Go With God My Little Redhead!

My Mom recently had surgery. As my Dad wheeled her out of the recovery room and we stood in a hospital hallway with my sister, family and the student pastor from their church, I couldn't help but think to myself: "This woman has given so much of her life to helping others." She has been a faithful spouse and pastoral partner for 50+ years; a mother who raised two children and buried an infant daughter; an RN who spent most of her nursing career in the hard charging world of ER and ICU; a leader who has devoted her whole life to ministry, missions, studying and teaching God's Word and serving through His church; and someone who has not only offered wise counsel, but also held the hands of hundreds of hurting women throughout the years who simply needed a shoulder to cry on, godly wisdom, encouragment, authentic prayer, accountability and unconditional love.

I don't think she has the slightest idea how many lives she has affected for the cause of Christ, through all of these years of faithful service. If she did she wouldn't be Mom!

I can't recall how many times she saved me from myself, but allowed me to be me while giving me the time, space and unconditional love that enabled me to experience God's grace and calling. I'm sure she would've loved for that to have been sooner rather than later, but she simply trusted me to God through prayer.

Mom, I pray you will get rest, refreshment and renewal as you recover. I ask God to bring you complete healing and I thank Him for bringing you through surgery. Praise to Him for a successful surgery. All glory and accolades to Him. Thank you for your faithfulness all these years. Thanks for your passion for the hurting, broken and wounded. Thanks for being strong at times when I know you felt like caving. Thanks for always asking, "What is God saying about this in your prayers and study of His Word?" Thank you for modeling authentic faith filled with humor and transparency instead of the often misguided and unrealistic expectations churches can place upon its ministers, spouses and families. Now hurry up and get better. Your church needs you and so does "Nurse Bill". Fare thee well my Irish redhead! Love, Monty

Honest Conflicts in the Body

There's an interesting discussion taking place with John Piper's church in regard to a Moody Bible Institute ministry student seeking membership. The discussion is about the church's policy on Believer's Baptism in regard to the mode of baptism (their's is immersion only) that is required for membership. The young man, Jeremy sought believer's baptism several years ago by "pouring" instead of immersion in a different church.

Recent blogs posted on Piper's Desiring God website and Jeremy's blog describe the situation in loving detail. Regardless of my personal opinion on the matter, the level of maturity and love shown by both even in disagreement is refreshing. We can have honest differences in the body of Christ without tearing each other apart. You can read both perspectives on their respective links below.

The blogs can be found at:
http://www.glorytogodalone.com/blog/?p=7 and http://www.desiringgod.org/Blog/ (See "Rejection Actually Hurts")

On one side it's refreshing to see such a candid discussion taking place in love, but on the other it is almost sad that such a peripheral matter (baptism is not essential for salvation) would bog the church (small "c") and Christ-follower's down when the culture is already looking at us with suspect eyes and having cynical conversations. Hear me, I am a huge believer and supporter of the autonomy of the local church. I totally affirm Dr. Piper and Bethlehem's biblical right to govern their own affairs. It is a matter for their elders, leadership and members to decide, not me. However, given the national exposure and scope of their ministry it does impact the greater body of Christ, which affects all of us to some degree.

It seems no matter how far we come as the body of Christ, we continue to get hung up on Believer's baptism and communion (Lord's Supper). These two, ancient and precious, biblically-rooted church ordinances or acts (you may prefer "sacraments") not only declare the glory of God but His salvific passion and pursuit of humanity. Unfortunately what should be unifying, symbolic acts of obedience become portraits of division to non-Christian's. How long will it be before we (the church) truly agree with the Apostle Paul and practice a theology of "one Lord, one faith and one baptism"? It would seem the culture, the church, a non-baptized thief in Paradise and God almighty are waiting for our answer to be put into practice.

An Unhealthy Appetite for Debt

While financial debt seems to have become an accepted way of life, our nation may just be digging a hole so deep that succeeding generations will not be able to climb out. Our consumer and material obsessed culture is sending a strong message to emerging generations telling them it's okay to go into debt to satisfy your personal appetite regardless of the terms. Personal debt is at an all-time high and climbing. Individuals and families seem to be following the lead of our government. According to the Bloomberg Report:

May 30 (Bloomberg) -- For the moment, at least, financing the U.S. budget deficit may be getting less arduous as foreign investors now own a record 80 percent of the Treasury notes due in three to 10 years. Not since the 19th century have foreigners held so much American debt, said Alan Taylor, a professor of economic history at the University of California, Davis. International investors own $672 billion of the $835.4 billion Treasuries due in three to 10 years, according to research by Lawrence Dyer, a New York- based strategist at HSBC Securities USA Inc., the investment banking arm of HBSC Holdings Plc in London.

The national consumer debt average is somewhere around $8,000 per family. This does not include home mortgages. According to MSN.com , 43% of U.S. families spend more than they earn. In 2004, consumers owed $2-trillion in debt and $750-billion (Billion with a "B") was attributed to credit card debt.

Half of all U.S. households with debt report having difficulty making their minimum monthly payments. If the average debt is $8,000 per family and you make the minimum payment at 18% interest, it will take 25 years and 7 months to pay off the debt. And it will amount to $15,000 in interest being paid. See Kim Khan's article on MSN.com at:{ http://moneycentral.msn.com/content/SavingandDebt/P70581.asp}

Popular Christian financial counselor and speaker Dave Ramsey ("Financial Peace," "The Total Money Makeover") is a strong advocate of people cutting up their credit cards and using "cash only" for purchases. Ramsey also advocates having six-months of salary socked away in a "rainy day" fund. Given the latest consumer debt statistics it would seem that the majority of Americans can't even sock away a month's salary. Someone has said, "If your outgo exceeds your income, your upkeep could be your downfall."

Financial ministry leader Dick Towner {http://www.goodsenseministry.com/} says Christ-followers should be generous with whatever we have and that we should save a first part of whatever receive financially. He provides a useful rule of thumb regarding debt: "I'll never incure debt on something that will decrease in value, or that I would use up as I'm still paying for it."

Christ-followers should take the lead on fiscal responsibility. From the moment of creation in Genesis, God entrusted us to be good stewards of the resources He created. Sadly, most Christ-followers are as addicted to having things and stuff as the rest of our culture. We've got to do a better job of modeling financial responsibility. The future of the U.S. economy hangs in the balance, not to mention the future of the church as fewer and fewer give financially to their church but continue to rack up debt that often exceeds their level of income. We cannot allow future generations to think that amassing personal debt at the expense of cheating God out of a portion of the total He has given each of us is acceptable and pleasing to God.

What a challenge the Apostle Paul makes in Romans 13: "Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law." More love, less debt, sounds like a plan that could change a culture and reach many for Christ!

A Woman of Deep Faith Gives Back to God

Oral Lee Brown is a CNN Hero who should inspire and challenge all of us. Especially those who have had the privilege of receiving a college education. Born into the absolute poverty of rural Mississippi, she wanted to give something back to God. Her faith inspired her to give "something back to God" for all He had done for her.

After moving to the west coast while raising three children, she attended night classes and earned her degree from the University of San Francisco University. She eventually bought her own real estate firm. In 1987 she made a profound commitment while earning only $45,000 per year. She committed to put $10,000 a year aside and started a foundation with the goal of providing a college education for the entire first grade class at Oakland's Brookfield Elementary School. She saved $10,000 per year for 12 years!

Blanche Evans recently wrote about Oral Lee Brown in this month's Realty Times news publication:

Seventeen years ago, Brown found a hungry little girl who was skipping school. Her heart was touched, and she realized it doesn't have to be that way. The key to preventing and rising above poverty, drug dealing, and other societal
blights is in education, so Brown went to Brookfield Elementary, a local
elementary school in a troubled area of East Oakland. Stunned and delighted
school officials saw her make the first-graders there a promise - "Stay in school, and I will see you through college."

Brown was born in poverty and saw herself through college. To help others, she established the Oral Lee Brown Foundation which helps at-risk students stay motivated to stay in school. Today, the foundation manages about $375,000 annually in contributions. She pays for their college tuition through annual fundraising banquets, held each August, and through donations. Last year, the first wave of those first-graders graduated from colleges across the United States, and Brown was there in person or in spirit for each ceremony. Of the 23 students in that original class, 19 went on to college, and most are still enrolled. Brown hopes that number grows each year... This May, four more of "her" students graduated.

To see and hear more about this amazing woman go to: http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/specials/2007/05/14/natpkg.heroes.oral.lee.brown.cnn

What an inspiration to those of us who have been given much!