Wasting Energy=Worshipping God

8:30-9:30 p.m., March, 27, 2010. Pagan Hour.

Pagan Hour

If it’s already 9:30 p.m. for you, it’s too late.  Sorry.  For the rest of you, turn your lights ON between 8:30 and 9:30 p.m. TONIGHT.  Why on?  Because you love God and are jealous for his glory and worship.

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.  (Genesis 1:1)

And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. (Genesis 1:28)

Maybe I won’t explain myself well enough, but I’m going to make a defense for reckless waste during this one hour of the year.

When God created the earth and man, he gave man responsibility for it and we, therefore, are to be stewards of the whole world.  For this reason, I conserve my resources everyday of my life.  God has given to me bountifully and as his steward, I strive to keep good care of his gifts.  I try to save money and resources all the time because all my money and resources are not really mine–they’re on loan from God.

The World (and it’s ideologies) wants me to make a statement tonight that I’m concerned about the earth and the crisis we are in globally.  Are we in a global climate crisis?  The Word tells me that God is in control and that He is the one that will destroy it someday.  For it to be here for Him to destroy, it will have to stick around until He’s ready to do that.  Also, the World tells me that I should surrender the responsibility God has given me and do what my “Mother Earth” wants.  If I do that, I’m rebelling against God.  If I cave in to the pagan idea of “gaia,” I’m joining the heathen in their worship of the earth.  I want to stand in STARK contrast with pagan-heathenism. (2 Corinthians 6:14-18)

So I’m turning every light on I can think of:  and to revel in the bountiful goodness that God has created the earth with, and allowed me to steward, I’m also turning on every electric device I can think of, and leaving plugged in every appliance I can think of, and if I think of anything else, I’m turning that on too.

Tonight at 8:30 p.m. is NOT the time any Christian should be “off the grid.”  Consume all the energy you can to the glory of God!  (1 Corinthians 10:31)

Envelope Budgeting

Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, and look well to thy herds. (Proverbs 27:23)

This proverb tells us how to take care of our money. Of course, paper money is not mentioned here, but the current trading commodities are.  In the Bible a man’s wealth was often measured by the number of his flocks. Think of Job right here.  So, if we are going to obey this proverb, we will know the state of our money and we will watch where it goes.

There is no better way to obey this Scripture than to use an old-fashioned paper envelope system.  I grew up watching my father move money around his envelopes and when I established my own home, I thought that I would not have to do that.  I had a mathematical mind and was technologically “savvy.”

I learned the HARD way — my way.

Strength and Money

A gracious woman retaineth honour: and strong men retain riches.  Proverbs 11:16

In the realm of money, a key word is “stewardship.”  Stewardship is inescapable.  Every person is a steward of his money.  He either stewards his money faithfully, or he stewards unfaithfully.  A man is either a good steward or a bad one.  Retaining riches requires good stewardship, and strength.Â

The verse above describes two realms of stewardship – stewardship of reputation and stewardship of wealth.  And since the two are juxtaposed in the text, we see that there is on some level a connection being made between honor and riches.  Essentially, the Proverb teaches that our stewardship extends to every area of labor — to property, to wealth, to spouse and children, to employment, to work ethic, to reputation, to spiritual life and service, even to relationships.  All of these areas can be considered wealth, and all can be considered “honor.”Â

A steward’s work is to maintain these.  The steward functions first as a servant.  He serves his Lord and Master, Jesus Christ in this way.  He serves his family, his church, his employer, his country.  He serves by taking good care of all that he has been entrusted with.  This should be the character of every believer.

But a steward is more than a mere servant.  The steward is the chief servant.  He is in charge of the servants.  Think of reputation as a servant.  Many have, to their own undoing, made reputation a master, but reputation in its rightful place is a servant.  And we are stewards of that servant.  According to the verse above, only a gracious woman has the power to command reputation and