End August / Beginning September 2009
Now things started to boil over. Not just because of the money pressure – that was bad enough. But what made it worse, was when fellow believers starting falsely accusing us of sin. Friendly fire persecution.
Especially hard hitting and soul crushing was when my spiritual fathers and even spiritual sons came at me. They were trying to convince me to give up. The perception was – you didn’t hear from God. This is a failed experiment (the calling and vision God had given me for New Breed of Business and the Storehouse Vision). God would have provided money for you if it was legit, but he has not. Get a job! Earn the money you are capable of earning. Go back to Wall Street. For family. For God. Wow. Totally didn’t see this coming.
What was unspoken, but became eminently clear was you need to go back to work because we need the money too! It was now plainly apparent that I had touched a nerve. I had touched an idol. Like the power behind this persecution was immense. I had touched the “3rd rail” of the US Church / Christian Ministries. The money flow.
What my accusers couldn’t perceive (because it is a blind spot), was in effect I was being told: Your job is to make money, take care of your family and give a tithe. Our job is to do the ministry. But we need to get paid. If others did what you are doing, then everything would fall apart and the church would have to shut down.
I was shocked. Flabbergasted. Frustrated. Some of my closest friends and family were turning against me now? Here we were standing by faith in the midst of the storm. Heeding the directive to keep going and trust God. Going through the fiery trial of obedience. And this is the support we get? The prayer we get? Wow. It felt like Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego being told to bow down to the golden statue of Nebuchadnezzar!
One of the key false accusations leveled against us, was that I was in sin. It was backed up by scripture, but it was a twisting of the Word. A misapplication of scripture. I was told in no uncertain terms that I was violating the following
But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever
1 Timothy 5:8
Yet, the actual context of this scripture is someone purposely holding back resources and intentionally not providing for their own family members. It’s not about enduring financial hardship. I wasn’t withholding from my family and say drinking, gambling or whoring or some other vice. Did not Jesus say, “Seek first the Kingdom and righteousness and all these things shall be added onto you” and “Be anxious for nothing
The crazy thing about it was, what was actually happening was those falsely accusing me were projecting their own financial fears onto me! Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks (Luke 6:45). It was as though they would never want to be in my shoes. They were certain that if I not in sin, God would be blessing my endeavors (with financial success). As God would never put someone righteous in a dubious financial position. So these rebukes were a form of control to mollify their own fears.
Another key scripture misapplied to our situation was:
If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat
2 Thessalonians 3:10
Here I was, laying it all on the line for God. Working my tail off in prayer, vision casting, writing it down, organizing and managing people, doing the works of ministry, being in the word of God. All while governing the church in various capacities, serving as an elder. All voluntary and without pay. Was not any of this work? Or is work only legitimate when it pays in cash? Did Jesus collect a paycheck?
The truth is, leaving everything behind, selling everything, coming to the end of ourselves and taking up our cross and following Jesus is the greatest work of all. Was my working in obedience for God any less valid than a salaried ministry worker, teacher or pastor? Is being in the word of God and prayer (which pays nothing) no longer a legitimate work and calling?
I was heeding Jesus command to follow Him. Risking my reputation (He made himself of no reputation Philippians 2:7). Putting my family at risk. Putting my future at risk. Not running back to Egypt for provision. Not running back to Wall Street for the pay. Instead, trusting God at his word. Is there not a cause? Is He not worthy? Is not the greatest work of all the ministry work and calling of God. To be his disciples no matter the cost? This was one of those times where the following superseding truth came forth:
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?
“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
Matthew 6:25-33
So, this was becoming like the trial of Job. Job lost everything and his friends accused him of being in sin. But Job appealed to the Lord. And God restored him twice over.
One critical meeting was over lunch. After the Lord had shown me what the real problem was that was driving all of these attacks (fear and money idolatry) was not to argue for my perspective, but instead be a blessing and peaceable.
Things went as I expected at the lunch, and even though I got rebuked and an earful, I just took the blows and left in peace. Essentially, I took the position
My belief does not require you to believe
