The Adventure of God’s Will

Posted by admin in Guidance, Leadership on February 8, 2010

This weekend I rode for ten hours with 33 other men to attend the Johnny Hunt Men’s Conference in Woodstock, Georgia. We left at 5 a.m. from Wilmington, North Carolina.

We actually rode the bus for about eight hours. The other two hours were spent in restaurants…

There were 7,500 other guys at the conference, so when we worshiped it was pretty amazing.

I’m pretty sure this was the first time I was not the slightest bit self-conscious about my singing. (I wonder sometimes if God holds His ears so He can just hear my heart when I’m worshiping Him in church.) I sang as loud as all the other guys, and didn’t give a hoot about the terrible noise I was making.

In addition to worshiping we heard some awesome teaching by Dr. Johnny M. Hunt and other men. Johnny is the senior pastor of First Baptist Church Woodstock (FBCW), and the current president of the Southern Baptist Convention. (He used to live here in Wilmington, North Carolina, before he became famous. He was born in Lumberton, NC, and he’s a member of the Lumbee Native American Indian Tribe.)

My Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) helped me decide to attend the leadership session entitled “The Adventure of God’s Will.” I’m glad I did. Allan Taylor, the minister of education at FBCW, was the speaker, and he was exceptionally good. Allan has written several books, and he also leads Ember to Blaze Ministries.

About 600 men attended Allan’s teaching sessions on Friday and Saturday. He based “The Adventure of God’s Will” on Joseph — Mary’s husband — in Matthew 1:18-25. As Allan said, we call this the Christmas story and we usually read it about once a year. As a result, we don’t often hear much about Joseph. Allan captured some interesting things from this scripture passage about Joseph’s decision making and leadership…

Leadership is based on adventure — the ride and the journey.
Like Joseph, the God-centered man must leave his security and go where faith is required. Often it is insecurity and instability that is the very center of God’s will for us. God’s call drags us from the comfortable and calculated into the adventurous.

God’s plan has many twists and turns in the road.
When things don’t go as we expect, like when Joseph found out his fiancé was pregnant, we must believe that our adversity has God-given potential. Rather than change our plans or direction, we may need to change our perspective, like Joseph changed his after his dream. Even though it may seem quite bizarre, we must remain open to the will and plan of God.

God’s adventure has greatness in it.
Because He is so great and good, God often leads on paths that look disastrous, only to provide a divine outcome for His glory. However, He requires faith — belief that God 1) is sovereign and in full control; 2) has thought it through beyond our comprehension; 3) knows the why, how and what is next, even when we don’t; and 4) will always be with us and do what’s best for us.

God’s plan asks for our obedience.
Like most people, Joseph wanted status, security and stability. But God wanted Joseph’s submission — one of the greatest signs of respect and honor we can offer Him. We cannot be compelling leaders until we are complying followers of Jesus Christ. Our greatest privilege is also our greatest responsibility — obey. We cannot fully understand, but we can fully obey, just as Joseph did.

The reason for gaining Bible knowledge is so we can learn to do God’s will and obey Him. If our will is to do God’s will, and we make it our business to do God’s business, it then becomes God’s business to do our business. And He will take care of those who do His will.

This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.
But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” — which means, “God with us.”
When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

For more of Allan Taylor’s insight into fanning the flame of your heart, leadership, ministry and church, visit his web site at Ember to Blaze Ministries.

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What Will Our Financial Legacy Be?

Posted by admin in Finances, Guidance on February 2, 2010

Last week I had lunch with the leader of our weekly men’s group meeting. He has an amazing story. During his 30+ years of home building and developing in our area he’s been through some tough economic times. His experience is incredibly encouraging because it demonstrates God’s faithfulness to reward our obedience to Him.

During the savings-and-loan crisis of the late-1980s and early-1990s he ran into some serious financial difficulties. His accountant, banker, attorney — virtually everyone — told him to file bankruptcy. They said he “had no choice.”

He refused. Instead he worked through his debts over four years and eventually paid back everyone he owed… and ended up much better off than before his problems began.

The week of Oct. 19, 1987, following Black Monday, I experienced a financial crisis of my own, and I didn’t think my business would ever recover.

I had launched the newsletter, National & International Religion Report, at the beginning of the year, and the week before Black Monday I mailed a large number of promotional pieces to get new subscribers. I invested quite a bit with a marketing consultant and list broker. I printed thousands of brochures, letters and envelopes. And I paid postage to the U.S. Postal Service in advance of the mailing.

When my direct-mail pieces arrived during the week of Black Monday, no one was buying anything. The promotion was a total disaster, and the number of subscription orders we received was dismal. In all my years of publishing, I have never seen anything like it.

I was in way over my head. I had already borrowed from my bank and owed hundreds of thousands of dollars to suppliers. I didn’t have the cash to pay them back, or any hope in generating it. I had no place to turn. And like my developer friend, the sudden economic disaster affecting me was totally out of my control.

Drastic situations require drastic action.
I prayed and told my wife about our situation. She suggested we sell our house. (Just a few months before our financial crisis we had built our “dream home” — a cape cod on a hill overlooking the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia.) We agreed to do whatever was necessary. We sold our home, office building, boat — anything and everything we had worked to acquire in the previous 20 years. Within a year we were able to pay off our debts and get out of trouble.

Today, millions of people and corporations across the country are filing bankruptcy. I read a report last year in USA Today that said our nation had set a new record of more than 6,000 people per day filing bankruptcy.

When I was young there was a saying, “As goes GM, so goes the nation.” Since GM filed bankruptcy, I guess the federal government will, too. The President and Congress are preparing a new budget with plans to spend a trillion dollars more than they generate for years to come. Is this the example they should set for citizens to follow? If China tightens its monetary policy, or anything else goes wrong, the effect on our economy could be insurmountable. And even if nothing terrible happens, how will we pay the interest on all this debt?

When government prints money to pay its debt, inflation goes through the roof. If we continue on this path, the results will be devastating. The Jimmy Carter economic fiasco will look minor in comparison. The inflation rate could be as bad as Germany’s before World War II. Back then, people were being paid in cash, and a wheelbarrow full of money was barely enough to buy a loaf of bread.

When the economy is this bad, and the problems are completely beyond our control, what should we do? Here’s what I would tell my three sons…

Pray first.
Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.     – 1 Thes. 5:16-18

Sometimes it’s hard to be joyful when the future looks bleak, but it’s God’s will for us, no matter how bad our circumstances look. He tells us that His joy is our strength. And before we make any drastic changes, we need to talk to Him about it. Listen carefully to His “still small voice” in prayer. Jesus told us to “ask, seek and knock,” and a door will be opened.

Prepare for the worst.
A prudent man sees danger and takes refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it.      – Proverbs 22:3

Times like these call for frugality. So cut back — way back. Wherever possible, reduce or eliminate expenses. If and when things turn around, you’ll be in a better position coming out of the downturn. And if these economic problems continue for an extended period, you’ll be in the best possible position to ride it out.

Hope for the best.
Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.     – Romans 15:13

Prayerfully consider how you would like your life to look in five years, ten years, and twenty years. Create a “big picture” plan and start working toward it. Make a to-do list of six things you must do to reach your goals and start to immediately knock them out. When you’ve eliminated the first six things on your list, create a new one, and continue working toward your goal. Be willing to give up short-term gratifications if the savings will help you reach your long-term goals.

Reduce your debt.
The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.     – Proverbs 22:7

One plan that I’ve heard for reducing debt made a lot of sense: Pay off your smallest debt or loan as quickly as possible, and make minimum payments on all the rest. When your smallest debt is completely paid, add the amount you were paying on it to your next smallest debt until it is paid off. Continue to do this until you have no debts.

Keep your commitments.
A fortune made by a lying tongue is a fleeting vapor and a deadly snare.     – Proverbs 21:6

Scripture is clear about keeping our word, and it doesn’t leave room for not paying our debts. Romans 13:8 says, “Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another….” I don’t like saying it during these times when so many are suffering and out of work, but anything less than paying what we have promised is the same as stealing. If we can’t pay now due to a job loss or other circumstances, we need to make arrangements to pay what we owe as soon as we possibly can. “Walking away” is not a biblical option.

Conclusion
Our nation has always come out of recessions and depressions in the past. But this time our government leaders are taking us into debt on a scale like never before. Only the Lord knows how much worse things will get before they get better.

I suppose we could be headed into the period mentioned in Revelation 6:6 when we’ll receive “a quart of wheat for a day’s wages and three quarts of barley for a day’s wages.” But even if we end up in bread lines, we should “be joyful always” and keep a smile on our faces, because we know that “He has given us … an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade — kept in heaven … ready to be revealed in the last time.”     – 1 Peter 1:3-5

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Do What You Love. You’ll Do It Best.

Posted by admin in Guidance, Purpose on January 25, 2010

Do What You Love
About 25 years ago I interviewed a dozen Christian leaders for a story I was writing. During the interview I asked each of them to tell me the best advice they ever received.

The response that stood out above all others—and the one I can easily remember without digging out the article and re-reading it—came from Tom McCabe, founder of KMA in Dallas, Texas. He said…

          “Do what you love, because that’s what you’ll do best.”

One of the people I have admired  and enjoyed watching over the years while he did what he loves most is Scott Dimock. Scott has been helping kids—lots of kids—most of his life.

I first heard about Scott when he was a Young Life leader at Annandale (Va.) High School. I met him later when he was the area director for Young Life in Northern Virginia. (I spent a year working with several others to start a Young Life group at W.T. Woodson High School in Fairfax, Virginia.)

Scott left Young Life some time ago and co-founded the Southeast White House. The Southeast White House mentors and supports kids in a “forgotten quadrant” of Washington, DC, just a short drive from the other White House, according to a statement on their web site. The area has a limited number of social services where “the median income is $17,000 per year, 22% of the population live in public housing …  and 77% of the children live in single-parent families.”

SEWH is hosted by a staff of volunteers who serve those who come to the house in need of lifestyle changes, jobs, fellowship, volunteer opportunities, friendship, and love. It is a place of reconciliation—an environment where urban and suburban, rich and poor, black and white, and young and old can come together.

You’ll Do It Best
The Project on Lived Theology based in the Department of Religious Studies at the University of Virginia says that Scott and his team have truly found what they “do best.” Here’s an excerpt from the UVA report:

“To an unaccustomed outsider, the sight of poverty, restlessness and decay is frightening. Abandoned shops, Checks Cashed Here stations, and liquor stores serve as welcome signs to this ghetto of sorts. Directly off the avenue, upon a hill, stands the enigmatic inner-city community ministry, the Southeast White House, a historic turn of the century manor home dubbed by the neighbors the ‘Little White House’ because of its similar architecture and placement on the other Pennsylvania Avenue.”

In addition to their other services, the staff and volunteers hold biweekly gatherings at the Southeast White House ”on Mondays deemed the Reconciliation Luncheon and Wednesdays called the Family Luncheon, identical to each other in form and content. The guests, some here for the first time and others regular attendees, mingle in the parlor, kitchen, or living room. When lunch is served they abandon the off-white outer rooms for the brightly colored dining room… The table is set for a feast: fine china, lit candles, fresh flowers, and cloth napkins. Introductions and answers to an innocuous get-to-know-you question weave around the table following the prayer. The three-course meal has begun.

“The house is unique in that it brings individuals within the community together as well as uniting those from outside with the neighborhood. Moreover, those at the luncheon lack pretense. The luncheon does not only foster individual dignity, it also bolsters that of the community. When guests from outside of the neighborhood—Congressmen and their wives, influential businessmen and women, dignitaries of other countries, professional athletes, even the average suburbanite—come to the Southeast White House for a meal, they raise the neighborhood’s status in the eyes of the broader society.

“When the SEWH was first purchased, it was the most decrepit building in the neighborhood, and there was no financial base from which to draw for restoration, necessitating that the staff wait for resources. Volunteer church groups from all over the nation came for work projects, sharing home repair skills and supplies. The neighbors quickly recognized that the SEWH lacked wealth; rather, they “lived by faith,” or by unpredictable month to month donations. All that the house contains—including the luncheon food—as well as the means for its restoration, are gifts from individuals nationwide who want to serve the poor in the nation’s capitol and who believe in the SEWH’s mission.”

 Well Done
In essence, Scott and the Southeast White House team combine the Great Commandment to love God and your neighbor, with what they love to do—mentor kids. As a result, they do it very well.

Then Jesus said to his host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”   - Luke 14:12-14

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Correct. Rebuke. Encourage. Patiently. Carefully.

Posted by admin in Acts Of God on January 21, 2010

In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage — with great patience and careful instruction. 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 4:1-4

I wonder if this is how Jonah felt when God told him to “Go to the great city… preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.” Like Jonah, I’d like to hop a boat and take off in the opposite direction and not tell you what my friend, Col. Myrl Allinder said. But then I remember the rest of the story… A storm almost sank Jonah’s boat, the crew threw him overboard, and “the LORD provided a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was inside the fish three days and three nights.” After the Lord made the fish vomit “Jonah onto dry land … Jonah obeyed the word of the LORD and went….”

I’ve obviously been putting off writing about my discussion with Myrl last week while I was in Clearwater, Florida. But I don’t want to risk being swallowed by a whale, so here goes…

Keep in mind that Myrl is not like the TV-preachers who raise millions of dollars, build business empires, and make proclamations “from God.” Myrl humbly ministers locally, similar to what Jesus did when He walked the earth and ministered. Myrl regularly serves homeless people and disciples prisoners in the county jail while he lives on his fairly meager military retirement pay. He’s seen — close up — many of the most prominent people in Christian communications, and he wants no part in what they’re doing. It bothers him quite a bit to see the frivolous ways money is spent by so many of these “giants” in Christendom.

When Myrl and I ordered breakfast the other morning, he humbly insisted on paying for it. After we sat down he began to describe what he sees in the Church and the world. His countenance changed. He suddenly had a concerned look, a mixture of frustration and sadness, as he talked about the perversion of truth in the Church.

Then he told me about two dreams he has had — the first one occurred almost 40 years ago while he was living in the suburbs of Washington, DC. The second dream occurred the night before our breakfast meeting. He felt both dreams were “from the Lord.” (I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. – Joel 2:28)

In his first dream he was with his family in their yard outside their home watching a terrible, devastating storm coming toward them. It covered the sky from one end of the horizon to the other. They watched beautiful green trees and homes being totally destroyed. Myrl collected his family and went inside. As the storm approached, it annihilated everything in its path and left nothing but brown dirt, like the sand in the Sahara Desert. However, when it got close to his home, he and his family watched it circle around their house, and multiple tornadoes turned into angels protecting Myrl and his family.

In his second dream, the night before our meeting last week, Myrl was again outside his home with a terrible storm approaching. Similar to his dream almost 40 years ago, he told his wife, “It’s time to get the stuff in the house.” Then he woke up at 3 a.m. and the Holy Spirit told him…

                                                     “The storm has begun.”

He didn’t go into much more detail, but I think I understood what he meant, and what he believed the Holy Spirit was telling him about our nation: judgment is on its way.

When I asked Myrl about the terrible devastation in Haiti he briefly discussed the unbiblical religious practices of the Haitian people. But he also said the behavior of both Christians and non-Christians in the U.S. will soon be bringing similar catastrophic Acts of God to major cities here.

This morning my scheduled reading was the twelfth chapter of Hebrews. Here’s some of what stood out…

If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven? At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens” … let us be thankful and worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.     – Heb. 12:25,28-29

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First: Pray for Kings and All Those in Authority

Posted by admin in Growth, Leadership on January 20, 2010

First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.     – I Timothy 2:1-4

I went to Clearwater, Florida, last week to visit retired Colonel Myrl Allinder. It had been almost four decades since I had seen the man we used to call “Major” during our Saturday night meetings at the log cabin in Oakton, Virginia.

Myrl Allinder made quite an impact on me when I was young. Next to my wife, he stands out as the person God used most to turn me around. Myrl would lead us in worship, share a funny, personal story or two, and then tell us something he had learned about the Lord. One moment he would have us laughing out loud, and a minute later we would be convicted to our core by his message. His leadership was truly life changing for many of us.

I wasn’t aware of the Major’s accomplishments during the 1960s. I didn’t know how he had risked his life in Vietnam or that he had rescued hundreds of orphans in 1969…

…with a couple of C-47 Chinook helicopters…

Myrl never boasted about those things. He simply demonstrated his love for Jesus, and shared what Jesus had done for us (and him). And he never minced words when he told us what the Lord expected from His followers.

Over the years I’ve thought about Myrl at least once a week, but it didn’t occur that I should pray for him. Oh, I pray general prayers for those serving in the military, especially in Iraq and Afghanistan. But because Myrl and I didn’t stay in touch, I had no idea how much he needed prayer.

While we were apart and Myrl was serving in the Marine Corps, he worked with a handful of other leaders to prepare a global strategic war plan for the Chief of Naval Operations. He taught at the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island. He commanded several outfits and worked for the Secretary of Defense. He briefed admirals, generals and congressional leaders, and was awarded the second highest award in peace time.

But none of these things mattered to an Air Force general at MacDill Air Force Base. The general didn’t like the fact that Myrl regularly read the Bible early in the morning, before work, with some other men. So one Monday morning in May, 1986, the general told Myrl, “You’re through,” and claimed Myrl broke the law when he brought a Bible into a federal building, held unauthorized meetings in his office, showed favoritism to fellow believers, and “persecuted” those who held different beliefs.

These events forced Myrl to retire. After serving the Marine Corps for so many years, all of his accomplishments were forgotten because he believed in God and demonstrated it – on his own time, before work — with others.

But God works everything out for good, and after Myrl retired, he went on missions trips around the world sharing his faith. And he continues to serve the Lord by ministering to prisoners at the Pinellis County Jail and through the Suncoast Haven of Rest Rescue Mission.

Myrl shared some things with me that I’d like to tell you about. As always, he didn’t mince words, so sit down…

…to be continued…

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Why Are So Many People In Haiti Suffering, Again?!

Posted by admin in Acts Of God, Life & Death on January 14, 2010

I know there are biblical answers to the question, ‘Why do bad things happen to good people?’

I’ve heard respected, highly-educated theologians teach on the subject, and I’ve read some good articles about it. The answers made so much sense at the time.

But when I see the news reports of what’s happening in Haiti — the loss of so many loved ones and the horrible pain and suffering that so many people are enduring — the best answers in the world don’t seem to make sense. And they don’t make the grief go away.

The Bible clearly states that God punishes individuals for their sins. It also says He judges and punishes nations. But when Jesus’ disciples asked whose sin caused a man’s blindness — his or his parents – Jesus said it was neither.

When Satan went before God and asked permission to torment Job, God gave it to him, even though the Bible — God’s word — clearly states that Job was a righteous man. How can that be? How could a loving God allow such bad things to happen?

I posed some questions over lunch today with my friend, Lee Grady, the editor of Charisma magazine.

(Charisma is published by Strang Communications in Lake Mary, Florida. Lee was a reporter and writer many years ago for my newsletter, National & International Religion Report.)

Before I asked Lee why bad things happen to good people, I asked him if he thought we were getting close to Judgment Day. He said he doesn’t concern himself too much with the timing of the Day. He feels we have too many more-important things to do before the Day gets here, and he wants to invest himself in things that matter most.

When I asked about God letting these things happen in Haiti, Lee reminded me of some horrifying natural disasters where Christians responded in major ways, sending both supplies and people to help those who were devastated: thousands of missionaries and Christian aid workers responded quickly to the 2002 earthquake in Afghanistan in 2002; the devastating tsunami that killed over 230,000 people in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India and Thailand; and hurricane Katrina in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast.

Another interesting thing  Lee mentioned: following the 8.1-magnitude earthquake in 1985 that devastated Mexico City there was a massive outpouring of help from Christians. Since then, there has been a dramatic surge in Protestant Christianity. Could this be a direct result of the hard work by these missionaries and Christian aid workers?

Regardless, I don’t have the answers for all this pain. But I know Who does… And someday I hope to ask Him.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade — kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith — of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire — may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.     – I Peter 1:3-9

I left Lake Mary, Florida, and headed to Clearwater…

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“But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days.”

Posted by admin in Acts Of God on January 13, 2010

The headline today came from my scheduled reading last night before I went to bed. I read it after watching news reports of the terrible devastation from the 7.0 earthquake in Haiti. The headline is a direct quote from the first verse in chapter three of St. Paul’s second letter to Timothy. It reminded me of Jesus’ words regarding the end times in Matthew 24:7…

Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.

Media coverage of relief efforts for Haiti will most likely focus on government funds and promises of aid from around the world. However, as is normally the case, much of the work on the ground will be done by Chrisitan volunteers, Christian relief organizations and missionaries. I hope their demonstrations of love and sacrificial giving will also be reported.

You Can Help
Contact your local church to find out what’s being done. In addition to your congregation and/or denomination, some of the most significant work will be performed by Christian groups that are already on the scene or will be shortly. They need our financial assistance. Please contact and give to them directly through their websites:

ACT International
Adventist Development and Relief Agency
Baptist World Aid
Catholic Charities
Catholic Relief Services
Church of the Nazarene Disaster Relief
Disaster News Network
Florida Baptist Disaster Relief
Lutheran World Relief
Medical Mission Exchange
Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF)
Practical Compassion
Presbyterian Disaster Assistance
Salvation Army USA
Samaritan’s Purse – Franklin Graham
Southern Baptist Cooperative Program – Love in Action
United Methodist Committee on Relief
World Relief – National Association of Evangelicals
World Vision

According to news reports this morning, the five-story U.N. building in Haiti is one of the many structures that collapsed during the earthquake. Read current reports on CNN, FOX News, MSNBC and Voice of America.

Photo by Brian Wagner, Miami

Photo by Brian Wagner, Miami

  The American Red Cross has a video report on Youtube here:

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Are We Being Blind Sided By Satan?

Posted by admin in Growth on January 11, 2010

“For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline. So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord…”     - II Timothy 1:7-8

For weeks my wife has been asking me to take her to see the movie Blind Side with Sandra Bullock. Fearing it was a chick flick, I found good excuses each time she asked and successfully put her off … until this past weekend.

Blind Sided.
I was pleasantly surprised, and so was everyone else in the packed-out theatre. When the movie ended, no one got up to leave. Literally. Everyone remained seated while the credits rolled, and they watched photo after photo pop onto the screen depicting the real-life characters in the story — Michael Oher and the family of Leigh Anne Tuohy.

I wonder if the believers in the audience were stunned by the obvious Christian theme — southern Christians showing Christ-like love to someone less fortunate. They had actually watched a “testimony” of Christ at work in the world through a few members of His church — a magnificent story, professionally produced by Hollywood, depicting followers of Jesus Christ in a positive way.

And I wondered what nonbelievers thought. Why did they remain seated? Were they captivated by the story? Did they want to see if these real-life Christians truly existed? Did this movie contradict their stereotype image of Christians as grumpy white men or Dana Carvey’s church lady from Saturday Night Live? Did the movie make them wonder if there really are people who would do such a thing?

Who and where are the real Tuohys?
More importantly, who and where are real Christians? Why don’t we — and the rest of the world — know what they’re really doing? If this movie was still sold out after several weeks, and obviously profitable for the producers, why don’t we see more of these powerful “testimonies” of God working through Christians?

Could it be a spiritual thing? Does Satan himself work overtime to keep Christian testimonies silent? Does he know that our testimonies — stories of what God has done in and through us — are powerful weapons to defeat him?

They overcame him [Satan] by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony….”     – Rev. 12:11

If the world only knew.
If the world could only see and hear what the bride of Christ is really doing every single day… powerful stories of Christians working in horrible conditions to help the helpless; relief workers serving in the midst of terrible disasters; doctors on mission fields, providing medical help at their own expense; couples adopting kids who need the love of a mother and father; ministers rushing, night and day, to hospitals for their sick members; youth workers pouring out their lives to help kids develop character; missionaries serving undercover in Muslim lands; and many suffering persecution and even dying for Him around the world.

Many of us in the church don’t even realize what God is doing. We don’t hear about His work, unless we see a movie like Blind Side. He never stops, of course, but we don’t see or hear about the thousands of  untold stories, and as a result, even Christian authors and ministry leaders get discouraged. Here’s a quote from the recently published book, 66 Love Letters, by Dr. Larry Crabb:

…If Stephen or Peter or Paul could see what so many of us modern Jesus-followers are calling Christianity, if they visited what so often passes for church today, I think they would fall on their faces and weep.
            We’ve become a community of pretenders who’ve made such a habit of presenting ourselves to each other as more spiritually alive than we are that we actually believe our own posturing.
            I don’t understand why You let those believers [in Acts] see such obvious demonstrations of Your power….
            The way things are today in so many churches seems so far beneath what went on in the church You described in Acts that I felt a wave of futility smothering the life out of me….
            I want to see Your people revived to live the kind of life Your Son lived, the kind of life those early Christians lived — imperfectly, I know, but a lot better than how I see Your people, including me, living today.

Why don’t we see it?
Could it simply be our fear? I know I feel like a hypocrite when I talk or write about what God has done for me, knowing others have seen my sinfulness. But it’s not about me. It’s about Him, and what He has done — for us, in us, and through us. Telling others what He has done brings people to Him even when He tells us not to tell anyone…

Jesus sent him away at once with a strong warning: “See that you don’t tell this to anyone. … Instead he went out and began to talk freely, spreading the news. As a result… the people came to him from everywhere.
– Mark 1:44-45

We can do it.
Despite our failures, when we spread the news (our testimony) about what Jesus did (and still does), as well as what He has done for us on the Cross, people are touched at the core of their being, just as those people over the weekend were in that movie theatre… and the more we do it, the better our chances of becoming world changers who draw people to Him, so that He can change them from the inside out.

If you think you can’t do it, listen to these words from Beth Moore’s Believing God Day by Day…

You really can do it, you know. Whatever the harrowing path that’s before you, you really can walk it victoriously. God will give you every place you step your feet for the glory of His name if you let Him.

She bases her statement on this one by the Apostle Paul…

I can do all things through Him who gives me strength.     - Philippians 4:13

Let’s start really “believing God.” Let’s “not be ashamed to testify of our Lord” so people will “come to Him from everywhere.”

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Hey, What’s That In Your Eye?

Posted by admin in About Us, Finances on January 8, 2010

On Wednesday nights a bunch of guys from our church meet to study the book of Proverbs. That may sound pretty dry, but actually it’s a terrific time. I like the book of Proverbs and for many years I’ve tried to read a chapter a day. It’s truly mystical how I can read the same things over and over, and yet get good insight every single time. And I’m even more amazed by what I’m learning on Wednesday evenings.

Today’s the eighth day of the month, so this morning I read Proverbs chapter eight after I prayed about which mode of transportation I should take — the convertible or the motorcycle — and verses 12 and 13 really stood out for me…

I, wisdom, dwell together with prudence; I possess knowledge and discretion. To fear the LORD is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech.

Which words jumped off the page?
The words that stood out to me were prudence, discretion, and pride. so I looked them up in the dictionary. I really struggled with what I found. Under those words the dictionary mentioned things like good judgment, being frugal, responsible, skilled, cautious, reserved, conceited, arrogant, egotistical, and vain. I want to exercise good judgment and be cautious and reserved. But if I take those definitions to the limit, I’ll be driving my wife’s Subaru with all-wheel-drive and heated seats.

That would be fine with me, except that she doesn’t like driving a stick-shift anymore, and no matter what I say she won’t take the DMV test to get a motorcycle permit. So the Subaru is out.

I also want to be frugal, cautious and responsible. The convertible fits that fairly well. It gets good gas mileage and it’s paid for… But how do I avoid being prideful, vain, arrogant and egotistical while driving a bright red sports car? I guess I’ll just have to make sure I park it next to a Ferrari, Porsche, Rolls, or Lamborghini … or at least a BMW, Cadillac, Corvette or Mercedes.

Buick vs. Cadillac
This car-choice dilemma reminds me of an experience I had years ago with two friends. They knew each other well, but they had some problems in their business dealings with each other. As a result they didn’t get along and seldom spoke to each other.

One friend was determined to drive used cars that didn’t look too expensive. His most recent purchase at the time was a big used Buick. (This was back in the prehistoric days when Buicks were monstrous.) One day he made a comment to me about my other friend’s car. He wondered how my friend could drive a Cadillac with a clear conscience.

I explained that my friend with the Cadillac had purchased a slightly used Mercedes and then sold it for a considerable profit. Then he turned around and bought the Cadillac. I went on to tell him that the Cadillac actually cost my friend far less than the used Buick he was driving. That didn’t matter to him. It was “the appearance that mattered.”

Speck vs. Plank
So what do you think? Can a Christian drive a Cadillac? What about a Miata or a Hummer? Must we all drive a Prius or some other “green” car?

Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?     – Matthew 7:1-3

Post Script
After thinking about the “appearance” vs. “stewardship” issue, I decided to keep the Miata for this project. Traveling in it will cost a lot less than finding another car. But in an effort to be “prudent” and ”responsible” I had some all-season tires installed at Jeff Fountain Tire Sales.

Two guys worked hard on my car. And when Miguel saw me taking pictures, he asked if I’d take one of him, too. (He’s the one with his hands in his pockets.)

The only thing left to do is get the oil changed, and then I’ll will be ready to go…

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Resolved … Have Wheels, Will Travel

Posted by admin in About Us, Purpose on January 6, 2010

My wife asked me the other day what my Leadership Inspiration blog is all about. She wanted to understand the purpose behind it. This turned out to be a good exercise for me… she helped me to focus on the what, why, and how… and the more we talked, the more excited I got. Here’s what I came up with:

Purpose
The purpose of Leadership Inspiration is to encourage, comfort, and strengthen others by providing stories of perseverance and faith, quotations, and interviews of leaders in business, government, ministry, and the military.

Now it’s time to find some good material. All I need to decide is which mode of transportation will be more comfortable. Somehow, Global Warming and Climate Change are creating record-setting cold temperatures and snow across the nation and around the world.

So the question is, do I take the convertible…

…or the motorcycle I affectionately call my Pack Mule?

You might be asking the same question I have: Why not just stay warm, search the Internet to find some content, and get permission to republish it?  Answer: I’d like to find some new and interesting stories about leaders who are living their dream and fulfilling their life’s purpose. I’d like to learn from their insight and wisdom, and share it through Leadership Inspiration. I know my method seems a bit unorthodox, for an old coot like me, but I’m going for it.

Unorthodox
You’ve heard that God works through unusual ways, right? He spoke — literally — to Balaam through his donkey. He used a burning bush to capture Moses’ attention. He protected the Israelites by splattering blood on their doorposts. He parted the Red Sea and the Jordan River for the Israelites. He protected Daniel all night from the lions, and the next morning He let the lions consume the king’s guards. He used a tornado to take Elijah up to heaven. He chose a virgin peasant girl to enter our world, and He slept in an animal trough in a barn because the hotels were booked. He had John the baptist wear camel hair and eat locusts. Jesus’ first miracle was turning water into wine. He walked on water. He spit in some dirt to make mud and then used it to heal the sick. He cast out demons, raised the dead, upset religious leaders, and on and on… He must have seemed pretty unorthodox to the orthodox.

Press On
In light of all that, this little adventure doesn’t seem like much, does it? And it’s definitely not too hard for the Maker of the Universe. Then again, I could stay home and warm, and not risk anything. Nah… I’d rather try to “make some history” and see if I can “finish strong,” as Pastor Phil suggested.

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.     – Philippians 3:12-14

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Be not fearful or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.     – Joshua 1:9

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