We know so many people that tell us that they would really like to go to Zambia to minister but that they don’t have the money. Yes, it does take money to go to Africa.
But God owns it all! The lack of money to go on mission trips points to some important beliefs about money among American Christians.
Materialism and unbelief are the great wars fought in the mind of American Christians today.
Materialism and unbelief are the great wars fought in the mind of American Christians today.
- How much is enough?
- If I give my tithe, isn’t that what counts to God and the church?
- Does God care how I spend my money?
- Is He really my Provider or is it my money because I worked for it?
- Can I really make a difference when I have so little to give?
- I believe in bringing Christ to all people, but how do I keep up with the bills for my family?
The first root issue goes back to our answers to the questions - “How much do I love Jesus?” and “How much do I love people?” - the two great commandments.
A friend told us that she was a teenager before she heard the gospel and believed. She thought it was the greatest news that she had ever heard! She marveled at grace; she couldn’t believe that it wasn’t on the six o’clock news every night. Am I so overwhelmed with the good news of Jesus Christ that I want to share it with everyone - even to the ends of the earth?
The second root issue is whether we believe that God will provide and equip us for what He calls us to do. We answer His call and follow His leadership in all areas of our lives, including how we spend our money and our time. He will provide us with everything we need to follow Him.
John Piper said, But does not the Old Testament promise that God will prosper the faithful? Indeed! God increases our yield so that by giving we can prove that our yield is not our God. God does not prosper a man’s business so that man can move from a Buick to a BMW. God prospers a business so that hundreds of unreached peoples can be reached with the gospel.
For many of us, George Mueller is a hero of the faith. We all know that stories about how he operated an orphanage as a result of the call of God and operated it “by faith.” He prayed; God provided. What most people don’t know is that the orphanage itself wasn’t his passion. He wrote: The first and primary object of the work was (and still is:) That God might be magnified by the fact, that the orphans under my care are provided with all they need, only by prayer and faith … whereby it may be seen, that God is faithful still, and hears prayer still.
Join us in our on-going work to educate, feed, and share the gospel with the children in a slum in Africa. Go - Give - Pray!
Thank YOU for your faithfulness to support the work of the Lord through LIVING WELL.
Donna and Ed Edwards
P.S. Please join us in praying for the team God is raising up for Mission Zambia 2015 and for His provision for 2015!
The water that I will give him will become in him
a well of water springing up to eternal life.
a well of water springing up to eternal life.
John 4:14b
Living Well is a life source, not a life style.
