Leadership Principles
Just a few leadership principles I have gathered over the years that I have had to learn the hard way (and I am still having to learn the hard way):
(You can substitute “church” or “ministry” in the place of the word “organization”)
1. I am not the most important person in my organization no matter what position I hold. Everyone else in my organization is more important than I am.
2. My priority should be to serve others in my organization and not expect them, nor require them, to “bow down and serve me”.
3. I must treat others in my organization the way I would want to be treated: with dignity and respect.
4. Every person in my organization is a gift from God.
5. Every person has the potential to make a difference, not only in my organization, but in other areas of life outside of my organization.
6. Every person in my organization has a life outside of the organization and they have families, hobbies, and other interests that they enjoy being involved in.
7. I am responsible for making the organization an enjoyable and pleasant environment where people enjoy coming to work and to serve.
8. Every person in the organization does not appreciate me “looking over their shoulders” while they serve (this is called micro-managing).
9. I should give every person in the organization the freedom to accomplish their tasks according to their gifts and abilities (this is called macro-managing and also known as “The One Minute Manager”).
10. One of the greatest joys in life should be when I serve other people no matter who they are.
Cheap Crosses
(The material below regarding the medical aspects of the crucifixion were received from Dr. T.W. Hunt, retired professor from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Ft. Worth, Texas.)
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, which weighed over 100 pounds and 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. (Technically, Jesus carried the crossbar of His cross). 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 actually 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, 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 lectors, who were responsible for dispensing the blows to the victims. In the training, the lictors chosen to administer the scourging, had received special medical training.
The lictors 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 and the Roman soldiers repeatedly struck the His 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 the 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 a crucifixion, a society of Jewish women would always give a victim a mixture of vinegar and myrrh, which acted like a drug, 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, no one 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 the 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).
In order to relieve the pain of carbon dioxide filling the lungs, the victim would then use his feet to push himself upwards in order to exhale, thereby, resulting in more excruciating pain in his feet and legs because of the spikes in his ankles.
They crucified Jesus on the cross.
He was tortured.
He suffered.
He bled.
And, then, He died.
They cried. His family and His friends, who were gathered around the cross that day when Jesus was crucified, were broken-hearted.
Why did He have to die? Why did He have to suffer such a hideous and heinous death?
Couldn’t He have found another way?
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 sin. 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. In heaven, there will be no sin and what a glorious day that will be!
But, what about the cross today? If the cross was so important when Jesus was crucified, 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 cheap 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 a lot of people need to wear a cross and other people need to have a cross hanging on the walls of their houses. But, of course, all of those crosses were bought at discount for less than the retail price.
Cheap crosses.
We see people everywhere wearing crosses around their necks on a chain. They wear their crosses in their ears as ear rings. They wear their crosses on their fingers as rings or they have their 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 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 O.C.I. 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. (Oh, wait a minute! I just remembered: wearing a cheap cross means you believe in God.)
Everybody qualifies to buy and wear a cross, whether they are a Christian or not.
Wearing a cross is appealing, isn’t it? It makes you look cool and it makes a great fashion statement. And cheap crosses profit the companies that make them because they don’t cost a lot to make. So, all in all, if everyone will buy a cheap cross then we will help the economy.
And, cheap crosses might be appropriate to put on the steeples of some of our churches whose pulpits are catering to those who want religion at no cost and no sacrifice.
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 just maybe we don’t 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 possess the Christian life for as little sacrifice as possible. And, just maybe we can ease on through our Christian journey for absolutely no sacrifice.
We really do want a cheap cross.
God forbid that anybody preach on the cross that requires suffering and sacrifice, about dying to self and dying to the flesh.
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.
But, 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 the surrender of lives to follow Jesus Christ.
· A cross that is marked by obedience to Jesus Christ.
· 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.
· 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 our “religious” vocabulary today.
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 Hitler and Nazism during World War II. Bonhoeffer was arrested in March 1943, imprisoned, and eventually hanged because of his resistance 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…” (end quote)
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?
Gene Warr, says it best:
“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.”
Let me ask you: are you dead yet?”
(http://dyingtoself1.blogspot.com/)
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, which weighed over 100 pounds and 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. (Technically, Jesus carried the crossbar of His cross). 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 actually 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, 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 lectors, who were responsible for dispensing the blows to the victims. In the training, the lictors chosen to administer the scourging, had received special medical training.
The lictors 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 and the Roman soldiers repeatedly struck the His 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 the 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 a crucifixion, a society of Jewish women would always give a victim a mixture of vinegar and myrrh, which acted like a drug, 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, no one 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 the 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).
In order to relieve the pain of carbon dioxide filling the lungs, the victim would then use his feet to push himself upwards in order to exhale, thereby, resulting in more excruciating pain in his feet and legs because of the spikes in his ankles.
They crucified Jesus on the cross.
He was tortured.
He suffered.
He bled.
And, then, He died.
They cried. His family and His friends, who were gathered around the cross that day when Jesus was crucified, were broken-hearted.
Why did He have to die? Why did He have to suffer such a hideous and heinous death?
Couldn’t He have found another way?
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 sin. 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. In heaven, there will be no sin and what a glorious day that will be!
But, what about the cross today? If the cross was so important when Jesus was crucified, 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 cheap 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 a lot of people need to wear a cross and other people need to have a cross hanging on the walls of their houses. But, of course, all of those crosses were bought at discount for less than the retail price.
Cheap crosses.
We see people everywhere wearing crosses around their necks on a chain. They wear their crosses in their ears as ear rings. They wear their crosses on their fingers as rings or they have their 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 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 O.C.I. 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. (Oh, wait a minute! I just remembered: wearing a cheap cross means you believe in God.)
Everybody qualifies to buy and wear a cross, whether they are a Christian or not.
Wearing a cross is appealing, isn’t it? It makes you look cool and it makes a great fashion statement. And cheap crosses profit the companies that make them because they don’t cost a lot to make. So, all in all, if everyone will buy a cheap cross then we will help the economy.
And, cheap crosses might be appropriate to put on the steeples of some of our churches whose pulpits are catering to those who want religion at no cost and no sacrifice.
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 just maybe we don’t 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 possess the Christian life for as little sacrifice as possible. And, just maybe we can ease on through our Christian journey for absolutely no sacrifice.
We really do want a cheap cross.
God forbid that anybody preach on the cross that requires suffering and sacrifice, about dying to self and dying to the flesh.
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.
But, 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 the surrender of lives to follow Jesus Christ.
· A cross that is marked by obedience to Jesus Christ.
· 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.
· 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 our “religious” vocabulary today.
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 Hitler and Nazism during World War II. Bonhoeffer was arrested in March 1943, imprisoned, and eventually hanged because of his resistance 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…” (end quote)
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?
Gene Warr, says it best:
“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.”
Let me ask you: are you dead yet?”
(http://dyingtoself1.blogspot.com/)
Good Morning. This is God.
Good Morning. This is God.
Today I will be handling all of your problems.
Please remember that I do not need your help today.
If the devil happens to deliver a situation to you that you cannot handle,
DO NOT attempt to solve it.
Kindly put it in the SFGTD (something for God to do) box.
It will be addressed in MY time, not yours.
Once the matter is placed into the box,
do not attempt to remove it so that you can hold on to it again.
Holding on or trying to remove will only delay the resolution of your problem.
If it is a situation that you think you are capable of handling,
please consult me in prayer to be sure that it is the proper resolution.
Because I do not sleep nor do I slumber,
there is no need for you to lose any sleep.
Rest my child.
If you need to contact me, I am only a prayer away.
And, if I need your help, I know how to contact you.
With all my Love,
God
Something More Than Just "Doing" Church
Author: Jeff Elkins
Recently my family and I had an incredible experience at a church in Baltimore. The church, which shall remain nameless, did everything perfectly.
The front door was held open for us by a gentleman with a kind smile. I immediately felt welcomed.
The layout of the entry way was awesome. Even though it was my first time at the church, and there were a ton of people coming in and out, the natural flow of traffic let me know exactly where to go.
The welcome desk was well labeled and prominent on the left hand side of the entry way. It was staffed with friendly helpful people; and there were no lack of easy to approach greeters with clearly visible nametags standing around expectantly hoping someone would ask them a question.
Beyond the Welcome desk there was a room full of breakfast treats and the smell of coffee was in the air (a huge plus for me).
A greeter identified us as visitors and led us to the Children's check in area.
The Children's Sunday School Check-In Desk was also extremely easy to find. Check in there was great. One of the workers escorted us to the classrooms, explained to us the security procedures, and answered any and all the questions we could possibly have.
The worship service was impeccably pulled off. The music was sincere, not showy in anyway. There were multiple worship leaders, but it was extremely smooth and enjoyable. The songs were relevant, fresh, and easy to pick up for someone who might not know them. They did a great job of trying to help people engage Christ without terrifying those that might be new the church experience.
The sermon was clear, relevant, and engaging. The pastor's points were well thought out and communicated. My attention was held the entire time.
There were no unnecessary rabbit trails or rants. It was challenging but not offensive, informative but not burdensome, fun but not ridiculous. It was a good message.
After the service we went to get our kids and they were beaming. Yes...that's right...our kids loved Sunday School there. Usually a new church experience will send them all into tears, but not this time. They couldn't stop sharing stories about how much fun they had.
This church is a well oiled machine. They have it down. They do all the things church growth authors say should be done to create a wonderful church experience. They pull off an excellent attractional worship service.
As we drove home I asked Wendy what she thought. Reflectively she said, "That would be a very comfortable place to fall into, but there has to be something more." I agreed, "Yeah. That was amazing...but I don’t believe it is going to turn Baltimore upside down for Jesus."
Now, please don't think we are being judgmental or critical when we say "there must be something more." You must understand:
First, I think this church is incredible. I have attended a lot of churches, and I've never been to one that pulled off an attractional worship service like they did. Seriously, they did an amazing job.
Second, please know that I am very much part of this church; and therefore commenting on myself as much as my experience this past Sunday.
Now I'm not a member; but I celebrated and worked in churches like this one over the years. I applauded when churches like this one risked everything, denied all contemporary wisdom, and fought the status-quo to become environments that were comfortable and inviting to outsiders.
I cheered as these churches put down the hymnals and put lyrics on easy to see screens; as they got rid of the traditional pews and went to more comfortable stadium seating. I defended speakers that were struggling to give sermons in more "seeker friendly" ways and did my best to mimic them.
I got fired up about worship music becoming more like the music my generation listened to. I created environments that were fun, comfortable, and exciting, and then instructed the congregation to "bring their lost friends next week!" I've built crazy sets for Sunday mornings, hung flyers on door knobs, cooked pancake breakfasts, pulled off insane visual illustrations, put on Easter pageants and Hell Houses, delivered invitations with soft music playing behind me, and on, and on, and on...
So you see, when I speak about the attractional church I am not an outsider. It is very much a part of me. It has defined my walk with Christ. It has been the beat of my heart; but recently my heart has begun to ache.
So back to "something more..."
My problem is two fold:
First - I believe that the church is the only organization that can bring healing to the pain of Baltimore. Because it is the only group empowered by the Holy Spirit, it is the only group that can bring dead things to life.
Second - the things that used to work, the things that used to excite people about coming to church, the stuff that used to bring people to the healing power of Jesus, now seems to be the status quo and are no longer working like they used to. The people in my community that are disconnected from God are not attracted to our worship services any more, no matter how relevant we make them. (This is not just my personal experience. There are tons of studies out there now showing that less and less people every year are attending church.) They don't care what the music is like. They don't care how relevant the message is. They don't care if it is welcoming and inviting.
You see, the attractional based model assumes that there are groups of people out there that would attend a worship service if that worship service was simply welcoming and inviting. One author I read recently called these groups of people "window shoppers." The goal of the attractional church has been to create a beautiful window that would draw people in...but these groups seem to be quickly diminishing.
In an attractional church, the primary activity of the body, the front door where people are introduced to the church, is focused on being comfortable and exciting. It therefore, unintentionally, feeds the consumer attitude already present in our society.
Now, I don't know yet how to fix this yet, but here are a few things I have come to believe firmly in the last year...
We have to stop making our front door (where people come to check us out) a worship service; we need to make it our lives. People should not be encountering the Holy Spirit for the first time by watching believers worship. They should be introduced to the Holy Spirit through the insane, crazy, wild, reckless, sacrificial love of Jesus that defines everything we do, every conversation we have, every breath we take.
We should not be known for our music, our teaching, our environments, or our kids programs. We should be known for our humility, our brokenness, our passion for the poor, our acceptance of the outcast, our forgiving justice, our non-judgmental righteousness, and our generous giving of ourselves to others.
We must stop making the tools the point. We have to recapture what Jesus meant when He said, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath." If we continue to make our worship service, our programs, our small groups, our activities, our spiritual disciplines the defining focus of what we do we will find ourselves losing Jesus on the journey.
Let it be said that we carry in us the attitude of Jesus. That we are people defined by our love for God and our love for others. Let the world be amazed at how wildly we give of ourselves, at how recklessly we serve, at how humbly we live, and at how unsafely we love. Let it be said that when you encounter one of us you never before felt so valued and cared for. Let membership in our community not be defined by the where we are from 9:30 to Noon on a Sunday, but rather by our reputation in the community as people that live differently.
And let the cry of our lives be, "Jesus is Lord.”
This is my hope for the church.
Thanks for reading my rant.
Jeff Elkins is an Examiner from Baltimore. You can see Jeff's articles on Jeff's Home Page: http://www.examiner.com/x-13920-Baltimore-Baptist-Examiner
To: The Pastor
Dear Pastor,
I wanted you to know that you are loved and you are appreciated. Every day you get up and quietly go about the business of taking care of your church family. You are their pastor and you are their leader. People are following you because they know that you are following Jesus and they can honestly say that if they can be more like you then they will be more like Jesus.
But, people know that there may be times when you wonder whether anything you are doing is making a difference in people's lives and you wonder whether anyone really sees what you are doing. It can be very difficult as you minister to your church family and to your community.
Sometimes, the way can be discouraging. The long, and sometimes lonely, hours that are necessary to prepare to preach, along with the pressure of everyone expecting you to "hit a home run" every time you come up to the “batter’s box”. 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 you have to attend and 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.
People know that there are times when you even have to neglect your own family for the critical needs of people in your church; those situations when you just can't say "no" to someone who needs your counsel, support, and a shoulder to cry on.
And, it’s entirely possible that you might be discouraged because you haven't seen your church grow like you thought it would. You are working hard, maybe harder than you have ever worked before. And, you wonder, at times, if it is worth it all and you wonder whether anyone really sees what you are doing or would anyone even notice if you just stopped……..sometimes, it may even feel like you are invisible to God.
You cry out, "God, what is wrong? 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 those I minister to? I keep investing my life in their spiritual, emotional, and physical needs. But, it seems, sometimes, like nothing ever changes! No one even says, ‘Thank you for your hard work and dedication.’ No one says, ‘Thank you for your many hours of sacrifice to help us in our walk with God.’ ”
Pastor, perhaps you have even said, "God, if something doesn't change in my ministry, I'm just gonna quit! I can't take it anymore. Nothing I do seems to make a difference. I’m not sure if anybody really cares about what I am doing. I’m not even sure if anybody really cares about the things that matter to You. It seems, at times, as though the only thing that matters to people is their physical needs and wants. Why aren’t they concerned about the spiritual needs in their lives?"
But, there you are, every day as pastor, teacher, counselor, and friend. You are the one who gives a compass to point the way for unsure feet. You are the one who is patient with those who often go astray. You are the one who gives guidance on how get to going in the right direction.
Sometimes, it might seem like people don’t notice how hard you work or how much you care but that’s not really how it is. Everything you do and every word you say makes an impact upon countless numbers of hearts.
Too often, though, they don’t tell you how much they appreciate you. But, part of the reason may be that they can’t find the right words to say it because they love you and appreciate you so much. Words just don’t seem to express what is deep within their hearts about how much you mean to them.
On behalf of your church family, please know of their admiration of you and please know that they look up to you. You are their shining light in a cold and dark world. You are their encourager when they feel like giving up in the face of dark and lonely days of the trials in their lives. They know that when they come to you, that you will help them look at their situations with a different perspective and you will encourage them by telling them that they can make it with God’s help.
Thank you, beloved pastor, for all that you do! You are making a difference in their lives and, as a result, you are making significant contributions in the kingdom of God.
In closing, though words sometimes are inadequate, what is written below describes a little of who you are as pastor:
“Can you imagine a place where to be great you must be a servant? Where the qualification to be first is to be last? Where the mighty are defined by their meekness? Where the richest are those who have given the most away? There is such a place and it is the kingdom of God.
The real heroes in God's kingdom are those who are ordinary, everyday people who have learned the secret of giving away things that they cannot keep in return for things they cannot lose.
Most of their major contributions to the kingdom of God have gone unnoticed. Their contributions have taken place in the everyday experiences of life: countless acts of love, support, and confirmation that have eternal significance in God's eyes.
Only heaven will be able to show the significance of their efforts and give credence to the belief that little is much when God is in it.”
I wanted you to know that you are loved and you are appreciated. Every day you get up and quietly go about the business of taking care of your church family. You are their pastor and you are their leader. People are following you because they know that you are following Jesus and they can honestly say that if they can be more like you then they will be more like Jesus.
But, people know that there may be times when you wonder whether anything you are doing is making a difference in people's lives and you wonder whether anyone really sees what you are doing. It can be very difficult as you minister to your church family and to your community.
Sometimes, the way can be discouraging. The long, and sometimes lonely, hours that are necessary to prepare to preach, along with the pressure of everyone expecting you to "hit a home run" every time you come up to the “batter’s box”. 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 you have to attend and 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.
People know that there are times when you even have to neglect your own family for the critical needs of people in your church; those situations when you just can't say "no" to someone who needs your counsel, support, and a shoulder to cry on.
And, it’s entirely possible that you might be discouraged because you haven't seen your church grow like you thought it would. You are working hard, maybe harder than you have ever worked before. And, you wonder, at times, if it is worth it all and you wonder whether anyone really sees what you are doing or would anyone even notice if you just stopped……..sometimes, it may even feel like you are invisible to God.
You cry out, "God, what is wrong? 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 those I minister to? I keep investing my life in their spiritual, emotional, and physical needs. But, it seems, sometimes, like nothing ever changes! No one even says, ‘Thank you for your hard work and dedication.’ No one says, ‘Thank you for your many hours of sacrifice to help us in our walk with God.’ ”
Pastor, perhaps you have even said, "God, if something doesn't change in my ministry, I'm just gonna quit! I can't take it anymore. Nothing I do seems to make a difference. I’m not sure if anybody really cares about what I am doing. I’m not even sure if anybody really cares about the things that matter to You. It seems, at times, as though the only thing that matters to people is their physical needs and wants. Why aren’t they concerned about the spiritual needs in their lives?"
But, there you are, every day as pastor, teacher, counselor, and friend. You are the one who gives a compass to point the way for unsure feet. You are the one who is patient with those who often go astray. You are the one who gives guidance on how get to going in the right direction.
Sometimes, it might seem like people don’t notice how hard you work or how much you care but that’s not really how it is. Everything you do and every word you say makes an impact upon countless numbers of hearts.
Too often, though, they don’t tell you how much they appreciate you. But, part of the reason may be that they can’t find the right words to say it because they love you and appreciate you so much. Words just don’t seem to express what is deep within their hearts about how much you mean to them.
On behalf of your church family, please know of their admiration of you and please know that they look up to you. You are their shining light in a cold and dark world. You are their encourager when they feel like giving up in the face of dark and lonely days of the trials in their lives. They know that when they come to you, that you will help them look at their situations with a different perspective and you will encourage them by telling them that they can make it with God’s help.
Thank you, beloved pastor, for all that you do! You are making a difference in their lives and, as a result, you are making significant contributions in the kingdom of God.
In closing, though words sometimes are inadequate, what is written below describes a little of who you are as pastor:
“Can you imagine a place where to be great you must be a servant? Where the qualification to be first is to be last? Where the mighty are defined by their meekness? Where the richest are those who have given the most away? There is such a place and it is the kingdom of God.
The real heroes in God's kingdom are those who are ordinary, everyday people who have learned the secret of giving away things that they cannot keep in return for things they cannot lose.
Most of their major contributions to the kingdom of God have gone unnoticed. Their contributions have taken place in the everyday experiences of life: countless acts of love, support, and confirmation that have eternal significance in God's eyes.
Only heaven will be able to show the significance of their efforts and give credence to the belief that little is much when God is in it.”
Just some thoughts about Mother's Day and Father's Day
Many years ago, before I was a pastor, I had always noticed in the churches that I served, that there was an obvious difference between Mother’s Day and Father ’s Day recognitions.
I observed that on Mother’s Day, there was always the proverbial recognition of the oldest mother, the youngest mother, the mother with the most children in attendance, etc. But, when Father’s Day was observed, there was never much of a big deal made compared to what was done in regards to Mother’s Day .
This bothered me because I felt like fathers were being slighted quite a bit because there was a much bigger deal made over the mothers than the fathers.
Another observation that I made, before the Lord called me to pastor two churches, was that I always felt sorry for the men and the women in those churches who were never blessed with children for whatever reason. For example, some married couples were physically unable to have children and then some men and women were never married in life. It seemed like on Mother’s Day and Father’s Day that men and women who had never had children, for whatever reason, were made to feel inferior because we didn’t recognize them on these special days.
When God called me to pastor two churches, I decided to do something about this. Here is what I did:
1. Whatever recognitions I made on Mother’s Day, I made the same recognitions on Father’s Day. If we recognized the oldest mother on Mother’s Day then I recognized the oldest father on Father’s Day (mother with the most children in attendance then I recognized father with the most children in attendance, etc.)
2. I decided that I would find a way to honor all men and all women on these days, instead of just those who had children. I knew that some of the most important people in my life, who had some of the greatest impact upon me, were men and women who never had children. So instead of recognizing just mothers on Mother’s Day and just fathers on Father’s Day, the churches I pastored, on Mother’s Day we had Women’s Day and on Father’s Day we had Men’s Day. On Mother’s Day, I recognized all women and on Father’s Day I recognized all men.
I made a special point to say “thank you” to those men and women in our church, though never blessed with children, for their impact upon countless numbers of children’s lives in the church and also in their families and in their community. I gave a brief testimony of the men and women in my life that had made a difference in my childhood/teenage years and the profound impact they made.
Yes, we recognized both mothers and fathers who children equally (we did the same things for both groups), but I also recognized (had them stand up) all of the women and all of the men in attendance and honored them and thanked them for their significant contributions to the kingdom of God.
The “church” should never be a place where a person is made to feel inferior just because of their status in life, including the issue of never having children.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Have you ever noticed any difference in the way your church celebrates Mother’s Day and Father’s Day? What might happen if we recognized all of the women and all of the men on these two important days?
Just some thoughts about Mother’s Day and Father’s Day.
I observed that on Mother’s Day, there was always the proverbial recognition of the oldest mother, the youngest mother, the mother with the most children in attendance, etc. But, when Father’s Day was observed, there was never much of a big deal made compared to what was done in regards to Mother’s Day .
This bothered me because I felt like fathers were being slighted quite a bit because there was a much bigger deal made over the mothers than the fathers.
Another observation that I made, before the Lord called me to pastor two churches, was that I always felt sorry for the men and the women in those churches who were never blessed with children for whatever reason. For example, some married couples were physically unable to have children and then some men and women were never married in life. It seemed like on Mother’s Day and Father’s Day that men and women who had never had children, for whatever reason, were made to feel inferior because we didn’t recognize them on these special days.
When God called me to pastor two churches, I decided to do something about this. Here is what I did:
1. Whatever recognitions I made on Mother’s Day, I made the same recognitions on Father’s Day. If we recognized the oldest mother on Mother’s Day then I recognized the oldest father on Father’s Day (mother with the most children in attendance then I recognized father with the most children in attendance, etc.)
2. I decided that I would find a way to honor all men and all women on these days, instead of just those who had children. I knew that some of the most important people in my life, who had some of the greatest impact upon me, were men and women who never had children. So instead of recognizing just mothers on Mother’s Day and just fathers on Father’s Day, the churches I pastored, on Mother’s Day we had Women’s Day and on Father’s Day we had Men’s Day. On Mother’s Day, I recognized all women and on Father’s Day I recognized all men.
I made a special point to say “thank you” to those men and women in our church, though never blessed with children, for their impact upon countless numbers of children’s lives in the church and also in their families and in their community. I gave a brief testimony of the men and women in my life that had made a difference in my childhood/teenage years and the profound impact they made.
Yes, we recognized both mothers and fathers who children equally (we did the same things for both groups), but I also recognized (had them stand up) all of the women and all of the men in attendance and honored them and thanked them for their significant contributions to the kingdom of God.
The “church” should never be a place where a person is made to feel inferior just because of their status in life, including the issue of never having children.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Have you ever noticed any difference in the way your church celebrates Mother’s Day and Father’s Day? What might happen if we recognized all of the women and all of the men on these two important days?
Just some thoughts about Mother’s Day and Father’s Day.
He Maketh No Mistake
By A. M. Overton
My Father’s way may twist and turn,
My heart may throb and ache,
But in my soul I’m glad I know
He maketh no mistake.
My cherished plans may go astray,
My hopes may fade away,
But still I’ll trust my Lord to lead
For He doth know the way.
Tho’ night be dark and it may seem
That day will never break;
I’ll put my faith, my all in him,
He maketh no mistake.
There’s so much now I cannot see
My eyesight’s far too dim;
But come what may, I’ll simply trust
And leave it all to Him.
For by and by the mist will lift
And plain it all He’ll make,
Through all the way, tho’ dark to me,
He made not one mistake.
(A. M. Overton was a pastor who lost his beloved wife in 1932 and for her funeral he wrote this incredible poem).
Can a leader be a servant and can a servant be a leader?
Matthew 20:27-“…and whosoever would be first among you shall be your servant”.
Matthew 23:11-“The greatest among you shall be your servant”.
The question must be asked: Can a leader be a servant and can a servant be a leader?
In order to answer the question, one must answer the following question: What is a servant?
A servant empties himself of pride.
A servant doesn’t have to talk about himself but lets others talk.
A servant doesn’t have to control a conversation in a group of people.
A servant isn’t jealous.
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 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.
A servant doesn’t need to impress other people.
A servant is glad when he is treated like a servant not just when he is called a servant.
A servant isn’t hurt when he is forgotten or overlooked.
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 when his opinion is ridiculed, taking it all in patient, loving silence.
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 their needs being met while his own needs are far greater and in more desperate circumstances but yet to be fulfilled.
A servant lovingly and patiently bears any insensitivity and annoyances from other people.
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 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 decide for yourself.
________________________________________________
Some of this is original material and some of it is adapted from: “Dying To Self” by Gene Warr, Video Tape, Wise Investments, Copyright 1977, International Evangelism Association. Gene Warr was a great preacher and teacher who is now enjoying the presence of God in heaven. You can listen to his messages and view some of his studies at: http://www.discipleshiplibrary.com/gene_warr.php and more biographical info at: http://www.discipleshiplibrary.com/pdfs/gene_warr_more.pdf
Matthew 23:11-“The greatest among you shall be your servant”.
The question must be asked: Can a leader be a servant and can a servant be a leader?
In order to answer the question, one must answer the following question: What is a servant?
A servant empties himself of pride.
A servant doesn’t have to talk about himself but lets others talk.
A servant doesn’t have to control a conversation in a group of people.
A servant isn’t jealous.
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 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.
A servant doesn’t need to impress other people.
A servant is glad when he is treated like a servant not just when he is called a servant.
A servant isn’t hurt when he is forgotten or overlooked.
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 when his opinion is ridiculed, taking it all in patient, loving silence.
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 their needs being met while his own needs are far greater and in more desperate circumstances but yet to be fulfilled.
A servant lovingly and patiently bears any insensitivity and annoyances from other people.
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 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 decide for yourself.
________________________________________________
Some of this is original material and some of it is adapted from: “Dying To Self” by Gene Warr, Video Tape, Wise Investments, Copyright 1977, International Evangelism Association. Gene Warr was a great preacher and teacher who is now enjoying the presence of God in heaven. You can listen to his messages and view some of his studies at: http://www.discipleshiplibrary.com/gene_warr.php and more biographical info at: http://www.discipleshiplibrary.com/pdfs/gene_warr_more.pdf
Tony Doesn't Like Christians
From: www.tonymorganlive.com
After going back and forth on this for a couple of weeks, I’ve decided to just do it. I mentioned recently that I’m not sure I like Christians. With the help of some of my friends, here are the top…
10 Reasons I Don’t Like Most Christians
1. They consistently seem angry and bitter and worried. I thought Christians were supposed to reflect joy and kindness and peace.
2. They don’t dream big dreams. That seems odd given the fact that we’re supposedly worshiping a God who is “able to accomplish infinitely more than we would ever dare ask or hope.”
3. They seem to worship their theology more than Jesus. For whatever reason, this appears to be especially true for folks that come from a reformed theology.
4. They don’t like it when other people or ministries experience success. Think about it. There are Christians who would be overwhelmed with joy if NewSpring Church experienced fewer salvations, fewer baptisms and our attendance dropped.
5. They use prayer as an excuse for inaction. They’re waiting for God to do his thing, but they aren’t willing to step out in faith and obedience.
6. They’re more concerned with the BMW next door than the lost person who drives it. Christians hate people with money. They’re willing to sacrifice time and money for those without it, but they’re satisfied to let “rich” people go to Hell.
7. They would rather people live life without Jesus than give up their personal preferences. What happens when your preferred teacher doesn’t teach? What happens when your preferred worship leader doesn’t lead? What happens when you don’t like the music?
8. They are fake. They dress up a certain way on Sunday and they live as completely different people the rest of the week.
9. They think they’re better than other people. That’s why they create rules to follow. It helps differentiate why they are holy while others are not.
10. They’re comfortable with mediocrity. Doesn’t matter where. Think Christian music and movies. Think how we invest our time and money. You don’t seriously think God deserves our best do you?
The reality is that I’ve sinned in just about every one of these areas. It pains me to say that, but it’s true. If people hear the Gospel and reject Jesus, that’s one thing. If I’m the barrier to people accepting Christ because of me and my sin, that’s a completely different deal. Fortunately, God’s much bigger than my stupidity.
When does your humanness get in the way of people knowing the hope, forgiveness and love of Jesus? Does your life make people curious about the claims of Jesus or does it make them flee?
Tony Morgan
After going back and forth on this for a couple of weeks, I’ve decided to just do it. I mentioned recently that I’m not sure I like Christians. With the help of some of my friends, here are the top…
10 Reasons I Don’t Like Most Christians
1. They consistently seem angry and bitter and worried. I thought Christians were supposed to reflect joy and kindness and peace.
2. They don’t dream big dreams. That seems odd given the fact that we’re supposedly worshiping a God who is “able to accomplish infinitely more than we would ever dare ask or hope.”
3. They seem to worship their theology more than Jesus. For whatever reason, this appears to be especially true for folks that come from a reformed theology.
4. They don’t like it when other people or ministries experience success. Think about it. There are Christians who would be overwhelmed with joy if NewSpring Church experienced fewer salvations, fewer baptisms and our attendance dropped.
5. They use prayer as an excuse for inaction. They’re waiting for God to do his thing, but they aren’t willing to step out in faith and obedience.
6. They’re more concerned with the BMW next door than the lost person who drives it. Christians hate people with money. They’re willing to sacrifice time and money for those without it, but they’re satisfied to let “rich” people go to Hell.
7. They would rather people live life without Jesus than give up their personal preferences. What happens when your preferred teacher doesn’t teach? What happens when your preferred worship leader doesn’t lead? What happens when you don’t like the music?
8. They are fake. They dress up a certain way on Sunday and they live as completely different people the rest of the week.
9. They think they’re better than other people. That’s why they create rules to follow. It helps differentiate why they are holy while others are not.
10. They’re comfortable with mediocrity. Doesn’t matter where. Think Christian music and movies. Think how we invest our time and money. You don’t seriously think God deserves our best do you?
The reality is that I’ve sinned in just about every one of these areas. It pains me to say that, but it’s true. If people hear the Gospel and reject Jesus, that’s one thing. If I’m the barrier to people accepting Christ because of me and my sin, that’s a completely different deal. Fortunately, God’s much bigger than my stupidity.
When does your humanness get in the way of people knowing the hope, forgiveness and love of Jesus? Does your life make people curious about the claims of Jesus or does it make them flee?
Tony Morgan
Legalism and Church Growth
One of the issues that can hinder a church from growing is “legalism”. Now, before your thought process goes too far by associating a specific university or some non-denominational group of churches with the word, please let me explain. In the context of church growth, legalism is defined this way: “We do church the right way and if you don’t do church the way we do then you do church the wrong way”.
Though someone might not agree with what I am about to say, I must say it: There is no one way to do church! May I repeat myself?
THERE IS NO ONE WAY TO DO CHURCH!
As we research and study the New Testament, it is very obvious that there is no descriptive nor prescriptive formula on how a church should fulfill its “marching orders” in the kingdom of God.
From the very beginning of what we call the “early church” in the book of Acts to our present day culture of kingdom work, “doing church” has never been static (that is, it has never come to a point of rest or standstill). Just as society and culture are in constant states of change, so is the church. That is why we must constantly adapt the way we do church in order to reach out to people who live in a constantly changing culture and world.
Legalism, in its purest form regarding church growth, is a strict adherence to a specific way of doing church and being critical of churches that don’t adhere to that same form of structure. Now, before you start thinking that you and your church are not like that please be very careful. It doesn’t matter how you do church. Any church can be guilty of legalism.
Your church might be the most extreme, radical, contemporary, “in your face” church on planet earth. You don’t belong to any denomination. You don’t subscribe to any form of church government. You don’t even do church the same way week by week. Your claim to fame is: “We wrote the book on non-traditional church."
Yet, even if this describes your church, if you and your church have the attitude that you do church the right way and everyone else does it the wrong way because they don’t do it like you, then you are guilty of legalism. When a church has this approach to other churches, you will find that the church will begin to become a stagnant and closed society only for those who are like-minded. Or, your church might still use Bach and Beethoven, for example, but you can be guilty of legalism if you are critical of any other church that doesn’t do church the way you do church.
It doesn’t matter if your church uses bluegrass, rock and roll, acid rock, punk rock, rap, disco, high-church, low-church, mid-church, country & western, do-wop, be-bop, hip-hop, contemporary, blended, reggae, traditional, gospel, classical, head-banger metal, jazz, or polka music (let's see: did cover I it all?) Any church can have the attitude that it does church the right way and any other church that doesn’t do church that way is doing it wrong.
What should be our approach to other churches that don’t do church the way we think they ought to? Let me say this very succinctly:
ALL OF US SHOULD STAY OUT OF EVERY OTHER CHURCH’S BUSINESS!
We must come to an understanding that, as brothers and sisters in Christ, we can, and must, accept one another for who we are: Christ followers, who do church in myriad numbers of different ways but are on the same team with the same captain and His name is JESUS!
Acceptance of one another is biblical but our acceptance of each other doesn’t mean that we have to approve of each other’s way of doing church. We can accept another group of Christians, who make up a body of local believers in a local church, because we belong to Christ but that doesn’t mean that we have to approve of the way they do church. We just need to keep our opinions to ourselves. It is wrong for us to criticize and judge other believers for how they conduct themselves as a church in the kingdom of God.
In recent years, one of the most highly criticized churches in the USA has been Willow Creek Community Church. There have been countless numbers of pastors, church leaders, and web sites displaying their legalistic attitudes, by not only criticizing Willow Creek but engaging in an all-out attack on this church and its founding pastor, Bill Hybels.
Recently, the church conducted a three year self-study to examine how well it has fulfilled its purpose as a church. Results showed that Willow Creek had room for improvement and the results were published in a book titled “Reveal”.
Can you hear the silent laughter of legalism? I can. Those same pastors and church leaders who have attacked Willow Creek in the past are probably saying, “I told you so. I knew they were doing it all wrong!”
But, what a wonderful example of humility for Willow Creek to reveal to everyone in “Christian Nation” that it had fallen short of its goals and objectives and that the church and staff were determined to address the areas in which they saw the need for improvement. Willow Creek didn’t have to publish the results of their self-study. They could have kept the results to themselves. Yet, Hybels and Willow Creek humbly admitted to themselves, and to the rest of us, that they could do a better job at how they “do church”, thereby, opening themselves up to even greater attacks.
But, isn’t it interesting? From those same critics of Willow Creek I have yet to hear any pastor or any church admit their own shortcomings and failures and reveal to the rest of us that quite possibly they weren’t doing church as well as they thought they were.
Ah, legalism.
Hmmm….now, what was that we were saying about those churches that do things a little differently than we do?
Though someone might not agree with what I am about to say, I must say it: There is no one way to do church! May I repeat myself?
THERE IS NO ONE WAY TO DO CHURCH!
As we research and study the New Testament, it is very obvious that there is no descriptive nor prescriptive formula on how a church should fulfill its “marching orders” in the kingdom of God.
From the very beginning of what we call the “early church” in the book of Acts to our present day culture of kingdom work, “doing church” has never been static (that is, it has never come to a point of rest or standstill). Just as society and culture are in constant states of change, so is the church. That is why we must constantly adapt the way we do church in order to reach out to people who live in a constantly changing culture and world.
Legalism, in its purest form regarding church growth, is a strict adherence to a specific way of doing church and being critical of churches that don’t adhere to that same form of structure. Now, before you start thinking that you and your church are not like that please be very careful. It doesn’t matter how you do church. Any church can be guilty of legalism.
Your church might be the most extreme, radical, contemporary, “in your face” church on planet earth. You don’t belong to any denomination. You don’t subscribe to any form of church government. You don’t even do church the same way week by week. Your claim to fame is: “We wrote the book on non-traditional church."
Yet, even if this describes your church, if you and your church have the attitude that you do church the right way and everyone else does it the wrong way because they don’t do it like you, then you are guilty of legalism. When a church has this approach to other churches, you will find that the church will begin to become a stagnant and closed society only for those who are like-minded. Or, your church might still use Bach and Beethoven, for example, but you can be guilty of legalism if you are critical of any other church that doesn’t do church the way you do church.
It doesn’t matter if your church uses bluegrass, rock and roll, acid rock, punk rock, rap, disco, high-church, low-church, mid-church, country & western, do-wop, be-bop, hip-hop, contemporary, blended, reggae, traditional, gospel, classical, head-banger metal, jazz, or polka music (let's see: did cover I it all?) Any church can have the attitude that it does church the right way and any other church that doesn’t do church that way is doing it wrong.
What should be our approach to other churches that don’t do church the way we think they ought to? Let me say this very succinctly:
ALL OF US SHOULD STAY OUT OF EVERY OTHER CHURCH’S BUSINESS!
We must come to an understanding that, as brothers and sisters in Christ, we can, and must, accept one another for who we are: Christ followers, who do church in myriad numbers of different ways but are on the same team with the same captain and His name is JESUS!
Acceptance of one another is biblical but our acceptance of each other doesn’t mean that we have to approve of each other’s way of doing church. We can accept another group of Christians, who make up a body of local believers in a local church, because we belong to Christ but that doesn’t mean that we have to approve of the way they do church. We just need to keep our opinions to ourselves. It is wrong for us to criticize and judge other believers for how they conduct themselves as a church in the kingdom of God.
In recent years, one of the most highly criticized churches in the USA has been Willow Creek Community Church. There have been countless numbers of pastors, church leaders, and web sites displaying their legalistic attitudes, by not only criticizing Willow Creek but engaging in an all-out attack on this church and its founding pastor, Bill Hybels.
Recently, the church conducted a three year self-study to examine how well it has fulfilled its purpose as a church. Results showed that Willow Creek had room for improvement and the results were published in a book titled “Reveal”.
Can you hear the silent laughter of legalism? I can. Those same pastors and church leaders who have attacked Willow Creek in the past are probably saying, “I told you so. I knew they were doing it all wrong!”
But, what a wonderful example of humility for Willow Creek to reveal to everyone in “Christian Nation” that it had fallen short of its goals and objectives and that the church and staff were determined to address the areas in which they saw the need for improvement. Willow Creek didn’t have to publish the results of their self-study. They could have kept the results to themselves. Yet, Hybels and Willow Creek humbly admitted to themselves, and to the rest of us, that they could do a better job at how they “do church”, thereby, opening themselves up to even greater attacks.
But, isn’t it interesting? From those same critics of Willow Creek I have yet to hear any pastor or any church admit their own shortcomings and failures and reveal to the rest of us that quite possibly they weren’t doing church as well as they thought they were.
Ah, legalism.
Hmmm….now, what was that we were saying about those churches that do things a little differently than we do?
Church Growth BR549
Perry Noble, pastor of NewSpring Church, was asked the following question by Ed Setzer of the Lifeway Research Team:
What advice would you give to churches in America? What elements would you say are a must in any church?
I would say two things. Number one, you must keep your focus on Jesus. Don't lose sight of the gospel. Don't lose sight of the fact that people are dying and going to go to hell unless they know Jesus. If the church loses the centrality and the urgency of that message, I think the church dies.
And I think the reason that churches all over America today are closing their doors and shutting down is because they forget the gospel. They have forgotten that Jesus Christ died on a cross not so we could have a holy huddle or a stained glass fortress or us four and no more. He died on a cross so that we could reach the world.
They have got sin in their lives. And because of that they are separated from God. They go to hell. That is not necessary. Jesus died on the cross to make forgiveness and redemption completely possible.
Number two, don't try to be anything except who God called you to be. Maybe God didn't call you to go multi-site. Maybe God called you to one location. You need to be completely content with that. Maybe God called you to go plant churches instead of doing video venues. You need to do that.
Maybe God told you to do video venues and plant churches. You need to do that. You don't ever, every need to feel pressure because another church somewhere else in America or somewhere else in the world is doing something to think, "Oh, wow, we have got do that." Our call as a church is to do exactly what God called us to do. In the book of Revelation chapter two and chapter three Jesus gives seven different messages to seven different churches.
If he wanted every church to be the same he would have just said, "All right. Here is my message to every church and it is just the same." But he addressed seven churches specifically and said, "Here is what is going on with you. Here is what is going on with you. Here is what is going on with you." I just think that each church has a unique DNA that it needs to focus on. The gospel should be central, but the strategy and the structure of the church should be completely open to the leadership of the Holy Spirit.
(end of interview)
_____________________________________________________________________________
My advice? Find out where God is working, find out who God wants you to be as a church and find out who God wants you to reach.
Don’t try to be like everybody else. God stopped creating the universe on day six but He did not stop being creative. He is very capable of giving every church a unique identity and creative ways to help fulfill their assignment in the kingdom of God.
The churches and pastors that we put on pedestals, and we try to copy, didn’t copy some other church and pastor. No, these pastors, in their intimate love relationship with God, were undoubtedly hungry and thirsty enough to seek after God and ask Him to give them His unique, creative way to reach people.
God doesn’t play favorites. But, He does have His intimates-those who sincerely seek after Him in a love relationship that is real and personal.
Don’t go seeking after what other pastors and churches are doing to try to copy them. Seek after God and lead your congregation to seek after Him with all of their “heart, soul, mind, and strength” and to “love one another”.
Be willing to be obedient to God in whatever He leads you and your church to do. Your church doesn’t have to look like every other church. Your church only has to be what God desires for it to be.
There is no one way to “do” church. What works in one church may not work in another church. That’s why we don’t need to copy one another. I am not saying that we can’t learn from each other. But, ultimately, every pastor and every church must go to God, privately and corporately, in a love relationship with Him to seek His face and find out what He wants the church to be and to do.
The “doing” part of church (i.e., the heart of the church accomplished primarily in evangelism and serving) is important but the “being” part of church (i.e., the health of the church accomplished primarily through discipleship) is equally important. The goal should be to have a balanced church:
A balanced will look like this:
Heart/Health: evangelism/discipleship, reaching/teaching, going/growing, addition/multiplication, how many/what kind, loving one another/loving God.
As a pastor and church seek to fulfill the mission God has called them to, I think the following might be helpful in discovering this unique and creative journey.
To find God’s mission for each individual church:
God pursues an intimate love relationship with every believer in every church and with every pastor.
In the love relationship with God, He reveals to a pastor and church where He is working.
In the love relationship with God, He invites a pastor and church to join Him in His work.
In the love relationship with God, He speaks to a pastor and church through the Bible, prayer, circumstances, and the church body to reveal Himself, His purposes, and His ways.
To fulfill God’s mission for each individual church:
Every pastor and every church will be faced with a crisis of belief that will require faith and action.
Every pastor and every church must make major adjustments in order to join God in what He is doing.
Every pastor and every church will come to know God more intimately by experience as they obey Him and He accomplishes His work through them.
(Adapted from “Experiencing God’, Henry Blackaby)
What advice would you give to churches in America? What elements would you say are a must in any church?
I would say two things. Number one, you must keep your focus on Jesus. Don't lose sight of the gospel. Don't lose sight of the fact that people are dying and going to go to hell unless they know Jesus. If the church loses the centrality and the urgency of that message, I think the church dies.
And I think the reason that churches all over America today are closing their doors and shutting down is because they forget the gospel. They have forgotten that Jesus Christ died on a cross not so we could have a holy huddle or a stained glass fortress or us four and no more. He died on a cross so that we could reach the world.
They have got sin in their lives. And because of that they are separated from God. They go to hell. That is not necessary. Jesus died on the cross to make forgiveness and redemption completely possible.
Number two, don't try to be anything except who God called you to be. Maybe God didn't call you to go multi-site. Maybe God called you to one location. You need to be completely content with that. Maybe God called you to go plant churches instead of doing video venues. You need to do that.
Maybe God told you to do video venues and plant churches. You need to do that. You don't ever, every need to feel pressure because another church somewhere else in America or somewhere else in the world is doing something to think, "Oh, wow, we have got do that." Our call as a church is to do exactly what God called us to do. In the book of Revelation chapter two and chapter three Jesus gives seven different messages to seven different churches.
If he wanted every church to be the same he would have just said, "All right. Here is my message to every church and it is just the same." But he addressed seven churches specifically and said, "Here is what is going on with you. Here is what is going on with you. Here is what is going on with you." I just think that each church has a unique DNA that it needs to focus on. The gospel should be central, but the strategy and the structure of the church should be completely open to the leadership of the Holy Spirit.
(end of interview)
_____________________________________________________________________________
My advice? Find out where God is working, find out who God wants you to be as a church and find out who God wants you to reach.
Don’t try to be like everybody else. God stopped creating the universe on day six but He did not stop being creative. He is very capable of giving every church a unique identity and creative ways to help fulfill their assignment in the kingdom of God.
The churches and pastors that we put on pedestals, and we try to copy, didn’t copy some other church and pastor. No, these pastors, in their intimate love relationship with God, were undoubtedly hungry and thirsty enough to seek after God and ask Him to give them His unique, creative way to reach people.
God doesn’t play favorites. But, He does have His intimates-those who sincerely seek after Him in a love relationship that is real and personal.
Don’t go seeking after what other pastors and churches are doing to try to copy them. Seek after God and lead your congregation to seek after Him with all of their “heart, soul, mind, and strength” and to “love one another”.
Be willing to be obedient to God in whatever He leads you and your church to do. Your church doesn’t have to look like every other church. Your church only has to be what God desires for it to be.
There is no one way to “do” church. What works in one church may not work in another church. That’s why we don’t need to copy one another. I am not saying that we can’t learn from each other. But, ultimately, every pastor and every church must go to God, privately and corporately, in a love relationship with Him to seek His face and find out what He wants the church to be and to do.
The “doing” part of church (i.e., the heart of the church accomplished primarily in evangelism and serving) is important but the “being” part of church (i.e., the health of the church accomplished primarily through discipleship) is equally important. The goal should be to have a balanced church:
A balanced will look like this:
Heart/Health: evangelism/discipleship, reaching/teaching, going/growing, addition/multiplication, how many/what kind, loving one another/loving God.
As a pastor and church seek to fulfill the mission God has called them to, I think the following might be helpful in discovering this unique and creative journey.
To find God’s mission for each individual church:
God pursues an intimate love relationship with every believer in every church and with every pastor.
In the love relationship with God, He reveals to a pastor and church where He is working.
In the love relationship with God, He invites a pastor and church to join Him in His work.
In the love relationship with God, He speaks to a pastor and church through the Bible, prayer, circumstances, and the church body to reveal Himself, His purposes, and His ways.
To fulfill God’s mission for each individual church:
Every pastor and every church will be faced with a crisis of belief that will require faith and action.
Every pastor and every church must make major adjustments in order to join God in what He is doing.
Every pastor and every church will come to know God more intimately by experience as they obey Him and He accomplishes His work through them.
(Adapted from “Experiencing God’, Henry Blackaby)
Whatever It Takes, Lord
Today I am stepping across the line. I'm tired of waffling, and I'm finished with wavering. I've made my choice; the verdict is in; and my decision is irrevocable. I'm going God's way. There's no turning back now!
I will live the rest of my life serving God's purposes with God's people on God's planet for God's glory. I will use my life to celebrate his presence, cultivate his character, participate in his family, demonstrate his love, and communicate his Word.
Since my past has been forgiven, and I have a purpose for living and a home awaiting in heaven, I refuse to waste any more time or energy on shallow living, petty thinking, trivial talking, thoughtless doing, useless regretting, hurtful resenting, or faithless worrying. Instead I will magnify God, grow to maturity, serve in ministry, and fulfill my mission in the membership of his family.
Because this life is preparation for the next, I will value worship over wealth, "we" over "me," character over comfort, service over status, and people over possessions, position, and pleasures. I know what matters most and I'll give it all I've got. I'll do the best I can with what I have for Jesus Christ today.
I won't be captivated by culture, manipulated by critics, motivated by praise, frustrated by problems, debilitated by temptation, or intimidated by the devil. I'll keep running my race with my eyes on the goal, not the sidelines or those running by me. When times get tough and I get tired, I won't back up, back off, back down, back out, or backslide. I'll just keep moving forward by God's grace. I'm Spirit-led, purpose-driven, and mission-focused, so I cannot be bought, I will not be compromised, and I shall not quit until I finish the race.
I'm a trophy of God's amazing grace so I will be gracious to everyone, grateful for everyday, and generous with everything that God entrusts to me.
To my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, I say: However, whenever, wherever, and whatever you ask me to do, my answer in advance is yes! Wherever you lead and whatever the cost, I'm ready. Anytime. Anywhere. Anyway. Whatever it takes Lord; whatever it takes! I want to be used by you in such a way that on that final day I'll hear you say, "Well done, thou good and faithful one. Come on in, and let the eternal party begin!"
Source:Rick Warren, pastor of Saddleback Community Church.
I will live the rest of my life serving God's purposes with God's people on God's planet for God's glory. I will use my life to celebrate his presence, cultivate his character, participate in his family, demonstrate his love, and communicate his Word.
Since my past has been forgiven, and I have a purpose for living and a home awaiting in heaven, I refuse to waste any more time or energy on shallow living, petty thinking, trivial talking, thoughtless doing, useless regretting, hurtful resenting, or faithless worrying. Instead I will magnify God, grow to maturity, serve in ministry, and fulfill my mission in the membership of his family.
Because this life is preparation for the next, I will value worship over wealth, "we" over "me," character over comfort, service over status, and people over possessions, position, and pleasures. I know what matters most and I'll give it all I've got. I'll do the best I can with what I have for Jesus Christ today.
I won't be captivated by culture, manipulated by critics, motivated by praise, frustrated by problems, debilitated by temptation, or intimidated by the devil. I'll keep running my race with my eyes on the goal, not the sidelines or those running by me. When times get tough and I get tired, I won't back up, back off, back down, back out, or backslide. I'll just keep moving forward by God's grace. I'm Spirit-led, purpose-driven, and mission-focused, so I cannot be bought, I will not be compromised, and I shall not quit until I finish the race.
I'm a trophy of God's amazing grace so I will be gracious to everyone, grateful for everyday, and generous with everything that God entrusts to me.
To my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, I say: However, whenever, wherever, and whatever you ask me to do, my answer in advance is yes! Wherever you lead and whatever the cost, I'm ready. Anytime. Anywhere. Anyway. Whatever it takes Lord; whatever it takes! I want to be used by you in such a way that on that final day I'll hear you say, "Well done, thou good and faithful one. Come on in, and let the eternal party begin!"
Source:Rick Warren, pastor of Saddleback Community Church.
Ron Clark writes the following in his book, “The Excellent Eleven” (a book on teaching):
Mrs. Owens scared the death out of me. She taught me biology, chemistry, and physics in high school, and those were three years I spent in complete fear of her wrath. Each day I would walk in Mrs. Owens’s classroom to be met with her intense face, those piercing eyes hidden below her strong brow and that gray hair swooping upward to give her already tall stature even more of an ominous presence.
Yeah, I was scared.
Her appearance, however, was only the beginning. Mrs. Owens was the most demanding individual I have ever met. She would often declare in her bellowing voice, “I insist that you all succeed! Now apply yourself!”
Her tests were brutal, and taking notes was a nightmare. I would have to run from my third period class to get to her room, and before I even made it, and before the bell had run, she would already be lecturing away.
My classmates and I would be falling over one another to get in our seats and get started. Her room had chalkboards on all four walls, and she would fill up every inch of space on them, talking away all the while about grams, molecules, and weights. She would then pause, stand upright, look around and finally say with intensity, “I need board space.”
After all I went through during those three years, I was surprised to find that once I started teaching, I drew one very important lesson from Mrs. Owens:
When you are dealing with children, above all else you must have passion. I learned more from Mrs. Owens than any other teacher I have ever had. Her passion and enthusiasm for her subjects were infectious, and we all worked three times as hard in her class as we did in the others.
I remember one time when Mrs. Owens was having problems with her back. She came to school on a stretcher (no exaggeration) and, lying flat on her back, wheeled herself around the room from chalkboard to chalkboard. She claimed she would let nothing short of death come between her students and their education.
The great danger facing all of us...
is not that we shall make an absolute failure of life,
nor that we shall fall into outright viciousness,
nor that we shall be terribly unhappy,
nor that we shall feel [that] life has no meaning at all--
not these things.
The danger is that we may fail to perceive life's greatest meaning,
fall short of its highest good,
miss its deepest and most abiding happiness,
be unable to tender the most needed service,
be unconscious of life ablaze with the light of the Presence of God--
and be content to have it so--
that is the danger:
that some day we may wake up
and find that always we have been busy with husks and trappings of life
and have really missed life itself.
For life without God,
to one who has known the richness and joy of life with Him,
is unthinkable, impossible.
That is what one prays one's friends may be spared--
satisfaction with a life that falls short of the best,
that has in it no tingle or thrill that comes from a friendship with the Father.
~Phillips Brooks (1835-1893), Sermons [1878]
We Need God
We don’t need more of ourselves. We’ve tried that and it hasn’t accomplished anything but heartache.
We need God.
We don’t need more books about God. How many more books can be written about God that says something nobody else has said? Maybe we could just start reading “The Book of God” called the Bible to find out more about Him.
We need God.
We don’t need more self-help books. Do you think that maybe enough books have been written on how to help ourselves with our problems? There is only one book I know that will ultimately help and that is the written word of God that points us to the Living Word of God. “You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free” (John 8:32).
We need God.
We don't need more daily devotional books to be published. How many more devotional books need to be written? We don’t read the ones we have already purchased or been given to us for a Christmas or birthday present.
We need God.
We don’t need more study Bibles to be published. Why? Because we don’t use the ones we already have to study the Bible. A new one isn’t going to make any difference.
We need God.
We don’t need more bluegrass, rock, rap, disco, punk, high-church, low-church, mid-church, country & western, do-wop, be-bop, hip-hop, contemporary, blended, traditional, gospel, classical, or polka music in the church. Let's see: did cover I it all? What would happen if we announced in church one Sunday that next Sunday the worship service would have no music of any kind but the service would include prayer and preaching. Thinks anyone would show up for that?
We need God.
We don’t need more of man’s opinions. Look where that has gotten us.
We need God.
We don’t need more web sites and internet resources about God. Technology replaces the personal, intimate relationship and friendship that is supposed to occur between the believer and God.
We need God.
We don’t need more PowerPoint presentations about God. You would think that PowerPoint is the key to church growth and the Christian life. How ridiculous!
We need God.
We don’t need more money to accomplish the work of God. He owns the “cattle upon a thousand hills” [Psalm 50:10]. For those who actually give, it is too easy to give money. God doesn’t need our money. He wants our hearts but we don’t want to give Him that. Why? It would be too difficult and too painful and cost us too much to give Him our hearts. So, in order to ease the pain and the guilt, we slip a little money into the offering plate every Sunday so that the preacher and God will be satisfied for a week.
We need God.
We don’t need more Sunday School/discipleship curriculum to be developed. We’ve got enough already and we still don’t know the word of God and we have too few disciples.
We need God.
We don’t need new magazines to be published with all of the answers about how to live the Christian life. Ever notice how a lot of Christian magazines have those “smiling beautiful people” on the covers and the articles inside the magazines are going to help us through the next crisis that we go through. Just once I would like to see a magazine cover with somebody crying and writing an article discussing how they are still in the midst of a storm, haven’t yet received a solution from God, are desperately crying out for help, yet they are remaining faithful and true to God. “Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him’ [Job 13:15].
We need God.
We don’t need God to heal our bodies through some “miracle healer” who always says “you gotta have faith; you gotta believe; you gotta send in your money, disguised as a ‘faith seed’. We need God to heal our hearts and our broken lives. And, where does the Bible ever associate money and faith together?
We don’t need more technology to help us relate to God. Through technology, we can read the Bible online, study the Bible online, pray online, give online, go to church online and even be healed online. (Believe me, I googled “online healing”). God forbid that we should actually open a Bible and study on our own, get on our knees to pray, and then get up and actually go to church.
We need God.
We don’t need more super computers to assist us in accessing the technology that promises to help us in our relationship to God, as if more RAM, processors, and hard drive space were the answers to our relationship with God.
We need God.
We don’t need more “star power religious personalities” on blue ray discs, DVD’s, cd, or videos to teach a Bible study or preach to a congregation about God. How did we ever get to the place where some famous personality, in some format of technology, teaches our Bible studies, our Sunday School classes or preaches to a congregation instead of us doing it?
We need God.
We don’t need more sooper-dooper/Xtreme/we are going to blow your socks off/radical/power conferences with the biggest names in show business (oops, sorry: in church growth and evangelism). What if someone had a conference with godly, pure in heart, thirsting for God no-name preachers and teachers? Think anyone would show up?
We need God.
We don’t need more academic degrees to impress everyone that we have learned something about God. Academic degrees have never impressed God. The only degree He requires is the A.U.G. degree: Approved Unto God, Second Timothy 2:15).
We need God.
We don’t need more religious denominational programs to be developed for the church. We’ve got enough programs as it is. How many more programs need to be developed that make (empty) promises and guarantee success but you have to spend the money to buy the program. Programs don’t reach people. People reach people. And, by the way, Christianity has turned into “big business”. You can purchase a Jesus bobble-head, holy bottled water, and “Jesus is my homeboy” t-shirt, all in the name of the “gospel”. You can also have the word of God stamped on the shoes you wear and stamped on the insoles of your shoes so that you can “walk in the Word”. Surely, God must weep!
We need God.
We don’t need more experts about God and church growth. “An expert is someone who knows more and more about less and less, until eventually he knows everything about nothing”.
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. Ummm………..go ye therefore?
We need God.
We don’t need to know more about what other churches are doing so that we can copy what they do. What God does in one church doesn’t necessarily mean that God will do the same thing in another church. Why did God bless that other church? Never playing favorites, God does have His intimates-those pastors and churches who decide to throw “caution to the wind” and spend time alone with God to develop an intimate and personal relationship with Him. Though God stopped creating on day six when He created the “heavens and earth”, He has never stopped being creative and He has the ability to reveal creative ways to any pastor and to any church who are intimate with Him and want to be used by God to reach their community for Him.
We need God.
We don’t need more self-sufficiency, though we still try to do it by ourselves.
We don’t need more self-centeredness, though we live our lives like it is all about us.
And we don’t need more self-righteousness, though we just can’t admit that we are not right with God.
We need God……
Or
Maybe we don’t.
We need God.
We don’t need more books about God. How many more books can be written about God that says something nobody else has said? Maybe we could just start reading “The Book of God” called the Bible to find out more about Him.
We need God.
We don’t need more self-help books. Do you think that maybe enough books have been written on how to help ourselves with our problems? There is only one book I know that will ultimately help and that is the written word of God that points us to the Living Word of God. “You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free” (John 8:32).
We need God.
We don't need more daily devotional books to be published. How many more devotional books need to be written? We don’t read the ones we have already purchased or been given to us for a Christmas or birthday present.
We need God.
We don’t need more study Bibles to be published. Why? Because we don’t use the ones we already have to study the Bible. A new one isn’t going to make any difference.
We need God.
We don’t need more bluegrass, rock, rap, disco, punk, high-church, low-church, mid-church, country & western, do-wop, be-bop, hip-hop, contemporary, blended, traditional, gospel, classical, or polka music in the church. Let's see: did cover I it all? What would happen if we announced in church one Sunday that next Sunday the worship service would have no music of any kind but the service would include prayer and preaching. Thinks anyone would show up for that?
We need God.
We don’t need more of man’s opinions. Look where that has gotten us.
We need God.
We don’t need more web sites and internet resources about God. Technology replaces the personal, intimate relationship and friendship that is supposed to occur between the believer and God.
We need God.
We don’t need more PowerPoint presentations about God. You would think that PowerPoint is the key to church growth and the Christian life. How ridiculous!
We need God.
We don’t need more money to accomplish the work of God. He owns the “cattle upon a thousand hills” [Psalm 50:10]. For those who actually give, it is too easy to give money. God doesn’t need our money. He wants our hearts but we don’t want to give Him that. Why? It would be too difficult and too painful and cost us too much to give Him our hearts. So, in order to ease the pain and the guilt, we slip a little money into the offering plate every Sunday so that the preacher and God will be satisfied for a week.
We need God.
We don’t need more Sunday School/discipleship curriculum to be developed. We’ve got enough already and we still don’t know the word of God and we have too few disciples.
We need God.
We don’t need new magazines to be published with all of the answers about how to live the Christian life. Ever notice how a lot of Christian magazines have those “smiling beautiful people” on the covers and the articles inside the magazines are going to help us through the next crisis that we go through. Just once I would like to see a magazine cover with somebody crying and writing an article discussing how they are still in the midst of a storm, haven’t yet received a solution from God, are desperately crying out for help, yet they are remaining faithful and true to God. “Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him’ [Job 13:15].
We need God.
We don’t need God to heal our bodies through some “miracle healer” who always says “you gotta have faith; you gotta believe; you gotta send in your money, disguised as a ‘faith seed’. We need God to heal our hearts and our broken lives. And, where does the Bible ever associate money and faith together?
We don’t need more technology to help us relate to God. Through technology, we can read the Bible online, study the Bible online, pray online, give online, go to church online and even be healed online. (Believe me, I googled “online healing”). God forbid that we should actually open a Bible and study on our own, get on our knees to pray, and then get up and actually go to church.
We need God.
We don’t need more super computers to assist us in accessing the technology that promises to help us in our relationship to God, as if more RAM, processors, and hard drive space were the answers to our relationship with God.
We need God.
We don’t need more “star power religious personalities” on blue ray discs, DVD’s, cd, or videos to teach a Bible study or preach to a congregation about God. How did we ever get to the place where some famous personality, in some format of technology, teaches our Bible studies, our Sunday School classes or preaches to a congregation instead of us doing it?
We need God.
We don’t need more sooper-dooper/Xtreme/we are going to blow your socks off/radical/power conferences with the biggest names in show business (oops, sorry: in church growth and evangelism). What if someone had a conference with godly, pure in heart, thirsting for God no-name preachers and teachers? Think anyone would show up?
We need God.
We don’t need more academic degrees to impress everyone that we have learned something about God. Academic degrees have never impressed God. The only degree He requires is the A.U.G. degree: Approved Unto God, Second Timothy 2:15).
We need God.
We don’t need more religious denominational programs to be developed for the church. We’ve got enough programs as it is. How many more programs need to be developed that make (empty) promises and guarantee success but you have to spend the money to buy the program. Programs don’t reach people. People reach people. And, by the way, Christianity has turned into “big business”. You can purchase a Jesus bobble-head, holy bottled water, and “Jesus is my homeboy” t-shirt, all in the name of the “gospel”. You can also have the word of God stamped on the shoes you wear and stamped on the insoles of your shoes so that you can “walk in the Word”. Surely, God must weep!
We need God.
We don’t need more experts about God and church growth. “An expert is someone who knows more and more about less and less, until eventually he knows everything about nothing”.
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. Ummm………..go ye therefore?
We need God.
We don’t need to know more about what other churches are doing so that we can copy what they do. What God does in one church doesn’t necessarily mean that God will do the same thing in another church. Why did God bless that other church? Never playing favorites, God does have His intimates-those pastors and churches who decide to throw “caution to the wind” and spend time alone with God to develop an intimate and personal relationship with Him. Though God stopped creating on day six when He created the “heavens and earth”, He has never stopped being creative and He has the ability to reveal creative ways to any pastor and to any church who are intimate with Him and want to be used by God to reach their community for Him.
We need God.
We don’t need more self-sufficiency, though we still try to do it by ourselves.
We don’t need more self-centeredness, though we live our lives like it is all about us.
And we don’t need more self-righteousness, though we just can’t admit that we are not right with God.
We need God……
Or
Maybe we don’t.
I'm Just Gonna Quit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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 it.'
____________________________
There are times in ministry when you wonder whether anything you are doing is making a difference in people's lives and you wonder whether anyone really sees what you are doing. Sometimes, it is just so hard. Sometimes, it is just so discouraging. The long, and sometimes lonely, hours that are necessary to prepare; the pressure of everyone expecting you to "hit a home run" every time you come up to the batter’s box.
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.
There are those occasions when you have to neglect your own family for critical needs of people in your ministry, when you just couldn't say "no" to someone who needed your counsel and support.
And, it’s entirely possible that you haven't seen your ministry grow in years. You know you are working hard, maybe harder than you have ever worked before. Yet, no results. Nothing! You wonder at times if it is worth it all. Again, you wonder whether anyone really sees what you are doing and would anyone even notice if you just stopped……
And, sometimes, it even feels like you are invisible to God.
You cry out, "God, what is wrong? What is wrong with my ministry? 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 those I minister to? I keep investing my life in their emotional and spiritual needs. But, nothing ever changes! No one even says, ‘Thank you for your hard work and dedication.’ No one says, ‘Thank you for your many hours of sacrifice to help us in our walk with God.’"
Perhaps you have even said, "God, if something doesn't change in my ministry, 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 people is their physical needs and wants. Why aren’t they concerned about the spiritual needs in their lives?"
“If only someone would help me understand!”
_________________________________
To: Discouraged
From: God
Dear Precious Saint,
I 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 My precious flock of sheep. But, I have been listening to your crying each night. I even noticed the other day when you got mad at Me and that’s alright. I can handle it and 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. 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 had been counting the days when you would one day join Me in assisting in the work of My kingdom.
I decided that I needed you to be a shepherd to some of My sheep. But, 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 that is 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 the cathedral is completed, many will stand in awe of the beauty of that splendid 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 majestic throne.
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 My kingdom that you helped to construct that you will be 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. For 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 anyone noticed your work on the planet earth. No, the only thing that will matter on that day is that you will enter through My gates of holy splendor and royal beauty and bow down before My Son, 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. My enemy knows that I am using you to reach untold numbers of people’s hearts and lives. That enemy, that antagonist, whom you know as Satan, knows he is defeated. When My Son, the King, died on that glorious cross, my diminutive foe was rendered powerless and he is now headed for his own destruction in due time. Pay no attention to him. That old snake has been trampled upon and he is nothing but an irritation right now and I will see to it that he receives his appropriate punishment.
So, dear friend, carry on. Go quietly amidst the troubles, the trials, the hardships, and the heartaches. The afflictions you are facing are only temporary but they are serving eternal purposes for Me. One of the purposes is, because of your tendency to neglect Me when your life is going well, that sometimes I have to get your attention by allowing, and yes sometimes even causing, some difficulties to come into your life. This keeps you humble, keeps you focused on Me and causes you to talk to me and rely upon Me. There are other reasons for these trials but the details and the “end of the story” will have to wait until later on. (By the way, I enjoy it so much when you talk to Me. I just wish that you would do it more often).
A magnificent journey is waiting before you. Each new day presents new opportunities that I have prepared for you that I like to call divine appointments. You must attend to these engagements in order for you to discover the joys I have arranged for you. If you miss the appointment, you will miss the adventure.
One day, not too far away, you will make your grand appearance in Heaven. But, until then, you must keep on working and continue to build the “cathedral” that I have a designed so that you will fulfill My calling upon your life. Do not allow anyone or any circumstance to prevent you from fulfilling My purpose for you.
In closing, I want you to know that, in Heaven, I have prepared a special place for you upon your arrival. We are waiting expectantly for you to get here but we will gladly wait for you until you have completed My personal assignment for you.
I love you, dearly. Keep in touch.
Your friend,
God
P.S. You have no idea how many people are here awaiting your arrival and your entrance in heaven. They need to speak with you personally because they want you to know how much you meant to them when they were on planet earth. They want to say “thank you” for investing your heart and your life in their earthly lives because they are now enjoying their eternal life with Me because of what you have already accomplished. And there are more citizens of the kingdom yet to arrive before you do who will also tell you the same thing when you get here.
And the workman replied, 'Because God sees it.'
____________________________
There are times in ministry when you wonder whether anything you are doing is making a difference in people's lives and you wonder whether anyone really sees what you are doing. Sometimes, it is just so hard. Sometimes, it is just so discouraging. The long, and sometimes lonely, hours that are necessary to prepare; the pressure of everyone expecting you to "hit a home run" every time you come up to the batter’s box.
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.
There are those occasions when you have to neglect your own family for critical needs of people in your ministry, when you just couldn't say "no" to someone who needed your counsel and support.
And, it’s entirely possible that you haven't seen your ministry grow in years. You know you are working hard, maybe harder than you have ever worked before. Yet, no results. Nothing! You wonder at times if it is worth it all. Again, you wonder whether anyone really sees what you are doing and would anyone even notice if you just stopped……
And, sometimes, it even feels like you are invisible to God.
You cry out, "God, what is wrong? What is wrong with my ministry? 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 those I minister to? I keep investing my life in their emotional and spiritual needs. But, nothing ever changes! No one even says, ‘Thank you for your hard work and dedication.’ No one says, ‘Thank you for your many hours of sacrifice to help us in our walk with God.’"
Perhaps you have even said, "God, if something doesn't change in my ministry, 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 people is their physical needs and wants. Why aren’t they concerned about the spiritual needs in their lives?"
“If only someone would help me understand!”
_________________________________
To: Discouraged
From: God
Dear Precious Saint,
I 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 My precious flock of sheep. But, I have been listening to your crying each night. I even noticed the other day when you got mad at Me and that’s alright. I can handle it and 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. 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 had been counting the days when you would one day join Me in assisting in the work of My kingdom.
I decided that I needed you to be a shepherd to some of My sheep. But, 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 that is 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 the cathedral is completed, many will stand in awe of the beauty of that splendid 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 majestic throne.
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 My kingdom that you helped to construct that you will be 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. For 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 anyone noticed your work on the planet earth. No, the only thing that will matter on that day is that you will enter through My gates of holy splendor and royal beauty and bow down before My Son, 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. My enemy knows that I am using you to reach untold numbers of people’s hearts and lives. That enemy, that antagonist, whom you know as Satan, knows he is defeated. When My Son, the King, died on that glorious cross, my diminutive foe was rendered powerless and he is now headed for his own destruction in due time. Pay no attention to him. That old snake has been trampled upon and he is nothing but an irritation right now and I will see to it that he receives his appropriate punishment.
So, dear friend, carry on. Go quietly amidst the troubles, the trials, the hardships, and the heartaches. The afflictions you are facing are only temporary but they are serving eternal purposes for Me. One of the purposes is, because of your tendency to neglect Me when your life is going well, that sometimes I have to get your attention by allowing, and yes sometimes even causing, some difficulties to come into your life. This keeps you humble, keeps you focused on Me and causes you to talk to me and rely upon Me. There are other reasons for these trials but the details and the “end of the story” will have to wait until later on. (By the way, I enjoy it so much when you talk to Me. I just wish that you would do it more often).
A magnificent journey is waiting before you. Each new day presents new opportunities that I have prepared for you that I like to call divine appointments. You must attend to these engagements in order for you to discover the joys I have arranged for you. If you miss the appointment, you will miss the adventure.
One day, not too far away, you will make your grand appearance in Heaven. But, until then, you must keep on working and continue to build the “cathedral” that I have a designed so that you will fulfill My calling upon your life. Do not allow anyone or any circumstance to prevent you from fulfilling My purpose for you.
In closing, I want you to know that, in Heaven, I have prepared a special place for you upon your arrival. We are waiting expectantly for you to get here but we will gladly wait for you until you have completed My personal assignment for you.
I love you, dearly. Keep in touch.
Your friend,
God
P.S. You have no idea how many people are here awaiting your arrival and your entrance in heaven. They need to speak with you personally because they want you to know how much you meant to them when they were on planet earth. They want to say “thank you” for investing your heart and your life in their earthly lives because they are now enjoying their eternal life with Me because of what you have already accomplished. And there are more citizens of the kingdom yet to arrive before you do who will also tell you the same thing when you get here.
Can A Leader Be A Servant?
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.
(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
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