Cheerful Giving

Read 1 Chronicles 29:1-21; 2 Corinthians 9:7

Have you ever given to God cheerfully? I can remember times when I was delighted to give to God, but if I'm being honest, I can also remember times I have given out of duty. Many times, I have given because I feel obligated, and I don't feel "cheerful" as I do so. 2 Corinthians 9:7 is a verse many of us know by heart, but how often do we see this verse lived out? The verse says, "Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." When we give to God, we shouldn't reluctantly fork over some change because we will feel guilty if we let the offering plate pass by. Rather, we should be delighted to give back to the Lord a portion of what He has so graciously given us! Let's look at 1 Chronicles 29:1-21, for an excellent example of cheerful giving.

In this passage, King David has called upon the Israelites to help him gather up all of the materials and resources needed to build God's temple. Though it was David's original idea to build a temple for the Lord, God chose David's son Solomon to do the actual building. In this passage, David is doing some preliminary work to make preparations during his reign, so that Solomon can build the temple during his own reign. In verse 3, David says, "Moreover, in my delight in the house of God, the treasure I have of gold and silver, I give it to the house of my God, over and above all that I have already provided for the holy temple." Did you catch that? David has given his riches to the temple-building project, out of his delight for the house of God. He wants to give to God, because he genuinely delights in doing so!

In verse 6 we see that the people "offered willingly," and in verse 8 we see that, "whoever possessed precious stones gave them to the treasury of the house of the Lord." Not only was the king a cheerful giver, but the Israelites responded to David's call by willingly offering up their own resources for the temple fund. I absolutely love verse 9, which states, "Then the people rejoiced because they had offered so willingly, for they had made their offering to the Lord with a whole heart, and King David also rejoiced greatly." The Israelites were so eager to give, that they were rejoicing that they had the opportunity to do so! Can you imagine if people started rejoicing as the offering plate was going around during our church service? I don't know about you, but I don't see a ton of rejoicing during that time...rather, it's generally a solemn time. I wish I had a heart like that of the Israelites in this passage, who celebrated their offerings to God with great joy!

Now, as you read this, you may be thinking that an offering to God that is celebrated and rejoiced over might be a display of arrogance. You may point out that the reason we don't rejoice in our church while the offering plate is going around is because we don't want to draw attention to ourselves. After all, God makes it very clear that we are not to make a show about our giving, and Jesus says in Matthew 6:3 that we should not even let our right hand know what our left hand is doing when we give to the needy. Clearly, we shouldn't rejoice about our offerings in order to call attention to ourselves...right?

While I definitely agree that we shouldn't make a show about our offerings and call attention to ourselves when we give, I also can see that there was nothing arrogant or showy about the Israelites' offerings in this passage. In fact, the opposite is going on...their rejoicing is aimed at God, not themselves. In verse 12, David cries out to the Lord, "Both riches and honor come from You," and in verse 16 he says, "O Lord our God, all this abundance that we have provided to build You a house for your holy name, it is from Your hand, and all is Yours." David and his people are giving every single ounce of glory from their offerings to God alone. Their time of rejoicing during their offering is one of humility. They realize that everything they own is already God's, so they are just giving back what He has already given them! Verse 14 is wonderful...David says, "But who am I and who are my people that we should be able to offer as generously as this? For all things come from You, and from Your hand we have given You." The Israelites are humbled that they even have gold, silver, and precious stones to give to the Lord...they know the only reason they have any of that is because God gave it to them in the first place.

What a refreshing passage on giving. Far too often, we (myself included) give out of obligation or guilt, rather than out of joy. I think what we need is a perspective change. We view our paychecks as ours. We feel that we have earned that money by working hard and that we deserve it. We give a small portion of our income to the church, and then we feel good about ourselves for giving over our hard-earned money to charity. In actuality, we need to view that money as God's. Everything is His. We need to realize that we wouldn't have a paycheck unless He gave it to us. We're not giving Him our own money...we're giving Him money that is already His. Do you see the difference? Let's pray that God will change our perspective on giving and help us to see that everything we have is His. Once this happens, we will rejoice at the opportunity to give back to Him and offer our money and resources with willing hearts~

The Bachelorette...Anything but Reality

OK, so I've never jumped on The Bachelor/Bachelorette bandwagon before. To me, the whole concept has always just sounded stupid. However, the new "Bachelorette" seems to be on everyone's minds these days. Because I kept hearing about the show, I decided to try watching the new season. After all, Lee has class on Monday nights, so I'm pretty bored at home! After watching a couple of episodes, I realized I was completely right in my first general assessment of the TV hit...it's ridiculous. But why write a blog-post on it? There are certainly a lot of ridiculous shows out there...why harp on this one? What disturbs me about this particular show is that it is marketed as a reality show, but it is so far from reality, it's not even funny. I realize that there are probably a TON of young girls watching this show, envying Ali, and wishing with all of their might that they could be in her shoes. Let me tear down the facade for you...

I know that this show can be a huge blow to girls' self esteem, as they see this beautiful girl with 2o cute and successful young men all drooling over her. While this girl on TV has a whole roomful of men falling all over her and competing just to talk to her, you're sitting at home wondering why you've never even had one guy fight for you. Why can't you get this kind of attention from guys? You think that if only you looked like Ali, things would be so much better for you (remember that she has top stylists, hair-dressers, and make-up artists at her disposal!).

Do you see the danger here? Girls already suffer from low self-worth, and this show offers an extremely unrealistic picture of love that makes them feel like losers in comparison. In reality, no girl is going to have 20 men meet her and immediately fall for her and start fighting over her. I 100% guarantee to you that no girl would get this kind of immediate attention from this many guys at the same time. In reality, these guys don't know her at all. They have no idea if they would be interested in her in any other setting. Because they're on "The Bachelorette," which is a competition for one girl, they automatically want to win her over.

Another problem with this show, is that it celebrates impurity. Ali makes out with almost all of these guys on her first date with them. Keep in mind that she is dating them all at the same time. Like, she's making out with one guy one night, and another guy the next, etc. She even kisses guys while the other contestants are watching! I'm guessing things get more intimate and racy as the show progresses. All the while, she is never portrayed as inappropriate, easy, or a player. The other guys look on jealously, but have no problem with the fact that they are just one of her many boyfriends. This is completely unrealistic. In absolutely no other context would this kind of behavior be socially acceptable. Someone who is dating and making out with this many guys at the same time would be looked down upon in any other setting. This show makes her behavior acceptable, when it is in reality extremely inappropriate and gross. Furthermore, no guy would just passively watch his girlfriend get it on with other guys, and then continue to pursue her as if nothing happened.

A third problem with this show, is that it paints an unrealistic picture of finding your husband and falling in love. You will never be given a room full of 20 eligible bachelors who are all crazy about you, and be able to simply choose which one you want to marry. I know so many amazing and beautiful girls who are dying to get married but are still single. In reality, finding your husband takes a lot of patience, waiting, and praying. We have to wait for years for God to lead us to the right man...we will never just get to pick him from a crowd of suitors.

The dates that Ali goes on with these men are elaborate, expensive, flashy, and romantic. It's impossible not to feel romance and "love" when you're traveling the world, going on helicopter rides over scenic views, slow dancing at your own private concerts, etc. You will never go on dates like this in real life (unless you're dating a millionaire). It's just not reality. These elaborate dates are designed to stir up romantic feelings...making falling in love look simple.

The fact that these seasons usually end with a marriage proposal seems absurd to me. Before that proposal happens, you need to make sure you know that person extremely well. You can only get to know someone that well by spending time with them. If you are a Christian and don't believe in divorce, you know that getting engaged is not something you should take lightly. To have your whole dating relationship on camera, is completely ridiculous. There is no way in the world you can really get to know someone on the level you need to before engagement, when your relationship has been filmed constantly. Whether they mean to or not, people act differently on camera. Engagement appears so easy on this show, but in reality, it should be a long and careful journey of building a solid relationship while seeking God's guidance the whole time.

So this is my take on the ever popular show, "The Bachelorette." I think this show is disturbing for young girls, because it gives them a false picture of love and dating. It is portrayed as a reality show, but it is completely unrealistic. Because of this, I think it can be dangerous for girls to watch. Sorry to all of you "Bachelorette" fans, but I had to say it...

"Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you."

Read Zechariah 8:23, "Thus says the Lord of hosts, 'In those days ten men from all the nations will grasp the garment of a Jew, saying, "Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.'"

I've been reading through the minor prophets over the last week or so and have been thoroughly enjoying it! There is so much rich truth in these little books, but they are unfortunately rarely taught in church. I encourage you to read from Hosea to Malachi, slowly, and with a commentary and pen in hand! I know you will be blessed because of it!

This verse in Zechariah really stuck out to me today. Chapter 8 of this book is a prophecy of the future restoration of Israel in the Millennial kingdom (the 1,000 year period of Christ's reign on earth). Basically, the history of Israel reads like a broken record. They sin, God punishes/judges them, they repent, and God restores them. If you think about it, this is a picture of our lives as well! How many times have we messed up, asked for forgiveness, and seen God faithfully forgive and restore? Too many to count! In this passage, we see a beautiful picture of Israel's future reconciliation and restoration. Though parts of this prophecy have been partially fulfilled, the complete fulfillment will happen in the future Millennium, when Christ comes back for the 2nd time.

The verse that really stuck out to me in this passage is the final verse, verse 23, which describes the people from other nations grabbing the clothes of the Jews and saying, "Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you." Isn't this amazing? The people see the favor of the Jews, they can tell that God is with them, and they want to be a part of it!

I can't help but think about how wonderful it would be if we saw this happening on earth right now. What if you were so in love with God, so firmly rooted in your faith, so pure and holy and set apart for God, that people just knew God was with you? What if you were so full of the Holy Spirit, that people could just sense God's presence whenever you were around? We're called to be salt and light in this dark world (Matt 5:13-16). This means that we are commanded to stand out, for the purpose of bringing glory to Him. I'm sure you're familiar with Matthew 5:16, which reads, "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven." I know that you probably know that verse by heart, but do you live it? We need to be so close to God, that people will see Him in us and want what we have.

This is just as much a challenge to me as it is to all of you. I get so caught up in the meaningless busyness of each day, that I forget my purpose for being on this earth. I challenge you to repeat Matthew 5:16 to yourself every morning, and purposefully pray that God would give you the grace to live that verse out each day. I am challenging myself with this as well. Let's see what God can do through us!!

1 Peter 3:15: Are You Ready?

Read 1 Peter 3:15, "but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence."

If someone asked you why you went to church, what would you say? If somebody asked you how you know for certain that Jesus is the only way, would you know how to respond? What if someone asked you why God lets bad things happen in the world? If you live your faith openly (which is really the only way Christians are to live it), then you will come across some questions and raised eyebrows. How will you respond to this?

Peter is instructing us in this verse to be proactive. When someone asks us about our faith, we need to be prepared. Have you ever been speechless when someone asked you a question, and then thought of the perfect response minutes later as you were walking away? I know I have! The reason we can't think of a good response right away, is because we're caught off guard. If we follow Peter's instructions in 1 Peter 3:15, we won't be surprised and consequently miss opportunities to share our faith.

We're told in this verse to be ready to make a defense of our faith. But how do we get ready? The number one way to get ready is to be an avid reader of God's Word. We can't defend our faith if we don't know the Bible, because all of the answers to people's questions about Christ are found in it! Read it over and over again, not letting a day go by without looking over at least a few verses. The more you read it, the more you will remember it. Memorize key verses (Romans 3:23, 6:23; John 3:16; John 14:6; Eph. 2:8-9, etc), and underline many others in your Bible, so you can reference them quickly. Having a Bible with you either in your car or backpack, will keep you ready to reference Scripture at any time. In addition to the Bible, read and study other non-fiction Christian books by trusted authors. Being well-read is a great way to be ready!

Another way to be ready to give a defense of your faith is to pray. Pray for opportunities to share your faith, for the courage to seize those opportunities, and for wisdom to know the right words to say. We must be totally dependent on prayer to share our faith; it is vital for us to rely on the Holy Spirit fully. I can't stress this enough! If you try to witness on your own strength, without prayer, then you won't be effective. A praying person is a ready person!

Finally, don't forget the very important clause at the end of this verse, because it will make all the difference. As you give a defense for the hope that is in you, do so "with gentleness and reverence." The purpose in giving a defense of your faith is not to prove that you're right and they're wrong, to argue someone into taking your side, or to make others look stupid or ignorant with all of your fancy arguments. You should give a defense out of love and compassion for the lost, not out of a desire to be right. Rather than arrogant or condescending, your attitude should be gracious and loving. Be gentle and reverent, not a harsh know-it-all. There's a big difference there!

Are you ready at any moment to give others a reason for the hope that you hold so dear? Being taken by surprise and missing an opportunity to share your faith is a horrible feeling. I know, because it's happened to me. By studying the Word and immersing yourself in prayer, you will be armed and ready for anything~

Why, Miley, Why??

So I recently wrote a post about Miley Cyrus and her response when asked if she was a Christian. I commended her for speaking the name of Jesus Christ, but now I've got to say that I kind of wish she hadn't. Her recent single "I Can't be Tamed" goes directly against our Christian ideology. To claim that you're a follower of Christ and then come out with a song like this is disturbing. So what's so bad about this song? There certainly are worse songs out there, of course, but let's take a look at these lyrics...

Apparently, this song is her debut as a more "mature" bad-girl. She's shedding off her more innocent and cutesy persona that she formerly had and has turned into the new Britney Spears (who also started out as the cute and innocent "girl-next door" and then went off the deep end). The beginning of the song is extremely arrogant, as she brags about how many guys want her, how hot she is, and how she "goes through guys like money flyin' out their hands." This is totally different than her more shy and humble lyrics in "Party in the USA," when she talks about getting nervous with her stomach in knots at seeing so many famous people. The tables are turned now, as she vainly brags about how awesome she is. I liked the first girl a LOT better...

The beginning of this song is directly opposed to the way the Bible says we should act. In Proverbs 6:16-17, "haughty eyes" are listed as one of the things detestable to the Lord. And that's not the only place where we see that God hates arrogance and boasting...it's all over the Bible. Another great passage speaking on this same topic is, " Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, 'God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.' Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time." (1 Peter 5:5-6). What's even worse than bragging, however, is bragging about your sin. In the song's intro, she's bragging about her vanity, sex appeal, and overall immorality with guys. Before you envy her for all of her boyfriends, remember that we are all going to be held accountable for how we lived on earth. Girls who claim to follow Christ should be pure, plain and simple.

But let's move on to the chorus of the song..."I can't be tamed, I can't be saved, I can't be blamed, I can't, can't, I can't be tamed, I can't be changed, I can't be saved, I can't be, I can't be tamed." OK we get it Miley, you want to do things your own way. This chorus is all about living however the heck you want and not conforming. The ironic thing is, however, that living an "untamed" (ie worldly and rebellious) lifestyle is not being original or unique. She says shes not going to change or conform, but that's exactly what she's doing. What is truly unique and non-conformist is rejecting the world and choosing to die to yourself and live for Christ.

This chorus goes against many biblical principles. It advocates open rebellion and following your own rules, but the Bible advocates submission and obedience. For example, Titus 3:1 states, "Remind them to be subject to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good deed." Miley sings "Don't change me," but in reality we all need God to change us! We need Him to sanctify us, mature us, shape us, and conform us to His image! Rather than arrogantly going our own way, and telling everyone that we can't be tamed/saved/changed, we're to follow God's way, and be transformed, renewed, and redeemed! We're to follow His law in obedience and live in submission to His will. This is true freedom!

The purpose of me writing this post on Miley's latest single is to point out to you the messages our culture is sending us. We shouldn't blindly sing along with songs that are just wicked, plain and simple. When we fill our minds with messages that go against a Christian lifestyle and biblical worldview, we're going to be led astray. I'm disappointed that Miley has gone down this path, when she could have used her influence for good. I'm even more disgusted that she repeatedly claims to believe in Jesus but is now living a lifestyle contradictory to the Bible. And don't even get me started on the music video...

A Warning: 1 Kings 11:1-8

Read 1 Kings 11:1-8

I just recently posted a devotional on a really neat passage (1 Kings 8), in which Solomon prays a beautiful and passionate prayer to the Lord at the dedication of the Temple. I hate to be debbie downer, but it's only fair to tell Solomon's entire story. Solomon started off well, but he unfortunately ended lousy. Most people know the stories of Solomon asking God for wisdom, judging his people wisely, building the Temple, and writing Song of Songs and Ecclesiastes. However, what many don't know, is that the king who was at one time the wisest man in the world ultimately ended up falling away from God completely. Let's study what happened to Solomon and try to learn something from his mistakes.

As you probably know, when God chose the Israelites to be His people, He gave them many laws and commandments to follow. The purpose of these laws was to set them apart from the other nations as a pure and holy nation belonging to Him alone. One of the commands He gave to His people was that they could not intermarry with foreigners. This may sound harsh to some people. What if you fall in love with someone from a foreign country? Why would God want to separate people that love each other? Here's the thing. God is all-knowing. He knows us better than we know ourselves, and He alone knows the future. His laws are a protection for us, because He knows what harmful consequences will come from disobeying Him. The Lord knew that joining together in marriage to a pagan would not end well, and it certainly didn't for Solomon.

Despite the fact that Solomon was fully aware of the laws, he chose to marry a foreigner...and not just one foreigner. Solomon took a head-spinning total of 700 wives and 300 concubines. That's 1,000 women in his harem! So we see that Solomon didn't just take one foreign wife, but he took 1,000 wives/concubines. Marriage was designed by God in the garden of Eden between 1 woman and 1 man. Anything other than this is a perversion of God's original plan, and it will end with serious consequences. In this case, the very worst that could happen to Solomon did. Because he neglected God's command not to intermarry with foreigners and took 1,000 women into his palace, he was led astray. The man who had once been so close to God actually turned to idol worship. He left the God who had blessed Him beyond comprehension with all of the wisdom and riches in the world, and he began to make sacrifices to the idols his foreign wives worshipped.

What a depressing ending to such a promising individual! Though this is a sad story, it offers us an important lesson. First of all, no one is immune from temptation to sin, so we must guard against it diligently. We see in 1 Kings 10:23 that, "King Solomon became greater than all the kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom." However, though Solomon had everything going for him, he still gave into sin's temptation. He neglected God's commands and warnings, surely thinking that nothing bad would come of it. He was so wrong. His arrogance is apparent in the way he flagrantly disregarded God's law and got for himself 1,000 wives. This is so over-the-top and ridiculous, and it clearly shows his pride. Perhaps he thought that because he was king, he could make his own rules. The statement, "pride comes before the fall" is so true. Those who arrogantly do whatever they want and think there will be no consequences are very foolish.

Are you puffed up with pride like Solomon? Do you live by your own rules, disobeying God's law and foolishly thinking nothing will come of it? Remember that "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble" (James 4:6). Take the story of Solomon's downfall as a sober warning. Take God's law seriously and follow Him wholeheartedly, because those who don't will surely fall.

Are you a Complainer??

Read Philippians 2:14; Exodus 15:22-17:7

No one likes to be around a whiner. Perhaps this is the best way to cure a complainer...let them be around someone who whines and grumbles for a while. When they see how irritating and unattractive it is, they won't want to complain anymore! We all probably struggle with complaining to some degree, myself included. This lesson is just as convicting to me as it is to all of you, so you're not alone! Philippians 2:14 says, "Do everything without complaining or arguing." How are you doing in this area? Let's look in the book of Exodus and study a group who did their fair share of whining, and see what we can learn from their mistakes.

At this point in the text (15:22), the Israelites have just been delivered from slavery in Egypt. The have seen the Lord's miraculous power through the 10 plagues and the parting of the Red Sea. They have responded with a song of praise to the Lord in 15:1-18, thanking Him for all the wonders He has done. It seems like people who had just witnessed God's miracles and deliverance would follow Him joyfully from that day forward. However, the Israelites' thankful and worshipful attitude didn't last long. As they headed into the wilderness, it only took 3 days for them to start complaining. 3 days...3 days until the wonder and amazement of God's miracles and deliverance wore off!

In Exodus 5:24 we see the reason for their first complaint against the Lord. They began to grumble and complain, because the water was bitter. In response to this, the Lord provides for them, making the waters around them sweet. Did this miracle satisfy their grumbling? Unfortunately, it did not. In 16:3, they begin to grumble that they are hungry, even going so far as saying that they would have been better off back in Egypt as slaves! As a response to this, God produces another miracle to provide for their needs. He literally rains down bread from heaven every morning, and rains down quail every evening. I wish I could have seen that! However, that miracle didn't stop their grumbling either. In 17:2-3, we see the people complaining again that they are thirsty. This passage reads just like a broken record! The Lord hears their grumbling and provides for their need once again.

It's easy to judge the Israelites from our point of view. When you read this passage, their behavior seems ridiculous. How could they have such little faith in God? Why did they have such a hard time believing that God would take care of their needs, especially after all the miracles He had showed them? How can they complain after all that God has done for them? They've just been freed from slavery, yet they still grumble against the one who delivered them! How could they be that short-sighted?

I think we're all a lot more like the Israelites than we'd like to admit. When I think about my own life, I know that I have been guilty of the same faithless grumbling that the Israelites did. I complain about our financial situation, even though I can honestly say that I have never had a need remain unmet. God has never failed to provide for me, yet I still panic every time I read our bank statement. Like the Israelites, I am quick to forget all He has done for me! I complain about Lee's health, when I know full well that things could be so much worse. When I see people who are disabled, disfigured, or cancerous, I am convicted of my grumbling when our situation is not nearly as painful as those others experience. I complain about our tiny apartment, but when I see the homeless, I'm reminded that I really have nothing to grumble about...I have a roof over my head, which is more than many around the world can say. Yes, I'm a lot like the Israelites, and maybe you are as well. Take a moment to reflect. What do you complain and grumble about? Is your situation really as bad as you make it out to be? What do you need to thank God for today?