Truth-Based Living
with Brian Tubbs
What is the Biblical Role of a Pastor?
255 days
What is the biblical role of a pastor? What does the Bible say about pastors? Few offices in the church have stirred as much controversy or confusion as that of pastor. Some denominations claim that pastors (or priests) are necessary to intercede on behalf of the people before God. Others claim that the office itself is never called for in Scripture, and that the church should be “organic” with every church member functioning on a coequal basis as the Holy Spirit leads. As this article will hopefully show, the truth lies with neither extreme.
What Does the Bible Say About Pastors?
According to the Apostle Paul, Jesus gave “some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers for the equipping of the saints, for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ” (Ephesians 4:11-12, NKJV).
Paul’s letter to the church at Ephesus explains that these “gifts” (or people) were intended by Jesus to advance His work via His church. This passage is notable, because it is the only time that the Greek word “poimen” is used to denote a church position. “Poimen” means “shepherd” and is the basis for the English word “pastor.” The significance of this word becomes clearer when one considers how often Jesus refers to His followers as “sheep” (John 10:1-6; John 21:16-17, etc.). Paul’s use of the term “poimen” in Ephesians 4 thus indicates that Jesus calls some (but not all) of His followers to serve as leaders (or “shepherds”) of His church.
Pastors, Elders, and Bishops
Peter confirms the interchangeable nature of the words “pastor” and “elder,” when he exhorts the “elders” to “be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as overseers – not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve” (I Peter 5:2, NIV).
The word “elder” is also used, on occasion, to denote an older person (I Timothy 5:1), but a pastor need not be an “elder” in the sense of age. Timothy, after all, was evidently fairly young (his mother and grandmother both apparently still living) and was taking over as head pastor in Ephesus (I Timothy 4:12). A pastor is, however, not to be a “novice” to the Christian faith (I Timothy 3:6) and must accept the responsibility of leading by example (I Timothy 4:12).
What about the office of bishop? By the second century, bishops were serving as regional heads of local congregations, thus giving rise to the hierarchical character several denominations manifest today. In the first century, however, it appears that a bishop was essentially the same as a pastor.
The only possible distinction might be that a bishop was the senior pastor. Timothy, for example, was taking the office of bishop (I Timothy 3:1) and was serving in an oversight capacity in relation to other elders (or pastors) in the church (I Timothy 5:19). There’s not enough scriptural or scholarly evidence, however, to make too much of this distinction. For all practical purposes, Timothy (as a bishop) fulfilled the same basic role as any pastor or elder.
God’s Design for Church Leadership
While the church is universal in scope, it was intended to be locally organized. And pastors are at the center of that local organization, being tasked with pastoral “oversight” and ultimately being held responsible to the Chief Shepherd (I Peter 5).
The biblical principle is clear: Pastors, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit and within the parameters of their biblical qualifications (I Timothy 3:1-7; I Peter 5:1-4), are to pray for, lead, teach, and equip for ministry their respective local congregations. And those local churches in turn are to follow and take care of their pastors (Hebrews 13:17; I Timothy 5:17-18). The healthiest churches are those that practice this arrangement.
For more on this subject, check out a similar version of this article which appeared in Suite101 Protestantism in 2009 by clicking on the link below…
Suite101 Protestantism: “What is the Biblical Role of a Pastor?”
What Does the Bible Say About Church Services?
056 days
What does the Bible say about the worship service? Should there be an order of worship or should churches have open participation with no script? What does the Bible say?
There’s a growing and popular movement in Christian circles alternately called the “organic church” and “house church” movement. Advocates for the “organic church” or “house church” argue that the early church was characterized by “Spirit-led” open participation, whereas the modern church is too scripted, too hierarchical, and completely outside of what the New Testament teaches.
Most Christian churches today, however, feature scripted and rehearsed worship services. Most people sit through their Sunday morning sermons, complete with singing, an offering, and a sermon, with an assumption that this is more or less how things happened in the early church. Is it possible this assumption is wrong?
To continue with this article, visit Suite101 Protestantism by clicking on the following link…
“What Does the Bible Say About Worship Services?: Examining the Myth of the Organic Church”
What is the Biblical Purpose of the Church?
158 days
When you think of the “church,” many people have different reactions, opinions, and expectations. Nowhere is this more evident than in the church itself. Some people believe the church should be a service or charity organization, taking care of those with physical or mental health needs. Others believe the church should be an engine for social or political action. Others believe it should be a social club for like-minded believers or a “safe harbor” for those who wish to protect their families from harmful cultural influences. What does the Bible say about the role and purpose of the church?
What is the Church?
The word “church” is used in the Scriptures in two ways. In one way, we see it used to describe the universal body of Christ, as in all those who have trusted Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. Even though the church is universal in scope, the second use of the word shows us how it is to function. The church is locally organized, and that is the second use of the word. In fact, that’s the most common use of the word in the New Testament. You had the church in Jerusalem, the church in Corinth, the church in Ephesus, the church in Philippi, the church in Rome, and so on. For our purposes, we will be talking about the local church.
What is the Purpose of the Church?
In The Purpose-Driven Church, Rick Warren explains how “multiple driving forces” often compete for attention in churches today, resulting in “conflict” and all too often churches that try to “head in several different directions at the same time.”
Most organizations that function effectively have mission and/or purpose statements. These statements clarify why the organizations exist and they help their leaders and members set goals and establish priorities accordingly. Likewise, Jesus Christ gave His church (and, let’s be clear, it is His church!) a Mission Statement. We know it as the Great Commission. The Gospel of Matthew records Jesus, based on His authority, issuing the following directive:
“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” (Matthew 28:19-20, KJV)
While the church can do other things (feed the hungry, clothe the naked, shelter the homeless, visit the sick, lobby on social issues, etc., etc., etc.), its primary mission is to lead people to Jesus Christ, baptize those who accept Christ, and then teach them what Jesus taught. In other words, the church’s mission is to produce more disciples of Jesus Christ.
In Acts, we see a picture of how, practically speaking, the church is to accomplish these things. According to Luke, the early church “continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers” (Acts 2:42, KJV). The “apostles’ doctrine” represents the teachings of Jesus, as given by Him personally and directly as well as by His appointed disciples, the apostles. Fellowship refers to Christians in the church encouraging one another, supporting one another, and holding each other accountable. The “breaking of bread” is a reference to the Lord’s Supper or Communion. And “prayers” is obvious.
Yet all these things listed in Acts 2:42 were in the context of movement. They were in the context of God’s people carrying out an important mission entrusted to them by Jesus Christ Himself. In Transformational Church, Ed Stetzer and Thom Rainer write: “The church was designed by God to be on the move in the world, not sitting in the corner of the neighborhood waiting for the needy to show up on its doorstep.”
Scoring the Church
No matter how hard it tries, a church simply can’t do everything. It can’t please everyone in its own fellowship, let alone everyone in the community. It can’t meet every need or address every want. It can do some things, but not all things. The smaller the church, the truer this is. With that in mind, the church must focus its resources and energies around its mission. It must focus itself on the Great Commission.
In professional sports, the way you can tell whether a team is successful or not is by looking at their record. For each game, it’s the scorecard. For the season, it’s their win-loss record. With the church, the New Testament gives us the scorecard. Stetzer and Rainer explain: “The ultimate measure of a church is to see people following Christ and living on mission.”
We are to track the number of people we are reaching for Christ, those who have accepted Christ, those who are baptized, and those we are teaching and training to be disciples of Jesus Christ. That’s how we know whether a church is being successful or not.
Money and the Bible: What God Really Says About Earning a Living and the Love of Money
160 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
362 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
071 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…
Inherit the Wind: Compelling Fiction, Bad History
073 days
by Pastor Tubbs
in Apologetics
Have you seen the movie Inherit the Wind? If not, you’ve missed one of the most culturally significant films in the 20th century. Inherit the Wind, starring Spencer Tracy, is a fictional portrayal of the famous (or infamous) John T. Scopes “Monkey” Trial, which took place in Dayton, Tennessee in 1925.
**Read “A Critique of Inherit the Wind”over at Suite101 Protestantism.
In the real trial, John T. Scopes, a substitute biology teacher, was prosecuted by the state of Tennessee for teaching Darwin’s theory of evolution. It was against state law to teach evolution.
Former Democratic Party presidential candidate William Jennings Bryan headlined the prosecution, and famous defense attorney Clarence Darrow represented Scopes. Tourists and reporters descended on Dayton for what became a sensationalized showdown between “Science” and “Religion” – played out between two celebrity titans.
The high point of the trial was when Clarence Darrow cross-examined William Jennings Bryan as an expert on the Bible. Darrow hoped to ridicule Bryan and cast doubt on the Bible. While he did succeed in embarrassing Bryan during the course of his questions, Darrow himself was also flustered and “shown up” a few times. In the end, both men lost their cool, and the examination degenerated into a shouting match. The entire cross-examination was ruled irrelevant and thrown out.
A majority of the national reporters present in Dayton, however, took a dim view of Bryan, and viewed the exchange as a decisive victory for Darrow. And that’s exactly how they reported it! This was especially the case with famous reporter H.L. Mencken, who despised Bryan.
Bryan died a few days after the trial, and even though he technically won the case (Scopes was found guilty and fined $100), the “standard line” became that Bryan was humiliated at the trial.
It was this premise – that Bryan was shown to be an ignorant buffoon – that informed the 1960 movie Inherit the Wind. And in the film, Darrow (renamed Henry Drummond) reduces Bryan (renamed Matthew Harrison Brady) to a stammering, dazed idiot who drops dead in the courtroom! (In reality, Bryan was not left stammering or dazed — and did not die in the courtroom).
Bryan College, a four-year school founded in honor of William Jennings Bryan, has committed itself to defending Bryan’s legacy and setting the record straight concerning the Scopes “Monkey” Trial. While Bryan College recently announced the ending of a play based on the famous trial - a play drawn from actual trial manuscripts – the college is releasing a movie titled Inherit the Truth.
While Inherit the Wind makes for good drama, it’s poor history. There are a number of clear differences between the play / movie and what actually took place in 1925.
For more on this topic, read “A Critique of Inherit the Wind“ over at Suite101 Protestantism.
Count Your Blessings: Name Them One by One
075 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
083 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.
An Appropriate Ronald Reagan Speech for Veterans Day
087 days
In honor of Veterans Day 2011 (11-11-11), I would like to post this classic speech from President Ronald Reagan during the 40th anniversary observance of the Normandy D-Day invasion. Reagan’s soothing, fatherly voice and the rhythmic cadences of his oratorical style are very much on display here, especially as he tells of Private First Class Peter Zanatta and his daughter, Lisa Zanatta. Listen to this wonderful speech…
The ending of this speech always brings tears to my eyes. What a great tribute to World War II veterans and a great challenge to all Americans — even today.
