The Lord Loves a Cheerful Giver

“Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” (James 1:16-17 ES)

This upcoming month, you will hear much about stewardship. Part of this is practical: the church has bills that we’ve got to pay, and we have to come together to be faithful in meeting our obligations with the power company, lawn care folks, maintenance workers, and the like. Yet another part is necessarily spiritual, as James reminds us here. We have been given much by God. And as we have been given much, we ought to give with worshipful expectation that God will be glorified through the work of His church. The Lord loves a cheerful giver, and while this does speak to the giving of our finances and material goods, there are other gifts we ought to consider when we ponder what it means to be good stewards.

Have you sat down and thought through how you spend your time each day? There are few greater gifts we have been given by the Living God than the gift of life. With each day that we are blessed with we ought to consider our time, steward it wisely, and ask ourselves if we are honoring God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. In the frantic “rat race” pace of our current age, we often forget that God has commanded us to rest, and that part of being good stewards of our time and being faithful to God is to remember the Sabbath and keep it holy (that is, set apart). Part of being a good steward is to examine how you are using this gift of life to honor God. Am I wasting my time with endeavors that don’t bear the fruit of the Spirit? Am I failing to honor God’s call to worship Him by resting from my labors? How am I worshipping God in my life, and am I being a good steward of this gift of life?

You may say, “Preacher, you do not know what I am going through. I can’t give even a penny without going bankrupt.” “Pastor, you don’t understand. I’m slammed at work, there’s a project looming overhead, and we’re in crunch time to get it done. How do you expect me to rest this week?” To you, I wish to encourage and remind you that your Father who is in heaven knows your needs in this life and the next. Part of our giving is to give worshipfully, trusting that God has given us out of His wondrous providence, and placing our faith in Him that He will continue to meet our needs now and forever. As it comes to stewarding our time, I ask you, did God, in His foreknowledge, giving the command, say, “Remember the Sabbath, and keep it holy...except for Mary Sue. I know you have a lot on your plate. You can make up for it next week”? Did God command “love your enemies, but only when it’s convenient for you”? If He has, then show me chapter and verse and I will happily repent of my error. But in my Bible, the word is clear. We’ve been given time. And as we are to steward it well in our work, we are also to worship Him by our rest.

This month as we talk about stewardship, much of that conversation will naturally shine a light on our financial giving, and the effectiveness of our church’s stewardship in using those offerings to the glory of God through various forms of ministry. Yet let us also ponder how to be good stewards of all that God has blessed us with. That He may receive all glory, honor, and praise, now and forevermore.

Amen.
Brother Matthew

"We the imperfect seeking the perfect" - Brother Mike Densmore

Brother Mike ends the week with reminders about Adoration & Worship.

Am I Charismatic?

You may be thinking, I’m not a “holy roller.” Well, let’s explore that notion for a moment. For many followers of Christ, Charismatic denotes normalizing the manifestation of Spirit gifts (listed in I Corinthians 12) in public worship, such as healing, tongues, or modern day miracles (this is not typically the practice of Methodists). The greek word Charisma is interpreted as “gracious gifts from God” (Barry’s way of saying it) and suggests those endued with the power of the Holy Spirit are manifestly gifted by God to edify or “make strong” the whole body of believers and to share the Gospel with the world.

However, if I ask instead, are those who “belong to Christ” filled and led by the Holy Spirit? This question is rather rhetorical and strikes more precisely to the heart of the nature of our salvation. The reality created in Jesus Christ by resurrection is a new existence for all believing, obedient children of God. This reality is characterized by the law of the Spirit or being indwelled by the Holy Spirit. It is a non-negotiable truth. It is the very means of regeneration and being set free from the law of sin and death. The Holy Spirit provides me life in Christ. This is the very implication of resurrection faith and is undeniable if I am “in Christ.” 

My new reality creates a fresh behavior pattern for me. I am now led, not by obligation of written religious laws or pleasing my appetites for human expression, but by the instructive guidance of the Spirit who writes upon the tablet of my heart the will of God. I am now true Israel, an awakened person, led by the Spirit, with the power to live a Christ-pleasing life, and confidently tackle the challenges of a hostile world of temptations, troubles, and hardships. These instructions for living are obviously synonymous with Holy Scriptures’ testimony of righteousness, or we have a huge disconnect. So, if someone ever asks if you are a “holy roller,” just say: “why yes I am, by the mercy of God.”

Reflections on Romans 8-12

Barry

The Human Answer (Part Two of Three)

What does Romans offer us? How shall we be free of the bondage of the mud? We try to fix ourselves or just seek to be “one” with the mud. But human potential, “works-based” ideals are doomed to self-righteousness, hypocrisy, manipulations, self-delusion, and failure. The best moral religions and philosophies deal in human strength or virtuous activities (arete, see Aristotle). They might shame us about right and wrong but do not lead us to the God who is the source of “right and good (dykai-osun-a or righteousness).” These moralisms and “super-therapies of wholeness” often involve denial or good behavior mixed with wrong reasons. They are just too bent and weak to work. Colin Williams, commenting on this “bent,” reminds us that it is not that we cannot do good things but that these good capacities are twisted from their true course and are wrongly purposed. Actions that are often judged good by objective social and moral standards are, in fact, religiously corrupt when they issue from a life separated from God. John Wesley actually saw these “good deeds” as evil that keep us from God (Sermons I, pg. 38), “they are not done as God hath willed and commanded them to be done.” Sobering indeed! So take the example of Jacob, he claims God’s promised blessing by deceiving his father. It was God’s good gained not in God’s way. It was God’s will for him to be the chosen descendant and by definition was “good,” yet his means involved sinful deception. It destroyed his relationship with his brother. This story is repeated. Thus, we need rescuing. Enter the gospel. A new life in Christ which doesn’t proceed from right behavior, but results in righteous or “holy fruit.” A gift from God.

Barry

The True Problem (Part One of Three)

“The world has gone nuts,” you say. “Yes and no,” I would reply, it has always been nuts. I want to discuss sin with you. I am not trying to be a “downer,” in fact, I want to be the champion of good news. The news is good because it answers the bad. Consider this, and the saints are all agreed, sin is our condition, not just our behavior. It is our home, not simply our actions. Our world is telling us that people are good, but institutions are evil. In contrast, the Bible teaches us that both are corrupt. This is why checks and balances of power are important in government. The condition of sin is fundamentally true of us all and provides a critical understanding of ourselves before God as we live in this world. We are depraved. The essence of that depravity is the lost moral image of God. We lost His image because our covenant relationship with Him is broken (see garden of Eden). We are disposed to rebellion against Him and His ways which leads to bondage. We, like the Hebrew children, end up in Egypt as slaves. Our taskmasters are described with words or phrases like: pride, indulgences (addictions), greed, wrath, envy, self-righteousness, unforgiveness, unrestrained sexual impulses, or just simple ole power, just to name a few. And honestly, we willingly embrace them. Or at best, we subconsciously obey them. They drive us and control us; even our good deeds are tainted by them. This creates a world for each of us that I would compare to living in deep mud; at times fun, but largely a picture of drudgery and mess. How shall we ever be free? The answer is not within us, it is with God in the person of Christ. It is called resurrection. 

In my next blog, I will explain the insufficient human answer.

Barry

See Romans 1-7

Why Do Churches Get Sick and Vanish?

Why Do Churches Get Sick and Vanish?

I remember being shocked to learn that Toys R Us was dead.  Experts diagnosed that stores went without maintenance for too long. Dust collected on the floors and rafters because cleaning services were cut back. Aisles were a chaotic mess.  Employees grappled with expanding work loads. Knowledgeable staff were let go. Key customer satisfaction metrics were fudged by leaders. Their market position in the past made little difference to new parents. In short, they became unattractive and in the “wooing parents” business, that is the kiss of death.  

We undertook the task last month of discussing “How churches die?”  We were reminded that it is an erosion that is slow and lethal.  As promised, I follow this up with some reflections on, “Why?”  What are the presenting issues that cause such terminal erosion in churches? Let’s consider two reasons this month.

First, they are enamored with a preferred past.  Please don’t misunderstand, this is not about historic doctrine or biblical morals, but the “good old days” memories. The temptation to reminisce past victories instead of the consideration of future faithfulness. This is a real danger. It results in the disease of complacency. The goal of God’s people is steadfast faithfulness to the Gospel, not being a museum of the past.  Cherish the past yes, but if you live there, you are not healthy.  The healthy church is always discussing a present opportunity and a preferred future.

Second, they are blind to the mission field.  The ministry formula of death is {Me + My priority=death}. This is another way of saying, if you have no interest in the community or the neighbors around you, only an interest in yourself, it is a huge issue.  The Gospel is a “going” enterprise.  It is not that we don’t gather and take care of each other, but we cannot live faithfully unless we are sharing the good news with others. The ministry formula of vibrancy is {Others + My Priority=Life}. 

So, what does this say to us? Churches vanish when they are worshiping the past and fail to see their mission field.  So, let us never lose focus of our reason for existing.  Let us remain faithful to our generation and the community we serve in His name.  We are about the business of making disciples who are full-fledged partakers of the salvation God in Christ Jesus. His is the one that transforms lives.  The highest quality of life is available and found only in Christ. 

May we Live On! 

Brother Barry

Special thanks to Thom Rainer, Gary McIntosh, the Barna Group.

Live Well and Strong

Loved Ones,

It is a joy to serve you! In the coming months I want to discuss church health. Our leadership chose this term because it is popular and relatable. It does not encapsulate all the nuances of understanding life in the Body of Christ, but Paul did use the human anatomy to describe church. The use of our bodies is a huge theme throughout Holy Scripture. As a source, I will use Tom Rainer primarily and sprinkle in Bishop Schnase, Pat Lincione, and Gary L. McIntosh along with others whose ideas rest in my subconscious and I do not remember their names.

Healthiness: The state of being in good health. Being physically fit without major issue; feeling good; looking good; living in a way where others want to be around me (definition by Rev. Barry C. Dunn). 

Pat Lincione clearly states that the health of any enterprise is directly related to clarity about its reason for existing. So, our reason for existing is directly related to our corporate relationship with Jesus Christ and understood in Sacred Scripture. This leads to His direction and our declaring His Gospel in word and holy living. You might say, we desire the highest quality of life for ourselves and others by showing them Christ and His holy way of life. There it is, our reason.

So, “why” do Churches die? They die for several reasons. I will defer to Tom Rainer. He identifies several causes which I will convey over the next few months, and all of them will be a loss of clarity. This month, let us examine “how” churches die.  

Churches die slowly. People usually die from health-related matters over a sustained period of time. So do churches. We, like frogs in a kettle, succumb to a slow cook. The erosion of health takes years. We easily see a building get old, but we rarely notice other things. A decline in vibrant worship. A decline in fervent prayer with expectation. A slow disconnection or relevance with our community and its soul. The loss of desire to witness to our neighbor or invite them to church.  An over concern for memories which leaves no room for hopes and dreams for a preferred future. A boredom within staff. A longing for once vibrant ministries but annoyance with current ones. There are others, but this slow erosion of heart leads us to becoming “beside ourselves.”  We embrace survival to maintain nostalgic memories and not Gospel engagement.  This is how churches die.  

So join me in a quest to live well and strong. We will study preventive health in the next few months because healthy is good. Let’s do it!

Brother Barry