What Struck Me

I was recently reading through the book of 1 Timothy, going over the concepts of leadership that are covered there. 1st and 2nd Timothy, as well as Titus, convey a large quantity of characteristics that define not only leadership, but manhood. And I realized something, as I was pondering the concepts found there.

The majority of the "qualifications" presented for a leader to meet have little to do with the man himself. They have much to do with the relationship the man has with the people around him. His family, his church, his workplace, his acquaintances, and the man off the street. In Scripture, we see that the chief responsibility a man has is to his Maker. Reconciliation with the Almighty, and following Him in every aspect of his life is the primary duty a man has - to himself. 1 Corinthians 11 delineates a responsibility for self-examination, in order to not misrepresent the body and blood of Jesus Christ. Beyond that, the majority of the tasks true men have are to their fellow man. Think about it.

A man must rule his household well. That's a relationship with other human beings, involving them, as well as the man. A man must not be a brawler. This is also a relationship issue involving multiple people. The list goes on. Almost all of the requirements deal with how a real man deals with the people around him. How he interacts with, ministers to, serves, leads, and protects the people around him.

God has designed life to be beautiful in it's simplicity - despite the inherent complexity. If we do what He says, it's supposed to be so easy. If a man focuses on himself only to the extent that he is striving for the close relationship with Jesus Christ that all men must have, that's all he has to worry about - for himself. That's it. One thing. Everything else will come as a natural byproduct of his walk with God. The man is then free to serve his brothers and sisters in Christ, and minister the Gospel to a lost and dying world. I think Christianity as a whole overthinks the walk of the believer sometimes, and this is one of them. I believe that if a man confesses Christ, follows Christ, and serves the family of God, the Gospel is inexorably furthered in a way that leaves no doubt but that God was at work in the life of that man. This defines true masculine maturity and manhood.

It isn't about the man, as much as about the Christ. Follow the Savior, love the saints, breathe the Gospel.

Random Rant

Do any of you find it irritating that what was common courtesy, nay, chivalry merely a generation or two ago is now frowned upon? That those values that defined "gentleman" and "lady" are now considered devaluing and demeaning?

I have become so frustrated by the shock that is expressed when I try and hold the door for someone. Women seem so... surprised that someone would do that for them. Men, well, they can manage for themselves, and nobody thinks of them anyway, and thus they also seem bewildered. Women use language that would make their grandmothers turn over in their graves - no wonder they're not treated like ladies. Or what gets me is when a woman is trying to carry something she obviously can't manage that well, and I offer to carry it and she says no. Why? If you can't manage, what is there to prove? I'm merely offering to assist you! Good grief! Is all this just to prove equality or individuality?

Men are no better. They don't look out for the needs of others, don't treat the younger, the weaker as worthy of protection. Instead, they assume that to protect them is to coddle them and to prevent them from experiencing the real world and learning that it's a rough place out there. Uh, hello? That's why they need protecting? Men in today's society seem to find nothing better to do than to spend an inordinate amount of time trying to tear down the reputation of other people. What's the point? To prove that you're somehow better than the other person?

When I inquire about any of this, I get "well, you just have to let people be themselves." Yeah? I am! I am merely trying to be courteous and as much of a gentleman as I can! Is that so wrong? This has nothing to do with "letting people be themselves" or not. I'm not trying to change their character or impose on them.

Does anyone else find this to be disturbing? Do I just have the wrong expectations? Guys - what makes a gentleman a gentleman and a lady a lady? Girls - what do you expect out of a gentleman? Are you devalued by a man (or person) offering assistance of any sort?

Gah! This is so irritating!

The State of the Church

I thought I'd post some thoughts about Christianity and it's state from the perspective of someone in the military. The following are some of the observations I've made.

1.) Military members have a very high respect for religion, and Christianity is not frowned upon. As a general rule that is. Some do make light of faith and tend to mock those who follow Christ, but they are not the majority.

2.) Biblical doctrine is hard to come by. All of the chaplains I've encountered since joining the military have been so focused on being ecumenical and avoiding stepping on the toes of other denominations and even religions, that there is no Biblical teaching of any significance. Granted, this is only a random sampling of the military, and it's only one branch of the service, but the theme is consistent. In addition, this spirit of being politically correct is not limited to just other denominations and religions, but is also targeted at not offending the people listening. The people in the pews/chairs/benches are the meter of whether or not the message is acceptable. Since when is that Biblical?

3.) Despite the acceptance of religion/Christianity by the military, few actually attend churches on or off base. Contemporary worship services are the fullest, because they create the largest emotional high. Traditional services are also geared, unfortunately, at making the service member feel good about themselves. Churches are empty. And the leadership is willing to try anything to bring people in, often at the expense of the very things that define a church.

Those are just a few of my observations, but the most obvious ones.

Leadership

What does leadership look like? What is the purpose of leadership? I've seen some examples since joining the military of both good and bad leadership. I could tell stories, I could talk about the things that have happened, but more importantly, the question to ask would be what God says about leadership.

God designed leadership with balance. Look at what God did through Moses. He broke down the leadership of the nation of Israel into the control of 70 elders. See what the book of Acts says about leadership. The apostles were led to share the leadership of the church with others who could interface with the people at their point of need, since they couldn't always be there.

A leader will be humble too. Even Ahab, one of the most wicked kings to rule the nation of Israel, was blessed for humility, and the punishment God had in store for him was saved for later instead of being meted out in the measure it was due. King Manesseh, the grandson of Hezekiah, when he humbled himself, was released from prison and his punishment was held for a future generation. The Apostle Paul acknowledged his own mistake when he was corrected for the way he talked to the high priest.

People in leadership have to be willing to do the things that are less than popular, even if they are hard to do. Others may dislike the leader, but a leader with God's approval has far more going for him than a leader with the approval of a thousand nations. People's opinions have no weight in God's scheme of things. I look at Moses again as a prime example of this. Moses ended up making the nation of Israel drink from a river that had had brass ground to powder thrown into it. He had to correct the nation on multiple occasions for idolatry, immorality, murmuring, and a myriad of other sins. He was disliked, the subject of plots, and yet Moses took the hard path and followed the instructions God gave him despite the horrendous odds.

These are just small things I've noticed in Scripture about leadership, but volumes have been written on the subject. The best source to go to for true leadership is Scripture. The Bible has the best instructions, the best examples, and the most complete roadmap for leaders. Follow it. Learn from it. And keep humble.

Where I Was

There has been a rather large gap in time since I posted. [Editor's note: The author of this post does not believe in the "gap theory" of evolution.] Needless to say, my existence on this earth is still confirmed, but has been hard to broadcast.

To bring y'all up to speed, it needs to be mentioned that as of October 14, 2008, I enlisted in the United States Air Force for a period of 6 years. I shipped off to Basic Military Training in San Antonio, Texas at Lackland Air Force Base; Basic was completed on November 28, 2008. I am grateful for the opportunity God gave my family to come see my graduation - it was such a blessing. I departed Lackland at 0100 hours December 1 for Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Mississippi. I am in training there for Communications Operations (just call me a CyberWarrior.) I am scheduled to be assigned to Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota (close to Rapid City) in March. I'll be promoted to Airman First Class on March 5, and begin advanced on-the-job training that will include Microsoft and Cisco certification.

God has blessed me in so many ways I can hardly count them. He is so good. I've had several opportunities to talk about my faith, and countless chances to encourage fellow Airmen to do what is right, despite the apparent difficulty.

Please pray I am able to maintain a spirit of humility, and be able to learn the technical material presented in class.

What About Church?

Has church ditched the idea of sanctity in favor of "society?" What do I mean by that?

What causes people who claim to believe in God and to be born-again Christians to not attend church? More often than not, it's because they claim that they were doing something else, that they were busy, that something came up. Is this OK? What happened to taking the seventh day as a day of rest? What happened to attending church in order to be obedient to Scripture? Being with the body of believers in order to be of mutual encouragement?

I think there are a couple of problems that are influencing this trend. Oh, did I say this was a trend? People are not just not going to church, they are also leaving church and not coming back. Or they are leaving and starting their own home-church or Bible study. The first problem I see is that the philosophy of the world has seeped into the doctrines of the church. Common advice to a churchgoer is "if the church you are attending isn't meeting your needs, find another that will." Or, "if you are not in agreement with the teachings of your pastor, start your own study, or find another church." Whoa... time out! What's wrong here? The center of attention is ME! I get to decide what makes church acceptable. I am the one who determines if teaching and doctrine are in line with what I want to believe (emphasis on *want to believe*.) There is a clear direction in 1 Corinthians 12 and 13 to love. Chapter 12 gives us an understanding of what others-centered ministry should look like, and chapter 13 tells us why. Meeting the needs of others and encouraging one another to look to Christ as our example is the whole purpose of church. It is about edification, not the meeting of my own needs. My needs will be met as I look to Christ and meeting the needs of others, not by me seeking the fulfillment of my own desires.

There's also a significant lack of the fear of God in churches today. Many people teach a gospel that makes Jesus our "buddy" and Christ a "pal." I agree that Christ is our Friend, but He is far more than that, and we cannot as Christians seek to make Him our Friend to the point that we lose sight of His holiness. If we lose our awe of His power, His majesty, and His Deity, we lose who He is by nature, and this is another major failing in our churches. We need to bring back the fear and reverence of God. By fear, I don't mean abject terror or a debilitating fearfulness. I mean a respect and awe of the holiness of the One who is so pure that Isaiah, Daniel, Moses, the Apostle John, Paul the Apostle, and so many others fell down speechless. The kind of obeisance of the soul to the overwhelming magnificence of Almighty God. This needs to penetrate more than just our churches, it needs to be a settled part of our own individual lives so that it will filter *back* into the church and spill out into the lives of those around us. This needs to start at the heart level. It needs to start with me. And it needs to start with you.

How Far?

I read some excerpts recently from Foxe's Book of Martyrs. There were some amazing quotes and stories in that book that made me realize that I am not as committed as I should be. I asked myself how far I would go for Jesus if He brought suffering into my life. I read about Blandina, who was beaten and left for the vultures to eat, but survived. When she was found alive after her tortures, she was thrown to the wild beasts in the Roman Coliseum, where she died singing. After reading this story, I was only able to come up with three natural responses to my question.

First, as a natural human being, I would only go to the point of pain, at which point I would resist. Is this response Scriptural? No. The Bible says in Matthew 5:38-39 that we are not to resist an evil person, but rather to turn the other cheek. We are also to pray for those who persecute us (v. 44-45). The response I had naturally was nothing but self-centered. Who am I serving when I "defend" myself in a situation of suffering? Myself! Who am I focused on? Myself!

The second reaction I had is that I would give in and deny my faith out of fear. I have a natural fear of pain. I hate it. Pain hurts me and I don't like it. So if pain is part of the equation, why not just avoid it? What did Peter do when challenged about his trust in Jesus (Matthew 26:69-75)? He denied any association with Him, claimed to have no knowledge of Him, and finally cursed. Why? Because he was afraid of the pain and suffering that would result if he acknowledged his relationship to Jesus as His disciple. Peter was focused on himself. What was the result? He was as guilty of crucifying Jesus as those who put the nails in His hands and feet. He openly rejected the One who came to reveal sin and open the way to reconciliation. [Praise God that He restored Peter to fellowship with Him and used him in such a powerful way later!] Thus, my second reaction is also not the correct response.

My third reflex when thinking of the intense suffering and persecution that is promised (see 2 Timothy 3:12) was that I would accept it, but with grumbling. My attitude would be one of a whiner, dragging down everyone around me in my attempt to either "feel better" or "understand" the situation. "Why me?" or "why would people do this?" I would question the reasons behind my faith, but wouldn't ditch it for fear of not entering heaven. I am a fearful person. This response is also wrong. It is a response of fear, which is nothing more than pride in saying that I don't trust God to take care of me even when I am not able to take care of myself. Fear is a choice to take the load of my wellbeing on my own shoulders instead of leaving it in the arms of Him who numbers my hairs in the first place. Fear is pride. Fear is focused on self. It's definitely not respect or reverence to God.

So, what is the right response? It's easy to say "sure, I'll be OK when the time comes. I can handle it because God will be with me." But what will really happen? Maybe it's time to think about what our reaction will be. I can tell you right now it will be difficult for me because I have spent my entire life thinking in terms of self. 1 Peter 4:12-19 makes it clear that suffering is to be expected. We know based on this passage that we are to rejoice. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 states that we are to pray always and give thanks. Give thanks for what? Maybe it's time to think about that and come up with a list of things to be grateful for. Maybe we need to think of things beyond "my house," or "my car," though they may be valid things. Perhaps we need think of everyday situations as an opportunity for us to show gratefulness. Are we grateful for the opportunities God gives us to grow our character in challenges? Are we thankful for the driver that the Lord uses to teach us long-suffering when they cut us off? Are we able to tell God how glad we are that He is using our own failures to teach us why we need Him? This is the right response... maybe if we work on it now, it will be second-nature when times of trial and suffering are REALLY on us. I am not perfect. I know my response wouldn't be right without Divine intervention and I have been working on ways to resolve this unpreparedness. What would your response be? Why? What do you think are things that we can be grateful for?

Interesting Discussion

An acquaintance just asked me a rather interesting question. He said: "What are your views of reformed theology?"

The following is my response. Please read it and reply with your input and thoughts. I find this to be a stimulating discussion at any time.

Reformed theology depends on how you mean reformed theology. Do you mean with regard to dispensationalism and covenant theology? I tend to disagree with Covenant Theology, due to it's nature to allegorize Scripture, instead of taking it literally. Baptism is another area I would disagree with Covenant theology on as well - I believe in literal baptism by immersion. The Covenant theologian and scholar tends to think of Jonah (for example) as an *allegory* that is designed to teach us a lesson, rather than to look at the story of Jonah as historical fact. The Covenant theology overlooks (in reference to the book of Jonah) that Jesus referenced Jonah in Luke 11:28-32 and Matthew 12:36-41. Dispensationalism I disagree with based on the fact that it makes us the judge of the Bible's relevance. A dispensationalist will say that God "dispenses" His Grace to us in different ways throughout the course of history. To say this means that we can say "This passage is irrelevant to us today because God doesn't dispense His Grace to us this way anymore" about any passage we disagree with. Remember that Christ was called "the same, yesterday, today, and for ever (Hebrews 13:8)." and that "I the Lord do not change (Malachi 3:6)." Other than these areas of "reformed theological scholasticism" I am in agreement with Reformed theological tenets: 1. Sola Scriptura: The Scripture Alone is the Standard 2. Soli Deo Gloria! For the Glory of God Alone 3. Solo Christo! By Christ's Work Alone are We Saved 4. Sola Gratia: Salvation by Grace Alone 5. Sola Fide: Justification by Faith Alone

The Gospel and Our Lives

How accurately do our lives reflect the gospel? God used a message by John Piper (entitled God is the Gospel) to convict me of how vitally important this is. We as Christians are so happy to condemn those who preach the "prosperity gospel" of peace, happiness, and wealth. We do it almost without thinking. But how quick are we to see those areas of our own lives that don't measure up?

The gospel is something that changes a man from what he was into what God intended - a worshiper of Him (John 4 - "...True worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such the Father seeks to be His worshipers.") The gospel isn't about us! If someone shares the gospel and leaves out the fact that it was because God wanted to reconcile us to Himself and to bring glory to Himself, it's only half the gospel. And half the gospel is not the gospel. We cannot share the gospel in a way that encourages, nay, feeds man's innate selfishness. In a way that nurtures one to become more like themselves and less like God.

All that to say, it is easy to "preach" about the evils of false gospels. But are our lives any better? If I make decisions with the same attitudes and motivations and spirit that I had prior to salvation, then am I really "walking the talk?" Not remotely! I am still living in the flesh and not the spirit of the power of God, which encourages me to be like Christ! If I am doing things that feed selfish motivations and ends, it's not a living gospel that I've become, but a dead and withered gospel that contaminates, not purges. It's about God, and about other people, not us! It's not about ME! It's not even about YOU! It's about God! And about His plan for His glory! Let's get over ourselves! It's time for us to measure our actions by different criteria.

Simple questions we can ask ourselves to make sure we are in line with the gospel are these:

• Is what I am about to do something that I would be glad to be held responsible for on judgment day?
• Who gains the glory because of this action?
• Is this about me?
• Am I doing this out of habit?
• Is this habit a Godly habit?
• What does the Bible say about ____ ?

Don't get me wrong. I am sure we're all wonderful Christian people. I am just trying to decry the danger in self-centeredness and pride and focus on things other than God, because these things may be the only "gospel" a non-Christian may ever have!

The Future

How many of you men have thought about the future of your generation? How often do I think of the generation of which I am a part when I make decisions? What is the role of a young man in today's culture, society, and as part of the current generation? Have you thought of the fact that we are the next generation of leaders? That if we don't step up and take the responsibility for leading the next generation, we will be faced with the possibility that we won't have an option later for leading and will be stuck with following leaders that aren't qualified or men of integrity?

Sobering thoughts. I'll be the first to admit this is nothing I excel in. Being who I am, I tend to think for the immediate moment, not the future. I tend to think about what brings immediate results, not long term benefit, and certainly not about long term benefit for those around me. *Shame on me*

What does the Bible say is the role of a man (young or old) in society? Let me ask another question instead... do the passages in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1 and 2 lay out guidelines for only church leaders or men in general? Do the commands to fathers in the Old Testament to train up children with a respect for God's hand in past experiences, and in the way of the law apply only in the past, or are they to be used today? I think that they are applicable today. Nowhere in the Bible are these requirements revoked. In fact, early in the Scripture we see basic principles of leadership and responsibility spelled out.

In Genesis, we have Ishmael kicked out of his home because of disrespect to his father Abraham (through the abuse of his brother). We can derive from that instance that respect for authority is important. We have Abraham picking up and moving to a place he didn't know at the command of God, stepping out in faith. Faith is an absolute must. We must have the ability to hear God to be able to be led by Him, or for Him to use us as leaders. We see in Exodus the 70 elders being set aside based on reputation and integrity, not based on name. (You should note that integrity and being "above reproach" is key to being qualified for leadership in 1 Timothy. In Leviticus, the man must be a leader in areas of moral significance. If the man fails in these areas, he is unqualified to lead anyone, because he is not able to control himself. In Numbers, submission to God-given authority is crucial, as evidenced by Israel's failure to enter the Promised land (Numbers 13). When the children of Israel rebelled, they lost two whole families (Numbers 16), and eventually lost an entire generation in the wilderness. In Deuteronomy, we see reiterated from the beginning of the book to the end the command to teach the next generation of the acts of God. There were commands to tell of the testing in the wilderness in order that the children would not turn from following God. Following God was also a prerequisite for success - entrance to the promised land was given to the generation that followed the Lord's chosen man. Also, there was an interesting command listed. It says in Deuteronomy 17: 14-20, that any leader they set aside to rule over them needs to write their own copy of the law, and read it daily, in order to keep from straying later on. In Judges, we see the consequences of a generation that fails to lead (Judges 2 and 10). In the books of the prophets, we see generations condemned because no man would stand for what was right, and what was in the law of God. Even the priests of the Lord were condemned in Malachi because none cared for the ways of God. In the Old Testament, we also see in Job the vital importance of humility, without which it is impossible for God to bless. When we come to the New Testament, the prominent passages are again 1 Timothy 2 & 3, and Titus 1 & 2.

God has placed an enormous amount of responsibility on our shoulders, men. On top of our responsibilities to the generation we are in, we are to maintain purity of thought and action. In 1 Corinthians 7, unmarried men are encouraged to devote themselves to ministry while they are un-distracted by marriage. While this doesn't preclude secular work, ministry is vitally important because it teaches a man how to serve. And when a man not only knows how to be obedient to Christ but also how to serve, that man is in the right place for God to use him in leadership. Granted, not all men are leaders of other men. But each man is to eventually be the leader of his own home (except for those God has called to be celibate.) This being the case, how much of what you do is weighed through these filters? How often do you ask yourself if what you're doing has an impact on the generation you're in and on the future? And how often do you run what you're doing through the filters of Scripture? I suggest we men read through the Bible looking at what God has to say about leadership as regards men specifically.

I'm sure there're things I missed in this, so if you have something to add, please do so in the commentary section or in the topic discussion box. Thanks!

Answering the Question

I was asked this last weekend a very difficult question. The question was "What is the position of a single young Christian woman? Is it wrong for her to find work? Is it wrong for her to accept positions of management if offered to her? Or is it wrong for her to accept a management position in a Christian organization/business?"

This question is difficult for several reasons. First, Scripture is not blatantly clear on the subject of women in the workplace. Second, there's a fear I have that what I may find may not be "culturally acceptable" or may be found to be "socially regressive" and that I will be called a "repressive white male." Third, this subject goes to a deeper level than it seems.

When we look at what the Bible has to say about women, the role of a woman at that time was far different than the one we see in our modern society. What we see as acceptable in allowing women to work for a living alongside of men was unthinkable. In Biblical times, a woman was under the protection of her father. If something happened to her, the father was responsible to ensure justice. If she was in need, the father was responsible for providing for those needs. If something was brought against her in legal issues, the father vouched for her reputation. (Deuteronomy 22:13-17, Exodus 22:16-17) The father or husband of a woman was responsible to hold her accountable for her vows as well, such as the vows of Hannah in 1 Samuel 1:1-23. This is reiterated in the New Testament in 1 Timothy 5:8 where the apostle Paul calls the one who doesn't provide for his family worse than an unbeliever. The other things we see involving women in the New Testament refer to a) women being submissive to their own husbands, b) single young women being free to devote themselves to the ministry of the Gospel, c) older, mature women teaching young women how to be Godly and submissive for their own husbands and husbands-to-be.

The concept we see isn't necessarily that of prohibiting female labor, but rather an authority structure. The father is responsible for his daughter - she is under his authority. This is an unusual idea for our society. For a man to take responsibility for his daughter is a rare thing outside of Christian circles, and, sadly enough, even in many Christian circles. In fact, with regards to labor, women are encouraged to labor in several places (1 Timothy 5:13) to avoid being ensnared by gossip and the wiles of advertising/scams/swindlers. This labor for a young unmarried woman is best seen in 1 Corinthians 7 as a request for single young people to be involved in ministry. I would note that any task outside of the home for a young woman is best under the authority of her father. I am NOT saying it's wrong for a woman to be engaged in a paying job, but that if she is, she is to be under the authority of the one God has placed over her.

Again, the key is authority, not the job itself. Who is the young single woman in submission to? Is the job she is doing encouraging her to be out from under the authority of her father? Is it making her vulnerable to the attacks of the enemy against her purity, against her Godliness, against her attitude?

With regard to Christian organizations and businesses, that is between the Lord, the father, and the young woman. Various businesses will do things differently. Management-wise, that's a matter of personal conviction and is again between the Lord and the father and the young woman. It's not clearly stated in Scripture that this is wrong. The question to ask is, how applicable are the mandates for church structure with regard to women? Are they applicable to everyday practice or are they only designed for a church?

If it was me and it was my daughter asking me if it was OK for her to work, I couldn't answer this question. It's too hard. My protective instinct is still there - and it would be hard for me to let my own flesh and blood be in a secular workplace unguarded by me. Yet, is it wrong? No, I can't say that it is... I am exhausted on this and have no idea what to say next, but I'd be interested to hear what would you *who shall at this point be nameless* have to input. Your *Biblically supported* say in the matter would be most welcome.

Updating the People

UPDATE (clicky)

God knows what is best for us all. I received a letter this afternoon (01/05/08) denying me entrance to Southeastern Baptist College at Wake Forest. As a result, I am re-evaluating what God has for me this year in 2008. I am grieved, and trying to be at the point where I can truly be grateful to God for this new "roadblock" so to speak. Maybe it's not a roadblock, but a detour. This doesn't change my calling. It just changes the immediate vehicle to fulfilling that calling.

God has been doing a lot in my life these last couple of months. Changes of thought, heart, mind, cleansing me and preparing me for something I have yet to discover. That being said, I don't know how God will choose to direct me next, but the plan so far is to go to a local school and get basic classes out of the way, and look for more of a career job, instead of working in a dead-end job as a temporary thing. God knows what He has for me. I am willing to do it. (Easy to say, huh?) But my prayer that this will become clear for me - soon.

In the Center of God's Will

When I moved back to Washington with my family this year, among my list of agendas was finding work. One would think that someone with my history of "lessons in trusting and obeying God" that I would immediately pray about it asking God to provide the right job at the right time. That would have been the appropriate way to find work. It would have at the very least set the right example for my family members, and given me an opportunity to exercise faith. But not me. Nope. Not Paul.

I looked back at past experiences at my old job, and what had made my last job an enjoyable one. I thought to myself that with all the experience I had in the cell phone industry that I would do OK in a sales job. So that's what I looked for. Didn't bother to expand my horizon of job searches to include other types of work, didn't pray, didn't even ask Dad and Mom for their guidance. (More on that in a future post, probably.) So I, in my vast wisdom and expertise, landed a *cough* wonderful *cough* job at Sprint selling cell phones.

It's important to God that we are within His will. He thought it so important that He punished Asa the king of Israel (2 Chronicles 16) for not asking Him for His direction and protection. God kind of did the same thing with me. My first few months at this job have been less than easy. To start with, I got written up several times for not selling enough and once for writing an article that was considered to be a conflict of interest for Sprint. It is now at the point where I am at the last write-up I can get. I kinda knew all along I should have checked before jumping into a job at all. But I figured this would all work out in the end. My boss wrote me up in the first week of December, when I was nowhere even close to my December quota. Between November and December, I took care of some other issues I had going on in my life that I hadn't dealt with between me and God and between myself and my parents. I also began to actually see that what God wanted was not me out of that job, but me to be willing to give it up. I turned in notice the day my boss wrote me up. Since then, God has done amazing things for me at work. My quota is no longer an issue - for the first month in my history at this job, I have made quota and exceeded it - befuddling my boss and confusing my co-workers. God has also given some financial benefits, allowing me to be able to take care of some much needed things. It's amazing to see how God works, rewarding obedience, carefully and surely drawing His sheep back into the way He desires for them. And when He is disregarded and ignored, He reproves. Praise God. My prayer is that I will respond with humility, and not jail the messenger, as with Asa in Israel. Lord, keep me humble and obedient, and help me seek Your will and not my own!

Personal Statement

The following is a personal statement of faith and summary of my calling to ministry. I was required to send this in as part of an application I submitted to an institution of higher learning. I figured I would reproduce it here. I spent last weekend at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary attending the Preview Conference hosted by the Seminary. If any of you would like to hear about that, let me know.

I was saved from my sin by Jesus Christ at the age of ten. I had been an angry and stubborn child. God used the wisdom of my father and the discipline of my parents to prod me in the right direction. One instance of discipline on February 22, 1997 resulted in a discussion of my position before Christ as a sinner. I had been raised in church, and knew all the "rules" and all the "principles" and all the Christian lingo. But in this case, I knew my father was right and realized my own folly and sin. I repented of the sinful behavior and attitudes I had held so tightly and asked Jesus to save me from the heart of sin I had. God was gracious and saved me, and granted me a place in heaven.

I am far from perfect, and I have struggled multiple times over the years with rebellious attitudes, a spirit of fearfulness, as well as sins of the mind and thought. God has brought discipline to bear several times to bring me in line with where He wants me. See "On A Clear Conscience," "To Testify," "A Life of Thoughts," and "Understanding Failure."
God has been gracious enough and has continued to drive me toward him. I feel that the song I wrote called "The Legacy" summarizes my stand in faith as best as I can.

I have been called to ministry. Titus 2:6 states: "And young men exhort to be sober-minded." If one looks at what that means, they will find that this verse is not a directive to keep young men from getting drunk, though that may be entailed as a part of the fuller meaning of the verse. What Titus 2:6 is really saying is "Teach young men discretion." As I look at society, I see a huge gap where men are not being men. Men aren't raising their sons to live moral and righteous lives. Decisions are based on whether or not something is easy or not. My calling is to stand in this gap and to mentor and disciple young men, to fill this void where fathers are not training their sons to be men. My aim and vision to fulfill this calling is to do the following: a) Turn the hearts of the sons to their fathers, and to give them a healthy respect for authority (Malachi 4:6), b) Teach young men how to make decisions using Scriptural principles and critical thinking, to make decisions based on the right or wrong thereof, not the easy or hard. To be men of character, not wimps. How to handle peer pressure, how to resolve disputes righteously, c) Teaching young men how to be financially free and secure so that when the time comes, they can support a family, d) Finally, teach young men how to complete useful tasks, such as mowing lawns, weed eating, window cleaning, weed pulling, gutter cleaning, basic painting jobs, how to clean bathrooms and dishes and floors. How God will work this out in my life is something I am not clear on, but for now, the next step in my life is equipping myself to fulfill these goals through a Seminary education. And because of this, I am submitting my application to Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and Southeastern College at Wake Forest, North Carolina.

On the Hypocrite

I heard a quote yesterday that was quite thought provoking. Richard Baxter was a Puritan leader who was addressing the other leaders of the Puritan movement on the subject of being above reproach, on letting the life you preach be the life you live. I am reproducing the quote here for your edification.

“Take heed to yourselves, lest your example contradict your doctrine, and lest you lay such stumbling blocks before the blind, as may be the occasion of their ruin; lest you unsay with your lives, what you say with your tongues; and be the greatest hinderers of the success of your own labours.

“Take heed to yourselves, lest you live in those sins which you preach against in others, and lest you be guilty of that which daily you condemn.

“Will you make it your work to magnify God, and, when you have done, dishonour him as much as others? Will you proclaim Christ’s governing power, and yet contemn it, and rebel yourselves? Will you preach his laws, and will-fully break them?

“If sin be evil, why do you live in it? if it be not, why do you dissuade men from it? If it be dangerous, how dare you venture on it? if it be not, why do you tell men so? If God’s threatenings be true, why do you not fear them? if they be false, why do you needlessly trouble men with them, and put them into such frights without a cause?

“‘Thou that teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery,’ or be drunk, or covetous, art thou such thyself? ‘Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God?’

“What! shall the same tongue speak evil that speakest against evil?

“Take heed to yourselves, lest you cry down sin, and yet do not overcome it; lest, while you seek to bring it down in others, you bow to it, and become its slaves yourselves: ‘For of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought into bondage.’ ‘To whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey, whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness.’ O brethren! it is easier to chide at sin, than to overcome it.”

I suggest that we read Romans 2 and combine this quote with the reprimand that Paul gives the Roman church.

" 1 Therefore you have no excuse, everyone of you who passes judgment, for in that which you judge another, you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things.

2 And we know that the judgment of God rightly falls upon those who practice such things.

3 But do you suppose this, O man, when you pass judgment on those who practice such things and do the same yourself, that you will escape the judgment of God?

4 Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?

5 But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God,

6 who WILL RENDER TO EACH PERSON ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS:

7 to those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life;

8 but to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation.

9 There will be tribulation and distress for every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek,

10 but glory and honor and peace to everyone who does good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

11 For there is no partiality with God."

Understanding Failure

What happens when you go into a week on your own strength to do something God-sized?
What happens when you count yourself a failure and try to do God's work with that attitude?

July 16-20 was a week set aside for a ministry project at the church I attended from the time I was very small. This church has taken the time to adapt the Vacation Bible School idea into their own Vacation Bible Adventure. The directors write the curriculum and music. I volunteered to assist during that week. I went into that week confident that it would be one of the most rewarding weeks I had experienced. My calling is to young men (based on Titus 2:6, which states: Young men exhort to be sober-minded) That calling directs me to teach young men discretion. What better way to "prove myself" than to work with middle-school aged children at this VBA? Assured that I was called and that I had committed myself to this duty, I plunged into the week in my own strength.

Lodging was difficult to find (God did bless me with a great place to stay at the last minute). Monday rolled in and I got 4 kids. Two of them were churched, well-behaved kids. The other two were friends, one from another local church and the other from Kentucky. The one from Kentucky was very open and asked many questions but had an undercurrent of anti-authority attitude. When he asked a question and I gave the answer, he would laugh.

Come Tuesday, the Kentucky kid asked for a Bible. His friend began using bad language. The other two kids were well-behaved. My team constantly was behind in every activity. I had a new child who was kind of shy. He came from a different church and obviously had a rough background. Wednesday, the new child was out of control and thought everything we were doing was beneath him. The concept of "team" was beyond his grasp. Obviously his intellect outshone the rest of us and he didn't need to be bothered with us. The child with the bad language was worse and began to cry when I called him on it. I spent that afternoon at the home of a friend, but when I tried to leave to go back to where I was staying, my car broke down. Didn't get home that night until 11.00 pm.

Thursday, the kid from Kentucky asked for Bible for his mom, brought another friend, and his friend that had already been coming. The "wild child" was wild, and the were the two kids who were well-behaved the whole week. Come game time, I was told that the three kids who were friends (including the one from Kentucky) were being moved to another team because I couldn't control my team. I had had to leave my car at my friend's home, so I called to get that towed, and had to pay to get that diagnosed and fixed.

Friday, I was told that I needed more experience and that maybe I would have better success next time. I picked up my car around 5 pm and went 2 miles. On Interstate 5 going Northbound at 65 MPH, my right rear tire blew. Not just a flat. The sidewall blew up. I nearly lost control of the car. I got off on the wrong side of the road because it was closer, and being new to incidents of this nature, I couldn't change the tire because I hadn't taken that car far enough from traffic. So I called Dad on one phone and 9-1-1 on the other. The State Patrol arrived, asked for vehicle registration and went back to the car to call a tow-truck. They came back to my car and told me a tow-truck would be there in an hour, and left. With my vehicle registration. I called Dad on one phone again, and 9-1-1 again on the other. The tow truck arrived before the police returned with my vehicle registration. While I was talking to the driver of the tow-truck, I came to the realization that he had no clue what he was doing when it came to a flat tire - other than pulling my car off the shoulder onto the median from the shoulder of the freeway. After finding a graceful way to dismiss the guy (with thanks for getting me far enough off to change the tire,) I began to change the tire (in nice clothes really not suited to changing a tire in the rain: did I mention it was raining?)

The State Patrolman arrived during the tire-change process and returned my vehicle registration with profuse apologies. After the tire was changed, I headed back onto the road and found a place to get gas, eat, a friend who could check the tire and make sure I had tightened it as hard as necessary. I didn't get home till nearly ten pm.

Quite the week. I think God was trying to get my attention. I knew I had failed. I had taken the week into my own hands and messed it up. Which is what made it a failure. Two weeks later, we had another Vacation Bible Adventure (VBA) at my own church (where Dad is the pastor). The leadership nicely told me that because of my performance at the other VBA, my responsibilities were changed and I would be working with a younger age group that they thought would be easier for me to handle.

Having assessed my own performance at the previous event, I came to the (foolish) conclusion that I was a failure and would never measure up. Consequently, I went into the week with a very low expectation of myself. Good move. NOT!!!!! My responsibilities were changed on Monday morning back to the older age group. Wednesday they were switched back. My attitude reflected in my behavior and I was a bad example to those around me - constantly either saying the wrong thing, or doing something to raise eyebrows from the leadership. And that's how my week was. No problems with the kids.

My point here is that failure is not just a matter of character but also a matter of perspective. I have to say that my attitude the second week reflected just as negatively on the work of the church as my performance the first week.

It doesn't pay to jump into something without God's clear direction. But you can't beat yourself up for the consequences that you face either. Sure, there'll be discipline and consequences for your actions if they take place without the guidance of our Father in Heaven. Don't take those consequences and have yourself a pity party like I did. Get up and move on. "The just man falleth seven times and riseth up again, but the wicked shall fall into mischief." Don't let that fall into mischief be you. If you fall, get up again, and don't be too prideful to ask for help. Rest assured, God will send someone to help, or he will send punishment if you fail to heed the warnings He sends.

My View vs. God's View

Often when I am examining where I stand in relation to the vision God has given me for ministry, when I am looking at current happenings in my life, I wonder what I am missing. Or if I am missing something. I feel like I've only scratched the surface. And I read Isaiah 55:8, and see '"For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways," declares the Lord.'

My view:

God's View:

The Provocation of Thought

I was on the road yesterday and ran across a bumpersticker that said the following: "Pardon me! Your Christianity is on backwards!" I was quite taken aback, but I began to really think. What does this actually mean?

Does it mean that we need to quit "forcing our religion" on someone until we can act like Christians?

Does it just mean to act more like a Christian? (What's the definition of Christian???)

How many of us think we've made it and are good Christians? Does that mean we need to step back and examine ourselves to see if we really *are* putting on our Christianity backwards?

And, isn't Christianity more than just "putting" something on? It's more of a state of being is it not?

Let's discuss this! Let me know what you think! Post in the comments section (moderated!)

The Importance of Forgiveness

On my last post, "Aged P" commented as follows: '"...not counting their trespasses against them..."?? Ouch!!' Aged P made a point that I think it well to expand upon. I will do so by sharing the following story.

One night in a church service a young woman felt the tug of God at her heart. She responded to God's call and accepted Jesus as her Lord and Savior. The young woman had a very rough past, involving alcohol, drugs, and prostitution but the change in her was evident. As time went on she became a faithful member of the church.

She eventually became involved in the ministry, teaching young children. It was not very long until this faithful young woman had caught the eye and heart of the pastor's son. The relationship grew and they began to make wedding plans. This is when the problems began. You see, about one half of the church did not think that a woman with a past such as hers was suitable for a pastor's son. The church began to argue and fight about the matter.

So they decided to have a meeting. As the people made their arguments and tensions increased, the meeting was getting completely out of hand. The young woman became very upset about all the things being brought up about her past. As she began to cry the pastor's son stood to speak. He could not bear the pain it was causing his wife-to-be. He began to speak and his statement was this: "My fiancee's past is not what is on trial here. What you are questioning is the ability of the blood of Jesus to wash away sin. Today you have put the blood of Jesus on trial. So, does it wash away sin or not?" The whole church began to weep as they realized that they had been slandering the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Too often, even as Christians, we bring up the past and use it as a weapon against our brothers and sisters.

Forgiveness is a very foundational part of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians 4 tells us to forgive one another because Christ has forgiven us. So for us to be involved in ministry and still hold others responsible for what they did (or didn't) do for us, is wrong. God will hold them accountable, but He will hold you accountable for whether or not you did His will and shared what He told you to.

So You Want to be in Ministry?

So you want to be involved in ministry? Why? Because it sounds fun? Because you want to make a difference in the world and don't know how other than that? Seriously, ministry is not for the wimps in this life. Ministry is not for those who are unwilling to be involved in conflict. For those of you who have a desire to be involved in ministry, let's take a look at what it will take.

To start with, you have to know who you are and remember that it is NOT about you. It's about Jesus and His ministry; it's about reconciliation with God, not about [your name here.] 2 Corinthians 5:18-21 says "Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation,
namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation.
Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."

Another important factor is to realize that ministry is dangerous - it can be a difficult, physically, emotionally, and spiritually draining thing. Read 2 Corinthians 6:4-10, 2 Corinthians 11:23-28, and 2 Corinthians 12:10. Paul didn't exactly have an easy time of it. People will say difficult and harmful things to you, about you, and do everything in their power to damage your reputation. The important thing to remember in such circumstances is the fact that it's not your reputation at stake, but God's. He is fully capable of protecting His own reputation. If you are following the will of Jesus Christ for your life, you won't be tarnishing His reputation in any way. And those who try and tear it down face His wrath, not yours. If you want to know how to respond in suffering, read 1 Peter 4.

Don't let me discourage you from the ministry if that is God's calling on your life though. It is an incredible way to grow and the rewards are unbelievable. Philippians 3:14 tells me that any calling of Jesus is a high calling. 1 Timothy 3:1 tells us that the office of overseer (church leader - a whole study in itself) is a good work and desirable. "For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain!" Paul wrote that to the Philippians in chapter 1:21. That is an exalted perspective. Not to be concerned with what people think or how they will respond but to be wholly focused on serving Jesus and abandoned to His work in my life, and the lives of those around me. "Have this mind in you which was also in Christ Jesus..."