genuine motivation: young christian man march '12

8/2/2019 Genuine Motivation: Young Christian Man March '12

1/18

DEC

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A Days Wages for a Cappuccino

LOVE AMERICA!

Maybe a Little Too Much)

A publication of On My Own Now Ministries, Inc.

Wheres You

Assurance

2012 MAR
http://www.onmyownnow.com/http://www.onmyownnow.com/


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in this issue...

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Foremost

Where Can I Find Assurance?by Tullian Tchividjian

Press on

A Jerk for Jesus?byWill dole

Corneredby GraCe

A Bold-faced Lieby Rob beames

tool box

Outbid on eBay?

Alternative Online Auctionsby julie ann

Can you relateFathomless Compassionby Thomasmollohan

an eleCtion year

I Love America

(Maybe a Little Too Much)by bRandonWoodaRd

G E N U I N E M O T I V A T I O N

Yo u n g C h r i s t i a n M a n

Mar 2012, Vol. 3

On My Own Now Ministries, Inc.,

Publisher

Rob Beames, Editor

Donna Lee Schillinger

with Daniela Bermudez,

Page Design

Kimberly M. Schluterman

Editorial Support

Contributors

Julie Ann, Jerey Bridgman, Will Dole,

Randy Kosloski , Thomas Mollohan,

Tullian Tchividjian, Brandon Woodard

Except where noted, content is copy-

right 2012 On My Own Now Ministries.

Articles may be reprinted with creditto author, Genuine Motivationand

www.OnMyOwnNow.com.

On My Own Now Ministries, Inc. is a

nonproft organization with a 501 (c)

(3) determination. Your donations

aid in our mission to encourage aith,

wise lie choices and Christ-likeness in

young adults during their transition toliving on their own.

We welcome submissions o original

or repurposed articles that are

contributed without expectation o

compensation. May God repay you.

Visit us at www.OnMyOwnNow.com.

.12Faithand FinanCe

A Days Wages for a Cappuccino?by jeffRey bRidgman
http://www.onmyownnow.com/http://www.onmyownnow.com/


3/18

Foremost Foremost

Where Can I Find Assurance?

Not long ago, I pointed out that condence in my

transformation is not the source of my assurance.

Rather, the source of my assurance comes from faithin Christs substitution. Assurance never comes from

looking at ourselves. It only comes as a consequence

of looking to Christ.

As a result, I had a few people raise this question:

But wait a minuteonce God saves us and the Spirit

begins his renewing work in our lives, shouldnt

that work of inward renewal become a source of our

assurance? Isnt that at least one way we can know

were right before God?

At this point we need to be very clear regarding

what were talking about specically when we talkabout the ground of our assurance.

To be sure, the sanctifying work of the Spirit in the

life of the Christian bears fruit (Galatians 5:22-23).

God grows us in the grace and knowledge of our

Lord Jesus Christ. In Christ, we have died to sin and

been raised to newness of life (Romans 6:4). And this

new life shows itself in new affections, new appetites,

new habits. We begin to love the things God loves and

hate the things God hates. We begin to grow into our

new, resurrected skin.

But when the Bible specically speaks aboutthe grounding or the foundation of assurance, its

addressing the question, How then can man be in

the right before God? (Job 25:4). Assurance has to

do, in other words, with the consciences condence

in ultimate acquittal before God. When we are

talking about assurance we are talking about nal

judgmentwhat Gods ultimate verdict on us will be.

Our assurance depends on how certain we are that

God will say at the nal judgment: Not guilty!

The Bible is plain that God requires moral

perfection. It tells us unambiguously that God is holyand therefore cannot tolerate any hint of unholiness.

Defects, blemishes, or stainsto the smallest degree

are unacceptable and deserving of Gods wrath. And

just in case Im deluded enough to think that my

Spirit-wrought moral improvement since I became a

Christian is making the grade, Jesus (in the Sermon

on the Mount) intensies what Gods required

perfection entails: Not only external actions but

by Tullian Tchividjian

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4/18

internal feelings and motives must be absolutely

pure. Jesus condemns not only adultery but lust,

not only murder but angerpromising the same

judgment for both (Gene Veith).

In Matthew 5-7, Jesus wants us to see that

regardless of how well we think were doing orhow much better were becoming, when You

therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father

is perfect becomes the requirement and not look

how much Ive grown over the years, we begin to

realize that we dont have a leg to lean on when it

comes to answering the question, How can I stand

righteous before God? Our transformation, our

purity, our growth in godliness, our moral advances

and spiritual successesSpirit-animated as it all

may besimply falls short of the sinlessness God

demands. And since a not guilty verdict depends

on sinlessness, assurance is ultimately contingent

on perfection, not progress.

So, if God requires perfection and there is no

denitive assurance without it (God isnt grading

on a curve, after all), then what hope do I have,

imperfect as I am?

The New Testament answer to this question is

singular:

For in the gospel a righteousness from God is

revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from rst

to last, just as it is written: The righteous will live

by faith. (Romans 1:17)

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of

God, and are justied by his grace as a gift, through

the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God

put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be

received by faith. (Romans 3:23-25)

And to the one who does not work but believes in

him who justies the ungodly, his faith is counted as

righteousness. (Romans 4:5)

The conscience is given assurance only as living

faith is created by the Spirit through the Gospel

announcement that God justies the ungodly. The

righteousness we need comes from God through

faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. (Romans3:22)

The life we live, we live by faith in the Son of God

who loved me and gave himself for me (Galatians

2:20). So faith is the only touchstone for assurance

the God-gifted miracle of believing the impossible

reality that God forgives me and loves me because

of what Christ accomplished on my behalf.

Assurance happens when the God-given, Spirit-

wrought gift of faith enables me to believe that I

am forever pardoned, that Christs righteousness

is counted as my own, that in Christ God does not

count my sins against me (2 Corinthians 5:19). We

are justied (reckoned righteous) by grace alone

through faith alone in Christ alone. Gods demand

for moral perfection has been satised by Christ for

us (Matthew 5:17). Therefore, assurance can never

be found by my looking in. It can only happen by

faithbelieving in him who was delivered over

to death for our sins and was raised to life for our

justication. (Romans 4:25)

Martyn Lloyd-Jones is helpful here:

We can put it this way: the man who has faith is

the man who is no longer looking at himself and

no longer looking to himself. He no longer looks at

anything he once was. He does not look at what he

is now. He does not even look at what he hopes to

be as the result of his own efforts. He looks entirely

to the Lord Jesus Christ and His nished work, and

rests on that alone. He has ceased to say, Ah yes,

I used to commit terrible sins but I have done this

Our transformation, our purity, our growthin godliness, our moral advances and spiritual

successes -- Spirit-animated as it all may be --simply falls short of the sinlessness God demands.

FeatureartiCle

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Foremost


5/18

and that. He stops saying that. If he goes on saying

that, he has not got faith. Faith speaks in an entirely

different manner and makes a man say, Yes I have

sinned grievously, I have lived a life of sin, yet I know

that I am a child of God because I am not resting on

any righteousness of my own; my righteousness is inJesus Christ and God has put that to my account.

True assurance, in other words, is grounded not

on some word or work from inside us, but on the

word of the gospel which comes from outside us and

convinces us of what Jesus has done. Our assurance

is anchored in the love and grace of God expressed in

the glorious exchange: our sin for his righteousness.

John Calvin wrote, Faith is ultimately a rm and

certain knowledge of Gods benevolence toward us,

founded upon the truth of the freely given promise

in Christ, both revealed to our minds and sealedupon our hearts by the Holy Spirit (Institutes, 1:551

[3.2.7]). And since our faith is always weak and

wavering, we need to be reminded of this good news

all the time as it is communicated through preaching

and conrmed in the sacraments. There must be a

clear, continuous, and unqualied pronouncement

of the assurance of salvation on the basis of the

fullness of the atonement of Christ.

In the February 2003 issue of New Horizons, Peter

Jensen writes:

The gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ says thatthe ground of our assurance is our justication. In

Romans 5:1, Paul writes that since we have been

justied through faith, we have peace with God

through our Lord Jesus Christ. Faith in Jesus

Christ (which is itself a gift from God) has given us

access into this grace in which we now stand (vs.

2). We do not stand in any experience which we have

had, we do not stand in any progress which we have

made, we do not stand in our success in the battle

against sin. We stand in the grace of our Lord Jesus

Christ, by which he has justied us.What we have to keep remembering is that before

the throne of God above we are (and in ourselves

always will be) imperfectso, no assurance by

looking at ourselves. But, before the throne of God

above, I have a strong and perfect pleaand that

strong plea is not my imperfect transformation by

grace, it is not my love for God and neighbor, its not

how much Ive grown over the years. That strong

and perfect plea is Jesus Christsola!

So, when Satan tempts me to despair and tells me

of the guilt within, if I look in Im in big trouble.

But, if upward I look and see him there, who made

an end of all my sin, then by the miracle of faith,

I can say to the accuser who roars of sins that Ihave done, I know them all and thousands more,

Jehovah knoweth none.

It is for this reason (and in this context) that I told

the story of the old pastor who, on his deathbed,

said to his wife that he was certain he was going

to heaven because he couldnt remember one truly

good work he had ever done. His assurance was

grounded by faith where only true assurance can

ever be grounded: Christs perfect work for us, not

our imperfect work for him. Similarly, the great

Dutch theologian Herman Bavinck was asked on hisdeathbed if he was afraid to die and he replied:

I have my faith, and in this I have all.

Rest assured: Before God, the righteousness of

Christ is all we need; before God, the righteousness

of Christ is all we have.

William Graham Tullian Tchividjian (pronounced

cha-vi-jin) is the Senior Pastor of Coral Ridge

Presbyterian Church in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.

A Florida native, Tullian is also the grandson of

Billy and Ruth Graham, a visiting professor oftheology at Reformed Theological Seminary, and a

contributing editor to Leadership Journal.

A graduate of Columbia International University

(philosophy) and Reformed Theological Seminary

in Orlando (M.Div.), Tullian has authored a number

of books including Jesus + Nothing = Everything

(Crossway). He travels extensively, speaking at

conferences throughout the U.S., and his sermons

are broadcast daily on the radio program LIBERATE.

As a respected pastor, author, and speaker, Tullian

is singularly and passionately devoted to seeingpeople set free by the radical, amazing power of

Gods grace.

When he is not reading, studying, preaching,

or writing, Tullian enjoys being with people and

relaxing with his wife, Kim, and their three children

Gabe, Nate, and Genna. He loves the beach, loves to

exercise, and when he has time, he loves to surf.

t5GM

FeatureartiCle


6/18

A Jerkfor

Jesus?

t

byWill dole

6mar12

Press On

Im a fairly bold person in that I like to do, say and

write things that make people think. Occasionally,someone is offended by the bluntnessperhaps, Ishould say rudenessbut its the way Ive always beenand to some extent, its the way I still am. Im proneto communicate an attitude which says, Im right.

Youre wrong. Here are the facts. Deal with it! Does

that make me sound like a jerk, or what?When I was about 19 years old, God really started

to get my attention and I started reading my Biblea lot. I honed in on a lot of verses about love, andsometimes I would stop to reect and think, Wow,

Will, youre a real jerk! Fortunately, this realizationhelped me to tone down the boldness a bitokay, alot. Of course, I couldnt get rid of all my jerky qual-itiesnot totally. In fact, I can still be a jerk with the

best of them when I forget who I am. Yet, over time,there has been a noticeable shift in my rudeness. That

sounds promising, right? Theres room for improve-ment.

Recently, I have been reading through the book ofJeremiah. There is a noticeable pattern in Jeremiahslife: He hears from God, communicates it to manypeople and then they react poorly. I dont mean thatthey simply walk away and quit listening. I mean the

people who heard his message beat him, cursed him,wanted to kill him and, at one point, tossed him into acistern. If people reacted to me that way, I think evenI would stop being a jerk. That didnt stop Jeremiah!He kept preaching. Hows that for boldness?

When we consider the time Amos called richpeople the Cows of Bashaan for their trampling ofthe poor, or John the Baptist called out Herod for theKings questionable sexual practices, or when Jesusrepeatedly challenged the religious authorities of His


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day, or the plethora of other examples in scripturetheaforementioned constitute only a tip of the icebergthere seems to be something which could be called aholy or a sanctied boldness.

This boldness is often seen by the world as arro-

ganceif you dont believe it, try claiming Jesus is theonly way to God and see what sort of things people sayabout you. In my attempt to run from pride, which is anadmirable thing to do (seeProverbs 3:34; James 4:6),I often buy into the worldslie about boldnessnotconsciously, mind you. Iam very quick to say thatavoiding or hiding thetruth is the epitome of anunloving behavior, but in

my attempt to avoid beingarrogant I can becomewishy-washy on eternalmatters. Instead of chal-lenging the wrong views

which friends, family, co-workers and even strang-ers communicate to meand lovingly pointing themto Jesus and the Bible,I often cower from suchdiscussions or slyly changethe subject. I reason withmyself that I dont wantto be a know-it-all or thatI dont want to burn any

bridges with my arrogance.Yet, in these situations, Iam simply avoiding thetruth and in my pursuit ofa politically-correct kind-ness, I am basically demonstrating that I dont genu-inely care or love them. Wow! Now that really makesme a jerk.

So then, what is the proverbial middle ground?How do we nd the appropriate balance? I believe it isfound in the foundation of our condence. Paul demon-strates this very clearly in 1 Corinthians 2:1-5:

When I came to you, brothers, I did not come witheloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to youthe testimony about God. For I resolved to know noth-ing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and himcrucied. I came to you in weakness and fear, and withmuch trembling. My message and my preaching were

not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demon-stration of the Spirits power, so that your faith mightnot rest on mens wisdom, but on Gods power.

Now, Paul is bold! Three chapters later he abso-lutely rips the church in Corinth for tolerating sexual

immorality, but where does his boldness lie? Was itin his own wisdom, his own clever words, or his greatcapacity as an orator? No. His boldness rests in the

power of the Spirit. Forus to boldly and humblyproclaim thus says theLORD with a heart bro-ken for those who needto hear it isnt arrogance.It is love.

Arrogance is whenI want to show off my

knowledge or prove mysuperiority. When ourconcern is that peoplesee the superiority ofJesus then we are in

balance. We should wantothers to know Christand Him crucied, sothat they may see Christand Him gloried (Phi-lippians 2:6-11).

Were right to abhor

pride and to make everyattempt to kill arrogance(Colossians 3:5), but thisdoes not preclude bold-ness. Indeed, it ought tofoster boldness. If myconcerns over my image,my pride and my ego are

non-existent then what will stop me from boldly tell-ing others about Jesus? What would hinder me from

warning a brother or sister about sin? There would benothing. We ought to desire more than anything else to

see others grow closer to Jesus and to see many morepeople come to know Him. This will never be accom-plished by keeping our mouths shut. As Paul says in 1Timothy 4:12, Dont let anyone look down on you be-cause you are young, but set an example for the believ-ers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.

We should be bold and set an example for others inthis context. If our boldness is truly immersed in lovethen we should not be ashamed of our actionshowev-er bold they may appear.

for us to boldly

And humbly

proclAim thussAys the lord

with A heArt

broken for those

who need to heAr

it isnt ArrogAnce.it is love.


8/18

Can you relate

t

by Thommollohan

8mar12

FathomlessCompassion

We would be a wise people if would allowthe truth of God to not only permeate ourracing thoughts but also to saturate our

busy lives. Of particular value to us, not onlypersonally but to our world as well, is Godsfathomless compassion for people.

Consider how Jesus earthly ministry wascharacterized by His tender interventionsin the lives of needy people. He was in factdemonstrating the heart of His Father in

heaven as He taught, healed, forgave andencouraged people who were distraught,disowned, disturbed and despairing. Here inthe pivotal turning point of all history wasthe fulcrum of creation itself in the Personof the Son of God full of glorious holiness,innite in wisdom and power, yet weepingand lamenting the spiritual needs of men and

women on planet earth.

His disciples were witnesses to Hiscompassion and mercy which changed thedesperate straits of people regardless oftheir gender, age or rank, and they becameconveyors of that same compassion as theyconsidered in later years that their own lives

were worth giving up for the salvation ofpeople destined for spiritual destruction.

Is it possible that many Christians today haveforgotten Jesus mission? It was not merely

one for social reformationalthough suchreformation can be the happy byproductof a people whose hearts are transformed.It was not only a mission of politicalreorganizationalthough politics hadbecome an unhappy circus of woeful duplicityand needed a major overhaul. Nor was Hismission simply to bring about physical healingand to cast out evil spiritsalthough He, inHis compassion, did these very things. His


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mission was, to seek and to save what waslost (Luke 19:10).

What motivated the mission of Jesus? Heknew something very important about our

future, and what He knew fueled His passionto reach out to the lost in compassion. Heknew that lives without Him then, as they arenow, were doomed to spiritual destruction,

which was a far worse fate than eventhe most trying of physical, yet temporal,circumstances (see Mark 9:43-48).

So Jesus strove passionately to reach thelost even to the point that He gave His lifeon the cross so that the spiritually lost couldbe found and the spiritually blind could bemade to see. How much do we pursue thesesame goals? How often do we share in Hissorrow? Do we take to heart the knowledgethat hell is the nal destination of many ofour neighbors, co-workers, friends and familymembers?

As Jesus approached Jerusalem in theweek prior to His death, He grieved over theimpending desolation of the city, their fatefor refusing Him for Who He is. Jesus heart

ached over the spiritual need of the men,women, boys and girls in that town becausethey were, harassed and helpless, likesheep without a shepherd (Matthew 9:36).Jesus sorrow over the billions of spirituallylost people today has not diminished norgone cold. His Spirit is even now movingthroughout the world working to bring thelost home to faith in Christ.

If we are earnestly seeking to personally

grow in our relationship with God then wemust engage this quality about Him: He ispatient not wanting anyone to perish, buteveryone to come to repentance (2 Peter3:9).

And as we engage this dear quality of Jesusby reecting on it, digesting it and ultimatelyowning it, we should remember that knowing

what the future holds for the lost moved Him

to compassionately reach out to them. Wealso have been given a glimpse of the futureand must also allow this knowledge to makeHis passion become our passion.

Jesus said, I tell you the truth, whoeverhears my word and believes him who sent mehas eternal life and will not be condemned;he has crossed over from death to life (John5:24). If we have indeed crossed over fromdeath to life, then we should not also allowthe holy and tender compassion of our Saviorto swell in our hearts and move us to shareour hope with others?

In addition to the things for which we praythat are only temporary, since they last onlyas long as this physical life, we should alsoadd to our prayer list the forever needs ofothers and intercede on their behalf for thepower of God to soften their hearts to thetruth of His Gospel.

Take up your post today as a pray-eraninterceder for the spiritual needs of others,and believe that God can tame the wildestlives, break through the hardest of hearts andspeak to the most deaf of spiritual ears. Today,

dont hesitate to be a part of that invisiblearmy of men and women who lift up those

who are lost.

Thom Mollohan and his family have ministered

in southern Ohio the past 16 years and is the

author ofThe Fairy Tale Parables. He is the

pastor of Pathway Community Church and may

be reached for comments or questions by email at

[email protected].
http://www.amazon.com/Fairy-Tale-Parables-Classic-Pointing/dp/1604419180http://www.amazon.com/Fairy-Tale-Parables-Classic-Pointing/dp/1604419180


10/18

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Ilove America. I thank God almost every day that I

was born here and get to enjoy all o the advantages o

lie in this country. Sometimes, though, I wonder i Im

strong enough to be an ambassador o Christs kingdomin a place thats made it so eortless to claim to be a

Christian and so dicult to be distinguished as one.

Its undeniable that Scripture presents the church as an

entity set apart rom the world. Te only way the church

is going to remain separate is i the church is made up

o individuals who live in the world without becoming

absorbed by it. Te idea o being in the world but not

o it was a main theme o one o Christs last recorded

prayers in John 17. Its interesting that one o the things

Jesus made time to pray about beore He le His disciples

was that they would be set apart by the truth ound inthe Word o God.

A major part o spiritual growth is learning how to

apply what Scripture says to our individual context. So

what does it look like or us to be distinctly Christian in

an American context? Is there a point where we become

Americanized to the submission o our Christian

identity? How ar can we remove ourselves rom culture

and still be any good to it?

Over the years there have been many dierent answers

to these questions. Some Christian traditions have taught

that we should be totally separate rom the world. Tey

argue that we shouldnt join the military, vote or say thePledge o Allegiance. Others would say that America

should be a Christian nation and that we should be

heavily involved in all aspects o the government to help

realize this goal.

Personally, I think the answer lies somewhere in

betweenexactly where, Im not sure. As is the case with

many other issues, this issue creates more questions than

can be answered. But sometimes questions are better

than answers. Questions are more likely to result in sel-

examination, as well as honest, open discussionstwo

things on which the church is righteningly short. Mygoal here is not to convince anyone to do things my way,

but to encourage the ongoing conversation about what it

means to be Gods church in America. Here are a couple

o questions which might help to determine i we are

becoming too wrapped up in the things o this world.

Whose kingdom are you working for?

Everything we do urthers someones kingdom. Te issue

an eleCtion year

I LoveAmerica

(Maybe a Little

Too Much)

by bRandon WoodaRd


11/18

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is whether its Gods kingdom or not. All too oen we

strengthen, and bring glory to, competing kingdoms. We

work or our country, class, amily, and sometimes worst

o all, sel.

Te Bible describes us as ambassadors o Christ, We

are thereore Christs ambassadors, as though God were

making his appeal through us (2 Corinthians 5:20).

An ambassador represents the interests o one kingdom

while living in another. Ambassadors are surrounded by

a culture not their own. Yet in order to be o any use to

the kingdom they are serving, they need to understand

and to be able to unction in the culture which surrounds

them. But i they begin to identiy too much with

the oreign culture, they cease to be any good to the

kingdom they are representing.

Sometimes I think that Christs church in America

has been pretty inecient at this sort o kingdom work.We have the collective resources to change the world.

Unortunately, those immense resources are controlled

by individuals who are more concerned about living

in comort and security than advancing the kingdom

they have been born into through salvation. Are we

more concerned with our own priorities, such as, amily,

community or nation, than we are with the priorities o

God? Every Christian should regularly examine which

kingdom their actions and liestyles are advancing.

Whose kingdom are we looking to for solutions?Its not very hard to nd problems when we look around

the world today. America is no exception. As His church,

we are called to be a part o reconciling the world to God.

Tis means we are to be actively involved in making the

world, including America and our neighborhoods, look

more like it should. Tere are not too many Christians

that would disagree with this. How we go about solving

those problems indicates whether we are becoming too

reliant and involved in the ways o the world.

When we see these problems in society, do we look

or God and His people to do something about it or dowe look or the institutions o the world to solve those

problems? Unortunately, Christians all too oen wait

or the world to bring about the changes which God

has called us to implement. Many times when we do

get involved we want to work through mans systems

instead o Gods. We want laws to be created or enorced

dierently. We want the right person elected or the

right oce. We want the government to do a better job

o caring or orphans, widows, the homeless, the hungry

and oppressed. When governments and corporations ail,

we are quick to blame them or the sad state o the world.

Should they do a better job? Yes, but God calls us to be

concerned or people and issues. I our ocus is on Christ

and urthering His kingdom, we will have solutions

which refect Him. Instead o relying on the ways o the

world, we need to rely on the ways o God. We oen

avoid doing so because it can be costly, uncomortable

and require a lot o aith and patience. It also requires

being open to the direction o God with some creativity

on our part.

Always a good place to start is by looking at the

example o Christ. Christ never ounded any nonprot

organizations or created any new programs. He didnt

support any politicians or parties. Not that these things

would not have been necessarily wrong, but His exampleshows they shouldnt be our primary ocus. He built

relationships with people based on His love or them. He

passionately gave o Himsel and His resources out o His

love and the world was orever changed as a result.

Tese two questions go a long way in determining how

our lives and actions are stacking up to the scriptural

command to be in the world but not o it. We are never

going to agree on where to draw that line in every

situation, but its important to remember that we can

disagree, as long as we realize that we need to draw a line

somewhere. Tis is especially true in America because othe relative ease and comort available to us here.

Its alright to love America and appreciate the

advantages o lie aorded here. But, it becomes

dangerous when we begin to love the nation o our

physical birth over the kingdom we were born into

through the redemptive power o Christs blood. I

this happens, it may hinder the way God uses us in the

redemption o others.

Brandon Woodard and his wife Jessica live in Odessa,

exas, with their two boys Jose and Elias. He attendsUniversity Park Baptist Church and supply preaches for

churches in the area. Tis fall he begins a Masters program

at Southeastern Baptist Teological Seminary in Wake

Forest, N.C. Contact him at brandonwoodard77@hotmail.

com.

t


12/18

t12mar12

Faithand FinanCe

Iwas having a cappuccino with a riend at aca the other day when I started to get thatuneasy eeling you get when you know youvedone something wrong. It wasnt because Iwas procrastinating and avoiding that paperI needed to write. No, it was because mycappuccino cost $2.95. Dont think thats veryexpensive? Tink again.

According to Wikipedia, (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Measuring_poverty) an estimated 2.7billion people lived on less than $2 a day in

2008. My drink cost more than what almost halthe world makes in a whole day. We are the 1

percent who are rich.We might think that were somehow sueringor Christ when we spend a sleepless night ona bus or have to go a ew days without warmshowers while on a mission trip. But lets aceit, or most people in our world, thats justeveryday lie. Americans dont really experiencesuering. Somehow weve ended up on a cushyassignment here on planet earth and have

by jeffRey bRidgman

A Days Wage$for a Cappuccino?
http://%28en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Measuring_poverty)http://%28en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Measuring_poverty)http://%28en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Measuring_poverty)http://%28en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Measuring_poverty)


13/18

t13GM

the audacity to thank God or our materialblessings, as we buy ourselves the newest,shiny iPosh gadget. Whats up with that?But at least were being grateul, right? Sincewe tithe, were good right? Isnt that goodenough?

Im not so sure it is. Scripture is ull o hardpassages that can stab straight into our heartslike, I a man shuts his ears to the cry o thepoor, he too will cry out and not be answered(Proverbs 21:13), and He who oppresses thepoor shows contempt or their Maker, butwhoever is kind to the needy honors God(Proverbs 14:31).

According to scripture, we somehow lendto God by being kind to the poor, He whois kind to the poor lends to the LORD, andhe will reward him or what he has done(Proverbs 19:17). We should be more willingto be like the poor widow in Mark 12:44 andgive all we have, but oen we are more likethe rich young man in Luke 18:22-4, whowas saddened that Jesus asked him to giveup the riches and comorts o this world. Weshouldnt lose sight o the reason we are reallyhere, especially since we have an inheritancethat can never perish, spoil or adekept inheaven or you (I Peter 1:4).

I think scripture is clear. I we love Godwe will be those in heaven to whom Jesuswill say, For I was hungry and you gave mesomething to eat, I was thirsty and you gaveme something to drink, I was a stranger andyou invited me in, I needed clothes and youclothed me, I was sick and you looked aerme, I was in prison and you came to visit me(Matthew 25:35-6). We should take advantageo the opportunities around us to show others

the mercy God has shown us.Its easy to know we are to do these things

but its more dicult to get it done. We can alluse new ways to try to pull this mission o,so here are some practical ways we might putthese things into action.

ry sponsoring a child through WorldVision(www.worldvision.org) or Compassion (www.compassion.com). Both organizations havesimilar goals o helping children in poverty,providing aid during crisis and communitylevel improvements.

Another way you can aid your brothers andsisters in Christ who are suering persecutionwhile learning more about how you can prayor them is by visiting a website called Voiceo the Martyrs (www.persecution.com).

O course there are many other optionsincluding helping out with various programswhich your local church may have likehelping the area homeless or less ortunate.Even i you dont know what types o thingsare being done in your church or community,you should ask. Churches usually havesomeone who, i they arent heading up aministry, can point you toward someone whois. Tat might be someone in another churchor a community organizer. Tey might justneed some help to love others in the name oChrist, even i they dont know Who He is.

So, go out and give it a try! What do youhave to lose? We dont have to know whatwere doing, especially at rst. We cant messit up too bad i we are trying to help others.Who knows, i we give enough o our timeand money away, we might just give up thatguilty conscious, as well. Wouldnt that benice?

Somehow weve ended up on a cushy assignment hereon planet earth and have the audacity to thank God for

our material blessings, as we buy ourselves the newest,shiny iPosh gadget. Whats up with that?


14/18

Corneredby GraCe

t

by Rob beames

14mar12

In the beginning, Gods rst creation had a perfectrelationship with God, partly because even though

they were created with the ability to sin, they neverhad sinnedyet, it would be more accurate to saythat their relationship with God started out perfect-ly because there was no sin in the world, at all. Thismeans there was nothing between them and their

perfect Father.The moment at which all of this changed is often

the focus of the theological-minded because of itsincredibly long-reaching, long-lasting implications,as it altered not only all of humanity, but also all ofcreation. In fact, even those with a casual curiosityabout the relationship between God and mankindhave shown interest in the beginning, especiallyhow everything went wrong.

The way it all began to fall apart is also commonly

known: with a lie. The devil uttered the rst ever lieearning him the right to have Jesus dub him thefather of lies in John 8:44. This lie has been furtherdissected, and not without good cause. Understand-ing the way the serpent tricked Eve can help usunderstand our tendencies to which the constantpresence of sin, now in our lives, has made us even

more vulnerable. With this worthy endeavor inmind, we consider this lie once againor at leastthe last part of it.

The rst lie was hardly subtle, You will notsurely die, the serpent said to the woman. ForGod knows that when you eat of it your eyes will beopened, and you will be like God, knowing good andevil (Genesis 3:4). Only a few verses before this wend that God did say to Adam exactly that: But youmust not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good

A Bold-faced Lie


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t15GM

and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die(Genesis 2:17). This fact shows that the false state-ment from the devil was a bold attack on the very

words of God and most assuredly on Gods charac-ter, as well. In short, the father of lies told Eve thatGod could not be trusted. The devils explanationto her was that God had lied in an effort to coverup His true alterative motive: keeping them from

becoming like Him. The devil was, no doubt, quiteconvincing with this argument since he already

believed he was like God.What the devil was actually offering was inde-

pendence from God. The appeal was to be free oftheir reliance on God to tell them what was rightor wrong. No longer would they have to learn from

God which tree was the right tree. They would beable to determine that for themselvesor so the liesaid. No longer would they have to ask themselves,Is God okay with this action? No longer wouldthey need to trust Him. Never would they have tofear the punishment of Gods death sentence asthe result of disobedience. They would no longer

wonder what God might do to them out of Hisdisapproval if they failed. They would never have todoubt that God approved of them, periodnot thatthey ever had a reason to doubt before. They wereoffered the ability to know these things for them-

selves. They were offered control over their livesand even their destinies. They were told they wouldhave the ability to make their own choices.

In fact, the ability to discern right from wrong wasthe little sliver of truth that could be found in thelies spewed out by the crafty serpent. Adam and Evecertainly knew they had done wrong, immediately.Knowing what was right may have taken them lon-ger to realize, and it may be that only their offspringafter receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit many yearslater obtained this ability, but there was nonetheless

some truth in that. It sounded like a reasonable of-fer to them. After all, the prospect of becoming likeGod wasnt so tough of a sell since they were alreadymade in His image. Why should they trust some-one who threatened to kill them if they stepped outof line? Why not trust someone who offered themautonomy, instead?

Do you know why it is important to understandthe rst lie and its attractiveness in such detail?Because we still buy the same lies today. Instead

of resting in the approval which God has alreadygiven us based on the peace Christ attained for us,

we would rather attempt to please our Creator. Inthis way, we can rationalize that our justication isdeservedthough we do not grasp how incrediblyfar we fall short. Instead of trusting that He knows

what is good for us when He tells us, My grace issufcient for you (2 Corinthians 12:9), we continueto attempt perfection so we dont have to rely onhis grace. In this way we reason that we dont needquite so much grace to make it. We seem to con-stantly be trying to prove to Him, and to ourselvesthat we are worthy enough to be in His presence

journeys of futility.We have already been provided righteousness

from Christ. The only catch: we have to accept it byfaith. It cannot be earned. We have to trust God thatit is true although our soul might scream that itsa lie. We desire to know that these things are truefor ourselves. We dont want to be forced to trust inthem by faith.

Faith is always more difcult than seeing forourselves. Unfortunately, our eyes dont always seethings as they truly are. They cant because of sin.

Actually, our minds dont always reason things outthe way they truly are. They cant either, becauseof sin. Because of this rst lie on which Adam and

Eve actedand all the countless lies their offspringhave jumped on ever sincesin has damaged usin every aspect. There isnt one part of us whichisnt plagued by sin. It essentially runs through our

veinsthat doesnt sound like someone I want totrust with my eternity.

Should we trust in the efforts of fallen, damagedcreatures for our justicationmaybe just a little?No, not in the least! Yes, its difcult to trust, butits also inevitable. In the end, I would rather trustcompletely in a perfect, loving Father who cares

deeply for me and has already prepared a place forme to be with him forever. Wouldnt you? (I believehe wanted me to remind you of this.)

you get the picture.


16/18

ToolBox

outbid on ebay?

ALTernATIVEonline auctions

Whether or not you have used them to buy

or sell, you are probably at least somewhat

familiar with online aucon site e-Bay and

the online classied board Craigslist. But did you

know there are many

other ways to buy and

sell online?

When you think of

online aucons, e-Bayautomacally comes to

mind as the undisputed

king. But run a search

for online aucon

sites and youll nd

hundreds of other sites. In general, aucon rank-

ing reviews rate e-Bay as the best choice in most

categories. However, if you are auconing some-

thing specic to a target audience, you might want

to invesgate aucon sites tailored to that product.

For example, if you have concert or athlec eventckets for sale, you would want to specically focus

on cket-seekers using a site such as StubHub.

If you are looking to buy via an online aucon

you might be tempted by a penny aucon site, like

BidCactus.com. Penny aucons are sites oen used

for selling consumer electronics such as comput-

ers, cameras and HDTVs. Items are listed with a

minimum selling price and price per bid is set.

For example, you sign up for a penny aucon and

pay 50 cents per bid on a laptop. The price of the

laptop starts at one cent. Each me you bid, youpay 50 cents and the laptop price increases by one

cent. The aucon will ends once the bidding fees

plus item price reach the sellers set price. If 2,000

people each placed a bid at 50 cents each, the

seller would net $1,000 but the winner walks away

with a laptop for $20, plus whatever she spent in

bidding. Unless youre the only person bidding, auc-

ons have an element of excitement as you go for

the win, but with penny aucons, the thrill is more

akin to that of gambling. At Bassabids.com you get

the penny aucon excitement, but bidding is free.

Penny aucons can be very risky, and while it

seems like a good deal, what you spend on bids

can add up fast and if you

dont win the item, youve

just walked away empty-

handed, much like gambling.

Make sure you do plenty ofresearch on penny aucons

sites, how they work and

which ones are legimate

before jumping in.

If you just want to buy or sell

items without the stress of online aucons (I know

do!) then you can check out sites like Esty, Craigslist

or Facebook groups.

If you are cray or are looking for a unique home-

made item, then point your browser to esty.com .

Esty allows you to list handmade and vintage itemsor cra supplies. You will pay Esty a 20 cent lisng

fee and then a 3.5 percent transacon fee (there is

also an oponal adversing fee that varies by prod-

uct). If you can crank out handmade jewelry, baby

blankets or have a closet full of unused cra project

supplies (like me!) then check out Esty to see if its

a good money-making match. Its also a great place

to shop for unique gis and maybe you can pick up

a good deal or two from fellow craers.

Online classied ads are another way to unload

unwanted items or pick up a great deal. Craigslistis the best known online classied ad service. You

can use Craigslist locally to browse items you wish

to buy or list items you are selling, and then ar-

range a pick-up/payment locaon in your commu-

nity. I even know people who have scored really

great items for free on Craigslist all they had to do

was pick the item up. Craigslist results are typically

beer when lisng household items (furniture,

dishes, and electronics) as opposed to collectables.

by julie ann

t16mar12


17/18

As I said, check it out carefully to be sure its the right

choice for your item.

Craigslist has its limitaons though. If you dont live

in or near a metropolitan area with a Craigslist, it

wont be of much help to you. Also, theres no easy

way to search more than one local at a me, if like

our editor, you live equidistance from three Craigslist

cies.If Craigslist isnt the best choice, oen local commu-

nies or groups will host a classied board. My church

even has a Web site where people can list items they

are selling, giving away or ask if anyone has an item

that they may need. Recently Facebook groups have

popped up that allow people within the community

to buy, sell or exchange products. Typically, you will

request to be added to this group and then group

members will post their items to the groups Facebook

wall. You can respond in the comments if you are

interested in the item and strike up a deal with theseller. Somemes these even follow a silent aucon

type format where you place your bid in the comments.

Many states and cies also have aucon sites to se

inventory being replaced with newer models. You ca

nd everything from computer equipment to medic

equipment and desks to lawn mowers and a lot mor

you wouldnt expect. Search your city or states nam

plus government surplus aucon.

Always remember to use extra cauon when using

Craigslist or another classied service that requirespersonal contact. Arrange pick up/delivery in a busy

public place, take along a friend (preferably a big bu

ulmate ghng champion) to ensure your protec

and if something doesnt feel quite right, trust your

gut and back out of the situaon. Its always beer

use a reputable service, such as e-Bay, that will oe

a layer of protecon even if you have to pay a lile

extra for the lisng. Selling and buying online can be

great experience and help you earn or save extra ca

However be sure to do your homework on the sites

you are planning to use beforehand and know thepotenal pialls and how to avoid them.

t17GM
http://www.liquidation.com/http://www.propertyroom.com/c/propertyroom/1http://www.biddingforgood.com/auction/BiddingForGood.actionhttp://www.shopgoodwill.com/http://auctions.samsclub.com/?selectedTab=auctions


18/18

ToolBoxFrom the National Consumer Leagues Internet Fraud Watch

Dont Buy

a Load of Goods Online Understand how the aucon works. Many online

aucons simply list items that people want to sell

without verifying that the merchandise actually ex-

ists or is described accurately; and they cant guar-

anty that the sellers will keep their promises.

Check out the seller before you bid. Be aware that

posive reports may have been planted by the

seller and negave comments could be from a com-

petor. Other sources of informaon are state or

local consumer protecon agencies and the BeerBusiness Bureau.

Be extra careful if the seller is a private party.

Many consumer protecon laws dont apply to

private sales, though government agencies may

take acon on mulple complaints about the same

person or if criminal fraud is involved.

Be especially cauous when dealing with sellers in

other countries. If you have a problem, the physical

distance, dierence in legal systems, and other fac-

tors could make resolving it very dicult (read Kiss

your money good-bye.) Get the name and contact informaon of the sell-

er. The name, physical street address, email address,

and phone number are helpful to have for check-

ing the seller out and following up later if there

is a problem. Dont do business with anyone who

refuses to provide that informaon. Run the address

on Google satellite images to see if it exists.

Be wary of claims about collecbles and other

expensive items. Since you cant examine the mer-

chandise or have it appraised unl aer the sale,

dont assume that claims about its condion or

value are true, or that photographs are accurate.

Print out and save the descripon and any photos to

document the claims that were made.

Ask about delivery, returns, warranes and ser-

vice before you pay. Get a denite delivery me and

insist that the shipment is insured. Ask about the

return policy. If youre buying electronic goods or

appliances, nd out if there is a warranty and how

to get service.

Look for informaon on the aucon site about in-

surance. Some aucon sites provide insurance that

covers buyers up to a certain amount if somethinggoes wrong. Others may have links to third-party

programs that oer insurance for a fee. Read the

terms of the insurance carefully. There is oen a

deducble, and there be other limitaons or re-

quirements that apply. For example, you may not be

covered if the seller had a negave feedback rang

on the aucon site at the me of the transacon.

Pay by credit card. Under federal law, you can dis-

pute the charges if you paid the seller with a credit

card and the goods were never delivered or if they

were misrepresented. If you are paying through anintermediary service, ask what happens in the case

of disputes.

Look for bonded sellers. Some sellers are bonded

through programs that have invesgated their busi-

ness backgrounds and credit histories and guaranty

your money back if they dont fulll their promises.

Click on the program symbol to learn how the bond-

ing program works and verify that the seller is a

member in good standing.

Consider using an escrow service for expensive

purchases that arent covered by insurance orbonding. For a small fee, an escrow service takes

your payment and forwards it to the seller once you

conrm sasfactory delivery. If there is a dispute,

the escrow service may act as a referee. Ask if the

service is licensed and bonded, and how you can

conrm that with the appropriate agency.

Try mediaon to resolve disputes. Not all prob-

lems are due to fraud. Somemes people simply

fail to hold up their side of the bargain in a mely

manner or there may be a misunderstanding about

something. Some aucon sites provide links to third-party mediaon services that help people resolve

disputes. There may be a small fee that is usually

paid by the party who requests the mediaon.

Inform aucon sites about suspected fraud. They

may have policies to remove sellers from their sites

if they use shills or dont live up to their obliga-

ons.

Source: www.Fraud.org

conTinued

genuine motivation: young christian man march '12

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