How quickly we forget

It is almost bizarre how easy it is to forget the goodness of God....

We read in Exodus 14 how God miraculously delivered his people from slavery in Egypt. Just 2 chapters later in Exodus 16 they are complaining already. By Exodus 32 they’ve built themselves an idol. It seems so staggering that so quickly after seeing God do such a great thing that they could be building complaining and building idols. We think that we’d do better if we were on our situation.

I have to wonder if we are wrong and maybe we would have done the same. Now most of us haven’t ever been rescued from physical slavery but we have been rescued from slavery to sin which is even more significant. How quickly we loose sight of that. And just like the Israelites, amongst those that have been set free (the church) there is often an awful lot of petty complaining going on about issues that in the scale of things, are pretty insignificant. We aren’t usually making up cow-shaped idols but how often do Christians get obsessed with idols like money, success or beauty? It seems to happen all the time. I’ve done both at times, i’m sure all of you have too.

Like the Israelites we need perspective. We cannot afford to forget what really matters. If we don't make an effort to remember the wonder of salvation, we risk falling into petty complaining and idolatry.

How are you going to go about reminding yourself?

Song of the week- Joyful noise

Some more rap for you this week :)

Flame featuring Lecrae & John Reilly- Joyful noise

Song of the week- Don't waste your life

Lecrae- Don't waste your life

God is not a get rich quick scheme

The idea that God will make Christians financially rich with the best possessions if they give lots of money is a common one in Christian culture today. You see it in churches, Christian conferences, Christian books and most notoriously, Christian television. It is often expressed with lines like “If you give a generous gift to our ministry, God will bless you financially.” or "God wants you to have the best of everything, you just have to claim it in faith." It all sounds so nice but i think this prosperity gospel has serious theological problems and can be harmful to the church. Here's why.....


It tends to rely on twisting scripture.
One commonly used verse to support 2 Corinthians 9:6- Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Without its context, it sounds like it is supporting prosperity gospel. Read properly in its context it expresses no such idea. It is in the context of a discussion of helping a church in another city that has fallen into hard times. Paul is telling them about how God will supply them with what they need to help others. There is no hint of God making them rich so they can hoard it to themselves to live a luxury lifestyle. Such mis-using of scripture is common in the support of prosperity gospel.

The bible condemns it
Have a read of 1 Timothy 6:3-10
If anyone teaches false doctrines and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, he is conceited and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions and constant friction between men of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain.

But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. 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.

 I don't think that needs too much explanation. It is pretty clear that the idea that acting Godly will make you rich is a false doctrine and shouldn't be attempted or taught.

What about the rest of the world?
 If this doctrine were true it would apply just as much to Christians in North Korea, Zimbabwe, Iraq and China as it did to Christians in America or Australia.  The prosperity gospel just doesn't work when we apply this test. Christians in many countries around the world loose their jobs, homes, reputations, friends, possessions and even lives as a result of being a Christian. Their faith hasn't made them rich, it has cost them dearly. Then there's the many Christians suffering from poverty and disease in the third world....The missionaries that gave everything up to go to a foreign field..........the list goes on.  Many of these people have strong faith and give much in many ways for the advancement of God's kingdom. Where is there financial riches and luxury lifestyle? How can we dare say that God is going to make us rich, comfortable and give us lots of stuff as a result of our faith and (often not particularly sacrificial) giving, when there are strong believers around the world who suffer so badly?

It can exploit the poor

 These ideas are not healthy for anyone, but communicated to those struggling financially there is extra potential for damage. If you are struggling to make ends meet the idea that if you give some money God will solve all your financial problems is an attractive one. Prosperity gospel messages are often targeted at this group with stories of someone who gave the last of their money (which they needed to pay bills) to a ministry and then God allegedly gave them a whole lot of money or a house. If they want to give of their own accord that's between them and God, but the church should not be encouraging financially irresponsible giving that puts their ability to care for their family at risk. Time magazine has raised concern about the trouble believing in prosperity gospel can get the poor into from believing that giving to God means he'll bless taking out unwise loans. Shouldn't it be us giving to support the poor rather than the poor being convinced through questionable theology to support the church/ministries?

There is a lot more that could be said about prosperity gospel theology because it is so flawed and can cause so many problems. It has to stop.

Song of the week- In Christ alone

Keith & Kristyn Getty- In Christ alone

I'm going to Singapore!

From the start of August to mid December this year, i will be studying in Singapore as part of a university international exchange program. I am so excited to be going. Please pray for me as i prepare because there is so much to sort out between now and then and it gets a bit overwhelming at times!

I have started on the blog i will be using for the trip. You can find it at joannainsingapore.com. There is not much there now but i will be making occasional updates prior to the trip and then posting photos and reflections while i am there.

Making much of Jesus

I think it has always been human nature to be into focusing on yourself and your own achievements. What has changed over the last decade or so is the increasing ease with which we have become able to broadcast our self obsession to the world. Whether it be the reality TV show contestant gushing about how they “just want to show the country what I’ve got” with such an intensity you’d think they were the missing piece of the country’s cultural identity or the internet user filling their facebook or twitter feeds with the minutest details of their activities, achievements and preferences, our culture gives us plenty of opportunity for self absorption. Maybe as Christians this is not the way things are meant to work for us. Have a look at what Paul has to say….

“ If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless. But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ” (Philippians 3:4b-8 NIV)

“May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” (Galatians 6:14 NIV)

If anyone had reason to be a bit full of himself, it was Paul. He came from a prestigious background, was well educated and had been successful at what he did both before and after being saved. And yet, Paul isn’t bragging because is not himself he wants to lift up. He understood so deeply the glory and worthiness of Jesus that it put anything he may have done in its rightful perspective. He realized that Jesus was the one worth telling the world about, not himself.
It is not necessarily wrong to tweet, facebook , go on a reality show or many of the other outlets of expression our society gives us but as Christians we have to watch who we are glorifying with what we do. May we be a people who make much of Jesus, not ourselves.


for more on this, listen to this week's song of the week "much of you"

Song of the week- Much of you

Steven Curtis Chapman- Much of you