The Power of Words

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

"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

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

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

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

“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

"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.