Meet Juliet Crabb!

Juliet was born Monday, June 6. She is our second granddaughter. Her big sister is Lucia and she is one excited 3 year old. Teresa and I are in Hollywood, Florida helping with all the transitions in the Crabb family. They have been transferred to Washington, D.C.. That means that they had to sell their house, ship all their "stuff" and move into a temporary home until Juliet could arrive and get settled before they make the move north. As of yesterday afternoon, we are all at their house with the new baby.

Thank you for all your prayers and support!

Blessings!

L. A.

Resistance to Restoration

John 5:6 (KJV)
6 When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole?

I am still amazed by several things in this story. I am amazed that Jesus asked if he really wanted to be healed. I am amazed that the man didn't really give an answer to the question. I am amazed that Jesus healed him anyway. I think we see here that there are times when God heals people who don't do things correctly or who don't take the proper faith posture and yet they are healed. Generally though, there are patterns in play. In my last blog I wrote about the connection of suffering, compassion and the provision. When there is a needy one, a desire by that one to rise out of their suffering, compassion by another who has Jesus living in them, there will be restoration in one form or another. The Bible is filled with such stories.

As a young Christian I found a suffering man one day. He was emaciated and apparantly in much pain. I was moved with compasion. I had to do something to stop his pain. However, within me was more than a desire to stop his present pain. I wanted to help him start a new life. As I talked to him I learned that it had been several days since he had eaten. I put him in my car and took him home. Teresa prepared food for him. I talked to him as he tried to eat but he couldn't eat very much. I took him to a place that sheltered those in need. I checked on him the next day only to learn he had left the shelter as soon as I did. Then, a couple of days later he was found dead sleeping next to a railroad track. He was frozen in the bitter winter cold. It was so hard to understand. I was willing to help and I believed things could be different for him. The problem? He didn't believe it.

It is a difficult thing for compassion to understand or believe that a person's deepest infirmity isn't their obvious need. There are those whose greatest problem is that they actually choose a life of self destruction. It is a choice! Can you change them? Is there hope? There is always hope but no, you nor I can change them. Something has to happen on the inside of them. In fact there has to be a miracle before the miracle. There has to be a healing deep within them before the true restoration can begin. Seeing their need and exposing them to your compassion is a powerful force. Begin to pray for them and stay in touch so that you can help when their moment comes. However, there are many, many out there who are ready and ripe now for restoration. Find them and release your compassion upon them. Restoration will follow. By the way, they may not be the obvious ones to you and also may be closer than you think.

Helping the Hurting

Matthew 14:14 (NKJV)
14 And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick.

There is something powerful that happens when true need is connected to provision by way of compassion. This verse says that there were four steps to effectively alleviating pain and suffering.

First he "went out". You can't help in a need until you first see the need. Many organizations had their origin in being in a situation that caused them to see a need. Once the need was seen, things began to happen and resources were discovered and brought to the need. The need would have never been seen until someone went out. Jesus said to "go out" and compel them to come in. It is an easy thing for the church who began by "going out" to change to extending a call to the world to "come in". You can't see and feel the same things when they come to you as when you go to them.

Secondly, as Jesus went out, he "saw". You can hear about things and situations and circumstances and you might be appalled. However, when you "see" it for yourself, deeper abilities to bring healing are called upon from within you. That power source that Jesus gives within you is released by "seeing" a need.

Next Jesus was "moved with compassion". When there is a loss of this being "moved with compassion", there is a loss of an ability to heal the sick or meet the need. There is a vast difference between empathy and compassion. Empathy is defined as, "the intellectual identification with or vicarious experiencing of the feelings, thoughts, or attitudes of another." You can have this intellectual experience and walk on by. You are sorry for the plight of the one suffering but that is about the depth of your experience. Compassion on the other hand is a completely different experience. Compassion is defined as, " a feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering." Notice the last part, "accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering". That is what Jesus experienced!

The result of the first three things was, "and healed their sick". There is a direct connection between a release of supernatural power to heal and compassion. Empathy may bring a moment of mercy but compassion can bring a lifetime of service. Empathy is a picture of the Levite seeing the suffering man dying in the road. Compassion is the good Samaritan who puts his life on hold until he does all he can to bring help to the one suffering.

May the Lord grant us a fresh baptism in the waters of compassion.

The American's Creed
by William Tyler Page

I believe in the United States of America as a Government of the people, by the people, for the people; whose just powers are derived from the consent of the governed, - a democracy in a republic, a sovereign nation of many sovereign States; a perfect union, one and inseparable, established upon those principles of freedom, equality, justice, and humanity for which American patriots sacrificed their lives and fortunes.

I therefore believe it is my duty to my Country to love it; to support its Constitution; to obey its laws; to respect its Flag; and to defend it against all enemies.

Nepotism

Is there a place for nepotism in the church? Nepotism is defined as, "favoritism shown to relatives or close friends by those with power or influence."
The foundation of the word originates from the former papal practice of granting special favors to nephews or other relatives.

Nepotism is one of the concerns I hear from congregants around the country today. It has become a common practice for fathers to turn over churches to natural sons as the father grows older. As we examine the Scripture, it seems we see more negative outcomes from this practice than positive. However, we shouldn't dismiss it as wrong automatically. We need to understand that all succession to natural sons does not have to be "nepotism". By that I mean, setting a son in as the new leader may not be done because of a "special favor of the father to the son". He may be the one the Lord has chosen.

What should be the criteria to do so? We need to make sure that:

1. The son truly has a call to this ministry from the Lord.

2. He is qualified for this position. The test would be to make sure we would put anyone else in the position if they had the same qualifications. Too often sons are placed in positions because it is the easy thing to do. It gives them a job! (Never the right thing.)

3. We make sure that proper training and equipping occurs.

4. We take our time in getting them ready for the role. We don't wait too late and then try to rush them into position so we can "get out of the heat".

5. Genuine mentoring occurs. The old rule is still a good one: "You watch me do it, I watch you do it, you do it."

6. Make sure you don't show favoritism in the process. If anything, we need to make the process more difficult for sons. They need to be seen earning it! They need to be seen working hard to the point that by the time the transition happens, the people believe in it.

7. Make sure a diverse leadership team, other than family members, also believes it is the Lord's will.

8. Once it happens, Fathers, get out of the way! You need to be connected to give counsel "when asked", but the son needs to be able to bring the slow gradual change that is needed to lead the church into effective ministry for a new generation.

If the son, the heir apparent doesn't meet the criteria, face the reality of the situation for the sake of all concerned. Don't force it. God has another plan for the church as well as the son. However, if the criteria is met and "it seems good to us and the Holy Ghost", so be it. We should embrace the son without a prejudice against him.

Deeper Waters It seems that once again many are straining to gain some prophetic insight to natural circumstances. When some calamity strikes I get nervous waiting upon the prophets to speak, usually in hindsight. Some who have spoken in vague terms now try to relate present situations to past words given. Even in the prophetic world hindsight is still 20/20. What about clear and accurate words helping the church prepare for the future? In the Old Testament as well as the New Testament the prophetic word was very precise and in the Old Testament if a prophet's word didn't come to pass he was put to death. Not that I want to see that happen in our day but I would love to see more accountability among the prophets. At the very least when prophets miss it they should be called to account and the church should stop hearing their voice. What is the problem regarding the prophetic in this hour? It could be that God is not saying a lot about these things although if you read the online prophetic sites you would think He is speaking non stop. I suspect there is another problem. Most of the prophets in history have paid a great price for their ministry. Many have lived lives of solitude before God. Most have dedicated themselves to holiness and a passionate pursuit of God and his voice. When they did speak from that posture it was deep, pure and refreshing water. Even if a person is gifted by God with the prophetic gift, worldly living and undisciplined thought hinders and even pollutes the ability to hear. They may have the prophetic "bucket" to lower into the well of the Spirit but they only draw from shallow waters. On the other hand, when a prophet spends time with the Lord without the noise of world, his "bucket" goes deeper and brings forth better, more life giving water. The greater the surface water, the greater the possibility of pollution. The deeper the source of the water, the greater the purity and the greater the power to produce life. Let's join in prayer that the Lord would take the prophets of our day past a desire for "profit" into the true ministry of the prophet. Past the silliness of the mystical, shallow and artificial anointing into the deep waters of true revelation. Let's agree for true prophetic ministries that will move far beyond the weak words of, "I love you, my children" into preparation for the end time army that we are called to be.

The Greatest Need Around 1990 I was listening to the great and at times controversial teaching of Costa Deir. His teaching wasn't controversial because it was out of sync with Scripture, it was controversial because it challenged the daily practice of the life of the Church. Then, he said something that caused everyone there to pause and contemplate. His statement: "the greatest need in the world is not evangelism. The greatest need in the world is leadership development"! He went on to say, "if you reach one soul for the Lord, that is a wonderful thing but if your reach and train a leader, you have reached potentially thousands". That short statement changed me and my focus for ministry. I find senior leaders today who still labor primarily trying to reach individuals rather than training others. Of course we must all minister to individuals as the Lord opens the door. That is why Paul told Timothy to "do the work of an evangelist". However, leaders and especially team leaders must, MUST train leaders. I was once a part of a church that taught the book of Revelation non stop year after year. It was a passion of that church. In the same way, every church or ministry should be training leaders in an ongoing way. I have also found that the Senior Leader/Pastor must spearhead this effort. This is one area you can't delegate, at least in the beginning. When the Senior Leader leads the leadership training efforts they are saying, "this is important to our efforts". In honesty many leaders don't feel qualified to train leaders. In my early years of ministry there wasn't a lot of help out there. I finally realized that if I didn't train leaders it wouldn't get done. I have always held leadership classes as a foundational part of church planting. Then I moved to a "school of ministry" within the local church. Your disciples in these classes may never be elders, pastors or missionaries, but they will be enriched and more valuable in function in the local church or organization. How do you do it? What materials should you use? It's very possible that the best training materials for your group is not online but inside. Yes, you have the vision for your group and you can custom fit the training program from your own life experience. Just ask yourself the question, "if I were just stating out in ministry, what would I like to be taught?" Think about the big picture and start listing the areas of need in leadership. Get the topics and then work on each topic. Before long you will have your own syllabus from which to train. Now you can go to other resources to enrich your plan but seek to be an "innovator, not an imitator". As for the best advice on training leaders; just get at it. And as with anything, put it on your calendar or you will never do it! Remember, the greatest need around you is leadership development.

Revolutionary Ministry Pattern

Below is a letter I wrote to a pastor and his leadership team. This particular pastor serves in the ministry gift of an apostle as listed in Ephesians 4:11. However, he also serves as the Senior Pastor of his local church. I hope you will give this blog some thought and I encourage you, as a leader, to take it to your leadership team for discussion and consideration. While it relates particularly to one who functions in this dual role of apostle/pastor, much can be learned from the Biblical concepts outlined here.

"Dear _______________,

I greatly enjoyed our time yesterday afternoon.

After our meeting I thought it best to try to condense what I was saying to you and write it so that you might give it some thought and prayer and share it with your elders/ leadership team for discussion.

I believe it is now time for you to work to delegate more of the daily pastoral care. As one who understands what it takes to be the Senior Pastor of a growing local church while operating in the Apostolic ministry, I know the cost and rewards of such labor. While delegation of more of these ministries will release you more, the primary thing accomplished is an activation of the Body there. I believe the following things are goals all churches should seek to achieve:

1. Activation of the people into ministry
2. Decentralization of the “home office”. Tradition has trained people that the church staff does the work of the ministry while the Scripture tells us that the 5 fold ministry is called to equip the people of the church to do the work of the ministry. That means there has to be a “weaning” of the congregation off a heavy dependency upon the role of the Senior Pastor.
3. Training and releasing of leadership to help in the daily care of the flock. There should be tiers of leaders or a chain of command, so to speak.

I would suggest that the structure of the church be evaluated by your elders/leadership team for future direction and vision fulfillment. I would seek to have each elder overseeing a different aspect of ministry of the church. For example, Acts 1:8 tells us that there is a pattern to ministry. That ministry release of the church is an outward moving expansion. Jesus said the ministry of the church would be to Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the Uttermost parts of the earth. I see that Jerusalem is the ministry of the local church including, pastoral care, small groups, etc. Judea might be such things as outreach into the city and region. Samaria is to me the apostolic ministry within our sphere and the uttermost parts is obviously world missions. All these areas should be broken down and overseen by a different elder or staff pastor. Your job as Apostle would be to oversee the big picture and pastor all those who are overseeing areas of ministry. Then, you would be released to operate in your apostolic ministry (Samaria)without the local church being hindered. As a matter of fact, moving to this kind of pattern strengthens the local church as it grows and functions as the Lord intends. (Ephesians 4:12 (GW)
12 Their purpose is to prepare God's people, to serve, and to build up the body of Christ.)

When Moses’ father in law Jethro, confronted him about his ministry style, it was a rebuke. He told him that his counseling all day was wearing him out as well as the people. The solution was to choose 70 who would do the daily ministry to the people while Moses would be left to deal with the heavier issues of the people as well as other ministry needs. This requires training of those who are qualified to fill these areas of ministry to the people, those with the heart of a pastor. There are many pastors in a congregation sitting among the people. They just need training, releasing and overseeing. You will still be available to meet with those who really need your ministry but you will deal with the more serious situations of their lives. As you train your leaders and the congregation to move in this direction you will release an army rather than keeping an eternal nursery.

As a Kingdom move, this will also give you more time to “think, plan and pray” as I told you yesterday. It is very possible to live your life and ministry as a fireman who rushes to fire after fire. While someone needs to respond to fires, if the fires aren’t shared by leadership, the fires will keep you busy and hinder you from vision implementation and creativity. Creativity is critical to any organization. The senior leader must be free to think and plan. I believe you will rise to a new level of leadership and fruitfulness as the ministry is shared not to mention a new level of maturity for the church.

I know that you know these things that I am writing but they are revolutionary in most churches today. To achieve the reality of Ephesians 4 will require a new educating of your people and your leaders as well as a new disciplining of yourself. It does work, as I have pressed through what I am telling you myself and experienced the joy of seeing the church function in a healthy way and enjoyed the new creativity of the Spirit.

With much love and appreciation!

L. A.

Hypocrisy: The Religious Corpse Among Us When a Nation that has been predominantly Christian begins to proclaim faith and service but practices sin and self gratification, it is in danger of losing the preserving divine power that has sustained it. Our society today, from the State House to the Church House is filled with practical hypocrisy. Our high court speaks loftily of the rights of a mother while remaining silent on the rights of the unborn. Our States initiate and administrate gambling in an effort to help the poor get an education while most of the profits comes from the pockets of the poorest among us. Then those same states put up large billboards telling us to gamble responsibly! Giganic tobacco companies tell us that they have now discovered that tobacco is bad for us! Yet, they flood the markets of third world countries tageting a new youthful market. As beleivers it would do us well to do a word study of the word "hypocrite" in the New Testament. You will find that Jesus spoke often on this topic. As you do you will find that his comments were never favorable. As a matter of fact you begin to see a common thread in his discourses about hypocrisy. The one thing that stands out to me is that hypocrisy produces its own reward. Over and over Jesus says, "you have received your reward". This concerns me greatly because if we produce our own reward, we are removing the supernatural intervention from among us. We often think of God punishing us but the worst of punishment would be a withdrawal of his activity among us and leave us to our own devices. Nothing could be more frightening. What can we do? Deal with hypocrisy in our own hearts and lives. Make no provision for it and renounce it when it appears. Luke 12:1-3 (NKJV) 1 In the meantime, when an innumerable multitude of people had gathered together, so that they trampled one another, He began to say to His disciples first of all, "Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. 2 For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known. 3 Therefore whatever you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have spoken in the ear in inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops.

When we lose the fear of God Leviticus 10:1 (NKJV) 1 Then Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it, put incense on it, and offered profane fire before the Lord, which He had not commanded them. Nadab and Abihu made a number of mistakes leading to their death. Here is what Matthew Henrys says: "Next to Moses and Aaron, none were more likely to be honourable in Israel than Nadab and Abihu. There is reason to think that they were puffed up with pride, and that they were heated with wine. While the people were prostrate before the Lord, adoring his presence and glory, they rushed into the tabernacle to burn incense, though not at the appointed time; both together, instead of one alone, and with fire not taken from the altar. If it had been done through ignorance, they would had been allowed to bring a sin-offering. But the soul that doeth presumptuously, and in contempt of God's majesty and justice, that soul shall be cut off. The wages of sin is death. They died in the very act of their sin. The sin and punishment of these priests showed the imperfection of that priesthood from the very beginning, and that it could not shelter any from the fire of God's wrath, otherwise than as it was typical of Christ's priesthood." Presumption is a most dangerous sin. It usually comes as a result of familiarity. Jesus could do no mighty works in his own home town because of it. The wicked sons of Eli had their lives end in destruction because of such a familiarity with the things of God that they sinned in the house of God. Familiarity does breed contempt. It is our responsibility to walk in the fear of God. While we are "no longer servants but friends" of God, that doesn't mean He is our Buddy. A part of the sin of Ananias and Sapphira was partly caused by familiarity. They lied to Peter and the "Holy Ghost" and died. People seem to forget that this incident occurred on this side of the Cross. This happened in the time of grace. This kind of sin of presumption could lead someone to prophesy out of their soul rather than by the Spirit of God. It could cause a leader to try to "make something happen" in a service. I heard one man say, "I would rather have a little wild fire than no fire at all"! Wild fire is a false anointing and says that God is doing something when He is not. That kind of presumption and familiarity will always bring death in one form or another. I was in a service once when the man leading the meeting called me down and pushed me down in front of the people, twice! I was taken off guard and being embarrassed, didn't know what to do. As I drove home that night the Lord spoke to me and said, "don't ever do that again. You just endorsed before the people a ministry that I have not endorsed." May God grant us the fear of God.

Correction

I wrote the following blog back on March 18 and have been asked to give some clarity to several comments. I am first of all happy that folks are reading the blog and secondly, I am happy that there is loving accountability in place. I have written my changes and or explanations in red in the text below. Order and Anarchy In civil society there is a rule of law, those guiding the interpretation of the law and those who enforce that law. It is very clear and concise. Those who break the law are stopped, judged according to the law and penalized for being lawbreakers. In the Christian world it gets much more complicated.(It shouldn't be more complicated but it sometimes is because we don't have the same level of natural authority to bring about enforcement. However, we do have the responsibility to deal with issues in a Biblical manner, trusting the Lord to bring about a resolution.) Even in Jesus' day there was not a little confusion over his so called crimes because civil authorities said that he had done nothing against their law. It was the religious world that prosecuted him and put him to death. Today, there are many things that are governed in our Christian circles, not by the world, because the world says no violation of the law has occurred, but by the Church. There is then, a rule of law within the Church(the Scripture), those who interpret that law but should we have those who enforce the law?(Probably the word "enforce" makes this unclear. Certainly, an offender should be challenged and dealt with Biblically. It is the responsibility of the elders to take such action.) Again, another struggle with which we often deal. We are told by the Apostle Paul in Scripture that we should choose elders in every church. Those elders are the governing fathers in each local assembly. These fathers, like the fathers in a home must set the parameters for the house or else rather than order, chaos will result. These elders have to begin with the Scripture and look at every situation within the light of this Truth. If a person is found in violation of God's order of things, the offender will hopefully hear the restorative, correcting words of his elders. But what if he won't? What if he chooses to go his own way and take others with him? What is the church to do then? (My point here and below is that if he chooses to go and take others then there is little we can do to stop him or them. However, I did not mean that we say or do nothing. On the contrary, he should be confronted and it should be clear that the elders are not in agreement with his decision and direction. That is why I say below:"The one rejecting the counsel of the plurality of elders is setting himself up as right and all others are wrong.") Unfortunately, I have had to deal with this dilemma many times and at great price. It is a dangerous time. The one rejecting the counsel of the plurality of elders is setting himself up as right and all others are wrong. Then he usually recruits others to his point of view, his perspective of his unjust treatment and points them toward his vision for a better world or church. I have come to the place where I no longer am willing to try to "stop them". (Of course the local church has the responsibility according to the Bible to follow the guidelines written there. )(Here again I was not clear. My comments mean that we are limited in what we can do and should do and beyond that a person will reap what they have sown") All I can do is to speak truth to them as best I know it at the moment. Then, if they choose a different way, I move on to another task. I have done my part. But, what about the offender? How will he be corrected so that others may see his error and people see that there is a penalty for breaking the law? He is now placed under a different order of things. He now falls under the powerful truth of "sowing and reaping". What about the poor people who follow him? Of course there are innocent people who may follow such a person and they are the true victims of lawlessness. (Clearly a statement needs to be made from the elders regarding the breech in covenant that has occurred so that people will know clearly the situation and hopefully will not follow him.) However, often the spirit of the offender bears witness with the spirit of lawlessness in his potential followers, thus an unholy alliance is formed.(I strongly believe this and have seen it many times.) In the beginning it usually looks like the group is getting away with it because no one is calling them to account. However, history proves that in time, the very laws that have been broken, the standard protocols of integrity, covenant and accountability that have been discarded serve as the judge, jury and the one passing sentence. Do I find pleasure in this fact? I am heartbroken every time it occurs. However, I no longer feel that I must be the defender of the order of the Lord.(By this I meant that after the elders have taken proper Biblical action, I feel no need to be a "policeman" for the Lord. I will do my part in speaking truth and leave it to the Lord without living in bitterness and unrest over the issue.) The Lord God Himself has already set that process in place. Don't allow yourself to take on false responsibility for that which the Lord will handle in His time. I hope this clears up any confusion. I welcome the opportunity to answer any questions you might have. Please email me at:lajoiner7@gmail.com

The Things We Have Learned

Today I am going to reprint a blog I wrote back in 2008 when I stepped aside from serving as Senior Pastor of New Covenant Church of Valdosta, Georgia. We had founded the church in 1980 and this is a list of principles that we learned on that journey. I hope something of value will come to you as you read this again.

“The Things We Have Learned”(excerpts)

I. We have learned: A new paradigm - There has been a lot said these last few years about new paradigms. A “paradigm” is defined as, “an example serving as a model; pattern.” We experienced the Lord molding us into a new paradigm, a new model over 28 years ago. Our new paradigm would primarily be one of ending the concept of simply “having church” and seeking to begin to “be the church”. We wanted “practical Christianity”. If it didn’t “work” in a practical way, it wasn’t any good.
We have always sought to be courageous in embracing new ideas. We want to be “innovators and not imitators”. We have always disliked and sought to avoid “fads”.



II. We have learned the necessity of The Centrality of the Scripture - The Lord led us to make sure we held the Scripture high as our guide and as our plumb line. Experience is a wonderful part of our walk with the Lord, but the Bible must be our final authority.



III. We have leaned the necessity of the Spirit Filled Life – From day one our cry has been the words of the Prophet Zechariah when he said, “'Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' Says the LORD of hosts.



IV. We have learned that the ministry of Jesus in one of a “hospital to the hurting”. - We have sought to heal men and women one at a time, lead them to a place of wholeness to the point where they could become a part of the hospital healing team to help and heal others.
People are precious to Jesus and they must be precious to us. People must never be a commodity to help arrogant, self serving men fulfill their ministry vision.



V. We have learned to Embrace Diversity. - God sends special gifts to us with which we assist him in building His Church. All kinds of people and all kinds of talents. The challenge comes in walking out community with diversity in practical ways. The key is flexibility!



VI. We have learned to keep the wineskin flexible. – The wineskin is structure. It speaks of government and methodology. Government has always been very important to NCC, yet, we have always sought to hear fresh words from the Lord and have been willing to change or even admit mistakes and start over in areas when needed.



VI. We have learned to move slowly and especially in recognizing new leadership.
We have learned to try to raise up slowly members of our own family that have paid the price to go through our own “feeder system”. Then, we train and practice “slow release”. Our slower pace has proven to be frustrating for some but for the church as a whole, it has been a very healthy thing.



VII. We have learned the principle of Body Life and Ministry
Real relationship formation among our people is critical. Nowhere is that seen and practiced more fully than in our Home Churches(small groups). This is where people can be trained, ministered to and healed, and all within the atmosphere of family.



VIII. We have learned the importance of Body Ownership - People must feel it’s their church, their ministry. We have tried to make this happen by the “decentralization of the home office”. We have operated as “traffic directors” seeking to turn ministry back to our people rather than having people send the ministry to the church office. Ex. “The Priesthood of the Believer”.



IX. We have learned the concept of the Open Church with loving government. - All families need fathers. Our government seeks to give loving, fatherly oversight. Our leadership wants you to be able to live and minister in an atmosphere of freedom and liberty but still operating within the safety of oversight.



X. We have learned the healthy aspect of “Staying Clear” – Nothing will rob you of present day joy and sabotage your future more than a lack of forgiveness. We seek to practice forgiveness, reconciliation and restoration.



XI. We have learned to be liberal givers.

Order and Anarchy

In civil society there is a rule of law, those guiding the interpretation of the law and those who enforce that law. It is very clear and concise. Those who break the law are stopped, judged according to the law and penalized for being lawbreakers.

In the Christian world it gets much more complicated. Even in Jesus' day there was not a little confusion over his so called crimes because civil authorities said that he had done nothing against their law. It was the religious world that prosecuted him and put him to death. Today, there are many things that are governed in our Christian circles, not by the world, because the world says no violation of the law has occurred, but by the Church. There is then, a rule of law within the Church(the Scripture), those who interpret that law but should we have those who enforce the law? Again, another struggle with which we often deal.

We are told by the Apostle Paul in Scripture that we should choose elders in every church. Those elders are the governing fathers in each local assembly. These fathers, like the fathers in a home must set the parameters for the house or else rather than order, chaos will result. These elders have to begin with the Scripture and look at every situation within the light of this Truth. If a person is found in violation of God's order of things, the offender will hopefully hear the restorative, correcting words of his elders. But what if he won't? What if he chooses to go his own way and take others with him? What is the church to do then? Unfortunately, I have had to deal with this dilemma many times and at great price. It is a dangerous time. The one rejecting the counsel of the plurality of elders is setting himself up as right and all others are wrong. Then he usually recruits others to his point of view, his perspective of his unjust treatment and points them toward his vision for a better world or church.

I have come to the place where I no longer am willing to try to "stop them". (Of course the local church has the responsibility according to the Bible to follow the guidelines written there. ) All I can do is to speak truth to them as best I know it at the moment. Then, if they choose a different way, I move on to another task. I have done my part. But, what about the offender? How will he be corrected so that others may see his error and people see that there is a penalty for breaking the law? He is now placed under a different order of things. He now falls under the powerful truth of "sowing and reaping". What about the poor people who follow him? Of course there are innocent people who may follow such a person and they are the true victims of lawlessness. However, often the spirit of the offender bears witness with the spirit of lawlessness in his potential followers, thus an unholy alliance is formed. In the beginning it usually looks like the group is getting away with it because no one is calling them to account. However, history proves that in time, the very laws that have been broken, the standard protocols of integrity, covenant and accountability that have been discarded serve as the judge, jury and the one passing sentence. Do I find pleasure in this fact? I am heartbroken every time it occurs. However, I no longer feel that I must be the defender of the order of the Lord. The Lord God Himself has already set that process in place. Don't allow yourself to take on false responsibility for that which the Lord will handle in His time.

Reacting or Responding

A person who cornered me was excitedly sharing their passion for their vision of what the church is supposed to be. They were attacking the status quo, boldly proclaiming how no church is training their members and getting them involved in ministry. No minister was doing what they were doing. Then the final blow came when they looked me in the eye and said, "I could never do what I am doing if I were a preacher"! They finally took a breath and looked at me for some reaction. My only thought was, "if I just keep quiet maybe they will finish an leave"!

After they left I had the afternoon for one of those rare times of working around the house catching up on "stuff" that had to be done. I seem to do my best thinking during those times. I went through the normal thought processes you might expect. I thought, the person talking to me really must not know me. Oh, we have been acquaintances for over 20 years and they have heard me preach many times but they couldn't know me and say those things. Yet, most probably they were never listening all those years. You see, I have preached, taught, trained, discipled, activated and overseen believers in ministry in daily life for nearly 40 years. It has been my ministry focus to "decentralize the church and activate the people"! Now, I have to listen as a new generation sees me as the status quo and screams for revolution. Life is short and there really is "nothing new under the sun"!

Whew, that felt good! Thanks for listening. Anyway, in moments like this one we have a choice, react or respond. Reaction tends to come as a knee jerk to words or circumstances. (Like the paragraph above.:) It is usually shallow and seldom motivated by only the present situation. Usually, it is an explosion of a lot of garbage accumulated over a long period of time. It is also usually ugly and is almost never Godly. Most of the time it is motivated by self protection, self serving and self exaltation.

After this incident, I spent the afternoon with this singular thought title: "The Ugliness of Me!" When I am dominated and driven by "ME" and hungry to make sure people hear me and follow my way, I am so ugly and unappealing. (To everyone but me!) Then I thought of another thought title: "The Beauty of Him". It brought me to one final thought but it wasn't original. It was 2,000 years old. It was the words of John the Baptist when he said, "I must decrease and He must increase".

Desperate Times Call for Desperate Measures

I'm not sure who first used this phrase but there is a lot of truth in it. I don't mean to imply that we should resort to desperate measures in the sense of doing anything that is wrong but we certainly need to be willing to move outside the box in desperate times. In difficult times we can't simply sit and hope things will get better. We must act courageously and with purpose. Indecision in a time of crisis may cost you everything. Indecision can only be one of three things:
1. a time of gathering information in order to make a decision at the right time,(a good thing) 2. a lack of leadership or 3. fear.

Taking time to gather information in order to make the right decision is a part of wise leadership. God honors this type of delay because it is still an action of faith. It keeps God involved in your situation because faith is still being directed toward him.

Indecision because of a lack of leadership exposes a lot of things. It might reveal weaknesses in character, a weak area in leadership ability or an outright revelation of the absence of the leadership gift. Years ago in the business world another phrase was coined. "Lead, follow or get out of the way"! I really like that one!

Now we come to fear. Fear is designed to immobilize. In the Bible we are told that before the Army of God would go into battle the troops would be gathered. Men were told that if anyone was fearful to go home. Amazing! Why? Because a person of fear would transfer their fear into others. They had to be gotten out of the ranks of those that just might rise up and be heroic in a time of crisis. You see crisis not only exposes weaknesses, it also reveals strength. It shines the spotlight on unlikely heroes.

Maybe today as you read this you are pondering a decision. Take time to gather all the data you can in order to make a wise and Godly decision. However, when it's time, act! You also need to know that gathering information does not mean that you will get all the information before you act. Much of that will come "as you go". That is the faith part of the process. The "steps of good men are ordered of the Lord", not a five year plan, necessarily. Who knows, as you act you just might find that the hero is within you!

Renewing Old Habits

Not all habits are bad! We call our Christian practices the disciplines of the faith. A part of discipleship is learning new habits such as reading the Bible, prayer and regularly assembling with the church. The era in the church when Teresa and I were young disciples was during the peak of the Charismatic Movement. There were some things in that season that were not sound theologically. Yet, most of what came during that time was revolutionary for us. We learned of a new fresh worship. We heard a fresh message on the home that saved our marriage. We learned about the church and the function of the church and found out that every member of the church is a priest unto God. We were ruined to ever just "having church" again. We were the church!

Another emphasis that was taught during that time was the positive confession. It basically said that we could change our atmosphere by what came out of our mouth. Proverbs 18:21 (NKJV) says,21 "Death and life are in the power of the tongue... "
I had grown up in a pretty negative mentality that came out of our mouths. If that was true then, no wonder we had so many troubles. Was it possible that we could actually be setting into motion negative circumstances through negative words? As we studied the principles we started finding more and more Scriptures that seemed to confirm this teaching.

Teresa and I entered an agreement that we would not speak negative words and we gave each other the freedom to correct our speech. I could barely talk for a couple of weeks and then we entered into a new world of the positive. We could see a difference that confessing only positive things according to Scripture was producing in our lives. We weren't just confessing a kind of verbal "positive thinking" doctrine, although positive thinking is a powerful practice. The Bible tells us to bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. Philippians tells us how to think positively. Obviously then, there is a connection between thinking and speaking. As we brought our thought life and tongues into a more positive discipline, our circumstances started improving. Then, preachers started making fun of the positive confession message. It affected me and I think subconsciously I drifted back into the old negative ways.

Recently, I have been thinking about this again. We have everything to gain and nothing to lose by thinking and speaking positively and saying about ourselves and our futures what the Bible says. Let's renew an effort to get our thinking and speaking in line with the Scripture and watch our atmosphere and the atmosphere of those around us change!

Reversing Discouragement

In John Wesley's sermon, "Satan's Devices", he said that Satan has three main tools that he uses to attack a Christian:
1. Dampen our joy
2. Attack our peace
3. Targets us especially in times of sickness or pain.

Courage is defined as, "mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty." Therefore we can learn a lot about discouragement by reversing this definition. It would prevent us from doing courageous things.

Some causes of discouragement would be:

• Loss - We are living in days of great loss on many fronts. There is no wonder that we see a lot of people struggling with discouragement.
• Mental and physical weariness- We are a triune being and all areas, spirit, mind and body need to be rested and healthy to resist discouragement.
• Loneliness- Nothing has greater potential for bringing discouragement than feeling alone or isolated.
• Self inflicted discouragement - Discouragement is also caused by our own sin, disobedience and separation from God.
  
  Maybe you related to one or more of the causes of discouragement. How do we deal with it effectively?
  
• The Presence of God - Nothing can cause discouragement to evaporate quicker than the presence of God. 1 Samuel 30:6 (NKJV)
  6 Now David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.
• The People of God- Don't walk alone. Walking alone is usually a personal decision and a bad one. We need to surround ourselves with positive, faith filled people who believe in a God of miracles.
• The Truth of God's Word- This involves making God's word a priority in life.
• Prayer and Worship- As we saw earlier, "David strengthened himself in the Lord his God". How? He maintained a personal relationship with God in worship.
• Rediscovering the purpose of God- Dig around your spiritual foundation and rediscover earlier springs of joy in your life.
  

Real Discipleship

Matthew 4:19 (NKJV) 19 Then He said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men."


The day that we realize that we are no longer in an ongoing change into a more perfect image of the Lord Jesus is the day that we have stopped following him. I know that sounds hard but based on the words of Jesus that is exactly the case.


A disciple of Jesus is one who is learning from him and continually changing for better. One of the great challenges of discipleship is remaining a real disciple. Most folks won’t know the difference. They see that we are still going to church or maybe even filling some role in Christian ministry. No one may know but Jesus. Actually, we may not even know ourselves. I have heard stories of victims of crimes or soldiers in combat who were shot but didn’t know it. They felt no pain and didn’t see anything that would make them think they were wounded. They only learned of their deteriorating condition when they became so weak that they could no longer carry on.
So it is as a disciple. It is very possible to be “leaking” and deteriorating and not know it. A person may still be functioning quite well until there is a collapse. The collapse might be spiritual, emotional or moral but the outcome is the same. Everyone around is stunned!


Today is a good day to pause, take a deep breath and see where you stand with your journey with Jesus. You started well enough. Maybe people even said they have never seen anyone change as fast as you did. That is wonderful and a true indication that you encountered Jesus and made him Lord. However, unlike the initiation of a club, serving Jesus is ongoing and increasing. When Jesus said, “follow me and I will make you”, it wasn’t a seasonal thing. It is forever.

Success for 2011

Part 2 - Obedience

Romans 6:16 (NKJV)
16 Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?

Of course we all who find ourselves in service to the Lord, know that obedience is critical. Yet, it is a common mistake to become so familiar with the Lord that we begin to deceive ourselves into thinking we are walking in obedience when we are not. Abraham, when confronted with the command of the Lord to offer his son as a sacrifice, not only was willing, he did his part to move in obedience to the mandate. Obedience is where faith meets reality. Faith is heavenly while obedience can seem very earthy and natural. Faith is the thing that springs up in our hearts in the sunshine of His presence and obedience is our action when all around may be quiet and dark. However, only obedience in the shadows can bring the celebration of Victory. This is important to understand if we are to live the life of success in God. Obedience rarely feels good when it is being carried out. The shallow Christian who has come to believe that everything in the Walk is a happy stroll in the Spring will not see ongoing success in the Kingdom of God.

Obedience to the Lord is the true evidence of our faith. One of the most difficult things about obedience is that the thing we are supposed to do obediently is often brought into question in our mind. We must evaluate it in our spirit, test it by Scripture, purify it in prayer and then ACT. We are never quite sure when we act if it will work but if our heart is truly to please and obey God...Mission Accomplished! Remember, no man can validate a command of the Lord to you. It is a personal thing between you and Him. Every time you hear and obey there is a victory celebration in heaven.

Success for 2011

Part 1 -The Favor of God

There are a number of things that are necessary to walk in the blessings of God and therefore see His success. However, to see the success of God we must walk in the principles of God. Too many people believe that learning methods of success is the same as walking in the principles of God. It is not! A heart of integrity must be formed in the heart of a leader and then that leader lives and leads out of that cultivated heart. He will be the same in his private life as his professional life. He will make the same decisions regardless of his popularity and in time these principles will lead him from the shadows of doubt to the light of success. In this series we will deal each week with a different critical element to the success of God or I should say, "success IN God."

Today, we place our focus on the favor of God. The favor of God is that element that is hard to describe and very difficult to understand. Why do some seem to have some favor and others seem to be bathed in it? When the Virgin Mary was confronted by the angel with the news of Jesus, one of the things she was left to ponder was why me? Why am I chosen to this wonderful assignment of bringing forth the Messiah. The angel simply said, "you have found favor with God". Regardless of how it comes, when it comes, success follows. Then of Jesus the Scripture says, "He increased in favor with God and man". To see true Kingdom success in this life, we must have both. We must have favor with God and man. The favor of God comes upon us, it appears to me, not so much because of our religious activity as the secret attitudes of our heart. Man looks on the outward appearance and God looks on the heart. Then that favor of God brings us favor with man. I am not talking about a worldly compromising favor with man. There is a favor that God brings that extends to men.

Religion in it's negative sense causes men to run away while a genuine favor of God upon a man our woman is an attractive thing to those around them. Crowds wanted to be with Jesus because of what he could do for them but there was also this mystical something that caused them to draw near to him. It was the favor of God upon his life.

Happy New Year!

Joshua 1:6-9 (NKJV)
6 Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them.
7 Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go.
8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.
9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."

Merry Christmas!

Luke 2:1-7 (KJV)
1 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.
2 (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)
3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.
4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)
5 To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.
6 And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.
7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

What a freedom it is to know that Jesus is who he is without any embellishment from us. Christ in us is the Hope of Glory to a lost world. We can be certain today that just as Jesus was the Messiah wrapped in rags in a humble manger, he is Messiah in our weakness as well. Have a wonderful HOLY-day!

God Keeps Good Records

Psalms 37:1-5 (NKJV)
1 A Psalm of David. Do not fret because of evildoers, Nor be envious of the workers of iniquity.
2 For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, And wither as the green herb.
3 Trust in the Lord, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.
4 Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
5 Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass.

Here and in other places the Scripture promises that faithfulness and endurance brings the blessings of God. There are times when there is a great temptation to look at the wicked and wonder, "why are they so blessed and I seem to struggle?" Later in this chapter King David writes,Psalms 37:25 (NKJV)
25 I have been young, and now am old; Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, Nor his descendants begging bread. God will never forsake the righteous. Yet, some falter during the waiting period and never see the fulfillment of the promises of God. I don't consider myself old yet, but I have served God long enough to see that while I was questioning at times, God was always keeping good records. I am so grateful that he strengthened me to never stop following him or pursuing his call upon my life. Even during times when he required great sacrifice I now see that it was not a sacrifice at all but an investment in the Kingdom of God.

Take heart today and get back in the game. Reinvest your heart into the things of God. Don't stop giving your best to God. He is seeing your sacrifice as an investment and you will see the return. Mark 10:29-31 (KJV)
29 And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel's,
30 But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.
31 But many that are first shall be last; and the last first.

God Shed His Grace On Thee

One day this week, the week of the anniversary of the bombing of Pearl Harbor, as I opened my eyes from a night of sleep, these were my first thoughts. My very first conscious thoughts were, "God shed his grace on thee". I began to sing the complete song to myself and I meditated on it's meaning. Then I felt I heard, "as a Nation, we are only able to enjoy the blessings we have enjoyed because of His grace that has been shed upon us." What if we were to lose that grace? What if our rejection or neglect of God caused him to weaken the grace upon us as a nation? There are not guarantees that things will go on forever as we have enjoyed them in the past.

When we were bombed into World War II we were ill prepared as a Nation for that great conflict. There was no way in the natural that we could win such a war. There is no question that it was the grace of God that enabled us to endure and win. As a matter of fact, after the war the U.S. sky rocketed into prominence and success like the world had never seen before.

One thing really troubles me now. The absence of the knowledge our history. Both from a spiritual historical perspective as well as a National perspective. Why is that important? Without an appreciation and a remembrance the value of the progress of history is lost. I was at a conference and a speaker used a World War II hero to make a point. After the meeting I heard a young leader say, "who in the world was he talking about and how is that relevant to me?" What ignorance! What arrogance! A healthy knowledge of our past determines in many ways our future. Certainly our past shouldn't limit our future but it certainly does define it in many ways.

This also applies to the church. An ignorance of church history destines us to make the same mistakes over and over. The thing that is worse than ignorance though is the arrogance that says, "church history is not relevant to me and the future". It is important that we all humble ourselves with the understanding that we all are standing on the shoulders of those who labored before us.

Here's another quote for you: "Do this in remembrance of me".

Happy Thanksgiving!



Psalms 105:1-7 (KJV)
1 O give thanks unto the Lord; call upon his name: make known his deeds among the people.
2 Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him: talk ye of all his wondrous works.
3 Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the Lord.
4 Seek the Lord, and his strength: seek his face evermore.
5 Remember his marvellous works that he hath done; his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth;
6 O ye seed of Abraham his servant, ye children of Jacob his chosen.
7 He is the Lord our God: his judgments are in all the earth.

Teresa and I are enjoying Thanksgiving this year in Hollywood Beach, Fl. (Miami)with our daughter Tarah, her husband Scott and our little Lucia. We enjoyed a feast with all the trimmings. Scott prayed our Thanksgiving prayer and as we were eating we all shared some things for which we are thankful. We were all waxing pretty elequent when we got to Lucia now 2 years and 9 months. I asked her what she was thankful for and she paused, looked out the window and said, "the trees". Cool with me!

I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving with friends and family.

Blessings!
L. A.

Never Quit - Part 3

Once again, "I have never seen an active Christian lose who didn't quit!" You may ask, what about a person who has lost their home, a relationship or even has gone through moral failure. Is winning still in their future? Without question!

There are many enemies to this pursuit of never quitting. Pride is one. When pride is offended it usually wants to run, hide and quit. To remain steadfast takes eating a lot of crow. It is also a lonely place. Everyone runs to surround the winners circle but momentary defeat is a lonely place. I have seen men who followed my leadership look me in the eye and say, "I thought we would be further along by now". Before long they weren't around. Yet, in time I was able to see the breakthrough. They weren't there to enjoy it with me because they quit. Another thing you must develop is "thick skin". Men are fickle and we are all rejected at some time. Rejection can make you want to quit. Jesus was a man "rejected" Isaiah writes. Yet, it was the mission of the Father that kept him going. It wasn't the fear of man nor the accolades of man that drove him forward. He was free of man pleasing. No greater enemy can be found than the disappointment and discouragement that comes from a disappointed man pleasing spirit. Enjoy success when it comes, thank men for their compliments when they are given but quickly give the glory to Jesus and keep on track. Don't quit in success and don't quit in failure. Remember this, failure is not a destination, it is only a transitional spot on the map to winning! It is really a place of gathering more ammunition for the greater battle ahead.

If you are reading this and thinking, "winning hasn't been seen much in my life", please understand it is not over. You are in a very delicate and pivotal place right now. You have a critical, future altering decision to make...DON'T QUIT!

Never Quit - Part 2

O.K., I can't resist, "quiters never win and winners never quit!" I know it's a cliche but you just can't say it much better than that. As I said in my last blog, I have never seen any Christian lose who didn't quit. Just think about these verses in this light:

Romans 8:37 (NKJV)
37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.

2 Corinthians 2:14 (NKJV)
14 Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Chrit...

It is either true or it isn't. We are not supposed to ever be less than conquerors and never involved in anyting that doesn't have victory as it's closing chapter.

Again, the only thing that can stop us is not the devil, not circumstances and not another person. The only thing that can stop us from success is a decision on our part to quit! But how long must I wait? Ah, there is the great question. No one can answer and it is in the waiting that many people give up and lose the victory. Truthfully, it could be hours, months or ever decades. The timing of victory is only known in the heart of God. But this one thing is true, if you won't give up, you won't lose. The two verses above have two comments of absolute in them of which we need to lay hold. First is "in all these things", we are more than conquerors. and secondly, "always leads us in triumph in Christ". That translates to mean steadfastness in Christ is a combination that is impossible to defeat.

Never Quit!

Active Christians cannot fail! I didn't say, Christians never fail. As a matter of fact being a Christian doesn't guarantee success. It is the active Christian that always wins in the long run. The word "active" means "engaged in action". Being a Christian, we all know, isn't about inertia. For this blog I will specify that I am talking about being active in your faith and pursuing a Godly vision in life.

It hit me recently with great impact that I have never seen a Christain lose who didn't quit! I ran back my mental calendar about 40 years and I couldn't remember a single Christian who ever lost or failed that didn't quit. I couldn't think of a single one! Now, I have seen many who became discouraged and had a season of battle as well as setbacks. But for the one who continued and never quit, they always came out a winner in the end. You may say, "well, that didn't work for me"! I would say with all due respect, "you had to have quit". You gave up. You threw in the towel. I have always loved to tell people, "hanging in there is about 90% of it!"I truly believe it. I have been beaten by all kinds of circumstances. I have seen failure of projects, the loss of reputation, personal disaster of all kinds and yet, something on the inside would never let me quit! Of course that "something on the inside" is "Someone"! Jesus is the Champion of never quitting. Aren't we all glad He didn't quit at the cross. He didn't quit in the grave. He didn't even quit when He returned to heaven. He hasn't quit to this day and He never will! A major part of "looking unto Jeuss" is following His example of "never quitting".

Marriage Maintenance

Teresa and I have now enjoyed well over 42 years of marriage. I hear of people who have been married for a long time filing for divorce and I think, "what in the world?" How is that possible? One of the common comments you hear in those cases is, "we just grew apart". I am convinced that every marriage can be healed and every marriage, if neglected could fail. There are several things that happen here. First, people stop working on their marriage and begin to take it for granted. In almost all of life's activities you continue to strive to improve. In marriage people often think that it either is or it isn't. Like everything else, marriage must be maintained and there has to be this awareness and an effort at improving it or it will deteriorate.

Another reason marriages falter is because there is some truth to "growing apart". In actuality, we all have idiosyncrasies and from these come intolerance and especially as we grow older. A good marriage sees our differences as God's balance for safety and growth. If you aren't careful as you grow older you will see them as hindrances. This is a tragic mistake. As I said earlier the big killer is taking a relationship for granted. There has to be this awareness and a sensitivity to the condition of the relationship. Then there has to be this ongoing desire to not only fix potential problems but make the relationship better. I am convinced that unmaintained marriages can fall apart and fail no matter how many years you have been together. I heard T.D. Jakes say, "just because you have been together for 50 years doesn't mean you have been happy." Marriage is intended by God to be a place of joy, a shelter from the storms of life and an arena of victory. Marriage should be a place of agreement that the enemy of our souls cannot penetrate. Why don't we take time to stop and honestly evaluate our marriages. It can change and like everything else, it only works if you work it.

Self examination or self bashing?

To examine yourself on a regular basis is important. Pride and self deception is always lurking in the shadows of pride and accomplishment. However, to linger too long and probe our past too much can turn from a healthy monitoring of our heart to a morbid kind of self bashing that leaves us depressed and immobilized and maybe even damaged more by the probing than by the original problem.


Sen. Mark Hatfield tells this story: James Garfield was a lay preacher and principal of his denominational college. They say he was ambidextrous and could simultaneously write Greek, with one hand and Latin with the other.
In l880, he was elected president of the United States, but after only six months in office, he was shot in the back with a revolver. He never lost consciousness. At the hospital, the doctor probed the wound with his little finger to seek the bullet. He couldn't find it, so he tried a silver-tipped probe. Still he couldn't locate the bullet.
They took Garfield back to Washington, D.C. Despite the summer heat, they tried to keep him comfortable. He was growing very weak. Teams of doctors tried to locate the bullet, probing the wound over and over. In desperation they asked Alexander Graham Bell, who was working on a little device called the telephone, to see if he could locate the metal inside the president's body. He came, he sought, and he too failed. The president hung on through July, through August, but in September he finally died-not from the wound, but from infection. The repeated probing, which the physicians thought would help the man, eventually, killed him. So it is with people who dwell too long on their sin and refuse to release it to God.

Dealing With Pride: An Obstacle To Maturity
Part II

In our last blog we talked about the causes of pride. In this writing we will look at the cure.

Helps To Defeating Pride

1. A full surrender to the Lordship of Christ. Notice I didn't simply say, "accept Jesus as your savior". A ticket to heaven doesn't necessarily prepare you for victorious living here on earth. There has to be a decision of the heart that surrenders to Jesus as Lord. It is only through Lordship that character flaws are dealt with and the residue of sin is removed. Pride sets a predetermined plan in place that exalts and glorifies self. The Lordship of Jesus deals to destroy this plan. Lordship is a surrender to the Lord's plan and an abandonment of our plan.

2. Faith in the daily care and direction of God. Psalm 25:9 tells us, "The humble He guides in justice, and the humble He teaches His way.

3. Service. Jesus said in Matthew 20:26, "whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave;"

Serving others is a cure for pride. Every time you sense pride arising in your heart, go serve someone!

Dealing With Pride - An Obstacle To Maturity
Part I - Causes of Pride

There is an interesting story in the life of Jesus that reveals the heart felt desire of a loving Mother. It is found in Matthew chapter 20. The mother of Zebedee's sons came to Him with her sons and asked Jesus if her two sons could sit on his right and left side when his Kingdom was revealed. While Mom here is sincere, she is sincerely wrong. When the other ten disciples heard all this, they were less than pleased.

Pride is such a blinding handicap. Pride makes us believe we are where we aren't and keeps us where we are rather than where we could be. Jesus asked the boys if they were able to drink of the drink he would be require to drink and they said, no problem! What ignorant arrogance!

Causes of pride:

1. Believing "what Mama said". Your Mama sees you differently than anyone else. I hate to tell you this but you can't count on what she says about you. Oh, she's not lying, she's just seeing it from her perspective, through her filter. You can't view yourself in the light of what others think of you. There's good and bad here. You have to build your view of yourself on what God's Word says about you. You won't be disappointed but God's word balances who you are with how you should handle who you are.

2. Past Accomplishments. What a deadly pattern. We cry out to God for help, he answers our prayers and then we sit back and think, "Boy, did I do a great job there".

3. Faith in personal knowledge and opinion. Herein lies a character flaw. It says, "my opinion is the only opinion."

4. Insecurity. Insecurity is one of the greatest causes of pride. It is an "anti-God" answer to insecurity and inferiority.

5. Beauty. Lucifer was cast from heaven because his beauty eventually turned to pride that made him think he was in competition with God.

6. The sinful nature. We are all born with this and pride is at the heart of the sinful nature.

Pride is the sickness and Jesus is the cure. True humility only comes from the inside as sin is seen, Jesus is embraced and a new creation is manifested in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Accountability

It has become fashionable within the church to say we are accountable. It is one thing to "say" we are accountable and another thing to actually "be" accountable.

I have had more than my share of friends/spiritual sons who have failed morally in some form or fashion. All of which were quick to tell everyone just how accountable they were. In truth, they were accountable until it came time for their temptation at which time they disengaged from accountability. Accountability is designed to keep us from making the wrong choices when the hour of temptation comes. It is for the purpose of walking in a relationship of openness and clarity in the day to day life so that there is no secret life. Moral failure comes from a hidden life that is withheld from accountability. Like all life principles, accountability only works if you work it. It requires the one who says they want accountability to come forth and make it work with a spiritual father or mentor in all areas of life.

The basic definition of accountability is "being held accountable." Are you in a relationship of accountability? Are you being held accountable? If not, pursue this kind of functioning relationship today in all areas of life. You and those around you will be the better for it.

Dealing with hidden prejudices

I am reading an old book titled, "Lincoln and His Generals". It is a fascinating book with great details of the Civil War battles and the decisions surrounding each one. I have always been a big Lincoln fan and deeply appreciate his belief that "right makes might". As I was reading I was doing well until I came upon the battle of Atlanta. As Sherman began his march to the sea and the order was given by Grant to break the back of the Confederacy by destroying the general populations will to support the war, something stirred in me. I pondered what I was feeling. It amazed me actually. How could something that happened 150 years ago irritate me? It was like an offence in my heart toward Sherman. Crazy, right? Today I am ministering in New Braunfels, Texas at World Indigenous Mission's International Conference. This morning I talked to native Texan and they told me about some Mexican people who just moved into their neighborhood. When the neighbor asked why they chose to move to Texas, the Mexican lady said, "this is our country and we are taking it back". Now before you rush into the immigration debate let's look at heart matters. The person telling me the story said it caused something to rise up in them that went all the way back to the Alamo.

My point in all this is that we might examine our hearts for issues that could hinder our usefulness as "ambassadors for Christ". While I am an American patriot and a native son of the great State of Georgia, I am first and foremost a child of God with a mission to bring the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to all people of all Nations. Are there things in our heart, deeply rooted things that could hinder our effectiveness? I can't answer that question for you. Ask the Holy Spirit to shine His light in and be courageous enough to deal with whatever is revealed.

Motivation for Ministry

The year was 1972 and I had just settled in on the couch for the Dolphins game. It was Sunday afternoon and I was living in Dunedin, Florida. I had become a Miami fan and they were at their peak. It seems just as I had gotten comfortable with all the snacks on the coffee table that the doorbell rang. I blew a little as I got up to answer the bell and there in my doorway was a man in a suit wanting to invite me to church! Aaarrgh!!! I don’t remember what I said I just remember closing the door rather loudly. Yes, I was running from God and yes I needed someone to help me get back on track with the Lord. However, something about this whole thing really bugged me. I admit that it was a kind of confrontation that at least made me think of the Lord but that is about all I can say about it. The thing I remember thinking was, “this guy’s just out to get his newest Scout badge”! I didn’t like being a part of it.
We are always being told to “reach out, evangelize and minister to people.” Yet, there has to be more to it than that. Does timing, circumstances, or personal connection matter? I think they do. The poor guy that rang my doorbell was certainly trying to be obedient to the Great Commission but maybe the preacher that got him going, left out a point or two. For me it was that we had no personal connection. Yes, I know there are certainly times when we have those special moments when the Holy Spirit opens the door for a “woman at the well” experience. Those times are special indeed. However, on a day to day basis, we need to learn to be more open to the inner leading of the Holy Spirit to help us find the door to a person’s heart in order to bring the good news to them. Now a little more confession of sin: there was a time I had been sick for about a month. I had been overrun by hyperactive Christians who wanted to help me get well. Everyone had an answer. Then a Brother came who said he had “a word for me”. I literally got out of a sickbed to hear this guy. It was harsh, bitter and judgmental. I rose so weak I was shaking and said, “I’m going to ask you to leave my house now”. He seemed a little shocked and said, “Obviously, the bridge of our relationship wasn’t strong enough to hold the load I was trying to deliver to you”. While I still believe his “word” was coming from his own personal frustrations with me and not from the Lord, I learned a lot from his departing statement. Now that was a “word from the Lord”! He hadn’t established a relational connection with me that allowed me to receive such an intimate word of correction from him.
Let me now use a very worldly example to help us better function in the ministry to others. In solving a murder the police look for three important things that point to a person as a suspect. They are “means, motive and opportunity”. I think these three things can be helpful in making sure a person is ready for our ministry rather than just “ringing the doorbell” and seeing what flushes out! Let’s begin with “opportunity”. Be sensitive to the Lord in determining if this is really a moment of opportunity for this person. I had one of those situations recently with a waitress who was serving me. I’m there with my mind only on my meal when the Holy Spirit just opened up this woman to me. I could see her pain and the Lord told to tell her something. It stunned her but gave her hope. You could see the change in her eyes. This was one of those special times. After opportunity let’s look at “means”. We certainly have the means to help others if we have the Holy Spirit in us. We should all accept today that we DO have the “means” to make a difference in the life of another person. Our last check point is “motive”. Here is the heart of my article today. What is our motivation in wanting to help people? Is it condemnation from a church or pressure from others? Is it pride in wanting to put a new scalp on my belt? Am I trying to make God love me more? All these reasons are wrong and distorted. Believe it or not, the person you are trying to help can sense your motivation, whether pure or impure. The Scripture says that when Jesus “saw” the multitudes, he was moved with “compassion”. People can sense and even feel compassion because it is the heart of Jesus coming through you. Join me in asking the Lord for a fresh revival of “seeing” people as they really are in order to have true “compassion”, the only genuine motivation for ministry.

"I take full responsibility for that!"



More and more you hear leaders making this statement. After some fiasco they have learned to go on TV and say, "I take full responsibility for this"! What does it mean? Apparently nothing! Historically, Japanese leaders who took full responsibility for a mistake on their watch either resigned immediately or fell on their sword. That is a picture of taking full responsibility for a problem for which they are truly responsible. In the movie Wall Street, a broker who made a mistake and cost the company money was told by his boss, "this is coming out of your check". That is taking full responsibility. With all the madness of the BP oil spill and with all their troubles and PR problems, at least they are putting out billions of dollars in an effort to take full responsibility.



As leaders, we need to truly take full responsibility for our actions. Certainly forgiveness is ours in Christ. However, forgiveness is not the end of the matter as leaders. We must either resign from our leadership post and allow someone else to maneuver the group or company to a safer harbor or we need to provide for reconciliation as well as restitution for all losses on our watch. Reconciliation will always cost us something. If reconciliation does not cost us personally, it is not true reconciliation.



Restoration comes to failure when the one who failed acknowledges their error, they repent and turn from the error, they make restitution for their failure and have a willingness to embrace their mistake as a building foundation for a new day of success.

Called or Adventurer?



It is a great thing to have a zeal to follow God to the ends of the earth. It is equally as great to follow God in the mundane of the here and now. More people are called to the latter than the former. I remember when Chuck Hall, the President of World Indigenous Missions, left our church in Valdosta, Georgia for his first assignment as a missionary in Mexico. He was so thrilled to get on with his adventure in the Lord. He and his family did a fabulous job in Mexico. I vividly remember talking with him a number of years later as he was preparing to return to Mexico from intinerating in the U.S. He sat in my office and said, "years ago when I first left for the field I went on 90% zeal and 10% obedience. Today I go back on 90% obedience and 10% zeal." I suspect that it was at this point that the Lord received pure worship.



We live in a day where we are told that the average interest level can only be held for a short period of time. Because of this some are attracted to the adventure of traveling the globe in the name of Christ. This must be examined all along the way. "Why am I doing what I am doing"? Am I called to be doing this or am I addicted to adventure?" You might ask, "what is the harm in doing this? I am doing only good things." First, a person functioning in the place of the called who is not called, is a person taking the billet of the one who is called. They are actually stealing from the one who should be there. They are also hindering the discovery of their own destiny. There are those called to missionary service overseas and there are those called to the school house, the factory and the hospital. All are missionaries or sent ones for the sake of the Gospel. It is that calling that will empower them for the long haul. The person who goes "for a season", loses interest and comes home, is not a called one but an adventurer. The calling of the Lord is inescapable. The function and location may change but the call is without repentance. This is not intended as a rebuke but an awakening to honesty and faithfulness in day to day obedience.

Anniversary Day!

Today Teresa and I have been married 42 years! When I reflect on it all I can't imagine a life without her. There was a time in my life when her life and daily presence was the conviction of the Lord. There came a day when her presence represented the forgiveness of the Lord. Now she represents the faithfulness and the unconditional love of the Lord. Living along side her has been a transformation into something better for me and hopefully for her as well.

I am a blessed and happy man!