Jehovah Jirah

I have to give honor to God. He has taught me a lot lately about faith.

About six months ago My wife and I were praying and asking God to help us to pay off our $3000 credit card bill. We had peace within us the whole time (even when it was being racked up) We knew that it was simply due to the lack of budgeting in our finances. Something deep within just spoke peace. At around the same time we found a very helpful budgeting tool online that we started using. It has been a blessing. You can download the budgeting tool here.

About a month ago I found out at work that I was recieving a raise at work. Very cool I thought. It would help us further on our budgeting journey. Around the same time we filed our taxes and decided to pay a portion of our card with the tax return.

Then we had some friends come over that are mentoring us in financial planning and they encouraged us in a huge way. Showed us ways to cut spending, ways to save. etc. Last week we found out that some money that we thought we couldn't get was available to us. I realized earlier this week that the amount of our tax return and the money coming in mentioned above is exactly what we needed to pay off our card. God is so faithful to assist us when we follow him in obedience.

Yesterday I was listening to a series on money management from Larry Burkett, and he was talking about the tithe. He explained it as an act of faith and that tithing is simply an act of faith toward trusting God. There was more to it but that part really spoke to me. It led me to a time where I was talking with God about my lack of faith for him to provide. There have been some area's that God has been asking me to move on but my fear and lack of faith has kept me idle. I mentioned to God that I desired to follow him, I just really needed him to be faithful to provide what I need to care for my family. So I committed to obey him in faith that he would provide.

Thus leads me to today. While at a leadership meeting at work today, I was informed that our mileage reimbursement was going up. I was happy about that as it takes a lot of wear and tear on vehicles when you use it everyday for work....Then the hand of God. We were informed that on top of our raise a month ago that we were recieving another one effective April 1.

I was floored. Amazed at how loving God is, that in a matter of 24 hours he put my heart at ease that he would provide. That he is in control. The cool thing is that the message that I was listening to was on the tithe and the amount that I recieved on my raise was approx 11 %.

I am so thankful that God has shown himself in such a practical way. It has reminded me that he is in control. Something that I think we forget sometimes.

God is good.

Simplicity of Children

I have to share this. I was going to a store with my five year old tonight and out of the blue he says "Daddy when we die and go to heaven, will there be a bean stalk that we can climb ?' Oh man I had to look away to laugh. He was so serious. I told him no. I said "Maybe there will be a stairway...." He looks at me and said "But I dont want to fall out of the sky" Too cute.

Names of Jesus

Thought it would be fun to post some names of Jesus

1. Adam (1Co 15:45)
2. Advocate (1Jn 2:1)
3. Almighty (Rev 1:8)
4. Alpha and omega (Rev 1:8, 22:13)
5. Amen (Rev 3:14)
6. Apostle of our profession (Heb 3:1)
7. Arm of the Lord (Isa 51:9, 53:1)
8. Author and protector of our faith (Heb 12:2)
9. Source of eternal Salvation (Heb 5:9
10. Ruler of Gods creation ( Rev 3:14)
11. Beloved son (Mt 12:18)
12. Blessed and only ruler (1 Ti 6:15)
13. Branch (Isa 4:2)
14. Bread of Life (Jn 1:3)
15. Author of Salvation (Heb 2:10)
16. Chief shepherd (1 Pe 5:4)
17. Christ of God (Lk 9:20)
18. Consolation of Israel (Lk 2:25)
19. Capstone (Ps 118:22)
20. Counsellor (Isa 9:6)
21. Creator (Jn 1:3)
22. Rising son (Lk 1:78)
23. Deliverer (Ro 11:26)
24. Desired of all nations (Hag 2:7)
25. Gate (Jn 10:7)
26. Chosen of God (Isa 42:1)
27. Everlasting Father (Isa 42:1)
28. Faithful witness Rev 1:5
29. First and last Rev 1:17
30. Firstborn (Rev 1:8)
31. Forerunner (Heb 6:20)
32. Glory of the Lord (Isa 40:5)
33. God (Isa 40:3, Jn20-28)
34. Good shepherd (Jn 10:11)
35. Ruler (Mt 2:6)

To know God is to care for poor and needy

He judged the cause of the poor and needy; then it was well. Is not this to know me? Said the Lord. (Jer 22:16)

This is an extraordinary text which shows how God is understood in terms of social practice. Note well the text does not say that if one takes care of the poor and the needy, then one will get to know God. Nor does the text say that, if one knows God, then one will take care of the poor and needy. The two elements are not sequential nor are they related as cause and effect. Rather the two phrases, are synonomous. Caring for the poor and needy is equivelent to knowing God. That is who God is and how God is known. God is indeed a mode of social practice and a way of social relation.

Excerpt from an article called 'The practice of homelessness' by Walter Brueggemann

Shameful

It is shameful
to feed the hungry
and not fight for hunger

It is shameful
to shelter the homeless
and not advocate for affordable housing

It is shameful
to visit the prisoner
and not mandate liberty to captives

It is shameful
to visit the sick
and not raise hell on gradys
policies (privatized health care)
to charge the poorest of the poor

It is shameful
to go to church
and not struggle on behalf
of the poor and oppressed

It is shameful
to have money in the bank
and not build a society
where the nessesities
of life are a human right

Ed Loring

Although I do not really like the harse shameful wording in this poem, it sure makes a great point. We need to be looking at the bigger picture when it comes to who we are in Christ. And why we are in this world amongst the poor.

Preparing for the harvest

Matt9:37,38
Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.

Often times when we hear that the harvest is coming we get an expectation in our hearts that God is about to do something marvelous. Problem is that often we "wait" for it. Based on the above passage Jesus is telling us that the harvest is already ready. The harvest is full. We need to be asking God to prepare our hearts for the harvest. What needs to be worked on in our own hearts to get ourselves ready? What obstacles are in the way? We need to move out in faith and trust God for his grace to fulfill his mandate. To be effective 'workers' we need to be obedient to what God is putting on our hearts.

In Luke 16:10 Jesus teaches us "Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much".

Often times we look at the prize while forgetting the vital steps to get us there. Matthew 10:42 says 'And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward.'

If we look to 'win' lost souls for Christ (What does it mean to "win' souls for Christ, it's not in the bible hmmm?) while forgetting the simple things; simple things like baking some cookies for your neighbor, letting a co worker share thier frustrations, shovelling someone's walk, sending a card of encouragement when someone is sick or depressed...the list goes on. If we dont show them Christ's love this simple way we are missing a very important part of effective evangelism.

If we sit back in our pews and don't begin praying and asking God to send the workers as well as preparing our own hearts, we will be sitting here a year from now asking where the harvest was that God had promised.

The harvest is here...It always has been, If anything this is a wake up call for the church to get out there and begin showing the love of Christ. If we wait for the right moment or the right motivation...we wont go.