Parkwood Baptist Church

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.” (Matthew 5:3)

“Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” (Mark 10:15)

Do you remember what it was like to be a child?  To not have to think about a mortgage or rent payment?  You didn’t worry about what to eat for dinner?  Do you remember a time when you didn’t have the alarm clock telling you what time to be at work?  That was childhood for most people.  “Oh to be a kid again”, we say.  They don’t worry about the stock market.  They don’t care who the president is.  They are not concerned about the mound of laundry that has to be done.   The car payment isn’t even on their mind!  It’s not their car.  It’s not their house.  It’s not their food.  A child basically has nothing of their own.  They are totally dependant on the generosity of others.  A child is poor.  We all come into this world with nothing.  That’s right.  We depend on the people around us to provide all of our needs…food…clothing…shelter…and even activities.  We are unable to make any of those things happen by ourselves.  We must fully trust those around us to meet our needs.  This childlike trust is the key that opens the gates of Heaven according to Jesus.  However, this trust can only come when we realize how little we have and embrace the simplicity of the life of a child…the poverty of a child.

I believe this is at the core of what Jesus is saying to the disciples in both of these verses above.  If we are going to experience the Kingdom of God we will need to simplify our lives.  It’s not just trusting our Father as a child but also abandoning our obsession with the things of this world.  For some of us, we cannot get a clear view of the Kingdom because we have too much in the way.  Jesus also said,

“Therefore, I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on…but seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

The things of this world are blocking our view of what God really wants us to experience.  What are you missing because you are so busy making sure all your things are being taken care of?  Are you so consumed with your career or your schedule that you can’t enjoy what God has for you right now?

Today, what steps an you take to begin to remove the distractions from your heart?  Do you need to simplify your life?  Will you come to Jesus today with the trust and poverty of a child?

“There is no discipleship without the cross. I am not a follower of Jesus if I live with Him only in Bethlehem and Nazareth and not in Gethsemane and Calvary, too.”                                                              – Brennan Manning

“For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.” – Apostle Paul (1 Cor. 2:2)

If we are going to understand the poverty of the life of Jesus than we must make our way to Calvary and stand at the foot of the cross.  It is not an easy thing to do.  It is a trek unfamiliar to many in our day and time.  Through history we have cleaned up the cross.  We wiped off the blood, sanded away the splinters, and covered it with gold.  We wear it as jewelry, hang it up on the walls of our homes and put it on our steeples.  We have become numb to the depth of the sacrifice that was given when Jesus poured Himself out for all humanity.  His laying aside all that was His…becoming poor…enduring the cruelty of the cross…suffering the punishment that was meant for us.

When we are willing to go there, to the cross, and look into the face of the One who gave His life for us we will be able to sing with the hymn writer, “and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace”.  Perspective.  Things become clear in the presence of our Savior…our Lord…the Good Shepherd…the crucified King.

The Apostle Paul was consumed with the sacrifice of Jesus.  He couldn’t get the cross out of his mind.  It was more important than anything else.  He was a smart man educated in the best schools of the day.  He had the right pedigree and multiple degrees but none of that moved him like the cross of Christ.  The poverty of Jesus was the only thing worth knowing.  It was the event that moved him at the core of his being.  Everything else paled in comparison to this act of selfless love.  When Paul looked at the cross he realized that he was “poor in spirit”.  In other words, all that he had accomplished on his own and everything that he had built his trust on was garbage in the light of the cross (Philippians 3:8).

Today, what are you holding onto in your life that you cannot live without?  What have you anchored your ship to?  Your savings acount?  Your house?  Your health?  Your activities?  Your career?  Come to the cross.  Lay it down.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit…”

“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the form of a servant.” (Philippians 2:5-7)

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3)

Before we can begin to understand the poverty of the cross we must experience a kind of poverty ourselves.  The Apostle Paul writes, “Have this mind…”.  It is a call to embrace the mindset of Jesus who “made Himself nothing”.   What does this mean to empty yourself out…to become nothing…to be “poor in spirit”?

This is especially hard to understand in our noisy, cluttered world of today.  Most of us suffer from excess rather than poverty.  Too much to do…too much to eat…too many things going on…too much stuff to take care of.  Our lives are so full that taking time to meditate on the cross is just another thing added to our busy lives and it is almost a burden rather than a time of refreshment.

O Church, if we are ever going to go deeper in our contemplation of the cross we must simplify our lives.  This will involve a change in our schedules, a change in our committments, eliminating some things and adding others but…mostly…a  change in our perspective.  A change in our worldview.  A change in our attitude toward the people around us and around the world.  A change in how we value the things that we “own” and a change in how we meet the needs of others.  A change in how we organize our calendars.  A change in our appreciation of rest and renewal.  A change in perspective.

“Have this mind…”

It is only when we think about this mindset of Jesus that the true poverty of the cross can be appreciated.  It is the selfless love of Christ that transforms the horrors of the cross into the redemption of His beloved creation.  It is the unfailing love of The Father that transforms an instrument of death into a pathway for mercy and grace.

Today, quiet your soul as you think about the attitude of Jesus as He approached the cross.  Think about how it applies to you.  He “made Himself nothing” for you and me.  He willingly became poor so that you might be able to experience the riches of reconciliation with your Heavenly Father.  Look for His blessings today!

“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you by His poverty might become rich” – 2 Cor. 8:9

What kind of God becomes poor to make us rich?  Who would put aside the majesty and glories of Heaven for those He created? Who would set aside a crown of gold for a crown of thorns?  What kind of God would allow Himself to be nailed to a cross for the sake of others?  Yet this was God’s doing according to the Scriptures.  It was His plan for the redemption of the world He loves.  What else does the poverty described in this verse teach us about  our God?  What can we learn about the Lord and His sacrifice by meditating on this thought during Lent?

During this devotional journey we will be thinking about the blessed mystery of this poverty which Jesus chose to bring about our ssalvation.  We will not only discover what this teaches us about God but also, how this should guide us in our daily living.

Jesus talked about the benefits of sacrifice many times in the Scriptures.  He also talked about the danger of riches.  In His most well known message in the Gospel of Matthew Jesus said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit…”.  We know Jesus loved the poor and even commanded us to take care of them, but this verse speaks to our need for poverty.  The cross reveals to us a God who not only wanted to help the poor but “became poor”.  Therefore, if we are called to follow Jesus (and we are) and if we want to become more like Him (and we should) than we must dig deeper to find out what it means to be a part of the “blessed poor”.

We will spend the next 40 days digging into the opening part of the sermon on the mount.  I believe that we will find some rich treasures in these blessed beattitudes.  I hope that walking through these simple phrases will draw us deeper to Christ and closer to the cross this Easter.

The Lenten season is an ancient Christian tradition that dates back to the early church.  It is the 40 days and 6 Sabbaths leading up to the celebration of the resurrection of our Lord Jesus.  Believers are encouraged to fast and pray daily during this time as they contemplate the sacrifice of Jesus for our sin.  As we begin this devotional journey to the cross together I want to challenge you to prayerfully consider adding or subtracting something from your daily routine that will be a reminder to you of the Lord’s great love for you.

Today thank the Lord for His willingness to become poor that you might become rich.  Ask Him to open your heart and your mind this Lenten season that you might gain insight that will draw you closer to Him and to each other.

Giving is “hard” in Northern Virginia
– from David Plunkett, Stewardship Committee

When Christians give, they model the creator.  We are never more like God than when we give!  True giving is based on love, and not compulsion.  How much we should give isn’t governed by law, but by our hearts.  And, our hearts are to be totally committed to God.  It’s a relationship!

However, giving isn’t easy. This is especially true in an area as expensive as Northern Virginia.  We make more money and it costs more to live.  Studies show that the cost of living has outpaced income growth over the past 12 years.  Little wonder that, as the Gallop Poll reports, half of Americans suffer from financial anxiety.  This tends to make us less likely to be generous in giving.

Some churches answer this by developing a budget and charging dues, like a country club. Some demand a W-2 and assess the tithe.  Pay your tithe or leave.  Some make giving a condition of membership.  Some use shame.  None of these are Biblical (2 Cor. 9: 7).  It misses the point of giving.  Our giving is only meaningful if it comes from the heart.

Every Christian should give. We should give because we are made in the image of our Creator who is infinitely giving.  Our giving shows a heart that is right with God.  When we have faith, giving is a natural response to God’s grace.  Giving is part of a complete commitment to God.  We honor God through our giving.  And, our giving is always an act of humility and submission to God.

But… the reality is that many of us have debts and expenses which put pressure on our ability to give.  It isn’t always easy to give.

It is hard not to worry about our money.  Jesus often told his followers not to worry about money.  In Matt. 6: 31, Jesus reassures us that we shouldn’t worry because God knows our needs.  With that fresh in their minds, the disciples still fretted about money.  Philip fretted that it would take eight months’ wages to feed the multitude in John 6: 7.  Peter asked what they could expect to receive for having given up everything to follow Jesus (Matt. 19: 27).  In Matt. 26: 8-9, all of the disciples are indignant when the woman wastes perfume that could have been sold to raise money.

I wish I could say that giving will make our financial worries magically disappear. The Bible doesn’t say that – the worries of this world will always be with us.  One thing I know is true, though.  Whether we give or not, financial worries will always be there.  But if we have given ourselves completely to God as we are called to do, and are focused on heaven, then our worries fall into perspective.

“I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty.  I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.  I can do everything through him who gives me strength.”  Phil. 4: 11-13.

If we believe in the promises of God, then we should not worry about money. The Bible doesn’t deny that poverty and suffering are real.  (John 12: 8)  It also instructs us to pay our debts.  (Rom. 13: 7)  We live in the world, but we are not to be part of the world.  (2 Cor. 10: 3)

Either we believe God’s Word, or we don’t. It is wrong to let worries about money keep us from being faithful in our giving.  So, who should give?  You should give.

God doesn’t need your Money!                                                                                                                                             -from David Plunkett, Stewardship Committee

A joke: A country preacher, a city preacher, and a TV preacher were talking about how they are paid. The country preacher says, “I draw a circle on the ground and toss all the money in the offering plate up in the air. What lands in the circle is my pay and the rest belongs to God.” The city preacher said, “I do something similar, but I draw a line on the ground. Everything that falls on this side of the line is my pay. Everything that falls on the other side belongs to God.” The TV preacher tugged the sleeves of his Armani suit over his diamond cuff links, straightened the collar of his silk shirt, and smiled. “Well, I do you two one better. I toss the offering up in the air and shout, ‘Here God keep what you want.’ What he doesn’t keep is mine to spend.”

Like the preachers in the joke we tend to give randomly or on an “as needed” basis.  “When God needs some of my money I’ll give it.”  What we fail to see is that this kind of giving is as misguided as the joke above.  First, God does not need anything from you.  The Scriptures tell us that it is all God’s anyway:

“I have no need of a bull from your stall
or of goats from your pens,
for every animal of the forest is mine,
and the cattle on a thousand hills.”
Psalms 50: 9

If God doesn’t need or want our money, then why do we give? The answer is simple, our gifts to the Lord reveal the condition of our hearts and our commitment to His Kingdom work.  In other words, we give to the Lord out of love and gratitude for all He has done for us.  It is a recognition that all we have is the Lord’s and it is a privilege to be able to give back to Him.  Actually, it is an act of worship!  In Psalm 50 (Quoted above) God is addressing the people’s wrong attitude about their gifts.  They thought the were doing God a favor and they missed the point.  The Psalm says in verse 7;

“Hear, O my people, and I will speak,
O Israel, and I will testify against you:
I am God, your God.
I do not rebuke you for your sacrifices
or your burnt offerings, which are ever before me.”

As Christians we know something the TV preacher apparently has forgotten. It’s only when we give from the heart that we honor God. That is what the Israelites forgot, too.  No, God does not need your money.  He wants your heart and when He has your heart giving will follow…it is the law of love.

The psalmist ends with a promise about the fruits of faithful giving:

“He who sacrifices thank offerings honors me,
and he prepares the way
so that I may show him the salvation of God.” (verse 23)

I Give a Lot of My Time, Why Must I Give Money, Too

• From David Plunkett, Stewardship Committee

The reality that people give away a lot of money is surprising enough.  For Christians giving is a reflex…how much we give is a choice determined by our hearts.  Is money all that we give or are their other ways to give?

I used to wonder if I could just tithe my time and have that be good enough. Did you know that Americans spend at most 17 minutes a day in religious activities, according to the American Time Use Survey?  A mature Christian is in constant communion with God.  This cannot be measured by a survey.  Most likely this survey looked at visible religious practices like prayer, Bible reading and going to church.  However, a survey that finds people spending only 17 minutes a day on religious activities indicates some things.  First, it supports the words of Jesus, “the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few” (Matt. 9:37).  It also, shows that many do not always support their faith with their time.  In other words, they are not showing their faith in their “works” (James 2:18).  Both of these thoughts should convict us.

When a person commits their life to follow Jesus they are giving over all their time to the Lord.  Their life becomes that 24/7 resource for God to use as He sees fit.  Some would rather give money instead of time while others would minimize their time investment by using the “tithing principle”.  Either attitude short changes God and settles for a less fulfilling faith.

The same is true if we try to substitute the giving of our time for the giving of our resources.  “Well, I volunteered at the church work day so I don’t need to tithe this week.”  This is substituting one discipline for another and causes an imbalance in ones spiritual growth.  As mentioned earlier, a healthy Christian has already given all their time to the Lord.  They walk consistently with the Lord and seek to give of their resources to support God’s Kingdom work.

It’s true that sometimes all we have to give is time.  That’s okay.  Peter and John didn’t have any money in Acts 3 when they encountered a beggar, but they gave him time and attention.  They gave what they had.

Can we substitute time for tithes?  Not a good idea, but to increase the amount of time we put into prayer and the study of God’s Word cannot help but strengthen our giving in other areas.  The challenge is simple:  What can you do to increase the time you “live out” your faith?  And, What can you do to increase your giving financially?  Both areas of our lives should be growing and a witness to others of our faith in our God.  It is the practice of using all we have to bless others!

How Much Should We Give?

– From David Plunkett, Stewardship Committee

Non-Christians and Christians give away a surprising amount of their money. What distinguishes Christian giving is that it is heartfelt and not a reaction to social pressures.  How does knowing that tell us how much to give?

People who study giving write about tithers (good) and tippers (bad). Every church wants tithers more than tippers.  Yet I can’t help but think, wouldn’t it be better to have a church full of tippers?  I’m old enough to remember when a waiter was pleased with a 10 percent tip.  At some point the normal tip went up to 15 percent.  Now, it’s 20 percent.  In contrast, a tithe is just 10 percent and has been 10 percent since Abraham was herding sheep in the desert.  What a church we could build if everyone just tipped God what they tip for table service!

On the other hand, could we shame tippers into tithers? I had a friend who waited tables in college.  If a customer left a quarter for a tip, she would chase him down at the door and give it back.  “Sir, you dropped your quarter,” she’d say loud enough for it to be embarrassing to the departing customer.  What if God did that to us?  Would God have reason to chase any of us down at the church door on Sunday to hand back our offering?

(For the record: I think of the tithe as a benchmark; a handy reference for how much we should give, but not a commandment. It began in custom, but came to be viewed as law.  In freeing us from the law, if anything, Jesus condemned “tithers.” (Luke 11: 42)  Of course, that condemnation came because the Pharisees failed to understand how they should tithe.  Often when I use the term “tithe” I am really referring to giving in general unless it is clear from the context that I mean the Biblical tithe.)

I don’t think it’s productive to shame people, but we should educate them. For starters, if the thought of God chasing you down at the door worries you, maybe you’re not giving what your heart knows you should give.

What’s the correct answer to how much should we give, a tip or a tithe? Well, Jesus said we should give everything we have.

Look at three examples from the Bible. Jesus condemned the rich ruler because he couldn’t give up everything to become a follower.  (Luke 18:18-30)  Jesus praised the poor widow because she gave up everything she had even though it was only pennies.  (Luke 21:1-4)  The early church grew because the believers shared “everything.”  (Acts 4:32)

Then again, look at Zacchaeus. He only gave away half of his possessions to the poor.  Yet Jesus holds him out as an example of salvation.  (Luke 19:1-9)

The Bible isn’t an early version of the Communist Manifesto – we don’t need to impoverish ourselves to be good Christians. Rather, what Jesus is asking for, and what Biblical giving is, is an act of the heart.  It begins by giving ourselves completely to God.  If we’ve taken that first step of faith then whether a tip, a tithe, half of our possessions, or our last mite, it is enough.

How much should you give? Give until your heart is full.

“Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: ‘I have seen the Lord!'” (John 20:18)

I know…I know…it’s hard to believe!  The women discovered the empty tomb and immediately thought that they had moved the body.  The disciples didn’t believe it when they heard the news and even when they saw the tomb they struggled.  But, believe it or not He is ALIVE!  Mary’s testimony rings out today from the hearts of believers around the world…”I have seen the Lord!”  That is the witness that stands.

He is Risen!

“For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance:  that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve.  After that, He appeared to more than 500 of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep.  Then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all He appeared to me also…” – Paul the Apostle (1 Corinthians 15:3-8)

He is Risen!

Do you believe it?  Have you seen Him?  Jesus said, “Blessed are the pure in heart for they will see God” (Matthew 5:8).  It is His work on the cross that can bring us forgiveness of sin and open our eyes to see our living Savior!  We all can see Him!

He is Risen!

We serve a living God who has defeated death and rescued us from the wages of our sin!  Have you seen Him?  He is not a god of stone or wood that has to be nailed down or it will fall over.  He is not a god who is far off and cannot be found.  He is not a god in creation He is the Creator of all things!  Have you seen Him?

He is Risen!

Mary’s testimony can be yours!  “I have seen the Lord!”  He can be found and He can be seen and you too can have the relationship with Him that you were intended to have.  You can KNOW the unbelievable truth that He is Risen!

“Later Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jews. With Pilate’s permission, he came and took the body away. He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night…Taking Jesus’ body, the two of them wrapped it, with spices, in strips of linen…At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had ever been laid. Because it was the Jewish day of preparation and since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.” (John 19:38-42)

“The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed Joseph and saw the tomb…then they went home…but they rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the commandment.” (Luke 23:55, 56)

There is Maundy Thursday and Good Friday and Easter Sunday but what about Saturday.  In the Scripture there is a pause in this weekend marking God’s wonderful work of redemption.  It is the Sabbath day for the faithful in the Jewish community.  It began at sunset on Friday night and continued to sunset on Saturday.

In the events recorded above we see a great deal of activity to make sure that Jesus is in the tomb by sunset (Sabbath).  There are two groups that deserve some attention in this moment.  First, it was an important Jewish custom that the dead be buried before the Sabbath so two Jewish officials, Joseph and Nicodemus, felt the need to honor Jesus by obeying this ritual.  Both of them were part of the religious elite that were responsible for Jesus’ death but they were secretly disciples of Jesus.  Of course, this would no longer be the case after this event.  They would now become known as the “secret” disciples.  We are never told but I am sure that this act of obedience and homage to Jesus put their positions as leaders in jeopardy.  I would be willing to bet that they lost their jobs and their influence.  But…they obeyed.  They came out of hiding and finally proclaimed their faith without reserve.  You know, it’s never to late to step out into the light and let people know that you are a follower of Jesus.  This Easter is a great opportunity to do that!

The second group is the women who were at the foot of the cross the whole time.  They follow Joseph and Nicodemus to the tomb but…they don’t stay…they don’t prepare the body.  They go home.  Why?  In obedience to the commandment.  It is the Sabbath.  The day of rest.  The death of Jesus did not suspend all the Scriptural directives!  These women understood something that many still wrestle with…Jesus came to fulfill the law not abolish it.  The design for life that God created with a regular Sabbath still is important even when our world is falling apart.

Isn’t it amazing that even in the midst of the salvation event God takes a Sabbath rest.  Take some time today to just rest and meditate on what this weekend means to you.