Dire need for stewardship

There is a problem in this nation. It is a problem that should drive every Christian to his/her needs daily in prayer. This is a nation of poor stewards. The visible church of Christ in America by every indication is no different from the general population in areas of stewardship.

We have squandered God's resources. We have allowed comfort and affluence to become our god. We need revival in this land. We need to learn and practice biblical stewardship.

Consider these sobering statistics on American life:

• Average credit card balance in 2005: $9,312 (cardweb.com)
• Savings rate in 2005: negative for first time since Great Depression (marketwatch.com)
• 80% of workers feel that strengths/talents are not being utilized in current work (Now, Discover Your Strengths)
• Amount of television Americans watch daily: over 4 hours (tvturnoff.org)
• 10% of US population is addicted to pornography (International Bible Society)
• 7% of the US population have gambling addictions (National Gambling Impact Study Commission)
• 65% of US population is overweight or obese (obesity.org)

Christians are different, right? George Barna- researcher- had these findings:

• 40% of the US claims to be "born again" but only 4% of the population has a Christian worldview
• Christians give less than 3% of income to the work of Christian ministry
• Less than 3% of Christian parents said that their children's conversion to Christ was the top priority
• No significant statistical difference between Christians and non-Christians in the following areas: divorce, use of pornography, visiting a psychic, getting drunk and having serious debt issues

Stewardship is the essence of the Christian life. Excellent daily management of God's resources: money, ability, time and health are the mandates for a follower of Christ. Why aren't more churches talking about whole-life stewardship? If we could get this right, everything else would fall into place.

"From everyone who has been entrusted with much, much will be demanded." Luke 12:48.

For His Glory,

Ashley Hodge

Warfare

The Christian life is often compared to warfare. Every follower of Christ is called to prosecute sin from within our own hearts. True Christianity is a daily fight.

1 Timothy 6:12, "Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses."

There are three enemies in this war: sinful desires, the selfishness of this world and evil. The daily warfare mentality is a crucial part of whole-life stewardship. Every day we have a new opportunity to fight, pray and struggle for godliness or to allow our passions to control our lives.

I have been reading a very provocative book by Soren Kierkegaard called- Attack Upon Christendom. The book was one of the very first to bring up the concept of "cheap grace". Kierkegaard argues that a religion that cost nothing is worth nothing. Jesus' own words, "Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide that leads to destruction and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow that leads to life and those who find it are few."

I have been reflecting on- and hopefully engaging in- this warfare a lot lately. I know based on my own habits of sinful patterns that one of the keys to fighting this war is to not allow sin an opportunity to engage a foothold in our thoughts. Sin is a sleeping giant within all of us. It is crucial that we not allow it to awaken.

Philippians 4:8, "Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things."

• Do I struggle with lust? I am told to flee sexual immorality- 1 Corinthians 6:18.
• Am I tempted to lie? I shall not lie to others because I am a new creation in Christ- Colossians 3:9.
• Do I find myself saying "I deserve?" Philippians 2:14 tells me to do all things without grumbling or complaining.
• Am I tempted to be lazy at work? Jesus commands me to work while it is day because night (death) is coming- John 9:4

Holiness is not an option for the Christian. It is a life goal that must be pursued and fought for. Hebrews 12:14, "without holiness no one will see the Lord." Am I saved by this pursuit of holiness? Absolutely not. I am saved only by the perfect work of Christ on the cross. I put my trust only in His grace. But I am commanded to pursue holiness; therefore I must.

We are a slave to our affections. There was a time in my life when I believed I was a Christian but allowed my continual appetite and affection for sin to control my life. I believed that I was saved by grace and therefore forgiven to commit all kinds of terrible deeds. Looking back, I don't believe I was converted to Christ at that time. I was making a mockery of His grace. His grace is costly. It required my total surrender.

Although I fall short, I must battle, fight, watch and pray. Are you in the battle? Kierkegaard had a powerful analogy in Attack Upon Christendom. Kierkegaard writes, "Imagine a man with a loaded pistol says, 'I will torture you to death unless you make your life here on earth as comfortable as possible.' This would be comical."

Kierkegaard is making a point that Christianity that promotes the easy path is a joke. It makes a fool of the words of Christ that the way is narrow. Unfortunately this is what we see taught in many churches today. Say a prayer. Walk an aisle. Be baptized and you are forever saved. Does that one time intellectual agreement save us? Of course not. We are saved only by continual faith in the promises of God. We are saved by trusting continually in His grace alone. We are saved by a daily fight for holiness and a continual desire to be conformed into the image of Christ.

Are you engaged in daily warfare for His sake?

For His Glory,

Ashley Hodge

On Church

I have been reading a lot lately on house churches. My family currently attends an excellent, God-honoring church in Dallas- Northwest Bible. The church is doing a lot of good in this city. The pastor- Neil Tomba- is a humble guy who seems to model the Christian life well.

But I have unrest in my soul because I only know a handful of people with any real depth although I have been involved in small groups there. My life doesn't intersect enough with the people that I see on Sundays or at Bible studies. I don't know if God's intention for church was to have us stare at the back of someone's head for 90 minutes on a weekend.

My journey into this house church issue started with reading a book by Randy Frazee called "Making Room for Life". Then a couple of books found me that really spurred thoughts- "Revolution" by George Barna and "Houses That Changed the World" by Wolfgang Simson.

Allan Karr who oversees a network of church planters at Golden Gate Seminary has said that, "75% of a traditional church's offering is consumed by staff and buildings. This leaves little to do actual good works. In contrast, house churches are often able to give up to 90% of their offerings towards works that help the poor, missions, etc... Traditional church is fine if you like buildings. But I think the reason house churches are becoming more popular is that their resources are going to something more meaningful."

One of the textbooks that I used in studying Greek was by David Alan Black. I did a search for some materials by him and found an interesting blog that he keeps. One of his articles was on the subject of house churches. He brings up some great observations about what church has evolved into:

• The Lord’s Supper has changed from a celebration to a ceremony.
• Worship has changed from participation to observation.
• Witness has changed from relationship to salesmanship.
• Leadership has changed from servanthood to professionalism.
• Mission has changed from being missionaries to supporting missionaries.
• Body life has changed from edification to entertainment.
• Buildings have changed from functional to sacred.
• Child care has changed from the hands of parents to the hands of strangers.

In March of 2006, Time magazine did a story about the house church movement: http://www.time.com/time/archive/preview/0,10987,1167737,00.html

There are some other reasons that I believe house churches have appeal other than the obvious reason of being able to stretch resources much further:

1. It can unify believing neighbors and become an intriguing structure to non-believers who start to witness true community among Christians.
2. Offers disabled and elderly people in a neighborhood a more viable worship option than traditional church.
3. If done right, it can really facilitate deeper growth among members because it forces members to participate and not be just a spectator.

I don't know where this is going in my life. But it seems that materials keep popping up from nowhere that have my attention. The Holy Spirit may be leading me there.

For His Glory,

Ashley Hodge

How Now Shall We Give?

Francis Schaefer wrote a book called: How Should We Then Live? Chuck Colson and Nancy Pearcey wrote How Now Shall We Live? Both books challenged Christians to abandon the common thinking of the world. Rather, we should have a distinctly Christian worldview and life.

Someone needs to write a book called How Now Shall We Give? I had a conversation with a client at lunch yesterday on this topic. We were talking about the disparity between CEO pay and worker pay. The average CEO makes 475 times the amount that the average worker makes. This number is actually down from 2001 where the ratio was 525:1.

But shareholders and employees of publicly traded companies have a choice. If they believe a CEO is excessively greedy, they can vote with their feet. Employees can find other jobs. Shareholders can invest their money in companies that have a stewardship mentality. All of the information to make a sound decision is available online. Publicly traded companies are forced to have a level of transparency.

This is not the case with non-profit organizations. Anyone can set up a 501c non-profit organization and claim that they are in the business of charity. I am certain that there are abuses of this tax advantaged status at universities, hospitals, museums and other humanitarian causes. But since I am a Christian, I am most concerned about church-related organizations. I see church leaders teaching and living a version of a prosperity gospel that is openly condemned in the Bible. I see church leaders using tax-advantaged status as a vehicle to use a church as an ATM machine.

II Peter 3:10-11, "But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives."

Transparency is one key to living a godly life. Knowing what I do now, I personally would never give a dime to an organization that would not willingly open their books for scrutiny. I attended a church at one time that was not transparent in how they used finances. As that church has increased in size, the lack of transparency continues. They have found it necessary to purchase all kinds of "ministry" aids such as a private jet, a personal trainer on the payroll to serve staff members and who knows what else. If you ask the church to reveal how they are spending the "tithes and offerings" that they receive they will give you the standard line: "You need to trust us. If you don't trust us, leave."

How a church can justify this approach is beyond comprehension. If you are considering giving to an organization or church, you should know with some reasonable level of confidence that your money is being used wisely. Pastors and staff need to be paid. Buildings need to have heating and air conditioning. But if you see warning signs like pastors living in $2 million plus homes, churches having private jets, personal trainers on the payroll, etc... you should ask questions. If you don't receive satisfactory answers to those questions, don't give the money that God has entrusted to you to that church.

Yes, you give to God. But I am convinced that God wants us to be wise as to how we give. There are many organizations that are doing true works of the Lord. Oddly enough, these are usually the organizations that are not constantly preaching about the Scriptural "mandates" of tithing. There is nothing wrong with asking for money. But please be transparent- after all you are a non-profit organization. To view a list of how some larger organizations are using money- go to: http://www.ministrywatch.com

How now shall we give? We should get the maximum amount of resources in the hands of the best stewards and the most godly leaders. Andrew Murray, "How different our standard is from Christ. We ask how much a man gives? Christ asks how much he keeps?"

For His Glory,

Ashley Hodge

The Race

One of my favorite chapters in the Bible is Hebrews 12. This chapter has provided me with encouragement in times of trial and weakness. Hebrews 12 has sustained me with the assurance that God is preparing a people for a destination that far surpasses anything we experience on this fallen earth.

As I reflect specifically on Hebrews 12:1-4, I offer these observations. The verses say:

1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.

2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him, endured the cross, scorning its shame and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

3 Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

4 In your struggle against sin, you have not resisted to the point of shedding your blood.

Verse 1: We have a race to run. The Christian life is never meant to be one of ease and comfort. It has been designed by God to be one of endurance, struggle and effort. No great athlete becomes great by accident. It takes years of preparation.

We also have a crowd watching and cheering us on in this race. Perhaps those who have died in faith now pray and root for the current participants in this race. Hebrews 12:1 would seem to indicate that this is true. In times of temptation, I have often visualized a godly relative who has gone on to be with Christ watching my life. Sin loses its appeal in the face of a great cloud of witnesses.

We must throw off everything that hinders this race. I have written about this ad nauseam in other blogs. Money, possessions, worldliness, sex, power, pride, etc... are all thorns that seek to uproot faith. We must guard our heart against them. We would be hard pressed to run a race if we had a fifty pound weighted vest attached to our body. Likewise, it is difficult to run the Christian race when we allow inward or outward temptations to distract us.

Verse 2: We have a goal to strive towards. We have an example to follow. Running a race would be pointless without a finish line. Christ is the object of our faith. He is the author of our faith in that He created us. He is the perfecter of our faith in that He was the only runner to run the perfect race. He lived a sinless life so that He would satisfy the justice requirements of a holy God.

Jesus kept His eyes focused on the joy of eternal reward for obedience. He endured the humiliation of the cross. He despised the shame that it brought. But He endured in order that we may be participants in the glory of God- experiencing His presence in a renewed body on a renewed earth. Our Savior awaits the completion of our race. He is at the throne of God ready to judge the runners of this race.

Verse 3: Do we get tired of doing good? Consider Him. Do we feel that we are alone in this world resisting greed or lust? Consider Him. Do we feel that life is unfair because we have to deal with ____? Consider Him.

Christ- the only One who ever lived righteous- endured opposition from sinful men and women so that we might not grow weary or lose heart. What a comfort it is to know that we are not alone in trials. We have a Savior that has experienced all of the weariness, despair and loneliness that we sometimes feel. We must experience many trials and hardships to enter the kingdom of God- Acts 14:22.

Verse 4: Resisting sin is hard. But remember that most of us are not shedding blood to do it. Christ did. He suffered a horrendous death to purchase us. His blood was costly. We have a model of self denial to follow.

We will receive no discharge from Christ until we die. Our struggle against the world, our flesh and Satan are never over. Our retirement is Heaven. Until the day that we breathe our last breath, we run. Holiness is the objective of every Christian- to be changed inwardly and outwardly by the Spirit of Christ.

I pray for perseverance so that we might run the race well.

For His Glory,

Ashley Hodge

Discovering Giftedness

My son- Hudson- loves to do things that make me laugh. For example, he enjoys finding my shoes and putting them on. He knows it is a quick way to draw a cheap laugh from his old man.

I have been reading a lot lately about the stewardship of abilities. One of my deep desires is to help my son hone in on his God-given talents and to develop those into meaningful strengths.

I can already see patterns emerging at the age of 2. He likes to play by himself rather than with other kids. But on the other hand, he enjoys being the center of attention. He loves to perform for a crowd of people.

When he decides he wants to do something, he becomes obsessive. He will weigh the consequences of punishment and decide that it is worth a reprimand or spanking to go ahead and do the thing he is determined in his mind to do.

I attended a seminar led by Bill Hendricks on "Discovering Your Child's Giftedness." Bill shared some tips on how parents should look for and encourage the development of talents in their children.

Eric Liddell the 1924 Olympic gold medal sprinter told his sister who was urging him to quit track and focus on being a missionary to China. Liddell says, "God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast. And when I run I feel His pleasure."

Bill Hendricks encourages us to find the blanks for ourselves and our children in the statement: God made me ________. And when I _______ I feel His pleasure. Three practical ideas that Hendricks shared in his talk:

1. Identify your own giftedness.
2. Pay attention to your child's patterns of... energy; activities; behaviors; satisfaction; focus; relationships; roles and circumstances in which they strive.
3. Keep a design journal- write down observations of your child throughout their lives.

Psalms 139:16, "All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." Ephesians 2:10, "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works which God prepared in advance for us to do."

The Bible is full of references that we have been fashioned, formed and designed for a specific purpose. Our job as individuals and/or parents is to be stewards of God's workmanship. There are many good resources to help you determine your areas of giftedness. These will also equip you with the knowledge to help others determine their talents.

From a general secular perspective, I found two books helpful:

1. Now, Discover Your Strengths- Buckingham & Clifton
2. The Pathfinder- Nicholas Lore

From a more specific biblical view, I recommend:

1. The Power of Uniqueness- Miller & Hendricks
2. Maximizing Your Effective- Aubrey Malphurs
3. From Success to Significance- Lloyd Reeb

I also must insert a shameless plug for a book I wrote- Stewardship Mandate. I devoted a chapter where I summarized some of my favorite concepts from the above books. Soren Kierkegaard says, "At a man's birth, there comes into being an eternal vocation for him, expressly for him. To be true to himself in regards to this eternal vocation is the highest thing a man can practice."

For the Glory of the Triune God- Father, Son & Spirit,

Ashley Hodge

What Easter Means to Me

This is a day that we celebrate Easter- the resurrection of Christ. This day has taken on new meaning for my family in the last two years. I have a two-year old son who reminds me daily of what a gift new life is.

But as often the case with this life, there is a continual mixture of trials with blessings. As my wife- Amy- was pregnant with our son, she was diagnosed with a neurological disease- CMT- that has caused her muscles below her knees and elbows to slowly waste away. This disease has brought daily challenges to our family and also perspective.

Every day, I struggle to watch my wife deal with neurological pain. I watch her have difficulty walking and doing many of the daily tasks that we often take for granted. We are reminded that this body is in a process of decay- 2 Corinthians 4:16. We have greater empathy for those who cope with physical disabilities.

But we are filled with hope. Easter is the basis for this hope. We believe in the resurrection of the dead. We believe that just as God raised Christ from the dead, He will also raise our bodies from the dead.

We believe that this body will be sown perishable, but raised imperishable; sown in dishonor, but raised in glory; sown in weakness, but raised in power- 1 Corinthians 15:42-43. Thank you God for the resurrection of Christ. The apostle Paul says, "If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile... if only in this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men." 1 Corinthians 15:17-19. I agree.

For the Hope and Assurance of Resurrection,

Ashley Hodge

Two Thieves

Today is Good Friday. What could possibly be good about a day that represents the most cruel, painful and unjust death ever suffered? It is good because this day represents an idea so radical that the mind cannot fully comprehend it. God became man to die a death on a cross in order that man could share in the glory of God. Christians celebrate Good Friday because we realize that one of the central doctrines of the Christian faith is justification.

Justification means that a man or woman can become righteous in the eyes of God through the cross of Christ. Not by any good works that we have done. The Bible reveals consistently that "There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God." Romans 3:10-11. Yet a humble man walked this earth in sinless perfection in order to reveal who God is. He died a death for the sins of those who place their faith in Him. The just died for the unjust. "The result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life to all men. For just as through the disobedience of the one man (Adam) the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous." Romans 5:18-19.

Nowhere is the idea of justification illustrated more powerfully than in two thieves who were crucified with Jesus. Luke's Gospel tells us, "One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at Him: 'Aren't you the Christ? Save yourself and us!' But the other criminal rebuked him, 'Don't you fear God,' he said, 'since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.' Then he said, 'Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.' Jesus answered him, 'I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.'" Luke 23:39-43.

JC Ryle- one of the great writers and preachers in history- wrote a tremendous sermon on these verses. The sermon is titled Christ's Greatest Trophy. The sermon can be read on pages 120-129 of his book Holiness here: http://www.stewardshipmandate.com/Links_Holiness-Ryle.pdf. You owe it your soul to read this sermon.

Two thieves were crucified with Christ on Good Friday. Both thieves represent what our sins deserve- cruel punishment. Yet one thief was justified by Christ and one was not. One thief displayed amazing faith in the King of this universe at a point where the King appeared the most weak. Another thief mocked this King right up to the very end. The repentant thief gives hope to all sinners- myself included- that true repentance is never too late. Ryle says, "One thief was saved that we might never despair, but one thief was condemned that we might never presume."

Today, there are still two types of thieves in this world. The first type of thief persists in disbelief in the promises of God. They believe that Christ was a decent man- as all people do. But they resist calling Him God. They believe that they are deserving of good things and they mock in their heart those who have faith in Christ as narrow-minded and gullible. John LaFarge writes, "For those who believe in God, no explanation is necessary. For those who do not, no explanation is possible." This is one of life's great mysteries, faith is a gift. The same fire that melts wax, hardens clay.

The other type of thief comes to a realization of the hideousness of sin. He/she understands that our sins deserve death. The only option to escape this despair is to repent of this sin and throw ourselves upon the mercy of Christ- where transforming grace is available. He/she responds to this grace by allowing the Spirit of Christ to change a heart and declaring war on sin. They long for the day when the promise of Christ will become a reality: "Today, you will be with me in paradise."

As we reflect on Good Friday, I pray that we reflect on the evil of sin and how it has defaced everything great about this world. I pray that we reflect on the sacrifice of Christ and the penalty that was paid to redeem us from that sin. I pray that we look to the promises of Christ that one day those who have placed faith in Him will experience life in a resurrected earth with a resurrected body.

For His Glory,

Ashley Hodge

Should a Christian own expensive things?

Wouldn't it be easier if there were commandments in the Bible that said?

1. You shall not own a home over $300,000
2. You must drive a car that is less than $25,000
3. You must not take lavish vacations
4. Second homes are forbidden

The Bible is silent on specific lifestyle mandates. However, the Scriptures do have a lot to say about money and possessions. I have been meditating and thinking about one particular passage. 2 Timothy 2:3-4, "Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him."

Possessions are a slippery slope. The people who live modest in our eyes; live lavish compared to over 90% of the world. God has blessed the United States with unbelievable prosperity and resources. Is this bad? Should we feel guilty because we are able to afford some things that add to our comfort and enjoyment in this life? Can Christians own million dollar homes, drive expensive cars, own second homes and take $10,000+ vacations? Is this sinful?

A common argument is that God calls some believers to live among the wealthy. The rich need Christ as much as the poor so the argument goes. Therefore, a Christian needs to live among the wealthy to win the wealthy. I personally don't buy that argument in light of Luke 12, James 5 and I Timothy 6. Those passages along with many others have stern warnings against acquiring possesions. Possessions want to be our master and it will compete vigorously for our affections.

This brings me back to 2 Timothy 2:3-4. I believe that the question every Christian must ask themselves in relationship to possessions is: Does this entangle my life or allow me to serve Christ with greater freedom? A strong argument can be made for buying expensive things. Nice things are often expensive because the quality is greater than cheaper versions. We have all experienced buying something at less cost only to spend more in the long run because it has to be replaced over and over.

The same is true for purchasing a home. There are lots of things to consider: schools, safety, family size, proximity to church, etc... There are no easy answers to these issues. God has taught me in recent years to enjoy nice things. Fine dining, vacations, possessions all come from His hand. These things are all a glimpse of Heaven and the eventual eternal prosperity that awaits those who call Christ Lord.

But these nice things are not to be treasured. They are to be used and shared but never trusted. Do our possessions entangle our lives? If the answer is "yes" what steps should we take to start untangling? As Paul said, "But one thing I do..." (Philippians 3:13). As Christ said, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." (Matthew 5:8). Philosopher Soren Kierkegaard interpreted this as purity of heart is to will one thing. It is to have a life that is free from the love of possessions.

Simple, strategic living allows a greater focus on the things that matter most. I pray that God moves our hearts to consider our entanglements carefully. We are called to serve one King, one Master, one Lord.

For His Glory,

Ashley Hodge

Laughter- a key to good health?

Eclessiastes 3:4

"There is a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
A time to mourn and a time to dance."

My wife and I were discussing the importance of laughter yesterday. She was reading an article about the link between laughter and heart disease. Medical research shows that you cut your chance of heart disease by 40% if you laugh often- March 2005 University of Maryland study.

We are drawn to joyful people, aren't we? Some people see the rainbow in the storm; others see only the clouds. Bitter, angry, resentful people wear on us like a steady leaking faucet. I believe there is a strong connection between stewardship and laughter. A steward is a person who is able to relinquish control. He/she realizes that ownership belongs to God alone. Our breath, money, abilities, time and health are in God's control.

An understanding that we are merely managers of God's resources allows us to travel light on this earthly pilgrimage. It allows us to be content and to always ask the question: why me? Why do I deserve so many good things from you, my God? It allows us to laugh at ourselves because we are not as important as we often think. There is a lot of humor in every day life if are eyes are open to it.

One of the many things I love about my wife- Amy- is her sense of humor. We have always laughed a lot in our marriage. Communication has never been a problem for us- sometimes overcommunication is, but that's another story. When God blessed us with our son- Hudson- the laughter has accelerated. Our two year-old does and says things daily that cause us to laugh so hard, it brings us to tears.

I met a guy who had read my book Stewardship Mandate without having known me prior. His impression in reading the book was that I was some serious minded guy that never smiled. I can understand due to the serious nature of the content of that book why he might get that impression. But those who know me, know that I love to laugh. Almost to the point where I am a goofball.

I encourage us to seek laughter daily. It is good for the heart. It is good for the soul. I believe we will be shocked at the laughter and joy that awaits the believer in Heaven. I suspect we will be equally shocked to see the misery and the lack of laughter in hell. Billy Joel had it wrong. We will not want to rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints. The sinners will not be much more fun. That may be a commentary on religion as Billy Joel saw it when he wrote Only the Good Die Young, but it is a bad map.

Of course, not all laughter is good. Proverbs 14:12-13, "There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death. Even in laughter, the heart may ache, and the end of joy may be grief." I think back to my freshman year at Baylor University. The guy on my hall that seemed to laugh the most, committed suicide that year. There was obviously not true joy in his heart. And there is nothing funny about an eternity apart from God. So we need to always temper our laughter with the seriousness of life.

There is a time for seriousness. There is a time for laughter. God ordains all these things for our continued progress in faith. He gives us a glimpse of a day when the laughter will never cease and the motives for it will be pure.

For His glory,

Ashley Hodge

Lessons from Spring

Spring is a time of re-birth. God has provided two books for our instruction- the book of revelation (Bible) and the book of creation. Job 12:8 says, "Look to the earth and it will teach you." Observe this world and you will see a great contrast between Winter and Spring. The trees and leaves that die in Winter spring to new life in March- at least in Texas this is true.

Yet men and women scoff when they hear teaching about the resurrection of the dead. Jesus Christ resurrected from the dead? Preposterous. Humans resurrected after they die? Impossible says the skeptic.

Open our eyes, we see it in nature every day and never question the truth. Let the earth teach us. I am looking forward to the resurrection of this earth and my body. As I write this, I am in good health. I am on the verge of turning 37 years old. But I am increasingly aware that the Winter is coming when this body will die. This body will lay in the grave awaiting the Spring.

There is another reason I love March- March Madness. I love basketball. I love to play and watch hoops. I play basketball with a group of guys a couple of times a week at Lifetime Fitness in Dallas. I am fortunate enough to be able to still play at a decent level (depending on how you define decent). But I need the practice. My mind is capable of playing a lot better than my body is. I have an eternity of pick-up basketball awaiting me when the earth is restored and I receive my resurrected body.

I grew up in Maryland- the heart of ACC country. There is nothing like March for a college basketball junkie like myself. It is a time of excitement, upsets, rooting for the underdog and buzzer beating shots. But like any passion that we have on this earth, it is only a glimpse. The real deal is coming- the true life that can only be gained through faith in Christ.

So I have picked my Final Four. My selections are a little unconventional. Texas (I detest even the thought), Gonzaga, UConn and Boston College. Boston College wins it all. I have a tough act to follow, I correctly picked the Final 4 last year- for the first time in my life.

March is a time to celebrate. It is a time to celebrate all of God's gracious gifts. None more precious than the resurrection. "So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body." I Corinthians 15:42-44.

Martin Luther used to say there are only two days: Today and That Day. I eagerly await That Day.

For His glory,

Ashley Hodge

I deserve...

Those are the two most dangerous words in the English language. I hear them often. I have said them many times. What do we deserve? Punishment? Death? Suffering? When we understand how terrible our rebellion and sin is against a holy God, we must honestly say that what we deserve is not good. Life is unfair. But not in the way that we typically think. It is unfair that I am receiving good health, a sound mind (some might argue otherwise) and my needs taken care of daily.

God's goodness sends me to this question: why me? Why am I receiving all of these blessings while David Phillips, Kirby Puckett and Dana Reeves are struck down in the prime of their lives? There can only be one answer. It is to glorify Christ. Glorify Him with money, abilities, time and health. It is to show the world that something is terribly wrong here. But that there is a day coming for the people of God where all pain, suffering and death will be put into its proper perspective.


Jesus said in John 9:4, "We must do the works of Him who sent me while it is day; night is coming when no one can work." Night came early for David Phillips- a 39-old youth pastor of Christ's Chapel in Fort Worth- when his car lost control on icy roads in February of 2006.

Night came early for Kirby Puckett- a 45-year old hall of fame center fielder for the Minnesota Twins- when Kirby died of a stroke. It seems like yesterday when I was a high school kid going to watch my cousin- Eddie Hodge- play against the Baltimore Orioles. My cousin was Kirby Puckett's roommate- while they were both rookies. I have a mental picture of Puckett in his early 20s. His infectious smile and popeye forearms and now his life in this world is gone.

Night came early for Dana Reeves- the 44-year old wife of Christopher Reeves- when she died of lung cancer. Dana seemed to endure the struggles of life with such grace as she cared for her paraplegic husband. Then only months after his death, she is diagnosed with lung cancer. What can we learn from this? Is it that life is unfair and makes no sense?

For the believer in Christ, I think the lessons are clear. Our lives hang by a thread of sovereign grace. It is only by this grace that I take my next breath. If God wills for me to die as I am writing this blog, I will die. If He wills that I live another 50 years, I will live another 50 years. But my life is not my own. I am called to daily die to self and to live for Christ. I am called to seek purity of heart- Matthew 5:8. For it is only in purity of heart will I see God.

I urge each of us to make Christ the object of our faith every day. Colossians 1:27 tells us that Christ in us is our hope of glory. I pray that when we are reminded of life's brevity by the death of those we know, we don't lose the lessons. We will die. Life is short. Invest life in the eternal priorities of God. Rely on His promises. Do not allow the temporary to crowd out the eternal. One day soon everyone's perspective will change forever. I pray that many develop an eternal perspective focused on persevering faith in Christ before the night takes away all opportunities.

For His Glory,

Ashley Hodge

Tyranny of Possessions

A friend told me that he listened to an interview with Bruce Springsteen recently. The question was asked: How different is your life now that you have gone from making $50 a concert to $500,000 a concert? Bruce replied, "When I was making $50, I had $50 problems. Now that I make $500,000, I have $500,000 problems."

There is a lot of wisdom in that answer. I often reflect that if only I could live as frugal as I did in college... I would be able to give and save a lot more. I have a love/hate relationship with possessions. I am fond of how some of them make my life easier and more convenient- microwaves, air conditioning, computers to name a few. But I don't like how unwise purchases have consumed money, time and energy.

I watched a dvd tonight on a fellow financial planner's- Bill Robertson- recommendation. It was a sermon delivered by John Piper to Campus Crusade for Christ students a couple of years ago called Don't Waste Your Life. There is a book by the same title- both are excellent. The dvd was a powerful reminder to reject the system of thought in our society to accumulate things and to instead live a strategic life that seeks to maximize my ability to be used by God through giving time and money to spread the gospel.

I heard a preacher deliver a sermon recently that emphasized the 80-10-10 rule. Save 10%, give 10% to the local church and then enjoy the other 80%. Most people don't come close to giving 10% of income or saving 10%. But what terrible advice to those who are blessed with abundance... to consume 80%. This is anti-scriptural. The Bible promotes simple lifestyles with an emphasis of generosity to others.

Possessions are dangerous things. They want our soul. They are like leeches- eager to suck the life out of us. We need to war against desires to accumulate things we don't need. Possessions will become our master if we don't fight and strive against them- Jesus told us this (Matt 6:24; Luke 12:15).

Having nice things isn't wrong by itself. It often is a better financial decision to buy quality and quality is not cheap. It is usually a quantity issue that destroys the soul. We must continually ask ourselves: How much is enough? Those who desire to serve and glorify Christ must be careful not to allow possessions to distract our focus from Him and the mission that He has given us.

2 Timothy 2:3-4, "Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the One who enlisted him."

May God grant us the grace to realize and practice this spiritual truth.

Ashley Hodge

Health Goal Accomplished

On November 27, 2005 I set a goal to decrease my weight from 207 lbs to 190lbs and my waist from 36 to 33. I did not set a time limit as to how long it would take to accomplish this goal. I committed the goal to daily prayer. My desire in sharing progress is not to impress you with my results. Everything I accomplish in life, I owe fully to God's sustaining power to work in me and through me.

I do hope that it provides some encouragement to those that are struggling to lose weight and/or become better stewards of their health. This truth has been reinforced many times in my life: prayer and focus work. The things that you measure tend to improve especially when they are consistently bathed in prayer.

Food and drink have always been huge issues for me. I have been able to hide my addiction to them because I am relatively tall- 6'3"- and I have frequently exercised the last 12 years. Gluttony will be a battle I will most likely have to fight on a daily basis along with other sins. It is one of the crosses that I have to carry. My personality is compulsive by nature.

Fully aware of the physical and spiritual struggle, I set out to make progress towards my goal at a very difficult time of year to do so- Christmas. I measured seven areas:

1. Waist size
2. Weight
3. Estimated daily calorie intake
4. Daily water intake
5. Daily diet soda intake
6. Daily regular soda intake
7. Average calories burned from exercise daily

I had read that in order to lose weight, it is a good idea to consume less than 10 times your body weight in daily calories. For me that number was somewhere less than 2000 calories per day. I used www.thecaloriecounter.com to help me estimate/track my calorie intake daily. My goal was to eat five small meals per day and to just say "no" to second helpings.

I also have read that you should consume 1/2 your body weight in ounces of water per day. This number for me was 100 ounces of daily water. I measured soda intake because I was averaging nearly 48 oz of diet coke per day and wanting to cut that significantly.

Finally, I measured the amount of calories that I burned each time I exercised. There is a useful website that helped me track this: www.healthstatus.com/calculate/cbc. In the nearly three months that I tracked my results- which I will continue to do as I seek to maintain and make further improvements in the stewardship of health, I recorded the following results:

1. Waist size: From 36 inches to 32 1/2 inches
2. Weight: From 207 lbs to 190 lbs
3. Estimated daily calorie intake: 1845 (average closer to 2400 calories previous)
4. Daily water intake: 109oz (average closer to 70oz daily previous)
5. Daily diet soda intake: 33oz (average closer to 48oz previous)
6. Daily regular soda intake: 4oz (average closer to 12oz previous)
7. Average calories burned from exercise daily: 408 (225 daily average previous)

I am happy with the physical results. But the greater benefit has come spiritually. My next goal is to take the diet soda intake from 33oz to less than 12oz average daily. God is good. He is faithful to honor the desires of our heart that have His ultimate glory in mind. I hope that my struggles and small successes in this area will inspire you to reach for excellence in the stewardship of health.

I am reminded by a verse in I Timothy 4:8, "Bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds the promise for the present life and also for the life to come." But until the day believers inherit resurrected, glorified bodies, I urge you to take care of the earthly body. When it wears out, we have nowhere else to live until the resurrection of the dead.

For His Glory,

Ashley Hodge

Glimpse of Heaven

I am not a great skier. I am not a big fan of cold weather. But I had an opportunity to catch a glimpse of what is beautiful in creation when I traveled with eight friends to Beaver Creek, Colorado this past weekend.

Several months ago I read Heaven by Randy Alcorn and the Chronicles of Narnia series by CS Lewis. I have not stopped thinking about their descriptions and imagery of Heaven since.

I feel fortunate to have friends that are brothers in Christ to discuss things that actually matter such as our eternal destiny. But vacations always seem too short. Time and financial pressures crowd out the lasting joy that servants of Christ will experience in a restored paradise. What tremendous glory awaits the Christian!

Every Colorado mountain, West Texas sunset, Florida panhandle beach and pristine river is just a glimpse of what God has in store for His chosen people. The hope of Heaven is the motivation for the Christian to enjoy pleasures. But only as a pilgrim traveling to a better place. Places like Colorado give us a foretaste of God's endless creative power. We can taste some of them, but they are not to be our life's pursuit. Heaven can wait- and it will be more spectacular than we can ever visualize.

Imagine skiing in a resurrected, glorified body. God has prepared a place for us- Heaven. He has prepared a Person for us- Christ. But for now, we live under a paradise that has been subject to the curse. Decay, corruption and death are the natural results of sin. We have a disease that only Christ can cure.

My reflection every time I visit a place like Beaver Creek, Colorado is that God is good. My heart gets excited to marinate on the beauty that awaits the invisible church of Christ. But I also reflect on how much I hate sin. I hate its source. I hate its effect on my mind and heart. I look forward to the day when sin will be removed from my life forever.

Creation. Fall. Redemption. Glorification. This is the story of history. It is the story clearly revealed in the pages of the Bible. Endure for a little longer, Christian. Fight for righteousness while there is time. Fight against sin and evil. Remember the hope of Heaven- a resurrected body in a resurrected earth. Meditate on Paul's words in Romans 8:18, "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us."

For His Glory,

Ashley Hodge

Minister of Defense

A good friend- Chris- sent me an article about Reggie White's search for truth. Reggie was one of the greatest defensive players in NFL history and will likely be voted into the Hall of Fame today. He died unexpectedly at age 43 from a heart arrhythmia.

During his playing days he was an outspoken ambassador for Christ. After his NFL career was over, he began a quest for truth that lead him to question his beliefs about the Bible and organized religion.

I can relate to some of White's concerns. I would consider myself somewhat cynical of organized religion by nature. John Calvin wrote in his Institutes of the Christian Religion, "In order to hold men's minds in greater subjection, clever men have devised very many things in religion by which to inspire the common folk with reverence and to strike them with terror."

The article about Reggie White and his search for truth is here: http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=dw-white020306&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

I admire White's search for truth and his desire to learn Hebrew and the ancient Near-Eastern mindset to comprehend the words of the Bible. White grew up being taught that the Bible was the infallible, inerrant Word of God. His Pentecostal roots instructed him that the King James version was the word for word accurate translation of God's Word. What he learned when he started to study how the Bible came to be rocked his belief system.

Similar questions led me to take classes at Westminster Theological Seminary in Dallas. From the time that I trusted Christ in faith, I have had questions. Anyone who has entered seminary- at least an intellectually honest seminary- will tell you that some of those questions may get answered but that hundreds of other questions spring up. I believe along with John Calvin that the Bible is the only reliable path towards a relationship with God. Without this revelation, we would be blind.

John Calvin writes in the Institutes that God has put us in a glorious theater- earth- to witness the glory of His creation. This alone is enough evidence to require worship from every creature. But since mankind is easily led into error and is a continual factory of false idols/gods, God found it necessary to reveal Himself through the written Word. The Bible according to Calvin is the spectacles through which we see God clearly. But the truth of the Bible will not find acceptance in men's hearts unless it is sealed by the inward testimony of God's Spirit.

One of the most helpful things that I have learned in seminary in relation to the problems that arise from a study of the Bible is the Incarnational Analogy- God condescending to become man in Christ. I learned this in an Old Testament Introduction class taught by Peter Enns. The analogy is this:

The Bible is messy. It claims to be 100% the Word of God- therefore reliable, inspired by God, authoritative and necessary for daily living. But the Bible also claims to be 100% the word of man. God chose to reveal himself through the personalities, language and messiness of humans. It is due to this messiness that many questions arise- problems with translations, historical data, etc... It is the most scrutinized book ever written. The accuracy is amazing and can only be attributed to God. Yet, some of the issues of the Bible cause men like Reggie White to question everything they have ever been taught.

At the end of the day, we must admit that the Bible is a great mystery. We are humbled by it. It is not always as neat and tidy as some preachers want us to believe. It can never be mastered by the finite human mind. In the same way, Christ is a mystery. He claims to be 100% God- therefore the eternal Creator, All-Knowing, All-Powerful Judge of man. But Christ claims also to be 100% human- subject to the messiness of human existence (yet without sin).

This analogy has helped me deal with the conflict. There are some things too mysterious for us to comprehend. I don't know how I was created- but I trust that God did it. I don't know why God created beings capable of falling from their original glory- but I see evidence everywhere that this universe is in bondage to decay. I don't understand why God chose to redeem humans through Christ- but I trust that this is His plan. I don't know what the afterlife is going to be like- but I have faith that the God who raised Christ from the dead will resurrect my lifeless form and will restore the earth to its original magnificence.

The Bible reveals Christ. It reveals God through Creation, Fall, Redemption and Restoration. It shows humans that they are sinful and far from God's original glory. It reveals Christ as our only hope of restoration to that original glory. It clearly lights a path for salvation through persevering faith in Christ alone. It teaches us to go to war daily against sin. It holds out the hope of Heaven for all who submit to Christ.

I am comfortable with not fully understanding secondary issues. I hope to see Reggie White in a restored paradise and discuss some of these things with him. Until then I will continue to learn and grow in understanding of God's revelation. But I must confess with Augustine, "The more I learn, the less I know."

For His Glory,

Ashley Hodge

A Tale of Two Pastors

The similarities between Ed Young Jr. and John Piper are there if you look hard enough. Both have fathers who spent many years as preacher/evangelists. Both were athletes in college. Both have been married to their wives for many years. Both come from Baptist backgrounds. Both teach the importance of tithing to your local churches to fund the work of ministry. Both have larger than average families- Young has four children, Piper has five. Both have written books and have daily radio programs. But when you examine the men and their teaching closer, the similarities soon run out.


I spent about four years as an attender/member of the Fellowship Church in Grapevine, Texas (DFW) where Ed Young is the lead pastor. The church is one of the largest in the US- over 15,000 attend this church per weekend. The church is high-tech and high-toned. From the auditorium to the Source bookstore/cafe everything is done with a passion to be the best. Most of the people that attend this church also have the drive to succeed.

From the luxury cars in the parking lot to the designer clothes that attenders wear, it is evident that there is some level of worldly success at Fellowship. Fellowship Church is commonly referred to as the church of the "beautiful people".

There is a strong emphasis at Fellowship of building the Fellowship Church brand. The church is run like a fortune 500 company. Ed Young comes on stage like a rock star. He is always dressed in the hippest of designer clothes. He's a polished speaker with a commanding presence. His talks are normally centered on a biblical theme with some creative visuals to illustrate his point. He has created a marketing machine for his presentation- from TBN television appearances, to the Ed Young bookstore (aka The Source), Creative Connection Conferences, daily radio show and website.


John Piper is the lead pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota. I have been fortunate enough to attend this church several times when I am visiting clients who live in the Minneapolis area. On first impressions, the parking lot is filled with more modest automobiles than the Fellowship Church. The bookstore is stocked with excellent resources to grow in the Christian life- mostly books instead of apparel and knick-knacks. The prices for these items are generally 25-30% less than similar items at Ed Young's bookstore.

There is a strong emphasis at Bethlehem in promoting missions around the world and teaching biblical doctrine. Piper preaches in the more traditional manner of reading a text of Scripture and then explaining its meaning and relevance for today. He worships with his congregation and sticks around after the sermon for a long time to visit with people.

The differences between Young and Piper are many. They represent a clash between how Christianity is in America and how it should be. Young teaches that salvation is walking an aisle, saying a prayer, "doing the deal" in his words. He emphasizes baptism as the first act of obedience and no one baptizes more people than Fellowship Church- over 2000 people per year in their outdoor heated jacuzzi.

Piper teaches that conversion is an act of God and that evidence of conversion will be seen in the obedience that the new believer displays in his/her life. Therefore, the emphasis isn't so much on a one-time decision but instead on a life of continual belief and faithfulness. Piper teaches regeneration, justification and sanctification as requirements for eternal security not a one-time emotional decision.

Ed Young lives the good life. His "parsonage" is listed on the property tax rolls at over $1.4 million under the name of Palometa Revocable Trust. He buys the finest clothes, cars, vacations, swimming pools, nannies for the children that money can buy. He teaches that tithing- giving 10%- to the local church- Fellowship- is required obedience. He preaches that curses await the one who doesn't tithe and blessings are prepared for those who do. His lifestyle communicates that what you do with the other 90% of income is your own business.

Piper believes heaven can wait. His home is valued at $165,000- purchased for $65,000 (Average home prices are higher in Minneapolis than DFW). He dresses and lives modestly. He also teaches the importance of tithing as an act of obedience, but Piper emphasizes radical generosity and self denial. He believes that 100% of income matters to God and that we are merely stewards of His resources. His lifestyle communicates this. He can be seen walking to work- he chooses to live in a urban area of Minneapolis to be closer to his congregation.

Ed Young's website is http://edyoung.com. Piper's website is http://desiringgod.org. I'll let that speak for itself. Ed Young charges pastors $275 each to attend the Creative Conference- C3. Piper charges $125 per pastor to cover the cost of resources at the Desiring God pastor conferences. Ed Young is accountable to God but deems accountability to a board of elders as unnecessary. The finances of Fellowship Church are cloaked in secrecy. John Piper is accountable to God and an elder board- biblical model. The finances of Bethlehem Baptist are transparent and can be viewed by anyone on their website.

I wish America had more of Piper's brand of Christianity than Young's. The exaltation of God rather than self is much needed in our churches and world.

In His Grace,

Ashley Hodge

The Stewardship of Organization

Most people I have met are unorganized. I include myself in this category. The major reason for this is that Americans are over-consumers. We have too much stuff. The stuff starts to choke us- causing a lack of organization and peace.

Another reason I am unorganized is that it is a battle that has to be fought every day. In the past, I have chosen to take many days off in this fight and it has led to disorganization. In this sense, organization goes hand in hand with Christianity. True Christianity is a fight. We are told by the Apostle Paul, "Fight the good fight of faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called..." I Timothy 6:11. Every Christian is called to daily put on the armor of God- truth, righteousness, readiness, faith, salvation, study of the Word and prayer. We are called to put on this armor in order to fight the schemes of the devil and evil- Ephesians 6:10-20.

There are hundreds of reasons to not accumulate possessions. One of them is that it leads to a lack of organization. Solomon said, "God made men simple, but they have sought out their own complexities." Ecclesiastes 7:29. Isn't it amazing how something that was written thousands of years ago still speaks with pinpoint accuracy to our hearts today?

Why should I desire to get organized and stay organized? There are many important reasons: greater peace, frees up time for more important priorities, weans us from the weeds/thorns of this world and saves money. I am re-reading a book by Julie Morgenstern- Organizing from the Inside Out. She has a five-step plan for getting your home, office, files, closets, etc... organized:

1. Sort- Three important questions: Do I use this? Love this? Does it make or cost me money?
2. Purge- When in doubt, throw it out. There are plenty of charities that will gladly take your excess stuff and offer you a potential tax deduction. One man's junk is another's treasure.
3. Assign a Home- with the items you are keeping, put them in a clearly labeled, safe place where you can easily retrieve them.
4. Containerize- have a reasonable size container to hold your stored items. Once that container is full, you need to go back to step #2.
5. Equalize- this is where the daily fight comes in. Organization is a 24-hour, 7 days a week battle. But the rewards are worth the fight.

I have read- I am too unorganized currently to cite where- that a lack of organization has tremendous costs. If my memory serves me correctly, the cost of not having a budget for personal finances is that people without budgets spend 15-20% more than those who have a budget. The cost of a lack of organization in business is that employees spend on average an hour per day looking for papers, files and notes that are needed to properly do their job.

Realtors say that you will get 10% more for the same home that is clean and organized when you go to sell as you would for that same home that is disorganized. I have read that over 50% of the stuff in people's homes is not used once within a 12-month period. Affluenza by De Graaf, Wann and Naylor is a good read that covers a lot of these topics with well-researched facts.

I challenge myself and you to get and stay organized in 2006. Every discipline affects every other discipline in life. If you are organized, I believe you will see many unexpected improvements in other areas of your life. Organization is a move towards godliness. It allows us to work towards the most important calling of being frugal towards ourselves and more generous to others.

For the Glory of Christ,

Ashley Hodge

Bad Math

There are a lot of people these days making stupid investing decisions. A lot could be said about investing money in speculative stocks, real estate and businesses with the desire to get rich quick. But this is not what I am referring to here. I want to rant about two poor trends:

1. Society's trend in general to be obsessed with gambling.
2. The trend in the evangelical church to believe that as long as you tithe, you can raise your standard of living as your income increases.

I am reading a book currently called Gambling: Don't Bet on It by Rex Rogers. It is an excellent book that provides research and perspective on the history of gambling in the US. Rogers chronicles how lives are destroyed by a process that usually starts with friendly neighborhood poker games, recreational visits to Vegas or betting on sporting events to add a little excitement to the event. There is an old saying: "Gambling is investing for people that are really bad at math." A Mandalay pit executive was quoted as saying, "Give me a player for six days and I guarantee he'll leave a loser."

But there is another form of gambling that is in vogue in Christian circles. It is gambling on bad teaching concerning giving/tithing. I used to attend a mega-church in the Dallas/Fort Worth area where there was a strong emphasis on tithing- giving 10% of your income back to the local church. I have no problem with teaching tithing as a spiritual discipline. But these sermons usually emphasized the present day blessings and curses of tithing to the local church which I view as a distortion of Scripture. I attended this church for about three years and I think I heard ten sermons that referenced Malachi 3:8-10- verses about robbing God by failing to give tithes and offerings.

The gamble that many Christians practice is a belief that tithing to receive blessings and a lack of tithing producing curses is true. If this what God requires, then we can do our tithing duty and feel confident that the other 90% of income is at our discretion to do what we want. The evidence that many Christians have been taught this and practice this is evident by lifestyles being led.

I see Scripture teaching something radically different. 100% of a Christian's income belongs to God. It is the duty of the Christian to prayerfully decide how much should be:

1. Kept for the needs of the family
2. Given to the work of spreading the gospel and helping the poor
3. Used to provide for wants- vacations, luxuries, etc...
4. Invested/saved towards the goal of financial freedom

The heart of the gospel is to practice an increasing form of denial towards self and generosity to others. Jesus teaches, "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in Heaven where neither most nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal." Matthew 6:19-20.

Millions of Christians are betting that the 90% doesn't matter to God. This is a very bad bet. Bank on the words of Jesus instead who said to Peter after Peter told Jesus the disciples left everything to follow Him (Matthew 19:27-30). Jesus replies, "Everyone who has left houses, brothers, sisters, fathers, mothers, children or lands for My name's sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life." To trust the words of Christ is a good mathematical bet. To believe anything is else is a foolish gamble.

Listen to what was written about George Muller- who gave his life to house, feed, clothe and train over 10,000 orphans with the love of Christ. A.T. Pierson wrote in George Muller of Bristol- His Life of Prayer and Faith, "Muller along with John Wesley limited expenses to the same amount year after year and even though their incomes rose, they used that money to become better givers. His investments were not in tangible things but in the work of God. He never gave a tithe. He gave all that was left after the simplest and most necessary supply of actual wants."

Pierson continues, "While most Christians see themselves as doing their duty by giving 10% and spending the rest on themselves, God led George Muller to reverse this rule and reserve only the most frugal sum for personal needs, that the entire remainder might be given to those in need. Muller said, 'My aim was never how much I could obtain, but rather how much I could give.' He kept continually before him his stewardship of God's property; and sought to make the most of this one brief life on earth."

For His Glory,

Ashley Hodge

How to Live a Miserable Life

I recently read a book called Poor Charlie's Almanack which is a compilation of some of the speeches of Charlie Munger- Warren Buffet's partner in Berkshire Hathaway. He gave a talk to a high school graduation class in the Los Angeles area about "How to Live a Miserable Life." He figured that this would carry the attention of high school students longer than the standard "How to be Successful in Life" speech.

I wrote to my 2-year old son a similar essay on how to be miserable after meditation on the opposite of the qualities espoused in Galatians 5:22-24. So in the spirit of Munger's speech and CS Lewis' Screwtape Letters, I submit to you eight keys to living a miserable life:

1. Practice bitterness. Remind yourself daily of the ways in life that you have been screwed. Life is unfair and has treated you poorly, so you should constantly dwell on that.

2. Complain about everything. Be sure to let others know that you aren't going to sit back and allow the troubles of life to go unnoticed.

3. Envy. Seek contentment in stuff, sex and status. Everyone does it, you might as well join the crowd.

4. Don't wait. You deserve the good things in life whenever you desire them. If you want something, have it now at any cost.

5. Be unreliable. Flakiness is a charming quality. You will be sure to endear yourself to family, friends and co-workers if you are consistently unreliable.

6. Be self-absorbed. The world revolves around you. Make sure you run over anyone who gets in the way between you and what you desire.

7. Lie. Say whatever you gets you ahead. Don't worry about telling the truth. Tell the truth only if it is to your advantage.

8. Indulge. You have one life to live. You might as well eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow you die. If it feels good, do it.

If you are faithful to practice these eight things, you will be virtually guaranteed to live a miserable life filled with regret and lack of purpose. I can testify from personal experience that I have at times practiced the qualities listed above and have found them to be a great way towards the goal of misery. In the words of a U2 song, "The sweeter the sin, the bitter the taste in my mouth." Sadly, as I view the pursuits of many people, I conclude that misery seeking is very much in vogue.

I pray that we all find a better path- Galatians 5:22-23.

For God's Glory,

Ashley Hodge

What is Your Stewardship Plan for 2006?

The holidays are always a time for reflection. It is a time to review the year that is gone. And look forward to the year ahead. I have been amazed throughout my life at the power of:

1. Writing goals on paper/computer.
2. Developing a system for measuring these goals regularly.
3. Praying and focusing on these goals.

It's an overused expression- goals are like magnets, they pull you in their direction. But that truth has been demonstrated in my life many times. So my question is: what are your goals for improving your stewardship of God's provision in 2006?

• What are your goals for making better use of money? How can you improve in becoming more frugal towards self and more generous to others?
• What are your goals for using your abilities to glorify God? Have you written a business plan that is centered first and foremost on being obedient to Christ?
• What are your plans for redeeming your time for eternal purposes? Are you spending time in study, prayer and ministry to others or just wasting life by consuming countless hours of entertainment?
• What are your goals for improving your health? Do you practice moderation in diet? Do you schedule exercise as one of the most important activities of the week? Do you get proper rest? Do you manage stress well?

I will share a goal that I have for 2006 in each of these areas. I do this in hopes that it will inspire a few people to do the same.

Money- I have set a goal of giving 10% of my income of a certain dollar figure to ministries that further the gospel of Christ. I hope to give 100% of income in excess of that dollar figure that I have determined will be required to meet my families basic needs, a few wants and an adequate level of savings.

Abilities- I have set a goal of organizing events every quarter to promote the four areas of whole-life stewardship- money, abilities, time and health. I hope to have speaking engagements on radio and in person to promote biblical stewardship principles that I have outlined in my book- Stewardship Mandate.

Time- My goal for 2006 is to spend from 5am-8am every morning studying the Bible, in prayer and reading. I hope to devote one hour per day to each of these activities.

Health- My goal for 2006 is to be below 12% body fat, drink at least 100 ounces of water per day, limit soda intake to less than 20 ounces per day, exercise four times per week and sleep at least six hours per night.

My central focus in doing all of this is not to feel good about myself or to practice a form of legalism that has no beneficial effect on my soul. My main objective is that Christ may increase in my life and that I might decrease- John 3:30. Our lives become more joyful and meaningful as our God-centeredness increases.

Wishing you a God-centered 2006,

Ashley Hodge

Reading Through the Gospels

I want to share a set of books that I have received great encouragement, understanding and counsel from. I attempt to study through the Bible every two years. But there are certain books of the Bible that I will always gravitate to. For most Christians, the Gospels- Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are read more than others.

I stumbled across a group of commentaries on those four books by JC Ryle that I highly recommend. The set is called Expository Thoughts on the Gospels. You can usually find the set for around $55. Ryle lived and breathed the Word of God. One of his biographers claimed that he read the Bible through over sixty times in his life. This kind of saturation in truth can only help but give you some important things to say.

JC Ryle wrote this commentary set with the purpose of leaving his family a personal guide to studying through the first 4 books of the New Testament. I will be forever grateful that he did this and that somebody decided to publish it for widespread use. I prize many books in my library for the wisdom that I have learned from them. But none as much as these four books that I picked up in a Half-Price bookstore. I paid $40 for the set. If I knew the treasure that they contained, I would have paid 100 times that amount.

If you are struggling in your study of the Bible or even if you have never read Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, I encourage you to use JC Ryle's commentaries as a guide through those books. Ryle is practical, concise and wise. I am convinced that you will find many pearls that will help you understand Christ in a fuller way. I also urge you to read Holiness by JC Ryle. No other book has had a greater impact on me than Holiness. Mark Twain often said, "The man who doesn't read good books has no advantage over the man who can't read them."

For Christ's Glory,

Ashley Hodge

God's Faithfulness Through Prayer

My wife- Amy- had a spinal cord tumor removed last week. I had sent out a cry for prayer to over 300 people that I know. I had asked for three specific requests:

1. That the doctors/nurses were able to remove the tumor without any complications.
2. That she recover from the surgery quickly with no paralysis, blood clots or damage to other areas of her body.
3. That the tumor is not cancerous.

Although we are waiting for official word and confirmation on #2 and #3, all indications are that these prayers were answered by God in a positive way. We were overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and prayers that we received from people. Clients, friends, family and neighbors reached out to us with care for our toddler, meals for over a month and continual prayer.

It is a reminder to me to be specific in prayer and to keep a log of what we ask God for. God is pleased to reveal His glory to us and through us. Specific, persistent prayer is one of the means that He enjoys lavishing His people with His abundant grace.

What you measure tends to improve! This fact has been impressed on my mind the past two weeks with my efforts to improve my diet and exercise plan. I dropped 7 lbs and 1 1/2 inches from my waist in two weeks by setting goals and executing a plan with focus. The same is true in prayer.

Do you keep a list of people that you are praying for? Conversions to Christ? Neighbors? Children? Healing? Ministries to expand influence and effectiveness? Marriages? Financial needs? Stewardship goals? God will honor prayer that is centered on promoting His glory and is also persistent- Luke 11:5-13.

For His Glory,

Ashley Hodge

Breaking Addictions to Food & Comfort

I just finished reading a book by Derek Prince called Shaping History Through Prayer & Fasting. It was thought-provoking and convicting. Prince chronicles some proclamations given by past US Presidents- Lincoln, Washington, Adams and Madison. Each of these men at times called for unity in fasting and prayer as a nation to repent of sin and return in humility to God. I found the book interesting in how it tied the blessings that our country currently enjoys to the prayers/devotion that men and women throughout US history have displayed towards God.

Another short book which you can read on http://stewardshipmandate.com tackles the secrets to living a long, healthy life. It is called The Art of Living Long by Luigi Cornaro. It was written in the 16th century when the average life expectancy was around 50 years for males. Luigi came close to death in his mid 30s. He radically changed his lifestyle after this experience and began to practice moderation in eating and drinking. In this book, Cornaro chronicles how his blood became purified through these disciplines. He lived past 100 years- a tremendous feat for that day and age.

These writings and many others have impressed on me the need to get serious and focused about combatting gluttony. This has always been a struggle for me. I hide it well through regular exercise. I have tried- unsuccessfully- many times to sustain some short fasting periods- usually no more than a day or even a six-eight hour period. I have at times consumed sixty ounces or more of diet coke per day. If there is a bag of tortilla chips or a carton of ice cream in the house, I usually try to finish the whole thing in one sitting. My rationale is that this type of food is bad and that I need to get rid of it. But it would be a sin to just throw it a way- I say that tongue in cheek.

So I am undergoing an experiment to attempt to bring my eating and drinking habits under God's control. I am currently 6'3" 207lbs. I think my natural, healthy weight should be around 190lbs. I read that in order to lose fat, you need to consume less than 10 times your body weight in calories each day. I also read that you should consume 1/2 your body weight in ounces of water each day.

My goals are to: consume less than 2000 calories daily, drink over 100 ounces of water daily and drink less than 24oz of soda daily. The foods that I am focusing on are lean proteins- cold water fish, lamb, turkey, eggs, soy, nuts, chicken, fruits, vegetables and whole grains. I am trying to minimize sugar, salt, soda and processed foods. I am going to attempt this experiment at least during the month of December- it will be kind of like the opposite of Super Size Me. I will continue my normal exercise routine- which is 4 times per week- weights, cardio and basketball.

I expect to report some great results in the way that I feel and fat loss. I have found this truth to be foundational over and over- what we measure tends to improve. More importantly, I hope that through these disciplines, I will be able to see changes to my prayer life and intimacy with God. We live in a culture that celebrates gluttony in all of its forms. I pray and encourage us all to be models of sobriety and discipline in these issues. The secret to life is to love God and enjoy Him forever. But also to be on a path of increasing frugality towards self so that we might be more generous to others.

For His Glory,

Ashley Hodge

Suffering mixed with blessings

This has been a difficult year in a lot of ways for my wife-Amy- and me. Amy was diagnosed with a serious neurological condition that has greatly affected her walking and general day-to-day mobility. She was also diagnosed with a spinal cord tumor which needs to be surgically removed. Doctors tell us that these two conditions are unrelated. The odds of her getting both are at 1 in 2.5 billion- almost statistically impossible. At 36 years of age, my wife never expected to go through the trials with her health that she is experiencing.

We have been reminded that this world is under the curse of sin and that we will experience suffering in this life. Yet in spite of these trials, we have so much to be thankful for. We have a healthy 20-month old son that has been a blessing to us beyond words. We have tremendous friends and family that have bent over backwards to love, pray for, cook for and help us with our son's care. I am thankful for a good business and clients that I enjoy serving. Life is a mixture of blessings and suffering.

I cannot imagine living in a world that was all suffering and no blessings. That kind of world would be literally hell. The Bible communicates that this is the fate of all who reject God in the flesh- Christ. They will live in a world for all eternity that is completely removed from the presence of God. My heart breaks for anyone on this path. I hope that they turn to Christ in faith and repentance before it is too late.

On the flip side, I enjoy imagining a place that is all blessings and no suffering. This is described in the Bible as Heaven- the renovated earth. This is a place where there is no curse, no sin, no evil, no suffering, no hatred, no wars, no crime, no perversion, no injustice, etc... Most importantly, it will contain the continual presence of God- revealed in the Father, Son and Spirit. I long for the day when our bodies and minds will not break down and will be redeemed along with all creation.

Until that day, I am content not to seek heaven on earth, but instead seek heaven in Heaven. God graciously mixes His blessings in a world that is groaning under the curse of sin- Romans 8:18-25.

For God's Glory,

Ashley Hodge

Napa Valley trip

My wife and I just returned from a five day trip to Napa, California. We attended the wedding of a family friend and were able to soak in some of the culture of this beautiful region. We stayed at a charming bed and breakfast in Napa which we would highly recommend if you are ever in the area- http://candlelightinn.com

I want to relay two extremely strange events that happened to us on this trip that were reminders of God's providence over all things. On the plane ride to California, I finished the book Heaven by Randy Alcorn.

It was a beautiful clear day. I was so engrossed in the book that I rarely took time to look out the window. I finished a sentence in Alcorn's book on page 251 that read, "We will find rock formations more spectacular than Yosemite's (in the New Earth/Heaven)." Not even thirty seconds after I read that sentence, the pilot of the plane tells the passengers over the intercom to look out your window for a "spectacular view of Yosemite national park." I found that event more than coincendental.

The beauty of Northern California is a reminder to me that God has a restored paradise in store for His people that will baffle our minds. Imagine a world that is released from the curse of sin! We were created for another world. As C.S. Lewis stated we are able to enjoy some nice inns on this pilgrimage from time to time, but we are travelers heading for a better home.

The second strange event surrounded the Candlelight Inn where we stayed. My wife- Amy- used a magnifying mirror to put on make-up. She decided to leave this mirror and make-up bag near the South facing window of our room. After breakfast, we left the inn to visit some wineries and enjoy the countryside. Normally, we would stay gone until late afternoon. But this particular day, we returned early to our room- around 2pm.

We walked in the door to our room and immediately smelled smoke. I glanced over to the window and discovered Amy's make-up bag on fire. The magnifying mirror had concentrated the light of the sun on this bag and the bag was in flames. There was a stack of books right next to the bag which would have provided nice kindling for the fire had we not entered the room when we did. Thank God we were able to put out this fire easily and avert disaster.

These two events are reminders to me that life is not an accident. If only we could see the hand of God more clearly in sustaining us and protecting us from disasters. If we open our eyes, our hearts will be more prone to worship God with gratefulness.

In Christ,

Ashley Hodge

Rewards for stewards

This past weekend, I finished the Chronicles of Narnia series by C.S. Lewis. I don't remember reading these books as kids. But after reading them, I realized that the books are really intended for adults to bring out child-like enthusiasm for Heaven. I predict that there will be widespread interest in these books and ideas with the upcoming release of The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe as a full-length movie.

God created in each of us a void that can only be filled by Him. He created us to be stewards over all creation and to walk with Him in faith- Genesis 1:28. Something has gone terribly wrong with this world. Winter has fallen over creation. Sin has marred nature, our work, our minds and our hearts. We live in a world that only provides glimpses of Heaven.

Stewardship is the call of every Christian because this is God's original mandate to Adam & Eve. We are called to glorify Him with MATH- money, abilities, time and health. This earth is training for eternity. Imagine exploring the potential for which we were created in a world where sin is absent and God is present.

I love the city in which I live- Dallas. I see two cities within the one. I see a city where crime, poverty, corruption and perversion exists and it makes my heart long for a world where this doesn't exist. But I also see so much potential for this city because many of the people have hearts for God and others. I see churches doing God's work, honest businesses, joyful families, open hearts and homes. It makes me long for a day when this will be the norm not the exception.

I live in a neighborhood that is slowly transitioning from an older 1950's ranch style neighborhood to a place where young couples are buying homes and renovating the older styles. I love to see revitalization, restoration and renovation. It reminds me of the work that God is doing in the hearts of believers and also what He has revealed about His plan for all of creation.

God promises that a day is coming when the earth will be renovated- II Peter 3:13. Peter implores us that since we are waiting for these things, what type of people should we be? We ought to live holy and godly lives. He tells us this in verses 11, 14, 17 and 18 of the 3rd chapter of II Peter.

Friends we are called to be stewards of this life. We need to be diligent, watchful, prayerful, striving, warring against sin, the ways of this world and our Enemy. The time of rest, relaxation and peace is to come. This is our time to sacrifice and deny self for the sake of leading others to Christ. Seek Heaven in Heaven and not on earth. Be good stewards over the MATH that God has given you. Read Luke 12 and meditate on verses 41-48. All of these resources come with responsibility. We are to maximize all things for His glory.

In Christ,

Ashley Hodge

Prayer

The stewardship of prayer is a vital topic to the life of a Christian. Personally, it is a topic that I write about out of weakness and not strength. God has wired me to enjoy reading, study and research. But prayer has always been a labor for me. Hopefully, through the power of God's spirit this will change over time.

I am preparing a sermon to deliver at Graystone Church in Georgia on Luke 15:8-10. It is the story of a woman who loses a coin and searches diligently until the coin is found. The story paints a picture of how the church needs to be committed to the ongoing pursuit of praying for lost souls. We need to persistently seek others until they are found by Christ. God can do amazing things through His means of grace- preaching of the gospel, works of service, giving and prayer to name a few.

James 5:16 tells us that "the prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." We are commanded to "pray continually" in I Thessolonians 5:17. If you struggle in praying for others like I do, I have some suggestions for how to structure your prayer life. This structure has helped me focus on the critical discipline of daily prayer:

1. Pray as the first business of every day. I concentrate on listing four things that I am thankful for that come from God. Cultivating a spirit of gratitude each morning for me is a critical exercise. I then list four sins that I am actively going to war against during the day and ask for God's power to help me in the battle to suppress all sin. I also concentrate on four specific prayer needs for the day. I keep this prayer journal in a computer file and every Thanksgiving, I review the year's worth of gratitude entries. I review on January 1st the year's worth of daily prayer requests and record God's faithful answers for the year. Seeing God work through the prayers of such a weak person as myself is inspiration to persevere in daily prayer.
2. I have a system to pray for specific people during the week. The system that I use is to pray for: family on Sunday; out of state friends on Monday; Texas friendships on Tuesday; suppliers/vendors to my business and home on Wednesdays; clients on Thursdays; ministries around DFW on Friday; souls of those I am concerned about on Saturdays. This system helps me remember to pray consistently for others at least on a weekly basis. I supplement this by keeping a one page prayer list. On this list, I pray for conversions, neighbors, children of friends/neighbors/clients/family, healing, marriages, ministries, financial needs and also those who have expressed the desire to be accountable for stewardship goals.
3. I keep a journal where I write prayers to my son on a weekly basis. I did this on a daily basis during the first year of his life, but plan on doing it on a weekly basis from here on out. This reminds me weekly to pray for specific areas of character development in the life of my son. It reminds me of the stewardship of his soul that has been entrusted to me.

If you have other ideas that are helpful to you in staying focused on prayer throughout the day, I would love to hear them. I also attempt to make my time in the car by myself to be prayer and Scripture memorization time. Quiet moments around the house are rare and this allows me to re-focus my thoughts on God. The struggle of every day is to abide in Christ and not to be distracted by the cares and snares of this life in the flesh. I relate to the hymn writer's words, "prone to wander Lord I feel it, prone to leave the God I love."

For God's glory,

Ashley Hodge