I was born on December 26th on a Sunday morning at 8am in Valdese, North Carolina. Recently I was able to visit this city again with my mom. I knew Valdese was founded by a group of persecuted Christians called the Waldensians:
On May 29, 1893 Southern Railway’s “Number 11” deposited a travel-weary band of 29 souls from Northern Italy who were to break ground for a settlement. They were called the Waldensians, and that settlement became the Town of Valdese. The Waldensians were both a people and a church. Joining the Reformation in 1532, they predate John Wycliffe, John Huss, Martin Luther and other Reformers. Known as a “people of the book,” they held the Bible to be sacred and the final authority in every aspect of life. (Blue Ridge National Heritage Area)
But I didn't know the full story behind the founder of this group: Peter Waldo. What a kind mercy it was for the Triune God, like He has in so many other ways in my life, to show me more about Himself and about Peter and his commitment to the God-Man, Jesus Christ. Peter was basically a kind of Martin Luther hundreds of years before Martin Luther. And I didn't know about his views on maximizing his use of money for the poor and for the glory of God. In this excellent Desiring God article, Jon Bloom writes:
In 1170, Waldo was a very wealthy, well-known merchant in the city of Lyon. He had a wife, two daughters, and lots of property. But something happened — some say he witnessed the sudden death of a friend, others say he heard a spiritual song of a traveling minstrel — and Waldo became deeply troubled over the spiritual state of his soul and desperate to know how he could be saved.
The first thing he resolved was to read the Bible. But since it only existed in the Latin Vulgate, and his Latin was poor, he hired two scholars to translate it into the vernacular so he could study it.
Next, he sought spiritual counsel from a priest, who pointed him to the rich young ruler in the Gospels and quoted Jesus: “One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me” (Luke 18:22). Jesus’s words pierced Waldo’s heart. Like the rich young ruler, Waldo suddenly realized he had been serving Mammon, not God. But unlike the rich young ruler who walked away from Jesus, Waldo repented and did exactly what Jesus said: he gave away all he had to the poor (after making adequate provision for his wife and daughters). From that point on, he determined to live in complete dependence on God for his provision.
Waldo immediately began to preach from his Bible in the streets of Lyon, especially to the poor. Many were converted, and by 1175 a sizable group of men and women had become Waldo’s disciples. They too gave away their possessions and were preaching . . . The people started calling them the “Poor of Lyons.” Later, as the group grew into a movement and spread throughout France and other parts of Europe, they became known as “The Waldensians.”
The more Waldo studied Scripture, the more troubled he became over certain doctrines, practices, and governing structures of the Catholic Church — not to mention its wealth. And he boldly spoke out against these things. But since the Church officially prohibited lay preaching, Waldo and his ragtag band drew opposition from church leaders.
I was so encouraged and confirmed by reading this! The very place of my birth was founded by a people whose heritage was immersed in fighting the love of money, seeking to give all they could away to the poor, and living for the glory of King Jesus! I took this discovery as a confirmation from God that this pursuit of mine is not odd or out of place, but in harmony with the people who founded the very place of my birth. Don't listen to the criticism! Your heart is free, Joseph! Pursue this way of life for the glory of King Jesus! Even where you were born confirms this!
Only one life, t'will soon be past!
Only what's done for Christ will last!
- C. T. Studd
Lord, I give up my own plans and purposes, all my own desires, hopes and ambitions, and I accept Thy will for my life. I give up myself, my life, my all, utterly to Thee, to be Thine forever. I hand over to Thy keeping all of my friendships; all the people whom I love are to take second place in my heart. Fill me now and seal me with Thy Spirit. Work out Thy whole will in my life at any cost, for to me to live is Christ. Amen.
Loving Lord and Heavenly Father I offer up today all that I am, all that I have, all that I do, and all that I suffer, to be yours today and Yours forever. Give me grace, Lord, to do all that I know of Your Holy will. Purify my heart, sanctify my thinking, correct my desires. Teach me, in all of today's work and trouble and joy, to respond with honest praise, simple trust, and instant obedience, that my life may be in truth a living sacrifice, by the power of Your Holy Spirit and in the name of Your Son Jesus Christ, my Master and my all. Amen.
- Elisabeth Elliot
John Piper Helped Open My Eyes To What God's Word Teaches About Money
Pastor John Piper has been a huge influence on how I view money and the pursuit of a "war-time" lifestyle for the glory of King Jesus. In his book on fasting, A Hunger For God: Desiring God Through Fasting And Prayer, he writes:
The greatest enemy of hunger for God is not poison but apple pie. It is not the banquet of the wicked that dulls our appetite for heaven, but endless nibbling at the table of the world. It is not the X-rated video, but the prime-time dribble of triviality we drink in every night. For all the ill that Satan can do, when God describes what keeps us from the banquet table of his love, it is a piece of land, a yoke of oxen, and a wife (Luke 14:18–20). The greatest adversary of love to God is not his enemies but his gifts. And the most deadly appetites are not for the poison of evil, but for the simple pleasures of earth. For when these replace an appetite for God himself, the idolatry is scarcely recognizable, and almost incurable.
His finger prints are all over these articles I've written:
Giving Up Your Ring For The Glory Of The King Who Forever Makes You Sing!
"Neither Poverty Nor Riches" And Growing In Generosity For The Glory Of King Jesus!
Use Christmas Time And Other Times To Store Up Treasure In Heaven!
May we, like Peter Waldo and John Piper, pursue our joy in God and give all we can away for the cause of Christ in the world so that God would be most glorified in us and we would be most satisfied in Him as we store up treasure in heaven for all eternity and truly know and experience the reality that it is more blessed to give than to receive!
Resources From John Piper On Money And Storing Up Treasure In Heaven
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