God's Provision

About six weeks ago I committed to going on a mission trip to New York City over Spring Break with Oklahoma City K-Life.  For those of you who don't know what K-Life is, K-Life is a middle school and high school student ministry that I help out with.  Anyway, I committed to going on the mission trip not really knowing where the finances would come from.

I decided to go on the trip because while I was praying about it, Matthew 28:18-20 was put on my heart.  Some of you may know this as the "Great Commission" where Jesus instructs the disciples to "make disciples of all nations."  As I thought about this verse, I began thinking, "Why wouldn't God want me to go on this trip?"  I felt the Holy Spirit leading me to go, so I committed.  The only problem was I wasn't sure how I would pay for it.

Ever since I was a little kid I saved all my money.  When my sister and I would get an allowance for weekly chores, I saved every penny I received.  Through the years I built-up a savings, but I had to cut into my savings this past year to pay for my trip to South Sudan.  To help pay the total cost of going, I raised support from friends and family.  I am so thankful for the generosity of those who supported me on that trip.  I still had to use a large portion of my savings though to pay for the rest of the costs.  I wasn't sure how I was going to pay for the trip to New York City knowing the money in my savings account would not be enough to cover all the expenses.  I wasn't going to raise support either since I had just done that a few months ago.  I just trusted that God would provide the money in His timing.

A couple weeks ago I wrote a check that covered part of the cost of going on the trip.  Last Friday, March 9, I found out a K-Life board member donated a very generous amount on my behalf.  After the generous donation by the board member, I still owed $300 as of this time last week.  I continued to pray that God would provide.

Last Saturday, March 10, my mom left a voicemail on my phone telling me she had some "Good news."  I called her back later that afternoon.  She told me there was an envelope in the mail addressed to me that came in the mail the day before.  When my mom saw who it was from, Mercy St. John's, she figured it was an insurance reimbursement for an office visit.  When she opened the envelop, she saw a check addressed to me for $323.  She suddenly realized St. John's reimbursed me for the vaccination shots I had to get before going to South Sudan.  That's not the craziest part though.

When I received the vaccinations during Fall Break last year, I asked if our insurance would cover the cost, and they told me it would not.  FIVE MONTHS LATER, I received a check they said would not come.  Not only did I receive a check they said would not come, but I received the check the week the money was due for the New York City mission trip.  I owed $300 for the mission trip, and I received this check for $323.

Is it any coincidence this money came the week the money was due for the New York City mission trip?  I think not!  God revealed his power in one of the most mighty ways I have ever experienced.  I received those vaccinations FIVE MONTHS AGO!  And they told me I would not be reimbursed for them.  God intervened though and prompted someone to send me a reimbursement check.

There is no way anyone can doubt the power of God in this situation.  There's no other explanation why this money would be sent to me at this specific time.  It was all in God's timing.

If you don't believe in God, or don't believe in the power of God, seriously consider the significance of this situation.  First, I wasn't even supposed to receive a reimbursement.  Second, the money (that wasn't supposed to come) came the week all the money was due for the mission trip and happened to be enough to cover the $300 I still owed.

There is no other explanation other than God revealing His power, provision, faithfulness, and incredible timing, all for His glory and my joy.

If you ever feel the Holy Spirit prompting you to do something you don't have the resources for, take a step of faith and commit to whatever it is.  God will reveal His power in ways you never could have imagined.  NEVER let finances keep you from doing something God is calling you to do.  He will provide all you need, in His timing... and don't be surprised if this happens to be at the last second.

God is real.  God is loving.  And God is active.

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Every Wednesday night I try to attend a Bible study on campus here at Oklahoma Christian University.  The Bible study is directed mostly toward athletes.  In previous years it was called "Character Class," but I think that name scared off too many people.  I think most students thought it was a reform class for students with major character issues.

Anyway, tonight's topic was about controlling the tongue and not swearing.  The speaker talked about how in today's society we're seeing more and more of a tolerance for bad language.  Today, it is not uncommon to hear a little kid in the 1st grade use the word "sucks".  Just a few years ago this would not have been tolerated.

One person in the group mentioned how society seems to be okay with just about every word as long as nobody uses the F-word.  If someone uses the F-word, then that person has crossed the line.  Just about every other word though seems to be acceptable.

Since when has it been okay for little kids to use the word, "sucks," not to mention everyone else?  I know a lot of you are thinking, "Kyle, seriously?  You're worried about kids using the word sucks?"  Honestly, yeah, I am worried about young kids using that word.  It goes deeper than that.  It goes much deeper than that.  The heart of the problem is what we're experiencing as a society.  We are slowly experiencing moral decay (and cue the sighs and rolling eyes).  We are experiencing a slow fade toward more and more ungodliness, including those who profess to follow Christ.

The speaker then asked those at the Bible study why we are seeing more of a tolerance for bad language.  I responded first and said the answer is simple.  I said we have wandered from studying Scripture.  Scripture is being studied less and less, and as a result, we are straying from the truth.  We are being more accepting of things that definitely would not have been acceptable fifteen years ago.  We are not allowing God's word to transform our lives, and transform the way we think and act.  Fewer and fewer people are actually studying Scripture to get more of God, and allow his Spirit to light a fire in our soul for Him and what He values.

Typically, if people happen to read the Bible daily, they tend to read a chapter or two, check it off their to-do list, and think they are "good" with God.  Or at least that was my case until 14 months ago.  Instead of studying scripture and seeing what the text meant during the time it was written, people are twisting Scripture to make it apply to their situation.  For example, so many athletes use the verse Philippians 4:13, "I can do all things through him (Christ) who strengthens me."  When Paul wrote this he was not meaning the point guard at the free throw line will make the game winning shot for the conference championship.  Paul wrote this, meaning in every circumstance, whether having plenty, or having very little, he could be content in every situation because the power of Christ, through the Holy Spirit, strengthened him.  And Paul was placed in some pretty extreme situations (i.e. imprisoned, shipwrecked, abandoned, homeless, etc.)  Due to a lack of studying Scripture to get more of God and prayerfully value what He loves, we are being more tolerant of the things the world says are acceptable.

Another student spoke up after I finished.  The first thing he said was, "Well, I think that's the easy answer.  I think the problem is the ideas, rules, and morals during the 60's were so extreme that people have tried to correct that, and as a result, society has possibly overcorrected to the point of being too tolerant."

After the student finished talking I spoke up and asked him a question.  I asked him if he honestly thought the ideas during the 60's (and any other decade during the 20th century) were really that extreme from a Biblical viewpoint.

When I study Scripture it seems to me Christ calls us to live a pretty extreme life.  If we look at how Jesus and the disciples lived, they were incredibly extreme.  People absolutely hated those who followed Christ because they were so passionate about the faith.  Look at the way Paul lived.  Read the book of Acts.  In 2 Timothy 3, verse 12, Paul says this, "In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,..."  It's no secrete we, as believers, are called to live extreme lives.  That's why the books Crazy Love by Francis Chan and Radical by David Platt have recently been written.  We have strayed from living the radical life we are called to live as followers of Christ.

Like I said earlier, this problem goes much deeper than a young kid using the word "sucks."  Today, PG-13 movies would have been considered R-rated movies fifteen years ago.  There is less censorship on movies and music than ever before.  People are being glorified on television shows for living lives full of sin... and we think it's funny.

As I said earlier, the whole problem comes down to not studying Scripture.  We are not pursuing the heart of God to see what He values.  Until we return to God through His Word for direction, wisdom, and life transformation, we will continue to head down a path of moral decay.  Even today there are many churches that teach good morality, but refuse to preach from God's word.  There is no true, positive, life transformation apart from Jesus.  When we refuse to let the Holy Spirit transform us through Scripture, we eventually come up with books and T.V. shows titled, "Good Christian Bitches," also known as, "GCB."  It's this kind of stuff that makes Christianity a joke.

A friend and I have been reading the book Doctrine by Mark Driscoll and Gerry Breshears.  In the tenth chapter the authors talk about the Church.  In one part they discuss why the church has struggled recently and why it doesn't look like the church in Acts 2.  At the bottom of page 306 and the top of page 307 it talks about how we can regain the mission of what the Church is supposed to be.  The authors write this, "The answer is a simple, humble, and continual return to Scripture to rekindle the love of God the Father, life of God the Son, and leading of God the Spirit in order that we be the church for the sake of the world to the glory of God."

The student who replied to my comment at the Bible study by saying, "Well, I think that's the easy answer", was absolutely correct.  The answer is that easy!  All we have to do is study the Bible in prayerful expectation that the Holy Spirit will rekindle our love for God and what He values, which will change the way we live.  It's that simple.