I have recently finished reading a book that I think is a must read for every person who is in a position of leadership: “The Serving Leader” by Ken Jennings and John Stahl-Wert”. (To look inside this book and read the first few pages, go to: http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/1576752658/ref=sib_dp_pt#reader-link )
(Web site for “The Serving Leader”: http://www.trinityplacepartners.com/servingleader/authors/index.html#links
For a long time, I have tried to understand how a leader could be a servant and how a servant could be a leader. I know that the answer is found in Jesus by investigating the example He modeled during His earthly ministry. But, in my frustration, I know that I am not Jesus and I have never been able to integrate leadership and servanthood.
The book that I have mentioned has helped me gain some decisive insight on how a leader can be a servant and how a servant can be a leader. During the course of my reading the book, I was convicted by the Spirit of God about some areas of pride in my life and some areas where I need to demonstrate humility, which is the primary quality of a servant.
The book is written, primarily from a business perspective, but it also is written from a religious perspective. You can find out more about the authors by going to: http://www.3rd-river.com/ (Ken Jennings) and http://www.plf.org/ (John Stahl-Wert). Stahl-Wert is an ordained pastor in the Mennonite Church and is a professor in the Department of Leadership Studies at Geneva College (graduate school) http://www.geneva.edu. Ken Jennings is a faculty member of the Bethel School of Leadership (which is associated with Bethel College and Seminary. I am trying to get more info).
If I could buy a copy of this book for everyone in leadership, I would in a heartbeat. That’s how important I believe this book is. Amazon has used copies of the book beginning at $2.20 plus shipping and I have always been pleased with the quality of used books bought through Amazon.
Because the Spirit of God will not leave me alone on this issue in my life, I have written the following. Some of it is original and some of it is adapted from: “Dying To Self” by Gene Warr, Video Tape, Wise Investments, Copyright 1977, International Evangelism Association. Gene Warr is one of my heroes who has since gone on to enjoy the presence of God in heaven. http://www.discipleshiplibrary.com/gene_warr.php)
(By the way, I am still working on this area of my life and I’m still working on what I have written below. I think it will take a lifetime considering how well I know myself).
_____________________________________________________________
What is a servant?
A servant empties himself of pride.
A servant doesn’t talk about himself but lets others talk themselves.
A servant doesn’t try to control conversations in a group of people.
A servant isn’t jealous.
A servant isn’t angry.
A servant isn’t greedy.
A servant isn’t malicious.
A servant isn’t slanderous.
A servant doesn’t exalt himself.
A servant doesn’t need to be recognized for what he does.
A servant doesn’t need to promote himself.
A servant doesn’t need to be the first in line and is actually glad to be the last one in line.
A servant doesn’t expect other people to serve him but looks for ways to serve others.
A servant understands that the rules apply to him just as much as they apply to everyone else.
A servant wants to be lowly.
A servant knows that he has no rights and expects no special privileges.
A servant wants to be crucified and wants to die to the flesh.
A servant doesn’t brag on himself and doesn’t need to feel important to other people.
A servant is glad when he is treated like a servant not just called a servant.
A servant isn’t hurt when he is forgotten or overlooked but he is happy for being counted worthy to suffer for Christ.
A servant refuses to let anger rise in his heart and refuses to defend himself when his good is evil spoken of, when his wishes are ignored, when his advice is disregarded, and his opinion ridiculed, and takes it all in patient, loving silence.
A servant lovingly and patiently bears any insensitivity and annoyances from other people.
A servant doesn’t itch after commendation and truly loves to be unknown.
A servant rejoices, feels no envy, nor questions God when he sees others around him prosper and have their needs met while his own needs are far greater and in more desperate circumstances and have yet to have been fulfilled.
A servant humbly submits inwardly and outwardly when he receives correction and reproof from someone and allows no rebellion or resentment to rise up within his heart.
A servant doesn’t think more highly of himself than he ought to and considers every other person in his life a special gift of God, created by Him for a special purpose.
A servant is content with the level of God’s provisions of his financial, physical, and spiritual needs and trusts His Master to always take care of everything he needs.
And, finally, because he understands that the heart of Jesus lives within him, the servant knows that his humility and his lowliness are his gifts to the kingdom of God.
What is a servant?
Ah, now, that is something you will have to answer for yourself.
My Favorite Books
I have always had an interest in what books are being read, or have been read, by pastors, leaders, authors, etc. Here is a list of books that have been beneficial to me over the years.
My Utmost For His Highest-Oswald Chambers (best daily teaching devotional)
Streams In The Desert-Mrs. Charles Cowman (best devotional for daily comfort)
This Morning With God-Carol Adney, editor, InterVarsity Press (best daily devotional for Bible study: book is out of print but Amazon.com has used copies)
Hinds Feet On High Places-Hannah Hurnard (one of the best books on understanding trials we go through)
Lottie Moon-Una Lawrence (biography about great missionary to China, 1873 to 1912)
Hudson Taylor's Spiritual Secret-Dr. Howard Taylor (biography about great missionary to China, 1853-1900)
A Chance to Die: The Life and Legacy of Amy Carmichael-Elisabeth Elliot
Autobiography of George Muller-George Mueller
Answers to Prayer-George Muller
Daws: A Man Who Trusted God-Betty Skinner http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0891097961/ref=sib_dp_pt#reader-link (biography about Dawson Trotman, founder of The Navigators
The Navigator-Robert Foster (another biography about Dawson Trotman)
Through Gates Of Splendor-Elisabeth Elliot (The story of Jim Elliot and four other missionaries killed in Ecuador by Auca Indians in 1956)
Shadow of the Almighty-Elisabeth Elliot (The personal life story of Jim Elliot, including personal journals and letters, his love story,
his missionary preparation and experience)
Jungle Pilot by Russell T. Hitt (the story of the pilot who was killed in Ecuador with Jim Elliot and three other missionaries)
Brokenness-Nancy Leigh DeMoss http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0802412815/ref=sib_dp_pt#reader-link (one of my textbooks for my classes at Fruitland)
Surrender-Nancy Leigh DeMoss http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0802412807/ref=sib_dp_pt#reader-link
Ablaze With His Glory-Del Fehsenfeld, Jr. (hard to find, out of print, used copies available, will be reprinted soon/one of my textbooks for my classes at Fruitland)
Concentric Circles Of Concern-Oscar Thompson, Jr. (best book on evangelism) (first edition)
Love Must Be Tough-James Dobson http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/141431745X/ref=sib_dp_pt#reader-link (best book on relationships of any kind; dating, marriage, friendships, etc.)
Don’t Waste Your Sorrows-Paul Billheimer (spiritual growth through suffering and sorrow, finding God’s purpose in the midst of pain)
Communicating For A Change-Andy Stanley (great book for preachers and teachers) http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/1590525140/ref=sib_dp_pt#reader-link (written in allegory)
The Key To Triumphant Living-Jack Taylor (the key is: Christ in you!)
In His Steps-Charles Sheldon (what would Jesus do? Read entire book online at: http://www.kancoll.org/books/sheldon/ (one of my textbooks for my classes at Fruitland)
Tale Of Three Kings: a study in brokenness-Gene Edwards http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0842369082/ref=sib_dp_pt#reader-link (allegory)
The Divine Romance-Gene Edwards http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0842310924/ref=sib_dp_pt#reader-link (allegory, a majestic rendition of the love of God)
The Mind Of Christ-T.W. Hunt http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0805463496/ref=sib_dp_pt#reader-link (I have learned more about the Christian life from T.W. Hunt than anyone else I know/one of my textbooks for my classes at Fruitland)
Experiencing God (workbook)-Henry Blackaby (one of my textbooks for my classes at Fruitland)
Seeking Him (workbook)-Nancy Leigh Demoss (one of my textbooks for my classes at Fruitland)
The following books are not “religious” books but the books have been beneficial to me in the ministry and in my personal life:
Tuesdays With Morrie-Mitch Albom http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/076790592X/ref=sib_dp_pt#reader-link (great book on dealing with a loved one or friend who is dying)
The following books deal with the subject of leadership from the business world and all of the following books are easy to read and written in the style of allegory. Once you start reading these books you might not want to put them down. Amazon has used copies at great prices. I have never been disappointed buying used copies from Amazon and I have always been surprised at the quality of the used books.
The Serving Leader-by Ken Jennings and John Stahl-Wert (I have tried to determine, in the past, how a pastor can be a leader and a servant at the same time. Also, I have tried to determine how a servant could be a leader. This book helps to understand how servanthood and leadership can work together. To read an excerpt, go to: http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/1576753085/ref=sib_dp_pt#reader-link
Who Moved My Cheese-Spencer Johnson (how to deal with change) http://www.scribd.com/doc/969701/Who-Moved-My-Cheese-by-Spencer-Johnson?query2=who%20moved%20my%20cheese%20free%20book%20download
The One Minute Manager-Ken Blanchard and Spencer Johnson (how to supervise people) http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0688014291/ref=sib_dp_pt#reader-link
The One Minute Father-Spencer Johnson http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0688144055/ref=sib_dp_pt#reader-link
The One Minute Mother-Spender Johnson http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0688144047/ref=sib_dp_pt#reader-link
Precious Present-Spencer Johnson (your life is a precious present that you give to others in your life-you are important. Read the book online at: http://www.livinglifefully.com/flo/flopreciouspresent.htm and takes about five minutes)
Gung Ho!-Ken Blanchard and Sheldon Bowles http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/068815428X/ref=sib_dp_pt#reader-link
High Five-Ken Blanchard and Sheldon Bowles (the importance of teamwork) http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0688170366/ref=sib_dp_pt#reader-link
The Fish! books deal with how to boost morale in the workplace. Easy to read, written in allegory. Go to: http://www.charthouse.com/content.aspx?name=home2 for more info.
Fish!- Stephen C. Lundin http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0786866020/ref=sib_dp_pt#reader-link The FISH! Philosophy is a simple way to build stronger relationships that equip you to face your challenges more effectively in an organization)
Fish Sticks- Stephen C. Lundin http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0786868163/ref=sib_dp_pt#reader-link (boost morale in any organization)
Fish Tales-Stephen C. Lundin http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0786868686/ref=sib_dp_pt#reader-link (real life stories of Fish! principles)
Fish For Life- Stephen C. Lundin http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/1401300715/ref=sib_dp_pt#reader-link (use Fish! principles to achieve your mission)
Schools Of Fish-Philip Strand http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/1401303005/ref=sib_dp_pt#reader-link (testimonies of teachers, principals, schools who put into practice FISH! principles-great for anyone in education)
Also for teachers:
Teach Like Your Hair’s On Fire-Rafe Esquith http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0670038156/ref=sib_dp_pt#reader-link
There Are No Shortcuts- Rafe Esquith http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/1400030838/ref=sib_dp_pt#reader-link
My Utmost For His Highest-Oswald Chambers (best daily teaching devotional)
Streams In The Desert-Mrs. Charles Cowman (best devotional for daily comfort)
This Morning With God-Carol Adney, editor, InterVarsity Press (best daily devotional for Bible study: book is out of print but Amazon.com has used copies)
Hinds Feet On High Places-Hannah Hurnard (one of the best books on understanding trials we go through)
Lottie Moon-Una Lawrence (biography about great missionary to China, 1873 to 1912)
Hudson Taylor's Spiritual Secret-Dr. Howard Taylor (biography about great missionary to China, 1853-1900)
A Chance to Die: The Life and Legacy of Amy Carmichael-Elisabeth Elliot
Autobiography of George Muller-George Mueller
Answers to Prayer-George Muller
Daws: A Man Who Trusted God-Betty Skinner http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0891097961/ref=sib_dp_pt#reader-link (biography about Dawson Trotman, founder of The Navigators
The Navigator-Robert Foster (another biography about Dawson Trotman)
Through Gates Of Splendor-Elisabeth Elliot (The story of Jim Elliot and four other missionaries killed in Ecuador by Auca Indians in 1956)
Shadow of the Almighty-Elisabeth Elliot (The personal life story of Jim Elliot, including personal journals and letters, his love story,
his missionary preparation and experience)
Jungle Pilot by Russell T. Hitt (the story of the pilot who was killed in Ecuador with Jim Elliot and three other missionaries)
Brokenness-Nancy Leigh DeMoss http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0802412815/ref=sib_dp_pt#reader-link (one of my textbooks for my classes at Fruitland)
Surrender-Nancy Leigh DeMoss http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0802412807/ref=sib_dp_pt#reader-link
Ablaze With His Glory-Del Fehsenfeld, Jr. (hard to find, out of print, used copies available, will be reprinted soon/one of my textbooks for my classes at Fruitland)
Concentric Circles Of Concern-Oscar Thompson, Jr. (best book on evangelism) (first edition)
Love Must Be Tough-James Dobson http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/141431745X/ref=sib_dp_pt#reader-link (best book on relationships of any kind; dating, marriage, friendships, etc.)
Don’t Waste Your Sorrows-Paul Billheimer (spiritual growth through suffering and sorrow, finding God’s purpose in the midst of pain)
Communicating For A Change-Andy Stanley (great book for preachers and teachers) http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/1590525140/ref=sib_dp_pt#reader-link (written in allegory)
The Key To Triumphant Living-Jack Taylor (the key is: Christ in you!)
In His Steps-Charles Sheldon (what would Jesus do? Read entire book online at: http://www.kancoll.org/books/sheldon/ (one of my textbooks for my classes at Fruitland)
Tale Of Three Kings: a study in brokenness-Gene Edwards http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0842369082/ref=sib_dp_pt#reader-link (allegory)
The Divine Romance-Gene Edwards http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0842310924/ref=sib_dp_pt#reader-link (allegory, a majestic rendition of the love of God)
The Mind Of Christ-T.W. Hunt http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0805463496/ref=sib_dp_pt#reader-link (I have learned more about the Christian life from T.W. Hunt than anyone else I know/one of my textbooks for my classes at Fruitland)
Experiencing God (workbook)-Henry Blackaby (one of my textbooks for my classes at Fruitland)
Seeking Him (workbook)-Nancy Leigh Demoss (one of my textbooks for my classes at Fruitland)
The following books are not “religious” books but the books have been beneficial to me in the ministry and in my personal life:
Tuesdays With Morrie-Mitch Albom http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/076790592X/ref=sib_dp_pt#reader-link (great book on dealing with a loved one or friend who is dying)
The following books deal with the subject of leadership from the business world and all of the following books are easy to read and written in the style of allegory. Once you start reading these books you might not want to put them down. Amazon has used copies at great prices. I have never been disappointed buying used copies from Amazon and I have always been surprised at the quality of the used books.
The Serving Leader-by Ken Jennings and John Stahl-Wert (I have tried to determine, in the past, how a pastor can be a leader and a servant at the same time. Also, I have tried to determine how a servant could be a leader. This book helps to understand how servanthood and leadership can work together. To read an excerpt, go to: http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/1576753085/ref=sib_dp_pt#reader-link
Who Moved My Cheese-Spencer Johnson (how to deal with change) http://www.scribd.com/doc/969701/Who-Moved-My-Cheese-by-Spencer-Johnson?query2=who%20moved%20my%20cheese%20free%20book%20download
The One Minute Manager-Ken Blanchard and Spencer Johnson (how to supervise people) http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0688014291/ref=sib_dp_pt#reader-link
The One Minute Father-Spencer Johnson http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0688144055/ref=sib_dp_pt#reader-link
The One Minute Mother-Spender Johnson http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0688144047/ref=sib_dp_pt#reader-link
Precious Present-Spencer Johnson (your life is a precious present that you give to others in your life-you are important. Read the book online at: http://www.livinglifefully.com/flo/flopreciouspresent.htm and takes about five minutes)
Gung Ho!-Ken Blanchard and Sheldon Bowles http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/068815428X/ref=sib_dp_pt#reader-link
High Five-Ken Blanchard and Sheldon Bowles (the importance of teamwork) http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0688170366/ref=sib_dp_pt#reader-link
The Fish! books deal with how to boost morale in the workplace. Easy to read, written in allegory. Go to: http://www.charthouse.com/content.aspx?name=home2 for more info.
Fish!- Stephen C. Lundin http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0786866020/ref=sib_dp_pt#reader-link The FISH! Philosophy is a simple way to build stronger relationships that equip you to face your challenges more effectively in an organization)
Fish Sticks- Stephen C. Lundin http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0786868163/ref=sib_dp_pt#reader-link (boost morale in any organization)
Fish Tales-Stephen C. Lundin http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0786868686/ref=sib_dp_pt#reader-link (real life stories of Fish! principles)
Fish For Life- Stephen C. Lundin http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/1401300715/ref=sib_dp_pt#reader-link (use Fish! principles to achieve your mission)
Schools Of Fish-Philip Strand http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/1401303005/ref=sib_dp_pt#reader-link (testimonies of teachers, principals, schools who put into practice FISH! principles-great for anyone in education)
Also for teachers:
Teach Like Your Hair’s On Fire-Rafe Esquith http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0670038156/ref=sib_dp_pt#reader-link
There Are No Shortcuts- Rafe Esquith http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/1400030838/ref=sib_dp_pt#reader-link
Marine Corps Leadership Traits
http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/usmc/leadership_traits.htm
The 14 leadership traits are qualities of thought and action which, if demonstrated in daily activities, help Marines earn the respect, confidence, and loyal cooperation of other Marines. It is extremely important that you understand the meaning of each leadership trait and how to develop it, so you know what goals to set as you work to become a good leader and a good follower.
JUSTICE
Definition: Justice is defined as the practice of being fair and consistent. A just person gives consideration to each side of a situation and bases rewards or punishments on merit.
Suggestions for Improvement: Be honest with yourself about why you make a particular decision. Avoid favoritism. Try to be fair at all times and treat all things and people in an equal manner.
JUDGMENT
Definition: Judgment is your ability to think about things clearly, calmly, and in an orderly fashion so that you can make good decisions.
Suggestions for Improvement: You can improve your judgment if you avoid making rash decisions. Approach problems with a common sense attitude.
DEPENDABILITY
Definition: Dependability means that you can be relied upon to perform your duties properly. It means that you can be trusted to complete a job. It is the willing and voluntary support of the policies and orders of the chain of command. Dependability also means consistently putting forth your best effort in an attempt to achieve the highest standards of performance.
Suggestions for Improvement: You can increase your dependability by forming the habit of being where you're supposed to be on time, by not making excuses and by carrying out every task to the best of your ability regardless of whether you like it or agree with it.
INITIATIVE
Definition: Initiative is taking action even though you haven't been given orders. It means meeting new and unexpected situations with prompt action. It includes using resourcefulness to get something done without the normal material or methods being available to you.
Suggestions for Improvement: To improve your initiative, work on staying mentally and physically alert. Be aware of things that need to be done and then to do them without having to be told.
DECISIVENESS
Definition: Decisiveness means that you are able to make good decisions without delay. Get all the facts and weight them against each other. By acting calmly and quickly, you should arrive at a sound decision. You announce your decisions in a clear, firm, professional manner.
Suggestions for Improvement: Practice being positive in your actions instead of acting half-heartedly or changing your mind on an issue.
TACT
Definition: Tact means that you can deal with people in a manner that will maintain good relations and avoid problems. It means that you are polite, calm, and firm.
Suggestions for Improvement: Begin to develop your tact by trying to be courteous and cheerful at all times. Treat others as you would like to be treated.
INTEGRITY
Definition: Integrity means that you are honest and truthful in what you say or do. You put honesty, sense of duty, and sound moral principles above all else.
Suggestions for Improvement: Be absolutely honest and truthful at all times. Stand up for what you believe to be right.
ENTHUSIASM
Definition: Enthusiasm is defined as a sincere interest and exuberance in the performance of your duties. If you are enthusiastic, you are optimistic, cheerful, and willing to accept the challenges.
Suggestions for Improvement: Understanding and belief in your mission will add to your enthusiasm for your job. Try to understand why even uninteresting jobs must be done.
BEARING
Definition: Bearing is the way you conduct and carry yourself. Your manner should reflect alertness, competence, confidence, and control.
Suggestions for Improvement: To develop bearing, you should hold yourself to the highest standards of personal conduct. Never be content with meeting only the minimum requirements.
UNSELFISHNESS
Definition: Unselfishness means that you avoid making yourself comfortable at the expense of others. Be considerate of others. Give credit to those who deserve it.
Suggestions for Improvement: Avoid using your position or rank for personal gain, safety, or pleasure at the expensive of others. Be considerate of others.
COURAGE
Definition: Courage is what allows you to remain calm while recognizing fear. Moral courage means having the inner strength to stand up for what is right and to accept blame when something is your fault. Physical courage means that you can continue to function effectively when there is physical danger present.
Suggestions for Improvement: You can begin to control fear by practicing self-discipline and calmness. If you fear doing certain things required in your daily life, force yourself to do them until you can control your reaction.
KNOWLEDGE
Definition: Knowledge is the understanding of a science or art. Knowledge means that you have acquired information and that you understand people. Your knowledge should be broad, and in addition to knowing your job, you should know your unit's policies and keep up with current events.
Suggestions for Improvement: Suggestions for Improvement: Increase your knowledge by remaining alert. Listen, observe, and find out about things you don't understand. Study field manuals and other military literature.
LOYALTY
Definition: Loyalty means that you are devoted to your country, the Corps, and to your seniors, peers, and subordinates. The motto of our Corps is Semper Fidelis!, (Always Faithful). You owe unwavering loyalty up and down the chain of command, to seniors, subordinates, and peers.
Suggestions for Improvement: To improve your loyalty you should show your loyalty by never discussing the problems of the Marine Corps or your unit with outsiders. Never talk about seniors unfavorably in front of your subordinates. Once a decision is made and the order is given to execute it, carry out that order willingly as if it were your own.
ENDURANCE
Definition: Endurance is the mental and physical stamina that is measured by your ability to withstand pain, fatigue, stress, and hardship. For example, enduring pain during a conditioning march in order to improve stamina is crucial in the development of leadership.
Suggestions for Improvement: Develop your endurance by engaging in physical training that will strengthen your body. Finish every task to the best of your ability by forcing yourself to continue when you are physically tired and your mind is sluggish
The 14 leadership traits are qualities of thought and action which, if demonstrated in daily activities, help Marines earn the respect, confidence, and loyal cooperation of other Marines. It is extremely important that you understand the meaning of each leadership trait and how to develop it, so you know what goals to set as you work to become a good leader and a good follower.
JUSTICE
Definition: Justice is defined as the practice of being fair and consistent. A just person gives consideration to each side of a situation and bases rewards or punishments on merit.
Suggestions for Improvement: Be honest with yourself about why you make a particular decision. Avoid favoritism. Try to be fair at all times and treat all things and people in an equal manner.
JUDGMENT
Definition: Judgment is your ability to think about things clearly, calmly, and in an orderly fashion so that you can make good decisions.
Suggestions for Improvement: You can improve your judgment if you avoid making rash decisions. Approach problems with a common sense attitude.
DEPENDABILITY
Definition: Dependability means that you can be relied upon to perform your duties properly. It means that you can be trusted to complete a job. It is the willing and voluntary support of the policies and orders of the chain of command. Dependability also means consistently putting forth your best effort in an attempt to achieve the highest standards of performance.
Suggestions for Improvement: You can increase your dependability by forming the habit of being where you're supposed to be on time, by not making excuses and by carrying out every task to the best of your ability regardless of whether you like it or agree with it.
INITIATIVE
Definition: Initiative is taking action even though you haven't been given orders. It means meeting new and unexpected situations with prompt action. It includes using resourcefulness to get something done without the normal material or methods being available to you.
Suggestions for Improvement: To improve your initiative, work on staying mentally and physically alert. Be aware of things that need to be done and then to do them without having to be told.
DECISIVENESS
Definition: Decisiveness means that you are able to make good decisions without delay. Get all the facts and weight them against each other. By acting calmly and quickly, you should arrive at a sound decision. You announce your decisions in a clear, firm, professional manner.
Suggestions for Improvement: Practice being positive in your actions instead of acting half-heartedly or changing your mind on an issue.
TACT
Definition: Tact means that you can deal with people in a manner that will maintain good relations and avoid problems. It means that you are polite, calm, and firm.
Suggestions for Improvement: Begin to develop your tact by trying to be courteous and cheerful at all times. Treat others as you would like to be treated.
INTEGRITY
Definition: Integrity means that you are honest and truthful in what you say or do. You put honesty, sense of duty, and sound moral principles above all else.
Suggestions for Improvement: Be absolutely honest and truthful at all times. Stand up for what you believe to be right.
ENTHUSIASM
Definition: Enthusiasm is defined as a sincere interest and exuberance in the performance of your duties. If you are enthusiastic, you are optimistic, cheerful, and willing to accept the challenges.
Suggestions for Improvement: Understanding and belief in your mission will add to your enthusiasm for your job. Try to understand why even uninteresting jobs must be done.
BEARING
Definition: Bearing is the way you conduct and carry yourself. Your manner should reflect alertness, competence, confidence, and control.
Suggestions for Improvement: To develop bearing, you should hold yourself to the highest standards of personal conduct. Never be content with meeting only the minimum requirements.
UNSELFISHNESS
Definition: Unselfishness means that you avoid making yourself comfortable at the expense of others. Be considerate of others. Give credit to those who deserve it.
Suggestions for Improvement: Avoid using your position or rank for personal gain, safety, or pleasure at the expensive of others. Be considerate of others.
COURAGE
Definition: Courage is what allows you to remain calm while recognizing fear. Moral courage means having the inner strength to stand up for what is right and to accept blame when something is your fault. Physical courage means that you can continue to function effectively when there is physical danger present.
Suggestions for Improvement: You can begin to control fear by practicing self-discipline and calmness. If you fear doing certain things required in your daily life, force yourself to do them until you can control your reaction.
KNOWLEDGE
Definition: Knowledge is the understanding of a science or art. Knowledge means that you have acquired information and that you understand people. Your knowledge should be broad, and in addition to knowing your job, you should know your unit's policies and keep up with current events.
Suggestions for Improvement: Suggestions for Improvement: Increase your knowledge by remaining alert. Listen, observe, and find out about things you don't understand. Study field manuals and other military literature.
LOYALTY
Definition: Loyalty means that you are devoted to your country, the Corps, and to your seniors, peers, and subordinates. The motto of our Corps is Semper Fidelis!, (Always Faithful). You owe unwavering loyalty up and down the chain of command, to seniors, subordinates, and peers.
Suggestions for Improvement: To improve your loyalty you should show your loyalty by never discussing the problems of the Marine Corps or your unit with outsiders. Never talk about seniors unfavorably in front of your subordinates. Once a decision is made and the order is given to execute it, carry out that order willingly as if it were your own.
ENDURANCE
Definition: Endurance is the mental and physical stamina that is measured by your ability to withstand pain, fatigue, stress, and hardship. For example, enduring pain during a conditioning march in order to improve stamina is crucial in the development of leadership.
Suggestions for Improvement: Develop your endurance by engaging in physical training that will strengthen your body. Finish every task to the best of your ability by forcing yourself to continue when you are physically tired and your mind is sluggish
Where is your kingdom?
Alistair MacLean quotes a story about John Tauber, the German mystic of the 13th Century.
One day John Tauber met a beggar. "God give you a good day, my friend," he said. The begger answered, "I thank God I have never had a bad one." Then Tauber said, "God give you a happy life, my friend." "I thank God," replied the beggar, "I am never unhappy."
An amazed Tauber said, "What do you mean every day is a good one, and every day is a happy one." "Well," said the beggar, "when it is fine I thank God, when it rains I thank God. When I have plenty I thank God, when I am hungry I thank God. Since God's will is my will, whatever pleases Him pleases me."
Tauber looked at the man in astonishment. "Who are you?" he said. "I am a king," replied the beggar. "And where is your kingdom, Tauber asked?"
"It is in my heart", the beggar replied.
One day John Tauber met a beggar. "God give you a good day, my friend," he said. The begger answered, "I thank God I have never had a bad one." Then Tauber said, "God give you a happy life, my friend." "I thank God," replied the beggar, "I am never unhappy."
An amazed Tauber said, "What do you mean every day is a good one, and every day is a happy one." "Well," said the beggar, "when it is fine I thank God, when it rains I thank God. When I have plenty I thank God, when I am hungry I thank God. Since God's will is my will, whatever pleases Him pleases me."
Tauber looked at the man in astonishment. "Who are you?" he said. "I am a king," replied the beggar. "And where is your kingdom, Tauber asked?"
"It is in my heart", the beggar replied.
The Importance of Purpose
When Christopher Columbus sailed from Spain in 1492:
1. He didn't know where he was going.
2. When he got there he did not where he was.
3. When he returned he did not know where he had been.
4. But what he did know was that he had a purpose: His commission (purpose) that he received from the King and Queen of Spain stated:
“it is hoped that by God’s assistance some of the continents and islands in the ocean will be discovered…’
1. He didn't know where he was going.
2. When he got there he did not where he was.
3. When he returned he did not know where he had been.
4. But what he did know was that he had a purpose: His commission (purpose) that he received from the King and Queen of Spain stated:
“it is hoped that by God’s assistance some of the continents and islands in the ocean will be discovered…’
The following is from the book “More Than Meets the Eye” by Richard Swenson.
Our God is uncontrollable (that is, man cannot manipulate Him). If we want to come to Him we must come to Him on His terms. He gives us rest but only after He has shaken the foundations of our lives. He spoke the universe into existence. Nothingness obeys His voice.
He controls time, space, matter, and light. He monitors the position of every elementary particle. He is sufficient unto Himself. He does not need anybody or anything to accomplish His purposes. He answers to no one.
He obeys only His own counsel. He works on thousands of levels all at the same time. His scientific sophistication is unfathomable. His intelligence is so superior, according to Einstein, that in comparison “all the systematic thinking and acting of human beings is an utterly insignificant reflection.”
Look up the word “omnipotent”(all-powerful). Either He is or He isn’t. And if He is, we had better prepare ourselves to accept the consequences. God’s power is undeniable; His precision is impressive; His sovereignty is on display. Why then do we live in such a stupor? How can such power fail to dominate our every thought and action?
It is not that God has failed to clearly demonstrate His nature, or that He has been lax in instructing us. It is just that we are slow to understand. Out eyesight is dim. This world is too much with us.
What we need is a new vision of God. The real God. Not some vague image we fold up and stuff in the back drawer of life, but the kind of God who parts the Red Sea and shakes Mount Sinai.
Try to imagine what it would be like to cross into eternity for just ten minutes and sit in the presence of God. If we could do that and then return to live out our lives, what would change? Everything. And the change would be complete.
Our God is uncontrollable (that is, man cannot manipulate Him). If we want to come to Him we must come to Him on His terms. He gives us rest but only after He has shaken the foundations of our lives. He spoke the universe into existence. Nothingness obeys His voice.
He controls time, space, matter, and light. He monitors the position of every elementary particle. He is sufficient unto Himself. He does not need anybody or anything to accomplish His purposes. He answers to no one.
He obeys only His own counsel. He works on thousands of levels all at the same time. His scientific sophistication is unfathomable. His intelligence is so superior, according to Einstein, that in comparison “all the systematic thinking and acting of human beings is an utterly insignificant reflection.”
Look up the word “omnipotent”(all-powerful). Either He is or He isn’t. And if He is, we had better prepare ourselves to accept the consequences. God’s power is undeniable; His precision is impressive; His sovereignty is on display. Why then do we live in such a stupor? How can such power fail to dominate our every thought and action?
It is not that God has failed to clearly demonstrate His nature, or that He has been lax in instructing us. It is just that we are slow to understand. Out eyesight is dim. This world is too much with us.
What we need is a new vision of God. The real God. Not some vague image we fold up and stuff in the back drawer of life, but the kind of God who parts the Red Sea and shakes Mount Sinai.
Try to imagine what it would be like to cross into eternity for just ten minutes and sit in the presence of God. If we could do that and then return to live out our lives, what would change? Everything. And the change would be complete.
Top Ten Criticisms of All About Me Church
We, the deacons of All About Me Church, upon receiving from the congregation a list of complaints about our church, have listed the top ten criticisms and have decided upon the following solutions for these complaints:
1. “I want more depth in the sermons”: For all sermons, from now on, we will read from the Hebrew and Greek manuscripts, therefore everyone in the congregation will be required to take Hebrew and Greek classes. Since these languages require constant study and usage, each member will be required to take these classes until they die.
2. “Nobody noticed when I was gone for three weeks”: From now on, each member of the congregation will be required to have placed on their ankle a tracking device so that we will know where they are at all times, including when they are at the lake, at the golf course, hunting, fishing, shopping, sleeping, etc. Also, when absent from church because of "sickness", each member will be required to bring a doctor’s note stating that the member was actually sick and had an excuse for being out of church. The church will also start using a phone tree system to give everyone a wake-up call on Sunday mornings so that they can get to church on time.
3. “Nobody cares about how I feel”: From now on, we will have a psychiatrist/psychologist/Christian counselor (the member will choose) available on Sunday mornings to help each member understand more about their feelings that no one cares about them. In addition, each member will be required to start caring for others in the congregation.
4. “I don’t know everybody anymore”: From now on, each member of the congregation will be required to memorize the names and faces of each member of the congregation, including each new member that joins hereafter. Also, each member will be required to wear a photo i.d. for identification purposes.
5. “The choir doesn’t sing my kind of music”: From now on, there will be no more choir or congregational singing but each seat in the sanctuary will be equipped with an IPOD and headphones to listen to your favorite type of Christian music during the worship service.
6. “We shouldn’t let those kinds of people into the church”: Beginning next week, each member will be required to have an “extreme makeover” so that everyone will look the same. Said makeover costs will be the responsibility of each member.
7. “All the church talks about is for me to give more money”: Beginning immediately, there will be no more offerings taken up during the worship services and each member will be required to tithe ten percent of their income by enrolling in a payroll deduction plan from their place of employment or enrolling in an automatic draft of their tithe from their bank account or credit/debit card. This way we will not have to ask for money again.
8. “The preacher talks too much about sacrifice”: Beginning next week, each member of the congregation will be required to play on a church softball team and advance at least one runner per game to another base by a sacrifice bunt or a sacrifice fly so that each person can say they sacrificed something during the week.
9. “The worship services are boring”: Beginning next Sunday, the baptismal pool will have a wave machine installed to make the baptisms more fun. Also, Barnum and Bailey Circus will provide us with clowns to perform during the welcome time and the Harlem Globetrotters will provide us with a demonstration of their basketball skills during the invitation.
10. “The church is not going in the right direction”: Beginning next Sunday, we will no longer have a pastor to preach and lead the church but instead each member of the congregation will be required to go before the church and “share” their feelings about which direction the church ought to be going. This should work out extremely well because so many in the congregation seem to know which direction we ought to be going because they have suddenly become experts in the field of church growth and church vision.
1. “I want more depth in the sermons”: For all sermons, from now on, we will read from the Hebrew and Greek manuscripts, therefore everyone in the congregation will be required to take Hebrew and Greek classes. Since these languages require constant study and usage, each member will be required to take these classes until they die.
2. “Nobody noticed when I was gone for three weeks”: From now on, each member of the congregation will be required to have placed on their ankle a tracking device so that we will know where they are at all times, including when they are at the lake, at the golf course, hunting, fishing, shopping, sleeping, etc. Also, when absent from church because of "sickness", each member will be required to bring a doctor’s note stating that the member was actually sick and had an excuse for being out of church. The church will also start using a phone tree system to give everyone a wake-up call on Sunday mornings so that they can get to church on time.
3. “Nobody cares about how I feel”: From now on, we will have a psychiatrist/psychologist/Christian counselor (the member will choose) available on Sunday mornings to help each member understand more about their feelings that no one cares about them. In addition, each member will be required to start caring for others in the congregation.
4. “I don’t know everybody anymore”: From now on, each member of the congregation will be required to memorize the names and faces of each member of the congregation, including each new member that joins hereafter. Also, each member will be required to wear a photo i.d. for identification purposes.
5. “The choir doesn’t sing my kind of music”: From now on, there will be no more choir or congregational singing but each seat in the sanctuary will be equipped with an IPOD and headphones to listen to your favorite type of Christian music during the worship service.
6. “We shouldn’t let those kinds of people into the church”: Beginning next week, each member will be required to have an “extreme makeover” so that everyone will look the same. Said makeover costs will be the responsibility of each member.
7. “All the church talks about is for me to give more money”: Beginning immediately, there will be no more offerings taken up during the worship services and each member will be required to tithe ten percent of their income by enrolling in a payroll deduction plan from their place of employment or enrolling in an automatic draft of their tithe from their bank account or credit/debit card. This way we will not have to ask for money again.
8. “The preacher talks too much about sacrifice”: Beginning next week, each member of the congregation will be required to play on a church softball team and advance at least one runner per game to another base by a sacrifice bunt or a sacrifice fly so that each person can say they sacrificed something during the week.
9. “The worship services are boring”: Beginning next Sunday, the baptismal pool will have a wave machine installed to make the baptisms more fun. Also, Barnum and Bailey Circus will provide us with clowns to perform during the welcome time and the Harlem Globetrotters will provide us with a demonstration of their basketball skills during the invitation.
10. “The church is not going in the right direction”: Beginning next Sunday, we will no longer have a pastor to preach and lead the church but instead each member of the congregation will be required to go before the church and “share” their feelings about which direction the church ought to be going. This should work out extremely well because so many in the congregation seem to know which direction we ought to be going because they have suddenly become experts in the field of church growth and church vision.
Thirsty For God
A Journey Into Personal Revival
By Sammy Tippit
http://sammytippit.org/
I felt the tear trickling down my cheek as I stared at the broken piece of grass. It looked exactly like I felt – burdened and broken.
Three drops of water rested on that blade of grass and seemed to cause it to bend to the ground. I wondered if those drops were my tears. Life seemed so unfair. I found it difficult to understand what was transpiring. It was the third time that one of my best friends had been tragically killed.
I thought that I was as broken as a man could ever become. But that day was the early stages of God’s work in my life. It was the beginning of the greatest personal revival that I have ever experienced. When I hear someone speak about revival, they often speak of the spectacular. However, this work of God in my heart wasn’t flashy. It was a deep pruning.
I had just spoken at the memorial service of my friend and colleague, Billy Hobbs, after he was killed in an automobile accident. Our ministry hosted a dinner for out of town guests who traveled to San Antonio for the funeral. During the meal, I collapsed. The next thing I knew, an ambulance was transporting me to the hospital. Until then, I was a stranger to health problems. I only visited hospitals to comfort others. Now I found myself needing comfort.
After I was released from the hospital, I went to my favorite place of prayer. As I sat under the trees early that morning, I saw the blade of grass and felt my tears. What I didn’t understand at that moment was that revival was in the tears just as refreshing for the Earth was in the dew drops. The drops of water resting on the grass weren’t my tears. They were the teardrops from heaven, the morning dew that refreshes the Earth. In a similar manner, I was about to discover that the tears that flowed down my cheek would become the source of a great renewal in my heart.
Billy was scheduled to travel with me to Pakistan on a dangerous mission for a major evangelistic meeting in several cities in the country. Billy was one of the few people who were willing to go.
After Billy’s death, my son, Dave, said, “Dad, I’ll go with you.” Consequently, Dave, my wife, Tex, and I headed to Pakistan for the evangelistic meetings and a pastors and leaders conference. The trip was filled with the blessings of God as many hundreds responded to the gospel in this stronghold of terrorism. God also used the pastors’ conference to encourage those dear men who were on the front line of the battle for souls.
On the flight back to the United States, I became ill. By the time we arrived in the DFW airport, I was running a fever. I made it as far as the gate where the plane was leaving for San Antonio, but couldn’t go any further. I lay on the floor and began violently shaking. An ambulance was once again dispatched. While in the Baylor Medical Center in Dallas, I told my wife, “If I can just get back to San Antonio, I think that I will live.” God enabled me to get home, but I arrived a broken man.
I told Tex, “I think that I have hit bottom. I don’t think anything else could happen. I am as low as I can go.” However, I didn’t understand that when God gets ready to revive a heart, He digs deep. I was still a long way from the refreshing.
A few months later, I traveled to my birth state of Louisiana for an area wide evangelistic crusade. I made a luncheon appointment with a long time friend, Wayne Jenkins, the Director of Evangelism for the Louisiana Baptist Convention. While Tex and I were waiting at the restaurant for Wayne and Martha, one of my staff called. “Sammy,” he said with a trembling voice, “The man who translates your materials in Pakistan has just been kidnapped by Islamic terrorists. They are demanding $60,000.”
Shocked would be a mild way of expressing what I felt. My mind was reeling. No seminary nor Bible college training could have prepared me for that moment. I had no idea what to do. I told my colleague that I would get back to him as soon as possible. However, he called once again. My translator had been brutally murdered. The details of his murder were horrifying.
When I returned to San Antonio, I went to my favorite spot. Life seemed so confusing, but the small still voice of the Holy Spirit spoke in the midst of the chaos, “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths” (Proverbs 3:5, 6 KJV). “Oh, God, I don’t understand, but I choose to trust you,” I cried out as my tears fell to the ground and watered the grass.
Three weeks after my translator was murdered, my sister called me on the phone. “Sammy,” she said, “I have just received a letter from a man in Portugal who says that he has evidence he is our brother.” It felt like someone hit me in the stomach and knocked the wind out of me. “God,” I shouted as I drove. “What is going on?”
My father died nearly 40 years earlier and my mother had been dead for about 10 years. Dad became ill when I was a small child and spent almost as much time in the hospital as he did at home. He grew up deep in the forests of southwest Louisiana, while I grew up in the capital city, Baton Rouge. My grandparents died before I was born. Thus, I knew very little about Dad’s background. Although I was named after his father, I don’t ever recall him talking about his father or mother. I didn’t know what to think. Yet, that was the beginning of the refreshing that was to come from the presence of God.
After numerous phone calls to Portugal and DNA testing, I learned that this man was not my brother. However, everything else he said was true. He knew more about my family than I did. I desperately needed to talk to someone. I told my pastor, “David, I don’t know who I am anymore. This has shaken me to the core.”
David looked at me and spoke what was the beginning of a great revival in my heart. “Sammy, you know who you are. You are a follower of Jesus Christ. You are a pioneer of the gospel. That’s who you are.”
In the days that followed, God set me on an amazing journey. Suddenly, I had an insatiable desire to discover my roots. My mother put me out of my home when I came to know Christ, and my father died shortly thereafter. Consequently, I decided to follow Jesus and never look back. But now, I found myself 57 years old and searching for answers.
During the next year, my search led me to Virginia, North Carolina, Mississippi, and Louisiana. Every day brought a new sense of God’s Sovereignty. All of my Christian life, I thought that I came from a non Christian background. My parents never brought me to church when I was growing up. I was completely surprised to learn that I came from an incredible history of pioneers of the faith.
My third great grandfather worked with Joseph Willis, a Baptist pioneer of the gospel, and he helped Willis plant some of the first Baptist churches west of the Mississippi River. My fourth great grandmother donated the land for the first Baptist church west of the Mississippi River. My grandmother (my father’s mother) was an incredible woman of prayer. The only thing written about her life spoke of her prayer life.
I’ve walked into revolutions, war zones, and the aftermath of genocide to preach the gospel. I’ve been threatened on numerous occasions - had knives put to my throat and guns to my head for proclaiming Christ. All these years, I thought that I was blazing a new trail. But I began to learn that I came from a long line of pioneers of the faith.
My people came from a multi racial background and were derogatorily called “Redbones” in Louisiana. Anthropologists have called them tri racial isolates. One historian has referred to them as Louisiana’s mystery people. They were mostly from Native American heritage, but to me, they were simply my grandparents – a people who loved Jesus and proclaimed Him in a very dangerous place at a dangerous time.
This discovery renewed my soul. As I learned my heritage, I longed for God to work deeply within me. Therefore, I cleared my schedule during the spring of 2006. The only engagement that I kept was at The Cove, Billy Graham’s training center in North Carolina. Our ministry was a cosponsor of the Heart Cry for Revival conference, and I was scheduled as one of the speakers.
Yet, I desperately needed God to speak to me. During the conference, Dr. Crawford Lorritts led an early morning prayer meeting and said, “Let’s not take prayer requests this morning. Let’s just pray.”
As people began to pour their hearts out to God, the Holy Spirit spoke deeply to my heart, “Sammy, you have been telling people how tired you are. You’ve told them about all your difficulties and how they have exhausted you. But you are a liar.” Those words were like a two edged sword cutting deep into my soul. I knew the truth. God’s word says, “But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint” (Is. 40:31 KJV).
The real reason that I had become exhausted in the midst of the fiery trials was because I had not waited upon the Lord as He wanted. I confessed my sin to God and to the group and asked for prayer. Dr. Lorritts spoke to me afterwards saying, “Sammy, I believe that God is bringing you to a new level of prayer. He has used you in the past, but I believe that He is going to do even greater things in the future.”
I didn’t know how true His words would become. God was attempting to bring me to a new level of intimacy with Him. Exactly one year after that conference, I was diagnosed with prostate cancer. I knew that God was in it. I embraced the cancer and said, “God, if you have permitted this cancer, then I want it to be for Your glory.”
As I went into surgery, I asked the surgeon if I could pray for Him. That was the last thing that I recall until I saw my wife afterwards. I spent the next eight days at home. People sent me books and videos to occupy my time. But my heart longed to be with God. I took my Bible and my IPod with worship music and spent time with God. Oh, how wonderful it was. Moments of worship turned into hours, and hours turned into days of worship. Days turned into weeks and weeks into months. I spent the next three months reading the Bible and worshipping Jesus Christ. It was incredible.
When I first went home, I had a dream. I don’t put a lot of stock in dreams. Our source of authority is the Word of God. Understanding that, I could not shake this dream. I saw two Indians in the dream, an old man and a young boy. They were staring into the distance. Then I heard two words and they began to echo. “Wounded Deer. Wounded Deer.”
When I awoke the next morning, I couldn’t shake that picture and those words. “Wounded Deer.” I began asking God what it was all about and He led me to Psalms 42:1 which says, “As the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants for Thee, O God” (NAS). That was it. God’s work and message was so simple. He was working in me to produce a longing for Him that was far beyond anything that I had ever known. As I listened to the voice of the Lord speaking to my heart through the Scriptures, I realized that I could never minister again as a strong powerful evangelist. I could only minister as a “Wounded Deer.” The only hope for a wounded deer is to live by the waters.
Once the doctor told me that I could resume my travel schedule, I purposed in my heart that I would not lose what I had found through these past few years which climaxed with my cancer surgery. I would look for the waters every day and drink. I can not preach until I have been to the waters. I cannot lead until I have been to the waters. I can do nothing without having been to the waters. There’s life and joy in the waters that flow from the throne of God. Hallelujah! His presence flows from the waters.
I took my first ministry trip three months after the surgery. My wife didn’t go with me because she stayed behind to help our daughter who having her first child. I flew northwards to Canada and rented a motel room before driving to the conference center in the mountains the next day. I drove about 15 miles down the highway and saw a sign that said, “Waterfalls.” I stopped and hiked back to the falls. And I drank. Oh, how I drank from the waters. After a couple of hours of drinking from the waters, I returned to my car and drove another few miles. At the town of Hope, two rivers merge. I stopped and went to the rivers and drank from the waters. I must have been there drinking and worshipping God for more than an hour. I then returned to my car and headed into the mountains. I passed by a lake and my heart cried out, “Stop and drink.” I found a quiet place at the edge of the lake and drank from the waters – the waters that flow from the throne of God.
And now, I’m once again running full force with the call of international evangelism. I’m going to war zones like Angola and Sudan and harvest fields like Brazil and South Africa. I am preaching on television and radio inside Iran. This time, I’m running, but not growing weary. I’m walking, but no longer fainting. I’m revived. Hallelujah. I’m revived.
Wait upon the Lord, and He shall renew your strength.
By Sammy Tippit
http://sammytippit.org/
I felt the tear trickling down my cheek as I stared at the broken piece of grass. It looked exactly like I felt – burdened and broken.
Three drops of water rested on that blade of grass and seemed to cause it to bend to the ground. I wondered if those drops were my tears. Life seemed so unfair. I found it difficult to understand what was transpiring. It was the third time that one of my best friends had been tragically killed.
I thought that I was as broken as a man could ever become. But that day was the early stages of God’s work in my life. It was the beginning of the greatest personal revival that I have ever experienced. When I hear someone speak about revival, they often speak of the spectacular. However, this work of God in my heart wasn’t flashy. It was a deep pruning.
I had just spoken at the memorial service of my friend and colleague, Billy Hobbs, after he was killed in an automobile accident. Our ministry hosted a dinner for out of town guests who traveled to San Antonio for the funeral. During the meal, I collapsed. The next thing I knew, an ambulance was transporting me to the hospital. Until then, I was a stranger to health problems. I only visited hospitals to comfort others. Now I found myself needing comfort.
After I was released from the hospital, I went to my favorite place of prayer. As I sat under the trees early that morning, I saw the blade of grass and felt my tears. What I didn’t understand at that moment was that revival was in the tears just as refreshing for the Earth was in the dew drops. The drops of water resting on the grass weren’t my tears. They were the teardrops from heaven, the morning dew that refreshes the Earth. In a similar manner, I was about to discover that the tears that flowed down my cheek would become the source of a great renewal in my heart.
Billy was scheduled to travel with me to Pakistan on a dangerous mission for a major evangelistic meeting in several cities in the country. Billy was one of the few people who were willing to go.
After Billy’s death, my son, Dave, said, “Dad, I’ll go with you.” Consequently, Dave, my wife, Tex, and I headed to Pakistan for the evangelistic meetings and a pastors and leaders conference. The trip was filled with the blessings of God as many hundreds responded to the gospel in this stronghold of terrorism. God also used the pastors’ conference to encourage those dear men who were on the front line of the battle for souls.
On the flight back to the United States, I became ill. By the time we arrived in the DFW airport, I was running a fever. I made it as far as the gate where the plane was leaving for San Antonio, but couldn’t go any further. I lay on the floor and began violently shaking. An ambulance was once again dispatched. While in the Baylor Medical Center in Dallas, I told my wife, “If I can just get back to San Antonio, I think that I will live.” God enabled me to get home, but I arrived a broken man.
I told Tex, “I think that I have hit bottom. I don’t think anything else could happen. I am as low as I can go.” However, I didn’t understand that when God gets ready to revive a heart, He digs deep. I was still a long way from the refreshing.
A few months later, I traveled to my birth state of Louisiana for an area wide evangelistic crusade. I made a luncheon appointment with a long time friend, Wayne Jenkins, the Director of Evangelism for the Louisiana Baptist Convention. While Tex and I were waiting at the restaurant for Wayne and Martha, one of my staff called. “Sammy,” he said with a trembling voice, “The man who translates your materials in Pakistan has just been kidnapped by Islamic terrorists. They are demanding $60,000.”
Shocked would be a mild way of expressing what I felt. My mind was reeling. No seminary nor Bible college training could have prepared me for that moment. I had no idea what to do. I told my colleague that I would get back to him as soon as possible. However, he called once again. My translator had been brutally murdered. The details of his murder were horrifying.
When I returned to San Antonio, I went to my favorite spot. Life seemed so confusing, but the small still voice of the Holy Spirit spoke in the midst of the chaos, “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths” (Proverbs 3:5, 6 KJV). “Oh, God, I don’t understand, but I choose to trust you,” I cried out as my tears fell to the ground and watered the grass.
Three weeks after my translator was murdered, my sister called me on the phone. “Sammy,” she said, “I have just received a letter from a man in Portugal who says that he has evidence he is our brother.” It felt like someone hit me in the stomach and knocked the wind out of me. “God,” I shouted as I drove. “What is going on?”
My father died nearly 40 years earlier and my mother had been dead for about 10 years. Dad became ill when I was a small child and spent almost as much time in the hospital as he did at home. He grew up deep in the forests of southwest Louisiana, while I grew up in the capital city, Baton Rouge. My grandparents died before I was born. Thus, I knew very little about Dad’s background. Although I was named after his father, I don’t ever recall him talking about his father or mother. I didn’t know what to think. Yet, that was the beginning of the refreshing that was to come from the presence of God.
After numerous phone calls to Portugal and DNA testing, I learned that this man was not my brother. However, everything else he said was true. He knew more about my family than I did. I desperately needed to talk to someone. I told my pastor, “David, I don’t know who I am anymore. This has shaken me to the core.”
David looked at me and spoke what was the beginning of a great revival in my heart. “Sammy, you know who you are. You are a follower of Jesus Christ. You are a pioneer of the gospel. That’s who you are.”
In the days that followed, God set me on an amazing journey. Suddenly, I had an insatiable desire to discover my roots. My mother put me out of my home when I came to know Christ, and my father died shortly thereafter. Consequently, I decided to follow Jesus and never look back. But now, I found myself 57 years old and searching for answers.
During the next year, my search led me to Virginia, North Carolina, Mississippi, and Louisiana. Every day brought a new sense of God’s Sovereignty. All of my Christian life, I thought that I came from a non Christian background. My parents never brought me to church when I was growing up. I was completely surprised to learn that I came from an incredible history of pioneers of the faith.
My third great grandfather worked with Joseph Willis, a Baptist pioneer of the gospel, and he helped Willis plant some of the first Baptist churches west of the Mississippi River. My fourth great grandmother donated the land for the first Baptist church west of the Mississippi River. My grandmother (my father’s mother) was an incredible woman of prayer. The only thing written about her life spoke of her prayer life.
I’ve walked into revolutions, war zones, and the aftermath of genocide to preach the gospel. I’ve been threatened on numerous occasions - had knives put to my throat and guns to my head for proclaiming Christ. All these years, I thought that I was blazing a new trail. But I began to learn that I came from a long line of pioneers of the faith.
My people came from a multi racial background and were derogatorily called “Redbones” in Louisiana. Anthropologists have called them tri racial isolates. One historian has referred to them as Louisiana’s mystery people. They were mostly from Native American heritage, but to me, they were simply my grandparents – a people who loved Jesus and proclaimed Him in a very dangerous place at a dangerous time.
This discovery renewed my soul. As I learned my heritage, I longed for God to work deeply within me. Therefore, I cleared my schedule during the spring of 2006. The only engagement that I kept was at The Cove, Billy Graham’s training center in North Carolina. Our ministry was a cosponsor of the Heart Cry for Revival conference, and I was scheduled as one of the speakers.
Yet, I desperately needed God to speak to me. During the conference, Dr. Crawford Lorritts led an early morning prayer meeting and said, “Let’s not take prayer requests this morning. Let’s just pray.”
As people began to pour their hearts out to God, the Holy Spirit spoke deeply to my heart, “Sammy, you have been telling people how tired you are. You’ve told them about all your difficulties and how they have exhausted you. But you are a liar.” Those words were like a two edged sword cutting deep into my soul. I knew the truth. God’s word says, “But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint” (Is. 40:31 KJV).
The real reason that I had become exhausted in the midst of the fiery trials was because I had not waited upon the Lord as He wanted. I confessed my sin to God and to the group and asked for prayer. Dr. Lorritts spoke to me afterwards saying, “Sammy, I believe that God is bringing you to a new level of prayer. He has used you in the past, but I believe that He is going to do even greater things in the future.”
I didn’t know how true His words would become. God was attempting to bring me to a new level of intimacy with Him. Exactly one year after that conference, I was diagnosed with prostate cancer. I knew that God was in it. I embraced the cancer and said, “God, if you have permitted this cancer, then I want it to be for Your glory.”
As I went into surgery, I asked the surgeon if I could pray for Him. That was the last thing that I recall until I saw my wife afterwards. I spent the next eight days at home. People sent me books and videos to occupy my time. But my heart longed to be with God. I took my Bible and my IPod with worship music and spent time with God. Oh, how wonderful it was. Moments of worship turned into hours, and hours turned into days of worship. Days turned into weeks and weeks into months. I spent the next three months reading the Bible and worshipping Jesus Christ. It was incredible.
When I first went home, I had a dream. I don’t put a lot of stock in dreams. Our source of authority is the Word of God. Understanding that, I could not shake this dream. I saw two Indians in the dream, an old man and a young boy. They were staring into the distance. Then I heard two words and they began to echo. “Wounded Deer. Wounded Deer.”
When I awoke the next morning, I couldn’t shake that picture and those words. “Wounded Deer.” I began asking God what it was all about and He led me to Psalms 42:1 which says, “As the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants for Thee, O God” (NAS). That was it. God’s work and message was so simple. He was working in me to produce a longing for Him that was far beyond anything that I had ever known. As I listened to the voice of the Lord speaking to my heart through the Scriptures, I realized that I could never minister again as a strong powerful evangelist. I could only minister as a “Wounded Deer.” The only hope for a wounded deer is to live by the waters.
Once the doctor told me that I could resume my travel schedule, I purposed in my heart that I would not lose what I had found through these past few years which climaxed with my cancer surgery. I would look for the waters every day and drink. I can not preach until I have been to the waters. I cannot lead until I have been to the waters. I can do nothing without having been to the waters. There’s life and joy in the waters that flow from the throne of God. Hallelujah! His presence flows from the waters.
I took my first ministry trip three months after the surgery. My wife didn’t go with me because she stayed behind to help our daughter who having her first child. I flew northwards to Canada and rented a motel room before driving to the conference center in the mountains the next day. I drove about 15 miles down the highway and saw a sign that said, “Waterfalls.” I stopped and hiked back to the falls. And I drank. Oh, how I drank from the waters. After a couple of hours of drinking from the waters, I returned to my car and drove another few miles. At the town of Hope, two rivers merge. I stopped and went to the rivers and drank from the waters. I must have been there drinking and worshipping God for more than an hour. I then returned to my car and headed into the mountains. I passed by a lake and my heart cried out, “Stop and drink.” I found a quiet place at the edge of the lake and drank from the waters – the waters that flow from the throne of God.
And now, I’m once again running full force with the call of international evangelism. I’m going to war zones like Angola and Sudan and harvest fields like Brazil and South Africa. I am preaching on television and radio inside Iran. This time, I’m running, but not growing weary. I’m walking, but no longer fainting. I’m revived. Hallelujah. I’m revived.
Wait upon the Lord, and He shall renew your strength.
We Need God
We don’t need more of ourselves.
We need God.
We don’t need more books about God.
We need God.
We don’t need more self-help books.
We need God.
We don't need more daily devotional books.
We need God.
We don’t need more bookstores.
We need God.
We don’t need to buy more study Bibles.
We need God.
We don’t need more bluegrass, rock, rap, disco, punk, high church, low church, mid-church, western, do-wop, be-bop, hip-hop, contemporary, blended, traditional, gospel, classical, polka music in the church.
We need God.
We don’t need more of man’s opinions.
We need God.
We don't need more critics in the church.
We need God.
We don’t need more web sites and internet resources.
We need God.
We don’t need more PowerPoint presentations.
We need God.
We don’t need more money.
We need God.
We don’t need more Sunday School/discipleship curriculum.
We need God.
We don’t need more magazines.
We need God.
We don’t need more technology.
We need God.
We don’t need more super computers.
We need God.
We don’t need more dvd’s, cd’s, or videos.
We need God.
We don’t need more super-duper/extreme/we are going to blow your socks off/radical/power conferences with the biggest names in show business. (oops, sorry: in church growth/evangelism).
We need God.
We don’t need more academic degrees.
We need God.
We don’t need more programs.
We need God.
We don’t need more experts.
We need God.
We don’t need more buildings.
We need God.
We don’t need more entertainment.
We need God.
We don’t need more family life centers with weight rooms, exercise rooms, walking tracks, basketball courts, saunas, and whirlpools so that we can isolate ourselves from the world.
We need God.
We don’t need more financial seminars on raising money.
We need God.
We don’t need more people.
We need God.
We don’t need more property.
We need God.
We don’t need to know more about what other churches are doing so that we can copy what they do.
We need God.
We don’t need to do more long-range planning.
We need God.
We don’t need more meetings.
We need God.
We don’t need more showmanship.
We need God.
We don’t need more instructions about how to do church.
We need God.
We don’t need to be in competition with each other’s churches.
We need God.
We don’t need to make a name for ourselves.
We need God.
We don’t need to publicize and promote ourselves or our churches.
We need God.
We don’t need to pastor a larger church or better church.
We need God.
We don’t need a better financial package.
We need God.
We don’t need more self-sufficiency.
We need God.
We don’t need more selfishness.
We need God.
We don’t need more self-righteousness.
We need God.
Or
Maybe we just don’t need God.
We need God.
We don’t need more books about God.
We need God.
We don’t need more self-help books.
We need God.
We don't need more daily devotional books.
We need God.
We don’t need more bookstores.
We need God.
We don’t need to buy more study Bibles.
We need God.
We don’t need more bluegrass, rock, rap, disco, punk, high church, low church, mid-church, western, do-wop, be-bop, hip-hop, contemporary, blended, traditional, gospel, classical, polka music in the church.
We need God.
We don’t need more of man’s opinions.
We need God.
We don't need more critics in the church.
We need God.
We don’t need more web sites and internet resources.
We need God.
We don’t need more PowerPoint presentations.
We need God.
We don’t need more money.
We need God.
We don’t need more Sunday School/discipleship curriculum.
We need God.
We don’t need more magazines.
We need God.
We don’t need more technology.
We need God.
We don’t need more super computers.
We need God.
We don’t need more dvd’s, cd’s, or videos.
We need God.
We don’t need more super-duper/extreme/we are going to blow your socks off/radical/power conferences with the biggest names in show business. (oops, sorry: in church growth/evangelism).
We need God.
We don’t need more academic degrees.
We need God.
We don’t need more programs.
We need God.
We don’t need more experts.
We need God.
We don’t need more buildings.
We need God.
We don’t need more entertainment.
We need God.
We don’t need more family life centers with weight rooms, exercise rooms, walking tracks, basketball courts, saunas, and whirlpools so that we can isolate ourselves from the world.
We need God.
We don’t need more financial seminars on raising money.
We need God.
We don’t need more people.
We need God.
We don’t need more property.
We need God.
We don’t need to know more about what other churches are doing so that we can copy what they do.
We need God.
We don’t need to do more long-range planning.
We need God.
We don’t need more meetings.
We need God.
We don’t need more showmanship.
We need God.
We don’t need more instructions about how to do church.
We need God.
We don’t need to be in competition with each other’s churches.
We need God.
We don’t need to make a name for ourselves.
We need God.
We don’t need to publicize and promote ourselves or our churches.
We need God.
We don’t need to pastor a larger church or better church.
We need God.
We don’t need a better financial package.
We need God.
We don’t need more self-sufficiency.
We need God.
We don’t need more selfishness.
We need God.
We don’t need more self-righteousness.
We need God.
Or
Maybe we just don’t need God.
Fire From Heaven
The following was written by Byron Paulus, director of Life Action Ministries www.lifeaction.org.
“I am captivated by Mount Carmel. On open display before the nation, a solitary Elijah faces down 450 false prophets of Baal. The prophets of Ball spend hours in dance and display. Elijah speaks only 23 words. The Baalites put on quite a show but Elijah’s altar is empty.
Like all perversions of religion, Baalism is focused on the experience and satisfaction of the worshipper. Elijah’s words center the people on God and their response to Him. Our choice is no different today. Will we cultivate an approach to God that makes sense to us or an approach that makes sense to God? In this, Mount Carmel is instructive. When the noise and dancing had ended in sheer exhaustion and futility, Elijah quietly prayed to the true God, and the fire fell.
The crying need of our times is fire from heaven. We don’t need more “worship experiences”; we need to encounter God. It is God who will motivate us to serve, love, and obey. We need to decide who is God.”
Taken from: Heartcry Journal
“I am captivated by Mount Carmel. On open display before the nation, a solitary Elijah faces down 450 false prophets of Baal. The prophets of Ball spend hours in dance and display. Elijah speaks only 23 words. The Baalites put on quite a show but Elijah’s altar is empty.
Like all perversions of religion, Baalism is focused on the experience and satisfaction of the worshipper. Elijah’s words center the people on God and their response to Him. Our choice is no different today. Will we cultivate an approach to God that makes sense to us or an approach that makes sense to God? In this, Mount Carmel is instructive. When the noise and dancing had ended in sheer exhaustion and futility, Elijah quietly prayed to the true God, and the fire fell.
The crying need of our times is fire from heaven. We don’t need more “worship experiences”; we need to encounter God. It is God who will motivate us to serve, love, and obey. We need to decide who is God.”
Taken from: Heartcry Journal
I Don't Need Church
Recently, I found a website for Oasis Church in Florida http://www.visitoasis.org/ . In reading the pastor’s blog, some of his posts (articles) that he had written really caught my attention. What he has written is certainly interesting and thought-provoking.
I have combined his posts about “I Don’t Need Oasis Church” below. I have also done some editing to clarify what Rev. Melton has written. I think you will appreciate what he says as you read what he has written.
“I DON'T NEED OASIS CHURCH”
These must be the words of a disgruntled member or attender! Must be someone who is upset at Oasis! Someone who has left our church over a petty disagreement with style or music! No, it isn't.
These are the words I spoke this morning about 12:30 A.M. as I was returning Friday, on my day off, from Melbourne (Florida). You might be saying, "But Guy, you're the founding Pastor. You've been here since the beginning. You were the one God gave the vision for Oasis."
It can, and might, be confusing to some of you to hear me to say this. But if Oasis Church never met again, I would be OK. I would thrive and I would be a happy man. If a hurricane demolished our buildings, or a fire burned them down, and we could never meet again as a church family--I would be fine with that!!!
I mean what I say, "I DON'T NEED OASIS CHURCH!!!!!!!"
(Part 2)
"I don't need Oasis Church!" I mean that. If you did not read my first post on this, then STOP NOW!!!! Go back and read it. I made the statement if we never met again I would be fine with that. If a fire burns down our buildings, a hurricane blows away all we have, I am fine.
Well, first let me say, that doesn't mean I would not grieve, be hurt, or shed tears. I would...maybe buckets of them. I would miss those of you who are Oasis members and friends of mine, who I have grown to love and admire more than I do or could ever tell you.
But please, hear me out.
Driving home Friday night (mentioned above) on my day off, I was listening to a C.D. which I often do while driving. There was a prominent pastor (Bill Hybels) of one of the largest churches in America (Willow Creek) discussing their church and a three-year intensive study they had just done in their church (and other churches).
The Pastor and staff discovered many of the folks who were very involved in their church weren't growing as disciples. They were stale and stalled in their faith. Others who were not that involved in all the programs and activities might have actually been growing as Christians even more (than those were very involved). (See footnote at the end of this email for more info on Willow Creek's study).
What would cause this when this is a great church and one where thousands of lives had been changed through their ministry? In a discussion with other staff members (and from the research), they proceeded to some of these findings.
Among the things they found is that longevity as a believer in Christ did not necessarily make a true follower of Christ. They also found that the more activity in the church a person was involved in did not necessarily make a better disciple of Christ.
So, what does this mean to me? Without dissecting all their study and thoughts, I want to share what God reminded me about. It's not about my church. It's not about Oasis Church and how much I show up. It's not even about how much I am involved...even in leadership.
They found that a percentage of the most dissatisfied members of their church were the ones who had been in the church the longest, and some of them were leaders. But they said they didn't feel their church was satisfying their needs and meeting their expectations. Some said they likely would leave the church (and many had over the years) to the surprise and disappointment of the Pastor and leadership.
Now these were not casual attenders. They were, in some cases, the heart and soul of the church and the reason over the years the church had grown like it did. Yet, they felt like they weren't growing and getting what they once did out of their church where they had invested themselves so heavily.
I have to ask myself, could that be true about the church I pastor? I say, "Absolutely it can!!" We are no different. I haven't done an intensive study. Quite frankly I don't need to. I see, I hear, I observe.
How could this be? Why? What as a Church are we failing at? Why are those who should be the most intense disciples, actually disappointed and disillusioned?
(Part 3)
“Why I Don't Need Oasis Church” is not a cute saying I thought up to catch your attention. No, I mean it. Why?
First let me say, I love Oasis Church. Some days, I would literally give my physical life for her. I say some days, that is, because it's not all the time. Hey, I am being honest here! Based on my previous blog post, I want to begin to explain my thinking on this. I know some will not understand. That is fine. Read it and just mull over it. Let it sink in. It might be a long time before you understand. That is OK.
The church belongs to God. He established it. Jesus gave His life for the Church. Other than the family, I don't know of another organization on earth that God Himself established and loves as much as He does the church.
Yet, too many of us mistake how we relate to His church with how we relate to Him. We rely on the church to give us our relationship with Him. We rely on the church to feed us, clothe us, and do essentially everything for us. Now, before you get mad, I know the ones reading this are not the ones who probably would go to the extreme of wanting us to clothe and feed you physically. But I am trying to get to something.
Most long-time believers, I believe, are stalled in their walk because they are expecting the church to give them the growth they desire. We might have grown as a young believer very fast because of our church or another church. The sermons, classes, small groups, even serving but then we find ourselves stalled!
It is not uncommon for a church to add more programs, build more buildings, facilities, gyms, classrooms, you name it-"we will build it if you'll come!" We do bigger programs, add more ministries and at the end of the day, we spend thousands and thousands of dollars, yes, even millions, to still find we have more disgruntled, disappointed, stalled Christians.
You say this isn't true about Oasis Church. To some extent it is. We have resisted many of the buildings, and programs many churches launch into. But we are forever tempted to build bigger, better and add more bells and whistles to keep you happy. That's human nature.
(Part 4)
I have painted what some might say is a bleak and negative picture of the church, our church. Well in some ways it could be. Why is that?
If a person is coming to Oasis Church for what they can get from it to keep them going, at some point their spiritual life will stall and become stale. At that point, they are disappointed in themselves, their church and ultimately God. So what's the answer?
I am not suggesting we throw out the church. Absolutely not. I'm not suggesting, as some in our society, that the church is so broken so just bury it and start over. No, that is not the answer.
What I am suggesting is that it's really not about the Church. It's about the individual, and our walk with the Lord. My life must be Christ-centered. He must be at the center of my life and all that I am.
What happens is that if we become church-centered and not Christ-centered we become stalled. The church does not change our life. Christ changes lives.
When a person has the expectation that their church attendance and participation will change their life, they are setting themselves, and the church, up for failure. As a church, even if we don't mean to, many times we make attenders think if they will become more involved, join more groups and attend more functions, they will be happy and satisfied and God will bless them.
What I am saying is that the church has a role in my Christian life. A big one!! But it is not my Christian life. Attending church does not make me a disciple or more in tuned with my Creator and my Savior.
I must be in a daily walk with God Himself. Now, brace yourself for this statement!!! It begins with time with God. Yes, it's as simple as that!! Prayer and Bible Reading. First, there must be a daily communion with God. He must be part of our daily lives. It takes time with Him. I can tell you when I go a few days without Bible reading and prayer, it shows. You are talking stale, stress, confusion, wrong decisions, and personality changes to name a few. He must be speaking into my life.
He must be at the very center of my life. He must be at work in my heart and life. The Bible says that the Spirit of God lives inside every believer. When we have no dialog with the person we live with...we don't listen, we don't discuss...what happens? We grow distant. We are ships passing in the night.
Final Post
So, why should I stay in the Church? For those of you still reading, you're saying, "If you don't need the church, why do I need the church?"
Good question! I'll try to give a few reasons we all need the Church, and why we should stay in the Church whether it be Oasis or, for our friends and family out of town, the one you attend. I can only personally speak here to Oasis Church since it is the only one I am a part of.
Last week Oasis had another class for newcomers. Discover Oasis gives a look at who we are, where we came from, what we believe, where we are going and how you can get involved if you choose to join. Kevin McCord, our Admin. Pastor has done a great job leading this class for the last several years. Any class I address, I share how important it is to get involved, and the more you get involved, the more you get out of your church. That is true.
I also share how excited each newcomer is to be there. They really are. We have incredible stories in each Discover Oasis Class of how folks come to Oasis and how much they love it. But I tell them: that will not keep you here, just as the music, the worship, the friendly atmosphere, the children’s ministry, etc. will not keep you here.
Oasis Church cannot sustain you spiritually nor should it. If you think the church will or should, you will soon be off to another place looking for what you need.
It is the Lord Who grows and matures us. Our church is but a tool that He uses. Most people get disillusioned when they expect us, as a church, to keep them spiritually full and contented. No church will do that. It is God who does that and each of us must have a personal walk and relationship with Him.
Do you know that the church can actually draw us away from Him? We can get so busy working for Him in the church that we forget to develop our relationship with Him. We don't have time for Him. It is especially dangerous when you are working in a church as an employee, pastor etc. We must fight this challenge all the time as pastors. My walk with Him is more important than my role as pastor.
That is why I can say, "I don't need Oasis Church". I want Oasis Church in my life. I love Oasis Church. But, when all is said and done, if Oasis Church was gone tomorrow, I have a living, breathing, relationship with my Lord, Jesus Christ. He is all I need. The fastest growing church of all time, in the Book of Acts, didn't have buildings, or programs or a campus. They had Jesus.
China, where public worship is prohibited in many places, has millions coming to Christ underground. They are studying, praying, growing, and going, on their own in many places. The church is exploding there and other places in the world without all the things we have come to expect in the United States in a church.
Now some will use the excuse when they get disgruntled with a church to drop out and say, "I can serve God and have a relationship with God without the Church, and being a part of it". Yes, I suppose that is true.
But truthfully, I have not seen one person who said that who was actually a growing, contented, mature, serving disciple of Christ. Why would you want to say you want Him but you don't want His Bride? His Bride is the Church, even with all our warts and problems.
So why is the Church important? Let me list a few things:
Christ gave Himself for the church. It is His way of sharing His Gospel here on Earth.
*The church edifies us.
*The church leads us to worship God.
*The church provides a vehicle for Community. Small groups are a big part of our church. A small group might lend to making friends, and establishing some awesome relationships, but your small group won't provide you a living, personal, growing relationship with Jesus Christ in itself.
*The church teaches doctrine.
*The church evangelizes the lost. We do that as individuals and as the Church.
*The church equips the saints for ministry. Ephesians clearly states that the Pastors/Leaders are to equip each of us for ministry. Training and providing opportunities for ministry through the church is part of that.
*The church disciples/Mentors new believers into mature believers.
*In the church we pray for one another.
*The church provides ministries that utilize each person's spiritual gifts.
At different stages in our walk with God, the church plays a different role in each of these stages. This is important for us to realize.
I think we have failed as a church in general in that we do so much for people and promise so much that many expect us to meet their every need and to provide their personal relationship with God. This is not the case.
Early in a Christian's experience, the Church is huge...to help them grow, and find their gifts, to teach, disciple, baptize (Simply -- the Great Commission). But, them
you begin to move from being served and being taught to serving and doing mission. You move from the Milk, to the Meat. The church teaches you to find the meat, and it is up to the individual to eat. The Shepherd doesn't force the sheep to eat or drink at the stream. He only leads them beside still waters and into green pastures. There comes a time, when we, as sheep, need to eat and drink. Shame on us as a church if we only feed the sheep milk and never teach them to eat and where to find food.
I don't need Oasis Church. But I sure do love it. I don't need to attend church to have a personal relationship with God but God does expect me to be a part of His church, His body, His Bride.
I attend 4-7 live services each and every week and I love it. I get pumped. I get convicted. I get encouraged. But many times, it's in different ways. Sometimes just hanging out during one of the 7NOW nightly services, I will get blessed by a story of a changed life. I will sometimes be blessed by the young musicians who lead us in worship. I will be blessed to pray with someone struggling with a problem. I will be blessed by fellowship with some friends, prayer, scripture, message, and so much more.
NOW, I DON'T NEED OASIS CHURCH, BUT I WANT TO BE A PART OF OASIS CHURCH. AND TO HONOR GOD IN MY WORSHIP, COMMUNITY, AND MISSION!!! HOW ABOUT YOU?????????????????
*Footnote:
Willow Creek Church in Chicago has just finished a three year process of scientific research to study their church and other churches regarding their effectiveness in helping church members in their spiritual growth. The research has been published in the book, “Reveal: Where Are You?”
Bill Hybels, the pastor of Willow Creek, writes in the book:
“The local church is the hope of the world.....It’s a message I believe with all my heart. So you can imagine my reaction when three people whose counsel I value told me that the local church I’ve been the pastor of for more than three decades was not doing as well as we thought when it came to spiritual growth.
If that wasn’t bad enough, they said this wasn’t just their opinion. It was based on scientific research. Ouch.”
I have combined his posts about “I Don’t Need Oasis Church” below. I have also done some editing to clarify what Rev. Melton has written. I think you will appreciate what he says as you read what he has written.
“I DON'T NEED OASIS CHURCH”
These must be the words of a disgruntled member or attender! Must be someone who is upset at Oasis! Someone who has left our church over a petty disagreement with style or music! No, it isn't.
These are the words I spoke this morning about 12:30 A.M. as I was returning Friday, on my day off, from Melbourne (Florida). You might be saying, "But Guy, you're the founding Pastor. You've been here since the beginning. You were the one God gave the vision for Oasis."
It can, and might, be confusing to some of you to hear me to say this. But if Oasis Church never met again, I would be OK. I would thrive and I would be a happy man. If a hurricane demolished our buildings, or a fire burned them down, and we could never meet again as a church family--I would be fine with that!!!
I mean what I say, "I DON'T NEED OASIS CHURCH!!!!!!!"
(Part 2)
"I don't need Oasis Church!" I mean that. If you did not read my first post on this, then STOP NOW!!!! Go back and read it. I made the statement if we never met again I would be fine with that. If a fire burns down our buildings, a hurricane blows away all we have, I am fine.
Well, first let me say, that doesn't mean I would not grieve, be hurt, or shed tears. I would...maybe buckets of them. I would miss those of you who are Oasis members and friends of mine, who I have grown to love and admire more than I do or could ever tell you.
But please, hear me out.
Driving home Friday night (mentioned above) on my day off, I was listening to a C.D. which I often do while driving. There was a prominent pastor (Bill Hybels) of one of the largest churches in America (Willow Creek) discussing their church and a three-year intensive study they had just done in their church (and other churches).
The Pastor and staff discovered many of the folks who were very involved in their church weren't growing as disciples. They were stale and stalled in their faith. Others who were not that involved in all the programs and activities might have actually been growing as Christians even more (than those were very involved). (See footnote at the end of this email for more info on Willow Creek's study).
What would cause this when this is a great church and one where thousands of lives had been changed through their ministry? In a discussion with other staff members (and from the research), they proceeded to some of these findings.
Among the things they found is that longevity as a believer in Christ did not necessarily make a true follower of Christ. They also found that the more activity in the church a person was involved in did not necessarily make a better disciple of Christ.
So, what does this mean to me? Without dissecting all their study and thoughts, I want to share what God reminded me about. It's not about my church. It's not about Oasis Church and how much I show up. It's not even about how much I am involved...even in leadership.
They found that a percentage of the most dissatisfied members of their church were the ones who had been in the church the longest, and some of them were leaders. But they said they didn't feel their church was satisfying their needs and meeting their expectations. Some said they likely would leave the church (and many had over the years) to the surprise and disappointment of the Pastor and leadership.
Now these were not casual attenders. They were, in some cases, the heart and soul of the church and the reason over the years the church had grown like it did. Yet, they felt like they weren't growing and getting what they once did out of their church where they had invested themselves so heavily.
I have to ask myself, could that be true about the church I pastor? I say, "Absolutely it can!!" We are no different. I haven't done an intensive study. Quite frankly I don't need to. I see, I hear, I observe.
How could this be? Why? What as a Church are we failing at? Why are those who should be the most intense disciples, actually disappointed and disillusioned?
(Part 3)
“Why I Don't Need Oasis Church” is not a cute saying I thought up to catch your attention. No, I mean it. Why?
First let me say, I love Oasis Church. Some days, I would literally give my physical life for her. I say some days, that is, because it's not all the time. Hey, I am being honest here! Based on my previous blog post, I want to begin to explain my thinking on this. I know some will not understand. That is fine. Read it and just mull over it. Let it sink in. It might be a long time before you understand. That is OK.
The church belongs to God. He established it. Jesus gave His life for the Church. Other than the family, I don't know of another organization on earth that God Himself established and loves as much as He does the church.
Yet, too many of us mistake how we relate to His church with how we relate to Him. We rely on the church to give us our relationship with Him. We rely on the church to feed us, clothe us, and do essentially everything for us. Now, before you get mad, I know the ones reading this are not the ones who probably would go to the extreme of wanting us to clothe and feed you physically. But I am trying to get to something.
Most long-time believers, I believe, are stalled in their walk because they are expecting the church to give them the growth they desire. We might have grown as a young believer very fast because of our church or another church. The sermons, classes, small groups, even serving but then we find ourselves stalled!
It is not uncommon for a church to add more programs, build more buildings, facilities, gyms, classrooms, you name it-"we will build it if you'll come!" We do bigger programs, add more ministries and at the end of the day, we spend thousands and thousands of dollars, yes, even millions, to still find we have more disgruntled, disappointed, stalled Christians.
You say this isn't true about Oasis Church. To some extent it is. We have resisted many of the buildings, and programs many churches launch into. But we are forever tempted to build bigger, better and add more bells and whistles to keep you happy. That's human nature.
(Part 4)
I have painted what some might say is a bleak and negative picture of the church, our church. Well in some ways it could be. Why is that?
If a person is coming to Oasis Church for what they can get from it to keep them going, at some point their spiritual life will stall and become stale. At that point, they are disappointed in themselves, their church and ultimately God. So what's the answer?
I am not suggesting we throw out the church. Absolutely not. I'm not suggesting, as some in our society, that the church is so broken so just bury it and start over. No, that is not the answer.
What I am suggesting is that it's really not about the Church. It's about the individual, and our walk with the Lord. My life must be Christ-centered. He must be at the center of my life and all that I am.
What happens is that if we become church-centered and not Christ-centered we become stalled. The church does not change our life. Christ changes lives.
When a person has the expectation that their church attendance and participation will change their life, they are setting themselves, and the church, up for failure. As a church, even if we don't mean to, many times we make attenders think if they will become more involved, join more groups and attend more functions, they will be happy and satisfied and God will bless them.
What I am saying is that the church has a role in my Christian life. A big one!! But it is not my Christian life. Attending church does not make me a disciple or more in tuned with my Creator and my Savior.
I must be in a daily walk with God Himself. Now, brace yourself for this statement!!! It begins with time with God. Yes, it's as simple as that!! Prayer and Bible Reading. First, there must be a daily communion with God. He must be part of our daily lives. It takes time with Him. I can tell you when I go a few days without Bible reading and prayer, it shows. You are talking stale, stress, confusion, wrong decisions, and personality changes to name a few. He must be speaking into my life.
He must be at the very center of my life. He must be at work in my heart and life. The Bible says that the Spirit of God lives inside every believer. When we have no dialog with the person we live with...we don't listen, we don't discuss...what happens? We grow distant. We are ships passing in the night.
Final Post
So, why should I stay in the Church? For those of you still reading, you're saying, "If you don't need the church, why do I need the church?"
Good question! I'll try to give a few reasons we all need the Church, and why we should stay in the Church whether it be Oasis or, for our friends and family out of town, the one you attend. I can only personally speak here to Oasis Church since it is the only one I am a part of.
Last week Oasis had another class for newcomers. Discover Oasis gives a look at who we are, where we came from, what we believe, where we are going and how you can get involved if you choose to join. Kevin McCord, our Admin. Pastor has done a great job leading this class for the last several years. Any class I address, I share how important it is to get involved, and the more you get involved, the more you get out of your church. That is true.
I also share how excited each newcomer is to be there. They really are. We have incredible stories in each Discover Oasis Class of how folks come to Oasis and how much they love it. But I tell them: that will not keep you here, just as the music, the worship, the friendly atmosphere, the children’s ministry, etc. will not keep you here.
Oasis Church cannot sustain you spiritually nor should it. If you think the church will or should, you will soon be off to another place looking for what you need.
It is the Lord Who grows and matures us. Our church is but a tool that He uses. Most people get disillusioned when they expect us, as a church, to keep them spiritually full and contented. No church will do that. It is God who does that and each of us must have a personal walk and relationship with Him.
Do you know that the church can actually draw us away from Him? We can get so busy working for Him in the church that we forget to develop our relationship with Him. We don't have time for Him. It is especially dangerous when you are working in a church as an employee, pastor etc. We must fight this challenge all the time as pastors. My walk with Him is more important than my role as pastor.
That is why I can say, "I don't need Oasis Church". I want Oasis Church in my life. I love Oasis Church. But, when all is said and done, if Oasis Church was gone tomorrow, I have a living, breathing, relationship with my Lord, Jesus Christ. He is all I need. The fastest growing church of all time, in the Book of Acts, didn't have buildings, or programs or a campus. They had Jesus.
China, where public worship is prohibited in many places, has millions coming to Christ underground. They are studying, praying, growing, and going, on their own in many places. The church is exploding there and other places in the world without all the things we have come to expect in the United States in a church.
Now some will use the excuse when they get disgruntled with a church to drop out and say, "I can serve God and have a relationship with God without the Church, and being a part of it". Yes, I suppose that is true.
But truthfully, I have not seen one person who said that who was actually a growing, contented, mature, serving disciple of Christ. Why would you want to say you want Him but you don't want His Bride? His Bride is the Church, even with all our warts and problems.
So why is the Church important? Let me list a few things:
Christ gave Himself for the church. It is His way of sharing His Gospel here on Earth.
*The church edifies us.
*The church leads us to worship God.
*The church provides a vehicle for Community. Small groups are a big part of our church. A small group might lend to making friends, and establishing some awesome relationships, but your small group won't provide you a living, personal, growing relationship with Jesus Christ in itself.
*The church teaches doctrine.
*The church evangelizes the lost. We do that as individuals and as the Church.
*The church equips the saints for ministry. Ephesians clearly states that the Pastors/Leaders are to equip each of us for ministry. Training and providing opportunities for ministry through the church is part of that.
*The church disciples/Mentors new believers into mature believers.
*In the church we pray for one another.
*The church provides ministries that utilize each person's spiritual gifts.
At different stages in our walk with God, the church plays a different role in each of these stages. This is important for us to realize.
I think we have failed as a church in general in that we do so much for people and promise so much that many expect us to meet their every need and to provide their personal relationship with God. This is not the case.
Early in a Christian's experience, the Church is huge...to help them grow, and find their gifts, to teach, disciple, baptize (Simply -- the Great Commission). But, them
you begin to move from being served and being taught to serving and doing mission. You move from the Milk, to the Meat. The church teaches you to find the meat, and it is up to the individual to eat. The Shepherd doesn't force the sheep to eat or drink at the stream. He only leads them beside still waters and into green pastures. There comes a time, when we, as sheep, need to eat and drink. Shame on us as a church if we only feed the sheep milk and never teach them to eat and where to find food.
I don't need Oasis Church. But I sure do love it. I don't need to attend church to have a personal relationship with God but God does expect me to be a part of His church, His body, His Bride.
I attend 4-7 live services each and every week and I love it. I get pumped. I get convicted. I get encouraged. But many times, it's in different ways. Sometimes just hanging out during one of the 7NOW nightly services, I will get blessed by a story of a changed life. I will sometimes be blessed by the young musicians who lead us in worship. I will be blessed to pray with someone struggling with a problem. I will be blessed by fellowship with some friends, prayer, scripture, message, and so much more.
NOW, I DON'T NEED OASIS CHURCH, BUT I WANT TO BE A PART OF OASIS CHURCH. AND TO HONOR GOD IN MY WORSHIP, COMMUNITY, AND MISSION!!! HOW ABOUT YOU?????????????????
*Footnote:
Willow Creek Church in Chicago has just finished a three year process of scientific research to study their church and other churches regarding their effectiveness in helping church members in their spiritual growth. The research has been published in the book, “Reveal: Where Are You?”
Bill Hybels, the pastor of Willow Creek, writes in the book:
“The local church is the hope of the world.....It’s a message I believe with all my heart. So you can imagine my reaction when three people whose counsel I value told me that the local church I’ve been the pastor of for more than three decades was not doing as well as we thought when it came to spiritual growth.
If that wasn’t bad enough, they said this wasn’t just their opinion. It was based on scientific research. Ouch.”
Second Chronicles 7:14
“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”
I don’t think there is anyone who is a Christian who would not agree that the United States of America is in deep, spiritual trouble. And nothing that has happened recently seems to have made a difference in our nation.
Events surrounding 911 certainly didn’t change things. The cost of oil certainly is not having any effect on the conscience of the United States. And, even the Mel Gibson movie, “The Passion of the Christ”, as wonderful as it was, hasn’t changed the spiritual condition of our nation.
The last great nationwide revival in the United States occurred in the late 1850’s and has been termed “The Third Great Awakening”. Of that movement of God in our country, revival historian J. Edwin Orr has written:
“...the influence of the awakening was felt everywhere in the nation. It first captured great cities, but it also spread through every town and village and country hamlet. It swamped schools and colleges. It affected all classes (of people) without respect to condition . . . It seemed to many that the fruits of Pentecost had been repeated a thousand-fold . . . the number of conversions reported soon reached the total of fifty thousand weekly”.
In our nation, we have seen glimpses of revival since the closing of the “Third Great Awakening”, most notably, the Asbury Revival in 1970 and revival that began in Brownwood, Texas in 1995 (not Brownsville, Florida).
Before our nation was formed, a call to prayer was proclaimed in 1775, when the Continental Congress asked the colonies to pray for wisdom in forming our country and that call to prayer has continued through our history.
President Abraham Lincoln issued a proclamation for a day of "humiliation, fasting, and prayer" in 1863 during the Civil War. It is interesting to note that the Civil War began only three years after the waning days of this great revival.
The National Day of Prayer was established in 1952 by President of the United States, Harry Truman and “The National Day of Prayer Task Force”, spearheaded by James and Shirley Dobson, has been in existence since the early 1990’s.
We have had the prayer and fasting movement since at least 1994 when Bill Bright, founder of Campus Crusade for Christ, began a yearly 40 day fast and encouraged other Christians to join him in fasting for national revival.
But, why, hasn’t revival happened? So many believers have prayed and fasted and cried out to God for Him to send revival to our nation. But why have we not seen a great movement of the Spirit of God in our nation in one hundred and fifty years?
Some may ask, “What is wrong with God? Doesn’t He hear our prayers? Doesn’t He care that our nation is traveling downward through a spiral of degradation and evil wickedness?”
There is nothing wrong with God but there is something terribly wrong with us. God help us. We need revival.
Second Chronicles 7:14 is a verse that many of us could quote from memory. The verse has been used over and over again when someone speaks about praying for our nation and praying for God to send us a revival. But, even though many of us can quote it from memory, it is possible we have become so familiar with the verse that the significance and meaning has been lost to us.
“If my people which are called by My Name…”
A literal translation of this phrase reads: “If my people over whom My Name is called”. The Hebrew word for “called” carries with it the idea of:
God’s people possessing the mark of His ownership
God’s people possessing the mark of His reputation
God’s people possessing the mark of His signature
God is the Owner/Ruler of His people.
The Owner is in charge. The Owner is King and the Owner is sovereign. The Sovereign King is Ruler over all of creation. The King is all-powerful (omnipotent), all-knowing (omniscient), and He is everywhere (omnipresent). We are the King’s servants and we belong to Him. The servants work in the King’s kingdom. The servants don’t have a kingdom. The servants aren’t in charge, the King is in charge. The servants submit to the King and the servants represent the King in matters of the kingdom. No servant is allowed to usurp the authority of the King. There is only one King and the servants do not have the option to be King. Though the servants sometimes attempt to rule their own lives, they usually come to understand who is King when they experience times of trouble, hardship, and crisis. The servants belong to the King and they carry the King’s reputation and the mark of His signature to a lost and dying world. The servants of the King must yield their lives to Him, acknowledge His ownership of them, must never attempt to be the “king” of their own little kingdom.
The Hebrew for “over whom My Name is called” suggests that God is proud to call us His name over His people. Therefore, the question must be asked: “Are the people of God living in such a way that God is proud to call His Name over them?”
”If My people over whom My Name is called will humble themselves”
The Hebrew word for humble means to submit, to fall on one’s knees, to be lowly, to be subdued and captured, and to be depressed, not in spirit, but in position, as in a depression of land.
Why is humility important in the kingdom of God? Because....
Humility is acknowledging our own spiritual bankruptcy (“blessed are the poor in spirit”) and it is acknowledging our spiritual need for God (“blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness”).
Humility is acknowledging God’s sovereignty, authority, and power over all of His creation.
Humility is unequivocal dependence upon God.
Humility is a willingness to wait for God to act in His own time and in His own way.
Humility does not rush in and take matters into its own hands.
Humility is doing something only when there is clear word from God.
Humility is being patient.
Humility is not being offended by being treated like a servant.
Humility does not brag and boast about one’s own achievements and one’s capabilities.
Humility understands that you can’t get away with hidden sins before God.
Humility does not exalt self or the flesh.
Humility is being obedient to God and obedient to other people whom God has placed in your life to have authority over you.
The person who is humble is the person who pursues the face and heart of God and becomes more detached from the things of this world.
But, humility is uncommon in the kingdom of God. Why is that? Because......
We are full of pride and we are so full of ourselves.
We like to talk about ourselves and exalt ourselves.
We want to be recognized for what we do.
We want to name web sites after ourselves.
We love to promote ourselves because we think we are so great.
We want to be the first in line not last in line.
We expect other people to serve us and God forbid that we should serve somebody else.
We expect other people to clean up our messes, instead of doing it ourselves.
We think the rules apply to everybody else but us.
We don’t want to go down, we want to rise high up on our pedastel.
We don’t want to be crucified and we don’t want to die to the flesh.
We like to brag on ourselves and let people know how truly important we really think we are.
We definitely don’t want to be treated like servants; we just want to be called servants.
And, we certainly don’t want to be treated like slaves. Even though the word of God says in Romans 6 that we are “slaves” to righteousness and therefore to God, we don’t want to be treated like a slave because a slave is treated like a “nobody”, who has no privileges and has no rights. (One of the Apostle Paul’s favorites words he used to refer to himself was “doulos”, which means slave).
How do we know that humility is uncommon in the church today? For example....
Some pastors sit around wondering why Pastor "So and So" always gets invited to preach at all of the conferences and all of the conventions. Then, these same preachers wonder why they never get invited to preach......never imagining that just maybe they can’t preach as well they thought could or maybe their lack of humility results in not being invited to preach.
And, this principle also applies to those who sing. “Why does she always have to get the solos when the choir sings? Why don’t they ever ask me to sing?” Have we ever thought about the fact that just maybe we can’t sing as well as what we thought we could or maybe it is our lack of humility that results in us not being asked to sing?
“If my people over whom My Name is called shall humble themselves and pray”The Hebrew word for “pray” carries with it the idea of rolling around in something and becoming stained.
In order for God to send revival and heal our land, the people of God will have to understand that we must become people of prayer and that our lives must become “stained” by “rolling around”, (i.e., entering into), in His presence.
Prayer is a relationship with God. We speak to Him by praying and He speaks to us, primarily through His word. But, He also speaks to us through His Spirit, through our circumstances, and through other servants in the kingdom.
We know we should pray but we don’t. We know we should pray more but we don’t. Why is that? Because we cannot submit to God and acknowledge our spiritual bankruptcy and acknowledge our need of Him.
Do you think we would pray more if our lives were in a constant state of crisis? Of course, we would. But, God is merciful and He gives us times when there is no crisis in our personal lives. So what do we do when there is no crisis? We don’t pray as much and we don’t cry out to Him as much. It is almost like we are saying to God, “I don’t need You unless I am going through some trial in my life”.
God desires for us to be in such an intimate relationship with Him that nothing changes in the amount of time we spend with Him, whether we are in crisis mode or not. The amount of time we would spend in communion with Him during periods of calm in our lives should be the same amount we would spend with Him during those difficult days of hardship that we go through.
In our relationship with God through prayer, we should not be seeking to get things from Him. Parents know the joy of giving gifts to their children. But, the greatest joy of parents is when the children spend time with them, just wanting to be together. And, so it is in our relationship with God. He loves to give us gifts. But, the greater joy for Him is when His children just want to spend time with Him and enjoy being in His presence. Our relationship with God through prayer should be seeking to know Him more deeply and more intimately so that we can become more like Him.
“If my people over whom My Name is called shall humble themselves and pray and seek My face”
The next requirement is that we must seek the face of God. The Hebrew word for “seek” carries with it the idea of touching, striving after, seeking after, and getting a hold of. The Hebrew word for face is “peniel”. It is the same word that is used in Gen. 32:30 when Jacob called the name of the place where he struggled with God “Peniel” and says, “for I have seen God face to face’.
When we seek the face of God, we must realize that there will be times when it will be like Jacob’s experience. There will be a struggle: between our flesh and the very nature, character, and will of God. Yet, when we seek the face of God, just like Jacob, the character of God will be reflected in and through our lives. And, just like Jacob, the one who seeks the face of God will never ever be the same.
“If my people over whom My Name is called shall humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways”
In our pursuit of God, there must be a turning from our wicked ways. The Hebrew word for “ways” is a word that can mean: a path, a journey, a course, a habit, or a manner. “Wicked” can be defined as evil and anything that is unpleasing to God. Wicked ways can apply to anyone who is doing anything or going in any direction that is unpleasing to God.
It is interesting to notice the order of these requirements for revival:
To become a people whom God is proud to call His Name over
To become a people of prayer
To become a people of humility
To become a people who seek God’s face
To become a people turn from our wicked ways
As a result:
*God will hear from heaven.
*God will forgive our sins.
*God will heal our “land”.
(For the Israelites, the “land” represented the physical relationship with God, which He had promised to them, but the land also represented their spiritual relationship with God.
Keys for personal revival:
The key to turning from evil is to seek God’s face.
The key to seeking God’s face to is to pray.
The key to prayer is humility.
The key to humility is an understanding that we belong to God and should be the kind of people that He is proud to call His Name over.
I don’t think there is anyone who is a Christian who would not agree that the United States of America is in deep, spiritual trouble. And nothing that has happened recently seems to have made a difference in our nation.
Events surrounding 911 certainly didn’t change things. The cost of oil certainly is not having any effect on the conscience of the United States. And, even the Mel Gibson movie, “The Passion of the Christ”, as wonderful as it was, hasn’t changed the spiritual condition of our nation.
The last great nationwide revival in the United States occurred in the late 1850’s and has been termed “The Third Great Awakening”. Of that movement of God in our country, revival historian J. Edwin Orr has written:
“...the influence of the awakening was felt everywhere in the nation. It first captured great cities, but it also spread through every town and village and country hamlet. It swamped schools and colleges. It affected all classes (of people) without respect to condition . . . It seemed to many that the fruits of Pentecost had been repeated a thousand-fold . . . the number of conversions reported soon reached the total of fifty thousand weekly”.
In our nation, we have seen glimpses of revival since the closing of the “Third Great Awakening”, most notably, the Asbury Revival in 1970 and revival that began in Brownwood, Texas in 1995 (not Brownsville, Florida).
Before our nation was formed, a call to prayer was proclaimed in 1775, when the Continental Congress asked the colonies to pray for wisdom in forming our country and that call to prayer has continued through our history.
President Abraham Lincoln issued a proclamation for a day of "humiliation, fasting, and prayer" in 1863 during the Civil War. It is interesting to note that the Civil War began only three years after the waning days of this great revival.
The National Day of Prayer was established in 1952 by President of the United States, Harry Truman and “The National Day of Prayer Task Force”, spearheaded by James and Shirley Dobson, has been in existence since the early 1990’s.
We have had the prayer and fasting movement since at least 1994 when Bill Bright, founder of Campus Crusade for Christ, began a yearly 40 day fast and encouraged other Christians to join him in fasting for national revival.
But, why, hasn’t revival happened? So many believers have prayed and fasted and cried out to God for Him to send revival to our nation. But why have we not seen a great movement of the Spirit of God in our nation in one hundred and fifty years?
Some may ask, “What is wrong with God? Doesn’t He hear our prayers? Doesn’t He care that our nation is traveling downward through a spiral of degradation and evil wickedness?”
There is nothing wrong with God but there is something terribly wrong with us. God help us. We need revival.
Second Chronicles 7:14 is a verse that many of us could quote from memory. The verse has been used over and over again when someone speaks about praying for our nation and praying for God to send us a revival. But, even though many of us can quote it from memory, it is possible we have become so familiar with the verse that the significance and meaning has been lost to us.
“If my people which are called by My Name…”
A literal translation of this phrase reads: “If my people over whom My Name is called”. The Hebrew word for “called” carries with it the idea of:
God’s people possessing the mark of His ownership
God’s people possessing the mark of His reputation
God’s people possessing the mark of His signature
God is the Owner/Ruler of His people.
The Owner is in charge. The Owner is King and the Owner is sovereign. The Sovereign King is Ruler over all of creation. The King is all-powerful (omnipotent), all-knowing (omniscient), and He is everywhere (omnipresent). We are the King’s servants and we belong to Him. The servants work in the King’s kingdom. The servants don’t have a kingdom. The servants aren’t in charge, the King is in charge. The servants submit to the King and the servants represent the King in matters of the kingdom. No servant is allowed to usurp the authority of the King. There is only one King and the servants do not have the option to be King. Though the servants sometimes attempt to rule their own lives, they usually come to understand who is King when they experience times of trouble, hardship, and crisis. The servants belong to the King and they carry the King’s reputation and the mark of His signature to a lost and dying world. The servants of the King must yield their lives to Him, acknowledge His ownership of them, must never attempt to be the “king” of their own little kingdom.
The Hebrew for “over whom My Name is called” suggests that God is proud to call us His name over His people. Therefore, the question must be asked: “Are the people of God living in such a way that God is proud to call His Name over them?”
”If My people over whom My Name is called will humble themselves”
The Hebrew word for humble means to submit, to fall on one’s knees, to be lowly, to be subdued and captured, and to be depressed, not in spirit, but in position, as in a depression of land.
Why is humility important in the kingdom of God? Because....
Humility is acknowledging our own spiritual bankruptcy (“blessed are the poor in spirit”) and it is acknowledging our spiritual need for God (“blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness”).
Humility is acknowledging God’s sovereignty, authority, and power over all of His creation.
Humility is unequivocal dependence upon God.
Humility is a willingness to wait for God to act in His own time and in His own way.
Humility does not rush in and take matters into its own hands.
Humility is doing something only when there is clear word from God.
Humility is being patient.
Humility is not being offended by being treated like a servant.
Humility does not brag and boast about one’s own achievements and one’s capabilities.
Humility understands that you can’t get away with hidden sins before God.
Humility does not exalt self or the flesh.
Humility is being obedient to God and obedient to other people whom God has placed in your life to have authority over you.
The person who is humble is the person who pursues the face and heart of God and becomes more detached from the things of this world.
But, humility is uncommon in the kingdom of God. Why is that? Because......
We are full of pride and we are so full of ourselves.
We like to talk about ourselves and exalt ourselves.
We want to be recognized for what we do.
We want to name web sites after ourselves.
We love to promote ourselves because we think we are so great.
We want to be the first in line not last in line.
We expect other people to serve us and God forbid that we should serve somebody else.
We expect other people to clean up our messes, instead of doing it ourselves.
We think the rules apply to everybody else but us.
We don’t want to go down, we want to rise high up on our pedastel.
We don’t want to be crucified and we don’t want to die to the flesh.
We like to brag on ourselves and let people know how truly important we really think we are.
We definitely don’t want to be treated like servants; we just want to be called servants.
And, we certainly don’t want to be treated like slaves. Even though the word of God says in Romans 6 that we are “slaves” to righteousness and therefore to God, we don’t want to be treated like a slave because a slave is treated like a “nobody”, who has no privileges and has no rights. (One of the Apostle Paul’s favorites words he used to refer to himself was “doulos”, which means slave).
How do we know that humility is uncommon in the church today? For example....
Some pastors sit around wondering why Pastor "So and So" always gets invited to preach at all of the conferences and all of the conventions. Then, these same preachers wonder why they never get invited to preach......never imagining that just maybe they can’t preach as well they thought could or maybe their lack of humility results in not being invited to preach.
And, this principle also applies to those who sing. “Why does she always have to get the solos when the choir sings? Why don’t they ever ask me to sing?” Have we ever thought about the fact that just maybe we can’t sing as well as what we thought we could or maybe it is our lack of humility that results in us not being asked to sing?
“If my people over whom My Name is called shall humble themselves and pray”The Hebrew word for “pray” carries with it the idea of rolling around in something and becoming stained.
In order for God to send revival and heal our land, the people of God will have to understand that we must become people of prayer and that our lives must become “stained” by “rolling around”, (i.e., entering into), in His presence.
Prayer is a relationship with God. We speak to Him by praying and He speaks to us, primarily through His word. But, He also speaks to us through His Spirit, through our circumstances, and through other servants in the kingdom.
We know we should pray but we don’t. We know we should pray more but we don’t. Why is that? Because we cannot submit to God and acknowledge our spiritual bankruptcy and acknowledge our need of Him.
Do you think we would pray more if our lives were in a constant state of crisis? Of course, we would. But, God is merciful and He gives us times when there is no crisis in our personal lives. So what do we do when there is no crisis? We don’t pray as much and we don’t cry out to Him as much. It is almost like we are saying to God, “I don’t need You unless I am going through some trial in my life”.
God desires for us to be in such an intimate relationship with Him that nothing changes in the amount of time we spend with Him, whether we are in crisis mode or not. The amount of time we would spend in communion with Him during periods of calm in our lives should be the same amount we would spend with Him during those difficult days of hardship that we go through.
In our relationship with God through prayer, we should not be seeking to get things from Him. Parents know the joy of giving gifts to their children. But, the greatest joy of parents is when the children spend time with them, just wanting to be together. And, so it is in our relationship with God. He loves to give us gifts. But, the greater joy for Him is when His children just want to spend time with Him and enjoy being in His presence. Our relationship with God through prayer should be seeking to know Him more deeply and more intimately so that we can become more like Him.
“If my people over whom My Name is called shall humble themselves and pray and seek My face”
The next requirement is that we must seek the face of God. The Hebrew word for “seek” carries with it the idea of touching, striving after, seeking after, and getting a hold of. The Hebrew word for face is “peniel”. It is the same word that is used in Gen. 32:30 when Jacob called the name of the place where he struggled with God “Peniel” and says, “for I have seen God face to face’.
When we seek the face of God, we must realize that there will be times when it will be like Jacob’s experience. There will be a struggle: between our flesh and the very nature, character, and will of God. Yet, when we seek the face of God, just like Jacob, the character of God will be reflected in and through our lives. And, just like Jacob, the one who seeks the face of God will never ever be the same.
“If my people over whom My Name is called shall humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways”
In our pursuit of God, there must be a turning from our wicked ways. The Hebrew word for “ways” is a word that can mean: a path, a journey, a course, a habit, or a manner. “Wicked” can be defined as evil and anything that is unpleasing to God. Wicked ways can apply to anyone who is doing anything or going in any direction that is unpleasing to God.
It is interesting to notice the order of these requirements for revival:
To become a people whom God is proud to call His Name over
To become a people of prayer
To become a people of humility
To become a people who seek God’s face
To become a people turn from our wicked ways
As a result:
*God will hear from heaven.
*God will forgive our sins.
*God will heal our “land”.
(For the Israelites, the “land” represented the physical relationship with God, which He had promised to them, but the land also represented their spiritual relationship with God.
Keys for personal revival:
The key to turning from evil is to seek God’s face.
The key to seeking God’s face to is to pray.
The key to prayer is humility.
The key to humility is an understanding that we belong to God and should be the kind of people that He is proud to call His Name over.
A Letter To The Pastor
A legendary story is told of a rich man who came to visit a cathedral while it was being built and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, 'Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered by the roof, No one will ever see it. And the workman replied, 'Because God sees.'
There are some times when as a pastor you wonder whether anything you are doing in ministry is making a difference in people's lives. There are those long, and sometimes lonely, hours that are necessary to your sermons every week. Added to that, is the pressure of everyone expecting you to "hit a home run" every time you get up to preach.
There are those days and nights that you spend at the hospital ministering to both the physical and spiritual needs of those who are hurting. There are the countless numbers of hours spent counseling, trying to come up with answers to help those who are hurting emotionally and spiritually.
Then, there are all of the meetings, the weekly visitation of visitors to your church, and on top of all that, you are expected to minister to those in your community who don't go to your church but go to another church or they don't even go to church at all.
As you much as you have tried, you haven't seen your church grow in years. Oh, you have people who will visit who are looking for a church home but they never return for a second visit. And, it has been so long since anyone has walked down the aisle after one of your sermons, whether to be saved, to rededicate their life, or just to ask for prayer.
And, there are those occasions when you have had to neglect your family for those critical needs in your congregation when you just couldn't say "no" to a family who needed your counsel and support.
You wonder at times if it is worth it all. You wonder whether anyone would even notice if you stopped pastoring your church. Sometimes, it even feels like you are invisible, especially to God.
You cry out, "God, what is wrong with my church? What is wrong with me? God, what is wrong with You? Can't you see that my heart is breaking over the spiritual condition of my church family? I keep investing my life in their physical, emotional, and spiritual needs. Nothing ever changes! No one even says, "Thank you, Pastor, for your hard work and dedication." No one says, "Thank you for you many hours of sacrifice to help us in our walk with God."
You may have even said, "God, if something doesn't change in my church, I'm just gonna quit! I can't take it anymore. Nothing I do seems to make a difference. Does anybody really care about what I am doing? Does anybody really care about the things of God? It seems at times as though the only thing that matters to my people are their physical needs. Why aren’t they concerned about the spiritual needs in their lives?"
_________________________________
To: The Pastor
From: God
I just wanted to write you a letter to let you know that I understand everything you are going through. I know the way is hard sometimes and I know that it can be frustrating dealing with your precious flock. I heard your crying the other night. And, the other day when you got mad at Me? I can handle that. It is alright to get mad at Me. I don't ever hold things like that against you.
You are my special child and I love you so much. You are always on My mind and you are always at the center of My attention. Nothing that ever happens to you goes unnoticed by Me. And, nothing you ever do for Me goes unnoticed, either.
I planned out your life before you were ever formed in your sweet mother's womb and I was so excited on the day that you were born. Because of My plan for your life, I was counting the days when you would one day be willing to join Me in assisting in My work.
I decided that I needed you to be a shepherd to some of My sheep. Sheep can be frustrating to work with sometimes. They are so helpless. They don't know where to go and they don't know what to do. That is why they need a shepherd and that is why they need you and why I need you.
I wanted you to know that you are part of a great and glorious work in My kingdom. You are kind of like that workman who takes part in building a cathedral: diligently and invisibly working on all of the details. The workman will go unnoticed but when that cathedral is completed, many stand in awe of the beauty of the structure.
And, so it is with My kingdom. You must be diligent in your work though at times you will feel like you are invisible to the world. I need you to do your part in the work that I have called you to do. It is not necessary for you to see and understand everything that pertains to the structure of My kingdom. You must only do your part and do it to the best of your ability. I have other workmen that are also fulfilling their roles in My kingdom work that I have not called you to do. Just do what I have asked you to do.
I am the Architect of My kingdom. I know what it will look like after it is completed. And, after all is said and done, you will not be recognized by having your name placed on the “cathedral”. No, that is reserved for My Son. His name will be placed on high and He will take His place on His throne.
But, you can be assured that I know the contributions you are making in My kingdom. Your work does not go unnoticed. One day very soon, you will be rewarded for all of your work and you will receive some very special crowns.
But, on that day when you receive those jeweled crowns, you will be in such awe of the beauty of the kingdom you helped to construct that you will be so humbled by all that you will see. Because you will take your place in the presence of My Son, you will lay down your crowns at His feet and rejoice. On that day, it will not matter to you how much work you have done over the years. And, it will not matter to you whether any one noticed what your work on the earth. No, the only thing that will matter on that day is that you will enter through gates of splendor and bow down before your glorious King.
My precious child: do not quit and do not give up. Those thoughts do not come from Me but come from My adversary and My enemy. He knows what I am doing through you and He knows the work that I am accomplishing through your life. That antagonist, know as Satan, knows he was defeated when My Son died on the cross and He knows that one day he will ultimately go down to eternal defeat.
So, dear Pastor, carry on. Go quietly amidst the troubles, the trials, the hardships, and the heartaches. These afflictions are only temporary. The journey is just beginning for you but one day you will make your appearance in My glorious kingdom in Heaven.
Until then, you just keep on following Me and serving Me. I have prepared a special place for you upon your arrival.
I love you, dearly.
Your friend,
God
P.S. There are many, many people awaiting your arrival and your entrance here in heaven. They need to speak with you because they want you to know how much you meant to them on earth and they want to say “thanks”.
Cheap Crosses
Mark 15:25 " Now it was the third hour, and they crucified Him".
No one wanted a Roman crucifixion. With its origins in the Middle East in the area which we now know as Iran, crucifixion by the Roman government was cruel, vicious, brutal, and humiliating.
The Roman soldiers always made the victim carry the cross to the place where he would be crucified.
And so, the journey began for Jesus to carry His own cross through the streets of Jerusalem. Spat upon and laughed at, His robe ripped from His body, the Roman soldiers brought the cross that weighed over 100 pounds and was made of olive wood to Jesus. They lashed His shoulders to the cross then tied a long rope around His waist that was approximately ten feet long.
The rope was that long, so that, should the victim become reluctant to walk forward, the soldiers could pull the one being crucified down the street.
Jesus had already lost a lot of blood in the garden of Gethsemane. He had sweated great drops of blood through His skin through a process of the human body called “hematidrosis”. Hematidrosis can occur when a person is suffering extreme levels of stress, for example when someone is facing their own death.
Hematidrosis causes great weakness in the human body and can cause the body to go into shock. During this process of the human body, as a result of the hemorrhaging of blood into the sweat glands, the skin becomes fragile and tender and the slightest touch can cause a considerable amount of pain.
Before Jesus was crucified, He had been struck in the face and His body had been beaten through the torture known as scourging. Scourging, practiced by the Romans, was a cruel punishment that usually preceded crucifixion.
The only ones exempted from scourging were women, Roman senators, and soldiers, except in cases of desertion. Normally there were between one and six trained Roman officers called lictors who were responsible for dispensing the blows to the victims. The lictors chosen to administer the scourging had received special medical training.
They knew how to wield the whip so as to open bruises which had already formed. The instrument used for scourging was a short whip called a flagrum or flagellum to which was attached several braided leather thongs of variable lengths.
Knots were tied in the ends of each thong, and sheep bone or iron balls were inserted into the knots at the end of each thong.
Jesus had been stripped of his clothing and his hands were tied to a post.
The Roman soldiers repeatedly struck the victim's back and legs with full force causing deep contusions.
Lacerations from repeated blows cut into the underlying muscles of His body and ripped the overlaying skin of His back to a point where it hung in ribbons of bleeding flesh. His capillaries and veins would have been torn resulting in intense bleeding.
The pain that Jesus experienced from the scourging was intensified because of hematidrosis in Jesus’ body. His body would now be in a state of half-shock and His body temperature would have begun to drop. At this point, there would be little fluid left to nourish the tissues of His body.
The Roman soldiers realized how hard they had pushed Him when Jesus fell to the ground and could go no further. So, they enlisted Simon of Cyrene to carry Jesus’ cross.
Once the victim reached the site of crucifixion, a society of Jewish women would always give a victim a mixture of vinegar and myrrh to ease the pain before the cross was lifted with the person tied to it. That day when Jesus was crucified, two thieves were crucified with Him, and the thieves drank the liquid in an attempt to ease the pain of crucifixion. But, not Jesus.
No. He wanted His mind clear. He knew exactly what He was doing and He knew the pain that was to come. There was no attempt on His part to try to ease the discomfort or escape any of the suffering that was about to occur.
So, the Roman soldiers flung Him to the dirt and stretched His arms at 90 degree angles on the cross. Then, the soldiers drove 5 inch long spikes into His wrists.
The reason they drove the spikes into the victim’s wrists was so that at the moment of lifting the victim, the median nerve that runs from the wrist to the shoulder, would be severed and excruciating pain would race up and down the victim’s arm. The only relief possible to the victim would be death itself and doctors report that the greatest pain that someone being crucified would experience would have been when the median nerve was severed.
As the pain shot through the arms of Jesus and the two thieves that day, none of us could imagine the terrifying screams that went up from the hillside in that awful, awesome moment.
Once the victim was lifted up on the cross, one of two methods was used regarding the victim’s feet. The first method would be to leave the feet hanging, which would bring about almost certain death.
The soldiers, though, had discovered a way to prolong the torture. They would place the left foot against the cross then place the right foot on top of the left and drive a spike through both feet. When the victim would begin to sag and as his body reached an angle of 65 degrees, he would be unable to breathe and carbon dioxide would fill the lungs, causing more terrifying pain. (Imagine holding your breath and not being able to breathe). (Notes on medical aspects of the crucifixion: from T.W. Hunt).
Then, they crucified Jesus on the cross.
Why is the cross so important? Why was it necessary for Jesus to die on an old rugged cross?
Because the cross is the place where Jesus shed His blood and died for our sins. And, the cross is the place of Jesus’ suffering and sacrifice for the atonement for our past, present, and future sins.
It is in that awful, terrible moment when Jesus, holy and perfect and pure as He was, and is, takes upon Himself the sins of the world and He is crucified.
It is a liberating event for you, and for me, for on the cross we are delivered from the penalty of our sins. The penalty would have been separation from God for eternity in that terrible place called Hell had Jesus not died for us.
Not only were we delivered from the penalty of our sins by Jesus dying on the cross, we were also delivered from the power of sin in our lives. How cruel it would have been for God to have delivered us from only the penalty of our sins but not offered freedom from the power of sin in our daily lives.
Being delivered from the penalty of sin and being delivered from the power of sin, when Jesus died on the cross, He also set us free so that one day, in heaven, we will be delivered from the presence of sin. And in heaven, there will be no sin.
But, what about the cross today?
Why don’t we preach more about the cross than we do? Why don’t we teach about the cross more in our Bible study groups in our churches? Why don’t we write more books about the cross? Why don’t we write and sing more songs about the cross?
If the cross was so important to the Lord Jesus, why is it not important to us today?
We live in a world of crosses today in our culture but the crosses are "cheap crosses." Just go into your local Wal-Mart, Sam’s Club, Target, or K-Mart and you can buy a cross always for much less than the retail price. Just google the words “cheap crosses” and you will find many web sites where you can purchase a cheap cross.
And, certainly, you know that everyone needs to wear a cheap cross and everybody needs to have a cheap cross hanging on the walls of their houses. Of course, all bought at discount for less than the retail price.
We see people everywhere wearing cheap crosses around their necks on a chain. They wear their cheap crosses in their ears as ear rings. They wear their cheap crosses on their fingers as rings or they have their cheap crosses tattooed on who knows how many different parts of their bodies.
And, it’s cool to wear a cross, isn’t it? Why, just ask Snoop Dog or 50 Cent or rapper Slim Thug if it isn’t cool to wear a cross around your neck. Hey, if the rappers do it, we all ought to do it!
Here is the funny thing about purchasing a cheap cross: you can go into any Sam’s, Wal-Mart, Target, or K-Mart and buy a cross and they won’t even ask you for your OCI badge (Official Christian Identification badge) that says that you are a legitimate, in good standing and long-time member of the “I’m saved because my identification badge says so” society.
No, everybody qualifies to buy and wear cheap crosses, whether they are a Christian or not.
Wearing a cross is appealing. Isn’t it? It makes you look good and it makes a great fashion statement, doesn’t it? And cheap crosses profit the companies that make them because they don’t cost a lot to make. So, all in all, buy a cheap cross and help the economy.
Sadly, cheap crosses could well describe a good bit of what we hear being preached on TV, on the radio, on the internet, and in our churches. And, a cheap cross might be appropriate to put on the steeples of some our churches whose pulpits are catering to those who want a religion at no cost.
We don't mind wearing the symbol of the cross around our necks. We don't even mind singing hymns about the cross. And, to be honest with you, we don't even mind if someone preaches about the cross----- just so they preach to lost people and not to us. We love to sing that we will “cling to the old rugged cross” but do we understand what clinging to the “old rugged cross” really means.
If someone preaches that the cross is about personal sacrifice, we don’t like it.
If someone preaches to us that the cross will take us out of our own little world of our comfort zone, we don’t like it.
If someone preaches to us that the cross will mean our own death to sin, death to selfishness, and death to self-centeredness, we don’t like it.
We want to get the Christian life for as little sacrifice as possible. And, maybe we can even slip through the Christian journey for absolutely nothing.
That describes so much of what is happening today in Christianity. We want a cheap cross.
Sadly, there is very little preaching today about the cross of Jesus but there is more preaching about (and these are not made up):
• Eight steps to create the life you want
• How to become a better you
• Positioning yourself for greatness
• Positioning yourself to prosper
• Exalted in my body (whatever that means!)
• Designed for success
• Stepping to a new level of blessing
• The necessity of how to recognize the enemies of prosperity
• The rewards of recognizing financial deliverers assigned by God to unlock your
faith
• How to focus your seed sowing for a specific result
God forbid that anybody preach on the cross today and suffering and sacrifice. There are men who call themselves communicators and motivators but they are, apparently, afraid to call themselves "preachers of the gospel", fearful that they might be associated with someone who just might preach on the cross of Christ.
And, God forbid that anybody write about the cross of Christ and about denying self and denying the flesh. We have Christian books written today about success, financial prosperity, the Christian’s sex life, being on the mountaintop with God, how to be happy and how God wants to bless your life with fancy homes, fancy cars, and the latest in fashionable clothes. But, we don’t have much written about the cross.
Why is that?
When Jesus talked about the cross, it meant death.
When Jesus talked about the cross, it meant denial of fleshly desires and fleshly wants.
When Jesus talked about the cross, it meant heading down a road from which there would be no return.
Where do we find ourselves today? Preferring a "cheap cross", one in which there is no commitment, no surrender, and no change in our lives? That kind of cross is not found in the Word of God.
The cross that is mentioned in the New Testament is:
• A cross that is demonstrated by surrendering our lives to follow Jesus Christ.
• A cross that is marked by complete and total obedience to Jesus Christ and nothing
less is acceptable than complete obedience.
• A cross that results in lives being changed.
In Philippians 2:5-8, Paul describes what the cross meant in Jesus' life-
5) Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus
6) Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God
7) But made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and
was made in the likeness of men:
8) And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled himself, and became obedient unto
death, even the death of the cross.
• The cross for Jesus meant no recognition (verse 7a: "…but made Himself of no reputation…"). Jesus was not concerned about making a name for Himself nor was He concerned about being well known or noticed. He wasn’t concerned about self-promotion.
• The cross for Jesus meant no prejudice (verse 7b: "…took upon Him the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of men…"). Jesus was willing to become like we are in order for us to become like He is. He was willing to identify and associate Himself with mankind, showing no prejudice toward us and toward our sinfulness, our rottenness, and our wickedness.
• The cross for Jesus meant no pride (verse 8a: "…He humbled Himself…"). For Jesus, there was never an issue of pride. He humbled Himself and became a servant.
• The cross for Jesus meant no rebellion (verse 8b: "…. became obedient unto death…"). We find no resistance and no rebellion in Jesus. We see that He went to the cross to die, willingly and joyfully. (Hebrews 12:2 “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of [our] faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God”.)
Among the words that have lost their meaning in today's church is the word “cross” and that word that has lost its meaning in your life and my life.
Cheap cross? I hope not but it sure looks like it.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a German Lutheran pastor, theologian, and participant in the German Resistance movement against Nazism during World War II. Bonhoeffer was arrested in March 1943, imprisoned, and eventually hanged just days before the end of World War II in Europe.
Bonhoeffer wrote:
"The cross is laid on every Christian. The first suffering which every man must experience is the call to abandon the attachments of this world. We surrender ourselves to Christ in union with His death—we give over our lives to death. When Christ calls a man, He bids him come and die....death in Jesus Christ, the death of the old man. Only the man who is dead to his own will can follow Christ. In fact, every command of Jesus is a call to die, die to all our affections and lusts. But we do not want to die…”
Instead of a cheap cross there must be the realization that the cross is costly. It cost Jesus His life. It will also cost us our lives by requiring us to die to self.
What is dying to self?
“When you are forgotten or neglected or purposely set at nought, and you don't sting and hurt with the insult of the oversight but your heart is happy, being counted worthy to suffer for Christ, that is dying to self.
When your good is evil spoken of and when your wishes are crossed and your advice disregarded, your opinion ridiculed, and you refuse to let anger rise in your heart or even defend yourself, but take it all in patient, loving silence, that is dying to self.
When you lovingly and patiently bear any disorder, any irregularity, any impunctuality, to any annoyance, when you stand face to face with waste and folly and extravagance and spiritual insensitivity and endure it as Jesus endured it, that is dying to self.
When you're content with any food, any offering, any climate, any society, any solitude, any raiment, any interruption by the will of God, that is dying to self.
When you never care to refer to yourself in conversation or to record your own good words or itch after commendation, when you can truly love to be unknown, that is dying to self.
When you can see your brother prosper and have his needs met and can honestly rejoice with him in spirit and feel no envy nor question God while your own needs are far greater and in desperate circumstances, that is dying to self.
When you can receive correction and reproof from one of less stature than yourself and can humbly submit inwardly, as well as outwardly, finding no rebellion or resentment rising up within your heart, that is dying to self.” (Gene Warr)
Let me ask you: are you dead yet?
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