Five Talents More

Grand simplicity. The title itself sounds inviting to me. It comes from a quote I have highlighted in a book called, A Blossom in the Desert, by Lilias Trotter. Our pastor’s wife recommended the book a few months ago when it was just hot off the press. I usually take note when she recommends a book, I know it will be good for me. I just saw this morning that she had posted a blog that had one of the same quotes that I wanted to share that were my favorite thus far in reading through this book. The book is full of great nuggets of truth that are encouraging to my soul. If you’d like to read the quote she posted go to http://www.desiringgod.org and click on Deep Waters, Sink or Swim? Here is another favorite:

Grand Simplicity

“I do this thing for God, not for success in work, or for happiness in my soul or for anything else. I am here for God. Life is grandly simple when the spirit of calculating results and consequences, even spiritual results and consequences, has been left among the things that are behind, when obedience is the one thing that matters, when God Himself, and no mere “experience”, is our exceeding great reward.”

Lilias Trotter

Colossians 3:17

“Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Our garage door broke recently. Well, recently might be questionable, it’s already been close to 7 weeks. The garage door is old, extremely heavy, and was on our list of things that needed attention when it comes to house maintenance. It does not have censors along the bottom and having kids running in and out and playing near it made us a little uneasy at times. God helped me to see His mercy in something so ordinary.

We were leaving on a family outing and had just left the house but forgot something and had to turn around and go back. We were only a couple of blocks from home. When we pulled into the driveway we couldn’t get the garage door open so we had to go in the front door. Mike went in to find what we left behind and I went to look in the garage and found the motor clicking on the opener and smoke was coming out. It was God’s mercy that he let us see the problem before it got out of hand. God’s mercy started when we forgot something and had to go back. God’s mercy followed with helping us notice that we needed to turn off the electrical thus preventing a fire. God’s mercy continued in a bigger more profound way as we were traveling to our outing. Mike and I were a little discouraged knowing that this would be a larger expense that we would have to cover sooner than we anticipated. Here was another discouragement added to a list of ongoing trials of health issues, work challenges, parenting woes, and now a bit of a financial burden as well. While talking this over in the car I was given perfect peace in recalling the scripture that says, “in this world you will have trouble, but take heart for I have overcome the world.” I’m not saying that all the things I listed could be classified as “trouble”. Some fall more into a category of “inconvenience”. There are so many bigger things that fall into the category of “trouble”. But it does seem that each day does has trouble of it’s own. In my own mixed up, messy thinking, I am prone to wake up expecting or rather hoping that things will go smoothly, without trouble. I am not saying that one should arise in the morning and hope for trouble either. But in reality I ought to expect that each day will probably have trouble of some kind, and that God’s mercy will be more than sufficient to help me through any given trouble on any given day. Especially if I am satisfied in Him and not the events of the day, and also trusting in his promises of sustaining grace and mercy. If we make it to the end of the day without much trouble than that is a gift from God and is mercy itself. It should not be my agenda, although it often can be, to get through everyday without troubles lest I become discouraged that it was so. And are those things that trouble my heart even relevant when people around the world in Myanmar and China sit without food and homes or even worse without hope in God? Sometimes they are relevant but many times they are simply inconveniences. We have so much to be thankful for. I am not trying to minimize in anyway troubles that we face, they are real and yet sometimes we find ourselves fretting over things that have little significance in light of eternity.

Preaching to myself with this post and praying for new eyes to see His mercy in and out of seasons of trouble and for grace to never be too easily satisfied in earthly things, joys, comforts and my own agenda of how I like things to go. Isn’t it amazing how God can take a broken garage door to remind me of His great mercy!

(P.S. We are getting our new garage door this Friday..Lord willing.)

I recently had the opportunity to speak at First Saturday Men’s Connection, a men’s group that meets monthly at Bethlehem Baptist Church. The message is on the life and death of Stephen. I wanted to challenge myself and the other men of Bethlehem to step up and be a Godly leader and have courage to live and die (if necessary) for Jesus Christ if He calls us to do so. The message is taken from Acts 6-7. Click on the link below to listen to the audio file. Note that it might take a few minutes for the audio to begin playing.

MP3 – Courage To Be A Godly Man 6-7-08

We spent Father’s Day this year out on the lake. Some of our family’s fondest memories are those times spent fishing or cruising the opens waters. The kids and I surprised Daddy this year with a trip out on Lake Minnetonka. We packed our fishing poles, plenty of snacks and even some playdough and bubbles to help occupy Joshua. It was great fun and a great success not only because of the fishing stories we came away with but because Daddy said, “he couldn’t think of a better place he’d rather be.”

Greta catches the biggest fish of the day, while Mommy makes the “biggest commotion” of the day, squealing with delight over the fish Greta caught. It was big folks.

Caleb caught the very first fish of the day!

And they kept getting bigger.

Like Father, like son.

This was the funniest part of the day. Look closely at the fishing pole Mike is holding. It’s Joshua’s “Scooby Doo” pole, it is about 2 feet long and Mike caught this “Whopper” with it, the fish is almost as big as the pole itself! For all of you die hard fishermen out there with fancy poles, you’ve been had, the “Scooby Doo” pole can handle the big ones too!

Such a little Noodle! (Boat Surfing)

As christians living in the most prosperous country on earth, my wife and I occasionally wrestle with the question of whether or not to spend our family’s financial resources on temporary comforts, or invest in kingdom treasures.

Recently, a co-worker drove me to lunch in his new BMW. In my heart, I found myself saying “Why shouldn’t I get a car like this?”. It has led to some recent discontentment in my heart and has forced me to give this question some deeper thought. I am hoping my observations and notes will help and challenge you as much as it has me. Feel free to contribute your thoughts to this question as well.

There were many Godly men in the bible that were very wealthy – take Solomon and David for instance. Two great men of the bible who were blessed financially and yet still loved God very much. But as I considered them further I realized how their money and power had over time corrupted their hearts, and eventually became a snare for them. For David, his riches and leisurely lifestyle led to arrogance and laziness. Perhaps if David would have been out with his army and not lounging around on his rooftop, he would have never seen Bathsheba bathing; or committed adultry with her and murdered Uriah.

Solomon was the richest and most powerful man that ever lived. However, in his discontentment and arrogance, Solomon sinned by taking hundreds of wives who over time ultimately led his heart away from God and into the worship of foreign Gods. This sin eventually cost him his kingdom and crippled his relationship with God.

Job was another man of God that was very wealthy, but I see him as a good example for me to follow. He was said to be blameless, upright, and the greatest of all the people of the east. He had very many servants and over 10,000 head of livestock. But we also know from the amazing description found in Job 29 that he gave to and cared for the poor, the orphan and the widow in a powerful way. 29:15-16 says Job was also eyes to the blind and feet to the lame. He was a father to the needy and searched out the cause of him whom he did not know.

As I read about Job, It becomes clear that his great reputation as a man of God went beyond a mere wealthy man who gave his 10% to God. If this were the case, I doubt Job would have had the reputation he did. Rather, it appears that Job was known far and wide as a righteous man of God who was very wise and very quick to give away what he had to those in need. To me, this speaks of a man who gave sacrificially to others. Sacrificially; meaning that although he was very rich, I believe he remained humble and still lived well within his means, which allowed him to give generously and help others who were in need. And it appears he probably did so quietly – without seeking the public praise of men.

It made him different than other wealthy men who look for praise from others for their giving. Take for instance Bill Gates, the CEO of Microsoft. Here is a man who has more money than most people could even dream of. God allowed Bill to grow his fortune and become one of the richest men in the world. Now he has so much money he doesn’t know what to do with it. In fact, he has found a greater celebrity status and society acceptance through giving his money away through the Bill Gates foundation than he has in being the CEO of Microsoft. But, unlike Job, Bill is very public about how he gives, and he does not give with the intention of glorifying God. Rather, he does it for his own glory.

Although Job was a righteous, humble man that gave sacrificially and used his finances for pursuing God and caring for his family; he was very much like David and Solomon – a sinner. During God’s testing of Job this reality finally came out. For Job, he believed he was righteous and didn’t deserve the wrath of God. And in arrogance, Job questioned how God could cause him to suffer when he had lived a righteous life.

For me – a wretched sinner like Job, Solomon and David – it is not so much about whether we were blessed or not blessed with an abundance of money. The question is how am I using the money entrusted to me for serving God, serving others, and pointing them to the ultimate treasure – Jesus Christ.

As a Christian, I am frequently reminded that I am a bond servant of the king of kings. God puts money into my hands to invest it wisely for fulfilling my responsibilities to Him in the following ways:

1. Love the Lord my God with all my heart, soul, mind and strength:
   This requires me to use God’s financial gifts to me for loving Him, pursuing Him, obeying His commands, displaying His greatness, and fulfilling the great commission He gave me to spread the gospel to every nation, tribe and tongue.
2. Love my neighbor as myself:
   First, this requires me to use God’s financial gifts for caring for the daily physical and emotional needs of my wife and children; and to teach, train and lead them in the paths of righteousness.
   Second, financially equip myself, my wife and children for ministering and caring for the physical and emotional needs of our neighbors – in hope of sharing the gospel.

In both points, I believe the purpose of our finances is to display Jesus Christ as a greater eternal treasure than the temporary stuff of this world. When we invest in the works of God and growing His kingdom instead of buying stuff, the world can’t help but ask “why?”. And that question becomes a wonderful opportunity to share the good news of the gospel.

Heart Diagnostic Questions:

1. Am I finding a greater joy in receiving praise for the stuff I own than for the God I serve?
2. Am I delighting more in pursuing earthly stuff then I am pursuing God?
3. Am I spending most of our money on “needs” or “wants”? A “want” is something that will make me feel more impressive or more comfortable (i.e. a car with a fancier name or a faster engine that you will rarely use). A “need” is something that I know will be sufficient to fullfill a responsibility or task for my God, my family, my work or my neighbor (i.e. a reliable car that is safe for my family and won’t break down frequently).
4. Am I giving sacrificially to show my love for God and for my neighbor, or do I only give what is left over after I get the stuff I want (i.e. I gave sacrificially to a ministry instead of getting a fancier car with a faster engine)?
5. Am I content with what I have and am I praising God for it?
6. Am I teaching my children that loving God and loving others is of more eternal value than accumulating temporary stuff that will burn?
7. Do I believe that the investment of finances in spreading the gospel and awakening souls to God (i.e. storing up kingdom treasures) is of greater value than stockpiling stuff on earth that will burn when I die?
8. Does the delight of knowing that I am storing up kingdom treasures for God outweigh my desires for accumulating more stuff on earth?
9. Does the stuff I own draw my heart (and that of my family) closer to God or further from God?
10. When people observe my lifestyle and learn of the financial blessings I have received, will they glorify God or me?

So, when I am tempted to buy that new BMW, I must remind myself that I am not a citizen of this world – but a servant. I must also remember that when God gives us the ability to live like the rich and powerful of this world and we instead invest our abundance in spreading the gospel and serving others, the value of Jesus Christ and the gospel is gloriously displayed. This doesn’t mean as Christians we can’t enjoy some creature comforts from time to time. But my prayer for our family and for you is that the surpassing value and beauty of the gospel of Jesus Christ will always be brightly displayed in our lives and never be buried under all of our stuff.

It’s official, summer is here and the school year is completed! We now have a 1st grader, a 2nd grader, and a three year old who claims he has been ready for 1st grade all year long. Last week was a bit emotional for me as Caleb graduated from Kindergarten, (yes, graduated with a cap, gown and even  diploma) and Greta Joy completed 1st grade. The emotion and thoughts that flooded my mind as the school year came to an end I am sure many a parent can relate to. For instance:

1.) My children are growing up so fast.

2.) The gratitude that flows from a heart that feels so blessed to have their children taught and so well loved by such wonderful teachers who love the Lord.

3.) Fond memories through out the year. (Caleb reciting “All Things Bright and Beautiful” for Creative Expression Night, and Greta singing “God Can Use Me” for Drama Night.)

4.) Panic, what am I going to do with these three children for the next three months. I need a plan! I am not ready yet with that plan. Will I stay sane? :) I will trust in Proverbs 16:3 “Commit your work to the LORD, and all your plans will be established.”

5.) Joy…to have this precious time with them, because we know not what tomorrow will bring…life is fleeting, a vapor.

So here are a few photo’s of the last day of school.

(Greta with Mrs. M., Caleb with Papa and Grandma Kretsinger, Caleb with godmother Kathy Pieper, Caleb with Mrs. Johnson, Caleb with buddies: Nathan and Jack, Greta, Caleb and Joshua in the morning, last day of school)

Our children have come along way with their prayers. I remember when Greta was 3 years old and Caleb was 2 years old and we would be sitting at the table before meals and their prayers would go something like this…

Greta: “Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for the butterflies, thank you for the butterflies, thank you for the butterflies, Amen!” (It always seemed to be about butterflies and repeated 3 times over)

Caleb: “Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for the ladybugs, thank you for the ladybugs, thank you for the ladybugs, Amen!”

Then they would gradually start those prayers where they would pray for everything they could think of (literally) under the sun. These were generally sometimes 10 minute prayers of thanking Jesus for everything that He made and everything they could think of. So sweet and precious, yet I found myself on the verge of jumping in with a protest that dinner is getting cold. But I never could justify stopping their prayers, I’d rather dinner be cold.

Overtime there would be prayers so funny or cute, the kind that Mike and I would open one eye and look at each other ready to burst with big grins. This still happens. Mostly with Joshua prayers. He likes to thank Jesus for trucks and diggers, among other things.

Then came the prayer that Greta prayed once and now all 3 children begin their prayers most often with this one; “Dear Lord Jesus, thank you and we need You, and You are in our hearts, and You are the only one King, and your faithfulness to all generations. Amen.” That is word for word. She would actually start praying scripture that we were memorizing as a family. Your faithfulness to all generations came from Psalm 100:5 “For the Lord is good, His steadfast love endures forever and his faithfulness to all generations.”

So we have come along way in our household of prayers from “thank you for the butterflies, thank you for the butterflies, thank you for the butterflies Amen!” By God’s grace.

I once heard Sara Groves tell a story about her little nephew, that one day he asked Jesus into his heart and then the next day he asked Spiderman into his heart.

Does anyone else have a favorite they want to share with us? We’d love to hear them.