A LIFE LIVED NOT IN VAIN

Most of you know that I steal.  I steal the “good stuff” that I read and ponder………………
But I do try to give credit to the writer, although I wish I had written it!
It started over 5 years ago during a book read, “Halftime”, with several Brothers……….
And now it continues………”Lord, what do I do the second half of the Game called Life?”
 
I was shook up this week when my wife told me that she didn’t miss her father who has been dead for over 8 years.
I loved her father……..don’t get me wrong, she loved him too…….but I understand why she doesn’t really think of him much or miss him.
His SELFISHNESS!
So…….. I have been thinking a bit about my selfishness and living a life of vanity!  And………
If I were to die first, would she miss me?
This is an excerpt from Kevin DeYoung’s book, “Just Do Something”:
 Ecclesiastes may seem a strange book, but it’s more relevant than ever. Too many of us are chasing after the wind, looking for satisfaction in work, family, and success
— all good things, yet all things that don’t ultimately satisfy. 
It would be bad enough if we were just restless, meandering through life, and a little cowardly. 
But we’ve spiritualized restless and meandering cowardice, making it feel like piety instead of passivity. 
We’re not only living lives of vanity; our passion for God is often nothing more than a passion to have God make our search for vanity a successful one. 
We need to hear the conclusion of Ecclesiastes: “Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man” (12: 13). 
If you are going to be anxious about one thing, be anxious to keep His commandments. 
If we must fear something— and we all do— fear God, not the future. 
The will of God isn’t a special direction here or a bit of secret knowledge there. 
God doesn’t put us in a maze, turn out the lights, and tell us, “Get out and good luck.” 
In one sense, we trust in the will of God as His sovereign plan for our future. In another sense, we obey the will of God as His good word for our lives.
 In no sense should we be scrambling around trying to turn to the right page in our personal choose-your-own-adventure novel. 
God’s will for your life and my life is simpler, harder, and easier than that. 
Simpler, because there are no secrets we must discover. 
Harder, because denying ourselves, living for others, and obeying God is more difficult than taking a new job and moving to Fargo. 
Easier, because as Augustine said, God commands what He wills and grants what He commands. 
In other words, God gives His children the will to walk in His ways
— not by revealing a series of next steps cloaked in shadows, but by giving us a heart to delight in His law. 
So the end of the matter is this: Live for God. Obey the Scriptures. Think of others before yourself. Be holy. Love Jesus.
  And as you do these things, do whatever else you like, with whomever you like, wherever you like, and you’ll be walking in the will of God.
DeYoung, Kevin L. (2014-03-21). Just Do Something: A Liberating Approach to Finding God’s Will (pp. 118-119). Moody Publishers. Kindle Edition.
And I admit, I am still shook up and a bit anxious!
AS DeYoung says, be anxious to keep His commandments.
I am more anxious about being missed by my wife than I am about keeping God’s commandments.
But if I kept God’s commandments more often………..
I would probably have a better chance of being missed by my wife!!
After all, that’s the reason she married me in the first place……I seemed to be a man who kept God’s commandments.
And I still wanna be that man.
So….in 4 days, I make my annual trip to southeast Asia with my wife’s permission.
Is it God’s perfect will?  No completely sure, but I think so.  He has blessed it these past 18 years.
And if you want to pray for wisdom, here are the challenges:
  • Encouraging time at Pimjai’s Wedding
  • Wisdom for Interviewing friends and family of Don and Kathy Rulison for the book, “Ventures in Grace”
  • Wisdom for a Plan to build a Talapia Farm/Aquaponic Garden at our Children’s Home
  • Wisdom to help the Myanmar Orphanages run by Samuel and Paul
  • Wisdom for working with Opportunities Now for Startup Businesses (Consulting and Micro Loans)
  • Encouragement for a young missionary
And Mercy (not getting what I deserve) and Grace (getting what I don’t deserve)
And most importantly, that my life might mean something for His service……..
Not lived in Vain!!!

It’s really ALL about the MONEY? $$$

Money is referenced over 140 times in the Bible for a simple reason, IMO.
Your Life comes down to how you deal with money.
It has really, really bothered me over the last few years…….not just about others and their love of money.
But my love for money……….things, status, respect and all the so called benefits that come with wealth.
And not that I am incredibly insightful………although it appears more and more obvious to me every year!!!
And I am honestly surprised that it doesn’t affect many of my friends and others I know.
They really do not think about it.  WHY NOT?
Maybe because we are so sheltered in this country and surrounded by wealth and wealthy people….Millionaires on every corner!
Many………uneducated, who have never made more then $50k/yr………..but they got money from…..
Wealthy parents or lucky real estate transactions!
I have been blessed, I guess you would call it blessed, with knowing many different types of humans from………….
Yangon to NYC to Lagos to Leige to Bangkok to Luverne to Shanghai to Sacramento to Monterrey to Quelph to Nashville to Houston to Savannah
I have worked with them, eaten with them, celebrated and mourned with them, danced with them and worshipped with them.
Net worth ranging from the clothes on their back to more than $50 Million…………
From Swiss accounts that their wives know nothing about! Especially……….their wives!
To wandering the streets looking for their next job and meal.
Loving money so much that you stay in a marriage because you don’t want to give your spouse half………….
The same spouse that bore your children and raised your children and helped make you this fortune!!!
Commenting to me……….”Would you want to sleep with a 300 lb woman?”
But I love my money more than the mother of my children and perhaps she will have a heart attack so I don’t have to divorce her.
I can’t make this stuff up!  I promise!
OH……and by the way, this guy is a Bible believing and professing Christian!
I think of Jesus who identified real value when he said…………..
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal,
But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Matthew 6:  19-20
WOW!  I know a lot of people whose hearts are on Wall Street or in their Fidelity or Vanguard 401K.
These “big mouth”, spiritual talking Christians don’t give 30%, 20%, or 5%…….many give nothing!
don’t get me wrong, they will give their time, but they will never take 10% out of that $1 Million retirement account to start an orphanage in Myanmar!
That’s crazy……….they would never, ever consider to give $10k from a $300k inheritance……free money they never worked for or really deserved…
I just can’t see the justification for this greediness except for the flesh…..
Well………………the same flesh we all deal with………I DO NOT want to deny myself…..especially if I work hard for it.
I DO NOT want to do what Jesus said!!!
“……….If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.
For whoever will save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his own soul?”
Matthew 16:  24-26
Americans DO NOT like to hear this!!!
I have been writing about the love of money for the last several years and no one is responding.
And I normally get some feedback at least once per month from this blog, but not on this subject………….this feels too judgmental……..too harsh……..too radical.
Too close to home!
And if the shoe fits………….
There are many addictions on this planet……and I have seen or experienced many of them…………
But the addiction to money is damn near uncontrollable!!!
Paul saw it in I Timothy 6:10 when he said:
“For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.  It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.”
 
I have seen it with Pastors, NO……not just Televangelists with Big Hair and Big Smiles, but educated, bible-based Pastors
NOT taking risks, playing their cards close………….waiting on retirement in a wealthy church club!
But isn’t living for Jesus full of risks?
Stephen, Paul, Rahab, Peter, Job, the Macedonians…….
These folks took risks………..often…….life threatening and ultimately losing their lives.
But if you love your life and your money more, you will not take risks!
And of course, I have seen the addiction of money with CEOs, Vice Presidents wanting to be CEOs, aspiring Plant Managers……who I have worked for and with.
Working 60 to 70 hours a week to get noticed and to get bonuses……the power is an extra benefit.
Politics…….its all about ME and don’t stand in my way of a promotion.
I get from you what I need now and then you are “Dead to Me”.
About a year ago, an associate who I got a job for said, “That’s just business.”
No…..that’s just a lack of integrity, honesty and loyalty………..American business at its finest!!
So what did Jesus mean when he said, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
You find out quickly what people value the most, especially Christians.
A long term friend of mine who does tax returns for a living sees hearts on Form 1040s every year.
She tells me many wealthy Bible believing, professing Christians give nothing or less than 1%.
They talk spirituality but they do not practice it with their giving………their treasure is on this earth, not in heaven!!
As my Dad would say, “That separates the men from the boys.”
You can run your mouth all you want but Doing is proof.  Giving is proof! Action is proof!!!  It separates the Doers from the Talkers!
I just turned to Bob Goff’s book “Love Does”.  Chapter 9 has a short quote from Bob…………….
I used to think you had to be special for God to use you,
But now I know you simply need to say yes.
 
Am I angry and frustrated with some Rich American Christians?????  Now…….that’s fairly obvious.
And why?  Many, not all, but many, seldom say YES!  Especially yes to GIVING money.
They are comfortable, they are satisfied and they are Losers in the Kingdom!!!
And How DARE you call them on it.
Why???????????
Because they are moral, don’t watch porn, been teaching Sunday School for 34 years, always pay their taxes on time, vote conservative…
But their hearts are full of fear and greed……..fear of dying poor, not having security.
The craving that Paul mentions in 1Timothy is their real love but they will never admit it.
I know a lot of professing Christians, but I only know a handful of sacrificial givers and a lot of liars!
Its time for you and me to stop this nonsense………IF………..
And only if, we believe Jesus.
If we don’t, then lets call him a Liar and move on………
We both have a choice.
Choose!

What Is TRUTH??

My opinion, my pastor, the media, Donald Trump, Republicans or John 17:17??? ……”your word is Truth.”

A question that everyone is asking these days!!  And…….
Many people are claiming they know it or have it or speak it…….
Pilate asked this question to Jesus 2000 years ago!

“ Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?”  
Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. 
For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world ————to bear witness to the truth.  
Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.”  
Pilate said to him, “What is truth?”
John 18:  37-38

We all claim to want the Truth………but do we really???
I am not so sure………did Pilate want it?
I do for a fact know that my flesh does not want the truth!!
I run from it, often……..I run into darkness because Truth sheds light on my sin!

The Truth is very uncomfortable!
But why?

John 8:32 says, “and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
But, sometimes, I think sin sets me free and truth and righteousness becomes bondage.
I believe that this blog is about Truth…..I quote the Word and I give my opinion and its raw and sometimes divisive and often times harsh….
And there are many people, who sometimes read this blog, don’t believe I am writing Truth……..
Instead, some believe I am judgmental, hypocritical, harsh, bipolar, and/or self-righteous
And of course, it doesn’t really matter what they think of me…….because I am not Truth!!
I’ll be the first to admit that……..but sometimes, occasionally, I think I stumble on Truth……

Two verses later, Jesus gives us the opposite of Truth………
“Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin.  
The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever.  So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”
John 8:  34-36

Ever been a slave to sin?
Of course you have!
But what comes to mind when you think of being a slave to sin?
Acts of Commission…….you committed acts of sin whether it was your thoughts or physical acts….you did or thought something sinful.

But what about Acts of Omission?
NOT Acting, NOT Serving, NOT Giving, NOT Loving, NOT praying, NOT Helping, NOT Sacrificing, NOT Giving Your Time!!!
Just Being like everyone else!  Status Quo Christianity that doesn’t get involved.  Keep to myself because its none of my business!

For the last 5 years as I now approach 60, I have been thinking…………
Am I really different from the rest of the world?
Would I be found guilty in a court of law for being Christ-like?
Not talking Christ, but Doing and Acting like Christ?
Would a prosecutor be able to pull up records and facts of my actions that are Christ-like………………..
And a jury convict me?
Or would it just be circumstantial evidence…….”we heard him quote the Bible or we have witnesses that saw him pray………
But we have no physical evidence of him actually DOING anything that really made a difference!!!”
“There is no DNA evidence that his hand was ever on that Widow’s rake or the $100 bill that he claims he gave to the orphanage.”
“Sure, sure, he talked about doing stuff a lot.  Prayed for orphans and widows at every Wednesday night prayer meeting and twice on Sunday…..
We even caught him at Starbucks more than once, talking to a younger brother and sharing scripture and even praying in public………..
But we never really saw him DO anything that looked like he believed the Words of Jesus and walked in the Truth.”

“WE have NO proof…………..INNOCENT of the Charges!”

This has been MY conviction for the past few years.
We all have about 90 years max on this planet……some less……..a lot less!

So what are you Doing, not talking, but doing?
Doing Anything that makes a difference on this planet for Truth?

“Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise,
Making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.”
Ephesians 5: 15-16

FOLLOW THE MONEY!

FOLLOW THE MONEY!
 
A common phrase in Politics………..should be a common phrase in Christianity.
Have you ever slowed down and really observed American Christians and their Christianity?
I mean……….to really watch Behavior, not spiritual talk, but actions.
You might call that Judgmental and you might be right…….but I personally believe we need to inspect fruit and be discerning.
But when I see true selflessness, agape lovers of people and God………and I know a few…VERY FEW!
I Follow The Money……….and it doesn’t go to 401k’s, new cars, houses and furniture, trips, and stuff!
It goes to the Kingdom!  The Kingdom of God!!
IT’S JUST THAT SIMPLE!
My missionary friends have observed this behavior over the years.
The people we serve, mostly the Hmong refugees in Thailand, notice this behavior as well……..
They called one American missionary, “High So”, meaning “High Society”!!!
This guy was not much about the work, but a lot about the Money and Support……..
And the Hmong saw it………High So!
Now………we laughed about this because it was funny at the time.
After 7 years on the mission field without accomplishing much, he left for the USA, worrying if he would still get support from American Churches!
Now, that’s not funny, that’s Sad.
But if you “Follow The Money”,  you follow the heart.
Others have visited our children’s home in Thailand and talked spiritual while they were there……….But,
When it came to the work of serving the Least at the home and the financial support…………
Not much enthusiasm !!!
But lots of excuses
………and then, silence.
So what are we afraid of?
I have written about this before.  
In order to understand it, you have to observe the behavior of fearful people.
Much of it is cultural…… Wall Street tells us we need millions to retire comfortably.
Our parents tell us to be frugal and save and die rich because that’s what successful Americans do.
We live in fear of dying poor because poor people are losers.
You remember that Great Loser…..
“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

JESUS did not seem to value temporal wealth ……….he could have had had ALL he wanted.But he chose to become poor……WHY???
What am I missing here???
I have so much stuff I can’t count it all……….Why?
I AM ASHAMED!!!
Is this Fake Christianity???
It feels real fake if I am comparing my life to the Savior!  Real Fake!
So if I “Follow the Money” looking at my selfish, self centered purchases over the last 20 years, it ain’t Pretty!  Talk about Waste……….WOW!!!
I won’t bore you with the specifics……..but its stupid and shameful….I won’t lie!
And when I try to discuss sacrificial giving with Rich American Christians,They claim its a personal thing…….between them and God……
But what they are really saying and you damn well know, is I am not giving and I can’t afford to give!
Even if, I have been blessed with a huge inheritance or a gift or a rich spouse or a rich relative.I have bills, I have kids in college, I have a lifestyle to keep up in retirement…………just a reminder of vs. 6 in 2 Corinthians 9 from last week………………
The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully willalso reap bountifully.
Follow the Money……………..Follow the Fruit………………Reap the Fruit!

Who Gives Like A Macedonian?

Do you remember those guys and gals?
The Macedonians?

We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, 2 for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. 3 For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord, 4 begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints— 5 and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us.

2 Corinthians 8: 1-5

Have you begged anyone lately for “the favor of taking part in their relief”?
A favor?  Are you kidding me?
How do you give beyond your means?……that’s not possible!
How do you give from extreme poverty, in affliction?
Paul reminds us a few verses later WHO our example is:  (vs. 9)
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.
This ain’t natural, my friends……its “other worldly”
Its Supernatural living!
I had the privilege of giving more last year to Missions than I ever have in my life.
You can see on this Schedule A, Form 1040, of my tax return.
You might call me prideful, or boastful or egotistical!
Obviously, If I cared if you judged me in that way, I probably would not have linked to the Schedule A.
But God has used this money to do many wonderful things that I am very proud of:
A new Orphanage in Namtouang, Thailand for Homeless Hmong Children,
Support for a young, new missionary in Southeast Asia,
An opportunity for young adults to see the needs in SE Asia,
A rice cooker and beds and a well for fresh water and a burner for poor servants in SE Asia who run an orphanage,
Another orphanage in SE Asia to be built,
Computer equipment for Kathy’s Home in Pua,
Support for House Parents in our new Namtouang Orphanage
And other gifts that I simply don’t remember……But Our Father does, Paul lays it out again in
2 Corinthians 9:
The Cheerful Giver
6 The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap  sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 Each one must give  as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 AndGod is able to make all  grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every
good work. 9 As it is written,

“He has distributed freely, he  has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.”

So What are You deciding in your heart?
He gives Grace so I might have all sufficiency,
so that I may abound in every good WORK, NOT every good TALK!
Are you working or talking?
Disclaimer:  You are correct!  I am hypocritical and I have no right to judge you or anyone!!!  But, Just because I am hypocritical, doesn’t mean the word of God is not full of truth.  Read my blogs every month and pray for God’s leading.