Fields of Gold

Last Sunday our teacher shared with us from Andy Stanley's book, Fields of Gold. He used an illustration that made me somewhat uneasy. Let me explain.

In the book Andy Stanley talks about a couple who found themselves in debt; two car loans, student loans, mortgage and $20K credit card debt and they also discovered that the wife was pregnant and her job was being phased out. They were told to consider tithing and they didn't know if they could but decided to any way. They found out that the wife got a settlement from her company for $35K and that the husband got promoted to a much higher paying position that included the use of a company car. The implication was, though not directly, that it was the result of the couple making a decision to tithe.

So what is my problem? Don't I consider tithing important? Isn't God capable of doing this? The answer to the last two questions is a definite "yes". So then what is the answer to my problem? Or should I even have a problem?

The teacher is using four different books for his lesson and I cannot see Randy Alcorn, John Piper or David Platt using this illustration the way Andy Stanley used it. When we use an illustration it should not be open to the wrong interpretation and I think that this illustration flies in the face of David Platt's radically changed lifestyle approach, Randy Alcorn's eternity in view approach or John Piper's wasting your life approach.

Now to be fair to Andy Stanley and the couple they did look at involment in missions and they did put God first in the finances (or so they said).

There is no indication in the illustration that their lifestyle changed. What got them in the mess in the first place seemed to continue on in their lives. Unless we believe that it was their lack of giving to the Lord the problem. I don't think it was but rather it was what David Platt calls "living the American dream".

So let me run a couple of things by you. What would have happened if they did not decide to tithe? They may still of recieved the settlement and been promoted. Is it fair to say that it was the result of their tithing? I am not sure but I have to ask. What would have happened if they had to sell one of their cars, sell their house and move into something smaller because they didn't receive the settlement or the promotion? How would that have affected their decision? We are called to be faithful stewards with what God has given us even when the results of our decision goes against us.

But my biggest problem is that this illustration may lead us to the wrong conclusion. We may think that if we tithe God is obligated to reward us. That is not true. Too many times our teacher has reminded us that we do not give to get but we do get to give.

Those are just my thoughts and I would be delighted to hear from you whether you agree or disagree with me. If I am off base let me know. Remember I am not critising Stanley's book or even his illustration except that it is left open to what I consider the wrong intrepretation.

Just venting.

What can I learn from them?

When you listen to some teachers or preachers it would appear that if we didn't believe exactly what they believe then we are a heretic. Well that may be true but it is also a very dangerous position. As a Christian I hope I believe all the right things but I am not so naive as to think that all my theology is right. As a Calvinist I can learn from an Armenian; as a pre-mill I can learn from the a-mills. We have to be careful that we base our beliefs on the Word of God and not upon man's teaching. We can learn a lot from other teachers but we must also keep in mind that they are not God and we must not treat them like God.
Paul reminds the Corinthians that different leaders have different responsibilities. That does not make the one who plants greater than the one who waters or even the one who harvests. Until we realize that all these teachers are a gift from God we will not be mature in our Christian faith.

The Baby likes Ham

When are second son was a few months old my wife and I were in charge of the church picnic so one of the older ladies offered to care for our infant son. He was being fussy so she gave him a piece of ham to suck on. He was fine for her but that night he had a terrible stomach ache and we paid for her compromise.
Babies need milk. Their digestive system is not ready for solid food but as they get older we expect that they will graduate from a milk only diet to be able to eat solid food. We don't give a baby ham but if they never eat solid food them we are concerned.
That is the same with Christians. Christians need the milk of the Word so that they will grow but we expect them to grow into a diet of solid food.

Living the Gospel Centred Life

The following is fromm Bob Hayton:

Many Christians live with a truncated view of the gospel. We see the gospel as the “door,” the way in, the entrance point into God’s kingdom. But the gospel is so much more! It is not just the door, but the path we are to walk every day of the Christian life. It is not just the means of our salvation, but the means of our transformation. It is not simply deliverance from sin’s penalty, but release from sin’s power. The gospel is what makes us right with God (justification) and it is also what frees us to delight in God (sanctification). The gospel changes everything!

Wildfire

I lived in Northwestern Ontario for over 40 years where wildfires were common. Sometimes for no apparent reason the forests would catch on fire and burn out of control. I also grew up on the prairies where at one time wild grass fires were common.
Fire is an amazing thing. When it is controlled it can bring warm and comfort or it can be used to cook our food but a wildfire is dangerous.
The Holy Spirit is like a fire but He is really more like a wildfire than a controlled fire. We would like to have the Holy Spirit warm us, feed us and comfort us but then it is all about us and He is not ours to control. He is a fire but remember He is a wildfire.

Sophia

A friend of mine and a member of our class wrote this on facebook after yesterday's class:

Sophia - meaning wisdom from the Greek. Where human wisdom ends, God's wisdom begins. Some men spend their life on earth trying to figure out everything on earth. God, the creator of this world, designed and built it along with the entire universe. Who are we to understand God? We are so finite, so small in comparison. In light of 'wisdom', where is your focus? Here and now or eternity? Is there anything you'll regret when you meet Jesus? That can change right now!

Yesterday we had Bob Beasley from the Bible League of Canada join us to talk about wisdom. It is always a pleasure to do a question and answer with Bob.

My friend then posted this:

This was discussed in the adult Sunday school today at church. Preach the cross man!!!

Where is the Cross?

I have a friend who didn't like the fact that when the screen was down at the front of our church you couldn't see the cross. He felt that the cross should always be visible in the church.
Is it necessary that the cross be always visible? I am not sure that it needs to be but it must be behind everything we do as a church. Without the cross there is no need of a church. However, that is not the cross as a symbol but the cross upon which our Saviour died.