MosaicRC

On our journey towards mature faith in God, there are certain areas that require action — tithing and serving others.  Both can be a little scary, but the benefits are amazing!  It is not so coincidence that the two things that we seem to have the least of (money and time) are the very things God wants us to give in His name.  Money is such a loaded issue for people (more couples divorce over money issues than any other), and it has gotten pretty abused within the Christian church.

God says that if we are not giving 10% (1 dime out of every dollar) of our increase (Income) then we are robbing from Him (Malachi 3:8).   That puts a pretty heavy spin on the subject doesn’t it? I think we all forget that it is not we who provide; but God provides to us through talents, abilities, skills, and jobs.  He goes on and says that if we will trust Him and are faithful in our tithing, then He will bless us by opening up the flood gates of heaven.  In fact, He says, “There will be so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.”

I know this is true, I have many stories on how our faith (trust) and faithfulness in tithing has resulted in abundance, money mysteriously stretching out beyond belief, and mysterious checks coming in at the perfect time.  God challenges us by telling us to test Him in this, telling us what the result will be.  It is like a teacher telling her students that if they take a test they will get an A+.  Really good odds that it will work out for us.  So, are you ready?

The other area we seem to want to neglect is looking beyond our own needs and desires.  Our culture has become so narcissistic that the needs or wants of others have become invisible to us.  If we are truely on a road to faith and Jesus is our example, then we should become students of His ways.  In Mark 10:45, Jesus tells His disciples (students), “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

If that is what He was teaching them, it still stands for us today.  I am excited about the opportunity to serve my neighbors next Sunday and share time and food with them.  Getting out of the building this coming Sunday and actually doing what we so often talk about will be challenging and fun.

I hope the challenges and opportunities that have been put before you the past two weeks will strech you as well as bless you.  Time and money are precious commodities these days, so we need to be wise and get the most out of them.  By trusting God and asking Him to guide us with our time and money we are sure to win.

So, get out there and be the hands and feet of the King,

Rod

P.S.  What are some of the serving ideas?  Do you have room for others to come and partner with you? It is fun and more comfortable to have someone else to serve with.  Leave a comment and let others see your ideas and let us know if we can help you.

Meet the next generation of Mosaic RC: Ezra Jack Daniel, Sophia DamarisJooYoung Kim, Noah Zion Randolph, and Barrett Scot Jamison. What a pleasure it was to dedicate parents and babies back to God. It is no small thing to present the greatest gift of life back to the one who gave it in the first place. Children are a gift from God (Psalm 127:3) but also a huge responsibility. I am continually blown away by how they follow our lead wherever we go and in whatever we do, say, or react. Deuteronomy 6:4-7 is a huge hint into godly parenting. It says:

Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.

Basically we are called as Christians to model our lives after God in order that our children will learn from us a love and devotion that they will naturally follow. Jesus won’t be some enigma to chase after and wonder whether He is real or not; rather, the children will know who He is and how to have a relationship with the living God. It is easy to see the hypocritical habits and words I struggle with when I begin to examine these lessons on godly parenting. Prasie God for His grace and mercy to those who earnestly try to follow His ways. Like faith, parenting is a long journey. Parents, press in during the tough times and enjoy the blessing of your children while you have them; time is short.

Abram had seen God’s faithfulness on more than one occasion, especially in Egypt.   Heading back to Canaan he is promised the land everywhere his eye can see.  Lot, Abram’s nephew, has followed him since Haran and has been blessed along side his Uncle because of God’s faithfulness to Abram (I will bless those who bless you).  With so much blessing from God, the two men have more livestock than the land can accommodate.  Gracious Uncle Abram offers Lot the choice of the land.  By what Lot sees (the green and fertile Valley of the Jordan), Lot chooses what seems like the choicest of land next to the cities of wicked men.  Abram humbly moves to Hebron, under the oaks of Mamre, a place in the opposite direction, understanding that God will provide for him and all of those with him.  This is the place that Abram settles and calls home for a time.

God gave Abram a place to call home - a place to dwell, raise livestock, and be a family of people.  I am aware of the leading of God, for us, to venture out and begin to look about the land of Rancho Cucamonga.  “This is the land I (God) have given you.”  Four years we have lived as nomads moving in and out of a school and a community center every week.  We have been a family of people living in the guest rooms of our city.  I believe God is going to give us a home of our own in our community.  In the months to come, I am asking Mosaic RC to begin praying that God woud lead us to that place He has set aside for us.  Like Abram at the “Oaks of Mamre,” it is time we began to set roots in Rancho Cucamonga.