Ministry

It has been awhile since I last posted an article on Peanuts. As always, there is a reason. And it is because I take this blog seriously that I really do not like to go for a long period without updating with a new post. I suppose I could come up with some fluff, but since I don’t like to read something like that, I try to come up with something that I hope is thought-provoking or at least interesting.

So the reason for the delay: presently I am heading up the Children’s Church ministry at our church. It is a role I enjoy and spend 2-3 hours a week preparing for. Well, I was asked to take on an additional ministry of being the commander of an Awana Club that is being started at our church. Although I have been a commander in the past, I thought that would be something that I would not be doing again. Actually, I was told I would be a co-commander, with an able and capable younger man, who would gradually take over as he gained experience. At the first Awana night a couple weeks ago, he told me that he is going to be moving at the end of the school year. So much for bringing him into the leadership position. At any rate, getting the Awana year started with about 10 days warning has taken up most of my extra time that otherwise would have been devoted to ‘Peanuts.’

I am not upset about the extra load. If the Lord God has given me talents and I bury them in the backyard, what good are they? So I do what I can, but have always resisted taking on too much. There has to be a balance. I believe every believer has some talents that can be used for God. It may be helping in a church ministry, or it may, like this blog, be something outside of the church. To just warm a pew is doing far less than what God would have us do.

But then I have seen some good Christian couples lose their children because they were so involved in the church that they basically neglected their kids. Now that is heart-breaking! God expects us to keep our priorities straight. And I believe He puts the family before the church. Raising a family to the glory of God is the top responsibility of any parent. Everything else is secondary.

So take this for what it’s worth. These are just some thoughts of a man that has tried to do right, and point his family in the way God would have them go, and after that, being a light for others. And looking back, it has been tiring and thankless at times, but overall very, very rewarding. At the end of our life, what do we want to look back on?

Now, let me ask for some participation. I have been giving some serious thought to the idea of forgiveness. As Christians we know (whether we practice it is another matter) that we ought to forgive others when they have wronged us. My question is: does this extend to business, or is it just personal? If a company A owes company B money, and A is cash-strapped and decides they cannot pay their bill, should B (if they are Christians) forgive A? If so, why? If not, why? I would really like your input. I will talk about it soon. Thanks.

Stewardship, part 3

This is the final posting concerning stewardship for the present. There is much more that could be said about the subject, but this blog is not going to be spent in an exhaustive research into the matter, at least not now.

I want to look at the matter of debt. I know something about this, because I have both personal and business debt. All my debt is covered by real estate or other tangible goods. Most of it is business debt (which is no different than personal debt, just a lot more.) Throughout most of my adult life I have tried to either stay out of debt, or keep it very small. When my wife and I were younger and much poorer, we almost never used a credit card because we didn’t know if we would be able to pay off the balance if we did use it. And herein lies a problem that some have not learned, or have learned the hard way. Debt is not necessarily bad if backed up by assets. Credit card debt is not backed up by assets and therefore can be dangerous.

In Romans 13:8 Paul says, ‘Owe no one anything except to love one another.’ Although some strictly interpret this to mean we should have no debt, I take this to mean we should have no debt that is not backed up by tangible assets. If I buy a brand new luxury car with only one month’s payment, there is a possibility that I would be violating Paul’s injunction because when I drive that beautiful BMW off the lot, it is no longer worth $60-80,000 – and it makes me sick to think how much money I have just lost! (My Corolla works just fine and I am elated getting 38 MPG on the highway.) Now if I am buying a house and am able to put down 10%, the debt is backed up by the real estate I have just purchased. I realize that real estate has been going down recently, but in many parts of the country, we haven’t had the wild speculation that was evident in the West and in Florida. So in the second example we have a case where I technically owe the bank $150,000, but the bank actually owns the house, and as long as I make the payments, I will eventually own the house myself and if I default the bank owns a nice house worth at least the principle left on the loan. The whole time the loan was covered by the real estate. The point is as Christians we need to be very prudent with God’s money. And never should we allow ourselves to get into serious financial debt. By that I mean if there is not a reasonable assurance that the loan can be paid off in a timely fashion - don’t get into debt. Sometimes it is better to hold off purchasing something that isn’t absolutely necessary until you can pay cash. Now that is a novel idea!

I thank God for a wife who kept me out of foolish debt. Slick salesmen would lure me into wanting to make a large purchase. I would try to convince Kathy that we could make the payments. I am thankful that I lost those arguments. I am also thankful that our children never saw us foolishly spending our money. They all have shown wisdom in their own finances, and I am proud of them.

As Christians let us remember that all we have is God’s. As alluring as material creature comforts can be, let us all be wise stewards of what God has entrusted to us, whether it be money, time, or talents.

A Wedding Blessing

Yesterday, August 15, was a momentous day for our family. Our daughter, Michelle was married to Aaron Steele. This was the third time my wife and I saw one of our daughters leave and cleave, with our consent. It went off without a hitch, although there were some stressful moments, such as, 'Where is the cake???!!' It finally arrived, less than an hour before the wedding began.


In the Old Testament there were times that the Patriarchs blessed their children. Perhaps it was unique for them, but I believe that it is not a bad custom, and I have revived the custom for a couple of my daughters. I would have done this for my first-born, but she got married before I instituted the marriage blessing. Actually I did it only with their consent.


Michelle Steele, as she has been known for only a day, asked me a couple months ago to bless her and Aaron at their wedding. Some of you were there and heard it. For the rest, I have included it below:



A Blessing for Aaron and Michelle:

Aaron and Michelle, on this special day, we, as parents, wish God’s blessing on your lives. We have spent years praying for you and now you stand before us ready to embark on a new chapter of your lives. We are proud of you.

Aaron, may God Almighty bless you as husband and spiritual leader of your family. May He give you spiritual discernment and wisdom. May your desire always be for your wife. May God bless you physically, mentally, emotionally, and yes, financially. As you place your trust in the Lord your God, may He bless you so that you will never want. May God give you the ability to become great both in your church and your community, and may He give you the humility to stay great. May God bless you with children that will also seek to know the God of their father. Aaron, God bless you in all you do.

Michelle, you have been a special child. God has given you a tender heart. And now may God Almighty bless you as wife and a help fit for your husband. May God also bless you physically, mentally, and emotionally. May your husband be able to safely trust in you. May God give you wisdom and strength to assist your husband all the days of your life. May God make you fruitful and bless you with sons and daughters, the Lord’s heritage. And may God bless you as you raise your children to live for Him. Michelle, God bless you in all you do.

May the Lord God bless you two, Aaron and Michelle, as you become one. May He keep you from sin. May He give you many years to love Him and each other. May this, your wedding day be a blessed day in your lives. I believe I speak for everyone here when I say, we all wish God’s richest blessings on you.

Now, go and in the name of Jesus, be a blessing to others.

Stwardship, part 2

Stewardship, part 2

Those of you who are geographically situated so that you have had to drive down I-75 from Toledo have noticed the building in Lima, OH which boldly proclaims ‘CHRIST IS THE ANSWER,’ but perhaps you don’t know the rest of the story, as the late Paul Harvey was fond of saying. Mr. Tam, who owned the business, was a Christian businessman who wasn’t satisfied with owning a business he dedicated to God, but wanted God to legally own the business. It took some doing, but his attorney finally succeeded in accomplishing the task of transferring the ownership from Mr. Tam to God.

As we discussed in the previous posting, God should be the owner of all we have. I am not suggesting that Christian business owners should emulate Mr. Tam, but in a real sense, we should reject the notion that in ourselves we have done great things. In my case, I know that the business which I run would have failed long ago if it was up to me. I am not smart enough to run it by myself. I spend time early each morning in a board meeting with the Chairman, during which time I remind Him that the company belongs to Him, I thank Him for any success, and beg that He might be pleased to continue to bless Grace Plastics. I am thankful that the business is not dependent on a shaky economy, but is wholly dependent upon the eternal and almighty God.

This is a lesson we all need to relearn time after time. I Tim. 6:17 states, ‘Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy.’ You may not consider yourself to be rich, but there is a lesson nevertheless. Don’t trust in money, or your employment, but in the living God.

On our currency we have printed, ‘In God We Trust.’ On Facebook there is a poll questioning whether we should remove the motto from our currency. I personally think it is a wonderful reminder that we shouldn’t be trusting in the almighty dollar, but in almighty God. However since most Americans seem to have forgotten that, and are trusting in the dollar, maybe there is no reason to continue to have a motto which most of us totally ignore.

Although the Bible has a lot to say about money, we need to understand that striving and grasping for it will not give fulfillment, but will constantly leave a void, and the necessity to want more. When asked how much money was enough, John Rockefeller said, ‘Just a little more.’ How sad!

Well, I do have a little more to say about the subject, and so will close the subject of stewardship and money with the next posting. After that, since Michelle’s wedding is now only two weeks away, we will give some thoughts about that. Stay tuned!

Stewardship, part 1

‘Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful.’ I Cor. 4:2

Biblical stewardship is the concept that God owns everything. As it relates to individuals, God owns everything you have, plus God owns your soul and your body. Personally although I have known this for a long time, it takes a while before some things sink into my thick skull. I no longer rail on the Israelites that kept falling into sin in the wilderness during the 40 years that Moses led them, without realizing that I am no better. Had I been there, I probably wouldn’t have lasted very long.

When God allowed me to start Grace Plastics, then known as Grace Polymers, I noticed that there were some months that were very good and some months that really stunk. As I looked back to analyze the reasons for the difference, I came to the conclusion that often the good months were when I determined that the company was not my own, but in a real way I would daily give the company to God. And conversely, the lean months were when I let pride get in the way or in other ways put myself at the helm. I was learning expensive lessons that cost me thousands of dollars in lost profit because I often forgot that all belongs to God.

This does not mean that whenever a Christian businessman fails, he is not giving himself to God, because this past winter was very dark and difficult for Grace Plastics, but I don’t think the reason was because of some spiritual failure on my part. Besides if you look at the patriarch Job you don’t find him losing everything because he was a spiritual failure. It started out as a contest between God and Satan. Incidentally, contrary to what some have said, God won the contest – Job came through as God predicted he would.

Those of us who know Jesus as personal Savior, need to be good stewards of what God has given us. We all have been given bodies so we need to do what it takes to keep the body healthy and functioning well. If God has given someone a sickly body, we should not condemn a wise Creator. We just are not smart enough to always know why. But to allow the body God has entrusted to you to be hurt by tobacco, booze or other drugs, diet, or in other ways, is not being a good steward of your body. Also God has given you a soul which first and foremost is most valuable to God and ought to be to ourselves as well. Therefore to reject Jesus as Savior is the worst thing you can do to your soul. If God blesses you with a spouse and you are again blessed with children, these are eternal souls belonging to God. But He has entrusted them to your care. You now have the awesome responsibility of leading the young impressionable souls to salvation and then to walk with God. But they are not yours, they belong to God. It may sound cruel, but if God so chooses to take them Home early, that is His decision. If we have settled upon God’s ownership, we can accept the tragedy with more grace. Then God owns all He has blessed us with materially. Once we settle this in our minds, we will not grudgingly give up the tithe, but joyfully offer it as sacrifice to God.

There is more to this subject that I want to address, but in order to keep these posts from getting out of hand, I will continue this within the next month.

On a personal note, we are four weeks from Michelle and Aaron Steele’s wedding day, so things are getting tense as deadlines loom. But God is smoothing out the rough places and providing grace for each day. We are thankful for His provision and for His leading in the lives of our children.

Declaration of Independence

Yesterday was July 4, 2009, and 233 years since the Continental Congress voted for independence from Great Britain. Then they signed their names to the document and sent it to King George. Many of these same brave men saw their families and fortunes ruined over the next years as the war that followed wrecked havoc on so many.

I decided to read the Declaration of Independence to some family members yesterday. I would recommend that all Americans read it. It is interesting, and of the many reasons given for the separation from the Crown, we can see some similarities to an oppressive government we have today in Washington. Perhaps we don’t have it quite as bad since apart from a couple incidents in recent years, we don’t have soldiers being sent into this country to kill our citizens. But there are other situations which our founding fathers did not have to deal with, which now face us. Situations of government intrusion which would make them roll over in their graves. Between government health care which gives bureaucrats virtual control over life and death of many people, and ‘cap and trade’ which would ruin our economy, especially manufacturing, this country is at a cross-roads.

In our Children’s Church, we started going through Judges. The cycle that repeats itself is: Israelites sin, they are punished by God, they repent, and God provides deliverance. I don’t know if what is happening is judgment by God or not, but I do believe that we have those in power who are deeply entrenched in serious wickedness. Read Romans 1:21-32 and that just scratches the surface.

And although there are problems in high places, there are many things that can cause us to rejoice. Churches are being planted and growing as never before. The church we are now attending was started six months ago with 45 people and since early May we have had only one Sunday with less than 100 in attendance. From reports in countries where Christians face persecution there is unprecedented growth as well. The Gospel cannot be contained. God is doing a great work in this old world. We, as blood-bought believers, have every reason to praise God for His goodness. Let us never wallow in how bad things are, but lift our voices and proclaim the power of the resurrection of the Lamb!

Father's Day

This goes out as a wish to all fathers: may the Lord God richly bless you as you seek to lead your children to walk closer to Him. I have been a father for 30 years and therefore feel I have some experience which I can gather from. I also have an earthly father who passed on to his reward about 18 months ago who had a tremendous influence on my life. I lived at home only 17 years and because my parents were missionaries to Korea, I rarely spent more than a couple weeks with them since then, so the influence of my father was packed in those early formative years.

As a father, I have tried to pattern myself after my father. He was a godly man and a good father. On a trip to California last year, I was in a conversation with a couple other Christian men. We were talking about our fathers and I was struck by the fact that both of them considered their fathers as cruel, one of them telling me that I was unusual in the fact that I had a father worth emulating. I hope that is not the case, but the fact remains that all of us have rebelled against God and chosen a path of wickedness and only as we allow God to change our hearts can we become worthy parents. There is much that can be said about fathers loving their children. The example that we see in our heavenly Father is one we ought to follow.

Something my father told me when I was newly married was that he didn’t remember spanking me after I was 7 or 8 years old. All I remembered was a lot of spankings because I was pretty much a brat when I was little! He said he didn’t need to spank me at that age because the discipline had started very early and had been very consistent. I tried that with my own children and it worked! I didn’t always discipline in love nor was I always consistent, but with hard work and prayer on my part, and mercy and grace on God’s part, I have four wonderful children that I have given to God. I believe they will carry on what they have been taught to the next generation. I think that too little and too late discipline has produced not necessarily little brats, but spoiled children that then are on the receiving end of punishment and often abuse by parents that are wondering what happened to the cute little kids they once were. Now it is not always the fault of the parents when children stray. They have their own will. Then we, as fathers are obligated to never give up, but to forgive for all the hurt they may cause and attempt to show the patience and love of God as we pray and draw them back.

Dads, this Sunday is your day. I trust that your children will reciprocate the love that you show them. May they honor you as you raise them to love the Lord your God. And as we show love and honor to our fathers, may we especially show love and honor to our eternal Father.