SEVEN - Issue 41 (March/April 2015)

SEVEN PROMISE KEEPERS CANADA

MEN / GOD / LIFE

LET’S TALK MONEY IN SEARCH OF BETTER FORTUNES

WAR ON POVERTY WHO’S HELPING AND HOW YOU CAN HELP TOO

GIVING BACK TO GOD THE TRUE MEANING OF THE TITHE

MAR / APR 2015 ISSUE 41 NEWSSTAND PRICE CDN $4.95

national men’s conferences

Coming to cities across canada

“Only fear the LORD and serve him faithfully with all your heart. For consider what great things he has done for you.” — 1 samuel 12:24

Register today: promisekeepers.ca | 1.888.901.9700 2 SEVEN MARCH / APRIL 2015

CONTENTS

COLUMNS

14

6 // PK Podium The Gospel and your Wallet 33 // The Single Life Sacred Spending in the Life of the Single Guy 34 // Sports Scene Riches I Heed Not?

FEATURES 14 “YOU SEE PROGRESS, YOU SEE HOPE.” In the minds of many, the war on poverty seems like nothing more than a long string of futile battles without any hope of victory—but as Frank Stirk reports, many Canadians really are bringing about positive change at home and around the world.

22 LIVING IN BABYLON What is it we find ourselves longing after? While worldly wealth is not inherently evil, it can put wastefulness well within reach. Colin Macartney tells us why we should consider a simpler way of life.

26 MONEY MOTIVATION

22

DEPARTMENTS 8 // The Pulse Bits. Blips. Beats. Blurbs.

10 // Book Review Helpful Hints for Hero Husbands 12 // Music Reviews Heavy Metal and More…

36 // Power Play Toys. Tools. Technology.

When it comes to money, there’s no shortage of arguments that married couples may find themselves walking into—whether they intend to or not. Bill and Pam Farrel cite some helpful tips on understanding how and why spouses spend money they way they do.

30 DON’T FEED THE GREED

30

We confess with our tongues that all belongs to God, but with our wealth, we’re often a little stingier—especially when the offering basket rolls around. Regardless of your stance on tithing, Jesus encourages us to live a life of generosity—how will you respond?

MARCH / APRIL 2015 SEVEN 3

ON THE COVER

SEVEN is a Christian magazine for Canadian men that exists to help men lead more fulfilling lives and leave enduring legacies.

LETS TALK MONEY

Just in time for tax season, SEVEN is tackling matters of money. Whether it’s the battle to curb poverty, the call to simpler living, or navigating the wild waters of marital moneyhandling, we’ve got your back.

The name reflects the seven promises that form the basis of the Promise Keepers organization, which works with churches to minister to men across Canada.

1 // A promise keeper is committed to honouring Jesus Christ through worship, prayer, and obedience to God’s Word in the power of the Spirit.

2 // A promise keeper is committed to pursuing Christ-centred friendships with a few other men, connecting regularly, understanding that he needs brothers to help him keep his promises.

3 // A promise keeper is committed to practicing biblical integrity: spiritually, morally, ethically and sexually.

4 // A promise keeper is committed to strengthening families and marriages through love, honour, protection, and biblical values.

5 // A promise keeper is committed to supporting the mission of his church by honouring and praying for his pastor, and by actively giving his time and resources.

6 // A promise keeper is committed to reaching beyond racial, social, economic, generational, and denominational barriers to demonstrate that power of biblical unity.

7 // A promise keeper is committed to influencing the world by his fervent love for God while loving his neighbour, seeking justice for the poor and oppressed, and making disciples of Jesus Christ.

Publisher PROMISE KEEPERS CANADA

EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD

EDITORIAL

PROMISE KEEPERS CANADA

Editorial Director JEFF STEARNS

KIRK GILES

Questions and comments

Box 20099 RPO Brant Hills

Managing Editor ROB HORSLEY

Promise Keepers Canada

regarding editorial can be sent

Burlington, ON L7P 0A4

to rhorsley@promisekeepers.ca,

(905) 331-1830 info@promisekeepers.ca

ADVERTISING

JEFF STEARNS

or mailed to Promise Keepers

RICK VERKERK

Promise Keepers Canada

Canada at the address provided.

rick@promisekeepers.ca 1-888-901-9700

MATT BREIMER

Postmaster, please send DESIGN

address changes to:

DEVON WAGENAAR

Box 20099 RPO Brant Hills,

ROB HORSLEY

Devon J Andrew Design Inc.

Burlington, ON L7P 0A4

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ISSN 1916-8403

Promise Keepers Canada

The PK Canada logo features a maple leaf, indicating our dedication to serve the men of Canada.

An arrow breaks into the maple leaf symbolizing the impact we believe God wants to see Promise Keepers and men making in our nation. A special thank-you to all the pastors who continually encourage us to communicate God’s truth with grace and love.

4 SEVEN MARCH / APRIL 2015

Equip your men to have meaningful friendships.

Brothers A WORKSHOP FROM PROMISE KEEPERS CANADA

Learn how you can host a workshop at your church.

Visit promisekeepers.ca to get started.

MARCH / APRIL 2015 SEVEN 5

PK PODIUM

THE GOSPEL AND YOUR WALLET

ALL IS GOD’S, EVEN IN TIMES OF NEED

BY KIRK GILES

I

“

will always remember the day I put my faith in Jesus Christ to save me from my sins. Five years later, my wallet got saved too!”

This is the true story of a man who I know and respect. At first, it’s somewhat humorous, but when you stop and think about it, it’s also kind of sad.

As men, the message of the Gospel of Jesus is Good News for our souls. We love the reality of being reconciled to God, becoming His sons, and having the promise of eternal life. But the Gospel is also the story of God shaping us to become like His Son, Jesus. In order for this to happen, we are required to surrender all of ourselves to Jesus as the Lord of our life. As sons of God, we no longer live for ourselves, but for the One who died for us. We are called to set our sights on eternity rather than just the present.

For some reason, this becomes intensely personal when it comes to the subject of money. Too often, we really believe that this is our money because we worked so hard to earn it. We forget that the strength and skills to earn money were given to us by God, and we forget that God is actually the owner of everything. What you have does not belong to you—it is entrusted to you by the owner, God. How would you spend your money differently if you really believed that it belongs to God? How would you give differently if you really believed that the money you have belongs to God? How would you invest differently if you really believed that the money you have belongs to God? We recognize that there are many of you who are experiencing some financial stress right now. You may have extremely high debt levels, or may have recently lost a job. You may own a business that is experiencing a downturn or a looming disaster. In these moments, fear grips us. Jesus’ response to this fear is to call us to seek first God’s Kingdom and God will take care of you. In other words, being in financial distress is not a time to come up with your own plan—it’s a time to pursue God’s will with your finances and watch God meet your needs.

Money is a window to our souls. It reveals our priorities and our character. It reveals who we put our trust in for joy and peace. Money is also a trust from God to provide for our needs and to give us the privilege to be generous in meeting the needs of others.

As you read this edition of SEVEN I hope you will allow God to equip you to see money and handle money in a way that will see your wallet showing how the Gospel of Jesus is still shaping your life.

6 SEVEN MARCH / APRIL 2015

KIRK GILES is the president of Promise Keepers Canada.

However, his most important roles as a man are husband to Shannon and father to Carter, Joshua, Sydney and Samuel.

we’re passionate about what we do.

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beasponsor@promisekeepers.ca MARCH / APRIL 2015 SEVEN 7

THE PULSE

BITS / BLIPS / BEATS / BLURBS

BRAVE NEW WORLD, SAME GREAT SEVEN

BY ROB HORSLEY

AN INSIDER’S LOOK AT WHAT’S HAPPENING WITH YOUR FAVOURITE MAGAZINE

8 SEVEN MARCH / APRIL 2015

PROMISE KEEPERS CANADA / Well hello there, SEVEN readers; it’s been a while.

You may not realize it, but the magazine you’re holding in your hands is special.

Really special. Perhaps the most special issue of SEVEN we’ve ever done. This, the March/April 2015 edition, marks Promise Keepers Canada’s first foray into the world of self-publishing. That may not sound exciting to you, but it’s a big change for us!

For the first time in its history, we’re taking the reigns ourselves after more than six wonderful years under the thoughtful tutelage of ChristianWeek, its staff (for which SEVEN managing editor Rob Horsley got his start in publishing), and roster of capable writers, many of whom still work hard at providing the much of the content you’ve read over the past several years. We’ll miss our dear friends, but we’re greatly excited at what the future holds for SEVEN. There are probably a number of questions you’re asking yourselves right now. For instance, you might be asking “Something’s wrong—why does my SEVEN magazine look so different?”

First, you’re right—this month marks the first edition of our new design, under our brand new layout designer, Devon Wagenaar!

It’s been something Devon, as well as the rest of our SEVEN editorial team, has wanted to try out for a while, and we’re beyond excited to finally share it with you!

You might also be asking, “Is this magazine going to be different from what it has been in the past?”

Nope. Apart from the brand new design, we’re still aiming to bring you all the quality content you’ve come to love and expect from us at SEVEN. From features, to sports, to tech talk, to book and movie reviews, it’s all in here, and we’ll do our very best to keep it that way.

And lastly, you might also be saying, “Hey I found a typo! Didn’t this ‘Rob Horsley’ fellow call it quits a few months back? What’s his name doing at the top of this page?”

No, that’s not a typo. After a brief meandering from the publishing world, a move to the great city of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, and the August arrival of his beautiful baby girl Charlotte, your all-time favourite (or at least in the top three) editor is back in the saddle, and looking forward to the adventure once again.

Happy reading, guys! / RH

FLORIDA MAN ARRESTED FOR SERVING UP UNUSUAL SUPER BOWL TREATS VOLUSIA COUNTY, FL / While most football fans tend to stick to the tried and tested game time refreshments, such as chips, chicken wings, or icy cold beverages, one man from Florida decided to go the extra mile for his Super Bowl party gathering— which may have been one mile too far.

According to a report from The Daily Mirror’s online edition (UK), police arrested 30-year-old Richard Nixie two hours before the kickoff of Super Bowl XLIX for allegedly and illegally trapping and then killing five small alligators for the purpose of serving their tails up as snacks for the big game.

While some may be curious as to just what an alligator tail tastes like, the animals are legally protected in the state of Florida, as “they are considered under threat.” Nixie was charged with possession and taking the alligators without a license. He was released from county jail on a bail of $500—and never did get to watch the game.

(Mirror.co.uk)

BIRTHDAY NO-SHOW RESULTS IN THREATS OF LEGAL ACTION—AGAINST FIVE-YEAR-OLD BOY CORNWALL, UK / After failing to turn up at a friend’s birthday party, five-year-old Alex Nash from Plymouth, Cornwall in the United Kingdom received an invoice for £15.95.

Julie Lawrence, the mother of young Alex’s friend, said that Alex’s no-show at her child’s party left her “out of pocket” according to the original report from BBC News. Lawrence also claims that Mr. and Mrs. Nash “had her details” to call and cancel Alex’s planned attendance, but failed to do so.

“All details were on the party invite. They had every detail needed to contact me,” Lawrence said.

Alex’s parents had initially accepted the invitation to the party, but realized that Alex

was double-booked to spend time with his grandparents, “which he did,” says BBC. In the original report, Alex’s father Derek claimed that Ms. Lawrence plans to take the Nash family to small claims court if they continue their refusal to pay. However, she may not have a case, according to BBC legal analyst Clive Coleman.

For there to be a contract, there needs to be an intention to create legal relations,” Coleman said. “A child’s party invitation would not create legal relations with either the child ‘guest’ or its parents.

“For there to be a contract, there needs to be an intention to create legal relations.

A child’s party invitation would not create legal relations with either the child ‘guest’ or its parents.”

(BBC News)

SPA STAFF CARES FOR ABANDONED TOT KUNMING, YUNNAN, CHINA / Staff at a spa in Kunming, are calling for the grandfather of six-year-old Siyao, a girl from China’s Yunnan province, to come for ward after the young girl was abandoned by her grandfather in early 2015, The Daily Mirror reports.

According to the original article, an unnamed man checked into a spa whereat he received a hot bath and massage, but was unable to pay his bill at the time.

He then reportedly left little Siyao as a “payment deposit” and sign that he intended to return to square up his bill.

“He told the reception that would leave his granddaughter Siyao, 6, behind as proof that he intended to return, and then left,” said Mee Wang, bathhouse manager.

Despite the experience, Siyao is apparently holding up well, having made friends with the spa staff, who have looked after her sleeping accommodations, food, and even provided her with clothing and washing facilities at the bathhouse.

While several people have urged social services to step in and intervene, as of early February, the spa staff is still caring for Siyao.

(Mirror.co.uk)

MARCH / APRIL 2015 SEVEN 9

BOOK REVIEW

HELPFUL HINTS FOR HERO HUSBANDS

BY CINDY JANSSENS

7 WAYS TO BE HER HERO: THE ONE YOUR WIFE HAS BEEN WAITING FOR DOUG FIELDS (Thomas Nelson, 2014.)

MOST MEN have grown up wanting to be a superhero or dreamed of some type of greatness. And in many areas of their lives they are experiencing success— their job is going reasonably well, their latest building project in the workshop is nearing completion, their lawn looks better than their neighbour’s, and they feel that they have achieved at least a few moments of greatness—except in their marriages.

Originally titled “How Not to Suck as a Husband,” Doug Fields writes 7 Ways primarily for men. By using a number of “guy-isms,” Fields speaks directly and candidly in a way that most men learn best. He points out that as a guy, all it really takes to fall in love is a pulse. But to stay in love and make your marriage thrive you need a plan.

Fields lays out this plan in a straightforward manner that is often light-hearted and witty, outright

10 SEVEN MARCH / APRIL 2015

funny in places, but extremely helpful throughout. Fields is vulnerable about moments in his own marriage when he was less than a hero, but never in a self-demeaning way, and never talking down to male readers. He challenges men to step up to the plate and take on a servant attitude by laying out seven doable actions that will transform any marriage.

Each of the seven actions includes practical steps and multiple marriage investments that can be utilized by husbands. By the end of the book however, the reader may feel like they have been fed water from a firehouse, which may be overwhelming and possibly lead to paralysis, which may result in Fields’ advice being put back on the shelf—with no action taken at all.

However, Fields is careful to encourage men not to conquer Rome in a day, but rather to work towards one small victory at a time.

Throughout the course of the book,

Fields effectively moves from the lighter, more surface issues of improving communication, being a better listener, and finding ways to affirm your wife, to challenging the deeper issues and the pride that may accompany them. He gradually guides men to the God-ordained mission of a husband to care, cultivate, and shepherd their wife’s heart so that she will come alive as a human being and live the life she was designed to live.

Fields offers a message of forgiveness and hope to any man, no matter what the state of his marriage currently may be. Even wives, who may secretly sneak a peek at this book, will find themselves challenged with ways to encourage their husband in his quest to become the hero (again) she has been waiting for.

/ CINDY JANSSENS is the assistant to the president of Promise Keepers Canada.

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MUSIC REVIEWS

BY AARON EPP

GRACE THROUGH THE WANDERING

WE WON’T STOP

ONLY TO RISE

A ARON GILLESPIE (BEC Recordings)

ALLEN FROESE (Independent)

SWEET & LYNCH (Frontiers Music)

AARON GILLESPIE first rose to prominence as a founding member of popular metalcore six-piece Underoath.

During Gillespie’s tenure with the group, Underoath released six albums that sold a combined total of more than a million copies.

In 2011, Gillespie released Anthem Song, his first solo album. The album consisted of 11 original worship songs, with Gillespie handling almost all of the vocals and instruments himself.

When I interviewed him the following year, Gillespie told me how he sees worship as a way of life.

“It’s your everything—it’s not just a song or a time, it’s your life. Whether you’re a barista, a doctor, a lawyer, whatever you’re doing, [if you’re a Christian] you’re worshipping the Lord with your life.”

On his second solo album, Grace Through the Wandering, Gillespie mines similar territory. Released in February, the album contains 11 anthemic worship tracks that point the listener to Jesus Christ. The eclectic album concludes with a groovy take on the classic 18th century hymn, “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing.”

“God doesn’t need us to make Him relevant music,” Gillespie told me when we spoke. “He made us to glorify Him.” The songs on Grace Through the Wandering do just that.

WORSHIP LEADER, artist, minister, speaker, business executive—Toronto’s Allen Froese wears many hats.

On his second release, We Won’t Stop, Froese reminds listeners that he’s also a gifted singer and songwriter.

Released in January, We Won’t Stop consists of five radio-ready worship songs that will appeal to fans of legendary CCM artists like Steven Curtis Chapman.

The EP begins with perhaps the strongest song of the bunch, “You Are With Us.” “We will praise You through the pain, we will trust You through the trials, for You are with us,” Froese sings. “And whatever comes our way, we believe that You are faithful. You go before us.”

At the time of the EP’s release, Froese shared the stor y behind that song on his Instagram account. It was inspired in part by Jesus’ words in John 16:33: “I have said this to you, so that in me you may have peace. In the world you face persecution. But take courage; I have conquered the world!”

“I wrote this tune in the middle of the storm determined to press on and to encourage others to hold onto hope,” Froese wrote on Instagram.

“You Are With Us” and the four other songs on We Won’t Stop are sure to encourage those who listen to them.

I CRINGED when this album was delivered to my inbox. Stryper vocalist Michael Sweet and Dokken guitarist George Lynch teamed up to create the 12 songs on Only to Rise.

Their respective melodic metal bands rocked hard during their ‘80s heydays, but what could they possibly have to offer now? There’s nothing worse than old guys trying to relive their glory days.

Imagine my surprise, then, when I found myself instantly loving the album—and listening to it repeatedly.

If you’re familiar with Stryper and Dokken, you’ll have a good idea of what this album sounds like. Sweet has always had a formidable set of pipes and solid faith, and Lynch is a guitar hero in the vein of Eddie Van Halen.

Sweet described the album best while talking with Guitar World in January: “It takes you back to the late Seventies and early Eighties, and in a good way. The songs have that flair and that flavor, but at the same time they have a modern twist.”

Indeed, the duo sound invigorated throughout. Standout tracks include “Me Without You,” a poignant ballad, and “Divine,” an upbeat rocker with guitar histrionics so incendiary that you’ll wonder how your stereo didn’t catch fire.

The dream of the ‘80s is alive and well on Only to Rise, and that’s a very good thing.

/ AARON EPP is a freelance writer who lives in Winnipeg.

12 SEVEN MARCH / APRIL 2015

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FEATURE

“YOU SEE PROGRESS, YOU SEE HOPE.”

BY FRANK STIRK

14 SEVEN MARCH / APRIL 2015

SOME BATTLES IN THE WAR ON POVERTY ARE BEING WON

According to the Canadian Homelessness Research Network, as many as 200,000 Canadians will experience homelessness each year.

MARCH / APRIL 2015 SEVEN 15

“In India, you’re more likely to be struck by lightning than be convicted for running a facility where you enslave people.”

L

ife was good to Greg Cornish. His family owned a very profitable restaurant in Saskatoon. He had his own carpentry business. Then tragedy struck. His wife and their two boys died in a fire—and suddenly everything went spinning out of control.

“I hit the bottle hard. I didn’t even realize how bad and ugly it was turning until I had a stroke,” Cornish says. “It’s been six-and-a-half years, and I had a number of seizures after that. Once I had the stroke I put down the bottle. I was lucky to be alive.”

16 SEVEN MARCH / APRIL 2015

By January of last year, Cornish had recovered enough to begin working for JustReno, a department of JustWork, a non-profit social enterprise run out of Grandview Calvary Baptist Church in East Vancouver. It provides gainful employment for people like Cornish who need some help if they’re to be healthy, contributing members of society.

“I’m cornered and poverty-stricken,” he says. “They’ve been patient with me.

And encouraging too. They make me feel I belong, like I’ve got something to offer.

Now things are getting a little bit better.

Poverty can shorten your life: The Hamilton Spectator reports that a 21-year gap in life expectancy exists between Canada’s richest and poorest neighbourhoods.

in helping Cambodian authorities jail a retired army colonel who had been charged with sexually assaulting girls whose families lived and worked on his large estate. But just getting that one conviction took three years.

Another major impediment to the global poor is hunger. But even there, says Jim Cornelius, executive director of the Canadian Foodgrains Bank, “massive progress” has been made in both China and much of Southeast Asia to reduce chronic hunger. And although Africa is seeing “less progress” overall, one fairly bright spot is Ethiopia, which suffered through a deadly drought and famine in 1983 and 1984.

The Winnipeg-based bank, which delivers Canadian grain to church-based international aid agencies to distribute, also helped one ravaged community construct a new water-diversion irrigation scheme. Thirty years later, Cornelius went back to see what their help had accomplished.

>

I think I’ve got nobody else to thank but the Good Guy upstairs.”

There are many ways to fall into poverty, and maybe just as many ways to climb out of it. The good news is that like Cornish, many people globally do find their way back. But it takes giving them the help they really need—help that they cannot find for themselves.

For the millions of poor people globally, their greatest enemies are often the wealthy who routinely abuse and exploit them because they’re confident the local dispensers of so-called justice will let them get away with it.

“In India, you’re more likely to be struck by lightning than be convicted for running a facility where you enslave people,” says Mark Wollenberg, International Justice Mission Canada’s national director of church mobilization.

“In Bolivia, you’re more likely to die from slipping and falling in the shower than be convicted of sexually assaulting a child.”

Last year, though, IJM was successful

Another major impediment to the global poor is hunger.

MARCH / APRIL 2015 SEVEN 17

>

Poverty . . . is the result of alienation and inequality and the selfishness and greed in our own hearts.

It’s the outworking of broken relationships on all these different levels.

“We’re not just trying to pull people out of the river, but also we’re going upstream to see who pushes them in.”

18 SEVEN MARCH / APRIL 2015

“It was like driving into an oasis,” he says, “because with the water they’re growing a lot of high-value crops, a lot of fruit, that they’re selling in the city not far away. They’ve never needed any food assistance since.”

In fact, thanks to a range of improvements to agriculture and systems to make sure food gets to people when they need it, Cornelius says, “Ethiopia hasn’t faced another famine like that even though the population is substantially larger. It’s still got huge challenges and we’re working on those. But you see progress, you see hope.”

Yet Cornelius warns that many of these gains remain fragile at best and could easily be wiped out if countries aren’t prepared for the impact of climate change.

“All the evidence is pointing to the fact that we’re going to be seeing more extreme weather events and more extended droughts,” he says. “That could certainly jeopardize the progress that’s being made, and requires a lot of very

targeted and thoughtful interventions to help people adapt to the change that’s coming.”

A critical factor in bringing about even this limited progress has been a heightened public awareness due to campaigns such as the annual Operation Christmas Child. Run by Samaritan’s Purse, it encourages Canadian churchgoers to fill shoeboxes with small gifts, including toys and school supplies, to be given to destitute children overseas.

In 2014, Canadians donated 700,474 shoeboxes, or 35,408 more than in 2013.

Over a four-year cycle, close to half of Canada’s churches get involved in the campaign. Yet more significantly, the impact often goes far beyond—as we in the West would see it—the simple gesture of giving someone a gift.

“Most places we go, they just don’t give gifts. People don’t have the money to do that kind of thing. Culturally too, it’s not the norm,” says Randy Crosson, OCC’s Calgary-based director. “So when

we give a gift to a child who’s never had one, it blows the whole family away. Most kids start handing out the stuff in their box to their family.”

Less well-known is the fact that the gift-giving is followed up soon after by a 12-week evangelistic children’s Bible study called The Greatest Journey. Parents will often show up with their kids. And many come away with an infinitely greater gift. “In terms of the kids who received Canadian boxes in 2013, just over 74,000 made a commitment to Christ,” says Crosson. “It’s through the roof.”

But as important as it is to meet the poor at their various points of need, often an even greater need is the basic human longing for positive and lasting personal relationships.

Lighthouse Supported Living in Saskatoon offers an array of housing options and social services to the city’s poor, homeless, and mentally challenged.

But director of client services Dennis Bueckert says none of that cancels out

the need to foster relationships with those they’re trying to help.

“At the very least we are keeping people alive another night. And another day that they’re alive is another opportunity for them to engage in a course of action. If we can get them here, then hopefully we can build a relationship,” Bueckert says.

“A lot of them are street-entrenched people who are used to being ignored by everyone. So it might be several months, but eventually they begin to share that they really would like something better and different, and just don’t know how to go about it.”

Groups such as Servants to Asia’s Urban Poor take an incarnational approach to building relationships. They don’t just visit the poor in their local community and leave the same day; they actually go overseas to the huge urban slums where the marginalized live and make a home alongside theirs.

Andy and Trudy Smith recently began living and working in the Downtown Eastside with Servants Vancouver after having lived two-and-a-half years among the poor in a city in northern India. (For security reasons, they declined to name the city.)

“The approach we tried to take was empowerment by recognizing the gifts of the people we lived with. We wanted to build up the capacity of the people to transform their own community with the skills that they already have as opposed to just developing programs or something that depended on us or on foreign resources,” Andy Smith says.

“It is in some ways more difficult and adds some complexity, but there’s a totally different quality of relationship that can develop.”

After gaining their community’s trust, Andy and Trudy launched a basic literacy program. Those who went through the course are now teaching others to read and write.

“We’re not just trying to pull people out of the river, but also we’re going upstream to see who pushes them in,”

POVERTY IN CANADA > Statistics Canada 14.9 per cent of Canadians have “low income,” but there is still no official measure of poverty in Canada > Aboriginal Canadians make about 30 per cent less than the rest of Canadians, according to the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives > According to a recent UNICEF survey, 13.3 per cent of Canadian children live in poverty > Nearly 900,000 Canadians are assisted by food banks each month, according to Food Banks Canada > Debt levels are rising— the average Canadian now owes $1.63 for every dollar they earn

COMPILED FROM CBC’s George Stroumboulopolos’ October 17, 2013 “Social Issues” report

MARCH / APRIL 2015 SEVEN 19

POVERTY WORLDWIDE > The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that, out of the 7.1 billion people in the world in the world, 870 million are suffering from chronic undernourishment. Of those, 852 million live in developing countries > Poor nutrition plays a role in at least half of the 10.9 million child deaths each year > The world produces enough food to feed everyone, with world agriculture producing 17 per cent more calories per person today than 30 years ago.

The main challenge is that not everyone has the necessary income or land to purchase food or grow their own

COMPILED FROM worldhunger.org

20 SEVEN MARCH / APRIL 2015

says Servants Vancouver team leader Tom Wartenweiler. “We’re thinking about the systemic side of things and what it means to help the poor. There is a need sometimes for material and direct help but often it’s much more complex than that.”

There’s no denying that the global poor continue to suffer greatly, whether it’s due to natural disasters such as typhoons or droughts, or at the hands of other human beings. Consider this: The Global Slavery Index reported in October that it estimates 35.8 million people—roughly equal to the population of Canada—now live in slavery.

And yet it’s also true that Canadian men in greater numbers are taking on such challenges.

“I encourage people to think of ways in which they can take something that they really love doing and find a way to connect it to this work of justice and to what IJM is doing,” says Wollenberg.

“There’s some guys in Calgary who love playing squash. They did a fun tournament called Squash Injustice and raised $1,500.”

Rural men especially are also getting more heavily invested in projects to grow food for the Foodgrains Bank. “It’s a program that guys find they love,” says Cornelius.

“Here in Winnipeg there’s a retired couple that moved to the city from the farm. They do a fundraiser in their church and the money goes into a project. They go out to the planting days and the harvest. They feel connected with it, and they try and get their urban congregation to feel connected with it as well.”

Now that the word is getting out that Operation Christmas Child includes sharing the gospel—with impressive results—that’s proving to be a great incentive for men to get more involved with its year-round all-volunteer “connect teams.” Their job is to contact the people who filled a shoebox and thank them.

“Those teams are pretty dynamic groups,” Crosson says. “And especially on the logistics side we’ve got a lot of men involved.”

But Crosson would still like to see more men actually pack a shoebox, something that’s usually done by moms and kids. “One of the groups that we get the least amount of boxes for are boys that are 10 to 12,” he says. “It would be great if guys would start packing boxes with things like small tool kits. We’ve heard of kids going on to get jobs because they got a hammer.”

And Servants Vancouver’s Wartenweiler says he would like to see more men rise up against the evils of human trafficking and sexual exploitation in places like the Downtown Eastside.

“Often it’s women doing advocacy down here. But we feel there’s a big role for men too to say, ‘Look, it’s not OK to watch pornography and to engage in these kinds of things because people are being exploited. It’s a big industry we’re feeding.’ Men don’t often think of that, and it’s a huge issue.”

Trudy Smith goes further. She believes if we’re really serious about combating poverty and injustice, we need to be looking inside ourselves as well as at the world around us.

“Poverty,” she says, “is the result of alienation and inequality and the selfishness and greed in our own hearts. It’s the outworking of broken relationships on all these different levels. It’s something we actually have to be addressing with our whole lives, because the way that we make choices even about where we live or what we buy or who we spend time with is directly impacting the people who are marginalized.”

/ FRANK STIRK has more than 35 years as a print, radio and online journalist and editor, and is the former senior correspondent for ChristianWeek. He resides in the greater Vancouver area.

On a Human Journey D

arryl Wolanski [MTS 2013] had no idea what would be on the other side when God called him to pursue a Master of Theological Studies [MTS] degree after being in the private sector for over 20 years.

He knew there was something very attractive about Tyndale. “What really attracted me to Tyndale was the style of teaching and the quality of the academics,” says Darryl.

His professors had a huge impact on him. “The two years I spent at Tyndale were the richest years I’ve experienced since completing my Master of Business Administration in 1989,” he says. “The professors were highly proficient in their academic field, they worked hard to get to know the students, and they encouraged interaction in class. It was really good. I loved every class.”

At Tyndale, Darryl gained insight about the human journey. “There’s a quote by Stephen R. Covey I read in a textbook that says, ‘We are not human beings on a spiritual journey. We are spiritual beings on a human journey.’ That really resonated with me,” he says.

It’s not surprising that after graduating from Tyndale Seminary, Darryl was led back into the private sector. He is now the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) Leader at People and Change, a human capital consulting arm of PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). Human capital consulting looks at the “people side” of corporate change management. Many of the companies Darryl works with are large blue chip companies operating in the GTA and across Canada.

“As believers, how do we demonstrate what it means to be human to the rest of the world?” asks Darryl. “I really feel that Tyndale prepared me to live out the answer.”

Tel: 416.218.6757 Toll Free: 1.877.TYNDALE (896.3253)

www.tyndale.ca

Living in

Babylon “WHAT DO YOU POSSESS IF YOU POSSESS NOT GOD?” SAINT AUGUSTINE

BY COLIN MACARTNEY

22 SEVEN MARCH / APRIL 2015

FEATURE

I

felt intimidated as I drove through the ivy-laden gates of one of the most prestigious golf courses in all of Canada. I had been invited by three very successful business owners to join them in a round of golf at this lavish golf course and now, here I was, driving my beat up, rusted out, Honda Civic along a tree-lined driveway into a parking lot filled with BMWs, Benzes and other expensive vehicles that made my car blush in comparison. Yes, even my car felt embarrassed when I pulled into the parking spot right next to the icy blue Bentley. I stepped out of my car hoping no one noticed me and dashed to my trunk for my old golf bag filled with used balls and clubs bought at weekend garage sales from my neighbourhood.

As Christians we are citizens of the kingdom of God living in a world of great need and what we do with our money, resources and time matters—is a spiritual issue.

I have spent most of my life in some very tough neighbourhoods but I never experienced fear like I did that day. I felt like I didn’t belong at this course. It was way above my pay scale—plus, I’m not a very good golfer! Yet, here I was, a thorn among the roses, ready to put in a round of golf with my friends. It was on the fairway at the 16th hole when my friend asked me: “Is it wrong, as a Christian, to own a Maserati sports car?”

That’s a good question. Even though most of us reading this article lack the capacity to own a Maserati we still make day-to-day decisions concerning how we, as Christians, spend our money. This is especially magnified by the fact that Canadians are already rich by the rest of the world’s standards. As Christians we are citizens of the kingdom of God living in a world of great need and what we do with our money, resources and time matters—is a spiritual issue. Our Master told us that;

“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”

// MATTHEW 6:24

MARCH / APRIL 2015 SEVEN 23

> “. . . most of us are endlessly driven to exhaustion, sacrificing family, friends, spiritual vitality and health in pursuit of getting what our “Babylon” ceaselessly tries to sell us.”

So, how can we, as disciples of Jesus, be obedient to His command to serve God over and above our possessions and money? How can we make proper and righteous decisions on how to live God pleasing lives in this ever-pressing consumerist-driven society?

A BIBLICAL WORLD VIEW 1 GET CONCERNING CANADA Most Christians read the book of Revelation to find fascinating prophetic predictions concerning end times. But by doing this we fail to understand that the Book of Revelation is more than just a prophetic letter.

John wrote “Revelation” after being exiled to the island of Patmos by the Emperor because of his Christian faith. He knew that to get his letter to churches living in the Roman Empire he would need to use “code words” to pass inspection of the guards watching over him who would look for derogatory accusations against the Empire. The code word John used to describe the Empire was Babylon and, according to John, Babylon was a great whore (Rev 17:5) that demanded worship from her citizens (Rev 13:4).

It is safe to say that “Babylon” represents any socio–political system Christians find themselves living in. In other words, Canada is a “Babylon” and John’s ugly code name “great whore” describes how she is set up to seduce us into a certain idolatrous lifestyle. All we have to do is look around us to see how our consumerist society easily seduces us into its prescribed manner of life. So much

24 SEVEN MARCH / APRIL 2015

so that most of us are endlessly driven to exhaustion, sacrificing family, friends, spiritual vitality and health in pursuit of getting what our “Babylon” ceaselessly tries to sell us. When “Babylon” calls the shots in our life, it’s idolatry as we are serving money—not God. Make no doubt about it, Babylon is here and she can do great damage to our lives, families and faith. Therefore, it is of prime importance that we build a strong foundation of awareness concerning the seducing powers of Babylon in our lives.

JESUS IS LORD 2 UNDERSTAND OF EVERYTHING As we do battle with the intoxicating influences of Babylon we must also be aware of the Lordship of Christ. Recently, I was speaking with one of my leaders about how to disciple recovering drug addicts in his neighbourhood. Our premise on discipleship is that “Jesus is Lord” of everything including how we spend our money.

For a recovering drug addict this has deep ramifications because it means that if he buys drugs he is spending Jesus’s money on drugs! This truth impacts all of us even if we are not addicts.

Here is the truth—as Christians we acknowledge that Jesus owns every cent we have and every possession we enjoy. You don’t own a house—Jesus does. You don’t own a car—Jesus does. Those clothes you buy—they are Jesus’ clothes. Your bank account isn’t yours, it’s His. We must acknowledge and act on the fact that Jesus is lord of everything—including our wallets.

ACTION 3 TAKE NOW In Jeremiah 22 the Prophet refers to King Shallum concerning his lavish lifestyle and warns future kings against such excessiveness. In opposition of the ways of

Shallum, Jeremiah speaks of King Josiah as a model of how to deal with lifestyle choices by saying;

“Does it make you a king to have more and more cedar? Did not your father have food and drink? He did what was right and just, so all went well with him. He defended the cause of the poor and needy, and so all went well. Is that not what it means to know me?” declares the Lord.“

// JEREMIAH 22:15-16 King Josiah had a nice palace made of cedar.

He had great meals of food and drink. He had all the wonderful privileges that came with being king. But he did something about his place of privilege—“he defended the cause of the poor and needy” and this was a sign of someone who knows God. What a profound story for us today.

Most Canadians are privileged people and this place of privilege is a responsibility to use what we have to help the poor and needy.

It is not a licence to do with it all we want.

I often tell rich friends that they have a tremendous burden because they have a greater responsibility as stewards of what God has given them. The best way to handle money and resources is to do what King Josiah did— use them to defend the cause of the poor and needy. If you have money, invest it in ministries that serve the poor and needy. If you are a lawyer or doctor, volunteer some time at a legal or medical clinic that services the poor. If you are a carpenter or mechanic, use your skills in helping a single mother care for her apartment or car. There are countless ways you can give your time and money on behalf of the poor and needy for this is what it means to know God.

/ COLIN MCCARTNEY is the founder of UrbanPromise Toronto, current President and Founder of Connect Leadership Ministries, and has appeared on Canadian television, radio and national newspapers regarding urban issues.

He is the author of The Beautiful Disappointment and Red Letter Revolution.

“FOR WHERE YOUR TREASURE IS THERE YOUR HEART WILL BE ALSO.” MATTHEW 6:21

WORDS OF WISDOM

FROM JOHN WESLEY

The great revivalist, John Wesley, had a passionate heart for the poor and as a result many of them came to Christ and through their conversions they soon developed virtues that in turn created wealth.

This worried Wesley because he took Jesus’ words seriously that one cannot serve both God and money. (Matt 6:24) He believed wealth often turned people away from God. So, what was Wesley’s remedy to acquiring wealth? Here are his words from his journal;

“There is one way, and there is no other under heaven.

If those who gain all they can, and save all they can, will likewise give all they can, then the more they gain, the more they will grow in grace, and the more treasure they will lay up in heaven.”

Wesley acknowledged that wealth is not wrong. In fact he believed, as dangerous as wealth could be, that how we deal with it could be a wonderful way to grow in grace! Here are a few questions that can be used for accountability groups, personal use or with your wife and family in helping you live out obedience to Christ in today’s Babylon: 1. How is Babylon influencing you? In what ways is it shaping you more than Jesus?

2. Is Jesus Lord of all in your finances and spending? Spend time with Jesus and ask Him to reveal to you where he is not Lord in your life? Get ready to repent by action not just words.

3. Your heart goes where you spend your money—“For where your treasure is there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:21) Check your monthly spending—it’s a great indicator to where you are spiritually.

4. Finally, remember this quote from Wesley before you purchase anything —“I value all things only by the price they shall gain in eternity.” I pray it will help you make wise decisions.

MARCH / APRIL 2015 SEVEN 25

FEATURE

Money Motivation 5 FIND THE COMMON GROUND, EVEN IF YOUR SPOUSE IS NOTHING LIKE YOU

BY PAM AND BILL FARREL

26 SEVEN MARCH / APRIL 2015

WE’VE ALL MADE FINANCIAL MISTAKES THAT HAVE MADE THINGS UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THE ONE WE LOVE THE MOST

LESSONS LEARNED THE HARD WAY Once upon a time, Pam wanted to contribute more to the family budget, so she went to an entrepreneur conference. The salesman was quite convincing—and so she bought “the magic beans” on the spot—with money she and Bill didn’t have. She was sure that in no time they would grow into a beanstalk to riches. But on the ride home, God’s Spirit convicted her. Pam prayed, “Lord, help me find a way to explain this to Bill so our marriage won’t be harmed.” She walked in, hugged Bill and said, “I have something to tell you and you are not going to like it. I need you to say, ‘I love you and we will get through this together.’” Through gritted teeth Bill graciously said, “I love you and we will get through this together.”

Ten years later, Pam received a sizeable inheritance at the passing of her father. One of Bill’s friends presented him with an attractive investment opportunity. He suggested they invest a healthy portion of the inheritance money in what sounded sound like a solid decision. It wasn’t— and they lost all the money. When the bad news was delivered, Bill prayed for a way to tell Pam that wouldn’t erode their marriage and thought back. “Pam, I have something to tell you, and you are not going to like it.

I need you to say, ‘I love you and we will get through this together.’”

OPPOSITES ATTRACT Financial decisions commonly create turmoil in marriage because we are all emotionally attached to money.

Jesus himself proclaimed in Luke 12:34, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” In other words, your heart gets attached to

whatever you spend money on.

As a result, your financial plan is an expression of who you are. This would be great news if you married someone who is emotionally wired to be just like you, but that’s just not the case for most couples. Many people marry a spouse that offers something they don’t have, often out of a drive to fill in the gaps of their own lives.

When it comes to creating a budget, otherwise loving couples will wrestle over how the money ought to be handled. They often don’t understand

operate freely, you will both “buy in” enthusiastically.

DOES THIS SOUND LIKE YOU? Make a date with each other this week and dialogue over your financial motivation styles. You will probably be amazed at how you are connected to money differently than your spouse. Look for ways to appreciate each other’s style and brainstorm ways to meet both motivational needs in the family budget. In our book, The Secret Language of Successful Couples,

Your financial plan is an expression of who you are. This would be great news if you married someone who is emotionally wired to be just like you. why things are so tense because they are genuinely attracted to one another. The intensity and resistance they feel is surprising. We react this way because we fear the budget will not allow us to be ourselves. If, however, your plan provides a way for both of your motivation styles to

we encourage spouses to consider these four money motivation styles: INNER DRIVE #1: AUTHORITY: Some of you are motivated by having authority to make decisions. For you, money is power. It represents options and opportunity. As a result,

MARCH / APRIL 2015 SEVEN 27

> The danger for your marriage is the tendency to make decisions and communicate them later.

28 SEVEN MARCH / APRIL 2015

you are very active with your money.

When opportunities arise that fit your goals, you will spend the money. You are confident in your own plans and will take calculated risks to see that those plans become a reality.

You are exciting to be around because you are highly productive, visionary, focused, and fearless. You tend to be hard working and driven to succeed because you have the capacity to handle large budgets and large challenges. With spiritual depth and maturity, you can accomplish much for your marriage, family, company, community or church.

You have a hard time allowing financial opportunities to slip by, so those motivated by “authority” either have a lot of money or are completely broke!

The danger for your marriage is the tendency to make decisions and communicate them later. You believe you are right so you don’t mind moving forward while you assume others will see the wisdom of your ways. This can create resentment from your spouse who feels left out and marginalized when it happens too often.

To keep you motivated, your budget needs to provide you with some freedom to make decisions when the opportunity is right. If there is no provision for your decision-making prowess, you will find

a way to spend the money anyway and deal with the fall out later. When it is in balance, however, your spouse will admire your strength and your ability to take risks that help the family.

INNER DRIVE #2: ATTENTION: Maybe you believe money makes memories, so your finances are all about people. The heartfelt question you ask over and over is, “How will my spouse, friends, child, etc feel when I give them money or spend money on them?” As a result, you are the reason your family is connected and reminisces about the great times they have shared.

The shortcoming is you may want to appear as if you have more money than you actually possess. You love to pick up the tab, throw the lavish party, spring for fun, trips, shopping or a day of recreation. As a result, you are very generous and will give others the last crumb off the table and the shirt off your back.

Your budget will work out easier if you are given discretionary funds for the purpose of enhancing relationships. You are going to “bless” the people you love whether it is listed in the budget or not.

Resentment and frustration will arise if you have to resort to spontaneous responses to create memories. If you make room in your budget and stay within the

guidelines you create, your loved ones will value you more each year.

Your biggest struggle is probably going to be limiting the ever-pressing inner need to spend money on fun and friendships.

INNER DRIVE #3: ACCEPTANCE: For some of you, your greatest contribution to your family is peace. You don’t like unnecessary stress and long for an environment that is calm and accepting.

As a result, your goal with money is to create the simplest system possible to maintain peace. When there is plenty of money, you will find that you are very cooperative. If finances are tight, you will quickly grow stubborn because you don’t want anything to disrupt the peace in your lives. At this point, you may decide to work harder, argue or dig your heels in to find a path out of the perceived crisis.

If your family is spending less than you are making, you relax. If, however, more is being spent than is being earned, you can easily resent the spending habits of your family and conclude you are being viewed as a paycheck rather than a person.

You have a remarkable ability to simplify things when it comes to money.

You probably prefer to automate all major payments so time and energy is not expended over money matters. You also remind the rest of us that life is not all about money. You are a natural mediator who is good at problem solving financial issues when it is causing harm in relationships.

You will find your marriage is better when you commit to a savings account because it helps this motivational style relax. As long as there is money in the bank to cover contingencies, you can be at peace.

INNER DRIVE #4: ACCURACY: You love systems and are emotionally attached to the process. As a result, you approach your budget as if it is a contract that ought to be taken literally. If the budget says $50 for groceries per week, that means $50—not $55 and not $60. The budget is a

mandate you live by so you are incredibly reliable. You tend to be a saver, planner and investor (as long as the investment is prudent and safe). You spend money according to cautious, practical and wise long-range plans. You are the kind of husband who may say “I love you” with snow tires because you need them and tires will keep your loved ones safe.

Because you can become rigid about the plan, you can often miss great financial opportunities. You will strive to make sure your family is never without funding for the priorities of life, but you may find that your spouse struggles to cooperate with the budgeting plan. What feels to you like security may feel to your more spontaneous lover as shackles.

The key to create both rigid and flexible elements in your budget. The more predictable items will allow your structured approach to keep your motivated while the more flexible items will provide freedom for your spouse.

If you are married to someone who is motivated by accuracy, you will want to discuss ahead of time any foreseen changes or adaptations that might need to occur. Your spouse is precise but is also reasonable. If you give good reasons and then provide time for them to process, you will get cooperation.

/ BILL AND PAM FARRELL have been speaking on topics such as faith, family, and marriage for more than 25 years.

They are also the co-authors of several popular books, including Men Are Like Waffles, Women Are Like Spaghetti, Red-Hot Monogamy, and others. They have three children and live in La Mesa, California.

FOR MORE INFORMATION on money and marriage see The First Five Years by Bill and Pam Farrel, or The Secret Language of Successful Couples (formerly entitled, The Marriage Code) Visit www.Love-wise.com.

BRAINSTORM SOLUTIONS By creating a budget that makes room for the way both of you are motivated, you will experience less arguments and more appreciation. For example, Pam is motivated by attention and is adept at making memories with family and friends. I love this about her as long as it not too spontaneous.

When we added “memory making” to our budget, it gave her freedom to operate and took away the fear that it would be out of control. Bill is motivated by acceptance and is much better than I am at creating a budget that keeps peace in our home. When I agree to coordinate my spending with the plan to keep monthly bills paid on time, the environment of our home is much sweeter.

No money motivation style is better than another because it takes all of them to build a family.

The key is to harness the power of your money by treating your spouse’s motivation with respect, honor, love and a desire to create a spirit of unity by valuing the way God wired your mate.

MARCH / APRIL 2015 SEVEN 29

DON’T FEED THE GREED

BY PHIL WAGLER

C

harles Vance Millar was a Canadian lawyer, businessman, bachelor, student of human nature, and practical joker. One of his twisted joys was dropping a dollar on the sidewalk, hiding, and watching people’s reactions at the discovery.

However, Millar’s life is most fascinating because of his will that became fodder for gossip years after his death. On October 31, 1926, Millar succumbed to a heart attack. His will furthered his test of humanity’s ceaseless war between greed and principle.

He left three equal and valuable shares in the Ontario Jockey Club to two men who were vocal opponents of horse-racing and one shady character who would never have been allowed into the prestigious club.

He left church ministers shares in the Kenilworth Jockey Club, plunging them into a moral dilemma that was the talk of the town. All the agonizing was over nothing; the shares were worth a half cent each!

He bequeathed $700,000 of O’Keefe Brewing Company shares to seven Protestant ministers who were voices of temperance and prohibition with

30 SEVEN MARCH / APRIL 2015

the stipulation that the only way they could receive the money was to participate in the management of the company and draw dividends. This joke got even better because O’Keefe was a Catholic-run business and Millar didn’t even own the shares!

To three lawyers who despised each other Millar left equal partnership in his Jamaican vacation home.

We cannot escape the glorious reality that God is an incredible Giver.

And, the best of all, Millar kickstarted what became known as the “Great Stork Derby,” a contest promising the bulk of his inheritance to the Toronto woman who gave birth to the most live children in the 10 years following his death.

Of course, Millar didn’t know that the Roaring Twenties of prosperity would be followed within three years of his death by the Great Depression.

As times got hard for the many

struggling families, the Derby became more than fun and games. Distant relatives came out of the woodwork to challenge Millar’s will, but he had set it up masterfully and it stood while many families feverishly wooed and waddled toward the prize.

By October 31, 1936 four women were tied with nine properly registered live births. Annie Smith, Kathleen Nagle, Isabel Maclean, & Lucy Timleck received $125,000 each at a time when the average weekly income was $12.50. It also made Charles Vance Millar, the bachelor, a pseudo-patriarch of 36 offspring, not to mention all the other kids born as a result of their parent’s determination to make love count.

Now, this historical anecdote is frankly more than a little peculiar.

But don’t dismiss his quirkiness too flippantly. Millar’s playful will is actually confessional. His legal document began this way: “This Will is necessarily uncommon and capricious because I have no dependents or near relations and no duty rests upon me to leave any property at my death and what I do leave is proof of my folly in gathering

FEATURE

THE SPIRIT OF GENEROSITY GLORIFIES GOD THE GIVER

MARCH / APRIL 2015 SEVEN 31

We were made, I know, for greater joy than this.

and retaining more than I required in my lifetime.”

Who calls themselves a fool in their will?

We were created to live our lives for the glory of God. God gives His Holy Spirit that we will what He wills, love as He loves, and be holy as He is holy. The Spirit of God awakens us so we need never write a will to undo

the ability to share. To give, to “tithe” (i.e. give God the first tenth of his blessings), or to make “offerings” is freed from any law. In fact, many Christians get sidetracked by foolish and unprofitable debates over how much God deserves. Silly human, it’s all His! A tithe is just the beginning!

He has lavished your sinful, broken, pitiful life with grace upon grace and

You begin seeing your gifts as an opportunity to gain in order to share. in death the folly of wasted years. If Jesus is Lord, then He must be Lord of all connected to life—including our gathering, saving and giving.

We cannot escape the glorious reality that God is an incredible Giver.

In fact, because God is love He cannot be anything other, for love cannot help but give. If the Spirit of God is in you, if Jesus Christ has become the leader of your life, then you are the most wonderful of beings: fully alive never to perish, abundant life grows in you bubbling up like a fresh stream, and you will begin to share in God’s nature to share.

The joy of discipleship undoes the folly of simply gathering. The tendency to retain, clutch and grab is transformed into glad stewardship in the light of the selfless giving of God. You begin seeing your gifts as an opportunity to gain in order to share.

Saving is an opportunity to increase

32 SEVEN MARCH / APRIL 2015

this is the starting place of knowing the fullness of what Jesus meant when He said, “Freely you have received, freely give.” (Matthew 10:8) This life of giving, in view of God’s nature, was picked up by the apostle Paul. At his tearful parting with the Ephesian church leaders he invites them to examine and model the way he lived. They are not to be those who covet and hoard. They were to employ their gifts to gain and save and not be a burden to others. This stewardship of life is rooted in what is one of the clearest windows into Paul’s theology and discipleship practice: “In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus Himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

(Acts 20:35) It is more blessed to give than to receive. What a rebellious, counter-

cultural statement! It is often quoted pithily, but do we live this way?

Do we not more often, following our human nature—which shrewd Charles Vance Millar played upon— live as if the opposite were true? We like the idea that it is more blessed to give than to receive, but far too often we live as if Jesus misspoke and really meant it is more blessed to receive than give. We have a ways to go in keeping in step with the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:13-26). A new surrender of our hearts is needed every day when we are bombarded with frustratingly hummable messages that stroke the gathering fool within. Goodness, a plethora of Christmas advertising just a few months ago urged us toward giving on the promise that the giver will get something too. This is just Scrooge with a smile.

To release what we have gathered to the glory of God is to reflect the nature of God and a sign we actually know him. If I do not hold all I have with open hands, then I forget that the scriptures unmercifully nail greed as idolatry (Colossians 3:5). So, gathering away and stingy in our giving, we find ourselves simultaneously idolaters and Charles Millarian fools who risk a sad lament: “I have been a fool in gathering and retaining more than I required in my lifetime.” We were made, I know, for greater joy than this.

/ PHIL WAGLER and his family find great joy in discovering a life of generosity in the here and now. They live in Surrey, BC.

THE SINGLE LIFE

SACRED SPENDING IN THE LIFE OF THE SINGLE GUY

WHAT DO YOU DO WITH YOUR EXTRA MONEY?

BY PAUL H. BOGE

H

ow we spend our money says a lot about what believe.

It’s also been said that singles have more money than their married counterparts. While that may not always be the case, it can be that after the mortgage/rent has been paid, the groceries are purchased, and the car repairs completed, that singles have money left over at the end of the month.

So what should it be spent on?

The list can be endless. Entertainment, vacations, saving—or maybe helping someone in need.

Money, like time, is a resource.

And what we spend our money on is an indication of what is going on in our hearts. It reveals our attitude to God and to our culture. It’s a culture that is increasingly being characterized by discontentment—one that never seems to have enough. And that mentality can creep into us. Always wanting more. Always (apparently) needing more.

But God gives us insight into what brings peace. Hebrews 13:5 says: Let your character be free from the love of money and be content with what you have, for He Himself said: I will never leave you nor forsake you.

Are we content in Jesus alone? Is He really my all in all? Or are we just paying lip service? A simple test is to ask ourselves, what really thrills me most? As we look through the Bible we find contented people all coming to the same conclusion. Whether

they were rich like Solomon, or in a jail cell like the Apostle Paul, contentment came from really knowing God. It is when our hearts are filled with God, that we have a proper perspective to be able to use money for what it was designed for—a tool for building God’s kingdom and blessing others.

The attitude with which we give is more important that the amount we give. God sees our heart. The closer we hang onto money, the closer it holds onto us.

Still, singles can find themselves in difficult financial situations. Market reversals, economic challenges, and responsibilities to care for others can be demanding on time and money leaving a person with too much month left at the end of the paycheque.

God has his reasons for everything. And while many good things come from affluence, Jesus also said that good things come from faithfulness in few things.

Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse… and test Me now in this…if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows. Then I will rebuke the devourer…

(Malachi 3:10-11) Our faith in God provides us with the resources we need to carry out His will. Our identity is in Him alone. The

challenge is that we live in a culture where identity is often measured by success. Our house is not as big, our car is not as fast, our clothes are not as hip, our bank account is not as fat, and somehow we get tricked into thinking that we must achieve these things to have a meaningful life. And it affects how we give, it reduces our prayer life, and it can result in discontentment. Instead, we should ask ourselves if what we spend our money on has eternal significance.

So as we keep our eyes on the cross and the resurrection, we will find our true joy in Him. Whether he blesses us with lots of money or not, our hearts will be released to allow God to use the money He has placed in our hands to spread His goodness to those around us.

/ PAUL H. BOGE is the author of Father to the Fatherless: The Charles Mulli Story and is an engineer who works in project management. He’s single and lives in Winnipeg.

MARCH / APRIL 2015 SEVEN 33

SPORTS SCENE

RICHES I HEED NOT?

SQUARING A PRO-PLAYER’S SALARY WITH HIS CHRISTIAN FAITH

BY SCOTT TAYLOR

IN MATTHEW 19:23 AND 24, THE DISCIPLES WERE, AT FIRST, TAKEN ABACK. And Jesus said to His disciples, “Truly I say to you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” Jesus, of course, assured his followers that having given up everything to follow him, they would sit next to God, but for the rest of us, this is a difficult passage. It’s perhaps especially difficult for major league Christian professional athletes, with many of whom signing long-term contracts for hundreds of millions of American dollars.

The New Testament is riddled with references like those of 1 Timothy 6:10: The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains.

Perhaps the most controversial contract negotiation for a Christian athlete was the 2011 battle between Albert Pujols and his team at the time, the St. Louis Cardinals.

34 SEVEN MARCH / APRIL 2015

Pujols and his wife, Deidre, were and are still very public evangelical Christians. Their charity, the Pujols Family Foundation, as listed as “a faith-based nonprofit organization.”

While in St. Louis, they always participated in Christian events around the city.

However, when his previous contract expired in St. Louis, Pujols was offered a 10-year, $200 million deal by the Cardinals. He eventually turned it down and accepted a 10-year $240 million deal from the Los Angeles Angels. When he left St. Louis, described as just “another typical mega-wealthy superstar athlete,” many of his Christian baseball fans considered him a traitor. Some even claimed he was a hypocrite. How could holding out for the largest contract in the history of baseball (at the time) square with Albert’s Christian testimony?

According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, “The Rev. Darrin Patrick, pastor of The Journey, a church in St. Louis that is a meeting place for many highly-paid professional athletes, said Jesus warned against greed. ‘Nobody

really confesses to that sin,’ Patrick said. ‘Lust, anxiety—sure. But very few people say, I’m greedy, and I absolutely think that Brother Albert should be on guard for that.’

“However, what you do with your money is definitely a factor,” Patrick added. “Pujols has a track record of generosity that is without question.

God does use money to help people, and I see God doing that with Pujols.”

While charity is no doubt a good thing, Josh Reynolds of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes isn’t sure that will always wash.

Albert Pujols, first baseman and designated hitter for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. In 2011, Pujols became the subject of some controversy after turning down a 10-year, $200 million contract offer from the St. Louis Cardinals, his club for more than a decade prior, and instead signing with the Angels for $240 million over the same amount of years.

Photo Courtesy of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

“There is no question that money— and I mean big money—has become a major part of the sports world,” Reynolds wrote. “It has become one of the primary lures for young athletes all across the world and they are biting.

So as Christians, how do we view the topic of money in sports?

“Certainly, the Scriptures do not treat money in itself as an evil or sinful thing. The key for every professional athlete is to determine which ‘master’ he serves. In Matthew 6:24, Jesus explains it very clearly saying, ‘No one can serve two masters. Either he will

hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.’ The question is not how much money you make, rather who or what you are serving.

“An important verse that I turn to when I begin to see greed, envy, and the love of money in my own life comes from Proverbs 11:4. It says, ‘Wealth is worthless in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death.’ The only riches that will matter will be the imputed righteousness of Christ. Money can be a shiny,

pleasurable, and appealing lure to bite, but as we read in Hebrews 1:3, Jesus Christ is the ‘radiance of God’s glory.”

Nothing is more beautiful or worthy than Him.” As Christian sports fans, we can only hope that our athletic heroes actually understand what they are reading when they read and recite God’s word.

/ SCOTT TAYLOR is a Winnipeg-based sportswriter and broadcaster.

MARCH / APRIL 2015 SEVEN 35

TOYS / TOOLS / TECHNOLOGY

FOR WHEN MONEY IS NO OBJECT...

BY SANDY MCMURRAY

AMPSTRIP

// ampstrip.com The AmpStrip by FitLinxx is a heart rate monitor that takes “wearable technology” to a new level of portability. Most heath monitors are not meant to be worn all the time because they’re too heavy, or bulky, or uncomfortable. The AmpStrip is a thin, sensor-filled waterproof strip about the size of a Band-Aid. It attaches to your torso and monitors your heart all day, every day to provide feedback about your athletic performance and recovery. You just stick it on and go.

AmpStrip is waterproof, so you can swim and shower with it. You can access the data using your smartphone (iOS and Android). No phone nearby? No problem.

AmpStrip stores your data until the next time you’re near your device.

HUSH EAR PLUGS

// https://hush.technology Here’s a smart idea: ear plugs that keep out external noise but allow you to hear alarms and important notifications from your phone.

Hush Ear Plugs isolate you from the surrounding environment, so you can sleep without interruption, at home or on the road. Hush connects to your smartphone and transmits any sounds you want to hear, so you won’t miss any urgent texts, phone calls, or alarms.

When it’s time to get up, Hush notifies you alone, in your ear, so you won’t wake anyone else. With the Hush app, you control which alerts get through while you’re asleep.

MARCO POLO APP

// findmarcopolo.com If you have ever lost or misplaced your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch somewhere nearby but can’t quite remember where, this app is for you. Marco Polo helps you to find your device quickly with just your voice. Just shout out loud “Marco!” and your lost phone will reply “Polo!” from its hiding place.

When you get bored playing Marco Polo, you can change the settings to shout, “Where are you?” or “Knock, knock!” You can customize the replies too, with more than 30 voices to choose from.

Marco? Polo! Hey, I found it!

36 SEVEN MARCH / APRIL 2015

POWER PLAY LUNA SMART BED

// lunasleep.com Luna is a mattress cover and bed warmer with some clever technology inside.

Between the polyester cover and the soft padding there’s a layer of built-in sensors to monitor your sleep phases, heart rate, and breathing rate. Luna tracks the quality of your sleep, sensing when you shift from deep sleep and when you’re ready to wake up. The built-in “smart alarm” can use this sensor data to rouse you at the best possible time, so you’re full of energy instead of groggy.

Luna has two zones for heat, so each side of the bed gets its own temperature control. You can control Luna from anywhere using a smart phone or tablet, so you can warm up the bed remotely and have it toasty warm when you arrive home.

TEGU BUILDING SETS

// tegu.com Tegu makes award-winning sets of wooden building blocks. These heirloom quality toys come with magnets inside that help the wooden blocks to stay together as you stack them.

The latest collection from Tegu includes the Circuit Racer (“the electric car of tomorrow!”) and the Magnetron Solar Station (an assortment of solar panels, charging plug, robot parts, and multipurpose wheels). Each Tegu building set comes with all the pieces needed to assemble one or more specific toys. Building with these blocks is like building with Lego—you don’t have to stick to the plans, and the pieces can be rearranged any way you like to make different things.

Each kit runs on a totally renewable, endless power supply: your imagination.

TAO WORKOUT CHAIR

// taochair.com Obesity is a big problem, especially for North Americans who live a sedentary lifestyle. Eating right and exercising are definitely part of the solution, but who has time to work out? When you get home from work, you just want to sit down and relax.

The new Tao Chair promises to address this problem by combining relaxation with exercise. Plunk yourself down in this handsome “workout chair” and enjoy a variety of exercises built around the armrests. Built-in sensors will measure the success of your workout, telling you how many calories you’ve burned since you sat down. Before you know it, you’ll be fit as a fiddle (or a cello, or a double bass).

/ SANDY MCMURRAY writes about games, toys, and gadgets at funspot.ca.

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