Do You Really Believe It?

Saturday, February 06, 2010 Print Article
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Do You Really Believe It?
Alan Riley
Dr. Howard Hendricks used to tell his Seminary students that when he listened to most preachers preach, he wanted to interrupt them and say, "You know, I don't think you really believe what you are preaching." He said when they assured him they did believe it, he would then keep on goading them until finally they cried out with great passion, "Yes I do! I REALLY do believe this with all my heart!!!"

Hendricks says then he would sit back down and say, "Great. NOW tell us about it!"

Dr. Hendricks makes a great point. Sometimes we come across as not fully believing what we proclaim. Sometimes we don't "practice what we preach" as my grandmother used to say.

We say that we speak for a God Who is over all and knows all and is in all, yet we frequently don't behave as if we are Children of the King. We say that our Father owns the cattle on a thousand hills, yet somehow His church has trouble coming up with operating expenses.

As we continue to hear depressing economic news every week, many of us have bought into it. Over the past year or so, I have heard a lot of church folks talk about how the crisis on Wall Street is affecting the way people are tithing and consequently the way churches are allocating funds. I've heard several conversations where people are scared that their ministry would fall victim to the hard times we appear to be heading toward.

Something doesn't add up here, folks.

I have a question for you: Has the current economic situation changed God? Is He less able than He was a few weeks ago? No! In fact, God knew this was coming. The drop in the Dow Jones average didn't catch God off guard. And I am certain there is no in Heaven, and that God will continue to provide for us to do what He guides us to undertake!

If we really believe what we have been preaching all this time, this is not a time for the church to fold under the economic realities of the day! If God is our Source - and He is - and if God is leading us to do something, then we need to know that He will provide for it.

We need to practice what we preach!




Alan Riley is Vice President for Ministry and Media Development for 316 Networks (www.316Networks.com), Streaming Faith's sister media property. From 2006-2009 he served as Director of Web Operations and Managing Editor for Streaming Faith. An ordained Baptist Minister, Alan is a frequent contributor to the Streaming Faith Daily Devotional. He can sometimes be found blogging at www.alansblog.com or more often opining in 140 characters or less at www.Twitter.com/AlanRiley.