What does the Bible mean by: “be away from the body and at home with the Lord”?

2 Corinthians 5:8

“Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.” (ESV)

Dr. John MacArthur in his book:  “The Glory of Heaven” says that this was not a morbid death-wish on Paul’s part. He was not saying he was fed up with living and eager to die. Rather, he was expressing his confidence that earthly existence is not the end of life at all for the Christian. Death immediately ushers the believer into a fuller, higher realm of more abundant life—in the very presence of the Lord.  If you are a Christian, trusting Christ alone for your salvation, Scripture promises that the moment you leave this life you go to heaven. To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. To depart this life is to be “with Christ” (Phil. 1:23). “To live is Christ, and to die is gain” (v. 21).

A number of speculative views have been proposed to attempt to answer this question. With regard to the state of Old Testament believers, for example, some teach that in the Old Testament, Hades (the realm of the dead) was divided into two sections—one for the wicked and one for the righteous. They suggest that Old Testament saints who died went to the realm called “Abraham’s bosom” (cf. Luke 16:22–23)—a sort of holding tank for the righteous. According to this theory, these believers were not brought into heaven until Christ conquered death in His resurrection.

Most of that is sheer conjecture with little, if any, real biblical support. Wilbur Smith writes, “However abundant the Scriptural data might be regarding the resurrection of believers and their life in heaven, the state of the soul between death and resurrection is rarely referred to in the Bible.” Scripture simply does not give much information about the intermediate state. But what we do know from Scripture is enough to debunk wrong theories.

Everything Scripture says about the death of believers indicates that they are immediately ushered consciously into the Lord’s presence. In the words of the Westminster Confession of Faith, “The bodies of men after death return to dust, and see corruption; but their souls, (which neither die nor sleep,) having an immortal subsistence, immediately return to God who gave them. The souls of the righteous, being then made perfect in holiness, are received into the highest heavens, where they behold the face of God in light and glory, waiting for the full redemption of their bodies” (32.1).

To read more about this topic I would encourage you to get the book by Dr. MacArthur:

MacArthur, J. (1996). The glory of heaven: The truth about heaven, angels, and eternal life (71). Wheaton, Ill.: Crossway Books.

Go to: http://www.amazon.com/Glory-Heaven-Truth-Angels-Eternal/dp/1581340346 to order your personal copy.

Do Something – What is God’s Purpose for me?

Miles McPherson in his book “Do Something” answers this question with the story of Jesus and the religious leaders:

Jesus stood surrounded by men in religious robes and multicolored turbans.  They were taking turns questioning Him, like tag-team wrestling.

First the Sadducee s confronted Jesus about the resurrection.  They were “sad, you see,” because they did not believe in it.

After Jesus bent their minds with His wisdom, they walk away with their tails between their legs and tagged the Pharisees, who jumped into the ring for a shot at Jesus.

Jesus must have rolled His eyes when one of the Pharisees challenged Him with are You Smarter than a 5th Grader? question.  “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?”

He answered, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’  This is the first and great commandment.  And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’  On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets”  (Matthew 22:36-40).

What is the fastest way of being blessed by God?  That is easy: keep the great commandment to love God and love your neighbor.

Loving the world was undoubtedly the purpose of Jesus’ life.  You know the familiar Bible verse:  “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son …” (John 3:16).  This is also the purpose of our lives.  In other words, the foundation of everything we do must be out of loving God and loving our neighbor.  Jesus also told us that people would know we were His disciples by our love, one for another (John 13:34-35).

Every believer is call to DO SOMETHING.  To love God, to love one another, and to love the world the way God does … how’s that … GIVING — of time – talent – and treasure.  Join with God today in His purpose for you life — Give Your Life Away!

If you missed last Sunday’s message or any message in the DO SOMETHING series … go to:  http://www.hhbconline.com/thepulse/sermons_online.php and you can listen to an audio or watch a video of a message from this series.

Do Something — The Plan

No one has done more good in and for this world than Jesus.  During His three-year ministry, He established a moral standard for humankind that has yet to be improved upon.  He healed the sick, cast demons out of the possessed, and raised the dead.  He has a Plan for you, and guess what it says?  You were created to do something great.

John 14:2 – “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to the Father.”

Did you just see that … no really … did you just see what God’s word says to every believer -  “… and greater works than these ….”- do what?  How can we do anything greater than Jesus.  There’s only one way.  In the power of the Holy Spirit we can do greater works.  How awesome is that thought?  Every believer has the wonderful opportunity to partner with God in such a way that just as the Father had a plan for the Son (see Acts 2:22–23 (ESV) ²² “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know— ²³ this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men”) … so that same Father has a plan for each of us … to do greater works.

Dr. John MacArthur says:  “Jesus did not mean greater works in power, but in extent. They would become witnesses to all the world through the power of the indwelling and infilling of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8) and would bring many to salvation because of the Comforter dwelling in them. The focus is on spiritual rather than physical miracles. The book of Acts constitutes the beginning historical record of the impact that the Spirit-empowered disciples had on the world (cf. Acts 17:6).

Baker New Testament Commentary – John says:  “Christ’s works had consisted to a considerable extent of miracles in the physical realm, performed largely among the Jews. When He now speaks about the greater works, He is in all probability thinking of those in connection with the conversion of the Gentiles. Such works were of a higher character and vaster in extent. That Jesus actually has this great task in mind seems to follow from the fact that He referred to it just a few days before (12:23–32), and also definitely during this very night (17:20).  Now this conversion of (God’s elect from among) the Gentiles, this work of Peter in the home of Cornelius and of Paul on all his missionary journeys, could not have been done before Christ’s death and ascension for the simple reason that at that time the Holy Spirit had not yet been poured out. For that very reason the wall of separation was still in existence. All this was going to change presently, that is, in connection with Christ’s death, resurrection, ascension, and coronation. Hence, Jesus is able to say, “Greater works than these will he do because I am going to the Father.”

Warren Wiersbe says:  “Of course, it is not the believer himself who does these “greater things”; it is God working in and through the believer: “The Lord working with them” (Mark 16:20). “For it is God which worketh in you” (Phil. 2:13). Faith and works must always go together, for it is faith that releases the power of God in our lives.”

All that said … dear believers we get to be a part of the greatest part of life.  Seeing people experience Life-Change through Jesus Christ.  There is so much that life can become … what are you doing with the ONE life you been blessed?   God’s purpose for your life is to love Him by obeying Him.  He has created you to do something great with your life.  Each of us will have unique things to do, but whatever we do, it should be out of obedience to God.

Follow the example of Christ.  Jesus gave His life, not because of some emotional attachment to someone or something, but out of obedience.  His obedience led Him into the desert to be tempted by the devil.  His obedience is what led to all of His miracles.  His obedience paved the way for our sins to be forgiven.  He humbled Himself and died on the cross out of obedience (Phil. 2:3-8).

What does our obedience say about us?  DO SOMETHING out of a heart of obedience … join with God in His plan for your ONE life to live and MAKE IT COUNT!

[This blog series goes with the sermon series at Hermitage Hills Baptist Church ... to list to one or all of these series go to:     http://www.hhbconline.com/thepulse/sermons_online.php?sermonsite_action=view_topics]

Strong Families … learn together and grow together

The Bible is clear that the God who created the universe intimately knows each one of us.  He knew each of us before we were born.  He knows the number of hairs on our head and everything about every day of our lives.  He loves us beyond what we can imagine.  In fact, God loves us so much that He sent Jesus to die for us.

God designed the family as a way for us to understand His love for us and demonstrate that love to others.  What would it be like to really, truly know the members of your family?  How would you feel if your family really understood your feelings and your dreams?  What might that do to improve your relationships?

When you look at the history of the family you can see how it has evolved (dare I use that word) into various different forms and understandings.   In the days of Jesus, the family was the basic unit of society.  Extended, not nuclear, families were the norm.  The most senior male acted as head of the family, which included married and unmarried children, grandchildren, and slaves.  In the 1900′s a mix of nuclear (parents and children) and extended families (including married children and spouses, grandparents, etc.) were the norm.  In the 21st Century in America, many single people live alone or with a roommate.  While many families include two married parents, others are headed by single parent or grandparent or are blended families with children from previous marriages.  These changes have brought about serious and specific consequences to family as God intended, many times beyond our control.  How do we develop strong families in today’s culture?

Last Sunday, I had the joy of proclaiming from God’s word concerning families “Knowing Each Other”.   Remember that Strong Families … Pay Attention – we truly see one another as a valuable part of life.  We have honest discussions with one another over breakfast or dinner.  Taking the time away from TV, newspapers, and etc. to look one another in the eye and have conversation.  Strong Families … Ask Great Questions – we don’t see ourselves as the great fixers.  Tell me your problem and I’ll fix it.  Sometimes what needs to take place are to ask questions.  These questions go deeper and bring everyone together for honest discussion, reflection, and examination.  We see this example in the life of Christ.  He asked great questions at important times to get people to draw together.  Did He not know the answer to the questions He was asking … He wouldn’t be God if He didn’t.  Strong Families Know that Loving Means Listening – James tells us to be quick to listen and slow to speak and become angry (James 1:19).  Enough said … slow down enough to allow the time to listen to others in your family.  You probably won’t agree all the time but you show enough respect for one another to allow for expression of thought that leads to action.  Strong Families …. Communicate Love through Touch – I’ve heard a lot about this one all week long.  It seems that the husbands took this to heart and have been touching a lot.  Well that is all well and good but the purpose was to touch with a purpose.  The examples given were take her hand, pat her shoulder, let her know you’re there and you care.  The 12 touches a day were to show concern and communicate I’m on your team.  It wasn’t to get anything in return or to be selfish in any way … right guys?

Our assignment was to work on the habit of touching and spend some time paying attention.  How has that gone?  Ask a good question today and be quick to listen and slow to speak.  These principles will bring great value to our families.

See others as more important that yourself … that’s this Sunday’s Biblical discovery point — read Phil. 2 before Sunday to be prepared.

Why is it called “Good Friday” with so much pain?

Tomorrow is Friday.
The day that as Christians and culturally we officially call on our calendars “Good.” Which is interesting because if you’d have asked one of Jesus’ followers how they were on this day, some 2000 years ago, they may have said: sad, scared, afraid, hopeless, disappointed, confused, anxious, hurting, or grieving… anything but “Good”.

They knew this day would come. Jesus warned them. ‘When they came together in Galilee, he said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men. They will kill him, and on the third day he will be raised to life.” And the disciples were filled with grief.’ ~ (Matthew 17:22-23) Imagine, if they were filled with grief at his warning, they were overcome, overwhelmed, and leveled with the grief of seeing him die with their own eyes.

The Friday of his death was “grief Friday.” The disciples watched as innocent Jesus was beaten like a common criminal, mocked, spat upon, and marched to his place of execution carrying the crossbeam that he would hang upon at his place of execution.  He would suffer from agony. He would suffer to breathe. He would suffer as the weight of the sin of humanity was placed upon him. Experiencing excruciating pain, sorrow, and a slow suffocation, he cried out in a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” When he had said this, he breathed his last. (Luke 23:46)

On Friday they grieved at his death. On Sunday they danced in his resurrection.  I don’t know if you ever thought about it, but the disciples could only call it “Good Friday” after that first Easter Sunday. The light that shone into an empty tomb gave the perspective on their grief to call it “good.”

You can’t have Easter Sunday without the grief of Friday.
To have an empty tomb, there must first be a crucifixion.
To receive the joy of the resurrection, you must first know the suffering of the cross.

So, we would like to invite you to set aside a few moments (by yourself, as a couple, or as a family) and recall the account of “Good” Friday. To help take on the gravity of the grief, take time to read slowly through John 19 and take in the story of the crucifixion.

We look forward to Easter Sunday, where we celebrate the resurrection perspective that enables us to call today “Good” Friday.

Easter Services at Hermitage Hills Baptist Church

Hermitage Campus:  9:15 and 11:00 AM

Mount Juliet Campus:  8:00 (Classic with Hymns) and 10:45 Contemporary with Praise Band

Rayon City Campus: 9:30 Latino Service – 10:30 Easter Egg Hunt – 11:00 English Service

[The contents of this blog was used from Pastor Kevin Myers of 12 Stones Church]

Can you trust the resurrection?

Paul Maier – Historian

“If all the evidence is weighed carefully and fairly, it is indeed justifiable, according to the cannons of historical research, to conclude that the tomb in which Jesus was buried was actually empty on the morning of the first Easter.  And no shred of evidence has yet been discovered in literary sources, epigraphy, or archaeology that would disprove this statement.”

If a person wishes to rationalize away the events surrounding Christ and His resurrection, that person must deal with certain imponderables.  In fact, you might say that both the Jews and the Romans outwitted themselves when they took so many precautions to make sure Jesus was dead and remained in the grave.  These “security precautions” — taken with the crucifixion, burial, entombment, sealing and the guarding of Christ tomb — make it very difficult for critics to defend their position that Christ did not rise from the dead!

Facts to Consider:

One — Broken Roman Seal … the FBI and CIA of the Roman Empire were called into action to find the man or men responsible.  The consequences of breaking the seal were severe … you were to be crucified upside down to allow your guts to run into your throat.  No one would have risked this for a myth.

Two — The Empty Tomb … the disciples did not travel to a far away land to preach that Christ had risen but right back into Jerusalem where everyone knew who they were and where all the action had taken place.  Surely if this resurrection had been a myth someone would have clearly proven so.

Three – Large Stone Moved … up an incline, away from the tomb, and picked up and carried off.  Amazing feet for sure.  If the disciples had wanted to come in, tiptoe around the sleeping guards, then roll the stone over and steal the body, why would they have moved a 1-1/2 to-2-ton stone up a slope away from the entire massive sepulcher to such a position that it looked like someone had picked it up and carried it away?  The soldiers would have to have been deaf not to have heard that stone being moved.

Four — Romans Guards Go AWOL … the roman guard fled.  Roman guards were seriously trained.  He knew that if he was to fail to perform to his duty that it could mean being burned alive.  For failure to keep his post the guard could be stripped of his clothes, and then burned alive in a fire started with the garments that he wore.  Certainly the entire unit that guarded the tomb that night would not have surcom to the sleep temptation at this kind of risk.

Five — His Appearance Confirmed … on several occasions, Christ appeared alive after the cataclysmic events of that first Easter.  One of the earliest records of Christ appearing after the resurrection is by Paul. Paul’s audience’s knowledge of the fact that Christ had been seen by more than 500 people at one time.  Paul reminds them that the majority of these people were still alive and could be questioned.  Dr. Edwin M. Yamauchi, associate professor of history at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, emphasizes: “What evidence is the reference to most of the 500 brethren being still alive.  St. Paul says in effect, ‘If you do not believe me, you can ask them.’  Such a statement in an admittedly genuine letter written 30 years of the event is almost as strong of evidence as one could hope to get for something that happened nearly 2,000 years ago.”

Consider these historical facts as you contemplate the resurrection this Easter and how it might impact your life.  Jesus was not only a good man … He was the God-Man who paid the debt of every sinner on a cross and rose from the dead victorious.  It’s not just a good story but a life changing event for all who would believe.  The apostle John did not truly believe until the resurrection … how about you?

Does the personal invite really make a difference?

There is power in the invite.  To care enough to reach out to a friend, classmate, co-worker, or family member speaks volumes concerning love.  Most people are extremely blessed when you take a moment to invite them because you care.  I have always been amazed when people respond with such genuineness and even sometimes in tears as I have taken the opportunity to care, listen and invite.  Most of those people thank me for inviting them. Some even respond with “Thanks for caring”.

Remember the Biblical story found in Luke 5:17-26 … ^“17 On one of those days, as he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there, who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was with him to heal. ¹⁸ And behold, some men were bringing on a bed a man who was paralyzed, and they were seeking to bring him in and lay him before Jesus, ¹⁹ but finding no way to bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down with his bed through the tiles into the midst before Jesus. ²⁰ And when he saw their faith, he said, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.” ²¹ And the scribes and the Pharisees began to question, saying, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” ²² When Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answered them, “Why do you question in your hearts? ²³ Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? ²⁴ But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the man who was paralyzed—“I say to you, rise, pick up your bed and go home.” ²⁵ And immediately he rose up before them and picked up what he had been lying on and went home, glorifying God. ²⁶ And amazement seized them all, and they glorified God and were filled with awe, saying, “We have seen extraordinary things today.” (ESV)

I.  Bring someone who has a Need:  v. 18

“ … some men were bringing on a bed a man who was paralyzed, …”, these men found someone in need and brought him to Jesus.  He probably would have never gone there on his own but needed some people to care enough to pick him up and bring him to Jesus.  Each of us today have people just like this … they need to be picked up … cared for … and brought to Jesus.  Take the time to invest in another life.  Take them to breakfast before, or lunch after you attend church together.  Sit with them.  Explain to them what is going on.  Introduce them to many who love Jesus.  Allow the Holy Spirit to do His work.

II.  Bringing someone will take Work:  v. 19

Ø “… finding no way to bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down with his bed through the tiles into the midst before Jesus.”, this kind of discipleship, and reaching out doesn’t come easy.  It takes work.  Much like the men who picked up the man and carried him a distance to Jesus … that took work … sweat … and energy.  Bringing people to Jesus today takes work as well.  Just to attend a local community of faith is not going to bring people to Jesus.  We’ve got to work … sweat … and reach out with our own time, energy, and efforts.

III.  Bringing someone with Great Faith: v. 20

“… he saw their faith, …”, God will honor your faith.  Like the men who brought their friend to Jesus even today God loves to honor the faithfulness of his people.  Seeing their faith in action brought about a great work of God.  Verse 17 clearly reveals that Christ was present to do a great work in the hearts and lives of the people … the power of God was upon Him to heal.  It is interesting to notice though that Jesus healed the man’s spiritual condition first before putting His attention towards his physical needs.  When we bring people to Jesus He will work first on their heart before their body.

“And amazement seized them all, and they glorified God and were filled with awe, saying, “We have seen extraordinary things today.” v. 26 — May we expect the Lord to continue to do amazing things still even today.  May we be faithful to bring people to Jesus and let Him do what He does best … redeem them – forgive them – fill them – and give them an inheritance that will never fade, diminish, or end.  Press on in His Name.

---

^[1][1] The Holy Bible : English standard version. 2001 (Lk 5:17–26). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

Do Transformational Churches have Remodeling Phases?

This past November the TN Baptist family gathered together for a great time of fellowship and decision making.  It was a wonderful convention as we praised, prayed, and planned together for the future.  I believe we made some clear and certain steps together as we began to write a NEW chapter concerning the Gospel and it’s advancement across the state of Tennessee.  Voting to approve a move towards a 50/50 assignment of cooperative giving funds, the confirmation of selecting a team of men and women across our state to serve this year on the 2021 Strategic Vision Team, and the continued affirmation that the Baptist Faith and Message 2000 is our common ground of doctrinal clarity launches us into the future.

But with this kind of future we now move into a remodeling phase of our convention.  We can’t make decisions like this without realizing that our convention must change.  When you remodel something it is wise to go forward with some certain understandings:

• Remodeling is always messy: I remember a friend years ago telling me about how he put hardwood floors in his house.  At the time it seemed to be a great idea, but as the project advanced he had second thoughts about the project.  It became a real mess.  He shared with me that it got so messy that he had to put a pan of water by his bed to wash his feet off because the dust and such had gotten so bad that he had to wash his feet constantly or the mess on the floor would be in his bed and that made for a very uncomfortable night.
• Remodeling always cost more that what you anticipated: You have a vision, a dream, a plan … but as it unfolds so does the cost.  Many times it will cost more than you had planned for but to complete the project you have to dig deeper and put out the money to complete the project.
• Remodeling always has surprises: Somewhere on the journey something pops up that no one anticipated.  It is not any one persons fault but it must be dealt with for the project to be completed.  So, you press on and deal with it.
• Remodeling is always a joy once the project is completed: The journey was long, difficult, and hard but as you look back and the project is now completed the difference was well worth it.  The project makes you feel better, allows you to be more productive, is enjoyable to look at, and has made a significant difference for you and others.

Looking towards the future of remodeling our churches and our convention it would be a good thing to remember these understandings and also apply to us as individual churches and convention.  Because as we move forward each of us will face these situations sooner or later.  To push back the darkness in Tennessee and beyond it will get messy, it will cost us more than we think, it will have many surprises that must be dealt with, and the end result will bring great joy and more importantly many to a saving understanding of Christ.  I am willing to join hands with you as you join hands with me during this remodeling phase.  Prayerfully and Purposefully we move into this new chapter together so that the cross of Christ will be lifted up as never before in order that all men will be drawn unto Him.

Truly blessed and may the remodeling begin!

What is this Advent Conspiracy?

The family at Hermitage Hills is engaged with a Conspiracy … an Advent Conspiracy.  What is this all about?  It’s about a group of Christ Followers planning and agreeing to commit a subversive act together to undermine and overthrow the commercialization of Christmas of today’s culture by discovering a New Christmas with Christ and His Gospel at the Center of Giving.

To do this we must Re-Think Christmas. We must reach back into history to understand the true meaning of Christmas.  It’s about Jesus.  It’s about His birth.  It’s about giving glory to God.  How can we better connect with these kinds of celebrations this Christmas?

Worship Fully:

Acceptable worship does not happen spontaneously. Preparation is essential.  In a worship service, for example, the choir prepares, the preacher prepares, the musicians prepare, and etc. BUT the most important preparation of all is the preparation of the individual worshiper, and that is usually the most neglected. Hebrews 10:22 – is a call to worship, it gives rich insight into what kind of preparation God expects from a worshiper: “let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, our hearts sprinkled _⌊clean_⌋ from an evil conscience and our bodies washed in pure water.” God loves to draw near to His people.  James 4:8 … “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, sinners, and purify your hearts, double-minded people!” Worship is not about a song or style.  It’s about hearts opening up to his presence as we sincerely worship Him.  Think about these four checkpoints as you consider your worship today.  Sincerity, Fidelity, Humility, and Purity. Without them we are not prepared to enter God’s presence to worship. If, however, we can pass those checkpoints, we may draw near in full confidence, and God will draw near to us. That is the divine promise, and worship reaches its most sublime heights when the worshiper is living in God’s presence, in the glow of His glory, a life of worship.

Spend Less:

Spending less combined with Godliness brings Contentment. 1 Timothy 6:6 - “But godliness with contentment is a great gain.” This Greek word for contentment means “self-sufficiency,” and was used by Stoic philosophers to describe a person who was unflappable and unmoved by external circumstances because their “self-sufficiency” was founded in the “sufficiency of Christ”. Christ sufficiency brings to one’s life His Supremacy in all things … including our belongings. Christians are to be satisfied and sufficient, and not to seek for more than what God has already given them. Therefore, Christ should be our source of true contentment.  The truly godly person is not interested in becoming rich. He possesses inner resources which furnish riches far beyond that which earth can offer.

Spending less births Contentment that brings Perspective: 1 Timothy 6:7 …“For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out.” When someone’s spirit leaves his body at death, it can take nothing with it because, when that person came into the world at birth, he brought nothing with him. Whatever wealth we accumulate goes to the government, our heirs, and perhaps charity and the church. We always know the answer to the question, “How much did he leave?” Everything!

Spending Less allows a Perspective to bring Balance: 1 Timothy 6:8 … “But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these.” The basic necessities of life are what ought to make Christians content.  Paul does not condemn having possessions, as long as God graciously provides them (see v. 17). He does, however, condemn a self-indulgent desire for money, which results from discontentment. A miser without food would starve to death counting his money.  Remember the simple-living Quaker who was watching his new neighbor move in, with all of the furnishings and expensive “toys” that “successful people” collect. The Quaker finally went over to his new neighbor and said, “Neighbor, if ever thou dost need anything, come to see me, and I will tell thee know how to get along without it.” Henry David Thoreau, the naturalist of the 1800s, reminded us that a man is wealthy in proportion to the number of things he can afford to do without.^[1][1]

Give More:

Give More of Your Time: The word Time is found 916 times in the = HCSB. The phrase “Using Time Productively” got 1,770,000 hits on Google.  So, it is easy to say that Time is a very important issue to just about everyone. But, the fact is everyone has the same about of time … no one has less or more.  It’s one factor in life that does not have favorites or is unequally distributed across economic cultures … and yet … it is a Treasured Possession … it is what everyone desires more of …. More time … to live … to love … to share … to grow … to experience … to connect.  But, you can’t purchase this Treasured Element in Life … it is GIVEN! Therefore, Plan this Christmas to give more of Your Time.

Give More of Your Heart: The word Heart is found 715 times in the HCSB. See 2 Cor. 6:11 … Paul speaks about how his heart has been opened wide …  Lit. “our heart is enlarged”.  This is evidence of Paul’s genuine love for the Corinthians was that no matter how some of them had mistreated him, he still loved them and had room for them in his heart.  A part of this “Enlarged” Heart that Christ gives to His followers is to have the ability to feel what others are feeling with great sympathy.

Give More Of Your Abilities and Talents: The word Ability is found 13 times in the HCSB. See Acts 11:29 … according to each one’s ability they gave financially to help others in need. Some may have had the money to give and just gave it. Some may have had to go and work to gave it. Some may have had to sell something they had made in order to give. Some may have had to trade something and gave it. But, the point is … each one “according to their ability” Gave!

Advent Conspiracy Video

►

——————————————————————————–

[1] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (1 Ti 6:3). Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books.

Why do some believers get upset at the government when it attempts to help the poor?

I’m not quite sure where this question is coming from but let me share at least my personal opinion concerning this subject.  It is very clear in scripture that God calls upon His church to be about the work of assisting the poor.  In 2 Corinthians 9:9 the cheerful giver opens his or her hand and freely gives to the needy. Certainly this does not mean that a person must give away everything. If Christians were to donate all their belongings to help the poor, their resources to generate additional income would be gone and they themselves would be poor. The members of the early church helped the poor by selling parcels of land or houses, but they did this only from time to time (Acts 4:34). The apostles never coerced the rich to sell their property, but they expected that each person would give voluntarily from a cheerful heart.  By distributing blessing upon blessing to our fellow human beings, we in turn will receive multitudes of unexpected blessings from God. Whatever one distributes bountifully will be returned eventually in even greater measure. Calvin, in this commentary on 2 Corinthians, page 121, paraphrases rightly the words of Paul and says, “The more liberal you are to your neighbors, the more liberal you will find the blessing that God pours forth on you.”  We are instructed in scripture to remember the poor and to find ways to relieve their pain.

So, if a fellow believer has a cause to be concerned about the government’s actions to help the poor it could be because their disappointment is with the church.  If the church was doing what has been commanded of her to perform, there would be no need for the government to take action.  Think about that for a moment.  If every Bible believing church was taking serious action to relieve and remove poverty the results would be far greater than what the government could ever do.  So possibly the concern is over the lack of church participation in this much needed ministry from the body of Christ to those in need.

Let’s be honest.  What is your New Testament church doing to give relief to the poor in your community?  Now I’m not talking about a simple 3 or 4 shelf closet in your church that has a few canned goods.  I’m talking about a weekly intentional outreach into the community of those in need.  How often does your church have a food drive each year to give to the poor?  How is your church helping to clothe the naked and give warmth to those who are cold?  Is the body of Christ seriously taking up the mantel of removing poverty in our society?  From my view … I don’t think so.  Therefore, the government has stepped in and is doing what it can.  Is this the government’s responsibility? No, I don’t think so.

Let’s be prayerful about God’s call on His church to meet the needs of those less fortunate in our communities.  May we get more proactive in making a difference.  I know it will be blessed by God and will bring a smile to His face.

At Hermitage Hills we have the joy of celebrating our Heartbeat Ministry to the community:

Open every Friday and Saturday from 10 AM to 1 PM at the Hermitage Campus … the Heartbeat ministry provides food, clothing and spiritual counseling to families in need throughout the Hermitage and surrounding areas.  Hundreds of volunteers are active in this ministry every single weekend in order to make an impact against poverty and the help the hurting.  It is the call of Christ on His church.

Why do some believers think that tithing/giving is not for them?

The word tithing sends some believers into convulsions.  The subject has always been questioned, complained about, viewed as only an Old Testament principle, and disregarded by many believers.  The truth is the church doesn’t have a financial problem it has an obedience problem.  Because if every professing believer gave according to scripture, whether you are an Old Testament tither or a New Testament cheerful giver, there would be more than enough that the church would ever need to invest in ministry to see the Gospel released on a world in need of truth, grace, and mercy.

Maybe this all goes back to the beginning of one’s faith. Did they understand the true meaning of repentance?  Did they really grasp Lordship and ownership?  Have they truly been baptized into His death and raised to walk in “newness of life”?  It would seem to reflect that if the answer to these questions is YES, then giving is a mute issue.  If I truly believe that it is all about Him, His Gospel, His plan, His will, or His purpose … then giving the tithe is a simple yes.  It would seem that true believer’s love to give as the scripture indicates, cheerfully giving out of abundance of love for their Savior and to see His kingdom advance through giving.  But, sad to say, it seems that many stumble around this truth.  Some even pitch in a little here and there and feel as though they have made a big difference for the Gospel.  How does a believer making a good salary come to the Lord’s Day and put in a dollar when the offering plate comes by and feels as if they have truly done their part or have been obedient? That’s a great question.  I don’t know how they can do this.

Perhaps the pulpit needs to do a better job of expounding on God’s Word when it comes to giving. But we all know that that breeds, “Every time I come to church all they do is talk about money”.  We know that is not true but that statement is common when the pulpit teaches on this subject.  Of course we know that when you throw a rock into a pack of dogs the one that yelps just got hit … so it should not surprise us that people will be people and everyone is on a different place in the journey.

Where are you when it comes to giving? Is Jesus Christ truly your Lord?  If so, giving is just as important to you as praying, sharing, learning, singing, or any other spiritual practices that will enhance your relationship with Christ.  Let this blog be an encouragement to you to trust God.  If you have trusted Him with your eternity … then don’t you think you can trust Him with your finances?  God makes you a great promise in Philippians 4:19 … “And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” Follow Him, trust Him, and give cheerfully to His church the storehouse so that the people of God can push back the darkness together.