Regarding Tithes & Offering--Monday, November 14, 2005

Note: February 6, 2010
This blog was written years ago but my ideas are still the same regarding this hot topic.  Just about two weeks ago my friend and writer Jon Goode from Atlanta posed the question on FB asking whether we as parishioners gave concern to how money collected from tithes and offering at church is spent.  I will post more directly from that conversation in the next couple of days.

I personally don't give thought to it because I trust my pastor, his judgement and his leadership.  I have the same views that I did in 2005 when I first spoke on this issue.

It’s not up to us to determine whether Bishop Jakes and other "megapreachers" are spending the money in the church correctly or not.  People like to judge preachers' worth by how much money they're making...or not and what they do with that money.  We forget that Monday-Friday the church is Incorporated and has bills to pay.  One of those bills--paying the leader of that particular house for them and their family to live. 

Preaching even only on Sunday mornings is NO easy task.  There is a LOT that goes into preparing a message for Sunday mornings, Wednesday Bible studies and any other speaking engagements that may be scheduled.  Just in the physical/natural it takes a lot of energy to stand up and give of yourself.  Spiritually...that is a WHOLE other discussion.  Do not forget that pastors/preachers also counsel individuals at VARIOUS times throughout the week and travel ALL across the world in order to deliver the same messages given from the Lord.

Keep in mind that, specifically Bishop Jakes in this case, makes a whole SLEW of money from speaking engagements outside of his church...NUMEROUS books and also music and now film and stage plays.  I'm sayin...all of his money doesn't come from the church however...if you have a church with over 20,000 members and they tithe and give offering yes, his bills are gonna be paid...and then some. Also, the tithes and offerings given by the people who attend his church are also used to maintain the facilites where these individuals come to worship...so no, all that money is NOT going into his pockets.

It is not his responsibility to provide for his WHOLE congregation but it is his responsibility to teach what "thus sayeth the Lord" and teach people how to live better lives for themselves and for their families. What people do with that information is up to them...not him.

IF a preacher runs off with the money given by the congregation and does wrong with it then he/she WILL reap what they have sown and will be dealt with in some form or fashion by the Lord.  

With that being said: If people made it a point to TRULY grow spiritually and use wisdom coupled with discernment then when dealing with their finances and responsibility regarding the building up of the Kingdom of God, they would know when to give and how much to give to who.  We have to be  mature enough spiritually to hear from the Lord regarding ALL areas of our lives...even who to give our tithes and offering to.

Wednesday, September 28, 2005--Peace in the Kingdom

I have a sister who asked me to pray for her that she would get her mind off of "him". She said she's prayed and prayed about it herself and I realized that I had went through the same thing with my own "him" a few years back and as I was speaking this to her, it ministered to me as well:

If you're gonna pray for the Lord to take your mind off of a person or thing, pray it once, call it done and move it forward. It didn't make sense for me to keep going to God sayin, "oh Lord...blah, blah, blah, take my mind off him." By continuously doing that, my mind was still on HIM!? (the very person I was "praying" I'd get over...)

Instead...to truly find peace, take more time to worship God. Tell God how amazing He is, how wonderful, how merciful. Thank Him for the good times and the lessons learned.
When we get involved in relationships, we tend to give ALL of our energy, time and emotions to that individual and to making it WORK with that individual.  If God were truly our priority, we would take the time to worship and praise God, that way we won't even be thinking about worshipping and praising him/her.

Nothing and no one deserves all of my energy/emotions BUT God!
My favorite Scripture in life right now...Matt 6:33:
"Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all things will be added unto you."

February 6, 2010--Additional thinking:
Although this original blog was in response to someone's failed relationship, these same principles must be applied to every single area of our lives.  It is a matter of us having our priorities in order.

We have a lot to deal with in the natural world going beyond mere relationships; Finances, education, work, material things, these are all things that can take a toll on our spiritual stability and maturity if we keep our sights on them and not on our life's purpose and on God.

Seek ye first...

The Desire to "Just Be...Me"

I remember being in that place—In love with the person I'd come to know and despising her all at the same time. I recall how it feels to teeter between loving myself just the way I was and longing to be like every girl I saw that wasn’t like me.

I was a lucky one…

…early in life, I had people telling me I was beautiful. Some teachers, my mother, my father…and perhaps at that point in life, it was simply a positive affirmation, repeated in an attempt to, “…speak those things that are not, as though they were…” And I thank them for that. I am grateful for them telling me how beautiful my smile and eyes were but I must admit, like most people during their ‘tweens, my head was too big for my body, my legs were lanky and my hair was, well, a HOT, NAPPY MESS to say the least…
But all the while, I’ve known myself to be beautiful and even though I endured years of torment on playgrounds and during various neighborhood antics, at times, led by my older brother, by age 12, I KNEW I was beautiful, even in my “ugly duckling” stage.

Last week I was visiting with a friend of mine who has a daughter on the edge of 15 and “OMG...” she’s “…fat…” as I watch her hold her “belly” which is nothing more than a finger-full of skin that she has pulled from her small frame in an attempt to find something, anything wrong with her long slender body.

Then again, last night, the same child spoke about being too thin and trying to gain weight, which we told her she didn’t need to do that age would handle that for her in due time…don’t rush it.

This showed me that we, women specifically, have a difficult time early in life learning to love ourselves just the way we are. That we don’t understand our developmental process and that no one is destined to look the EXACT same way through their whole life. We spend so many minutes within our days making excuses for why compliments given to us can’t be genuine or why we don’t deserve them because “…I need a relaxer/cut/color/need to lose weight…” instead of just appreciating who we are and thanking God that others might ever possibly see us the way God sees us…BEAUTIFUL.

The problem is, WE don’t see it so how can we possibly believe that someone else sees the beauty that we hold…?

“Nina…you know, you should grow your hair out really long and then straighten it…so that way you’ll look like a princess”, says the 14-year old. I smiled and replied, “But I like my hair just the way it is…and besides, why be a princess when you can be a queen…?” I went on to assure her that the look I have is what works best for me and that I stopped trying to look like everyone else years ago...and that she should stop now before she’s too far gone.

Love yourself.  You are the best you there could ever be...

Bad Habits

I understand why he’s so scared

That love ran deep

It's still in his veins

Bad habits are hard to break

Although adopting them as

Part of you

Is easy to get into

Like taking a hit for the first time

Knowing…

…addiction is real

Knowing…

That you could get use to
The taste

The smell

The longing for it

That thing runs so deep
A recovering addict can’t commune with the saints

Just a sip will have him backsliding

Just the sound of her name

Triggers memories marking the beginning of the obsession

Like sin

It’s still in his heart

I understand why he’s scared

He’s afraid of what he’s worked so hard at getting over

I understand…

…I’m scared too

Today I Die

Today 

I'm so much better than yesterday 

Die to self daily

Yet, living still

Only now

 

In God's will 

Turn back? 

Never will 

Encouraging others 

Growing still

I wasn't living before

Only existing as space to fill

Life anew

Believe He's real. 

Prayer & Fasting-Focus #2 Friends & Family (Relationships)

So…people, build families and families build strong communities and the cycle carries on to create the world we live in. The Word speaks of a time when people will be:

Romans 1:30 “…backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents…” If our families can’t hold it together, how do we expect any salvation for the world lest we seek Jesus…?

We see evidence of this Scripture coming to pass DAILY.  Some in our personal lives, on TV, in music...it is everywhere.  This means that it's up to us to change the cycle in our lives. 

Lord, today I focus on You and Your relationships with people…or shall I say, our relationship with You. First and foremost, parents and their children need you. Families need you. Help young children and adult children alike understand that their parents are human too. Help them to be patient and loving towards their parents and allow parents to do the same with their children, regardless of their age. Increase their communication with one another Lord…not only communication but understanding of each other as well.

Ephesians 6:1-4 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 “Honor your father and mother,” which is the first commandment with promise: 3 “that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth. 4 And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord."

Heal our wounds and refresh us with Your Spirit…

We are human. No one is perfect but You Lord, and although many of us have You within us, righteousness only takes us but so far when it comes to other humans…allow parents to live according to Your will and may children see You in their parents, always…even when mistakes are made. May they see Your love and your intentions for their life…with You.

May relationships in general grow stronger because of Your strength. I pray that You show Yourself strong Lord, help us to make wise decisions regarding every relationship that we are introduced to and those that we are currently involved in.

Some relationships we’re born into and some, we walk into willingly. With those that we walk into, sometimes it’s Your will and other times, it’s our own. I ask that You help those that I know and love to receive a relationship (or greater relationship) with You FIRST.

From there Lord, I ask that You show them what relationships to hold onto and which ones to release. For those that they are called to maintain, I ask that you help them to cultivate those relationships according to Your will.

For every relationship that You’ve given to Raphael and I, help us to not only “fellowship” with our friends and family, but to show them You and encourage them with Your Spirit and Your Word. Always. Help us to minister to them constantly through our lives with You.

I pray all of these things in the name of Jesus. Amen. *says “Amen” in sign language…and sings it like the end of doxology* LOL

Praying and Fasting-Focus #1 Marriages

Marriages-

Lord, there are many young couples (and some veterans in the game) that need a refreshing of love, of guidance, of clarity and strength. Lord, continue to grow married couples up. Not only closer to you, but closer to the husband/wife that they committed themselves to.

Help wives not think with worldly minds regarding the word “submit” and help husbands not abuse and misuse the Word. I pray for patience, for communication and for submission to one another and ultimately, to You Father. I thank You that they will walk in love and in patience. That they recognize and remember that their marriage is their first ministry.  I pray that these couples be on one accord according to Your Word:

Ephesians 4:2-6 "Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called— 5one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all."

Help husbands and wives support one another and their families and Lord, give provision while they do so.

1 Timothy 5:8 "If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever."

I ask that You increase intimacy in the lives of these married couples both in and out of the bedroom. Help them to desire one another so that no door be left open for Satan to enter into their relationship. Cover them Lord and create in them a longing for one another that will bond them together like never before.

1 Corinthians 7: 3-5 "The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband. 4The wife's body does not belong to her alone but also to her husband. In the same way, the husband's body does not belong to him alone but also to his wife. 5Do not deprive each other except by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control."

For those that are currently trying to conceive or that are expecting, Lord, cover them and the unborn life that is with them. Prepare them for parenthood and help them to receive Your peace, always. Luke 1 Zacharias and Elizabeth

For those that long to be married, Lord, prepare them as well and help them to WAIT for Your direction and to NEVER settle to simply be married. May they continue to serve You will all they are.  All things in Your time Lord. Being Single Isn't ALL Bad!!!

I pray all of these things in the name of Jesus and also pray the same for my own marriage. I thank You Lord that You are in control of all things and that no man can put asunder what You have put together. I thank You for Your love that is a living example of the love that we are to have for one another…and may we walk in that love always Lord. Amen.

Matthew 19:6 6 So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.”