Thanks + Giving + [Always?]

Sun shining; house cozy warm from the heat of the oven, which contains a 12-pound turkey; smell of apple cider and cinnamon candles; husband peeling potatoes and me kneading dough; table set and awaiting guests.

It's Thanksgiving. Autumn is here - my favorite time of the year!

 

There's no way to exactly duplicate a tradition, but we took joy in the newness of Thanksgiving and our first time celebrating it in Germany was a success!  I even managed to come up with a maple leaf - Canadian Pride! :)

Funny how memories are triggered. Memories of family members showing up at our house, of board games, of kids, of lots and lots and lots of (great) food, of getting to use the "special" plates and glasses, of the "go-around-the-table-and-everybody-say-one-thing-they're-thankful-for" round.

Giving Thanks. Because so much has been given to us; it's the least we can do in return. 

But Thanksgiving is more than a day; it's a lifestyle. 

If we only choose joy when we have a full plate, a full stomach, and a full house, are we really giving thanks?

This year my husband and I were confronted with the biblical mandate to REJOICE ALWAYS.

Three days before Thanksgiving, his mom took a fall outside, was rushed to the hospital where it was discovered that she had a complicated wrist and elbow break, had an emergency operation and likely has to remain in the hospital for 3 weeks now.

That wasn't exactly part of the plan. Or at least our plan.

For awhile, I felt guilty for excitedly anticipating food and fellowship, but then the Holy Spirit reminded me, "It's perfect timing to celebrate Thanksgiving." If not now, then when? 

 

The Lord called us here to help bring restoration. And it looked like restoration was happening - my mom-in-law was overcoming the effects of her stroke and was beginning to ride a bike again, re-learning how to write, and becoming more engaged in activities and conversation. And now? She's laying in a hospital bed with metal plates in her arm and can't remember what happened or why she's there.

What does giving thanks look like in this situation? I read a quote from Ann Voskamp the other day which made me think:

"My lips may have said YES to God's grace of a Messiah - 

but my life has said NO to God's gift of this moment."

How is it that we so easily receive God's GIFT of grace, His GIFT of salvation, His GIFT of a Savior...but so often reject His GIFT of each new day? What makes us think we can pick and choose what we get to give thanks for?

And so, in the middle of hospital visits, short nights, telephone calls to family, and conversations with the doctors and nurses, we choose joy.

• We're thankful that in a matter of minutes after calling emergency, we had 5 medical personnel at our doorstep.
• We're thankful for hospital staff working the night shift, so she could receive immediate care.
• We're thankful for friends and family who have stopped in to visit. 
• We're thankful for a praying community of brothers and sisters in the Lord.
• We're thankful that none of this is a surprise to God. 
• We're thankful that God redeemed the situation - my mom-in-law's "room mate" gave her life to the Lord after my husband had a conversation with her about Jesus!

And although the reality of the situation isn't nice, we're allowed to celebrate.

“Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength." (Nehemiah 8:10). Joy is something deeper than circumstances. Receiving each moment with thanksgiving is what allows us to live in joy.

There is another quote that says: "Hope is hearing the music of tomorrow. Faith is dancing to it."

So we "turned up the music" yesterday and enjoyed a feast, knowing God is in control of the end of the story. We're still working on the dancing part, but we believe that God is good and that He's worthy of receiving our thanksgiving. Always.

P.S. Would you pray with us, please? For a quick, miraculous healing, for peace for us as a family, especially my husband's dad, and for the strength to dance? Thank you.

What does Prosperity have to do with the Gospel?

An online Google search of the term "prosperity gospel" brings up mega-church pastors’ names such as Joel Osteen, teachings such as "believe and receive," and issues like money and self-improvement.

Depending on what you've heard about this topic, or what your experiences are, this will exert either an "Amen!" from you at this point, or rolling eyes, a groan, or a big question mark. Or, if you’re like me, maybe all of the above.

I’ve heard the discussions (and been part of them); I’ve seen quotes and read blogs and flipped through books. And of course this is a huge topic and there are many facets to it, but I would like to dedicate this post to addressing it from one perspective that is important to me.

First of all, what exactly is the “Prosperity Gospel” and what do those who adhere to this stream of teaching believe and promote? A few of the "theological pillars" associated with this movement include Healing, Wealth, Faith and the Power of Words. A common theme heard in this type of preaching is that if you “sow” financially (by donating to the ministry, mainly), God will “give back” multiple times and you’ll reap a blessed monetary harvest. It’s also believed that God’s will is to bless you with good things - therefore, “prosperity.” And this blessing can be taken ahold of through prayer, through speaking positive hopeful thinking aloud in faith, whether it be related to health, financial need, jobs, relationships, etc.

I haven’t concerned myself too much with the details, but that’s my general understanding of the direction it goes. And what are the biggest objections to this stream of teaching? Here is a quote from someone who opposes the movement, and it summarizes alot of what I’ve heard spoken against the prosperity gospel:

A columnist for the Washington Post wrote an article in which she stated,
   

        "Few theological ideas ring more dissonant with the harmony of orthodox Christianity than a      focus on storing up treasures on Earth as a primary goal of faithful living. The gospel of prosperity turns Christianity into a vapid bless-me club, with a doctrine that amounts to little more than spiritual magical thinking: If you pray the right way, God will make you rich." 

In my understanding, a lot of opposition has to do with people thinking that prosperity shouldn’t be the goal of a Christian. Followers of Christ shouldn't have big houses (Jesus didn’t even have “a place to lay his head”); and nice furniture, expensive cars, big successes, etc. are unnecessary and maybe even sinful, because "there is so much need in this world." How can it be "God's will" for us to live in luxury when so many are barely surviving? How can you say God wants to grant us health when there are innumerable instances of people (Christians, for that matter) dying of cancer, being persecuted, dealing with depression, etc.? And, how can you be sure that God blesses financially when the Bible even says that “money is the root of all evil” (or wait...isn’t it something about the “love of money”?)

So what in the world does Prosperity have to do with the Gospel?

When Jesus came to earth, when Holiness and Love Himself took the form of a human baby and grew up under the parenthood of an earthly father and mother, He made His mission as the Son of God and the Son of Man clear:

Explaining His purpose to the Pharisees who were accusing Him and to the Jews who doubted His miracles, Jesus stated that the reason He came to earth was to bring life in abundance (John 10:10).

And in Luke 4:18 He applies an Old Testament prophecy to Himself which fills in the blanks about what this abundant life looks like:

“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,
    because the Lord has anointed me
    to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
    to proclaim freedom for the captives
    and release from darkness for the prisoners,
2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor
    and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
3     and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
    instead of ashes,
the oil of joy
    instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
    instead of a spirit of despair.” (Jesus quoting from Isaiah 61)

And the writer of one of the gospel books asserts: “God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him” (John 3:17). Salvation. Life. Eternal Life. Abundant Life.

THIS is the Gospel. The Good News. The reason why Jesus came.

Is this a “prosperity gospel?” Well, by all means yes!

The reason I believe that prosperity does have something to do with the Gospel is this:

Prosperity is about so much more than money.

If we want to get into what prosperity is, we first have to consider what prosperity is NOT. What is the opposite of the Good News that Jesus was sent to preach, the reason we need the freedom He proclaims and the favor and comfort that He provides?

The reason is that we are poor.

The Merriam-Webster online dictionary defines poverty as: "the state of one who lacks a usual or socially acceptable amount of money or material possession; scarcity; debility." Or from the Oxford dictionary, "the state of being inferior in quality or insufficient in amount." Dictionary.com adds "the state of...having no means of support."

For a long time, I thought 'being poor' meant having no money. I now believe that financial means might be one part of poverty, but it's definitely not the whole picture. A broader description might include aspects such as lack of resources, lack of opportunity, lack of hope.

In fact, when Jesus said He was sent to proclaim good news to the “poor”, the Greek word translated there in Isaiah 61 is ptochos, and means “one who is destitute, afflicted, and lacking.” Basically...helpless. Strong's Concordance defines this use of ptochos as meaning: "of one who crouches; beggarly" or, in a broader sense, "destitute of wealth, influence, position, honors; lowly, afflicted."

The whole gospel is about God’s answer to our human poverty. We were helpless in our sinful state, and “while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8). In fact, Jesus Christ “for our sake became poor, that we might share in His riches” (2 Cor. 8:9). We lacked the means of salvation; God provided a Savior.


The bottom line? Poverty is about LACK. Not having enough money (but who defines what "enough" is anyways?); not being given enough opportunity (to study, to provide for yourself, etc.); not having the support of friends, community, government; lacking means, lacking hope.

And what is the opposite of Lack? Abundance, Provision, Enough, Plenty, Surplus.

Prosperity.

Prosperity is defined as "a successful, flourishing, or thriving condition." Sounds like abundant life to me!

But don’t get me wrong.

I have been to Africa. I have seen mud huts that large families live in, without sanitation, without light, without access to clean water or food, and I’ve wondered how a culture can be so without abundance. I have been to Mexico and seen a put-together-shanty from leftover aluminum pieces and scrap pieces of wood, where children rejoice at the simple concept of a balloon because they have nothing else to play with, and I’ve felt guilty for my prosperity. And I have been to Vancouver and walked along East Hastings Street, shocked at the rawness of a life caught up in addiction and abuse, wishing I could do more to provide hope.

And, I have returned home from these places, wondering why on earth there are a billion choices of cereal in the grocery aisle, why anyone would waste money on another piece of clothing just to keep up with fashion, and not wanting to let the water run while brushing my teeth because I've seen people without access to something so basic according to my prosperous lifestyle.

I've wrestled with theological questions (and still do), such as the definition of "abundant" and what is “enough.” And at the same time I’ve wondered who sets the standard of “rich.” (By the way, did you know that in Switzerland, if you earn less than 5,000 Swiss Francs a month you’re considered “under the poverty line”?).

And how often have I thought, "Oh, I shouldn't waste this food; there are starving children in Africa..." But how much will MY eating one plate of food really help the millions of people dying of starvation? It requires more than a bad conscience to make a change. It begins with worldview, with a renewal of our thinking, and with lifestyle choices.

Jesus proclaimed, in His mission statement, that the Spirit of the Lord was upon Him and had anointed Him to preach to the poor and bring freedom, healing, comfort, provision. And guess what? His mission hasn’t changed. Now, He wants to accomplish that purpose through us.
It's been our call since the beginning - God told Abraham, "I will bless you, and through you, all nations on earth will be blessed" (Gal 3:8). Since we are Abraham's descendants (Rom 4:16), that is God’s will for us as well.

Blessed to be a blessing.

The Bible is full of examples of abundance, stories of Jesus blessing people more than He needed to, more than they perhaps expected Him to.

• Jesus' first miracle was turning water into 600 liters of wine (the best wine!) at a wedding where people had already had enough to drink after partying for a week
• When Jesus fed the crowd of 5,000 men, there were 12 baskets of bread leftover!
• "Toss your nets to the other side" Jesus commanded His discouraged disciples who had been fishing all night without catching anything. And, because of their OBEDIENCE, they brought in so many fish that the boat almost sunk!
• Moved with emotion regarding His good friend Lazarus, Jesus didn't just comfort the sisters, grieve with them, or pass on "spiritual sounding" answers - "This must have been part of my Father's will…." No, He called on the Name of His Father and raised Lazarus from the dead!
• And there are innumerable instances where Jesus healed people - sometimes because they asked and sought, and other times because He just chose to.
• Jesus also received abundantly. When a sinful, looked-down-upon woman came to pour perfume on Jesus' feet, Christ’s disciples were uncomfortable and tried to sound spiritual - "shouldn't that have been sold and the money given to the pour?" Jesus answered by saying she had done a blessed thing.
• And, as I mentioned earlier, the greatest example of all is that "He did not spare His own Son” and is still today willing to “give us all things” (Rom 8:32).

What is the purpose of Him giving us all things? What is the point of prosperity?

“You will be made rich in every way so you can be generous on every occasion” (2 Corinthians 9:11).

We know the Bible verse - "Freely you have received; freely give" (Matt 10:8).  How can we give if we have nothing to start with? How can we be generous if we ourselves are lacking?

The answer to the desperation of this world is NOT Christians becoming poorer!

Please allow me to clarify:

I do NOT believe that Christians are called to an easy life, and I am definitely not saying that our brothers and sisters in third-world nations or persecuted countries are doing something wrong because they don’t have material wealth.

I am AGAINST leaders using manipulation or anything else in order to get money, Aad my heart BREAKS when I see how many people, especially "Christian" leaders in influential positions, are misrepresenting God and leading people astray. Oh Father, help us! No wonder the World has a skewed perspective of the God/Christianity!

I think it is WRONG to try to manipulate God, or think of Him as a "heavenly vending machine" where we just get what we want out of Him (money, blessings, health, relationships, bigger houses, bigger cars, promotions, etc.) It has always been, and will always be, about relationship.

But about that relationship, the Bible says: “If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, will not your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask Him?” (Matt 7:11).

God does give, and He gives generously - Wisdom (James 1), Peace (John 14), Love (1 John), His Spirit (John 3:34), Hope (Rom. 5:5), Finances (Philippians 4:19), Healing from diseases (Psalm 103), Forgiveness (1 John 1:9), Gifts and Talents (1 Cor. 12:11) and many other things.

What would it look like for the Church, the Bride of Christ, to be known for her generosity? We are created “in the image of God,” meaning with the potential to give. What if we were so touched with compassion for the broken, the down and out, those facing lack, that we were moved to action and believed that God wants to use OUR hands and feet to bring about change?

And remember, generosity is not defined by numbers, and giving is about more than finances and posessions. A person with $3,000 may be living a more disobedient lifestyle than someone with $3,000,000 if they are not sharing and investing into the Kingdom of God. And remember the story of the Widow’s Mite? Jesus said the lady who put one penny in the offering plate gave more than all the others, since she gave what she had; it was a sacrifice for her. No matter what our social status is or what our bank account looks like, we are called to give. For some that means giving of time, resources, and listening ear, a helping hand. But I believe our faith needs to reach our chequebooks as well. It’s not our money anyway! The God who “owns the cattle on a thousand hills” has generosly entrusted His resources to us, and asks us to be faithful.

So what does prosperity have to do with the Gospel? The Good News is the story about God meeting our need and equipping us “with everything needed for life and godliness” (2 Pet 1:3) in order that we may serve others with that same generous spirit.

----




Thoughts? Questions? Please feel free to comment and share your own struggles, experiences, perspective!

Joy Dare

A Challenge from Ann Voskamp to "Count 1,000 Gifts" throughout the year. I started in April, and here are a few on my list so far:


For April 9: "A Gift Held"

Surprise roses...from my father-in-law! So thoughtful of him :)

For April 10: "3 Gifts Opened Up"
 

 

The sky opening up after a morning of rain.

 

 

Opening the pages of the Word of God...gifts of wisdom, encouragement, love!

Opening our fridge and being reminded of God's provision...His abundant goodness!

Where can you witness God's glory in the details of your life this day?

Join the Joy Dare: http://www.aholyexperience.com/joy-dares/

The Story of Hans...

Thought I'd share a neat little God-story from a week ago at the airport. (By the way, we've arrived safe and sound in Germany and are loving it so far!)

In an effort to find the cheapest way to move our stuff overseas, we divided up our luggage between us, some friends who are also visiting Germany right now, and my parents who will be coming to visit in two weeks. It was much cheaper for each person to have one additional bag than for us to bring 8 or 10. But as we were finishing packing on the day we were leaving, we realized we had too much stuff and needed an extra bag. We debated about whether we really needed it or not, since it would be expensive to bring...and finally we decided we'd just go for it.

On our way out the door, Mogi remembered that he needed to call a couple that had been wanting to get together with us but it just never worked out so far for us to meet. So he phoned, thanking them for their invitation and saying sorry that it won't be possible since we were just on our way out. The wife commented that her husband was also just leaving, bringing a friend of theirs to the airport. Interested, Mogi asked, "Oh, where is your friend flying to?" The answer was Frankfurt. "Really? What time?" 7:20pm that evening. "No way! What airline?" Condor. Wow! The exact flight we would also be taking in 6 hours. He asked if their friend would be willing to take an additional piece of luggage...so the wife ran out to catch them, and the answer was yes. God had provided!

So we set up a time and place to meet this man at the airport. All we knew was that his name was Hans. When we arrived, we couldn't find him anywhere though. We waited for awhile and even asked a few strangers if their name was "Hans," but to no avail. We joined the check-in line, always looking around for someone who might be looking for us. Finally, it was our turn to go up to the counter, and we decided he must have already checked in, so we would just have to pay for our additional luggage. The computer was acting up at that station, so we had to move to a different one. At that one the lady had to call someone else to help get the program running there too. As we were waiting, and older man came up to the counter beside us, trying to communicate with the check-in lady but not knowing English. Mogi understood that he had a question about his seat or something, and offered to translate. So he helped back and forth to get the problem resolved, and at one point he looked down at the man's passport and saw "Hans..." Suddenly they were talking back and forth, "Are you the Hans I'm supposed to meet?" "Yes, I couldn't find you!" And on it went, then Mogi threw one of our suitcases onto his cart and it got checked in right away.

Right at the last minute, God has provided! We were kind of stunned that after waiting for an hour and not finding each other, then having to move because of technical problems, God brought him right to us. Mogi said he was reminded of the principle that "it is a blessing to be a blessing." If he hadn't offered to help translate, we never would have known it was Hans.

Isn't God good? He cares about even the small things in our lives, such as saving money when moving. I read a cool verse yesterday: "Ask the Lord for rain in the springtime." Basically, ask the Lord for what we need!  Zechariah 10:1 - "Ask the Lord for rain in the springtime; it is the Lord who makes the storm clouds. He gives showers of rain to men, and plants of the field to everyone."

God knows what you need in this season of your life, and he is ready to "satisfy your desires with good things" (Psalm 103:5). Do not worry about your life, we read in Matthew 6; your Heavenly Father knows what you need! And he cares about the details.

The Prayer of Jabez

1 Chronicles 4:10

"Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, 'Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.' And God granted his request."


I know there is some controversy about this verse and its implications. But I wanted to share how it has impacted me this week...


I prayed it last week. At first it seems selfish - wanting to be blessed, wanting to be free from pain. But I got thinking that in essence, we absolutely need the blessing of God! In this cursed world of sin, disaster, and pain, God wants to offer us true life (John 10:10). To pray for his blessing isn't selfish. We are his children and we can approach him with confidence. Apart from him we can do nothing!


But the phrase that really caught me was "enlarge my territory." In my heart as I prayed it, I meant an increase in opportunities and influence. Someone was sharing with me the other day how they've been facing challenging situations lately, but God was revealing to them that it is exactly in those situations that they have a chance to grow. In fact the only option is to grow or to backslide. So I've been praying for God to stretch my faith, to grow me, and to enlarge my territory of influence so I can be a blessing to other people. And it's been incredible how he has answered! I think nearly every day this week I've had a random conversation, received a random email or Facebook message, or heard a random story that has driven me to prayer. All these situations have been out of the blue, and with people I haven't necessarily been in contact with for awhile or don't know very well. God is enlarging my territory! Now the challenge is that I am faithful with these opportunities. I want my Master to say to me, as in Matthew 25:21, "Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things."


One thing God is challenging me with this year is to go deeper in prayer. (And as was raised in one of my courses - not to have a better 'prayer life', but to have a life of prayer!) I heard a speaker a few days ago mention that interceding for others is one practical way we can 'lay down our lives for our friends' (John 15:13). Sure we're not dying in doing so, but it can be a sacrifice. But what a privilege we have to come before our awesome, majestic, powerful king and ask him to intervene in the lives of people we know who need him to! To speak blessing into their lives when it is likely that they are usually faced with doubt, fear, and lies. 


In a sense it was one of those 'dangerous prayers' - because I wasn't sure how God would answer. But he is good, all the time. And I've been humbled and amazed at his graciousness - that when I make myself available, he opens my eyes to the good works he has prepared for me to do (Ephesians 2:10). 


What are the opportunities God has placed in your life? Pray for him to use you and believe that he will...and see what happens. 

My Cup Overflows!

Wow, God is amazing! His love is extravagant and he has truly lavished it on us.

To start with, after making travel arrangements for over Christmas, we wondered a bit at our financial situation and acknowledged that we may have to be more cautious in the future. As we were discussing it the next day, Mogi said that he knows God will provide, because he always has. We agreed that he is completely trustworthy, and that he can provide in ways we don't expect or aren't aware of. Then...literally seconds after finishing this conversation, Mogi checks his computer and finds out that he'd received a donation to his German bank account. The amount was just over what paid for tickets! We were amazed and humbled. God is GOOD!

Then, the other night friends of ours in our apartment, who are moving, came down and said they were clearing out their fridge and asked if we needed anything. That led to them bringing down boxes and boxes of food from their pantry that we ended up disbursing to everyone else in the complex. There were items that I had planned on grocery shopping for the next day, as well as specialty foods that we'd never buy for ourselves. God is Jehovah Jireh - our Provider!

The blessings haven't stopped all week...a gift certificate to a restaurant, amazing fellowship with friends, challenging reminders at church.

In a discussion last night, one of our friends made an interesting comment. "Why do we talk so much about giving, and so little about receiving? Why do we emphasize, for instance, the 10% we're supposed to tithe, and not discuss the 90% that we get to keep?" It's a good question. Giving is good...necessary...important. But our culture at large, and I know I personally, seems to feel uncomfortable in a place of receiving.

We talk about Christmas as being a "time for giving," but is it really? One of the most famous Bible verses would suggest otherwise: "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son..." (John 3:16). God is the one who gave the ultimate gift, and Christmas is the celebration of the opportunity to receive this gift of Christ our Savior. All our gifts pale in comparison to this ultimate gift. 


This is not to suggest that we shouldn't be giving; that's not the point. The question is, have we learned how to receive well? It's humbling to be the recipient of other people's generosity, but it's also a blessing. And there's no way we can give to others unless we've first received. 2 Corinthians 9 gives us principles for generosity:

 "⁶Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. ⁷ Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. ⁸ And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work...¹⁰Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. ¹¹ You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God."

"Blessed to be a blessing" - that's the bottom line. God has been revealing himself to us this week as the Giver - the generous, lavish giver. And I know his purpose is so that we can pass it on. 

So I ask you...have you learned to receive? Have you received the ultimate gift of God's son and his offer of eternal life? It is only through him that we can be blessed so abundantly that we can abound in good works and be generous to others on every occasion.