I love springtime. I feel genuine warmth in the sun these days as snow retreats to the shadowed places. Cold has lost its winter grip and the thawed earth smells of life again. It’s a time of fresh new beginnings. The pussy willows attest to that reality. Birds celebrate it with song. It’s no accident that God chose springtime for His Son to be lifted up in our place to die, freeing us from the icy death-grip of sin. With His resurrection He pronounced to all creation His victory. He is King of Kings! We are freed. He has gone to prepare a place for us, and is attending to that task as you are reading these lines. Think of it; God’s Son is preparing a place for you right now!

Following great victories in battle in times past, runners were sent throughout the land announcing said victory to the king’s subjects. The oppressor was defeated. The people were safe. There was great celebration in the land. Today the declaration of Jesus’ victory is still unheard of by many and not understood by most. That message still needs to be declared to the lost souls living around us. That is still the steadfast purpose of Six Seasons Christian Riders. This is why, as many of you are reading these lines, I will be on the road once again on my first two-wheeled ministry trip of 2010.

Escaping northern Wisconsin in March will demand I latch onto a sunny dry day above freezing and make the first four-hundred mile dash as far as Des Moines, Iowa where I’ll most likely thaw my bones in the hot shower of a Ma & Pa Motel. The next day should put me into more reasonable riding weather in Arkansas or Oklahoma, the exact route to be determined by weather patterns and the whim of the moment. This is a search and rescue operation. I’ll be watching for divine appointments – those people who God has foreordained me to meet that require His touch - all along the way. Within the ride I have scheduled meetings with individuals, with groups of Six Seasons people, in churches, at secular rallies/events, and ministering to pastors and with missionaries. I’ve given myself leeway in the schedule that enables me to stay over in places I need to and move on when I must.

While I’m on the road a change will take place at home for Marilyn. Our youngest son, Judah, will be finishing high school. I’ll be returning to a home in the early stages of ‘empty-nest’ syndrome. I’m not certain I like that idea. Does that mean ‘geezerdom’ has arrived? Perhaps I can settle for ‘Grampa-hood’? I like that better. "Look out Grandkids. Whiskers flying in the wind – here comes Grampa!"

I pray that we will all glorify God in all of the stages of our lives, and that we will persevere together in the vision He has given us for this ministry. Our preaching, teaching, praying, giving, and riding are all offerings to God, which is our reasonable service. "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service." (Romans 12:1)

May God bless you.

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TIGHTENING THE SHIP  

(STAYING AFLOAT)

At the request of several pastors I recently addressed the Biblical method of handling finances before their congregations. I was astounded by the post-sermon comments. Several people stated that was the first time that they had ever been taught about finances from the Bible – other than when it regarded tithing. Several, with tears in their eyes, said they only wished they had been taught these principles earlier, while others were extremely thankful and said they now knew what they could do with what they still had control over. The most heartbreaking story came from a couple who told me they had lost virtually all of their savings in the Madoff scandal. This retired couple is now relegated to living on little more than social security.

Whether it’s on the radio, television, or in the newspapers, financial stress has dominated the news for the past several months. While some disasters are in real time (if you’re already laid off), most are still in the future, which means that most of us still have some time to prepare for what lies ahead. The challenges coming as the result of our government stimulating us to death are going to be tremendous. So, what can we do financially to prepare our households for what lies ahead?

First of all, it might be wise to find out how we got into this mess in the first place. I’ll ignore corporate and governmental greed and mismanagement for this article and concentrate on individual households, because that’s where we live and that’s where we affect preparations that will matter to our households. An illustration might help:

Sadly this scenario is being played out, for real, in way too many American’s lives. It occurred because we don’t know God’s methods for handling money, or the history of usury. "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge." (Hosea 4:6)

The Bible mentions money more than heaven and hell combined. It must, therefore, either be an important issue – or a stumbling block. Even in our current Christian community we can find two extreme camps of belief regarding money. The first are Christians who entertain the idea that there is something spiritual about being poor. They shy away from having expensive or new items, oftentimes feeling awkwardly guilty and unspiritual about ownership of such things. This ideology stems from the first Christian vows of poverty, which emerged in the Dark Ages springing out of Gnosticism, which is the pagan philosophy that the spiritual world cannot be tainted with physical pursuits (i.e. science, law, government, or money). The exalted pinnacle of this belief led to the life of the monk. The second is the reaction to this belief espoused in our modern Prosperity Gospel, which came to the fore when Christians discovered there was nothing necessarily wrong with having something nice as long as it didn’t become your idol. However, many bypassed this balance to the point where the acquisition of physical ‘things’ became the measure of one’s faith and level of spirituality. This view destroyed many people’s faith when their ‘spiritual ship’ failed to come in. They lost sight of the fact that Jesus died for our sins, not for our life enhancement.

Effective Christian living maintains a balance between these extremes. Money and material possessions are tools to be used in living out our lives before a fallen world in such a manner as to reflect Christ, knowing very well that all we acquire on earth will be left behind. (But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." (Matt. 6:33) There is nothing evil about money. Too little and we become non-functional in our world. The Bible clearly states "For the love of money is the root of all evil…" (I Timothy 6:10 - underline mine). Loving anything before God makes it an idol, which is sin.

Usury began in Babylon around five thousand years ago when some men, who we’d call bankers today, created credit out of thin air and lent money to people for usury (interest). It quickly enslaved many with a few becoming very rich during the process. When God gave man the Torah, He included guidelines for the use of money. Man was warned clearly "…the borrower is servant to the lender." (Prov. 22:7). He did not state that borrowing money was a sin, but clearly warned of the possible consequences of too much debt. Any loans between Israelites were not to be longer than seven years in duration (Deut. 15:1). But, knowing man’s bent toward disobedience, God provided the Year of Jubilee where once every fifty years all debt was to be forgiven. This was to keep generational debt from enslaving the people.

America remained a debt free nation for nearly one hundred and fifty years without a national income tax. We simply didn’t spend more than we took in. But then we borrowed to finance our first war effort, and that began our national slide into indebtedness. America was still the world’s largest creditor nation until less than twenty years ago. Today we are the world’s largest debtor nation, addicted to debt to keep functioning. That’s why our new president encouraged America’s citizens to take on additional loans to jump-start our economy. Incurring additional debt, we were told, was our patriotic duty. That’s a far cry from the principles of our founding fathers. Most citizens knew better than to try to spend their way out of debt and, fortunately, began to balance their personal budgets. For some, it was too late.

America, being founded upon Christian principles, based many of her financial laws upon God’s Levitical laws, which included our laws regarding bankruptcy. This law was devised to give a person a fresh chance if he hopelessly botched his finances beyond reasonable hope of reconciliation. It wasn’t designed to be an easy out for bad decisions; we wouldn’t learn to change our ways if that was the case. But with the review of just judges, a person could obtain a fresh beginning. Many Americans are resorting to this extreme end to erase a slate of bad habits. I pray that the hard lessons learned result in truly new financial practices.

Don’t panic. "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear…" (II Tim. 1:7). Being fearful will cloud your judgement. It weakens your position to make rational decisions. Remember: terrorism is based upon fear. Headlines trade in worst-case scenarios and result in compromised freedoms to avoid a perceived threat. Be proactive, not reactive. How?

Get out of debt ASAP. Sell what you don’t need to get what you will need now. Our government’s printing of trillions of dollars (creating money out of thin air) will result in runaway inflation. Sell that mortgaged snowmobile that you don’t need, while there is still a buyer willing to purchase, and payoff the car you need to keep. If you’re a farmer or carpenter, purchase the pickup truck you need for your work now. Truck prices are currently low due to the recent high fuel prices, but will go up with inflation soon.

Transportation: I believe Americans are about to discover the utilitarian aspects of motorcycling. Up until now it has been a sport, and more recently has taken a bent toward a rich man’s hobby, with some larger brands becoming status symbols. That will change. While many will bail out of them, we know that they are efficient commuters. There is a reason motorcycles are so common in Asia and Europe. They save gas, wear and tear on the car or truck, and …it puts a smile on your face when you ride it. That can be important during hard times. Sunday drives can still be affordable on two wheels. And don’t forget about your first love of two-wheeling: your bicycle. It’s the cheapest mode of self-propulsion man has ever invented. Whatever your personal transportation, get it into good working order while you are able.

Food: How long since you’ve gardened? Ladies, revive those canning skills. But you’d better have seed on hand (most is hybrid today and cannot produce it’s own seed) and canning jars and lids. Eating-in will become a popular necessity.

THINK! What will you need, or wish you had kept in the future. You will need to recreate with your family, so don’t sell all of your recreational items. Some of the best memories that your parents or grandparents told coming out of the Great Depression were the family times spent together. So if you live among lakes, keep that boat, perhaps downsizing to a more efficient model if you need to. Those fourteen-footers with 9.9 hp motors will run all summer on a tank of gas. If push comes to shove (paddle?) you do know what those oar locks are for? J Remember that the fish don’t care what you’re fishing from. Neither do your children or grandchildren.

Attitude: "Learn to be content in every situation." (Phil. 4:12)

Many people’s joy depends upon material possessions. It’s especially an American thing. ‘Shop ‘til you drop’ will no longer be an option. Learn to be content with what you have. It’s a state of the heart. Let your joy come from God and praise Him for what you DO have. Don’t concentrate on what you don’t have. ‘Keeping up with the Jones’ will not be an option. Good riddance!

God’s Work: A magnificent spiritual harvest is right at our doorstep. When Six Seasons began twenty-one years ago, it was designed with this time in mind. That’s why we included boats, canoes, horses, and bicycles in our mission statement. When apocalyptic times neared we knew that our people would be prepared to get the message of Jesus Christ out even if they had to ride bicycles. This news is nothing new to those who have been trained by and have ministered with us over the years. Don’t lose that vision now.

Continue to support God’s work, as you are able. "Sacrifice unto your Lord and pay your vows unto the Most High. Then you call upon Me in your time of trouble, for I will come and rescue you, because it will give Me honor." (Psalms 50:14-15) God has not forgotten you; don’t forget His work. Let’s finish the race God has put before us well.

When you have your house in order to the best of your ability, rest. Remember Jesus own words to us: "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled neither let it be afraid." (John 14:27) He warned us that the time before His return would be like this, so keep looking up. You have nothing to fear. The best is yet to come!

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                     CHANGING TIMES