Generosity and the Gospel

 “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you by His poverty might become rich.” 

2 Corinthians 8:9

This passage is in the context of financial generosity.  Paul was strongly admonishing the church at Corinth to follow the example of the Macedonian churches in being rich in generosity toward the suffering believers in Jerusalem.  Paul motivates them by reminding them how we display the Gospel when we give, and especially when we give with joy! 

How does joyful generosity model the Gospel of Jesus?  Jesus was rich in glory and fellowship with the Father while in heaven.  He gave up that richness by coming to sinful earth, taking on a human body, suffering and dying the most painful death imaginable in crucifixion.  And Jesus sacrificed with joy.  “For the joy set before Him, Jesus endured the cross, despising its shame … “ (Hebr. 12:2).  The joy set before Jesus was knowing that He would purchase the church as His bride through His shed blood.

Through Jesus giving up His wealth to take on spiritual poverty, we can be made rich in forgiveness, love, acceptance, and in a future heavenly home.  Jesus’ sacrifice (with joy) benefits us in countless ways.

In the same way, as we joyfully give and sacrifice from our wealth (and most Americans are wealthy compared to the rest of the world), others benefit in countless ways.  God’s people should be rich in generosity, and do so with joy.  Our joy in giving comes in knowing we are modeling the Gospel, pleasing our Father, investing in eternity, and advancing the good news of salvation in Jesus.

Let’s be a joyfully generous people … “for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Cor. 9:7)!

God "much prefers" ... it's up to you!

God “much prefers” to express His compassion and grace than His judgment and discipline.  I can relate to this as a father.  I “much prefer” to be gracious and giving to my children rather than discipline them for disobedience.  I will do the latter if their behavior warrants it, but I “much prefer” the former.

And so it is with God and us.  He “much prefers” that we remain in intimacy and obedience with Him, so that He can bless, help, show compassion, empower and reward us.  But if our behavior warrants His judgment and discipline, He will have to express that.   

This in no way is inconsistent with His immutability.  Nor does it imply that He is less loving when our behavior results in His discipline, for "He disciplines those whom He loves" (Hebr. 12).  I exhibit my love to my children when I have to bring judgment upon them, because it is in their best interest. But, like God, I “much prefer” to express favor, compassion, mercy, support, blessing and reward for their obedience!  It's up to them!  In the same way, it's up to us whether God does what He “much prefers” toward us.

Look carefully at the following Scriptures and note the emotions of God behind His actions.  These verses reveal what God “much prefers”:

“As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live.” (Ezek. 33:11)

God does not like to bring judgment and death upon the wicked.  He “much prefers” they turn. so He can bless them with abundant life.

“He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”  (2 Pe. 3:9)

Will all come to repentance?  No. But He desires they do so that He can show grace and mercy.

 “The LORD longs to be gracious to you; He rises to show you compassion.” (Isa. 30:18)

Compare this with Ezek. 33:11 where it says “He takes no pleasure in…”  He does not desire to bring judgment on the wicked, but He does desire to be gracious and show compassion if we will abide in Him.

“I am the LORD your God, who brought you up out of Egypt.  Open wide your mouth and I will fill it.  But my people would not listen to me; Israel would not submit to me. So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts to follow their own devices. If my people would but listen to me, if Israel would follow my ways, how quickly would I subdue their enemies and turn my hand against their foes!  Those who hate the LORD would cringe before him, and their punishment would last forever. But you would be fed with the finest of wheat; with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.” (Ps. 81:10-16)

What aspects of His nature will God express to you?  It’s up to you!

My Thoughts on Election 2016

Romans 13:1-7  The authorities that exist have been established by God.  2 Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.  3 For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you.  4 For he is God’s servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God’s servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience.  6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing.  7 Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.

1Pet. 2:13   Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority,  14 or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. 

It is no surprise to anyone that has been watching the news that this year is an election year in America.  In my opinion, this is one of the most important elections in modern history.  Much is at stake, and who would have ever predicted that people like Sanders and Trump would be so popular?

Some Christians choose to remain disconnected from politics and do not think it is something that should concern us. I disagree.  I believe Christ-followers should not only vote, but also be involved in the process.   I believe one reason we have lost so many of our Christian freedoms in this country is because we have been standing idly by as they have been taken from us.

Do I believe in the “separation of church and state”?  Yes, but the true meaning of that phrase is to keep the state out of the church and not the church out of the state.  This phrase was used in a letter by Thomas Jefferson to the Danbury Baptists in 1801, assuring them that the government would not interfere with their ministry.  It has nothing to do with Christians and biblical truth staying out of politics and the government.

God ordained government as the vehicle through which a country would be protected, and the means by which evil would be punished and good rewarded (see 1 Peter 2:14).  So for those who say you cannot “legislate morality,” the government absolutely can and should legislate morality.  We already do.  We legislate that killing and stealing and cheating on our taxes is wrong, and it is punished. That is legislating morality.

And where do we learn what is moral and immoral?  Unless we have an objective standard of truth (i.e. Bible), we are left up to our own determination, and that is sadly what is happening in our country today.  “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death” (Prov. 14:12).  Our country was clearly founded upon the Bible as the source of truth and morality.  Our first President George Washington said, “It is impossible to govern a nation without God and the Bible.”

So, concerning this election, who should we vote for? This is obviously between each person and the Lord.  Much prayer should go into this decision.  And we must be informed.  It is important to look not only at a candidate’s view on issues, but also at his/her character and record.    Since the government is to punish the evil and reward the good, it would certainly help if the leader had a strong moral compass.  Therefore, look at the kind of life they have lived and decisions they have made. 

How important is it to me that the candidate is a Christian?  It is not the ultimate issue for me but it is an important one.  Since a true Christ-follower has the indwelling Holy Spirit in him/her (Romans 8:9; Ephesians 1:13), this will be very helpful in making important decisions.  What better asset in making important decisions than the power and presence of Almighty God in the person of the Holy Spirit? 

So for me, here are some important questions I am going to be asking as I prayerfully decide who to vote for in this year’s election?

1.     Are they a committed follower of Jesus?

2.     Where do they stand on biblical, moral issues such as abortion, gay marriage, care for the poor, national defense, the economy, education, taxes, religious liberty, etc.  Why these issues?  Because I believe each of these are very important issues:  abortion shows one’s value for life, and this carries over to many other issues and decisions; gay marriage reveals one’s understanding of a biblical family, for families are the bedrock of a society; care for the poor and how to do that exposes one’s compassion and how to truly help the needy; national defense because the government’s role is to protect the citizens and the values that helped to form this great country; the economy because God’s Word provides principles for economics and it is NOT that the government provide everything for the people, without them having to work for it if they are able (see 2 Thessalonians 3:10); education because God wants us to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus; taxes because we are to render to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s; and religious liberty because Jesus calls us to preach the word, fellowship together and evangelize the nations, and our country has historically given great freedom to do this.

3.     What can I learn about their character from their marriage(s), family, business practices, previous decisions, beliefs about moral issues, etc.?

4.     What kind of advisors will they surround themselves with?  

5.     What kind of person(s) would they appoint for the Supreme Court?

6.     Who will best facilitate righteousness in the land, for God says, “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people” (Prov. 14:34). 

When we honor God’s Word and God’s standards, He blesses.  Our nation’s history has proven this to be the case.  And when we dishonor God’s Word and God’s standards, we eventually come under His judgment.  We are getting closer and closer to experiencing His judgment.

Because of how far our country is drifting from God, I believe this election is one of, if not THE most, important elections in our history. We are headed down a very dangerous path, with very tragic results, if we do not turn back to God and his principles.  Those in governmental leadership affect our nation in tremendous ways. 

We do not put our ultimate trust in Washington to turn this great country around.  2 Chronicles 7:14 puts that responsibility on the shoulders (and knees!) of God’s people.  Revival will come from prayer and the preaching of the Word, and not from Washington.  However, it is very important who we vote for to be our leaders in Washington (and locally).  It is not an either/or, but a both/and!

May God sovereignly raise up the next President to honor Him, lead with courage and wisdom, protect our religious liberties, and surround him/herself with other humble and wise leaders. For the glory of God and the fulfillment of the Great Commission, may God bless America.

I welcome your comments to davidholt08@gmail.com.

The Greatest Commandment

You can’t get more important than the “Greatest Commandment.”  Jesus was asked, “What is the greatest commandment?” (Mk. 12:28).  In other words, what is the most important thing we can do in all of life?  You don’t get more important than this. If we miss this, we miss THE MOST important thing.  If we get this, we discover THE MOST important thing.  You better keep reading!!!

Jesus said the most important commandment is that we “love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength” (Mk. 12:30).  This is the most important because it is foundational, and everything else will flow out of this love relationship with Him.  How amazing that the God of the universe desires this kind of love relationship with us!  How amazing that the number one command is more about being in relationship with, than doing something for God.   This shows that God always wants what we do for Him to flow out of relationship with Him. 

God is not a slave driver, just wanting productivity out of us, but rather He is a Father who wants a love-relationship with us.

So what does it mean to love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength?  First it involves realizing how much God loves us.  “We love because He first loved us” (1 Jn. 4:19).  Until we have a revelation of the amazing love of God in Christ, we will not love God back in a proper way.  We will end up trying to love God, but it will only be a mere performance. 

It was the church at Ephesus that “lost their first love,” (Rev. 2:4) and in writing to this church, Paul prays that they will grasp the incredible height, depth, width, and length of God’s love for them in Christ Jesus (Eph. 3:18).  And to “know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge” is what will “fill us to all the fullness of Christ” (Eph. 3:19).  From receiving God’s love for us, we will overflow to love Him back as we should.  So, don’t try to “muster up” a love for God.  Instead, dwell on His amazing love for you, and then love Him back in response. 

And remember that all of this is a process, and we will never feel we fully love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength.  But let’s not let that keep us from being on this journey!

So in response to the love of God for us, we are to love Him with our whole being.  This means we love God with everything we have and everything we are.  It means God is first in our life and that we maintain a very close, intimate relationship with Him, even closer than the most “in love” married couple.  Is this possible?  Yes, but only by the power of the Holy Spirit.  Invite the Holy Spirit to help you do all of this.

We begin with the heart, because the heart is the essence of who we are.  It is our core.  The Bible says, “From the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks” (Mt. 12:34).  Jesus said, “You honor Me with your lips, but your heart is far from Me” (Mt. 15:8).  Jesus always went after the heart, because He understood it to be the core issue.  Examine your heart regular to see if it is truly loving God.  And if not, ask God to change your heart, for He is the only One who ultimately can do this.

Loving God with all our heart means we seek to maintain a pure heart; turn from anything that is displeasing to God; keep our heart tender through the Word and prayer; have people in our life who can speak into our heart; listen to messages with an open heart; walk in humility such that we keep a teachable heart; and take time to just worship God from our heart. 

Our soul is our psyche or what many call the personality.  The greek word in Mk. 12:29 is “psuke” from which we get psyche and means the “seat of the feelings, desires, affections and aversions.”  It involves the emotions and the motivation behind what we do.  We often hear dating services say, “Let us help you find your soul mate.”  This would refer to that one person with whom you connect and relate to in a way like none other.  It is the person you have the deepest feelings for and commitment toward.  Loving God with our soul is like this.  God should be the One we have the deepest feelings for and highest commitment toward.

So yes, loving God involves the emotions.  Just as a couple “in love” has feelings for one another, we should have “feelings” for God.  This doesn’t mean we only live for Him when we “feel” like it, but God wants to work in us “both to will and to do for His good pleasure” (Phil. 2:12-13).  Worship is a biblical way to stir one’s affections for God.

It is impossible to love God with all of our soul unless the Holy Spirit enables us to.  Ask the Holy Spirit right now to help you love God with all your soul.

Next is the mind.  Oh, the battle for the mind.   As a man thinks in his heart, so is he. Our thoughts affect so much of our lives, and we are bombarded everyday with so many ideas buying for our attention.  So the challenge to “take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ” (2 Cor. 10:4) is perhaps a huge piece of loving God with all of our mind. 

Practically speaking, loving God with our mind means that we keep our mind fixed on Him (Hebr. 12:2).  It means we think about God often. It means we seek to have our mind on God and His Word.  It means we meditate on His Word day and night so as to be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water (Ps. 1).  It means we turn from thoughts that are not pure, and direct our thoughts to that which is pure and godly.  It means we sharpen our minds with the study of God, His Word, His ways, and His character. 

The mind is an amazing gift from God.  Let us use it to love God supremely. God is pleased when we think about Him and how we might more fully live for Him.  A married couple that is “in love” thinks about each other often, and how they might more fully love the other.  They send texts throughout the day to “check in.” We should do the same in loving God with all our mind.  Pray without ceasing. 

It is impossible to love God with all of our mind unless the Holy Spirit enables us to.  Ask the Holy Spirit right now to help you love God with all of your mind.

Finally, we are to love the Lord our God with all our strength.  Our strength is our physical being.  Our strength involves our bodies, and our bodies are a temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 6).  That is an amazing truth.  Our bodies literally “house” the God of the universe in the person of the Holy Spirit.  This truth alone should motivate us to love Him with all our strength.

We love God with all our strength when we take good care of God’s temple and use our bodies for His glory.  We present our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable God, which is our reasonable service of worship (Ro. 12:1).  We use our bodies to serve others.  We use our bodies to take the Gospel to the lost. We use our bodies to worship God with uplifted hands. We use our bodies to go to our knees in prayer.  And we use our bodies to ….. (you fill in the blank with whatever you physically do that glorifies God).  Whatever you do in word or deed, do it all in the Name of the Lord Jesus, giving glory to God (Col. 3:17). 

Once again, we cannot do this on our own. Invite the Holy Spirit to help you love God with all your strength, and thank Him for the physical body He has given you.

What a privilege to love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength.  It requires receiving from God. It requires intentionality and effort.  It grows as we spend quality time with God.  It deepens as we get to know God better.  And it is only possible by the power of the Holy Spirit.  Now, go and enjoy the adventure of loving God with all your being!