Matthew Gaither – Page 24

The Perfect Solution for the Tired and Weary – Guest Post

October 30, 2013 by Matthew Gaither

Today I am very pleased to introduce Mr. Denver Harris. Denver is a senior at Excel Christian Academy in Cartersville, Georgia. Denver has been called to preach and it is evident if you spend any time with him at all that the good fruit of righteousness is already being produced in his life.

I approached Denver a while back and asked him if he would consider writing a guest post for Matthew515 and he graciously agreed. I am honored to be able to host this message and give Denver a chance to say what is on his heart.

First of I would like to thank Matt for giving me this opportunity to be a guest writer on his site. My name is Denver Harris, and I have known Matt for several years now and am blessed to be able to call him my friend.

Do you feel like you are ready to give up?

Most people have a set routine for their daily lives. We wake up, go to work, and go home to rest. Somewhere in this process we begin to feel tired. We slack at work, become irritable, and all we have on our minds is sleep and rest. Being a high school student I know all too well about feeling tired, and I also understand the urge to want to give up or quit when things do not go as planned. We all at some point in time have been tired; we are human and that is the way our body tells us to rest.

However, we as Christians must not grow weary; the harvest is plenty but the workers are few (Matt. 9:37). There is a lost and dying world out there, and we want to complain about being tired? We must run the race with endurance (Hebrews 12:1). Isaiah 40:31 says “but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” There are many more verses like these encouraging Christians to not give up and not be a quitter no matter how tired you may be. The Lord will renew your strength and your desire to want to do His business and grow His kingdom.

Allow me to ask you a very serious question. What if Jesus would have stopped half way up Golgotha’s hill? What if during his suffering and agony He stopped and called the angel army to come and deliver Him? The world is in bad shape as it is, but could you imagine a world without our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Friends, Jesus went all the way to Cavalry for everyone, for all kinds.

Max Lucado put it this way and I love this quote it says ” If you knew that only a few would care that you came, would you still come? If you knew that those you loved would laugh in your face, would you still care? If you knew that the tongues you made would mock you, the mouths you made would spit at you, the hands you made would crucify you, would you still make them? Christ did.” That is love beyond compare. Knowing He was going to die didn’t stop this beautiful creation, and He made the ultimate sacrifice on the cross for all mankind. So let me ask you the question again: are you tired?

You shouldn’t be. Spiritually you should be on fire and ready to do the good work that God has laid out for you. This world will try and bring you down and try to make you weary. Winston Churchill, during Britain’s darkest hours of WWII, said we shall never surrender.

Another famous speech along the same lines was given by Jimmy Valvano (famous college basketball coach who was dying from cancer at the time) and he had this to say about giving up:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIr1VrgZHd0

So next time you feel spiritually tired and feel like giving up remember what Christ did for you. Do not surrender to this world, and do not give up. Don’t ever give up!

God Bless You and thank you for reading.

Filed Under: Daily, Special Tagged With: encouragement, guest post, weary

Finding Your Sacred Pathway

October 28, 2013 by Matthew Gaither

I’ve just finished Gary Thomas’ “Sacred Pathways” and what I read there is fresh on my mind. It has given me much to consider and like a good puzzle, it is going to take me some time to get it all worked out.

I should state up front that this is not a book review. I may decide to review “Sacred Pathways” in-depth at a later time. But for now I just want to focus on the broad topics and themes that Mr. Thomas writes about and how they have influenced my thinking.

What exactly is a sacred pathway? According to Mr. Thomas, a sacred pathway is our soul’s path to God. Put more simply, it is how we best relate to our Heavenly Father. The basic idea is this: God created us all uniquely. Because we are all unique, we view and interact with the world and with God accordingly. And, as long as we are seeking God honestly and with our whole being, the actual method will vary but the results will be the same; God will be glorified and we will be blessed.

Let me give you an example. From my reading, I have discovered that I am an Enthusiast, Contemplative, Intellectual. I also show tendencies in the Naturalist and Ascetic Categories. (And if all of this sounds vaguely like a Myers-Briggs style personality test for worship styles then you wouldn’t be far off of the mark.)

As an Enthusiast, I am excited about God. I look forward to seeing His handiwork each and every day and I wait expectantly to see what He is going to do next. I need that sense of excitement, adventure and enthusiasm about my relationship to the Lord and I am grateful whenever the Lord allows me even a glimpse of His wonderful work. Enthusiasts are sometimes regarded as odd and often misunderstood by those who do not understand this particular sacred pathway.

As a Contemplative, I crave time to sit at my Savior’s feet and enjoy His company. I identify with Mary more than Martha in this regard. I want to meditate on His greatness and explore the depths of His love in my heart, soul and mind. Contemplatives and Caregivers (another sacred pathway – think Mary and Martha again) often do not see eye to eye but both are valid forms of worship as long as the object is God and His glory.

As an Intellectual, I am fed when I discover new truths about my Lord. I have an appetite for knowledge and I tend to read everything I can get my hands on. As an intellectual, I am a perpetual student and I am happiest when I am studying and exercising my mind in the pursuit of Godly wisdom and direction.

Why does this matter and how does this help us? For one, it has helped identify those activities and exercises that best feed me spiritually. I need to prioritize prayer and meditation every day and give myself plenty of time to just sit in my Father’s presence. I also need to be involved in what God is doing in as many ways as possible while I appreciate the mystery and adventure that comes through walking with Him. Finally, I need to make sure that I continue to learn, study and exercise the brain that God has given me.

On the other hand, I score lowest as a Traditionalist and this helps explain why traditional church services have never been my strong suit for feeling most connected to God. Corporate worship is incredibly important to the body of Christ but I also need to make sure that I spend plenty of time alone in my prayer closet (this also relates to the Ascetic pathway) if I truly want to grow.

Mr. Thomas identifies nine sacred pathways. In addition to the seven I have listed here (Enthusiast, Contemplative, Intellectual, Naturalist, Ascetic, Caregiver and Traditionalist) there is also the Sensate and the Activist. Mr. Thomas identifies each sacred pathway thusly:

Naturalist – Loving God by Being Outside with His Creation. Ever wanted to spontaneously worship and thank God while viewing a sunset or leaves in the Fall? Do you feel closer to God while under an open sky than under a roof? If so, you have some Naturalistic tendencies.

Sensate – Loving God with the Senses. Being moved by music, drawn closer to God through smell or taste or seeing a painting or fresco that caused your spirit to soar are all signs of a sensate.

Traditionalist – Loving God through ritual and symbolism. Traditionalists are fed by the historic traditions of the faith including sacraments, rituals and symbols.

Ascetic – Loving God in Solitude and Simplicity. Ascetics value solitude and simple surroundings and are fed by silence.

Activists – Loving God through Confrontation. Activists need to stand up for justice and call sinners to repentance. They are energized by fighting for the Lord against evil.

Caregivers – Loving God by Loving Others. Caregivers often see God in the poor and needy and are best fed through service to others.

Enthusiast – Loving God through Mystery and Celebration. Enthusiasts want excitement and mystery in worship and are cheerleaders for God and the Christian life.

Contemplative – The Contemplative seeks to love God with the deepest, purest love possible. Contemplative desire to give themselves completely to God; body, soul and mind.

Intellectual – Loving God with the Mind. Intellectuals love to discover new truths about God and explore Him with their minds.

Having defined the sacred pathways, it is very important that we understand that no sacred pathway is better than another and that Jesus Christ showed strength in all of them. As our model, we can look at the life of Jesus and understand that as we grow and mature in our faith we too will begin to exhibit preferences for all of these sacred pathways. As young Christians, we may begin our faith journey by most identifying with only one or two pathways. But as we begin to let the Holy Spirit work in us and we become more like Christ, we will begin to grow into other pathways and new ways to worship.

As long as true, honest worship of our Savior is our aim then God will be glorified and our faith and maturity as Christians will grow. This is always the ultimate goal. Even so, knowing your sacred pathway(s) can help you in your journey.

Having read through the definitions above and given some time to consider it, what sacred pathways do you most identify with and how might that affect your worship style?

Filed Under: Daily Tagged With: sacred pathways, worship

The Six Keys to Financial Success – Book Review

October 22, 2013 by Matthew Gaither

After writing “More than Giving, More than Saving”, I began my search for knowledge in regards to the world of finance and investing. In my search, I came across the work of Sean Hyman.

Sean is a former pastor who has dedicated his life to teaching others what the Bible has to say about success, money and financial stewardship. Sean’s book, “Six Keys to Financial Success”, is one of the tools that Sean uses to assist people like you and me in making financial decisions based on Godly principles. “Six Keys to Financial Success” is an ebook and at only 47 pages, is more of a booklet than a full fledged book. Don’t let that stop you from reading it, however, because it is well worth your time.

Being a novice, I appreciate the simplicity and straightforwardness of Sean’s book. Sean uses plain, everyday words and grammar and while finance and investment does contain plenty of advanced concepts, “Six Keys to Financial Success” is written for the beginner and assumes you have no prior knowledge or training. In other words, it’s a great place for a person like me to start.

Along with being easy to read, “Six Keys to Financial Success” is also generally encouraging and provides a lot of useful information for anyone who wants to get their life on solid financial ground. If you’ve ever suffered (or are suffering) from debt problems and can’t seem to get your head above water, “Six Keys to Financial Success” would be a great place to start your debt recovery.

Sean’s basic premise in “Six Keys to Financial Success” is that God desires his people to live in such a way that we are always in a position to bless others with our abundance. Debt causes a deficit and a lack of abundance and inhibits our ability to bless others and based on what the Bible says, God would not have us live in such a way.

Sean’s six keys are as follows:

1. Pray for God’s Favor and Blessing in Your Work – I love that Sean starts this with prayer. Beginning any endeavor with prayer and entreaty to God means that we are acknowledging Him as the ultimate authority and that without His blessing we are laboring in vain. Seek Him first! Pray for the business that you work for and pray for those who work along side you and over you. Acknowledge God in all your ways while working and He will bless the fruit of your hands.

2. Tithes and Offerings: 10% Plus Some, Not just 10% – God desires us to be givers. If you’ve read last month’s book review (Plastic Donuts: Giving that Delights the Heart of the Father) then you know that while tithing is important and God promises blessings to those who tithe, it is joyful giving that really pleases Him. God richly blesses those who give in abundance. I’ve seen this in my own life and Sean writes about how he has seen it in his life. I’ve always heard it put “you can’t out give God” and that is entirely accurate. Be a giver!

3. Save Money and Reduce Your Debts – The Bible clearly shows that this world will go through times of plenty and times of lack. Those who “build a storehouse” will not suffer loss when the lean times come. For us today, that means having a healthy savings account and developing the discipline to keep it that way. Despite what we might think, we don’t need the latest and greatest of anything and we could probably do without much of what we now have. By cutting expenses and putting the extra into savings we are putting ourselves into a good position for a rainy day. There’s no need to stress about a car repair or appliance replacement when we have a healthy savings account and we are certainly in a better position to help others when we aren’t having to worry about making ends meet each month.

4. Invest for Your Future – Much like the topic of “More than Giving, More than Saving”, Sean encourages putting your money to work by wisely investing it. Using the parable of the talents, Sean illustrates how God gives to us according to our ability and then expects us to develop what He has given us. In order to be given more, we need to “enlarge our territory” by increasing our abilities. God is only going to bestow on us the blessings that we can handle. In order to be more fully blessed, we need to be in a position to receive it by learning and working as hard as we can. Invest in knowledge, invest in increased ability and invest the finances that God has blessed you with.

5. Philanthropy – Once again, be a giver. Put yourself into a position where you can bless your pastor, your church, your family and the poor and needy with your finances. Sean says, and I agree with him, that those who give generously tend to do better in life than those who don’t. That’s pretty self-explanatory but it really can’t be overstated.

6. Be the Lender and Not the Borrower – Following the above five principles will put us in a position where we are not dependent on the bank or a credit account. We can become the lender because we have the abundance to do so. Proverbs 22:7 says the borrower is slave to the lender and our Lord would not have us be in bondage to anyone or anything. Taking on debt to obtain material goods may be the American way but that does not make it God’s way. God does not get glory out of His children being poor and destitute because of bad financial decisions.

I appreciate “Six Keys to Financial Success” for what it has already taught me and how it is shaping my thinking about finances. Sean Hyman would be a great person for any Christian who wants to know more about financial stewardship to read and study more about. His life story and path to success is based on Godly wisdom and Biblical principles and the world we live in could use many more people like him.

“Six Keys to Financial Success” is published in eBook form by ebookit.com and is available from Amazon.com for Kindle products and from BarnesandNoble.com for Nook products.

ISBN -13: 9781456602444

47 pages

Filed Under: Daily Tagged With: book review, finances, stewardship

What Does Your Basket Look Like?

October 21, 2013 by Matthew Gaither

In this short video I ask a very simple question and discuss the best way to remove that which causes our light for Jesus to be dim. I use Matthew 5:15 and 1 John 4:4 to illustrate how although sometimes we hide our lights under a basket of our own making, He that is in us is greater than he who is in the world.

I hope you are blessed by this video blog and I hope that if you are struggling underneath a basket that you pray and ask the Holy Spirit for help in removing it and becoming the light that the Father means for you to be. Please let me know if I can pray for you in this area!

Filed Under: Daily, Video Tagged With: encouragement, light, power

The Great Untruth

October 15, 2013 by Matthew Gaither

Every one of us, at some point in our lives, buy into one or more fundamental untruths. I call them fundamental untruths because they shape how we live our life and what we are basing our reality on. Satan is called the father of lies and it is his intention that we never seek the truth, never discover how badly we have been deceived and never realize the damage that is being done by believing his lie.

Fundamental Untruth 1. There is no God.

Millions upon millions of human beings on this planet believe this lie. “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.” (Romans 1:20 NASB) God’s word tells us that His attributes, eternal power and divine nature are built in to His creation so that anyone who is honest with themselves cannot help but see and believe in Him. Nevertheless, we humans are easily distracted and easily convinced of that which is untrue and those who believe this lie will spend eternity separated from their loving Creator.

Fundamental Untruth 2. I can come to God on my own terms.

There are many variations to this untruth but they all boil down to one underlying deception. Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” (John 14:6 NASB) The Bible makes it very clear that unless we accept our sinful condition and our absolute powerlessness to fix ourselves and put our faith in Jesus Christ then we cannot come to the Father. It is only by God’s grace that we are given the opportunity for salvation. Any attempt on our part to come to God apart from the saving work of Jesus Christ will be met with failure.

This lie shows up in religions that stress works as a path to God or to enlightenment; it shows up in cultures that stress individual achievement and acclimation over Godly humility; it shows up in human pride when we refuse to admit our sinful condition. But it all leads to the same place: separation and damnation.

Fundamental Untruth 3. I’m saved, that’s enough.

Salvation is the first step in our journey. It is not the destination and it is not a place to stop and rest. If the evil one cannot keep us from being born again then the next best option for him is to keep us from ever discovering God’s call to good works for our lives. Satan wants to keep us distracted, beaten down and ignorant; any way and any thing he can use to detour us from living in harmony with our creator he will bring against us. “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8 NASB)

This untruth is an easy one to fall into because unless we are discipled properly after accepting Jesus and we get the training we need from wiser and more mature believers we will always be easy prey for the father of lies. An untrained, undiscipled believer is like a soldier who has never been to bootcamp or given a weapon suddenly being called on to go to a battlefield and fight. Either way, injury and defeat are likely.

Fundamental Untruth 4. Going to church is a waste of time.

Going to a church where the Bible is not taught and Jesus Christ is not made the focus will actually be a waste of time. Assembling together with a body of believers who are born again, serious about their relationship to Jesus and about Bible study is absolutely vital. “not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.” (Hebrews 10:25 NASB) The Bible specifically warns against not assembling together; i.e. not going to church. This does not necessarily mean that you have to physically go to a church building; in some parts of the world and in the early days of Christianity, “church” was held in someone’s house. It isn’t where you go that’s important. What is important is why you go, who you meet with, and what you do with your time while there. God knows we need the encouragement and support of our fellow believers and we are designed to work together.

If you find yourself currently believing one of these fundamental untruths, then I pray that you would seek the truth by first seeking the author of truth. The best cure for not falling into deception is to know the truth by knowing Jesus Christ and reading His book, God’s word. If you once believed one of these fundamental untruths, as I once did, and have since found or been shown the truth, then thank God for His grace and mercy, as I do. “I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth.” (3 John 1:4 NASB)

Filed Under: Daily Tagged With: lies, life lessons, Truth

His Call to Good Works

October 14, 2013 by Matthew Gaither

I believe there comes a time in the life of every born again believer when they become aware of a special calling from God. This may be a call to literally “Arise and go” into the mission field or to begin ministering in a different way altogether. God calls us uniquely because we are unique and what He has prepared for me will be different from what He has prepared for you. I say this not only because it matches up with what we read in scripture (consider Abraham, Moses, Noah, Gideon, Jonah, Nehemiah, John the Baptist, Paul and especially Jesus Christ) but because it also matches what I have experienced in my own life and in the lives of other believers that I know and respect.

It is important to note that this calling is not the same as the call to salvation. You absolutely must be born again to hear God’s call. We are born spiritually dead and do not have the capacity to hear or understand the Holy Spirit until we repent of our sins and believe by faith in Jesus Christ and His redeeming work. It is only when the Spirit has entered our heart and life and the process of regeneration begins that God can begin to speak to us about the unique task and ministry that He has prepared for us.

And make no mistake, God has prepared a unique task and many good works for us long before we knew Him or were aware of our need for salvation. Consider Ephesians 2:10 which says “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” (NASB) God loves us so much that not only did He send Jesus to die for us, not only did He plan for us to spend all eternity with Him in paradise, He also began preparing good works for us to do while we were still on this earth.

In regards to God’s call for us, there are exactly three types of Christians. The first type is the type that does not yet know what their calling is, but they are seeking for it while actively pursuing a right relationship with God. If you are in this group, then hang in there; keep praying and keep seeking. God will reward your persistence in His timing in a way that will bless your life and the lives of everyone around you.

The second type of Christian knows that God has called them but is not obeying that call or is ignoring God altogether and attempting to live apart from Him. If you are in this group then I pray that you would repent and submit your will to Him. It will be the second best decision you could ever make after the decision to be saved.

The third and final type is the type that has heard God’s unique call and has made the decision to obey. If you are in this group, then you know what a blessing and a challenge it is and you also know what a great responsibility comes with it.

I believed for many years that I was a “defective” Christian because I had no specific calling. At a very young age I felt God calling me into the ministry but not in a way that I could work out the specifics. All through my childhood and teenage years I did what I thought I should do to please the Lord and still no directions came. When it came time to go to college I thought “finally, this is where I will discover my purpose” but that wasn’t to be the case either. God did see fit to bring a wonderful woman into my life during that time but I graduated without a clear sense of direction and I began to give up on God ever using me.

I’m now 38 years old and just this year, in 2013, do I now know that God has called me to a unique purpose that was set aside just for me: To write and speak His truth on this blog and wherever else I am allowed to do so. The interesting part of that to me is this: Blogs really didn’t come into usage until almost the year 2000, three whole years after I graduated college. Even had I known about them at that time I did not have the life experience, wisdom, discipline or spiritual maturity to do what I am doing now.

God’s calling came to me at the perfect time and in the right way. He never gave up on me, even when I tried to give up on Him. He knew what I was going to need and where I needed to be and He has patiently guided me step by step. Looking back I can see His hand all over my life even in the times when I thought that I had completely gone in the wrong direction. God is amazing like that. He can take our biggest mistakes, our worst failures and our darkest hours and make the most beautiful things out of them.

If you find yourself unsure, uncertain and struggling to find direction then don’t give up. Even now God is preparing you and the good work that He has for you to do. Be encouraged, Christian, God’s call is coming.

Filed Under: Daily Tagged With: god's call, good works, ministry

Do You Recall Him and His Wonderful Work?

October 9, 2013 by Matthew Gaither

Think back to a time of significance in your life when you know that God was moving and you felt His hand directly. Recall, if you can, the circumstances surrounding the situation and what God did for you. Take a moment to remember how God blessed you and what you learned about Him as a result of His work.

11 I shall remember the deeds of the Lord;
Surely I will remember Your wonders of old.
12 I will meditate on all Your work
And muse on Your deeds.
13 Your way, O God, is holy;
What god is great like our God?
14 You are the God who works wonders;
You have made known Your strength among the peoples.
15 You have by Your power redeemed Your people,
The sons of Jacob and Joseph. Selah.

16 The waters saw You, O God;
The waters saw You, they were in anguish;
The deeps also trembled.
17 The clouds poured out water;
The skies gave forth a sound;
Your arrows flashed here and there.
18 The sound of Your thunder was in the whirlwind;
The lightnings lit up the world;
The earth trembled and shook.
19 Your way was in the sea
And Your paths in the mighty waters,
And Your footprints may not be known.
20 You led Your people like a flock
By the hand of Moses and Aaron. (Psalm 77:11-20 NASB)

In Psalm 77, we see and hear David recalling mighty acts of God. He brings them to mind and he speaks to God about what he is remembering. And not only does he remember them, according to verse 12, he also meditates on them. Meditation implies that David spent time developing a deeper mental and emotional connection to what God had done. He literally imprinted them on his mind and heart so that he might better recall them in the future.

If you follow the progression of these verses we notice David saying that he is making a conscious decision to remember. He then speaks directly to God about what he is doing and the remainder of Psalm 77 becomes both a prayer and a litany of praise to God. After David tells God that he is going to remember he begins to praise God for specific traits (holy, great, wonderful, strong) and then he recounts specific times of deliverance in verses 15 and 20.

Like David, we also would do well to remember. We need to practice being still before God and meditating on all that He has done in and around us. We should focus our mind and heart on specific works that are especially meaningful to us as well as the more general blessings of life. What has God done for you? Even more importantly, what has God done in you?

Every saved child of God has a special story of deliverance and redemption that is unique. Additionally, as we allow the Holy Spirit to teach us and to work in us we have the privilege of seeing His work in a more intimate and personal way. In other words, the closer we get to our Heavenly Father the more we will recognize His handiwork and be able to praise Him for it. Times of remembrance and meditation on His mighty acts become a way we can learn more about His character as well as receive encouragement, comfort and spiritual nourishment.

In my own life, as I continue to cultivate an attitude of thankfulness, recalling the wonderful work of my Lord is as essential as it is awe inspiring. In the busyness of everyday life it becomes very easy for me to develop spiritual tunnel vision and only see what is right in front of me. While it’s important to be fully engaged in my daily life I should never forget Who it is that called me out of darkness or the mountains He has moved for my sake. I will remember, and I will praise Him for His wonderful work.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkpLN4RAK7M

Do you remember?

Filed Under: Daily Tagged With: meditate, praise, Psalms

More than Giving, More than Saving

October 8, 2013 by Matthew Gaither

As I continue to seek God and follow hard after Him (Psalm 63:8), I learn something new almost every day. To be a committed Christ follower is to be a student who sits at the feet of his Teacher and longs for instruction. I believe that I have learned more about God and Godliness in 2013 than in all of my previous years as a Christian combined for one simple reason: I have made it my priority. Rather, He has become my priority and everything else flows out of that.

Stewardship

One of the topics that I have given some attention to in the past several months is the matter of stewardship. I know and have believed for a long time in the idea and practice of tithing and financial generosity. I’ve mentioned before that my wife is a natural born gift-giver and Operation Christmas Child (where she gets to prepare shoe boxes full of goodies for kids all around the world) is one of her absolute favorite things. In her, I have an excellent model of what it means to be generous with both time and finances.

As a couple we currently give between 15 and 20% of our yearly income to the church and to charitable causes. We do it because we believe it is both a responsibility and a privilege that has the promise of many blessings. Everything we receive is given to us by God and we take our responsibility as stewards of His resources seriously.

Beyond giving, however, there is another aspect of stewardship which I confess has been a weakness of mine. Responsible money management was, for many years, an area in which I stumbled. I spent freely in my college years and amassed credit card debt. I was also a procrastinator when it came to the checkbook and would, on occasion, bounce a check because I was not keeping good, accurate records.

All of that changed when I married Vicki. She has an affinity for numbers (she’s a high school math teacher, bless her heart) and is inclined to be a saver where I was inclined to spend. I know one of the reasons that the Lord brought her into my life was to begin to show me how important it was to be responsible with finances. Though the early years of our marriage were lean ones, she was eventually able to eliminate the credit card debt and through a well structured household budget, get us to the place where we were spending less than we were making. At that point we did what anyone else would do, we began to put the extra income into a savings account. This is a practice that we have continued to this day and it is a good, solid financial decision to save a portion of what you bring in.

More than Giving, More than Saving

Lately, however, I have become convinced that there is more to good stewardship than simply being generous in our giving and smart with our budget so that we have some savings. I believe that God wants us and expects us to grow and increase that which He has given us. Consider again the familiar parable of the talents found in the 25th Chapter of the book of Matthew:

14 “Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. 15 To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. 16 The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. 17 So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. 18 But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. (Matthew 25: 14-18 NIV)

If you know the rest of the parable then you know that when the master returned he called his three servants to each give an account of what they did with the resources they had been entrusted with. The two servants who increased their original allotment were praised while the third servant, who did nothing with his allotment, was rebuked and stripped of what he had been originally given.

I admit, until very recently I did not consider that this parable had very much to do with money. I used the NIV version of the text because it specifically says “bags of gold” (in other words, the master gave each servant an allotment of wages) but in the King James version it says “talents”. I always took that word “talent” very literally and applied this parable to the abilities that God had given each one of us. And I still think our Master expects us to use our talents and abilities that he has gifted us with and to grow and develop them for His glory. There’s no doubt that one day we will be called into account for what we did with our abilities during our time here.

But will we not also be called to give an account of what we did with our financial resources as well? If the Lord has so blessed us such that we have a surplus coming in each month then I believe that the parable of the talents makes it clear that God expects us to wisely and prayerfully put that money to use in such a way that it will grow. After paying our bills, tithing and giving of gifts it can become as much of a sin to “hide” our money away, fearful of losing it, as it would be to spend it frivolously and without wisdom. In other words, we need to look at carefully putting our money to work by investing it.

For me, there’s only one small problem; I know next to nothing about investing. I am going to spend the next several months learning all I can about how to do it and praying for wisdom and guidance as I go. I’ll be talking to other Christians who I trust and getting their perspectives on the matter as well. Please pray for me as I seek to honor God with every single resource that he has given me; time, talents and finances.

How do you feel about the matter of finances as it relates to the Kingdom of God? Do we have a responsibility to use and grow what God has given us?

Filed Under: Daily Tagged With: giving, investing, stewardship

Consider God’s Most Special Creation

October 7, 2013 by Matthew Gaither

Somehow I felt that this topic would be better addressed personally, in video format. Please take a few moments and watch the video and then honestly ask yourself how you feel about you. Do you consider yourself God’s most special creation?

For those of you who can’t watch the video or would like to read the scripture that I am using, here it is:

1 O Lord, You have searched me and known me.
2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
You understand my thought from afar.
3 You scrutinize my path and my lying down,
And are intimately acquainted with all my ways.
4 Even before there is a word on my tongue,
Behold, O Lord, You know it all.
5 You have enclosed me behind and before,
And laid Your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
It is too high, I cannot attain to it.

7 Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Or where can I flee from Your presence?
8 If I ascend to heaven, You are there;
If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there.
9 If I take the wings of the dawn,
If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea,
10 Even there Your hand will lead me,
And Your right hand will lay hold of me.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will overwhelm me,
And the light around me will be night,”
12 Even the darkness is not dark to You,
And the night is as bright as the day.
Darkness and light are alike to You.

13 For You formed my inward parts;
You wove me in my mother’s womb.
14 I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Wonderful are Your works,
And my soul knows it very well.
15 My frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth;
16 Your eyes have seen my unformed substance;
And in Your book were all written
The days that were ordained for me,
When as yet there was not one of them.

(Psalm 139: 1-16 NASB)

Godly perspective. We all need it, especially as it concerns ourselves. I believe that if we could comprehend just a little bit of how much God really loves us then it would radically alter how we live our lives, how we treat other people and how we see ourselves. Do you realize how special you are to Him? I hope that you do and I hope you can share that with someone else this week.

Filed Under: Daily, Video Tagged With: acceptance, Jesus, Love

September 2013 Recap

October 3, 2013 by Matthew Gaither

It’s that time again! At the end of each month I will report the number of visitors, visits, pages viewed and hits that Matthew515.com received. I will also show any income generated or donations received. My purpose with this is twofold:

1) I want to be completely transparent and open about this ministry and the process of running the website. It keeps me accountable, it pleases the Lord and it just makes good sense to do it that way.

2) I want to keep accurate records and be able to glorify my Lord publicly as He blesses and grows the website and the ministry. It’s His work and I am honored to be His instrument.

As I stated in last month’s recap, one of my initial goals is that the site be self-sufficient. Web hosting costs are not outrageous but they are an ongoing expense.

A word about supporting the site: Most books or products you see with linked text are Amazon links. If you click the link and end up purchasing a product through Amazon this site will get a small percentage of that sale. Likewise the Amazon banner on the right side of the page; if you click it and then buy anything from Amazon the site gets a small percentage. It’s a very quick and easy way of supporting the site that does not cost you anything extra.

I have also partnered with Dayspring, who specialize in Christian cards, Inspirational Gifts, Home Decor, etc. to put a couple of links from Matthew515.com to Dayspring.com. You can read their very encouraging mission statement here. Just like with Amazon, if you click the link and end up making a purchase from Dayspring the site will get a small percentage of that sale. I greatly appreciate any and all support as I strive to be in the center of His will.

Finally, I discussed my goal for unique visitors in last month’s recap and I will restate it here. I’m praying for 10,000 unique visitors per month. That’s a lofty goal and while I am insufficient for such a task the Lord surely is not. As long as I continue to work like it’s up to me and pray like it’s up to Him then I know that God will be glorified. I look forward to seeing Him work in mighty ways!

And now for the numbers:

Unique Visitors: 957 (759 last month) +26%

Number of Visits: 1,871 visits (1,521 last month) +23%

Pages Viewed: 8,363 (7,458 last month) +12%

Income: Google Adsense .54 and Amazon .91 = $1.45. ($1.57 last month) -8%

Unique visitors and number of visits both showed really encouraging increases in what I understand from other bloggers to be a tough month for readership. Pages viewed showed a smaller increase but that number is really secondary and I only list it for trivia sake. Income was just about nonexistent but being a very new site and a new blogger I am not discouraged by this. Income is very secondary to what I am doing here and I trust the Lord to provide; if not through this blog then through other avenues. God always keeps His promises and I am very blessed!

Thus ends our second monthly summary and I appreciate you taking the time to read it and to support the site and the ministry. As always, please leave any comments or suggestions in the spaces below.

Filed Under: Daily Tagged With: recap