Faith Promise Living – Part II

A few weeks ago, I did a post on Faith Promise Living.  I want to follow up on that post with some verses that I heard during a Francis Chan message at Catalyst 2010.  I don’t want to analyze these verses, just put them in word for word and let you read them.  (The Bold emphasis is mine)

1 John 3:16-17 – We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters. If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion—how can God’s love be in that person?

Ez 16:49 – Sodom’s sins were pride, gluttony, and laziness, while the poor and needy suffered outside her door.

Jer 22:16 – He gave justice and help to the poor and needy,and everything went well for him. Isn’t that what it means to know me?” says the Lord.

Matt 25:44-45 – “Then they will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?’ “And he will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.’

Luke 12:33 – “Sell your possessions and give to those in need. This will store up treasure for you in heaven! And the purses of heaven never get old or develop holes. Your treasure will be safe; no thief can steal it and no moth can destroy it.

Luke 14:13-14 – Instead, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. Then at the resurrection of the righteous, God will reward you for inviting those who could not repay you.”

Rom 12:13 – When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality.

Ps 37:25-26 – Once I was young, and now I am old. Yet I have never seen the godly abandoned or their children begging for bread.The godly always give generous loans to others,and their children are a blessing.

Prov 19:17 – If you help the poor, you are lending to the Lord—and he will repay you!

Prov 28:27 – Whoever gives to the poor will lack nothing,but those who close their eyes to poverty will be cursed.

Prov 21:13 – Those who shut their ears to the cries of the poor will be ignored in their own time of need.

Isa 58:6-7 – “No, this is the kind of fasting I want: … Share your food with the hungry, and give shelter to the homeless. Give clothes to those who need them, and do not hide from relatives who need your help.

James 1:27 – Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.

According to www.globalrichlist.com…

…if you make $50,000 a year, you are in the top 1% of the richest people in the world.

…if you make $20,000 a year, you are in the top 12% of the richest people in the world.

…if you make $1000 a year, you are still in the top 44% of the richest people in the world.

…and lastly, if you make $500 A YEAR!, you are still in the top 80% of the richest people in the world.

What that means is that 20% of the worlds population (roughly 1.3 BILLION people) is living on less than $500 a year.  Crazy!

One practical things we can do this year is help out with Samaritan’s Purse.  For only $7 (plus some simple toys and other accessories), you can make a HUGE difference in a needy child’s Christmas this year.

Maybe you or your family would consider sponsoring an orphan in 2011.  Check out my cousin’s website at gpartners.org.   Global Partners can get you set up at $25 / month and 100% of your donation goes directly to the orphanage where your child stays!

Get involved.  Continue FPL… Faith Promise Living.  God is still working on me.  I have LOTS to learn in this thing called the Christian Life.  It’s more like a journey, and in many ways, I feel like I’m just getting started.

Matt 9:36-38 – When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. He said to his disciples, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.”

Eliminating The Prickliness

The other I day something started to bother me.  For most of the morning I could not get my chest to stop itching.  Actually, it was just one spot right about where my breastbone is, about two inches below my neck.  I have the most un-harriest chest in the world, so it amazed me that the one lousy hair on my chest could create such an annoyance.  It was driving me absolutely crazy so finally I had to do something about it.  I went out onto our factory floor, found a pair of scissors, went into the bathroom and snipped off this bothersome little whisker.

Problem solved!

Until I got back to my desk.

As I sat back down and began working again at my computer, the irritation returned.  I began to shout profanities!  Totally kidding about that part.  But I wanted to.  It wasn’t until then that I examined my shirt, this time a little closer than before.  Wouldn’t you know it, there was a sharp prickly object sticking out of my shirt rubbing up against my chest.  It took me about one second to remove that object and free me from this annoying pain that I had been experiencing all morning.

Today is the one day every other year when we have the opportunity to do the same thing.  Today is voting day!  Do you know of any sharp prickly objects that need to be removed?  (Sorry… couldn’t resist, hehehe)

If you’re like me you are thankful today is voting day for multiple reasons:

1) NO MORE TV ADS! You cannot watch TV these days without seeing 3 or 4 commercials in a row with one politician bashing another.  My wife and I have commented to each other on how the candidates rarely run an advertisement for themselves, but rather they just tell you why not to vote for their opponent.  I actually read yesterday that their strategy is to annoy us so much that we DON’T vote.  Fewer than 40% of Americans will vote this year, and according to Seth Godin, that’s exactly what they want…

If you don’t vote because you’re trying to teach politicians a lesson, you’re tragically misguided in your strategy. The very politicians you’re trying to send a message to don’t want you to vote. Since 1960, voting turnouts in mid-term elections are down significantly, and there’s one reason: because of TV advertising.

Political TV advertising is designed to do only one thing: suppress the turnout of the opponent’s supporters. If the TV ads can turn you off enough not to vote (“they’re all bums”) then their strategy has succeeded.

2) NO MORE PHONE CALLS! In the past week, I have received multiple phone calls from politicians.  I mostly let them go to voice mail since I don’t recognize the number, but I was disappointed when I missed the phone call from Sarah Palin.  I was hoping we could chat about hockey, and how proud I am of Bristol on Dancing with the Stars.  But alas, she had to leave me a voice mail, so hopefully next time we can chat.

3) NO MORE ED RENDELL! I live in PA, and so no matter what happens today, we know that Fast Eddie’s run of governor is coming to an end.  This is great for all state employees, who will start getting their paychecks on time, and this will also make the turnpike between Harrisburg and Philly a much safer place to drive.

4) THE CHANCE TO HAVE A VOICE! Deep down, we all want to be heard, to have an opinion, and for it to be taken seriously. By not voting, we are giving up our right to have a say.  Do a little research on the candidates and go vote for the ones that you agree with the most.

We’ll never remove all the prickly little objects in Washington, but we can do our best to stop putting new ones in… starting today.

The real deal…

One morning as I was driving to work there was a pack of five classic cars driving down the interstate. As I drove by two of them, admiring the handiwork, the leaders of the pack (still in front of me) pulled into the left lane to pass slower traffic. What that created was me and my 1995 Pontiac Grand Am being in the middle of this group of classic cars doing 75 MPH down the interstate.  This continued for about 15 miles as I headed to work during my morning commute.

I couldn’t help but wonder what the people around us were thinking.  I also wondered what the guys driving the classic cars were thinking about me.  I laughed as I considered these possibilities, but the more I thought about this, it hit me .  This is exactly how I live my Christian life some days.

Some days I play the role.  I look the part.  I join the “crowd”.  I wear the mask.  I fake my way through life.  I smile.  I look happy.  I appear satisfied.  I go through the motions.

When the reality is that some days I am just pretending.

I want to be the real deal.  Transparent.  Someone that has been through the fire, but has come out like gold.  Not afraid to admit my failures, my weaknesses, my stumbles, my faults.  In the end, a classic.

The problem is that kind of living is hard.  Takes trust.  It’s risky.  It’s scary.  Means putting yourself out there.

Is it worth it?

The cars we passed knew I was a fake, a poser, someone trying to “fit in”.  The guys driving the classic cars most likely wanted me to get out of their way.  I was slowing them down, effecting their image, their “testimony”, the way people viewed them.

If we are faking our way through life, eventually it will catch up to us.  Others will notice and those we are traveling with may eventually drive away leaving us in the dust.

I want to be the real deal.  I really do.  But it’s hard.