Realizations and the Moon

I started reading a new book last night. I have been trying and wanting to read this book for years now, but have only just gotten around to it. I only read one chapter of it last night because I wasn’t feeling too well and was falling asleep trying to read. So I not so reluctantly put the book down. I knew I would read another chapter the next night.

Tonight is Wednesday. At prayer meeting, my dear pastor mentioned to the church that we need to pray about what to give to the Lottie Moon Christmas offering. I wrote it down in my prayer journal. When I got home, I opened my prayer journal and decided I would start to pray for the Christmas offering right then and there. I prayed an embarrassingly short prayer that God would show me what to give and that I would give joyfully and with an obedient heart. So, after I prayed I was going to go straight to sleep, but decided to pick up the book and read a chapter first.

I read five.

The words on the page enthralled me. I watched the story of a man who whole-heartedly rejected the Word of God come to break and follow God with absolutely every he had. In part of the story, this man had faith in God to supply his every need. He mentioned how quickly God taught him the difference between a want and a true need. At one point in this man’s life he needed a shilling, 12 pennies, to mail a simple letter so he could stay in the country. He found his shilling, but God prompted him to give it to a man who lived in the slums. He obeyed, and turned around to see the postman with a letter for him containing much more money than he needed.

As I read the words on this page I looked up from my bed. I saw the pretty pink curtains over my window. I felt the warmth of the blanket I was lying under. I had a closet full of pretty clothes that not only kept me warm, but looked nice also. I am in no way suffering. Not that God calls every Christian to suffer financially, but when I am hard pressed for money, I don’t have faith…real faith that God will provide. I started thinking about all the materialistic blessings in my life. I was at a school where my tuition, room and board and then some were completely paid for and I sometimes complain about my classes…how ungrateful. I have a car that is paid off and always has gas…although not always a full tank. I am blessed beyond measure.

I suddenly realized why I hadn’t gone straight to bed. I saw God answering my prayers right before my eyes, just as I had asked him to simply an hour prior. God wants me to give by faith. God doesn’t just want me to necessarily put in an extra 20 for Lottie Moon. He wants me to trust Him to provide my needs just as the missionaries are trusting to receive enough in Lottie Moon to be able to buy groceries to eat that month. God wants to use my obedience and faith to touch the lives of missionaries around the world.

I have heard so many messages on tithing in my lifetime, and have always agreed with tithing. It is an act of obedience towards God. But it is SO much more than an act of obedience. It’s an act of faith in our Creator. Our Father in Heaven is a King. We trust our employers to pay us each month, and yet we won’t trust the Lord of the entire Universe to provide our needs. Is our God not bigger than money?

This year, I want to give by faith. I want to obey, but I want to obey by faith.

Are We Becoming The Corinthian Church?

I read 1 Corinthians 5:1-5 and I've been pondering something all day long. Are we, the body of Christ, becoming like the Corinthian Church.

¹ It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and such sexual immorality as is not even named^[a] among the Gentiles—that a man has his father’s wife! ² And you are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he who has done this deed might be taken away from among you. ³ For I indeed, as absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged (as though I were present) him who has so done this deed. ⁴ In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when you are gathered together, along with my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, ⁵ deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.^[b]
Ok, so let me explain what I mean. In this specific situation in the church there was a case of incest. Incest was strictly prohibited both by Roman and Old Testament law. It's speculated that it was with the man's step mother since the text specifically says his father's wife, not his mother. Paul's letter was written to believer's of the Corinthian church, so it is assumed that this man is a believer. Paul is reprimanding the church for not disciplining the believer. The church had gotten too tolerant of sin in the church was the main point.

Have we, the church, gotten too tolerant of sin? In a world slam full of teachings of tolerance, are we letting that belief infiltrate the church too much? Are we trying to appeal to a worldy school of thought in order to keep from stepping on toes? Maybe it's time to reevaluate our ways of disciplining and be sure we aren't letting a little sour bit spoil the whole lump.