The Nonsensical Way To Financial Health

It makes no sense, really.  The idea that people with limited resources should take a portion of their income — the first portion no less — and give it away.  NOT invest it or save it or make a house payment with it or buy food with it…GIVE it away! It makes no sense.

It makes no sense, until you add faith into the equation. That’s a pretty important additive. After all, “It is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him." (Hebrews 11:6 New Living Translation) If you believe that God exists and that He rewards those who seek him, giving the first part of your income to him makes sense.

When I was a kid, I helped my mom plant and tend gardens. She would determine the best time in the spring and we would go to work. We tilled up the soil, drove stakes to hold the string that would keep our rows straight, filled those rows with water — which quickly soaked into the earth — and planted seeds in the mud.  We got those seeds in various ways, but most often we bought them. My parents exchanged hard-earned money for seeds that would be stuck in the ground. Why? Because they had faith!

Year after year, those seeds split open down in the soil and little stems began to poke up through the earth. O, how we rejoiced at those first tiny shoots!  Within a few months, we would have rows of healthy plants. On them were beans and peas, corn and carrots, radishes and melons, okra and squash.  Throughout our New Mexico summers, the Norris dinner table was an assortment of fresh food we had grown in our gardens…by faith.  The rest of the year, we enjoyed the frozen and canned vegetables and fruits that were the continued reward of faith and hard work.

As I remember those years and describe them to you, it strikes me that most of you can understand this picture of faith. My parents let go of their hard-earned cash and received something much greater in return. Most of you get that. Some of you, though, can’t see the connection between what my family did with seeds in a garden and what you and I are called to do with the money in our lives.

I understand something now which I didn’t understand as a kid. That act of faith — planting those seeds and working those gardens — wasn’t just so we could eat healthy food. It was so we could eat! The economic realities of our family were such that those seeds and those gardens literally made it possible for us to survive. Those seed-buying dollars were far less than if we had been forced to buy that food in a store. In other words, my parents were full of faith, but they were also practical!

That’s the disconnect, I think, for many of the people I have known who struggle to put God first in their finances. Giving to him first doesn’t make sense to some folks. To those, however, who learn to put him first, it’s a grand discovery of hidden treasure. It’s practical because of the promises he makes and keeps to those who practice money management his way. “You can’t out-give God,” a Sunday School teacher told me many years ago. I found out that he was right!

Tithing is one of the hardest hurdles most people have as they learn to follow Jesus. It’s critical to Heart Health, though, and a can’t-miss topic for those who are serious about living by faith. Tithing is an adventurous way to live, which I can’t wait to describe to you this weekend at Stone Ridge Church. I hope you can join us and bring a friend. Can’t make it? Catch the podcast!

"I will give it all to you..."

Every once in a while, I will read a verse or a passage of Scripture that will cause me to think, “I never saw that before…does that really say what I think it says?” One such occasion was just a few days ago. A group of us read the Bible together each year and we are using a plan that begins with the Gospel of Luke. Here is the passage that turned my head...
5 Then the devil took him up and revealed to him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. 6 “I will give you the glory of these kingdoms and authority over them,” the devil said, “because they are mine to give to anyone I please. 7 I will give it all to you if you will worship me."  (Luke 4:5-7 New Living Translation)

Have you ever really noticed those verses?  The person who was taken up to see all the kingdoms of the world was Jesus.  The scene was the wilderness and Jesus was praying and fasting, shortly before he began his earthly ministry.  The reason the passage caught me off guard was that Jesus didn’t correct the devil.  The Son of God didn’t say, “You are lying, devil; you don’t have authority to give the glory and authority of earthly kingdoms to whomever you please.”  Instead, Jesus said: “The Scriptures say, ‘You must worship the Lord your God and serve only him.'” (Luke 4:8 New Living Translation)

Could it be that the devil was telling a truth — at least a partial truth — on this occasion?  Is it possible that Satan COULD give glory and authority to those who worship him?  While that idea is certainly not edgy and has been declared true numerous times by some who have dabbled in the occult, could it be Biblically true?  Could God, the creator and sustainer of life, have given authority to the devil, who could then pass it on as he pleases?

Before I go on with this question, let me remind you that the book of Job is clear.  The devil can’t do anything without it passing through the will of God.  Twice in that book, the devil wants to put Job to the test, but can’t do so without God’s permission. In the New Testament, Jesus said to Simon Peter (Luke 22:31), “Satan has desired to have you, so that he may sift you like wheat.” Clearly, the devil has no real authority, other than that which has been granted to him for a time and he is always accountable to God.

I ask this question about what the devil said to Jesus because of my reflection on talents. “Talents” is the topic at Stone Ridge Church this weekend and I am struck with the number of highly-talented people who seem to zoom to the heights of fame and fortune, only to crash into the rocks of substance abuse, broken relationships and broken hearts.  Could it be that they make some sort of deal with the devil, lusting for the money, the popularity and the perks of elitism, without a thought of what it may cost in the end?

To be sure, people with significant talent find themselves facing a plethora of temptations. All of us can understand the desire to use talents as a catapult to everything we ever wanted in life. Maybe the misuse of talents is just another way to gain the world and lose our souls in the process.

Is there a better way? Is it possible to live fuller, richer lives by the proper use of our talents? Could temptation be turned away and genuine treasure be gained as a result?  We must dig into this if we are to have healthy hearts. I can’t wait to talk with you about it this weekend at Stone Ridge Church. Can’t be there?  Catch the podcast!

The Social Media Lie

I suppose the best way to start this first post of 2016 is by describing my morning.  I am home with laryngitis, having used up my available voice by preaching three times over the weekend.  I started coming down with what I respectfully call “the crud” almost a week ago.  Today, though I feel fairly strong physically, the virus’s systematic and relentless attack on my respiratory system has rendered my voice a short-term casualty.  This is one of those days in which my presence in the office wouldn’t mean much, so I chose to work from home.  My best form of communication right now is a keyboard and that isn’t affected by my location as long as we have some way to access the internet on both ends.  Our staff arrived this morning at the office to find that internet access (which includes the phone system) wasn’t available, but that's another story.

In the process of letting key staff members know my situation, I sent out several text messages, then settled in to a time of Bible reading and prayer.  If I understand Acts 6:2-4 correctly, this is my primary assignment.  Almost instantly, I began receiving text messages in reply to the one I sent out.  In the mix, I received communiques about a meeting in Phoenix next month.  Then, I noticed a query from one of the members of Climbing Companions, a Facebook group of us who are reading the Bible together daily.  In the course of the morning, I noticed that a friend got married, some celebrated wedding anniversaries and children or spouses of Facebook friends had birthdays.

Each of these notices seem to scream at me that I must reply in some way and do so immediately, if not sooner.  I used to feel a twinge of guilt if I didn’t instantly reply to a text  message…or a Facebook message…or a Twitter direct message.  It was only as I began to realize the growing number of social media services, the diversity of ways people and/or businesses were using them and the way their messages seemed to silently shout “URGENT” that I paused to think, “What did Jesus do?”

Your first reaction to that question could be, “Irrelevant; Jesus didn’t have social media!”  Well, have you ever stopped to think about the enormous pressure put on Jesus when he was here on earth?  How about the day He was rushing to the bedside of Jairus’ sick daughter and was interrupted by the woman with female bleeding that had been going on for twelve years (Mark 5:21-43)?  What do you do with His delay in going to care for His friend Lazarus (John 11)?  How about the way Jesus answered His parents (Luke 2:41-52)?  And what do you do with the ease with which he turned down the requests of the villagers (Mark 1:35-39) and sent the disciples away by themselves after the feeding of 5,000 (Matthew 14:22-23)?

If you stop to think about it, Jesus was constantly bombarded with pressure to stop what He was doing and pay attention to something else.  That pressure may not have been coming in on His mobile phone, but it was persistent and persuasive nonetheless.  If anything, the fact that most of this pressure took place in person made it that much harder for Him to know when to say “No”… or “Yes”…or “Not yet.”

The upside in this era of instant communication is that we can meet up and keep up with family and friends that would otherwise be cut off from us.  Most of us love the joy of watching the video of a toddler’s first steps or electronically joining in on a loved one’s birthday party.  Almost every tragedy is made more real by social media.  When a dear friend lost his wife last week in the Dominican Republic, I knew about it almost instantly.  My heart grieves with him and I have reached out with words of comfort...

…but I can’t be there with him, nor am I supposed to be.  That one is easy to understand, but what about the life events in my own town that I must miss, if I am to follow through on my assigned duties from God?  Those urgent pleas to be there in the time of other peoples’ needs often leave me struggling with whether I say “No”…or “Yes”…of “Not yet.”  The Social Media Lie is that I can vicariously be there for everyone at every moment and should feel guilty when it doesn’t work that way.

Because of the finite quantity of time in our lives, you and I MUST dissect this subject. Many of us will have to admit that our schedules are like runaway trains: we know a crash is imminent, but we can’t seem to slow down.  It’s a tough subject that we will tackle in week 2 of “Heart Health” at Stone Ridge Church.  Last weekend (when I still had a voice), I told you that this would be a great series which can help your friends who don’t go to church.  I hope you’ll invite them and bring them with you!  Can’t make it?  Catch the podcast — it’s a social media thing!

Merry Christmas To All...

"The people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned.” (Matthew 4:16 English Standard Version)

 

I am struck by a few thoughts this Christmas. For one, it is my thirtieth Christmas as pastor of a great church, a church that constantly seeks ways to reach out with love into the darkness around us.  Cathy and I are frequently and constantly recipients of that love and our lives are marked with hope and joy because of it.

 

Second, it is my 65th Christmas on this earth and I can truly say that each one gets richer and sweeter.  It is God’s kindness and mercy that fill me these days.  I am forever grateful that He loved me, called me and offered me a place in His family. He blessed me abundantly when He gave me opportunity to serve Him by serving others.  Hallelujah!

 

Third, I am blessed by a wonderful family. Our parents, our children (and their spouses) and our grandchildren are all sources of deep encouragement to Cathy and me.  

 

Fourth, I have been blessed beyond words to walk at the side of a wife who is a picture of faithfulness and kindness to me.  Cathy’s depth in her walk with Christ is a source of encouragement, hope and wisdom that I can never adequately describe.  

 

Finally, I am blessed by an abundance of friends, co-workers, and extended family members who lift me up when I am overwhelmed and boot me in the seat of the pants when I need it, which is often!

 

To one and all, Merry Christmas and the richest of blessings this holiday season! 

What a difference...

I recently shared in a brief, but timeless, conversation with some new parents.  As they carried their tiny one out of a church building, I mentioned how different next Christmas will be for them. This Christmas, they have the joy of a tiny baby who is filling them with awe and poopy diapers. Next Christmas?  By next Christmas, their child will be just old enough to start understanding things like pretty wrapping paper under the tree and shiny things on the tree.  Surely by next Christmas their babe-in-arms will have grown into a full-fledged toddler.  By then, their house will be baby-proofed and the word “No!” will become the most-frequently used term in their little family.

By next Christmas, their whole view of the season will have changed radically.  By then, their new baby will be so much a part of them that won’t be able to imagine life without their child. And, it’s just possible, their conversations may have already moved from the joy of one baby to the dream of more.  (We have a saying at our church, “If you don’t want to get pregnant, don’t drink the Stone Ridge water!”)

It has been a little over four decades (it sounds SCARY when I say it that way!) since I stood with wobbly legs in a maternity ward delivery room and watched with a combination of fascination and horror as our family of two suddenly became a family of three.  I will never forget how the impending birth of our first-born became more and more of a reality to me.  The last trimester was like my own awakening to what was about to happen.  Still, I wasn’t prepared for what happened that October morning.  We entered the hospital as a couple; we left as a family. While our baby was much longed-for and deeply loved, the weight of responsibility landed heavily upon me that day.

As a husband, I had a wife who was quite adept at caring for herself (still is!).  As a dad, I was suddenly responsible to do my part to raise our new baby. Our son needed me in a way that couldn’t be neglected.  Most everything would change because of his addition to our family. Though our son’s first Christmas found us struggling through a blinding snow storm, it was those everyday necessities that impacted us the most. What sticks out in our memories are the dramatic events — the broken arm, the sliced head, the first day of school — and yet, it was the small, mundane-yet-inescapable responsibilities that filled us with both joy and work.

Have you ever stopped to think about what changed with Joseph and Mary after the shepherds and the swaddling clothes and the manger?  Have you considered the normal responsibilities every parent faces, along with the load of raising the Son of God?  It’s mind-boggling to consider.  Mary had a baby and He was the Lamb of God, who would take away the sin of the world.  In the past few weeks, we have seen how the Lamb impacted the far-off Magi from the land of ancient Babylon.  We have acknowledged His obvious threat to Caesar, the most powerful man on the planet.  And we have seen the abrasions He brought to the leaders of His religion.  But what about His family?

What about His family?  We must pause and think about what it must have been like to raise the Lamb.  That’s the focus this weekend at Stone Ridge Church.  We hope you can be there this last weekend before Christmas.  Please invite a friend to join you!  Can’t make it? Catch the podcast.

When It's All A Façade

 

My thoughts turned recently to a trip I made to Korea many years ago.  At some point we had a break from ministry activities and took advantage of the opportunity to travel up to the demilitarized zone (DMZ) which separates North Korea from South Korea.  On the South Korean side of the border where we stood, we could look across to very impressive buildings which seemed to show the superiority of the people, the government and the economy of North Korea over their southern neighbors.  One of the Koreans with us explained the truth.  “It’s just a shell,” we were told.  “In fact, some of the buildings you see are nothing more than a very clever façade, and aren’t real buildings at all."

 

Looking back to that conversation, I am not sure what was real and what was fake about the North Korean portion of the DMZ.  I am sure of one thing, however: the idea that the government of North Korea is in any way effective is a total sham.  

 

Think with me about this for a minute.  I will avoid the whole conversation about U.S. immigration other than to note that people are doing all kinds of things to find a way INTO this country.  At the same time, bold North Koreans are constantly trying to find a way OUT of that nation where they live in captivity.

A year or two ago, I read a very interesting book (note: this isn’t a Christian book) about the plight of the North Koreans.  I found myself caught up in the story of people who are so desperate that they will risk everything to get out of their country.  Part of my fascination was that North Koreans know the failure of their system better than anyone else.  While North Korean leadership is putting up their public relations blitz to tell the world of their superiority, the average North Korean citizen is fully aware of the lie in which they live.  Most of them would do ANYTHING to get to the South.  

 

If you have read the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John in the New Testament), you know that Jesus regularly and persuasively tore down the lies being perpetuated by the religious leaders of His day.  Those lies, that their religious life was superior to that of other people, had become just as much a façade as I have described in Korea.  Instead of setting people free, those religious leaders chained them up in a set of rules that the leaders themselves couldn’t keep. Jesus, the ultimate freer of captives, told those religious leaders the truth about themselves and their empty system.  He compared them to the tombs outside Jerusalem, which were regularly painted with a whitewash of that day.  “You look good on the outside,” Jesus said, “but inside you are full of death.”  

I write about this with some of my own introspection.  I can pretty easily point out life moments in which I have tried to put people in chains, rather than offer them the keys of release.  I don’t want to do that ever again; I’m quite certain that most of you will agree with me.  That’s why it’s critical that we talk about the effect the Lamb of God had upon his own religious traditions.  That’s our installment this weekend as we continue “Mary Had A Little Lamb” at Stone Ridge Church.  I really hope you can be there for this one.  Maybe you have a friend you can invite, someone who needs a word of hope.  Can’t make it?  Be sure to catch the podcast!

"The Bigger They Are..."

You put your can of soda in the freezer to cool it off faster.  Not sure it really works that way, but you do it anyway.  Then you forget it’s there…until you open the freezer door the next day. We’ve all done it and seen the effects of a frozen soft drink on a previously symmetrical can. Sometimes the freeze actually bursts the can, right?

The same principle works in multitudes of ways:

• A small fulcrum and a long lever can give a weak person the strength to move a very heavy object.   
• A small, but canny combatant uses the weight of a larger opponent to throw him to the mat.  
• Invisible air is pumped into a leather football until it bursts.

In the city where we live, a certain home builder has the reputation of building top-quality, beautiful houses.  If you have the money (he’s not cheap) and the patience (he’s not fast), your new house will be known because he built it.  I think of him here because of something that happened some years back.  A beautiful home was built in a gated community.  Somehow, a water leak was gradually slipping down through the topsoil and making its way into a large pocket of clay below the house.  Rather than leech through, the water kept swelling the clay in the same way that frozen soda swells an aluminum can.  Though a few feet underground, the clay kept swelling and pushing up on the topsoil above it.  All of it put pressure on the foundation of the house, eventually causing a crack...

which grew larger...

and larger...

until the beautiful, well-built house split down the middle.  I think I read once that the crack was ultimately about six inches in some places.

And it all began with a tiny drip of water!



In the grand scheme of things, a tiny lamb would usually go unnoticed.  At Christmas, we often think of the lambs as attending the scene in the stable, along with the cows and the camels.  It’s easy to overlook the Lamb in the manger.  Innocent, a baby child will grow to be announced as the Lamb of God, who will take away the sins of the world..  At His birth, this Lamb was viewed as a threat to a regional puppet “king.”  Before He’s done, He will be accused as a threat to Caesar himself and hung on a cross to stop Him.

We pick up the story of Mary’s little Lamb this weekend at Stone Ridge Church.  If a drip can split a house in two, this Lamb has no problem messing with the most powerful government of His day.  If He could do that, He can do something pretty powerful with you and me, too!  “Mary Had A Little Lamb” is our topic again this weekend at Stone Ridge Church.  Please attend and invite a friend…you’ll be glad you did!  Can’t be there?  Catch the podcast!