Posted: 2/06/04

Waller prescribes dose of humility
for preachers with dubious doctorates

By George Henson

Staff Writer

GORDONVILLE–Some pastors touting the title “Dr.” before their names need a refresher course in ethics, according to a paper awaiting publication in the journal Christian Higher Education.

The treatise by Rusty Waller, bivocational pastor of First Baptist Church in Gordonville, is titled “Higher Education Credentials of American Clergy: Ethics or Antics?”

In addition to being a pastor, Waller is dean of institutional research and effectiveness at North Central Texas College in Gainesville, where he ensures the college meets regional accreditation standards.

Waller also helped Baptist University of the Americas achieve certification from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to grant undergraduate degrees. Baptist University of the Americas also earned a certificate of accreditation from the Accrediting Association of Bible Colleges.

When it comes to graduate-level education, regional accreditation is important because it provides a clear standard of academic requirements, Waller contends.

Attorneys, teachers, architects, doctors and other professionals are required to earn degrees from regionally accredited schools, he noted. Such accreditation indicates the level of scholarship mandated to attain the degree.

So when a pastor begins calling himself “Dr.” when he does not hold an accredited doctoral degree, it hurts his witness, Waller contends.

“Pastors need to be aware that the use of the title 'Dr.' without having a regionally accredited degree is deeply offensive to those in other professions who have to work to maintain their credentials,” he explained.

Waller said he first considered writing on this topic as he saw televangelists taking on the title “Dr.” He was unable to ascertain the source of most their degrees, he said, “which tells me it's a very bogus situation.”

His investigation revealed a number of places where an unaccredited doctoral diploma can be secured for a minimal amount of cash. One site for the Progressive Universal Life Church currently will throw in a doctor of divinity degree for free if a doctor of philosophy in either religion or theology is ordered for $175.

Waller went a step further, however, and decided to see what he could determine about the credentials of a sample of Baptist General Convention of Texas pastors.

He sent questionnaires to 200 pastors whose churches matched a representative sample of the size and ethnicity of the convention.

Only 105 of those surveys were returned, of which 35 pastors claimed doctoral degrees. Seven of those 35 doctorates, 20 percent, came from non-regionally accredited doctoral programs.

Waller said he would stop short of saying only 20 percent of the sample had degrees from non-regionally accredited schools, however, because only 52 percent of the pastors in the pool responded.

“I have questions about the non-respondents and where their credentials are from,” he said.

“I would speculate that those who returned their questionnaires didn't see anything wrong with having non-regionally accredited degrees.”

He postulates that some who did not respond may have been more aware.

But he does acknowledge a wide spectrum of sources of non-regionally accredited degrees, “from the most bogus of diploma mills to actual institutions” of merit.

At the high end of that spectrum, Waller places Luther Rice Seminary, the most common source of non-regionally accredited degrees among those surveyed.

However, while not a place to buy a diploma without study, the independent seminary should not be viewed on an even par with fully accredited seminaries such as Logsdon School of Theology at Hardin-Simmons University or Baylor University's Truett Theological Seminary, he asserted.

Luther Rice Seminary is accredited by the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools, a certification that requires less strenuous examination than that offered by regional commissions such as the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

The United States Department of Education views TRACS on the same level as the Association of Theological Schools, the nation's primary accrediting agency for graduate-level theological education.

However, both Logsdon and Truett are accredited not only by ATS on the national level but by SACS on the regional level.

And to Waller's perspective as an educator, that makes a huge difference.

“Other professions require doctorates from regionally accredited institutions,” he said. “Why should pastors settle for less?”

Waller does not suggest that a regionally accredited degree should be a requirement for the pastorate, or that the education that can be gained at some schools, such as Luther Rice, is not without merit.

“I have no problem with a person pursuing an education wherever they choose, but I do have a problem with them putting 'Dr.' in front of their name” if they do not hold a regionally accredited degree, he said.

That especially is true if a pastor knowingly obtains a degree not acquired by scholarship on the doctoral level, Waller said.

“Credentials without education can only be for men to look at.”

Likewise, it is unethical for a pastor who receives an honorary doctorate, such a doctor of divinity degree, to affix “Dr.” to his name, Waller said.

Reading his paper probably won't change the minds of those who already have secured non-accredited degrees, Waller admitted. But he does hope to impact future decisions.

“I don't really think writing this will stop anyone who is using the title 'Dr.' from using it, but I hope that some young pastors out there considering this will get their doctorates from regionally accredited institutions,” he said.

“I've been a pastor from 29 years, but I can understand how a young man might look and see that he can have a doctorate here for $700, and over there it's going to take years of commitment and ask, 'What's my motivation to do that?' if they don't understand all the issues.”

Posted: 2/06/04

DOWN HOME:
Valentine's plans cross in the mail

The best-laid Valentine's Day plan of this man and his mouse almost got tripped up by our friendly neighborhood mail carrier.

Joanna, my Valentine, called the other day and asked about a certain charge on our credit card bill from one of her favorite stores. Man, I hoped that piece of mail wouldn't come through until after Feb. 14.

Give me credit for trying hard. I began thinking about what to give Jo for Valentine's Day weeks ago. I looked in catalogs and shopped online. I considered a range of possibilities and narrowed my choices. Finally, I settled on The Gift.

Then came the hard part: When to order.

On one hand, this store is notorious for putting merchandise on backorder. That would never do. Wrapping a picture of a present in a box on Valentine's Day makes about as big a splash as saying the dog ate it.

On the other hand, if I ordered too early, the credit card bill would come, and Jo would at least know where I've been shopping. That's because we have a financially transparent relationship. Correct that. My half of the relationship is transparent. Jo's the bookkeeper in our family. I never know if we've got enough in the bank to buy a pair of socks; she knows the whereabouts of every penny. So, that makes sneaking around to buy gifts sorta tricky.

Anyway, I went online and took the risk. A couple of clicks of my computer mouse, and the gift was on its way. Unfortunately, so was the credit card bill, which arrived at home two days after the gift arrived at my office.

The phone rang. “What's this about a charge from (blah-blah-blah) on our MasterCard bill?” Jo asked.

“Can't say right now. I'm busy,” I replied, stalling as my heart sank.

After work, I pondered what to say about Jo's Valentine gift. I settled on a straightforward approach: “About that credit card bill, why don't you pretend you never saw it? I'm not good at sneaking around to buy you gifts, but my heart's in the right place. I tried hard this year–started early and everything. But you know how they are about putting stuff on backorder, and I wanted your gift to get here on time. So, even if you figure everything out, just remember it's coming from the guy who loves you more than life itself, and when you open the box, act surprised.”

I rehearsed that speech all the way home, but as soon as I started, my smart Valentine offered two words of wisdom: “Let's not talk about it. And why don't you get your own credit card and have the bill sent to your office?”

Well, Valentine's Day is almost here, and I hope Jo hasn't guessed what I got her. I haven't prayed about it, because I figure the Lord doesn't really care what I buy for her as long as I'm a faithful and loving husband and daddy.

What's she getting me? Maybe a credit card.

Posted: 2/06/04

EDITORIAL:
Let's talk about sex some more

America needs to talk about sex.

“Yeah, right,” you say. “That's all we've been talking about for days, ever since halftime at the Super Bowl, when millions of folks got an eyeful of Janet Jackson's breast. The last thing we need is more talk about sex.”

Well, not exactly.

We need to talk about the beauty and glory of sex.

That's right. And people of faith ought to dominate the discussion. For too long, pop singers, talk-show hosts and sitcom stars have defined how culture thinks about sex. That's enough. We're the ones who know the real story: God created sex, both as utility and gift. It's the way all animals make babies. But it's also how we express our deepest and most abiding feelings of love and find our surest sense of acceptance.

Some theologians say the only relationship more intimate and profound than a faithful, monogamous married woman and man “making love” is the indefinable unity of the Trinity. At its purest, as God intended, sex truly is a religious experience.

We need to talk about the value of sex.

God made us as whole, relational beings, and God gave us sex, in part, so we could experience the depth of relationship. That's why, in the parlance of popular psychology, we're “hard wired” for sex. No wonder advertisers use sex to sell everything from cars to toothpaste to soft drinks. People need sex, and marketers of every stripe try to connect fulfillment of our sex drive with their products.

Of course, that misses the point completely. The more we seek the emotional and spiritual fulfillment that only God-given sex can provide by slogging through the tawdry sleeze of commercial smut, the more we crave what we cannot have. The kind of sex that saturates society only stirs senses that cannot be sated. Check the research on pornography; rather than fulfill a need, it stokes fires that consume. Author Fredrick Buechner puts it this way: Lust is the craving for salt of a man dying of thirst.

So, sex is powerful exactly because it's inherently important to who we are as creatures designed by God. Yet when it is defiled, it leads us further from God's design, with all the heartache that comes with separation from our Creator.

We need to talk about the ubiquity and degradation of sex.

Do you ever wonder why you can't say “Kleenex,” “Xerox” and “Coke” when you mean facial tissue, photocopying and soft drinks without threat of a lawsuit? The manufacturers know their brands are cheapened when people start using them as generic terms for other products, particularly inferior products. Too bad God doesn't have a lawfirm to sue product pimps who violate the holy intention of sex. The ever-presence of sex has stained its purity and diluted its potency. And sex's rampant cheap imitators–near-nudity, vulgarity, the insinuation that it's not much more than a handshake hello or a kiss goodnight–have degraded its value.

“Cheap sex” never has been a more accurate term. Not just because it can be bought on a street corner for $20 or viewed in a movie theater for $7, but because culture's treatment of it says it's not worth much. Don't believe it? Talk to middle school and high school students.

We need to talk about the economics of sex.

This is where you can make a difference. Only one factor explains why Jackson, Justin Timberlake, CBS, MTV and the NFL all participated in the Super Bowl breast-flash. Money. Lots and lots of money.

As long as corporate America, the media and “stars” profit from their version of sex, we're going to have it beamed into our retinas. So, we've got to convince them sex will cost more than it pays. In a few minutes on the Internet, you can find all the addresses (regular and e-mail) you need to write the FCC, the networks, local TV and radio stations and advertisers–especially advertisers–to tell them you will not tune in to or buy products from sex abusers.

And you can turn off the TV and read a book.
–Marv Knox
E-mail the editor at marvknox@baptiststandard.com

Posted: 2/06/04

EDITORIAL:
Seminary's homosexuality stand
consistent with BGCT precedent

Commentators expressed surprise that a student at Baylor University's George W. Truett Theological Seminary lost his scholarship because he is gay.

They shouldn't be shocked. The Baptist General Convention of Texas–which counts Baylor among its nine affiliated universities–has not changed its understanding of homosexual activity.

Matt Bass, a Truett student since 2001, lost his scholarship in December, several months after he told friends he is gay. Seminary students typically receive financial support from Baylor and the BGCT to offset the high cost of tuition. While Bass was not expelled, he left because he could not afford to continue his studies there.

The Bass episode represents but the latest in a string of stands the BGCT has taken to say homosexual activity is unacceptable:

In 1982, messengers to the BGCT annual session approved a resolution that said, “The homosexual lifestyle is not normal or acceptable in God's sight and is indeed called sin.”

In 1996, the BGCT Messenger-Seating Study Committee presented a report, approved by the convention, that said: “The Bible teaches that the ideal for sexual behavior is the marital union between husband and wife and that all other sexual relations–whether premarital, extramarital or homosexual–are contrary to God's purposes and thus sinful. Homosexual practice is therefore in conflict with the Bible.”

In 1998, the BGCT Administrative Committee and Executive Board voted to decline to receive any financial contributions from University Baptist Church in Austin, which had ordained a homosexual man as a deacon.

The Administrative Committee's recommendation to the Executive Board said: “Churches should seek to minister to all persons, including those who continue in sinful practices. The love and grace of God embraces all persons and instructs all Christians to share God's love with others. We commend those who seek to minister to those persons who engage in homosexual behavior. We cannot, however, approve of churches endorsing homosexual practice as biblically legitimate.”

The Baylor student handbook sexual misconduct policy addresses homosexual acts, incest, adultery and fornication.

In reference to Truett Seminary's decision to revoke Bass' scholarship, Dean Paul Powell said: “Our standards of right and wrong are the Scriptures. If we ever abandon them, we're out of business. There's no reason for us to exist.”

Posted: 2/06/04

Postmodern people seek 'spiritual family,' Berryhill insists

By Ferrell Foster

Texas Baptist Communications

RICHARDSON–In today's postmodern world, “there's a real cry for spiritual mothers and fathers,” said John Berryhill, chief director of Emerging Church Network.

People who are part of this new culture are looking for others “who will care about their lives,” Berryhill told participants at a workshop during the Texas Evangelism and Missions Conference at Richardson's First Baptist Church.

Such a “spiritual family” gives a person “a place to connect, a place to share their stories, their journey,” he said.

“It can happen in lots of different forms.”

Postmodern people also need healing and empowering, Berryhill said.

Small, simple groups where people can relate “in a community” are effective at reaching postmoderns with the gospel, he noted.

A key is that “people first have to belong,” he said.

“Can people participate in your community in their pre-Christ state?”

After belonging, then a person begins to behave differently and belief comes last, Berryhill said.

“It's a little different path to evangelism.”

Today, however, there are many different emerging cultures.

“Thousands of diverse people … do not readily fit into our way of doing church,” he said.

“Now it is a really wide-open road.”

Christians interested in reaching people in emerging cultures first must understand the culture, he said.

Christians need to be observant to discover the “tribes” that live in an area and learn their distinctive characteristics, he added.

Understanding can then lead to relationships.

“What gives credibility in this culture is not titles, it's relationships,” Berryhill said.

“We want to see transformation, … but we have to be smart in how we go about that.”

Posted: 2/06/04

Texas Envoys' seminary service
impacts ministry throughout Europe, Asia

By John Hall

Texas Baptist Communications

Some Christians adopt a particular people group as the focus of their missions efforts.

Larry and Betty Maddox adopted a continent.

For the last three years, the Maddoxes have volunteered at the International Baptist Theological Seminary in Prague, Czechoslovakia.

They serve as Texas Envoys, an effort by the Texas Partnerships Resource Center of the Baptist General Convention of Texas that connects volunteers with mission projects.

Larry Maddox has served as a part-time professor. His wife has worked as the campus hostess, making arrangements for students and staff.

The couple has ministered in many countries through the European Baptist Federation-affiliated school, including Russia, Romania, Serbia and Bosnia. They worked at schools and institutions affiliated with the seminary.

Maddox described the students as eager to learn and apply the seminary's materials. They are grateful for the opportunity to go to the Baptist World Alliance-funded school, he said.

The Maddoxes have touched lives throughout Europe and parts of Asia, teaching English, church administration and Christian ethics.

Beyond the classroom, the Texas Envoys invite students to their home for meals and discuss issues pupils are facing.

The Maddoxes' influence on the students' lives travels further around the world as the pupils take what they learn back to their home countries to serve as missionaries.

Often, the Maddoxes have been amazed to see what the students accomplish after leaving the seminary.

Seminary students are starting schools and churches across Europe and Asia, Maddox noted.

They are strengthening existing congregations. Using relationships, they are training others to spread the gospel.

“Anytime we go to see former students, it is so fulfilling,” he said said.

“This is why we are here. It's the students that captured our hearts.”

This model of training nationals to be missionaries is the most effective way of strengthening and spreading Christianity, the Maddoxes agreed.

Residents know the language and understand the culture of the region without training. They have seen which evangelism methods work.

“We think the way to do missions is to train the student and let him train his people,” she said.

“We have seen it work.”

The work impressed the couple so much that they started raising funds in the United States for the seminary.

A decline in the value of the dollar has decreased the value of U.S. donations.

The school has been forced to cut child care programs and reduced the number of scholarships offered.

If the Southern Baptist Convention defunds the Baptist World Alliance, as recommended by an SBC committee, the seminary will take another economic hit.

Despite financial difficulties, the seminary staff and the Maddoxes continue ministering to the students.

The couple have looked for opportunities to share their experiences to encourage more volunteers to work overseas.

Investing in students is impacting the world for Christ, the couple said.

“It has been three of the best years of our lives,” Betty Maddox said.

For more information about Texas Envoys, contact the Texas Partnerships Resource Center at (214) 828-5181.

Posted: 2/06/04

LifeWay Explore the Bible Series for Feb. 15

God's wisdom is necessary for sexual purity

Selected Proverbs

By John Duncan

Lakeside Baptist Church, Granbury

Reports indicate a connection between poverty and teenage sexual promiscuity. James Q. Wilson says: “You need only three things in this country to avoid poverty–finish high school, marry before having a child and marry after the age of 20. Only 8 percent of the families who do this are poor; 79 percent of those who fail to do this are poor” (citing Presidential advisor William Gaston in Family Ministry, Spring issue).

Teenagers are not alone in promiscuity. Adultery and broken marriage vows accentuate the misery, pain and anxiety of the foolishness of promiscuity. God's wisdom from Proverbs invites his people to seek God's will to pursue a lifestyle that is spiritual, mutually fulfilling, physically healthy, and values the present and future of the relationship.

Warning

If purity of life and sexual purity in God's eyes are a goal, then each person must consider God's ways and his or her own ways. “For the ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord and ponder all his goings” (Proverbs 5:21) Pondering God's way indicates three thought processes: (1) thinking of God's expectations; (2) respecting other people and the paths of their lives (5:6); and (3) honoring self in the realm of spiritual purity. This simply means listening to God's wisdom long before passion, sexual temptation and promiscuity come knocking on your door (5:1-2).

Paul addressed a problem at Thessalonica. He challenged the first century Christians to walk in a way that pleased God (1 Thessalonians 4:1). He reminded them of God's commandments–given for the good of the kingdom of God, the body of Christ and individuals (v. 2). Paul then stated the pure in life will one thing–to please God. How was that done?

Paul begged the early church to live a life set apart and under God's direction. He commanded them to abstain from sexual misconduct. Paul moves one step further in explaining how purity can be worked in practical ways.

First, respect others in their uniqueness as set apart by God. This keeps a person from looking at a partner through selfish and lustful eyes (v. 4). Second, honor the other person by serving them and valuing them before God. Paul indicates that honor creates a circle in a relationship: God, man and woman in relationship. The circle is broken when respect for any one of those persons is broken.

Third, Paul warns against allowing the mind to pursue any other thing except God's purity. Beware of lust, an inner drive that appeals to the imagination (v. 5). Four, beware of stealing from another person that which rightfully belongs to them (v. 6). The theft might be the gift of virginity outside marriage or a relationship already established with a spouse.

Paul warns his hearers to please God by denying the self, honoring another and enjoying the gift of sex in the boundaries of monogamous marriage intended by God. Consider your ways, your comings and goings, your goals and God's will (Proverbs 1:8-9).

Proverbial wisdom

The writer of Proverbs describes a similar warning in his day. Understand God's ways. This might mean avoiding situations that compromise your values, your pure will and God's plan (5:1-2). It alerts the spiritual person to wise choices, to a discretionary mind that does not detour from God's path or surrender the body to momentary passions.

In our image-driven world of wandering values, keeping God's straight path warrants the continual feeding of the heart, soul, mind and passions with God's knowledge (v. 3). God's word serves as a tool to build discipline, a sword to battle temptation and an escape route to free the mind. “Hear me and my words,” the writer of Proverbs shouts (v. 7).

What happens when the passions of lust and sexual drive overpower the purity of life? Deception offers sweetness, but the end result is bitterness (vv. 3-4). Where bitterness swarms and swells in a person's heart, pain stings deeply and seldom retreats. Sexual promiscuity and infidelity can produce anger, anxiety and intense pain like a sword piercing the body (4:5). Such actions lead also to what the writer of Proverbs calls, a “downward pull.” Sexual impurity drags people down into trash heaps and filth. It distances people from God to an extreme and grieves his heart (v. 5).

Flee

Paul tells his young friend Timothy to flee youthful lusts by pursuing righteousness, faith, love, peace with God and a pure life (1 Timothy 2:22). The writer of Proverbs gives a similar word: “Run from temptation. Close the door on sexual impurity. Depart from the winding path of sexual misconduct” (Proverbs 5:8).

Reading Proverbs 5, you get the impression that the writer understands the pain of impurity. He indicates part of the pain is knowing you acted the part of a fool, hated instruction, utterly rejected wise words and turned a deaf ear to wisdom (vv. 8-14). For those who fall into the trap of impurity, Christ offers forgiveness while demanding repentance toward purity of life. Purity sets the heart at peace with God, the inner self and others.

Question for discussion

What wisdom in Proverbs 5 most speaks to you?

Posted: 2/06/04

LifeWay Explore the Bible Series for Feb. 22

Wisdom about money begins with right priorities

Selected Proverbs

By John Duncan

Lakeside Baptist Church, Granbury

Proverbial wisdom indicates life is short and so is money. The Apostle Paul warned the love of money is the root of all evil (1 Timothy 6:10). Money, by itself, is neutral. It is not evil, but rather the root of all kinds of evil in the world. It is neither good nor bad. Possessing lots of money or very little does not matter to God. How you use money is what matters.

People look at what a person earns or where he lives, but God looks at what a person gives and into his or her heart. However, one thing stands clear. Money creates more stress, anxiety and trouble than any other commodity in the history of humankind. Still, it is a necessary commodity.

The writer of Proverbs knows of money, its temptation, its power to possess rather than be possessed, its necessity and the companions that can potentially walk by its side–pride, greed, theft, lust and jealousy. Proverbs does two things: (1) it warns; (2) it supplies wisdom for daily living. View finances wisely under the watchful eye of God.

Attitude

The writer of Proverbs does not start a discussion of money by talking about the currency you can hold in your hand. He starts by speaking to the heart of a person's values. He says, “By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches and honor and life” (22:4). Money starts with an attitude that blossoms in the heart: Fear God, first; second, humble yourself before God and others.

True riches flow from the heart to others. True riches fill the soul. True riches inspire the mind to think and act in ways that honor God. Silver and gold take a back seat to spiritual wealth, knowing Jesus and the reputation of a good name (22:1).

What do fear and humility have to do with a starting place for an attitude about money? Fearing God connects you to his grace; that, in turn, generates gratitude to God for all things. Humbling yourself before God and others creates a God-given desire to share, to minister to others and to live as a steward of money rather than a tight-fisted controller of money.

Fear and humility also produce a desire for responding to financial hardships by trusting God and for responding to financial successes by serving God. Proverbs says, “A faithful man shall abound with blessings: but he that makes haste to be rich shall not be innocent” (28:20). God faithfully provides, expects faithfulness in grace and giving in response to him, and blesses the circle of that faithfulness.

The blessings are threefold: (1) between God and the individual giver; (2) between giver and the receiver; (3) and to the receiver's larger circle of relationships–the family, the church and the mission of reaching people that extends beyond the church. The blessing never remains in isolation. Fear and humility draw others into God's circle.

Honor God with your finances

A spiritual view of money begins with God, but does that mean the realities of financial pressure, paying bills, balancing the checkbook and helping others come easily? Realities increase pressure, but when you remember God, “stuff” is put in its proper place.

Scholar David Atkinson says Proverbs is about justice, personal integrity, economic integrity and healthy living that maximize the opportunity to handle life happily with God's care. A right attitude toward God is crucial. Proverbs says, “Honor the Lord with your substance, and with the first fruits of all your increase” (3:9).

Old Testament wisdom demands the first fruit, setting aside the first God has given. Malachi (3:10; Leviticus 27:30; Nehemiah 10:37) describes the first fruit as storehouse tithing, giving 10 percent of your income to the Lord through his church. The New Testament reinterprets the Old Testament and places tithing as the starting place for giving to the Lord (Matthew 23:23; Luke 11:42). Jesus calls the servant of Christ not only to tithe but also to go beyond tithing by giving above and beyond based on the value of faith, people's needs and God's sacrificial love at work in your heart. God's love at work in the heart reaches out in sacrificial gifts for the purpose of honoring God, helping others because God helps us and for communicating his love.

Honoring God with finances means giving God priority with money. Biblical stewardship of money never circulates in isolation but always touches others. God's economy challenges the believer in Jesus to work hard, spend wisely, save wisely and share in abundance because of Christ's abundant life.

Integrity

Integrity in finances involves acting responsibly with the resources God gives. It is better to live a righteous life under God's care than to live in the lap of luxury because of deceit or scheming that aims to amass wealth without work. Wealth acquired without work has the potential to produce vanity and emptiness (13:11). Wealth accumulated through hard work increases an appreciation both of grace and possessions.

Every use of money has its consequences. Those who gain their money by false practices will end up with empty hands (20:17). Those who use money as a steward under God's care will reap the blessings of a relationship with God, the blessing of others and the blessing of God's abundant supply for daily needs. God blesses abundantly beyond all that we can ask or give (Ephesians 3:20).

Question for discussion

What is the hardest part of being wise with money?

Posted: 2/06/04

LifeWay Family Bible Series for Feb. 15

Reaping rewards from a focused Bible study

Joshua 1:6-9; Psalm 1:1-6; 2 Timothy 2:14-16

By David Jenkins

New Hope Baptist Church, Big Sandy

As a pastor, I have discovered people read the Bible for different reasons. Some read it out of a sense of duty. They quickly skim through a prescribed portion of Scripture, hardly realizing, much less understanding, what they have read. Others search the Scriptures when they want to prove a point or win an argument. Still others see the Bible primarily as a book containing great literature and will even commit portions of it to memory.

Those who truly are disciples of Christ view the Bible as the word of God, a body of holy Scripture to be read, meditated upon, digested and applied to their daily living. They cherish God's word as a medium of constant communication with their heavenly Father.

How to be an effective leader (Joshua 1:6-9)

Joshua was about to assume the most taxing challenge of his life. He would lead the Israelites, God's chosen people, into Canaan–the land God had promised them through Abraham. Furthermore, Moses, who had led that unwieldy mass of people from Egypt to the entrance to Canaan, was dead.

Moses had been Joshua's mentor and God's representative before the people. How could he ever gain the authority Moses had with the people? God was aware of Joshua's anxiety and fear, and he moved quickly to allay that fear with some of the most encouraging promises of support any new leader could hope to receive. Three times in the course of his instructions to Joshua, God said, “be strong and courageous” (1:6-7, 9).

But how was Joshua to “be strong and courageous” to perform the task before him? He was to obey God's law that Moses had delivered to him and to the people, and he was to “meditate on it day and night” (v. 8). The Hebrew word translated “meditate” actually means “mutter.”

In an Orthodox Jewish synagogue, one will often hear a low, continuous murmur as the worshippers repeat the Scriptures orally, swaying back and forth in their traditional manner. It is their belief that when one mutters God's word to himself, he is constantly thinking about it. Then, according to God's words to Joshua, this meditation must lead to action. We must be careful to obey God's commandments.

How to be strong in your faith (Psalm 1:1-6)

Psalm 1 is a most appropriate beginning to the book of Psalms, for it distinguishes the righteous from the wicked. It pronounces a blessing on those who obey God and judgment upon those who reject him. Most important is the way in which the psalmist characterizes those who are righteous. He points out the righteous man finds no pleasure in the lifestyle of those whose view of life is evil, distorted and deceitful. He does not frequent the places where such views of life are held. Instead, he finds his delight “in the law of the Lord.”

God's word is his divine revelation, which is designed to help us live in harmony with his will. As sincere believers earnestly search the Scriptures, they will find increasing delight and joy in their walk with God. The word “delight” expresses all that makes a person happy. But then, God's law is even more than one's delight. According to the psalmist, it becomes one's chief desire. As we open our hearts to God's revelation and delight in its teachings, we begin to realize more and more the greatness and awesomeness of our God. This is “the beginning of wisdom” (Psalm 112:1).

Meditating on God's word “day and night” is the habit of reflecting on God's revelation to us any time during the course of a day. A ministry of the indwelling Holy Spirit to Christians is to bring God's word to our remembrance at moments of need. In order for this to happen, we must be consistent in spending time in Bible study and meditation.

How to guard God's truth (2 Timothy 2:15-16)

God's inspired word is indestructible. Though the heavens and the earth pass away, God's word will stand forever (Matthew 24:35). From the beginning, however, efforts have been made to distort its truths and manipulate them to serve biased purposes.

This was happening in the first century, and it greatly disturbed the Apostle Paul. He spoke out often in his letters to the churches and to individuals about the need to guard against false teachers and erroneous doctrines. He urged the young preacher Timothy to handle God's word seriously and with integrity. The phrase translated “rightly dividing” or “correctly handles” literally means “holding a straight course.”

Diligent teachers of God's word are to guard against any teaching that would veer from the truths that remain constant throughout Scripture. Any interpretation that runs contrary to the general message of the Bible should be immediately suspect. Paul urged Timothy to discourage “godless chatter,” or those who would quarrel over the interpretation of God's word. An “approved workman” is one who makes no apology for the clear teachings of the Bible and who stands firmly against any effort to compromise or dilute its truths.

Questions for discussion

Why is regular Bible study important in a believer's life? What is the difference between reading the Bible and meditating on its truths?

Posted: 2/06/04

LifeWay Family Bible Series for Feb. 22

The stewardship of giving stimulates growth

Malachi 3:6-12; 1 Corinthians 16:1-4

By David Jenkins

New Hope Baptist Church, Big Sandy

On a Sunday morning at Christmas time, our church's mission committee joined hands in a circle at the front of the auditorium. Nearly 100 gaily decorated shoeboxes were stacked on either side of the Lord's Supper table. They were filled with candy and toys, destined for underprivileged children in countries throughout the world. A member of the committee prayed God would bless each child who received one of these boxes.

Afterward, several people mentioned to me they felt a deep sense of remorse that we so take for granted the blessings of our affluent society in light of the destitution throughout the world.

God has blessed believers with abundant spiritual blessings. Often we are guilty of forgetting our unworthiness as recipients of his bounty. We demonstrate this forgetfulness in failing to return to God a portion of our material blessings in tithes and offerings.

Who is the true owner of our possessions?

Many harsh words of judgment appeared in Malachi's prophecies to the priests and people of Israel. The people were rebellious before God. But what stands out like the snow-capped peaks of a mountain range is God's extended mercy in spite of his wounded love. In the Malachi Scripture passage in this study, we see God's generosity declared along with the fact we cannot outgive him. Because God is so generous toward us, we must strive to obey him in all things. Particularly this is true in the total stewardship of our lives, which includes our possessions.

Before facing the people with their failure to bring their tithes and offerings to the Lord's storehouse, Malachi reminded them God was unchangeable. That he does not change is reflected in his name, Jehovah (Yahweh), which means “who is that he is.” His promises are true and constant. Their fulfillment may be delayed because of our lack of faith. Yet still, God will do what he has promised.

God wanted his people to know that in spite of their disobedience and sin, he would save them from destruction. He told them plainly they were guilty of robbing him by withholding their tithes and offerings.

The promise of blessing

What would the people have to do to escape God's judgment because they had robbed him of tithes and offerings? They were to begin again doing what they knew was right. They were to bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, which was the house of God. The temple in Jerusalem was the gathering place for all of the produce the people brought. The Levites then apportioned the part of it that was to be offered as sacrifices to the Lord and then kept enough for their own needs and for whatever emergencies might arise.

In verses 11-12, God told the people through Malachi the extent to which he would pour out his blessings upon those who were faithful in bringing their tithes and offerings to the Lord. Farms, orchards and vineyards abounded in that society. God's blessings would have to do with the increase of the fruit of the earth. Not only would the people prosper materially, they also would be a testimony to the surrounding nations who would take note of the way their God had blessed them.

Biblical giving is a part of worship

Paul had begun a project among the churches he had established in Europe and Asia Minor to gather an offering for the believers in Jerusalem who were suffering because a famine had struck that area. Actually, he had presented the idea first in Corinth, but problems had developed in the church, and they were not responding as eagerly as some of the other congregations. Paul urged them to complete the collection and to do so by bringing their gifts “on the first day of the week.” This was the first day after the Sabbath, or Saturday. This is an indication that Sunday was the day on which the early Christians worshipped regularly. One of the early church fathers, Justin Martyr (second century A.D.), wrote that contributions to the church were received on that day.

Paul also indicated giving was to be proportionate. All were to participate, both rich and poor, in keeping with their income. As a pastor, I encourage those who begin to tithe to deduct the tenth, God's portion, before anything else is spent.

Then Paul stressed the regularity of their giving. This particular offering was to be regularly set aside “every week.” In other words, Christians ought to consider paying the tithe and giving offerings as a part of their worship in the Lord's house. Receiving the offering during the worship hours on Sunday should be just as much an expression of worship as any other part of the service.

As we ask God to help us discipline ourselves in general worship, in prayer and in Bible study, so should we seek to be equally disciplined in our total stewardship.

Questions for discussion

What should be a Christian's motive in paying the tithe and giving offerings to the Lord? In what ways do we “rob God” by failing to be faithful in our stewardship?

Posted: 2/06/04

Stick with biblical fund-raising method, Austin urges

HOUSTON–Churches aren't parent/teacher associations, and they shouldn't try raising funds like them, said Terry Austin, director of the Baptist General Convention of Texas stewardship office.

Bake sales and book drives are not biblical ways for a church to raise money consistently, Austin said during a stewardship summit sponsored by the Christian Stewardship Association in partnership with the BGCT.

Congregations need to teach and practice biblical stewardship, Austin continued. Asking Christians to give their money and time is teaching them to obey the Bible.

Too often, churches turn to fund-raising events because they are easy, he said. Other churches rely heavily on wealthy members to rescue them from fiscal peril.

Many church leaders are afraid teaching about stewardship will offend their congregations, Austin said. They incorrectly claim tithing, giving 10 percent of one's income to the church, is an obsolete rule from the Old Testament.

Leaders in those churches prefer to emphasize that all resources belong to God, without giving practical suggestions for how much actually should be given, he added.

Financial teachings such as these impede the spiritual development of believers, Austin said. Because church members are not taught biblical stewardship, they do not understand that giving money, time and energy to Christian work is a way to worship God. They do not realize the call to set aside a tithe of one's income for God still applies.

Moreover, giving is an act of testifying about what is important in one's life, he said. By freely giving money, a Christian is telling others God is more important than financial resources.

“We don't give to be accepted by God,” said Austin, who was named Christian Stewardship Association stewardship professional of the year during the meeting. “We give as a demonstration of our obedience and faith in God.”

When people understand the biblical call for the tithe, giving becomes more important to them, he said. Church members will tithe joyously because they know the money funds ministry.

“People are willing to give if it is important to them,” he said.

He encourages church leaders to incorporate giving into worship services. Ministers should explain tithes pay for ministry. Other suggestions included singing praises to God during the offering and presenting the money at the altar, where it is blessed.

Churches and individual Christians lose out when biblical stewardship principles are not taught, Austin said. About 2.5 percent of the average Christian's income goes to the church. If all members tithed, budgets would increase 400 percent and finance more ministry.

“By neglecting the truth of the tithe, the church is robbing blessing from individuals and itself,” he said.

Posted: 2/06/04

Graham plans Kansas City 'Heart of America' crusade

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (BP)–Evangelist Billy Graham will conduct a crusade in Kansas City, Mo., June 17-20 at Arrowhead Stadium, officials with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association announced Jan. 8.

Billed as “The Heart of America Billy Graham Crusade,” it will mark the third time Graham has conducted such an event in Kansas City, the last being in 1978.

Graham and the BGEA team are coming “in fear and trembling and in weakness, but with great joy and dependence upon the Holy Spirit,” said Cliff Barrows, Graham's longtime associate and song leader who spoke at the news conference attended by several hundred media, area pastors and lay leaders.

Barrows said Graham's broken left hip, which required surgery and a partial replacement Jan. 6 at a hospital in Jacksonville, Fla., would not deter him from his 415th crusade.

“Mr. Graham is doing wonderfully well,” Barrows said. “The hospital expects a complete recovery. He'll plan to be here as scheduled, and we're praising God for that.”

Graham suffered the broken hip when he fell in a hotel room on the grounds of the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, where he was reporting for a semiannual checkup.

Larry Turner, vice president of crusades for the BGEA, read an acceptance letter from Graham that expressed how deeply the renowned evangelist wants to return to Kansas City.

“I never expected to still be preaching at the age of 85, and yet my call to proclaim the gospel is as strong as ever,” Graham wrote. “For the past two years, the Lord has given me a burden for Kansas City, and the heart of America. … Therefore, health permitting, I will be glad to come to Kansas City. My associates and I are honored to join hands with you in proclaiming the Good News, praying that many will accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior.”

The acceptance letter by Graham read at the Jan. 8 new conference made it clear Graham would follow up his 1967 and 1978 crusades with yet another in 2004.