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Transcript of February13 Beacon
7/29/2019 February13 Beacon
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/february13-beacon 1/8 1
Wading River Baptist ChurchP.O. Box 438, 1635 Wading River-Manor Road, Wading River, NY 11792
(631) 929-3512; 929-6022
www.wrbc.us [email protected]
IImmmmiiggrraattiioonn aanndd tthhee BBii b bllee “There shall be one standard for you; it shall be for the stranger as well as the native,
for I am the Lord your God” (Leviticus 24:22).
Having been inaugurated for a second
term, President Obama has announced
plans to overhaul the immigration laws of
the United States. As a part of his election
campaign in 2008, he pledged to deal with
the stubborn challenge of illegal immigra-
tion which has plagued America for many
years, but for all the rhetoric, and probably
with an eye to re-election, he failed to act.
Safely installed in the Oval Office for a sec-
ond term, he is now joining with his allies
in Congress to bring about significant
change. The primary change, according to
news reports, will be to create legal status
for millions of illegals. In its story, the
Associated Press says, “The proposals from
Obama and lawmakers will mark the start
of what is expected to be a contentious andemotional process with deep political im-
plications.”
Obama’s 2011 “blueprint,” according
to the AP, “calls for a pathway to citizen-
ship for illegal immigrants that includes
paying fines and back taxes; increased bor-
der security; mandatory penalties for busi-
nesses that employ unauthorized immi-
grants; and improvements to the legal im-
migration system, including giving green
cards to high-skilled workers and lifting
caps on legal immigration for the immedi-
ate family members of U.S. citizens.” In
addition, changes “are expected to include
a process toward legalizing the status of
unauthorized immigrants already in the
country; border security; verification meas-
ures for employers hiring workers and
ways for more temporary workers to be
admitted into the country.” After a recent
meeting with the President, Rep. Linda
Sanchez (D-CA) said Obama told lawmak-
ers "immigration reform is his number one
legislative priority."
One heretofore overlooked implication
of immigration reform is the likelihood
that it could suddenly make millions of
non-citizens eligible for healthcare cover-
age under the Affordable Health Care Act
(Obamacare). Quoted on “The Hill” web
site, Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.), a leader in
the immigration debate, has said, "We have
to figure out a way in which [undocu-
mented immigrants] incorporate them-
selves into the larger workforce, and into
our society in general, and not be a bur-
den.”
And what about the American public?
Recent polling data suggests that Ameri-
cans are increasingly in agreement with
proposed changes. In one poll taken in
January, fifty-three percent want a path to
legalization for illegal immigrants, which,
according to “The Hill,” is a major shiftfrom 2011, when most wanted Washington
focused on deportations.
Once again, faced as we are with a
major policy initiative from a socialist-
leaning administration, in order to be re-
sponsible citizens, we evangelicals are be-
ing forced to decide where we stand on
immigration. Clearly, it’s not an easy ques-
tion. Nonetheless, the Bible does give
some principles governing immigration in
ancient Israel—principles which, although
not the governing authority of the United
States, still contain very helpful guidelines.
At the very least, these biblical principles
should form the foundation of our think-
ing.
The first principle is stated in Leviticus
19:33-34: “When a stranger resides with
you in your land, you shall not do him
wrong. The stranger who resides with you
shall be to you as the native among you,
and you shall love him as yourself, for you
were aliens in the land of Egypt; I am the
Lord your God.” An immigrant was to be
treated and loved as a citizen.
Upon leaving Egypt, Israel had to de
with the question of how they were to tre
the non-Israelites living among them
These were primarily Egyptians who h
voluntarily chosen to leave their nati
country with the emigrant Israelites. F
the most part, they were probably pe
suaded to cast their lot with God’s peop
because of His obvious blessing up
them. They had prospered and multipli
in the Nile Delta for four hundred year
and during the ravages of the plagues im
mediately preceding the exodus, they h
been spared judgment. Perhaps out of fe
more than anything else, these Egyptian
called in the Hebrew Bible ereb rab (
large number of mixed people,” Ex 12:38
left Egypt for the trans-wilderness trek Canaan.
The first commandment God gave t
Israelites after their departure had to
with the perpetual observance of the Pas
over, and as part of His instructions, H
made it clear that no foreigner (ben nē kā
was permitted to participate (Ex 12:43).
circumcised Gentile slave could eat t
Passover, but not a “sojourner” (tôš ā
unassimilated “alien”) or hired servant (
45). However, a circumcised “strange
(gē r) was allowed to celebrate the fea
This “stranger” was an alien, a man wh
had left his own land with the intention
settling in another where he had no leg
rights. In order to be assimilated, ther
fore, he had to conform to the laws an
customs of the host nation. Thus, the no
Israelite was forbidden from participati
in the Passover, but the assimilated (c
cumcised) Israelite—corresponding to o
legal immigrant—was permitted to do s
The Lord specifically declared (literall
that “There is one law for the native and f
the sojourner [alien or foreigner, gē r] w
sojourns [‘stays as a foreigner’] in yo
FFee b brruuaarr y y 22001133 V V o ol l u umm e e 8 8 ##22
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midst” (v. 49). This provision is repeated
in Numbers 9:14: “If an alien sojourns
among you and observes the Passover to
the Lord, according to the statute of the
Passover and according to its ordinance, so
he shall do; you shall have one statute,
both for the alien and for the native of the
land.”
In terms of the Law, the same princi-
ple was to apply. “The alien as well as the
native, when He blasphemes the Name,shall be put to death” (Lev 24:16). Repeat-
ing the lex talionis (law of retribution) ini-
tially stated in Exodus 21, the Lord de-
clares, “There shall be one standard [lit.,
“judgment,” mišpāt ] for you; it shall be for
the stranger [gē r], as well as for the native,
for I am the Lord your God” (v. 22). More
generally, therefore, the Lord established
this principle of divine law: “As for the
assembly, there shall be one statute for you
and for the alien who sojourns with you, a
perpetual statute throughout your genera-
tions; as you are, so shall the alien be be-
fore the Lord. There is to be one law andone ordinance for you and for the alien
who sojourns with you” (15:15-16). And
again, “You shall have one law for him who
does anything unintentionally, for him who
is native among the sons of Israel and for
the alien who sojourns among them. But
the person who does anything defiantly,
whether he is native or an alien, that one is
blaspheming the Lord; and that person
shall be cut off from among his people” (vv.
29-30).
With regard to the dilemma we face in
America today, these passages yield thefollowing conclusions. First, we are obli-
gated to love the foreigners among us, and
that applies to all of them without regard to
their immigration status. We, as redeemed
sinners, are to love them as people, many
of whom are lost and in need of the Savior.
We are to love them as we wish to be loved.
Israel was to do so because they under-
stood what it meant to be foreigners living
in a nation not their own. Christians, how-
ever, can feel the force of the same dy-
namic, even if they never leave the shores
of their native country. The reason is that
regenerate believers are already citizens of
heaven (Phil 3:20). That’s why Peter ad-
dresses the readers of his first epistle as
“aliens and strangers” (1 Pet 2:11). Under-
standing what it means to be a foreigner
leads to compassion on other foreigners.
Genuine believers therefore never have any
excuse for hating or mistreating the immi-
grants who live among them, legal or ille-
gal.
Second, to maintain civil order in soci-
ety, government must enforce the laws of the nation without prejudice or bias. Na-
tive-born citizens, foreign-born citizens,
and illegal aliens are to be subjected
equally to the requirements of the law.
Ethnic, racial, religious, or socio-economic
inequalities are not a sufficient reason for
circumventing the rule of law. The gov-
ernment of the United States should dili-
gently and without prejudice enforce all
immigration laws. The laws are on the
books for a reason, and if that reason is no
longer valid, or if the majority of the popu-
lation no longer agrees with the laws, then
the legislative bodies should change them. De facto overruling of properly created
laws by neglect or deliberate evasion is not
a satisfactory solution; to do so under-
mines the rule of law in other respects,
destroying the cohesion of a civil society.
Third , therefore, loving the foreigners
among us does not require us to tolerate
their bad behavior. When immigrants
commit crimes, they must be punished;
when they violate accepted moral, ethical,
and behavioral norms in their host country,
they should be educated about what is tol-
erated and what is forbidden, and thenrequired to conform. Toleration in the
name of diversity is death to the cultural
foundation of any nation. And that points
to one final conclusion.
Fourth, a nation has a right to expect
the immigrants among them to observe
uniform religious standards. Aliens in Is-
rael were not free to practice their pagan
cults; they did not have the option of idola-
try or unrestrained immorality. If they
wanted to live with the Israelites, they had
to live like the Israelites.
Religious liberty in the United States is
constitutionally protected, but a careful
analysis of the First Amendment will pro
that the framers never intended it to pr
tect a plurality of contradictory and oft
hostile religions. It is at this point th
modern America encounters an impas
which will hinder the satisfactory resol
tion of the immigrant problem. As I ha
often pointed out, every great civilization
history has had a state religion—except f
the United States of America. The reas
for this is obvious. The foundation ofcivilization’s legal framework and practic
morality is its religious faith. The Unit
States originally had an unspoken al
giance to Christianity. Freedom was
lowed for differences of denomination
convictions (Anglican, Presbyterian, L
theran, Congregational, Baptist, Rom
Catholic, etc.); but the nation’s founde
never envisioned a patchwork of competi
and contradictory religions such as we ha
today.
Our American culture is severely co
flicted about what to do with illegal imm
grants. The reason for this confusionthat America has ceased to be a “melti
pot,” and is rapidly becoming Balkanize
Because America no longer retains a re
gious, moral, and ethical consensus, “eve
man does what is right in his own eye
(Jud 17:6; 21:25). Thus we must conte
with diverse groups who insist on mai
taining their native identities while enjo
ing the benefits of American Jude
Christian inspired freedoms and prospe
ity, all the while resting satisfied in bei
called “hyphen-Americans.” With the lo
of a religious consensus in America, whcan we expect?
Buddhist idols in Chinese restaurant
Hindu mysticism in yoga classes? Shar
Law in Islamist enclaves? Nearly 200 d
ferent languages being spoken in som
urban school districts? Are these thin
acceptable for America’s future? How or
these problems will be resolved is not clea
Our legislators have a monumental ta
before them, and they need divine wisdo
to accomplish it.
—Pastor Ron Glas
MMiissssiioonnaarriieess oof f tthhee MMoonntthh –– R R aallpphh && SSaannddrraa TThhoommppssoonn
As we know, Ralph & Sandra Thompson
minister to the least-reached people in the
city of Mombasa, the second largest city in
Kenya. Mombasa is located on the east
coast of Kenya and is the country’s princi-
pal tourist destination. There is a full free-
dom of religion in Kenya; but in spite of the
immense freedom, corruption remains
overwhelmingly present, allowing Ralph &
Sandra Thompson to recognize Mombasa
as a solid base of ministry. Even though
Kenya is predominantly “Christian” where
the Thompsons live along the coast, there
are so many “unreached peoples yet to
come out of the darkness into the light.”
In partnership with the local church,
Fellowship Baptist Church, the Thompsons
have taken part in church development,
teaching, evangelism, discipleship, cou
seling, mentoring and leadership training
The Thompsons find an amazi
openness among the people of Mombasa
talk about spiritual things, giving the
ample opportunities to share the truth
the Gospel. Religious and political te
sions seem to be emerging, however; wi
the upcoming elections in 2013 there
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potential for civil unrest. We need to pray
that they will be able to take full advantage
of the current religious freedom and that
the doors for the Gospel would remain
open, especially along the coast where the
majority have not accepted the Lord Jesus
Christ as Savior.
As we intercede for the Thompsons,
they have indicated the following specific
prayer requests: (1) For peace and stability
in Kenya; (2) that doors for the Gospel would remain open, especially along the
coast where they are situated; (3) that God
would call more laborers to join them in
the harvest; and (4) for the safety, health,
and protection of their family, friends, and
co-laborers in Mombasa.
And since children make up the major-
ity of Kenya’s population, so many of the
ministries focus on the children and young
people and cannot be established fast
enough. Pray that the ministry wou
match the growing need to reach out to th
segment of the population.
So as Ralph & Sandra continue to a
swer to their calling to be ambassadors
the unreached in Mombasa, may we co
tinue to be obedient to pray and suppo
this ministry, not forgetting to pray f
their three children: Ryan, Alyssa, a
Alana.
⎯ Joan Tyska
MMoonntthh iinn R R ee v v iiee w w
“‘For I know the plans that I have for you,’
declares the LORD, 'plans for welfare and
not for calamity to give you a future and ahope’” (Jeremiah 29:11).
2013 arrived peacefully for WRBC;
without New Year’s resolutions, late-night
parties, or spectacular secular traditions;
but with God’s assur-
ance of a new year filled
with hope for the future
under His watchful eye
for those that love Him.
Many from the church were bringing in the
New Year with their families in Texas or
Nevada or other distant places; others,
such as our college students, had returned
to the Island for family reunions; and oth-ers spent a time of fellowshipping in their
homes with WRBC brothers and sisters.
Yes, it was a time of renewal, a time of
hope, and a time of celebration ⎯ but not
with a worldly perspective. It was with
hearts for the future according to God’s
will.
But before saying goodbye to 2012, on
the last Lord’s Day of the year, December
30th, there was one last snow fall in a year
that hardly could speak of any snow accu-
mulations. It was quite beautiful, but it
also had a direct effect on the attendance atchurch for the last Lord’s Day service of the
year. Pastor Glass continued his series of
expository studies in the Gospel of Mat-
thew with the selected text of Matthew 3:1-
12. Pastor’s sermon was entitled, “Who Is
This?” ⎯ a study of John the Baptist.
In contrast, on the following Lord’s
Day, January 6th, the attendance was back
to normal, with families returning from
Christmas holidays and before the college
students began their exit back to college.
Being that the holidays united the three
Piraino sisters, it is without saying that
they were asked
to participate in
the worship ser- vice, sharing their
incredible musi-
cal skills on the
violin and piano.
Lord’s Day evening on January 6th, the
Bible Study and fellowship resumed after a
few weeks of holiday recess. For the month
of January the group met at the home of
Alfredo and Rosie Hofmann in Manorville.
The study of 1 Corinthians continued with
an open discussion led by Pastor Glass,
followed by a time of fellowshipping and
enjoying the great dishes made by the
hostess, Rosie Hofmann, and others wish-ing to share some of their favorite dishes.
Except for the Senior Saints’ Luncheon
on January 12th, January was a quiet and
peaceful month and
time for everyone
to catch their
breath ⎯ a welcome
recess for many. As
for the “Whiter
Than Snow” Senior Luncheon, the lunch-
eon ironically was scheduled for one of the
warmest days of the winter, so far removed
from the idea of the whiteness of snow.But once the seniors gathered in the Fel-
lowship Hall, the displayed Kincaid winter
pictures and Styrofoam snowflakes re-
minded one of the theme and topic for dis-
cussion.
As flu season peaked during the tim
line of the luncheon, some thought w
offered to present a healthy meal to ass
the seniors in a bit of flu prevention as
encouragement to stay healthy. Hom
made chicken noodle soup and a buffet
healthy vegetables accompanied by
chicken breast in cream sauce entrée we
well received by almost 30 attendees of tluncheon. A volunteer committee ⎯ Jack
Kaitlyn, Kristen, and Kara Hallstrom, Mi
Piraino, and Vicki Valentine ⎯ made up t
perfect kitchen team; they excelled not on
in the presentation of the food, but also
the serving of it. Not able to attend t
luncheon was the pianist, Marie Capu
leaving a vacancy at the piano which Past
Glass capably filled, accompanying t
seniors as they sang a selection of hym
before dinner. Also missing was Dia
Pandolfini and the joy she brings to t
luncheons with her imaginary creatiothat reflect the theme of the particul
luncheon. Only this time, even thou
Diane had her costume assembled an
ready to wear, she did not make it to t
luncheon as she sat home in a cast with
broken leg. She was dearly missed. M
God grant her a speedy recovery.
Chris Hallstrom was
the devotional leader,
bringing awareness to one
of history’s finest British
Particular Baptist preach-
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ers, Charles Haddon Spurgeon. Keeping
with the theme of the luncheon, Chris used
one of Spurgeon’s sermons from March 24,
1861, entitled “The Silver Trumpet,” which
had as its Scripture text Isaiah
1:18 ⎯ “Come now, and let us reason to-
gether, says the Lord, though your sins are
like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red like crimson, they shall
be as wool.” Chris’s highly motivated pres-
entation of Spurgeon’s sermon, containingpenetrating thought and precise exposi-
tion, was not only interesting and informa-
tive but revealed a most eloquent and
highly influential preacher among Chris-
tians of an earlier era.
Hopefully Chris
opened a window of dis-
covery for some of the
seniors of a preacher
that at one time was con-
sidered the “Prince of
Preachers.” Spurgeon’s youthful conver-
sion to Christianity at age 16 brought him
into a rapid rise in his obedience to be bap-tized and to teach Sunday School; he
preached his first sermon in the winter of
1850-51, still as a teenager. His oratorical
skills held throngs of listeners as he con-
tinued to produce powerful sermons of
penetrating thought and precise exposi-
tion. He was an author of many types of
works including sermons, an autobiogra-
phy, commentaries, books on prayer, devo-
tionals, magazines, poetry, hymns, and
more. He was the most powerful preacher
of his time and has left a legacy that has
lingered into this century, dominating thedevotions of this senior luncheon. For
some, Chris introduced to the seniors an
avenue of Biblical nourishment through
Charles Spurgeon.
And what a nice surprise it was to wel-
come former members of WRBC, John &
Joann Bennett, to the luncheon to reunite
with some old friends (with associated fond
memories) and to make new memories
with those meeting the couple for the first
time. John & Joann are in the process of
returning to Florida to live and the lunch-
eon was an opportunity to reach out to
spend some time with some old friends
before making the move.
March 16, 2013 is already on the cal-
endar for the next senior luncheon sched-
uled to meet in the Fellowship Hall. The
theme and topic will be “Consider the Lilies
of the Field.” Please save the date and
make plans to attend. Young seniors are
especially welcomed as we like to reach not
only those within the WRBC church body,
but also others in the community to which
we have extended an invitation. It is a
luncheon where as a senior you can bring
your friends and expose them to a few
hours of God’s love and devotions.
January 13, 2013, a WRBC semi-
annual business meeting took place to dis-
cuss and approve some minor changes in
the church’s constitution. Also discussed
was the status of the church’s 33-passenger
bus and the continued use of it. It is with
grateful praise the meeting went well as the
quorum was met in agreement on all ac-
counts.
Mike Pandolfini in the leadership of
the Missions Committee has connected
with our missionaries in the field and has been securing dates to bring some of the
missionaries into the fellowship of the
church to keep WRBC current in their ac-
tivities. On February 10, 2013, Tim &
Marcia Monahan will be at WRBC to share
a pot luck dinner in the fellowship hall af-
ter the Lord’s Day service. Please ma
your calendars.
Also in the planning is a visit fro
Marvin & Denise Robinson, who are tent
tively scheduled to visit with WRBC som
time in late June; Joe & Denise Holm
optimistically plan to be at WRBC som
time in September 0r October.
In order to fulfill the Lord’s purpo
for the New Testament Church, Past
Glass continues to teach the “Basic Bib
Themes” each Lord’s Day in Sunday Scho
at 9:45 am; as well as his series of expos
tory studies in the Gospel of Matthew du
ing the 11:00 am service, also on the Lord
Day; Pastor Glass leads a Bible study lat
on the Lord’s Day with an open discussio
studying I Corinthians, meeting in differe
homes each month; and most essential, t
Wednesday night Bible Study and pray
meeting which meets at 7:00 pm. It
therefore our commitment to one anoth
and to our Lord to be a fellowship of lig
as we continue to meet and share with o
another. WRBC is always on a road of di
covery and commitment to our Lord Jes
Christ with an open invitation to all see
ing Him.
As 2012 ended with an unusually m
start of the winter, it was not a big surpri
when a snow storm on January 2
brought the arctic air to Long Island, witemperatures dipping into the single dig
for the first time in a few years. Pray th
these cold temperatures do not bring har
ships or illness to anyone. May God ke
you all in His care? ⎯ Joan Tysk
A A mmeenn?? OOrr OOhh,, mmee!!
Ahhh, February—‘holiday’ gatherings have
ended and the ‘gathering’ of documents for
‘Uncle Sam’ has begun, for he will soon beexpecting ‘his’ portion of ‘our’ last year’s
income. And it is also the time we church
members are handed a factual record of
how much we obviously considered God’s
‘portion’ of our income from last year.
Ask most Christians, ‘how much of the
world belongs to God?’, and we’ll piously
say ‘all of it!’. Scripture agrees that: “The
earth is the LORD’s and the fullness thereof,
the world and those who dwell therein”
(Psalm 24:1); but evidently, most of us
don’t act as though we believe it.
I was struck by this glaring contradic-
tion while listening to a recent sermon by
our friend and former pastor, Joe Braden(embracetheword.org), entitled “The Lord
Gives…And Gives Again”, when he quoted
some statistics from a January 2008 article
in Christianity Today entitled “Scrooge
Lives” that left me exclaiming out loud,
WHAT?!?! Are you serious????? I’m curi-
ous to see if these statements shock you as
much as they shocked me! According to
the author, Rob Moll,
• MORE than 1 out of 4 Protestants give
absolutely NOTHING to the church,
not even a token $5 per year.
• That the median ANNUAL giving f
an evangelical ‘Christian’ is abo
$200! • That 5% of ‘Christians’ provide 60%
the operating budget for God’s work.
• That the more money someone make
the less likely they are to tithe!
• Those who made less than $20,000/
gave 2.3% of their income, while tho
making greater than $70,000 on
gave 1.2% of their income.
If you are not shocked, you should b
And when the disbelief wears off, I ho
that, like me, you are heartbroken at t
implication of this. What sort of testimo
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is that for a people who profess that their
God is ‘sufficient’ for all their needs?!?
Pastor Braden then asked if we were
aware that in the OT God’s people were
forbidden to come before Him empty-
handed! (No, I was not aware.) Look at
Deuteronomy 16:16: “They shall not appear
before the LORD empty-handed.” He then
posed the question: “Why would God de-
mand that? Did He ‘need’ their money?”
Certainly not! Look at Psalm 50:10-12:“For every beast of the forest is mine,
the cattle on a thousand hills. I know all
the birds of the hills, and all that moves in
the field is mine. If I were hungry, I would
not tell you, for the world and its fullness
are mine.” Then why do you suppose He
forbade them to come empty-handed? To
quote Pastor Braden:
“Because coming before the Lord
empty-handed was a false testimony
concerning the Lord’s faithfulness. He
has never left His people empty-
handed, so therefore, to appear before Him empty-handed is to make a
statement that He is unfaithful to
provide for His people! We are to
make a personal statement that the
Lord provides for His people! How?
The Lord’s people can make a state-
ment—and prove that the Lord is
faithful to meet the needs of His peo-
ple, when they take what the Lord has
given to them, and the first thing they
do is give it back to God. In the OT,
the first and finest 10th would be given
back to the Lord, for in giving the first
and the finest 10th of what belonged toGod in the first place, it was represen-
tative of giving back to God the total-
ity of what they had been given.”
Now, I want you to read and consider what
Moll described as “The $85.5 Billion Gap”:
“American Christians' lack of generosity
might not be as shocking if it didn't con-
trast so starkly with their astounding
wealth. Passing the Plate's researchers say
committed American Christians—those
who say their faith is very important to
them and those who attend church at least
twice a month—earn more than $2.5 tril-lion dollars every year. On their own, these
Christians could be admitted to the G7, the
group of the world's seven largest econo-
mies. Smith and his coauthors estimate
that if these Christians gave away 10 per-
cent of their after-tax earnings, they would
add another $46 billion to ministry around
the world.”
Reading this makes me writhe in em-
barrassment for the family of God. Do we
really trust Him so little? It’s no secret that
we obey Him so little—that’s out in the
wide open for everyone to see—but this, my
friend, is a family scandal of epic propor-
tions!
‘Uncle Sam’ demands his due—and we
come forth with it, because we fear the
consequences of not doing so. God expects
us to obey Him because we love Him (as
in: “if you love Me you will keep My com-
mandments” John 14:15)…and we shrug
Him off as if we couldn’t care less. Ever
wondered what it would be like if God waslike ‘Uncle Sam’—and demanded his ‘por-
tion’ (or else!)? Wow, talk about ‘tithes
into the storehouse!’
Churches would have dependable heat
and air, funds to pay the bills, and no
more sagging pews, threadbare carpets, or
tired décor that so often define mission-
minded congregations. Pothole-free park-
ing lots, leak-free roofs, and pastors in the
mission field with funds to start a Sunday
School, an orphanage, or a school as they
labor in those ‘fields so white unto the har-
vest’. Missionaries fully funded, the true gospel blanketing the airwaves, and Chris-
tian disaster relief immediate. Bibles
translated into every conceivable language
and dialect saturating the world’s land-
scape. Yes, the whole world could shortly
hear the ‘good news’ that we so heartily
purport to believe in but so miserably fail
to financially support . And, as an added
bonus, no ministry would need to be calling
at suppertime soliciting donations! But,
hey, if God were like our dear old “uncle,”
He’d be demanding about a 40-50% cut of
‘our’ proceeds, wouldn’t He?
Funny thing is God’s plan for funding would work even better—if His people be-
lieved Him enough to try it. You see He
intends for us to be so grateful for His
provision that we joyfully and willingly
offer back to Him the choicest portion—
with the understanding that in doing so, we
will be double beneficiaries—first of His
provision, and then sharing in the bless-
ings that result from the gift we give back
to Him! If only we actually trusted enough
to obey, God can take our ‘loaves & fish’
offerings, and multiply it at least five thou-
sand times! (Can I get a witness, here? Or just a great, big, OUCH!?)
Chuck Swindoll tells of a man who
confessed that when he made a small
yearly income it didn’t seem hard to tithe,
but now he found it almost impossible to
tithe on so much money! Saying he under-
stood perfectly, Swindoll asked if he could
pray with the man about it, and began
“Lord, we come to you with this brother’s
concerns about tithing. When he only
made that small income he felt able to give
you back your portion, but now, Lord, he is
struggling to do that. So right now, Lor
I’m asking you to reduce his income
where it was, so that he may again find
easy to be obedient to you.” At this t
man jumped to his feet, and yelled “WAI
WAIT! That’s not what I meant !!!”
While we can chuckle at this, it illu
trates a sad reality, which is the more w
‘have’, the more ‘ownership’ we tend
take of it. Ever notice when your kids g
an “A” on their report card they sproudly “Look what I made!” But, if th
come home with an “F”, they mutter dark
“Look what that teacher gave me!”? W
are so like the Israelites of old, as God a
dressed them both in Malachi 3:8-9 an
Haggai 1:4-9 about being disobedient an
stingy towards Him and taking care of the
own ‘business’ while ignoring His: “W
man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. B
you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’
your tithes and contributions. You a
cursed with a curse, for you are robbi
me, the whole nation of you.” And, “…th
says the LORD of hosts: Consider yo
ways. You have sown much, and harvest
little. You eat, but you never have enoug
you drink, but you never have your fill. Y
clothe yourselves, but no one is warm. An
he who earns wages does so to put the
into a bag with holes”….“You looked f
much, and behold, it came to little. An
when you brought it home, I blew it awa
Why? declares the LORD of hosts. Becau
of my house that lies in ruins, while each
you busies himself with his own hous
God is zealous for His ‘house’, so we mu
be, as well! At the risk of offending, there’s
prickly subject we all need to address:
light of this data, if God’s people are on
giving back to God about 2% of their i
come, then that must mean there’s a lot
God’s money—at least 8%, or roughly
the amount actually given back to Him
that is evidently being spent by them! Ou
again. So don’t we need to be asking ou
selves if we are spending God’s money
that He intends for His ‘house’—on o
‘house’? Are we driving a car that God
money is purchasing? Is God unwitting
‘treating us’ when we eat out? Or, did Go
‘fund’ our last vacation? Or, is perhaps a
of God’s money sitting in a savings accou
with our name on it?
Because of my own consternati
with the stats in that article, I divided o
contribution amount by 365 to reveal o
daily contribution to the Lord last ye
then did the same with our mortgage pa
ment—just to see the difference in what w
were paying for ‘our’ house each day vers
what we contributed to God’s ‘house’. I w
shamefully startled at the huge gap. Wh
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still gazing in this painful ‘mirror’, I di-
vided our contribution by our approximate
income, and, using the word ‘tithe’ as a
literal “tenth”, we may have barely
squeaked by the mark. Ouch... God lav-
ishes, and we ‘squeak by’?
‘Well ,’ pride whispered, ‘at least you
give more than the ‘median’ of $200!’ …but
somehow pride’s words fell flat. I didn’t
feel a bit better. We can do better than
this! God said His people had been robbinghim of tithes “and contributions”, and
‘squeaking by’ with the tithe means we
literally gave no ‘contributions’—and that
must change immediately. I thought to
myself, ‘how can we leave church, having
put nothing in the plate that week, and go
out and spend $40-50 on lunch! Can’t we
at least ‘buy God’s lunch’ on Sunday, in
addition to ‘squeaking by’ with a tithe?’ If
we ‘treated’ God to a hypothetical $25
lunch every week for 52 weeks, we would
give an annual ‘contribution’ of $1300/yr
or $3.56/day—far less than most people
spend for lunch each day. In refusing to do
at least this, are we saying we won’t even
buy God a ‘Happy Meal’ each day this
year? When put that way: Double ouch!
Okay, I’ve had my confession time.
How about you? Dare you divide your con-
tribution total by your household income?
Is it greater than 10%? Or, like us, did you
barely squeak by that 10% mark? Perhaps
you gave less than 10% but more than the
‘median’ income of $200? Or sadly, as you
look at it, it’s just too small to mention—so
small you are going to STOP READING
THIS ARTICLE RIGHT NOW BECAUSETHE LAST THING YOU NEED IN YOUR
LIFE IS ANOTHER GUILT TRIP!
I get it. I don’t like ‘guilt trips’ either—
and, for me, consistent tithing is one way to
avoid a huge one. But my response is sim-
ply: don’t kill the messenger, my friend.
Giving back to God a portion of what He
blesses us with is His idea, not mine! We
are ALL selfish and we ALL have financial
needs. But, we must make sure that the
money we spend on ‘our’ business is what
God has allowed us to keep, and not what is
due Him. James 4:17 says “So whoeverknows the right thing to do and fails to do
it, for him it is sin.” I am convinced that
tithing is the ‘right thing to do’, so a failure
for me to do it is sin.
W ould it be easier to tithe if we only
made $20,000/year as the data seems to
suggest? Hey, God can arrange that! Not an
appealing thought? Well, what excuse are
we giving if He has blessed us with more?
The most common is “I just can’t afford it,”
which, on paper, may be true. But if it is,
the bad news is that we’ve based our
budget on an income that includes some-
one else’s money. But the good news is that
God ‘has an app for that’! Simply APPly
what He said in Malachi 3:10: “Bring the
full tithe into the storehouse, that there
may be food in my house. And thereby put
me to the test , says the LORD of hosts, if I
will not open the windows of heaven for
you and pour down for you a blessing until
there is no more need .”
Does this remind you of something? InI Kings 17, God sent Elijah to Zarephath, to
a widow He’d ‘commanded’ to take care of
the prophet, and upon arrival, Elijah asked
for a drink of water. As she went to get it,
he added, “Bring me a morsel of bread in
your hand.” 12 And she said, “As the LORD
your God lives, I have nothing baked, only
a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a
jug. And now I am gathering a couple of
sticks that I may go in and prepare it for
myself and my son, that we may eat it and
die.” 13 And Elijah said to her, “Do not fear;
go and do as you have said. But first make
me a little cake of it and bring it to me, and
afterward make something for yourself and
your son. 14 For thus says the LORD, the
God of Israel , ‘The jar of flour shall not be
spent, and the jug of oil shall not be empty,
until the day that the LORD sends rain upon
the earth.’ Friends, she wasn’t ‘behind on
her bills’—this was a mother watching her
child starve to death. She surely ‘couldn’t
afford’ to tithe—much offer all of it! She’d
just told him that she had just enough for a
final meal before they died! But, against all
odds, she obeyed ‘the Word of the Lord’
rather than following her ‘common sense’:“she went and did as Elijah said.” Good
choice, for “The jar of flour was not spent,
neither did the jug of oil become empty,
according to the word of the LORD” What
she did seems totally irrational, but be-
cause she trusted God’s Word, and obeyed
His command—she and her household
were completely provided for!
The bad news is that Elijah, that
mighty miracle-working prophet of God, is
not here anymore. But the good news is
that one greater than Elijah IS here! When
asked about the prophecy that Elijah would
precede the messiah, Jesus said: For all the
Prophets and the Law prophesied until
John, and if you are willing to accept it, he
is Elijah who is to come.” (Matt.11:14) No,
think about that: If John was ‘ Elijah who is
to come’, then, by John’s own testimony,
one greater than Elijah has come—whose
sandals John declared he was ‘unfit to un-
tie’! Jesus is greater than Elijah—and He
says “Come to me, all who labor and are
heavy laden, and I will give you rest,” and
He assures us if we “Seek first the kingdom
of God and His righteousness” then “all
these things”—these needs we have— w
be met because God knows that we ne
them. And Jesus said surely if we, bei
evil, know how to give good gifts to o
own children, then how much more w
our Father in Heaven provide for us? An
are we not more valuable than a sparrow
Are we not more precious to Him than t
grass? He says yes! We are! And as Past
Braden stated so eloquently: “God know
our need, He cares about our need, and Hwill respond to that need. God has nev
left His children empty-handed, for He
faithful to provide for His own, and w
His children, are to be a witness to th
faithfulness by joyfully offering back to hi
the first and the finest of what He bless
us with.”
My, my, we Christians so readily pr
fess to ‘trust’ God, singing, “Trust a
obey, for there’s no other way.” But sayi
and doing are two different things, righ
Trust is scary when the stakes are high an
the bills eat up every penny. The truth
the matter is that ‘trust’ is just a concep
until it’s put to the test—just like all insu
ance companies are the same until you f
a claim; for then, and only then, will y
know what kind of insurance you rea
have. By the same token, all ‘concepts’
God are the same until you actually ‘le
upon the promises’, for it is then and on
then that will you find out if you are wo
shipping the true God, the God of the B
ble—or simply the God of your imagin
tion.
We sing: “Great is Thy Faithfulness,
God my Father, there is no shadow turning with thee. Thou changest not: t
compassions—they fail not! As thou ha
been, thou forever wilt be… Great is T
Faithfulness! Great is Thy Faithfulnes
morning by morning new mercies I se
All I have needed thy hand hath pr
vided…great is thy faithfulness, Lord un
me.” But friend, does the profound truth
it resonate in our hearts and lives? I cann
speak for others, but “as for me and m
house, we will serve the Lord” with o
finances. To whom much has been give
much is required. God has blessed us a
out of humble and grateful hearts we w
gladly offer back the first and finest
Him, for He is worthy, and deserves it a
Oh, wait —it all belongs to Him anywa
He just lets us keep the lion’s share of
because that’s what kind of God He is.
⎯Martie Best
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FFee b brruuaarr y y 22001133 The Lord’s Day Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
1 2
3 9:45 AM Sunday
School (continuation of
“Basic Bible Themes”)
11:00 AM Morning
Worship Service
5:00 PM Bible Study
(Hofmann home)
4 5 6 7:00 PM
Prayer Meeting and
Exposition of Psalms
7 8:30 AM
Ladies Prayer
– Joan Tyska(727-5998)
8 9
10 9:45 AM Sunday
School
11:00 AM Morning
Worship Service (Tim
Monahan in the pulpit)
Fellowship Dinner w/
Monahans to follow
11 12 7:00 PM
Board of
Deacons
13 7:00 PM
Prayer Meeting and
Exposition of Psalms
14 8:30 AM
Ladies Prayer 15 16
17 9:45 AM Sunday
School
11:00 AM Morning
Worship Service
Bible Study (TBA)
18 19 20 7:00 PM
Prayer Meeting and
Exposition of Psalms
21 8:30 AM
Ladies Prayer
22 23
24 9:45 AM Sunday
School
11:00 AM Morning
Worship Service
25 26 27 7:00 PM
Prayer Meeting and
Exposition of Psalms
28 8:30 AM
Ladies Prayer
FFee b brruuaarr y y Bible Quiz Questions
1) What was Jesus’s first miracle and where did it take place?
2) Who killed the Canaanite general, Sisera, and how?
3) Name the 12 disciples and cite the four passages in the New
Testament in which they are listed.
4) Provide the names of at least five of the men who wrote Psalms.
5) According to the Apostle Paul, more than ____ people who would
eventually become Christians were eyewitnesses of the resurrected
Christ.
Bonus: What are the Dead Sea Scrolls? Who found them, and where?
⎯ Virginia Sylvester
JJaannuuaarr y y Bible Quiz Answers
1) Saul (1 Samuel 24:17).
2) Naboth (1 Kings 21:13).
3) Ben-ammi (Genesis 19:38).
4) Adoni-bezek (Judges 1:6-7).
5) Beth-el (Judges 1:23; Genesis 28:19).
Bonus: The tongue (Psalm 52:2).
Congratulations to Virginia Sylvester, sister of
Joan Tyska, for submitting all five correct answers
plus the bonus to the January Bible Quiz!
TThhee BBiirrtthhddaa y y CCoorrnneerr
February 2nd – Kevin Kenter
February 3rd – John PirainoFebruary 4th – Janet Perry
February 4th – Janice Manges
TThhee A A nnnnii v v eerrssaarr y y CCoorrnneerr
Pastor and Maureen Glass’s20th anniversary of ministry at Wading River Baptist Church
7/29/2019 February13 Beacon
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PO Box 438Wading River, NY 11792
Our Purpose
1. To glorify God through sharing
the good news of salvation by God’s
sovereign grace through faith in His
Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.
2. To nurture believers through a
strong program of Christian educa-
tion, youth ministries, and expository
Biblical preaching.
3. To provide an opportunity for
Biblical worship, service, and fellow-
ship.
4. To extend our ministry through-
out America and around the world
through participation in home and
foreign missions.
WRBC is affiliated with the Conserva-
tive Baptist Association of America
and the Conservative Baptist Mission
to the Northeast.
Wading River Baptist Church
• For the Exaltation of God in All Things
• For the Proclamation of Faith in Christ
• For the Transformation of God’s Peopl e