The Sucking Sound of Greed

But this I say: he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 2 Corinthians 9:6

What do you talk about the most? Chances are good that it's something very important to you.

Well, quite interestingly, what Jesus talked about more than anything else was money. Money! The reason Jesus talked so much about money is because it's a good measurement of how fully our hearts are given to Him.

Our attitude toward money and giving is a lot like baseball-there's a blessing that we can win, a scoring of points for the glory of God, but we've got to get all the way around the bases. So, to do this, we need to know what the bases are.

First base is a willing heart. This means more than the minimum. Just doing the minimum looks like giving based on the need instead of on God's Word. Listen, Bill Gates' tithe could pay the entire budget for a whole bunch of churches, but that's not the point. If giving goes beyond budget, praise God! We don't give based on need, grudgingly or out of obligation, but generously out of whatever we have.

You can't score from first base, so we go to second base, which is a readiness. What you need to know is that there is no age limit to readiness. It's not like, Well, I'm still in high school, so I'm don't tithe yet, or, Well, I'm in college, so I have debt, so I don't tithe. Whether you have an allowance, debt, or high-paying executive job, God's Word still applies to you. Readiness means that you understand this and give generously no matter where you are in life.

Third base is an eagerness to give. Eagerness goes beyond readiness. Readiness means you're ready to give, but eagerness means that you want to. Why would you want to? Aside from simply pleasing God, you'd want to because you know God's promise to bless you and give back to you when you do.

Finally, home base is earnestness in your giving. This means you don't quit or give up. You don't let distraction come in and get you off your game, forgetting to give or losing your discipline in generosity.

When we put all four of these together, it brings home the blessings of God and glorifies Him in our hearts.

Prayer Lord Jesus,

Thank You for caring so much about my heart! Thank You also for showing me how I can demonstrate the all my heart belongs to You-by giving as Your Word says to give!

Amen

Look For Him

Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.' Luke 2:8-10

As the great theologian Linus declared to my generation in A Charlie Brown Christmas, The shepherds were watching over their flock by night.

Have you ever wondered about that night? What was so special about those shepherds? Was that just some ordinary flock of sheep? As you can imagine, there was much more to the story than Linus, Lucy, and Charlie Brown were able to convey. You see, this flock of sheep had been hand-chosen.

The Bible tells us that these particular sheep just outside of Jerusalem, just down the road from the Temple, would have been found to be worthy for sacrifice and without blemish. As a result, they were special sheep that were about to be put up for sale. These were the sheep that were to be sacrificed, offered on behalf of the sin of the person and the person's family bringing the sheep.

It makes sense that the announcement of the arrival of the Presence of God would first appear to this particular occupation, because this occupation represents all of us who have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.

All of us need forgiveness-an atoning forgiveness that the sheep represented, but only temporarily. God's plan all along was to provide something permanent, not temporary. God's plan was to provide a lasting Gift that would remove from us our sin, as far as the East is from the West, by the precious blood of the Lamb of God.

That's what Christmas is all about: the gift of His priceless Presence in the form of a baby. With the assistance of the angels, the song of His arrival rang out. For these particular shepherds, what a sight it must have been. Those shepherds, who all day every day watched over lambs for God, now beheld the Lamb of God.

We, too, can behold the Lamb of God this Christmas, if we will just look for Him.

Prayer Lord Jesus,

I don't want to be too caught up in the traditions and religion of Christmas that I forget to really see You. Please open my eyes and my heart to know Your Presence this Christmas season!

Amen

Fender Mender

Even so the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should live from the gospel. 1 Corinthians 9:14

Have you ever wondered what would make someone become a pastor? Well, I can tell you that for most of us, it's because we don't feel like we have a choice. We're compelled to preach the gospel.

But there's an interesting twist in this being-a-pastor thing-we're supposed to earn our living from the gospel.

This could be some really major conundrum, here, where pastors are compelled to preach the gospel and to earn their living from it. I mean, what if people don't give to help finance his ministry?

Well, the only way this works out well is if the people recognize the gift they have been given, the service that has been done for them, and they give out of willing hearts. As a pastor at Horizon, I am privileged to be part a congregation that does this, and we must make sure we keep this generous heart among us.

Paul says there is a reward for preachers who willingly submit to this system God has set up for them, and that reward is that when I preach the gospel, I may present the gospel of Christ without charge, that I may not abuse my authority in the Gospel (1 Cor. 9:18).

I think of all the opportunities that the Lord has provided for us. You know, I once was invited to Germany to speak to all the Calvary Chapel pastors across Europe and Russia. Can you imagine charging for that? No. Please no.

I think it's important to write about this because, listen, in no way am I trying to make myself look good. I'm a sinner saved by grace. I'm like Paul, chief among the worst in the lot. But neither am I living on the ocean bluffs in La Jolla or flying private on these trips. And my church picks up the tab when I go speak in other countries so we don't charge the pastors in India, Germany, Africa, or wherever.

I am blessed to do this. Paul is blessed to do this.

But maybe you're reading this today and you're like, Well, where's my blessing? You're so blessed. Paul's so blessed. Where's my blessing?

My blessing is in what I give, and you will find your blessing in the same place-in what you give. Where's your heart of sacrifice for your church? Where's your support? Where's your involvement? Where are you giving your gift?

Answer those questions, and you will write the map to where you will find your blessing.

Prayer Lord Jesus,

Thank You for being our example in giving everything, and being blessed because You gave! Please give me the courage to give generously, trusting You that You will bless me as I give.

Amen

In Search of Aletheia

If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him; for he who greets him shares in his evil deed. 2 John 10-11

Speak the truth in love. You've heard that one before, right? It doesn't take much trying to live it out, though, before you realize that it sometimes is harder than it seems.

When we think of loving someone, we rightly think of things like forbearance, patience,

and forgiveness-things that help us put up with knuckleheaded people and overlook the flaws in their lives.

But when we think of truth, we think of a hard-edged, unmoving, black and white reality that leaves little room for the grace we associate with love. So how do we reconcile love and truth, two things that seem to conflict with each other.

Jesus is our perfect example of this, as John 1:14 testifies, saying, And we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. Jesus came as the living answer to the truth of our predicament. He did not gloss over the sinful condition of the world or deny that we would spend eternity in Hell without Him. However, He also did not bash this reality over our heads or shove our own sinfulness in our faces.

Rather, He came as the answer to the problem. And whoever will acknowledge both the truth of the problem and the truth of the answer will receive the fullness of His grace in their life and be saved.

When the woman caught in adultery was thrown at Jesus' feet, His mercy delivered her from the truth of her sin into the truth of a new life in Him. Our job is to do the same. When we see sinfulness and the effects of sinful living around us, what do we do? We intercede, we rescue, we save, and whenever we can, we heal and deliver.

Romans 3:23 tells us that All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, yet Jesus showed us this glory in grace and truth. The truth recognized our sinful reality, yet the grace exchanged our reality for His.

As we testify of the full truth-both the truth of our sinful past and the truth of our transformed present and future-then others will hear the truth in love. We cannot only speak of people's sin, or they justly feel condemned and hopeless. However, if we will tell them the truth of how Jesus could change their lives, then we are speaking the truth in love.

Prayer Lord Jesus,

Thank You for being the picture of grace and truth! Please fill me with Your love and truth, and help me to be the same picture to others that You are to me!

Amen

The Measure of Our Days

Many waters cannot quench love, nor can the floods drown it. If a man would give for love all the wealth of his house, it would be utterly despised. Song of Solomon 8:7

A lot of people think marriage is a big mystery. Really, I have to disagree. I think it's pretty simple, and if you follow along with me today then I think you'll agree.

There are three kinds of marriages. First, I'll tell you about a rotten marriage. A rotten marriage begins when you start with someone who lives out life for all they can take for themselves. A rotten marriage gets full blown when you have a taker married to a taker, and all they do is take, take, take, take, take.

This is what I need from you. This is what I need you to do. This is a train wreck of a marriage that's got kill switch sitting all over it and ultimately finds itself in my office because all they do is selfishly take, take, and take again.

What's just about as bad is an abusive marriage. You get an abusive marriage when you have a giver married to a taker, and one gives and gives and gives until they're run over by one who does nothing but take. It's terrible. It's not what the Lord is desires for us at all.

Second, something else He doesn't want is a ho-hum marriage. This is the middle of the road marriage that's neither diving nor thriving. I'll tell you, you get this kind of marriage when you have two people who are neither givers nor takers. They just sit there lukewarm in their love.

Or, you can get a marriage like this when two givers are giving outside of their marriage before they give inside their marriage. Then, by the time they get to their marriage, they're giver's all gived out; they didn't save anything for the most important human in their life.

Rather, here's what God wants for us-and here's a great marriage-is when a giver is married to a giver, and they put each other as first priority in their giving. If you fight about anything, it's about who's going to out-give the other.

I'm doing this for you.

No, I was going to do that for you.

I'm doing this for you.

I was going to do it for you!

That ought to be your first fight, who is going to out-serve their spouse.

Marriage really can be that simple. Choose to be a giver today and watch the transforma-

tion that happens in your home.

Prayer Lord Jesus,

Thank You for choosing to give me Your life before I ever gave You anything! Please help me to be an example of Your giving love in my home!

Amen

The Most God-Like Thing We Can Do

This punishment which was inflicted by the majority is sufficient for such a man, so that, on the contrary, you ought rather to forgive and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one be swallowed up with too much sorrow. Therefore I urge you to reaffirm your love to him. 2 Corinthians 2:6-8

In case you haven't heard, forgiveness is important. In fact, our Christian life doesn't work without it. Jesus forgave us, so it just doesn't work for us to withhold forgiveness from those who've hurt us.

To help you in this forgiveness thing, let me give you the don'ts of forgiveness. First, don't internalize the hurt. Now, I would be a hypocrite if I said not to personalize it. Just face it, hurt hurts, which makes it pretty impossible not to personalize it. I'm just saying don't let it affect who you are. Let Christ determine who you are, not your pain.

Second, don't make it more than it needs to be. In our verse today, Paul is saying that the punishment was more than sufficient for the crime. God's heart is always as David prayed in Psalm 51 (the psalm he wrote after he committed adultery and murder), God, restore unto me the joy of Your salvation. God wants us to be restored, or He wouldn't have bothered sending Jesus so that we could be forgiven, and we need to pray for restoration for those who hurt us.

Third, don't miss the opportunity to be merciful. Mercy is defined as not getting what you deserve. James 2:13 says, For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment. Whatever offense you have, mercy wins. And if you want mercy instead of judgment, you'd better give mercy instead of judgment.

Fourth, don't limit God's love. Scripture says that love keeps no record of wrongs. If we have God's love in us then we have to do the same. Don't limit God's love working in and through you to forgive.

Fifth, don't fail the forgiveness test. Forgiveness is a test of our obedience to Christ Jesus, because He didn't leave us a choice. He didn't say, These things you must forgive, but these other things are too terrible to forgive. No, He said we must forgive, period.

Paul could not rest until this issue of forgiveness was settled. He knew that no one could see Christ in him until it was. What issue do you have unsettled in your life? Choose to forgive today, so that you may be free, and so that others might see Jesus in you.

Prayer Lord Jesus,

I know that what's been done to me doesn't measure up to what I've done to You, and I don't want to fail the forgiveness test. I choose to forgive those who have hurt me and I extend mercy to them. Please bring restoration! Heal my heart and set me free!

Amen

Rewarded

For as a young man marries a virgin, so shall your sons marry you; and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you. Isaiah 62:5

What does it take to make your marriage rewarding? Have you ever thought about it? Because I want you to know today that it does not happen all by itself.

Some of you today just need to know that a marriage can be rewarding and it really can be! but all of us need to know today that there are five principles we need to get down to have a rewarding marriage:

First, honor your marriage. Our marriage must carry weight in our hearts, which means that we choose to make it important. We place it first on our priority list, which means that we say, No, to things that would distract us from our marriage.

Second, enjoy your marriage. Can you remember your wedding day? Chances are pretty good that you were giddy with happiness on your wedding day as endless dreams filled your mind of all the ways you were going to enjoy your marriage. No matter how much has changed, you can still choose to delight in each other now as you did then.

Third, defend your marriage. Society is trying to run over marriage with a bus, and statistically, the Church is going right along with it. Defending marriage with your vote is important, but defending it in your home is even more important. We must be like watchmen over our marriages, daily standing guard against any threat.

Fourth, strengthen your marriage. There's no other way to say it, but this means work. It means that any stones and logs that are jamming up the flow of your marriage need to be removed, the hurts of the past need to be forgiven, and the hurtful attitudes need to change.

Fifth, never forsake your marriage. Never forsake it in your heart, letting your thoughts or eyes wander to the people around you, wondering what exciting things you might be able to enjoy with them. Never forsake it in your words, speaking as though your marriage has no hope. Never forsake it in your actions, but bend your actions around the fact that you are married.

The world is crying out for solutions to their dysfunctional families. Put these five principles into practice and you will find the world flocking to discover your secret to a rewarding marriage.

Prayer Lord Jesus,

Thank You that someday You are going to take the Church as Your bride, and You will have a rewarding marriage. Please give me wisdom and strength to practice these things and make my earthly marriage as rewarding as that heavenly one will be!

Amen