A portfolio of giving - Part 2

Part 1

Due diligence

As with any financial investment, due diligence is important in selecting organizations to which you want to make a donation. One must understand the group’s mission and its financial position.

Its Web site can be a useful place to examine what it has accomplished and hopes to do in the coming year. Many charities do extensive mailings and other outreach to provide this kind of information.

The best managed charities will describe their accomplishments, goals for the future, and key financials in a newsletter or report; the worst seem to bombard donors with emotional appeals that alone can be a red warning flag.

Some donors feel they are funding their own harassment when an organization floods them with mail.

Asking to receive the organization’s annual report, however, is a good idea.

Fortunately, one does not necessarily have to do a financial analysis on each nonprofit.

There are watchdog organizations with specially trained analysts who examine the charities’ filings and financial reports. Remember that “a wise man listens to advice” (Proverbs 12:15 NIV).

Just as some investors only buy stock in companies that list on the New York Stock Exchange and thus meet certain minimum standards, donors may also wish to look for certain minimum A U.S. charity should be an IRS registered 501(c)(3) organization so that you know your gifts are tax deductible. Some may also wish to check whether an evangelical ministry being considered is a member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA).

Efficiency

Financial advisors often recommend that investors keep an eye on costs—commissions, loads, and fees that can be a drag on performance with a dramatic cumulative impact over the years.

In a similar way, donors should look carefully at an organization’s overhead costs.

This is an indication of how efficiently it is using money for actual program costs, as opposed to administration and fund raising. Groups like MinistryWatch.org rate organizations on financial efficiency and other criteria.

A diversified, carefully selected portfolio of giving can result in effective and efficient giving. We can be good stewards and fulfill multiple goals with our offerings.

As many thousands of other donors make similar decisions, contributions will accumulate and grow to fund organizations that are doing the right things in the right places. As a result, these ministries will have a broadly diversified and stable source of funding.

In the “marketplace” of nonprofits, those ministries that are good stewards with their resources will be entrusted with more.

Jim Steenhagen

Tithe With Joy

"And it shall be, when thou art come in unto the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance...That thou shalt take of the first of all the fruit of the earth...and shalt go unto the place which the Lord thy God shall choose to place his name there."
(Deuteronomy 26:1-2)

Tithing. Most Christians aren't very excited about it. But they should be and they would be if they understood how to do it properly.

Scriptural tithing stirs up faith. It activates the power of God in our lives when we do it in gratitude and joy, expecting our needs to be met abundantly.

In Deuteronomy 26:8-9, God told the Israelites exactly what to say when they brought their tithes. He instructed them to acknowledge the fact that He had brought them out of the bondage of Egypt and to say:

The Lord brought us forth out of Egypt with a mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with great terribleness, and with signs, and with wonders:

And he hath brought us into this place, and hath given us this land, even a land that floweth with milk and honey.

What does that have to do with you and me? God has done the same thing for us! He's brought us out of a life of bondage and poverty into a life that flows with the abundance of God.

So when you bring your tithe to the Lord, follow the example set by the Israelites. Make it a time of rejoicing. Make it a time of realizing anew the wonderful things Jesus Christ has done for you.

Thank Him for delivering you from a land of darkness and scarcity and bringing you into His promised land of plenty. Thank Him that it is a land of mercy, a land of joy, a land of peace and a land of prosperity.

Tithe in faith, expecting the rich blessings of that land to be multiplied to you. You may soon find it to be one of the most exciting things you can do.

Deuteronomy 26

Kenneth Copeland

Pastor Zul Yskya Lumeno

Pastor Zul Yskya Lumeno was born in Ampana, Central Sulawesi on August 27, 1976. In 1996, he moved to Bandung to further his study and completed his diploma in 1999.
In 2000, he was born again and made Jesus as Lord and savior. He started his ministry as full-time intercessor at Gereja Bethel Indonesia - Sukawarna.

In 2001, he was assigned to Duri District in Riau Province. Then, he was transferred to Indramayu, West Java in 2004.
In 2007, he decided to move to Bandung, as he was preparing for his marriage. In March 2007, he started his ministry at GBI Kota Baru Parahyangan.
On September 13, 2008, he married his long-time love, Susi Susylawati. They are currently residing in Cihanjuang, Cimahi.

A Portfolio of Giving - Part 1

Lacking inspiration in planning your charitable giving? Consider turning to the Scriptures. In Matthew 25:35-40, Jesus provided us with examples that can guide us in making donations.

‘For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ ...The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me’ (NIV).

As Christians, our actions and our giving should reflect this type of merciful heart.

Some donors use this passage as a checklist of giving for different categories of relief: hunger-prevention, housing, hospitality, clothing, medical care, and prison ministry. We can directly support a number of excellent organizations that focus on relief and development.

Our home church typically supports missions with a portion of our tithes, but we can also support individual missionaries or mission organizations. The Great Commission that Jesus spoke of in Matthew 28:19-20 makes it clear that evangelism is a central part of our calling, so this should be reflected in our personal lives and also in our giving.

Diversification

Just as investors benefit from constructing a well thought out portfolio diversified across a number of assets, we may want to think of our giving in the same way.

In an investment portfolio, diversification can reduce risk. Allocating funds across different types of assets can make the portfolio more efficient—a better risk-to-reward tradeoff.

Likewise, giving to a carefully chosen selection of organizations can reduce the risk that a single charity might unexpectedly do a poor job of fulfilling its mission or, in rare cases, encounter financial irregularities.

Ecclesiastes 11:1-2 and 6 speaks about diversification.

“Cast your bread upon the waters, for after many days you will find it again. Give portions to seven, yes to eight, for you do not know what disaster may come upon the land. …Sow your seed in the morning, and at evening let not your hands be idle, for you do not know which will succeed, whether this or that, or whether both will do equally well” (NIV).

Moreover, a diversified giving portfolio can allow an individual to support a number of worthy Christian objectives, while allowing each separate organization to focus on its particular area of expertise.

For both a very inspirational and practical way of looking at giving as a long-term investment, read the book The Eternity Portfolio, by Alan Gotthardt.

The author stresses that our offerings to God are similar to our earthly investments, only with an infinitely better payoff. He suggests that two or three major commitments outside of the local church is an appropriate number for most people to stay abreast of.

“Blue Chips”

Investors often diversify their holdings between domestic and international funds. Likewise, we may wish to diversify our giving across organizations in local, national, and overseas areas.

The Great Commission refers to “all nations” (Matthew 28:19 NIV). Also, one might consider a mix of “blue-chip” institutions and small or recent “start-up” charities. With larger blue-chip nonprofits, you know you are supporting groups with long, proven track records, financial stability, and established operations.

By mixing in some smaller charities, you have the opportunity to support groups that have recognized a need which may be unmet by the larger institutions.

These smaller start-ups may also provide an opportunity for you to get personally involved in their work, such as touring their operations or volunteering time.

Smaller start-ups may be more dynamic and have faster growth. Also your gifts may be large enough to make a material difference to the group.

This has advantages and disadvantages—a group that doesn’t have a diversified support base can be hard hit by the loss of a few donors.

Part 2

Jim Steenhagen

Does the Time I Spend in Prayer Reflect Who I am in Christ?

If God didn’t hear your prayers, there really would be no reason to pray, would there?

Or, if God did hear but didn’t care, there still would be no reason to pray. Why would you bother pouring your heart out to a brick wall? Or suppose that God did hear and care, but He was utterly powerless to answer?

Thankfully, none of the above is true. The testimony of Scripture is that God not only hears your prayers, but He is incredibly interested in the details of your life.

“You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. ...Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O Lord” (Psalm 139:2, 4 NIV).

Because of your righteous standing through the shed blood of Jesus Christ, God not only hears your prayers, He delights at the sound of your voice!

Not only does God hear, but His compassion defies measure.

“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit” (Psalm 34:18 NIV).

Rather than a cold and impersonal machine, God is deeply touched by your petitions.

When you grieve, He grieves. When you rejoice, He rejoices with you. To be compassionate is to be like Him, because He is the epitome of compassion.

He hears, He cares, and, yes, He answers prayer. Just ask Moses and the Israelites who cried out to God as Pharaoh’s chariots bore down upon them (Exodus 14:10).

Or read the answer to Elijah’s prayer during the showdown with the prophets of Baal (1 Kings 18:37).

And I wonder what Rhoda would say about prayer after Peter’s miraculous deliverance from prison; of course, it was during a fervent prayer meeting at the church (Acts 12:5-14).

You get the picture: powerful and effective. That’s how the Word of God describes the prayers of righteous people.

The great prayer warrior, S.D. Gordon, once stated, “The greatest thing anyone can do for God and man is pray. It is not the only thing, but it is the chief thing. The great people of the earth today are the people who pray. I do not mean those who talk about prayer, nor those who say they believe in prayer, nor yet those who can explain about prayer; but I mean those people who take time to pray.”

The question is, how much are you missing in your Christian life simply because you’ve become discouraged or lazy in prayer?

Don’t believe Satan’s lies that God doesn’t hear you, care about you, or answer your prayers. Instead, He anxiously waits to hear from you. Spiritual transactions will be left undone unless you meet with Him.

Larry Burkett (1939-2003)

Tahun Mujizat Dan Kesembuhan Yang Kreatif

Yohanes 11:25-26, Jawab Yesus: “Akulah kebangkitan dan hidup; barangsiapa percaya kepada-Ku, ia akan hidup walaupun ia sudah mati, dan setiap orang yang hidup dan yang percaya kepada-Ku, tidak akan mati selama-lamanya. Percayakah engkau akan hal ini?”

Ketika Lazarus mati dan sudah dikubur selama 4 hari, Tuhan Yesus baru tiba di tempat itu. Pada waktu itu Marta menyambut-Nya dan berkata: “..Tuhan, sekiranya Engkau ada di sini, saudaraku pasti tidak mati. Tetapi sekarang pun aku tahu, bahwa Allah akan memberikan kepada-Mu segala sesuatu yang Engkau minta kepada-Nya.” (Yohanes 11:21-22).

Tuhan Yesus menjawabnya: “..Saudaramu akan bangkit.” (Yohanes 11:23). Marta menjawab: “..Aku tahu bahwa ia akan bangkit pada waktu orang-orang bangkit pada akhir zaman.” (Yohanes 11:24). Tetapi Tuhan Yesus menjawab: “..Akulah kebangkitan dan hidup; barangsiapa percaya kepada-Ku, ia akan hidup walaupun ia sudah mati, dan setiap orang yang hidup dan yang percaya kepada-Ku, tidak akan mati selama-lamanya. Percayakah engkau akan hal ini?” (Yohanes 11:25-26).

Memasuki tahun 2009 Tuhan memberikan pewahyuan kepada kita gereja-Nya hari-hari ini: “..Akulah kebangkitan dan hidup; barangsiapa percaya kepada-Ku, ia akan hidup walaupun ia sudah mati,” (Yohanes 11:25). Yang dimaksudkan mati yaitu mati secara fisik, mati pengharapan, mati dalam hal bisnis dan sebagainya. Mungkin Saudara tidak punya pengharapan lagi, tetapi barangsiapa yang percaya kepada Tuhan Yesus maka dia akan hidup selama-lamanya. Bagi kita yang masih hidup dan percaya kepada Tuhan Yesus, Tuhan berkata: “Engkau akan hidup selama-lamanya.” Kita tidak akan mengalami kematian itu.

Dunia berkata bahwa resesi / krisis ekonomi / keuangan global yang sebenarnya dimulai tahun 2009. Tetapi Tuhan berkata bahwa tahun 2009 justru “Tahun Mujizat dan Kesembuhan yang kreatif”. Tuhan bertanya kepada kita: “Percayakah engkau akan hal ini?” Mungkin dunia berkata bahwa mereka melihat realita yang seperti itu, tetapi Tuhan berkata: “Tahun 2009 adalah Tahun Mujizat dan Kesembuhan yang kreatif bagi mereka yang percaya kepada Tuhan Yesus.”

Saya melihat dari kamus, kata “kreatif” artinya memiliki daya cipta. Kata kerjanya “to create”: menciptakan, menimbulkan, membuat. The Creator adalah Allah sendiri. Jadi di sini ‘kreatif’ adalah sesuatu yang hanya bisa dilakukan oleh Allah, tidak bisa dilakukan oleh manusia. Dan kita melihat konteks yang kita baca tadi “orang mati dibangkitkan”. Saya ingat pada waktu tanggal 17 Agustus 2008 seorang hamba Tuhan / nabiah Cindy Jacob datang di Jakarta, dan bertemu saya di Senayan City. Pada waktu naik mimbar dia disuruh Tuhan untuk memberikan sebuah kunci kepada saya.

Saudara ingat, tanggal 4 Juni 2006 Chuck Pierce memberikan kepada saya sebuah lukisan anak kunci. Pada waktu itu Tuhan berkata melalui Chuck Pierce: “Kamu akan dipakai memegang kunci penuaian untuk bangsa ini. Penuaian akan datang melalui Healing Movement dengan cara yang baru.” Selama lebih dari 2 tahun saya melihat bagaimana hal itu terjadi, saya percaya Indonesia dibangkitkan oleh Tuhan.

Pada tanggal 17 Agustus 2008, ketika memberikan kunci tersebut kepada saya, Cindy Jacob mulai bernubuat: “Kunci ini adalah untuk menggabungkan doa, pujian, penyembahan dengan mujizat yang kreatif.” Pada waktu itu saya tangkap apa yang dimaksudkan dengan “mujizat yang kreatif.” Dia berkata: “Saya melihat seperti di Argentina terjadi ketika baja diletakkan di kepala seseorang (mungkin untuk merapatkan tulang yang retak) tiba-tiba hal itu berubah menjadi tulang. Saya melihat tidak ada bola mata, tiba-tiba ada bola mata. Saya melihat tidak ada jari, tiba-tiba ada jari. Dan saya tahu hal itu hanya bisa dilakukan oleh Allah sendiri.”

Saya tahu mujizat dan kesembuhan yang terjadi untuk tahun ini dan tahun berikutnya meningkat dimensinya. Apa yang tidak mungkin bagi manusia semuanya itu mungkin bagi Tuhan dan bagi orang yang percaya kepada-Nya. Saya percaya Saudara yang mengasihi Tuhan akan mengalami seperti yang disebutkan di dalam 1 Korintus 2:9: “Apa yang tidak pernah dilihat oleh mata, dan tidak pernah didengar oleh telinga, dan yang tidak pernah timbul di dalam hati manusia: semua yang disediakan Allah untuk mereka yang mengasihi Dia.”

Ps.Niko Njotorahardjo

Thank You, Lord

"In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."
(1 Thessalonians 5:18)

Notice that this scripture instructs us to give thanks in all things, not for all things. When tragedy or temptation strikes, we are not to thank God for them. He is not their author. He's the One who provides our way of escape from them. And that's what we're to thank Him for.

If you read the four Gospels, you'll find that Jesus never gave thanks for sickness or death. Instead, when He encountered them, His response was to overcome them by God's power. So give thanks as Jesus gave thanks--not for Satan's activities but for the victory God has given you over them.

John 11:1-48