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Leading Backwards!
They left two times a day. Kayak tours. Sometimes there would be only a few and one time there was what seemed to be a school class of about thirty students. Kayaker’s. They rented a kayak to begin for most of them what would become a type of mysterious journey. They were for a few moments of the day – wishful pioneers. Pioneering their way to a strange place in the marsh lands off the coast of Tybee Island, Georgia. What a sight. They were bold, bright colored kayaks. Their occupants were of all ages. They sat under the direction of a kayak leader. He gave verbal instructions as they paddled their way into a few moments of discovery. Banking memories never to be erased. Their fearless leader had been there before. He had crossed that place where on ancient maps the world was supposed to be flat and marked in scruffed lettering, “Here be dragons!” They would survive the dragons and come back home after about two hours. But for two hours those amateur kayakers were making history and tattooing themselves with another bold life experience. And they followed a leader. Not that leading is unusual in these type of recreational endeavors – but there was something that marked this event above others.
Watching these amateur kayakers follow their leader was interesting. On their way to their destination their leader was rowing his kayak sitting backwards. He was facing his “following” and leading backwards. He was in forward motion but he had his back to the direction he was leading. He was leading backwards! He had been there before. He was leading by faith not by sight. He was setting a standard to follow that was amazing. It didn’t matter how many followers he had – he led the same way. I note several things about this event.
He was a confident leader. He knew where he was going. He was leading by faith. He was familiar with his surroundings and knew where he was going by the appearance of what was behind him.
He led by example. He gave verbal instructions and then gave his followers / students a visible pattern to follow. They not only heard instruction but they “saw” their leader in action. He became one of them by example.
He kept his eye on his followers. Leading by faith and not by sight gave him the unique ability to see his followers. He could communicate with them. He engaged in “relationship” with them. His leadership was relational not merely positional.
He led them back to their place of engagement – experienced for the better. Their leader led to a place of discovery and brought them back safely. What a leader! They were more experienced, matured in life, were able to bank memories and most of all – they were back for another phase of life experience.
I see some real parallels here to our faith life. We need a leader who is confident in where he is going. Spiritually a leader has to have been somewhere by faith before he can lead others. He may not have been there physically but he has to be there in faith before he can lead. That’s why the kayak leader could lead backwards. He was so powerfully confident in where he was going he could sit with his back to his desired destination and be in forward motion faith.
His followers could see his example. He wasn’t a positional leader that sits without ever interacting with his followers. Leading successfully is about 80% visibility. That’s why God had the priests to lead while shouldering the Ark by walking one mile ahead of the “gang.” The nation of Israel could see the Ark. They could see the priesthood and follow with confidence because he was leading by personal example.
Spiritual leaders need to be aware of what their sheep are doing. I know there was a season in the faith community where leaders were instructed to separate themselves and become the positional “king of the roost” instead of being relational. That creates cold monumental leadership but not relationship leadership. Not for me at all. This positions him/her in a place of superiority in my opinion. I believe leaders need to be relational. I heard John Maxwell say one time that leaders have to stay far ahead enough to lead and close enough to build relationships. That my friend is a hard line to draw sometimes. The point to make here is that leaders have no choice but to be relational. Jesus proved that more than any other leader who lived.
Leaders lead toward growing in faith. The kayak tour leader lead his followers to a place of experience. Experience would take them to a more mature place by sheer education alone. Going where they had not been before. Doing what they had not done before. Seeing what they had not seen before. Hearing what they had not seen before. Touching what they had not touched before. Yep! They would come back with a greater life experience. Most of them left the shore of Tybee Island by faith. They came back with strengthened faith. That should be the goal of every spiritual leader – lead to a greater faith experience.
Leading backwards is possible. I highly recommend that if you are a leader to examine yourself and see if its possible for you to accomplish this amazing task – lead backwards. Matter of fact I double dog dare you to try it.
My Dad Is Bigger Than Your Dad
I am sitting in Pastor Shane Coppick’s office writing. I have slept here (on is office floor) two nights in a row. We are here in Hueytown, Alabama with our mission team from Victory Hill Church in Lancaster, Ohio. It has been an amazing trip to say the least. Our team has done awesome in ministry and hard physical labor. I stand amazed at what the human body can produce in relationship to energy.
The Hueytown Church of God has opened their building and hearts not only to us but to this community. They have prayed with us, fed us and lodged us. Pastor Shane is a freight train! He is unstoppable. Hat’s off to Pastor Shane. I encouraged him to “shepherd the city not just this congregation.” It’s a rule of thumb one of my mentors taught me years ago. Jesus never intended the church to stay locked up in a building producing grain for our own. He intends for us to step into the streets doing the work of ministry. The New Testament church set this model up for us by not staying in the upper room. Hint! Hint to those congregations who have a self-imposed campus ministry to your own. Jesus didn’t come for the healthy – He came for the sick. Too many of our congregations are full of sick people who need more of a pacifier than ministry intensive direction. Oh, well, my griping is over.
I digress to Alabama. We see that “Katrina” look in too many people’s eyes. I spoke with an elderly man attempting to clear his property by himself and saw the “look” in his eyes. My layman’s attempt to evaluate him was that he was still in shock. All it took was for me to ask him is he was alright and he started crying and said, “No…no…no…I don’t think I am!” After hugging him, holding him and letting him weep on my shoulder we moved in with a team of guys and chain saws and helped him clear his property. Job done. Move on to the next and the next. Sometimes it seems like all we are doing is moving a toothpick in comparison to the overall devastation. But we are here for one person, one family and or one congregation.
His name is Ricky Adams. He pastors a small rural church in Argo, Alabama. His home was almost completely destroyed. His church is half gone. What’s left is being evaluated for demolition. He still smiles and laughs. He has a choice to whine, complain, moan and ask God those big questions that no one can really answer. He chooses to laugh and smile. His wife stood near what used to be the parsonage and held their little girl who was probably about four years old. She talked about how their entire family “missed” this one. She could do nothing but give praises to the Lord. Across the street from the Argo church a small community of people didn’t fair so well. Four people were lost in one small community of homes. I spoke with one aged fellow who lost his sister. He talked about finding her body some ninety yards away from her home with sat behind what was left of his home. They never did find her home….just her body. He was thankful that they were at least able to recover the body – so many others were not as “blessed.”
I hired a Bob Cat operator to help us on the Argo sight. He spoke of loss but still managed to go into Tuscaloosa and help with the recovery of bodies. They stacked the bodies on his Bob Cat so he could drive them out of areas normal vehicles could not get into. He explained the worse event for him was when they put a fireman’s ladder in the bucket of his Bob Cat. He then raised a fireman up to a tree to remove a decapitated torso out of the tree. Unbelievable! He wept openly about his experience. He had to talk about it. He had to get it out. We were there for that purpose also. To hear the gruesome stories and the survival stories alike.
My dad is bigger than your dad. Sitting on the playground we used to compare how our dad was so much bigger, smarter and meaner than all other dads. You remember how on the play ground we used to talk about our sports injuries? We looked at Billy’s scar and said, “Oh Billy! That ain’t nothing! Look at my scar!” From childhood we are subconsciously taught to compare…or in all reality…judge one another. We do it almost instinctively. We just do. Even here amid the pain, destruction and loss. We are tempted to compare this event with Katrina. We were in Pearlington, Mississippi for four weeks. We saw unbelievable devastation. Mother nature showed up differently in Mississippi than here. She still showed up in both places and wreaked absolute destruction. The pain of loss is still the same. Pain is subjective to the person who has lost something. Pain is still pain. People who hurt still need ministry. Regardless if they lost their material assets in life or they lost life relationships. Significant life loss is always subjective to the one experiencing the loss.
Why then do we continue to judge, criticize others, make fun of others, even compare our “pain scars” and lower the level of human emotion of someone else? After all our pain is much more than theirs! Not really. We are just back to the childish issue of comparing dad’s again. It’s not about comparing pain with another’s pain. It’s about ministering to others through our pain. When we minister to others our own pain becomes significantly less. It doesn’t go away but somehow it gets easier to manage. Pain is pain. It’s not about the size of the wound – it’s about how we manage the scar.
Thanks for letting me ramble about our mission trip. I can’t help it. I have one of the finest congregations around. They are not shy about following visionary leadership and stepping out of the boat to walk on water. They are not boat people – they are water folk. Not perfect by any means but they just don’t want to stay in the boat. Read this passage of scripture and ask yourself what you and or your congregation is doing to minister to others – at any level. You don’t have to step out of the boat like some do but you at least have to be able to be part of the voyage to some degree. Fund it, pray for it, resource it – but don’t ever compare or criticize those who do get out of the boat. Only one got out of the boat. Others were on the team and stayed in the boat. They helped load the boat. They helped navigate. They didn’t fault Simon Peter for getting out of the boat nor did they fault him for failing. It really is an amazing story. There is a sermon there somewhere! Please read what Paul wrote about suffering.
2 Corinthians 1:3-11
(3) Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,
(4) who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
(5) For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ.
(6) But if we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; or if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which is effective in the patient enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer;
(7) and our hope for you is firmly grounded, knowing that as you are sharers of our sufferings, so also you are sharers of our comfort.
(8) For we do not want you to be unaware, brethren, of our affliction which came to us in Asia, that we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life;
(9) indeed, we had the sentence of death within ourselves so that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead;
(10) who delivered us from so great a peril of death, and will deliver us, He on whom we have set our hope. And He will yet deliver us,
(11) you also joining in helping us through your prayers, so that thanks may be given by many persons on our behalf for the favor bestowed on us through the prayers of many.
Like I said…life isn’t about comparing my dad and yours. It’s not about your wounds and mine. It’s about how we manage our scars through humility and grace.
Osama asked the wrong question!
Moses stood before one of the most powerful men in the known world at the time and said as a representative of Yaweh, “Let My people go.” Pharaoh replied, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey Him and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord and I will not let Israel go” (Exodus 5.1-2). Arrogance clothed Pharaoh as did his royal garments. Neither would suffice in the end. His arrogance, hard heart, unbelief and pride would eventually lead him, not follow him, to his watery grave. Although the incident occurred nearly 6000 years ago – the question has been repeated far too many times
With the announcement of the killing of Osama bin Laden most of the world that hates evil celebrated in the streets. Osama bin Laden was an evil man, with evil intentions and an evil history. I wondered to myself how many times this man asked this question, “Who is the Lord?” He hated Christ, he hated Christianity, he hated Christians, he hated Jews and he hated Israel. In bin Laden’s mind the world would be a better place without America and Israel. He spent his life and his wealth attempting to annihilate both. He died a hero to a handful of extreme Muslim’s but died as a means to the end of American justice to multiplied millions of others. Make no mistake about it, we are not fighting a war on terrorism – we are fighting a war against Islamic extremists. Terror is only a tactic or strategy of war but not war itself. We are fighting a religious war and political leaders around the world live in fear to recognize it. Isn’t it amazing that those who have pledged themselves to our demise can speak so freely of “their” war against us be we refuse to recognize the real battle going on here is with religious freaks who have sold their soul to Allah? Shear stupidity!
I digress. I wonder how many times Osama bin Laden asked about the Christ or God of Christianity? I wonder how many times he cursed the name of Jehovah? I wonder how many times he asked the question is one way or another, “Who is the Lord?” I just wonder! Osama bin Laden will be replaced. Evil has not died with the death of one of its representatives. Evil will be eventually thrown into the lake of fire by one…just one, angel. Not a host of angels. Just one! Evil doesn’t stand a chance against the King of all Kings and Lord of all Lord’s! I wonder how many times God has laughed out loud (Psalm 59.8) in the heavens at the arrogance of men who question His deity or existence? I wonder how many times God has smirked at the revelation given to men from another “god”? Why is it that we have to deify men to compete with God? Why is that we have to make saints out of mere mortals when scripture declares we are all saints? Why is it that men gain followers by receiving an extra revelation that supersedes Holy Writ? Why is it that humanity still refuses to believe the simplicity of scripture and accept Christ for Who He is? With every attempt at a fraudulent religion, a counterfeit revelation – the question still rises with the sun – “Who is the Lord?” Amazing. We have had a revelation of who Jesus is for nearly 2000 years. We still bow down to the power of the question mark and seek our own path of faith and religion. We still refuse to accept Him for Who He is.
That leads me to my closing remark tonight.
We need to stop making such a big deal out of those who arrogantly and deceitfully ask the question, “Who is the Lord?” and focus more on the question asked by our Savior Jesus Christ – “Who do you say that I am?” (Matthew 16.15). Better yet, we need to focus on finding the answer to that question and their can only be one. Just one. Just one simple answer. It can be found in the only revelation ever given to humanity of Who God is – the Scriptures. The question is not, “Who is the Lord?” but rather “Who do you say that I am?” When Jesus asked the question He was asking from the point of knowing who He was – His point was to qualify the question in the heart of those He was addressing. He is still asking the question today. Well….what is your answer?
Pharaobama!
I just read today’s update from the American Family Association. To say the least – I am ticked off. Instead of ranting and raving and reading my anger I beg you to go their website at afa.net and read the article about “President Obama ignores most holy Christian holiday…”. You will immediately see why I am upset.
There are few days go by that something out of the political arena involving our current administration doesn’t upset me. The lack of control, experience and leadership from our present administration is pitiful to say the least. What we have in Washington DC is the blind leading the blind. Just what we need Mr. President – another Federal investigation into high gas prices? Do you really think the American public is so stupid as to buy that excuse from the executive leader of our American government? Really? An investigation? Seriously? Hold on while I go vomit! Unbelievable! If the President of the United States has no more a handle on why gas prices are so high than that then we are in deeper water than I thought we were. It seems to me a few years ago the popular media venues were ready to hang President Bush for rising gas prices. Not so with Obama. It really does sicken me to know we are in the political shape we’re in with our current administration.
When you read the AFA report you read something I have said all along. You can take the man out of the country but you can’t take the country out of the man. You can take the man out of a Muslim country but you can’t take the Muslim faith out of the man. For those who side with the President calling himself a Christian I am not ready to get on the bus just yet with him. His rejection of Israel is all we need to watch on this one. Just because you live in a garage doesn’t make you a car. Just because you attend a church that in some small way is indicative of the Christian faith doesn’t make you a Christian. I’m not a judge just a fruit inspector.
I was reminded of what God said about Pharaoh. In Exodus 9.16 God says that He allowed Pharaoh to continue for His purpose. The KJV of this verse says that God “raised him up for this reason.” In other words God used this horrible narcissistic governmental leader to fulfill His divine purpose for His people. God did that – He raised up and appointed Pharaoh to his office. Instead of humility in office Pharaoh turned to arrogance and eventually God humiliated him as a leader. Watch, listen and learn. Pharaobama will have his day of refusing humility and standing on the platform of humiliation. If we believe the Word then we have to believe that God has appointed Obama to office (Romans 13). God must have allowed Obama to take office to fulfill His divine purposes.
That’s why I am calling President Obama – Pharaobama. You see I am under the opinion that God has allowed this arrogant, self-centered, Israel hating, anti-Christian and Islam loving man to serve us for a season. God has “raised him up” for such a time as this. I honestly believe with all my heart that this man wants our economy to fall. He wants to throw us into more debt. The US dollar has to lose value in order for the world bank to lean toward a one world global economy. I really think Pharaobama wants this to happen so he can grandstand his “leadership skills” toward the formation of a global economy and make himself look like an economic genius when he is not. Yep! Pharaobama! He is taking us down a path we will not recover from economically and more than likely lead us into a global economy. Of course Pharaobama will take all the credit for this global economic system that ironically has been planned for many, many years (I sense a semblance here to Gore and the internet). If he can pull it off he will obviously take credit for it. If he can’t Pharaobama will continue to blame Bush for it. Don’t forget to pray for this narcissistic socialistic anti-Christian leader of ours because after all God has put him in his office and he really does need our prayers. Think of where we would be today if the America he is leading weren’t the Christian nation it is – regardless of his personal rejection of our Christian values. Pray for Pharaobama! Maybe God will hear our cries and deliver us – He did it once before! Oh Lord! Deliver us from Pharaobama! Has a nice ring to it!
Submission, Trust and Faith
I was going through some paper work this morning looking for a receipt and came across some notes I scratched out on an offering envelope. I can’t remember where I took the notes and there is no name on the offering envelope. I have had these three points on my mind all day long and just wanted to share them with you. I really wish I could remember where I heard these points so I could credit where credit is due. They really do make you stop and think. The three points are in bold print and my simple reasonings to them follow. Hope you enjoy.
Submission isn’t submission until you don’t agree with the person you’re submitting to.
I was immediately reminded of a couple of passages of scripture that could pose a problem with this philosophical statement above for some.
Hebrews 13.17 – speaks of submitting to leaders over you who watch over your souls.
James 4.7 – speaks about submitting “therefore” to God, resist the devil and he will flee from you. The “therefore” here is in reference to verse six which speaks of being a person of humility because Godopposes the proud.
Ephesians 5.22 and Colossians 3.18 in the King James translation use the word “submit” where the New American Standard Version uses the world “subject”.
The word “submit” here means to simply “obey” or be a “subordinate to.” Under the above philosophical statement we would submit ourselves to our spouses, ecclesiastical leadership (who is accountable) and to God Himself in times we would be in disagreement. I am going to concur with the statement because there have been times in my life where I have disagreed with my wife but have surrendered to her thoughts or choices. I have surrendered to ecclesiastical authority when I didn’t necessarily agree with them. There have been countless times I have surrendered to the will of God when I didn’t agree with Him. So I am going to say that the true test of submission is to become subordinate to the mission. Under the mission. To fall under the direction of one leading the mission. That’s my simple break down of “sub-mission.”
Trust isn’t trust until it’s tried.
Wow! This is a big one too! How can you really trust someone until you have, you know, maybe held their hand while you walked on thin ice? I have heard all my life that trust is something your earn. I guess if I am going to get out of the boat and walk on water toward your voice that has bid me come – then there has to be some level of trust in my heart to do so. No trust, no getting up, standing up and stepping out of the boat. No forward motion faith.
I heard a story about a famous tight rope walker who stretched a rope between two tall buildings in New York. He gathered a crowd on the ground and asked a man this question: “Do you believe I can walk across that tight rope?” “Yes!” came the reply. The walker made his way to the tight rope and walked across with relative ease. The crowd applauded as he made his way back to the man on the ground. “Do you believe I can walk across that rope a second time? “Yes!” was the response from his new-found fan. “Do you think I can walk across that tight rope pushing this wheelbarrow?” “Yes!” came the response again. “Would you let me walk across the tight rope and push you in the wheelbarrow?” “Absolutely not!” was the immediate reply of the man.
I would take on the sentiment of the guy on the ground. Dude, you can walk across the rope all you want and push a Mack Truck across it you want – but I’m going nowhere near the rope!
The idea here is that there is a difference in belief and trust. God wants us to trust Him – not just believe in Him. Scripture declares that demons believe and shudder (James 2.19). God is looking for us to get into the “wheelbarrow”. Question is – do we trust Him with our life to the degree we will let him push us across the tightrope of life? Just a thought!
Faith isn’t faith until you question what you can’t see.
This one is a no brainer! Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. If I can see it, hold it in my hand then I don’t need faith for it. The statement above indicates more than the simple initial idea you get when you read it. Read it real slow. The operative is the word “question”. This takes faith for what it is to another level. The philosophical statement above take beyond believing what you can’t see. It moves into the arena of relevant doubt. Questioning what you can’t see. Questioning the existence of God. Questioning the attainment of healing. Questioning the provision of funds for unpaid bills. Yep! The operative word here is “question” and it creates a huge challenge to faith. To have faith and question something is huge. Is it possible to have faith for something and struggle with the provision of a specific thing sought out by faith? I think so, I really do.
In Mark 9.24 a man who comes to Jesus for help with his demon possessed child asks Jesus to help his “unbelief.” I am a simple-minded guy most of the time and I approach unbelief as one would an untied shoe. You can’t “un”do something until its been done. Belief can’t come undone until it’s been placed in something first. There has to be a positive operative of belief before it can become unbelief. The shoe has to be tied before it can become untied.
The man was simply asking for that part of his faith that he was struggling with to be quickened by the Lord. How many times have I labored in prayer only to ask the Lord the same thing. “Help my unbelief.” There is a part of my faith that is coming undone. I am struggling. Faith isn’t faith until you sometimes question what you can’t see. Better yet, faith isn’t faith until you are sometimes willing to ask for help with your faith that is coming undone.
Meeting “Another” and Leaving Our First Love!
You met another and….you were gone!
The old song that they sang on the comedy program years ago can lend an introduction to a spiritual problem we’re facing today.
Where oh where are you tonight? Why did you leave me here all alone? I searched the world over and thought I’d found true love. You met another and poof you were gone!
Every week thousands of teenagers leave their “first love.” “Poof!” They’re gone. Graduate from high school and enter high school or find a good paying job and they leave the ranks of the church. We’ve already written books about them, identified them socially, culturally and spiritually. We have defined them, denied them and to a degree – deified them in one way or another. They have been prominent in our faith community for years. Now these teens and early twenty-somethings are finding a hot pursuit for greener pastures – sometimes their search anchors them to another faith community but for the most part they become spiritual tumbleweeds when they vacate their mom and dads venue of faith.
I am reminded of Paul’s writing to a young man who became a mentee of Paul’s. Paul wrote Timothy and says something to him that caught my eye this evening as I was reading the Word.
“You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:14-17)
A quick review here of what this anointed man of God says to his young mentee may help us understand something about our succeeding generations.
The purpose? So we may be adequate, equipped for every good work.
In some cases the church has become professionals at motivational speaking and mastering the art of being self-help gurus. What I fear has happened is that we have failed to teach the word of God to our children and children’s children. We have created a “Wordless” church. Our pews are full of people who can quote the five steps of becoming successful business people – but can’t quote John 3.16. We have created a problem for ourselves.
We have turned reading the Word into an obligation instead of a passion. We have created boredom instead of excitement and challenge. Our youth would rather read comic books instead of the Word. We have even changed the presentation of the Word to a more modern and cultured read for youth – but they are still not reading it. You can change the language and the cover but there has to be something inside a human in order to be drawn to the Word. That something is missing in our youth and our adults in the faith community today. We have a Word crisis in our churches.
Timothy had been taught the Holy Scriptures since he was a child. The Jewish Torah had been a priority in his home.
For I am mindful of the sincere faith within you, which first dwelt in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am sure that it is in you as well. (2 Timothy 1:5)
I want you to notice something here that I didn’t see until tonight. Paul doesn’t say that his grandmother Lois and his mother Eunice “taught” him the Holy Scriptures. He says that “faith” dwelt in his grandmother and mother and he is confident it dwells in Timothy. He refers to a faith lived out in front of him. It was this lifestyle of faith that his grandmother and mom lived out that became was Timothy’s confidence in who he was.
I know the word had to be taught in his home because of Jewish tradition. It was a given – not a question of reality but rather a fact of reality. I am also reminded of Romans 10.17 which declares that “faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word.” Two things in Timothy’s home helped mold him into who he was: 1) Living the Word and 2) teaching the Word.
Maybe we should look back over our shoulders and examine our behavior as a believer. Sincere faith that Paul referred to was a faith unmoved in his grandmother and mother. In living out our faith have we allowed our faith to become insincere? We have not given succeeding generations a lot to hang their faith hat on the last ten or twenty years. We have glamorized hypocrisy and fallen leaders. We have majored in minors and minored in majors. We have weakened discipleship and strengthened the base for “decline-ship”. We wonder why they’re leaving.
Somewhere along the line we have failed to teach the Word by living the example. We have engaged to a large degree “do as I say not as I do.” Problem with that is that young people see right through it. Today, they are tired of the bells and whistles. They don’t want show boating in the pulpit anymore. They think gold dust is a scandal (and they’re right!). They have seen all the veneer of Christianity they want to see. They are tired of running to and fro and coming up short. As one young man I encountered said to me recently, “I want authenticity. I want to be hit right between the eyes with the Word. I want a place to serve others.”
That “sincere” life that Lois and Eunice lived out in front of Timothy left an impact on him. When we see this generation leaving the church it may be because the church has let them down. I am not faulting parents for raising kids in church. I am faulting the church they raised them in! We as a church have somehow missed teaching our kids the Word to the degree that they see it in us. Parents can’t do this by themselves. I have known very Godly parents who’s children have left the ranks of the church and wondered in emptiness spiritually. It’s not always the parents fault they’re kids leave the church. Sometimes we have to look in the mirror and ask ourselves where did we as a church go wrong. When did we fail to teach the Word – not illustrations, not video vignettes, not show and tell stories, not illustrated sermons and not special props. When did we fail to teach the Word?
Case in point – do a survey of those under 25 in our churches this coming Sunday. Ask them to quote (write down from memory) five scriptures; ask them about 1 Corinthians 13 (love chapter) and Romans 10 (salvation made simple). I would say that most of our attendees this week will not be able to write or comment on any of the above. Now you know what I mean by we have failed to teach the Word. We have taught experience without the Word and we have created empty lives of professing followers of Christ. We have done an injustice to our congregations. We have failed.
People who give up certain foods or drinks for the purpose of dieting often times tell me that once they have given up something they normally can go without it without craving for it. The longer they are away from it they easier it gets to live without it. Need I say anymore? The longer we keep a generation from the Word the easier it is for them to live without it. Too easy. Way too easy!
Yep! They found another and poof they are gone. God help us to put the Word into succeeding generations so they can anchor themselves as Timothy did. This takes me to another point. Timothy had a responsibility toward the Word that he had been taught and had been lived out in front of him by Lois and Eunice. The key to what Paul said? Here it is: “the things you have learned and become convinced of” – Timothy had developed convictions about the Word he had been taught. There seems to be a relationship between Timothy’s being convicted of what he had learned and his choice to let it led him to a relationship with Christ. Timothy’s conviction of the Word lead him to a relationship with Christ. This is a paradox for many of us. His knowledge of the Word led him to Christ. Today we lead people to Christ and then teach them the convictions of the Word. I don’t know how exactly Lois and Eunice did it but they impressed Timothy with the Word by their faith and what they taught him and he had to accept it, believe it and arrive at a conviction out of it.
Too many young people have no convictions. We have taught them the Word but we have missed the boat in somehow letting it become a conviction in the hearts of our youth. They know the Word but don’t have a conviction for it. That could be why they leave so easily. Maybe we should be more concerned about their souls then their lifestyles in sin – sin acts like sin, looks like sin and can’t even image righteousness. Maybe if we focused more on loving them for the sake of their souls instead of their lifestyles we could look more like Lois and Eunice as the church. How about it? Instead of St. Michael’s or First Baptist or Church of God we should tag ourselves Saint Lois or First Church of Eunice. Just a thought people – just a thought. Don’t get too bent out of shape. Lets prove to succeeding generations the importance of the Word – just the pure and simple Word – and let’s do that by our lifestyles of sincere unfeigned faith.
Who Are You?
There is an event recorded in Acts 19.13-17 that if read on the right day – brings a sense of humor to my mind. The whole chapter is cool but when you capture the event of the Seven Sons of Sceva attempting to cast out demons – and the demons turn on the boys, strip them naked as a Jaybird and sends them running to the streets without their bath robe on – you have to righteously giggle. I mean, really? Seven brothers running in the streets of Ephesus stark naked? Did their exposure to the demonic bring them to a point of “over exposure”?
Ephesus was a deeply dark spiritual city. It was full of demonically influenced and possessed wizards, witches, astrologers and people who marketed the demonic and became wealthy doing so. The city was evil. It was overwhelmed with black magic. The occult was alive and well in Ephesus in Paul’s day. Is it any wonder that Paul penned the most comprehensive instruction on spiritual warfare to the church at Ephesus?
I wish not to debate demon possession here because it would be a waste of your time to convince me demons aren’t real. Trust me, they are! Here in Acts 19 Paul the demons dealt with actually become extremely active and attempt to engage in conversation. Go figure!
Two things we can learn here about these seven Jewish brothers. First of all you can just throw around the authority of Jesus because you been hanging with Jesus people. That’s where these boys made their first mistake. They spoke to the demons in the name of Jesus who Paul had a relationship with. No relationship on their part – only Paul’s. Now I like the fact that Paul had such a reputation in Ephesus (demonic city) that someone wanted to use his relationship with Jesus to deal with their relationship with evil. Bad choice. How many people today are doing the same thing? Attempting to speak in the name of Jesus who their spouse serves? Attempting to use the name of Jesus who their children honor? The list could go on and on. What I see here is someone who has a physical and material relationship with someone who really does know Jesus as their Savior. The first “someone” wants the blessings of the second “someone” who knows Jesus intimately. They see the second someone’s life wreak with the favor and blessing of God. The first someone figures he can use the Lord’s name without knowing the Lord and get the same results as the guy who really does know Jesus. His bad. Can’t do it. Won’t happen. You my friend have to have a relationship with Jesus Christ. You can live out your life by hanging on the tail of someone else’s relationship with Jesus. You have to have your own relationship with Jesus. Being around Jesus people doesn’t make you a Jesus person.
Second, I see the fact that some people have their mug on a wanted poster in hell. The demon said, “Jesus I know, Paul I know…but…who are you?” In other words these seven boys didn’t have a righteous relationship with Christ. Wham! Bam! Slam! And to the mat these Jewish brothers went! Down for the count. Their lesson was two-fold: first, you can’t fight demons you don’t have authority over. Gonna get a lesson in naked running 101 that you will never forget.
Second thing here is that fact that these brothers did not have a testimony of their faith. The demons recognized Jesus and knew about Paul but didn’t know these seven boys. This demon was not threatened by these exorcist wanna’ be’s. I have no idea why they would even attempt to cast out demons in the first place. The streets were full of demonic activity. They saw what Paul was doing and probably wanted some similar recognition. Who knows? We can move away from speculation here and make one more conclusion. Paul had a reputation in Ephesus. Paul was known by demons! How cool is that dude? I wonder if we have established a reputation? What do people know about you? What do they say about you? What do they think about you? Better yet, does hell know you exist? Are you a threat to the kingdom of darkness or are you not?
Seven sons a streaking!!! You get my point. The foolish will become fools. Ignorance knows grace and fraud knows all too well the truth about exposure. Does that make sense? That’s that naked truth about nakedness. These seven sons of a Jewish priest thought they could act in the supernatural by claiming someone else’s faith. Dumb. Real dumb. Their bad.
A Strange But Necessary Miracle
Recently there has been a lot of chit chat about an air traffic controller in Washington at the Reagan National Airport that fell asleep on the job. As serious as this was – I was reminded of a miracle in the New Testament that in some ways I wish I could duplicate and in others – not so sure.
I feel bad for the dude who fell asleep on the job. All by himself with little or no traffic and wham! off the chair he falls into a slight nighty night sleep tight coma. Phone calls wouldn’t wake him up. Several planes landed without clearance (where was Homeland Security?) and their noise didn’t wake him up! Really! Can a guy actually sleep through all that? Well, yes he can and yes he did! Terrible! Just terrible! But you know, this happens all the time. I see this take place on Sunday mornings in my church and now and then – on Wednesday nights!
Now before I start let me share a disclaimer here. In my church, these folks aren’t falling asleep because of the anointed preaching of their pastor (chuckle, snicker, snicker). Absolutely not! No way! Just ask em’! There is a story found in Acts 20 that gives a New Testament pattern to this issue of sleeping in church. I love reading the New Testament and discovering patterns and models for current church culture and change. The “sleeper cell” was alive and well in Paul’s ministry as is in most churches today.
Paul the apostle was in a “preachin’ way” as they say. A young man in the church by the name of Eutychus fell asleep. Problem with Eutychus is that he was sitting in a third story window. He fell backwards to the ground some 30 below and died. Yep, he gave up the ghost! Paul descends to the scene of wailing women, weeping men and a dead parishioner. Wow! He prays for the dude and he just gets up from the dead. Amazing! From sleeper to riser. Eutychus would have a testimony that no one else could have…or probably would want!
There is a small hint in Acts 20.9-10 that may help us figure it out. I hesitate going there but go I will. Scripture says this: “as Paul kept on talking.” OMG!!! Are you kidding me? A preacher that doesn’t know when to quit? A man of God who can’t bring his message in for a landing? A speaker who doesn’t realize when to shut up? In church? Are you kidding me? Yep! Paul just kept on talking and one young man couldn’t stand it any longer – he fell asleep and then literally fell to his death.
What is the pattern here for us? Well I’m sure there is a deeper spiritual reason for Luke recording this event but there is still some humor in it for me. Several key points here to note:
Someone may have found fault with his age – “All they ever want to do is sleep!” Dude, don’t be so hard on him. I’m not sure I want to hear someone preach till midnight while sitting in window sill.
Paul must have learned a lesson here. We never read about him “losing” a listener like this again.
Whatever happened with Eutychus to make him fall asleep – I’m sure Wal Mart has a $4 prescription for. One last thing. When I break this guys name down in my language – here is what I get. You-to-cuss! In defense of Paul and his preaching – if this boy’s mama named him “you-to-cuss” she did it for a reason. Kind of like Ichabod! Maybe Eutychus brought people to a point of causing them to cuss. Just a thought….just kidding! OK! Maybe this wasn’t the case.
Settle down. Calm down. Not all blogs have to be so serious all the time. If that’s that case maybe my name should be Eutychus because I may have just made you cuss! Don’t send me any nasty emails on this one folks. Just having some fun on a Monday night!
When you read through the gospels you immediately get the picture of how popular Jesus was. Mind you – popularity can be a negative dynamic or a positive one. Mother Teresa is popular and household name. Osama Ben Ladin is a popular household name. You get the picture. You’re smart enough to understand where this is going already.
It was the popularity of Jesus that got Him killed. It was men attracted to Jesus for the wrong reason that killed Him. And yet there were thousands who were attracted to His ministry. He fed people. He healed people. He delivered people. He had compassion on people. He taught people life lessons. He exclaimed truth as no one else had or would ever. He uncovered sin. He touched the untouchable. He ate with those who were scorned. He liberated women. He confronted the traditionalists. He embarrassed the cultured. He astounded the academicians. He startled the secure. He threatened the politicians. He uplifted the common and destroyed the religious. He taught with parables. He traveled inside simple circles of life. He challenged the sophisticated. He confused the wise. He left his mark on all He came in contact with. And it cost Him his life. He was committed to the cause and call of His Father.
He was anointed to “preach the gospel to the poor, release the captives, recovery of sight for the blind and set free those who were oppressed” (Luke 4.18). Mission accomplished! He did all that and then some. He came to destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3.8). Sometimes we think this means going one on one with Satan. John writes that Jesus came to destroy the “works” of the devil. He came to destroy the labor or the efforts of Satan. He does that by connecting with you and I. He does that by sending you and I out to do our job. This is where a break down starts to occur. He came to call and make disciples. What He wound up with is more followers than disciples. It ain’t getting the job done my friend.
Followers are different from disciples. Followers connect with a crowd mentality. They like the atmosphere. They like the activity. They like the noise, the clamor. It satisfies the flesh in that they’re not at home – they are “in” the crowd. They don’t have to commit. If someone notices they’re not in the crowd for an event – no big deal. They are mere followers. They control how close they get, how committed they are and just how far they are willing to go. Jesus had thousands of followers. My question is where did they all go after the ascension? There were only 120 in the upper room. Something significant happened to all of those followers – and it wasn’t good.
Then there are the disciples. Disciples are the disciplined and committed converts of Christ. They sacrifice, they pay a price for intimate relationship. They are not their own. They realize life isn’t theirs to control. They go where He tells them to go, do what He tells them to do and say what He tells them to say. They love Him and they keep His commandments. They are deeply connected spiritually to their Savior and their Lord. They are willing to give up their life for Him. They are willing to charter unchartered territory. They are willing to endure affliction and share in the sufferings of Christ. They understand fellowship. They know what it means to climb the stairs to the upper room for intimacy in a city that hated their Savior. They know how to go back down those stairs and face a community that opposed their faith. They were disciples. Like Jesus – He entered the wilderness full of the Spirit and left the wilderness in the power of the Spirit (Luke 4). Disciples climb the stairs into the upper room full of the Spirit but exit in the power of the Spirit. They are willing to pay a price a mere follower will not pay.
We are a blessed nation. We have been evangelized to the furthest degree. We have Bibles on sale at Wal-Mart. We have Bible’s in hotel night stands. We have Bible’s printed for the illiterate and the theologian. We have original language Bibles and we have urban dialect Bibles. We have bill boards advertising churches. We have schemes to market our churches that Wall Street moguls can only envy. We have crusades, conferences and seminars. We have multiple service venues throughout the week to accommodate every angle necessary for attendance purposes. We have lights, camera and yes, we even have some action once in a while. We have security and check in procedures for children. We can contribute on-line, at a kiosk in the lobby, with a check and yes, we still take cash. We have made “church” so relatively easy that we have actually removed any semblance to being a disciple from our faith culture. We just aren’t producing disciples.
Several years ago I created a Discipleship Institute for our congregation. We had a handful sign up. It was fun and challenging. But I realized that we aren’t really interested in becoming disciples. Too costly. Too time-consuming. Too much work. Too much reading. Too much interference with life in general. After all we play softball on Monday, watch the kids play on Tuesday, maybe go to church on Wednesday, leave Thursday open for those “just in case” issues, do groceries on Friday night and spend Saturday doing chores. Sunday is plenty for most of us! Just too much to do to really be a disciple! All of this boils down to a lazy western minded church that is very comfortable in our state of being…well…mere followers. I am praying about this. I want His wisdom and knowledge on this one. I really think the Lord is calling us to a renewed sense of discipleship in our faith communities. There is a stirring taking place. I can only trust that the church climb the stairs of commitment and experience in greater numbers than they did in the New Testament. I’m hoping there is a divinely motivated shift from a follower-ship to a discipleship movement. Will you join me in praying that in these last days we see disciples being made? It’s the old “keeper of the aquarium” verses “fishers of men” theory. Which one are you? Follower or disciple?
It’s Not Why but What?
What is happening in Japan is a mind-boggling event. Many just a few hours south of Sendai are going on with business as usual in Tokyo. Every time I watch a news clip or watch a video on the internet – I hold my breath. My congregation sent a team that spent four weeks in Mississippi after Katrina hit. Being there was overwhelming for us emotionally, physically and spiritually on our first visit. By our fourth trip we had softened to the devastation but never really fathomed the entire scope of the matter. I can’t imagine actually being in Japan and seeing this up close.
At times like this many people ask “Why?” We really don’t know but to ask questions. Our finite mind can in no way process what only an infinite God can understand. There are laws that He himself placed in order. The world spins on the axis of His creation. He and He alone can bring such disaster to any sense of process for us mentally, emotionally and spiritually.
I sat with one of our brothers in the Lord this morning and listened to him share with me how his brother-in-law may be facing colon cancer. He shared how they sat and wept at what could be devastating news for this man and his family. No one wants to hear the “C” word – no matter how it is communicated to us. My heart was heavy after hearing this report. As I listened to this revelation I was reminded of something in scripture. It was an event that Jesus faced when the question of “why” could have been a much more complicated issue for Him.
The story is in John chapter nine.
John 9:1-4
(1) As He passed by, He saw a man blind from birth.
(2) And His disciples asked Him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he would be born blind?”
(3) Jesus answered, “It was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents; but it was so that the works of God might be displayed in him.
(4) “We must work the works of Him who sent Me as long as it is day; night is coming when no one can work.
Although the disciples asked “who sinned” they may have well as asked “why”. From earthquakes to tsunamis to the “c” word – we all ask “why” from time to time. The disciples weren’t wrong for their question. They were human. It was a teaching point for Christ. Here is the point. It is better to ask “what” than to ask “why.” Jesus taught this in John nine.
You see with our finite minds there is no way we can comprehend the questions as to “why”. We just can’t. One question answered normally leads to another, and another and another. You get the picture. Endless questions from a finite mind seeking infinite knowledge we will never comprehend in the first place. The easier thought is to trade the “why” for the “what.”
What can I learn from this affliction, trial, event or season in m life?
What will be the demand of my faith?
What can I do to glorify Christ with this issue?
What will my testimony do for others as I endure this affliction?
The list of “what” could be endless. I leave your imagination to work this out. My point is that we are creatures of curiosity. We just want to know “why” sometimes. Nothing wrong with it. But the bottom line is that we just can’t get all our “why’s” answered in life. I would rather approach life with a what instead of a why.
I have faced a lot of crisis with families in over thirty years of ministry. I can’t tell you how many times I have been asked “why” when facing a crisis, a tragedy or even the loss of life. There are simply not enough answers…if any at all in some cases. All I know is that there is a God who loves us beyond our understanding and comprehension. If my crisis is beyond my understanding and God’s love is beyond my understanding – I would rather decide to trust Him to get me through what I can’t understand. His love is greater than my crisis. His love is more compassionate than my comprehension of any life adjusting trial or season.
Life. As complicated as it can be from time to time – He still simplifies our questions by leading us to trade the “why” for a “what.” I can deal with the “what” a lot “easier” and now and then I can appreciate an “easier” day. How about you?
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