The Need For The Teacher

 The ministry gift of the teacher is probably undervalued in the Kingdom of God.  In the contemporary church we magnify, almost glorify other spiritual gifts more.  We hold entire conferences around apostles and prophets.  If a person is truly gifted as an evangelist, their calendar is always full.  Yet, the teacher often remains in relative obscurity.  Some connect the teacher with the pastor and they only see 4 ascension gifts as apostle, prophet, evangelist and pastor/teacher.  Certainly a pastor must be a teacher because most of their job involves teaching in the pulpit and one on one.  However, not all teachers are pastors.  The teacher who is not a pastor may be the loneliest of all.  They are often relegated to occasional opportunities to teach Sunday School or possibly now and then in a home group.  Yet, they are store houses of information and life giving impartation.  When we think of discipleship, and we need to think about it daily, we must see the need for the teacher in the process of making disciples. Paul wrote to Timothy and said in 2 
Timothy 2:2, "2And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also."  Paul was obviously teaching people principles that he called upon to teach others who might teach others also.  As a matter of fact it seems to me that there is a mandate that those we choose to teach must agree that they are going to teach those learned truths to others.  Let me share a very interesting insight from  the New Living Translation regarding Titus 1:1-2. 
 1"This letter is from Paul, a slave of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ. I have been sent to proclaim faith to those God has chosen and to teach them to know the truth that shows them how to live godly lives. 2This truth gives them confidence that they have eternal life, which God—who does not lie—promised them before the world began. 
I love this translation.  Paul says first that he was called by God to "teach" them to know the truth that shows them how to live Godly lives".  Teaching Bible Truth to teach them how to live Godly lives.  Nice lessons from natural experience or practical methods of life may all be good.  However, it is only the living TRUTH of the Word of God that will enable those who hear it and apply it to "live Godly lives".  
It also, more than teaching them "how" to live Godly lives, gives them an internal HOPE or CONFIDENCE that they are saved and have eternal life.  That is a mooring of steadfastness.  Teachers who are allowed to teach the principles of TRUTH from Scripture impact the hearers by teaching them how to live the Christian life as God intends and also reinforces their very foundation of knowing they are saved!
May we rethink the value and place of the gifted and called teachers among us and work to make a place for them at the table.

Adjusting The Future Today

It is amazing for someone like me to take in all the changes that have occurred in my lifetime.  I remember when folks first started getting TV's in their homes.  Honestly, I can remember some who didn't have indoor bathrooms.  I remember sitting on my front porch in town with a dirt road for a street and watching as an old man named "Will"  rode slowly down the street in his wagon powered by a mule with a big plow sticking up out of the wagon.  He was trying to find someone who might hire him to plow their garden.  I remember life in the hot muggy South without air conditioning in their homes much less their cars.  I remember picking up the phone and a living person would ask, "number please?"  I remember how I felt our family had arrived when we bought a car that didn't have a clutch to change gears.  I remember the race to the moon and then watching with the rest of the world as man stepped out of his safe space craft and touched the mysterious lunar surface for the first time.  Yes, I remember when computers were talked about as something that would change our world one day!  It was also a day of order and decorum.  There were things that were right and things that were wrong.  If you stepped outside the lines you were corrected.  I remember a world where neighbors loved you like Grandparents.  They might invite you on the porch for some homemade "tea cakes".  If they saw you doing something really wrong, they also might spank you and tell your parents later!  I know that sounds crazy but it happened.  In the middle of this perfect sounding world, which it wasn't, there was a penalty for our wrongs.  It was a time when the Bible set the standard for living.  Everyone knew it, even those who didn't confess to being a believer.  There was a atmosphere of right and wrong.  We all knew the difference.  Of course we still did wrong but when we were caught we knew we were getting what we needed in the form of punishment.  It made things, well, righteous.

Today it is hard to find order, right and wrong and a culture of righteousness.  It is frustrating to one who was shaped by an imperfect but yet  righteous order of things.  We don't like the lines being moved.  That may be why the Bible talks about "not moving the ancient boundary markers of your forefathers."  It is easy to loose your moorings for someone like me if we don't really remain focused.  But then I think, "what about those who never knew a solid mooring in the first place?" Thank God we still have the steadfastness of the Church!  That grand old institution established by Jesus to be remain forever a place of Refuge from the storms and shifting sands of decaying cultures.  It is a place where right will always be right and wrong will always be wrong and while God is all loving, His Word promises correction and discipline.  REALLY?!  REALLY?!  There has never been a time in history when so many were comfortable destroying foundations and moving around the boundary stones of thousands of years without an apparent twinge of guilt.  How is this possible?  They don't know they are doing wrong.  They have eaten at the tables of purveyors of the artificial.  It is a diet so close to Truth that it challenges even the most serious disciple.  The problem is not that it is not truth but it is not a balanced truth.  It cries out of the mercy, love and grace of God without a shred of the confrontation over wrong or punishment.  Yes, there is a place for correction in the pulpit.  As a matter of fact if confrontation and correction is absent from our pulpits, where will it be found?

I will end with this story of my Father taking me to my room with an oak switch in his hand.  He sat me down and explained what I had done wrong and then uttered those words, "this is going to hurt me more than it will hurt you."  Was that moment with the "rod of correction"wrong or bad for me?  Absolutely not!  It is impossible to assay the full value of such a confrontation of right and wrong.  In most homes this ancient practice is now obsolete.  Let's not let the Church, the last bastion of righteousness become powerless by our lack of the practice of righteousness.  May we go back to The Book for a fresh look at the balanced view of God and then preach and practice those principles revealed.

Put The Fish In The Boat!(Preacher)

While visiting a church, the preacher was doing a series of messages on being "fishers of men."  I listened to his message waiting to see how he would bring it home to the people.  He never did.  It was simply an informational message but not instructional and certainly not activating the individual to become fishers of men.  There is such cowardice today in all sectors of society regarding making things challenging and personal.  Recently I was listening to an interview by the great singer Linda Ronstadt.  She was asked the difference between a great singer and a great performer.  She said that there were many of her back up singers who were much better singers than she.  She went on to say, "you have to have a story.  Your story might be heartache, loss of some sort or failure.  You have to relate your story to the audience with passion and then all great entertainers at some point make the transfer from themselves to the audience."  Wow, I thought, that is exactly what good preaching should be!  I went back and look at Peter's message on the day of Pentecost.  He told a story to a gathered crowd and he told it with personal passion.  Then at just the right moment he turned the story on the crowd.  Hundreds became converted to the God of his message that day!  Preachers must understand that we are not simply lecturers or instructors.  We must tell the Story, tell it with a personal experiential passion and at just the right moment we must make the hearers take possession of it in their souls.  If we never get from "me to them", we will never be successful.  If we fail to cause the hearer to experience the message then we are not accomplishing New Testament preaching.

May we as preachers review our sermons and honestly ask ourselves if we are making a transfer of ownership to the people?

The Light That Irritates

One of our guest bedrooms doubles as my office.  Upon my desk is a printer, internet connection, wireless router and a cordless phone.  All these devices have small lights of some kind to let you know they are working and standing by awaiting your command or use.  While one of our adult children was staying there on a visit I entered the room to grab something.  There were all kinds of things piled on all my "electronic toys."  I wondered what is that about?  Then they told me later, "oh yeah Dad, I covered all the lights in your office so I could sleep.  It looks like Nasa down there at night!"

Light usually is a wonderful thing and especially when you are trying to see your way in the dark.  Yet, if you are enjoying the darkness like when you are trying to sleep or maybe you don't want to be seen, light can be very irritating.  John 1:5 in the NLT is a very powerful verse.  It says, "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it."  I love that last part, "the darkness can never extinguish it."  The King James version says, " and the darkness comprehended it not."  Both translation are true to the original language but the NLT sheds "new light" on the subject.  More than just saying that the lost or those choosing to live in darkness can't comprehend or understand the light, this translation says that "they cannot extinguish it."  That is like trying to sleep in my office but not being able to cover up all the lights.  That is what it is like once you have been exposed to "The Light" and now you try to shut it off in your heart and head.  

I remember what it was like when I had seen the light but before I fully surrendered to Jesus.  I was living an ungodly life in darkness.  I had two challenges.  One was to plan my little schemes of activities in the darkness while trying to block out the light.  What had been enjoyable when I was totally in darkness was no longer enjoyable.  Why?  That irritating light wouldn't stop shining!  "The darkness can never extinguish it!"  Never!!!

The next time you find yourself sharing your faith with someone who seems to be totally rejecting it or even worse, not listening, remember this.  Bringing light to darkness starts an eternal flame.  They may not acknowledge it or they may not even recognize it but Truth lights the flame.  That may be all you are required to do.  Someone else may make the harvest at another time.  Just be faithful to "let your light shine!"

Community

Community is a basic human need. One of the most dreaded punishments in prison life is solitary confinement. Some may think it would be a welcomed relief but many have found it maddening. From the beginning of time man has formed community. Within community there is safety in numbers as well as sharing of resources and expenses.

To live in community takes a willingness to live, work and sacrifice for the common good. Many of those in prison are individuals often were unwilling to sacrifice for and live with the guidelines of community.

 There are many communities and sub-communities. They all have common characteristics. They all have a distinct culture. Within a culture there is usually a similar dress, a familiar communication and a code of conduct.  In our society today there are fishing cultures, golfing cultures, biker cultures just to name a few. They have their own dress, language and conduct according to what is acceptable within that group.

The Church is a community. It would serve us well to understand that and seek to embrace and build community within the Church. Attending meetings alone does not constitute Community. Quality time must be spent together to form true community. In reality real community in the Church is a sharing of life that impacts and changes us for our own improvement and good. Much of that meshing is pleasant and some is not, but a part of the Lord's building process none the less.

A few years ago there was an emphasis in the church to stop being "religious" in an effort to reach more people.  Religious sounding language was discouraged. The message was to reach them where they were and not to make them feel uncomfortable.  Certainly the motivation was good.  The result in many places was very little life and lifestyle change. I was reminded of the time I embraced the Lordship of Jesus and that relationship brought me from a world centered culture to the Community of Believers, the Church. They acted differently and they certainly talked differently. I was only recently discharged form the U. S. Navy. We had a culture, a dress and a language but not one you would want used around your children. Coming into the Church was one that I welcomed. I wanted something different from where I had been. I was pleased and challenged to learn a new community language, culture and yes, even dress to a certain degree.

Today there is a strong emphasis on doing whatever is necessary to bring new people into our buildings.  Again, the motivation is a good one but when we live inside a culture and decide what we need to do to reach into a different culture our perspective may be skewed.  Along these lines, one word you don't hear much today is disciple.  That is a cultural word, a community word.  Oh, it is used but does our efforts truly make disciples to a new Kingdom?  Is there a culture shift in the life of the disciple?  Let's make sure we are doing all we can to get them incorporated into a life changing revolutionary Kingdom Community. 

I Simply Don't Know

Psalm 91 is a powerful chapter promising protection by God in the most distressing of situations.  As you read it you will either be challenged to a higher place of faith or  moved to contemplation and possibly perplexity.  As a young Christian I watched and listened to preachers challenge the hearers to believe God for the impossible in the natural.  The point was that if one had enough faith, nothing negative would ever happen to them.  My dilemma now 40 years later is that I have seen miracles and deliverance from certain death and I have seen many good and Godly people die in less than pleasant circumstances.  Of course, we all die.  The Scripture plainly tells us that we all have an appointment with death and that death for the believer leads to the fulfillment of eternal life in the Presence of God.  What then shall we make of this and how do we navigate difficult situations?  

We have to come to a place, I believe, where we accept that, while He does not want to be confusing, He is very complex.  He is infinite and we are finite.  Our limited human resources can only comprehend a tiny portion of our infinite God.  That is why people who think they have God all figured out are confusing at best and dangerous at worst to those listening to them.  While I know that this article may not be very inspiring, it can lead us to an even greater faith.  Most of the people that I have seen become discouraged and some who have even walked away from the Faith have been people who told us they had HIM figured out.  They even gave us formulas that if we followed promised to solve all our problems.  I have watched and listened to some who made the grandest statements about faith weep in the deepest despair and confusion. Hebrews 11 is called the "faith chapter."  The first half of it tells us of those who worked miracles and saw people raised from the dead by faith.  The second half tells us of others who suffered greatly and lost loved ones in great ordeals.  It goes on to tell us that they were all commended for their faith!  

It all brings me back to a "head scratching" moment of saying to the Lord, " I simply don't know."  The moment that I make this statement I feel this volcanic movement deep within that cries out, "yet will I trust Him!"  For me the last 20 years or so have been years filled with great successes and great challenges to say the least.  There have been some dark days of deep contemplation.  Yet, there is this inner man that rises from the ashes time and again.  It is something for which I cannot take credit because it is not a natural thing.  It is an evidence of an inner connection within this frail human life that maintains a connection with Almighty God.  It is in fact God!  It is Christ in me, the hope of glory!  It leaves me often thinking, "well, I don't KNOW any more than I did when this all began but I have learned that in all situations, He is pulling me through the crisis in perfect peace. "
It is difficult to understand but having been to the doorway of heaven on more than one occasion I can tell you that there is no fear there, only grace and faith.  Believe for what you think is the best and be willing to accept everything else in faith in His faithfulness.

Wineskins

"No one puts a piece from a new garment on an old one; otherwise the new makes a tear, and also the piece that was taken out of the new does not match the old.  And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine will burst the wineskins and be spilled and the wineskins will be ruined."  Luke 5:37 NKJV

The compatibility of the old and the new is difficult to achieve and maintain.  I was watching a "Downton Abbey" episode yesterday and an older man had been managing the estate for 40 years.  As a new owner came on the scene he wanted to make some changes that would require almost everything to change.  The older gentleman immediately resigned.  He said, "I'm the old broom and your are the new broom!"  While the newer owner was willing for the older man to remain in position and make the changes, the older gentleman knew it was not going to work.  He just couldn't do it!  He did the honorable thing and stepped aside.

There is a day when the old has to make the call and step aside for the next generation to lead.  It is never without pain.  I have heard some great sermons on "renewing the wineskin".  These messages talk about soaking the old wineskin and rubbing oil in it and getting it ready for the new wine.  The only problem with this hopeful sounding analogy is that Jesus says it can't happen.  He said, "no one" does it.  If you can't renew an old wineskin, then what is the hope or place for the old wineskin?  If an old wineskin wants to remain viable throughout it's lifetime it must always remain new.  That is possible!  I have seen a few, very few who saw the big picture and prepared for the future by preparing the ground for the new crop.  Too many of the old spend their last years celebrating their great harvests of the past rather than being involved in the ongoing preparation for a new harvest.    I've been going through some old family photos that are 50-60 years old.  There is my granddad, aunts, uncles, siblings, etc.  I get all excited about it and try to share them with others.  It is obvious that they try to be cordial but they aren't interested. They are interested is showing me new pictures.  I have a choice to make here.  I can cling to the old or start taking pictures of the new.  I must remain involved in the lives and ministries of the young.  Then I will have the opportunity to share in the future.

It appears from the words of Jesus that once a wineskin becomes old, it's old.  The secret here is to remain young inwardly.  Before you think that I am only talking to the over 65 set, I am talking to everyone.  Kingdom advancement requires a discipling and training track that is dedicated to perpetuation.

2 Cor. 4:16 "Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day."

Wisdom and Work

In 1 Kings 3 and II Chronicles 1 we read the story of Solomon coming to power after the death of his father, King David.  I can't imagine the pressure involved in following the legendary David.  Many might try to do it by "wowing the crowd".  Solomon proves his worthiness to be his father's successor by crying out to God, confessing his inability to to do the job God called him to do and asking for wisdom from above.  Lessor men, trying to be more, might employ those to make them look good and some would even try to prove themselves in some "real man" exploits.  Solomon seems content to place himself firmly in the hands of Almighty God.  He would either rise or fall by God's power.  

For those of us following the principles applied by Solomon in an effort to achieve good leadership skills, we might think Solomon came to success without much personal effort.  Nothing could be farther  from the truth.  It seems that striking a balance in spiritual matters is difficult.  My good friend Dr. Bill Thomas once said, "it seems we go from ditch to ditch but can't live in the middle of the road."  The Lord wants his followers to be just that, followers.  Yet, he wants us to become humble leaders of men while continuing to remain humble subjects of the King.  It is in the leading of men that we must get out of the comfort of our nest.  Many lessons have been taught from the comfort of the University lectern without proving ones theories out in the day to day world.  Many sermons have been preached from the warm fuzzy place of the pulpit without personally seeing them work in real life.  Solomon cried out for wisdom and strength but after his prayer he got to work building.  The Temple that he built according to the plans handed down by David lasted over 400 years.  You don't build something that lasts 400 years without hard, hard work.  

Solomon was not a passive leader.  He had learned well watching his father lead.  There is a time to pray and a time to act.  I love the NLT translation of II Chronicles 1:1.  It says, "Solomon son of David took firm control of his kingdom, for the Lord his God was with him and made him very powerful."  Solomon took firm control of his Kingdom!  Once we get a clear plan or vision from God we must not camp there and build three tabernacles.  We must not get too comfortable in that lofty place of revelation, we must take action.  True Biblical patterns of success requires a dependence upon God for under girding of the bridge and a willingness to boldly lead our group over that bridge in faith.

Update And Thank You

By now I'm sure you know that I am in the Tampa area recovering from open heart surgery.  My blog has gotten a little behind!  I had triple bypass surgery just 4 weeks ago after a heart attack.  I have remained here to stay close to Doctors as they instructed.  My surgery went well but I suffered a second heart attack about an hour after the surgery that resulted in another procedure to install a heart stent.  I was concerned that two heart attacks, two heart caths, bypass surgery and a stent in five days might delay my recovery.  However, I am ahead of schedule thanks to the power of a loving God and the prayers of the Saints!  

I deeply appreciate all the prayers and expressions of love that you have sent on my behalf.  I plan to be back in ministry at a slower pace in mid August.  

Love and Blessings!

L. A.

What is an American?

As is the case with most Americans, I am a patriot to the core.  It is difficult for me not to get emotional about our great Country.  I cry when the National Anthem is played or when I see a flag draped coffin. Most of us Southerners are true red, white and blue.  Patriotism has been a part of our upbringing.  I am very happy it is so.  I visited Gettysburg battle field not long ago and it was a very emotional experience on a number of fronts.  As I walked the fields stained with blood I wondered what I would have done if I have lived in that time.  As I reflected on the war I thought, "certainly I would not have fought on the side of the South in such an unjust cause as slavery?"  But then I had to admit that I would have because I would have been caught up in the sentiments of the hour just as thousands of other Southern boys of that era.  This year Gettysburg celebrates it's 150th anniversary.  That may seem like a long time but really it isn't at all.  I grew up in the South just 84 years after the Civil War and I remember how fresh the war still seemed as a child. Yet,  to me World War I and World War II especially, put our men and women, North and South, in the same uniform on the same battlefields and while those wars were horrific, they served to forge us back into "one Nation under God". That reunification is a great blessing.  Many Nations around the world today still fester with the infection of past internal divisions.   Being forced together for survival makes a lot of prejudices disappear.  To answer the question, "What is an American", the answer must lie in the evidence produced by those who join in our cause of freedom.  During the last Great War all true Americans rose to the occasion and put aside personal issues to stand together.  The Southerner went to war and fought as an American.  The black man rose to the occasion and fought for a Country that would not allow him to order from a table in a "white restaurant".  That is a true American.  The Native American fought courageously for a Country that took his lush land and marched him to dusty reservations in the West and broke treaty after treaty.  That is a true American.  The Japanese American went off to war to fight for a Country who, while he was gone,  placed their relatives in internment camps because of their ancestry.  That is a true American.  I'm sure there are many others as well.

Today, our birthday as a Country, our Nation still struggles with our own diversity within.  May we continue to embrace those who love our Nation, enter her legally, pledge allegiance to her cause and stand ready to defend her as did all true Americans of the past. 

Characteristics of a Prodigal

The story of the Prodigal Son recorded in Luke 15 is a parable told by Jesus and as all the parables of Jesus, it is told to teach us life lessons.  Today I want to focus on the characteristics of the prodigal.  First we see that a prodigal begins his departure from reasonable thinking with unsound thinking. It goes without saying that before he approached his father he had given considerable thought to his decision to leave home.  Once he approached his father he spoke what he had been thinking, "I want my part of the inheritance."  He was asking for something out of season.  It wasn't time for his inheritance to come to him and that meant he wasn't prepared to handle it wisely.  Of course his desire to get his hands on the money wasn't motivated by sound stewardship!  In essence he was making a decision to come out from under his father's "covering".  A covering is a number of things including a place of tutelage.  This is the reason why the Scripture tells us in the Church that we are not to put a novice into a leadership office.  He or she is not yet ready to assume such a role. They need to spend more time under tutelage.  It is not fair to them nor the Church to release them into leadership too soon.  

Once the prodigal gets the money they almost always run away to a "far country".  In this out of the way place they can party without the eye or influence of their rightful authority.  Of course their blindness can't see that they are also beyond the help of the father in the event of a crisis.  A prodigal casts caution to the wind and spends like a "drunken sailor".  The vision of the prodigal is only as far as today.  He only cares about his money lasting through the next party.  He does not have the ability to see down the road or to save for some contingency.  He scoffs at such thinking.  It is too restrictive for his free spirit.  He has been held back by his father's parameters too long!  As always happens, the money ends and crisis begins.  Just as his money ran out, and friends as well, a famine arises.  Famines are a part of seasons of life.  There are good times and bad times and that is why good stewardship is a must to healthy living.  The prodigal thought that was just the control and fearful thinking of his father. Next the prodigal, rather than returning home for help, entered into a covenant with a person "of that country".  A prodigal will seek help from everyone in a crisis but those who love him.  He can't admit the error of his ways.  Then the bottom comes. It always comes. The timing of brokenness is different for all prodigals.  This prodigal was willing to eat the pigs food and at the lowest point, sanity arrives.  He starts thinking clearer and from these thoughts he starts talking to himself. He says, "my father's servants have it better than me so I'll return home." Then he speaks the words that every prodigal must say before restoration can arrive. He said, "I have sinned!"  Brokenness is a prerequisite of restoration. He was willing to go home, lose his former position just to be back under the paternal covering again.  Of course the love of the Father would not allow it.  While the father had to allow the dealing of God to play out in the son's life (this required brokenness in the father) without interfering, once it was complete and evidenced by the brokenness and meekness of the son, it was now time to extend a fresh forgiveness and reconciliation.  The reconciliation was followed by restoration from the father.  

If you are dealing with a prodigal in your natural family or spiritual family, don't  interfere with the dealing of God in their life.  Trust God in the matter.  As the father of the prodigal we must wait on the process to run it's full course and be ready to forgive and restore when the broken one returns to the father's house.  May today be the day that you see your prodigal coming up the drive to home.  

Deadly Alliances

The word alliance is defined as "the state of being allied; a formal agreement or treaty between two or more... to cooperate for specific purposes."  As we review the definition it should be obvious that an alliance may become constructive or destructive.  My own ministry is called Christian Alliance of Ministries.  Here the word "alliance" is intended to mean a networking of Christian ministry efforts for the common good.  Yet there is a time when alliances are wrong and can work against the common good and even result in opposing the will and work of God.  An example would be on a leadership team.  The Leadership Team in  a Church is not the same as one in the corporate world. In the natural or corporate world a leadership team is primarily comprised of leadership strengths based upon natural education, experience and knowledge.  The contribution of of these team members comes from their experience primarily.  In the Church world a leadership team should be made up of individuals who have experience and training just like in the corporate world but these team members must be motivated from a foundation of spiritual maturity.  

A spiritual leadership team is designed by God to be a diverse group who all bring a different perspective to the table.  The formation of this group is pivotal to the success of the group.  A team should not be chosen based on friendship or longevity alone but primarily by the leading of the Holy Spirit and their potential contribution to the group.  If there is a team assembled because "they all get along well", as good as that sounds, it is shallow and will leave the team and organization weak in time.  Of course we don't want divisive members either.  One leader said, "I don't want yes men but I don't want no men either."  A God directed leadership team of diversely gifted and humble people, who have no hidden agenda and come to the table in a neutral position wanting only to find the will of God, is the perfect team.  To maintain this Holy Spirit led environment requires a careful effort to avoid the formation of alliances around a leadership table.  I have mentioned this before but it is difficult to maintain.  It is so tempting when an issue arises around the table to invite another team member to lunch to discuss the issue.  The moment we discuss the issue outside of the group, we are running the risk of forming an alliance that will leave the diversity of the group tainted and ineffective.  In the business world it may be appropriate but not when the team member's primary goal is to remain neutral to discover within the group the will of God.  Seeing this point makes it clear that only a spiritually mature person who lives a life hidden in the Lordship of Jesus is qualified to serve on a leadership team.  

"We have met the enemy...and he is us!"

The now famous words, "we have met the enemy...and he is us", were written as a part of the Pogo comic strip.  Having grown up in Waycross, Georgia I am very familiar with Pogo, the comic strip whose setting took place in the Okefeenokee Swamp.  When we think of enemies we almost always think of some alien invading army against whom we must rally and turn back at the gate.  I can remember my old Navy days when you might have a running feud with some member or members among your shipmates until there was a brawl on shore with some other group and even shipmates with a grudge would rise to the occasion to defend one another.  Yet, the enemy that is the most dangerous of all is not the one who attacks from without but from within.  The internal enemy often goes unnoticed because no one wants to believe that a friend would betray them.  Even when there are signs of such betrayal most of us refuse to think of the possibility...until it is too late.  Jesus told His disciples that He was sending them out as sheep in the midst of wolves and because of that "they should be wise as serpents and harmless as doves."

In case you are reading this thinking, "man, I should have seen it coming" as you ponder some past or present betrayal, you are in good company.  Jesus Himself was betrayed by one He had actually chosen as a team member.  There are a myriad of reasons why a loyal friend can become a traitor.  In due time those who are working alongside a leader will see his or her flaws.  It is not a matter of if but when.  A novice in particular has a difficult time following a leader with weaknesses. Let me be clear here and say that I an not referring to sinful habits but idiosyncracies.  We all have them.  From a deficiency of patience to a lack of the ability to stay focused on the vision, leadership flaws are everywhere.  Often these common flaws tend to knock a hero off his white horse in the eyes of the follower and can lead to betrayal.  Betrayal too often comes from the second in command.  This one who is closest to the leader is the one who is paid less and carries a heavy load, always burdened to make the senior leader appear better then he is.  Over time this secondary leader may sour and he or she begins to feel that they could do a better job than the senior leader or possibly they may become a part of a conspiracy to replace the senior leader with another leader who is "much more capable".  These thoughts are devilish and may lead to the destruction of the secondary leader or possibly the senior leader and the entire enterprise.  

We must all carefully guard our hearts and thoughts.  We must reject such mental attacks and keep them at bay.  May we all have the faith and courage to serve with honor and be a promoter of loyalty among our people.  If a leader needs to be removed, let us not be found trying to accomplish a work of light from a place of darkness and shadows.  As leaders we must heed the words of Jesus and not become paranoid but "be wise as serpents and harmless as doves."

You or Us
Part II

In my last blog I talked about a change of paradigm from a "Me and MY ministry" mentality to a mentality of "US".  It is such a slow changing mentality that like most, when we think we have it, we don't!  Even in a flexible wineskin like Church structure is supposed to be, it still proves to be difficult to maintain the position of a new stretching.  That is why revival continues to be necessary.  Revival stretches the wineskin and forces it behind its old parameters. ( I believe a much needed revival would focus not on saving souls, as on saving the church by changing it for good.  Then a changed church would be more effective as saving souls.)  However, as soon as the stretching ends the culture rushes back to it's comfortable "old time religion".  Last week I tried to make the point that while there has to be a change in the attitude in the pew to understand that "I" must be a minister, there also has to be an attitude in the pulpit that says, "I must prepare Them"!  We say it , we have conferences about it and the following Monday Church staffs meet to plan the next "show" so we can have it ready when "they" come to hear and watch.  It is a paradigm that hasn't really changed that much regardless of the rhetoric.

What is at the heart of change?  Much of the time change comes when there is a realization that the old isn't working any longer.  Often that realization comes via economics.  As long as there are people in the pew and money in the coffers change is slow in coming.  I will say that there are many today who are making changes and are deliberately changing their paradigms among their people.  They are beginning to see the outward fruit of disciples being made and local cultures changing for good.  

It comes down to motivation.  As in all fields of labor a critical factor in success is motivation.  One of the basic definitions of a good coach is "a person who gets people to do what they don't want to do in order to help then attain what they want to achieve".  That is a wonderful description of a New Testament leader.  He is not as focused on "hitting the home run as he is on activating his team to hit home runs."  Sales trainers use the old adage, "watch me do it, I watch you do it, you do it."  I think the unspoken finale to this statement is that once "you do it", I find someone else to develop in the same way and you now not only continue to do it but you find another to train and release as well.    

Let me end this by talking abut the "Show".  I use this word critically because I can't think of a better negative example of most church services.  One of my favorite criticisms as a leader came well over 35 years ago when a member of our church said in a frustrated tone, "every time you speak you act like you are training a bunch of preachers!"  He came from an old paradigm of entertainment.  We don't like to think about preaching as entertainment.  However, it can become that. As a matter of fact, if a person hears teaching on a topic once and doesn't do what they hear then the next time they hear it it becomes only entertainment.  Think about the last really exciting movie you saw.  It may have inspired you, it may even have made you think about doing something.  How did that work out for you?  Shows don't really bring about long lasting motivation.  Ahhhhh!!!!  There is the key to true leadership.  Activational leadership must first be motivational!  My cry to all leaders reading this blog today is to change your ministry motivation to Motivation.  Make a decision today and ask the Lord to help you become "Motivated to Motivate!"

Forgiveness: The first step into tomorrow

I was sitting in on a counseling session being led by another pastoral counselor. He was trying to get the person he was counseling to forgive an individual who had hurt them in the past.  To make his point he said, "you must drop the charges."  I immediately saw in my mind a person standing before a judge and the judge saying, "I'm dropping the charges!"  That is exactly what we all must do in order to forgive others.  Forgiveness doesn't mean that we are condoning a wrong or pretending it never happened. It is simply making a decision to let it go.  Someone has said that "refusing to forgive is like drinking poison and thinking it is hurting the other person."  The other person has probably moved on and may not be even aware of you or your struggle.  You need to forgive for you.  Forgiveness is a decision that is made between a person and God.  We make the decision and God gives the power or grace to truly be healed from the effects of holding on to an offense.  There can be no healing and restoration until forgiveness is complete.  

Forgiveness is not a feeling.  Jesus told us to forgive.  He would never ask us to do anything that He wasn't ready and empowered to do for us.  Forgiveness is an action not a feeling.  Once we act by forgiving very specifically, He releases within us His power of cleansing and healing.  That means we need to get alone and verbally forgive with our thoughts and words everything that comes to mind about the person we need to forgive.  Let it out!  The stream may be difficult to start but it often turns into a torrent of emotions.  There is a principle at work here.  Romans 10:9-10 tells us that salvation comes as we do two things.  First, we believe in our heart and secondly we confess with our mouth. This principle of God works in every area of life, not just for salvation.  Make the decision to forgive.  That is the hardest part.  There is this subconscious thing that doesn't want to forgive because it doesn't want to release the person from responsibility.  That subconscious decision keeps a person bound to the offender and the offense.  Make the decision to forgive and verbally speak the specific offenses for which you are forgiving.  You will be amazed at the results!

One last thing, forgiveness is present and progressive.  While forgiveness is spiritually complete the moment it is confessed, it may take time to get completely free in your emotions.  Because forgiveness is not a feeling, uprisings of feelings are common and does not mean a person has not forgiven.  It usually takes time for painful memories to lose their sting.  However, like peeling an onion, verbal forgiveness in an ongoing way will bring total healing in time.  

If you find yourself still holding on to painful memories, remember they are sabotaging  your tomorrow.  
Take action this very moment and open the door on a fresh start.  

You or Us?

When I entered the full time Christian ministry in the early 1970's, the emphasis was on becoming the best minister you could become.  The emphasis was on the ONE being prepared for the ministry.  The outward emphasis was that which, once you were trained, proceeded from the minister.  Then there would be this ongoing, lifelong ministry of improving and becoming better at what you did.

During this time there was teaching on the Priesthood of the Believer and there was some activation of others into ministry.  But deep in the heart of many of those preparing this new "priesthood" was an abiding attitude that still saw the believer, the church member as being second rate in ability.  History would reveal that much of those ministry efforts were shallow but a closer evaluation of the cause was a lack of ministry development within the ranks of the church.  The primary reason?  A wrong focus on developing the believer by the "full time ministers".  This was true primarily because their focus was on "their ministry".  Paradigms are slow to change.  Examples of slow changing paradigms are racism and gender prejudice.  While society smiles and says the change has occurred, practice reveals that total change takes generations.  The same is true within the church.

One of the primary differences between Old Testament and New Testament ministry patterns is the difference between "me and us".  The old testament has many examples of singular leaders ("me")who do exploits, stand out as champions and are held in high esteem by those following them.  It is so tempting to want to be one of those dynamic leaders.  After all, Hollywood doesn't make movies about teams and if they do there is always one hero who stands head and shoulders above all the rest.  The new testament leadership pattern is one of TEAM("us").  I have said this many times before in this blog and other venues but it is a slowly embraced concept in a culture of hero worship.  People in the church have got to change their thinking about sitting and watching a show but it will never happen until the one behind the pulpit is willing to change their ministry mentality and take their primary focus away from Me and put it more on US.  The "Show" has to change.  Rather than our main group gatherings being centered around production it must move to training, preparing and activating the people in the crowd, the CHURCH.  Oh yeah, by the way, people can come to know Christ in that setting too!

Perpetuating A Legacy

A legacy is something handed down from the past.  I have always been a little uncomfortable with "trying" to leave a legacy from my own deliberate efforts so that the world will remember that I had been here and left my mark.  Rather, for me at least, it seems more fitting to walk in unison with the Holy Spirit, obey his dictates and leave any legacy with the Lord.  Another thing about a legacy is that, even though we can leave a legacy, there is no guarantee that the next generation who inherits the legacy will perpetuate it.  Legacy perpetuation depends upon the ones who pick up the baton being moved from an internal legacy and not simply an external one.  

My wife Teresa's mother, Melba Brown just went to heaven after celebrating her 93rd birthday.  She was a Spirit-filled believer in Jesus for over 70 years!  I was honored by being asked to speak at her memorial service.  As I was in prayer regarding the service, the thought came to me that while we were facing the end of a generation it wasn't the end of a legacy.  The challenge for those of us who remain and have been influenced by the life of the departed is take on the responsibility of extending those qualities. It can't really be a thoughtful effort.  That is artificial.  To try to perpetuate a legacy is as artificial as trying to leave one in the first place. As the family was gathering for the funeral, one of my children said, "I'm glad I was raised the way your raised us.  I believe it makes us who we are."  Well, that can be a scary thought but I could tell it was meant to be a compliment.  It had just happened in a normal organic way of being family.

Teresa's Mother and Father were precious "salt of the earth" people. Her mother lost her father when she was 9, the year was 1929, the beginning of the great depression.  She had difficult teenage years and married the love of her life, Frank Brown in yet another infamous year, 1941. This was the beginning of World War II. The war impacted most everyone on the earth and especially the Brown family.  He went to war as a tail gunner on a B-25 in Europe and she stayed home, worked and prayed.  They came out of it changed but rather than becoming victims by the era they were honed by it.  Those experiences became a part of their psyche and soul.  That strength was imparted to their children.  I can tell you as an onlooker and participant that the legacy, while shaped by circumstances, has been perpetuated and a good legacy it is.  

Relax and enjoy life!  Work hard, live for Jesus and obey him.  You may not even see it in your lifetime but you will leave a good legacy and the Holy Spirit will be the steward of it for posterity.     

Opinions

I'm sitting here pondering from experience if opinions have produced more good or bad.  At the moment my recollection is coming down on the side of bad.  There is an old adage about opinions that would not be proper for this venue but it ends by saying, "everybody has one."  The dictionary defines the word opinion as "a view or judgment formed about something, not necessarily based on fact or knowledge."  We are so fickle and easily persuaded that opinion should be one of the last things that we would use to make serious decisions.  Most of our opinions have been formed by others or by partial information.  How many times have you had a favorable opinion about someone until someone else shared some juicy tidbit about them that left you tainted toward the person.  There is no fact or evidence that the information is true but you are now ruined in regard to viewing the person in an impartial way.  When a jury is sequestered during a trial it is because of past experiences in the court system.  At the end of each day of the trial the Judge orders the jury that they are not to talk to anyone about the trial.  Why?  Because the Judge wants the person to remain impartial and unbiased regarding the one on trial, and only letting evidence have an impact on them toward the verdict.   

It seems that the world has once again done a better job at justice than the Church.  The Word of God tells us that brothers should not take brothers to court and that there should be enough wisdom in the church leadership to handle such situations.  Yet, often even leadership gets influenced in some negative way that hinders Godly justice.  One of the most deadly pollutants of all is the formation of alliances in the church and especially in leadership.  Leadership should be able to come to the leadership table unbiased and without an opinion with an open heart to hear evidence and the voice of the Holy Spirit.  For that reason our leadership in years past were asked not to meet to discuss church matters of pending business apart from the leadership table.  It is God's will that His wisdom and direction come from the combined diversified wisdom of the individual in the group.  If even two had already formed an opinion at some lunch meeting discussion, the system was now broken from accomplishing God's intent.  

May we approach every situation and every person "wise as serpents and harmless as doves."  May we at the very least do as good a job as the world and see everyone as "innocent until proven guilty."