Living Supernatural

The Jews have a legend that when their forefathers were saved from Egypt and the Egyptians drowned in the Red Sea, the angels joined the songs of triumph sung by the Israeli's, and God said to the angels, "The Jews are men and can rejoice about their escape, but from you I expect more understanding. Are the Egyptians not also my creatures? Do I not love them, too? How do you fail to feel my sorrow about their tragic fate?"

Joshua 5:13 says, "And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, a Man stood opposite him with His sword drawn in His hand, and Joshua went to Him and said to Him, "Are you for us or for our adversaries."

If the one met by Joshua had been only a man, the answer could have been "I am for you" or "I am for your adversaries", or even "I am neutral". These are the only possible human responses to such a question. But the Being whom Joshua met was from the Lord and, therefore, when asked whether He was for or against Israel, gave an answer that is most unexpected and difficult to understand; "No". What does this "no" mean?

He came from a place where beings are not for or against, but where everyone and everything are understood, looked upon with pity and compassion, and loved with fire.

Where are those Christ-followers who live in the spiritual that the supernatural has become natural, because they have returned to their first love?  No longer seeing through the eyes of a human, but through the eyes of God, loving all with fire, illuminating the presence of God through all that they do and say.

Arise generation of transformation, step outside of your comfort zone, and feel the emotions of your creator, seeing the world through His eyes. Walk through life with spiritual x-ray vision to see past the smile, the hardened shell to touch the very soul of a person.

Called to be His Hands

God has chosen to have us work with Him to bring justice to victims of oppression, for we are His hands. The truth is that He calls all people to seek justice for the abused and suffering in our world. God’s people often do not understand that social work goes hand and hand with spiritual outreach. You can’t have one without the other. Jesus always combined social and spiritual outreach together. He would not only preach to the people about spiritual salvation but he would feed the hungry, heal their bodies, and pull them out of the life of prostitution, addiction, and oppression.

Reaching out to people to only help them spiritually is like seeing a person drowning in the ocean. You are standing on the shoreline with a life raft, and you say to them here is your salvation now come to me, and I will give you the life raft and you will be saved. God’s people often watch people drowning in hopelessness and they stand in the distance of their comfort zone saying I know you’re hurting, here is your salvation, Jesus; all you have to do is come to us. Or we tell them about what can save them, Jesus, but we leave them in their social situation and wonder why that person could not maintain their walk with God. They could not because we informed them about salvation, but abandoned them in the crack house, the brothel, the street, the abusive marriage, or the poverty consumed life. We rescued them spiritually but did nothing to help them socially, creating a never ending cycle of hopelessness. The moment we change our mentality and methods is the moment when we will see a world transformed.

“Learn to do good, seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, plead for the widow.” (Isaiah 1:17) 

“I searched for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand in the gap before me for the land, so that I would not destroy it, but I found none.” (Ezekiel 22:30)

“He has told you, oh mortal, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do
justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8)

It is incredible that the God of the universe gives us a short list of three things that He requires of us, and that list begins with justice. The Bible couldn’t be clearer about God’s call for His people to join with Him as he brings relief to the suffering. The good news about this is that all God asks of us is that we give Him what we have. He doesn’t expect us to do miracles. He asks us to place our skills, talents, money, and influence – whatever we have – at His feet to use for His purposes. A great example of God doing just this is the story of Jesus feeding the five thousand (Mark 6:30-44). Jesus had been preaching on the hillside all day. The Bible only takes into account the 5,000 men in attendance that day, but we can safely assume there were a large number of women and children present as well, adding thousands to the total number of people there. As the day wore on, the people naturally became hungry and the disciples advised Jesus to send them home so they could get something to eat, which seems like a rather rational solution to the problem. But, Jesus’ response to His disciples was, “You give them something to eat.” One can imagine the disbelief of the disciples as they explained to Jesus that it would take more than a month’s wages to feed all these people.

Again, Jesus’ response is surprising. He turned to the disciples and asked what they had. They responded that all they had were five loaves of bread and two fish, not even close to enough to make a dent in the task of feeding the throng of people before them. But, as we know, Jesus took that little amount of food, blessed it, and He and the disciples were able to feed everyone there and have more left over at the end then they originally had at the beginning. The lesson is that Jesus took the little the disciples had and used it to perform a miracle in feeding the 5,000.

God is asking all of us the same question He asked the disciples: “What do you have?” When we compare the vast need for justice in the world – 27 million slaves in the world, an estimated 1 million children are trapped into the sex trade every year – with what little we have to give, it looks so impossible, and we think that there’s nothing we can do about it.

Jesus knows the problem of injustice is too big for us to fix with our five loaves and two fish, but He wants us to give what we do have to Him. He’s big enough to use the little we have to make the impossible possible. He wants to use our gifts, talents, and resources to bring justice to those who need it urgently.

The outcome of this story in the Bible is that every single individual on that hillside was given enough to eat. The outcome of God’s people offering what they have to Him to fight injustice will be that individual lives will be freed from the bonds of oppression. The prayer of the Hope Movement is that you will give what you have to God and watch Him perform miracles with it.

Justice Scriptures

It is exceedingly strange that any follower of Jesus Christ should ever have needed to ask whether social involvement was their concern. – John Stott

Although this is in no way an exhaustive list, these verses should be helpful in studying the meaning of biblical justice and the reason why God requires His people to seek it.

Psalm 10: 18-19 – You hear, O LORD, the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry, defending the fatherless and the oppressed, in order that man, who is of the earth, may terrify no more.

Psalm 64:6 – They plot injustice and say, “We have devised a perfect plan!” Surely the mind and heart of man are cunning.

Psalm 103:6 – The LORD works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed.

Psalm 106:3 – Blessed are they who maintain justice, who constantly do what is right.

Psalm 140:12 – I know that the LORD secures justice for the poor and upholds the cause of the needy.

Proverbs 29:7 – The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern.

Ecclesiastes 4:1 – Again I looked and saw all the oppression that was taking place under the sun: I saw the tears of the oppressed— and they have no comforter; power was on the side of their oppressors and they have no comforter.

Isaiah 1:17 – Learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow.

Isaiah 30:18 – Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; He rises to show you compassion. For the LORD is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for Him!

Isaiah 51:4 – Listen to me, my people; hear me, my nation: The law will go out from me; my justice will become a light to the nations.

Isaiah 56:1 – This is what the LORD says: “Maintain justice and do what is right, for my salvation is close at hand and my righteousness will soon be revealed.”

Isaiah 58:6 – Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?

Isaiah 59:15 – Truth is nowhere to be found, and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey. The LORD looked and was displeased that there was no justice.

Isaiah 61:8 – For I, the LORD, love justice; I hate robbery and iniquity. In my faithfulness I will reward them and make an everlasting covenant with them.

Jeremiah 22:13 – Woe to him who builds his palace by unrighteousness, his upper rooms by injustice, making his countrymen work for nothing, not paying them for their labor.

Hosea 12:6 – But you must return to your God; maintain love and justice, and wait for your God always.

Amos 5:21-24 – I hate, I despise your religious feasts; I cannot stand your assemblies. Even though you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them. Though you bring choice fellowship offerings, I will have no regard for them. Away with the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps. But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!

Micah 6:8 – He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

Zechariah 7:8-10 – And the word of the LORD came again to Zechariah: “This is what the LORD Almighty says: `Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor. In your hearts do not think evil of each other.

Matthew 23:23 – Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices–mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law–justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.

20 Biggest Grant Making Foundations for Christian Organizations

The question of what foundations to turn to for funding is one Christian ministries and churches ponder over all the time. There are of course various factors to consider. The degree of compatibility between your mission and the aims of a foundation remains the most important consideration. But at a time when foundation funding is declining, it helps to know which foundations are giving the most - along with knowing a little about their overall purpose, the kinds of Christian organizations they fund, and the kinds of programs that interest them.
The following are the top 20 Christian grant funding sources in terms of funding generosity.

1. Of all the Christian grant foundations accepting applications at this time the Alharetta, Georgia-based National Christian Foundation (NCF) provides the most funds. Seeking to further the gospel of Jesus Christ, its funding territory is national. This is largely a donor advised fund. A donor-advised fund is a charitable giving vehicle administered by a third party and created for the purpose of managing charitable donations on behalf of an organization, family, or individual. A donor-advised fund offers the opportunity to create an easy-to-establish, low cost, flexible vehicle for charitable giving as an alternative to direct giving or creating a private foundation.


NCF helps individuals and families plan their giving through such programs as the Legacy Fund (after death giving). It advises them on asset giving (cash, stocks, real estate, business interests, restricted securities) and shows them how to balance income needs and estate planning goals (through charitable trusts and charitable gift annuities.)

The Single Charity Fund allows supporters to donate all kinds of assets; the Professional Advisors group - comprised of financial planners, CPA's, attorneys, and more - advises supporters in the art of tax-efficient giving. Website: www.nationalchristian.com

2. The Christian Aid Ministries is a foundation based in Berlin, Ohio. Having an international gift giving scope, the Ministries seeks to "provide spiritual and material assistance such as food, clothing, medicine, and Christian literature to needy people in various countries." It also provides emergency funds and in-kind gifts. The Ministries supports Amish, Mennonite, and other conservative Anabaptists as they minister to the physical and religious needs of people worldwide. It aids victims of war, famine, and natural disasters. No website.
3. The Nehemiah Corporation is a foundation out of Sacramento, California. Its mission is to facilitate "home ownership and asset development opportunities for diverse populations in underserved neighborhoods across the U.S., while maintaining a commitment to successful, responsible homeownership." It gives mostly to California foundations and individuals and to Christian organizations that support its mission. Website: www.nehemiah.org

4. The Trinity Christian Center of Santa Ana is a foundation from Tustin, California. It supports Christian services and organizations that seek to spread the gospel around the world. It provides care, comfort, and emergency aid to the sick, the disabled, the homeless. It is also known for producing televised religious broadcasts for ministries that spread the gospel worldwide. No website.

5. The Barnabas Foundation is a foundation from Tinley Park, Illinois that supports its nearly 200 member Christian ministries through planned giving and estate planning. Its participating churches include Legacy Churches, Good Steward Ministry Churches, Member Asset Management Churches, Member Churches. It also offers stewardship education as well as development programs that facilitate stewardship "based on God's ownership of all gifts." Website: www.barnabasfoundation.com

6. The J. Bulow Campbell Foundation is an independent foundation from Atlanta, Georgia. The foundation seeks to uplift "intellectual and spiritual life, preferably projects of a permanent nature or for capital funds." It does not fund operating expenses or recurrent programs except in cases where funding might allow a significant new program to succeed without continuing support from the foundation. It gives anonymously to church-related agencies of the Presbyterian Church, but not to congregations. It mostly supports organizations in Georgia, though it does give to organizations in Alabama, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. Website: www.jbcf.org

7. The Rupert H. Johnson Foundation is an independent foundation in San Mateo, California that generally funds only educational programs in California and Virginia. Only Christian organizations seeking grants for education programs in these two geographic regions would be eligible for funding. No website.

8. The Rees-Jones Foundation, a family foundation based in Dallas, Texas, funds "programs that help improve the quality of life for the underserved of north Texas." It provides employee/matching gifts and funds capital campaigns, general operations, management and program development, and scholarship funds. It supports churches that seek to relieve hunger, and it provides medical care for the mentally and physically disabled, educational opportunities for youth, and affordable housing, shelter, and spiritual development for those left behind. Website: www.rees-jonesfoundation.org/

9. The Poplar Foundation is an independent foundation that mostly gives within its base of Memphis and the metropolitan area. It funds mostly youth services and education. Ministries that focus on these two areas are eligible for funding. No website.

10. The Wege Foundation, an independent foundation in Grand Rapids, Michigan, gives mostly within Kent County and above all in Grand Rapids. Christian agencies that provide health, human services, and education are likelier to receive funding from the foundation than those that do not. It funds annual campaigns, building/renovation, capital campaigns, curriculum development, endowments, equipment, matching/challenge campaigns, and program development. No website.

11. The Hope Christian Community Foundation is a Christian public charity community foundation in Memphis, Tennessee that "helps Christians share their wealth with others in the most thoughtful and efficient ways." It serves ministries by administering and managing agency funds, offering a cash management pool, investing endowments, and making grants through the Hope of Memphis Fund. It partners with churches to serve the community, administer church and donor-advised funds for church members, and offer a cash management pool. Website: www.hopeccf.org

12. The Maclellan Foundation is a Chattanooga, Tennessee-based independent foundation. It gives internationally and nationally, stressing Chattanooga. It is the largest of a group of four family foundations that are committed to "fulfilling the Great Commission of Jesus Christ through strategic giving." The foundation provides financial and leadership training to local organizations that enhance the spiritual wellbeing of the Commission by working "to extend the Kingdom of God to every tribe, nation, person, and tongue." Toward that end, the foundation offers consulting services, equipment, general/operating support, program development and evaluation, and seed money to Christian organizations. Website: www.maclellan.net
13. The New York City-based American Bible Society is a foundation that translates, publishes, and distributes the Bible in every language it can. The Society wants every person "to experience the Bible's life changing message." It collaborates with other Christian organizations including Faith Comes by Hearing, the creator of an audio version of the Bible. Other partners are Feed the Children, the Military Ministry, Mission Year, Samaritan Purse/Operation Christmas Child, United Bible Societies, and the National Association of State and Regional Bible Societies. Website: www.americanbible.org

14. The National Endowment Association is a public charity in Princeton, Indiana that helps small to mid-sized charities in the United States, mostly religious ministries, endow funds. The objective is to free ministries from the constant demands of fundraising so they can devote more time to their missions. The association helps them solicit long-term planned gifts, something the larger charities already have the means to do. It helps them tap into larger funding sources through tax-exempt planning. It also helps them promote their charity by offering website templates, educational classes, marketing material templates, marketing/fundraising consultation, and donor/consumer seminars. Website: www.nationalendowment.org/home.htm

15. The Harold Simmons Foundation of Dallas, Texas is a company-sponsored foundation. It provides grants that support zoos, arts and culture, education, energy, health, substance abuse treatment, HIV/AIDS treatment, disaster relief, athletics, human services, human rights, community development, programs that address women's issues, and Christian organizations. It gives mostly in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. No website.

16. The Norcliffe Foundation is an independent foundation in Seattle, Washington. It gives to organizations that benefit the arts and cultural organizations, hospitals, early childhood development, higher and secondary education, and historic preservation. It also supports medical research and health associations, hospices, the environment and conservation, and social services that include programs for the disabled, the homeless, child welfare, youth agencies, and the aged. The foundation's Christian grantees are the Roman Catholic Church and religious associations. It gives mostly in the Puget Sound area of Washington, especially in Seattle. Website: www.thenorcliffefoundation.com

17. The Stephen and Mary Birch Foundation of Wilmington, Delaware is an independent foundation that gives throughout the United States. It supports nonprofit institutions, communities, and organizations that support research, medical, health, educational, sports, social services, and artistic programs in communities across the nation. Christian organizations that work in any of these areas are eligible for funding. No website.
18. The Harry J. Lloyd Charitable Trust in Overland Park, Kansas "supports God's work as described in the Great Commission by spreading evangelism throughout the world." It primarily supports organizations and programs that further this mission. The Trust provides grants that help start new ministries or new programs or expand current programs. It funds organizations that are creative, accountable, stable, and effective. It also funds Christian programs that provide housing, food, medical assistance, and education for the poor. It may also support medical research in different areas. No website.

19. The Lynn and Foster Freiss Family Foundation is an independent foundation out of Jackson, Wyoming. It mostly funds faith-based entrepreneurial programs, especially one-one-one mentoring. The foundation provides general/operating support, matching/challenge support, and program-related investment/loans. No website.

20. IBS-STL is a foundation from Colorado Springs, Colorado. It came about in 2007 from a merger of the National Bible Society and Send the Light. It gives nationally and internationally to Christian organizations that further its mission of translating, interpreting, and publishing the Bible. Its goal is to give more and more people throughout the world the opportunity to experience the Bible. Website: www.ibsstl.org

Some foundations exist solely to benefit Christian ministries and churches. Others lack a direct connection to Christianity but work to solve problems that are at the core of Christian concern. Some have a limited geographic focus; others have a national focus; still others have an international focus. But wherever your organization operates, and whatever programs it has, many (if not most) of these foundations are viable funding possibilities for your organization. And there are countless other possibilities. The Christian Funding Directory (CFD), Foundation Directory Online, and Foundation Search are the most valuable sources of information about foundations.

Sources:
• Christian Funding Directory (CFD) (www.npfunds.com)
• The Foundation Directory Online
• Foundation Search
• BIG Online

http://www.christianpost.com

Keeping Your Short Term Mission Trip Alive

Scripture: Matthew 8:23-27

Objective: Discuss how there so many things happening that it distracts us from our relationship with God.

Preparation: For the meeting you’ll need 1) a TV with DVD, sound system, popcorn popper or microwave popcorn, games, etc. for beginning, 2) larger place to set up an obstacle course, and blindfolds, and 3) Bibles.

Download:

NoDistractions.doc

Sharing Christ Through Social Media

This is a 3 week study series I wrote as a pre-trip training for the upcoming Online Missions Trip, but it can be used at anytime to equip your students for sharing their faith using social media (Facebook, MySpace).

Download:

sharing_christ_through_social_media.pdf

Marshmallow Drama

The attached document is called “Marshmallow Drama” and was used during our camp program a few years ago. It’s a retelling of Jesus’ parable on forgiveness in Matthew 18:23-35.

Download: 

Marshmallow Drama Outline.doc

Thankful In Praise - Thanksgiving Lesson

Scripture Focus: Psalm 111

Thanksgiving is a time when we remember all God has given us. Lead your students to respond to God's blessings with praise.

Includes: PDF of the lesson and a Powerpoint game and teaching point slides.

Download:

ym360_thanksgiving_lesson.zip