Living Word Christian Fellowship
“That I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving...” Psalm 26:7
Vol. 14, No. 1 January 2005
Dear Family of God:
We are starting out this year with giving because the enemy is working overtime to keep us centered on ourselves. I have found and continue to be blessed because of the spirit of giving. It keeps me looking to the Lord for all of my needs and gives me a desire to give to others. There is never a time when we can say I don’t have to give. I have never seen the children of God going without bread unless they choose to do so. I just can’t get it out of my mind about the widow who threw in two mites. The Lord said she gave the most. Yet today we have people, we have business men, we have retired individuals who won’t give anything to the work of the ministry. A deceptive spirit has gripped their hearts and there is nothing that God can do to help them until they learn to give of themselves and what they have.
God is promising a great spiritual blessing this New Year. And I for one am going to be in the middle of it! I don’t want anyone to know what I have given. But it is a joy to know I have given all the Lord has directed in my heart. Some people will never hear the Lord tell them to give to the appropriate places because of the hardness of their hearts.
Our church is one that gives and gives and gives. And so we continue to have bread served weekly that satisfies the need of our hearts. I am one of the most blessed pastors I know because of the giving hearts. And I know that God is going to bless above all that we think or ask.
So keep yourselves always prepared to receive even as the Lord is preparing to give.
In Christ,
Pr. Steve
Needy Man
Sits behind his desk, ear pressed against the phone,
Oblivious,
Totally, inescapably, completely oblivious
Oblivious to the need.
The need all over himself
All over the floor, the phone, his chair
Like some grotesque, macabre mess
Don’t get me wrong, he does recognize it
He wouldn’t try so hard to clean it up if he didn’t recognize it
He cleans with control
Wipes with manipulation
Polishes with pride
But the harder he tries to clean
The worse this mess gets,
Just smears and smears
You see, he has yet to get to the fountain of this mess
The source of all this need
The source that pumps this mess with every breath, every action.
His Heart.
His undying, unrelentless, unsatisfied, unloved heart
He doesn’t realize he is the source
He is the generator of this ghostly mess
His need just keeps needing.
Oblivious
Utterly, inescapably, oblivious.
Jesus, open his eyes
Open the eyes of his heart
Let him know that he even has one,
So you can come in,
Come in with all that you are
Come in with all you intend for him to be
And clean.
By Henry Wright
Principle Of Giving
Giving is the spirit of generosity. The more freely we give, the more we are like Him who gave all to save us. The exact opposite of generosity is covetousness and greed. Greed is now accepted as normal in America because “you owe it to yourself to have and live the way you want,” not the way of the Word of Truth. To get – to take – and to have is in our blood. New International Version tells us Luke 12:15 “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” If we are to walk in the glory of God, we must embrace the principle of giving.
“For with the same measure that you measure it shall be measured to you again.” (Luke 6:38) If you want the abundance of living now, then remember to give no matter what.
The Lord gives to us:
· After we have given to others
· The same substance we have given
· In the same measure we have given
· Through people
1. He gives – after we have given to others: “You give, and then it shall be given to you.” (Luke 6:38). The order of action is most important. First we give and then God will act. As creatures of habit and greed, we naturally hold back, waiting on God to move first. We want Him to give so we have something to share with others. But He says, trust me beyond what you see and have, and give by faith. Whatever our present resources are is the key to giving. Whether we are in abundance or in need, we must start the process.
The widow of Zarephath demonstrates this. She was getting ready to fix her last meal for her son and then wait to die (I Kings 17) Elijah came and said, feed me first. Why? Because he knew the order in which God works. Despite the personal needs of this widow woman, God’s principle of giving called for her to act first. Whatever she had, the little that she had was to be given. That released God’s hands to reward her according to His Word.
1 Kings 17:14 “For thus saith the LORD God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the LORD sendeth rain upon the earth.”
This is why get rich quick schemes are an entrapment. Establish your standards by God’s Word, not the way of the world. You give first and God will always provide for you.
2. He gives-The same substance we have given: “Give and it (what you have given) shall be given unto you” (Luke.6:38) After we have given, Jesus repays us in “kind” – He returns the same kinds of things we have given. If we give money, He gives us money. If we hoard our money, our money will be taken from us. If we forgive, He sends forgiveness. If we give our time, He gives us time. He is a Reciprocator – recompensing with the same substance we have given.
3. He gives – in the same measure we have given: “good measure, pressed down, and shaken together and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that you measure it shall be measured to you again” (Luke 6:38) This depicts the market place where containers were used for bartering or buying goods. He says the same container we use to measure our gifts to the church will be used by God to measure His gifts to us. That is why we don’t sing any longer “Fill my cup, Lord.” We need our baskets filled. If we give a handful, we get a handful. If we give a bushel full, we will be filled with blessings so great it will be difficult to carry. The Lord begins to pour out; He shakes it so to settle it down, then He compacts it and throws some extra on top – if we are giving people. (If a farmer only plants a half-acre with seed, he will not reap a 20-acre harvest.)
2 Corinthians 9:6 “But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.”
4. He gives through people: “…shall men give into your bosom.” (Luke 6:38) Divine gifts are delivered by human hands. When God repays us for our giving, His favor and grace flow to us through people and usually through other people than those to whom we have given. The gifts of God normally come through ordinary folks in ordinary settings in ordinary times.
The Lord always recompenses those who give, but not necessarily when we expect. In 2 Kings 8 there was a Shunammite woman whose son Elisha raised from the dead. He told the woman to leave all that she had along with her family and to go wherever she could find because a famine was coming to the land. To save her life, she had to give everything - - home, possessions, land and income. For seven years she went into the Philistines’ land. We are not told what, if anything she was given, only that she survived. God deliberately withheld from her to test her faith and loyalty to Him. At the appointed time she returned to her land. Through King Jehoram, the Lord announced, “Restore all that was hers, and all the fruit of the field since the day that she left the land, even until now.” (2 Kings 8:6)
Ecclesiastes 11:1 “Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days.
The Spirit of Jesus’ life is generosity, not greed. His passion was to do the will of the Father, not to hoard. Truth, not materialism ruled His heart. The principle of giving is “not to get more, but to give more.”
2 Corinthians 9:8 “And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:
2 Corinthians 9:6 6But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.
One way or the other God will bless your personal economy. Due to His divine favor, your personal needs will be abundantly supplied – So that you can give more. Obedience to the principle will establish the miraculous cycle of charity in place of greed.
We are told about the church of Laodicea that false teachers will come in twisting the principle of giving for their own financial profit (2 Peter 2). They have made merchandise of the sheep. Anyone who takes advantage of God’s sheep for personal gain will answer to God. Nowhere does God promise to make Christians wealthy. That is the love of the world and the god of this world. 1 Tim.6:5 (NIV) “Constant friction between men of corrupt minds, have been robbed of the truth and thinking that godliness is a means to financial gain.”
Each time the Lord calls us to give up something of a material importance it is because He is wanting to give us something of a spiritual blessing. God converts our natural sacrifice into spiritual resources to affect the ministry that He is in charge of. The greater the sacrifice the greater the spiritual blessing. To the Laodiceans the Lord said, “buy gold tried in the fire to be rich; white raiment to be clothed; and eyesalve to see.” God is ready to pour out a blessing so great there will not be room enough to receive it all. (Mal.3:10)
-Pr. Steve
I am going to be sharing with you thoughts from my journal over the past few years. This is to show you how the Lord has brought about His Word in my life to minister to you and to show you how real this walk can be. Please read and understand by the Spirit about ...
. . . My calling as a pastor
Pastor’s Journal 2003
Jan. 2: “My people shall know it is I that speaks to them. The oppressions shall be broken and redemption shall come.”
Jan. 5: “I am now enveloping My church so the darkness will not penetrate and My Glory will be witnessed in the church. Be not weary in well doing for you shall reap if you do not faint.”
Jan. 6: “The Lord’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains. We shall go up.”
Jan. 9: “I am coming and My reward is with Me.”
Jan. 11: The Word is alive and full and rich in you.”
Jan. 13: The Lord seems to be giving His people much freedom today. He is not speaking but waiting and watching what we will do. The ambitious will continue to get what they want. Then there are those who will wait and wait until the Lord speaks. I choose the later. I want His direction and Lordship. The days are too complex to figure out on our own.
Jan 16: “I am the Blessing of your life.”
Jan. 17: “Repentance removes the veil so the liberty of the Spirit is found. You are being changed from glory to glory.”
Jan. 20: “Be cleansed and made Holy in My sight, perfecting the Spirit and body and I will come to you as a Father.”
Jan. 23: Married men should live considerately with their wives, recognizing and honoring the woman as the weaker, but realizing you are joint heirs of the grace of life, so that you may pray effectively.
Jan. 25: “I have covered your feet. You are a virtuous church. Now I will do unto thee all you require.”
Jan. 27: “Walk and live habitually in the Holy Spirit, responsive to and controlled and guided by the Spirit.”
Jan. 29: “Only live up to what you have already attained. Take note of those who live according to the pattern.”
Attention Deficit Disorder
Attention Deficit Disorder is a growing problem among children in our society. Teachers and school officials label many students as being attention deficit. Doctors are quick to prescribe medication, such as Ritalin, to children as a “quick-fix” for learning and behavior problems. Medicating children for attention deficit disorder is not the answer.
Children who are put on drugs say that there is something wrong with them. Parents are sending this message to them. Children that I have talked to express that their parents do not like the way they are and that is why they have been put on drugs. Many children and teenagers that my husband and I have dealt with who have been on drugs for attention deficit believe that they are bad. They wonder why their parents and others don’t like and love them for who they are. They want to know why everyone wants to change them. These same children and teenagers have low self esteem and think of themselves as being stupid.
Recently there was an episode on Without a Trace which was about a boy whose parents wanted to put him on medication for attention deficit. This boy made C’s and because of this, his parents thought that he should be put on medication to help improve his grades. The boy became very withdrawn from his parents. From my own experiences in dealing with parents and children, parents want their children to be able to talk to them but the children are afraid to for fear of being medicated.
Ritalin (methylphenidate) is a class 2 controlled substance and thus is listed in the same category as cocaine, codeine, morphine, and amphetamines. In fact, Ritalin is being sold on the black market as a form of speed. We have become the only country in the world where children are prescribed such a vast quantity of stimulants that share virtually the same properties as cocaine. In 1997 alone, nearly five million people in the United States were prescribed Ritalin -- most of them young children diagnosed with attention deficit disorder. Use of Ritalin, which is a stimulant related to amphetamine, has increased by 700 percent since 1990. And this phenomenon appears to be uniquely American: 90 percent of the world's Ritalin is used in the United States.
There are many results that occur when using mind-altering drugs. The side effects that these drugs may have on children include anger, depression, suicide and much more. Ritlan, which is a commonly prescribed medication for A.D.D., is a very potent, addictive and abusive drug. A student I know was put on drugs this year because the parents thought it would be best. After a few days, one of her teachers noticed changes in the student. The teacher explained that the student was irritable, depressed, not doing assignments and falling asleep in class.
There were two other students who were on medication for A.D.D. These below average students were considered dumb and stupid at their schools. When new teachers gave them love, encouraged them, and the individual attention that they needed, these students went from C’s and D’s to A’s and B’s. They now have self-confidence, love of life, purpose, self-discipline and are focused. They are not on medication and have excelled because the teachers have given them what they need.
Medications control the behavior, but do not get to the heart of the child. If a child has been told that they are dumb, stupid, undisciplined, or unfocused, then he will act out of what he has been told. Why is the child acting this way? There is a reason. If someone will take the time to find out why the child is like this and deal with difficulty, then the child’s behavior will change and there won’t be a problem.
One opposing view is that putting children on drugs for A.D.D. helps the child to be focused and have fewer distractions. It seems that the child is focused but in reality the child is not focused on anything. Instead, he is merely in a daze due to the effects of these drugs. Parents that I have talked to say that their children appear to be zombies. They were not able to focus on anything or think clearly. These same parents noticed that their children’s grades were dropping as well. These same parents did not have any other options, since the school administrators and teachers were telling them parents their children had to be put on medication. Training should be given to parents and teachers on how to provide attention, acceptance, affiliation and approval for the children. Educating parents and teachers will boost the child’s self esteem.
Another opposing view is children who are medication are more disciplined in school and it helps them have a more disciplined life. These children appear to be more disciplined but they have actually lost interest in everything. When my friend’s son was a little boy he was enthusiastic about life. He loved being around people and he always was happy. After much pressure from his principal and teachers, his parents put him on Ritalin to try and help make him more disciplined and focused in school. Years have passed and he is now in high school and still on Ritalin. He has an extremely negative attitude, is depressed, withdrawn, angry and hopeless. He has no goals, no purpose and has lost most of his friends. He appears to be more disciplined and focused because he spends the majority of his time working on schoolwork. However, he is barely passing in his classes and continues to struggle to get by. His parents took him off medication for a brief period. The results were remarkable. He was energetic, had a positive attitude, was loving and his grades were average.
Using drugs for attention deficit causes more long-term negative effects and fewer short-term positive effects. Educating parents and teachers on how to deal with children will produce long-term results and eliminate the need for medication, which provides only a temporary fix.
-Rebekah L. Ross
Better Than Gold
1Pe 5:6-11 (KJV) “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: (7) Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. (8) Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: (9) Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. (10) But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle [you]. (11) To him [be] glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.”
The body of Christ has been going through extremely rough circumstances. These trying times are not focused upon an individual church or denomination, but they are seemingly more common in the lives of those who give their all to the Lord. Though God does not glory in the suffering of His saints, He does allow the enemy to try our faith as we experience the good as well as the bad. Sometimes it is hard to understand all of the whys, and what ifs while suffering for the Lord, but this one thing is certain; He has given us His word and His Spirit to guide us through it all. And this is the attitude that we must keep; we are going through it. Going through it means we do not sit down in the middle of it. One key element of our victory is to realize that we are not attacked in our points of weakness as much as we are attacked in our points of strength. So even though at the times we feel weak, it is in that weak area that the Lord will show us His strength in us.
Jam 1:2-6 (KJV) “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; (3) Knowing [this], that the trying of your faith worketh patience. (4) But let patience have [her] perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. (5) If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all [men] liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. (6) But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.”
When our faith is being tried, it is possible to be shaken to the very core of our being. But realize this, if while enduring circumstances of suffering and temptations, we are willing to compromise our faith because we don’t understand what we are going through, we are in need of patience. We must always keep in mind the fact that God knows what it is going to take to perfect that which concerns us, and He knows what must transpire so that our faith will be strong enough to endure to the very end. We must let patience have her perfect work, and then we will be able to stand and say with the apostle Peter:
1Pe 1:3-7 (KJV) “Blessed [be] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, (4) To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, (5) Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. (6) Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: (7) That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:”
-Kurt Thurston
Storehouses and Treasures — part 1 of 3
Amplified Bible
(unless otherwise specified)
From the Lord’s command through the prophet Malachi, we discover numerous truths and applications relevant to both the physical and spiritual realms. “Bring all the tithes—the whole tenth of your income—into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and prove Me now by it, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of Heaven for you and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it” {Mal 3:10}.
First, the tithes were to be personally brought, not sent, to the “the storehouse,” Lord’s specifically designated place. “Bring ye the whole tithe” {Mal 3:10 a ASV}. The tithe consisted of the entire initial ten percent of God-granted increase. Even when governmental leaders also required a portion of each man’s increase, nowhere in Scripture is provision made for decreasing the percentage owed to the Lord. Despite other obligations, the tithe itself was to remain in tact, neither to be determined from the amount left after meeting legislated or even family obligations, nor to be divided among various other “religious” groups, causes, or needs. The tithe, in its entirety, belonged to God, and so it still belongs.
Consistent obedience in tithing was guarantee of food in God’s house, as well as an attestation to His faithfulness. So connected were the two that the Lord even challenged His people to prove or test Him. When man robs God, he robs himself. Could not the lack of adequate spiritual food and prophetic revelation within many local congregations be attributed to their withholding of that which is the Lord’s? “Will a man rob or defraud God? Yet you rob and defraud Me…You have withheld your tithes and offerings. You are cursed with the curse, for you are robbing Me, even this whole nation” {Mal 3:8-9}.
In return for faithfulness in tithing to the storehouse, the Lord promises fruitfulness and protection. “And I will rebuke the devourer [insects and plagues] for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine drop its fruit before the time in the field… And all nations shall call you happy and blessed; for you shall be a land of delight says the Lord of hosts” {Mal 3:11-12a}. For obedience to His Word, the Lord promises numerous blessings, one of which is that He “…shall command the blessing upon you in the storehouse, and in all that you undertake” and that He will “open to you His good treasury” {Deu 28:8a, 12}.
How greatly we need Him to “open the windows of heaven” and to “ pour [ us] out a blessing.” How greatly we need His Heaven-sent revelatory insight, knowledge, understanding and wisdom. How desirous He is that we not only seek Him to pour out upon us, but that we offer ourselves to become a poured-out blessing for others, offering them His oil and wine, His balm and refreshing. How critically all this depends upon our moment-to-moment obedience to His Word by His Spirit.
To those who are “In Christ,” access to Divine resources is available, for “In Him all the treasures of [divine] wisdom, [of comprehensive insight into the ways and purposes of God], and [all the riches of spiritual] knowledge and enlightenment are stored up and lie hidden” {Col 2:3}. Continually God calls us to Himself: “He puts the deeps in storage places” {Psalm 33:7a}. His Spirit calls to ours that He might impart into us, making us vessels, even spiritual storehouses and dispensers of His truth and love. Deep calls unto deep {Psa 42:7a paraphrase}. His call continues. How will we respond?
-Ruth French
No comments:
Post a Comment