Read A Christian View of the Economic Crisis by Albert Mohler.
A Christian Minister In The School of Christ
From what the apostle says here concerning the qualifications of a Christian minister, we may well exclaim: Who is capable of these things? Is it such a person as has not intellect sufficient for a common trade or calling? No. A preacher of the Gospel should be a man of the soundest sense, the most cultivated mind, the most extensive experience, one who is deeply taught of God, and who has deeply studied man; one who has prayed much, read much, and studied much; one who takes up his work as from God, does it as before God, and refers all to the glory of God; one who abides under the inspiration of the Almighty, and who has hidden the word of God in his heart, that he might not sin against him. No minister formed by man can ever be such as is required here. The school of Christ, and that alone, can ever form such a preacher.
—Adam Clarke, comments at the end of 2 Timothy chapter 3 in his commentary on the Bible.
Christians and Wealth
The following is from the Asbury Collegian, written by their editorial board, February 2, 2007. “Christians And Wealth: If you’ve got it, don’t flaunt it”
Do you ever sit in a location, say a shopping mall or boardwalk, marveling at all the different sorts of people that happen by? We all people-watch from time to time, taking note of an angst-filled teen moping by, his countenance riddled with piercings, or a Chanel-suited lady, her high-heels clicking as she struts past with the gate of a Lipizzaner stallion.
What opinions do people form about us as we walk by? Will the first thing they notice be our Louis Vuitton handbags? Designer jeans or shoes? A key ring studded with the logo of a sports car, dancing and dangling from our fingertips?
People will make lots of assumptions about us based on the way we outfit ourselves – whether simply and frugally or flashily and expensively. While there is absolutely nothing wrong with earning a lot of money or being affluent, or even owning nice things, there comes a point when excess is unacceptable.
Even if one might feel justified in purchasing a new luxury car by having given a great deal of money away for good purposes, what purpose does the purchase serve? What do we have to prove that we must clothe ourselves with the clothing of kings and drive automobiles favored by heads of state?
Christ had a lot to say on this matter; in fact money is one of the most frequently discussed topics of the Gospels. Jesus said: “No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”
As Christians we are to have a burden for the poor, not a burden for a Bimmer and certainly not a burden for both. Even with abundant resources in our lives, overindulgence to support a wealthy image has nothing to do with Christ and everything to do with ourselves.
Responsibility
The following has been in my files for several years and there is no author listed. For anyone who has been involved in church work, this provides an illustration that is all too real!
“Our church was saddened to learn this week of the death of one of our most valued members. Someone Else. Someone’s passing creates a vacancy that will be difficult to fill. Else has been with us for many years and for every one of those years, Someone did far more than a normal person’s share of the work. Whenever there was a job to do, a class to teach, or a meeting to attend, one name was on everyone’s list, “Let Someone Else do it.” Whenever leadership was mentioned, this wonderful person was looked to for inspiration as well as results; “Someone Else can work with that group.” It was common knowledge that Someone Else was among the most liberal givers in our church. Whenever there was a financial need, everyone just assumed Someone Else would make up the difference. Someone Else was a wonderful person; sometimes appearing superhuman. Were the truth known, everybody expected too much of Someone Else. Now Someone Else is gone! We wonder what we are going to do. Someone Else left a wonderful example to follow, but who is going to follow it? Who is going to do the things Someone Else did? When you are asked to help this year, remember – we can’t depend on Someone Else anymore.”
The warning is clear: “Woe to you who are at ease in Zion” (Amos 6:1). As Christians, we are to remember that “we are laborers together with God” (1 Corinthians 3:9). Successful churches are the result of faithful Christian volunteers being blessed by their heavenly creator!!
Defining and Applying Christian Worldview
What is a worldview?
A worldview is a commitment, a fundamental orientation of the heart, that can be expressed as a story or in a set of presuppositions (assumptions which may be true, partially true or entirely false) which we hold (consciously or subconsciously, consistently or inconsistently) about the basic constitution of reality, and that provides the foundation on which we live and move and have our being.
The Universe Next Door. A Basic Worldview Catalog by James W. Sire. Fourth Edition. (Downers Grove, IL; IVP Academic. 2004).
Applying a Christian worldview.
One of the goals of The Truth Between Extremes blog is to see things in this world through the eyes and mind of Jesus Christ. The following two quotes are from a text used in my Christian Worldview class at Asbury College. They present an application of what is involved in engaging our day to day lives as Christians with those who are of another worldview.
As Christians we have no less responsibility to think than do others and it is incumbent on us that we think in a Christian manner about the many issues confronting us as we live today. The Christian’s ability to think Christianly about every topic, every question, every decision requires that he or she develop a generally correct knowledge of reality. And this correct knowledge of reality must be developed in a world that promotes many ideas and values that contradict those held by the Christian community. That is to say, we live in a society that holds a great variety of worldviews, many of which contradict or ignore the worldview of Christianity (p. 5)
We live in an extremely complex world where we are bombarded daily with differing opinions and interpretations; it is a pluralistic world where relativism and ambiguity are important components in almost everything we do; it is a world where Christians are called on constantly to make decisions about complex matters with far-reaching implications and consequences. Without a biblical orientation, the believer is adrift in such a world, shunted off course by every current of opinion, and blown erratically by the shifting winds of intellectual fashions. We need an awareness of the process by which our worldview is established and refined in order for us to filter out extraneous elements that do not belong in the value system of a Christian. We also need such an awareness in order to focus our attention on principles and methods that will establish biblical truth more solidly in our hearts (p. 6)
Transformed Thinking. Loving God With All Your Mind by Edward M. Curtis, Ph.D with John Brugaletta, Ph.D. (Franklin, TN; JFO Publishing, Inc. 1996).
