Giving to the Poor

"You must be led by the Spirit when it comes to giving to the poor."

Do you agree or disagree with that idea?

I've met a number of people who say that we should not give to the poor without the specific leading of God. Some of them argue from this passage in the parable of the Prodigal Son.

"When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death!" (Luke 15:17, NIV)

Their reasoning is:

1) The son came to his senses because he was starving.

2) What if someone gave him food before that? Would that not have delayed him coming to his senses, or maybe even short-circuited the process?

3) We cannot tell where poor people are at in their lives, if they are just about to come to their senses if their suffering lasts a little longer;

Therefore we need to inquire of the Spirit before giving to the poor, whether we should give and, if so, how much.

Here's My Answer

Firstly, anyone who can be bothered to just skim through the Bible will know God commands us to give to the poor.

In the Old Testament:

"During the seventh year, let the land lie unplowed and unused. Then the poor among your people may get food from it, and the wild animals may eat what they leave. Do the same with your vineyard and your olive grove." (Exodus 23:11 NIV)

And again,

"When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Leave them for the poor and the alien. I am the LORD your God." Leviticus 23:22 (NIV)

All that is about leaving food for the poor to pick up. Notice it didn't say we need to be careful about who we leave the food behind for, nor does it warn us that letting the poor eat may delay them from coming to their senses. How about giving to them directly?

If there is a poor man among your brothers in any of the towns of the land that the LORD your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward your poor brother. Rather be openhanded and freely lend him whatever he needs… Give generously to him and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to. (Deu 15:8-9, 10, NIV)

And in the New Testament:

Jesus answered, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." (Matthew 19:21, NIV)

Notice that Jesus did NOT say "follow me and I'll tell you who are the poor you should give to"? He also tells us not only to give to the poor, but to go one step further and have fellowship with them.

"But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind." (Luke 14:13, NIV)

Let's compare the "Spirit-led" reasoning and my answer.

In their thinking, only the first point is supported by Scripture. The second is a --what-if-- and –maybe--. The third is true. But the conclusion, that we need to be led by the Spirit to give to the poor, is based entirely on the --what-if-- and –maybe-- given in the second point.

It is NOT directly stated in the Bible at all, nor do we see it demonstrated anywhere in the Bible. It looks good and sounds very spiritual, but it is only human teaching. And Jesus' opinion of that is "They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men." (Matthew 15:9, NIV)

I Understand Where They Are Coming From

I really do. Poverty is actually a spiritual problem, and the poor very often are poor because of some attitudes, beliefs and wrong ideas that they hold. After all, everything we see in our lives originates first from our hearts (Pro 4:23) and we experience physical prosperity is tied in with our soul-prosperity (3 John 2). So we can argue that if someone is poor there may be some spiritual problem causing it, or some spiritual lesson the person has to learn in order to get out of poverty. Maybe.

And I have seen some poor people who only care about milking you for all they can get. They may say they don't want to be poor, but they are still doing the things that keep them poor. They also avoid doing what will bring them financial provision and abundance. As long as they can get a hand-out from you, they have no motivation to change their lifestyle and behaviour. And they will stay in the cycle of poverty.

So if you decide that because of that you will NOT give to the poor, or you will give only to very selected cases, I understand fully. But please don't try to justify your decision with spiritual-sounding clichés and jargon. Call it what it is, a personal decision or personal conviction. Don't mention the Holy Spirit to make your decision sound more acceptable, I believe that is misusing the name of God (Exo 20:7).

"If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth."( 1 John 3:17-18, NIV)

Why Am I Talking About All This?

Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. (Hebrews 13:15-16. NIV)

Because giving to the poor is also tied in with worship. When you give to the poor, God calls it a sacrifice that pleases him. Some people think they should not give to the poor because they are struggling to make ends meet. That's like saying that only those with good voices should sing praises to God. It's disobeying the clear commands of Scripture.

In case you misunderstand, I'm not financially rich myself. There are always things to pay for, expenses I know are coming up and unexpected problems that cost money. So I following this command isn't easy for me either. But I will still find ways to do it. And there will always be ways.

Here's An Example

One day I was meeting a customer at a church in a poorer district of Singapore. There an unkempt woman with a scrawny little boy (about the same age as Jessiah) approached me and asked for a few dollars to feed her son. And as she talked the smell of alcohol hit me smack in the face.

Dilemma: Should I give her a few dollars, knowing she will throw it away on alcohol and leave her son hungry? Or walk away and leave the poor boy hungry? Both were unacceptable to me.

So I decided to take charge of the situation and overwhelm the woman with enthusiasm. "What?!??!? Your son is hungry? Little boy, how old are you?" I spoke to the boy directly. The kid was surprised at me talking to him directly, but he answered me with Jess' age at that time. "You're hungry? I'll buy food for you!" And I dragged mother and son off to a nearby food stall, told the boy to order what food he wanted and told the stallholder to pack a larger portion of rice, meat and veg for the boy and his mother.

"Boy, are you thirsty?" "I'm OK, I drink water from a tap." "No boy, that's not good enough. Come with me!" And I went over to a nearby convenience shop and bought them bottled water (Singapore water is fluoridated, bleah!!!) and apples too. It was fun actually, because I was both feeding the poor (as God commanded) AND playing along with the mother. You should have seen the look on her face as she saw me paying for the food and water. Total dismay. All that money that she could have spent on beer, and not a cent going to her! I spent more than the few dollars she was hoping for, and she couldn't stop me without admitting that she only wanted the money for beer.

In the meantime, I kept talking to the boy. It was heart-warming to see how happy he was. I made sure the food was enough for both him and his mother, and if she chose not to eat it but to get drunk instead, then the boy would have enough for 2-3 meals. On top of that, I talked to the boy as if he was an intelligent fellow, deserving dignity. He was a good kid, I could tell from the time I spent with him.

Finally, when I HAD to leave, the mother made one last try, asking for a few dollars again. And I could honestly tell her that I was out of cash, showing her my empty wallet. And I needed to rush off for another appointment. And with a cheery "God bless you!" to the son I left. She got what she asked for, but not what she wanted. Hahaha!

Conclusion:

I share the above story not to boast of my good works (many people do more than me, and much more often) but to show that there are always ways to help the poor. You just need to be a little bit more creative. It doesn't have to be just money, you can organize a church outing to clean the homes of some poor people, the aged who are staying by themselves and cannot clean up their homes.

And just as I have discovered that things go better in my life when I take time out to praise God, I believe you will find things going better in your life as you make the effort to do good and share with others. Be blessed!

Christ, Ministry and Talent

Pro 27:17 (NIV) - As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.

Minister Warren Gilmore wrote again on my Facebook wall about a week ago. Something he said kept ringing in my spirit for some reason. He said that in my book, I teach people…

"… build their foundation on Christ first, ministry second, and then top it off with the steeple of talent, keeping us in check with of whom our gift, talent, and, most of all, ANOINTING comes from! "

His comment made me ask myself, what does it mean to build the foundation on Christ first, ministry second and then top it off with the steeple of talent?

1) Foundation on Christ

It means that our worship begins from Christ.

Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name. (Hebrews 13:15, NIV)

Our sacrifices of praise will NEVER be acceptable to God based on who we are or what we do. They are acceptable ONLY in Christ. If we think that our innate goodness or the 'sincerity' of our hearts is what makes God look on our worship with favour, we are seriously deceived.

We have only ONE way to offer acceptable sacrifices to God. Jesus Christ.

It also means that Christ is the object of our worship.

John 5:22-23 (NIV) - Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, that all may honour the Son just as they honour the Father. Whoever does not honour the Son does not honour the Father, who sent him.

Putting it simply, the Father takes it personally. When we honour Jesus, the Father takes it as honour we give to the Father. How about the Holy Spirit?

John 16:14-15 (NIV) - He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.”

The calling and task of the Holy Spirit on earth is to glorify Jesus. He does so by revealing what the Father has given to Jesus, which is, everything. When we see the Father and the Holy Spirit working together to glorify Jesus, how could we ourselves not do the same?

2) Ministry second…

Some people use very emotive language to describe their worship. They say they want to bless the heart of Jesus through their worship. I personally believe that the easiest way to bless his heart is to care for what Jesus cares about.

And Jesus cared about two things while he was on earth, glorifying the Father…

John 17:4 (NIV) - I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do.

… and the unity of the believers.

John 17:20-23 (NIV) - “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity."

I personally discovered that after I spent a lot of time and effort working towards unifying the worship, I began to truly value unity in the Body of Christ. And if you know how much a loner I was (and still am), you'll appreciate how profound that change is to me.

Ephesians 4:3 – Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. (NIV)

I know that unifying the praises of the people seems quite superficial compared to working towards them being of one spirit and one mind (Phi 2:2). But if God will respond to that unity with his glory (2 Chronicles 5:13) then it obviously matters to him. And let's face it, if I am not faithful to do the easier task what makes you think God will entrust me with the harder one?

3) Steeple of Talent

The steeple is a tall tower on a building, usually topped by a spire (spear-like point). It gets the attention, but it doesn't support the building. In the worship ministry, talent gets the attention, but it isn't a foundation for the ministry. Only Christ and a genuine heart for the people he loves will do as a foundation for a sustainable and effective worship ministry.

I know it's fashionable these days to say that musical skill is the least important aspect of the worship ministry. And many worship musicians will say that Christ comes first, ministry second and musical talent third. They will talk about how they offer their skills to God, to serve him.

But talk is cheap. The REAL test of whether a singer or musician has offered his/her skills to God is when they find out what they do does NOT work. For example:

1. Some musicians have a very unique and personal playing style. That's great for self-expression. But are they willing to let go of that and play normal stuff so that the congregation focuses more on God than on the music?
   
2. Others may have gaps in their skill set, and find that they can't play what works. Will they start to take lessons and practice diligently to pick up the skills they lack?
   
3. Or if they are worship leaders, they may find that their singing range is too different from the average congregation member. That's when they have to decide if they will either train their singing range till it fits the congregation better, or if they will take a backseat and sing backup vocals instead.
   
4. In my case, I believe that 2 Kings 3 tells me to play like a harp when supporting prophecy or prayer time. I use that concept on the piano and it works. But there is a minister whom I regularly play for who moves powerfully in the prophetic. And he doesn't want the harp effect, he wants subdued chords on the jazz organ sound. Am I going to tell him, "Pastor, you are wrong! We're supposed to do it MY way…" or do I just give him what he wants, which he knows works for him?

So when the REAL test comes, that is when we see if people have a genuine heart to offer their skills to God.

I know I sound very exclusionist when I talk about these matters. But I am not. I honestly believe that worship ministry takes the least amount of skill and talent, compared to other ways of serving the Lord via music. But the skill and talent must be directed correctly.

And it may also be that a musician or singer may actually be gifted and called to serve God in other ways. Because we usually see the worship ministry using music most often, it's easy to forget that there are other ways of serving God through music and singing as well. If we try to force such people into the worship ministry, we are only making EVERYONE involved suffer. The musicians/singers suffer because there is a mismatch of ability and need, the congregation suffers because they are not getting what they need to unify their praises unto God.

Conclusion:

Stop for a moment and prayerfully consider your own ministry in the light of Minister Warren Gilmore's exhortation. Let's not get so caught up with getting things done until we forget to check if we are doing the right things or doing things right!

Cracking the Worship Ministry Code

My pastor was talking with me the other day about a tuition centre in Singapore that causes the students who enroll there to score well in the Singapore mandarin (Chinese) language exams even if they are weak in the language. They have figured out what the Ministry of Education is looking for at every level of the exams, and so they focus intensively on those areas. In other words, that tuition centre has cracked the code for the Singapore Chinese examination system.

What that centre has done for Chinese exams is what I have done for worship ministry. I have cracked the Worship Ministry Code.

To some people that sounds like no big deal. I am sure I am not the first to have cracked it. Maybe I am just the first to express it this way and really explore what it means to worship ministry and our Christian lives. When I interact with other worship leaders online, I find that many of them from other countries have cracked the code also, just that many of them don't give the Scriptural backing for what they do and why it works.

So when I say I cracked the worship ministry code, I am not saying that I am the only one or that I am the best worship ministry teacher around, OK?

To some other people, this claim is the very heights of presumptuousness. They believe that worship ministry is complex, difficult and requires very detailed leading and guiding from the Holy Spirit for every step and every nuance. Even worse, they believe that the Holy Spirit will often be leading them to do weird or flaky stuff to prove their obedience to him and to show how little they depend on formulae, principles and techniques.

These people usually unsubscribe from my emails after some time, because they disagree with me so much. And that is fine with me. I am here to serve those who find value in what I teach, not to irritate and provoke those who think differently!

How can we be sure that we can crack the worship ministry code? How can we know that worship ministry can be simple, straightforward and easy to teach?

1) God is consistent

That's very important, because worship has to be pleasing to God. If God is inconsistent, in other words, he keeps changing his character or his requirements, then there is no code to crack. In such a case, worship ministry would be complex, difficult and require detailed and nuanced leading from the Holy Spirit every step of the way. And we can have no assurance that we can get it right this time, even though we may have got it right many times before.

Heb 13:8 (NIV) - Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

And because God is consistent, we know that what pleased him before in the Bible will please him now. We can be confident that the prayers he answered before are the same ones that he will answer now. We know that what he esteems and values in times past are what he esteems and values now.

And we can think, pray and act accordingly!

2) God is consistent in accepting us

Not only is God consistent, he is also consistent in accepting us. If God is harsh, demanding and unmerciful, there is still hope that we can please him IF we meet up to his high standards and requirements. But the Bible reveals that God is consistent, faithful in showing us mercy in spite of our sins and transgressions.

Mal 3:6 (NIV) - "I the LORD do not change. So you, O descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed.

3) God desires that we meet him in worship

God isn't putting up with our praises and worship. He isn't enduring it, hoping that we will get it over and done with as soon as possible. He finds it pleasing, that is, he enjoys it.

Psalm 69:30-31 (NIV) - I will praise God's name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving. This will please the LORD more than an ox, more than a bull with its horns and hoofs.

Because he finds it pleasing, he has made it possible for us to worship him acceptably, through Jesus Christ.

Heb 13:15 (NIV) - Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess his name.

Important point though: our worship is not automatically accepted through Christ, because some believers choose to make their status in Christ of no effect. They do so by trusting in their own works to make them acceptable before God, rather than the finished work of Christ.

Gal 5:4 (NIV) - You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.

So we can say that offering God an acceptable sacrifice of praise is easy. All we need to do is to surrender our pride and self-righteousness…

Conclusion:

When we put all those factors together, we end up with a theology that makes meeting God in praise and worship something natural and simple for us as believers. So if praising God acceptably is natural and simple, why should facilitating praise and worship not be natural and simple too? Why do people in worship ministry want to make things more complicated and difficult than how the Bible teaches it?

Those who have read my book Invisible Worship Musician know that the first five chapters are about the myths and misunderstandings common in worship ministry. I realize now that I had to explain all those factors so you can understand that not only is there such a code for worship ministry, but that it is very simple to find, understand and make use of.

And once you have cracked the worship ministry code, everything else (how to choose the songs, how to lead the worship, what should the musicians play) flows very naturally and logically from there.

But it all starts with the right theology, knowing that God wants us to encounter him in praise and worship and that he has made it possible for the meek and humble to approach him easily. And if you truly grasp this, you find yourself growing in boldness and confidence in your prayer and worship life.

And that's always good!

The Fish With A Coin In The Mouth

I am a charismatic. And proud of it.

But there are times when I cringe at what some of my fellow charismatics do. And that is especially when they make a very uniquely charismatic mistake, to mess up the natural and expect the supernatural to compensate for it.

What do I mean by that?

One clear example are people who claim they want to play drums for worship, refuse to seriously learn the instrument, and yet pray fervently that God would anoint their playing and bless the worship session with his presence. They would talk about depending on the Lord and not on their own efforts, not have the fruits to back it up, and then accuse others of being fleshly and earthly-minded if they do not agree that they are anointed and gifted of God in their drumming.

This mistake can manifest in other ways and contexts, other than just worship ministry. For example, a church may be seeking to hire a pastoral assistant with at least a diploma in theology, and yet put up the job notice in only one place – a secular job site. Surely if they wanted to seek the people with the right qualifications, they would at least email the notice to a few Bible Colleges or seminaries, right? They didn't.

I don't see this kind of mistake among the non-charismatics.
What makes the whole thing confusing?
You see, amongst us charismatics, we have testimonies of God directing people to do things that do not make sense, and yet they get results. Supernatural results.

All that is great – until we feed people the expectation that God will usually work like that, or if we believe that taking care of the natural details leaves God no room to work supernaturally. And for many of us charismatics, that has been put to us as the unpardonable sin, moving in the flesh, trusting in the arm of man rather than the power of God.

During this season I have been meditating on the Gospel of Matthew, and one day this verse grabbed my attention.
But so that we may not offend them, go to the lake and throw out your line. Take the first fish you catch; open its mouth and you will find a four-drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for my tax and yours. (Matthew 17:27, NIV)
Jesus said this after Peter had foolishly committed himself and Jesus to paying the temple tax. Jesus, being the rightful owner of the temple (and the rest of the entire universe) of course would be exempted from the tax. But because Jesus saw the whole thing as a small matter, not worth offending the Pharisees over, he chose to pay that tax in a supernatural way.

Can you imagine what the other disciples might have said to Peter as he was heading off to follow Jesus' instructions?

"Hey Peter, I heard about the temple tax people coming here just now. What happened?"
"I told them that Jesus would pay the temple tax."

"And how does Jesus intend to settle that?"

"He told me to go fishing."

"Want some help, Peter? Maybe John and James should go help you? You are going to need to catch a lot of fish to pay that tax!"

"No problem, Jesus said I only need to get one, because the first one will have the money in its mouth already!"

Wonder what the other disciples thought at this point!

What I JUST noticed, however, was Jesus took care of the natural factors as well. What do I mean? For example, Jesus sent Peter to fish for the money, not Matthew the Tax Collector or Simon the Zealot. Naturally speaking, Peter was well-qualified to perform this task.

Jesus also directed Peter to fish in the lake. That was the ideal and reasonable place for Peter to find fish. Jesus could have told him to go fish in a river or pond or even look for the fish somewhere on land, since God would have no difficulty moving fish around anywhere he wishes. And yet Jesus told Peter to go to the lake.
In other words, we see that, even when preparing for a supernatural work, Jesus would get qualified people to go to the right places for it!
Of course God can direct his people to do really weird things. It's his prerogative. Personally, if someone tells me that God told him or her to do something strange, and if everything goes horribly wrong I am the person cleaning up the mess, then I'll look for the following two signs that this person has been directed by God:

1) Timing: Notice from this account that the first fish gave Peter the results. If Peter had to catch 2,385 fish to find that one fish with the money inside, then I'll say that his finding the money was just a fluke. Things like that happen.

2) Leverage: Could Peter have paid the tax without the money in the fish's mouth? Yes, but it would take catching a lot more fish! What was supernatural in this incidence was the leverage and impact of the results. This one fish was enough to accomplish God's purpose when usually we would need a lot more fish. If Peter toiled for a couple of weeks to catch enough fish for the tax, we can see clearly that it was not a supernatural working.

There are different ways leverage can be manifested. For example, in Luke 5:1-11, Peter caught a huge number of fish (leverage) immediately upon the Word of Jesus (timing). In Matthew 17 Jesus chose to skip the necessity of selling the fish in exchange for money and used the fish to bring the money directly. And after this account, the next time Jesus gave Peter a supernatural catch of fish in John 21, the leverage was displayed through the huge number of fish again.

So I'll look for the signs. Such as a job-ad in an unusual place pulling in the right job candidates immediately, or an untrained musician being able to play what unifies the worship of the congregation. In other words, I will judge, not by the jargon or spiritual-sounding clichés the person uses, but by the fruits (Luke 6:44).

Why would a person choose to ignore the natural factors and principles that make things work?

Ultimately it is an issue of slothfulness.

The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who answer discreetly. (Pro 26:16, NIV)

Those who are mentally lazy and do not want to put in the necessary preparations like to think of themselves as being above the rules. They want to believe that they can get results without putting in the necessary effort. And they use the Holy Spirit as an excuse.

For example, I see some business websites that are set up by Christians, and those sites have HORRIBLE marketing copy on them. The writing that they put up is self-indulgent and totally devoid of marketing value. It will not bring them customers; in fact, it will probably drive the customers away. Those website owners can say that they are inspired by God to write what they wrote, but if it isn't bringing them the results, then they are indirectly blaming God for the lack of fruit.

The willingness to learn what is necessary and do what it takes is the difference between the mentally lazy and the serious people who just need more time to bear fruit. Those who are serious but just need more time are those who will consult with genuine experts (not just friends, neighbours and relatives) and put in genuine effort.

They are teachable but discerning. They know that they are better off getting marketing advice from a marketing expert (with proven sales results), worship ministry advice from an effective worship leader, and exercise and diet advice from someone who is healthy and full of energy.

In other words, they will make themselves into the right people and are willing to go to the right places. When their time comes they are ready for God to use their natural preparations and give them supernatural results. Just like Peter in Matthew 17.

Please hear my heart. I know what I share here will be controversial, and there will be sincere, God-fearing charismatics who are offended by what I have said. But I am sharing this so that:

1) You will recognize this kind of faulty thinking in other people;

2) You will avoid it for yourself; AND

3) You will put in the necessary effort to make yourself the right person who can go to the right places at God's direction and be blessed with supernatural results.

I will not know what is God's specific assignment and direction for your life. It may or may not be in the worship ministry. But what I can tell you is that whatever it is, it will require you to grow in your understanding and skills. And it will involve a lot of mundane, unexciting preparations. Just like in Peter's case, when all the fishing he did before using his own natural abilities helped prepare him to be someone God could use to fish supernaturally.

So be patient, be faithful, and one day you may be the one opening the fish's mouth to find a coin inside!
"May the God of peace… equip you with everything good for doing his will" (Hebrews 13:20, 21 NIV)
P.S. And if you want to get equipped to serve God in the worship ministry and you haven't got my book yet, what are you waiting for? Get it, get equipped and get going!