TWO MYTHS ABOUT MONEY

TWO MYTHS ABOUT MONEY

Myth #1... Be wise with your money! You don't own any money! We have all been led to believe that we are in control of our finances, but this just isn't true. God owns everything, I know you hear this all the time, but do you really listen?

Psalm 24:1 The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it.

I'm pretty sure that money falls under the and everything in it. We are stewards over what the Lord has blessed us with. So I looked in the dictionary and a steward is someone who manages someones finances. How are you doing in that area? If you went to the bank and they were handling your money the way you're handling Gods, would you be a little upset? Might even start putting a little less in that bank, I bet! Maybe that's why you're broke all the time.

Myth #2... You have to tithe, because God's church needs your money! If God wanted your money, He would take it and there would just be a greasy mark in the spot you use to stand! Poof you're gone! God doesn't need anything from you, tithing is a principle that teaches us to be like Him. He created us in His likeness Genesis 1:27 God created man in His own image. He has many things in His word that teaches us to be like His son Jesus! Sure you're created in His image but to be truly like Him, you must be a giver! Remember He is a giver, even gave up His own Son!

Stop getting all hung up every time someone talks about money! Start being wise with you're money, start tithing, which is one of God's principles to teach you to be like His Son! Maybe it's time for you to get all hung up, tied up and twisted all up on Jesus!

Be The Encourager

Life has its share of disappointments. Fatigue from a demanding schedule, financial difficulties, a bad day at work or school, health problems, difficulty getting along with a family member or friend-these are times when a person can feel frustrated and discouraged.

Our words can be a valuable tool to cheer up and encourage a person who is down. Proverbs 25:11 reads, "Like apples of gold in settings of silver, is a word spoken in right circumstances". By offering some words of encouragement, we can help discouraged people face their present and future with courage and a positive outlook.

Easier said than done, sometimes we want to help, but we've never been in a situation similar to what the discouraged person is facing and are at a total loss for words. Maybe we don't know the person's circumstances well enough to comment on specifics, but we still want to show our concern. When you want to give someone a word of encouragement and don't know what to say, here are 10 phrases that help bring new perspective to a discouraged person's life.

"Let me know if you ever need to talk."

One way to help is by letting the other person know you're available to listen if he or she ever wants to talk about the problem. You may not be able to give advice from your own experiences or background, but just listening and trying to understand the other person's perspective can be a big comfort. Often being able to talk about the particular problem is just what a discouraged person needs to sort through his or her concerns and gain the insight needed to deal with the situation.

"You've made progress."

People who are discouraged rarely see their own achievements-in their personal lives, in their careers or educational goals, or in their lives as Christians. You can cheer those who are down by helping them see their personal growth and accomplishments. Acknowledge any new habits or achievements. You might say: "A few months ago you rarely exercised. I'm really impressed that you've stuck with your program," or "You used to tell me you would never get used to using a computer. Now you're a pro!"

Point out trends you've seen in your friend over the months and years, such as improvements in how he relates to others. If you know it's a struggle for your friend to keep his cool under deadlines at work, you could tell him, "I've noticed how patient you are with your employees lately." Help the discouraged person focus on his or her progress rather than failures.

"You're not alone."

You can remind a person who is discouraged that he or she is not alone-you are choosing to face his problems with him and certainly others are also rallying behind him. Reassure your friend that you want the best for him and that you are praying about the situation. Help your friend see that he is not the only person to face that particular problem. If you know of other people who've been in such a situation, suggest that your friend talk to that person. Your friend will feel less isolated and will gain constructive information to help work through the problem.

"I really admire you for ..."

A person who is depressed often has lost sight of his good qualities. You can encourage that person by pointing out his genuine strengths. What are your friend's natural talents and abilities? What personal traits do you appreciate in him? What about the other person do you see as attractive to others? Go beyond appearance or personality. Point out your friend's personal strengths such as dependability, friendliness, trustworthiness, patience, sincerity and other character traits you value in him. Talk about the positive differences your friend has made in other people's lives. Statements such as, "Your smile really cheers me up," or "The way you treat your kids has been a wonderful example for me to follow," can be encouraging.

"The present is not the future."

Those who are discouraged tend to see their present problems as overwhelming and can't envision their future as being any better. You can help them see that one day they will be able to function better than they can at present. Ask such questions as, "What would you like to be doing next month that you can't do now?" or "How do you hope to be living this time next year?" Encourage your friend to write down a few goals for future reference. While your friend is talking, listen for statements such as, "I always wanted to ..." or "I wish I had ..." and then urge your friend to make those undertakings his or her goals. Get the discouraged person excited about something positive. Focusing on a brighter future helps a person gets past a gloomy present.

"You're not a failure."

Another way to get a handle on discouragement is to remind others that they're not a failure just because they're at a low point and experiencing negative feelings. If you've been frustrated over a similar situation in the past, be willing to talk about how you were feeling at the time. Knowing you were able to stick it out may give them the motivation to go on. Remind your friend that it is normal to feel frustration, discouragement and disappointment now and then; however, as Christians we should not let depression destroy us.

"I want to help in any way I can."

Offer to help your friend and provide assistance in any way you can. Doing so will take some burdens off your friend so that he or she can focus on solving the problem at hand. Realize the other person may feel uncomfortable asking for help, so your offering to help in specific ways may take a big load off the other person. Offer to take your friend's children to the park or to baby-sit. Ask if she would like you to go grocery shopping for her or if she needs clothes taken to the laundry or dry cleaners. Offer to cook and deliver a complete meal, to water her garden or to pick her up from the airport. Put yourself in the other person's shoes and try to anticipate what might be genuine needs.

"There are solutions."

Discouraged people often feel they are in a hopeless situation and cannot see what resources are available to solve their problems. Help your friend see that there's at least one way to improve the situation, and maybe more. Together with your friend, brainstorm as many solutions to the situation as possible-even silly, far-fetched ideas are okay, if they make your friend laugh and get his mind off the problem. Talk about each option and help your friend figure out which plan is best.

"You did really well."

A discouraged person is often preoccupied with a specific failure or mistake. One way to help is by finding something about the person that you can sincerely applaud: "You did a good job!" "I really appreciated all your hard work." "I was impressed by your insight." "I thought you had some great ideas!" Don't overlook the little, everyday things. Let an employee know you appreciate her meeting a deadline or her informative presentation. Tell family members how much you appreciate their hard work doing chores or preparing a special meal. Sincerely compliment your friend's initiative, ideas, efforts, achievements or choices.

"You are a special person."

No other person has your friend's unique opportunities in life or thinks the same way your friend does. Nobody else can duplicate his or her personality, childhood, family life and other experiences. No other person has that particular combination of talents, insights and personality traits. Point out the ways your friend is truly one of a kind. Tell your friend, "There has never been and never will be another person exactly like you, and I'm grateful for knowing you." Let your friend know how much you care for him or her and enjoy spending time together.

Keep in mind that encouragement is truthful. It is not blind reassurance, for example, to say, "Things are okay," or "Things will get better soon," when the facts may be saying just the opposite. If we tell other people that things are all right when they're not, this tends to confuse them and makes them feel guilty when they in fact see the situation differently. If we try to predict the future and tell another person things will turn out okay and, in fact, they turn out badly, this tends to disillusion or disappoint the discouraged person.

Focus on what you know to be true: that you care about the person and are pulling for him. To know there are others who are concerned about them and who are by their sides even during their low points can give those who are discouraged the strength they need to face setbacks and challenges with a positive mindset.

Religion or Jesus? You Choose!

When I meet someone for the first time and they find out that I'm a Pastor, one of two things will happen. Sometimes they're a Christian and we will have a great discussion about the Lord and today's church. But to often, they're not a Christian and at that point the conversation is over. They will usually say "I'm not a religious person" which I then say, "Nor am I" I don't believe in religion, I believe in having a relationship with Jesus Christ. But either way, they're done talking now. 

RELIGION FOCUSES ON THE EXTERNAL RATHER THAN ON THE INTERNAL.

It's all about the rules. It looks at actions and not the heart of a person. The Pharisees had 613 commandments they followed and they had them memorized as well. they felt, that if hey could just follow these rules, they would be right with God. Let's look at what Jesus thought about this.

Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Matthew 23:25

For them it was all about the show. They made sure that everyone knew that they had payed their tithes. They would worship and pray on street corners, just to ensure that folks knew that they were praying. They wore just the right clothes. They had it all figured out.

RELIGION PROMOTES SPIRITUAL PRIDE.

It'll make ya feel like you're better than everyone else and this is NOT a good thing.

To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable:  "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men — robbers, evildoers, adulterers — or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get’.” Luke 18:9-12

I have it all figured out. I’m going in the right direction, others should do things the way I do or they will end up in hell.

Here's the Good News!

Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin. But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known…This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe…  Romans 3:20-22

Let's look at three very important things about this scripture.

1)    YOU CANNOT EARN GOD’S ACCEPTANCE BY OBSERVING THE LAW.

You can’t follow rules to be right with God. “I don’t drink, smoke, or chew and don’t hang out with those who do. I read my Bible and pray, 4 hours every day. I give lots of money on a regular basis. I don’t swear, I never do. It makes it very clear that this will not save you.

Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law…Romans 3:20

NO ONE! That means you too. No matter how many rules you follow, it wont work.

2)   THE PURPOSE OF THE LAW IS TO SHOW YOU YOUR NEED FOR A SAVIOR.

…no one will be declared righteous…by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin. Romans. 3:20

The Ten Commandments are for sinners to see they need Jesus. Ever broke any of those? Hmm, I know I have broke a lot of them, we’re all sinners. All rules will do is let you know that you aren't right.

3)    RIGHTEOUSNESS WITH GOD COMES BY FAITH IN CHRIST ALONE.

This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to ALL who believe… Romans 3:22

It is Christ plus nothing. 
Not Christ plus circumcision, 
Not Christ plus a tithe. 
Not Christ plus a pretty dress. 
Not Christ plus a lot of prayer. 
Not Christ plus a lot of reading. 
Not Christ plus the right church membership.

It Is Christ Alone, Just Him, Nothing Else, Just Jesus!

Let's finish the scripture from earlier and see how Jesus looked at the Pharisee and the tax collector.

“But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.' I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God…” Luke 18:13-14

None of us are worthy and only Jesus can fix it. There are no rules or perfect religion to make you right. Jesus is the only answer you have. The only true thing that matters in life, is will you accept Him or not?

Stop Living In Fear

Stop Living In Fear!

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.   2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV

Many of us live our lives living in something that God did not give us!

Some say that fear is the opposite of faith.

I believe that living in fear is just having faith in the wrong thing!

 FEAR IS PLACING FAITH IN THE “­­­­­What if’s?”

And it’s always the bad! People never say good what if’s, except the lottery! lol

Moses answered, "What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, 'The Lord did not appear to you'?" Exodus 4:1

What if – loose job, kid gets hurt, spouse cheats, wreck, marry or marry a jerk, can’t have kids, have another kid! They're are many what if's out there!

WHY DO YOUR “WHAT IFS” MATTER?

WHAT YOU FEAR REVEALS WHAT YOU VALUE THE MOST.

Fear of a failing marriage, just means you value your marriage.

Fear of some bad thing happening to your kid, just shows how much you love them.

Fear of losing your job, would mean you value your job. Some don't like their job, but they understand the value of having it.

WHAT YOU FEAR ALSO REVEALS WHERE YOU TRUST GOD THE LEAST.

You don’t trust God in your marriage, kids, job, etc…

WHAT ARE YOU NOT TRUSTING GOD WITH?   You need to own that Fear!

HOW TO FACE THE “WHAT IFS” OF FEAR

ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR FEAR AND CHOOSE TO TRUST GOD.

I’m talking about truly trusting in God! Not brush your fear off, TRUST!

My slanderers pursue me all day long; many are attacking me in their pride. When I am afraid, I will trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me? Psalm 56:2-4

We need to shift from earthly thinking to the eternal thinking! Man cannot hurt me! What’s the worse that can happen to me in this world?

SEEK HIM UNTIL HE TAKES AWAY YOUR FEARS.

Seek Him at home, at small group study, at work, at the altar, in prayer!

I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. Psalm 34:4

"I have never known more than fifteen minutes of anxiety or fear. Whenever I feel fearful emotions overtaking me I just close my eyes and thank God that he is still on the throne reigning over everything and I take comfort in His control over all the affairs of my life.” -John Wesley

You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. Isaiah 26:3

God is on the thrown! If you put your trust in Him. He will NOT let you down! 

Want that perfect peace? Then you need to get your mind on Jesus!

Not the what if, but trust in Jesus!

Jesus wants to set you free of your fears!

What if, God has the greatest miracle for you today? 

Go and get it, with No fear!!!

Life Missions 2015

Let's make our live's in 2015 all about Jesus' mission.

Colossians 1:16 tells us that everything was created by Jesus and for Him.

Does your life show proof to that?

If we could play a video of your life or even just the last few weeks. Would we truly see a life that was created for Him and would you want anyone to watch it?

Would it even be worth watching?

It's hard for us to come to the realization that it's not about us, it's all about Him! Paul said it best in Galatians 2:20

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me…

Paul was passionate about the life he lived for Christ, many of us get it messed up because we don't have purpose or passion, and if we do, it's not for the right things.

What are you passionate about?

We could start by living a life of example and be a witness for Him.

Many say it's hard to live such a way, but it's really not that hard if we just grasp hold of it correctly. Genesis 1:27 reads
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

Now knowing this should make it easier.

We are His image, so shouldn't people be seeing Him through us?

We were designed to make a difference, that's why He created us in His Image.

We do this by living our lives reaching out to those around us. Like the story Jesus told of the good Samaritan. Recognize that all those who cross your path are your neighbors and they have been placed there by God to help you grow. Yes, I said, to help YOU grow. So you could learn how to become a better follower of Jesus Christ.

Let me put it another way. As Christians we always say Christ lives in us, but do we really understand what we are saying?

If He lives in me, and I was created in His image, then His purpose and my purpose should be the same?

Luke 19:10 says

For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.

Luke 4:18 Jesus said:

…he’s chosen me to preach the Message of good news to the poor, sent me to announce pardon to prisoners and recovery of sight to the blind, to set the burdened and battered free.

According to scripture, Jesus had a passion for the lost.

Many of us can't stand the lost. We don't even get near those who aren't members of our church! Hey, don't get mad at me, I'm just calling it like I see it.

When we realize the true reason we are here, is the same reason that Jesus came. Life all around us will take a different form.

We don't need to wait til Sunday morning for the perfect song.

We don't need a preacher to lay hands on us to get us in the mood to reach out to the hurting and broken.

We have Christ in us.

His Will, needs to be our will.

Let us take on His mission to reach the lost, hurt and broken in 2015!

Happy New Year!

Settle Matters Quickly!

We all have a tendency to neglect things in our lives, sometimes it's just easier if we leave it alone. Jesus however didn't see this as the way to deal with the issue of hurting people, He instructs us as to what we need to do when we acknowledge that there is hurting people around us. Let's look a scripture dealing with this.

"Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.  "Settle matters quickly with your adversary…”  Matthew 5:23-25

I want to give you three simple ways to remember to follow this scripture, Stop, Drop and Give! We will keep things simple and in order so all you have to do is remember Stop, Drop and Give!

1) STOP AND ACKNOWLEDGE THOSE YOU HAVE HURT.

Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar.  Matthew 5:23-24

Acknowledging there's a problem is the first place to start! We have many families that are hurting bad and won't heal because nobody wants to acknowledge there's a problem. Another reason for this is that we all judge ourselves differently than we judge others. We judge people according to their actions and we judge ourselves according to our intentions. We meant well and meant no harm and therefore we judge ourselves accordingly! A perfect example is a relationship between a father and son, the father knows that he means no harm to the boy, so no matter how hard he may be on him, he judges his actions according to his intentions. He judges his son according to his actions which seem to be disrespectful. This happens going in the other way as well. The son didn't mean to be disrespectful and therefore judges himself according to his intentions and judges the father according to his actions, which is, he never even tries to understand me. This is killing families all across the world!

Stop and acknowledge there is a problem is number one, now we move to number two!

2) DROP EVERYTHING TO MAKE IT RIGHT.

 …leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.  Matthew 5:24

There is an urgency here! Once acknowledgement has taken place, deal with it! Jesus says, (my words of course) don't worry about your gifts, don't worry about what's going on in the world, just DROP everything and make it right! 

Proverbs 6:2-5 tells us …if you have been trapped by what you said…then do this…to free yourself…Go and humble yourself…plea with your neighbor!  Allow no sleep to your eyes, no slumber to your eyelids.  Free yourself…

Now when you do this you may get many different response's, I know I did! Some will say "I have no idea what you're talking about" and that's cool! Others will say "No worries, it's squashed, let's love each other and move on!" But just so you know some will say "No, it's to late, it's over, leave me alone, stay away!" Hey, I just want you to be ready, I heard all of these. So you do your part and leave the rest to God. It's not always going to be the perfect outcome. If we are never going to have any enemies than why did Jesus talk about them so much? Sometimes it will not be possible to do, even Paul recognized this!

If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.  Romans 12:18

If it is possible? Yep, that means sometimes it may not be possible. I know it tweaked my doctrine a little bit too. But let's move on to Give!

3) GIVE YOUR HEART AND GIFTS TO GOD.

First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.  Matthew 5:24

Now that you have done what you were suppose to, Jesus says "come offer your gift." That is so awesome! Now I am at the altar, before God and He is ready to receive me as much as I am ready to give of myself. Who knows what may happen between me and my Lord now? I could jump up and preach to the chairs in my dinning room right now. Thank you Jesus for a pattern to follow to get closer to you.

Here’s what Jesus is saying "the most important things in this life is, relationships!

Stop, Drop and Give!

In Matthew 22:37 – 40 when Jesus was asked what was the most important commandments, He said to love the Lord your God with all your heart! Relationship!

And then He said love your neighbor as yourself! Relationship!

Jesus Wants You Healed!

Jesus' story of the good Samaritan has struck the consciousness of America so much that hospitals have taken the name Good Samaritan. For good reason: the parable of Christ contains, what I believe, are two important principles that could solve our health care crisis. (See Luke 10:30-37 for the story)

1. Health care should be universal.
The story is about a man left for dead on the streets, and several people refuse to help. It is a Samaritan who provides help to the injured man. Out of his own pocket, he bandages the man's wounds and gives his own money to the inn keeper to take care of him and promises, "I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have" (Luke 10:35).

This story proves that health care should not be dependent on the ability of the patient to pay. Every person has a right to quality health care.

Health care is not a commodity like a new car. If I cannot afford a new car, I buy a used one or take the bus. But if I cannot afford a new kidney, I don't have the luxury of forgoing a needed surgery. Life trumps money. So we must look to see that everyone receives health care.

2. Health care should be in the hands of individuals, not the government.
The hero of the story is a Samaritan, not a Roman official. Jesus did not make the government the champion of the story, but a private citizen.

There are several reasons why health care should not be in the hands of government.
First, as we saw in the Hobby Lobby case, government will try to strip citizens of their religious rights.

Second, government is inefficient. Whatever they run will always cost more.
Third, private citizens will take undo advantage of government health care, just as it is being done in other countries.

Citizens no doubt will rush to the emergency room for minor issues that a clinic could have solved. Private citizens will demand needless tests. This will cause health care costs to sky rocket or worse, when government runs low on money, they will have to ration care.

This brings up the fourth problem of government-run health care: bureaucrats will decide whether that 80-year-old man gets a bypass surgery. It is dangerous to put the decisions of health care in the hands of the government. People are best suited to decide their own health care.

So what is the answer?

Dr. Ben Carson, the famous retired neurologist who is credited with being the first surgeon to successfully separate conjoined twins and who has spoken twice at the national prayer breakfast with Presidents Clinton and Obama, has suggested a solution to our health care crisis.

He advises that U.S. citizens when born should get a Health Savings Account. Money is regularly deposited until they die. Money left in the accounts are given to their heirs.

People will be very careful to spend their HSA wisely. They will shop for good deals. They won't rush to the emergency room over an ingrown toenail. They won't demand needless tests. They might practice healthful living.

And in their old age, they will not demand every procedure that is not likely to help them, because they will want to bless their heirs with the money not spent.

And for those who run out of their HSA or become indigent, they could be helped, since the government would likely have more money to help those rare cases of major health needs.

Dr. Carson's idea is not written on two tablets of stone, but personally, I think his solution has merit.
It's time to talk about real solutions to the health care crisis and maintain the two principles that Jesus taught in His parable of the good Samaritan.

Bishop Tom Brown, pastor of Word of Life Church in El Paso.