with Brian Tubbs
Christian Living
General posts designed to encourage, inform, or help people in their walk with Christ
How Can Christians be Effective Ambassadors for Christ?
045 days
In his second letter to the church at Corinth, the Apostle Paul referred to evangelism with a metaphor that everyone in the Roman world would have understood. The verse to which I refer goes like this: “Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God” (2 Corinthians 5:20, NKJV).
In this video excerpt from one of his talks, Christian author Greg Koukl explains how Christians can be effective “ambassadors” for Christ by arming themselves with knowledge and tactics. Koukl, who heads the organization Stand to Reason, believes that every Christian should learn to be an effective witness for Jesus Christ. To that end, he wrote an excellent book titled Tactics: A Game Plan for Discussing Your Christian Convictions. Watch Koukl explain the importance of tactics in discussing one’s faith…
Sadly, many Christians today oppose the use of apologetics in witnessing. They say we should just proclaim the Gospel and (to use another metaphor) “let the chips fall where they may.” In some cases, these are Calvinists who believe that God has already chosen who will accept Christ, and thus human strategy is unnecessary for evangelism. Interestingly, Koukl is a Calvinist, and he doesn’t buy into that kind of lazy, cop-out nonsense. Some of the greatest preachers and evangelists in history were Calvinist. Think Charles Spurgeon. I personally don’t embrace all five points of the classic TULIP outline, but I have no problem with any Calvinist who nonetheless embraces and supports evangelism. There’s no need to divide on the issue of Calvinism, so long as we all agree that God hasn’t told us who He’s chosen and that we need to take the Gospel to “every creature” (Mark 16:15).
The second and main group that opposes the use of apologetics and/or evangelism tactics is simply those Christians who are lazy. Many Christians don’t want to study. They don’t want to exert themselves. They just want to hand out tracts (if that), invite people to church (if that), and call it a day. This is not what being an ambassador is all about. As Jude says, we must “contend earnestly for the faith,” and that means thorough study, preparation, and engagement.
Take a few minutes to listen to Greg Koukl’s talk, check out his book Tactics: A Game Plan for Discussing Your Christian Convictions, and then visit his website Stand to Reason for more information.
Al Mohler Interviews Former President Jimmy Carter on the Bible, Hell, Jesus, Homosexuality, and More
049 days
Recently, Southern Baptist theologian Al Mohler had the privilege to discuss theology with former U.S. President Jimmy Carter. Mohler is a prolific writer, popular radio broadcaster, and the head of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. Not long ago, Time magazine named him the “reigning intellectual” of evangelical Christianity. Though critical of Carter in the past, Mohler treated the 88-year old former President with great respect in this interview, which is to be both expected and commended.
Throughout his political career and presidency, James Earl Carter, Jr. has been quite open about his Christian faith. He is perhaps America’s most well-known Sunday school teacher, having taught for over sixty years. Recently, Carter collaborated with Zondervan to publish NIV Lessons from Life Bible: Personal Reflections with Jimmy Carter. Promotion of Carter’s new Bible was the occasion for the interview with Mohler.
To read this very interesting exchange, click on the following link…
“Former President Jimmy Carter Discusses Religion and Homosexuality”
I want to commend President Carter for his heart, integrity, and spirit of cordiality. I nevertheless agree with Dr. Mohler that Carter’s theology is problematic at best. Once you allow yourself to become “subjective” in how you read the Bible, you are on a slippery slope to relativism, and that’s not a place to which Christians should go.
Dissing Tim Tebow: Why the Denver Broncos are (at this point) Not a Team Worth Cheering For
360 days
Peyton Manning is in and Tim Tebow is (apparently) out. That’s the news coming out of Denver, as the Broncos front office, led by former NFL quarterback John Elway, has lured the legendary quarterback Peyton Manning into their lineup. They will now send the promising Tim Tebow either to the bench or to another team. Supporters of this decision point to the greatness of Peyton Manning as well as Tebow’s less-than-stellar passing accuracy. Opponents of the decision (like me) point to the fact that Manning is coming off a major injury and several operations — something that kept him on the sidelines all last season. This makes the decision to bring in Manning a gamble at best. We likewise point to the fact that Tebow is a proven winner. Say what you will about his passing accuracy, the man can win football games. He took over as quarterback when the Broncos were 1-4 and led them into the playoffs.
There’s an old saying: “Stick with the one that brung ya.” Tebow is the workhorse that turned the Broncos around in the 2011 season and took them to the playoffs. He is a consummate student of the game and a relentless workaholic. He is a strong leader with solid character and a dedicated fan base that any NFL team should appreciate. An amazing athlete, Tebow has a bright future. He will get better in the areas he’s lacking. Barring some unforeseen tragedy, injury, or psychological setback (like a team he’s loyal to not being loyal to him), Tebow has all the makings of becoming a Hall of Fame quarterback himself one day. The Broncos had every reason to build their team around Tebow for the next few years and ride the “Tebow wave” back into the playoffs again and again. But rather than think long-term and invest a player that’s worth cheering for, they’ve chosen to chase the dream of instant gratification with Peyton Manning.
I understand that football is a business, and I understand that it’s tough to pass up on an opportunity to bring someone like Peyton Manning into your organization. What I object to is the way this is all being handled. One gets the impression that John Elway and Co. were never comfortable with Tim Tebow. They never really liked him. Is it his Christian faith? his high moral character? his solid work ethic? or the fact that legions of fans adore him, hungry for a sports role model they can believe in? Which of those things made Elway wince when Tebow would score a touchdown and do his “Tebow” thing to thunderous crowd approval?
Why is it that NFL teams are quick to support players with criminal records, off-the-field antics, brazen showmanship, and horrible morals, yet (at least in this case) are uncomfortable with a player that any kid in America should strive to emulate?
I understand the desire on the part of NFL front offices to put a winning team on the field. I get that. But, speaking as a fan, I feel we’ve lost something with the NFL. We’ve lost the “why.” Are we just supposed to root for teams that win? Is winning in-and-of-itself the end-all, be-all of which team to which we give our support? Do we want fans bouncing from team to team chasing the “winner” just as players now bounce from team to team chasing the money? If that’s what the NFL is now all about, count me out. I want to root for a team that’s worth rooting for — a team that supports its community and that has players who serve as true role models for the people in that community, especially its youngest citizens. I want a team with heart and a team with character, a team that’s proud (in a healthy way) to celebrate an honorable man like Tim Tebow.
We’re talking about a guy who invests his free time into charity work and helping those who need a helping hand. He’s raised money for numerous worthy causes, including pediatric cancer treatment, a children’s hospital in the Philippines, playrooms in children’s hospitals around the world, and sending disadvantaged kids on a Disney vacation. While some athletes spend their time gambling, boozing, doing drugs, sleeping around, partying at drunken orgies, committing felonies, or more, Tebow spends his with disabled children and veterans, prisoners who need a second change, and poor kids who need hope and encouragement. Please tell me why I shouldn’t believe in an athlete like that!? We’re talking about a guy who takes his status as a role model seriously and who cultivates that opportunity to serve and help as many people as he can. This is a guy worth believing in, and any team who is loyal to him is likewise a team worth believing in and cheering for.
Tim, keep your head high. You may not have the respect of greedy men like John Elway, but you have won the hearts of many football fans like me, who understand there’s more to life than getting a football across the goal line or cashing in on ticket sales. Hang in there. I’m praying for you, and I know God will bless you!
Where Does the Redefinition of Marriage End?
082 days
One of my favorite biblical illustrations is the contrast between the builders who erected their house on the sand and those who built theirs upon a rock. When you build something — be it a family, a church, a country, or a culture — it better be on a firm foundation. I had hoped that, with the United States anyway, the family would remain on a solid foundation.
For most of American history, that was certainly the case. The family was always understood to be two or more persons joined together by birth, marriage, or adoption. And marriage, being at the center of the family, was widely understood to refer to one man and one woman who had made a loving, legal, and lifelong commitment to one another. Sure, there were people living together outside of marriage and sure, there was divorce. But these things were seen as something distinct from the ideal. The definition and understanding of marriage itself, even if only in the ideal, was secure. For most of its history, the United States respected this understanding of marriage, something that was reflected in the church, in city hall, in Congress, in literature, in movies, television, music, etc. The foundation of the family, i.e., marriage, was clear and solid.
But then, things began to change. In the last few decades, the consensus has been breaking down. The definition of marriage has been challenged and our culture’s understanding of the family is now unraveling. As a result, this redefining of marriage, coupled with all the problems our society has with marriage (abuse, divorce, infidelity, etc.), is turning our foundation from rock to sand.
The state of Maryland is now the latest to jump on the redefinition of marriage bandwagon. On March 1, 2012, the governor of Maryland will put his signature to the Civil Marriage Protection Act, which redefines marriage to include couples of the same gender. The state of Maryland now joins seven other states and the District of Columbia in allowing same-sex marriage. It is yet another victory for the gay rights community and, in the words of The Washington Post, one more step in “expanding nationwide momentum for gay rights.” And this momentum will likely carry the redefinition of marriage to even more states, and probably fairly soon, the entire United States.
For a growing number of Americans, including a great many who profess to be Christians, the redefinition of marriage raises no alarm. To them, the fact that God is the One who created and defined marriage (see the book of Genesis) is not worthy of serious, if any, consideration. I expect non-Christians to disregard God and the Bible, but when Christians do it, it’s something else entirely. But I’ll set that issue aside for the moment, and simply ask this…
Since gender is no longer a relevant consideration when defining marriage, what’s to stop society from saying that a NUMBER (as in the number “two”) is likewise no longer relevant?
For the record, I agree that the government shouldn’t stop consenting adults from living together. Back in the 1990s, gay rights activists won a major victory when the U.S. Supreme Court in Lawrence vs. Texas struck down all laws barring sodomy and homosexuality. Even though I believe the Bible is clear on homosexuality being a sin (and thus I believe churches should teach the truth on the issue of homosexuality, regardless of what the government says), I nevertheless fully understand gays and lesbians seeing Lawrence vs. Texas as a civil rights issue. The redefinition of marriage is, however, a different story altogether. By using the strong arm of government to force a redefinition of marriage onto society overall, they are no longer advocating simply for their rights.
Supporters of same-sex marriage often point to concerns over wills, estate settlements, hospital visitation, etc. Nevertheless, these considerations can be addressed through a number of means, including power-of-attorney agreements and civil unions. Many states have, in fact, set up civil partnerships to confirm that gay and lesbian couples have the same exact rights as married heterosexual couples. And on this point, I agree that states have every right to oversee and define contracts (including civil unions). Yet civil unions aren’t good enough for the gay rights community today. They want a redefinition of marriage to include them. And they are getting their way.
If trends continue, it won’t be long before the United States of America redefines marriage, probably by edict of the Supreme Court. Gays and lesbians are actively pushing for this by trying to get the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) overturned in Court or repealed by Congress. Once that happens, the U.S. Supreme Court will likely rule that all fifty states must accept gay marriage, given the “full faith and credit clause” of the Constitution. All that is coming. It’s only a matter of time, unless there’s a major shift in public opinion. Not only that, but this redefinition of marriage in society and culture will permeate even more into our schools, television, movies, music, and the church. Those who remain opposed to same-sex marriage will be increasingly ostracized and marginalized. So, given the likelihood of gay marriage being legalized across the nation and thus marriage being fundamentally redefined, I return to my question…
What’s to stop society from saying that three people can marry (instead of two)?
Obviously, the government should do everything it can to prevent the type of scary, polygamous cults that crop on the news now and then. These cults usually involve one man with a harem of women, some of whom are underage. That type of twisted exploitation should be opposed by government, and I fully expect it will continue to be opposed by government. However, what about three or four consenting adults? What if you have three consenting adults (three men, two women and a man, two men and a woman, whatever) who say they love each other and want to be together and they want to be married? What do we say to that? If we say “no,” on what objective grounds do we deny them marriage?
Please don’t respond to this with a red herring accusation that I’m equating homosexuality with polygamy. I am not doing that. I’m simply saying that some of the same arguments being used in favor of gay marriage can also be used to favor polygamy. If we should allow two consenting adults of the same sex to marry because they love each other, then shouldn’t we also allow three people or four people (regardless of the gender mix) to marry one another? Once you redefine marriage to no longer take gender into consideration, then you are on a slippery slope.
And that slippery slope brings me back to my favorite Bible illustration. If we, as a society, can no longer agree on the definition of marriage, then what does that say about the kind of foundation we’re building families on? In this case, not only do we disagree fundamentally over the definition of marriage, but no one has really any idea where the redefinition will end. Our foundation is fast becoming slippery sand, and everyone knows what happens to a house built on sand.
Understanding the Theology of Rick Warren
092 days
Rick Warren is one of the very best known pastors in the United States of America today, so much so that he’s been called “America’s Pastor.” His book The Purpose-Driven Life is one of the leading nonfiction bestsellers in the modern world. Yet he is also one of America’s most controversial figures, drawing fire from groups as disparate as gay rights advocates and Christian fundamentalists. Many Bible-believing Christians are troubled by some of the things they’ve observed in Warren’s ministry, seen in his writings, or heard from others discussing him. Some of the questions include:
- Does Rick Warren believe Muslims and Christians serve the same God?
- Is Warren’s book The Purpose-Driven Life not Christo-centric enough?
- Why doesn’t Warren talk more about salvation in Christ in his bestseller?
- Would he write it differently if he could do today?
- Does Rick Warren believe repentance is necessary for salvation?
- Does Warren believe in a literal hell?
- Where does Rick Warren come down on the debate over predestination and free will?
- What are Warren’s views on sexuality, abortion, and more?
Last year, Reformed theologian and pastor John Piper interviewed megachurch pastor and bestselling author Rick Warren. The questions above and more are addressed in this remarkable interview. I want to make clear that I don’t agree with all of Piper’s theology (I am not a five-point Calvinist, for example), nor do I endorse all of Rick Warren’s choices (such as some of his speaking engagements). Nevertheless, I am a strong believer in letting people speak for themselves, rather than caricaturing and attacking them myself. It’s in that spirit that I encourage you to visit the link below and watch this very interesting interview…
I hope you enjoy the interview.
Money and the Bible: What God Really Says About Earning a Living and the Love of Money
1163 days
Millions of Christians over the years have been misled by religious and church teachings about money. I believe that these false teachings have driven many conscientious, well-meaning people of faith into anxiety, depression, debt, and/or poverty. In some cases, these falsehoods have been promulgated by opportunistic, money-hungry cultists or manipulative ministry leaders. In other cases, the false teachings have come from tragic misunderstandings of what the Bible actually says on the subject of money. And the more I consider this issue, the more convinced I am that the latter category is actually the most prevalent. For with the latter, many Christians have been led to believe that a desire for more money as well as any effort they put into the earning of additional income is inherently idolatrous and sinful. As a result, many people of faith have sabotaged their own efforts to provide for themselves and their families. It’s time to set the record straight.
“No Man Can Serve Two Masters”
When someone or something is your “Master,” it has your devotion along with a definite hold on your life. In the first century Roman world, a master had almost full control over his servants. The servant’s business was the master’s business. The servant could do nothing without the master’s permission, and declaring allegiance to a second master was naturally out of the question. This is the context within which Jesus was teaching. Everyone in his audience knew what he meant when he used the term “master.”
In the fall of 1988, long before I felt God leading me into the ministry, I took a semester off from George Mason University to intern with a congressional campaign in Mississippi. During my time there, I met a gentleman I’ll call “Jeff,” who served on the campaign’s leadership team. Jeff talked money so much, that on one occasion, this naive 19-year old intern blurted out: “There are things more important than money.” After the laughter in the room died down, Jeff looked at me, smiled, and asked: “What else is there?”
Clearly, Jeff would’ve fallen into the category of individuals that Jesus describes in Matthew 6 as having made money their “Master.” Jesus correctly points out that a person can only serve a single Master. One Master will achieve primacy in that person’s heart. Any attempt to serve both will inevitably lead to resentment toward one or the other.
When an individual positions himself or herself at the head of a ministry and uses that position for personal enrichment and gain at the expense of God’s people and/or God’s work, then that person has made Money his Master. We’ve all seen and read numerous examples of ministry leaders succumbing to greed and excess. It’s tragic. And when it happens at the expense of God’s work or people, it’s reprehensible.
Nevertheless, I believe there’s a more subtle and more dangerous teaching regarding money in the “mainstream” Christian community. As a result of this false teaching, honest Christians have been made to feel guilty for wanting extra money or striving to earn additional income. Jesus never said it was wrong for people to earn extra money. He said it was wrong for them to make money their “Master.” The desire for additional money is not necessarily making money your “Master.”
“Go to the ant, Sluggard!”
According to the Bible, a person who needs additional money to live should take inspiration from the ant! In the book of Proverbs, we read: “Go to the ant, sluggard; consider her ways and be wise; who having no guide, overseer, or ruler, provides her food in the summer and gathers her food in the harvest.” (Proverbs 6:6-8)
While I don’t necessarily intend to make a political statement here, ants don’t complain about how unfair or tough it is to make a living. You won’t find ants lobbying for minimum wage laws or holding “Occupy Roadkill” protests. Again, I’m not trying to be political. I’m not suggesting that all protests are bad or that it’s necessarily wrong to (at least on some occasions) address grievances, but sometimes, we invest too much of our most precious resource – time – into complaining, when we’re supposed to be working and producing!
Yet many Christians (in part due to terrible teaching from churches and ministry leaders) sabotage their efforts, because they feel guilty about wanting additional money. Do you realize that, in the ancient world, God’s people often worked sunup to sundown to put food on their tables? Hard work was not only a part of their everyday life. It was something God affirmed. You should work hard to provide for yourself and for your family. And, if the regular full-time job isn’t providing enough for your needs, then you should take a second job or start a part-time, home-based business. That’s taking an ancient biblical principle and applying it to the 21st century!
If you’ll allow for an aside, this principle applies to evangelists, pastors, and ministry leaders specifically as well as Christians in general. (See “Extra Money for Pastors?”) I know several pastors who don’t make enough money from their churches to meet all their needs. Well, to be blunt, Pastor, if your church isn’t providing adequately for your needs, then you need to take a lesson from the Apostle Paul. When the Apostle Paul needed income above and beyond what the churches he was planting were able or willing to provide, he made tents. And let’s be clear. Paul was not working as a part-time employee at Corinth Tents, Inc. He was undoubtedly a small business owner, an entrepreneur. Was Paul making money his “Master” when he set up his own tent-making business? When a pastor today chooses to mow lawns, work a part-time job, start a home-based business, write books, and/or give outside speeches or talks to supplement his income, is he making money his “Master”?
An evangelist recently came to our church to do a revival and asked to sell some of his books in the foyer. I had no problem with this, but asked if other churches had a problem. He said that a few did, and would be happy to remove the books if it were a problem. I told him I thought it was a shame that some professing Christians, including pastors, have a problem with him making money from his writings. He acknowledged that it was difficult as writing and speaking is how he makes a living. Some churches and some Christians have gotten downright ridiculous about this!
This isn’t just about pastors and evangelists, of course. It applies to any Christian. Let’s take someone who chooses to set up a home-based business to add additional income to her household. When she does this, is she making money her “Master”? If so, why is the woman in Proverbs 31 praised as “virtuous,” for that is precisely what she did? All Christians need to embrace this truth: There is nothing wrong, in and of itself, with wanting to earn additional money or working toward the earning of additional money. Nothing.
“The Love of Money is the root of all evil…”
At this point, many Christians say: “Wait a minute! The Bible says money is the root of all evil!” Nope. It never says that. The Apostle Paul wrote of the “love of money,” not money in and of itself. According to the classic King James Version, Paul wrote: “For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” (I Timothy 6:10)
Many scholars involved in translation work argue that the classic KJV is incorrect when it renders Paul’s words as “the root of all evil.” They say it should be “at the root of all kinds of evil,” which is what most of the other English translations say. Smarter people than me have debated this, but I tend to agree with the classic KJV. I don’t think there’s any need to reword or redefine what Paul said. The reason why is because most people don’t quote the whole verse. Here it is again (in the classic KJV): “For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”
Note that Paul ties the “love of money” in with covetousness, which brings to mind the Tenth Commandment, which in the classic KJV reads: “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his [donkey], nor any thing that is thy neighbour’s.” (Forgive me for not using the original three-letter KJV word for “donkey” 
).
Today, we think of money as currency – either paper currency or coinage. In the ancient world, “money” took on many forms, including the exchange of goods and services. In Old Testament times, for example, the Levites were not paid a check by the other tribes. They lived off the sacrifices of the people from the other tribes. That meant crops and livestock. Even as recent as colonial times in America, ministers were sometimes paid by the congregation in crops. Also in the ancient world and even into the medieval world, people labored for masters in exchange for food, shelter, and protection, not necessarily currency. You need to put yourself in the mindset of a first century Christian reading Paul’s letter to Timothy. Money had a much broader meaning. It referred to whatever you earned to make a living.
With that in mind, Paul is talking about gain, not necessarily currency. He’s talking about the means by which people accumulate things and services in general. And when people’s desire for more things and services turns into love, it plants seeds in their heart — seeds that can form a root system for greed and covetousness. And that is most certainly at the root of all evil.
Greed = Bad, Making a Living = Good
Biblical teaching on the subject of money can be expressed in the above formula. It’s wrong to desire additional money so that you can accumulate more things and serve your own lusts. But it is not wrong to recognize that you need additional revenue to meet your needs and/or the needs of your loved ones AND to then take the steps you need to take to earn that additional money.
How do you know when you cross the line? There are two tests. First, would you be willing to give up all that you have to follow God’s call on your life? Think about that question. If God asked you to walk away from a high-paying job and all the comforts you enjoy in your lifestyle and head to a foreign field as a missionary, would you do it? If God asked you to take a huge chunk of money you’ve accumulated in your savings account and donate it to a ministry or a family in need? Would you do it? Are you willing to give up what you’ve gained? If you’re not, then money is more important to you than God. Money is your master.
Second, are you tithing? The tithe is, in fact, God’s simplest test. Are you giving Him at least a tenth (that’s where we get the word “tithe” from) from the “first fruits” of your labor? See Genesis 14:20, Leviticus 27:30-32, Nehemiah 10:37-38, Proverbs 3:9, Malachi 3:8-10, I Corinthians 16:1-2, and II Corinthians 9:7. If you’re not obeying God with what you have, then you’ve told God He can’t trust with you more. You need to obey God in your tithes and offerings, if you want Him to bless your efforts to earn more for your family.
Assuming that you pass the above two tests, then there’s nothing wrong with your seeking out ways to earn additional money for your family. I believe that Christians should be the very best they can be in their jobs and businesses. If you work at a restaurant, you should be the most reliable, most conscientious, and most trustworthy employee there. If you’re in law enforcement, you should be the most trustworthy and diligent public servant in your agency, department, or police force. If you’re a sales professional, then you should be among the top producers for your company, assuming that you can do so with integrity, of course. I could go on. Christians should be the best, because we’re working not for ourselves, but ultimately we’re working for God.
And if, right now, you are in a situation where your needs are not being met or your income goals (retirement, savings, paying down debt, etc.) are not being reached, then you have the liberty from Christ to take action to improve your financial situation. Just make sure that you keep God as your Master, with money being but a tool. And never let the tool become your idol.
For more articles related to this subject, check out…
Does God Want You to be Rich? An Analysis of Prosperity Theology
3165 days
Joel Osteen, the pastor of America’s largest church, preaches a message of hope and inspiration that many people consider to be “prosperity theology,” the idea that God wants you to be healthy and wealthy in your time on this earth and that the Bible provides instructions on how to achieve those things in your life. It’s been said that “lies” or misleading claims are most dangerous when truth is mixed in. I believe this is the case with false doctrines as well. And let me be the first to say that prosperity theology can be a very dangerous doctrine.
High-profile televangelists and mega-church pastors who proclaim to their followers the virtues of Christian giving and tithing, while themselves living the high life with Armani suits and private jets have always struck this WalMart shopper as self-serving opportunists. As a pastor, I have frequently criticized “health and wealth” prosperity preaching as being dangerous and often heretical. While I stand by those warnings, I nevertheless feel that perhaps evangelical Christians critical of prosperity theology in general, and preachers like Joel Osteen in particular, too often “throw out the baby with the bathwater.”
Does God Want You to be Poor?
Recently, I attended a multi-day training event in Los Angeles, California for motivational speakers. I went because I believe that pastors can and should borrow insights, at times, from the business world. And I knew that the conference would provide some excellent training on public speaking, time management, organization, and marketing. I was not disappointed. It also allowed me to meet some very interesting people, including Bob Yates, a fellow ordained minister who runs a company called Circle of Champions. Bob’s company trains people, especially Christians, in the areas of personal and professional development. Many of his seminars deal with how Christians can achieve financial success through starting businesses and establishing what he (and other financial experts call) “multiple streams of income.”
During one of our many conversations this past weekend, we talked about how many Bible-believing Christians approach what they perceive as “prosperity theology” with deep suspicion. I too shared my concerns with prosperity theologians, including how there’s too much emphasis on financial gain and not enough on eternity. At one point, Bob posed a question that I will never forget. Without meaning to get melodramatic, the question has shifted my thinking on this subject. His question was simple: “How many people do you benefit by being poor?”
Chewing on that question for some time, I realized that it could easily be asked in this way: “Does God really want you to be poor?” I think many conscientious, well-intentioned, Bible-believing Christians feel (deep down) that He does. And let me say that I think there are seasons in which God will take His followers through poverty. The best example of this is Jesus Christ Himself, who had an interesting encounter with a would-be follower while traveling toward Jerusalem. In the ninth chapter of the Gospel of Luke, we read this:
Now it happened as they journeyed on the road, that someone said to Him, “Lord, I will follow You wherever You go.” And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.” -Luke 9:57-58
Clearly, there will be times when answering God’s call in your life means giving up material comforts and/or possessions. The early church in Acts brought all that they had to the apostles. Such was their commitment to God’s work! The “Great Faith Chapter” in Hebrews tells of men and women losing all that they had, including their lives, to follow Christ. The examples of this are numerous. And anyone who preaches that God only wants or even that He primarily wants physical health and/or material wealth for His followers is distorting Scripture.
Nevertheless, the Bible provides too many teachings on healthy financial living for us to conclude that the above paragraph represents the complete story. Returning to the example of Jesus, what about the thirty years before He began His ministry? Can we agree that the Son of Man most certainly did have a place to “lay his head” while likely serving as an apprentice to His earthly carpenter-father, Joseph? I’m not suggesting that Jesus was materially wealthy prior to beginning His ministry, but I am saying that His needs were provided for. Not provided for in some mystical, abstract “God will provide” kind of way, but rather due to timeless principles of work, stewardship, and provision that God wrote into the very DNA of Creation and the human race.
The Spiritual Cost of Poverty
While I understand that God does call people, at times, to financial sacrifice, let’s get one thing straight. I agree with Bob Yates, Joel Osteen, and others who say that there’s nothing inherently noble in poverty. In and of itself, poverty isn’t noble. It’s tragic.
Have you been in a situation where you can’t earn enough to put food on the table for yourself or for your family? Do you know what it’s like to lose your home because you can’t pay the rent or mortgage? Or perhaps you haven’t actually lost your home, but the shadow of losing it haunts you and your family? I know of many Christians who are completely dependent on the compassion and generosity of others, because they lack the ability (be it the health, skills, resources, know-how, or circumstances) to provide for themselves? While there are exceptions to this next statement, I’ve found that every Christian in such a situation feels trapped in more than just financial poverty. They feel emotionally and spiritually impoverished as well. Is that God’s plan for them?
Let’s take the focus off middle-class or lower-class America and shine the spotlight on other people groups in the world. Picture in your mind’s eye the millions of children suffering right now from excruciating poverty, who live in disease-ridden squalor and who are literally starving to death? Not only do I want to ask you whether that represents “God’s best” for them, I also want to ask whether you’re financially in a position to do anything about their suffering?
Consider how physical, emotional, and financial health all intertwine and deeply impact one’s spiritual outlook on life. In disadvantaged nations, those things can intertwine to impact your health and safety. In America, their effects may not be quite as dramatic, but they are there. Do I actually need to cite the statistics to prove how money-related challenges can lead to anxiety, stress, and depression as well as serious marriage and health problems? The evidence is so overwhelming that one would be foolish to deny such an obvious truth.
Not only is the cost of poverty evident in the lives of individuals and families, but it’s also felt in churches. It’s no secret that these recessionary times in which we live have resulted in decreased financial giving to churches and ministries. With less money to go around in their personal finances, Christians are giving less to God’s work, even though tithing is a fundamental teaching of God’s Word. As a result, churches are not able to do as much as they could to expand God’s kingdom. In the church I’m currently privileged to pastor, we’ve seen almost double growth in our attendance in the last two years, but financial giving has barely increased. More people are coming to church, but only a fraction of them are giving financially.
Does God Want You to be Rich?
Commenting on the dangers of prosperity theology, well-known evangelical leader Rick Warren categories the idea that “God wants everyone to be wealthy” as “baloney.” Warren, the pastor of Saddleback Church in California and author of the bestselling The Purpose-Driven Life, says: “You don’t measure your self-worth by your net worth. I can show you millions of faithful followers of Christ who live in poverty.” I agree, but should Christians strive for poverty? That is the question.
And let’s be clear. That is the question we’re talking about in this article. You’ve heard the saying: “If you’re not growing, you’re dying.” Likewise, if you’re not growing financially, you’re declining financially. Money is fluid. It’s dynamic, especially in our changing economic times. If you make $50,000 in 2011 and do not get a raise in 2012, then you are making less money in 2012. You are falling behind financially. That’s an economic fact. It’s true that we shouldn’t put our primary focus on material gain, but what Bible passage teaches that we should aim for financial loss? Where does it say in the Bible that, to be a good Christian, you should do what you can to make sure you make less money each year?
I would rather hear a message preached by Rick Warren or, even better, John MacArthur, than, say, Joel Osteen. But I agree wholeheartedly with Osteen, when he says: “I think we should have a mindset that God wants us to prosper in our relationships, our health, and our finances.” Is that not what the apostle John wishes for his readers in 3 John 2?
The Dangers in Prosperity Theology
It’s absolutely true that many well-known prosperity preachers have succumbed to greed and excess. And it’s also true that many “health and wealth” ministries have milked their adherents of millions of hard-earned dollars, so that the privileged few at the top can live the high life. This is shameful and reprehensible. God doesn’t command His followers to tithe, so that pastors can sport Armani suits and $500 watches!
I also agree that it’s dangerous to teach Christians that there’s a specific formula you can follow that guarantees you’ll achieve incredible prosperity in every area of your life. What’s more, we as God’s people are not to put our main focus on the things of this earth. Jesus is clear that we are to “lay up treasures in heaven.”
While I read, and was encouraged by, Joel Osteen’s first book Your Best Life Now, I must confess that I was troubled by his emphasis on this life. Jesus wants to bless us now, but the Christian’s best life is not in this fallen earth. There is no better life than eternity with God. In fairness, I believe Osteen would agree with that statement. I just feel that sometimes we get our focus off track.
Most importantly, while Osteen does mention the salvation plan in his books and at the end of his broadcasts, it’s often just that: a mention. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is to be the primary message of the church. I have no problem with a Christian writing a motivational, self-help book. Zig Ziglar has written some great ones! But I do have a concern when an entire ministry seems to revolve around a motivational, self-help message that relegates the Gospel to a mere “mention.” Of course, Osteen would likely respond that he’s merely following Paul’s instructions in I Corinthians 9 to become “all things to all men” and thus meet audiences where they are. And it’s a fair point. I think there is value in addressing people’s felt needs. Rick Warren would likewise agree.
I will also concede that God has probably used Osteen’s inspirational messages to draw people to salvation in Jesus Christ. But I do believe major caution is in order here. If a person sees Jesus as an add-on (an impression one can easily get when Jesus is simply tacked on as a final, parting mention to an otherwise secular-sounding message), that person hasn’t experienced the call to repentance necessary for salvation. And that’s no small matter. How many of the professions of faith in Christ attributable to Osteen’s ministry represent true repentance (and thus true salvation) versus how many constitute people just trying to tack Jesus onto their lives with no real heart change? I don’t know the answer, and neither do you. Only God does. But it is a question I hope Joel Osteen and the leaders of Lakewood Church are praying about.
Putting God in Charge of Your Life
Nevertheless, I return to Bob’s question: “Who benefits from your being poor?” Rick Warren, for all his just criticisms of the excesses of prosperity theology, is himself doing quite well. God has provided for his needs and given Pastor Warren a global reach that he wouldn’t have otherwise had, were it not for the fame and fortune. True to his character, Pastor Warren has shoveled most of the fortune back God’s way. I read that Warren has paid back his church all the money they ever paid him in a salary and, if I remember correctly, only takes a dollar a year salary now. As to his book earnings, he tithes 90 percent of those earnings and lives off the 10 percent. What a testimony! Likewise, Joel Osteen several years ago stopped taking a salary from his church. Other pastors over the years, such as the legendary W.A. Criswell, were able to do the same when their royalties provided well beyond their needs. There is nothing wrong with this. In fact, it’s a great thing. It helps them and it helps their churches. And it illustrates precisely where I think people like Bob Yates are coming from. The more resources God gives you – whether it be in the way of time, talents, or wealth – the more God can use you.
In our conversations, Bob never said money should be viewed as anything more than a tool. It is a means to an end. And the “end” is where you can really tell a person’s heart. If you desire more money so that you can fly in private jets, own your own yacht, wear expensive clothes to show off to your acquaintances, shop in status-oriented stores, and just “enjoy the good life,” then you are “laying up treasures on earth.” But if, like Rick Warren, you want God to bless you financially, so that you can do more for Him, then your heart is in the right place.
There is nothing morally wrong or sinful with a person being rich. If so, then how do you explain Abraham, Job, Solomon, and Esther (who, can we agree, married into significant wealth)? The issue is not how much money you make or have, but rather what you do with it.
For my own part, I hope that God provides me with whatever I need to fulfill the call He has placed on my life. For I am here for Him, not for myself. I am fully responsible to God for what He gives me now and what He chooses to give me in the future. And, based on the promise of His Word, the more faithful I am to following Him, obeying Him, and serving Him, the better positioned I will be for His blessings along with His additional instructions.
How to Defeat Worry and Anxiety
0174 days
by Pastor Tubbs
in Christian Living
In his letter to the church in Philippi, the apostle Paul wrote: “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Phil 4:6-7).
How can we put Paul’s admonition into practice? How can we win the war against worry and anxiety? Here are a few tips to help…
1. Pray
You need a weapon to fight a battle. You need something to occupy your mind, to channel the energy which you would otherwise use (“waste” would be a better word) by worrying. The best tool is the one Paul speaks of in Philippians 4, and that’s PRAYER.
Don’t worry about things. PRAY about them!
2. Count Your Blessings
Worry takes place when our minds focus on things that are bothering us – both real and imagined. These things may be happening now or may be future possibilities. Rather than focus on the negatives, why not focus on the positives? Count your blessings. They are JUST AS REAL as the stuff over which you may be tempted to worry. So, focus on them.
3. Study Anxiety, Fear, and Worry
Brush up on how worry works. Study how the mind processes feelings and emotions. Be proactive in learning how your brain works – and what you can do about it. Here are a couple articles on the subjects of worry, stress, etc. that can get you started…
Count Your Blessings: Name Them One by One
0178 days
by Pastor Tubbs
in Christian Living
I basically grew up with a hymnal. The two churches I attended from childhood through my young adult years (Trinity Baptist Church and Bethlehem Baptist Church) loved to sing hymns! For that matter, so does my current church (Olney Baptist Church) and the one I served as pastor in Ohio (Sligo Baptist Church). And one of the hymns still burned into my memory is “Count Your Blessings” by Rev. Johnson Oatman, Jr., one of the most prolific gospel song writers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. For those unfamiliar with the song’s lyrics, here they are….
When upon life’s billows you are tempest tossed,
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your blessings, see what God hath done!
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your many blessings, see what God hath done.
Are you ever burdened with a load of care?
Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?
Count your many blessings, every doubt will fly,
And you will keep singing as the days go by.
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your blessings, see what God hath done!
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your many blessings, see what God hath done.
When you look at others with their lands and gold,
Think that Christ has promised you His wealth untold;
Count your many blessings money cannot buy
Your reward in heaven, nor your home on high.
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your blessings, see what God hath done!
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your many blessings, see what God hath done.
So, amid the conflict whether great or small,
Do not be discouraged, God is over all;
Count your many blessings, angels will attend,
Help and comfort give you to your journey’s end.
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your blessings, see what God hath done!
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your many blessings, see what God hath done.
I can’t think of any better advice for this Thanksgiving season.
The Truth About Life: Five Facts Everyone Needs to Know
0186 days
The famous philosopher Socrates once said: “The unexamined life is not worth living.” Yet many people wander through life without taking the time to understand the nature of life, the meaning of life, or their direction in life. Bestselling author and legendary motivator Zig Ziglar says that we can be a “wandering generality” or a “meaningful specific,” and it’s the latter type of person who enjoys the most fulfillment, happiness, and success. Here are five facts that everyone needs to know about the life we are each living:
1) Life is short.
In Psalm 90, Moses says that each person can expect to live about 70 or 80 years. This ancient piece of wisdom tracks with modern science. While some people live longer and many don’t even make it to 70 or 80, the average life expectancy for men and women falls pretty close to the range given by Moses thousands of years ago. And these seven or eight decades of life pass quickly. Another biblical writer, James, describes life as a “vapor” which “appears for a little time” and then “vanishes away.”
There’s no way to know for certain how much time you will have. There are things we can do to influence the length of days we are given, but there’s always going to be element of uncertainty and mystery when it comes to the specifics. One thing we can know, however, is that life is brief.
2) We have only one life.
The book of Hebrews tells us that it’s “appointed unto a man once to die, and after this, the judgment.” We get one life on earth. While there are some people who teach an endless cycle of reincarnation, these claims are not supported by biblical or scientific evidence. The Bible is clear that we each have but one life to live….on this earth. And after that, we enter into eternity.
The practical implications of this should be obvious. You have one opportunity to get this life thing right. Just one. You can’t “blow it” in one life and then hope you’ll get it right the next go-around. There is no next go-around. You have to get it right now…in this life. That may sound depressing, especially if you feel your life is a mess, but bear with me. I’ll be getting to the good stuff in a moment.
3) This life isn’t all there is to reality.
While this may seem to contradict my previous point, hang with me. You have only one life on this earth, but your life on this earth isn’t all there is to reality. In fact, the earth isn’t all there is to reality. There’s a greater reality out there. And it comprises more than simply the physical world.
We are conditioned to think and understand reality in terms of our senses. That which we can see, touch, taste, feel, or hear is considered “real.” Otherwise, it’s mythical or false. Yet there are many things which we experience that can’t be explained by our senses….or by science. If you doubt me, watch this video clip of a debate between Christian apologist William Lane Craig and chemist Peter Atkins…
As Dr. Craig articulately demonstrates, there are many aspects of life that are plainly obvious – what Thomas Jefferson would call “self-evident” – that can’t be proved by science or demonstrated necessarily by our physical senses. This establishes clearly that reality transcends each person. There’s more to reality than just us, and this should be both thought-provoking and exciting.
4) When it comes to this life, you are responsible for it.
The one common denominator that all living people share is that they each have their own life. And we are each responsible for this life. While it’s true that life on earth (at least collectively and socially speaking) is full of hardship, inequality, unfairness, etc., it’s equally true that it’s full of wonder and opportunity. Regardless of your present circumstances (whether they be positive or negative), it does little good to point the finger or blame others. You alone are responsible for your life and how it turns out. Yes, other people and other circumstances will impact and influence your life — sometimes greatly so. But you must take responsibility for how you deal with, react, and navigate through life’s challenges and opportunities.
Brian Tracy, the great motivational speaker and personal development guru, said that this realization came to him when he was at the lowest point in his life. Broke, discouraged and working in a dead-end job, Tracy had an epiphany. He writes: “One night as I sat at my kitchen table, I had a great flash of awareness. It changed my life. I suddenly realized that everything that would happen to me for the rest of my life was going to be up to me. No one else was ever going to help me. No one was coming to the rescue.” In his book Goals: How to Get Everything You Want – Faster Than You Ever Thought Possible, Tracy explains: “It is only when you free yourself from negative emotions by accepting complete responsibility that you can begin to set and achieve goals in every area of your life. It is only when you are free, mentally and emotionally, that you can begin to channel your energy and enthusiasm in a forward direction.”
5) The Creator wants a relationship with you.
While scholars and theologians may debate aspects and doctrines within the Bible, one of the many unmistakable themes from Scripture is that God wants to have a relationship with His Creation. I realize, however, that some of my skeptical readers may cringe at my using the Bible to make a truth claim. So, even though I believe the Bible to be God’s Word, I will set it aside for a moment and appeal to common sense.
You exist. Let’s start with that premise, shall we? If you are in the fringe, quasi-philosophical camp that questions existence itself, then you’ll at least have to grant that thought exists, that beliefs exist. Since you are having thoughts and beliefs, it’s fair to say that “you” exist, even if you have a very confused understanding of what “you” entails. For the vast majority of my readers, however, no one will have a tough time grasping the fundamental concept of self-existence. Starting with the premise of existence then, it is fair to consider the question of what caused you to come into existence.
The law of causality, a common sense principle that has underlined science, religion, and philosophy, for most of human history, demands that every cause must have an effect. You exist, yet you have not always existed. Therefore, you were caused. What caused you to come into existence? What caused you to begin to exist? You will undoubtedly think of your parents, but what caused them to exist? And what about their parents and their parents and their parents and their parents – right on back to the beginning of the human race? If you believe in evolution, then what caused the evolutionary ancestors of mankind to exist? And what caused the early stages of evolution to occur? In fact, what initiated evolution itself? (Note that I believe that God created the heavens and the earth. I’m merely playing along with what atheists, agnostics, and skeptics will relate with).
At some point, we will come to Aristotle’s ultimate First Cause. Something or Someone had to begin human existence as well as the universe itself. Basically, anything that comes into existence had to have a cause. And that brings us back eventually to a timeless, infinite, all-powerful supernatural Cause.
Setting aside the Bible and all other religious faiths for a moment, if it’s reasonable to conclude that a supernatural Being of some kind brought the universe into existence (and, as we saw earlier, that it’s obvious there’s more to reality than what science and our physical senses can explain), it’s fair to then assume this Creator had a reason for bringing all of us into existence. When you and I build something, it’s for a reason and purpose, right? Since we’ve been created, it’s therefore reasonable to conclude it was for a reason.
When you then consider the relational aspect of humanity, the fact that we need relationships, then it’s highly probable that relationship had something to do with the Creator’s purpose. From a purely logical standpoint then, it’s highly likely that the Creator wants to have a relationship with the human race. Since you are part of the human race, that means the Creator wants to have a relationship with you.
With the above, I’ve used logic and reason (working off of some pretty common sense premises) to bring us to what the Bible has long claimed: That God created the human race. That God loves the human race. And that God desires a relationship with the human race. That is, in fact, the entire story of the Bible.
Take heart. You are here because God wants you here. And God wants to have a relationship with you. The key to finding your purpose and to achieving happiness in life is having that relationship with Him. Now that you know that, the ball is in your court?
For more on this subject, I encourage you to read the Gospel of John. Nothing beats starting with the Bible. In addition to God’s Word, I would encourage you to read The Purpose-Driven Life by Rick Warren and (though I differ with his Calvinist leanings, especially in Chapter Seven) No Doubt About It: The Case for Christianity by Winfried Corduan.
God bless you.
