Entrusted Ministries

The Indispensable Man

2012-02-28T19:39:00.002-05:00

While searching through some old notes, I discovered the following poem. I belive I first saw it in some John Maxwell materials. I do not know who the orginal writer was but he/she had great insight. I plan to make a copy and put it up in my office as a constant reminder of how much I need others to be at my best.

The Indispensable Man

Sometimes when you are feeling important;
Sometime when your ego's in bloom;
Sometime when you take it for granted,
You're ithe best qualified in the room.

Sometime whn you feel that your going
Would be an unfillable hole,
Just follow this simple instruction,
And see how it humbles your soul.

Take a bucket and fill it with water,
Put your hand in it up to the wrist;
Pull it out and the hole that's remaining
Is a measure of how you'll be missed.

You may splash all you please when you enter,
You can stir up the water galore;
But stop and you'll find in a minute
That it looks quite the same as before.

The moral in this quaint example
Is to do just the best that you can.
Be proud of yourself, abut remember
There's no indispensable Man.
(Author Unknowm)

Pray For Your Pastor

2012-02-20T10:33:00.002-05:00

In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul requested prayer for himself. In Ephesians 6:19, he wrote, “and pray on my behalf.” As the Apostle Paul realized his need for prayer, your present pastor realizes his need for continual prayer on his behalf by the people he serves. Here are five things you can pray for him daily.

1. Pray for the correct words to say.
“that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth” (Eph.6:19b)

2. Pray that he may speak with boldness.
“that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak” (Eph.6:20b)

3. Pray for his personal life. (family, finances, study habits, etc.)

4. Pray for his purity.(thoughts, attitudes, motives, etc.)

5. Pray for his power. (prayer life, filling of the Holy Spirit,submission
to he Master’s call, etc.)

Is Church Still Relevant?

2012-02-15T23:40:00.001-05:00

Someone once wrote to their local newspaper explaining why he believed church attendance was a waste of time. He wrote, “I’ve gone for thirty years now and in that time I have heard something like 3,000 sermons. But for the life of me, I can’t remember a single one of them. So I think I’m wasting my time by listening and the pastors are wasting theirs by preaching.” Another person responded to this statement with these words, “I’ve been married for thirty years now. In that time my wife has cooked over 32,000 meals. But for the life of me, I can’t recall the entire menu for a single one of those meals. But I do know this: they all nourished me and gave me the strength I needed to do my work. If my wife had not given me those meals, I would be physically dead today. Likewise, if I hadn’t gone to church for nourishment, I would be spiritually dead today!”

Maybe the writer of Hebrews had something like this in mind when he wrote, “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more, as you see the day drawing near.” (Hebrews 10:23-25 NASB) The phrase ‘not forsaking our own assembling together’ couched in the middle of this passage clearly indicates that God expects us to share with other believers in the context of worship. The words around the phrase indicate that we need this fellowship for four reasons: (1) to reinforce our faith, (2) to stimulate our love for each other, (3) to motivate us to do good deeds, and (4) to encourage one another.

Churches need to periodically evaluate their ministry and ask the question, “Are we meeting these four needs?” God requires it and those who come to worship each week have every right to expect it. T he reward for having such a ministry will be the enthusiasm displayed by the members.

Thoughts on Valentine's Day

2012-02-06T17:55:00.002-05:00

Each year on February 14 we observe Valentine’s Day. It is a time to celebrate romantic love. It is a time for quiet dinners, flowers, special gifts and intimate moments. Greeks had a word for this kind of love. They called it “Eros”. Unfortunately, many men only understand a portion of the word. They have the physical aspects figured out but the tender, sentimental aspects do not always register strongly on their fun meter. This is not because they are hard hearted but because they are wired differently. They need to learn to appropriate the full meaning of the word.

I learned this lesson early in my marriage. On our first Valentine’s Day as husband and wife, I picked up my wife at work. On the way home, I stopped at a drug store. While she waited in the car, I went into the store, bought a box of candy, came back to the car and handed it to her with the words, Happy Valentine’s Day. Needless to say, things were quiet at dinner that evening but not for the right reasons.

The Greeks had another word for love. It was called “Agape”. It is entirely different from romantic love. While romantic love generally comes with conditions, agape love has none. It is unconditional love. It is given without the attachments. It doesn’t say I love you because or I will love you if. It simply says I love you. This is the love that God has for us. It is the love that we find in the much used verse, John 3:16. It reads, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” We can’t change His love for us but we must openly receive it if we are to appropriate its full benefits in our lives.

This is not an either/or proposition. There is a place for romantic love. It has been said that a marriage without it is like a soft drink without any fizz. However, it will come and go because it is based on our feelings. On the other hand, God’s love is based on His decision to love us. His Word tells us that we are to love each other as He has loved us. It is important that we understand this because it is this type of love that gets us through the rough spots in our relationships.

I am grateful that my wife understands the concept of agape. Despite my youthful ignorance of the finer points of romance, she has loved me for forty-four years, not because she has always felt like it, certainly not because I have deserved it, but because she decided in the beginning that she would love me in spite of my mistakes. As much as her love has blessed my life, it can not compare to the love that my God has for me. I am eternally grateful for both.

Qualities That Make a True Friend

2012-01-26T22:47:00.001-05:00

Two men were on a hunting expedition. One morning as they were breaking camp, they saw a Grizzly bear in the distance. Standing erect, the bear seemed to be nine feet tall. The bear caught the smell of the men and began to charge their camp. One of the men was franticly attempting to put on his tennis shoes. His friend looked at him and said, “What are you doing? You can not out run a bear.” The friend replied, “I don’t have to out run the bear. I just have to out run you.”

This is hardly the type of friend that anyone would choose. Instead, most people would like a friend that would reflect the following words: “Oh, the comfort, the inexpressible comfort of feeling safe with a person, having neither to weigh thoughts, nor measure words, but to pour them all out just as they are, chaff and grain together knowing that a faithful hand will take and sift them, keep what is worth keeping, and then, with the breath of kindness blow the rest away.” (George Eliot, quoted in Today in the Word, July, 1989, p. 28) This kind of friendship does not happen automatically. It must be cultivated. Here are some characteristics that we can develop that will help us to build lasting, strong friendships.

One, we must understand the need for commitment in any relationship. Fair weather relationships do not hold up to the test of time. Storms will come to all relationships and they will not stand without commitment. Two, we must learn to be considerate in our dealing with people. We can not expect them to respect our feelings, if we do not respect theirs. We should never presume upon the friendship or take advantage of their like for us. Three, we need to learn the importance of confidentiality. We all need someone to which we can talk about our real feelings. We are not going to talk to someone who can not keep a confidence, nor should we expect someone to talk to us, if we have not proven to be reliable in this area. Four, we need to be constructive in any criticism that we give. A true friend will bring to the attention of his/her friend a blind spot that the friend may not see. It will always be done to buildup and to help. It will always be done in private and never in public. Five, we need to be consistent. It should not be predicated on how we feel at any given time. It should be built upon our commitment to the individual.

While acquaintances are a dime a dozen, true friendship is costly. It requires effort on our part. We must be willing to pay the cost of being a friend, if we are to expect to have a friend who will always be there. Yes, lasting friendship is costly, but it is worth the cost

God’s Measure of Success

2012-01-26T10:13:00.000-05:00

John Maxwell devoted an entire book to the initial failures of extremely successful people. In his book, Failing Forward, he wrote, “When it comes right down to it, I know of only one factor that separates those who consistently shine from those who don’t. The difference between average people and achieving people is their perception of and response to failure. Nothing else has the same kind of impact on people’s ability to achieve and to accomplish whatever their minds and hearts desire.”

While people understand the struggle for success in the temporal world, they don’t think about being successful spiritually. This is why so many people reach a high level of success in their field of expertise and still have an empty feeling inside that they can’t seem to satisfy. We see this in business executives, high paid athletes, movie stars, and other worldly endeavors. The reality is that temporal success plus spiritual failure does not add up to happiness.

If spiritual success is important, it would be to our benefit to understand how to measure it. I believe that there are four signs of spiritual success found in the first psalm. First, a successful spiritual life is one that has found and maintained moral stability (v. 1). Second, it is a life that is spiritually oriented and that takes delight in spiritual things (v, 2). Third, it is a life that bears good fruit. (v.3). Fourth, it is a life that has no doubt about its eternal security (v. 6)

Like temporal success, our spiritual success doesn’t come easy. We stumble and fall. With each failure, there is one lesson to be learned. It is that we can't succeed on our own. We need the daily guidance of God’s Spirit in our lives. He is the one who shines light on our failures but He is also the one who will extend a hand to lift us up. If we choose not to yield to His leadership, we will continue to fail and spiritual success will elude us throughout our lives.

If these words seem to be more discouraging than encouraging because you know that you have not been successful in your spiritual walk, reach out and take His hand. It is always extended toward you. Let Him lift you up and dust you off. He will lead you to success if you will follow His guidance. Do not dwell on past failures but remember, “It is not how hard you get knocked down but how fast you get up that really matters.”

Reciprocal Commands

2012-01-12T16:35:00.000-05:00

When a church is being lead by the Holy Spirit, the following characteristics will be found in the fellowship of the body. When these characteristics are present in the body, it becomes a beacon to those who live day to day in a dog-eat-dog world.

Love one another (Jn. 13:34, 35).
Forgive one another (Eph. 4:31, 32).
Tolerate one another (Eph. 4:1-3).
Care for one another (I Cor.12:24, 25).
Accept one another (Rom.15:7).
Be subject to one another (Eph. 5:21).
Build up one another (Rom. 14:19).
Exhort one another (Heb. 3:13).
Teach one another (Col. 3:16).
Admonish one another (Col. 3:16).
Confess sins to one another Jm.:5:16)
Do not judge one another. (Rom.14:12, 13a).
Do not speak evil of one another. (James 3:1).
Do not lie to one another (Col. 3:9).
Do not bite and devour one another. (Gal.5:15).

Prayer Guide for Personal Revival

2012-01-06T19:55:00.003-05:00

This is a prayer guide that one of my mentors gave me many years ago. It is as true today as it was when I first received it. I encourage you to use it as a prayer guide for your own personal revival and watch what God does in your life.

I. Be still and quiet for the first few moments until you are perfectly calm and aware of where you are, whose you are, and who you are.

II. THINGS TO DISCUSS WITH CHRIST
A. YOUR RELATIONSHIPS
1. with yourself
2. with Christ himself
3. with your family
4. with others
B. YOUR ATTITUDES
1. any bitterness
2. any anger
3. any resentments
4. critical spirit
C. YOUR ABILITIES
1. for Christ
2. for His Church
3. for His World
4. for others
D. YOUR CHURCH
1. Spiritual Power
2. Revival
3. Souls Saved
4. Spiritual Growth

III. THINGS TO LISTEN FOR FROM CHRIST
A. PROBLEM AREAS IN YOUR LIFE
1. use of time
2. use of possessions
3. use of talents
B. UNSEEN SINS THAT MUST BE CONFESSED
1. envy, jealously, etc.
2. revenge, indifference, etc.
3. coldness, pride, etc.

C. GOD'S WILL FOR YOUR LIFE

IV PRAYER FORMULA
A. Adore and Praise God
C. Confess everything you know to Him
T. Thank Him for every blessing
S. Supplications for the needs you feel in your life.

Return to Our First Love

2011-12-30T09:55:00.002-05:00

In chapters two and three in the Book of Revelation the Apostle John writes to the seven churches of Asia Minor. He first addresses the church in Ephesus. He commended it for carrying on its work in the face of great difficulties, for rejecting false teachers, for speaking against sin, and for not growing weary. It was loyal in its practices and doctrines and, like most or our churches today, it thought it was a church with which God would be pleased.

Following his commendations John pointed out one major complaint. It is found in Revelation 2:4. It is a complaint that all of our churches should heed. John wrote, “But I have this against you, that you have left your first love" (NASB). What was John saying? He was saying that they had become so mechanical in their motions that they had lost the miraculous devotion that they had experienced when Jesus Christ first became real to them. They had become caught up in their rituals and they had lost sight of the reality of the relationship that they had experienced with the One who made it all possible.

Does this sound like any church that you know? I think we would have to agree that many churches are so caught up in budget, programs, image, and hundreds of other things that they do not have energy left to simply bask in the good news of the Gospel. It is not that churches are doing the wrong things. It is that they are too often not doing the main thing. We would be wise to learn from the Shorter Catechisms derived from the Westminster Confession of Faith. In answer to the question, what is the chief end of man, it says, “Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever.”

When was the last time you glorified and enjoyed the person of Jesus Christ? Most of us have been so busy doing the business of the Church that we have not had any energy left to really enjoy the blessings of the church. Consequently, we have not fully enjoyed the peace, joy and abundance that He wishes us to have.

The good news is that John gives us a solution to this dilemma in the next verse. He wrote, “Remember therefore from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first” (Rev. 2:5a NASB). You could call this the “3R’s” of restoring the joy of our salvation. First, we need to remember the joy and excitement we felt when Christ first became real to us and we invited Him into our hearts to be our Savior and Lord. Second, we need to repent of becoming too busy to have time to spend in developing our personal relationship with Him. Third, we need to return to the things we were doing at the beginning of the relationship. We need to devote ourselves to private time for reading the Word, praising God for our blessings, and praying privately to Him about all of our needs.

Imagine if every church followed John’s instructions to remember, repent and return to the way things were spiritually in the beginning. For to happen, it must start somewhere .We may not be able to speak for our entire church, but each one of us can speak for himself or herself. If enough of us would follow John’s admonition to remember, repent and return, we could revolutionize our churches. Sounds like an exciting way to start a New Year.

The Power of Thinking Right

2011-12-26T10:43:00.001-05:00

Someone once said you could tell more about a person from their checkbook and their calendar than from anything else they have. The reasoning is simple. People spend their time and money on the things that are important to them. There is another important gauge of a person’s interest that is much more difficult to identify. If you can determine the things that a person thinks about all the time, you can know who they really are.

It has also been said that we become what we think. This line of thinking prompted William Barclay to write, “This is something of utmost importance, because it is the law of life that, if a man thinks of something often enough, he will come to the stage when he cannot stop thinking about it.” In other words, our thoughts can consume our time and energy and can go along way toward determining who we are going to become. Obviously there are some limitations in this theory. For example, if someone is 5’4’’ tall and weighs 240 lbs. and has a vertical jump of 6 inches, he is not going to play in the NBA no matter how much he thinks about it. Such an extreme illustration doesn’t change that it is important how we think because our thoughts play an important part in who we are and who we become.

Since our thoughts are this important, it would behoove each one of us to make a resolution at the beginning of this year to think right thoughts during the coming year. In Philippians 4:8 the Apostle Paul wrote, “Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things” (NASV). It would not be a bad idea for each one of us to adapt this verse for our resolution for 2012.

If we are serious about such a resolution, it will affect our lives dramatically. It will influence where we go, what we watch, what we read, and what we listen to. The results could be a changed life. Changed lives could mean happier homes and better communities. Considering the possible benefits, it is a resolution worth at least thinking about. After all, if you think about it enough, it may become who you are.

A Proper Reaction to Christmas

2011-12-23T08:20:00.002-05:00

An old missionary, who had served primitive, island people groups his entire career, recounted a story of a Christmas gift he received from one of the natives. It was a beautiful shell. He commented on the beauty of the shell and inquired about where the native had found it. The native told him that he had traveled by foot to the far side of the island to find the shell. His journey had taken him across mountains and through dense forest. The missionary expressed his gratitude but he also expressed an apology for the man having to go such a long distance. In response to the apology the man explained that the journey was part of the gift.

On the first Christmas long ago, God gave the world its most valuable gift. He gave the gift of Himself. He stepped out of eternity into time. He stepped out of the realms of glory into a fallen world. He did not come with great pomp and ceremony. He came as a child. He came to a tiny stable, not a glorious palace. His journey was a part of His great gift of love.

The world’s reception of this marvelous gift is much the same today as it was two thousand years ago. We see today the same three responses to this gift received in the second chapter of The Gospel of Matthew. Like Herod, many grow anger and feel threatened by the Christ Child. They fear that He will threaten their way of life. They refuse to even entertain the idea that they too are recipients of this gift. Like the scribes and priests, who were caught up in their own activities and did not investigate these claims, many have heard of the gift but are so busy with life that they do not take the time to stop and reflect upon its significance for their lives. Like the Wiseman, many understand that there is something special about this child and they greet His coming with adoration.

Things have changed little. There is still one birth and three reactions, anger, apathy or adoration. As it was then, it is now; each individual must choose his/her response. The later response certainly brings a greater sense of awe and wonder during the Christmas Season.

The True Gift of Christmas

2011-12-17T09:13:00.002-05:00

When our children were small we had a Christmas tradition in our home we called “family union”. On Christmas morning our two boys would come and get in bed with us. After several minutes of joking about Santa not being able to find our house, we would go to the tree to see what gifts they could find.

One Christmas following our family union time, we jumped up and raced into the living room, where the tree was located. Our eldest son was receiving a television for his room. Because of the cost of the television, he was getting practically no other gifts. The television was his Christmas.

The television was sitting on the coffee table across from the tree. He immediately wanted to turn it on. The cord was not long enough to reach the outlet. In my bull in a china shop manner, I picked up the table and the TV together and attempted to move it closer to an outlet. The freshly polished table was slick, causing the television to slip to the floor. The front hit first, breaking all of the dials and making the television useless.

You can imagine the impact on a ten-year old boy, when his entire Christmas was rendered useless. He ran to his room in tears and crawled to the foot of his bed. I joined him and we soaked his sheets with our tears. His heart was broken and so was mine. Finally, I was able to assure him the television could be fixed. I sought his forgiveness for being so careless. He was far more forgiving of me than I was of myself.

That year Christmas came on Sunday. After everyone had calmed down, we dressed for church. As we rode to church, I reflected upon the morning. I thought of the fragile nature of the things we get all excited about. We sometimes allow the commercial aspects of Christmas to detract us from the part of Christmas that is forever. I thought of the true gift of Christmas, the gift of God’s Son. I was grateful the true gift of Christmas could not be broken or taken away once it had been received. While these thoughts did not relieve my hurt for my son’s broken TV, they did give me a better perspective on the situation.

Do not allow worldly distractions spoil your Christmas. Guard against being overcome by all the festivities of the season to the point of neglecting the One it is all about. Strive to really keep Christ at the center of your focus. If you do, God will be honored and you will be blessed.

I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day

2011-12-13T19:48:00.002-05:00

On December 25, 1864, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow sat down and penned the words to one of my favorite Christmas hymns, I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day. History reminds us that on this date the Civil War had been raging for over three and one half years. As he wrote, he was not blind to the carnage the nation had suffered as brothers fought against brothers. His frustration can be seen in the third verse: “And in despair I bowed my head: ‘There is no peace on earth,’ I said, ‘For hate is strong, and mocks the song, Of peace on earth goodwill toward men’”

Sadly, one-hundred and fifty years later, there is still is malice and hatred in the world; wars still continue to rage between nations; brothers and sisters continue to battle one another, if not with weapons of war with unkind words and deeds; and there seems to be little hope for genuine peace anywhere on the horizon. If we do not look beyond the now to God’s promises for the future, verse three would be the ending of our song and we would face a future of despair.

After expressing the doubts that world events can invoke, he gave further thought and penned verse four:“Then pealed the bells more loud and deep: ‘God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;The wrong shall fail, the right prevail, With peace on earth, goodwill to men.’”

Apparently, in his despair, Longfellow recognized that God’s ultimate plans would not be thwarted by the actions of men. In due time wrong will fail and right will prevail and there will be genuine peace on earth. The prophesy of Isaiah 2:4 will become a reality: “And He will judge between the nations, and will render decisions for many peoples; And they will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, and never again will they learn war.”

The skeptic reads these words and thinks they are naive. What the skeptic does not take into account is the fact that God does not operate on a time schedule. To Him, a day is the same as a thousand years. God sits in a high position where He sees the entire canopy of history. He sees the beginning and the end and He declares through His prophet that the day is coming when “Nation will not lift up sword against nation, and never again will they learn war.” By trusting in His sovereign rule, we can always have hope. We can know that our hope is not wishful thinking but it is recognition of a future reality that has not yet been finalized.

The good news does not end here. While we look with longing to the future time of peace, we also have the promise of an inward peace that will enable us to deal with the hardships and futility that sometimes seems to control the world. We have the words of our Lord, “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, nor let it be fearful” (John 14:27 NASB). My prayer is that each one of us might experience the wonder of His peace during this season of the year when we celebrate His coming to this earth and that each one of us will loudly proclaim that He is not dead, nor does He sleep. He lives; He rules; and He will in His own time bring everything to a close according to His perfect will.

What Is So Threatening About Christmas?

2011-12-08T10:31:00.002-05:00

For years there has been an active attempt to remove all symbols of Christianity from the public arena. This is most evident during the Christmas season. There is something about the symbols of Christmas that threaten the ACLU crowd. To me, this makes about as much sense as a democratic Moslem country being asked by a small Christian minority to remove all references of Ramadan from the public forum.

Regardless of how one feels about this issue, it seems to me the question must be asked, “What is so offensive about a holiday that teaches “peace on earth and good will toward men”? I believe that I have an answer to that question. The truth is that one can't hear the Christmas message and reflect upon all of its meaning without having a response. It forces us to consider eternal matters. It reminds us of God’s love and our responsibility to respond positively to that love. It points us beyond the cradle to the Cross. It demands that we deal with questions that extend beyond this life as we know it.

This is not a new phenomenon. In the second chapter of the Gospel of Matthew we find three reactions to the birth of this baby that set the stage for attitudes throughout the ages. Herod felt threatened by the news of this birth. He saw this child as an infringement on his power and rule. He violently sought to stamp out the Christ Child. The scribes and Pharisees on the other hand chose to ignore Him as much as was possible. Although they had the prophesies of the sacred writings that pointed to the birth of a special child, there is little evidence that they took the time to seek out the child and to attempt to verify or disprove who He was. Finally, there were the Wisemen who came and paid homage to the Child. They saw that this child was special and they worshipped him.

Two thousand years have passed and we still celebrate this birth. There are still those who are threatened by it; there are still those who choose to ignore it; and there are still those who choose to worship the “newborn king”. For those who choose the latter, Christmas represents far more than the frills of Christmas decorations and gifts. It represents the greatest gift of all, the gift of God’s Son. It represents the gift that ultimately makes it possible for anyone who chooses to receive it to have eternal life.

Christmas Fruit

2011-11-30T23:29:00.002-05:00

When I was a child fruit played an important part in our Christmas tradition. My grandmother felt she had failed in her Christmas responsibility if she did not bake each of her children a fruitcake each year. Her fruitcakes were baked a month ahead of time and wrapped in cheesecloth. On Christmas morning my stocking always had plenty of fruit. I especially liked the oranges. You could cut a hole in the end and place a peppermint stick into it, making yourself a great fruit drink. Of course, it would not be Christmas without some type of fruit salad for Christmas dinner.

One fruit I have not mentioned stands out. My grandmother always seemed to provide it. It was not bought in a store or baked in an oven. It was the fruit of the Spirit. It poured from her like an unending stream. She always had a plentiful supply. It flowed in the form of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. It gave clear evidence of the One who indwelled her. This fruit was the natural outward manifestation of God’s Spirit in her life. It left memories in the mind of a young lad that still brings a smile to his face in his older years. The man now prays that someday his grandchildren may be able to say something similar about him.

The Christmas season is a time for an abundance of fruit. Along with the store bought fruit, my prayer is that in each of our homes there will also be a bountiful supply of the other fruit, the fruit of the Spirit. This fruit can’t be bought with money. It can only be obtained when we are willing to open our hearts to God’s Spirit and give Him reign in our lives. If we are willing to receive, He is willing to bestow this blessing upon us.

Christmas Is for Everyone

2011-11-28T09:34:00.001-05:00

The account of the birth of Jesus is found in the Gospel of Matthew and the Gospel of Luke. Matthew records the story of the Wise Men and Luke the story of the Shepherds. The two accounts present a wonderful contrast. The wisemen were men of great wealth. They had all that money could afford. The shepherds were common men. They were simple working people. While the former brought valuable gifts to the Christ child, the latter brought only their praise and worship.

There is a valuable lesson to be learned from these two accounts. It does not matter what your economic situation is; it does not matter what race you are; it does not matter what nationality you are; nor does it matter what part of the world you are from. Christmas is for everyone who is willing to stand in amazement at the birth of the Christ.

To really appreciate the full meaning of Christmas, it is important that one looks beyond the tiny stable in Bethlehem. As we gaze at the tiny baby in the manger, we need to look beyond to the city of Jerusalem and to a hill called Calvary. For it is to Calvary that this baby will go when He has grown to be a man. It was at Calvary that He would fulfill His purpose for coming. At Calvary, He would die for the sins of the world. He alone could do such a thing, because He led a perfect life. He would be the perfect sacrifice for the sins of man.

His death on the Cross did not complete the full story of Christmas. We need to look farther to the empty tomb. It is the empty tomb that placed a stamp of validation upon all the claims that Christ had made. It is His resurrection that finalizes His victory over death. It was His resurrection that provided the blessed hope that belongs to all those who place their trust in Him.

As we continue to gaze at the manger, we need to see another beautiful scene. We need to see to see the group of His followers that watched in wonder as He ascended into the heavens to take His rightful place with the Father. As we observe the scene we need to hear and to believe the words that the angels spoke, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.” (Acts 1:11 NASB)

When we are able to see this full picture, while we are concentrating on the cradle, we will experience the full meaning of this wonderful birth that took place so long ago. My prayer is that we all will see beyond the manger and will see the entire story. For this story in its entirety is the hope for all mankind.

The Pursuit of Happiness

2011-11-23T19:51:00.002-05:00

It is said that as Benjamin Franklin concluded a stirring speech on the guarantees of the Constitution, a heckler shouted, "Aw, them words don’t mean nothing at all. Where’s all the happiness you say it guarantees us?" Franklin smiled and replied, "My friend, the Constitution only guarantees the American people the right to pursue happiness; you have to catch it yourself."

For many people the next several weeks will be the saddest weeks of the year. For them the holiday season only reminds them of the loneliness and dissatisfaction in their lives. Each special activity simply exasperates the negative feelings hidden away in their hearts. Their attitudes prevent them from experiencing the joy and happiness that comes from giving thanks and rejoicing in God’s gift of His Son to mankind. A large part of their problems come from the fact that they have been pursuing happiness in all the wrong places.

Let’s face it, if most of us are left to our own devices, we will seek our happiness from people, possessions, power, and prestige. While each of these may bring a sense of fulfillment, none of them bring the deep heart felt contentment that our hearts cry for. This is not to say these things are unimportant but it is to say they are not all a person needs to find lasting contentment.

With this thought in mind, look at Proverbs 3:1-12. In these verses you will find six things that you can do that will assist you in pursuing happiness. You may want to go to the passage and read it for yourself. Until you do, here they are in outline form.

-1- Always remember God’s teachings. (3:1, 2)
-2- Practice kindness and truth. (3:4)
-3- Trust God in all things. (3:5, 6)
-4- Fear God and turn from evil. (3:7, 8)
-5- Honor God with your wealth. (3:9, 10)
-6- Receive God’s discipline willingly. (3:11, 12)

Ben Franklin was right. The government can not guarantee anyone happiness. It can create an environment in which we are free to pursue it for ourselves. As you pursue happiness throughout the Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons, make sure that you chase after it in the right places and ways. Follow the advice of Solomon and look for it in the things listed above. If you do, this may well be the best holiday season that you have ever had.

Being Thankful When Times Are Hard

2011-11-15T09:15:00.001-05:00

For most people, Thanksgiving through New Years is the busiest time of the year, .This year the shopping, feasting, rushing, ball games, family gatherings, and other activities may be less, because of the economic downturn we are suffering. However, I imagine most of us will still find enough things to do to leave us exhausted when it is over.

If our celebration is dampened by the bad economic news of late, we can choose to wallow in self pity or we can use the situation to lead us to count the blessing we do have. Regardless of our financial situation, we can experience the wonder of God’s bountiful gifts of grace and the wonder of God’s incarnation displayed to us in the birth of the Christ Child. We can appreciate our faith, family and friends. These are the blessings that last.

We can experience these things when we see our world through God's eyes. He wants us to see a reason for thanksgiving in every circumstance. His Word admonishes us to, “Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (I Thessalonians 5:16-18 NASB).. There is a big difference between being thankful for something and being thankful in something. While I may not appreciate a circumstance in my life, I can give thanks for not having to endure it alone. I can know God is always present and He is able to bring good out of the worst of situations.

I can be thankful God does not change whether I am in the middle of a crisis or on a mountaintop. I can take comfort in His word that says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8 NASB). The stock market may tank, my body may give way to aging, people close to me may break my heart, but Jesus does not change. He is always available to comfort and to see me through.

If your life seems to be filled with more sorrow than joy, more want than plenty, more difficulties than blessings, ask God to show you the things for which you can give thanks. Ask Him to reveal Himself to you. Ask Him to help you to develop the attitude reflected by the Apostle Paul when he wrote, “Not that I speak from want; for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstance I am” (Philippians 4:11 NASB). On the other hand, if your bucket seems to be overflowing with blessings this year, consider that God did not give them to you to hoard. He gave them to you to share. Your sharing, your gift of kindness, may well be the thing that He wishes to use to place a spark of thanksgiving into the life of someone that is having a difficult time. Not only, will you be an instrument of God’s grace; you will experience first hand the truth in the saying that it is more blessed to give than it is to receive.

Remember the Source of Your Blessings and Be Thankful

2011-11-08T09:16:00.002-05:00

In the eighth chapter of Deuteronomy, you find a stern warning from God to the Hebrews. He warned them against forgetting who had been responsible for the prosperity that they had received. Verse 17 reads, “Otherwise, you may say in your heart, ‘My power and the strength of my hand made me this wealth’” (NASB). Later in verse 19, God says, “It shall come about if you ever forget the Lord your God and go after other gods and serve them and worship them, I testify against you today that you shall surely perish” (NASB). If we read through the entire Old Testament, we find that time and again the Hebrews failed to heed this warning.

It is important to note that the Hebrews never denied God. In fact, they prided themselves on being His chosen people. However, they did forget that their God was a jealous God and they sought after other gods. Their forgetfulness brought God’s discipline upon them over and over.

There is an important lesson to be learned here, as we enter into the Thanksgiving season. This is the season for us to reflect upon our blessings. We are the most powerful nation in the world. Our poor would be considered middle class in most of the third world nations of the world. God’s fingerprints are all over our success. From our inception to the present, God has clearly blessed us.

Unfortunately, from all appearances, we have made the same mistake the ancient Hebrews made. We seem to have forgotten who is responsible for our strength and wealth. We give lip service to our God but our actions show that we are prideful about our accomplishments. Like the Hebrews, we have not denied God but we have allowed Him to become irrelevant to us, while we chase after the gods of power, prestige, pleasure and possessions. If we do not come to our senses and return to the God who has made this a great nation, we invite His discipline upon our nation.

You may ask, what can I do. You can make sure this Thanksgiving season that you and your family give God His proper place around your Thanksgiving table. Take time to give Him the thanks that He deserves. Remember that everything that you have comes from Him, either directly or indirectly. You can reaffirm His place in your life and turn from the gods of the world that seek your affections. You can give Him your thanks and give Him first place in your life. If enough people across our country will do that this Thanksgiving season, God may relent and we may avoid the discipline that is sure to come, if we continue down the path that the Hebrews of old followed.

An Anchor or a Launching Pad

2011-11-05T08:55:00.001-04:00

Most athletic locker rooms are covered with posters. Each poster has a saying that reminds players of the importance of working hard and being committed to their task. During my coaching days, my favorite saying was, “It’s not how hard you get knocked down but how quick you get up that counts.” Anyone who has played sports realizes being knocked down is a part of the game and each new week brings a different set of challenges. To be a success you can’t feel sorry for yourself when things go wrong, and you can’t become complacent when success comes your way.

While these two principles are secular in nature, there is also a spiritual component to them. The Apostle Peter and the Apostle Paul are perfect examples. Peter was willing to die for Christ until the time came to do so. Then, he denied Him three times. Later, he repented and Christ used him in a mighty way. The Apostle Paul had served Christ faithfully, but his past service did not keep him from looking to future work. He wrote, “forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus”. (Philippians 3:14). His past successes did not allow him to stop looking forward because he knew there was much to do. The point is that neither man let the past define who he was. Their thoughts were not anchored in the past but they were looking to the future.

We should not allow our past failures to be an anchor around our neck, nor should we let our past successes become a source of pride. Our past, good and bad, will always be with us. Whether it becomes an anchor that holds us back or a launching pad for the future good works depends upon how we deal with it. An anchor or a launching pad, the choice is ours.

Is It Time for a Spiritual Check-Up?

2011-10-17T09:23:00.001-04:00

Most medical people will tell you one of the secrets of good health is early detection. This is why it is a good policy to have regular physical checkups. When you go for your checkup, the first thing the doctor does is check your vital signs. He weighs you, listens to your heart and lungs, and takes your blood pressure. He orders a variety of blood test to make sure there are no danger signs. By checking these vital signs, he is able to get a good feel for your physical condition. If one of these vital signs is abnormal, he knows to look deeper to the cause for the abnormality. By identifying a problem early, he can often treat it and prevent it from becoming a major problem.

As surely as there are vital signs that identify a physical problem, there are vital signs that help a disciple of Jesus Christ recognize that he/she is having spiritual problems. Paul recognized this truth. In his second letter to the church at Corinth, He reminded them that it was wise for them to check on their spiritual health. He wrote, “Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves!” (II Corinthians 13:5a NASB)

Let me suggest four crucial spiritual vital signs that disciples and churches can check to measure how healthy their spiritual life is. First, a healthy disciple will have a deep appreciation and hunger for God’s Word. When there is no interest in God’s Word, it is impossible for someone to grow up strong in the Lord. A steady balanced diet of God’s Word is as important to the spirit as a balanced diet of food is to the body. If it is missing, the spirit becomes weak and is open to a wide variety of attacks by the enemy.

Second, a healthy disciple will recognize that prayer is an essential element in ones spiritual development. Just as our nervous system transmits commands from our brain throughout our body, prayer keeps us in touch with our Head, Jesus Christ. You show me someone who has done great things for God and I will show you someone who has a powerful prayer life.

Third, a healthy disciple understands the importance of fellowship with other believers. The Christian faith was never meant to be a private faith. It was meant to be shared. Paul uses the analogy of the physical body to describe the church. He emphasizes that the body is effective only when it works in harmony with all the parts. It makes no sense for the eye to tell the ear that it doesn’t want to have anything to do with it. Each part is important. Working together all the parts can do great things. A healthy disciple understands that he needs others. He understands that it is a two way street. The church needs all of its parts and the individual parts need the church

Fourth, a healthy disciple has the right attitude toward stewardship. He understands that all of his time, talents and treasures belong to God. They are not his to own but they are his to be a steward over. Ultimately, it is God who should determine how he should use these gifts that He has bestowed on him. When someone hoards their time, talents and treasure, it is a sure sign that there is a problem with their spiritual health.

The good news is that we do not have to go to the doctor’s office to check on these spiritual vital signs. We need to get in a quiet place and allow the light of God’s Spirit shine into our lives. His light will reveal the areas upon which we need to improve. However, just as a doctor can prescribe medication for our physical problems but can not force us to take the medications he has prescribed, God’s Spirit can reveal our spiritual needs but He will not force us to follow His cure. Each one of us must decide, if we are going to do what is needed to become spiritually strong. When faced with this choice, it seems to me that our most sensible response is clear. We should follow God’s direction.

Finishing Strong

2011-10-10T13:35:00.001-04:00

In the Book of Acts, during his comments about the Resurrection, the Apostle Paul made the following statement: “For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep, and was laid among his fathers, and underwent decay” (Acts 13:36 NASB). Later as Paul was approaching the end of his life he wrote, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith” (II Timothy 4:7 NASB). What a wonderful testimony to the lives of these two men. They served their purpose, fought their fight, finished their course and kept their faith.

While we may admire the faithfulness of these two men, we should have as our life goals the desire to serve God’s purpose for our life and to live faithfully in our generation. In order to fulfill these goals, we need to learn four things from the lives of these men. First, every life has a purpose. In a world that sometimes makes us feel our lives are meaningless, we can know that in God’s economy we have purpose. There is no greater task for us than to discover and pursue the purpose for which God placed us here.

Second, the pursuit of this fulfillment is not always easy. Paul referred to it as a fight, implying that fulfilling our purpose is a struggle. Paul’s life was filled with obstacles both within the church and outside the church. In Ephesians 6:10, 17, he identifies his enemy and depicts his struggle with him in military terms. His enemy was the devil. We have the same enemy. His greatest desire is to hinder us from accomplishing the purposes God has for us.

Third, life is a marathon, not a sprint. Paul speaks of life as if he was running a race. If we read through his letters, we will discover that the course of his race had many mountains and valleys to overcome. He saw the end of his race as something to look forward to, not to dread. He clearly anticipated that in the end all of his efforts would prove to be worthwhile.

Fourth, our number one goal should be to remain faithful throughout our journey. Too often, we let the world define our success and in the process we compromise our principles. We need to remember that we can accomplish all the world requires for success and still be a failure in God’s economy. He measures our success, not in power or possessions, but in faithfulness.

We are involved in the race of life. Each one of us will come to the end of our race someday. Wherever we are in our race, we can make a commitment to run the remainder faithfully and to complete the course with the same assurance Paul had. As he neared the finish line he wrote, “in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing” (II Timothy 4:8 NASB).

Applying the Love Principle to our Debate

2011-09-20T11:54:00.001-04:00

When I was a young man, there were many areas of grey in my life. By grey I mean areas to which the Scriptures did not speak directly. As I have grown older, the grey areas have diminished greatly. However, there are still areas upon which well meaning individuals can disagree. These are the areas Warren W. Wiersbe was referring to when he wrote, “Some activities we know are wrong, because the Bible clearly condemns them. Other activities we know are right, because the Bible clearly commands them. But when it comes to areas that are not clearly defined in Scripture, we find ourselves needing some other kind of guidance.” This issue isn’t a new one. Paul addressed it in his Letter to the Romans. I believe Romans 14 provides the guidance we need. Here are the five things we should always keep in mind, when discussing issues we don’t agree upon.

First, we should respect the opinions of others. Paul wrote, “Now accept the one who is weak in faith, but not for the purpose of passing judgment on his opinions” (Romans 14:1 NASB). We can respect someone’s opinion even if we don’t agree with it. This doesn’t mean we can’t give a alternate interpretation. It does mean we are to give it without seeking to diminish the other person’s character and intelligence.

Second, we need to reflect on the truth that we are the judged and not the judge. Paul wrote, “But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you regard your brother with contempt? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of God...So then each one of us shall give account of himself to God. Therefore let us not judge one another anymore” (Romans 14:10, 12, 13a NASB). Keep in mind we are talking about things that aren’t clearly commanded or condemned. For example, some might find attending an athletic event on Sunday to be an inappropriate manner to spend a Sunday afternoon. This same person may find no problem with watching it at home on his television.

Third, we need to refrain from being a stumbling block to others. Paul wrote, “…but rather determine this –not to put an obstacle or a stumbling block in a brother’s way…It is good not to eat meat or to drink wine, or to do anything by which your brother stumbles” (Romans 14:13b, 21 NASB). This warning is especially applicable to those who are vocal about their faith. There is always someone watching their actions, looking for something to justify their own questionable behavior. We need not be overwhelmed by what someone might or might not think, but we can make an effort to not intentionally do something that serves as s stumbling block for the purpose of exerting our right to do it.

Fourth, we need to rely on the Love Principle when making our decisions about things that aren’t clearly spelled out. Paul wrote, “For if because of food your brother is hurt, you are no longer walking according to love. Do not destroy with your food him for whom Christ died. Therefore do not let what is for you a good thing be spoken of as evil; for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Romans 14:15-17 NASB). I believe Paul is saying we should be willing to forgo something we feel to be acceptable, if we know it is going to offend a fellow believer who does not share our belief. This falls under the command for us to submit one to another.

Fifth, we need to remember to always pursue peace and to build up one another. Paul wrote, “So then let us pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another” (Romans 14:19 NASB). If we would heed Paul’s advice and pursue the things we agree upon, the harmony created would present a clearer picture of genuine Christian fellowship to the unbelieving world around us.

Romans 14 gives us five valuable lessons on how to deal with questions that lead to differing opinions among well meaning Christian brothers and sisters. Hopefully, we will all take his advice to heart, when we are debating a brother or sister in Christ about matters that aren’t clearly defined.

Bitterness, the Wire Grass in our Life

2011-09-07T23:13:00.001-04:00

A cheap way to have a yard with a plush carpet of grass is to plant a garden in the space reserved for the yard. Do nothing else. When the garden is ready to harvest, pull up the plants, mow what is left and you will have a great stand of grass. In fact, you may have grass my grandfather called wire grass. This grass was tenacious. It refused to die. He dug it up and threw it on the asphalt with its roots in the air, denying it any chance for water or soil. If he failed to get every bit of root, the grass came back as strong as ever in a matter of days.

Wire grass reminds me of bitterness. When bitterness takes root in someone’s life, it can take over. Just as wire grass can ruin a beautiful garden, bitterness can ruin a beautiful life. The focus of the bitterness becomes the driving force behind everything the individual does. Wire grass engulfs the vegetation in a garden causing the produce to bear less than its potential. In the same manner, bitterness extends its long tentacles throughout one’s life, preventing an individual from reaching full potential.

The damage from bitterness is not limited to the person who harbors it. It affects the lives of everyone the individual encounters. It can destroy peaceful relationships in a family, at a work place, in a church, on an athletic team, or in any group of people who are in regular contact with each other. The writer of Hebrews warned against this danger when he wrote, “See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled” (Hebrews 12:15.

Some people attempt to bury their bitterness deep in their subconscious. That is like covering wire grass with dirt. For a time, it will look fine, but it will eventually surface and continue its destruction.

Dealing with the source of bitterness is a process. The process begins when we are willing recognize the problem. It is completed when our bitterness is replaced by God’s love. Paul gives us the process in Ephesians 4:31, 32: “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. And be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.”

How Do You Measure Success?

2011-08-28T23:25:00.002-04:00

An English visitor to the United States expressed difficulty in understanding the American way of doing things. He was particularly baffled over the way Americans drink tea. He could not understand why we heat it to make it hot and then we turn around and put ice in it to make it cold. To farther complicate matters, we add sugar to make it sweet and then we put lemon in it to make it sour. Certainly, every culture has traditions that seem strange and confusing to visitors.

Confusion does not limit itself to secular things. A visiting Christian from a country where Christians are routinely persecuted might have difficulty understanding some of the things we use to define successful Christians. In our country Christians are often judged to be successful by the size of their bank account, the size of their home, the prestige of their employment, and the number of gadgets they have to play with. What makes all this strange is that the One who is the author and finisher of our faith would not be considered successful if this was the criteria used to determine success.

When one examines the life of Jesus, he/she quickly discovers that Jesus walked away from a respectable trade. He never earned a regular salary. He never saved any money. He never owned a home. He never accumulated a large collection of status symbols. He walked to His destinations. He disappointed His followers because they could not understand what He was all about. Finally, He died a horrible death on a Cross between two criminals. In the eyes of most, He was considered to be a criminal or a political discontent. His only success was that He completed the mission for which He came and He was always obedient to the Heavenly Father who sent Him.

If we are going to continue to worship the Jesus of the New Testament, it would seem to be appropriate for us to change our understanding of success. While there is nothing evil about wealth and fame, they should not be used as the primary ingredients in gauging the success in the life of a Christian. For the Christian success has nothing to do with things such as these. A successful Christian is one who understands and seeks to follow the admonition of Jesus given in Matthew 6:33: “Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you.” A successful Christian is one who seeks to be obedient to the call of God on his/her life. A successful Christian is one who understands that all the treasures we accumulate on earth will stay here when we leave. It is the treasures that we store up in heaven that are eternal. The reward for being a successful Christian is not a guarantee of a trial free life but it is the joy, peace and abundance one experiences by being obedient to God.

Checking Your Vital Signs

2011-08-25T22:59:00.001-04:00

Most medical people will tell you one of the secrets of good health is early detection. This is why it is a good policy to have regular physical checkups. When you go for your checkup, the first thing the doctor does is check your vital signs. He weighs you, listens to your heart and lungs, and takes your blood pressure. He orders a variety of blood test to make sure there are no danger signs. By checking these vital signs, he is able to get a good feel for your physical condition. If one of these vital signs is abnormal, he knows to look deeper to the cause for the abnormality. By identifying a problem early, he can often treat it and prevent it from becoming a major problem.

As surely as there are vital signs that identify a physical problem, there are vital signs that help a disciple of Jesus Christ recognize that he/she is having spiritual problems. Paul recognized this truth. In his second letter to the church at Corinth, He reminded them that it was wise for them to check on their spiritual health. He wrote, “Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves!” (II Corinthians 13:5a NASB)

Let me suggest four crucial spiritual vital signs that disciples and churches can check to measure how healthy their spiritual life is. First, a healthy disciple will have a deep appreciation and hunger for God’s Word. When there is no interest in God’s Word, it is impossible for someone to grow up strong in the Lord. A steady balanced diet of God’s Word is as important to the spirit as a balanced diet of food is to the body. If it is missing, the spirit becomes weak and is open to a wide variety of attacks by the enemy.

Second, a healthy disciple will recognize that prayer is an essential element in ones spiritual development. Just as our nervous system transmits commands from our brain throughout our body, prayer keeps us in touch with our Head, Jesus Christ. You show me someone who has done great things for God and I will show you someone who has a powerful prayer life.

Third, a healthy disciple understands the importance of fellowship with other believers. The Christian faith was never meant to be a private faith. It was meant to be shared. Paul uses the analogy of the physical body to describe the church. He emphasizes that the body is effective only when it works in harmony with all the part. It makes no sense for the eye to tell the ear that it doesn’t want to have anything to do with it. Each part is important. Working together all the parts can do great things. A healthy disciple understands that he needs others. He understands that it is a two way street. The church needs all of its parts and the individual parts need the church

Fourth, a healthy disciple has the right attitude toward stewardship. He understands that all of his time, talents and treasures belong to God. They are not his to own but they are his to be a steward over. Ultimately, it is God who should determine how he should use these gifts that He has bestowed on him. When someone hoards their time, talents and treasure, it is a sure sign that there is a problem with their spiritual health.

The good news is that we do not have to go to the doctor’s office to check on these spiritual vital signs. We need to get in a quiet place and allow the light of God’s Spirit shine into our lives. His light will reveal the areas upon which we need to improve. However, just as a doctor can prescribe medication for our physical problems but can not force us to take the medications he has prescribed, God’s Spirit can reveal our spiritual needs but He will not force us to follow His cure. Each one of us must decide, if we are going to do what is needed to become spiritually strong. When faced with this choice, it seems to me that our most sensible response is clear. We should follow God’s direction.

Power of Encouragement

2011-08-22T10:20:00.001-04:00

One of the greatest joys in life is to watch individuals grow to reach their full potential and to know you may have had a small part in their growth. The secret to this accomplishment is to convince people that they can do great things. True, everyone does not have the same degree of potential but everyone can develop the potential they do have. While there are many things that can be instrumental in motivating someone to reach their potential, there is no greater tool than encouragement.

While most of the secular world understands the importance of the “power of encouragement”, the one place that should understand it best, seems to understand it least. I am speaking of the church. Far too often, the church (people not the building) gives the impression that it expects its members to fail in their efforts to reach their full potential in their Christian walk. This is especially true for the prodigal, who returns to the fold. While outward there may be celebration, inward there is often an undercurrent of skepticism about the sincerity of the individual’s actions.

Wherever this expectation for failure originates, it is not the Scripture. The Scripture clearly instructs us to be encouragers of one another. In Hebrews 12:1 (NASB) we read, “Therefore, since we have a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.” While everyone can not agree on who makes up the cloud of witnesses, the overall implication is clear. We have a heavenly host of witnesses watching us and pulling for us. They are not watching expecting us to fail but they are expecting us to run our race successfully. They are our cheering section.

If we have a heavenly cheering section, should we not cheer and encourage one another? Scripture exhorts us to do just that. Paul writes in Romans 14:19 (NASB), “So then let us pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another.” The writer of Hebrews writes in Hebrews 3:13 (NASB), “But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called ‘Today’, lest any one of you be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.” Neither of these verses refers to success in the secular world. They refer to encouraging each other in the faith. It is hard to live the Christian life in our world. Considering the difficulty, it makes sense for us to stop stoning one another and to start encouraging one another to move forward and to grow to reach maturity in our faith.

Wherever you are in your race, I want to encourage you to keep on keeping on. There will be times when you feel like quitting. There will be times that you stumble and fall. There will be times when you feel those around you are expecting you to fail. When these times come, remember all the people you have pulling for you. Get up; dust yourself off. Continue the race. The victory awaits you at the finish line. With God’s help, you can do it.

Beware of Stereotypes

2011-08-15T19:36:00.001-04:00

A group of retired gentlemen from a former church I served met each morning at the local fast food restaurant for breakfast. One morning as they waited to order, a group of bikers entered the restaurant. As they looked back over their shoulder, they could see that the bikers were adorned with the usual leather and chains. Most had long hair, pierced ears and tattoos. The men expected the bikers and their lady friends to be loud and obnoxious, but they went ahead and purchased their usual breakfast, fully expecting that their normal peace and quiet would be lost for this morning.

As they moved toward their table, they walked past the bikers to their table. As they sat down, they glanced at the bikers. To their amazement, on the back of their leather vests was an emblem with the name of their group. Their name was “Bikers for Jesus”.

The men were embarrassed because they had made wrong assumptions based on their stereotype of individuals who belonged to a motorcycle group. After several minutes, one of the men went over to the bikers and began to strike up a conversation. He discovered that the group was in town for a rally that was being held nearby. He said that he and his friends attempted to go to several rallies each year. Their purposes for attending were twofold. First, they enjoyed the camaraderie of their fellow bikers. Second, it gave them an opportunity to share Christ with other bikers.

After several minutes, the bikers crawled on their machines and roared out of the parking lot. The regular customers were left to discuss how wrong they had been about these strangers on motorcycles. It left them feeling guilty because they knew they weren’t nearly as bold in their witness to their friends as these bikers were to their friends.

This experience taught these men a valuable lesson. They learned that it doesn’t pay to judge a man or woman by an arbitrary stereotype developed through misinformation and prejudice. This is a lesson we all need to learn. The world would be a better place if we would trash all of our stereotypes and, if we are going to judge at all, we would judge each person individually and not by predetermined ideas. If we would allow experience and relationship to determine our opinions, we may make new friends that we never thought we would have, and our lives would be the richer for it.

Appreciating Our Differences

2011-08-11T23:14:00.000-04:00

My wife and I are very different. She is an extremely intuitive person. When she talks with our children on the phone, she can sense when something is wrong. When I walk through the door at the end of a busy day, she can sense the kind of day I have had. She always wants to know how I feel about things. On the other hand, I am a cognitive person. I tend to want to deal with facts, not feelings. She asks, “How do you feel about this situation?” I ask, “Why is this situation the way that it is?” Her conversations can grow long, while mine are short and to the point.

An improper understanding might suggest my wife is too sentimental and I lack compassion. Neither would be correct. We are different. We both care deeply about those around us, but we deal with things differently. Early in our marriage these differences caused stress in our relationship. In later years, we have come to understand God’s great wisdom in bringing two distinctly different people together.

Understanding Genesis 2:18 has helped to give us an understanding about why we are really good for each other. The verse reads, “And the Lord God said, ‘It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a help meet for him.’” The key is an understanding of the phrase “help meet”. This term literally means to supply that which is missing or to complete. It means that God saw what was lacking in man and gave him his wife to complete him. I believe this is a reciprocal arrangement. It is not about power or control but it is about completing one another.

This principle can be illustrated with a lock and a key. A lock without a key is of no use. A key without a lock is of no use. Together, they can provide a needed service. It would be foolish to sit around and to debate which one was more important. The fact is the lock and the key need each other to fulfill their purpose. The same principle applies in the life of a husband and wife.

Understanding this principle has enabled my wife and I to understand our differences shouldn’t be sources of irritation but sources of strength. We complement each other. We help provide balance to each other. We have come to appreciate our differences. We thank God for our differences, because we know together we are at our best. Coming to this understanding has given us forty-three years together.

If you and your spouse are total opposites like my wife and I, remember your differences are God’s blessing to you. God brought you together to complement each other, not to confound each other. Appreciate the differences and let them bring balance to your life and your relationship.

You Are Gifted

2011-08-08T10:57:00.001-04:00

My lack of technological and mechanical skills has been well documented. Over the years, God has been gracious enough to provide individuals, who are gifted in these areas, to make up for my shortfall. These individuals have been great blessings to me.

There was a time when my deficiency bothered me, making me feel inadequate. Each time, God would remind me that these individuals might feel as equally uncomfortable standing in the pulpit, as I feel with a wrench in my hand staring at an engine or a crashed computer. This is why God has placed so many different types of people in His church. The diversity is present to teach us that we are to use our differences to minister to one another. The Apostle Peter said it this way: “And each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.” (I Peter 4:10)

In this verse, Peter tells us that each one of us has been given a gift or gifts. God doesn’t leave any of His children out. He doesn’t give to some and leave others without anything. Our gifts are diversified but each gift is necessary for the well being of the church. Since each gift is important, we shouldn’t hold one gift as more important than another nor should we boast of the gift we have. Once we determine our gift, we must decide how we will use it. Will we use it for selfish gain or will we give it back to God and let Him use it for His glory?

In the mind of Peter, the answer to this question was clear. God gives individual gifts to those in His church because He wished for them to use them to serve one another. He never meant for His children to hoard their gifts or to keep them secret. He meant for the wide assortments of gifts within the Body of Christ to be used for the building up of the Body. Therefore, when we identify the gifts God has given to us, we need to seek the place where we can best use them to serve one another. When the Body of Christ takes seriously this mandate to serve one another, the Body is at its strongest. It is able to reach its full potential.

Peter also reminds us that we are held responsible for how we use our gifts. He tells us that we are to be good stewards of these gifts. If we are good stewards, we will use our gifts in the service of others. Unselfish service to others may not pad our billfold but it will bring joy to our hearts. However, the greatest reward will come on the day we stand before our Lord and He says, “Well done my good and faithful servant.”

Keep these thoughts in mind, when you are approached to give of your time in the service of your church. Remember! God gave you gifts to use in the service of others. He expects you to use them and He will hold you accountable for your stewardship in this matter. If everyone would remember these truths and would apply them, our churches would never be short of workers. They would always be enough workers to do all God has for us to do.

Keep Pushing the Harvest Is Just Ahead

2011-07-28T19:37:00.002-04:00

As a young man I had the opportunity to coach for the late W.L. Varner, one of the legends of high school football in the state of South Carolina. Six years of coaching under his leadership resulted in four conference championships, two upper state championships and one state championship. Following my departure, his teams won three more consecutive state championships. The secret to his success was not simply great athletes. In fact the number of truly great athletes were few. His secret was the ability to take good athletes and to convince them that they were great athletes.

Coach Varner expected greatness and he kept that possibility before his players and coaches at all times. He did not tolerate negative thinking. He expected players and coaches to always anticipate winning. Our dressing room walls were covered with game axioms that helped illustrate what it took to be a winner. One of my favorite was, “It is not how hard you get knocked down; it is how fast you get up that counts”.

That is one of the great things about athletics. If you lose a game, there is always the next game that demands your attention. You can not dwell on past failures or past accomplishments. You must concentrate on the things in front of you. If you keep getting up after being knocked down, eventually good things will happen. Even, if the scoreboard does not reflect that you are a winner, you can know you are a winner in your heart, because you did not give up. You continued to give your best and develop your skills to their maximum capacity. No one could ask for you to do more.

There is a spiritual parallel to the athletic axiom above. Paul wrote: “And let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we shall reap if we do not grow weary” (Galatians 6:9 NASV). Too many people believe that a person’s spiritual health can be judged by the absence of difficulty in their life. The scripture does not support this type of thinking. In fact, the scripture is clear that Christians should expect difficulties. The good news is that Christ provides the strength for believers to live above their difficulties. After listing a long list of difficulties, Paul wrote these words: “But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.” (Romans 8:37 NASB)

Unfortunately, many do not understand these truths. They devote themselves to spiritual things for a season, expecting all of their troubles to disappear. When they don’t receive the desired results they give up and revert back to their former ways. As a result, they fail to reap the harvest that God promises.

If you happen to be in a spiritual dry place, if your efforts for Christ seem to have not benefited you, if you are ready to throw in the towel and to call it quits, let me encourage you to hang in there. God is always true to His word. His word says, “for in due time we shall reap if we do not grow weary”. Your harvest may be just ahead of you. Until it comes, remember that Christ will give you the strength to live victoriously in your present circumstance, if you will only appropriate the grace He makes available.

Comments on this blog are welcomed. You may contact Dennis at dennis@entrustedministries.org

The Positive Side of Adversity

2011-07-26T22:34:00.001-04:00

Have you ever wondered why God allows adversity in the life of His children? Most of us, who are parents, would rescue our children from adversity if we had the power to do so. God certainly has the power, but He doesn’t always choose to use it. His children are often called upon to endure trials and tribulation. In fact, His word tells us that we can expect trials in this life. The writer of James records these words: “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing” James1:3, 4 NASB).

Have you ever attempted to convince your children that their trials should be counted as joy? For that matter, have you ever attempted to convince yourself? It is a hard sell. The following illustration from the animal kingdom may help add clarity to why suffering can be for our good.

“A little boy watched an emperor butterfly emerge from its cocoon. Now, this process is painful to observe. The cocoon has a little opening at the end and the butterfly has to squeeze out of it. It is a terrible struggle. It pushes and squeezes so hard that one can actually see its body pulsating and quivering from exhaustion. And the progress is so slow-the butterfly pushes and rests, pushes and rests. Finally, it pulls itself together for one last momentous push and its out-drained and sapped of energy, but ready to fly. As this little boy watched the emperor butterfly struggle, he felt sorry for it and decided to do it a favor. He very carefully took his pocketknife and slit the opening in the cocoon just a little bit wider to make it easy for the poor little creature to emerge. He thought he was sparing the butterfly trial and suffering. What he did, however, kept the butterfly from ever reaching its potential. He ruined the butterfly! That squeezing and pushing is necessary and vital because that pressure serves to push blood and body fluids into the wings. Because the butterfly did not go throughout the struggle, its wings were useless. It could never fly!” (The Communicator’s Commentary on Deuteronomy, p.152)

Our heavenly Father takes no joy in the trials His children must endure, but He realizes that a certain amount of trial is needed to help them grow strong. He knows each one of them personally and He knows just the amount of struggle they need to prepare them for the life that is ahead of them. Without any adversity, they would never grow to their full potential. As earthly parents, one thing seems to be certain. We don’t need to rescue our children from every predicament in which they find themselves. If we do, we aren’t doing them any favors, but we are preventing them from reaching their full potential. On the other hand, we do need to pray that we would have the wisdom to know when to intervene on their behalf and when we need to let them grow through struggle.

Plowing, planting, planning

2011-07-25T12:22:00.001-04:00

HEART THOUGHTS…from Helen
Ezekiel 36:9 “I am concerned for you and will look on you with favor; you will be plowed and sown”.

Our garden flopped. It’s been a number of years since we attempted to plant a vegetable garden but decided to try it this spring. My husband knows how to grow a garden; his last effort resulted in more vegetables than I knew what to do with. But that was in another place in another time long ago. This year we decided on just a small plot of ground for a few tomato plants, squash, bell peppers, cucumbers and hot peppers.

We plowed, we planted, we fertilized, we watered, and we waited. The plants came up nicely, all but the cucumbers which succumbed to dogs and a resident rabbit. We trellised the tomato plants. The squash bushes did bear fruit until our hail storm. The tomato plants grew and produced tiny tomatoes which never got much bigger. Some ripened but they’ve all been small. It’s been a disappointment over all.
We’ve come to the conclusion that we failed to prepare the soil as we should. There’s always ‘next year’, right?!

In the garden of my life, I wonder if I’ve been a disappointment at times. Scripture gives so many illustrations of gardening, but I love the one from John 15:1 especially: “I am the True Vine and My Father is the gardener.” Consulting with the Master Gardener always pays off. Perhaps my soil needs plowing. That’s not a pleasant thought but gardens must be plowed each season. It’s not that one turning of the soil will do for life.

This morning I ran across this verse from Ezekiel 36 that spoke to me. “I am concerned for you…you will be plowed and sown.” The Lord God, our Gardener cares enough about us to plow us under seasonally. He knows our soil and just what fertilizer it needs to grow the crop He has in mind.

The plowing isn’t fun, unless you’re the one doing it, and not the one being plowed. Reminds me of the poem of Amy Carmichael:

The toad beneath the harrow knows
Exactly where each tooth point goes
The butterfly upon the road
Preaches contentment to that toad.

Father, Gardener of my soul, thank you for plowing and preparing me for what you have prepared for me.

Plowing, planting, planning

2011-07-25T12:17:00.001-04:00

HEART THOUGHTS…from Helen
Ezekiel 36:9 “I am concerned for you and will look on you with favor; you will be plowed and sown”.

Our garden flopped. It’s been a number of years since we attempted to plant a vegetable garden but decided to try it this spring. My husband knows how to grow a garden; his last effort resulted in more vegetables than I knew what to do with. But that was in another place in another time long ago. This year we decided on just a small plot of ground for a few tomato plants, squash, bell peppers, cucumbers and hot peppers.

We plowed, we planted, we fertilized, we watered, and we waited. The plants came up nicely, all but the cucumbers which succumbed to dogs and a resident rabbit. We trellised the tomato plants. The squash bushes did bear fruit until our hail storm. The tomato plants grew and produced tiny tomatoes which never got much bigger. Some ripened but they’ve all been small. It’s been a disappointment over all.
We’ve come to the conclusion that we failed to prepare the soil as we should. There’s always ‘next year’, right?!

In the garden of my life, I wonder if I’ve been a disappointment at times. Scripture gives so many illustrations of gardening, but I love the one from John 15:1 especially: “I am the True Vine and My Father is the gardener.” Consulting with the Master Gardener always pays off. Perhaps my soil needs plowing. That’s not a pleasant thought but gardens must be plowed each season. It’s not that one turning of the soil will do for life.

This morning I ran across this verse from Ezekiel 36 that spoke to me. “I am concerned for you…you will be plowed and sown.” The Lord God, our Gardener cares enough about us to plow us under seasonally. He knows our soil and just what fertilizer it needs to grow the crop He has in mind.
The plowing isn’t fun, unless you’re the one doing it, and not the one being plowed. Reminds me of the poem of Amy Carmichael:

The toad beneath the harrow knows
Exactly where each tooth point goes
The butterfly upon the road
Preaches contentment to that toad.

Father, Gardener of my soul, thank you for plowing and preparing me for what you have prepared for me.

Dried Grape or Raisin, Your Choice

2011-07-21T12:49:00.002-04:00

According to the Sun Maid website, in 1872 William Thompson of Sutter County, California, brought the Sultanina seedless grape to California. The first year his new grapes escaped the flooding that destroyed many of the crops in the area. In 1873, he was not as fortunate. A serious drought left the grapes dried on the vine. Refusing to accept what appeared to be the inevitable; Thompson harvested the dried grapes and marketed them as “Peruvian Delicacies.” The grapes became known as “Thompson seedless” and the California commercial raisin industry was born.

There are many people in our world like those dried grapes. The hot dry winds of adversity have blown upon them so long that they can not see any hope for their life. If you know someone like this, tell him/her there is hope. Our God is in the business of adding the living water of Jesus Christ to the lives of those who have been dried out by life. This life giving water brings both life and flavor to the life of any individual that is willing to receive it.

History is filled with individuals who have overcome their circumstances through the grace of God. Through God’s grace they have become raisin people, if you will. One of the many is David Ring. David was born with cerebral palsy. He became an orphan at an early age in life. His childhood was marked by constant ridicule from his peers. Due to the nature of his condition, he was unable to remain with any one family for long. He was cast about from family to family. David was a prime candidate for one who would dry up on the vine of life.

When he had reached the end of his rope, he received the living water of Jesus Christ. Through his relationship to Christ he learned self-acceptance. He refused to allow his handicap to define him as a person. With a spirit that refused to remain dried up on the vine and with the enabling power of God, David has become a nationally known speaker. When one first sees him come to the podium to speak, the tendency is to feel pity. The effects of his cerebral palsy on his movement and on his speech are evident. After he speaks for a few minutes, one loses the sense of pity and realizes this is a man who refused to remain dried on the vine. He chose to respond to the call of God on his life and become a true raisin of a man.

One of David’s favorite lines in the introduction of his testimony is, “I have cerebral palsy-What’s your problem?” With this simple pointed question, he makes his listeners look at their own lives. Many immediately begin to see that the things that oppress them are small in comparison. They see that they are not destined to stay dried on the vine, Instead, they can become raisin people, if they will receive the living water, which God wishes them to have.

Are you in a dry place in life? Don’t believe those voices that tell you there is no hope. Look to the one who is in the business of taking dried out lives and making them into raisin people and believe that you too can become one.

The Power of Influence

2011-07-18T08:35:00.001-04:00

During my years of ministry, I have attended several of John Maxwell’s seminars and I have read several of his books. In the first seminar I attended, he gave a definition of leadership that has stuck with me through the years. He reduced his definition for leadership to one word, influence. Over the years I have read other books, but I haven’t found a better definition. It is concise, simple and at the same time profound. Real leaders do more than hold a title or occupy a position. They influence their world and bring about change in the lives of those they lead. You can see this principle active in homes, businesses, sports, politics, churches, entertainment and all other parts of society.

If leadership is influence, it is critical that we recognize it can be negative or positive. A true leader will lead. The question is, “Where will he/she lead?” Our “Founding Fathers” influenced those they led and created a nation that is in my opinion the greatest nation in the world. On the other hand, Adolph Hitler influenced a nation and led it down a path that caused immeasurable suffering for the world.

Because of its awesome power to change things for good or evil, leadership carries with it a tremendous responsibility that can’t be cast aside. Parents, pastors, religious leaders, famous athletes, politicians, rock stars, movie stars and any others who have some one looking to them for direction can not escape this responsibility.

The higher the profile in society the greater the responsibility the leader has. Richard C. Halverson, former Chaplain to the US Senate, wrote, “Whether a man likes it or not--if he’s in a place of leadership--he will be influencing others. He has no right just to consider himself! He must think in terms of his influence. This is a part of the price of leadership! Not just the man himself--but what happens to those who follow in his footsteps--is the serious responsibility of the leader--the big man! This is inescapable! ‘To whom much is given--much shall surely be required!’—Jesus.”

The responsibility of a leader is a fact. How a leader responds will be the basis upon which he/she will be judged. Ultimately, each leader will be judged by the only perfect leader the world has known. I speak of course of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

That Is Not My Call

2011-07-11T23:11:00.002-04:00

Following a severe thunder storm my wife asked our five year old granddaughter, if the storm had frightened her. She replied, “We were out in it and it frightened me some. I said a little prayer asking God to make it stop. Then I thought that is not my call is it?”

It amazes me how, not realizing it, children can be incredibly profound. Her response had no element of fear or frustration over the situation being completely out of her hand. She was content to know it was in God’s hands. I pray that simple sense of trust will follow her and will comfort her when she grows older and the storms of life swirl around her.

Her response brought to mind a sermon I heard at a pastor’s conference early in my ministry. I can’t remember the preacher’s name but I remember the sermon title, the scripture and the three points he brought forward. The title was “God of the Whirlwind.” His scripture was Nahum 1”3b: “In whirlwind and storm is His way and clouds are the dust beneath His feet (NASB).” His three points were God was before the whirlwind, God was in the whirlwind and God will be there when the whirlwind is over.

It appears to me this is an important message for our generation, since we tend to move from one whirlwind to another. The storms of uncertainty in our country today are blowing hard. It seems to me that the fear and frustration among our people grows with each passing day. Much of this unrest revolves around the economic conditions in the country. For many Christians, the greatest storm is the downward spiral of standards of morality. For others it is the fear brought about by medical problems. The list of possible life crippling whirlwinds could go on forever and still miss the one in your life.

Whatever the whirlwind is in your life, I have good news for you from the not so well known prophet, Nahum.

“The Lord is good, (Perfect)
A stronghold in the day of trouble, (Powerful)
And He knows those who take refuge in Him.” (Personal)
Nahum 1:7 NASB (bold print added)

Prayer: Lord, help each one of us to take our eyes off the whirlwind in our life and to focus on the perfect, powerful and personal God who we worship. Amen

God’s Compliance Officers

2011-07-08T09:09:00.001-04:00

The first job my oldest son had after graduating from college was with OSHA. When I told people that he worked for OSHA, their replies were generally two fold. First, they would say that a government job was a good job to have. Second, they would say they bet no one liked to see him coming. They were right on both counts, especially the second one. During the years he worked with OSHA, he learned that no one looked forward to his coming and few had kind words for him, when he arrived. He was often subjected to verbal insults, most of which were mumbled and not spoken out loud. While he didn’t make the rules he was hired to enforce them, making him the focus of people’s dissatisfaction

As I have reflected upon my son’s job as an OSHA compliance officer, I couldn’t help but think that it was not unlike the job of the Old Testament prophets and modern day preachers. They were and are God’s compliance officers. Today, they still don’t make the rules but they remind the people when they disobey them. When they speak words that reveal sin in their lives, people rebel and speak harshly about them.

Through the centuries the heart of man has changed very little. He is still is reluctant to hear the truth of God’s Word. He would rather hear words that make him feel good than words that bring conviction to his soul. Paul wrote to the young pastor Timothy about a time when people would refuse to hear sound doctrine. He wrote: “For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths” (II timothy 4:3, 4 NIV). There have been individuals who fit this description in every generation. In response God’s prophets have been called upon to continue to preach the truth of his Word regardless of their angry responses.

I read that John Wesley asked young preachers who he was training two questions when they would return from a Sunday of preaching. He would ask, “Did anyone get angry?” and “Did anyone get convicted?” If a young man answered no to both questions, Wesley would discontinue theirs training. This may sound harsh but it isn’t a bad test to render. Those who God calls to speak His Word are called to speak the words of comfort and encouragement but they are also called upon to speak words of truth that bring conviction. We need more individuals who are willing to stand for the truth of God’s word, regardless of the cost. God may use their faithfulness to bring the revival that we need in our nation today.

Living Free

2011-07-01T09:13:00.002-04:00

Chrysostom, a fourth century patriarch of Constantinople, was a great example of being free indeed. One of the stories attributed to him had to do with an occasion when the Roman Emperor demanded that he renounce his faith. The emperor’s first threat was to have him banished from the kingdom, if he refused to deny his faith in Christ. To this threat Chrysostom replied, “You cannot because the whole world is my Father’s kingdom.” The second threat was to take his life. Again he replied, “You cannot, for my life is hid with Christ in God.” The third threat was to take all of his treasures. His reply was, “You cannot, for my treasure is in heaven where my heart is.” Finally the emperor threatened to drive him away from anyone who may befriend him, leaving him all alone. Chrysostom had a ready reply. He said, “You cannot, for I have one Friend from whom you can never separate me. I defy you for you can do me no harm.” Chrysostom had learned the secret of living free under the most adverse conditions.

We do not face this kind of threat because of our religious faith. We are blessed to live where we can worship as we please. While we have political freedom, many of our people have not learned to live free. They remain enslaved to their own passions, habits and fears.

Jesus provided for us a way to live our lives totally free. He said, "So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, ‘if you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine, and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free…So if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed”(John 8:31, 36 NASB). From these verses there appears to be three steps to realizing genuine spiritual freedom.

The first step is to believe in Jesus. In the scriptures belief in Jesus is more than an intellectual accent to the reality that He lived. Belief refers to the belief He was who He said that He was. It is the belief He is the answer to man’s sin problem. It is the belief He is the Savior and that through Him the relationship that was broken by sin can be restored.

The second step has to do with abiding in His word. While we have everything we need to live free, when we believe and receive Christ, we do not experience our freedom until we learn to abide in His word. When we abide in His word, it becomes the governing force in our lives.

The third step is to grow in our understanding of the truth. John 14:6 (NASB) reads, “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life, no one comes to the Father, but through Me.” Jesus did not say he knew the truth; He said “I am the truth”. As our understanding of Him grows, we become equipped to truly live free, because He becomes the source of our freedom.

When we walk this path step by step we come to understand what it means to be “free indeed”. Chrysostom understood. Fear of death, loneliness, loss of treasure did not bind him. He found all that he needed in Christ. We have much to learn from his example.

Parable of the Prodigal Sons

2011-06-26T15:38:00.000-04:00

Most of us are familiar with the Parable of the Prodigal Son found in the fifteenth chapter of the Gospel of Luke. It is the story of a young man who took his inheritance, while his father was still living, and squandered it in a foreign land on fleshly desires. When he reached the bottom of the barrel, he decided to return home and to throw himself upon the mercy of his father.

Upon his return, his father welcomed him with open arms. He placed the finest robe upon him and had a feast prepared in his honor. The father and his entire household except for one individual rejoiced at the young man’s return. The one who refused to rejoice was the young prodigal’s older brother.

The older brother had not strayed from home. He had remained home and served his father faithfully. He had not yielded to the temptations of a worldly life. He had not been caught up in the sins of commission and omission like his younger brother. His self righteousness attitude made it difficult for him to understand the fuss being made over his brother, when he was clearly the most obedient one.

While the older brother appeared on the service to be the faithful one, he had fallen captive to the sins of resentment, envy, anger, and pride. Rather than celebrate the homecoming of his younger brother, he resented the attention his he was receiving. He found no joy in the fact that his brother had seen the errors of his ways and had returned home. In his own way, the older brother had also become a prodigal.

There is an important lesson to be learned from this older brother. It is possible to be a prodigal and to never leave home. The lesson of the prodigal that stayed home is a lesson for those who have been faithful to their church and have not wandered from the things they had learned as children. If they are not careful they can develop an attitude of superiority that makes it difficult to rejoice over those who have strayed, seen the error of their ways, and come home.

When one considers the actions of the older son, this could easily be called the Parable of the Two Sons, leaving us with two important lessons. First, it is a lesson about the foolishness of turning our backs on the truth of the teachings we have received and squandering our heavenly blessings on things that can only bring temporary satisfaction. Second, it is the lesson that teaches us that it is possible to serve the heavenly Father faithfully and still not be in fellowship with Him, because of our attitude toward those who have fallen away, seen the error of their ways and returned home.

Jesus used parables to teach practical truth. Reread this parable and let God’s Spirit speak to your heart. Ask him to show you where you fit in the story. Are you the one who needs to return home; are you like the loving father who welcomed his prodigal home; or are you like the older brother who resented the attention the younger brother received? Think about it.

The Common Thread of Humanity

2011-06-23T10:12:00.002-04:00

I find Malls to be interesting places. As I walk through them, I can’t help but notice the diversity of people. There are young people, old people and somewhere in between people. The diversity isn’t limited to age. There are also many ethnic groups represented. There are Asian, Latin, Black, and White groups. The different accents reveal there are also different geographical areas represented. Then, of course, there are the many different socio-economic groups evident in the crowd.

As I observe the wide diversity of people, I am reminded I share two things in common with every person that passes by. First, each one of us is guilty of sin and have fallen short of the glory for which God has created us. Paul made this clear when he wrote, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23 NASB). The key word is “all”. It isn’t some or many or most. It is all.

Later, Paul explains the penalty for sin. He writes, “For the wages of sin is death,” (Romans 6:23a NASB). If I understand this correctly, since we have all sinned, we all are deserving of death. In Scripture death means separation. In this verse death is referring to a separation from God. Since God is completely holy, our sins stand between us and the fellowship He wishes us to have with Him. The news becomes worse when we are reminded that there is nothing we can do to bridge the gap that our sin has created between God and ourselves. We can not do enough good works to bridge the gap. We can not buy our way across the chasm that exists between us.

Our dilemma, leads to the second thing we all have in common. We all need a Savior. The good news is that God wasn't caught off guard by our disobedience. He knew that man would choose to sin. He knew that He would have to provide a way for the chasm between Him and man to be bridged. He chose to give His son for our salvation. John wrote, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life” (John3:16). Paul wrote, “For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardy die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners. Christ died for us” (Romans 5:6-8 NASB).

Like each one who passes me in the mall, each one who reads this article shares the same common problem. Everyone has sinned. The important question is have we accepted God’s solution for the problem that sin causes? Have we received the gift of His Son in order that the chasm our sin has caused might be bridged? Have we received the free gift of Jesus Christ into our hearts? Paul described the gift this way, “but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23b). If you have not received this wonderful free gift, I urge you to consider doing so today. Confess that you are guilty of sin and that you need a Savior. Decide to turn from your sins with His help. Ask Christ to come into your life and to be your Savior. Commit your life to Him today. Only He is able to cure the one problem that we all share in common.

If you have made this decision and you know you have received Him and you strive to obey Him, take a moment to give Him thanks for what He has done and is doing for you.

The Importance of a Father

2011-06-17T10:28:00.004-04:00

A pro golfer was conducting a clinic at an upscale golf course. His fourteen-year-old son accompanied him. In the middle of his presentation, he asked his son to come forward and to demonstrate something that his father had taught him. The son slowly moved toward the golf cart to retrieve an iron. He took the iron out of the bag and slung it as high and as far as he could. This may not have been the demonstration that the father had anticipated but it demonstrates the fact our children are watching and learning from the good and the bad we model for them.

Men, whether we like it or not, we are models for our children. They are watching every move we make. The do as I say not as I do philosophy that many of us were taught does not work. It is no accident that children of smokers are more likely to smoke. Children of addicts of any kind are more likely to be addicted. Children who see abuse modeled in the home are more likely to grow up and to be abusive. On the other hand, children who grow up in a home where the rights of others are respected and where there is an open demonstration of genuine care are more likely to grow up with a loving, caring, nurturing personality. There are always exceptions to the rule but the odds are greatly increased a child will turn out well, if he/she has had positive modeling in the home.

As fathers think about being a successful model, they would do well to listen to the following poem.
You can use most any measure when you are speaking of success,
You can measure it in fancy home, expensive car or dress;
But the measure of your real success is one you cannot spend,
It’s the way your son describes you when he’s talking to a friend.
(Author Unknown)

With this in mind, here are some things that fathers would do well to model before their children.

F aithfulness
A father would do well to model faithfulness to God, family and job
in that order.
A ffection
A father should not be ashamed to model affection to his wife and to his
children. A strong hand of discipline needs to be tempered with a gentle
hand of comfort and care.
T hankfulness
A father teaches his children to be appreciative by demonstrating
appreciation to those closest to him.
H eart for God
It is a father’s responsibility to demonstrate leadership in the spiritual
life of his family.
E ncouragement
Father’s would do well to heed the words of Paul, “So then let
us pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one
another” (Romans 14:19 NASB). Positive reinforcement normally works best
in the long run.
R epentance
A father should never be afraid to admit he is wrong. He should be
willing to accept responsibility for mistakes and to teach his children
that it is all right to say I am sorry.

If fathers would be faithful to model these characteristics they would have little to worry about when their children are describing them to a friend. More important, they will be laying a foundation of learning that can help their children grow to maturity and to become responsible adults. There are no other accomplishments in life that can surpass these.

Do You Practice Dial-Up or Broadband Spirituality?

2011-06-15T23:17:00.001-04:00

In his book, Signs of Life, David Jeremiah wrote about the difference between dial-up and broadband spirituality. He wrote, “Too many Christians log on to God once a day when they have their quiet time or once a week when they go to church. They pray; they read their Bible; they’ve connected with God. And that’s good…as far as it goes. The problem with that approach to the spiritual life is that there is no sense of being ‘always on’ __ no sense of living in the moment with God once you’ve finished your quiet time. You open your Bible, bow in prayer, conduct your business with God, and then log off for the day” (p. 17).

The reality is that there are more dial-up Christians than there are broadband ones. They pride themselves on the few minutes that they allot to God each day. There biggest concern is whether they should give Him the five or ten minutes in the morning or at the end of the day. They pride themselves on their faithfulness to this special time. Besides the time allotted, they remain disconnected for the remainder of the day unless a problem arises that they do not feel capable of fixing.

Before you start having thoughts of how judgmental this sounds, let me add that we all have the tendency to be dial-up Christians. Our mistake is to believe that we can handle most things on our own. We do not want to bother Christ with the mundane things of life. We make all kinds of decisions without consulting Him and, when our decision proves to be faulty, we blame Him for letting us fall into the mess we find ourselves in. The truth is most of the messes in our lives would never occur, if we would switch from dial-up to broadband.

Broadband Christians may set aside a special time each day with the Lord, but they understand that this time is not enough. They understand the importance of Paul’s mandate to the Thessalonians. He told them to “pray without ceasing (I Thessalonians. 4:17 (NASB). They know that they need God’s input throughout the day. This doesn’t mean that there is a constant stream of information being passed to them, but it does mean their mind is open to receive directions anytime God wishes to send them. They recognize it is dangerous to tell God that He must wait till morning or evening to give His input.

The benefits of being broadband Christians are many. They are always open to the divine appointments that God puts in their path during the day; they are never turned off to God’s directions; and they do not miss the divine opportunities that God provides each day. As a result, they fulfill God’s command to be salt and light in their world.

It would behoove us all to make a commitment to broadband spirituality. Thank Him for the little blessings. Develop a constant awareness of His presence in your life. Always remember He is with you. Switch to broadband Christianity today. To do so would increase your ability to live your live in the center of God’s Will. It enables you to become a blessing to yourself and to the people around you.

Pig Headed or Wise, Which Do You Choose to Be?

2011-06-13T19:27:00.003-04:00

My father-in-law was a farmer at heart. He always planted a big garden and raised enough meat for the family table. One particular pig he owned was interesting. It appears the pig had been bitten several times by the electric fence that surrounded him. He got to the point where he would get back from the fence, paw the ground, squeal loudly, and charge. He knew he was going to be shocked but his desire to escape became greater than his fear of the pain. He would run full speed into the fence squealing all the way. When he was on the other side he would usually head to the neighbors yard to destroy the lawn.

The electric fence was not there to torture the pig. It was there to provide a place of safety, where he would have access to all he needed and would be free from the dangers of traffic and the neighbor’s gun. Apparently, the pig was not smart enough to realize this. He saw the fence an infringement on his desire to roam. He chose the inevitable pain from wandering over the comfort of remaining within the boundaries set by his owner.

Many people are like this pig. I guess you could say they are pig headed. While they are aware of the boundaries God has placed on their lives, they do not seem to understand God’s reasons for placing them there .They see them as hindrances to the happiness they seek. They believe they drain all the fun out of life. Of course, this thinking is completely wrong. God’s boundaries are not to deny us the joys of living but to protect us from the accesses within our hearts. So much of the pain people suffer is directly the result of their own or someone else’s refusal to live within his boundaries.

What we do not seem to understand is that there is no safer place than within the boundaries God has given. To live outside them, makes us vulnerable to the pain the world has to offer. To live within them gives us a place of security and comfort in good times and in bad. These truths leave each one of us with a choice. We can choose to be pig headed or we can make the more reasonable choice of living within the boundaries God has given us. One makes us vulnerable to all kinds of dangers and the other gives us the cover of God’s provision. Which will you choose?

Why Vision Matters

2011-05-30T09:47:00.001-04:00

The eleventh chapter of Hebrews is sometimes called the “Roll Call of the Faithful”. It contains a listing of many of the heroes of the Old Testament. The last two verses read, “And all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised, because God had provided something better for us, so that apart from us they should not be made perfect”(Hebrews11:39, 40). What could cause so many to sacrifice so much without ever seeing the full fruit of their labor? They all had a vision of the coming of God’s Kingdom. While they did not understand all there was to know about the coming of the Messiah, they believed He was coming. Their vision of something better motivated them to do great things.

The power of vision is no less important today. The world understands this power. Church leaders have the same responsibility. Vision is important, because it enables people to see beyond what is to what can be. Without vision the old adage, “If you keep on doing what you have always done, you will keep on getting what you have always got,” becomes true.

Vision is important for leaders for three reasons. One, the power of vision helps us overcome the fear of the unknown. Uncertainty influences people to cling to the present and less likely to think in the future. Vision gives a reason for taking a risk and believing that there is something better on the horizon.

Two, the power of vision enables us to overcome the fear of sacrifice. Progress requires sacrifice. John Maxwell said, “If I succeed without sacrifice, then it’s because someone who went before me made the sacrifice. If I sacrifice, and don’t see success, then someone who follows will reap success from my sacrifice.” The task of leadership is to demonstrate the sacrifices demanded today are worth the rewards they will bring in the future.

Three, the power of vision enables us to learn from the past, to live in the present and to believe in the future. The wise visionary does not forget the past. He learns from past successes and failures but he refuses to live there. The visionary lives in the present, but he never loses his belief that the best is yet to come. Most importantly, great leaders are able to transmit their vision to their followers.

Our nation and our churches are in need of this kind of leadership The problems we face will not be solved by finger pointing and false promises. Like the problems of the past, they will be solved through hard work and sacrifice. We should pray for God to raise up leaders who will cast a vision that will convince us the sacrifice will be worth it. As you pray, remember you may be that leader.

The Danger of Unbridled Freedom

2011-05-26T15:40:00.002-04:00

June 24, 2009

Each year on the last Monday of May we celebrate Memorial Day. It is a day to remember and honor the men and women of our armed forces who have paid the ultimate sacrifice for our liberties. Our freedom has not come cheap but it has been paid for with the blood of the men and women of our armed forces. It has provided an environment in which we can seek to reach our full potential. It has enabled us to speak out in favor or against the issues we feel strongly about. Unfortunately, it has become a blessing we take for granted.

Not only do we take our freedom for granted, we fail to understand that freedom will never survive if it is not accompanied by responsibility. Somewhere in our journey we have lost sight of responsibility. Instead, most demand an unhindered right to go and do as they please with little thought of how it might effect those around them. We have forgotten that unbridled freedom or freedom minus a sense of responsibility leads down a slippery slope until those who seek it find themselves enslaved to the very things they have sought.

The search for unbridled freedom intensified during the sixties and has continued to the present. All around us, we can see the harvest of the fruit of such a philosophy. We see it in things such as the insistence on abortion on demand, a multi-billion dollar pornography business, an increasingly loud clamor for same-sex marriage, nightly programming on television that deal with topics during prime time that would not have been mentioned at any hour years ago, a movement to make illegal drugs legal, teachers hindered from demanding discipline in the classroom, an obsession with a long list of political correct dogma, a concentrated effort to remove all mention of God in the public arena, etc.

Those who support this road toward unbridled freedom believe these things are evidence of progress. They claim that these things represent a new openness and liberty. They see it as a victory of the soul from the repression of religion. Others see this as a road toward disaster. They believe that this land has been blessed by God and that His blessings will not continue forever if we continue to seek an unbridled freedom that forgets the basic laws He has given to us.

I believe that the late Peter Marshall, former Chaplain to the United States Senate, would be among the later group if he were alive today. He said years ago, "The choice before us is plain: Christ or chaos, conviction or compromise, discipline or disintegration. I am rather tired of hearing about our rights and privileges as American citizens. The time is come – it is now – when we ought to hear about the duties and responsibilities of our citizenship. America’s future depends upon her accepting and demonstrating God’s government."

For a half a century, our society has been in a downward spiral toward an unbridled freedom that will ultimately lead to our demise. Whether the slide will continue remains to be seen. If it is to be reversed, there must be a time of repentance and revival in our land. If revival is to come to our land, it must begin with God’s Church. It must begin in my heart and in yours. A thousand years from now when new civilizations read about us they will discuss the results of the choices we make in the years ahead.

One Step at a Time

2011-05-23T10:50:00.001-04:00

Have you ever wondered why it is so difficult for God’s children to have a clear picture of His will for their lives? While there are many things the enemy puts in our path to blind us, there are two tactics he uses more than others. If we overcome these two things, we move much closer to knowing and doing His will.

The first tool of the enemy can be found in the thirteenth chapter of the Book of Numbers. It contains the story of twelve spies who went to scout the Promised Land for the Jews following their deliverance from Egypt. Upon their return, only Joshua and Caleb gave positive reports. The remainder reported there was giants in the land and recommended they not go into it. The people listened to the ten and ended up wandering in the wilderness for forty years. The lesson for today is that we should never let fear stand in the way of any assignment that God gives. Faith tells us that He provides every need to accomplish every task that He gives.

The second tool is found in the thirteenth chapter of First Samuel. Earlier, King Saul had been given directions by the Prophet Samuel to go to Gilgal and to remain for seven days until he came. He said when he came he would offer burnt offerings and sacrifice peace offerings. Then, he would tell Saul what he was to do. The seventh day came and Samuel was no where to be found. As the day passed, the threat of the Philistines created fear in the people and impatience in Saul. Finally, Saul took matters into his own hands and made the offerings and sacrifices himself. Immediately following his actions, Samuel arrived. For his disobedience Saul lost the privilege of his kingdom enduring forever through his heirs. The lesson for today is that we should always wait and do things according to God’s timing and not our own.

Here you have two stories that demonstrate the mistakes people make. First, fear causes them to dig in their heels and to refuse to move forward. Second, impatience causes them to panic and to rush ahead of God’s timing. Both responses lead to disaster. These two blunders lead us to ask how we can know it is from God and it is the right time to do something.

I believe the most important ingredient in discovering and following God’s time table is to engage in intensive prayer. James 1: 5 says, “But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” (NASB) As we pray, it is important that we realize that God wants us to be successful in discovering and doing His will. He does not hide His will from us. He does not want us to fail. Therefore, if we will put self behind us and be open to what He reveals, we can be assured that He will help us to see clearly, not only what He has for us to do but when He wishes for us to do it.

As we pray we must do so with faith. It is faith that can overcome our fears and calm our impatience. It is faith that brings us our greatest blessings. Andrew Murray said it this way, “Be assured that if God waits longer than you could wish, it is only to make the blessing doubly precious. God waited four thousand years, till the fullness of time, ere He sent His Son. Our times are in His hands; He will avenge His elect speedily; He will make haste for our help, and not delay one hour too long.”

What we can learn from the example of the Jews and King Saul is that we should never pull back from a God assigned task in fear and we should never become over zealous and race ahead of Him. The best strategy is to walk with Him step by step. When we do, He will lead you to the place He wants you to be.

Replacing Frustration with Gratification

2011-05-18T13:55:00.002-04:00

The summer following my graduation from high school, I was employed by a furniture manufacturing company. On my first day at work, the supervisor placed me at the rear of the plant nailing chair arms together. This was a simple task that consisted of nailing two pieces of lumber together at a right angle. My first impression was that this was going to be a piece of cake. This impression soon became wishful thinking. Between the times I hit my thumb and the times I bent the nails, I was able to nail the boards correctly.

Being an astute judge of talent, my supervisor recognized that my talents were not being utilized. Since my clothing was drenched in sweat, he could see that it was not a matter of laziness or lack of effort. He could also see my frustration. Finally, he removed me from the task and took me to the loading dock in the rear of the plant. He directed me to a huge lumber truck that needed to be unloaded and said get to work. While some might see this as a demotion, I saw it as a lifesaver. The work was hard but it was a task that I was comfortable doing.

Like my brief encounter with nailing chair arms together, there are many individuals in our churches that are working hard at a task that they are not equipped to do. They are faithful workers who wish to do a good job, but they find little satisfaction in what they are doing. Their task becomes a job to accomplish rather than a ministry to enjoy. They live for the day that they can pass their job to the next person that finds himself on the nominating committee’s radar. Their lack of fulfillment in their work makes them less enthusiastic about accepting the next job they are asked to take. When this scenario continues to repeat itself, it is easy to understand why it is difficult to get people to serve.

God’s word has an answer to the dilemma. Paul wrote, “And since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let each exercise them accordingly” (Romans 12:6a NASB). Peter wrote, “As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God” (I Peter 4:10 NASB).

The implications from these verses are huge. They suggest that God has given us all a gift for the purpose of serving others. Since we all do not have the same gift, there are things that we don’t enjoy. Consequently, we do not do them well. On the other hand, if we are using the gifts God has given to us, we will accomplish much more and we will receive a genuine blessing from our work.

This raises the question about how we find our gift or gifts. There are numerous books on the subject. While they can be helpful, it is important to remember that people in God’s church were discovering their gifts and using them to serve others long before there was printing. With this in mind, let me suggest a starting place. Consider starting by submitting to serve wherever God shows you He wants you to serve. Then begin praying that He will reveal to you where He wishes to use you. Next, give close thought to what you would like to do if you could choose from all the tasks that are found in the church. Assuming you have no ulterior motives, the desire of your hearts may well hold the secret to how God has gifted you to serve. He really does want you to succeed and He wants you to be blessed by your efforts. He wants to turn your frustration into gratification.

Elderly Examples

2011-05-13T23:24:00.002-04:00

May 13, 2011

Daniel 9:2-3 “I, Daniel, understood from the Scriptures, according to the word of the Lord given to Jeremiah the prophet that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years. So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes. “

Last night I read the streaming message on the bottom of the television screen that ninety-two year old Billy Graham suffers from pneumonia and is hospitalized in North Carolina. Always interested in his ministry and family, I prayed for all of them during this difficult time. Just this week I received his daughter, Anne’s, newsletter. I read with great interest all that goes on in AnGel Ministries. Also, the news media seems to seek out Franklin Graham more and more for political opinions. Praise God for the witness and godly example of this entire family. My family has been influenced by that family.

The Old Testament prophet, Daniel stands among the greatest of examples that God gives us when it comes to men of strong godly character in the face of overwhelming odds even in their later years. After seventy years in Babylonian exile, Daniel demonstrates how standing tall is done. The first three verses of chapter nine describe Daniel’s continuing character into old age. While studying that chapter this morning I thought immediately of a modern day Daniel…The Reverend Billy Graham.

Daniel knew his politics. Whether or not he sought out the political arena, he seemed to have been ‘thrown into it’ a number of times. I found it interesting that the news scroll that stated Mr. Graham’s physical condition, included the fact that he had met with almost every U. S. President in office during his ministry. I’m quite sure that whatever influence he had stands out in their minds, whether or not they followed any counsel he offered.

The prophet Daniel obviously knew God’s Word. He searched and knew the prophecies of Jeremiah so well that on his calendar, the time of his people’s exile was about to expire. So, what did he do? Daniel turned to the Lord God and pleaded for his people. Daniel, an old man, demonstrates the dire circumstances of a nation, and a people that need deliverance.

I cannot count the times The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association seeks prayer for this nation and the nations of the world to come back to the Lord God Almighty. The overwhelming example of prayer through the years goes beyond the pale.

I am humbled and unashamed to say that the Lord God of Daniel and the Lord God of Billy Graham is my Lord and God. Will I follow their example to be a devout example and intercessor even into my old age?

Finding Oneness in Diversity

2011-05-10T23:31:00.001-04:00

My first fulltime staff position at a church was Minister of Youth,Children and Activities. Early in my ministry, I learned quickly it wasn’t wise to ask forty children, if they wanted to eat at McDonald’s or Burger King. With few exceptions the results of the vote would be an almost even split. In the end I would be the one who had to make the decision. After several experiences in the democratic method, I made the decision I would make the decision without any input from the kids on the bus.

Years later, when I became a pastor, I discovered those forty kids had grown up and followed me. The things they disagreed about as grownups had the same amount of spiritual significance as the choice between McDonalds and Burger King. The difference was I could no longer use my position to command them to accept my choice without questioning my authority and opinions. I had to discover a strategy that would enable them to become one in the midst of their diversity.

For years I sought for a strategy in the books experts had written. I got a lot of good information but I could not find the magical ingredient that could solve the problem of bringing unity from diversity. Finally, I had a novel idea. Why not go back to the beginning and see what God’s word had to say. I found my answer in Ephesians 4:1-6. In these verses I found a three step strategy.

First, I would preach regularly about our responsibility to mediate upon our calling and to walk worthy of it. (See Eph. 4:1). As a Christian I am not my own. I belong to the one who has called me and my primary responsibility is to be His ambassador on earth. When I put myself first and create tension within His family I am a disgrace to my calling and a hindrance to His work. Therefore, I should do everything within my power to seek unity in the body.

Second, I would preach regularly about our responsibility to imitate the attitudes of Christ (See Eph. 4; 2, 3). Five attitudes are mentioned in these verses, humility, gentleness, patience, forbearance, love and peace. Today, most people see these traits as weak and ineffective. In Paul’s day, they were seen as signs of strength. When correctly understood, it is easy to see how they would help lead to an atmosphere of cooperation and not confrontation

Third, I would concentrate on the things we had in common in my preaching (Eph. 4:4-6). In these verses Paul emphasizes the things all Christians share, one body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism and one God and Father. When understood, these things in common are much more important than our disagreement over what color the carpet should be.

I did not wait for controversy to arise before I began preaching on these topics. I made them a priority in my preaching. When controversy did arise, with God’s help, I tried to model these things in my personal response. These strategies didn’t eliminate differences of opinion, but they did help us to work out solutions that maintained unity without unanimity. Fortunately, we didn’t have to deal with issues concerning matters of biblical principle but we did resolve many issues that dealt with the personal preferences of our members. We did it by living the truths Ephesians 4:1-6 taught us.

The best part of this plan was the one who received the credit for our unity. If you asked the folks how they maintained a spirit of unity, they would not say the pastor, the deacons, or other church leaders. They would say God and His word rightly applied in their midst was the source. Shouldn’t the goal of each of our churches be to take our eyes off of each other and to look to God for solutions? He is the one with the answers.

Mama's Boy

2011-05-07T19:46:00.002-04:00

Mama's Boy
By David Lynn

“No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thorn bushes, or grapes from briers. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.” (Luke 6:43-45 NIV)

Question to consider: What type of fruit do you bear?

My wife insists that I’m a momma’s boy. To most people that remark would be offensive, but in my case, I wear the title with a sense of pride. I can’t describe a lifetime of learning experiences, but I would like to share a few sound bites that my mother has etched into my mind. These expressions represent a legacy my mother continues to build.

“Grace and peace.” This is the message I hear every time my family leaves my parents’ house two hours away. My mother prays with us before we leave, and it’s her way of asking God to keep us safe as we travel.

“Here is a verse for the day.” I can't tell you how many times my mother has shared a Scripture verse with me to help encourage or direct me in some way. I have found these verses in my pocket, in my books, on my breakfast plate, and most recently they appear in my email.

“I'll be praying for you.” Through these simple words, my mother has proven to me time and time again that she is the greatest prayer warrior I know, and I have benefited from her faithfulness my entire life.

“The Lord has laid this on my heart.” If my mother has you on her mind, she is going to pray for you, and it doesn't end there. She will tell you what she feels the Lord is sharing with her. When she shares her wisdom, I listen.
“Here is a heart thought.” These are devotionals that my mother writes and shares with me. They mean the world to me because they are expressions of her thoughts and prayers.

“What is the Lord saying to you?” This is my mother's way of telling me I don't need to be concerned with what I want; I need to listen to what God has to say.

“I love you.” This is the simplest of all messages, but it’s the one that transcends all other messages. It is an unconditional message I have heard and felt my entire life.

I am a momma’s boy because I appreciate, love, and respect my mother's godly example in my life, and I wouldn't trade it for anything. Scripture teaches that a tree is recognized by its fruit, and I thank God that I have been blessed with the privilege of recognizing the fruits of the Spirit in my mother. Out of the overflow of her heart her mouth speaks, and her love and passion for her Savior Jesus Christ is eternally evident as she continues to build a legacy in my life today.

Prayer for today:
I praise You, God, for giving me a godly mother and godly wife who can leave an eternal legacy with my three young boys. Amen.

2011-05-07T09:47:00.002-04:00

A Tribute to the Incredible Power of Motherhood
By Dennis Lynn

Since President Wilson made the official announcement in 1914, the second Sunday of May has been celebrated as Mother’s Day. It is the day that we are encouraged to pay tribute to our mothers. While our mothers are the focal point of the celebration, card shops, restaurants, department stores and other businesses that cater to the holiday are also beneficiaries of this much deserved holiday.

Despite all the attention, there is not enough thought given to the real impact that a mother can have on her child’s life. A great Biblical example of a mother’s impact can be found in Lois and Eunice, the grandmother and mother of the young pastor Timothy. While they were raising young Timothy, it is doubtful that they thought that their efforts would result in a young man who would be remembered for centuries to come. They just did the right things at the moment.
Paul gave them credit for the influence they had had on Timothy’s young life. He wrote, “For I am mindful of the sincere faith within you, which first dwelt in your grandmother Lois, and your mother Eunice, and I am sure that it is in you as well” (II Timothy 1:5 NASB). If we look at all the places that Timothy is mentioned in Scripture, we would come up with words like respected, compassionate, unselfish, encouraging, and faithful to describe him. These qualities did not develop in a vacuum. The seeds from which they grew were planted by Lois and Eunice as they related the old Bible stories to him from their knee.

In II Timothy 3:14,15 Paul writes,“You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them; and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus” (NASB). Here Paul is clearly crediting Lois and Eunice for instructing Timothy in the things of God during his childhood.

Little did they or the mothers who have followed them realize the lasting impact their faithfulness would have on history. Over and over you hear great men and women who relate back to their childhood and credit their mothers for being a key ingredient in their success. Billy Graham is a modern day example of this. He attributes much of his character development to the teachings of his mother. His mother had no idea the impact her training would have and the number of lives that would be positively affected by her efforts.

There are three words that are essential to understanding the awesome power of mothers. The words are influence; instruction; and impact. Mothers never forget that you are doing all three of these things each day. The question is,” how are you influencing and instructing your children. The answer to that question will help determine the impact that they will have on the generations to come.

Mothers appreciate all the attention but what they appreciate most is a big hug and the simple words, “I love you and appreciate all you do for me.”

A Lesson Learned at the Verizon Store

2011-05-04T12:52:00.002-04:00

It is amazing the situations in our lives that God uses to teach us valuable lessons. I learned one of these lessons a couple weeks ago at the Verizon Store.

My cell phone was doing things without me asking. I rushed it to the Verizon store to have it checked. While I was waiting for my name to be called, I walked around the store looking at the different products. Each one was placed neatly on display with a long list of the services it provided. I understood little the displays shared. The longer I browsed the more confusing it became. The thirty minutes I spent observing made me thankful I was not going to have to make a decision on which phone to buy.

When my name was called, I walked up to the technician and handed him my phone. He asked, “What is the problem?” I replied, “My phone doesn’t work.”

The initial exchange was followed by a series of questions, which I could not answer. I explained I was interested in being able to call and get calls. I finally took the phone back and, without verbal explanation, demonstrated what it was doing. I pushed the key that said dial and an unfamiliar screen appeared.

After several more minutes of questions I could not answer, the technician informed me that my calibration was totally out of whack. At first, I thought this was a personal insult but then I realized he was talking about the phone’s calibration, not mine. After several more painful minutes, he determined the phone was without hope and gave me a new one.

By the time I got in my car, my blood pressure had subsided, not because I understood what had just taken palace but because I had a new phone. As I started the car, I began to think about how this experience had made me feel. Emotions such as helpless, inadequate, ignorant, foolish, stupid, and angry came to mind. As I reflected, it became clear there was a bigger lesson to be learned.

My bigger lesson was a new understanding of the discomfort some people feel, when they attend church for the first time. Everything is new to them. They are not sure what is coming next. They can be confused about when to sit and when to stand. The terminology is totally new to them. Take for example these words from the first verse of the old hymn, “There is a Fountain”:

There is a fountain filled with blood
Drawn from Immanuel’s veins
And sinners plunged beneath that flood,
Lose all their guilty stains.

While these words bring comfort to the hearts of the believer, to the unbeliever without any fore-knowledge of the Christian message, they may sound more like lines from a horror flick than from a story of forgiveness and salvation. The list of things that look or sound strange to someone who has never been in a church setting and who knows nothing about the biblical story could go on and on.

My point is not that we should compromise the truth to make unbelievers feel more comfortable. I do not think we have to rewrite the hymn book and we certainly do not need to rewrite the Bible. (I am not speaking of different translations.) However, we do need to become more sensitive to the feelings of those who are totally unaware. We need to look for ways to tell the “Old, Old Story” in words that connect with the present generation.

Our missionaries understand the importance of this connection on the mission field. It is time we understand we are on a mission field. I believe we are the third largest mission field on the planet behind China and India. Is it not time we have the attitude of Paul found in I Corinthians 9:22, “To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak; I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some” (NASB)?

An Easter Meditation

2011-04-23T14:09:00.002-04:00

The Cross was not a thing to celebrate in the Roman world. It was above all else a symbol of death. It represented a painful death. Make no mistake, when Christ went to the Cross He felt the fullness of the pain and suffering it involved. The stripes upon His back were real; the spikes in His hands were real; the thorns upon His head were real; the strain upon His muscles was real; His death was real; and it all was for you and for me. He died that we might be forgiven our sins and restored to fellowship with our Heavenly Father. He died that we might die to sin and live for righteousness.

It is so difficult for us today, sitting in our comfortable pews two thousand years removed from this historical event to fully embrace its meaning. How can we comprehend this kind of love? Yet, we must, because until we do, we can never fully embrace the Cross and live in the newness of life Christ died to give us.

Would you shut your eyes for a moment and imagine yourself standing at the foot of the Cross? See through your mind’s eye the blood running down. Hear Him as He cries victoriously, “It is finished!” Now hear his breathing as it slowly grows shallow until He finally looses consciousness and dies. He did that for you and for me; not because we deserved it, but because He loved us with an unconditional love and He wished to transform us from a life of sin resulting in death to a life lived in righteousness resulting in eternal life.

Through the years the skeptics have attempted to debunk the account of the resurrection. They have attempted to reduce it to a myth or to water it down to be some symbolic teaching. This is not new. From the beginning there were those who attempted to disprove the resurrection. Despite the fact that there is more historical evidence to the resurrection than there is to many things we accept as historical fact, skeptics today continue to try to debunk the resurrection. As they failed then, they fail now. Make no mistake the resurrection is not an option placed before us, it is a truth that is an essential part of our faith.

Paul addressed the issue and plainly stated that without the resurrection our faith is worthless and we are still in our sins; and if our only hope is in the life of Christ we are men most to be pitied. It is the resurrection that establishes the validity of everything Christ taught about Himself. If there was not a resurrection, then we have no more reason to believe Christ than any other religious leader. It is the resurrection that sets us apart. Christ is not a dead martyr, He is a living Lord.

God does not say that we must understand the resurrection. How can we? It contradicts everything we know about life and death. He does say that we must believe it. It is a matter of faith.

After appearing before His followers for a period of forty days, it came time for Christ to return to His heavenly home. His ascension was not to be forever. A common thread throughout Christendom from the day of His departure until today has been the belief that He would return.

Whole denominations have been founded upon a particular belief concerning the timing of the return of Christ. With all the different theories and interpretations, one thing remains constant among believers. This belief is that Christ is coming again. When He does come, the agony of the Cross will be replaced with a crown of majesty and every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that He is Lord of Lords, and King of Kings.

While we wait for His return it is important that each one of us live our lives in such a way as to enable us to look upon His coming with great joy and anticipation. His coming should not be a fearful time for us. Instead, it should be a time we look forward to because it will usher in a welcomed time of fellowship with our Master that we have not yet experienced.

The Cross, the Resurrection, the Ascension and the Return of our Lord are all critical parts of our faith. Would you embrace these truths this Easter, if you have not all ready do so? If you all ready believe, would you embrace His love and commit your life to His service until He calls you home or until He comes again? These are the only choices you will ever make that have eternal consequences. Do not take them lightly.

Embrace Cross

2011-04-22T10:41:00.002-04:00

April 22, 2011

The public ministry of Christ began when He was thirty years old. His first recorded miracle was performed at a wedding. For many, this marks the beginning of His public ministry. His ministry was one of healing for those who were broken and downtrodden. Wherever He went He attracted crowds. Unfortunately, most of the people were interested in His miracles and not in a personnel relationship with the miracle worker.

When the excitement of the healing passed and Christ talked of the ultimate cost of following Him, the crowds quickly thinned. This falling away is graphically illustrated with the attitude change that took place between the trip into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday and the mob’s cry for crucifixion a few short days latter. How quickly they passed from cheering to jeering the Savior.

From the beginning He was a thorn in the side of the established religious leaders. Partly because they felt threatened by His teaching and partly because He did not resemble the Messiah they expected. They followed his ministry closely, not for the purpose of learning, but for the purpose of attacking him. In the end they felt they had won the struggle because Christ’s ministry ended in what appeared to be complete failure. His ministry of love and healing was rewarded with a painful trip to the cross.

Little has changed through the centuries. During this Easter season, people who wear the name Christian will gather all around the world to celebrate the resurrection of the Christ. They will recognize that something is missing in their life. They will desperately long for the peace, joy and abundant life that Christ has promised in the Gospels. However, when they are confronted with the high cost of discipleship, when they realize that they can not experience the fullness of the joy, peace and abundance that Christ wishes them to have without embracing the Cross and dying to self, they walk away and say, “This is too hard.”

We settle for what man can do. We settle for what the world offers. We settle for less than what God promises because we are not willing to embrace the cross. C.S. Lewis explains it this way in “The Weight of Glory”. “Indeed, if we consider the staggering nature of the rewards promised us in the Gospels, it would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink, sex, and ambition when infinite joy is offered us. We are like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.”

This Easter do not settle for less that God would have you to have. Trust in Him; embrace the Cross; and believe that He will give you all that He has said.

Great Teams Have No Stars

2011-04-18T23:17:00.002-04:00

Reflections

My mind often reflects upon the twenty years of my life, eight as a player and twelve as a coach, when I was consumed with athletics. Memories of two a day practices, smelly locker rooms,and sore muscles remind me that hard work is necessary for success. However, the greatest lesson athletics taught me was that great teams were not great because of their star power but because of their teamwork.

This truth was drilled into me while I coached at Woodruff High School under legendary Coach W.L. Varner. During my six years, we won four conference championships, two upper state championships and one state championship. My final season, we went twelve and two and won the state championship. This was not unusual for Woodruff at the time. It was expected by the community and demanded by Coach Varner.

Contrary to what most people thought, we didn’t have that many great athletes. We had many good athletes but Coach Varner would not allow us to have stars. No matter a player’s talent level, there was no special treatment. When it came time to run the opposing team’s offense against our defense, the starters on offensive took their turns running the ball like everyone else. When the game was over on Friday night, win or lose, everyone knew that it was a team effort. The one who blocked for extra point attempts felt just as important as the one who scored the touchdowns. There were no stars.

This lesson carries over into life. Teamwork eventually out performs star power. It is true in the work place and it is especially true in the church. In fact, the bible makes it clear that there are to be no stars on God’s team. The Apostle Peter wrote these words, “As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to who belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever, Amen.” (I Peter 4:10, 11 NASB). From this scripture it is clear that God gives the talent and the assignment. It is equally true God deserves the praise, leaving no room for stars.

From the following account from John Wesley’s life, found in the book, 33 Laws of Stewardship, it would appear Wesley understood this truth. When he was approached by a young man who felt his service to the church was unimportant, Wesley responded “Sir, we are building God’s temple. Go now and read the third chapter of Nehemiah and learn that he who repaired the dung gate was counted of as much honor as he who worked on the gate of the fountain. All did their bit; you and I can do no more.”

The point in all of this is that everyone in God’s church is important. There is no partiality with God. There are no little jobs. There are no stars, only stewards of the grace that God has given to us.

The Power of Words

2011-04-10T14:36:00.002-04:00

The writer of the Book of James sums up biblical teaching on the tongue with these words, “But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God” (James 1:19, 20 NASB). It is important to notice two things in these verses. First, our speech and our anger are closely linked. Second, we need to listen more and talk less.

The writer’s admonition is better understood, when we realize the power of our words. They have the power to heal or to hurt. They have the power to calm or to crush. They can be used to build up or to tear down. It is important for us to choose them carefully. Here are a few suggestions on speaking positively. Remember to think before you speak. We may mean well, but if our words are thoughtless, they can cause great harm. While an occasional thoughtless comment may go unnoticed, a pattern of continuous thoughtless words in our homes, our workplaces, and in all of our relationships can cause immeasurable harm. Careless speech can poison our living environment.

Do not use the truth as a weapon, but speak the truth in love. The truth is not always what someone wants to hear. When the need to admonish arises, it is important to look for the proper time to speak and to speak in a proper tone. If anger is involved give the initial outburst time to abate and look for a private moment to address the issue. Keep in mind the tone of your conversation is as important as the substance. If your tone is judgmental, condescending, or arrogant, you can be assured that what you say will not be well received. If you use a tone that says you really care and your motive is to help, you increase the possibility of being heard. Whenever possible listen to what those around you have to say. God gave us two ears and one mouth for a reason. By listening, we can be prepared to speak wisely when the time comes. We would do well to learn a lesson from the wise old owl in the poem below.

A wise old owl Sat in an oak

The more he saw The less he spoke

The less he spoke The more he heard

Let us try to be more Like that old bird.

(Author Unknown)

If each one of us learned to be more cautious with our words, we might discover we can accomplish more from listening carefully than from speaking unwisely. The result would be a more pleasant environment in our homes, community, church, workplace and every other place people congregate together.

Reflections for April 2011

2011-04-04T10:20:00.001-04:00

"Leadership"

One of the greatest needs in our country today is leadership. This is true in churches, government, business, education and every other endeavor. Without strong leadership the best anyone can expect is mediocrity. John Maxwell said, “An organization can not rise above its level of leadership.” The primary reason that there is deep dissatisfaction with government on all levels is the lack of clear, strong leadership. People of all political persuasions are crying for someone to stand up and cast a vision for the future. Instead, politicians are satisfied with standing around pointing fingers and assigning blame.

There is no better book on leadership than the Bible. As one studies the characters in the Bible, one sees basic truths about leadership put into action. Whether it is Moses, Joshua, David, Ezra, Peter, Paul or countless other characters there are at least three characteristics that they shared.

One, a leader is able to see beyond what is to what can be. This does not mean that a leader doesn’t have a full understanding of the past and the present. It does mean he/she is not willing to stay there. Look back over the history of our nation. There have been many difficult times. We have not always done things the correct way. With every difficulty, someone has risen to the top and has helped us to see that there was something better in the future. It was the vision of the Promised Land that kept the Jews going for forty years in the wilderness but it was Moses who kept this vision in front of the people.

Two, a leader is willing to take risk to make things better. He is willing to sacrifice in the now in order to insure the future. Maxwell said, “If I succeed without sacrifice, then it’s because someone who went before me made the sacrifice. If I sacrifice, and don’t see success, then someone who follows will reap success from my sacrifice.” Read the eleventh chapter of Hebrews, especially verses 38, 39. Why were these great men and women of faith willing to sacrifice so much? It was because they had a vision of the greatness that was to come. Leaders understand that the risk and sacrifice of today is necessary to reach the goals for tomorrow.
Third, a leader has perseverance. Things do not change overnight. A leader does not change course every time the wind shifts. He sets the example and keeps his focus on the vision laid before him. Books are filled with individuals that could have given up. Instead, they viewed each problem as an opportunity for greatness. They believed and lived Galatians 6:9. It reads, “And let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we shall reap if we do not grow weary.” (NASB)

As God’s people, we need to pray that He will raise up men and women who fit the description above, who are willing to stand above the finger pointing, and who are willing to paint a picture of our future that motivates our people to move beyond the bickering partisan politics that has been so prevalent in recent years and to move into the future with optimism and hope.

March 28, 2011

2011-03-27T17:07:00.004-04:00

Facing the Foundational Issues of Church Health

My first twelve years, after graduating from college, were spent coaching and teaching. Like most locker rooms, ours was covered with signs for the purpose of motivating our players. Probably, the most profound sign was the shortest. It simply read, “Block and Tackle.” It was a constant reminder that nothing we did, no matter how innovative, would work, if we did not block and tackle. Those two things were essential to the success of everything we attempted.

Like the sport of football, every endeavor in life has certain fundamental things that must be accomplished before success will happen. This concept is true with church building. During my thirty-plus years of ministry, there have been many new and innovative ideas put forward about how to build churches. There is no doubt many have worked diligently to see the church grow. Yet, most of what we hear today is discouraging in regards to the health of the church in America. Could it be we have lost sight of the foundational issues that must be settled before a church can be healthy?

I suggest there are three foundational issues that must be resolved before the church can be healthy. First, we must deal with the issue of proprietorship. In Matthew 16:18 Jesus said, “I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Proprietorship implies ownership but it also implies authority. Paul made this clear, when he wrote to the Colossians. He wrote, “He is also the head of the body, the church; He is the beginning, the first born from the dead, so that He might come to have first place in everything” (Colossians 1:18 HCSB).

Despite this clear word from scripture, many of our churches find themselves stymied in their growth, because they have not settled this issue. If our churches are to remain relevant in our world, we must settle it. We must wholeheartedly accept that the church does not belong to the pastor, the deacons, the founding fathers or any other group. Jesus must be recognized as the sole proprietor.

The second foundational issue is one of purpose. Once again, scripture speaks loudly and clearly to this issue. The Great Commission commands us to “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19a HCSB). If we are to accomplish this purpose, we must first understand what a disciple is. We can’t make something if we do not know what it is to look like when it is completed. On the foreign field we usually equate discipleship with evangelism and at home we measure it by how many courses our church offers each year. Both of these are admirable goals, but by themselves, they do not complete the making of a disciple.

When this command was given, there was a clear understanding about the relationship between a teacher and his disciples. A disciple’s ultimate goal was not only to know what the teacher taught but to become like the teacher. Evangelism and teaching are obviously necessary in the building of disciples, but they are not enough. True discipleship is not measured by what you know but by how you live. If we are to be successful in fulfilling this purpose, we must realize our ultimate goal is to assist believers in becoming like Jesus.

The third issue is one of practice. It is often in this area we run into problems. Generally, the problems result from the inability to distinguish between principles and preferences. A principle is written in stone. It can’t be changed. For example, John 14:6 is a principle. It reads, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (HCSB). This is an eternal principle. It was true when it was written; it is true today; and it will be true until Jesus comes. Any attempt to water it down erodes the foundation upon which our entire faith is built. On the other hand, a preference has to do with a personal choice. For example, one only needs to go to the Book of Psalms to see that the Word allows for a wide variety of worship practices.

When it comes to principle, we should maintain the steadfastness of Paul, when he wrote, “For the Jews ask for signs and the Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the Gentiles” (I Corinthians 1:22, 23 (HCSB). When it comes to preference, we should have the humility of Paul, when he wrote, “Do nothing out of rivalry or conceit, but in humility consider others more important than yourselves. Everyone should look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interest of others: (Philippians 2:3, 4 HCSB).

As we approach the close of another year, my prayer is that we will give God thanks for all the marvelous teaching tools He has made available to us, and that we would be honest with ourselves, realizing these tools will not provide long lasting results until we deal with the issues of proprietorship, purpose and practice. Once we have dealt with these in a God honoring manner, there are no limits to what He will do through us.

March 22

2011-03-21T23:40:00.002-04:00

Reflections
God’s Measure for Success

When Paul Harvey, famous journalist and radio commentator, was asked to reveal the secret of his success, he responded, "I get up when I fall down." John Maxwell devoted an entire book to the initial failures of successful people. In his book, Failing Forward, he wrote, “When it comes right down to it, I know of only one factor that separates those who consistently shine from those who don’t. The difference between average people and achieving people is their perception of and response to failure. Nothing else has the same kind of impact on people’s ability to achieve and to accomplish whatever their minds and hearts desire.” The point is that few people rise to the level of success without first passing through the portals of failure.

These truths are found in the struggle for success in both the temporal and spiritual world. Unfortunately, most people think of success only in the temporal world. This is why so many people reach a high level of success in their field of expertise and still have emptiness inside they can’t seem to satisfy. We see this in business executives, high- paid athletes, movie stars, and other worldly endeavors. The reality is that temporal success plus spiritual failure may allow us to live life more comfortably, but it will never bring us the enter peace that the heart of man craves..

If spiritual success is important, it would be to our benefit to understand how to measure it. I believe that there are four signs of spiritual success found in the first psalm. Read it for yourself and see if you can not see these four things. First, a successful spiritual life is one that has found and maintained strong moral stability(v. 1). Second, it is a life that is spiritually oriented and that takes delight in spiritual things (v, 2). Third, it is a life that bears good fruit. (v.3). Fourth, it is a life that has no doubt about its eternal security (v. 6) Another way of saying it is that a spiritually successful person lives right, loves the things of God, produces a positive influence on his/her world and has no doubt about his/her final destination.

Like temporal success, our spiritual success does not always come easy. We stumble and fall. With each failure, there is a lesson we should learn. It is we can’t succeed on our own. Self-will and determination is not enough. We need help; we need the daily guidance of God’s Spirit in our lives. He is the one who shines light on our failures but He is also the one who will extend a hand to lift us up. If we choose not to yield to His leadership, spiritual success will pass us by.

If these words seem to be more discouraging than encouraging reach out and take His hand. It is always extended toward you. It begins by acknowledging you can’t do it on your own. Let Him lift you up and dust you off. He will lead you to success. Do not dwell on past failures but remember, “It is not how hard you get knocked down but how fast you get up that really matters.”

Reflections for March 17

2011-03-17T11:29:00.001-04:00

Sebastian’s Lesson on Grace

Sebastian was an Old English Sheep Dog rescued from the pound. He was extremely intelligent and he tried to be obedient to our commands. In the beginning, it was obvious his obedience came from fear of punishment. When he was told to do something, he lowered his head and attempted to do it, but there was no light in his eyes.

After months of loving care, Sebastian began to change. He remained the most compliant dog we have ever owned, but he no longer held his head down. When he obeyed, he held his head high. The blank look in his eyes was replaced by a sparkle. It became clear that his greatest joy came from pleasing us. He was no longer responding out of fear. Instead, he was responding out of appreciation for the loving care he received.

Many Christians are like the young Sebastian. All of their lives, they have been beaten up with the threat of God’s judgment. They recognize God’s Law is for their good and attempt to obey it. When they fail, they are fearful of God’s punishment and when they succeed they do not promised, but instead, they live a life of constant fear of punishment for their failures.
Other Christians are more the older Sebastian. They have a better grasp of God’s grace. They understand that all of God’s prohibitions in Scripture were given for our protection and provision. They realize God does want His children to live a life filled with the things He has promised. While they know God does not turn His head on their sin, they accept He is patient with them. They realize they are going to fail along the way, but they also realize God is faithful to forgive their failures if they are faithful to confess them. Instead of using this understanding of God’s grace as a license to sin, they use it as a motivation to do the right things. Their understanding of God’s grace motivates them to have a deep desire to be pleasing in His sight. In response to His grace, they desire to serve Him out of a spirit of appreciation and not out of a spirit of fear. They learn the joy of service motivated by appreciation and their lives are richly blessed.

Reflections for February 18, 2011

2011-02-18T16:21:00.001-05:00

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1 NASB)

In many ways, this is the second most important verse in the Bible. It tells us two things about God. First, it affirms that God exists in the realm of eternity. If in the beginning He created, He would have had to exist before the beginning. Second, it tells us of His immeasurable power. Creation in this verse does not imply He traveled throughout the galaxies gathering material with which to create the world. It tells us He spoke and it came into being. Man can discover, invent, rearrange but he must always work from that which all ready exist. He can’t create; he can only rearrange that which exists into a different form. In the truest sense, only God can create something from nothing.

This verse is important because if we can believe it all the other miracles in the Bible become small in comparison. When we truly believe God created out of nothing, it becomes much easier to believe He parted the sea, made the sun stand still, made an axe head float, healed the sick, raised the dead, raised up and brought down kings, and the list goes on and on.

This leads me to the most important verse in the Bible. “For God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16 NASB). This verse tells us that God, knowing our propensity to sin, provided a way for us to be restored to fellowship with Him.

You might ask, “What does this have to do with me/” It should remind us that our problems, while mountains to us, are blimps on God’s radar. If He can create from nothing, surely He can intervene and work to transform our adversity into blessings. Not only that, He provides us with the joy of knowing that through Christ we will someday join Him in the realm of the eternal. Therefore, whatever your burden is today, if you will accept and concentrate upon these two biblical truths, it will become more manageable.

Reflections for February 4, 2011

2011-02-04T16:50:00.001-05:00

"Waiting On God"

My first full time staff position at a church was Minister of Youth and Activities. Midway through the four and one half years I served in the position, I felt a strong leading of the Lord to move toward a preaching ministry. After I received permission from the deacons to speak on Sunday at other churches, I felt my greatest problem would be scheduling the opportunities I would have. After six months of waiting, I had received zero opportunities. In my frustration, I sat at my desk, closed my eyes, opened my bible, placed my finger on the page and prayed, “God show me what you want me to do.” When I opened my eye my finger was on Psalm 27:14: “Wait for the Lord, be strong and let your heart take courage; yes, wait for the Lord (NASB). While this was not the answer I wanted, it was the one I needed. After thirty-five years in ministry, God has shown me repeatedly the wisdom of heeding His advice and the folly of succumbing to my fears and impatience and following my own time table.

In the thirteenth chapter of the Book of Numbers there is the story of the twelve spies who went to scout the Promised Land for the Jewish people following their deliverance from Egypt. Of the twelve, only Joshua and Caleb gave positive reports. The remainder of the spies reported that there were giants in the land and recommended that they not go into it. The people listened to the ten and the Jews ended up wandering in the wilderness for forty years. The lesson for us today is that we should never let fear stand in the way of any assignment that God gives. Faith tells us that He provides every need to accomplish every task that He gives.

In the thirteenth chapter of First Samuel, there is another story that gives us an equally devastating response to fear. In Chapter 10:8, King Saul had been given directions by the Prophet Samuel to go to Gilgal and to remain there for seven days until he came. He said that when he came he would offer burnt offerings and sacrifice peace offerings. Then, he would tell Saul what he was to do. The seventh day came and Samuel was not to be found. As the day passed, the threat of the Philistines created fear in the people and impatience in Saul. Finally, Saul took matters into his own hands and made the offerings and sacrifices himself. Immediately following his actions, Samuel arrived. For his disobedience Saul lost the privilege of his kingdom enduring forever through his heirs. The lesson for today is that we should always wait and do things according to God’s timing and not our own.

Two years ago, I made the decision to retire from my church and to embark on a new course. My desire was to create a ministry that would assist churches in becoming all God wished for them to be. Today, I find myself in the same place I was thirty-five years ago. I am at a place of waiting for God to provide the opportunities that will help the dream of Entrusted Ministries to become a reality. Unfortunately, I struggle with waiting as much today as I did then. However, years of experience have proven over and over that God’s timing is everything.

If you are in a place of waiting, remember the Hebrews of long ago and the impatience of Saul years later. Their fear and impatience cost them dearly. Read Psalm 27:14: “Wait for the Lord, be strong and let your heart take courage; yes, wait for the Lord (NASB, Bold print added). Over and over God has proven this to be good advice for my life and He has always been on time. I am confident He will this time as well.

Reflections for January 21, 2011

2011-01-21T20:58:00.001-05:00

"Spiritual Checkup"

Few people look forward to their annual physical. Who wants to be poked, stuck, probed and interrogated? To make matters worse, you have to pay several hundred dollars to have it done. I do it, not because I want to do it, but because I know that it may well save me from something worse than the physical.

When it is all over, the doctor tells me what I need to do. In my case the advice given generally has something to do with food. My doctor has yet to tell me that a large plate of BBQ ribs with a large side of fries is good for me. Even worse, he has never told me that the calcium in the half a gallon (Yes, I mean a half of a gallon.) of ice cream that I would love to eat every night would help build my bones. Rarely, do I hear what I want to hear. Once I receive all the information, it belongs to me and I must choose whether I will heed it or ignore it. If I ignore it and the results are bad for me, the blame is on me.

The Apostle Paul writes about another type of examine in II Corinthians 13:5. His recommended examine is not of the physical kind but rather, of the spiritual kind. He wrote, “Test yourself to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you __ unless indeed you fail the test” (NASB)?

Paul doesn’t give specific tests to conduct but he does make clear that our examination should show evidence of the presence of Christ in our life. Rather, than giving a long list of things to observe, let me suggest three questions that would be helpful for you determine your spiritual welbeing. One, do you have an active prayer life or do you only pray when there is an emergency? Two, do you have a desire to know more about God’s Word or does it join the other coffee table books that you may have to decorate your table? Three, do you have a desire to be around others of like faith and to share in the fellowship of the body, the Church, or do you claim that you can do better going it alone? If your answer to these questions is never, rarely or only in times of great need, you may need to give more attention to your spiritual health, because God is clear that each one of these things is essential to the spiritual well-being of believers.

We can see these things prescribed plainly in God’s Word. I Thessalonians 5:17 reads, “pray without ceasing” (NASB). II Timothy 3:16 reads, “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work ”(NASB). Hebrews 10:23-25 reads, “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near” (NASB).

This brings us to the same point I find myself when I go for my annual physical. I am faced with a decision to heed the doctor’s directions or to ignore them. God has clearly given His directions and we face the choice of following them or ignoring them. To ignore them is to choose to go through life without the full spiritual vitality that He desires for us to have. One choice leads to frustration; the other leads to the fullness of life that God promises in His Word. The choice is ours.

Reflections for January 7, 2011

2011-01-07T15:46:00.003-05:00

"Return To Our First Love"

In chapters two and three in the Book of Revelation the Apostle John writes to the seven churches of Asia Minor. He first addresses the church in Ephesus. He commended it for carrying on its work in the face of great difficulties, for rejecting false teachers, for speaking against sin, and for not growing weary. It was loyal in its practices and doctrines and, like most or our churches today, it thought it was a church with which God would be pleased.

Following his commendations John pointed out one major complaint. It is found in Revelation 2:4. It is a complaint that all of our churches should heed. John wrote, “But I have this against you, that you have left your first love" (NASB). What was John saying? He was saying that they had become so mechanical in their motions that they had lost the miraculous devotion that they had experienced when Jesus Christ first became real to them. They had become caught up in their rituals and they had lost sight of the reality of the relationship that they had experienced with the One who made it all possible.

Does this sound like any church that you know? I think we would have to agree that many churches are so caught up in budget, programs, image, and hundreds of other things that they do not have energy left to simply bask in the good news of the Gospel. It is not that churches are doing the wrong things. It is that they are too often not doing the main thing. We would be wise to learn from the Shorter Catechisms derived from the Westminster Confession of Faith. In answer to the question, what is the chief end of man, it says, “Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever.”

When was the last time you glorified and enjoyed the person of Jesus Christ? Most of us have been so busy doing the business of the Church that we have not had any energy left to really enjoy the blessings of the church. Consequently, we have not fully enjoyed the peace, joy and abundance that He wishes us to have.

The good news is that John gives us a solution to this dilemma in the next verse. He wrote, “Remember therefore from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first” (NASB5a). You could call this the “3R’s” of restoring the joy of our salvation. First, we need to remember the joy and excitement we felt when Christ first became real to us and we invited Him into our hearts to be our Savior and Lord. Second, we need to repent of becoming too busy to have time to spend in developing our personal relationship with Him. Third, we need to return to the things we were doing at the beginning of the relationship. We need to devote ourselves to private time for reading the Word, praising God for our blessings, and praying privately to Him about all of our needs.

Imagine if every church followed John’s instructions to remember, repent and return to the way things were spiritually in the beginning. For to happen, it must start somewhere . We may not be able to speak for our entire church, but each one of us can speak for himself or herself. If enough of us would follow John’s admonition to remember, repent and return, we could revolutionize our churches. Sounds like an exciting way to start a New Year.

Reflections for Christmas 2010

2010-12-24T14:04:00.001-05:00

The True Gift of Christmas
(From my book, 101 Reflections)

When my children were small we had a Christmas tradition in our home. On Christmas morning our two boys came and got in bed with us. After several minutes of joking about Santa not being able to find our house, we went to the tree to see what gifts they could find. We respectfully referred to this special time as family union.

One Christmas following our family union time, we jumped up and raced into the living room, where the tree was located. Our eldest son was receiving a television for his room. Because of the cost of the television, he was getting practically no other gifts. The television was his Christmas.

The television was sitting on the coffee table across from the tree. He immediately wanted to turn it on. The cord was not long enough to reach the outlet. In my bull in a china shop manner, I picked up the table and the TV together and attempted to move it closer to an outlet. The freshly polished table was slick, causing the television to slip to the floor. The front hit first, breaking all of the dials and making the television useless.

You can imagine the impact on a ten-year old boy, when his entire Christmas was rendered useless. He ran to his room in tears and crawled to the foot of his bed. I joined him and we soaked his sheets with our tears. His heart was broken and so was mine. Finally, I was able to assure him the television could be fixed. I sought his forgiveness for being so careless. He was far more forgiving of me than I was of myself.

That year Christmas came on Sunday. After everyone had calmed down, we dressed for church. As we rode to church, I reflected upon the morning. I thought of the fragile nature of the things we get all excited about. We sometimes allow the commercial aspects of Christmas to detract us from the part of Christmas that is forever. I thought of the true gift of Christmas, the gift of God’s Son. I was grateful the true gift of Christmas could not be broken or taken away once it had been received. While these thoughts did not relieve my hurt for my son’s broken TV, they did give me a better perspective on the situation.

Do not allow worldly distractions spoil your Christmas. Guard against being overcome by all the festivities of the season to the point of neglecting the One it is all about. Strive to really keep Christ at the center of your focus. If you do, God will be honored and you will be blessed.

Reflections for December 13, 2010

2010-12-13T13:33:00.003-05:00

The Gift Of Joy

There is a growing trend toward giving gift cards for Christmas presents, because it eliminates long hours of shopping and allows the recipient to purchase a gift he/she really wants. On more than one occasion, I have placed the card in my wallet and forgot about it. When I would finally find it, I would discover the expiration date had past, causing me to miss a wonderful opportunity of a free gift.

Long ago, Jesus came and gave us the ultimate Christmas present. He gave us the gift of Himself and promised those who would follow Him a life filled with joy. For believers, this gift is all ready theirs. They need only to open it and to appropriate it in their lives. For those who do not believe, it is available by simply opening your heart and receiving it by faith.

It is important that we do not confuse joy with happiness. Happiness is determined by circumstances. It comes and goes as circumstances change. The joy that Christ gives is internal. It is not built upon circumstances, but it is built upon a humble acceptance of Christ’s love and a willing obedience to His word. It is only when we abide in Him daily that we can experience His joy.

A believer who is filled with the joy of Christ is like popcorn. Ordinary corn placed in a skillet and heated to 400 degrees Fahrenheit simply dries up and gets hard. Popcorn reacts totally different. When it is heated to 400 degrees, it expands and breaks open, allowing the pure white pulp to burst forth into a delicious edible treat that is many times the size of the kernel. The parallel to life is clear. When the heat of life’s trials comes, many people shrivel up and become embittered. For those who humble themselves and walk with Christ, adversity becomes a catalyst for them to enlarge and burst forth with blessings for those around them.

Christian joyt is the internal excitement that allowed Paul and Silas to pray and sing praise unto their God from their prison cell. It is the joy that prompted the German Christian martyr, Herman Lange, to write these words to his parents just prior to his execution by the Nazis in W.W.II, “I am, first, in a joyous mood, and second, filled with great anticipation. In Christ I have put my faith, and precisely today I have faith in Him more firmly than ever. Look where you will, everywhere you will find jubilation over the grace that makes us children of God. What can befall a child of God? Of what should I be afraid? On the contrary, I rejoice.”

If you are a believer reading this article, and you do not have the joy of Christ at this time, don’t let Christmas pass you by without renewing this wonderful gift that Christ gives to all who are willing to follow Him. Renew your commitment to Him and begin the New Year believing that He will help you overcome whatever your obstacles may be.

If you are a seeker, don’t let this Christmas season pass you by without at least considering the possibility of receiving this wonderful gift that Christ wishes to give to you.

Reflections for November 24, 2010

2010-11-24T08:22:00.002-05:00

Giving Thanks

For most people, Thanksgiving through New Years is the busiest time of the year. This year the shopping, feasting, rushing, ball games, family gatherings, and other activities may be less, because of the economic downturn we are suffering. However, I imagine most of us will still find enough things to do to leave us exhausted when it is over.

If our celebration is dampened by the bad economic news of late, we can choose to wallow in self pity or we can use the situation to lead us to count the blessing we do have. Regardless of our financial situation, we can experience the wonder of God’s bountiful gifts of grace and the wonder of God’s incarnation displayed to us in the birth of the Christ Child. We can appreciate our faith, family and friends. These are the blessings that last.

We can experience these things when we see our world through God’s eyes. He wants us to see a reason for thanksgiving in every circumstance. His Word admonishes us to, “Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (I Thessalonians 5:16-18 NASB). There is a big difference between being thankful for something and being thankful in something. While I may not appreciate a circumstance in my life, I can give thanks for not having to endure it alone. I can know God is always present and He is able to bring good out of the worst of situations.

I can be thankful God does not change whether I am in the middle of a crisis or on a mountaintop. I can take comfort in His word that says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8 NASB). The stock market may tank, my body may give way to aging, people close to me may break my heart, but Jesus does not change. He is always available to comfort and to see me through.

If your life seems to be filled with more sorrow than joy, more want than plenty, more difficulties than blessings, ask God to show you the things for which you can give thanks. Ask Him to reveal Himself to you. Ask Him to help you to develop the attitude reflected by the Apostle Paul when he wrote, “Not that I speak from want; for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstance I am” (Philippians 4:11 NASB). On the other hand, if your bucket seems to be overflowing with blessings this year, consider that God did not give them to you to hoard. He gave them to you to share. Your sharing, your gift of kindness, may well be the thing that He wishes to use to place a spark of thanksgiving into the life of someone that is having a difficult time. Not only, will you be an instrument of God’s grace; you will experience first hand the truth in the saying that it is more blessed to give than it is to receive.

Reflections for November 12, 2010

2010-11-12T15:53:00.002-05:00

"Loyalty"

Loyalty, dedication and perseverance are three characteristics that people in authority deeply desire in those who work under their direction. If earthy leaders can understand the importance of finding these characteristics in the people who follow them, is it any wonder that our Heavenly Father also expects those who follow Him to demonstrate these same traits?

The Apostle Paul points out the importance of these traits in his letter to the young pastor Timothy. He writes, “Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier. And also if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not win the prize unless he competes according to the rules. The hard-working farmer ought to be the first to receive his share of the crops.” (II Timothy 2:3-6 NASB) In this passage Paul uses the illustration of a soldier, an athlete and a farmer to demonstrate the kind of character that God expects His followers to have.

It is not difficult to understand the importance of loyalty in the life of a soldier. Who would want to go into battle with someone whose loyalty was in question? This is one of the reasons that there is such stringent training before a soldier is sent into combat. Those in charge want to know that the soldier is ready. They want to know that the soldier is prepared to follow the commands given without requesting a public forum for discussion with each command. They know that in combat situations soldiers must be able to count on the soldier next to him/her. If they can not, they lose a large portion of their confidence.

Why is so hard for those who profess to have faith in Christ to understand that He requires this same kind of loyalty from us. After all, we are soldiers in the greatest army of all. It may not be an army equipped with the latest technological weapons but it is the army of the highest authority in the universe. As the old hymn suggests we are Christian soldiers. It is hard to imagine that General Tommy Franks would have been able to conduct the war in Iraq, if his troops had only the level of loyalty that is displayed in the lives of many of the Christians who fill our churches on Sunday.

Unfortunately, many Christians leave loyalty at the door when they depart from the church building on Sunday morning. This leaves them defenseless when they must confront the world in which they live. This leaves them with no choice but to compromise principles instead of standing upon them. If we do not reestablish loyalty to Christ in the lives of His followers, how can we hope to impact our culture with His principles for life?

This would be a great time for you to examine your own level of loyalty to your Supreme Commander. If your loyalty level has been low, renew your commitment to Him and ask Him to give you the strength to engage in the battle and to become victorious through His strength.

Next week we will continue with Paul’s analogies and we will look at the lessons to be learned from the athlete and the farmer.

Reflections for November 2, 2010

2010-11-02T09:07:00.001-04:00

Finishing Strong

One of my favorite characters in Scripture is Caleb. You probably remember he and Joshua were the only two Jewish spies who returned from their mission to the land God had had promised with a report of a land waiting to be taken. The other ten spies could only see the giants in the land, causing them to counsel against crossing the Jordan into the Promised Land. The people chose to listen to the ten and refused to cross. As a result an entire generation was left to wander in the desert for forty years. (Read Numbers 13 and 14 for the complete story of the Twelve Spies.)

Of the entire generation, only Joshua and Caleb were allowed to cross into the Promised Land. The first thirteen chapters of the Book of Joshua describe the conquest of the land God had promised. In chapter fourteen we find Caleb, who was eight-five years old, requesting he be given the hill country called Hebron. It is important to note this was the home of the Anakim, who caused the original ten spies to caution the people against entering the land. Listen to the words of Caleb: “I am still as strong today, as I was in the day Moses sent me, as my strength was then, so my strength is now, for war and for going out and coming in” (Joshua 14:11 NASB, bold print added.) (Read Joshua 14 for the complete story of Caleb’s request.)

Since I began making definite plans for my retirement, Caleb has become one of my favorite biblical heroes. He gives new meaning to the expression “finishing strong.” He did not accept the notion that he was old and worn out. He believed God still had work for him to do. He has become a role model for how I want to finish this race called life. He has demonstrated that it is more exciting to burn out than it is to rust out. He inspires me to anticipate the next new thing God has for me to do. He reminds me that we all have a reason for being here. If God was finished with us, He would take us home. He gives me reason to look with excitement at this last season of my life rather than with dread. He gives me the desire to leave a legacy of finishing the race with enthusiasm.

Many of you reading this Reflection are either into the last season of your life or approaching it. How do you want to finish? While we may not be able to do everything we could do years ago, we can still do everything God wants us to do in the years we have left. Our best years may well be in front of us. I encourage you to join me in striving to be able to say as Paul did, when he approached the end of his race: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith (II Timothy 4:7 NASB).

Reflections for October 20, 2010

2010-10-20T16:54:00.002-04:00

"God Of Another Chance"

The night of October 16 was an exciting time. USC Gamecocks had defeated the Number One Crimson Tide of Alabama. Following the game, I began to play out the remainder of the season in my head to determine what the Gamecocks would have to do to win their division, enabling them to play for the SEC Championship. In my deliberations, Kentucky posed one of the lesser problems to be faced.

The night of October 23 was entirely different. USC had forgotten that you had to play both halves of a ballgame. Kentucky, the team I had not considered a serious threat, rallied in the second half to hold USC scoreless and to score 21 points of their own, giving them the victory. Once again, I laid awake replaying the game. Instead of thoughts of a conference championship, there were waves of disappointment, frustration, confusion, and shattered hopes. As a result, I was not sure I would even bother to watch the game the following week, because I was afraid of another week of frustration.

On October 24 I attended church and listened to a message about God’s great salvation. It reminded me of the price God paid for my forgiveness. It also reminded me of the many times I had stumbled and fell in my life. I have not always stumbled over large boulders. Often times, it has been over the small stones in my path, the things that I least expected. I could not help but think about how disappointed my Heavenly Father must have been in me during these times.

I am glad His attitude toward me has not been the same attitude I had toward the stumbling of my favorite team. While I was ready to give up on them and cast them aside, God has always convicted me of my failure and forgiven me when I confessed my wrong. Instead of casting me aside, He has picked me up, dusted me off, and told me to get back in the game, knowing all the time I would eventually stumble again.

Although I do not have the power to pick up my team, to dust them off, and to put them back in the game, I can at least agree to turn on the TV and to cheer for them in their next game. Hopefully, the outcome will be different. More important, I do have the power to forgive others, when they have sinned against me. I have the power and responsibility to forgive them and to give them another chance, just as God has forgiven me.

Reflections for October 10, 2010

2010-10-08T15:30:00.001-04:00

"Taking Out The Trash"

As my wife and I made preparation for our retirement, we made a commitment to get rid of stuff that no longer served a purpose. We gave away some things but others things had lost their value to anyone. This appears to be an easy task but most of you realize that it is not. For some reason it is difficult to turn loose of the old and to make room for the new.

As I was hauling a van load of things away, it dawned on me that discarding our clutter was much like discarding those things in our life that are not useful but that are negative influences. We all have habits, emotions, and actions that clutter our lives without adding any positive benefit. To the contrary, many have a negative influence. Yet, we hang onto them.

In the Scriptures we are reminded to put aside these things that cause us unhappiness. Take note of the instructions that Paul gave in Ephesians 4:31, 32. He wrote, “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.” (NASB) In Colossians 3:5-8 Paul wrote, “Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desires, and greed, which amount to idolatry. For it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience, and in them you also once walked, when you were living in them. But now you also, put them all aside; anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth.”(NASB)

The Scriptures above do not give an all inclusive listing but they cover many of the most common sins to which people tend to cling. The tighter one holds to these things, the greater the harm they do and the less chance one has to find genuine contentment in life. Yet, many choose to hang onto them.

The good news for believers is that there is help available, if we are serious about shedding our lives of these destructive forces. His Spirit dwells within us and He is more than willing to help us overcome. The paradox is that victory can only come through surrender. We must reject the influence of the negative and surrender to the positive influence of the Spirit in our lives. If we will walk in His light, the foolishness of holding onto things that destroy our happiness will become clearer by the moment. As we come to recognize the source of our discontent, He will help us overcome it. He can change our way of seeing things and enable us to replace our negative feelings with positive ones.

While we may not share the same clutter, each one of us probably has clutter of some kind that hinders our progress. My prayer for myself and for each of you is that we will replace the old clutter with the newness of God’s blessings in the coming year. We will be more content and we will also become a positive force for good in our world.

Reflections for September 29, 2010

2010-09-29T15:33:00.002-04:00

Finishing Strong

In the Book of Acts, during his comments about the Resurrection, the Apostle Paul made the following statement: “For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep, and was laid among his fathers, and underwent decay;” (Acts 13:36 NASB, bold print added) Later as Paul was approaching the end of his life he wrote, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith;” (II Timothy 4:7 NASB) What a wonderful testimony to the lives of these two men.

While we may admire the faithfulness of these two men, we should also have as our life goals the desire to serve God’s purpose for our life and to live faithfully in our generation. In order to fulfill these goals, we need to understand four things from Paul’s comments. First, every life has a purpose. In a world that sometimes makes us feel our lives are meaningless, we can know that in God’s economy we all have purpose. There is no greater task for us than to discover and pursue the purpose for which God placed us here.

Second, the pursuit of this fulfillment is not always easy. Paul referred to it as a fight, implying fulfilling our purpose is a struggle. Paul’s life was filled with obstacles both within the church and outside the church. In Ephesians 6:10, 17, he identifies his enemy and depicts his struggle with him in military terms. We have the same enemy. His greatest desire is to hinder us from accomplishing the purpose God has for us.

Third, life is a marathon, not a sprint. Paul speaks of life as if he was running a race. If we read through his letters, we will discover that the course of his race had many mountains and valleys to overcome. He saw the end of his race as something to look forward to, not to dread. He clearly anticipated that in the end all of his efforts would prove to be worthwhile.

Fourth, our number one goal should be to remain faithful throughout our journey. Too often, we let the world define our success and in the process we compromise our principles. We need to remember that we can accomplish all the world requires for success and still be a failure in God’s economy. He measures our success, not in power or possessions, but in faithfulness.

We are all involved in the race of life. Each one of us will come to the end of our race someday. Wherever we are and however we have run so far, we can make a commitment to run the remainder faithfully and to complete the course with the same assurance Paul had. He wrote, “in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.” (II Timothy 4:8 NASB)

Reflections for September 22, 2010

2010-09-22T15:01:00.002-04:00

"Staying The Course"

(If you have not read the last two entries on my blog, it would help your understanding of this portion to read them.)

Earlier, I wrote about two lessons learned early in my search for information on being a better husband. The first was the importance of my wife knowing she had first place in my life. The second lesson showed me the many ways I had injured her spirit. This is the starting point for this final segment.

In Smalley’s book, If He Only Knew, there is a chapter that deals with the ways men injure their wives emotionally. He listed 122 things men do to injure their wives’ spirits. While I could truthfully say I had never intentionally done anything to hurt my wife physically or emotionally, I had done most of the things on the list. I had done them because I was clueless to the needs she had. I was clueless no more. It was time for me to do my part to rectify the mistakes I had made.

My attempts to rectify my mistakes were sometimes clumsy. She did not always welcome my efforts. Years of insensitivity had made her suspicious of my motives. With each two steps forward, I took a step backward. The good news is, if you follow each backward step with two forward ones, you reach your destination. This has been the mark of our marriage. While we have not arrived, we feel ourselves getting closer each day.

During our journey we have come to appreciate the term “help meet” in the Bible. It is a term that means to complete. It can be illustrated with a lock and a key. A lock or a key without each other can’t fulfill their purpose. Together, they can do all that they were intended to do.

This simple truth taught us to appreciate our many differences. I am an extremely choleric personality. My wife is a melancholy personality. I am a cognitive thinker. She is intuitive person who often thinks with her feelings. For years, we thought God must have a warped sense of humor to have placed us together. Today, we understand we need each other. Our differences make us stronger by giving us balance.

Last March, we celebrated the forty second year of our journey. For my part, the journey can be divided into three phases, ten clueless years, ten years of repairing the damage caused by the first ten years, and twenty years of moving forward as one. Each day I praise God for giving my wife and me the strength to honor the commitment we made forty-two years ago. That commitment held us together during the early years. It left us with only two options. One, we could stay together and make each other miserable for the remainder of our lives. Two, we could discover what was needed to fix our relationship and work at it. We are still working at it today. We have learned that our relationship can never be taken for granted. It is an ongoing project that we must develop each day.

It has not been easy but our blessings have been greater than our heartaches. At special times when our two sons, their wives, and our eight grandchildren join us, we count our blessings. When our boys call us a “Beaver Cleaver” family, we smile and know it has been worth all the work.

Today, we stand hand and hand facing our twilight years. My love for my wife is greater than it was the day we said our vows. I thank God each day we did not give up but stayed the course.

Reflections for September 10, 2010

2010-09-10T21:12:00.002-04:00

Healing Begins with Recognition of a Problem

(To fully receive the full benefit of this reflection you need to scroll back to last week and read it. This is the second in a series of three related reflections.)

One of the hardest things for a man to do is to accept the fact he needs help. He is conditioned his entire life to believe that he can fix his problem. I had to be brought to the reality I was not getting the job done in my marriage and I needed help. Once I accepted this truth, God began to show me that my responsibility toward my wife went beyond providing for her physical needs. If I was going to love her as Christ loved the church, I would have to venture into a place I did not want to go. I would have to enter into the land of feelings. In my clueless mind, this territory was reserved for women. Real men would not go there.

My first journey into the land of feelings came when I read Dr. James Dobson’s book, What Wives Wished Their Husbands Knew about Women. My wife purchased the book and placed it in areas where I was most likely to see it. I discovered it in a basket in front of the great white porcelain throne I visited each morning. It was always on the top of the pile of magazines. When I opened it and began to read, it was like my wife and Dr. Dobson had collaborated. It became clear that wives had needs deeper than their physical needs. They had emotional needs.

I had never gotten beyond the basic physical needs of my wife to her deeper emotional needs. It was not that I refused to meet them. I did not know they existed. Her cries to have these needs met were seen as signs of possessiveness and childishness.

After I read Dr. Dobson’s book, I began to see the flaws in my idea of the perfect husband. Most importantly, there were things I needed to learn, and I became willing to learn them. This began a journey into the emotional needs of my wife.

Later, I read Gary Smalley’s book, If He Only Knew. Many times I wanted to toss it in the trash, but a small inner voice told me I needed to hear its truths. With each page, it revealed another area in which I had fallen short as a husband. It introduced me to the basic differences between men and women. It helped me to understand that my wife and I could look at the same picture and come away with two completely different thoughts. It helped me to understand why for me a trip was something to conquer and for her something to be enjoyed. It showed me why she needed for me to listen to her without always having an opinion. It made me realize she sometimes needs a shoulder to cry upon without an accompanying lecture. It let me know how important it is for her to know her opinion is appreciated. With each page, I was confronted with a new need I had failed to meet.

From these two books, there were two lessons that stood above the rest. One dealt with the importance of my wife believing she was the most important thing in my life. In my heart, I had always felt she was the most important. My actions sent another message. I began to see the source of her insecurities. It became clear I was going to have to work diligently to make her believe what I had always known. I had to make her believe she was the most important thing in the world to me.

This was not a short term assignment. I could not establish her importance to me and forget about it. It was an ongoing task. Each passing day, I needed to let her know she was first on my list of priorities.

(Conclusion next week.)

Reflections for September 3, 2010

2010-09-03T17:35:00.002-04:00

Clueless Is Not an Incurable Condition

As I drove into the driveway, it was difficult to contain my excitement. My wife, who was eight months pregnant, and my three-year-old son met me at the door. My excitement was evident as I shouted, “Guess who came to see me at school this morning?” She replied, “Who?”I responded, “Coach Varner visited me at school and offered me my old job back”. With a concerned look, she inquired, “What did you say?” When I told her that I had accepted the offer, the look on her face was bewilderment. Her lack of approval was puzzling to me. I was clueless to the insensitivity of making a life-changing decision without consulting her.

A few weeks later, our second son was born. The morning before he was scheduled for his six-week check-up a friend visited us. From the time he drove into our driveway, my mind went to work. He was driving a truck. We had secured a house near my new job. We had to relocate within the next three weeks. It all made sense to me. Truck, helper, house secured, and a free day were all the ingredients needed to move. The fact that we had not packed the first thing did not register with me as a problem. We slept in our new house that night. I was clueless to the insensitivity of putting my wife though this ordeal.

The following years were difficult. Although we rarely argued, there was always tension in the air. My work was my life. It was not uncommon for me to leave before the children were up and get home after they were in bed. Since we had chosen for my wife to work at home until the children started school, she had little contact with adults. By the time I arrived home, she was desperate for conversation. I wanted to relax. I read the paper or watched television as she attempted to share her day. The conversation often ended with these words: “You are not listening to a thing I say.” I would respond by repeating her comments verbatim. I was clueless to the difference between hearing and listening. I heard the words, but she needed for me to listen to her feelings of loneliness and frustration.

Her feelings of isolation took a toll on our relationship. She became jealous of the things she perceived to take precedence over her. She began to see herself slipping down my priority list. Her insecurities caused her to cling and her clinging caused me to feel caged. The tension grew. Her attempts to discuss the problem were met by silence. I was determined that my home would not become the verbal battlefield I had experienced as a child.

As the months passed, my wife became deeply depressed and I became frustrated at my inability to make her happy. I thought that I was a good husband. I was faithful; I worked hard; and I gave her my paycheck each month to pay the bills. My frustration drove me to my knees. I cried out to God that our marriage was broken and I did not know how to fix it. When I arose from my knees, I realized the answers to our problems were to be found outside of ourselves. It was overwhelming.

In the months that followed my willingness to learn more about my responsibilities as a husband grew. I began to seek help and God began to show me things I had never seen before.

Reflections for August 27, 2010

2010-08-27T16:41:00.001-04:00

A Parallel between a Football Team and the Church

During a sermon I shared that for nineteen years of my life football (eight as player and eleven as a coach) had been the first priority in my life. I shared to explain how God transitioned me from coach to pastor. As folks filed past me on the way out following the sermon, someone made a remark that had an impression upon me. He said, “You never left coaching. Now, you are God’s coach and you are coaching God’s people.” As I reflected the comment, I began to draw parallels between a football team and God’s church.

A football team has an owner or a sponsor. Without a school sponsor or a literal owner as in professional football, there would be no team. A Church has God as its owner. He purchased it with the precious shed blood of His Son, Jesus Christ. You can’t belong to His team unless you have recognized and accepted the sacrifice that has been made for you. Churches that refuse to accept God’s ownership are churches in name only. They can never rise above what man can do. Those yielded to God’s ownership can look forward to experiencing God’s victories.

Every team must have a head coach and varying numbers of assistants. To be successful, they must keep contact with the owner. Their position is secure as long as they remember their ultimate goal is to please the owner. A pastor is much like the head coach. His assistants may ware the title pastor but in truth there must be a central figure to direct the day to day traffic. The role of the coaches is to determine where the players can best serve; to help them develop their skills; and to deploy them in the game at the appropriate moment.

Under the coaches are the players. They are the feet on the ground. In the eyes of the public some players are more important than others. Wise coaches know that it takes everyone for the team to reach its full potential. The team members who work diligently all week to assist in the preparation of the players who will actually be on the field on game day are as important as the ones scoring the touchdowns. Football is a team sport. There is no room for stars.

In a church the players are the folks who work behind the scenes to make sure things are ready for Sunday. They may not preach, teach, sing in the choir, etc. but they pray, visit, encourage, keep the nursery, contribute, clean, drive buses, etc. The important thing is they use the gifts they have been given to advance the work of the owner.

The spectators represent those who belong to the team but who do not participate fully. Instead, they are content to sit in the stands and occasionally give a cheer for those who are doing the work. Unfortunately, in most churches it is the spectators who make up the majority..

The parallel breaks down at this point. In football, only so many can participate on the field at a time. In the church, spectators are challenged to get out of the stands and into the game. They are constantly reminded their talents were never meant to be horded but were meant to add to the efficiency of the team.

Finally, there are the people outside the stadium. They have no interest in the game. Many have no idea the game is taking place. They often see people involved in the game as fanatics. They do not understand the thrill that comes when you know you have served well and honored your owner and king. It is the duty of those in the stadium to go into the community and to represent their owner well. It is their duty to tell others of the excitement the game of life can offer when it is played under the direction of the Heavenly Owner. Like exciting football games, the joys of fellowship in the church should be talked about in the factories, offices, homes, places of recreation, and other places by those who participate in the joys of serving the Master.

The question these parallels raise for each one of us is are we in the game or are we merely a spectator or are we outside the stadium completely? Speaking as one who spent most of the first half of his life in the stands watching, I can say there is nothing more exciting than getting involved and playing the game of life under the direction of the our Heavenly Owner.

Reflections for August 20, 2010

2010-08-20T16:46:00.001-04:00

"Putting Others First"

When I was a boy, Life Magazine was one of the leading publications in the country. Through the years People,, US and Self magazines have appeared. I mention these because I believe their names reflect a downward spiral in our country from responsibility for self and others to an obsession with personal rights.

I recognize that you might take issue with my assumption. You could point to the outpouring of financial support that Americans have given in response to natural disasters both at home and abroad in recent years. Your observations would be correct. There is no other nation in the world that has been more generous in these situations. However, I am not thinking as much about these types of events as I am about the day to day opportunities that we have to choose between self and others.

Our obsession with self is seen in our equally obvious obsession with our rights. It seems that everyone is conscious of his/her rights today. We hear this all the time in business, the work place, politics, marriage, church, and every other venue of human interaction. While I am for individual rights and freedom as much as the next guy, I am alarmed at how the obsession with our rights have blurred or destroyed our willingness to accept our responsibilities. When you break it down to its basics, rights are about self and responsibilities are about others. The more self absorbed we are; the less concerned we are about our responsibilities to others.

While the world promotes this fascination with self, scripture teaches us something different. In his admonition to the church at Philippi, Paul addresses this issue by writing, “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.” (Philippians 2:3, 4) Paul is not advising that we should forget about our own personal interests. We have a responsibility to ourselves as well as to others. However, he is admonishing us not to let our personal interests absorb us. He is encouraging us to be conscious of the needs of others. He is saying our decisions should not only consider self but that they should consider the effect our choices have on others. He is saying in our listing of priorities we are to consider others first.

Few days pass that we do not have the opportunity to choose between selfish desires and the needs of others. The natural thing to do is to choose self over others. The Spirit filled way is to place others first. Imagine the changes it would make in your home or church, if everyone put into action the words written by Paul to the Philippians. I believe it would reduce the constant bickering that often defines families and churches. I believe it would demonstrate in life the words of Jesus: “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35 NASB).

Reflections for August 13, 2010

2010-08-13T11:50:00.002-04:00

Focusing on the Things We Have in Common

Does the number of things that divide people disturb you? We are divided by race, nationality, socio-economic factors, geographical stereotyping, gender, age, politics, social issues and spiritual differences to name a few. I am not talking about society as a whole but the division that exist among those who claim to be followers of Christ. How it must trouble our Lord when He sees His Bride so divided. The sad thing is most of the things that divide us have little eternal ramifications. Instead, they have to do with our personal preferences, rather than the unchanging principles of our faith.

I am not naive enough to believe there will be unanimity among God’s people this side of heaven. There will always be differences. It is not the differences that trouble me. It is the attitude accompanying them that is troubling. It is one thing to disagree but it is another thing entirely to do so with an unloving attitude. While we may not reach unanimity, Christ did give us one directive that leaves little wiggle room in interpretation. He said, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34, 35 NASB).

If we are to obey the command of Christ, we must find a way to look beyond our differences and to focus on the things we have in common. Several years ago, I heard a message by John Maxwell that dealt with dealing with conflict. It was called the 101 Per Cent Principle. Basically, it challenged people in conflict to find the one percent that they could agree upon and to give a 100 percent effort to build upon that one percent of agreement. As followers of Christ, we have more than one percent to build upon. Paul wrote about our commonality in the Letter to Ephesus: “Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all” (Ephesians 4:1-6 NASB). Notice Paul emphasized the attitude we should have toward each other before he gave us the things we share in common. If I have the attitude Paul expresses, surely I will be able to act brotherly toward others who share the common elements of our faith.

When we push our common beliefs to the background, and fight over the peripheral things we do a disservice to our Lord and we give ammunition to those who have not yet been brought into the family. We legitimize the thought that Christians are hypocrites. What is the unbelieving world to think when we preach love and demonstrate the opposite? When we consider the common things Paul said we share, it would behoove us to consider we are going to spend eternity with many of the folks we refuse to tolerate. It seems to me it would be wise to begin this side of eternity to learn how to love our brothers and sisters in Christ in spite of our differences.

Reflections for July 30, 2010

2010-07-30T16:28:00.001-04:00

"It Is Not My Call"

Following a night of severe thunder storms my wife was talking to our five year old granddaughter. She asked, “Did the storms frighten you?”

She replied, “We were out in them and they frightened me some. I said a little prayer asking God to make them stop. Then I thought that is not my call is it?”

It amazes me how, not realizing it, children can be incredibly profound. Her response had no element of fear or frustration over the situation being completely out of her hand. She was content to know it was in God’s hands. I pray that simple sense of trust will follow her and will comfort her when she grows older and the storms of life swirl around her.

Her response brought to my mind a sermon I heard at a pastor’s conference early in my ministry. I can’t remember the preacher’s name but I remember the sermon title, the scripture and the three points he brought forward. The title was “God of the Whirlwind.” His scripture was Nahum 1”3b: “In whirlwind and storm is His way and clouds are the dust beneath His feet (NASB).” His three points were God was before the whirlwind, God was in the whirlwind and God will be there when the whirlwind is over.

It appears to me this is an important message for our generation, since we tend to move from one whirlwind to another. The storms of uncertainty in our country today are blowing hard. It seems to me that the fear and frustration among our people grows with each passing day. Much of this unrest revolves around the economic conditions in the country. For many Christians, the greatest storm is the downward spiral of standards of morality. For others it is the fear brought about by medical problems. The list of possible life crippling whirlwinds could go on forever and still miss the one in your life. Whatever the whirlwind is in your life, I have good news for you.

The good news is found in Nahum 1:7: “The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble, and He knows those who take refuge in Him” (NASB). Whatever whirlwind you are encountering today, take a moment and think about three things. One, God is good. Two, God wants to be your stronghold. He wants to care for you. He will either move you beyond the whirlwind or He will give you all you need to weather the storm. Three, while it may appear that everyone around you is oblivious to the storm you battle, God knows you by name. He knows your pain and He wishes to provide you the strength to rise above it.

In the end, it is good for all of us to accept the truth from the mouth of a five year old girl and to realize that some things are not our call, but we can know intimately the one who is in control and He will deliver us from our whirlwinds, if we will trust in Him.

Reflections for July 23, 2010

2010-07-23T16:53:00.001-04:00

Trusting While You Wait

My first full time staff position at a church was Minister of Youth and Activities. Midway through the four and one half years I served in the position, I felt a strong leading of the Lord to move toward a preaching ministry. After I received permission from the deacons to speak on Sunday at other churches, I felt my greatest problem would be scheduling the opportunities I would have. After six months of waiting, I had received zero opportunities. In my frustration, I sat at my desk, closed my eyes, opened my bible, placed my finger on the page and prayed, “God show me what you want me to do.” When I opened my eye my finger was on Psalm 27:14: “Wait for the Lord, be strong and let your heart take courage; yes, wait for the Lord (NASB). While this was not the anwer I wanted, it was the one I needed. After thirty years in ministry, God has shown me repeatedly the wisdom of heeding His advice and the folly of succumbing to my fears and impatience and following my own time table.

In the thirteenth chapter of the Book of Numbers there is the story of the twelve spies who went to scout the Promised Land for the Jewish people following their deliverance from Egypt. Of the twelve, only Joshua and Caleb, gave positive reports. The remainder of the spies reported that there were giants in the land and recommended that they not go into it. The people listened to the ten and the Jews ended up wandering in the wilderness for forty years. The lesson for us today is that we should never let fear stand in the way of any assignment that God gives. Faith tells us that He provides every need to accomplish every task that He gives.

In the thirteenth chapter of First Samuel, there is another story that gives us an equally devastating response to fear. In Chapter 10:8, King Saul had been given directions by the Prophet Samuel to go to Gilgal and to remain there for seven days until he came. He said that when he came he would offer burnt offerings and sacrifice peace offerings. Then, he would tell Saul what he was to do. The seventh day came and Samuel was no where to be found. As the day passed, the threat of the Philistines created fear in the people and impatience in Saul. Finally, Saul took matters into his own hands and made the offerings and sacrifices himself. Immediately following his actions, Samuel arrived. For his disobedience Saul lost the privilege of his kingdom enduring forever through his heirs. The lesson for today is that we should always wait and do things according to God’s timing and not our own.

Here you have two stories that demonstrate the mistakes that people often make. First, fear causes them to dig in their heels and to refuse to move forward. Second, fear causes people to panic and to rush ahead of God’s timing. Both responses lead to disaster. These two blunders lead us to ask how we can know it is from God and is it the right time to do something.

I believe the most important ingredient in discovering and following God’s time table is to engage in intensive prayer. As we pray, it is important that we realize that God wants us to be successful in discovering and doing His will. He does not want us to fail. Therefore, if we will put self behind us and be open to what He reveals, we can be assured that He will help us to see clearly, not only what He has for us to do but when He wishes for us to do it.

As we pray we must do so with faith. It is faith that can overcome our fears and impatience. It is faith that brings us our greatest blessings. Andrew Murray said it this way, “Be assured that if God waits longer than you could wish, it is only to make the blessing doubly precious. God waited four thousand years, till the fullness of time, ere He sent His Son. Our times are in His hands; He will avenge His elect speedily; He will make haste for our help, and not delay one hour too long.” In other words, God’s time is always the right time.

Reflections for July 16, 2010

2010-07-16T14:20:00.001-04:00

"Leadership"

One of the greatest needs in our country today is leadership. This is true in churches, government, business, education and every other endeavor. Without strong leadership the best anyone can expect is mediocrity. Our nation is crying for leaders worthy of following but they are hard to find. The lack of clear, strong leadership is a primary reason for the deep dissatisfaction with government. People of all political persuasions are crying for someone to stand up and cast a vision for the future. Instead, politicians are satisfied with standing around pointing fingers and assigning blame.

There are shelves filled with books about leadership but there is no better book on the subject than the Bible. It contains powerful lessons about both good and poor leadership. As one studies the characters in the Bible, one sees basic truths about leadership put into action. There are more examples than we have space. The good leaders shared three characteristics. One, they were able to see beyond what was to what could be. This does not mean that a leader does not need a full understanding of the past and the present. It does mean he/she should not live there. Look at Moses for example. He drew strength from the past but he had a vision of the future. He kept the hope of the Promise Land before the Jews, enabling them to survive for forty years in the wilderness. Throughout the history of our nation, there have been many difficult times. With every difficulty, someone has risen to the top and has helped us to see that there was something better in the future.

Two, they were willing to take risk in order to make things better. They were willing to sacrifice in the now in order to insure the future. Read the eleventh chapter of Hebrews, especially verses 38, 39. Why were these great men and women of faith willing to sacrifice so much? It was because they had a vision of the greatness that was to come. John Maxwell explains the need for sacrifice this way: “If I succeed without sacrifice, then it’s because someone who went before me made the sacrifice. If I sacrifice, and don’t see success, then someone who follows will reap success from my sacrifice.” Leaders must help people understand the risk and sacrifice of today is necessary to reach the goals for tomorrow.

Third, they had perseverance. Things do not change overnight. A leader does not change course every time the wind shifts. He sets the example and keeps his focus on the vision laid before him. Books are filled with individuals that could have given up. Instead, they viewed each problem as an opportunity for greatness. They believed and lived Galatians 6:9. It reads, “And let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we shall reap if we do not grow weary” (NASB).
As God’s people, we need to pray that He will raise up men and women who fit the description above, who are willing to stand above the finger pointing, and who are willing to paint a picture of our future that motivates our people to move beyond the bickering partisan politics that has been so prevalent in recent years and to move into the future with optimism and hope.

Reflections for July 9, 2010

2010-07-09T15:02:00.006-04:00

"A Time of Refreshing"

We have a contract with a lawn service that allows them to treat our lawn for unwanted weeds and to provide fertilizer for it at the appropriate times. It has proved to be a good investment. However, it would not have been, if we did not have the good fortune to have a irritation system to provide the needed water. All the weed treatment and fertilizer in the world would not produce an attractive lawn without water. Without water, the grass would become parched and its beauty would not be realized.

As I sat on our patio this morning watching our dog run through the water from the irrigation system, I began to see a important spiritual lesson to be drawn from our grass as it drank up the water. I was reminded of the words of Jesus when He spoke to the woman at the well: “Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again; but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life” (John 4:13, 14 NASB). I believe the water of which Jesus spoke in this passage was the Holy Spirit. Later in John 16:13, 14, Jesus speaks more about the coming of the Spirit. He said, “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth, for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you” (NASB). In both scriptures, Jesus proclaims the absolute need for the Holy Spirit, who indwells believers.

Just as the grass can’t thrive without water. We can’t thrive in our Christian walk without the Holy Spirit’s empowerment. We can do many good things but, ultimately, we will dry up without the reviving presence of the Spirit in our life.

Our irrigation system was placed under our yard, when the house was built. It is always there waiting to be activated. It is activated by turning the switch in the panel in our garage. The Holy Spirit was placed in us the moment we sincerely received Christ into our life as our Lord and Savior. He patiently waits, always willing to assist us as we navigate the storms of life. He wants nothing more than to make our lives beautiful by filling them with the fruit that He has for us. Paul describes the fruit the Spirit wishes us to have in Galatians 5:22, 23: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law” (NASB).

While this fruit is available to all believers at all times, it does not come automatically. The Holy Spirit does not force Himself on us. Like our irrigation system, He must be activated in our lives. He is activated by our repentance and our complete surrender to His will. When we turn loose of the control of our lives and look to Him for daily guidance and deliverance, He never fails us and we are able to grow to our full potential in the Lord. It is then we can understand the full meaning of Acts 3:19: “Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord” (NASB).

Reflections for July 2, 2010

2010-07-02T15:04:00.000-04:00

"Living Free"

Chrysostom, a fourth century patriarch of Constantinople, was a great example of being free indeed. One of the stories attributed to him had to do with an occasion when the Roman Emperor demanded that he renounce his faith. The emperor’s first threat was to have him banished from the kingdom, if he refused to deny his faith in Christ. To this threat Chrysostom replied, “You cannot because the whole world is my Father’s kingdom.” The second threat was to take his life. Again he replied, “You cannot, for my life is hid with Christ in God.” The third threat was to take all of his treasures. His reply was, “You cannot, for my treasure is in heaven where my heart is.” Finally the emperor threatened to drive him away from anyone who may befriend him, leaving him all alone. Chrysostom had a ready reply. He said, “You cannot, for I have one Friend from whom you can never separate me. I defy you for you can do me no harm.” Chrysostom had learned the secret of living free under the most adverse conditions.

We do not face this kind of threat because of our religious faith. We are blessed to live where we can worship as we please. While we have political freedom, many of our people have not learned to live free. They remain enslaved to their own passions, habits and fears.

Jesus provided for us a way to live our lives totally free. He said, ‘if you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine, and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free…So if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed”(John 8:31, 31, 36 NASB). From these verses there appears to be three steps to realizing genuine spiritual freedom.

The first step is to believe in Jesus. In the scriptures belief in Jesus is more than an intellectual accent to the reality that He lived. Belief refers to the belief He was who He said that He was. It is the belief He is the answer to man’s sin problem. It is the belief He is the Savior and that through Him the relationship that was broken by sin can be restored.

The second step has to do with abiding in His word. While we have everything we need to live free, when we believe and receive Christ, we do not experience our freedom until we learn to abide in His word. When we abide in His word, it becomes the governing force in our lives.

The third step is to grow in our understanding of the truth. John 14:6 (NASB) reads, “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life, no one comes to the Father, but through Me.’” Jesus did not say he knew the truth; He said “I am the truth.” As our understanding of Him grows, we become equipped to truly live free, because He becomes the source of our freedom.

When we walk this path step by step we come to understand what it means to be “free indeed”. Chrysostom understood. Fear of death, loneliness, loss of treasure did not bind him. He found all that he needed in Christ. We could learn from his example.

Reflections for June 23, 2010

2010-06-24T15:10:00.001-04:00

"Unbridled Freedom"

Here are three quotes Americans should heed.

"History fails to record a single precedent in which nations subject to moral decay have not passed into political and economic decline. There has been either a spiritual awakening to overcome the moral lapse, or a progressive deterioration leading to ultimate national disaster."

"I believe this blessed land was set apart in a very special way, a country created by men and women who came here not in the search of gold, but in search of God. They would be free people, living under the law with faith in their Maker and their future."

"I believe with all my heart that standing up for America means standing up for the God who has so blessed our land. We need God's help to guide our nation through stormy seas. But we can't expect Him to protect America in a crisis if we just leave Him over on the shelf in our day-to-day living."

At first glance one might surmise these quotes were made in the context of a sermon delivered by a fiery eyed fundamentalist preacher, who was whining about the moral condition of our nation. To the contrary, the first was attributed to General Douglas MacArthur and the last two to President Ronald Reagan. It appeared to me that both these men understood a truth that many have forgotten over the past half century. The truth is that unbridled freedom or freedom minus a sense of responsibility leads down a slippery slope until those who seek it find themselves enslaved to the very things they have sought.

This search for unbridled freedom intensified during the sixties and has continued unabated to the present. Our society is now harvesting the fruit of such a self-centered philosophy. We see it in society’s attitude toward abortion. We see it in a multi-billion dollar per year pornography business. We see it in the shrinking list of things considered to be abnormal behavior. Rather than abnormal, things are referred to as alternative lifestyles. We see it every day on our televisions. Programming today, deals with topics during prime time that would not have been mentioned at any hour years ago. We see it in the unrelenting strive to legalize a variety of drugs. These are a few of the areas where the fruit of unbridled freedom can be seen. Space does not allow me to continue.

Those who support this road toward unbridled freedom say these things are evidence of progress that has been made. They claim these things represent a new openness and liberty. They see them as victories of the soul from the repression of religion. Others see them as a road toward disaster. They believe that this land has been blessed by God and that His blessing will not continue forever if we continue to seek unbridled freedom that forgets the basic laws He has given to us.

Reflections for June 16, 2010

2010-06-16T16:09:00.001-04:00

"Choices"

Life is all about choices. Each day we are faced with circumstances that require us to make choices about whom or what we will serve. We sometimes act as if we can avoid these choices but we can’t. In most cases we are spared from verbally expressing our choices. The absence of verbalization, does not excuse us from choices, because our actions speak more loudly than our words. The question each one of us should ponder is does my actions reflect my allegiance to God or do they reflect an allegiance to the gods of this world?

In his book, Who Are You When No One Is Looking, Bill Hybels explains our choices this way: “Every single day we make choices that show whether we are courageous or cowardly. We choose between the right thing and the convenient thing, sticking to a conviction or caving in for the sake of comfort, greed or approval. We choose either to take a carefully thought-out risk or to crawl into a shrinking shell of safety, security and inactivity. We choose either to believe in God and trust him, even when we do not always understand his ways, or to second-guess him and cower in the corners of doubt and fear.”

Before making our choice, it would be wise to examine our choices. In other words, we need to ask the question, “If not God; who or what?” There are hundreds of things from which we can choose, but most of them would fall into one of four categories. First, we can choose the god of pleasure. It causes us to become caught up in our own comfort and enjoyment. It does not leave room for concern for others. It offers much but in the end brings disillusionment, because no matter how much of it we obtain, it does not fulfill our deepest needs. Second, we can choose the god of popularity. When we worship this god, we forget about principle and do anything to be accepted into the group we think is most important. Popularity never brings the self-confidence we seek because we can never please everyone. This quest leaves us constantly seeking to obtain the approval of someone. Third, we can worship the god of power. It is a cruel taskmaster. It requires us to step on anyone who gets in our way as we push ourselves to the top. The problem is when we get to the top we find it to be a lonely place to live. Fourth, we can worship the god of philosophy and worship whatever the current popular trend is. Presently, it is the spirit of secularism. While it does not always deny the existence of God, it does say that He is irrelevant and that man can fix all of his own problems. All of these gods share a common flaw. Not one of them can fill the empty space within man. It is a space that cries out for fellowship with his creator.

The alternative to these choices offered to us by the world is the gift of life offered to us by our Heavenly Father. The Apostle John wrote: “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life” (John 5:24 NASB). The eternal life Jesus makes possible means more than length of life. It also means a quality of life that can be found nowhere else. The life He offers promises abundance, peace and joy. These blessings are available to all who follow Him but are realized only when we walk in obedience to Him.

Each day we are given the opportunity to choose between the world’s way or our Lord’s way. One brings at best temporary satisfaction, but it ultimately leaves us empty and unfulfilled. The other gives us the opportunity to follow Jesus Christ and results in a life characterized by joy, peace and abundance in the things that truly matter. Who will you choose to follow today?

Reflections for June 4, 2010

2010-06-04T13:33:00.001-04:00

If things were the answer to happiness, the people of the United States would be among the happiest people in the world. Instead, the opposite appears to be true. As a nation we lead the world in most of the statistics that are not complimentary of a nation. Divorce, addictions of all kinds, incarceration per capita, mental illness, and abuse of prescription drugs are just a few of the unflattering categories that we either lead or are near the top. None of these things reflect a happy image. The obvious question is, “Why in a country that has so much is there so much unhappiness?”

The mental health professionals and sociologist have written volumes addressing the problem. Apparently, their efforts are not getting us any closer to the answer. At the risk of being simplistic, I would like to submit one important factor that is often ignored. It can be described in three words, lack of gratitude. We have become a nation of people who expect much and appreciate little. Our want list seems to always exceed our thanksgiving list. We give lip service to gratitude but our actions show that we are not really as grateful for what we have as we are covetous toward the things we see others have and we want. A simple test of our attitude of gratitude would be to time the moments we spend giving God thanks and the time we spend asking God to give us something.

It appears to me that a new word has taken the place of gratitude in our vocabulary. The word is entitlement. A sense of entitlement can be seen in every level of our society. The problem with entitlement is that it leaves no room for gratitude. Why be grateful for something that is rightly yours to begin with?

The point is that we have little for which to be grateful when we assume we are entitled to everything we have. If we are not grateful for what we have, our chances are extremely high that we will not be happy. I am not sure where the following statement originated but it expresses the problem of unhappiness in America: “There is a secret to happiness and it is gratitude. All happy people are grateful, and ungrateful people cannot be happy. We tend to think that it is being unhappy that leads people to complain, but it is truer to say that it is complaining that leads to people becoming unhappy. Become grateful and you will become a much happier person.”

Paul understood this concept when he wrote, “Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (I Thessalonians 5:6-18 NASB). Paul’s point was that we should always look for the things we can be thankful for in whatever situation we find ourselves. I do not know where you are today. It may be a really difficult time for you. Whatever your situation take a moment and go to God and ask Him to show you all that you have to be grateful for. It will help to replace a frown with a smile.

Reflections for May 28, 2010

2010-05-28T13:34:00.002-04:00

"Becoming Fishers of Men"
Matthew 4:19
(All scripture references are from the NASB)

Earlier this spring at our associational men’s gathering, I won a fishing trip, courtesy of the Men’s Ministry at Northside Baptist Church in Laurens. The trip was this past Saturday. I was allowed to bring my two sons and four young grandsons with me. Our guides were extremely patient with my young grandsons. With our guides leading the way and the assistance my sons, my grandsons were able to catch two large coolers full of catfish. It was by far the most fish they had caught in a day. Needless to say, they had a great time.

My job was to observe and enjoy. I observed three characteristics of our guides that enabled them to make our day a success. If we are to be successful fishers of men, we need to embrace their characteristics.

First, they had made all the preparations for the trip. They had the boats ready; they had the fishing gear for everyone; and they had the proper bait. If we are to be effective fishers of men, we too must make preparation. We must make it a matter of prayer; we must make sure we have a verbal presentation backed up by a lifestyle that models it; and we must build a personal relationship with those we are attempting to reach. I Peter 3:15, 16 provides a plan for our preparation. It reads, “but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asked you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence; and keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.”(Bold print added)

Second, our guides had studied the lake and were familiar with the best places to drop our hooks. Their expertise was evidenced by the fact we caught fish at every place we dropped our hooks. It was clear we had to go to the fish and not to expect them to come to us. There may have been a day when those without Christ came to our churches in hopes of finding the Savior, but today, few show that kind of interest. We can no longer be content to wait for the people to come to us. We must go where they are. This is not a new tragedy. In one of Jesus’ parables, He said, “Go out into the highways and along the hedges and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.” (Luke 14:23 bold print added).

Third, our guides demonstrated a passion for what they were doing. It was clear fishing was not something they did occasionally. It was an integral part of their lives. Because it was a part of their lives, it was not a burden but a pleasure. Should we not show the same passion for those we know who do not know Christ? We would do well to adopt the attitude Paul had toward his fellow Jews. He wrote, “I am telling the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit, that I have great sorrow and unceasing grief in my heart. For I could wish that I myself was accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh.”(Romans 9:1-3 bold print added). If we had Paul’s passion, surely we would have a greater sense of urgency in our approach to evangelism.

Imagine what would happen in our churches if we concentrated on preparation for sharing, places to share, and a burning passion to share. While the world may not realize it, it is desperately in need of the “Good News” of Jesus Christ. God has commissioned us to go and to tell the “Good News”. Isn’t it time we got busy fulfilling our commission?

Reflections for May 20, 2010

2010-05-20T16:05:00.004-04:00

"Growing Old Is Not A Bad Thing"

A few years back there was an article about Catherine Gay in the magazine, Mature Living. Her story was remarkable. Five days a week, she got up at 5:30 AM to join her walking group in a two mile walk. Two days a week she volunteered at the Texas Children’s Hospital. On Wednesdays she assisted with kitchen duty at her church. She had served as secretary of her church choir for over forty years. On Fridays, after registering out of town patients at the local hospital for free lodging, she delivered meals to the homebound on her list. In her spare time, she volunteered at the local Children’s Hospital, assisting the children with reading. She purchased her first computer just prior to the article. Her schedule would be remarkable for anyone, but what makes her story truly remarkable is that she was 94 years old, when the article was written.

Having recently retired, this story is especially inspiring for me. It reminds me that retirement does not mean sitting around and growing old. Instead, it broadens my opportunities of service, because I am no longer tied down to one position. It has given me the joy of pursing dreams of ministry that have been in my mind for years. It opens the way for God to fulfill His promise found in Psalm 37:4: “Delight yourself in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart” (NASB). It provides me with a sense of adventure filled with all the unknowns present when I first began my journey. It calls upon me to trust in God’s provision and direction for the future. It is an exciting time.

Before you begin to think I have returned to the foolish dreams of a young man, I assure you I am aware of the toll the aging process can take on a person, both mentally and physically. I have witnessed it in my years of ministry, in my own family and in my own body. The knowledge that my ability to do might be removed at any time causes me to want to do while I can. Instead of sitting down and waiting for what might be, I choose to follow after the model of Caleb in the Scripture. Listen to the words of Caleb as he spoke to Moses.

“And now behold, the Lord has let me live, just as He spoke, these forty-five years, from the time that the Lord spoke this word to Moses, when Israel walked in the wilderness; and now behold, I am eight-five years old today. I am still as strong today as I was in the day Moses sent me; as my strength was then, so my strength is now, for war and for going out and coming in. Now then, give me this hill country about which the Lord spoke on that day, for you heard on that day that Anakim were there, with great fortified cities; perhaps the Lord will be with me, and I shall drive them out as the Lord has spoken” (Joshua 14:10-12 NASB)

I take heart in knowing I am not alone. There is a growing army of people like myself. Our churches are filled with them. We can all choose to follow Caleb’s example or we can sit around seeking new ways to make ourselves comfortable. If we are to become the Caleb’s of our generation, we must first understand that retirement is a societal term, not a biblical one. God’s retirement program is the greatest one of all. When it is our time to participate in it, He will come and take us home. Until then, He has work for us to do. Let’s discover what it is and “just do it.” If we do, maybe someday, someone will write a story about us like the one about Catherine Gay.

Reflections for May 13, 2010

2010-05-13T16:23:00.002-04:00

"Church Matters"

At the outset of Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians Paul gives three things about the Thessalonians for which he was thankful. He gave thanks for their “work of faith”, “labor of love”, and “steadfastness of hope”. Over the course of my ministry, I have seen these things demonstrated in the churches I have served. I have seen firsthand the difference that a church family can make in the lives of individuals during times of joy and of suffering.

Unfortunately, many believers today have forfeited the comfort and encouragement a local body of believers can add to their lives. They have lost contact with their church family and have chosen to walk their walk of faith alone. This fact is reflected in the research that shows people do not put as much importance upon belonging as they once did. This lack of commitment to a local community of believers is widespread all across our country. It is especially strong among young believers. In his book, Disciplines of a Godly Man, R. Kent Hughes describes this lack of commitment to the local church in this manner: “Church attendance is infected with a malaise of conditional loyalty which has produced an army of ecclesiastical hitchhikers. The hitchhiker’s thumb says, ‘You buy the car, pay for repairs and upkeep and insurance, fill the car with gas-and I’ll ride with you. But if you have an accident, you are on your own! And I’ll probably sue.” So it is with the credo of so many of today’s church attenders: ‘You go to the meetings and serve on the boards and committees, you grapple with the issues and do the work of the church and pay the bills-and I’ll go along for the ride. But if things do not suit me, I’ll criticize and complain and probably bail out-my thumb is always out for a better ride.’” While this hitchhiker mentality may satisfy for the moment, it does not give our roots opportunity to grow down deep into the fabric of the church enabling the individual the full benefits of belonging.
In his book, The Purpose Driven Life, Rick Warren listed six important benefits that come from belonging to a local body:

…A church family identifies you as a genuine believer.
…A church family moves you out of self-centered isolation.
…A church family helps you develop spiritual muscle.
…The Body of Christ needs you.
…You will share in Christ’s mission in the world.
…A church family will help keep you from backsliding.

If you have chosen to give up on church, I encourage you to consider another look. Find a church home that lives up to the love, faith and hope Paul wrote of the Thessalonians. Invest your life in a local body of believers and over the long haul, your life will be blessed. Remember the Body of Christ needs you and whether you realize it our not, you need it.

Reflections for May 5, 2010

2010-05-05T14:04:00.000-04:00

"Mother's Are Special"

One could fill the paper talking about the work of a mother. They are many times she fills the role of doctor, nurse, counselor, teacher, maid, cook, taxi driver, tutor, and the list goes on and on. Those who are on the receiving end of her labors sometimes take her for granted and do not give her the praise and encouragement she deserves. Others belittle her efforts and question her contributions to society. One lady, who chose to stay home, held a doctorate degree and was perfectly capable of pursing a career in her field. She grew tired of the expressions on people’s faces when she told them she was a homemaker. Now, when she is asked, “What do you do?” she responds, “I’m socializing two homo-sapiens in Judeo-Christian virtues so they will appropriate the eschatological values of utopia. What do you do?”

While this statement may sound sarcastic, it does reflect one of the most important tasks that a mother has. It emphasizes the importance that a mother has in teaching a child right and wrong and in passing on the truths of her faith. Lois and Eunice were two such women in the Bible. Lois was the grandmother and Eunice was the mother of Paul’s young protégé, Timothy. In Paul’s second letter to the young pastor Paul wrote, “For I am mindful of the sincere faith within you, which first dwelt in your grandmother Lois, and your mother Eunice ,and I am sure that it is in you as well” (II Timothy 1:5 NASB). Later in the same letter, Paul wrote, “You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of , knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.” (II Timothy 3:14, 15 NASB)

Little did Lois and Eunice know that the things they were teaching would help Timothy grow into a young man who would be remembered for centuries in God’s book, the Holy Bible. Other passages help us have a better picture of the kind of man he was. He was greatly respected (Acts 16:2), compassionate (Phil. 2:20), unselfish (Phil. 2:21, 22) and an encourager (I Thess. 3:2). Lois and Eunice were not the only people who had an influence on him but Paul certainly understood the important part they played in his life.

The message for mothers of our day is to never underestimate the importance of your influence over your sons and daughters and to not underestimate the importance of demonstrating and teaching a strong faith. You can never know what your teachings might accomplish, because a mother’s faith can have immeasurable impact on the world in which we live. Finally, never let anyone convince you that your job is not important. There is no work more important than the work of a mother. You deserve our praise, appreciation and respect.

Reflections for April 30, 2010

2010-04-30T13:06:00.000-04:00

"The Most Important Verse in the Bible"

If someone asked you what the most important verse in the Bible was, what would your answer be? I can think of many possible answers. Each time I believe I have found my most important verse I discover another one that speaks more loudly to my heart. The verse I have chosen to write about this week rarely makes the cut on people’s most important list. Yet, I believe it is the most important. The verse I have chosen is Genesis 1:1: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (HCSB).

I can almost hear the gasp of many who would ask, why that verse? If you take time to consider the magnitude of such a statement, you might understand the faith it takes to belief it. When you read further, you discover the word “let” over and over again. It is significant because it does not allow for God to gather materials from all over the galaxies with which He would create a new world. It literally means He spoke it into being. Think about the complexities of our world and you can understand the awesomeness of the one who created it by simply saying “let there be”.

Why is it important? It is important because, if one does not accept the first claim made in a book, he/she is unlikely to accept the claims made throughout the remainder of it. On the other hand, if one accepts this verse as a fact, everything else the book claims does not seem to be difficult. A God who can speak the world into existence has no problem parting a great sea, making the sun stand still, making an axe head float, making a donkey speak, sending His angels to take up one of His faithful prophets in a flaming chariot, etc. If one believes this verse, he/she is well prepared to answer the question posed by God to the Prophet Jeremiah: “Look, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is anything too difficult for Me” (Jeremiah 32:27 HCSB)? For those who believe the answer is a resounding NO, nothing is too difficult for you, Lord. This means there is no problem I have that is beyond His control and ability to fix.

Once I had accepted fully Genesis 1:1, the next big question for me was, why would such an awesome God care for someone like me? Yet He does. This leads me to my second most important verse, which is John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life” (NASB). God’s love for the world clearly includes me. While I still may not understand why he has chosen to love me, I can humbly accept His love and rejoice, because, after all, He did create this world and He can do as He chooses.

Reflections for April 22, 2010

2010-04-22T13:55:00.002-04:00

"Are You A Dial-Up or Broadband Christian"

In his book, Signs of Life, David Jeremiah wrote about dial-up and broadband spirituality. He wrote, “Too many Christians log on to God once a day when they have their quiet time or once a week when they go to church. They pray; they read their Bible; they’ve connected with God. And that’s good…as far as it goes. The problem with that approach to the spiritual life is that there is no sense of being ‘always on’ __ no sense of living in the moment with God once you’ve finished your quiet time. You open your Bible, bow in prayer, conduct your business with God, and then log of for the day.” (p. 17)

The reality is that there are more dial-up Christians than there are broadband ones. They pride themselves on the few minutes that they allot to God each day. There biggest concern is whether they should give Him the five or ten minutes in the morning or at the end of the day. They pride themselves on their faithfulness to this special time. Besides the time allotted, they remain disconnected for the remainder of the day unless a problem arises that they do not feel capable of fixing.

Before you start having thoughts of how judgmental this sounds, let me add that we all have the tendency to be dial-up Christians. Our mistake is to believe that we can handle most things on our own. We do not want to bother Christ with the mundane things of life. We make all kinds of decisions without consulting Him and, when our decision proves to be faulty, we blame Him for letting us fall into the mess we find ourselves in. The truth is most of the messes in our lives would never occur, if we would switch from dial-up to broadband.

Broadband Christians may set aside a special time each day with the Lord, but they understand that this time is not enough. They know that they need God’s input throughout the day. This doesn’t mean that there is a constant stream of information being passed to them, but it does mean their mind is open to receive directions anytime God wishes to send them. They recognize it is dangerous to tell God that He must wait till morning or evening to give His input.

The benefits of being broadband Christians are many. They are always open to the divine appointments that God puts in their path during the day; they are never turned off to God’s directions; and they do not miss the divine opportunities that God provides each day. As a result, they fulfill God’s command to be salt and light in their world.

It would behoove us all to make a definite commitment to broadband spirituality during this wonderful season of celebration and in the years to come.

Reflections for April 14, 2010

2010-04-14T16:09:00.002-04:00

"The Importance of Teamwork"

Any great coach understands the importance of teamwork. While teams may have stars that are mostly created by the fans and media, the coach understands that the star shines more brightly when his/her teammates provide the support needed. The greatest challenge for the coach is to discover where the individuals can be used most effectively to assure the team will benefit the most. In the process the coach must convince each player that his/her contribution to the team is vital. When you eliminate star status and have everyone understanding their contribution is essential for the team to be all it can be, the team has the greatest opportunity to reach its full potential.

This same principle of teamwork determines the success of the church. The major difference is the Lord Jesus Christ is the owner of the church. Through His Holy Spirit, He provides the gifts that His church needs to fulfill every demand He places upon it. Failure to succeed is never due to lack of giftedness but to underachievement by the individuals to whom the gifts have been given.

Like a great coach, the successful pastor must be able to lead the people to discover their gifts and to use them effectively for the building up of the body of Christ which is the church. Paul spells out this responsibility in his letter to the Ephesians. He wrote, “And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service to the building up of the body of Christ;” (4:11, 12 NASB).

I believe these two verses teach that a pastor has three important responsibilities toward his members. First, the pastor must assist his people in discovering their gifts. One of the reasons the 20-80 percent principle (20 percent of the people do 80 percent of the work.) is reflected in many congregations is the people have never been taught they are gifted. Because they have had no formal training, they assume they can do nothing. Second, the pastor is responsible with assisting the people in developing their gifts. God gives the gifts but the receiver is responsible for developing it. It does not develop without the proper attention. Third, the pastor must be willing to lead the people into deploying their gift in ministry to the church and the community in which the church is located.

Is the picture becoming clearer? Christ gives the gifts; the pastor does his part; and the people do theirs. Working together the task gets done. Since Christ gave the gifts, He is the only one who deserves praise. Everyone else has done his or her part, according to the gifts that have been bestowed upon them. No one has the right to claim more importance. Only Christ is deserving of the glory.

Have you discovered your gift(s)? Are you looking for opportunities to develop your gifts? Are you using them to build up the body of Christ? If you answered yes to these questions, you are the type of team player, I believe Christ would call faithful.

Reflections for April 8, 2010

2010-04-08T14:55:00.002-04:00

"Lessons Learned from a Tree"

There is a tree in our backyard that refused to shed all of its leaves last fall. I watched expectantly as the winds of winter blew through the tree, expecting the final leaves to fall, but about one third continued to cling tenaciously to the limbs. As spring approached the sap in the tree began to rise and new growth began to appear on the limbs. The new growth gradually forced the last leaves to fall to the ground. For months the leaves had withstood the forces from without that were trying to dislodge them, but they were no match for the force of the sap and the new growth it created from within. This beautiful picture of nature serves as a great example of the struggle that goes on within the lives of Christians.

When someone becomes a Christian, the scripture teaches they become a new creature:

“Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold new things have come” (II Corinthians 5:17 NASB).

This raises the question, what new things come? I believe the change involves our very core. At our core, there must be a desire to follow our Lord. I guess you could say our “want to” changes.

That said, we all find ourselves in the struggle Paul faced when he wrote,

“For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate” (Romans 7:15 NASB).

While Paul’s core had changed creating the desire to obey, his flesh had not been eradicated.

We can all identify with Paul’s struggle. Each one of us has our own battle with the flesh within us. Like the leaves on our tree that refused to give up all its leaves, we have certain things that continue to hold onto us, robbing us of our joy. Paul found the secret to winning the victory over the flesh. He wrote, “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh” (Galatians 5:16 NASB).

I believe Paul recognized that all the good intentions in the world could not deliver us from the temptations of the flesh. While we might escape from many of them, we all have our own weaknesses. As we die to self daily and learn to walk under the guidance of the Spirit, these things will begin to have less and less sway in our lives. Like the sap, which produced new growth, forced the last leaves from our tree, the Spirit will force those tenacious sins of the flesh from our lives and will replace them with the beautiful fruit of the Spirit. Paul describes the fruit of the spirit this way:

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is not law” (Gal. 5:22, 23 NASB)

Prayer: Heavenly Father, help me this day to die to self and to walk in the Spirit. Create in me a bountiful supply of the beautiful fruit the Spirit produces in the life of one who walks in Him. Drive out every remnant of the flesh that keeps me from being the man you want me to be. In Jesus Holy Name I pray. Amen.

Reflections for April 1, 2010

2010-04-01T15:31:00.002-04:00

"Joy or Grief"

This past week has brought forth a flood of emotions. On Sunday in our church, a man who had not walked without a cane since 1978 and had not walked at all outside of his house since 1989, walked unassisted to the front of the church and helped to take up our offering. On Monday morning, we received an email from one of our dearest friends telling us that his oldest son (40 years old) had succumbed to the cancer that had plagued him for the past year. Both of these families love our Lord. Yet circumstances dictate that one face this week with great joy and the other with hearts filled with sorrow and loss.

The first gentleman had endured four previous surgeries and none had relieved the problem. Because of the four unsuccessful surgeries, he was hesitant to consider another attempt. Finally, after the pain became unbearable, he gave permission to the surgeon to proceed and he turned the results over to the Lord. While the world may give credit to the surgeon for the operations success, the family understands that the ultimate praise belongs to our Lord. The surgeon may have held the scalpel but I am convinced God guided the hand.

The second family had stood closely by and ministered to their eldest son’s needs for the past year. They too had prayed for God’s healing but physical healing had not come. Their consolation was when the end came, it came without struggle. Their son spoke clearly to his brother who was sitting by his side and then slipped into eternity. Their second consolation was they knew he had a home waiting for him in heaven. For him, it was not an ending but a new beginning. For them, it was hearts filled with deep sorrow and loss and the question, why did it have to end this way? Why could he not have lived?

Here within twenty-four hours my wife and I witnessed two heart touching moments. The first was one of great joy. It is easy to respond to such a situation. It is a time of joy. It is a time to give thanks unto God and to praise Him for His goodness. It is a time to marvel at His greatness. It is a time to rejoice with a family who was experiencing something I believe can be described as a miracle. Words are not hard to come by in circumstances such as this.

The second was totally different. Most words seem trite. People find it hard to say anything but feel uncomfortable being silent. In their quandary they sometimes say things that sting the heart more than comfort it, that raise more questions than they answer. It is at times such as these that less words are normally the better choice. When the fog of shock and loss has begun to lift, the family will remember your presence more than anything you might say.

Knowing how shallow words can sound at a time such as this, I prayed for God to show me something to share. I picked up a copy of Streams in the Desert, compiled by Mrs. Charles Cowman. I opened it randomly and found myself at the words written for July 19. As I read, I believe God provided words to share. Here is a portion of that day’s contribution:

The most comforting of David’s psalms were pressed out by suffering;
and if Paul had not had his thorn in the flesh we had
missed much of that tenderness which quivers in so many of his letters.

The present circumstance, which presses so hard against you (if surrendered to Christ),
is the best shaped tool in the Father’s hand to chisel you for eternity.
Trust Him, then. Do not push away the instrument lest you lose its work.

Strange and difficult indeed
We may find it,
But the blessing that we need
Is behind it.
The school of suffering graduates rare scholars.

While they may not be ready to hear it, the family who is now drowning in the cauldron of sorrow may have the greater blessing. I say this because it is at the bottom of our deepest grief that we have the greatest opportunity to encounter the loving touch of the one who gave His own Son that we might someday spend eternity with Him. He too understands the immense pain of seeing His son suffer.

Reflections for March 25, 2010

2010-03-25T08:33:00.001-04:00

As our group returned from an association men’s event, I realized it was much later than I had anticipated. Not wanting my wife to worry, I took out my trusty cell phone to call home. After a couple of rings, I heard my own voice. It was my voice mail. After dialing several more times and getting the same results, I became frustrated. The only thing I could figure is that my granddaughter, who had been playing with my phone earlier in the day, had changed the settings of the phone.

Seeing and hearing my frustration, our driver suggested I use his cell phone. Once again I dialed the number. When I did I heard this ring, not coming from the phone in my hand but from the one in my lap. Then it dawned on me. I had been calling myself. When I realized what I had been doing, I was grateful that God had given me the ability to laugh at myself.

As I have thought about my lapse of mind, it dawned on me that I have similar experiences in my prayer life. Far too often, I go to my quiet place to pray and when I try to connect with God I fail, because I dial my own number instead. I talk about my needs, my aspirations, my ideas about how to fix other folks problems, etc. When I am finished, I get up feeling satisfied that I have fulfilled my responsibility to pray.

It is then that God speaks through the Holy Spirit and asks, “Do you remember the prayer I gave to my disciples, when they asked me to teach them to pray? It seems you forgot the “Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done” part.” It is then I realize as long as I pray according to my wants, wisdom and power, all I can hope to receive is what I can do and that is not much, when it is measured against the awesomeness of God.

The feebleness of praying in our own will is evident when we consider the promise Jesus gave us. He said, “Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it” (John 14:13, 14 NASB). I easily remember the “Whatever you ask” and the “ask anything” phrases but I am prone to forget the “in My name” requirement. When I forget, I miss the blessing He wished to give. In his book, With Christ in the School of Prayer, Andrew Murray sums it up this way: “Who can say what power a church could develop and exercise if it would assume the work of praying day and night for the coming of the Kingdom, for God's power, or for the salvation of souls? Most churches think their members gather simply to take care of and edify each other. They don't know that God rules the world by the prayers of His saints, that prayer is the power by which Satan is conquered, and that through prayer the Church on earth has access to the powers of the heavenly world. They do not remember that Jesus has, by His promise, made every assembly in His Name a gate to heaven, where His presence is to be felt, and His power experienced by the Father fulfilling their desires.”

Prayer: “Heavenly Father, help me to pray in the name of your Son, for the coming of Thy kingdom and in accordance to Thy will. Amen.”

Reflection for March 18, 2010

2010-03-18T09:51:00.002-04:00

Embrace The Cross

The public ministry of Christ began when He was thirty years old. His first recorded miracle was performed at a wedding. For many, this marks the beginning of His public ministry. His ministry was one of healing for those who were broken and downtrodden. Wherever He went He attracted crowds. Unfortunately, most of the people were interested in His miracles and not in a personnel relationship with the miracle worker.

When the excitement of the healing passed and Christ talked of the ultimate cost of following Him, the crowds quickly thinned. This falling away is graphically illustrated with the attitude change that took place between the trip into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday and the mob’s cry for crucifixion a few short days latter. How quickly they passed from cheering to jeering the Savior.

From the beginning He was a thorn in the side of the established religious leaders. Partly because they felt threatened by His teaching and partly because He did not resemble the Messiah they expected. They followed his ministry closely, not for the purpose of learning, but for the purpose of attacking him. In the end they felt they had won the struggle because Christ’s ministry ended in what appeared to be complete failure. His ministry of love and healing was rewarded with a painful trip to the cross.

Little has changed through the centuries. During this Easter season, people who wear the name Christian will gather all around the world to celebrate the resurrection of the Christ. They will recognize that something is missing in their life. They will desperately long for the peace, joy and abundant life that Christ has promised in the Gospels. However, when they are confronted with the high cost of discipleship, when they realize that they can not experience the fullness of the joy, peace and abundance that Christ wishes them to have without embracing the Cross and dying to self, they walk away and say, “This is too hard.”

Someone has explained it this way; “Our problem is not that we want too much. Our problem is that we settle for too little.” We settle for what man can do. We settle for what the world offers. We settle for less than what God promises because we are not willing to embrace the cross. C.S. Lewis explains it this way in “The Weight of Glory”. “Indeed, if we consider the staggering nature of the rewards promised us in the Gospels, it would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink, sex, and ambition when infinite joy is offered us. We are like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.”

This Easter do not settle for less that God would have you to have. Trust in Him; embrace the Cross; and believe that He will give you all that He has said.

Refections for March 11, 2010

2010-03-11T12:54:00.001-05:00

"Opening A Rosebud"

Years ago I heard a story that reminded me of my own life. It was about a young seminarian walking in the seminary garden with one of his professors. The young man was expressing his doubts and frustrations about his future. He expressed his uncertainty about what God’s plan was for him. The two men approached a beautiful rose bush. The professor removed one of the rosebuds and handed it to the young student. He asked him to unfold the rosebud without damaging any of the petals. The student soon found his efforts to be in vain. The harder he tried the bigger mess he made. The rose petals began to come apart and to fall to the ground.

Seeing the young man’s frustration, the older man reminded the younger that only God could open the rosebud and display the beautiful peddles unharmed. He told him his life was like the rosebud. He reminded him to stop trying so hard and to trust in the Master to show him the way. The Master would straighten the curves and make the rough spots smooth. His only requirement was to trust the Master and to be receptive to His leadership.

As I listened to the story, I could not help but think of the different stages of my life. There have been times when I desperately wanted to know God’s will. The problem was I wanted to know it immediately. It was not that I wanted to be disobedient. To the contrary, I wanted to do great things for God. Each time I took things into my own hands, I fell on my face, frustrated and confused.

Out of the frustration came the realization that Jesus’ words, “Apart from Me you can do nothing.” were true. If we are to be like the rose and to develop to our full potential, we must learn the secret of surrendering to the Master. He will unfold our lives and make us into what He wants us to be.

If you are like me, you do not like the idea of surrender. However, it is not until we accept the fact that apart from Him we can do nothing that we can realize that through Him we can do all things. When we finally surrender, the Master begins to bring things together and we begin to catch glimpses of the future and what He has in store for us. With each move He makes, we learn that He will always provide everything we need to do the thing or things He wants us to do.

Maybe you are frustrated in your search for God’s will for your life. Let me encourage you to give up and surrender to Him. Allow Him to peel back your petals and make you into the beautiful and useful person He wishes you to be.

Reflections for March 4, 2010

2010-03-04T08:58:00.000-05:00

"Learning The Word"

I purchased a new cell phone last week. It is considerably different from the one I had used the past two years. Because I am technologically challenged, the transition to the new phone has been traumatic. I have missed several calls because I was struggling to get the thing free from the clip on my belt. To make matters worse, it is a touch screen phone. Since I have fat fingers, it usually doesn’t stop where I want it to stop or I touch more than one symbol. The manual that came with it would be helpful, if I understood it. It would also help if the writing was large enough to read without a magnifying glass. With the problems I have all ready had, I tremble at the thought of what is going to happen when I attempt to send an email or go on line using it.

Despite the frustration it has caused me, I will continue to use it. In time I will become more familiar with it and it will become a great asset in my ministry. I see similarities between my struggle with my new phone and a new Christian’s struggle with the Bible.

We, who have been Christians for years, expect too much from the person who has recently become a Christian. This is especially true if we were raised in the church and had the benefits of childhood Christian education. We remember well the Bible stories we were taught in Sunday school or in our homes. We may have participated in Bible drills, where we memorized the books of the Bible and the key passages in them. When we finally came to the point of asking Christ to come into our hearts and to be our Savior and Lord, we were all ready on our way to feeling comfortable with the Bible.

This scenario is not true for many who come to the Lord today. Often, people come out of backgrounds where there was no reference to the Scriptures. Someone had shared the simple message of the Gospel with them; God had moved in their hearts; and they had asked Him to enter into their lives. At that point, they may not have known the difference between the Old and New Testament. Names like Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Peter, Paul, etc. meant nothing special to them. To simply hand someone like this a Bible and to say read it every day is not enough. It is a daunting

What this person needs is for someone to come along side and to help them learn to navigate the pages of the Scripture. He/she needs someone who will take nothing for granted, who will patiently assist the new believer become versed in Scripture. With assistance, the new believer will become more comfortable going it alone. When discouragement comes, we need to be there to encourage and assure the new believer of the importance of the Scripture in the life of a believer. Most important, we need to model the truths of the Scripture in our own lives.

While having someone to assist a new believer in becoming comfortable with Scripture is important, it is not always possible. However, the believer has a personal tutor. When we accept Christ, His Spirit comes to dwell in our hearts. His Spirit becomes our tutor. If we are faithful to continue in the Word, in due time it will come alive for us and we will see its importance in our lives. We will understand the truth of II Timothy 3:16, 17: “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.”