He Has A Plan For Us. And He Will Finish It.

Posted by admin in Guidance, Purpose on May 1, 2010

The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me; your love, O LORD, endures forever – do not abandon the works of your hands.  – Psalm 138:8

My son has told me several times about the Christian CEO peer group he joined last year. He’s described some of the benefits he’s received, how much he’s saved his company, increased sales, and the spiritual impact it has had on him. The Chair of his group told my son that he could be a “poster child” for the organization because he’s gotten so much out of it.

A few days ago my son mentioned another success story. He got some great advice on negotiating at a recent meeting and he used what he learned to save his company thousands of dollars.

Then, after talking to me about his Christian peer group he suggested once again that I check into leading a group like the one he attends. With enthusiasm and sincerity he said, “Dad, you’d be really good at this.”

Of course, I enjoy helping business owners whenever I can, and especially my sons. Sharing whatever insight or experience I can is always good for my ego. So after our conversation I decided to check into it. I visited their web site and got excited. It seemed to fit well with the personal mission statement I had recently put together on the Franklin Covey web site.

I filled out the form on the organization’s web site to get the ball rolling. After several conversations, I got my hopes up. It seemed this could be very fulfilling personally, by investing my life in helping other business leaders.

After several conversations with the recruiter, completing the application form, and submitting a short bio and resume, I thought I had the qualifications needed for the job. The combination of their training and my experience would make me a pretty good Chair, just like my son said.

Not exactly.

The next stage in the evaluation process included taking two job tests. You’ve probably had to take one at some point in your career. Requiring two tests is smart. If one said the opposite of the other, you’d know the test results were off… but if they both drew the same conclusions, it would be very helpful.

Both of mine said similar things. Here’s an example:

“Extremely assertive, very self confident, highly results and goal oriented. Extremely perfectionistic, very detail oriented. Very reserved, skeptical, hands-on. Very work oriented, very strong drive for achievement, hard driver, bottom line oriented. Highly analytical, very technical, very task oriented, calculated decision maker. Very direct, perhaps blunt, very authoritative. Very structured, likes procedures, guidelines. Impatient, sense of urgency, thrives on change, multi-tasker, needs variety.”

I suppose some of those traits are good. But after reading all the results, I concluded I’m not right for the job. Guess which words jumped off the page for me:

Extremely perfectionistic. Skeptical. Perhaps blunt. Impatient.

Despite these character and personality flaws the Lord has blessed my socks off over the years. Somehow through my weaknesses He demonstrated His strength, and used me for His purposes. So I’ll just chalk this up to one of those  ”my-dad’s-stronger-than-your-dad” experiences and put it behind me.

Truth is, God uses each of us as He wants. He knows us better than anyone. He created us for His purpose, and He promises to fulfill His purpose for us (Psalm 138:8). He has searched us and He knows us inside out. Not once or twice, but every single minute. Before we were born, before we make a move. Every thought. Every word. Every action. He’s even put guards in front of us and behind us. And He will lead us every step of the way (Psalm 139).

Maybe I’ve just fooled my sons. Hopefully I’m not too blunt, impatient, or skeptical with them. Regardless, I’ll keep doing all I can, and trust Him to do the rest.

Grandchildren are the crown of old men, And the glory of sons is their fathers. – Proverbs 17:6

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Are We On The Frontlines Or The Sidelines?

Posted by admin in Purpose on April 21, 2010

On Sunday I heard a terrific message again at our church. Our pastor introduced Dale and Jena Forehand, a couple he had invited to host a “Let’s Get Real Marriage Conference“ over the weekend. Pastor Phil told us they would be doing the teaching this week.

Watch their powerful message online as soon as you can. You won’t regret it.

One of the disturbing things they mentioned was the fact that in their local public high schools in Birmingham, Alabama, Christian students are not allowed to pray. In addition, the annual “See You At The Pole“ events have been banned.

Most Disturing
The most disturbing thing to me was the fact that Muslim students in their local high schools are allowed to take their prayer mats outside their class rooms, roll them out in the hallway and pray several times a day.

How could this have happened?

Christians have been sitting on the sidelines, according to Dale and Jena, when we should have been on the front lines. Rather than make waves and transform our society, Christians have been mostly silent, while Muslims and non-believers are fighting hard and winning battles – as well as the hearts and minds of young people — across our land.

Several times during their message Dale and Jena asked us this question:

                   How does your life look in response to God’s word?

When I read these words in my morning devotions, I realized my life doesn’t reflect God’s word:

“Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves. But beware of men, for they will hand you over to the courts and scourge you in their synagogues; and you will even be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. But when they hand you over, do not worry about how or what you are to say; for it will be given you in that hour what you are to say. For it is not you who speak, but it is the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you. Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. You will be hated by all because of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved. But whenever they persecute you in one city, flee to the next; for truly I say to you, you will not finish going through the cities of Israel until the Son of Man comes. A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a slave above his master. It is enough for the disciple that he become like his teacher, and the slave like his master. If they have called the head of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign the members of his household! Therefore do not fear them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. What I tell you in the darkness, speak in the light; and what you hear whispered in your ear, proclaim upon the housetops. Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows. Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven. Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I came to SET A MAN AGAINST HIS FATHER, AND A DAUGHTER AGAINST HER MOTHER, AND A DAUGHTER-IN-LAW AGAINST HER MOTHER-IN-LAW; and A MAN’S ENEMIES WILL BE THE MEMBERS OF HIS HOUSEHOLD. He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it. He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me. He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward; and he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward. And whoever in the name of a disciple gives to one of these little ones even a cup of cold water to drink, truly I say to you, he shall not lose his reward.”  – Matthew 10:16-42

I think I’ve been pretty comfortable on the sidelines. How about you? Let’s ask the Lord what needs to change in us as Christians so we will truly reflect Him and His word in a society that has dramatically declined during our lifetime.

And then, let’s get in the game.

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It’s Not Too Late. You’re Still Needed.

Posted by admin in Purpose on April 9, 2010

Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. - I Corinthians 16:13

This morning I took a small book off the shelf — again. It’s an encouraging, quick read, only 104 pages. Here are some excerpts that will strengthen and encourage you…

Life, you’ll notice, is a story.
Life doesn’t come to us like a math problem. It comes to us the way that a story does, scene by scene. There are all sorts of characters, all sorts of settings.

For most of us, life feels like a movie we’ve arrived at 45 minutes late. We find ourselves in the middle of a story that is sometimes wonderful, sometimes awful, often a confusing mixture of both, and we haven’t a clue how to make sense of it all.

What sort of tale have we fallen into?
We can discover the Story. Maybe not with perfect clarity, maybe not in the detail you would like, but in greater clarity than most of us now have, and that would be worth the price of admission.

Think about your favorite movies. Sense and Sensibility. Don Juan MeMarco. Titantic. The Sound of Music. Sleepless in Seattle. Gone With the Wind. Braveheart. Gladiator. Rocky. Top Gun.

Notice that all the great stories pretty much follow the same story line. Things were once good, then something awful happened, and now a great battle must be fought or a journey taken. At just the right moment (which feels like the last possible moment), the hero comes and sets things right, and life is found again.

There is a Story we just can’t seem to escape. There is a Story written on every human heart…

A Story. An Epic.
Something hidden in the ancient past.
Something dangerous now unfolding.
Something waiting in the future for us to discover.
Some crucial role for us to play.

When you were born, you were born into an Epic that has already been underway for quiet some time. It is a Story of danger and loss and heroism and betrayal.

Things are not as they seem.
We live in a world with two halves, one part that we can see and another we cannot. We must live as though the unseen world is more weighty, more real, and more dangerous than the world we can see.

We are at war.
This is a love Story, set in the midst of a life-and-death battle. Just look around you. This is no child’s game. This is a war — a battle for the human heart.

You have a crucial role to play.
It is a dangerous thing to underestimate your role in the Story. This is our most desperate hour. You are needed. Jesus calls to you to be his intimate ally once more. There are great things to be done and great sacrifices to made.

This is the gospel.
This is the Story we are living in. May you play your part well.

†

The excerpt above is from John Eldredge’s Epic: The Story God Is Telling And The Role That Is Yours To Play, published by Thomas Nelson. It’s the kind of book you’ll frequently take from your bookshelf to be strengthened and encouraged.

I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened so you may know what is the hope of His calling, and what are the glorious riches of His inheritance among the saints. – Ephesians 1:18

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Labor Pains and Signs of the Times…

Posted by admin in Purpose on March 26, 2010

Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our assembling to meet him, we beg you, brethren, not to be quickly shaken in mind or excited, either by spirit or by word, or by letter purporting to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. Let no one deceive you in any way; for that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God.  – II Thessalonians 2:1-4

Is Obama Nation the ‘Abomination’?
There are many so-called “prophetic” statements on the web about President Obama. Some claim he is the Anti-Christ. Some even say the ‘Abomination of Desolation’ in book of Daniel and that Jesus described, refers to a communist United States — the “Obama nation.”

Only time will tell whether the Democrats’ push for socialism — rationing healthcare and redistributing wealth — will lead to communism and population control. But one thing is clear. There has never been such uncontrolled, massive borrowing and spending in our nation’s history. Even the disastrous economy following the Jimmy Carter administration may be minor when compared to the future economic collapse. Some economists predict the new laws and taxes imposed by our Democrat-controlled government could create an economic disaster the likes of which we have never seen.

A worldwide economic disaster could usher in the Anti-Christ — whoever he may be. And a total economic collapse could easily “justify” giving control to one leader and/or the creation of a one-world government. But even without a one-world government, there could be a “need” for a one-world monetary system like the one described in Revelation 13: “He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark….”

St. John said that when this happens, it “calls for patient endurance on the part of the saints who obey God’s commandments and remain faithful to Jesus.” (Rev. 14:12)

Labor Pains
Jesus told us what to look for at the end: “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains. Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me.” (Matt. 24:7-9)

I realize that millions of Christians have been martyred in the past, and many still suffer today. But when Jesus said that in the end times we will be hated by all nations because of Him, He was talking about something worse than we have seen so far: “For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will.” (Matt. 24:21)

I doubt that Christians will be hated by all nations simply because we’re fretting over a new government controlled healthcare system or some other socialistic program. Many governments have changed from one form to another, often from good to bad, and from bad to worse. Just because it may happen here in the U.S., doesn’t necessarily mean Christians will be persecuted and killed, or that the end is near.

Maybe Satan’s all-out effort — and the hatred of Christians by all nations — will come when the Church reflects the Israelites’ departure from Egypt. Like Pharaoh’s anger and jealousy of the Israelites, many unbelievers could be jealous of the Church — the bride of Christ.

The Israelite slaves were protected in Goshen while the Egyptians suffered the wrath of God. And when Pharaoh finally let them go, the Egyptians lavished silver and gold on the Israelites. In essence, without even being asked, they gave away their wealth to the Israelites. Pharaoh watched his slaves plunder his nation and walk away, without suffering any of the pain and devastation that he had encountered.

Bride and Groom
Now that the “labor pains” have begun, it appears the ultimate drama is underway. This is the time for the Church to demonstrate extraordinary compassion and endurance. We’ll need some extra “oil for our lamps” so we’ll shine in the dark days ahead. As we see the earthquakes and famines, we’ll need to demonstrate the love of God like never before — to both our friends and our foes. This will be a time to “comfort all who mourn.” We must “provide for those who grieve” and demonstrate “the oil of gladness, instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.” And as a result, we “will be called oaks of righteousness, and planting of the Lord for the display of His splendor.” (Isaiah 61:2-4)

In the last days, Christians will “feed on the wealth of the nations, and in their riches. …Their descendants will be known among the nations and their offspring among the peoples. All who see them will acknowledge that they are a people the LORD has blessed.” (Isaiah 61:6,9-10)

Despite their hardships and tribulations, Christians will say, “I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. For as the soil makes the sprout come up and a garden causes seeds to grow, so the Sovereign LORD will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations.” (Isaiah 61:10-11)

Then Christians will be hated by all nations, because like Pharaoh, unbelievers will be jealous and angry.

Don’t Fret or Envy
As the birth pains increase, don’t fret. (When you fret, you feel or express worry, annoyance, discontent, agitation, torment, irritation, or vexation.) Instead, rise above your situation and set an example for others.  Do what you can to help those who are suffering from financial problems, wars, famines and earthquakes.

Be like the people David described in Psalm 37. Don’t “fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong; for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away. Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.”

And even “in times of disaster they will not wither; in days of famine they will enjoy plenty.” Nations will say that “the little that the righteous have [is better] than the wealth of many wicked.” In their jealousy “the wicked [will] draw the sword and bend the bow to bring down the poor and needy, to slay those whose ways are upright.”

Remember “the salvation of the righteous comes from the LORD; he is their stronghold in time of trouble. The LORD helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in him.”

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Something’s Coming. It’s Up To Us What It Will Be.

Posted by admin in Purpose on March 12, 2010

     “It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace.
     “Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God. But land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless and is in danger of being cursed. In the end it will be burned.”  – Hebrews 6:4-8

Hard Words
That is a stern warning from St. Paul. I don’t like to think about being “in danger of being cursed.” I usually read verses like those quickly and hope I don’t fall into the “thorns and thistles” or “worthless” category. I look for scriptures and promises in God’s word that are more positive and inspiring. But those verses follow St. Paul’s admonition to “go on to maturity.”

So let’s deal with them. What do these hard words mean for our nation and for us individually?

Our Nation
It appears there is no stopping the direction for our country. The United States is so politically divided that it doesn’t seem likely that we’ll turn things around. Despite the blessings we have received as a nation, we no longer have a moral or ethical base.

It’s easy to see the lack of ethics in our government. Bribery, deceit, greed, and ignorance at all levels of state and federal government seem obvious to everyone except our leaders.

Media news outlets — print, broadcast, and Internet — are in a race for larger audiences and ad revenue, and they don’t recognize the damage they’re doing to our nation with their bias and lack of objectivity.

Many educators — even at some Christian schools — teach things that totally contradict the word of God. Hopefully, most do it out of ignorance, but the affect is the same. Truth is perverted, and young people are not fully prepared for life. They learn how to make a living, but not how to live for God.

Doctors build huge business enterprises while they invest less and less in real patient care. They merge practices and build large “partnerships” that diminish competition. They often control or at least have a financial interest in the labs, x-rays, hospitals and every other area of the medical profession, while they ignore the obvious conflict of interest.

Many attorneys learn how to win cases, rather than seek justice. Many work on commissions so their payments are not based on what they have actually earned or deserve. And some of the most successful — and most unethical — go on to become judges and politicians (think John Edwards).

Even some churches build empires around themselves, rather than focusing on the needs of their communities. They “tickle the ears” of their parishioners in order to grow. Attendance goes up, but they have little impact on their community. They expand their “campus” with beautiful buildings that have occasional use each week, but they don’t open hospitals, schools, or community outreach centers.

Could our nation be what St. Paul referred to as being ”…in danger of being cursed. In the end it will be burned”?

Individually
Following his stern warning, St. Paul offered some powerful encouragement for those who live for Christ:

“Even though we speak like this, dear friends, we are confident of better things in your case — things that accompany salvation. God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure. We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.”  – Hebrews 6:9-12

What can we do? How can we make a difference in a world that has been turned upside down with injustice, greed, and a terrible perversion of truth?

St. Paul told us to “Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ” (I Cor. 11:1). In the NIV it’s translated, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” In other words, do what I do, and what Jesus did: Bless others and love them, one person at a time.

This morning I saw a great example of someone who started by loving one person at a time. CNN Heroes featured Dan Wallrath, who builds homes — free of charge — for wounded military veterans. His organization is called Operation Finally Home. Helping one young man has turned into a 50-state ministry.

When I saw the CNN special there was no mention of his faith. But I had a hunch this was a ‘God thing’ so I tracked him down and called to find out. Sure enough, he told me, “God slapped me upside the head,” and “I really know this is something God has called me to do.” (He also said he’s a Southern Baptist who’s ”been saved since I was 17.”)

When Dan went to the National Home Builders Association convention in Las Vegas, someone asked him to speak at the opening ceremony to 12,000 builders. As a result, he’s currently working with contractors on 50 homes for wounded war veterans.

Real Long Term Results
Dan may not be directly changing our government, the media, educational institutions, the legal profession, or the medical community,  but I’m pretty sure he’ll be one of those St. Paul referred to when he said, “God is not unjust. He will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure. We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.”

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Leave The Elementary And Go On To Maturity

Posted by admin in Growth, Purpose on March 9, 2010

“Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. And God permitting, we will do so.” (Heb. 6:1-3)

Since Feb. 22nd I’ve been writing about the basics — the “elementary teachings” that St. Paul talked about in Hebrews 6. So let’s move on. What does Christian maturity look like? I asked my wife and her response was “fruitful.” As mature Christians, we should “bear fruit.” (I guess it doesn’t look like retired men playing golf in a gated community?)

Does that mean we’re supposed to be a fruit tree, standing around, doing nothing but letting fruit hang from us? Sounds pretty boring. Rain or shine, going through an annual cycle: Spring flowers turn into fruit; the fruit grows and matures until it’s harvested in the fall; pruning in the winter; and then the process starts all over again.

That’s not what I want my life to look like. And based on the drama throughout the Bible, God didn’t intend for us to live a boring life as a tree. Don’t get me wrong. I know He’s serious about our producing fruit. But I believe His intentions are for us to be farmers who produce much more than what one tree could… In the Garden of Eden He told Adam to be fruitful and multiply — to take dominion over His creation. So what does a mature, fruit-bearing Christian farmer look like?

Bountiful Harvest
The life of a Christian farmer will produce various kinds of fruit. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.”  (Gal. 5:22-26)

When we kill our sinful habits and live by the Spirit, we become winsome, like Christ, and attract others to the Father. When we’re filled with peace and joy, and demonstrate kindness, goodness and patience toward others, we’re loving them. When we’re faithful, gentle, forgiving, and exercising self control, we’re loving others. This is how mature Christians “keep in step” with the Holy Spirit.

In addition, those who are successful in ministry should not be conceited. And those who are not as effective as they would like to be, should not put down or envy those who have a thriving ministry. Here’s what Timothy heard from his mentor:

Teach and Endure
“You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others. Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs — he wants to please his commanding officer. Similarly, if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not receive the victor’s crown unless he competes according to the rules. The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops. Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this.”  (II Tim. 2:1-7)

The purpose for all this fruit-bearing is to bless others — those who need love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, and mercy. This includes believers and non-believers. As Christian farmers, we need to be sure we prune ourselves and those we mentor so that the fruit is low-hanging and accessible. When we do, others will flock to us like they did Jesus.

Farm Equipment
Farmers need seed, of course, to produce fruit-bearing plants. Our seed is the Word of God. Without the Word, we will not produce spiritual fruit. And just as a farmer needs a tractor, fertilizer, insecticide, and harvesters, we need spiritual tools to produce an abundant harvest. Thankfully, God provides our tools as gifts when we ask for and seek them:

“And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tonguesF3? Do all interpret? But eagerly desire the greater gifts. And now I will show you the most excellent way.” (I Cor. 12:28-31)

Miracle Grow
Our miracle fertilizer is love, empowered by God. “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.” (I Cor. 13:1-3)

“Pursue love, yet desire earnestly spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy. … Now I wish that you all spoke in tongues, but even more that you would prophesy; and greater is one who prophesies than one who speaks in tongues, unless he interprets, so that the church may receive edifying. … Brethren, do not be children in your thinking; yet in evil be infants, but in your thinking be mature. Therefore, my brethren, desire earnestly to prophesy, and do not forbid to speak in tongues. But all things must be done properly and in an orderly manner.” (I Cor. 14:1,5,20,39-40)

Mature Mentors
As we walk in the Spirit, fully equipped and winsome, He showers His gifts and talents on us so we can impart them to others to help them mature. As St. Paul said, “It was He who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” (Eph. 4:11-13)

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Risking Faith and Exercising Prudence

Posted by admin in Growth, Guidance, Purpose on February 18, 2010

A fool finds no pleasure in understanding, but delights in airing his own opinions. – Prov. 18:1

The verse above really stood out this morning when I read it. It made me go to God again before I wrote my observations about Pastor Andy Stanley’s The Principle of the Path.

I don’t want to be “a fool … who delights in airing his own opinions.” And Lord knows I could be all wrong. It certainly wouldn’t be the first time. So be prayerful as you read what I’ve written below. My intentions are not to be critical or disagreeable. But after reading Andy’s book yesterday, I have to admit I was disappointed.

In a nutshell, I don’t think he said all he needed to say about the principle of the path.

Feeling Lost
Some of us are in places we don’t want to be. We thought we were obediently exercising faith, doing what God asked us to do. But the outcome doesn’t look anything like what we expected. So in the first four chapters of his book, when Andy asks, “Didn’t you see this coming?” many of us honestly answer, “No, I didn’t.”

There are times, of course, when all of us take the wrong path (some of us much more than others). And in those cases, Andy’s response is appropriate for us: “You should have seen this coming. And what you couldn’t see coming you should have been prepared for.”

But many people today need a more compassionate response. What should we say to the millions of hard-working people who faithfully served a company, but are now unemployed? I’ve heard that our nation’s real unemployment rate is close to 20 percent, and more than 3 million jobs have been lost in the past year. I’ve watched my sons from a distance as they were forced to take cuts in pay and lay off workers at each of their companies. I read reports of thousands of car dealers who ran profitable businesses for decades, only to be shut down by the manufacturers. Plus, these dealers laid off 300,000 employees from their dealerships across the country. Here in Wilmington, a successful Christian owner of a large dealership committed suicide.

Last Words
The final chapter of Andy Stanley’s book, The Principle of the Path, is entitled “Road Closed.” He starts the last chapter with these words:

“The subtitle of this book implies that there is always a way to get from where you are to where you want to be. But we both know that that’s not always the case. …Time, bad decisions, and experience put some destinations out of reach. There are dreams that can’t come true.”

Then he says, “I want to answer the question, What do you do with the dreams that can’t come true?”

Andy’s answer, and the final words in the last chapter of his book are, “You pray, not my will, but yours be done. And then you rest in the fact that you have done all you can … and all you should.”

I’m sure Andy didn’t mean that we should just give up and throw in the towel. But I wish he had better demonstrated the hope that we have in this life as we walk with the King of kings and the Lord of lords.

I totally agree that it would be much better to avoid wrong turns, shortcuts to nowhere, and dead ends. (He quoted Proverbs 27:12, “The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it.”) And Andy accurately makes the case that we should avoid problems by looking ahead, and turn around quickly when we discover we’re lost. But I think he could have better demonstrated the hope we have when we are not where we want to be, or think our dreams will never come true.

Dead End vs. Detour
When we make mistakes, get off the path, and find ourselves where we don’t want to be, that’s not the end. Never. Not even for those who are dying of cancer or who have lost their jobs and everything else that is important to them. We may not be where we expected or hoped, but I believe that is because God is showing us a new path so we can end up in an even better place — both here and in the afterlife.

Eternity with God is our greatest hope. But there is also one example after another in scripture that here in this life God provides new paths when we reach the end of one.

When Jesus said, “Not my will, but yours be done,” those weren’t his last words. The dream wasn’t over. It wasn’t the end of the story. Not by a long shot. He didn’t throw up his hands and say, “Oh well, I gave it my best shot.” He went on to heroically redeem the world! He courageously suffered, demonstrated His love for us, hung naked on the cross and died for our sins. Then He was raised from the dead, ascended into Heaven, and was given all authority in heaven and on earth.

I’d say He reached His dream, even when it looked like there was no hope. (He died trying to reach it!)

In fact, that was the beginning of a whole new story. Read the book of Acts. Jesus traveled a rough path to end up at His coronation ceremony as a demonstration for us. That is our path. An exciting journey, full of twists and turns, mountain tops and valleys, battles, victories and defeats.

Jesus couldn’t take a shortcut to reach His dream, and neither can we. But this is no time to give up and throw it all away. We’re closer than ever to reaching it. So keep working toward your dream. Do as Andy said and focus on the right things. And do the right things. Because eventually you’ll end up where you want, even if you didn’t know it was the right place.

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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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Resolved … Have Wheels, Will Travel

Posted by admin in More On 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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Maybe Someday I’ll Recognize the Deceiver

Posted by admin in Purpose on January 5, 2010

I woke up at 3:30 a.m. on Sunday morning and laid in bed for a long time. I tossed and turned, and couldn’t fall back to sleep, so I got up.

I should have gotten the Book and started reading. But no, Stupid Here started piddling around, wasting time, and never went back to sleep. By the time I needed to shower for church, I was so tired I felt sick.

Did I get the hint? Nope. I should have known something good was coming and taken a stand against the attack so I wouldn’t miss out. Instead, I went to sleep and skipped church.

Thankfully, my better half went to the service. She came home afterward and told me what I missed: great worship, and a very inspiring message by Pastor Phil Ortego. Here’s a short video clip intro to his new series: Resolved.

When you have a little time, please watch his full sermon. It will boost your faith and inspire you for this new year. Simply click here or on the graphic below:

Be Resolved to Press On
Let’s “live to be history makers… who change lives,” as Pastor Phil says. Let’s “press on… maintain our spiritual momentum… focus… and finish strong” in this new year.

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