Not everyone can handle a church building. If they could, they wouldn't routinely ask for church donations to pay for a leaking roof or electricity bill. So why is it that the church continues to rack up outlandish debt in the name of our Father?
The reasons are very simple. Like any secular organization, the church has a business plan. This plan illustrates the expenses to have workers, building utilities and equipment. With rising costs for each, the church has to find a way to finance everyone and everything. In most cases, the church leadership are the only ones who are paid significantly. Therefore, the church will use any means to keep its organization financed. Hosting fellowships, inviting guest speakers and performers to special events such as: National Day of Prayer, Mother and Father's Day, children's activities and similar celebrations.
The bigger the congregation, the more expensive everything becomes. God's will goes out the window and before long, its man's will. With this in mind, God's church is no longer a small church of true believers; instead, His church has become a circus of unbelievers looking for their future mates, tithing for selfish gains, foolishly dancing and singing about a God they don't know and wasting precious dollars on parades, marches and literature on a god whose always asking for money. The church elder will then encourage the board to take out loans to pay for a new building project, community event, trip around the world, or buy he and his family a new car and/or home. If the church can afford to pay the elder a stipend he/she will get that too. But if the church can't afford to pay the elder, without taking out loans to keep up the bills, then there are problems both spiritually and financially. Membership decreases, the pressure to alter messages to keep existing members, create more community targeted programs, and other things not God-focused take center stage.
According to writer, Bernd Neumann and member of the Christian Democrat Union (CDU), “Debt doesn't glorify God.” He writes, “If God condemns the unbelievers for not glorifying Him (Romans 1:18-21,) then certainly the church needs to glorify Him...God has promised that he will provide for all the needs of his people. Debt is a burden, not provision...God does not supply for our need through another need, the need to repay a debt.”
With this statement, churches are way in over their heads. They encourage “donations” and they try to arise guilt in some to get them to pay their tithes. Why should a church body be made to pay bills accrued by church board members? Some members move on to other churches leaving debt behind.
“A church member can vote today during a church business meeting for the church to assume a debt, but that same church member can leave the church tomorrow and not be personally responsible for this debt,” Neumann states. “The church might be burdened with debts for decades to come, and the people who incurred the debt are long gone. The repayment of the loan will be pushed on people who will join the church in the future. Those people are not even told when they join that there is a debt.”
Biblical foundations are designed for the church congregation are being destroyed by the 'charlatan' believer. For instance, the Apostle Paul writes to the Galatians, “Stand fast there in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.” Debt is bondage, tithing to pay debts is also bondage. Neumann writes, “Anyone who preaches a “gospel” of debt, and how it supposedly is God's will to do his work with debt, preaches a false gospel and brings himself under condemnation of preaching a false gospel. God's judgment in this matter is severe (Galatians 1:8-9.)”
Other Biblical principles to read on borrowing money are listed below:
Psalm 37:21
Luke 6:34
Proverbs 22:7
Matthew 6:24
Proverbs 22:21
Sunday
Urgent Prayers
You say you need something to happen in your life with urgency. So you go to God with your requests. Before long, you are wondering why does it seem that everything you prayed for is happening so fast that you can barely catch your breath. The reason is very simple, you and God were in a agreement with your prayer requests, so now you must do your part--put some pep in your step! But you say, "I'm not ready..." Remember God's time isn't on your time.
You see we put an urgency stamp on prayers that we aren't willing to run toward. We can't keep it up, we run out of breath after the first 50 yards. God is moving ahead and leaving us behind! If we don't run behind our Father like a child does in order to keep up, we might feel like daddy is leaving us behind.
Some of you wanted God to move on your behalf years ago and now it is your season and you are dragging your feet. Taking your sweet time about making phone calls, mailing documents, signing paperwork, and more! What's the hold up? You asked God to do things and now you aren't ready? "Well I don't know, I mean is this real...is God really in the plan? I have to be sure. Maybe I should wait on it." Your period of waiting may have long been over. A good way to know whether this is your time is when you start looking around to see everything you are currently doing is coming to an end. There is no more opportunities but the one in front of you. No more advisers to talk to and speak positively about your situation. There is no one who will take you by the hand anymore. It's just you, God and the plan.
Don't pray daily if you aren't really ready for what God has in store. You wanted a better life and you got it. You wanted a better man and you got him. You wanted a wife and you got her. You wanted a better job, a nicer home, and on and on. Now you got it, so what are you waiting for? You keep dragging your feet and before you know it, that blessing that is here today will be gone tomorrow. Run the race.
Saturday
His Grace Doesn't Last Forever
I wonder if God ever gets tired of prayers where people are always asking for stuff. Well, I think I got my answer the other day when I turned on the radio station to hear a minister talk about greed and why you should be content with what you have.
It seems that those who cry, “Lord, Lord give me…” every chance they get are being judged these days. Things that once came quickly are trickling in or not at all. The believer is becoming disgruntled, acting like a two year old having a temper tantrum, “Why God? Why won’t you give me what I want?”
God is growing weary of us. As one minister put it, “His grace doesn’t last forever.” We that know better are testing God’s patience. We keep on doing things we know we shouldn’t. We blame the other person. We study others; rather than look at ourselves. We get easily offended when God calls us out on something. We take the messenger of God’s words and use them against him or her. We think that an attack on someone’s character or an attempt “to tell them like it is” will get them off our back.
Unfortunately, this kind of behavior will only make God act more swiftly on judging us. So I have learned, it is best to accept the truth no matter how bad it hurts and use what we learn for our benefit and to help others.
Scripture Reference:
You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.
It seems that those who cry, “Lord, Lord give me…” every chance they get are being judged these days. Things that once came quickly are trickling in or not at all. The believer is becoming disgruntled, acting like a two year old having a temper tantrum, “Why God? Why won’t you give me what I want?”
God is growing weary of us. As one minister put it, “His grace doesn’t last forever.” We that know better are testing God’s patience. We keep on doing things we know we shouldn’t. We blame the other person. We study others; rather than look at ourselves. We get easily offended when God calls us out on something. We take the messenger of God’s words and use them against him or her. We think that an attack on someone’s character or an attempt “to tell them like it is” will get them off our back.
Unfortunately, this kind of behavior will only make God act more swiftly on judging us. So I have learned, it is best to accept the truth no matter how bad it hurts and use what we learn for our benefit and to help others.
Scripture Reference:
You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.
Wednesday
Do What God Has Called You to Do
God will tell you at some point in your spiritual walk to do something for Him and you ought to be prepared to take instruction. However, what many believers will do is ask others for confirmation on what God wants them to do. This will get you into a lot of trouble with your maker especially if you are talking to the wrong people about what he has laid in your spirit to do! Remember the story of Jonah and the whale. Jonah tried to circumvent God's plans for his life, but it didn't work, did it?
Some of the things people will do when you share with them what God has called you to do are as follows. First, someone will ask you, “Are you sure God wants you to do that?” Another will say, “God wouldn’t tell you that. And still another will be indifferent to what you are telling them. Their lack of enthusiasm, negative response, or nonchalant mood might discourage you or cause you to question whether you heard from God or not.
I remember a time when I told family and friends about a 40 day fast that I knew without a shadow of a doubt God called me to. I had received confirmation first, by a word in my spirit, then an unanticipated biblical passage, and finally a radio broadcast that I just so happened to tune into one day. But, by the time those who seemed initially positive and impressed with my dedication to my faith got a chance to ponder with others, there seemed to be an all-out effort to get Nicky off her fast. “Why would God put her on a fast like that? Is she trying to kill herself?” some asked.
As I grew older in my walk with God, he used mentors to tell me: to be careful sharing what God wills me to do with others and to be cautious of "my" dreams, and don’t always feel a need to share everything that I had learned spiritually with others. My mentors reminded me of Joseph the dreamer in the Bible who shared the message he received from God in a dream with his brothers only to one day find himself in a pit due to his brothers’ jealousy. One of the greatest lessons to be learned from the biblical story is that although the enemy opposes what God has willed for you to do, God’s plans will not be stopped! As we know, despite all the challenges placed before Joseph, God’s plan was still accomplished.
I found that with every task God assigns me, as long as I keep my focus on him and ask him questions like, “What's next, Lord? What should I do? Should I wait on this or that?” and other similar questions when it comes to put what his will is for me, I move forward and am fulfilled by the end of the day. But, when I take my eyes off God’s plan, that’s when the enemy comes with all sorts of distractions. For example, before I know it, nothing gets done!
Keep your eyes on the Lord, but also pray that whatever plans of the enemy to keep you off your tasks will not be accomplished. Sometimes God will test us for a variety of reasons including whether or not we are about his business.
Some of the things people will do when you share with them what God has called you to do are as follows. First, someone will ask you, “Are you sure God wants you to do that?” Another will say, “God wouldn’t tell you that. And still another will be indifferent to what you are telling them. Their lack of enthusiasm, negative response, or nonchalant mood might discourage you or cause you to question whether you heard from God or not.
I remember a time when I told family and friends about a 40 day fast that I knew without a shadow of a doubt God called me to. I had received confirmation first, by a word in my spirit, then an unanticipated biblical passage, and finally a radio broadcast that I just so happened to tune into one day. But, by the time those who seemed initially positive and impressed with my dedication to my faith got a chance to ponder with others, there seemed to be an all-out effort to get Nicky off her fast. “Why would God put her on a fast like that? Is she trying to kill herself?” some asked.
As I grew older in my walk with God, he used mentors to tell me: to be careful sharing what God wills me to do with others and to be cautious of "my" dreams, and don’t always feel a need to share everything that I had learned spiritually with others. My mentors reminded me of Joseph the dreamer in the Bible who shared the message he received from God in a dream with his brothers only to one day find himself in a pit due to his brothers’ jealousy. One of the greatest lessons to be learned from the biblical story is that although the enemy opposes what God has willed for you to do, God’s plans will not be stopped! As we know, despite all the challenges placed before Joseph, God’s plan was still accomplished.
I found that with every task God assigns me, as long as I keep my focus on him and ask him questions like, “What's next, Lord? What should I do? Should I wait on this or that?” and other similar questions when it comes to put what his will is for me, I move forward and am fulfilled by the end of the day. But, when I take my eyes off God’s plan, that’s when the enemy comes with all sorts of distractions. For example, before I know it, nothing gets done!
Keep your eyes on the Lord, but also pray that whatever plans of the enemy to keep you off your tasks will not be accomplished. Sometimes God will test us for a variety of reasons including whether or not we are about his business.
Spring Time with God on the Mind
How I had wished for months for the cold to go away!How I would sit back and pray,
about the sleet, the hail, and the rain
behind four walls-- feeling like going insane!
My head would ache,
my heart would break,
from fussing and fighting,
he nor I saw a sun sighting.
Couldn’t wait for spring time, for arms of sunshine,
so I could begin to start to feel fine.
Laid down one night and had a dream
of a beautiful white flower that looked like cream.
A man would appear,
He had scared a deer.
carried no metal,
just a simple flower petal.
A return of happiness he brought
and many lessons to be taught.
Like a Lily in a valley,
with its fragrant blooms,
he had decorated the outside of many tombs.
He would remind me of the beauty that I possess, the beauty that I had long forgotten, I must confess.
So pull back the curtains, raise the blinds,
open a window and don’t ignore the signs!
I take a long whiff of the fresh morning air,
While thinking, “I’ll go to the neighborhood fair.”
I look up to see baby blue skies –
and inside my emotions start to arise.
Oh, how I appreciate living!
A renewed spirit for giving!
Look at the tall, green trees,
the waves of the seas!
The birds that sing,
The wind chimes that ring!
No more locked up in the house!
No more feeling like a mouse!
Once a short run here or there
to fill cupboards that were bare,
then back in bed to escape cold while
staring at an old vase with a dead Marigold.
Spring time has awaken me,
To the reality that many still don’t want to see,
that there is a God,
and He reigns over you and me!
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