​
I am including portions of an article by Jay Link of Stewardship Ministries in this blog post. He takes a familiar passage from Proverbs and 'reframes' it in a way that I believe is true to the scriptures. - Mark

 “Honor the Lord from your wealth and from the first of all your produce; so that
your barns will be filled with plenty and your vats will overflow with new wine”
​Proverbs 3:9-10​
​

Pastors often quote these verses urging people with limited or ordinary means to give liberally so that they will, as a result, become people with extraordinary means. Their “pitch” is that the more you give, the richer you will personally become. This, obviously, is the cornerstone of the prosperity gospel message. However, this half-truth is not limited to just those who promote this theology. I have seen many forms of it in evangelical sermons and teachings as well.

I will say that after studying this passage in much greater depth, this common interpretation of these verses misses the mark by a mile. Allow me to drill down a bit deeper and share with you what I have discovered about these two short verses.

Solomon is well known for making astute life- observations and then using his supernatural wisdom to coin simple yet profound proverbs about how life works. These proverbs form a treasure of life-counsel that is pointed and practical – many of them being insightful one-liners. They provide us with wise observations on life-outcomes resulting from certain decisions and life choices.

But Solomon in this passage shifts from merely observing how life works to giving a specific command. He uses the opening word “honor” in the imperative making his statement a command. Solomon is ordering the reader to “honor the Lord” with a specific kind of giving. He is not trying to simply entice us to give by dangling the promise of enjoying greater, personal, material prosperity before us. He is telling us that giving is serious business. But the more important question we must ask is, “Who is he talking to here?”

Solomon’s command here is not directed to the poor or people of modest means. This command is rather directed to individuals who are rich. Notice this giving is to come from the person’s “wealth.” Poor people of Solomon’s day would not have any wealth with which to obey this command. This command is also not being directed to a group of middle class people who collectively may own among themselves more than one barn or vat.

​In all three places where the pronoun “your” is used (before “wealth,” “barns” and “vats”) they are all in the singular – meaning Solomon is talking to one wealthy person who personally possesses multiple barns and multiple wine vats – the wealthiest of the wealthy. There would have been no disagreement that anyone who owned multiple barns and vats in Solomon’s day would be wealthy. So this command from Solomon is specifically for those who are already wealthy, not those who want to become wealthy.

One of the most common fears of giving is this, “If I get really radical in my giving, what I currently have in my barns and vats could be greatly diminished. Consequently, I may find them being only half-full or worse yet, entirely empty because I gave too much away.” This is the exact concern that Solomon is addressing in this passage. He tells the wealthy that your liberal giving from your barns and vats will not reduce what your barns and your vats hold. Contrary to what you fear, your first fruits giving will not diminish what you have. Instead, it will ensure that your “barns will (remain) filled” and “your vats will (continue to) overflow” with excess even after your giving. This is what I call the Law of Resupply.

This is not the only place where we see this Law of Resupply demonstrated. We see this Law of Resupply taught in II Corinthians 9:8, 10. Paul encourages us, “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. ...He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way…”

Paul is telling us what we give will be resupplied to us. Why? So we can do even more giving. When we demonstrate a life and a commitment to doing good and helping others with the materials possessions He entrusts to us, the Law of Resupply will operate in our lives and we will have “all sufficiency in all things at all times, (so we) may abound in every good work.” And “You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way.” What an incredible assurance! We can never become poor by giving too much away. God will always give givers more to give!

Let us all be mindful that without a proper check of our motivation, this Law of Resupply can easily be reduced to nothing more than a self-serving gimmick to getting personally richer using “giving” as the methodology to achieve it. Solomon dismantles this possible self-serving motivation with his opening words, “honor the Lord...” Our singular motivation for giving is solely for the purpose of bringing honor to the Lord.

Do you remember what Jesus said in Matthew 5:16? “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in Heaven.” What is the ultimate objective of our giving? It is to bring glory and honor to the Lord. And as we focus on giving honor to Him, He gives us repeated opportunities to honor Him by enacting His Law of Resupply. Our goal then is not to increase prosperity for us, but to increase honor for Him.

Do you want to experience the Law of Resupply? Here are the steps.

(1.) Begin by believing this law even exists.
(2.) Find some way to give to honor the Lord.
(3.) Give to the point that what you hold in your “barns” and your “vats” are at new lows.
​(4.) Repeat this honor the Lord giving process until you run out of money and possessions.

What? Relax. You will discover you will never get to (4.)! The Law of Resupply will become operational at some point and in some supernatural way “You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way.” Like the widow of Zeraphath, you will discover you will never run out of flour and oil.

Solomon isn’t making a suggestion here. He is giving us a command. Are you ready to obey his command and experience the supernatural Law of Resupply?
​

RIVERS NOT RESERVOIRS
7982 Hillcrest Trail
Jonesboro, Georgia 30236

BLOG:       www.hisrivers.org
EMAIL:      his.rivers@gmail.com

When you experience (not just believe) the  love of God, 
You will be changed because you cannot genuinely experience God's love 
without loving others. Your love for others will flow out of His love for you.

Because the flow is controlled by Him, 
 You will be functioning as a River, 

"We love because he first loved us." 1 John 1:9 

RIVERS NOT RESERVOIRS
7982 Hillcrest Trail
Jonesboro, Georgia 30236

BLOG:      www.hisrivers.org  
EMAIL;     his.rivers@gmail.com

I arrived at the campus of West Africa Theological Seminary on August 17th after a 12 hour flight from Atlanta and a two hour ride in Lagos traffic. This was the beginning of my 18th trip to the campus since our first visit there in November of 2009. It never gets old or boring. I have to believe it's because I never cease to see God at work in this place. 

People are so friendly and always glad to welcome 'this old man'. Eager to learn, patient with my slowness to understand 'plain english', always expressing gratitude to God, with a song in their hearts and a dance in their steps - these are ones I have come to love.

I went with four major projects on which to continue the work. (1) Improving Internet Access; (2) Entering books via bar-coding into the Evergreen Library Management software at WATS; (3) Uploading digital volumes into the WATS eLibrary; and (4) Cleaning up the WATS Database Management System of student records/grades etc. 

As is ALWAYS the case - we didn't finish the work. As I told the folks there - If I am here two weeks, we don't finish; If I am here 3 weeks, we don't finish; If I was here a month, we wouldn't finish. Or if I was here permanently we wouldn't finish. But we did make great progress, and each area is probably in the best condition it has ever been in. So, to God be the Glory for that.

I was once again able to spend a bit of time with two of the families Marybeth and I have "adopted". Pastor Jide/Timothy and Antonia Moye and their five children, and Pastor Chude and Faith Menkiti and their son Daniel. What awesome ministries these two families are having. Sacrificing so much, but seeing their obedience rewarded through lives touched for eternity.

I was also blessed to be with my two good friends Joseph Karoma and Joseph Allen. These two passionate and dedicated followers of Jesus have been students at WATS in the Masters of Intercultural Studies - but were 'caught' in the Ebola crisis for 8 months while visiting their families back home - and returned to WATS this past January. They have been church planters and Disciple Makers both in Sierra Leone and Nigeria - primarily among Muslims. 

An unexpected joy was to be a part of the WATS Missions Conference. This is a three day event with two services on Wednesday and Thursday and a concluding service on Friday. We sat under the anointed preaching of Rev Shodankeh Johnson of Sierra Leone - and his emphasis on Making Disciples who make Disciple Makers. We heard of story after story of God's movement in Africa - and of the literally thousands who are becoming followers of Jesus. (Not just believers but followers) And we heard from the WATS students of their summer missions trips to several areas of West Africa. 

I do not have the time to relate all that occurred on this trip. But below are a few pictures.

Thanks to all who prayed for me on this trip. It was perhaps the most impactful since that first trip nearly 6 years ago. I will share some of this in future posts. I am more keenly aware than ever before that we must be redeeming the time. We must continue to be OBEDIENT - RIVERS. The time is NOW.

RIVERS NOT RESERVOIRS
7982 Hillcrest Trail
Jonesboro, Georgia 30236

BLOG:     www.hisrivers.org
EMAIL:   his.rivers@gmail.com

As you read this post I have landed back home in Atlanta from 3 weeks in Nigeria at West Africa Theological Seminary. I will bring you an update in next weeks post, but for now - here is Part 3 of the article by Jay Link of Stewardship Ministries, entitled God Provides.... Part 3 "God Provides Enough for us to be Satisfied"    This is personally convicting !! - Mark

One of the most profound statements that John Piper has ever made, and it is imminently on point right here, is this, “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.” There will never be a time in our lives when we are more in perfect harmony with the heart and the mind of God than when we are totally satisfied with just Him and with what He chooses to provide to us – however much or however little that might be.

Let me drill down a bit deeper. How do you currently understand what Paul says in I Timothy 6:8, “If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content.” Let me ask you, would you be satisfied if all you had was enough food for your next meal and the clothes on your back? Is this where your “contentment bar” is set? Probably not. Should we be concerned that our “contentment bar” is set at a substantially higher level than where Paul tells us it should be set?

Just two verses earlier in 6:6, Paul says, “godliness with contentment is great gain.” And remember, Jesus told His followers to “…be content with your wages” (Luke 3:14). This contentment message is everywhere! Let’s even go back to the Israelites, “Those who had gathered more didn’t have too much. Those who had gathered less didn’t have too little.” Everyone had enough. It seems that everything within us resists the idea of being satisfied with just enough, doesn’t it?

So, using Paul’s standard for contentment, how much is enough for you to be satisfied? And if that “enough” was all God wanted you to consume of all He has entrusted to you, would you both willing and glad to share all the surplus with others who don’t have enough – allowing you to become just another one of God’s conduits of provision to those who have a shortfall? Augustine articulates this idea so well, “Find out how much God has given you and from it take what you need (enough); the remainder is needed by others.”

I think we are all faced with an inescapable choice here. We are either going to have to make some substantial changes in how we are currently living or we are going to have to ignore a preponderance of biblical teaching on how God wants to be in relationship with us.

Intellectually, I have decided to start making the needed changes in how I live and how much I consume to better align myself with what I am sharing with you. Emotionally and spiritually, I will openly confess, I am still trying to figure out how to do it in the midst of so much personal and national surplus. ( I echo this with a convicted heart - Mark)

What I do know is that God provides.  He will always provide me enough. And I need to learn to be satisfied with what He decides is enough for me to consume and then gladly and freely make the rest available for deployment at His discretion."   

To download a pdf version of the full article: Manna in the Wilderness - CLICK HERE

RIVERS NOT RESERVOIRS
7982 Hillcrest Trail
Jonesboro, Georgia 30236

BLOG:    www.hisrivers.org
EMAIL:  his.rivers@gmail.com

As you read this post I am in Nigeria at West Africa Theological Seminary. I hope to bring you updates of my work there, but in the meantime am posting Part 2 of the article by Jay Link of Stewardship Ministries, entitled "God Provides Enough."  Get ready, this is NOT just another simple read. - Mark

"All of us are quite familiar with the epic story of Israel’s 40 year wandering in the wilderness. Recently I reread this story – particularly noticing the part where God announces how He will feed His people. I find it quite fascinating that of all the unlimited ways that God could have chosen to feed His people, He opted for such an unusual way of doing it – manna.Here is the actual account:

This is what the Lord has commanded: Each of you should gather as much as you can eat. Take two quarts for each person in your tent. So that is what the Israelites did. Some gathered more, some less.  They measured it into two-quart containers. Those who had gathered more didn’t have too much. Those who had gathered less didn’t have too little. They gathered as much as they could eat. Then Moses said to them, ‘No one may keep any of it until morning.’  Exodus 16:16–19

As I pondered God’s miraculous and admittedly quite bizarre mealtime plan for His people, everything about it – and I mean everything – seems to fly squarely in the face of our well-accepted American version of Christianity. My conclusions were quite sobering. But even more sobering was contemplating how this might apply to how I steward the life and resources God has entrusted to me. Author: Jay Link, Stewardship Ministries

Not much has changed in human nature since the dawn of man. We are all prone to not know the answer to the question, “How much is enough?” Our stock American answer is routinely, “Just a little bit more.” And Israel was certainly no exception.  The more industrious and resourceful among them apparently saw God’s daily provision as a way of securing their future – a way to stock up.

After all, they must have reasoned, “What could be wrong with building up an emergency reserve of three to six months of food in the event God forgets or fails to continue to take care of us in the future?  I mean, wouldn’t that just be good stewardship?  Would it? Is this commonly promoted line of reasoning God’s way or is it just the American way we have erroneously inserted into God’s way? Interesting question, isn’t it?

Let me suggest that building emergency reserves or retirement stockpiles from God’s daily provisions to secure our future does not seem to be God’s way.  In fact, knowing the deceitfully wicked mind and heart of man (Jeremiah 17:9), God made it impossible for Israel to never depend on accumulated emergency reserves – knowing that doing so would only enable them to put their trust in their accumulated provisions instead of Him, their Provider. Moses reports in Exodus 16:20, “But some of them didn’t listen to Moses. They kept part of it until morning, and it was full of worms and smelled bad.” They simply could not save up any extra (except on Fridays when they could gather up enough for both Friday and Saturday – the Sabbath Day).  Beyond that two day supply, it was day to day provisions for 40 years.

I imagine that by now you have already begun doing the same thing I tried to do – attempting to rationalize this idea that “God might want me to live my life with no reserves, no surplus and no extras.” All I can say is, good luck!

In Proverbs 30:8-9 Agur affirms the spiritual danger of having a surplus. He says, “Give me neither poverty nor riches; Feed me with the food that is my portion, that I not be full and deny You and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’ Or that I not be in want and steal, and profane the name of my God.” Agur’s point is quite obvious – give me just enough, because riches will tempt me to forget God and poverty will tempt me to break His laws and dishonor Him. Do you think this tidbit of wisdom might apply to us today?

The New Testament also reinforces this “no surplus” message. Remember when Jesus taught His disciples (at least some of whom were very well off financially) to pray. He told them to pray this way, “Give us this day our daily bread” (Matthew 6:11). This sounds an awful lot like a prayer that Israel might have been praying each morning, doesn’t it? Apparently, even after 1,500 years had passed, God was still wanting his people to be depending daily on Him as their Provider.

Think about it. This part of His model prayer makes no sense whatsoever, if we have months, years or even a lifetime of surplus resources stashed away for our personal use. Many of us have stored up enough surplus that we could say with a great sense of security, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry” (Luke 12:19). Before you take too much comfort in this verse, know that God later calls the man who said this, a “fool.”

Let me ask you a quite profound question, “What would be wrong with living a hand to mouth existence, if it was God’s hand to your mouth? It seems like this is exactly the situation God wants all of us to be in – depending on Him on a daily basis to give us enough – for that day. I think our greatest challenge is to determine, exactly how do we live this way in the midst of so much excess? And if we do have a surplus, how do we prevent it from hindering our desire and ability to depend on God to take care of us on a daily basis? These are questions that we all need to honestly wrestle with.

llow me to share with you the second simple, yet profound insight this story reveals in how God wants to be in relationship with His people.

So, let me ask you, do you really believe that 
God will always provide you enough?


To read the Full Article, CLICK HERE

Next week, Part 3

RIVERS NOT RESERVOIRS
7982 Hillcrest Trail
Jonesboro, Georgia 30236

BLOG:    www.hisrivers.org
EMAIL:  his.rivers@gmail.com