Billy Graham: Don't Be Discouraged by a Money-Focused Pastor.

Christians shouldn't stop giving or feel discouraged when their pastor emphasizes the need for members to increase their tithes, says the Rev. Billy Graham, who explains that all ministries needs financial support.

Responding to a question posed to him by a reader of the Kansas City Star on Friday, Graham expounded on the topic of giving by noting that "it's not wrong to make God's people aware of those needs and seek their help."

The evangelical leader further noted that it's important to remember that "everything we have — including our money — is a gift from God," and therefore Christians should not feel discouraged if their pastor asks for donations for the church budget.

"Every ministry needs financial support," he said, referencing the Apostle Paul, who in 2 Corinthians 9:12 encouraged the giving of money to Christians in need.

Graham also discouraged greed, and called on believers to remember that ultimately, money does not belong to them but to God.

"We can't take credit for [our money], nor should we use it selfishly or thoughtlessly. Instead, we should seek to use it wisely and for God's glory. When we give to God's work, we are only returning to Him a portion of what He has already given us," Graham added.

The 97-year-old Baptist minister goes on to say that it is possible certain pastors ask for money too often, or focus on the subject too frequently in their sermons, but such behavior on behalf of the pastor should not stunt the individual generosity of a church's members.

Instead of feeling discouraged, Christians should "let Christ be your example in your giving. In Heaven He possessed everything, and yet He sacrificed it all — even His life — so we could be saved," the religious leader concluded.

The importance of tithing has long been discussed in the evangelical church, with a 2013 study finding that those who tithe to their church have an overall healthier financial situation than those who don't.

The State of the Plate study, led by Brian Kluth, founder of Maximum Generosity, discovered that in categories such as credit card debt, car loans and home loans, tithers faired far better than non-tithers.

For example, of those who tithed, the study found that 80 percent had no unpaid credit card bills, 74 percent didn't have car loans, and nearly half owned their homes.

Kluth told The Christian Post at the time of the study that he believes the difference in finances between tithers and non-tithers is based on their mentality.

"The weird thing is, a tither looks at that and says to himself, 'Well, I'm better off because I give.' A non-tither looks at that and says, 'Oh, they give because they're better off,'" Kluth said.

Kenton Beshore, lead pastor of one of the largest megachurches in the nation, Mariners Church in Irvine, California, spoke on the importance of generosity for spiritual health in a recent sermon, saying there are two types of people: those who choose to be generous first, and those who choose to consume first.

By giving first, we allow generosity to work through us in all facets of life. However, if we choose to consume first, money becomes our God, Beshore told his congregation.

REF: Christian Post.

Billy Graham: Christians Must Never Underestimate Satan's Ability to Deceive.

Christians should never underestimate the power of Satan and his temptations, the Rev. Billy Graham says in a warning to believers about the the devil's deceptive nature.

Although Satan will always try to convince Christians that his intentions are good, he is in fact "absolutely evil" because "he is absolutely opposed to God and everything God wants to do," Graham explains in a "My Answers" post on the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association website.

"Never underestimate Satan's power, and never underestimate his ability to deceive us and make us think he isn't to be feared. In fact, he even deceives some people into thinking he doesn't exist!" Graham continues. "He is not as powerful as God — but he still is a powerful spiritual force who works against God in every way he possibly can."

To repel Satan, Graham encourages Christians to read Ephesians 6:11, which says: "Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes."

"The most important truth about the devil, however, is this: he is a defeated foe! Yes, he is still at work — but by Jesus Christ's death and resurrection, He dealt Satan a fatal blow," Graham emphasizes. "Death and Hell and Satan have been defeated, and someday Christ's victory will be complete. Make sure your faith and trust are in Jesus Christ, both now and for all eternity."

The Christian Post reported last year that Pastor John Hagee of Cornerstone Church in San Antonio, Texas, also spoke about the real nature of Satan during an interview with James and Betty Robison on their "Life Today" program. "It was a very real devil that came into the Garden of Eden to seduce Adam and Eve. It was a very real devil that tempted Jesus in the wilderness. He is still in business. He goes to church every Sunday," Hagee said.

"And if you don't know how to recognize him and take authority over him he'll destroy your life, your marriage, your children, your church, your hopes, your dreams. That's what I want them to take away," he added.

The megachurch pastor echoed Graham's sentiments by saying that while Satan is real, Christians have "absolute authority" over him if they walk with God.

"The powers of Hell cannot touch you; the angels of God are defending you," Hagee said.

A 2009 Barna survey found that four out of 10 Christians believe Satan "is not a living being but is a symbol of evil." This compares to 26 percent of Christians who strongly disagree with this statement, along with 9 percent who disagreed somewhat.

The Barna study also found that 47 percent of the Christians who said they believed Satan was just a symbol of evil also agree "that a person can be under the influence of spiritual forces such as demons."

REF: Christian Post.

If Death Leads to Heaven, Should Christians Pray to Be Healed From Sickness?

If death leads us to eternal salvation, should we pray for healing when faced with sickness? Professor Travis Myers asks on DesiringGod.org.

Myers, who serves as assistant professor of church history and mission studies at Bethlehem College & Seminary in Minnesota, wrote in a recent post for the evangelical website that he and his wife were torn about what to do after he was diagnosed with B-cell follicular non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, a type of cancer.

He wrote that during his time waiting for the cancer treatment plan, he kept thinking of Philippians 1:21, 23 which says: "To live is Christ, and to die is gain […] to depart and be with Christ [...] is far better."

This verse, Myers writes, made him question if praying for healing was the truly Christian thing to do.

"By praying for healing and longer life, would I be capitulating somehow to the sinful flesh or be compromising my pursuit of God's glory? Would I be abandoning the pursuit of joy and superior satisfaction in Christ himself for the sake of an idolatrous love of the world?" Myers questions, adding that he eventually realized his prayers for healing did not go against the teaching of this verse.

Just as the Apostle Paul dedicated his life to serving the Philippian Church, so Jesus can use your time on earth to serve others, Myers writes. "God has graciously put that same 'mind of Christ' in me (Philippians 2:5). And many brothers and sisters in the Lord — including my wife! — seem to desire my healing and ongoing presence among them as an 'ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus' (Philippians 1:26)."

Myers also points to Psalm 6:4-5, in which King David asks God to spare his life so he may continue doing His work.

This verse "implies that it is good and godly to desire remaining a part of the mission to make known God's glorious grace in King Jesus among the yet unreached people groups of the world."

Myers writes that his experience with lymphoma, which is now in remission, has strengthened his faith in God and his desire to carry out God's mission here on earth.

"By sustaining, and strengthening, our trust in him through the experience of having lymphoma, God has made us even more certain of his love for us, our love for him, and our love for each other. He has given us a more solid assurance of salvation and a keener sense of his divine safe-keeping of our souls," the professor writes.

John Piper, who serves as the founder and teacher of DesiringGod.org, wrote a 2011 book on the subject of illness entitled Don't Waste Your Cancer, which details how "cancer [is] an opportunity to glorify God."

In the book, Piper, who also serves as chancellor of Bethlehem College & Seminary, "gently but firmly acknowledges that we can indeed waste our cancer when we don't see how it is God's good plan for us and a hope-filled path for making much of Jesus."

REF: Christian Post.

Billy Graham Answers: Did God Die When Jesus Was Crucified on Cross?

The 97-year-old evangelical leader Billy Graham responded to a reader's question, "If Jesus was really God, does this mean that God somehow died or ceased to exist when Jesus was put to death on the cross?"

Graham responds by saying: "No, God did not die or cease to exist when Jesus was put to death on the cross. He was truly God in human form — fully God and yet also fully man. And as a man his body could die, but not his divine nature, because God is eternal," in a recent blog post in the Kansas City Star.

Jesus' ability to be divine and eternal after human death is similar to what we as Christians will experience when we die, the renowned evagelist says.

Graham goes on to write that Jesus' death sets him apart from all humans in that he was able to rise from the dead.

"Jesus was different from every other human being who has ever lived or ever will live, because his body did not stay in the grave! By the power of God, the chains of death were broken, and Jesus rose again from the dead."

According to a 2015 Barna study, the vast majority of Americans believe Jesus was a real human who walked the earth. The study's results found that "nine out of 10 adults say Jesus Christ was a real person who actually lived."

This same poll also found that Americans differ in their opinion of whether Jesus lived without sin here on earth, with half of Americans (52 percent) saying they believe Jesus committed sins, and less than half (46 percent) saying they don't believe Jesus committed sins. Orthodox Christianity teaches that Jesus was sinless and died in place of humankind's sins.

As Graham teaches in an April post, Jesus Christ was able to live as a human here on earth and still be fully human but without sin.

"Jesus Christ is unlike any other person who ever lived — or ever will live. The reason is because he alone was both fully human and fully God. On that first Christmas a miracle took place that we can barely imagine: God came down from heaven and became a man. Jesus wasn't just like God. He was God, in human flesh," Graham writes.

Graham adds that because Jesus was without sin, he was able to take on our sins, as well as the guilt and judgment meant for us, when he died on the cross.

"[…] you and I are sinners, and our greatest need is to be forgiven and cleansed of our sins. But how is this possible? It's possible only because on the cross Jesus Christ — who was without sin — took upon himself the guilt and judgment that we deserve," the Baptist minister writes.

REF: Christian Post.

Rick Warren: How to Leave Behind a Proud Family Legacy

The best way to leave an "awesome" family legacy is to live for others instead of yourself, Rick Warren says.

Warren, who serves as head pastor of the 20,000-member Saddleback Church, said in a recent devotional that raising your children under the model of "dedication, service, generosity, and prayer" is the best way to leave a family legacy.

Read more at http://www.christianpost.com/news/rick-warren-how-to-leave-behind-a-proud-family-legacy-163793/#zS5MhzroWLIF74yP.99

The best way to leave an "awesome" family legacy is to live for others instead of yourself, Rick Warren says.

Warren, who serves as head pastor of the 20,000-member Saddleback Church, said in a recent devotional that raising your children under the model of "dedication, service, generosity, and prayer" is the best way to leave a family legacy.

Read more at http://www.christianpost.com/news/rick-warren-how-to-leave-behind-a-proud-family-legacy-163793/#zS5MhzroWLIF74yP.99

The best way to leave an "awesome" family legacy is to live for others instead of yourself, Rick Warren says.

Warren, who serves as head pastor of the 20,000-member Saddleback Church, said in a recent devotional that raising your children under the model of "dedication, service, generosity, and prayer" is the best way to leave a family legacy.


The Southern California pastor uses the example of his own childhood, saying that although his family was very poor, they had the gift of hospitality, giving away food from their garden and inviting people over for meals.

Great families "teach each other to show love and to do good deeds. Good deeds are called ministry. They are called service," Warren writes, suggesting that good Christian parents "teach their kids that God made them and shaped them for a mission."

He uses the example in Acts 10:2 NIV, which describes Cornelius' family as generous, "devout and God fearing."

Warren concludes his message with a prayer for family legacy, which reads in part: "Dear Jesus Christ, I want to live an awesome life. And I want to have an awesome family. I know I won't have either if I just live for myself. So today I give myself to you. As for me and my house, we're going to serve the Lord. I want my family to be a place of play and fun, not just work and negativity. I want my family to be a place where we encourage each other to grow constantly. I want to be a family that is a shelter in the storm, a safe haven, a refuge."

"[…] I want my family to serve you by serving others. Help us to find our family mission, our purpose, what you shaped our family to do," the prayer adds.

Warren has spoken on the importance of family before, saying at the 2015 Catholic Church's World Meeting of Families conference in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that the family can serve as "a launch pad for ministry."

In a modern society with skewed values, the family can also serve as a stable force for Christianity and morals, Warren told the conference.

"We need to revitalize our worship, minimize our differences, mobilize our members, and evangelize the lost, and we need to re-energize our families," the pastor said.

When speaking on the troubles of the modern era, Warren told conference attendees: "In today's society, materialism is idolized, immorality is glamourized, truth is minimized, sin is normalized, divorce is rationalized, and abortion is legalized."


REF: Christian Post.

Should Pastors Who Commit Adultery Be Banned Permanently From Public Ministry?

On the question of adultery, pastors were divided. Some 24 percent of the participating pastors, according to the survey, supported a permanent withdrawal from public ministry after an affair. A quarter of pastors survey said they were not sure about a permanent ban, while 31 percent said pastors who fall should be removed from public ministry for a period of between three months and a year.

"The Scripture says pastors must be above reproach," said Ed Stetzer, executive director of LifeWay Research. "So it's not surprising that some want to see fallen pastors banned from ministry. Still, pastors are also people who talk about forgiveness regularly and, by and large, they want to see those who fall have a chance at restoration."

The Rev. Dr. Austin Roy Jacobs, a licensed minister and Trinity Worldwide Ministries board certified pastoral counselor who has been counselling since 2003, believes forgiveness is the way to go.

"If you are forgiven you go along with what God has called you for. All sins are forgiven. That's the Gospel. And if you commit sin all you have to do is confess, repent and go along if you have a calling. You should not be banned," he argued in an interview with The Christian Post on Wednesday.

When asked about those pastors who believe that their colleagues who commit adultery should be banned, Roy said they need to be helped with prayer.

"Even they should be prayed for. Ask God to open his Spirit upon them that they can see the light. All sins are forgiven. Only the blasphemer's sin is not forgiven. So even those pastors who feel this (that pastors who have fallen should be banned), they should get closer and God will show them the light," said Roy.

He said it doesn't matter if a pastor has fallen into adultery once or repeatedly, as long as they confess and are forgiven, they should not be banned.

"That's where I stand with God. God will forgive you," he said.

"You remember this," he continued. "Christ died to save us from sin and death and all sins are forgiven once we confess and repent no matter how ugly it is. That's what happened to King David. That great king committed adultery and murder and yet he was forgiven. So you hold strong. Don't follow those who condemn…when God calls you, no man can turn you back."

Megachurch Pastor Robert Jeffress of First Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas, said it is possible for fallen pastors to return to public ministry but only in cases where the individual has demonstrated true repentance. He also noted the fallen minister may have to move to a different church.

"There are too many variables to make a hard and fast rule for every situation. Whether a fallen pastor can or should return to ministry depends not only on the pastor's response, but also the congregation's response. Sometimes a genuinely repentant pastor may be able to lead a congregation again – but it may have to be a different congregation. We must balance the very high moral qualifications for pastors found in 1 Timothy 3 with the possibility of restoration for those who truly repent of their sins," said Jeffress.

"This is a true saying, if a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work. A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach; Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous; One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)," says I Timothy 3.

"Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil," the Scripture continued.

According to the survey, older pastors, those over 65, are more likely to want a permanent ban from ministry. Middle-aged pastors, those 45 to 54, are more likely to say from three months to a year is more appropriate.
African-American pastors, 45 percent, are also more likely to say a pastor should leave for three months to a year than white pastors, 30 percent, according to the survey.

When it came to denominations, Lutherans, the survey reports, are least willing to reinstate fallen pastors, with nearly half, 47 percent, saying an adulterous pastor should leave ministry permanently. Some 30 percent of Baptists support permanent withdrawal from ministry while 13 percent of both Methodists and Pentecostals support a permanent ban. Only 11 percent of Presbyterian/Reformed pastors support the ban.

Read more at http://www.christianpost.com/news/should-pastors-who-commit-adultery-be-banned-permanently-from-public-ministry-163730/#5HomFIytsCyHivvA.99

Read more at http://www.christianpost.com/news/should-pastors-who-commit-adultery-be-banned-permanently-from-public-ministry-163730/#JzetbaDsXkBfChme.99

On the question of adultery, pastors were divided. Some 24 percent of the participating pastors, according to the survey, supported a permanent withdrawal from public ministry after an affair. A quarter of pastors survey said they were not sure about a permanent ban, while 31 percent said pastors who fall should be removed from public ministry for a period of between three months and a year.

"The Scripture says pastors must be above reproach," said Ed Stetzer, executive director of LifeWay Research. "So it's not surprising that some want to see fallen pastors banned from ministry. Still, pastors are also people who talk about forgiveness regularly and, by and large, they want to see those who fall have a chance at restoration."

The Rev. Dr. Austin Roy Jacobs, a licensed minister and Trinity Worldwide Ministries board certified pastoral counselor who has been counselling since 2003, believes forgiveness is the way to go.

"If you are forgiven you go along with what God has called you for. All sins are forgiven. That's the Gospel. And if you commit sin all you have to do is confess, repent and go along if you have a calling. You should not be banned," he argued in an interview with The Christian Post on Wednesday.

When asked about those pastors who believe that their colleagues who commit adultery should be banned, Roy said they need to be helped with prayer.

"Even they should be prayed for. Ask God to open his Spirit upon them that they can see the light. All sins are forgiven. Only the blasphemer's sin is not forgiven. So even those pastors who feel this (that pastors who have fallen should be banned), they should get closer and God will show them the light," said Roy.

He said it doesn't matter if a pastor has fallen into adultery once or repeatedly, as long as they confess and are forgiven, they should not be banned.

"That's where I stand with God. God will forgive you," he said.

"You remember this," he continued. "Christ died to save us from sin and death and all sins are forgiven once we confess and repent no matter how ugly it is. That's what happened to King David. That great king committed adultery and murder and yet he was forgiven. So you hold strong. Don't follow those who condemn…when God calls you, no man can turn you back."

Megachurch Pastor Robert Jeffress of First Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas, said it is possible for fallen pastors to return to public ministry but only in cases where the individual has demonstrated true repentance. He also noted the fallen minister may have to move to a different church.

"There are too many variables to make a hard and fast rule for every situation. Whether a fallen pastor can or should return to ministry depends not only on the pastor's response, but also the congregation's response. Sometimes a genuinely repentant pastor may be able to lead a congregation again – but it may have to be a different congregation. We must balance the very high moral qualifications for pastors found in 1 Timothy 3 with the possibility of restoration for those who truly repent of their sins," said Jeffress.

"This is a true saying, if a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work. A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach; Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous; One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)," says I Timothy 3.

"Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil," the Scripture continued.

According to the survey, older pastors, those over 65, are more likely to want a permanent ban from ministry. Middle-aged pastors, those 45 to 54, are more likely to say from three months to a year is more appropriate.
African-American pastors, 45 percent, are also more likely to say a pastor should leave for three months to a year than white pastors, 30 percent, according to the survey.

When it came to denominations, Lutherans, the survey reports, are least willing to reinstate fallen pastors, with nearly half, 47 percent, saying an adulterous pastor should leave ministry permanently. Some 30 percent of Baptists support permanent withdrawal from ministry while 13 percent of both Methodists and Pentecostals support a permanent ban. Only 11 percent of Presbyterian/Reformed pastors support the ban.



REF: Christian Post.

Craig Groeschel to Christians: Make This Dangerous Prayer to God – 'Break Me'

One of the most dangerous and difficult prayers a Christian can make is for God to "break them," Pastor Craig Groeschel says.

Groeschel, who heads the large, multi-site Oklahoma-based Life.Church, discussed the importance of Christians praying that God may "break [them]" in his "Dangerous Prayer" series.

The sermon begins with a prayer to God to "break me of my pride, break me of my selfishness, break me of anything that keeps me from knowing you."

The evangelical pastor warns that this prayer, unlike others, will not necessarily make you "feel good" or fall in line with "God will always make your life better" version of Christianity.

Although this prayer is difficult, it does have the potential to open up your life in greater ways to God, Groeschel continues.

In exchange for this pain of breaking that you may experience in your walk with God, there will be infinite blessings, the pastor says, pointing to an experience in his own life, when he was told by a pastoral mentor that in planting his church, God would break him.

Groeschel experienced the repetitive "breaking" after encountering numerous roadblocks and tragedies while trying to start his church, but also notes that from this immense struggle and pain came infinite blessings as it drew him closer to God and his Christian community.

The pastor goes on to point to two Bible verses that discuss this dangerous prayer: Mark 14:3 and Mark 14:22, which both use the metaphor of a person being "broken" so their faith may be fully "poured out."

In Mark 14:3, a woman breaks an extremely expensive bottle of perfume and pours it over Jesus' head in an act of worship.

This act, Groeschel explains, serves as a symbol for the woman leaving her past life behind and moving forward in her walk with Jesus, physically represented by her breaking the valuable perfume, a symbol of her livelihood, over Jesus and pouring her life out to him, so he in turn may strengthen her faith.

In Mark 14:22, 24, during his Last Supper, Jesus "took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, 'Take it; this is my body' […] 'This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many.'"

Again, in this verse, the metaphor of "breaking and pouring" is being used to show the breaking of oneself.

Through this verse, Jesus is saying "may you also be poured out in such a way [that you give] everything [you] have as an offering for God's glory," Groeschel says.

"Life's greatest breakings often lead to life's greatest blessings," the pastor reiterates. "Those whom God uses the greatest are often those who have been broken the deepest […] because God never wastes a hurt."

For those who are fighting the "breaking" out of a fear of pain or failure, Groeschel encourages them to stop resisting, and rather embrace the destruction by giving themselves fully to God and their church community.

When you get to the moment of breaking, "you can either run to God or […] from God," Groeschel says.

"My greatest advice to you is just break wide open, fully depend on God and let him do a healing work for you," the pastor concludes.

REF: Christian Post.