Keep Putting Down Roots

We always need to remember that all growth is seasonal. Every living thing goes through seasons of growth (spring and summer) and dormancy (fall and winter). Churches and Ministries go through these seasons and so do our lives. Healthy growth takes TIME. When God wants to make a mushroom, he takes about 6 hours. When he wants to make an oak tree, he takes approximately 60 years. Do you want to be a mushroom or an oak tree?

For instance, churches that explode overnight are not necessarily growing; they may simply be swelling by attracting believers who transfer from other churches. This is not legitimate growth. Conversion growth is real growth, so focus on how many new believers you are winning, baptizing and discipling, not your attendance.

Nothing bears fruit year round. Your church or life may be in a Fall-like season right now (no leaves, no fruit) or winter (everything seems dead.) Keep on believing, learning, loving, and putting down roots. Spring and summer are coming! Hang on! The tide goes out, but it always comes back in.

“What’s in Your Wallet?”

“Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income.”  Ecclesiastes 5:10

This statement about sums up the normal mindset of people in our culture today. Have you ever noticed that regardless of what we have in life, we never feel “rich”. I have friends and relatives that have so much more than I do, but they don’t think they’re rich. My wife and I have so much more than some people in our own community, but yet if you were to ask me, my reply would be… ”I’m not rich.” Truth is we never feel that we are rich only because we know someone who is richer. The University of Warwick in the UK recently completed a study that concluded for most people, to feel happy about how much money they have, it has to be more than what their friends or colleagues have. As long as people know someone who earns more, they aren’t satisfied that they are really well off. What they have isn’t enough, no matter how much it is. No one seems to know where the true starting line for being rich is located. It’s because rich is a moving target. What I considered rich when I was a young kid now doesn’t even qualify amoung the rich and wealthy. What about the six-figure mark? Surely that’s an accurate indicator of being rich, right? Truth is, couples with a combined income of one hundred thousand dollars a year might say, “With property taxes and a mortgage and kids in college and braces and soccer camp and car insurance, and breast implants for my wife, it’s just not enough.”

Roughly 98% of Americans consider themselves not rich.  And roughly 98% of people in developing countries would consider America’s poor to be rich.

The good news is, we are all rich! You may not feel rich enough at your standards, but you have wealth and opportunities other people don’t have. You are rich in someone elses perspective because what you have, they don’t. When we compare ourselves with the rest of the world, we have to acknowledge we may be the rich. Did you know that approxiamtely 50 percent of the world’s population lives on less than two dollars a day? Rich is relative, and we lose sight of how wealthy we really are when we focus only on those who are wealthier than us and the stuff they have compared to our stuff.

God has blessed us! However, He wants our hearts focused on Him, not on people’s stuff or more stuff. we need to identify our hearts attitude towards money so we can acknowledge our true riches. The question is not “What’s in Your Wallet?” but rather “What’s in Your Heart?”

All the Kings Horses and All the Kings Men…

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall,
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall;
And all the King’s horses and all the King’s men,
Couldn’t put Humpty Dumpty together again.

The great heresy we’ve all been taught since we were kids, is that when we have a great fall, it’s over. That not even a king will all his power and all of his resources can put us back together again. Tragically, many of us grow up to believe this.

The good news… is that we serve a King who will not let Humpty lie on the ground in a shattered mess. Our King is in the restoration business. With His power at our disposal, He is inviting us to join Him in restoring people’s lives and especially restoring the church. It can and will happen in our day if we as leaders will stand up and do what God has asked us to do. In Galatians chapter 6, the scripture reminds us that if someone we know falls, we should forgive and restore without being critical, considering ourselves and our own need for restoration.

As I spend time reflecting today, I feel prompted to examine the areas and relationships in my own life that I have written off as being broken beyond repair. I discover that far too often I’ve:

• Not had the difficult conversation but held it inside
• Relied too much on my own abilities
• Not prayed fervently enough
• Believed restoration in these delicate areas may not be possible

I’ve asked God to forgive my unbelief and decided to fully trust in His power, even when the situation seems beyond repair.

What about you? Where are the areas in your own life and your own leadership that you need to examine? Where have you given up and lost hope?

Maybe the author of Humpty Dumpty was right−all the king’s horses and all the king’s men can’t put Humpty together again. But I’m sure glad we serve another king that can. His name is Jesus!

The Tale of Two Sisters

Does our constant busyness cause us to miss more than just rest and refreshing times? Do people miss the majority of God’s blessings because they’re too busy to notice them? Do I fall into this category? I recently was challenged by a good friend of mine to evaluate some things in my life. This blog is a result of that evaluation.

In Luke 10:38-42 there is an interesting story about two sisters. Here is what is interesting: Mary and Martha are both presented with the same opportunity. Jesus, the Son of God, has come to their home. Before we go on, ask yourself this question… What would you do if you knew Jesus was coming over?

Martha chose to get busy in the preparations. She was probably cleaning and definitely cooking. She was extremely concerned about serving the Son of God and making things the best they could be. Martha became so busy, she was wigging out and losing it. The Bible clearly states that Martha was DISTRACTED with much serving. Distracted from what? Now Mary chose to create a moment… She said, “Right now, while we have this time, I’m not going to get caught up in the busyness of that other stuff. Nothing against Martha, but I’m going to seize this moment and simply enjoy it with Jesus.” She was choosing to focus on what mattered the most to her in that moment. When’s the last time you stopped long enough to embrace a matters-the-most moment?

Mary embraced the moment, Martha was like many of us: preoccupied, distracted, busy being busy! Just like Martha, we fall into the trap of being busy instead of being bigger than the tyranny of the urgent.

It is said, “If the devil can’t make you bad, then he’ll try to make you really busy.”

Our culture has taught us that being really busy means you’re successful, important, and significant.” We’ve become convinced that lots of “important” activity, the business of busyness, is really what matters, an indication of our talent, worth and value. Anybody worth anything will always be busy, right?

Martha was not all wrong in her duties but the bible says she was distracted, probably from something that could have been more important to her in that moment. If you’re constantly burdened by the weight of all the many chores, tasks, responsibilities, obligations, and commitments in your life, then it’s time to change. If killing time is killing you, something needs to change! God commands us to rest. He called it “taking a Sabbath.” Knowing how to rest, to unplug, to unwind is as much a spiritual discipline as prayer or even fasting. When we follow Jesus, we’re about the Father’s business, not about the world’s busyness.

The Soul of America is God

Feelings of patriotism tend to flow rather freely at this time of the year.  It has become one of my wife’s favorite holidays. When we sing the “Star Spangled Banner,” or hear a choir sing about America & the freedoms that we enjoy, we often want to stand up & salute or just do something to show that we’re proud of our nation. I shed a tear or two last night at Edmond’s “LibertyFest” just considering the popularity and the influence of people celebrating the cause, but more importantly, I couldn’t help but think about our men and women, many of them someones children… even my own, who serve this country by their willingness to step up, get involved, fight and even give their lives for this country.

Sometimes we hear patriotic speeches which contain that ringing phrase, “I’m proud to be an American!”  And we echo those sentiments, too.  But think about it for a moment.  Maybe what we ought to be saying is, “I’m grateful that I’m an American!”  You see, we could have been born in Bosnia or China or Pakistan.  We could have found ourselves on the streets of India this morning, wondering where our next meal is coming from, surrounded by squalor. My wife and travel in missions work often, and I always come home… grateful for my country.

I am deeply grateful to be a citizen of the United States of America.  I ran a video in our churches this last Sunday and a couple of days prior to Sunday I posted it here on facebook. I had many encouraging calls from people and even pastors calling to find out the resource of the video so they could run it themselves before their congregations.

A father was talking with his rather rebellious son one day & said, “Every person who lives in the United States is a privileged person.”  The boy answered, “I disagree.”  And the father replied, “That’s the privilege.”

We have the privilege to disagree.  We have the privilege to speak our mind.  We have freedom of religion, of speech, of the press, and the right of petition.  We have the freedom to hope & dream & pursue our dreams.  We are free in so many ways!

During the 1800’s, Alexis de Toqueville, a famous French political philosopher, visited our nation seeking to uncover the secret of our greatness.  He traveled from town to town, asking questions, examining every facet of our society, & then wrote his conclusions in his famous work, “Democracy in America.”

Dr. John McDowell, a Presbyterian minister, attributed the following statement to Toqueville.  While proof is lacking that he is the author, Presidents Eisenhower, Ronald Reagan, & even Bill Clinton have quoted it.  And I believe the message is still relevant today.

“I sought for America’s greatness.  I found it not in her fields & forests.  I found it not in her mines & factories.  I found it not in her Congress & great tribunals.  It was only when I entered her churches & heard her pulpits thundering against sin & preaching righteousness that I discovered her greatness.  America is great because America is good.  If America ever ceases to be good, America will cease to be great.”

The soul of America is God.  O beware, America, lest we lose our soul!

A Lesson From the Manure Pile on Marriage

How much do you know about a “compost pile?” The concept is pretty simple: collect all the organic junk you can find–food scraps, leaves, animal dung–all the stuff that can decay, and then pile it up. In time it becomes this massive smoldering mess.

Broken expectations, unfulfilled desires, shattered promises, cutting words, acts of betrayal… a marriage is the perfect place to build a compost pile of pain, frustration, and anger. Relive the offenses, hold on to the hurt, dwell on the injustices, and pretty soon you have a massive,  smoldering, stinking mess!

But there’s a miracle in the manure pile and there are miracles waiting to happen in marriages today. Compost piles, when handled properly produce some of the richest, most fertile soils and fertilizers on the planet. Take something that was dead or dying and watch how God, by creation, gives new life, using it to grow something new, green and luscious.

If you are struggling in your marriage and you feel like it has become a stinking mess, take the pain of what looks to be your dead marriage and bring it to God, and watch Him heal, liberate, and breathe into it something brand new!

13 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14 having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. (Colossians 2:13-14)

Christ has done this for all of us. But in order to turn a manure pile of a marriage into the fertilizer for a red-hot marriage, we must allow that same forgiveness of Christ to flow from us to our spouses as well. Take the pain, take the offenses, don’t cover them over but dig them up with a spade, and spread them at the feet of the Cross, releasing them and leaving them there with your Lord. He is in the “compost” business of taking things that are dead or dying and giving them new life!

Fatal Attraction?

There is a Law of Magnetism. In Ezekiel, chapter 16 we learn that God’s chosen people of Jerusalem became conformed to those around them which in this case was the Pagan leaders. It wasn’t good and it became a fatal attraction!

Consider the following:

1. Attractions: we tend to always attract or attract to those who are similar in actions, character, beliefs, hobbies, likes-dislikes, etc. So as we evaluate who we are and what we are like… ask yourself… do I want to be around me? If not, start changing now before you have an unhealthy attraction.

2. Reflections: We also tend to reflect the character of those who influence us, lead us or even follow us. Take a look around and ask yourself, who is within my inner circle of influence? Are they someone I want to reflect in my own life?

3. Repercussions: We all tend to face similar consequences as those who are like us or do as we do. This could be quite spooky depending on who we really are.

Let’s not end up like those of Jerusalem in that age. They had seen and experienced God but allowed themselves to become a product of their culture… which lead them to looking more like the culture than their God. We attract who we are, not who we want!

Gifts from a Father

2 Timothy 1:7-9 NLT
7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. 8 So never be ashamed to tell others about our Lord. And don’t be ashamed of me, either, even though I’m in prison for him. With the strength God gives you, be ready to suffer with me for the sake of the Good News.

God always gives us what we need to be effective with others. Paul was reminding Timothy that God didn’t give him the timidity that he was feeling; that had come either from Timothy’s own baggage or by the pit of hell itself (the enemy of God-Satan). Instead, God equiped him with power, love and a sound mind. All believers, especially those who lead, need these fundamental tools:

• Power: The courage and competence to get the job done.
• Love: The relational ingredient that enables us to attract and connect with others.
• Sound mind or Self-discipline: The perspective and wisdom to grasp a vision and take the right steps.

Because God has equipped us, He has instructed us to “… not be ashamed… but share… in the sufferings” NKJV. God gave Timothy, and us, everything needed to accomplish the job!

1. God empowers us before He ever expects from us.
2. He always gives to us before He demands from us.
3. We receive His competence before we receive His commands

We are always most effective when we lead from our God-given gifts!

 

To Leave a Legacy, Not Just An Inheritance

Psalm 49:1-20
God encourages us to fix our eyes on the things that endure. In light of eternity, followers of Christ cannot afford to become consumed with the temporary. It’s nice to have things, but we cannot allow the pursuit of wealth or power to move us. I think of the empire that Donald J. Trump has built. The accomplishments of his activities tempts me to envy and covet. What a great inheritance he will leave behind for family and loved ones under his name. However, the measure of true life that endures is not just about the stuff we accumulate. Only a vision that out lives us, a vision connected to eternity, will fulfill a genuine christian. Our hope is that a man of great influence and power like Donald Trump is a christian or becomes a christian (a follower of Christ Jesus), so that he can leave an eternal legacy in those around him with  and the abundant inheritance he has obtained.

Things are temporal, life is eternal. Psalm 49:17 reminds us we will take nothing with us when we pass from this life, no matter how rich we become. Therefore, we must build a legacy with eternal values in our family and loved ones. What will we leave behind that really matters? When I am gone, will my children and my grandchildren continue to serve God and follow Christ because they seen the truth and value in it by the way I lived? So far, the inheritance I leave behind is slim (we hope it increases). However, the eternal values of character and righteousness I have tried to live out and pass on into my family  will hopefully carry it’s worth from generation to generation. 

A huge difference exists between a legacy and an inheritance. Anyone can leave an inheritance. An inheritance is something you leave to your family or loved ones and it also fades. A legacy is something you leave in your family and loved ones. Consider the differences between the two:

Inheritance
1. Something tangible you give to others
2. Temporarily brings them happiness
3. Eventually fades as it is spent
4. Your activity may or may not pay off

Legacy
1. Something tangible you place in others 
2. Permanently transforms them  
3. Lives on long after you die 
4. Your activity becomes achievement

“Value Time, Don’t Kill It”

 

 Psalm 39:4

4 “Lord, make me to know my end,
And what is the measure of my days,
NKJV

 If you don’t know where your time goes, that’s a danger signal!  Like Moses in Psalm 90:12, David shows his mindfulness of his brief time on earth. He asks God to help him number his days, which I believe ought to be the prayer of ever believer and especially leaders in the church circles. The Apostle Paul said in Ephesians chapter 5 that people with wisdom redeem the time they have. I’m not the greatest at this, but my mindset is always focused to improve in this area.

 Management expert Peter Drucker said that “good leaders need to regard first of all not their task, but their time”. We should wonder if the task set before us is worth the time investment it will take to accomplish it. What would happen if we don’t chose that task? Maybe God will use someone else to meet the need. They may have the time to do it and their time be better spent in doing so. God change us if we are self-centered, prideful or even insecure to think we have to do everything! That is a very dangerous attitude and thinking that usually doesn’t lead to any successes.

A wise leader knows that time is like gold, and good “spending habits” are essential. It’s just that in this case the units are minutes, not dollars. It’s like “finding money” when you can save small bits of time here and there and then consolidate them into chunks of time to be spent on something worthwhile. If by God’s help we can number our minutes and hours, “numbering our days” will be easier.