About the business meeting…
I wanted to share a couple things that are on my mind about the business meeting 12/29/2023.
I think it is extraordinary that the church members were on the same page in increasing the budget allocation for Jered and Julie’s leadership. I liked the way we kicked Jered out of the meeting when one member objected to the 9% increase in his salary as being too little of an increase. I was honored to be a part of that perfect takeover. I didn’t voice my opinion at the time because Jered is my oldest son and I’m emotionally involved in the decision to increase his salary. As a matter of fact I think pastors should be paid the most in our society 100K or more. More than doctors and lawyers. What I would have said would be something like this…
Jered and Julie knew what they were getting themselves into when they said yes to Jesus and started this church. They probably didn’t foresee all of the difficulties and set backs but I’m not so sure that those low points would have changed their minds. Because if they saw the satanic attacks they would have also seen the Holy Spirit driven transformations of some hearts and that is a truly a beautiful thing to behold and worth enduring hardship to be a part of. They have been taking low blows from the enemy just for the privilege of shining the light of the Gospel into a few hearts. Some folks have come and gone. Some on good terms some on not so good terms. But still they kept on marching. And I know that they will continue on toward their calling and many more souls will hear the good news.
I know most of the church pretty well. And one thing I really wanted to talk about was the motivation for giving the increase in the salary. If we gave them the raise because they work hard and give to us or we felt sorry for them, we may have missed out on a significant partnership point. In other words If we just felt bad for them or if we were motivated by sympathy for all their hard work then we could be missing out on the opportunity to see the value of unity manifesting itself in that increase. Considering this was a business meeting we needed to look at the budget carefully to make sure that this decision is sustainable. Tammy and I decided years ago, after being prompted by Holy Spirit, that we would tithe off the gross of my business income. That has come with some challenges but has come with great peace and with a solid knowing that Father will supply all our needs. There is also a deep satisfaction that my toil will not be wasted and when this life is over Tammy and I will have at least that to show for it. To me voting for the increase was easy because I’m fully invested myself. How about you? Do you bring the full tithe into the storehouse also? That’s the position to be in to make a quality decision on the increase. In other words it should cost us all something. The other part of the decision is sustainability. Can we keep up that salary with cost of living adjustments in the future? You see church financial decisions based on need are not necessarily healthy decisions. Sympathy for anyone is usually misplaced and emotional and well quite frankly pathetic. But if we are passionate for Christ and bent on our own transformation we can see needs from Fathers perspective. If we really know and believe that Father will supply all our needs then we can surely stand in faith for our brothers and sisters believing that Father will provide for them as well. The first thing I need to see in any person is their transformed potential. And then I need to be so transformed myself that I can see through sympathy and into something more. That something more is wisdom provided by Holy Spirit. When we look at a problem or a person without the usual emotional pitfalls we can better be used by Holy Spirit to speak life into a situation and act in accordance with how He wants to approach a matter. Throwing more resources at a “need” could actually circumvent what Holy Spirit is doing behind the scenes. Therefore, we need to hear His voice clearly and proceed how He wants us to.
I hear some folks say “I’m an emotional person and God made me that way” well I can’t argue with that except that you might be and most likely are confusing the old man with the new creation, regenerated man. If I’m still being swayed by old behaviors and old emotions then I’m really not transformed and probably believing a lie or two. Our flesh has been crucified with Christ and therefore no longer lives but Christ lives in us and He is the hope of glory. We are not the same. But the devil will try and convince us that we are the same old person based on our failures. However, we are not to judge ourselves on our performance but rather on Jesus’s perfect performance that He has granted to us through the mercy of Almighty God. We have been bought with the highest price. Seeing ourselves as Father sees us paves the way for us to make Spirit driven decisions.
Several times in worship and prayer I have seen the word FREEDOM in a big banner over the heads of this congregation. I know that we are able to obtain more freedom and more transformation through simple agreement with the Word of God. If He says we are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus then we need to embrace that truth and believe it with all our strength and shun all of the thoughts that oppose that truth. If Father says that we are holy and blameless then we must agree with Him and holiness will spring up in our behavior automatically. We need to agree with Him on an individual basis and then we can be well equipped to make decisions in our church family. I know that this year we can grasp these concepts and truths at a new level and press into new creation identity. Transformation will come and we will see great increases in freedom, prayer, hearing Holy Spirit, restoration in relationships, less striving to live sinless, more victory over familiar destructive patterns, more health, more wealth, more substantive living, more of the kingdom of heaven manifesting all around us.
So back to the business meeting…
1. Are we bringing the full tithe into the storehouse? Malachi 3:10.
2. Are we taking thoughts captive and believing truth? Personally and corporately. 2 Corinthians 10:4-5.
3. Are we ready to sacrifice some of our comfort to be able to give? 2 Samuel 24:24.
4. Are we willing to give out of a full cup because we have settled our own minds and hearts first? Philippians 2:12.
5. Do we truly believe that we are new creations? 2 Corinthians 5:17.
6. Do we really believe on and insist on believing the truth that we are crucified with Christ and no longer live? Galatians 2:20.
7. Are we fully embracing the truth that we have been made wonderfully righteous? 2 Corinthians 5:21.
8. Do we really believe that Christ will supply all our needs? Philippians 4:19.
9. Are we embracing all the freedom that Jesus Christ has paid for us to have? John 8:36.
I was really touched by the meeting and I am grateful for the church family that Father has brought together. Let’s really strive to be on the same page together. Let’s let petty arguments fall to the ground. Let’s overlook each others faults. Let’s unite and see what Holy Spirit does next. I’m excited and full of expectation. God bless you and your family!
Keith.