My pastor, Perry Noble, has been having vision events around the state this week to tell us what God's plans are for the future of NewSpring Church in reaching the lost of SC with the gospel of Jesus Christ.
I have not actually heard this vision yet because he is coming to my location tonight. But I have heard through social media that two new campuses have been announced with one pastor already in place. These two, along with three new campuses this year including the Spartanburg Campus that I attend, will bring our total campuses to 10.
All of this costs money - a lot of money - so I have been thinking about how God would have me support this work and whether I am I willing to sacrifice something if necessary to give what God would have me give. One of the expressions Perry uses is "if it's God's will, then it's God's bill" meaning God will supply from His great riches all that is needed to support what He asks us to do. But He funnels those riches to people and then asks us to give.
Ah, but I'm not rich! Based on America, maybe not. Based on the rest of the world, I am infinitely rich. The problem is, I'm just not used to having to sacrifice anything. Tithing and giving are in my budget so it's no sacrifice; the money is allocated and I give it each month. But if God asks me to sacrifice something, would I be willing to do it?
I don't have a smart phone with a data plan. I don't have cable or satellite TV. I don't have magazine subscriptions I can cancel. So those kinds of sacrifices are not possible. I really do live a pretty simple life on a pretty small budget. But if I had them, and God asked me to, would I give them up to advance His kingdom?
As I have been seeking God on this, a budget item came to mind that I could reallocate to "Take the Land". I have already said OK to God about that. This reallocation would cause a small lifestyle change for me so maybe that is sacrifice on my part. It just seems so simple and I take such joy in giving the money that I don't see it as sacrifice. What a privilege to be part of what God is doing here!
Saturday, May 19, 2012
Monday, May 7, 2012
What Is Good?
"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose."
I've been thinking a lot lately about that verse in Roman 8:28 and how I think about "good". From my human perspective good is generally moving up the ladder of success by getting a promotion or a raise, getting a bigger house or a new car, having the "perfect" spouse and children, never getting sick.
Part of what brought this on is my daughter-in-law who is going through some tough times emotionally. Which means my son and the grandchildren are going through some tough times emotionally. My son was baptized recently because he realized that although he had been baptized as a 7 year old, he was not actually saved until he was a teenager. It was important to him to do things God's way and declare publicly that Jesus Christ is his Savior and Lord. Now his faith, and that of my 12 year old grandson, is being put to the test as his wife struggles. So I am looking for good in all this.
But this is not the first time I have been looking for good in a bad situation. On November 4, 2004, at the age of 87, my mama had a stroke. All her adult life she said she never wanted to be in a nursing home but when the stroke happened there was really no other choice. Although she hated the nursing home she got lots of rehab that enabled her to feed herself and walk and talk again. During the first month after her stroke I asked God over and over to show me the good in this. Then on December 28, two weeks shy of his 91st birthday, my daddy passed away peacefully at home in his sleep. Now I saw the "good" in my mama's stroke.
My mama and daddy started courting when she was 14 and daddy was 17 and married 5 years later. For 73 years daddy had been the love of her life. When he died I was able to thank God that mama was not with him to find him dead in the bed. I was able to thank God that decisions about where she would live were taken out of her hands. Mama was healthy enough by then to attend daddy's funeral and understood that daddy was gone but she was protected from overwhelming grief by the effects of the stroke. So I could finally see the "good" in her having a stroke.
God was not being cruel or heartless when He allowed her brain to be damaged by the stroke. Rather He knew my daddy would die on the day they should have been celebrating as their 68th wedding anniversary and loved my mama enough to shield her from the pain and loss.
Good in God's eyes does not necessarily look like good to my eyes. But if I take the time to seek God's face and to ask Him to let me see the situation as He does, then I can always be confident of His goodness.
I've been thinking a lot lately about that verse in Roman 8:28 and how I think about "good". From my human perspective good is generally moving up the ladder of success by getting a promotion or a raise, getting a bigger house or a new car, having the "perfect" spouse and children, never getting sick.
Part of what brought this on is my daughter-in-law who is going through some tough times emotionally. Which means my son and the grandchildren are going through some tough times emotionally. My son was baptized recently because he realized that although he had been baptized as a 7 year old, he was not actually saved until he was a teenager. It was important to him to do things God's way and declare publicly that Jesus Christ is his Savior and Lord. Now his faith, and that of my 12 year old grandson, is being put to the test as his wife struggles. So I am looking for good in all this.
But this is not the first time I have been looking for good in a bad situation. On November 4, 2004, at the age of 87, my mama had a stroke. All her adult life she said she never wanted to be in a nursing home but when the stroke happened there was really no other choice. Although she hated the nursing home she got lots of rehab that enabled her to feed herself and walk and talk again. During the first month after her stroke I asked God over and over to show me the good in this. Then on December 28, two weeks shy of his 91st birthday, my daddy passed away peacefully at home in his sleep. Now I saw the "good" in my mama's stroke.
My mama and daddy started courting when she was 14 and daddy was 17 and married 5 years later. For 73 years daddy had been the love of her life. When he died I was able to thank God that mama was not with him to find him dead in the bed. I was able to thank God that decisions about where she would live were taken out of her hands. Mama was healthy enough by then to attend daddy's funeral and understood that daddy was gone but she was protected from overwhelming grief by the effects of the stroke. So I could finally see the "good" in her having a stroke.
God was not being cruel or heartless when He allowed her brain to be damaged by the stroke. Rather He knew my daddy would die on the day they should have been celebrating as their 68th wedding anniversary and loved my mama enough to shield her from the pain and loss.
Good in God's eyes does not necessarily look like good to my eyes. But if I take the time to seek God's face and to ask Him to let me see the situation as He does, then I can always be confident of His goodness.
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