Devotional Time with God

It’s difficult enough to live in this materialistic world and save enough for oneself, or the family. It takes a huge leap of faith to give to others.  It’s even more difficult when God tests me on it:

I am the Lord All-Powerful, and I challenge you to put me to the test. Bring the entire ten percent into the storehouse, so there will be food in my house. Then I will open the windows of heaven and flood you with blessing after blessing.

Malachi 3:10

He promises to give me more when I give more. He promises the riches of heaven, with blessings after blessings. Who wouldn’t want that?  I do!  But the test is difficult since I’m short sighted, shallow, and scared. I must put my eyes on the finish line. I must look to God for His richness.  This world is fleeting. Heaven is permanent!

At my church, Saddleback, we’re kicking off the “Decade of Destiny” today.  Pastor Rick has a vision for the church in the next 10 years.  He wants the church to grow spiritually in the next decade, by leaps and bounds.  We ought to dream big because we have a big God.

In a spiritual growth, there needs to be certain things that I have to focus on doing.

1. Meet with God daily. (Proverbs 8:34)
2. Study and do His word. (Psalm 1:1-3)
3. Tithe my income. (Malachi 3:10)
4. Help others in need. (Psalm 41:1-2)
5. Share the good news. (Philemon 1:6)
6. Participate in fellowship. (Romans 1:12)

Getting to where I want to be also takes a few steps:

1. Determine my present position.
2. Describe exactly what I want.
3. Find a promise from God.
4. Ask God for help.
5. Identify difficulties.
6. Create a step-by-step plan.
7. Be patient and persistent.
8. Enlist a team for support.
9. Pay the price.

So where do I want to be?  I first need to know where I am.  I’m financially stable, physically alright, and in a healthy relationship with my family.  What an awesome blessing to be in this situation.  Can I ask for more?  Of course I can.  God wants to add more!  I love to have another child. I love to be able to help others and honor God, at the same time.  I love to have the peace of mind that can only come from knowing Jesus Christ.  I love to have Jesus’ character. I love to have God use my family to be God’s ambassadors in this dark and treacherous world.

This world is only a temporary assignment.  Slowly, but surely, I will reach my destiny to be with God in heaven and worship Him, forever.

One of most the intense moral, political, and legal issue is California’s Proposition 8: Banning Same-Sex Marriage. It hits closer to home.  My opinion on Proposition 8 is not about discrimination, but rather the twisted lies and deceit set forth by the people who are against it.

I support Proposition 8.

It’s not about hate of fellow human beings. It’s not about the tax breaks. It’s not about denying health care access to anyone.

It is about moral standards set by God.

The bible says marriage is for a man and woman, sacred, and must be protected. It also says that homosexuality lifestyle is a sin. As a Christian, I have to abide by what the bible says because it is God’s word.

It is about my parental rights.

I don’t want my daughter to be forced to learn about homosexuality at an early age. My wife and I will decide when she’s old enough to understand and form her own opinion on the subject. The State’s public school system must not force the idea that same-sex parents is acceptable. Anyone who is religious clearly disagrees. Just as the atheists are against at the idea of the Lord’s Prayer in our schools, we want our rights to go against any immoral teachings. As parents, we decide what’s right for our child’s education. We should not have to go to jail because we protested against the public school’s enforcement of same-sex marriage education, like they did to David Parker in Lexington, Massachusetts.

It is about democracy.

America’s forefathers were Christians, and they set the principles and ethics for this country in a constitution based on God. They made this country great. In year 2000, the people clearly voted against same-sex marriage. However, it saddens me to learn the about judges who decided to overturn this democratic outcome. Here we are now, in 2008, again with the people voted against same-sex marriage. This is America: We Vote – for the good of the many, not the few. The people has clearly spoken.  We don’t use scare tactics and hide behind “civil rights” arguments. Bill Daily’s comment on Louis Gray’s blog has pretty much echoed my conclusion: It turns out the church and its members’ rights are the one being cast aside.

I’ve known many people who are gay. They’re nice and loving people, just like me. What is different is their lifestyle, and that’s the only thing I don’t agree with. However, that doesn’t stop me from caring or talking with them. Most of my church-going and Bible-believing friends have the same view. People may argue that the church should not force their views on every one else, but it also applies to everyone else not forcing the issue on the church and its members. The definition of marriage between man and woman have not changed for thousands of years. Why should 2% of the world population suddenly make it mandatory for that to change?

Proposition 8 is about the people’s rights, and that means for BOTH SIDES have to be respected. Children must not be the pawn of this argument. Democracy must still be used before we make any big changes to system. Being informed is required for everyone, avoiding finger pointing and lies. All it takes is a little civility, and treat each with respect and dignity.

God, I pray that you will give us, the patience and grace to handle this issue.  Give us the abundance of love for each other, that we don’t simply get angry at each other.  Rather, we want to be able to agree to disagree, and decide on the matter in a democratic and civilized way.  Let your will be done, Lord.  Amen.

Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.

Proverbs 3:9-10

This is God’s promise: He will overflow me with blessing if I give my first offering to Him. This is the concept of Tithe. It’s one of the most difficult concept in the bible because it requires a giant leap of faith to give 10% of my gross income to the Church. It’s a subject of controversy because people have concerns about giving that much money to a church that might abuse it. Of course, not all church will misuse it. I know for certain that Saddleback Church will not because Pastor Rick just offered the congregation a challenge: tithe for the next 3 months – if I’m not blessed, closer to God, and my life enriched, Rick will refund the money out of his own pocket! He strongly believe tithing works, and I do too. It happened in my life and I learned God’s blessing thru tithing.

Another important note is that tithing is for God. That means it’s an act of worship, in a house of worship. Tithing is for the church, not a third party charity or organization.

Tithing is a test of my trust in God. I trust my future in God with my faith in Him.

What would my family and friends say is the driving force of my life? What I want it to be?

The Purpose Driven Life, p. 35

Living in this world has a lot of pressures: friends, family, and sometimes self-imposed ones. When I grew up, I tended to find approval from my parents and friends. My parents would like to see me succeed in life, either in wealth, or in raising a family of my own. I was asking the questions: Do I make enough money to equal Dad’s success? Am I married to a woman that my mother approved? Will my friends still be friends when I’m in a less fortunate situation? Will others see us as bad parents if my child does not behave to a certain “standard”?

The stress that I put on myself are not necessarily in sync with God’s purpose for me. In fact, if it is God’s will, my life should be very easy! I had those moments where things look straight forward and simple. It felt like walking on a tight-rope; sometimes I felt in control. But as soon as I looked down, I lost my balance and fell.

This world also puts an emphasis on money as a measure of one’s success. I never forget the verse from 1 Timothy 6:10 (NIV):

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

Money is not evil. It’s the love of money that is evil. It’s a verse that’s often misinterpreted and miscommunicated. Money is essential to survive in this world, but the drive to accumulate more of it is not healthy at all. I must teach my family that sometimes enough is enough. We don’t need expensive SUVs. We don’t need 100″ plasma TVs. We don’t need to travel every 3 months, etc.

Another concept that shows God’s favour is the act of giving. After providing for my family, I must also help others with my money. In Malachi 3:10 (NIV)

Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.

This verse was given to us by my church friend, Sherry. I was on unemployment insurance, getting $300 per month. How could I give that away as tithe? It turned out that we could still give 10% to God and He still provided for my family! People helped us in our time of need. I received a substantial tax return. We stayed healthy. We were never short. Eventually, I got another job that paid more! God is that simple — give to Him, and He will give a lot more back to me!

Once I know that God is in control, my life is more focused and clear.