefits of being a son. I sure had a fine way of showing them how thankful I was, eh.

After sitting with my buddy in the local jail overnight, we were released early Sunday morning. We walked across the river, viewed my smashed up “college” car for the last time and then I slowly and hesitantly walked home, not exactly eager to face my parents. My mom was standing in the kitchen, getting ready for church. I didn’t know what to say. I’m sure my parents were angry. I’m sure they were deeply disappointed. I’m sure they weren’t even sure what to think or say. But five words came out of my mom’s mouth which would eventually have more of an impact on my relationship with God than I ever would have imagined at the time. “We’re just glad you’re ok.”

Disappointment and anger were probably only the beginning of the flood of emotions mom and dad were having, and add to that the fear and worry about their seemingly messed-up son’s future. But whatever dismal thoughts may have been going through their minds, there was something else on the inside of my parents which superseded all of it. Their main concern was to let me know I was loved. They most certainly had every right to go all off on me and let me know how I had let them down, and those thoughts probably tempted them more than I’ll ever know. My neck deserved a good wringing. But they didn’t give me what I deserved. They gave me what I needed.

They confirmed to me that I was still their son. The deafening silence - there were no long talks, no sermons, no preaching – spoke to me more than anything else could have. That said, I still had a lot of growing to do, and it’s not as if I didn’t push the limits from time to time. My life was by no means instantly transformed at the time. It wasn’t until a few years down the line that this experience spoke even more clearly to me about the love of my parents – and the love of God.

I came to a stage in life when I was beginning to learn more about the grace of God – His favor and blessing which is given to me freely, which I have done nothing to earn, and in fact which is given to me despite the fact that the absolute total of what I have “earned” really only amounts to death and condemnation. One day I was thinking about this time in my past when I had been given what I didn’t deserve by my parents. Suddenly the magnitude of how they had responded to my needs rather than reacted to my actions hit me like a ton of bricks and I was swept up in a huge emotional wave. My experience from the past provided me with a clear picture of a loving Father who gives grace to those who need it, not to those who deserve it. And for perhaps the first time in my life I truly appreciated the immeasurable freedom and grace which had been given to me over the years by my earthly parents and my Heavenly Father.

I don’t want to imply that the way my parents treated this matter was the only way. I can’t guarantee that when both my kids become teenagers, my wife and I will respond in the same way to their misdeeds! I hope and pray that by the Spirit of God in us, we’ll raise them with godly love, grace and discipline. But what’s really wonderful is that we have a Father who always knows exactly how to treat us. The good news is that while He is well aware of our faults, He is much more interested in providing for us what we need rather than what we deserve. He proved it with the Cross.

Mike Zenker interview - Grace Walk Canada

2008-10-01T21:00:00.006-05:00

I know many of you check out Steve McVey's blog, but just in case you don't, he linked today to an interview with Mike Zenker, director of Grace Walk Canada. Mike was on the TV program It's A New Day with Willard Thiesen. I listened to the whole thing today, and it blessed my socks off and I just wanted to pass it on. Not my socks. The interview. You can watch or listen to it here:

http://www.newday.org/ontheair/index.php?program=33402

All kinds of things are discussed including brokenness, abuse, our identity in Christ and so much more. Mike talks about how he once tried to "achieve" acceptance by God through his performance, but how he came to understand that God's acceptance of him is not based upon his performance at all. He talks about how we're so often defined by "what we do" (our behavior). If you do bad things, you're labeled a "bad person" or a "sinner," when the reality is that in Christ you're a saint and you are holy and righteous! You are not defined by your behavior but by who you are.

He talks about the patterns we've all established to be fulfilled apart from life in Christ ("flesh patterns"). Rather than getting down about it when he recognizes that he's not walking according to who he really is, and he knows things need to change, he says, "Ok Father, you do it." He knows he can't do it himself, but the Spirit convicts him of righteousness (NOT sin) and God works in and through him to live it out.

One thing that really got my attention, because I know I deal with this and I think so many people do, is the whole thing of teaching and preaching grace, and knowing it well, but yet realizing we have a lot of growing to do in living it out. He uses an example I'm all too familiar with - walking in grace with your family. Those closest to you are the ones with which you're really "tested" in the grace walk! If the Spirit of God is in me and His grace is so powerful, then why do I fall short in being loving and full of grace with my loved ones? Listen to what Mike has to say. His openness and honesty is refreshing.

Also... the whole concept of our life in Christ being a journey of rest is driven in deeply in this interview. I love it! Abiding in the Vine, resting in Him, being His workmanship, etc. Lighten up, relax. So many good things brought out here. Watching or listening to this will be well worth your time!

http://www.newday.org/ontheair/index.php?program=33402

Quick growth isn't everyday life

2008-09-30T22:00:00.002-05:00

I remember a time when my daughter Noelle was going through a slow time of physical growth. For a long time - it seemed like months and months - she would stand in front of me, and the top of her head was exactly as high as my belly button. We had a lot of fun joking around about that! But then before I knew it, time went by and one day she stood next to me and she was over an inch higher than my belly button! To me, this growth spurt was too sudden. Where'd my little girl go!

I've often talked of the growth process in the Christian life as "slow." Growing into maturity, as well as growing in maturity (the same difference between growing into an adult and growing as an adult) is by no means a fast process - and that's a good thing!

Of course, just as a child goes through various growth spurts on the way to adulthood, Christians also have their own growth spurts on their way to maturity (and again, in maturity as well). Those times are often fun and exciting, full of unexpected but welcomed revelations and sudden fulfillment of things we've been hoping and waiting for, as well as the lifting of the heavy weights of the illusions that we were living under that weren't really reality.

But yet isn't most of our growth slow? When we stand next to God, isn't it often months and months - and even longer much of the time - that we're staring straight into His belly button, wondering when we're ever going to grow that extra inch taller? Yes, we're impatient people! But God's never impatient. As I've grown in grace, I've shed my image of Him as someone who's in a hurry with us. I think we put the pressure of hurried growth on ourselves.

We remember some of the growth spurts that we've been through, with all of the awesome-ness that went along with it, and we wonder why it's not always like that. We think of how great it will be when we "finally" trust Him fully and absolutely with all that's in us, and we feel disappointed that we're not there now. We desperately want to grow into maturity - without realizing it can only come in a series of seasons, not instantaneously. We lack contentment in the Lord's work in us now - because it doesn't fit the illusion we've created!

Don't all little kids play "grown up" at some time or another. And don't all teenagers long for the "freedom" of adulthood. But what kid can truly live life as an adult? And as for teenagers - don't they really want the best of both worlds? They want to be adults but yet they want to remain childish. Again, adulthood - maturity - comes in God's well-planned and executed seasons. He's good with all that. :)

And as for the mature - when they're truly mature, isn't it that they realize that all they needed to be was a child?

------------------
I know you've got loads and loads of time to read my past posts... LOL... but just in case you're interested, here are a few related posts.

Microwave Christianity
Slow-cooking together
Slow cooker or Microwave?
What's the Hurry?
Slow
What's the rush?

I am the Resurrection and the Life...

2008-09-28T22:30:00.001-05:00

...He who believes in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.

Got to admit, this one sends shivers up and down my spine (cheesy "voice of Jesus" aside). :)

Carman - Lazarus

Satan, Bite the Dust

2008-09-28T22:00:00.000-05:00

All right, all right... I know this video is somewhat cheesy and not necessarily scripturally solid in all points (at least in my opinion)... but it's nevertheless inspiring to me in a few ways, if for no other reason than the overall picture is the defeat of the devil, our identity in Christ and the victory in Him that we can confidently live by.

Not to mention, this is truly a Christian "classic." :)

Carman - Satan, Bite the Dust

They that wait upon the Lord... ;)

2008-09-28T20:30:00.002-05:00

A woman who loved donuts was trying to lose weight, so she stopped going to the donut store every morning. However, she still had to drive by the store on the way to work every day.

One day, the store owner began displaying donuts in the window as a way to try to lure people into his store. The woman drove by and was tempted to go in.

She decided the best thing to do would be to pray. "Lord if it's your will for me to go into the donut store and have a donut, let there be a parking spot open right in front of the store."

Well, sure enough there was a parking spot open right in front of the store. And, bless God, she only had to drive around the parking lot eight times for that to happen!

=)

Hold Fast the Confession of Our Hope

2008-09-28T20:00:00.000-05:00

Latest Growing in Grace program is available for download. This week my discussion with Mike is based upon these encouraging words from Hebrews 10:19-24.

Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.

We're not talking about the continuous confession of sins here! We're talking about the one confession that we have already made - the confession of Christ (See Rom 10:9-10) through which we have been saved. None of it is based upon anything we've done or not done. It's not based upon our faithfulness our faithlessness. It's all based upon the promise of the One who is faithful.

gigcast.graceroots.org

Fear and Trembling - Not "afraid"

2008-09-27T13:00:00.000-05:00

After Adam and Eve were created, they walked in freedom with God. They had no reason to be afraid of God. I imagine that at first they walked in reverential awe and wonder of this God who had created them in His image and was near to them and had given them Life and freedom in paradise. However, immediately after the Fall, they suddenly became afraid of God. God called out to Adam, and Adam replied, "I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself" (Gen 3:10). Again, before that, Adam had never known "fear" (being afraid of God). I doubt that he had ever previously had the slightest inkling of hiding from God.

In Christ, it's made clear that we've been brought near to God again by the blood of Jesus (Eph 2:13). He Himself is our peace (Eph 2:14). "Having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (see Rom 5:1-5). There is no reason to be afraid of the One with whom you have peace!

And yet I've seen verses such as Philippians 2:12-13 being greatly distorted by those who have preached it. "Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure."

For one thing, from what I understand, "your own salvation" is in the plural sense, as in, "you Philippians as a whole, as a body, as a church, together work out your salvation." The phrase "work out your salvation" also gets murdered. In the chapter, Paul is talking about the church being of one accord, having the same mind that Christ had - humbling Himself, making Himself of no reputation, etc. As saved people (not by works, but by grace through faith), they were to, as a body, work out what was already in them in the form of loving and serving one another in humility.

And they were to do it with fear and trembling. Does that mean "being afraid?" They had peace with God, not enmity. No reason to be afraid. They were to be of one accord with one another, not afraid of each other! With awe and reverence, love and humility - towards God and towards each other - they were to live out this salvation that had been freely given to them. And the last part of the verse is so huge as to how this all works out: "for it is God who works in you to will and to do for His good pleasure." The "working out" of our salvation is really God's work in us!

"There is no fear in love [agape]; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment." (1 John 4:18). The "afraid" kind of fear that Adam had is in diametric opposition to the "awe and reverence" kind of fear that we have in our lives in Christ. God loves us; we love Him. Jesus humbled Himself in order to give us His life. He didn't come to punish us, condemn us or torment us, but to give us perfect agape love. Our salvation is lived out, not from a position of being afraid of God, but from a position of humility, honor, awe and respect for the God who loves us and has given us His life in place of our own.

Keep all the rules, still lose

2008-09-26T16:00:00.000-05:00

Gal 3:19-25
19 What purpose then does the law serve? It was added because of transgressions, till the Seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was appointed through angels by the hand of a mediator. 20 Now a mediator does not mediate for one only, but God is one.

21 Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not! For if there had been a law given which could have given life, truly righteousness would have been by the law. 22 But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. 23 But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. 24 Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25 But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.

Imagine a person was able to keep all the rules - to follow God's laws fully and completely - always, without failing once. A perfect law-keeping record. That's impossible, of course, but even it really did happen this person would still be far, far away from God because there is no Life in the law. In fact, in order to have Life, we had to die to the law. Unless a person dies to the law, he or she cannot be raised to Life with Christ.

Rom 8:2-3
2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus [true Life] has made me free from the law of sin and death [God's laws]. 3 For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin...

"Weak through the flesh" doesn't mean that we were weak because of all our bad deeds. It means that even in the best of the best of our own righteousness (the ability of our flesh), we were still dead. We were weak and fell short of God's glory (and Life).

What we needed was the gift of Life, not law.

The answer is always B - 9/26/08 - "The Gospel and Righteousness"

2008-09-26T10:00:00.000-05:00

It's been a while since I've done one of these ever-so-difficult multiple-choice pop quizzes.

What is the correct wording of Romans 1:16-17?

A. For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, especially for those who try harder to live right. For in it man's righteousness becomes even better; as it is written, "The just shall live by trying to be just."

B. For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith."

C. Is Billy Joel Keeping the Faith? ;)

Deep calls to deep

2008-09-24T22:30:00.000-05:00

Psalm 42:7-8
Deep calls unto deep at the noise of Your waterfalls;
All Your waves and billows have gone over me.
The Lord will command His lovingkindness in the daytime,
And in the night His song shall be with me —
A prayer to the God of my life.

Margaret Becker - Deep Calling Deep

Screen door on a submarine - about as useful as Law in the life of a Christian

2008-09-24T10:00:00.000-05:00

One of Rich Mullins' early songs spoke about faith without works being about as useful as a screen door on a submarine. I see what he was trying to say... "faith without works is dead..." and on the one hand I can easily accept his analogy, but on the other hand I'll just say that I've spent too much time over-analyzing the analogy. :)

However, no matter what the worth of the analogy, I've been ministered to greatly by the life of Rich Mullins and there are many, many of his quotes that I love, and I shared some a year ago on the tenth anniversary of his death. If you've not followed this blog for that long (or even if you have, and have already seen these), I highly recommend checking out these two posts: Rich quotes and More Rich quotes. (Even a year later, I welcome your comments there if you have any).

What I really wanted to get at here was a different use for the phrase "screen door on a submarine." Law in the life of a Christian is about as useful as a screen door on a submarine. I suppose you could spend some time analyzing that statement, and you're free to do so! :)

But if, as Christians, we had to die to the law in order to be married to Another - that is, Christ - and in Him we are now alive with real life (which the law could never produce) and we are now a solid, leak proof "submarine" - because in Him and Him alone we bear fruit to God and we are complete and we have Life, and we are new creations with spirits that are joined together with His, not by works or law, but by grace alone - then why would we try to add anything to this, especially the ministry of death and condemnation that we had to die to in order to be joined to Christ???

It's the ministry and life of the Spirit that brought us to life, saving us from death and condemnation, and it's the ministry of the Spirit that keeps us. The law could do nothing to save us and the law can do nothing to bring us to maturity in Christ. Isn't it all the work of the Spirit?

FWIW: Screen Door On A Submarine - live

Law in the life of a Christian makes about as much sense as...

2008-09-24T07:00:00.002-05:00

Law in the life of a Christian makes about as much sense as this poem we used to say when I was a schoolboy in England years ago. It went something like this...

One fine day in the middle of the night
A fire broke out in the ocean
A blind man saw it, a deaf man heard it
And a man with no legs ran to get the fire brigade
Who arrived as fast as a funeral
And ran over two dead cats and nearly killed them.

=)

Peace With God - He Isn't Angry With You

2008-09-21T20:30:00.001-05:00

Latest Growing in Grace program is available for download.

gigcast.graceroots.org

Do our "scripts" really work? (There's got to be more to life)

2008-09-21T12:00:00.001-05:00

Came across this from Kent at Faithfully Dangerous. Kent quotes from theologian Walter Brueggemann, who is a friend of my dad's from college and seminary (50+ years ago) and is also my brother's godfather. I've only met Brueggemann once, and was too young at the time to appreciate any of his wisdom. ;) However, nowadays I've had some neat revelations as I've read bits and pieces of his work.

In the quote from the above linked-to blog post, Brueggemann says:

"Everybody has a script. People live their lives by a script that is sometimes explicit but often implicit. That script may be one of the great meta-narratives created by Karl Marx or Adam Smith or it may be an unrecognized tribal mantra like, 'My dad always said...' The practice of the script evokes a self, yields a sense of purpose and provides security..."

"...The dominant script of both selves and communities in our society, for both liberals and conservatives, is the script of therapeutic, technological, consumerist militarism that permeates every dimension of our common life" (emphasis mine).

(To see what Brueggemann means by "therapeutic," "technological," "consumerist" and "militarism," please see the entire post. It'll be well worth your time).

Isn't it true that we all essentially have a 'script' that we live by? In various ways, in our minds and hearts, we've all "written" the script as to how we live our lives moment by moment. I want to take a look at one of the angles from which many people seem to write their scripts. I think for many of us (human beings in general, unfortunately including Christians), our script generally involves how to make ourselves happy --- doesn't it? We live a certain way, trying to do all we can to make sure that we're always comfortable and happy. We want the "new and improved" version of a product. We want a huge TV screen so we can watch all our fantasies (TV characters, plots, sports teams, etc.) in larger than life high def. (Don't we even live vicariously through all these things?).

We desire to be wealthy, thinking we'll finally find fulfillment and happiness if we just have all the stuff we 'need.' (In fact, aren't most of us in the western world already wealthy, but since we can't have all we want we consider ourselves poor?). We even think perfect health will finally bring about the end of our pursuit of the best life possible. We try to keep up with the Jones'. We're always wanting more; we're always looking for the next temporary high to satisfy us.* We want our church and friends and family members to be all that we want them to be so that we don't have to be too uncomfortable. We even try to make God out to be what we want Him to be, whether that's on the legalistic, controlling end of the spectrum or on the spectrum that makes Him a God who simply wants us to be comfortable and cozy all the time.

Everybody's script is tweaked a little differently, but the point is, don't we all have our own scripts? And the bigger question... do our scripts really work?

What if we were to let go of our scripts - the way we think things should be, and the way we live to make things to be the way we think they should be - and instead follow Jesus' words to "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." What if life weren't about the pursuit of happiness, but rather, through some other means - a Person - we found true Life and Freedom?

Wouldn't we find true freedom? Real, genuine, God-supplied Life and Freedom?

I don't mean to imply that releasing ourselves from our "scripts" is an overnight process - not by any means! We've worked so hard to write them! ;) But slowly and by God's grace, can we get to know this Person and find Life in Him, and in Him alone? In fact, we already do have Life in Him. We are complete in Him. As we go through the process of being released from our scripts can we also at the same time allow Him to release the person who He's truly created us to be, out into the wild, free, dangerous, abundant life that He's created for us to live? (Not always "comfortable," not always "happy," but always fulfilling and free and filled with love).

*I thought this video went along with this post somewhat.
Stacie Orrico - More To Life

Church authority :)

2008-09-18T19:30:00.001-05:00

Saw this over at A Former Leader's Journey. :) (Click pic for better image).

Nothing's missing...

2008-09-18T15:00:00.002-05:00

A little bit over a year ago I posted a video of the song "I Want To Know What Love Is," as performed live by two members of Foreigner, Lou Gramm and Mick Jones. Don't we all really want to know what love is? And of course we find the answer fully and completely in the God who loves us and created us and gave Himself fully to us.

The following song gives me a sense of the love of Jesus all over me. Was it originally recorded for that reason? Probably not. :) But that's what I get out of it. Anyway, I know that love is much more than just a sense or a feeling, but that doesn't mean you can't sense it or feel it. And I think part of the essence of God's love comes out in a couple of places in the song where Sammy Hagar sings passionately, "When it's love.... NOTHING'S MISSING..."

Also, I like the chorus:
How do I know when it's love?
I can't tell you but it lasts forever
How do I feel when it's love?
It's just something you feel together

(See all the lyrics here).

Van Halen - When It's Love

What can you do, you're in a stew...

2008-09-17T15:30:00.002-05:00

And now --- going way into another dimension completely! Here's some... weirdness... from the early 80's! A one hit wonder. (I wonder why?)

Total Coelo - I Eat Cannibals

Short Post-Script to The Tithe series

2008-09-17T14:01:00.000-05:00

I just wanted to thank anyone and everyone for taking some time to read any or all of this series on "The Tithe," as well as for the conversations in the comments. As you can tell, it's a topic that interests me greatly.

Over the years, I've been in many conversations with people about tithing, both face-to-face and online, and I simply know for a fact that many people are not "free" in regards to the topic of tithing/giving. Also, after having dug into the scriptures time after time on this issue, I know that the truth about "tithing" is not what is taught in churches today. Much of this is due to what I would quite frankly call careless and irresponsible teachings in the church today, in which the topic of tithing is generally taught out of a common series of scriptures that have been taken grossly out of context.

My aim here has been to dig into all of those scriptures and shine light on them in their contexts. Also, since I know that my conversations with people about tithing are far from over in this life, I've also looked at this as an opportunity for me to get all my thoughts down so that I have a more easily available reference as I discuss this with others in the future!

Thanks again, and go be a grace giver!

The Tithe - Part 10

2008-09-17T14:00:00.001-05:00

In Christ we are fully God's. The blood of Jesus has brought us near to Him (Eph 2:13), and we are in Him (1 Cor 1:30), He is in us (Col 1:27) and He is our life (Col 3:4)! The Apostle Paul said, "The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else... 'For in Him we live and move and have our being.'" (Acts 17:24-25, 28). We don't give because God needs us to give or compels us to give. We give because God has freely given us all things and because we are wholly His.

When it comes to giving, I like to consider the life of the Apostle Paul, who is easily nominated as one of the hardest gospel workers of all time. He didn't preach that the people should provide for him! At various times people willingly took up collections for him and even gave sacrificially, but it was never because he preached "the principle of giving." It was simply because they wanted to. In 2 Cor 12:14 he was talking about coming to visit them in Corinth and he said, "I will not be a burden to you, because what I want is not your possessions, but you. After all, children should not have to save up for their parents, but parents for their children."

Paul's words to the Philippians were of the same spirit. In Philippians 4 he was commending them for how they had provided for him unlike any other church had done. And here's what he said, "Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that abounds to your account." He was happy about the things they had sent him (it's not bad that they gave to him!), but what he was really happy about was that their gift to him was "a sweet-smelling aroma, and acceptable sacrifice, well pleasing to God." It was selfless, and not given under compulsion but out of love, from their hearts. Paul adds, "And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus." Why will God do that? In return for their giving to Paul? NO! It's simply because that's who God is! He makes all grace abound toward people, that they, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.

It seems that almost all of the teachings I've heard in my life in the church have been based on a "duty" or "obligation" to be a generous giver. But true, generous Christian giving is done from a heart of love. You can't force or oblige love to do something. True love does everything freely. The bottom line for me is that we give by grace, just as we live the whole of our lives in Christ by grace! "Tithing" and "grace-giving" are very different things. In Christ, we are grace-givers. He doesn't want our "tithes." Giving by grace, as with the entirety of our lives being lived by grace, involves trusting in a Father who is full of grace and provision, who is never lacking in anything and who cares tremendously for us and loves us with a never-ending love!

The Tithe - Part 9

2008-09-17T02:00:00.000-05:00

Giving is a most wonderful part of the Christian life. It's not meant to be a "teeth pulling" experience, but rather something that is done joyfully and with grace. As the Apostle Paul said, "let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work" (2 Cor 9:7-9). A person who gives cheerfully from their heart doesn't give so they will get something in return, nor does that person give because some law or some church rule tells them they have to give. Giving should never be done according to a rigidly set method or principle. Giving cheerfully as we decide in our hearts to give - what a freeing way to give!

The church of today seems to put a heavy emphasis on two things in particular: financial giving and giving to a church. And you know what? Giving to a church is fine, as long as all the people who give "to" that church have decided in their hearts that that's what they want to do. However, when the church leaders teach giving as a "must," or worse yet, when they teach "tithing" ten percent of their income to the church, then they've moved completely out of Christ-land and into a doctrine that is not of the New Covenant. (I hope this series has done a sufficient job of establishing that fact!).

Everybody's financial circumstances are different! Some people have careers that provide a 'healthy' living for them and it may be quite easy for them to give liberally and freely. Other people work two or three jobs and barely scrape by, even in the necessities of life. For them, giving even a small amount may mean missing their next meal. Some people have small families with only a few mouths to feed and bodies to clothe, and other people have huge families that cost a lot more money to provide for. The circumstances are wide and varied. There simply can't be a "set amount" that should be expected of anyone. In many cases, instead of a church asking all the people to give money to them, shouldn't the more prosperous people of the church instead be reaching out and giving to those who are in greater need? Again, we're a body, and all the members minister to one another, each according to how God has fitted them within the body.

Often the very best things that we can do in our lives in Christ is to give of ourselves to other people in all kinds of ways that aren't financial. This can be in the context of "a church" or in can be in the context of any of our relationships with other people! The church of today has unfortunately seemingly become a financial institution (!) with everything revolving around how much money people give. That said, I do want to also highlight that there truly are legitimate ministries, church programs, etc, that are dependent upon the generous financial giving of others, and if our hearts lead us to give financially, then let's give as generously as we can!

But the point here is that we can all give of ourselves according to what God has given us individually, whether it be finances, talents, time, service, friendship, food, hugs, mercy, love, or in a million other ways. Think about the ways in which you are able to give to others that have nothing (or little) to do with money and nothing (or little) to do with "a church." ALL of it is legitimate Christian giving! God said that His grace would abound toward us so that we would always have an abundance for every good work. Why do we always interpret that as referring to finances and churches?

One more post to go! I realize this has been a long series, but I sort of wanted to do a "once for all" series on the tithe. While I think I've covered a lot of bases in this series, it's never really complete, but I think for the most part I've touched on some of the more common issues involving tithing and giving.

Mr. Likes To Make Change In The Offering Plate Guy

2008-09-17T01:00:00.000-05:00

With regards, sent to me from Alvin via email. :) This had to fit somewhere this series on the tithe.