The Chinese have recently decided that the music of Lady Gaga, Beyonce, Katy Perry and Britney Spears are too toxic for Chinese cultural safety and banned them from websites stemming from their country. Also, recently Kevin De Young, Senior Pastor at University Reformed Church in East Lansing, Michigan, gave a sobering report on the debauched lifestyle in American campuses.

“We need apologetics.  I’m 100 percent for taking every thought captive to Christ.  But for most 17-22-year-olds the most common temptations to sin are alcohol and sex.  Even when there are intellectual objections to Christianity, these are often just cover for a debauched lifestyle. “ says Kevin DeYoung on Campus decadence.

My pastor speaking more by inspiration  of the Holy Spirit than by lucid arguments would teach very plainly that a Christian does not listen to bad music, will not indulge in alcohol and will dress always moderately and decently – avoiding any inappropriate exposure.  These very simple maxims were part of what sustained the faith of millions of saints and helped in passing to the next generation a tradition of decency.  Today, many challenge the biblical authenticity of these admonitions labelling them as legalistic religion and outrightly offensive to the sensitivities of a free modern society. Well, the Chinese have now concluded they have enough junk of their own and will not expose their own culture to importation of more garbage masquerading as art, fashion or music.

I Corinthians 6[12]  All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. … [18]  Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. … [19]  What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? [20]  For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.

The Apostle Paul reminds the saints that even if they do not sin by partaking in certain liberties, these habits are potentially harmful, unprofitable and dangerously addictive. If the saint is the bride of Christ for which a precious price has been paid, is it too much to ask that this body be preserved from potential pollutions in anticipation of a wonderful glorification in the future?  Christian liberty used to mean freedom from the bondage of sin and addictions …now strangely it has been distorted to suggest freedom to partake in everything as we have a God of grace…and the blood to cleanse after.

Thoughts on decency in dressing, music and consumption are now passé … only for radical moslems and perhaps Christians in the third world with limited opportunities to binge.

I Corinthians 14 [40]  Let all things be done decently and in order….Philippians 4[5]  Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.

This does not mean we should return to the middle-ages but challenges me to consider what is decent and orderly and what is not. I thank God we must still have elders somewhere that care about fashions and will inspect wedding dresses for decency …who will not permit smoking and drinking and excess of any kind that does not glorify God.  I thank God we still have those that will not permit certain kinds of music for worship and who will caution youths to model their lives and ways after Christ. These elders will be called judgmental…no doubt.

Thank God for the Chinese for the boldness to remind us that we have a choice to decide not to be defiled or just continue unperturbed living with filth even when we know we hurt our very own bodies and minds.

Luke 16.[8] … for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light.

Originally published in The Christian Post

Isaiah 43 [2]  When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.

Recently, I was invited to give a talk on Sustainability. Sustainability is about the inspiration and innovation that creates tomorrow’s value and prosperity. In other words, meeting present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.  In our economies, it is the development and creative mix of, at least, the following four types of capital to produce a sustainable menu.

• Financial Capital – cash, investments and monetary instruments
• Manufacturing Capital – infrastructure. Machines, tools and factories
• Natural Capital – resources, living systems, ecosystems, healthcare
• Human Capital – Labour and intelligence.

All these work together. Indeed, deficiencies in or excessive focus on one ingredient ruins the meal. Emphasis on financial capital, for example, without enough intervention in human, manufacturing and natural capital is setting up for future crisis though there are temporary present gains.

Whenever I consider a topic of secular interest, I always want to remind myself that there is always the spiritual dimension which drives earthbound models.  

On the spiritual front the Prophet Isaiah declares the word of God on sustainability – presenting divine wisdom in perhaps 3 areas.

• Survival of trials – The hallmark of sustainability
• Foolishness – The enemy of sustainability
• Repentance – The assurance of sustainability.

Survival of trials: Trials are inevitable – and so on the issue of trials, Isaiah uses the word “when” and not “if”.

• Waters become suddenly deep and drowning threatens but there is a solid ground and Christ leads as seas part. When we get out of our depth, we have Christ to hold on to.  We should expect miraculous interventions  
• Rivers overflow their banks and floods cause others to perish but like Noah, we are in an ark – safe. That ark is Christ. Be convinced of your salvation in Jesus Christ as a false or faked assurance will prove worthless in the floods.
• Fires (meaning overwhelming destructive forces) rage and we are still not hurt…like the 3 Hebrew boys, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego or Daniel in the Den of Lions, again there is the saving presence of Christ.

Daniel and the 3 Hebrew boys endured and we learn from their character and lifestyle the need for;

• early piety –  youths need sound and solid teachings and wisdom from early age,
• devoutness in the closet – we need to prevail in prayer first in private before attempting public exposure,
• firm decision of character –  we should be determined not to bow to evil, and
• diligence in business – we ought to excel in our trade by diligent self application and continuous learning.

Foolishness: Naboth lost his vineyard through the schemes of Jezebel, Ahab and sons of Belial in 1Kings 21:9. But why was Naboth hanging out with sons of Belial? Foolishness is refusing consecration to Christ. It is foolish to be unequally yoked with questionable alliances as this only makes us more vulnerable

Repentance: To have the assurance of a better future, we should consider our ways, learn our lessons and stop repeating our misdeeds.  That is why Christ said:

John 5[14] Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.

Will the next recovery be sustainable?  The answer lies perhaps in the quality of our repentance.

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Bode Ososami

These are indeed the days of Elijah where, in famine, God finds His “poor widow of Zarephath” and repositions her for great wealth.

I Kings 17 [14]  For thus saith the LORD God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the LORD sendeth rain upon the earth. [15]  And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days. [16]  And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by Elijah.

Days of Recession can be days of plenty – and days of greater accountability requiring higher disciplines of stewardship. Remember, we have said in earlier posts that all worth – Net or Gross – is of God.  The steward that increased the wealth of God in his hands was commended in the Bible for two basic competences.   Working to increase net worth and giving an account of increase. He knew the exact sum of his gains.

Matthew 25[20]  And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more.

Today, if the question was asked of me, now i’m retired. What would I have wanted to do most differently in over 25yrs of my career?  The answer clearly would have been to render better stewardship of that which had been entrusted in my care.  I would have wished to have been better prepared not just in academic grounding but more in learning the disciplines and habits of managing the key assets of time, money, skill and opportunities on behalf of God, the Owner who rewards faithfulness.  In difficult times I have been often been tempted to say like the wicked steward in Matthew 25[24]  ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you scattered no seed. [25]  ‘And I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.’ [26]  But his master answered him, You wicked and lazy and idle servant! Did you indeed know that I reap where I have not sowed and gather [grain] where I have not winnowed? [27]  Then you should have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received what was my own with interest. [28]  So take the talent away from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents.
 

Sometimes I wonder if God would have judged me wicked not for adultery but for hiding away in indolence.  A Preacher said recently at a meeting that it seems the disciplines God commanded are today commonly set aside by saints seeking and presented with instant remedies. Today, perhaps less than 10 % of adult Christian population know their worth talk less of managing increase. Possibly even less ever balanced the family books. It is even more strange the lack of correlation between education and what I have defined as “Lifestyle Intelligence”.  Lifestyle Intelligence (for the purpose of this blog) is the exercise of understanding concerning how we live our lives concerning financial matters. The Bible is full of exact measurements  of weights, volumes and distances..indeed it is a book about numbers. Christians should be equallycomfortable with numbers.

I am thankful that the sudden realisation of potential limitation in the recession has brought out from inside a new lifestyle of accountability and worth management…making me perhaps a much better steward today. First, what are the lessons I would have wanted to have mastered earlier with the tools made available to me.

1.     Expenditures must be much less than earnings and a proportion (after tithes and taxes) of the excess must be hallowed and set apart to increase worth. Saving requires discipline that must be taught and imbibed early, while consumption comes naturally.

2.     Doing nothing is sure to result in decay as assets depreciate and lifestyle consumption swallows worth. Therefore be diligent…apply all the talents God has given . Remember 2 Thessalonians[10] For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat. So get busy. Moses started something at the age of 80 with nothing but a staff and an unstable assistant, Aaron…and God.

3.     Early preparation and training on disciplines to produce an intelligent lifestyle sets the ground for wealth to grow. These disciplines do not emerge by accident or default.

I have introduced in this blog a new page Lifestyle Design where you find tools to begin afresh or just sharpen the saw. The first tool, Christian Lifestyle Intelligence Test is to help review financial habits for alignment with Kingdom culture. An abridged version is shown below. 

To use the tool please reflect for a few minutes and answer all 25 questions using a scale of 1 to 5. Please ensure you double-click on the cell after the question to enter your response and scroll down to see total score after ALL questions must have been answered.  Also see the impact of a different answer on your total score.

Key

1.      No, almost never…not even remotely applicable.

2.      Only very rarely…only minimally applicable.

3.      Yes, sometimes, but not frequently…maybe somewhat applicable.

4.      Yes, quite frequently…well, almost my exact situation.

5.      Yes, happens all the time…most applicable…my situation exactly.

Interpretation of Total Christian Lifestyle Intelligence Scores

60 -100            Good, prayerfully make adjustments to be closer to the 100 mark

40-   60            You have many areas to work on, though perhaps above the average

  <40                Major adjustments required to approach the contented life

Please go to the Lifestyle Design menu item above for more detailed presentation of how to apply and further analyse your results and also download the full version of the Christian Lifestyle Design Tool.

The second tool is a simple income/expense budgeting/tracking and net worth tool you can use to manage your finances, understand your net worth and track and respond to how it changes. If you are in need of a tool to understand and apply budgeting and net worth concepts you can also download this easy to use  Basic Family-personal Financial model (also featured on the Lifestyle Design menu item). I urge you to consider these tools and if useful commit to their use except of course you are amongst the few already savvy on financial matters. Then please pray for the rest of us.
I Cor 4: [2]  Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.

Read more on Lifestyle and Debt in my new book Wealth out of Ashes, and also on how to chose your bank and investments. Also see previous posts for articles related to hope and victory in Christ in a recession.  If new to spreadsheets please begin by referring to these  Excel Tutorial  links.

Have a blessed day

Bode Ososami

Indeed we are attacked more by lies of the enemies of God than by anything else and the most prevalent relate to lifestyle issues and expenditures…we are baited by self-pleasure, peer-approval and soon ensnared by debt and eventual frustration with guilt. Perhaps the Recession will help us find paths back to the true joys of contentment and restitution concerning past waste. Reflect on the video below on Lifestyle Creep.  The music is a track “Holy Spirit – Worship”  from my CD  ”Songs in the Night”.

Philippians 2[3]  Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.

The biblical reality is that wealth that belongs to God is not meant for lifestyle but to establish His covenant.  What has a gold-plated Jacuzzi, 6 pairs of tennis shoes or a corporate wardrobe shopping spree got to do with the covenant which demands simple contentment? Nothing…this often responds to the god of our sensual appetites and thirsts well stimulated by advertising and lifestyle media marketing. What happens as our income increases beyond our normal basic needs?  Normal basic needs you will agree refers to feeding, accommodation and care for our households and wards.

First our tastes are aggressively targeted and tempted with a buffet of expenditures, and even after we pay our tithes, offerings and give to the poor and God uses us to meet the needs of others, we come to the conclusion that we can improve our lifestyle and soon become accustomed to an idle car, expensive jewellery and lavish vacations and conclude this is God’s blessing to us.  But a subtle Lifestyle Creep sets in and when God asks for His money to be released – as a covenant need emerges we see our lifestyle decline marginally.  The flesh immediately screams and we do not perceive how any family possibly can live without a vacation in Europe, expensive education in private schools, a regular replacement of wardrobe and such luxuries which we now imagine are critical to the blessed life.  We imagine that we are cursed if our new lifestyle standards should ever fall slightly and begin to seek deliverance in our disobedience.

A friend who read my book told me as we returned from the Redeemed Christian Church of God 57^th annual convention that the most insightful part of Wealth out of Ashes, for him was Chapter 8 on “Lifestyle Creep”…so I have posted an excerpt from that chapter to bless someone reading somewhere. The previous blog post also touched on this briefly. Lifestyle Creep is only another item on the menu of the exotic cocktail hosted by mammon. The world even warns it can be destructive to all – but to the child of God, it is an advanced stage of apostasy.  

Delilah asked Samson how he could be destroyed and Samson strangely provides this information.  The seducer has discovered from us that if we are increased in wealth…our prayer life declines…our appetite for the world’s menu heightens and our spiritual hair falls off without a razor…and soon we can be captured with little sips of social alcohol, adultery only with our eyes and in our hearts as TV and modern fashion convert our worship auditoriums to parlours of lust. We give testimonies of our disobedience and glory in what should be our shame. 

Christian Media, magazines, literature, and entertainment tell us living well is God’s peculiar goodness to this generation and one cannot be blamed for believing this most relaxing pill.  Soon our surpluses meant for the covenant fuel a taste for whatever new thing the world has fashioned. A better lifestyle becomes a necessity for your joy – a simple lifestyle becomes a curse…and the imperative to needlessly spend soon becomes addictive until crisis forces the realisation that you never really needed more than a few things and can live happily without most.   The lost opportunity of giving for the work of God now brings guilt.  Wake up!

Remember, Moses had lived for 40years amidst the impressive and most opulent “Haute couture/Haute cuisine /Haute decor” palaces, gardens and pools of Egypt. He had seen great supernatural miracles of deliverance, judgements and the Red Sea parting…yet he later cried to God…”Show me your Glory”.  Abraham saw a glimpse of it and knew seeking after God was worth it. 

The Glory is not captivating earthly magnificence nor is it magical/spellbinding performance. Rather it is the manifestation of God’s heavenly presence that melts people to pray, walk in unconditional divine love, hate and separate from sin and hunger for Him like never before.  It is also a presence that mends hearts, causes troubles to vanish and defends mightily.

His Glory will defend you completely in all situations and always. It defended the children of Israel through a harsh and hostile wilderness desert for decades as they travelled in the days of Moses.  Be assured, in Christ, no harm in the Recession will come to you.  In these challenging times, as you seek God afresh – expect to encounter His promised Glory. Remember His word is true. We can expect divine protection, grace, glory…and His good things…as we walk uprightly and in a contentment found only in a life surrendered to Christ Jesus in us as Lord and Saviour – our Hope of Glory.  May God help us.

Psalm 84.11  For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.

Remain Blessed.

Bode Ososami