Money & stewardship

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The Woz on money...

If you don't follow the Woz, you ought to. He and the late Steve Jobs were co-founders of Apple, but Steve Wozniak is the anti-Jobs. Down-to-earth and self-effacing, when Woz has something to say, it's usually worth hearing. Take for instance his views on money.

This from CNBC this past week...


The financial legacy of Governor Pence's administration...

In all the years my dear brothers Chris Atkins and Brian Bailey have worked for Governors Daniels and Pence, I've never made it up to the State House to see them. Yesterday was Brian's next to last day as State Budget Director, so he kindly allowed me to visit him and meet the men and women he's worked with. (Brian's leaving civil service to start a solo private legal practice in Bloomington.)

When I entered Brian's office, this chart was propped against a chair, so I asked its significance? Brian said something to the effect that it was his final performance review by the Governor.

Brian introduced me to a number of the men and women he worked with. I said to several of them that I have been very thankful to pay my taxes knowing the money was going to support their work at the State House. This chart tells you...


Crossway's $500 ESV and Rupert Murdoch...

For me, it's been a long love affair with Online Bible for the Mac (OLB) and I'm happy to announce that it no longer crashes under Apple's Sierra OS—if, that is, you're enrolled in Apple's beta program and running 10.12.2. (See announcement at bottom of page.)

I started using OLB back in the eighties when it was shareware, but they had no shareware fee. They didn't require money, but only that you give away several copies of the program in your first month of use. The coders said their software was the first "Bible software based on the principle of grace rather than greed."


The ESV: Crossway reverses itself...

Lane Dennis just announced his business made a "mistake" and is reversing their recent decision to leave the present text of his ESV unchanged, in perpetuity. Lane ends his statement announcing the reversal with this:

We believe deeply that the translation and publication of the Bible is a sacred trust and unspeakable privilege, and we want to do all we can to steward this calling, before God, with the reverence and care that it deserves.

The "we" is Lane speaking as Crossway's CEO.

Lane talks about his "sacred trust" and "unspeakable privilege." He says his business is zealous to "steward" this "calling" they have from God. The "God" is implied—"calling" is a slightly oblique way Christians invoke God's Name.

Lane says their Divine calling is deserving of "reverence and care." Read the statement and you'll find lots of flowery words accompanying their reversal. You'll even find the word "apology," but there's no hint of moral failure or plain ordinary sin...


What makes a good missionary...

Excellent post from Desiring God. Read it, especially if you are a pastor or missionary, or you give to missions.


The good father: money vs. motherhood...

Until late in the afternoon the day my wife gave birth to our first child, Mary Lee and I worked together. We painted houses, cleaned carpet, and were the custodians of a church. Being together twenty-four hours a day was sweet. After Heather was born, though, things changed.

A dear friend of ours had been a grad student in astronomy when she met another grad student in astronomy, and they married. Both Rita and her husband, Jimmy, had serious intellectual firepower. You’ll see the humor, then, of what Jimmy said to Rita when they got home from the hospital with their first child. Laying their little baby boy down in his crib, Jimmy turned to Rita and said, "Rita, this little tike is completely helpless. He can't do anything for himself—we'll have to do everything for him."

Jimmy had completed eighteen or so years of education, yet no one had ever taught him that newborns are helpless and need their mother.

What this meant for Mary Lee and me was... 


A father's surprising answer...

[NOTE FROM TB: A dear sister in Christ e-mailed this to my wife and me a couple days ago. We've spent years benefitting from her wisdom privately, so when we were together recently, I asked her to write up some of her wisdom so others could benefit. She declined, but a couple days later she surprised us with this gem. I hope there are more, forthcoming. We're running this piece under the pseudonym "Anonymous" because, while I am resigned to slanders on Baylyblog against the men who write here, the worst bile spewed out on Baylyblog was directed toward a dear woman we love very much. Her post was one of the best, but since it was critical of the abandonment of femininity by women today, it aroused hatred unlike any we've seen before or since. We won't allow any woman to be attacked like that again.]

When my husband and I moved to a new town in 1986, we came with the hope that we would purchase our first home. We had set our budgeted price at $55,000 and began to look at houses. We saw several we liked in the $60-65,000 range, and then I found the home I loved. It was in the neighborhood of our new friends, and it was beyond cute. The asking price was $65000. I called my father and said to him that it seemed that the homes that we would like to buy were about $10K more than we felt we could spend, and that, in fact, we had found a home that we loved for that amount. This was his cue to say that he would give us $10,000, which would have been nothing to him. In fact, I believe that his impulse to do just that must have been very strong, and that it almost certainly took a tremendous amount of self restraint to answer as he did, "Then you will need to find a cheaper house."

wax-1175873_640.jpgThis answer was in sharp contrast to the backdrop of my life.

In kindergarten, I was the only child in my class to have a new box of crayons half way through the year. The crayons were provided by the school, but I didn't like the way they looked by January. So my father found out who supplied the crayons and purchased a box, which he delivered to the kindergarten.

In high school, I remember a day that the choir was to sing, and I had a run in my stockings...


Revisiting Samaritan Ministries...

Back at the end of 2013, on the eve of Obamacare coming into effect for most Americans, we wrote some posts about Samaritan Ministries and other Christian health care cost sharing programs. (Here are the links to the series: part one, part two, part three, part four, part five, part six, part seven.) Some of us who joined now have more in-depth experience with Samaritan Ministries, and we thought it was time to give an update. 

Three different families and their experiences inform this update. My wife had a hospital delivery that ended with a C-section. The sticker price was around $30,000, but the total actually paid after negotiations was closer to $10,000. All of it was covered by other Samaritan members. The Weeks family had a normal hospital delivery whose costs, at around $17,000, were all shared through Samaritan. Their daughter, Mary, has had many medical complications since her birth, and those costs have been covered by the state of Indiana's medicaid program. In the Ummel family, Jonathan had a medical emergency that almost took his life. After a life flight from Bloomington Hospital to Riley Children's Hospital in Indianapolis, he eventually stabilized by God's grace. Shortly thereafter he had major surgery in Chicago to correct the underlying problem. The financial burden shared by the Samaritan members totaled over six figures.

As you can see, Samaritan Ministries has played a major role in our extended family over the course of the last year. Each of us is very thankful to Samaritan and the many members who have helped bear our financial burdens. So given our experience, do we recommend Samaritan Ministries? Absolutely, but we must do so with some warnings. As you will see, there is a real non-monetary cost to joining Samaritan, but there are also some compelling reasons to do so...


Reformed University Fellowship and accountability...

Under the post Campus Outreach NOT joining the rainbow..., one reader ask about the difference between the two primary campus parachurch organizations that serve the sons and daughters of the PCA, Campus Outreach and Reformed University Fellowship. A reader responded with this comment: "I believe Campus Outreach operates under the authority of a local church's Session, while Reformed University Fellowship is under the authority of the Presbytery."

In this all-important matter, Campus Outreach has it right.

Having served on Ohio Valley Presbytery's RUF committee and watched RUF through the years (including personal contact and meeting with RUF's CEO as well as son Joseph being active in RUF's chapter at Vandy), it's my observation that, despite what's on paper, RUF is not normally under the authority of presbyteries in any organic way.

RUF has the money and tells presbyteries what to do, where, when, and with whom—even down to the planting of churches and the selection of those churches' pastors when they have an RUF campus nearby. They are the donkey that wags the tail (presbytery). It's just another example of the guy that has the money getting to call the tune.

I encouraged Joseph to be involved in RUF when he went to Vandy and am grateful for the ministry they provided during his years there. Now though... 


Jason Brown's First Fruits Farm...

A couple years ago, Jason Brown left the NFL and bought a thousand-acre farm in Louisburg, North Carolina he calls First Fruits Farm. Jason says:

I’ve witnessed people with God-given talent and ability waste it away by not living a life with purpose according to the will of our Heavenly Father. This is not living at all. It is actually dying. We need to have a covenant relationship with our Creator, Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Here's a short video about what Jason did with First Fruits Farm's first fruits.


Tetzel, eat your heart out...

"As soon as a coin in the coffer rings / the soul from purgatory springs." - Johann Tetzel's pitch as he sold the indulgences that funded the Sistine Chapel.

Amazon has started a Christian book imprint called Waterfall. Publisher Mark Pereira explains Waterfall's mission to the Library Journal:

Our main focus [at Waterfall] is to publish books that entertain and inform readers with a transforming message (that includes) Christian Living through spiritual refreshment and personal growth (as well as) stories in the romance, mystery, and suspense genres.

Books with a transforming message that entertains readers. Christian Living and spiritual refreshment through mystery, suspense, and romance. 

The recent merger of Zondervan and Thomas Nelson Publishing is now called HarperCollins Christian Publishing and the same Library Journal article reports this explanation by HC Christian Publishing executive Tracy Danz of their market for Christian fiction...


Menlo Park Presbyterian Church leaves the PC(USA)...

The cost John Ortberg and Menlo Park Presbyterian Church have agreed to pay in order to be dismissed from the Presbyterian Church (USA) is around $11,000,000.

Back in 1991 when our church in Wisconsin left the PC(USA), our presbytery simply confiscated everything. They recognized our congregational vote for transfer into the PCA as legitimate, they dismissed Rosedale Presbyterian Church as a church, and then they confiscated the church building, the baptismal font made by our elder's grandfather, the cemetery, the manse, the banners our children had made for Easter... They changed the locks on the doors immediately.

We made no protest.

My final sermon was on September 15, 1991. Our  text was Hebrews 10:32-34 and the sermon title was "You ...Joyfully Accepted the Confiscation of Your Property." During the sermon...


Post on John MacArthur's money: answering objections...

Back on January 30th, we ran a post updating readers on the latest IRS Forms 990 filed by John MacArthur's non-profit companies and what they show about his annual income. Since the post, several commenters have questioned whether MacArthur really had any say over his study notes being packaged with the neutered New International Version, whether we're saying MacArthur's income is sinful; and if so, what specific sin we're accusing him of? Here are some responses to those questions and challenges:

Brothers,

I've been out of the loop for a while. I appreciate others who have responded to some of the more recent objections to this post. Now, a couple responses of my own.

First, John MacArthur himself had absolute control over whether or not to package and sell his MacArthur Study Bible notes with the neutered Bible now sold under the name New International Version. It was his decision and he alone is the man who could have stopped it. His elders board did not make the decision.  Zondervan doesn't control MacArthur's study notes. John MacArthur controls John MacArthur's study notes. This is how publishing works.

John decided he didn't want to lose out on one of the largest Bible markets in the English-speaking world, so after negotiating royalties (which unlike John Piper's royalties, remain a secret), he signed an agreement with Zondervan to sell his own study notes in the text of a Bible that everyone knows has gagged God's words for the sake of pacifying the feminists.

There's no debating these simple facts. Readers may differ concerning the reason MacArthur did this, but it's certain he made the decision to sell the neutered Bible he had previously opposed because of its unfaithfulness to the text of Scripture.

Second, the Bible commands us to exclude men from ministry who are greedy:


John MacArthur revisited...

[NOTE: This post has been edited to correct a mistake concerning chronology.]

Today, I decided to check to see what happened to John MacArthur's compensation by Grace to You and Masters College and Seminary as reported in the 2012 IRS 990s? The 2012 990s (reporting on 2011) are the next year of figures that have been made available since the last time we wrote here on Baylyblog. Again, the IRS requires MacArthur to reveal these numbers. Thus the numbers here that are not estimates are public records.

Here then are the more recent 2011 figures compared to our previous 2010 figures...


A.W. Tozer: man of prayer, introverted pastor, and Evangelical mystic...

A Review of Lyle Dorsett, A Passion for God The Spiritual Journey of A.W. Tozer (2008)

A number of us have enjoyed the books of A.W. Tozer (including, The Pursuit of God, The Knowledge of the Holy, and Worship: The Missing Jewel of the Evangelical Church), but few of us know anything about his life and pastoral ministry. Years ago, I read James Snyder’s biography of Tozer and learned a lot from it. However, this more brief biography by Dorsett was based on interviews with Tozer’s family and friends, so it gives a more intimate portrait, though that’s a complicated word to use to describe Tozer.

He was born in 1897 in the foothills of the Allegheny Mountains of Central Pennsylvania. The third of six children, Tozer’s family was poor and all the children learned the value of hard work that farm life teaches. His father modeled aloofness and insensitivity to his children. He was irreligious and his family did not attend any church, though he encouraged his children to attend school. Aiden Wilson Tozer finished the eighth grade, but that ended his formal education.

The key event in Aiden’s childhood took place when the family home burned down when he was ten years old...


Midwifery finally legal in Indiana...

Mary Lee and I are very pleased that using a midwife is now legal in the state of Indiana. Birth is no sickness and mothers should be able to labor in the comfort and security of their own home. Mary Lee gave birth to three of our five at home and those three are better-adjusted than their siblings born in the hospital. Which is to say the three born at home are girls and the two in the hospital, boys.

Mary Lee serves the women in our church as a doula. We don't try to talk anyone into using a midwife, but we support mothers who don't have a high-risk pregnancy and choose a home birth. Home births are safe, they save a scadgoogleplex of money, and they put mothers and women back at the center of childbirth.


Announcing the Tim Keller study Bible...

Publishers dream about Bibles because they are the cornerstone of publishing profits. Putting out a new Bible translation can assure a publisher's profitablity for generations, but short of a new translation, study Bibles do almost as well.

In a recent interview, Christianity Today's Global Publishing Director, Cliff Johnson, spoke of the profitability of Christianity Today's study Bibles:

Both the NIV Student Bible and the Quest Study Bible have been some of the most visible Christianity Today Bible products. Both were done with Zondervan and have produced ongoing revenue streams for quite some time now.

Tim Keller has been hitting doubles and triples with his books the past few years. Now he's going for the cycle with Christianity Today's recent announcement of the Faith and Work Bible to be marketed under the Keller/Redeemer trademark. Christianity Today CEO Harold Smith explains the Keller study Bible...


A joke circulating in the EU just now...

Recently, in Europe…

A Greek, a Cypriot, an Italian, a Frenchman, a Portuguese, a Spaniard, a Finn, an Austrian, a Dutchman, and a German regularly go out for lunch together. This they did once again several weeks ago. The bill was for 500 euros. Everyone contributed as he saw fit and here are their payments:

  • The Greek, the Portuguese, the Spaniard and the Italian paid nothing.
  • The Cypriot paid one euro.
  • The Frenchman paid five.
  • The Austrian paid 50.
  • The Finn 80.
  • The Dutchman 100.
  • And the German paid 264 euros.

This went on for quite a while. The men met for lunch, ate, and were happy. But then the cook messed things up...


John Piper steps down...

But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day. - Proverbs 4:18

On the occasion of Pastor John Piper preaching his final sermon as the senior pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church, I take this opportunity to salute the man for his financial self-discipline. We need to learn the lesson this man preaches through the way he handles his money.

First, the back story.

Some time back, David and I co-authored a post revealing the huge amounts of money Reformed men pull in through their church salaries, conferences, speakers fees, sermon and video sales, book royalties, and the salaries they pay themselves through their nonprofit businesses. We spent time on Guidestar downloading and reviewing IRS 990s filed by various nonprofit businesses including LigonierGrace to You, Masters College and SeminaryInsight for Living, and Desiring God.

The Internal Revenue Service holds to a high doctrine of original sin. They take money and conflict of interest seriously, requiring nonprofits to file Form 990 which asks a whole host of questions the government believes should inform the giving of those inclined to support these nonprofit businesses. Here are some of the questions they ask:


Bus monitors, bullies, authority, and money...

Yesterday I was reminded of just how rich Americans are. Our conception of money is like that of a Roman general returning to Rome after sacking and pillaging enemy countries. We throw it down on those less fortunate than us in an attempt to make them like us. Or maybe it's an attempt to make us like us. 

By now you've probably already read about the 67 year-old bus monitor who was being harassed by Jr-high students while they video-taped their exploits. When you're in Jr-high it's easy to make fun of people who are old and fat. It's entertaining, too--and not just for 7th graders. Millions of people around the world have been entertained by the video. However, apparently it's one of those guilty pleasures, where you watch and laugh and then say, "Shame on you!" while you hide your smile.

Somebody came up with the bright idea of trying to raise $5000 dollars to send this poor bullied woman on a world-class vacation, and now, with the amount raised in excess of...