Offering Leftovers

In Chan's next sub-section, entitled Offering Leftovers, he makes two statements that give me great pause: one due to conviction and the other due to perception... okay, maybe both due to conviction.

"For years, I gave God leftovers and felt no shame. I simply took my eyes off Scripture and instead compared myself to others. the bones I threw to God had more meat on them than the bones others threw, so I figured I was doing fine.

"It's easy to fill ourselves up with other things and then give God whatever is left... A mumbled three-minute prayer at the end of the day, when we are already half asleep. Two crumpled-up dollar bills thrown as an afterthought into the church's fund for the poor. Fetch, God!" p. 91

For me, this brings up two issues. First, I'm not giving God our "first fruits," if you will. Because things are so tight, financially, I'm lucky if I can pay all the bill and still have enough money for groceries. If there is enough money, THEN I will give to God. (With my mouth, I say that God comes first; however, my actions say that the bills come first!). The second thing actually plays off the first. BECAUSE things are so tight tight now, I'm taking matters into my own hands. When my husband was bringing home a sizable paycheck, the first thing I did every pay day was set aside money in our tithing account... yes, we have a tithing account! (But, we haven't used it much lately.) Each pay day, I would set aside 10% into this account. And we used this money for whatever we felt God leading us to do. It was the first time in my life when I truly had a joyful heart when giving. When the money was there, we gave freely. But now, because there isn't as much money, we are holding on to whatever we have... not exactly a Biblical principle, is it?

The second thing that Chan said was this:

"Leftovers are not merely inadequate; from God's point of view (and lest we forget, His is the only one who matters), they're evil. Let's stop calling it 'a busy schedule' or 'bills' or 'forgetfulness.' It's called evil." p. 92

The reference to evil stems from Malachi 1:8. In those times, the priests would keep the best animals for themselves, sacrificing the less desirable animals to God, based on the WRONG assumption that God would simply be pleased that they were sacrificing something... They were mistaken! But, regardless, evil just seems a little harsh. When I think of things that are evil, I think of murders, child pornographers, satanic cults... I don't think of people, like myself, that might not give my best offering up to the Lord. I mean, there has to be some sort of hierarchy for evil, right? There's no way God would lump me in with "those other people," right? Well... I don't know the answer to that question... but I can't help going back to the issue of sin when I hear this. I've always believed that sin is sin... period. My "small" seemingly harmless sin is no less hurtful to God than someone else's "huge" society-shunning sin. So, what if the same applies to this issue of "evil"? Definitely something to think about!

THE PUSH

Today, I really feel the need to give abundantly to the Lord. Not necessarily with money, but maybe with time, or service. Try to give your BEST offering unto the Lord. Feel free to make your offering financial... but you can also give your best in other ways: Spend some incredible quality time with your kids, surprise your spouse with an special dinner or bring home some flowers, make some muffins or a pie for a neighbor... maybe even do a couple of those things! Serve God by showing His love to others.

Are You A Poor Rich Person?

I know it's been said before, but here it is again: We are rich. Many of us refuse to believe it... and we'd use our checking account balance sheets or our 401 (K) statements as proof. But, when we look at the bigger picture, the truth is evident. Looking at the world as a whole, we are exceedingly rich. Chan gives us something to really think about in the book:

"If one hundred people represent the world's population, fifty-three of those would live on less that $2 a day. Do you realize that if you make $4,000 a month, you automatically make one hundred times more than the average person on this planet? Simply by purchasing this book, you spent what a majority of people in the world will make in a week's time.

"Which is more messed up- that we have so much compared to everyone else, or that we don't think we're rich? That on any given day we might flippantly call ourselves 'broke' or 'poor'? We are neither of those things. We are rich. Filthy rich." p. 89.

This morning, I woke up at 3:43 am. It's actually been happening a lot lately. So, I've been trying to use my time wisely... spending it in prayer. I've been praying a lot lately. In fact, I've prayed more this past summer than I have in my entire life. There always seems to be this debate of whether or not prayer is effective. And, in an effort to not deviate from today's subject too much, I will say this: I do believe that God answers prayers and I do believe that prayer also strengthens our connection with Him. But, for me, my time in prayer this summer has truly opened my heart and my mind to what God wants for my life... BUT, that doesn't mean that I'm on the same page as God... but I'm getting there.

On this particular morning, my prayer time was focused on two things: my ministry and my lifestyle. Right now, I feel like God is wanting me to focus my ministry, especially at church. So, I'm asking Him to show me where I should be. With my lifestyle, I'm begging Him to reveal to me the things of THIS world that I'm holding on to... those things that are keeping me from a deeper relationship with Him. All I can say is this: If you pray this, make sure you're ready to let go of these things. There are a few things that I feel God telling me right now: #1- I AM RICH... which means He was talking to me when He said that the rich WILL NOT inherit the kingdom of heaven. #2- I'm letting things in this world form my perception of reality... meaning that, or course, compared to Donald Trump, I'm not rich.

Yes, my husband and I have a hard time paying our bills right now. His new job has sliced our monthly income by a third. And, yes, I'm ashamed to admit that both of us CONSTANTLY refer to ourselves as being broke, or poor... and compared to Donald Trump, we are poor. But, we are anything but! We live in a nice house, we drive nice cars, we vacation every year for two weeks at Disney World. This morning, my husband and I spent about 20 minutes talking about today's blog... what I was going to write, what I felt God has been revealing to me, and I will share with you what I said to him:

I feel as if, being raised in this society, it's exceedingly more difficult to remove the yoke(s) of this world, especially the hold that money has on us. Difficult... but not impossible! For us, the journey started two years ago. During this time, through my husband's job, God graciously revealed that prestige and money really mean nothing, especially when they come at the expense of spending time with your family. Because of this lesson, my husband now has a job that pays significantly less... but we see him so much more! Now, God is truly pressing upon us that this sacrifice is not complete until we change how we live our lives. I'm not sure what that looks like now, but I have no doubt that God will reveal it. He wants nothing more than for us to align our hearts with His. If nothing else, pray for that and see what He reveals!

THE PUSH

Spend some time this weekend having an honest conversation with yourself, and with your spouse, if you have one... about whether you are "rich." Where does your definition of rich come from? Do you consider yourself "poor" or refer to yourself as "broke?"... at least before reading this! Start the conversation... and definitely invite God to sit in!

Are You a Liar?

That's a pretty bold question, isn't it? Have you ever thought about it... as it relates to your faith? Now, it goes without saying, I'm specifically asking each of us to look at our own faith... making a judgment as it pertains to YOU... NOT SOMEONE ELSE! (Let's focus on that plank in our own eye before we worry about the splinter in someone else's!) Chan asks us to look at two Scriptures as we begin to dissect our own willingness to follow Christ:

"You believe there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that- and shudder." James 2:19

"We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. The man who says, 'I know him,' but does not do what he commands is a lair, and the truth is not in him." 1 John 2:3-4

So, in those two Scriptures, we have a potential comparison to demons AND a possible label as a liar... not exactly reassuring, is it? But, I think we need to look at this from a different perspective... instead of beating ourselves up over whether or not these "apply" to us, we should be using these Scriptures as road maps, if you will... commands on how we should live.

In James 2:19, we see, in black and white that BELIEVING IS NOT ENOUGH! (That is, of course, assuming that you DON'T think that demons will be joining you in heaven!) So, from this Scripture, we know that we are called to do more than believe. In 1 John 2:3-4, in my opinion, it is very clear that being a Christian ("The man who says, 'I know him,'...") requires more from us than a proclamation of faith... IT REQUIRES ACTION ("... but does not DO WHAT HE COMMANDS is a liar, and the truth IS NOT in him.")

So... here's what I get from this: Believing IS NOT ENOUGH. Confessing our faith IS NOT ENOUGH. What is required is our belief, our confession AND our proof of both... through our actions. Chan goes on to reference two additional Scriptures:

"If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it." Matthew 16:24-25

" Any of you who does not give up everything he can not be my disciple." Luke 14:33

Chan concludes this section with the following statement: "Some people claim that we can be Christians without necessarily becoming disciples. I wonder, then, why the last thing Jesus told us was to go into the world, making disciples of all nations, teaching them to obey all that He commanded? You'll notice that He didn't add, 'But hey, if that's too much to ask, tell them to just become Christians- you know, the people who get to go to heaven without having to commit to anything." p. 87

The logical question for each of us is this: Have we actually committed ourselves to Christ?

Think about this example: Many of us have committed ourselves in marriage. We professed our love to our spouse in front of a room full of people. Many of us wear rings, showing the world that we are committed to one person. But does that exchange of vows, or the fact that we wear wedding rings, really indicate whether or not we are faithful to our spouse? Of course not... it's our daily actions towards our spouse: respect, integrity, faithfulness, love, admiration... that confirm this.

So, do your actions confirm your faithfulness to Christ?

THE PUSH

We've seen this video before, but today's topic warrants another look. Take it to heart:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7MdYV8gRws

Doing Just Enough... or Blatant Disobedience?

Today, I want to focus on Chan's questions regarding the parable of the soil. In the book, he states: "For years I struggled with the parable of the soils. I wanted to know if the person representing the rocky soil is saved, even though he has no roots. I then wondered about the thorny soil: Is this person saved since he does have root?" p. 85 (For those that might not be familiar, the parable of the soils is found in all three of the synoptic gospels: Matthew 13:1-23; Mark 4:1-34 and Luke 8:4-18.)

In this parable, the seed represents the Word of God. The rocky soil represents those of us that receive the Word with joy when we hear it, but it never takes root. We might believe for a while, but we fall away in times of temptation. The thorny soil represents those who have heard; however, as they go on their way, they are choked with the cares, riches, and pleasures of this life... bearing no fruit. So, I guess what begs the question here is whether the simple acts of HEARING and ACCEPTING are enough. There are as many opinions on this subject as there are Books in the Bible... probably more. I have my own opinion, but quite honestly, my opinion doesn't matter... (please, don't tell my husband that I admitted this!) I think Chan has the right idea. Each of us needs to read the Gospels over... or maybe for the first time... with a new set of eyes... paying attention to the life Jesus calls us to live.

Chan goes on to make a very interesting observation: "We're willing to make changes on our lives only if we think it affects our salvation. This is why I have so many people ask me questions like, Can I divorce my wife and still go to heaven?" p. 86. Here are some of the other questions: Do I have to be baptized to be saved? Am I a Christian even though I'm having sex with my girlfriend? If I commit suicide, can I still go to heaven?... This one is the most convicting to me: If I'm ashamed to talk about Christ, is He really going to deny knowing me? But, let's take it a step further. How many of us hold on to some sin... whether it's something we actively do or something we hold in our heart (hatred, unforgiveness)... using the excuse, that we aren't perfect, to rationalize our unwillingness to let go of whatever is keeping us from having a closer relationship with Christ? I'll admit that I'm doing that exact thing right now! I have some pretty harsh feelings towards my husband's family right now... and harsh is a severe understatement. My husband asked me this weekend to be the better person and in a very subtle way, asked me to "get over it." Now, the right response would have been for me to spend time in prayer, asking God to soften my heart. But, what was my response... "Just because I'm a Christian doesn't mean that I'm perfect... and if this is my imperfection...sobeit!" Nice, huh?

So, getting back to Chan, does this mean that I'm not a Christian? Of course not! It does mean that I'm not perfect... and none of us are. But, more importantly, it means that I am being blatantly disobedient to what God has asked of me. I think the difference here is that this is only one aspect of my life... a life that, for the most part, is constantly moving towards Christ... even if it's only baby steps sometimes. While this disobedience could be seen by some as hypocritical... or lukewarm... it does not define my entire walk in faith... thank you, Lord! HOWEVER... this doesn't let me off the hook either. I am accountable for all of my action, all of my thoughts, despite my imperfections. (Which means I'll need to spend some time in prayer about my in-laws!) For the purposes of this segment, I think Chan wants us to look at our motives. Are we verbally confessing our lives to Christ simply for the promise of SOMETHING after this life... life fire insurance. Or are we committing our lives to Him, His teachings? Confessing and committing are two different thing... and in order to truly follow Him, we MUST do both!

THE PUSH

Spend some time the next couple of days reading over the Matthew, Mark, Luke or John... or maybe all of them! Approach it with fresh eyes. What does Christ reveal to you?

All or Nothing

One of the things Chan's is truly adement about in this chapter is that you NOT take his word for ANYTHING. He readily admits that his opinion is just that... HIS opinion. But, what he does ask each of us to do is read the Gospel with a fresh pair of eyes to see what Scripture says. In his own words, he states: " Before you discount or ignore what I am about to say, read these passages objectively, without preconceived opinions staunchly in place." p. 83

The first Scripture Chan references is the one that started the whole "Lukewarm" conversation: Revelations 3:15-18.

"I know your deeds, that you are neither cold not hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm- neither hot nor cold- I am about to spit you out of my mouth. You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see." p. 84

There's a lot to digest here. Chan starts with trying to explain what Jesus meant when He said that He would spit us out of His mouth. Chan notes that this is the only time in the New Testament that the word "spit" is used. He also tells us that there is no gentle way to share Jesus' feeling on the matter. The word spit means "gagging. hurling, retching." In reading this, a natural question arises in my mind, and Chan poses it to all of us:

"When you read this passage, do you naturally conclude that to be "spit" out of Jesus' mouth means you're part of His kingdom?"

Well, do you? For me, the answer is a resounding "NO!" Now, of course, I don't have all the answers, but when I read this, I envision a time of judgment... when I come before the Lord... and Jesus speaks on my behalf before His Father. When I read this Scripture, it makes me wonder if Jesus will will say that He never knew me... hence the spitting out. How can this be possible? Again, I can only revert back to what I know... examples that I can relate to. So here's an example for you. How many of you know people that pretend to be something they aren't. In mixed company, they put on a good show, but behind closed doors it's a completely different story? How do those people make you feel? Take an honest account of your heart. What do you find?

THE PUSH

Chan writes that after he objectively read the Gospels for himself, he came up with one conclusion: Jesus wants all or nothing. "All or nothing" is easy to say... but not necessarily easy to give. Today, I want you to listen to my favorite song right now. It really speaks to this issue of giving ALL of ourselves to Christ. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdgg7XmTWls

Serving Leftovers to a Holy God

The title of today's blog is also the title of Chapter 5. As I started re-reading the chapter this weekend, I decided that I should really start off this segment a few pages into the chapter... but, not to worry, I'll go back and address many of Chan's comments from his opening remarks in the days to follow. Chapter 5, in my opinion, starts out with a very bold assumption: There truly is no such thing as a Lukewarm Christian. Chan calls it an oxymoron, or a contradictory term, meaning it's impossible to be both lukewarm and a Christian... which leads to a very troubling reality, if you agree with Chan's logic. Chapter 5 really delves into this possibility and its implications to people like me... and, I dare say, you. As I reviewed these somewhat hard to read pages over the weekend, I quickly realized that many of us could read these words and not only become convicted by their implications, but also become downtrodden by our inherent fallibility. The reality is that we're ALWAYS going to fall short. This might come as a disdainful thought for many; however, the sooner we embrace this reality, the sooner we can move forward in this journey.

Chan says the following, about five pages into Chapter 5:

"I do not want true believers to doubt their salvation as they read this book. In the midst of our failed attempts at loving Jesus, His grace covers us.

"Each of us has lukewarm elements and practices in our life; therein lies the senseless, extravagant grace of it all. The Scripture demonstrate clearly that there is room for our failure and sin in pursuit of God... I'm not saying that when you mess up. it means you were never really a genuine Christian in the first place. If that were true, no one could follow Christ." p. 87-88

As we move forward, from this point on, I want to make sure that each and every one of us... no matter how long we've been a Christian... keeps this fresh in our minds. This only further substantiates the fact that we are not perfect (and we will NEVER achieve perfection here!) Chan goes on to state that our focus (instead of the unattainable perfection) should be about obtaining "a posture of obedience and surrender, where a person perpetually moves towards Christ." p. 88 I recently compared my journey in faith to a life-long road trip. Some days make life seem effortless... blue skies, no traffic and no screaming kids. Other days seem to be crammed with torrential rains, flat tires and "potty-stops" every 20 minutes.... but the overwhelming majority of the days fall somewhere in between... THANK GOODNESS! Our journey in faith is just that... a journey. The culmination occurs when we leave our life here and are joined with Christ in Heaven. It's time we start focusing and preparing for the journey. There's a lot to learn... and just like any educational experience, we're not expected to know everything (Remember: Perfection is not obtained here!) Embrace the fact that we will all make mistakes... the key is to learn from them!

THE PUSH

A little comic relief for today. I found this a few months ago. It's a spin on the ever present PC v. Mac commercials. A little food for thought! There are quite a few different versions out there... and some of them are pretty funny!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqmcBioNbQc&feature=related

Giving Him Our All

This is it... we're finally finishing up Chapter 4! At the very end of the chapter, Chan gives a very good example of a perceived expectation and a subsequent (calculated) response:

"When I was in high school, I seriously considered joining the Marines; this was when they first came out with commercials for 'the few, the proud, the Marines.' What turned me off was that in those advertisements, everyone was always running. Always. And I hate running.

"But you know what? I didn't bother to ask if they would modify the rules for me so I could run less, and maybe also do a fewer push-ups. That would've been pointless and stupid, and I knew it. Everyone knows that if you sign up for the Marines, you have to do whatever they tell you. They own you." p. 80.

So, the obvious question here is why does this same logic NOT apply to our faith? Like the Marines, we know what is required of us. However, unlike the Marines, we wrongly assume that giving "just enough" of ourselves is acceptable. Well... I think the answer is as obvious as the question. When it comes to the Marines, there are people constantly present, making sure you stay in line... that you live up to your responsibilities and obligations. Plus, if you can't hack it... you're out! That's not the case with Christianity... thank goodness! Secondly, free will means very little (if anything) in the Marines. But, it means everything in our faith. I've said it before: Free will is a double-edged sword. It's our free will that allows us to each, personally, accept Christ as our Savior... and it's free will that allows us to hang on to those things that inhibit our growth as Christians. We want the luxury of being "saved," but that doesn't necessarily mean that we want to put in the hard work that is required to follow Christ! AND THESE TWO THINGS ARE NOT NECESSARILY MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE!

I think, if we're honest with one another, we would have to question why our rationale for "membership" in our faith (for lack of a better phrase) is not the same as it might be for the Marines. And as I sit here at my computer and really dissect my heart, I would be lying if I didn't admit the truth that resides in the places only known to me and God. I'm resting on the hope that what I'm giving... which is definitely not my best... is good enough! Even as I sit here and type, I am ashamed of the truth I'm living... the excuses I use. Sometimes I've even questioned whether I'm truly following Him, or not. God deserves my best... your best... so why don't we give it to Him?

THE PUSH

I know Chapter 4 was difficult for some of you. Having said that, I want to prepare you for Chapter 5. For me, this chapter was much more difficult; however, this is also the chapter that started turning me around, so to speak. Watch the video for Chapter 5. Then spend some time asking God to prepare your heart for what He's about to reveal to you!

http://www.crazylovebook.com/videos_chapter.html