Prosperity Gospel and the Wickedness of our Hearts

There is a lot about the prosperity gospel that rubs me wrong... recently the New York Times wrote an article titled "Believers Invest in the Gospel of Getting Rich" and it makes me cringe. I have a hard time with the fact that ministries can so readily adopt idolatry as their highest goal. What I mean by that is the prosperity gospel is more concerned with their stuff, which is idolatry, than with Jesus Christ... Tell me how a prosperity preacher handles the text from Hebrews 10: 34 where it says, "You sympathized with those that were in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew you yourselves had better and lasting possessions." They have to dismiss texts like these and many others to be comfortable with robbing the poor to build their empire.

But it would be easy to point fingers and scoff and not examine ourselves... would you be willing to lay down your goods and rights for the gospel? What do you hold in higher esteem than the gospel? Is it your car? your wardrobe? the acceptance of your parents? your status? your favorite sports team? fitting in at work or school? would you be willing to accept the confiscation of your property? would you be willing to be named Beelzebub with Christ?

John Calvin said it best when he said, "the human heart is a factory of idols... everyone of us is, from his mothers womb, expert in inventing idols." We are prone to idolatry of all sorts and kinds. Prosperity preachers are prone to their idolatry of goods and popularity. But what is your idol? What trumps the throne of grace in your heart? What do you value more than Christ? Now the key to overcoming that idol is to take it to the cross in repentance and let grace overcome you.

God, we are a wicked and stiff-necked people. We can even take good things like being compensated for ministry and turn it into evil. Our hearts are prone to lift up pithy and worthless things. We are experts in golden-calf making. We idolize everything under the son. So God break us of our wickedness and let our hearts lift you up today. You are supreme. Help us to count you as gain and everything else rubbish. Please God. Help us to not look down our noses at those whose errors are so prevalent, but help us to pray for them. And, help us to see our faults as equally wicked. Convict us and change us by Your grace. Amen.

Memoirs

Memoirs of an Ordinary Pastor by D.A. Carson

This is a superb book that I almost forgot to recommend and that would have been a mistake on my part and if you didn't hear about it from anywhere else you would be robbed of a great read. Well, the timing of reading this book was priceless for me. I have been on a Spurgeon kick lately. He is a hero of mine and his counsel to the students at his pastors college which can be found in All Around Ministry, Lectures to My Students, or the first six chapters of The Soul Winner, is incredible! I just finished a biography on him and it was superb but I couldn't help but feel like Spurgeon is a little too good. He is one of a kind and God's anointing on him was special. So, for an ordinary youth pastor it was refreshing to read about an ordinary pastor! 

This leads me to an observation that I have been aware of since my last trip to Africa; most faithful ministers go unnoticed. They don't write books, they don't pastor mega churches, and they don't have the glitz and glamour that draws attention to them. They are faithful gospel ministers. And for the most part they are ordinary. So, it was a breath of fresh air for me to read about Tom Carson. He is spectacular in his own right but it wasn't because he marketed himself or pastored a big church or even saw lots of conversions every year. In fact, his ministry might appear depressing. But, he was faithful and I know he has a bigger reward than most now that he is in glory. So read and be blessed. Not everyone lives a missionary life or a mega church pastor life, but we are all called to lead a faithful life.

What others are saying:

“How can the application of a Bible-saturated mind (Don’s) to a Bible-saturated life (Tom’s) produce an even more helpful story to encourage pastors? Let the ‘mind’ be carried on a river of love because the ‘life’ is his father’s. Then add a kind of narrative creativity. That’s how.”
John Piper, Pastor for Preaching and Vision, Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis

“A rare and precious gift from one of evangelicalism’s greatest scholars. How generous of Dr. Carson to bequeath his father’s quiet legacy to us all.”
C. J. Mahaney, Sovereign Grace Ministries

“Carson strikes at the heart of what’s wrong when we forget that, as servants, we were meant to live ordinarily under the gospel of grace. Read this book. You will be deeply encouraged in your life and ministry.”
Michel Lemaire, Pastor of Eglise Baptiste de la Foi, Drummondville, 1984-2005

“This personal testimony is a healthy reminder of heavenly priorities in the pastorate and Christian ministry.”
Pierre Constant, Associate Pastor, Eglise Baptiste Montclair de Hull, 1982-1997

“Read this book and be strengthened. You hold in your hands history, humor, and an amazing amount of wisdom for the Christian life (especially for pastors!).”
Mark Dever, Pastor, Capitol Hill Baptist Church

Rightly Handling the Word of God

I am reading Don Carson's Memoirs of an Ordinary Pastor. It is a book on Don's dad Tom Carson and his ministry. Last night as I was reading I was crushed by a couple journal entries that Tom made about a young pastor. To set the stage let me give a little background information. Tom was a pastor in French Canada and he was in charge of a bilingual congregation. Basically double the workload as he preached essentially to two separate congregations one of which was not his dominate language. At 52 after much prayer and seeking God's guidance he stepped away from his ministry and was situated in a different town working for the city and volunteering at another bilingual church. He essentially became the associate pastor. After the senior pastor resigned a younger pastor was brought in. This leads to the journal entries.

Tom repeatedly noticed that the young man wasn't handling the word of God accurately. He made mention of it in his journal and it was quite unsettling. Even though Tom was not a confrontational man, (according to the author/ son Don) Tom had a conversation with this young pastor about reevaluating whether he was called to the pastorate.

I read that and it hit me with a mega ton of force. How often have I mishandled the word of God? How many times have I missed the point of the text and led people astray? What a sobering thought. It is so easy to manipulate words to say what you want of them or to even try to be clever and draw some new insight out of the text. What a heavy responsibility pastors have. I pray for all the pastors that they would be struck with the awesomeness of handling God's words. We are messengers trying to deliver the Almighty's message with accuracy and clarity. Help us to study with diligence. To divide the word with trembling and trepidation. To kneel before you and sit in your counsel begging for Your words so we just get up and ramble. Then Lord by your grace and loving kindness let us stand before your people that you love and declare, "this is what the Lord says." 

Time

"We were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well." 1 Thess 2:8

I think that it is important to share with you how I spend my time. I have attempted to do this before but now I have a better grasp of how I spend my weeks. So, "imitate me as I seek to imitate Christ."

Monday: This is a day that I spend as a normal day in the office. I respond to emails, write articles, do sermon prep for Tuesday nights, do a little planning for Wednesday and this takes up my office day. Then on Monday nights I have been doing homework. I am taking some classes through Moody Bible Institute and Monday nights seem to be a great time to do some homework. I generally head to my parents to use their computer because then I can get a free meal and even do laundry for free while I work;)

Tuesday: Otherwise known as "the meeting day." I work at a large church so the staff is broken into teams. I am on the family ministry team. I work with early childhood, elementary, and family pastors to coordinate life change in young people. So, during the morning portion of Tuesday we meet together and talk about ministry issues and team plans and the like. This usually swallows up the morning. Then we grab some food and head to staff meeting where our whole staff is present. Depending on the week this can last anywhere from 1 hr to 3 or even more... We talk and pray through many issues surrounding our church. 

By the time those meetings are done I am about pretty burned out. Sometimes I leave for a little bit and get some coffee or if I have a lot going on that I need to work on I stick around. But most times, for my sanity, I leave. I am a procrastinator by nature so during this time I am usually working out the finishing touches on what I want to share on Tuesday night at a bible study that I co-lead. If it is my off week, I relax or maybe read. The bible study lasts a couple hours. If I don't have homework, I try to hang out with my best friend from high school. He isn't a Christian and I love him so much. So, we play video games or something like that on Tuesday nights.

Wednesday: This is a long day. I usually try to sleep in after playing video games on Tuesdays and get to the office by 10am. My day consists of getting ready for Fuel our midweek service for grades 6, 7, and 8. So, message prep, room set up, write out questions for small groups, email leaders etc... sometimes I take off at 4:30 for an hour or so before I come back to set up the gym and check-in computers. Fuel is taxing. With 50-75 kids running around I am usually pretty spent after youth group. After everything is put away and I give a ride home to all the kids that get stranded... I make it back to my apartment by 9:30 or 10. If my friends are still up I go upstairs and hang with them for a little bit. My neighbors are leaders for small groups at Fuel so Wednesday night we share stories about students and laugh and cry... seriously, this is our venting session. 

Thursday: This is the day that I try to spend with people. Usually I will spend the morning with some of my volunteers. Grab coffee with them or breakfast. Then on an ideal Thursday I spend time with a students for lunch and then again in the afternoon... This doesn't always work because of school and extra curricular activities but the ideal is being with people all day. 

Then Thursday nights I meet with my family for a small group. My parents, brothers, wives/ girlfriends, baby niece, and some close friends all attend. We have dinner together and then study the Word. We have been doing our family Bible study for years and it has sharpened us and grown us each so much.

Friday/ Saturday: These are my days that are blocked off to be with my beautiful girlfriend Ashley. She is amazing and I am going to marry her! These days I completely unplug from ministry and just focus on the time with Ash. We might go shopping, go to the park, go on dates, watch movies, read, or anything romantic. These are my favorite days of the week. I might be in Rockford or Chicago depending on Ash's schedule (she lives and works in Chicago but is from Rockford and has family in Rockford). 

Sunday: This day is a whirlwind. I teach a bible study for students at 9:00am. Then, during the 10:30 service I worship with the students in "big church." After church I usually grab some food either at my parents or at my apartment. Then I try to get back to the church as soon as possible. I do a lot of my message prep on Sunday afternoons for Sunday night. Sunday night is our high school worship service. So, I am at the church all afternoon getting ready. Then after 6:00 (that's the name of our program) a group heads to Culver's (a local burger joint) to hang out and chat. After the students head home the leaders stick around and debrief. Then it's back to my apartment to get some "Zs"

This is a rough skeleton of my week... Not everything plays out like that. I actually spend a ton of time with Ash and that can be shown by the fact that I put 8,000 miles on my little neon in the last few months driving back and forth to Chicago to see her. I also read a lot... so most nights I am reading when there is some down time. But, I want to be transparent so you can see what I spend my time on. Before I started working at a church I always wondered what staff did there. Now you know what one of them does with his time. 

Hope you are blessed.

Thank You Carson

I just listened to D. A. Carson address a group of graduating Bible students with a message called "The First Thing To Do in Your Ministry." Carson has been a recent God send for me. His books are extremely soaked in biblical wisdom. He knows his stuff and listening to and reading Carson's material has been good for my soul.

When I listened to this address available here I was so encouraged.  

The text he unfolds for the present graduates and future evangelicals is Deut. 17:14-20. It is God's command to the Israelites for choosing their leader once they enter the land that God will provide. Carson reasons that there are parallels from that text that can be applied to anyone going into a ministry leadership role. So I tuned in to see how many I actually line up with.

1. Make sure it the man that God chooses.

2. He must be an Israelite (I'm assuming this can mean born again Christian in our context)

The above two I added just by looking at the text. The points below are the ones that Carson presented.

3. Don't acquire horses.(hehehe)

The point behind the acquiring of horses was to show the power of the king. The more horses, the more power. God warns us against trying to leverage our position to gain more and more power or acclaim. This is a real tension in ministry. How do you keep yourself humble? It is  struggle that all leaders face. Even the disciples struggled with this. James and John's mother asked Jesus if one son could sit on His right and the other on His left when He came into His Kingdom. We need to follow the leadership of Jesus. With a servant leadership that humbly leads the people. Verse 20 of Deuteronomy 17 says it this way; "[do not] consider yourself better than your brothers." Serve with humility. Make it your ambition to humbly accept the position God has placed you in and don't try to climb the success ladder if that is not God's plan for you.

4. Don't take many wives

The concept here is that kings could network by marrying into different families. Avoid letting your allegiances spread too thin. (I couldn't hear this portion very well. The audio was pretty sketchy) I believe it is a good idea to let your commitment be to the Gospel alone. To let that be what you are wed to and avoid other passions that take your commitment away from the gospel. "For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified" (1 Cor 2:2). Let your passion be singular; Jesus Christ.

5. Don't accumulate large amounts of silver or gold

This should be a given. Carson says,"your heart follows your treasure." Let your treasure be God and your portion Himself. Do not strive after what the world strives for.

6. Write for yourself on a scroll a copy of the law. Keep it close and read it all the days of your life so that you may learn to revere the Lord your God and follow carefully all the words of the Law and decrees. (This is my fave!)

Our job as pastor, leaders, teachers it be obedient to the Word. We need to take the Word and copy it. Take it in its original language and re write it. I don't know how literally to take this but the concept is obviously pure and good. Understand and know the Word of God. Keep it close and read and reread and read and reread. This is the role of the christian leader. To know the law. "Then,  he and his descendants will reign a long time over his kingdom in Israel" (vs. 20b). God will bless those that keep near to Him and revere Him and obey Him. We are to be students of the Bible. Completely mastered by it. 

Wow! What a great message. It is encouraging and confirms the strategy that God has laid before me. 

God help me be faithful in leadership. Help me to be humble. Help me to have a singular passion for you and your fame. Help me to be faithful to the Word. Completely mastered by it and in complete submission to it. Help me to faithfully lead the students that you have blessed me with. Help me to be the leader you desire me to be. Amen

One Fail One Success

I was driving to the church today in my neon and I decided that I wanted to share with you two stories.

The first is my failed stewardship... I wrote an article earlier this year on a my apartment that I started renting. http://centralstudentsministry.blogspot.com/2008/04/moving-out-for-his-glory.html In it I highlighted my poverty like status of not having much furniture and I puffed up my chest for the blog world to see that I am a 'great steward' of God's resources... then... I bought a ton of furniture:( It is funny how that works. I mean right after I wrote that I went to a furniture store and collapsed under the pressure of the sales available to me. I even justified it by the fact that I am an ordained minister that will get a tax break because of 'housing allowance.'

So that was my fail.

But recently I have talked about how I wanted to buy an old car. Like a Toyota corolla or something to that effect. Well, a couple weeks ago my friend let me know that he was selling his dodge neon. It is a 2000 dodge neon with high miles (200,000) that he drove back and forth to Chicago for a couple years. It had a couple quirks but he was selling it for 650 bucks to a wholesale dealer that he knew. I asked quickly if it was still available and he said he could make a  phone call. 

The next day I was the proud owner of a neon. It is perfect. It runs and drives and even came with a CD player. I have bought new tie rods, tires, and engine mount but right now I have only spent 1000 dollars total to have a car that gets around 30mpg. So, I am happy. God is good and he even allows us second chances with our resources. So, hopefully I will continue to glorify him by the way I spend my money and the kind of car I drive and every little detail of my life.

Luke 19-Patiently Work

Eschatology is the study of end times... It basically says that Jesus is coming back and there are so many passages in the Bible that attempt to prepare us for that day... I personally cannot wait. I cannot wait to be done with sin. I cannot wait to have Him wipe the tears from my eyes. For Him to clothe me in glory and place a crown on my head. I can't wait to have the veil removed and to see Him in His splendor and majesty. I love Him and I am homesick. I want Him. I want to be near Him. I want to revel in Him. I want to worship Him.

Jesus, in Luke 19, tells a parable about 3 different workers and their Master. In verse 11 Luke indicates that the reason Jesus told this parable is because Jesus was nearing Jerusalem and the people thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear at once. This parable speaks to me in a couple ways today. The Kingdom of God does not simply appear at once... It is either gradual or far off but not at once. I think I interpret this that God is slowly building His Kingdom of followers and then he shows up like a thief in the night and establishes His Kingdom. It doesn't just appear. It is gradual. It is you and me telling others about the King. It is you and me actually living like Jesus did and little by little the Kingdom will forcefully advance as forceful men lay hold (Matthew 11:12). But, this has implications. We are responsible for the work. God gives us talents, abilities, experiences, money, and Minas that He wants us to use to further His Kingdom. He left. He entrusted us with the business of telling others in preparation for that Great Day. He will return and take account of how we worked. Woe to the man who hid his talents. He will be stripped. Woe to the people who didn't want Jesus to be King!

Understand also that this is not a faith by works... Your work doesn't earn you status as a Christ follower. The three in the parable were already employed. This is saying that after you have been called you should steward your gifts well. You should be working for the King because you love Him and adore Him and are indebted to Him for what He did on the cross. Not to earn anything from Him.

How are you putting to work the things God has entrusted you with? Did you hide them? Or, are you increasing the Kingdom by using them for His Glory? Know this... He is coming. I don't want to be found idle. He is the best King to serve and His benefits are unmeasurable! Let's not be lazy or timid with the responsibility Jesus has entrusted to us.

Luke 16- The Rich Man and Lazarus

Here is an interesting teaching from Jesus. He tells a story of a rich man who lived in luxury. At the rich man's gate was a beggar who longed to receive any kind of blessing he could from the excess of the rich man but received only crumbs at best from the rich man's table. Then Jesus says "the time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried in hell, where he saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side (verses 22-24)."



Let us learn a couple things from this parable. We live in luxury and so we more easily relate to the rich man. So please reader be warned, do not let your prosperous position so crowd your life that you are unaware of beggars at your gate. Whether that is spiritual or physical, be warned. Take compassion. It is better to give than receive."Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life. (1 Timothy 6:17-19)." Be rich towards God. Give and give and give expecting nothing in return. Bless those around you and give lavishly. That is the first piece of advise I can give you from this text.



Secondly, don't always assume that if you are blessed here on earth that God is your best friend. He disciplines those that he loves and "has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? But you have insulted the poor (James 2:5-6)." What I am saying is this; "Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus(the beggar) received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony (verse 25)." Instead of putting our trust and hope in the provisions we have received on this earth we need to put our hope in the Provider. We should turn all of our blessings into praise to Him who gave them graciously and we should make a habit of giving so we don't fall into the temptation of loving our stuff. Don't get in the habit of trusting in your money. Give as much as you can and then give even more. Money is such a stumbling block for so many. Don't let it be your Master.



Third, hell is hot. I fear that hell is scoffed at these days and most unfortunately in churches. Let scripture warn you, hell is real. "Have pity on me! If I could just get a drop of water on my tongue because I am in agony in this fire... please warn my family so they will not come to this place of torment," said the rich man. Hell is real. I know that sucks. Unfortunately, we can't dismiss that hell is real, so we should live in the reality of the news.

Lastly, listen to scriptures... "They have Moses and the Prophets; Let them listen to them (verse 29)." We have been warned and instructed by all of scriptures and I think we need to carefully 'listen to them.' For the rich man's family, Abraham says, "If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead (verse 31)." Scripture is enough. And we are studying it together. But let us be careful to listen to what it says. How is scripture transforming you lately? Or do you simply read and then forget? Are you applying these truths to your life? Or walking away unchanged? If you are not moved by scripture than a dead man walking into your life wont even have an effect on you. Pray that God would make your heart soft and receptive to the warnings of scripture.

Luke 16- Use Your Money

This is an interesting parable... I actually like it a lot. It doesn't fit the in our Christian bubble. It is rough and jagged and if you try to handle it with bare hands it will likely cut you. That my friends is life. Rarely does it fit our neat and ordered guidelines. Rarely does it brush up against you softly.

The parable, if I can sum it up for you, is one where an owner calls to account his manager because he finds he is wasting his possessions. The manager is called to account and told, 'you cannot be manager any longer' (verse 2). Then the manager says to himself, "what shall I do now? I am losing my job I am not fit for work and I am ashamed to beg." Then he devises a plan to help him through this predicament. He calls debtors of his master to him and reduces their debts, thinking, "when I lose my job here these people will welcome me into their houses" (verse 4).

The master then praises the dishonest manager for his shrewdness. Then says this line, "I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwelling" (verse 9). Then Jesus goes on to say, "No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money" (verse 13).

Now you see why this is a rough parable? It isn't commending a righteous man for doing righteous things. It is actually praising a crook for being wise with money like all believers had ought to be. Do not loose the heart of this because of the character flaws. The man was a bad and shady man and he acted in an dishonorable way, but he put his resources to work to help better his situation. We need to learn as believers to put our resources to work. We need to see that money can be a snare to us that holds us back like a restraint from God. We should instead employ our money to gain for us an eternal inheritance. "But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Matthew 6:20-21). And Jesus wants to emphasize how big of a hindrance this can be. In verse 13 he says "Money" capital M showing that Money can be your master. Lots of so called "Christians" are actually serving that master and not the real Master. Who are you serving? Do you actually spend your money like you have eternity in a dwelling with God? Or, more realistically do you spend your money like you are staying here for awhile? More pointedly, are you making strides towards Christ with your career choice or are you picking subjects that lend themselves towards a bigger paycheck? Do you spend your time sowing into the kingdom work or sowing into your work? "If you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? (verse 12)" Put your money to work gaining you an eternal dwelling. Let me take it a step further... you should actually dislike money. I think being poor puts you in a much better relationship to God. Dependence on God is a great thing that we all are leaning on but so many are fooled by their riches to think otherwise. "Be devoted to God and despise [money] (verse 13).

Luke 6 -Blessings and Woes

"Blessed are you who are poor for yours is the kingdom of God." (vs. 20)

We are exceedingly rich. The majority of people on the planet live for a couple of bucks a day. You didn't read that last sentence wrong. Literally most people have nothing. You are so rich. But Jesus says, "blessed are the poor because theirs is the kingdom of God." We have to figure out how to be poor in spirit. We have to figure out how to be desperate for God. People that are actually poor live everyday asking God for provisions and praising Him when they survive another day. But, we can manage a whole week without even hardly thinking about God?! That is dangerous. In fact Jesus says in verse 24, "but woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort." As a rich American I need to force myself to be desperate for God. I need to read passages like this that warn me from setting in and being comfortable. That warn me from dashing my ship on the rocks of richness.

Moving Out For His Glory

So I just recently started renting an apartment. My parents own it and it is a good deal. But, I realized that life gets expensive quick. I have lived on my own before. I lived in a tent, an RV, peoples' couches, and even paid for an apartment for a year that I only stepped inside once(long story). So, this isn't new news to me. But, I want to make sure that I do it in a way that glorifies God. If you walk into my apartment, it would seem pretty barren. I have only a couple pieces of furniture that were loaned/given to me by some missionary friends. They were home on furlough living at my current apartment before I moved in, and left furniture for me to use. It actually looks like a homeless person found an abandoned apartment and spare keys and moved in. I have a bed, a night stand, one table, a coffee pot, a TV, some towels, and a stack of dirty clothes. I know I have the liberty of buying furniture and making it look a little nicer.
But, here is what I am trying to do; I want my apartment to be a picture of how in love with Christ I am. I have debt. I think it would honor God a whole lot more if I payed that debt off before spending money on stuff. It would honor God to pay my credit card bill and my medical bills before getting my own sofa or matching curtains. This applies to my car too. I am in desperate need of a car. I have a vehicle that I am currently driving that belongs to my uncle. It is such a blessing! In fact without it I would be riding a bicycle to work... but I have resolved to pay off as much debt as I possibly can before buying a car. And when I buy a car I do not need to get a nice shiny one that makes me look like a stud... I can get a neon, corolla, jetta, or civic. Basically, I want a car that can get me to Chicago to see my Ashley and get me to work. Nothing extravagant. I think it glorifies God a whole lot when our finances reflect our concern for his Kingdom. I want my checkbook to show that I spent a ton on His Bride (the Church). And, that I spent a ton on missions and evangelism and reaching out with the love of Christ.

I want to exhibit a war time lifestyle. A lifestyle that says that heaven and hell are in the balance. Peoples' souls are being fought over. The way I spend my money and energy is to advance the kingdom of God. Not to live in peace! Not to get comfortable while the world perishes around me! A couple people that have helped me see the immense value of this is John Piper and Francis Chan. Piper is the pastor of a large congregation in Minneapolis Minnesota. Chan is the pastor of a church in Simi Valley California. Both have chosen to receive very little compensation for their work in comparison to the culture surrounding them. In fact Piper lives in the poorest neighborhood in town. When he could easily receive a much higher salary and live in a safe and comfortable neighborhood. Chan has never taken a raise since he first took a significantly small salary from the church he planted 14 years ago. Now Chan is giving away an unprecedented amount away! Chan's church has committed to cutting expenses and giving away 50 percent of their income. They are taking the bible seriously when it says, "Love your neighbor as yourself." Whatever amount they spend on themselves they will match by giving to the community and mission organizations. Praise God for a church like that! Lastly, my friend Ralph Meloon has been an example to me. He is retired now but he has previously been Chairman of the Board of Correct Craft boats. His family started the company in the 20's and now it has become one of the leading ski boat manufacturers... He has been audited on several occasions by the IRS because he gives away the majority of his income every year!?! They are constantly pulling up his info and saying, "this can't be right! No one gives away this much of their income?!" I want to be like these men. I want my finances to point to the risen Christ saying, "He is my treasure! Not my possessions, not my comforts, but Him Alone!" Let me finish with this quote from pastor Piper about wartime lifestyle:

"I need to hear this message again and again because I slip into a peace time mind-set as certainly as rain falls down and flames go up. I am wired to love the same toys that the world loves. I start to fit in. I start to love what others love. I start to call earth "home." Before you know it, I am calling luxuries "needs" and using my money just the way unbelievers do. I begin to forget the war. I don't think much about people perishing. Missions and unreached peoples drop out of my mind. I stop dreaming about the triumphs of grace. I sink into a secular mind-set that looks first to what man can do, not what God can do. It is a terrible sickness. And I thank God for those that have forced me again and again towards a wartime mind-set." (Don't Waste Your Life page 112)

Mark 10 -Give it up

The rich young ruler comes to Jesus and wants to know the way to inherit eternal life... what an important question. Some of us rush through life without asking about that important and pressing issue. But this man does and what he finds out is not favorable. Keep the commands. Which he did a good job of doing apparently, but Jesus stepped it up a notch. "Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come follow me." The man went away sad because he had great wealth.

It is so easy for us to read that story and think what a dummy. He should sell his stuff ... I am glad I am not rich. Jesus wouldn't ask me to do that because I come from a middle class mediocre income family. I am by no means rich.... I need to tell you something. You are abundantly rich. 60 percent of the people on the planet right now... this very second, live for 2 dollars a day or less. The majority of people live on less than the amount we would spend on a value meal at McD's. You are filthy rich. And would you be able to give it up for the sake of the Kingdom? To inherit eternal life? Would you be willing to give all your possessions away. Live simply? Make sacrifices financially so that you could give more to the poor? Some of us give our 10 percent to the church and feel pretty good about it. Jesus is calling us to so much more. Give it all away and give to the poor, then come and follow Him. Is that the kind of faith you live? A reckless, sold out, all in faith? Or are you like the man who goes away sad? I will be honest it is hard to live this out. I don't want to be the tightfisted rich man in Mark 10... I want to be the Joy filled all consumed sold out guy in Matthew 13:44 The kingdom of heaven is like a man who found a treasure in a field and in his Joy sold everything so he could purchase that field! So he joyfully gave up everything? You mean he willingly sold everything? He didn't even have to be asked he just did it? That is what I want to think about my Jesus. He is worth the whole darn thing. I would give it all up just to have him. My hope is that you see Jesus as that treasure. That you see him as far more valuable than anything else and you are willing to sell it all just to have him!